iamcanadian783

Season 1 is a terrific film noire and sci-fi action thriller. Whether you read the Richard K Morgan books or not, 'Altered Carbon' season 1 is excellent viewing. Action junkies will enjoy the hardboiled action. Thinking viewers will love how this story fires the moral imagination.

I myself read all three of Richard K Morgan's books just prior to TV release, so I watched 'Altered Carbon' season 1 with the mythology fresh in my mind. I am happy to report that the showrunners did a great job translating book 1 to the screen.

Awesome Things About Season 1:

-85% of the book 1 mythology made it to the screen.

-Joel Kinnaman (and the uncredited Will Yun Lee) are superb as protagonist Tak.

-Chris Conner is similarly excellent as the AI "Poe" character.

-Really, all the supporting cast made the characters come to life with convincing performances.

-The practical and CGI special effects were stunning, while always remaining secondary to the bigger story.

-Your brain will do mental gymnastics once you consider the moral implications of this mythology.

-So much entertaining shoot-em up "kablooey"!

The Not-So-Awesome:

-The Hendrix hotel becoming the Edgar Allen Poe hotel may not sit well with some book fanboys.

-The rewrite of Quellcrist Falconer's plot from Book 2 was minor enough to me that it didn't detract either, but book fanboys will notice the change.

-The rewrite of character Reilleen is the BIG change from the book, and it did throw me at first. I liked the change in the end, but book fanboys will likely gripe.

-Season 2 is sorely disappointing, lacking the urgency and emotional stakes of season 1. I did not care for the actor choice for Tak in that series.

Ten stars out of ten, subtracting one because of the lame season 2.

Don't listen to the trolls. These are people who yell at a hamburger because it is not prime rib!

This new series is dark and edgy fun for viewers who like Dexter and Banshee. Yes, 'Complications' is absolutely preposterous. It is also absolutely entertaining, for those of us willing to suspend our disbelief. No, an E.R. surgeon would never be put into such extraordinary circumstances, but so what? This is escapist pulp fiction, and it's very entertaining pulp fiction.

This show is a vigilante story combined with the delerium of '24' and the background of medical procedurals. The frenetic plot is established within minutes; 15.25 minutes, to be exact. If you don't like the show in that time, then this series is not for you.

Jason O'Mara is excellent as the protagonist lead. It's impossible not to cheer for his character to succeed! He is very believable as the tormented father with every mercurial mood swing. His face is capable of tremendous expressiveness. And he is given compelling reasons for his character's outrageous decisions. Jessica Szhor is similarly brilliant in her contribution as the fringe-personality nurse; the two of these actors bring a real chemistry and grit to the storyline.

Go watch the first 15.25 minutes of episode 1 and see for yourself. If you like lurid pulp fiction, then you'll like Complications.

Updated: after following the series to the end, I will say that the show does suffer from repetition. It's entertaining, for sure. The tempo of delirious plot points does not let up until the end.