The new HBO drama, which follows a group of women who have been “touched” by some mysterious power that grants them extraordinary abilities, unabashedly embraces its cross-section of genres. It’s a historical drama awash in lush costuming and production design.
The first batch of reviews are out for
The Nevers, HBO’s latest sci-fi fantasy series about a group of Victorian Era female superheroes (think steampunk X-Men), and the critical consensus thus far is that it remains to be seen if it has enough magic to break free from creator Joss Whedon’s shadow. But for now, the first few episodes seem to resemble a compilation of the creator’s greatest hits, for good or for bad.
Whedon, the former
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Firefly showrunner, left the HBO series around the time actors who’ve previously worked with him including Charisma Carpenter and Ray Fisher accused him of abusive and inappropriate behavior (though for what it’s worth, Whedon himself cited exhaustion as the reason he left the show, and cast members of the new HBO series say he was a delight to work with).