The science-fiction drama “Extrapolations” ended on Apple TV+, the general theme of which was the future of humanity. The series has 8 episodes, each of which is a separate story in a certain timeline. In the review below, we tell how, according to the creators’ forecasts, the climate on the planet will change in the next half century and whether the local ecological apocalypse is worth paying attention to.

“Extrapolation” / Extrapolations

Genre anthology series, science fiction drama
Directors Scott Z. Barnes, Michael Morris
In roles Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harrington, Edward Norton, Tobey Maguire, Eisa Gonzalez, Marion Cotillard, Forest Whitaker, Diane Lane, Heather Graham, David Schwimmer
Premiere Apple TV+
Graduation year 2023
Site IMDb

The future looks scary. In 2037, the increase in global air temperature will increase to +1.55℃ and will continue to grow inevitably. Politicians of different countries of the world will try to find a way out, but will get stuck in numerous disagreements and disputes. Famous billionaires will only pretend to be interested in saving humanity.

Later, the planet will be shaken more strongly. Major environmental disasters, such as wildfires or floods, will not bring people together for a common goal. On the contrary, the general disunity, constant quarrels and selfish motives of the powerful of this world will finally convince that homo sapiens deserve such a tragic fate.

It is not difficult to guess which main idea will pass through the storylines of the series as a thin red thread. This is a fairly clear statement on the topic of ecology and the impact of humanity on the Earth’s ecosystem. At the same time, “Extrapolations” is perceived not only as a science fiction discussion about a hypothetical future, where you can’t even go outside without an oxygen tank. Stories work as a warning, or even a probable prediction.

Project showrunner Scott Z. Burns, as a screenwriter, once predicted the fateful spread of a deadly virus that came to mankind from Chinese bats (in Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion”). Now this author turns to another problem that can actually put an end to our dreams of a happy future.

The series begins leisurely, which will probably put off some of the interested audience from watching even at the start. Eight episodes with a duration of plus or minus 50 minutes cover the time span from 2037 to 2070. Each series reports an increase in global temperature or, for example, sea level or Earth’s population.

The authors briefly describe the seriousness of the situation, introduce the characters, and while world leaders are discussing urgent issues, somewhere in the United States, an entire forest will burn. At the same time, the Russian Federation will be at the summit, so according to the creators, in 2037 this territory will have a noticeable political influence on the world stage. Instead, the TV channel “Sea of ​​Azov TV Ukraine” will be in the frame with a report on how eco-activists urgently call for action.

The second episode (2046) follows scientist Rebecca Shearer, who can literally communicate with the last humpback whale on the planet. The animal received the voice of Meryl Streep herself, and this situation also reminded of last year’s “Avatar”, where a similar storyline took place. In general, the first two episodes turned out to be boring: the series accelerates rather slowly.

Starting with the third series, the situation improves somewhat, and the degree of interest, like a scale with indicators of the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, gradually rises.

“Extrapolations” suffer from the problems of any anthology: this is the alternation of frankly boring stories with more interesting ones, and the lack of characters to whom you have time to get attached, and the inability to endure the entire journey in a single genre.

Yes, in the general sense, this is a science fiction drama, which, however, is perceived precisely as a realistic story. In addition, it is extremely gloomy and devoid of the excesses characteristic of Hollywood blockbusters. After his debut, Roland Emmerich doesn’t even smell. For this, the creators really deserve loud applause.

The series turned out to be a multi-genre product. For example, the fifth episode is a road movie, the sixth is a natural melodrama, and the last is a legal thriller.

There is no certainty as to whether it was worth gathering such a stellar cast of actors for the monotonous voicing of great truths. The screenwriters of “Extrapolations” once again emphasize that humanity should come to its senses before it’s too late. Also, they reflect on the power of karma and faith, criticize social inequality and capitalism, worry about the disappearance of certain species of animals.

Of course, the scene of contactless sex between the characters of Marion Cotillard and Tobey Maguire, or the transformation of Kit Harrington into an exhibit of Madame Tussauds will be remembered for a long time. But none of the big stars, by and large, have nowhere to turn. These are just pleasant appearances in a project that calls for saving the planet, because it is an important topic.

The series definitely does not try to entertain the viewer, such a function is not provided.

All the same, here we are talking about a disappointing warning, the only pity is that it is unlikely to reach anyone. Instead, it is now clear that even in 40 years it will rain constantly in London. A woman will one day win an election in the United States. And somewhere in the world, one Batman will surely shudder when he learns that Diane Lane’s character is called Martha.

Pros:
at least three interesting episodes, an important theme, a realistic depiction of the probable future, the absence of blockbuster nonsense and excesses, a huge number of star actors, a gloomy atmosphere, good technical performance, an attempt not to entertain, but to warn

Cons:
the monotony and lethargy of the narrative of all series, without exception, the inability to compete with genre models created purely for entertainment (this can explain the mediocre viewer ratings), the lack of characters with whom you want to empathize, the vast majority of stories are unable to touch and cause only indifference

Conclusion:

“Extrapolations” deserves a very, very reserved viewing recommendation, and only if the viewer knows in advance what to expect from it in the most fresh series. The usual entertainment will not work here, so it is worth guessing whether you will have the strength and desire to get acquainted with such unfriendly and difficult-to-understand material