TV Review: Love, Death & Robots
Netflix brings a futuristic taste of sex, violence and nostalgia with the charming Love, Death & Robots
Few recent TV shows have bet on the anthology format. Fewer
still have done so in the sci-fi genre. Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots is one
brave series that satisfies many curiosities surrounding humanity, robotics,
ethics, the world we know and the many worlds we have yet to discover.
Overview
LDR is full of art, style, irony and violence. The episodes
range from 9 to 20 minutes in length. Every episode has robots (naturally) but
the love and death vary. Each episode ties into the themes driven by robot
impact, the results of death, or the change that comes with falling in love.
Visually, the episodes are driven by a combination of animation, motion
capture, and subtitles. For source material, the show leaned hard on sci-fi
names like John Scalzi, Alastiar Reynolds, Claudine Griggs, Peter F. Hamilton,
and more.
CastSimilar to the call for veteran writers, the LDR creators reached out to familiar names in voice acting. Nolan North, Scott Whyte, Josh Brener, Neil Kaplan, Courtenay Taylor, Carlos Alazraqui, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are just some of the names of note. For perspective, those actors have portrayed the Taco Bell dog, Huntress, Xur from Destiny, Nathan Drake from Uncharted, and the female lead from Fallout 4.
Heavy Metal vs Twilight Zone vs Black MirrorLove, Death & Robots was pitched during its development cycle as a renewal of the old Heavy Metal magazines. (That’s exactly how I described watching the show. -nK) It’s not the only dystopian series in the Netflix catalog. Black Mirror has been described as The Twilight Zone for digital immigrants. The Twilight Zone is an anthology series that features technology with mind-bending results. Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror is the modern take on that same theme. LDR is an animated, adult-themed version of both.
Greatest hits
Netflix broke the marketing mold with LDR by releasing it
with four different episode sequences. Episode one simply wasn’t episode one
for everyone. Fortunately for my viewing party, we opened with the supremely
charming episode, John Scalzi’s “Three
Robots.” This is among the least violent, least sexual episodes of the
entire sequence, but it leans heavily into the Robots’ attempt to
reverse-engineer the reality of humanity. The robots’ reactions range from
semi-accurate to ridiculous. It’s a wonderful introduction to the series, but
there is plenty to like with each episode. Below are a few of my favorites.
Beyond the Aquila Rift is the closest thing to an original Heavy Metal story. It mixes space travel, sex, technology and unexpected consequences. The Dump is short but probably one of the funniest payoffs out of the entire series. It even features Gary Cole from Office Space. Remember those TPS reports!
Lucky 13 is a
gorgeous war movie. As director Jerome Chen describes It, the story is “Girl
meets Dropship. Girl falls in love with Dropship. Girl loses Dropship.” It is a
fast-paced story with brilliant dialogue and an incredible performance from
lead actor Samira Wiley.
Outliers include the ridiculous short film, When the Yogurt Took Over, which must be
seen to be believed.
ConclusionLove, Death & Robots is not for everyone, but it represents a huge investment from Netflix in to traditional science fiction. It has a visual appeal that will draw in new viewers, but touches on the history of sci-fi with long time readers and viewers. Science fiction has been a part of our lives for generations, and LDR celebrates that with its exploration, recollection, and willingness to challenge the unknown.
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Check out more of my writing over on my Amazon.com page, including the Leon “Catwalk” Caliber cyberpunk series, and the Urban Samurai series. Also, check out the Geek Wolfpack Podcast and the ADHD D&D podcast.
