Altered Carbon: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 696 Ratings

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8.0

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 696 Ratings

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Altered Carbon

Now Playing: Altered Carbon

Season Details & Credits

Netflix | Season Premiere Date: February 2, 2018

Summary: Set 300 years in the future where consciousness can be stored digitally, a soldier named Takeshi Kovacs (Will Yun Lee/Joel Kinnaman) awakens in a new body when he is freed from prison by Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), who wants him to find who killed his previous body in the sci-fi series based on Richard K. Morgan's 2002 novel of the same name.

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. The Killers
Air Date: February 2, 2018
tbd
S1:E9. Rage in Heaven
Air Date: February 2, 2018
tbd
S1:E8. Clash by Night
Air Date: February 2, 2018

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

David Wiegand

Jan 30, 2018

Think of Altered Carbon as a cyberpunk “Game of Thrones,” except that winter is already here, three centuries into the future. Read full review

Melanie McFarland

Feb 1, 2018

The roads that Altered Carbon takes to its destination aren’t new to us but enough of us have enjoyed previous versions of these trips to appreciate this version of the ride. Read full review

Michael Haigis

Feb 1, 2018

When the season does intermittently sag beneath the weight of its extensive world-building and philosophical inquiries, Altered Carbon still manages to enthrall audiences with a winding detective mystery told in timeless noir fashion. Read full review

Kimberly Roots

Jan 22, 2018

When the series gets too far away from the Bancroft investigation, Altered Carbon stumbles. Read full review

Sophie Gilbert

Feb 5, 2018

Altered Carbon is so busy trying to wow viewers by constantly one-upping the imagery and the intensity that it barely pauses to consider its story. The writing is also distinctly clunky: a hodgepodge of vacant platitudes and canned spirituality. Read full review

Ken Tucker

Feb 2, 2018

A lot of Altered Carbon is very silly, mostly whenever any of the principals converse. Trite dialogue prevails. ... If you like your sci-fi good-lookin’ and tough talkin’, I heartily recommend Altered Carbon. Me, if I want a dose of steely speculative fiction, I’ll reread my old paperbacks of novels by Pat Cadigan and Lewis Shiner. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Feb 1, 2018

Netflix has taken more than a few flyers on big, splashy, time-wasting projects, and Altered Carbon -- a sci-fi experiment gone awry -- joins that pantheon of the quickly forgettable. Based on Richard K. Morgan's novel, the series looks great -- starting with Joel Kinnaman, who spends a lot of time showing off his commitment to the gym -- but in terms of substance, offers little more than an empty sleeve. Read full review

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User Score

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8.0

User Reviews

GunnerMcDagget

Feb 19, 2018

Absolutely loved it from start to finish. They created a perfectly messed up world, much like the world of Blade Runner but this one driven primarily by sexual desire and fetish rather than Capitalism. The story was intriguing and the finale was epic.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

Seer

Feb 9, 2018

Absolutely amazing addition to the science fiction series genre. The visuals are brilliant. The story telling is great. Characters like Poe added a brilliant flavor to the overall dystopian tone of the story. Would recommend to everyone. Does contain gore and nudity though. So if you areAbsolutely amazing addition to the science fiction series genre. The visuals are brilliant. The story telling is great. Characters like Poe added a brilliant flavor to the overall dystopian tone of the story. Would recommend to everyone. Does contain gore and nudity though. So if you are squeamish about that sort of things, you might now enjoy it too much.… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

scrotosaggins

Feb 3, 2018

The cast, acting, music, cgi we're spot on. The ambiance give it a really unique feel almost like blade runner. I read the book a few months ago and i'm really glad they didn't sell out and followed the book so closely, the small details are what really makes it. I can't speak highlyThe cast, acting, music, cgi we're spot on. The ambiance give it a really unique feel almost like blade runner. I read the book a few months ago and i'm really glad they didn't sell out and followed the book so closely, the small details are what really makes it. I can't speak highly enough of this show great book adaptation easy 10/10… Expand

27 of 48 users found this helpful2721

LulzTV

Sep 29, 2018

Altered Carbon is currently the best show on netflix. The special effects are spectacular, the directing and writing are spot on, the atmosphere feels and the world building is great. This show is fantastic.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Bobbydownhill

Mar 8, 2020

Cyberpunk sweetness and awesome cast and storytelling. Bit long list of executive producers instead of crediting the composer. But over all a very pleasant change of menu on Netflix

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Herrnewbenmeist

Feb 8, 2018

Death no longer matters in a far-future sci-fi where you are backed up on a hard carbon disc lodged in the top of your spinal cord. But, while you are backed up digitally, new flesh is still expensive. Only the richest of the rich can afford back-up bodies in case they die. They rule theDeath no longer matters in a far-future sci-fi where you are backed up on a hard carbon disc lodged in the top of your spinal cord. But, while you are backed up digitally, new flesh is still expensive. Only the richest of the rich can afford back-up bodies in case they die. They rule the world as immortals, controlling almost all the wealth and industry on this planet and across humanity's far-flung colonies. There were those who opposed this concentration of power. Takeshi Kovacs is a such resistance fighter whose backup is activated. He learns his faction failed and he was serving a prison sentence for acts of terrorism. While he is freed from imprisonment, he is now the property of a wealthy immortal who has a job for him. He needs to solve the magnate's own murder. Solve the crime, earn true freedom and a pile of cash to boot. Fail, and he goes back to prison.

I read the books but was actually happy to see some of the changes that were made initially. An AI character that served as kind of a magical do-it-all handwave in the book was given a great personality and some endearing flourishes. Also, the Día de Muertos episode had an awesome actor take on a very unexpected role.

Then the changes took a turn and instead of fleshing out missed opportunities and adding fun details to what was an excellent freshman novel they went for a major overhaul. Significant elements were changed thematically and in terms of plot and not for the better. I think they tried to make it more personal for the protagonist. That wasn't necessary; he already had plenty of motivation. Also, toward the very end they added a character they intended to be badass. However, her late and very sudden addition to the action in the climax came across as more of a deus ex machina and less of a justice/empowerment angle. It was poorly done.

The show is well shot. I thought the acting was good overall. There were a couple of weaker performances. But I really liked the lead and a couple of the character actors along the way. Whoever did set, prop, and costume design deserves extra credit. There was some occasional cheap CGI (hotel gun turrets?) that took away from the overall luster, but those were vastly outweighed by some gorgeous views of the cyberpunk city.

I can't recommend the series because I think it falls apart at the end. However, I won't say it's awful. If you have an interest in the genre and nothing better to take in, give it a try and see if your mileage varies.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

Huey_Kratos

Nov 5, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Ending Sucks, i mean who chooses a new piece of ass over their own sister. Who had been looking for you so long.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

SEE ALL 186 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

64

Series Overview
Season 2

65
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: February 27, 2020
Season 1

64
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E10. The Killers
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E9. Rage in Heaven
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E8. Clash by Night
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E7. Nora Inu
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E6. Man with My Face
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E5. The Wrong Man
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E4. Force of Evil
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E3. In a Lonely Place
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E2. Fallen Angel
  Air Date: February 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E1. Out of the Past
  Air Date: February 2, 2018