Post-apocalyptic TV series entertain in troubled times

While the Covid-19 pandemic rages, people stuck at home are consuming more video entertainment. That includes TV series set in apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic times. How fitting.
However, the genre soon will be losing its longest-running series, “The Walking Dead.” AMC announced that the zombie-apocalypse show will end after its upcoming 11th season, which is likely to run through late 2022.
The good news for fans of “The Walking Dead” universe is that the series is getting a spinoff series built around characters Daryl and Carol.
In addition to “The Walking Dead,” AMC airs a companion series, “Fear the Walking Dead,” which is set to start its sixth season on Oct. 11. A third series, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” will premiere on Oct. 4.
Plus, producers of the franchise are working on an episodic anthology series currently titled “Tales of the Walking Dead.” Also, a movie centered on the character Rick Grimes is in the works.
Here’s an update on other post-apocalyptic TV series:

• “The 100”: The CW series “The 100” will complete its seven-season run with a final episode on Sept. 30.
• “To the Lake”: On Oct. 7, Netflix will premiere the Russian series “To the Lake.” Here’s the official description: “Facing the end of civilization when a terrifying plague strikes, a group risks their lives, loves — and humanity — in a brutal struggle to survive.”
• “The Stand”: CBS All Access will premiere a miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s epic novel “The Stand” on Dec. 17. “The Stand” is a battle between good and evil forces that takes place in the aftermath of a super plague.
• “Y: The Last Man”: Based on a science-fiction comic book, “Y: The Last Man” is set to premiere on FX on Hulu sometime in 2021. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which a cataclysmic event has killed every male mammal except for one lone man and his capuchin monkey.
• “Station Eleven”: HBO Max has ordered a miniseries based on the novel “Station Eleven.” The story depicts the aftermath of a flu pandemic that wipes out most of the world’s population.
• “Resident Evil”: Netflix has ordered a series based on the “Resident Evil” survival-horror video game franchise. The series will have two timelines: one pre-apocalyptic and one post-apocalyptic. No release date has been announced.
• “The Silent Sea”: Netflix has ordered a Korean series called “The Silent Sea.” The show is set in a precarious future where Earth is running out of water.
• “All of Us Are Dead”: Netflix has ordered a Korean series called “All of Us Are Dead.” It is based on Korean webtoon called “Now at Our School.” It follows a group of high school students who are trapped in their school as a zombie virus spreads like a wildfire.
• “The Last of Us”: HBO plans to make a TV series based on the acclaimed video game franchise “The Last of Us.”
• “Fallout”: Amazon Studios has licensed the rights to the “Fallout” video game franchise for a television series.
• Meanwhile, new seasons are coming for “Black Summer” on Netflix, “Into the Night” on Netflix, “Snowpiercer” on TNT, “See” on Apple TV+, “Van Helsing” on Syfy and “War of the Worlds” on Epix.
  

Related articles:

Comprehensive list of live-action post-apocalyptic TV series

As one post-apocalyptic TV series ends, another begins (Tech-media-tainment; May 19, 2020)

Post-apocalyptic TV shows ready for comeback (Tech-media-tainment; Sept. 8, 2019)

Photo: Promotional art for “The Walking Dead: World Beyond.”

As one post-apocalyptic TV series ends, another begins

The seventh and final season of epic post-apocalyptic TV series “The 100” begins on Wednesday on the CW. Its season premiere follows the series premiere on Sunday of another post-apocalyptic series, “Snowpiercer,” on TNT.
With the debut of “Snowpiercer,” there are now 10 TV series set in post-apocalyptic worlds currently running. Of those, three, including “The 100,” are scheduled to finish their runs this year. The other two are “Van Helsing” on Syfy after five seasons and “The Rain” on Netflix after three seasons.
Other post-apocalyptic series currently airing include “The Walking Dead” and spinoff “Fear the Walking Dead” on AMC, “Black Summer” on Netflix, “See” on Apple TV+, “War of the Worlds” on Epix and “Into the Night” on Netflix.
“Snowpiercer” originally was set to debut on May 31 but was moved up to May 17 to bring the show to viewers stuck at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, a second “Walking Dead” spinoff, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” was delayed from it’s April 12 premiere until sometime later this year.
At least a dozen new post-apocalyptic set TV series are in development. So, the genre remains a popular category of escapist entertainment. However dark.

