More Thoughts on Almost Human

[caitri]

Copied and pasted from my post at almosthumantv because I want to remember this stuff for later.

So I was watching this with mr. caitri last night and we were bewildered by Kennex suddenly being in an anger management class--though I guess if this was supposed to be the second ep, that makes more sense? But with that scene followed by the one where he shoots the MX, we've decided that the show actually HAS to be a dark comedy/parody, thus explaining a lot of the ridiculousness/character stupidity.

(Also, it really grates on me how the voiceover intro just states that police "weren't prepared" for new technology--like they were all just hanging out, minding their own business at Dunkin Donuts and then suddenly were transposed to this crazy random future of phones in hands and such.)

Anyways, I keep watching the show for the race/posthumanism which I think is fascinating. I mean, *why* was that one MX model utterly ragging on Dorian? Can androids be...racist? androidist? IDK? But at the end there's the joke about Kennex not destroying any MXes that day and he says "the night is young"--and then the camera pans to a black MX looking unnerved. Which, this changes the game a bit? Or not? Because there were 2 models of white MXes to Dorian's singular black DRN, but now there's *also* a black MX model, so how does this change how we read Dorian's status as a synthetic?

Also, the scene where there was the specialized advertising aimed at Dorian. Are androids considered consumers as well? --not just of energy, I mean, but of other stuff? Can MXes choose what clothing to wear? (They all seem to wear the same black suits vs. Dorian's street attire.) Does Dorian get a paycheck? What does he do with it? In the glimpse we saw of the androids' barracks (what else to call them?) it basically seemed like all they had were charging stations and showers. Presumably they have lockers for clothing but what else? Do they have leisure time?

I WANNA KNOW THINGS!!!!!!!!1

Comments

[ellipsisthgreat.livejournal.com]

I vaguely recall seeing a black MX in the background of earlier episodes, so I don't think that's a recent thing. May also have seen an Asian MX but I'm not sure - tbh I mostly ignore the MXs because they creep me out a little >.>

I think MXs were designed specifically for the police force, which is fairly strict on dress code, and also they're all ~logic-based~ Spock wannabes, so I doubt they really have a choice? Whereas androids like the DRNs and the sex-bots seem to have a touch more freewill and would likely have the ability (gumption?) to choose.

It's also possible that they're still targeting humans, but in making it look like they're targeting androids it's something of a - oh, look what all these other 'droids have that YOURS doesn't , don't you think YOURS would want it? Or something, like v subtle human manipulation. IDK.

[ken-ichijouji.livejournal.com]

You're not wrong. There are both Asian and Black MXes in the background of the precinct a lot. They all wear blue contacts too, because I think they're going for "police bots like DRNs and MXes have blue eyes" thing.