by S.J. Borger Ten Reasons Almost Human Needs a Season 2

Fox recently announced a slate of shows renewed (and cancelled) for next season. There were reasons for celebrations (Brooklyn 99, New Girl), reasons for sorrow (Raising Hope), and reasons to agonize as Fox’s silence over the fate of others left us waiting.

Almost Human deserves a second season. It’s done with its world-building, the characters are set, the twisty through-plot is just about to make sense (or pay-off, or be forgotten in favor of a new, better one, maybe?) and it’s ideally placed to have strong, fan-rific, possibly-the-best-show-(think-Fringe)-you-should-be-watching second season.

And we’re not the only ones, the website Save That Show shows a whopping 88% of people who take the poll support saving Almost Human (yes, we’re aware that the sample population of this poll is probably slanted. Yay statistics!)

So without further ado, here are our Top Ten Reasons to Renew Almost Human:

1.Firefly. That’s right, we said it. Fox Executives still owe us for cancelling Firefly, and we are calling in that debt—because we are not afraid to play that card, and we will probably play it again. It is the television equivalent of that thing you said that one time to your brother that comes up every Thanksgiving, Christmas and occasional birthdays.

2. It’s a good show. It’s a really, really, really good show. It’s not the most innovative when it comes to plots (it’s still a procedural cop show) but the world is interesting, the characters are invested and it’s just getting better. It got second place in TV.com’s Best of 2013, and was in the top 5 Best Sci-Fi/Superhero Series 2013.

3. The wall! What’s behind the wall? Who lives out there? Why is there a wall?? The series jumped up a notch when it introduced that particular element and it needs to be explained!

4.The show combines elements of Asimov’s robotics, fringe science, and a tech-noir grit with laugh-out-loud humor. Its nods to the films, books and other works that went before it—and where Almost Human clearly draws inspiration from—are subtle and usually done with tongue-placed-firmly-in-cheek.

5. Ealy and Urban—who play mismatched partners Dorian and Kennex—have an undeniable chemistry and their on-screen friendship and banter contributes a great deal to what makes the show so good. Also, we would watch Dorian and Kennex banter in the car anywhere. It should be a web series. Traveling in Cars with Kennex…

6.It’s good sci-fi. It’s smart sci-fi. It offers an intriguing look at our future, with a mixture of both cynicism and hope in terms of where humanity might find itself. And good, smart sci-fi—where the science isn’t just ’magic’—is hard to find. Especially on network TV.

7.While the two leads are men, the show’s two supporting roles, Captain Maldonado and Detective Valerie Stahl (played by Lili Tayler and Minka Kelly, respectively) are strong, effective, commanding women. And those are even rarer on network TV than good sci-fi.

8.Almost every great show had a rough first season. Especially world-building shows, where so much has to be built up before the series can really take off. Almost Human’s first season wasn’t that rough (ok, ok, the through-plot with the Syndicate-whatever wasn’t great…) and it is poised to really have a phenomenal second (and more!) season.



9. Firefly. Yup, twice in one list.

10. It consistently got better with every episode, and a second season would probably continue the trend, if the final six episodes are any indication. AND Season One finished up with any number of exciting plot points and new characters just waiting for more exploration.

‘Ok, ok,’ you’re saying. ‘You had us at Firefly. But what can we do?’

Amazingly enough, letter writing campaigns work. You can write directly to Mr. Kevin Reilly, FOX Broadcasting Co, 10201 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Or, go to Fox and watch it. You can follow the fan campaign here, or sign this petition here.

Also a ‘save Almost Human’ google search can point you in other directions.

You can catch up with Almost Human at Hulu.com.

What do you guys think? Should we save this show?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns91hBJqsDM