Related articles:

Comprehensive list of post-apocalyptic TV shows

Post-apocalyptic TV shows ready for comeback

Despite being the age of peak TV, the genre of post-apocalyptic-themed shows peaked three years ago.
In 2016, there were a record 16 post-apocalyptic shows airing on broadcast and cable channels.
Today there are just five such shows and two of those (“The 100” on CW and “The Rain” on Netflix) are scheduled for their final seasons in 2020. The others are AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead,” both of which are suffering ratings declines, and “Van Helsing” on Syfy.
I didn’t include “Black Summer” from Netflix as a current show, because it hasn’t been renewed for a second season and now appears to be a one-and-done mini-series.
But more post-apocalyptic-themed shows are in development. So, perhaps there’s a comeback ahead for the genre.

Snowpiercer

TBS will premiere “Snowpiercer” in spring 2020. The long-gestating series is based on the 2013 movie “Snowpiercer,” which was adapted from the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige.” The series takes place on a globe-circumnavigating train seven years after an attempt to reverse global warming froze the world.
“Snowpiercer” stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs. Originally slated for TNT, WarnerMedia moved the show to TBS and approved a second season. (See articles by Entertainment Weekly, Deadline, Wikipedia and WarnerMedia news release.)

The Last Kids on Earth

Netflix is scheduled to premiere the first season of animated show “The Last Kids on Earth” on Sept. 17. It’s based on the New York Times bestselling book series.
The humorous show follows “13-year-old Jack Sullivan and a band of suburban middle schoolers who live in a decked-out tree house, play video games, gorge themselves on candy, and battle zombies in the aftermath of the monster apocalypse.” (See article by Deadline.)

Untitled Walking Dead spinoff

A third show set in AMC’s “Walking Dead” television universe is due to premiere next year. The as-yet-untitled series will follow two female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come-of-age in the zombie apocalypse, according to Variety.

Y

FX is developing a TV series based on the comic book “Y: The Last Man,” which is about the world after an illness wipes out every male on the planet except one man, Yorick Brown. The series, “Y” starring Barry Keoghan and Diane Lane, is set to premiere in 2020. (See FX press release and article by GeekTyrant.)

War of the Worlds

Canal Plus, Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa, and AGC Television are making a TV series of the classic H.G. Wells sci-fi novel. It stars Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern, according to Variety.
“Set in contemporary Europe, the reimagining will follow the pockets of humanity left on earth following an apocalyptic extra-terrestrial strike,” Deadline said. “The series is due to debut later this year on Canal+ in France, and on Fox in more than 50 markets.”

See

Apple’s new subscription video-on-demand service Apple TV+ has ordered a series called “See.” The drama stars Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard. It “takes place centuries after a virus wiped out most of Earth’s inhabitants and left the only survivors blind,” Entertainment Weekly reported.
(See Wikipedia article.)

Into the Night

Netflix will introduce its first series from Belgium in 2020, a drama called “Into the Night.” The series “tells the story about retaining humanity in the face of a cosmic disaster, as a flight departs Brussels,” according to Programming Insider.
Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix: “‘Into the Night’ begins with a sudden solar event, as the sun inexplicably starts killing everything in its path. The show centers around the ‘lucky’ passengers and crew of an overnight flight out of Brussels, as they attempt to fly west — into the safety of the dark night. The plane’s manifest is multinational and multilingual, with passengers rich and poor, young and old, civilian and military. The seemingly ordinary travelers share but one thing: A desire to survive the sun — and each other — by any means necessary.”

Reality Z

Netflix is doing a Brazilian remake of the British horror series “Dead Set,” created by Charlie Booker of “Black Mirror” fame. The show depicts what happens on a “Big Brother” type reality TV show when a zombie apocalypse breaks out. The series is set to premiere in 2020.
(See article by Deadline.)

V Wars

Netflix is producing a TV series based on the graphic comic series “V-Wars.”
“V Wars follows the story of a scientist and his best friend, as they face the evolving crisis of a deadly outbreak, that fractures society into opposing factions, potentially escalating to a future war between humans and vampires,” Wikipedia says.
(See articles by CinemaBlend and What’s on Netflix.)

