Pantheon is a sci-fi masterpiece that boasts a 100% critics’ Rotten Tomatoes score, making it one of the best TV shows of the decade. There are very few sci-fi shows that are flawless, which is why it’s impressive that Pantheon was a hit with not only critics but also audiences, who praised it for its philosophical insights into humanity and technology.
Pantheon only has two seasons totaling 16 episodes, and each one of them is perfect from start to finish. The brilliant animated series creates an enjoyable viewing experience, as it invites its audience to reflect on a subject that is currently important to humanity. Pantheon has many positive attributes, and it’s earned its status as a masterpiece.
Pantheon Is A Sci-Fi Masterpiece About What It Means To Be Human
Released in 2022, Pantheon chronicles the rise of Uploaded Intelligence (UI) and what it means for humanity’s future. When Maddie Kim, a teenager grieving the loss of her father and struggling with fitting in at school, begins talking to an anonymous person online, she discovers that her dad, David, has been the one she was communicating with all along.
David, who had been dead for two years, wasn’t really dead. His consciousness had been digitally uploaded by his old company, Lorgorythms, thus he could still be considered as being alive, even though he didn’t have a body. While Maddie was ecstatic that her father was still part of her life, albeit a bit differently, his wife, Ellen, struggled with accepting him.
The sci-fi TV show raises questions not only about what it means to be alive, but about how humanity relates to technology and the subsequent consequences of that interaction. Since humanity’s creation, people have always associated the mind and body as part of living. However, Pantheon explores whether a digital copy of a person really is a person and whether we could have meaningful relationships with artificial sentients.
Pantheon Beautifully Explores Complex And Important Themes About Technology
Instead of just having a black and white picture of what is right and what is wrong about technological advancements, Pantheon gave a more nuanced look into the concept of Uploaded Intelligence. Because the sci-fi series focuses on both Maddie and David’s relationship, as well as Chanda’s vision for the future, it delves into two different views about UI.
What Pantheon does so well is that it shows both the good sides and the bad sides of having human consciousness digitally uploaded. David and Maddie’s interactions are incredibly heartwarming as they were able to continue their relationship even though he was physically dead. On the other side of the coin, however, are the negative consequences of having human minds control so many aspects of the world.
Pantheon explores what would happen if a technology like UI were available to humanity. While some people would be up for staying alive forever by being digitally uploaded, others wouldn’t, like the protesters in the series, which would in turn result in endless debates about morality and widespread misinformation.
Pantheon’s 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Well-Deserved
Pantheon has the rare privilege of getting a perfect 100% score, and it more than deserves the acclaim, as it ticks all the boxes that make a show a masterpiece. The AMC sci-fi series has a compelling narrative involving the evolution of a relationship between a daughter who has to not only cope with the loss of her father, but also his emergence as a UI.
The premise of Pantheon is in itself gripping, but it’s how important themes such as grief, death, and humanity’s relationship with technology are executed that makes it such a masterpiece. Pantheon beautifully includes the dangers of technology, but it’s not at all preachy. Instead, it uses Chanda and the heads of Logorhythms to show a bleak future of what would happen if humans became artificial sentients.
One of the best aspects of Pantheon is that the sci-fi series has stunning animation with a classic signature look that makes it easy to get lost in the story. Along with its thoughtful exploration of important themes, Pantheon‘s characters are incredibly compelling, particularly David and Casspian, who suffer from an identity crisis and loss of self because of what technology has made them.
More People Should Be Watching Pantheon
Pantheon was originally released on AMC+, but the show didn’t make a lot of noise and was subsequently lost in the crowd. Because it wasn’t well-marketed, a lot of people were not aware of its existence. While this changed slightly when Pantheon began streaming on Netflix, the sci-fi show still hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.
Pantheon is a smart show that should be on everyone’s watchlist, especially now, given the increasing use of artificial intelligence. The series is relatable in so many ways because the characters struggle with issues like identity that can strike a chord with audiences. It’s not just that Pantheon is an intriguing series, but it provides a thought-provoking viewing experience like no other show in the genre.
Pantheon
- Release Date
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2022 – 2023-00-00
- Network
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Prime Video, AMC+, HIDIVE
- Directors
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Melchior Zwyer, Ed Tadem, Micah Gunnell, David Dwooman Woo, Mari Yang
