5-Minute TV Show Review: Brave New World

7.3/10 — definitely different from the book in a strange eerie way

Synopsis/ idea: In a group-centered world where everyone has access to everything each person has ever experienced and is expected to never be alone, main protagonist Lenina starts questioning why the world is the way it is.

Why I started watching the show

Brave New World has always been on my to-read list, so when I learned that it was going to be on TV, I finally broke open the copy I’d thrifted at a local second-hand bookstore years ago to read. That being said, as described on its Wikipedia page, this TV series is very loosely based on the original plotline. The world remains similar, with added elements of technology (e.g., artificial intelligence) that Huxley never would have been able to imagine in 1932.

Three (3) reasons I recommend this show

[1] The re-imagining of the book classic in technological terms that may make this world possible in today’s age

Reading the book, you already get a sense of how this utopian-dystopia is eerie. The technology that’s blossomed in the past 90 or so years have made it increasingly possible that a technological world that links everyone together more possible.

Not discussed in the book is how they managed to link everyone in society together to interact as one. They do talk about the concept of Soma, medication to dull the senses and evoke a general sense of happiness, but they don’t talk about how that connectivity is possible.

To some degree, even if you haven’t watched this or read the book, you already know what I’m going to refer to. We already have intricately linked social media platforms that allow us to be online and knowing exactly what any other person thinks at any given time. The only step that separates us from the utopian-dystopia is implementing that technology in wearables (envisioned as contacts in this tv show).

But are we really that far from this step? We already of wearable arm bands (e.g., fitbits) and glasses (e.g., Google Glass). Who knows what’s in development next?

[2] The edits to characterization

In the book, Lenina is the female protag and characterized as a contrast to Bernard Marx (male protag), who does all the questioning and thinking.

In the show, there is a reversal, where Lenina is the one beginning to question the status of the world whereas Bernard is the one trying to smooth things over consistent to how he wants them to be.

It’s interesting what aspects jump out to viewers when they hear about this swap in characterization. For me, the most obvious switch is that the edits allow a strong female character to be the driving force of questioning status quo. The other change is that Lenina (“B+” status) is the one questioning whereas Bernard (“A+” status, always assumed to be perfectly designed) is the one trying to maintain how things are. What does that sound like to you?

Sounds like privilege to me.

[3] Visual presentation is spectacular to the point of eeriness

The visuals in this tv show were amazing, as you can see from this tweet here. Most scenes were eerily devoid of colour save for beige and white that it often reminded me of falling into a Pinterest board of minimalist capsule wardrobe. Yet others are filled with vibrant reds, pinks, blues to evoke sexuality and emotion. It makes so much sense that this show was nominated for the Visual Effects Society Awards.

One (1) thing I wish they did better

While I like the idea of switching characterizations of Lenina and Bernard, thereby changing up the power and gender associated with their characters and changing the role of who starts questioning the status quo, it was poor implementation when unravelled in a confusing plot. While they maintained the key elements of Huxley’s original world, the plot was stale in some parts, contrasted with confusion in an attempt to be shocking.

I think this is one the key reasons leading them to be cancelled after just one season.

Tell me — have you seen this show? What were your thoughts? Will you, after this review?

Hi I’m Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) and I liked the idea of this show, or any show about a dystopia, re-imagined on TV. I like to see how other writers may have envisioned scenes that I had in my head.

The previous TV show review

The list of TV shows I’m watching