Daybreak

Netflix has ordered a post-apocalyptic dramedy called “Daybreak,” based on the graphic novel of the same name. “Daybreak” follows a 17-year-old high school outcast in post-apocalyptic Glendale, California. The world is “populated by Mad Max-esque bands of marauders, including cheerleaders who have become Amazon warriors and evil jocks, and zombie-like beings known as ‘Ghoulies,’” according to the Hollywood Reporter. Season one premieres on Oct. 24.

Station Eleven

WarnerMedia has ordered a limited series based on Emily St. John Mandel’s bestseller “Station Eleven” for its HBO Max streaming video service. The story takes place after a swine flu pandemic kills most of the world’s population, according to Deadline.

Aeon Flux

MTV is doing a live-action reboot of its animated series “Aeon Flux.” The series is set in a dystopian future and revolves around a young assassin who teams with a group of biohacking rebels to save humanity. (See article by the Hollywood Reporter.)

More post-apocalyptic TV series in the works

Other post-apocalyptic themed shows have been discussed in recent years, but some might have slipped into development hell. Those shows include adaptations of novels “Dawn,” “MaddAddam” and “Who Fears Death.”
Another long-in-development show is “Judge Dredd: Mega City One,” based on the comic book and movie series.

Related articles:

Comprehensive list of post-apocalyptic TV shows

‘Black Summer’ adds new blood to post-apocalyptic TV genre

The number of television shows set in post-apocalyptic times will dip to seven after AMC’s “Into the Badlands” airs its series finale on May 6.
And one of those remaining seven, Fox’s “The Passage,” has yet to be renewed or cancelled. A decision on whether that vampire apocalypse show gets a second season will occur by mid-May, TVLine reported.
The latest post-apocalyptic themed series to air is “Black Summer,” which premiered on April 11 on Netflix. The zombie apocalypse series is reportedly set in the “Z Nation” universe of fast-moving zombies.
“Black Summer” is Netflix’s second post-apocalyptic TV show after the Danish drama “The Rain,” which returns for a sophomore season on May 17.
Other series in the genre currently airing include “The Walking Dead” (AMC), “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC), “The 100” (CW) and “Van Helsing” (Syfy).
But more end-of-the-world entertainment is on the way.
Netflix has four additional PA shows in the works: “Daybreak,” “V-Wars,” “The Last Kids on Earth” and a series based on the “Resident Evil” video games.
Other such shows in development include “Y” on FX, “Snowpiercer” on TNT, and “See” on Apple TV Plus. AMC also is developing a second spinoff series from “The Walking Dead,” set to air next year.

Related articles:

Comprehensive list of post-apocalyptic TV shows

Post-apocalyptic TV show trend on the decline (Sept. 2, 2018)

Photos: Scenes from “Black Summer” on Netflix (Netflix)

Major broadcast networks can’t be trusted with sci-fi, fantasy or horror shows

The recent cancellations of “The Crossing” on ABC and “Timeless” on NBC reaffirm my belief that the major U.S. broadcast networks can’t be trusted with shows from the science-fiction, fantasy and horror genres.
So many such genre shows get canceled in their first season, ending on cliffhangers, that it’s gotten ridiculous. If they’re lucky, they can eke out a second season before getting the axe, such as “Timeless” and Fox’s “The Exorcist.”
The major broadcast networks of ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are still living in the linear TV age while most people have moved on to on-demand viewing.
Meanwhile, cable and streaming networks have learned the value of smaller, more committed fan bases for shows. For instance, “Lucifer” was canceled by Fox after three seasons, but resurrected by Netflix because of its passionate fan support.
No fan base is more fervent than the geeks who watch sci-fi, fantasy and horror shows.
Thank goodness for the CW, the smallest broadcast network, which has built its schedule around genre shows. I’m a huge fan of post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama series “The 100,” which the CW has nurtured over five seasons, with a sixth planned.
The worst offender among the broadcast networks for canceling genre shows after one season is ABC. “The Crossing,” a drama about refugees from a future war who travel back in time for a better life, is the Disney-owned network’s latest victim.
Other short-lived genre shows on ABC in recent years have included “Time After Time” (2017), “The Whispers” (2015), “Forever” (2014-15), “666 Park Avenue” (2012-13), “The River” (2012), “No Ordinary Family” (2010-11), “The Gates” (2010) and “FlashForward” (2009-10).
What distinguishes ABC from other networks is that it had a hit genre show in “Lost,” which lasted six seasons from 2004 to 2010. Since then, the network has kept plugging away, trying to find the next “Lost.”
Rival network NBC tried to make the next “Lost” for a few years, but gave up after canceling a bunch of genre shows in a row. It gave single seasons to “The Event” (2010-11), “Awake” (2012), “Do No Harm” (2013) and “Believe” (2014) and two seasons to “Revolution” (2012-14).

