“Strange Bedfellows,” the second episode of Posthuman is something like a revelation compared to its predecessor. It’s a superbly produced and crafted installment, featuring fantastic cinematography and a compelling conversation which reveals new layers of story and character. It is, perhaps, not a perfect offering, but there’s very little to criticize.

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Posthuman is a new web series that is a fascinating hybrid of science fiction and film-noir styles. The first episode, titled “Strain Theory,” is tasked with establishing the show’s signature black-and-white aesthetic, introducing its main character, and establishing a mystery — essentially it must provide a sufficiently intriguing window into the world of the series that will lure audiences back for future installments. To that end, the episode is successful, despite a number of technical glitches that reinforce that this is the first effort from a new production team.

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“The Stranger prepares for the future!”

Wow. “The Stranger, Part 2″ is a nice, slow building installment which is almost visceral in the way it conveys the imminent “end of the world.” Of course, the reappearance of The Stranger is always a welcome addition to any episode.

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“As “the day” approaches Lisa makes one last ditch effort to inform her audience about what is happening… but her broadcast is interrupted when she sees something in the sky.”

After a hiatus, Before Judgment returns with an episode titled “Lisa” which is remarkably adept at conjuring an ominous and spooky mood.

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I will say this much about Central Division: It’s not afraid to take chances. In fact, the series seems to take some wildly risky moves within its very short runtime. The result certainly maximizes drama and suspense. I’m looking forward to see how the story and the character(s) ultimately develop.

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Topics: Mystery, Web Reviews
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“There is wonder in every day.  The sun crosses the sky.  The light punctures the dark.  We are reborn on this earth.”

The Third Age is a webseries that, if nothing else, is wonderfully bizarre, cryptic, and intriguing.  It is billed as “a magical realist webseries, a psychedelic remix of classic mythology, telling the story of ordinary people caught up in an eternal war between gods waged on the streets of New York City.”  The first seven episodes of the series prove that, if nothing else, the creators of The Third Age have a very clear, consistent and unique creative vision.  And, truth be told, this is a series which, because of the vague approach, manages to create a good deal of interest in the not only its final destination, but the journey the story will take toward its ultimate end.  Its first episode, “Fall To Earth,” is an effective window into not only the story, but the style as well.

Congratulations are in order.

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Topics: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Web Reviews
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After the shocking conclusion to the second episode, Detectives Edwards and Hodge deal with the fallout of betrayal. The revelation of the episode — that not everything is as it appears to be — is yet another solid development, playing off the expectations of the audience.

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After the gruesome discovery at the end of Episode 1, Detectives Edwards and Hodge try to figure out their next step. The result is a truly shocking twist, playing on the whole “buddy cop” meme which has become so standard that almost no cop series seems to be able to exist without it.

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Advertised with the tagline, “Where did all the gritty cop shows go?” Central Division opens with a briskly paced, snappy episode which establishes not only a number of plot elements, but also stylistic decisions. The dialogue is tightly written, offering wit along with its necessary exposition. The two main characters are introduced by way of their conversation, and we get a legitimate cliff hanger / revelation to conclude the episode. Whether or not the series ultimately lives up to its own advertising remains to be seen. But the opening salvo is, if nothing else, intriguing. And given the nature of web media, capturing the attention of the audience in the first episode — particularly when that episode lasts all of two minutes, is a significant accomplishment.

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Topics: Mystery, Web Reviews
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“Alive In Joburg” is at once more immediate and more epic than its more well-known, bigger-budget cousin, District 9. True, there are some missing elements, such as the strong character development of the alien named “Christopher.” But most importantly, “Alive In Joburg” manages to convey a much more insightful and poignant message about xenophobia and race relations – about how humanity so readily becomes skeptical and dismissive of anything “different.” In many respects, “Alive In Joburg” is a triumph of thoughtful, innovative and profound storytelling.

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