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- CBS
- Jun 13, 2016
- CBS
- Jun 13, 2016
Summary New congressional staffer Laurel (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) discovers aliens have eaten the brains of a number of people on the Hill in this Robert and Michelle King comedy-drama set in Washington, D.C.
Created By: Michelle King, Robert King
- CBS
- Jun 13, 2016
- CBS
- Jun 13, 2016
Summary New congressional staffer Laurel (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) discovers aliens have eaten the brains of a number of people on the Hill in this Robert and Michelle King comedy-drama set in Washington, D.C.
Created By: Michelle King, Robert King
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 37 Critic Reviews
61
51% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
38% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
11% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 37 Critic Reviews
61
51% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
38% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
11% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
The Kings’ clever summer horror thriller.
The genius of BrainDead, an enjoyably offbeat sci-fi/political satire hybrid, is in reminding us that it's possible to have fun without leaving one's brain at the door. [20-26 Jun 2016, p.17]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 132 User Ratings
7.8
80% Positive
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
8% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
12% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 132 User Ratings
7.8
80% Positive
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
8% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
12% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
Rarely do shows get me to laugh out loud. My wife was surprised when she heard me laughing while I was watching this show. With a smart, biting criticism of the government we elect, this show really worked for me. Unfortunately, I doubt it will survive. Another show to smart for commercial TV.
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SEASON 1
One of the better things about this series is its ongoing updates via clever Gilligan’s Island-esque sing-along lyrics preceding each new chapter. Better yet is Winstead’s assured, appealing performance as a D.C. tenderfoot thrust into a new world of mystery and political polarization that escalates once those bugs begin infesting and in some cases, exploding the heads of their prey.
Though no sillier at heart than Under the Dome, Zoo or Extant, the Kings' Washington, D.C.-set BrainDead is sci-fi with a healthy sense of the ridiculous.
The Kings deserve credit for taking a risk and not just putting out another legal drama, but if anything BrainDead isn’t weird enough. By hedging its bets, it ends up in an awkward middle ground between straightforward drama and something more original.
BrainDead manages to be intermittently intriguing just through the sheer strangeness of its premise not to mention the sparkling chemistry Winstead exhibits both with Tveit and Semine. And in a different series, Pino’s cheerful, adulterous, win-at-all-costs politico could’ve been downright fascinating. Ultimately, though, like the inside-the-beltway white matter that gets consumed by those little alien critters and winds up turning to pink goo, BrainDead goes splat under the weight of its outsized aspirations.
The cast’s good work is fatally underminded by the show’s fuzzy concept.
This is a really funny show but you have to be able to cope with politicians being superficial and selfish! All characters are well written and it ( sadly) is a good reflection on how politics work
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SEASON 1
This show has an interesting premise, and after only one episode I can't really predict how well it will handle that premise, but I found the first episode too slow and soggy to continue.
It's hard to say what this series is. I've seen it described as comedy/drama/horror/satire, but that gives the impression of a lot more punch than this show has. There are moments that I suppose are mildly comedic, although not especially funny. It's got elements of a political drama, but not an involving one. Horror would suggest some element of suspense or chills, which were absent.
Satire would require some bite, but the series seems to want to be a political show without politics. We don't know what the budget fight is about, the two people who will clearly have sex eventually do some mild political sparring that carefully avoids any significant conflict, and the approach is very much the both-sides-are-recalcitrant trope that doesn't jibe with the current reality of the anti-compromise Tea Party situation of the real world. (The series actually makes the Republicans seem slightly more reasonable, since their senator is just a drunk who wants to cut a deal while the other side's senator is quite Machiavellian; was this produced by a Republican or just by someone bending over backwards to even things out?).
At some point the series may explain the invaders' purpose and why they like that Cars song so much, but based on the first episode, I don't expect the explanations to be compelling.
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SEASON 1
There's some great actors in this show. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tony Shalhoub are doing a great job, But I'm not a fan of Danny Pino though and I feel the script was taking shortcuts at times.
It's not possible to have a definite opinion on just one episode though and at the time I'm writing this only the pilot has aired. Still there's no clear indication where this show is leading yet and to be frank it can go either way.
And I really hope "You might think" by The Cars is not used as a running joke, because having it played three times in the opening episode was seriously more than enough...
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SEASON 1
Very disappointed. Can't stand to watch more then 10 min. Liked the actors but not to their potential. Thumbs down. Really wanted it to be good. We need more comedy.
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SEASON 1
This show is just awful. However Mary Elizabeth Winstead is very hot and it's cool seeing her in something besides 10 Cloverfield Lane(which you should VOD right now) . So I'll most likely watch it till the end
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SEASON 1