Photo: Poster for “The Crossing.” 

Fun artwork: The Kitten Covers, Social Decay, and Lego The 100

I’m a fan of clever online artwork. I usually find out about these works when they become memes and are shared virally.
Today I’d like to spotlight three such types of art: The Kitten Covers, Social Decay, and Lego The 100.

The Kitten Covers

Digital artist Alfra Martini has recreated legendary rock albums replacing band members with kittens. The artwork is featured on her Tumblr blog titled The Kitten Covers.
Brooklyn, New York-based Martini is obviously a fan of rock music and cats.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Social Decay

Graphic artist Andrei Lacatusu created a series of illustrations that depict today’s tech giants as if they were abandoned storefronts. The series called “Social Decay” featured illustrations of dilapidated signs for Facebook, Google, Twitter and more. The artwork is featured on his Behance website.
(See articles by Business Insider and Co. Design.)

Lego The 100

For grins, I used to make dioramas of reality TV shows using Lego bricks.
Twitter user Lego The 100 makes silly artwork of science-fiction TV series “The 100” using Legos.
The results are usually pretty corny, but the artist’s heart is in the right place.

Midseason TV premieres for sci-fi, fantasy, horror fans

The explosion of television shows known as “peak TV” has made keeping up with new programs difficult, even for people like me who largely gravitate to science-fiction, fantasy and horror genre shows.
While I’m caught up on my broadcast and cable TV favorites, I’ve still got a bunch of streaming shows I’d like to watch, including “Star Trek Discovery” on CBS All Access and “Altered Carbon” and “Dark” on Netflix.
What follows is a list of TV show premieres I’m looking forward to catching in the weeks and months ahead:

• Feb. 25: “The Walking Dead,” second half of season eight on AMC
• Feb. 26: “iZombie,” season four on the CW
• March 2: “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD,” second half of season five on ABC
• March 8: “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” season two on Netflix
• March 26: “The Terror” on AMC
• April 2: “The Crossing” on ABC
• April 3: “Legion,” season two on FX
• April 22: “Westworld,” season two on HBO
• April 24: “The 100,” season five on the CW
• Spring: “The Rain” on Netflix
• Summer: “12 Monkeys,” fourth and final season on Syfy
• Mid-2018: “The Last Ship,” season five on TNT
• 2018: “Colony,” season three on USA Network

Photos: Promotional art for “Legion” and “12 Monkeys.”

Post-apocalyptic TV has ebbed; One new show this fall

American television reached peak post-apocalyptic TV last year when 16 such genre shows were airing.
This fall there will be 13 such shows airing or renewed for new seasons. Only one new post-apocalyptic-themed show is scheduled to premiere this season and it’s on a small network: “Extinct” on BYUtv.
The current lineup of post-apocalyptic TV series includes three zombie apocalypse shows: “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead” on AMC and “Z Nation” on Syfy.
Three shows take place after a viral pandemic: “The Last Ship” on TNT, “12 Monkeys” on Syfy and “The Last Man on Earth” on Fox.
Other shows picture our world destroyed by nuclear war, alien invasion, vampire outbreaks and other means. They are: “The 100” on the CW, “Colony” on USA, “Van Helsing” on Syfy, “Into the Badlands” on AMC, “The Shannara Chronicles” on MTV, and “Zoo” on CBS.
Post-apocalyptic TV shows that ended or are ending this year include “The Leftovers” on HBO and “The Strain” on FX. “Aftermath” on Syfy was canceled in January after one season.
“12 Monkeys” was renewed for a fourth and final season to premiere in 2018.
As for “Extinct,” it was created by “Ender’s Game” author Orson Scott Card. The 10-episode action series takes place 400 years after the extinction of the human race and follows a small group of humans who are revived by an alien civilization.
“Extinct” will premiere on Oct. 1.
More post-apocalyptic-themed shows are in the works.
I’ll cover those in my next post.

