HUMANS

EPISODE 1

• What science fiction codes and conventions are evidenced? Are these utilised in a typical or atypical way?

modern settings - science labs

science fiction soundtrack - synthesiser 

presence of robots - mise en scene and theme

• What groups are represented? What ideological perspective

humans

'synths'

families/middle class

• Who is the primary target audience for this show?

middle class - themes and representations

• All science fiction holds a mirror to society. What real world allegorical themes are dealt with here?

ethics/'just a robot'

roles of women in society - working mum, prostitute

references to slavery

capitalism/commodity - 'i hope she's pretty'

• What character archetypes are utilised in this show? To what extent does the narrative rely on them?
• What intertextual references/referential codes did you notice? How do these potentially reward the viewing experience?

FIRST - THIRD SCENES

CINEMATOGRAPHY and LIGHTING

• low angle shot of moon from warehouse - demonstrates the importance of the moon to the iconography of the episode
• long shot of Hawkins family living room, showing various family members sprawled out on their phones - stereotypes of children/teenagers
• high angled, long shot of synths in warehouse - emphasises loneliness of their existence 
• artificial LED lighting in warehouse - connotes being unnatural, creepy
• binary opposition of lighting - artificial vs natural, themes of conflict between synths and 'real' people
• close up shots of nude male and female synths, tracking shot slows down on female bodies - assumes a heterosexual male audience, voyeurism

SOUND

• when we first see Anita move, it plays techno music - as if she's been turned on, non diegetic, shows she is the protagonist and unique 
• in the opening credits, sounds are made with digital technology/synthetics - establishes key theme, intertextual reference to electronic music produced by bands like 'Daft Punk', shows some context

MISE EN SCENE

• montage of assorted news footage and articles in opening credits/stock footage, overlaid with digital distortion - makes it look digital, further confirming the key message of the show, what is real?
• extreme close up of eye - 'eyes are the windows to the soul' - shows that the synths have emotions, referential to 'Blade Runner' (1982)

AUTONOMY  having control over your life

AUTOMITON  someone who has no control of their life, like a slave

REPRESENTATION re-presentation by the producer, to show their ideology, producer is always trying to manipulate the audience 

What roles do women/synths adopt in Humans?

• Domestic housewife
• mother 
• sex worker
• child
• friend
• professional
• caregiver
• maid/butler

closing montage

representations of gender

• maternal - midshot of Anita standing over young girl
• sex worker is a slave - slow zoom on her face to close up shot, looking directly into camera, makes audience feel uncomfortable
• men are demanding and aggressive - makes orders, doesn't care what anyone else wants
• dad has stereotypical patriarchal role - won't take Anita back even though Laura feels uncomfortable, he is primary user of Anita, he is in charge

MADONNA/WHORE COMPLEX

Madonna - virgin Mary

whore - prostitution

Sigmund Freud developed the theory to explain men's anxiety towards women's sexuality; madonna (women he admires and respects), whore (women he is attracted to but disrespects)

Anita fits into both categories, she is attractive like a 'whore', yet acts like a 'madonna'

WHAT IS HUMANITY?

• to find fulfilment 
• we talk and communicate
• we feel empathy
• we are inquisitive
• we want to learn to make ourselves better
• we feel love  

'Humans' is an allegory 

JUDITH BUTLER

THEORIES OF GENDER PERFORMATIVITY 

• identity is a performance, and it is constructed through a series of acts and expressions that we perform everyday
• while there are biological differences dictated by sex, our gender is defined by a series of acts. These may include the way we walk, talk and dress, etc
• therefore, there is no gender identity behind these expressions of gender
• gender performativity is not a singular act, but a repetition and a ritual. it is outlined and reenforced through dominant patriarchal ideologies. 

'How is patriarchal oppression and the ideology of domination evident in 'Humans'?'

• always assumed she will be a woman - "i hope she's pretty"
• doesn't let Laura take Anita back - putting his foot down
• she feels like she has to do the housework - "don't do that, thats my job", set in her ways that she does the housework
• man in brothel doesn't view her as having feelings - because she's a woman or synth? 
• Joe is 'primary user' - he has more power than everyone, he makes all the decisions 

John Berjer - bonus theorist

Within a narrative, it will be male characters that drive the story. They will be the ones doing stuff. Women are there to be looked at.

Humans has an ensemble cast, it makes it difficult to know who the protagonist is. 

story arcs;

• the Hawkin's family
• Leo trying to find Anita
• George and Odi
• flashback of Leo and Anita together
• Niska in brothel 
• Fred in plantation
• detective and his wife

How is Leo constructed in confrontation scene?

• close up shot when threatening the man - aggressive, isn't scared of him
• dark and scruffy clothing - shows he is a 'rough and ready' protangonist
• Leo is unshaven - doesn't care what he looks like, he is on the run
• stern and blunt when he speaks
• approaches man when he is turned around and vulnerable - smart and tactical 
• doesn't stay there any longer than he needs to - always active, active protagonist

• sexualisation -
• 
  
• sexual exploitation - 
• 
  
• modern slavery - 
• "you're just a dumb machine"
• don't get any money from doing the tasks 
• they do whatever you tell them to
• buying and owning the synths, buying them from shop as if from a slave market
• capitalism and the nuclear family -
• "i hope she's pretty"
• prostitution and the rights of sex workers - 
• robots are depictions of people, people won't know where to draw the line, may not realise the difference between what's fake and what's real
• pornography, know how son is feeling when he looks at Anita, 
• racism - 

HYPERREALITY beyond reality

constructing a (hyper)reality that is better than actual reality

SIMULACRA  a representation of something that never existed in the first place

SIMULACRA IN HUMANS

• synths (copies of perfect humans which do not exist)
• the parallel world to our own is a hyperreality

JEAN BAUDRILLARD

POSTMODERNISM

• the 'real' world and the world of the media have collapsed, and it is no longer possible to distinguish between what is real and what is simulation
• it doesnt matter which one is which
• media products have become postmodern

breaks rules deliberately (such as religion and science)

rejection of high culture 

breaking the 4th wall

intertextuality

How does this media product use intertextuality?

In the opening scene of 'Humans', we see all the synths lined up in the warehouse, followed by an extreme close-up shot of Anita's eye. This makes reference to 'Blade Runner' 1982, where we also see this shot. This opens up some questions for the audience as we often refer to eyes as 'the windows to the soul', therefore, it makes us question wether Anita has emotions and feelings. The producer has used this intertextual reference in the opening scene to raise the question that we are made to think about throughout the series.