Devs

This intriguing but sometimes plodding sci-fi series requires a bit of patience but can be rewarding. This is mostly hanks to creator Alex Garland's (Ex-Machina, Annihilation) ability to make a very complicated concept (quantum physics) more accessible. That said, not everything about the show is fresh. It's got many of the hallmarks of other modern sci-fi shows (cough, Westworld): textbook cinematography that looks nice but ultimately adds little to the story, and a super-slow pace that often comes from trying to stretch what could be a 90-minute premise across eight episodes. Both traits are great for the streaming business -- especially if viewers are pre-invested in the creators or the subjects -- but the storytelling doesn't often hold up under them. Devs' surfaces (and there are a lot of them) look shiny enough, and the future-tech world and ethical discussions hint at a distant payoff, but without a true investment in Garland or the relatively thin plot, it takes a lot of patience to make it there.