Photo: Still from “Extinct,” which premieres Oct. 1 on BYUtv.

Post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows alive and well in 2017

Last week, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its symbolic Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The group said the world is closer to catastrophe due to threats such as nuclear weapons and climate change under U.S. President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Hollywood is feeding off the public’s concerns with a steady stream of movies and TV shows set in the post-apocalypse.
On Friday, “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” opened. It’s the latest in a zombie apocalypse series of movies starring Milla Jovovich.
Two other zombie apocalypse movies will follow in February: “Patient Zero” (Feb. 17) and “The Girl with All the Gifts” (Feb. 24).
The next big post-apocalyptic movie will be “War for the Planet of the Apes,” due out on July 14.
Other post-apocalyptic movies set to debut this year include “Cargo,” “Future World,” “Hostile,” “Last Broken Darkness,” “Scorched Earth” and “The Tribe.”
On the small screen, a record 16 post-apocalyptic TV shows are currently airing.
Season two of “Colony” premiered on USA on Jan. 12. “The 100” returns for season four on Feb. 1. And “The Walking Dead” has its season-seven midseason premiere on Feb. 12.
Other PA shows currently airing include “The Last Ship” (TNT), “The Leftovers” (HBO), “Z Nation” (Syfy), “The Strain” (FX), “12 Monkeys” (Syfy), “The Last Man on Earth” (Fox), “Wayward Pines” (Fox), “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC), “Zoo” (CBS), “Into the Badlands” (AMC), “The Shannara Chronicles” (MTV), “Van Helsing” (Syfy) and “3%” (Netflix).
By the way, the best resource for keeping up with post-apocalyptic entertainment is Post-Apocalyptic Media.

Related:

Comprehensive list of post-apocalyptic movies

List of post-apocalyptic TV shows

My favorite TV shows on right now: The 100, iZombie and more

My list of favorite TV shows changes every season due to cancellations and my evolving tastes.
I gravitate to genre shows like science-fiction, fantasy and horror because I want to be surprised. I don’t get that from most police and lawyer shows.
I also prefer dramas to sitcoms. Even when sitcoms are good, I tend to get tired of them after one season. (Most recent example: “The Last Man on Earth.”)
Among the shows I dropped from my viewing list this year are “Fear the Walking Dead” (season one was mediocre; season two is unwatchable), “Lucifer” (I expect the devil to be more formidable than this guy) and “Mr. Robot” (I binge-watched season one on DVD. It was one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent years for the first 7 episodes then turns to complete crap with the big reveal that one key character is imaginary. What a tired plot twist.). I enjoyed season two of “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” but ABC canceled the show.
So with the 2015-16 TV season at its end, here are my favorite TV shows on right now.

The 100

After three seasons, this post-apocalyptic drama continues to excite, surprise and challenge me. “The 100” is brutal and uncompromising, much like HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” I can’t wait for season four on the CW.

iZombie

The most fun show on TV right now, thanks to the brilliant writing and terrific acting, especially by Rose McIver as zombie/medical examiner Liv Moore. Looking forward to season three of “iZombie” on the CW.

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD

This comic-book action show has gotten better with age. Season three featured the show’s most frightening villain yet in Hive. “Agents of SHIELD” has been renewed for a fourth season on ABC.

Adventure Time

The Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time” is one of those shows that is written for adults but kids can enjoy on a simpler level. Seven seasons in, this animated adventure show about a human boy and his magical dog in the strange Land of Ooo is super entertaining.

The Walking Dead

AMC’s zombie apocalypse drama “The Walking Dead” just concluded its sixth season. And it was a nail-biter. Season seven will feature the villain Negan from the comic book as the big bad.

This summer I’m looking forward to the return of “The Last Ship” and “The Strain,” both in their third seasons.

