We found the final scene where Max sacrificed himself for his family quite emotional

How does Maxie sacrifice himself? Surely one of that guy's henchmen will just run shooting after Merlin, catch him and the other will run down and get Maxie out of the river and capture them both anyway? Or am I missing something haha

This has changed the premise of the show for me. At the start it was about humans and machines. Now it's about humans and something modelled on humans but, as you say, smarter, faster and stronger. I don't know what the difference is between sci-fi and fantasy but in lay terms it feels like we've moved into fantasy now. The walking, talking robot, even a really high spec one, I could buy. The idea of something that is pretty much a human - I'm not sure what the programme is getting at with that.

I'm still loving it as a drama and maybe that's the point. Excellent actors and production values make for an entertaining evening, regardless of subject matter.

The scene didn't play out how he wanted but he threw himself off the bridge, potentially dying, to distract the pursuers i.e. they'd go after him rather than Leo. I don't think the way the scene was executed conveyed this as well as it should have especially since the lead guy just sent his men after Leo.


I'm guessing you've not watched Battlestar Galactica or AI? It's still science fiction. The idea that the Synths are alive like humans was the premise of the show from the beginning. It's dealing with how human society would react to creating real synthetic life and what it means to be alive and human.

Well Leo said that he would be carried away by the current and might never be found, so I don't think it's as simple as them just going into the water under the bridge and getting him, but it definitely could have been made clearer (the shot of Max lying peacefully underwater didn't help).

Leo: "You'll die! Do you understand?"
Max: "If I die, that means I've lived..."
Throws himself off bridge. Last scene is him shutting down peacefully under the water.

I thought that was pretty unambiguous.

Or that could just be one of those things people say to try and put someone off doing something inadvisable.

Max might even understand that - but I think in any case he will be deflating any internal airbags, and disabling his automatic water wings to make sure he sinks straight down and doesn't drift too far so he can be found afterwards.

Thing is, why would he die?
Do these synths need to breathe oxygen? We'd already seen them underwater in the flashback scenes so it's not as if they'd short circuit because of the water.

Well he's out of power and his body may never be found so for all intents he'd be dead.

I hadn't put him at that young either but we now know he died aged 13 and that Niska is 9. We also know that Niska was made before he died and she wasn't the last one to be made. So If Niska was made a year before Leo died, 9 years ago he would have been 12, making him 21 now (or as you say at most 22 if she was made just before he tipped into the water), not much older than Mattie. Maybe having a synth brain ages you.

Another age thing, Laura says Tom died when he was 5 and she was 11 but in the photo they look about 2 years apart maximum. I'm sure it's not a plot line, just sloppy, but it's a bit of a surprise when everything else is so slick.

Isn't William Hurt an amazing actor. I don't think I've ever seen him in anything before but wow. What's he doing in a small British TV show?

Hello, sorry just catching up on this thread now and read your response to my comments. You make some really good points. I think you're right with regards to the super computers comment, and I also agree with your view on the nature vs nurture.

I just wonder things like if they are pre-programmed to know 'adult' things like sex etc? Otherwise they are more like innocent children when created which makes what Elster did to Niska really creepy.

Yes, I noticed that straight away too. I was surprised they didn't have a better photo, how hard can it be to get two kids who are actually 6 years apart?


He's very good. Don't think I've watched him in anything before either.


Thanks. I don't know about the programmed to know about adult things. I suppose if they are created with a large store of knowledge it must be in there (even if only in a nature documentary kind of way). I think what Elster did was pretty creepy regardless, Niska clearly did not want to be sleeping with him; the fact that she kept it from the others strongly suggests that she felt it was wrong and/or was ashamed about it.

Humans is a joint British/American (AMC) show and William Hurt has been in loads of films including A.I. Artificial Intelligence. I must admit that when I watched the trailers for Humans I was convinced it was an American show because they looked slicker.

I suppose what I find really surprising is that there aren't more US actors in it.

Can somebody enlighten me?

Hobb got shot in the leg but was seen running on the bridge at the end of the episode. Is that right or was I seeing things?

He did get shot, but not with a gun with bullets, it was more like a taser.

Hence the absence of blood. I get it now. Thanks.

I remember him in 'Gorky Park' and he was excellent in that.
It's a film worth watching even though it is quite old now.

Wouldn't say he's amazing on the strength of this.
He's probably in this because actors need to eat and pay bills, he's not Hollywood A list and everybody pretty much does TV these days as well as film.
Hurt might be 'amazing' in this in comparison to others, some of the characters aren't coming out of this too well and I don't think I'll blame the actors, the Mum and Dad, very stiff and distanced performances.

She mentioned modding him, and earlier she seemed bored by the sex and his lack of spontaneity. Most likely the mod gave him a more S&M persona, such that merely saying "No" would no longer work. Probably there was a safe word, or perhaps some other signal that could be given while gagged, but when she got scared she forgot it.


We've also seen malfunctioning synths hurt people "by accident". I think if Jill had a rape fantasy, and modded Simon to full fill it, and the mod was an illegal mod that had bugs in, she could easily get hurt.

I wasn't particularly comparing him to anyone else; I just think the quality of his acting is excellent in this (can't speak for in anything else). He felt quite understated at the start but now I think his characterisation is beautiful and detailed. You're right that it shows up some of the others who are more prosaic.

I also wasn't meaning anything about Hollywood. I just wondered why an older American actor of that quality would be in what I thought was a small Channel 4 show. It would mean he travelled here for work; why would his agent put him up for it; how would he get a visa when there are older British actors who could have done the job? But someone said it's a US co-production so that would explain why he's in it. I wonder how the show will go down in America. It feels very British to me. Part of the reason I think I'm enjoying it is because I recognise and resonate with the setting so I don't have to suspend disbelif on that (apart from how they all seem to afford massive houses in London).

He's probably getting more money than the rest of the cast put together, and he must have liked the script. He mostly does TV these days which is strange given he is still one of the best actors of his generation.

First of all I will admit I have seen all of the Original series this is based on and loved it very much and I want to stress I was excited for this UK version (for some reason i thought it might be a bit like 'Real Humans' in the style of Utopia (I think it was the music).

Anyway i'm finding this series very disappointing, not only in comparison to Akta Manniskor but in its own right,

Its just lacking something for me I'm still watching but If I don't see it for a few days I'm not bothered at all.

Akta manniskor I devoured season 2 in about 2 days, just wanted to know what what was happening next

As mentioned it's an Anglo American production, and the Yanks generally wont watch anything without a recognised 'star' name in it.

The one thing about the Swedish version I liked was that none of the actors were known over here, and you started with a completely clean slate with no expectations.

And we were doing so well, having not mentioned the bl...dy Swedish show for several pages now.....

Hmm, I am not too sure about that sweeping generalization