Kicking butt in corsets and slaying with parasols, Victorian sci-fi drama âThe Neversâ arrives under, or at least alongside, a cloud: Creator Joss Whedon, who left the series in November citing exhaustion, has been the subject of multiple allegations since last summer of creating an abusive work environment on other projects, including by âJustice Leagueâsâ Ray Fisher and âBuffy the Vampire Slayerâsâ Charisma Carpenter and Michelle Trachtenberg.
But if this meant HBO faced an even taller order turning its ambitious new series, now helmed by showrunner Philippa Goslett, into a worthy successor to âTrue Blood,â âGame of Thronesâ and âWatchmen,â itâs one the cable giant has surmounted. Premiering Sunday, âThe Neversâ ably continues the networkâs tradition of making fantasy and sci-fi a prestigious television pursuit, this time in the splendor and grit of 1899 London.
April 9, 2021 in Film, Lifestyle
Although HBO’s new show “The Nevers” is a great watch, the controversy surrounding creator Joss Whedon is outshining it. (Photo from IMDb.)
“The Nevers” was advertised as Joss Whedon’s triumphant return to television. After working collaboratively on high-profile projects such as “The Avengers” this was supposed to be Whedon’s time to shine. However, accusations have risen recently about his abusive behavior on the set of “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.” And, unfortunately, even though Whedon left the show in November 2020, “The Nevers” will premiere Sunday under a dark cloud of skepticism and hatred for the show’s creator.
The Nevers
Curious about the story and cast? Find out the latest on the upcoming series led by actors Laura Donnelly and Ann Skelly.
What s the story?
August, 1896. Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event which gives certain people â mostly women â abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular âturns,â all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted âorphans.â To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind.
Ten minutes into
The Nevers, Laura Donnelly swaggers into a fight and kicks the shit out of a few undeserving males, (as Olivia Williams told
Digital Spy), followed by some snappy dialogue that includes words you have to look up in the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Nevers puts its best foot forward early on (right into a man s face) by foregrounding Amalia True as the latest kickass woman to quip and punch her way out of danger. Sound familiar? It s a fun, promising start for HBO s latest fantasy show, but then as the show progresses, what starts out as a niggling sense of déjà vu soon becomes all-consuming.
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Chuck Barney, East Bay Times, (TNS)
Don’t miss: “The Nevers” – Victorian London is the setting for this action-packed, genre-bending drama series. The city is rocked by a cosmic event that gives certain people – mostly women – some really cool powers. But no matter their particular “turns,” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It’s up to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted “orphans.” To do so, they’ll need to face the brutal forces determined to wipe out their kind. (9 p.m. ET Sunday, HBO).