A record 12 post-apocalyptic TV series currently airing

A record 12 post-apocalyptic themed TV series are currently airing on U.S. television networks. And it could soon be 13.
A good argument could be made that pop culture mirrors the present collective mindset of the populace. People have a pretty gloomy take on the world right now. The global economy is sputtering, the Middle East is war torn, Europe is being flooded with refugees, and the U.S. is mired in political conflict.
Since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, 19 post-apocalyptic TV shows have premiered. (It’s 20 if you count “You, Me and the Apocalypse,” which premieres Thursday on NBC. That show begins with a pre-apocalyptic scenario that could go post-apocalyptic.)
During the two terms of his predecessor, President George W. Bush, two post-apocalyptic shows premiered in the U.S.
The popularity of such end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it type shows brings out the dime store psychiatrist in me.
Maybe it’s cathartic to watch characters surviving under the worst situations imaginable. Viewers can always tell themselves that at least they’re not THAT bad off.
Apocalyptic events in TV shows currently airing include zombie uprisings (“The Walking Dead,” “Fear the Walking Dead” and “Z Nation”), alien invasion (“Colony”), biblical rapture (“The Leftovers”), viral pandemics (“The Last Ship,” “The Last Man on Earth” and “12 Monkeys”), animal uprising (“Zoo”), and war (“The 100,” “Into the Badlands” and “The Shannara Chronicles.”)
“You, Me and the Apocalypse” will bring a seventh apocalyptic scenario. The comedy takes place in the last days of mankind as a comet is on a collision course with Earth.
Is that comet a metaphor for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becoming the next president of the United States?

Photos: Promotional artwork for season three of “The 100,” the midseason premiere of season six of “The Walking Dead,” and the premiere of “You, Me and Apocalypse.” 

Upcoming TV shows with the most promise: ‘Marvel’s Jessica Jones,’ ‘Colony’

The mediocre slate of new broadcast television shows has me looking forward to midseason replacements.
TV networks often save their most risky and daring new shows for midseason or summer release. Even my favorite show from last year, “The 100” on the CW, is being saved for a midseason return in early 2016.
Other favorites of mine due to return in early 2016 include “Marvel’s Agent Carter” on ABC and “12 Monkeys” on Syfy.
Of the shows that are soon to premiere, I’m most interested in “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” on Netflix, “Colony” on USA, “Containment” on the CW, and “The X-Files” reboot on Fox.
Other shows could have potential, but I’ll need to read reviews or see new trailers to get a better feel for them. They include “Lucifer” on Fox, “The Expanse” on Syfy and “Shades of Blue” on NBC.
Most of those shows are science-fiction, comic-book and horror shows. That’s because genre shows are more interesting to me than standard lawyer or cop shows. I like to be surprised.

Photos: Promotional art for “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” and “The X-Files.”

‘The 100’ is TV’s most underrated show

One of the failings of TV criticism is that reviews of a new series are often based on the first episode or few and then not followed up. So a TV drama that starts slowly and goes from good to great isn’t noticed.
Such is the case with the CW’s “The 100,” now in its second season.
The series started out as a CW version of “Lord of the Flies,” cast with the network’s usual assortment of attractive young men and women.
In the first season, 100 juvenile prisoners from an orbiting space colony are sent to the Earth’s surface as guinea pigs to see if the planet is habitable nearly a century after a nuclear war. After losing their communications link to the station, the kids go primal and start to turn on each other. But they have to band together to fight territorial warriors dubbed the Grounders. The first-season finale introduced the Mountain Men, a new group for the protagonists to contend.
The first season of “The 100” got off to a decent start and then kept getting better.
“The 100” earned a Metacritic score of 63, signifying generally favorable reviews.
Critics didn’t have the benefit of viewing the entire season of “The 100” before they gave it thumbs up or down. Almost all the reviews were posted in March 2014 around the premiere, save for one from January 2014.
In the second season, “The 100” went from good to great, with richer character development, fun plot twists and exciting action scenes. Of course, there are no reviews of season two of “The 100” on Metacritic.
I compare “The 100” to HBO’s “Game of Thrones” in terms of story sweep, violence and body count. The producers aren’t afraid to kill off a main character or to throw a curve.
“The 100” is by no means perfect. You have to overlook a lot of scientific implausibility. But it’s a great ride. “The 100” season finale is Wednesday. Thankfully, “The 100” has been renewed for a third season.