Humans Season 1, Episode 3 Review: The Pieces Are Coming Together To Make The Perfect Puzzle

We have already thoroughly indulged ourselves in the first two gripping episodes of channel 4’s HUMANS and now we are reaching the point where we are hoping the show really begins to unfold.

Already the multi-plotlines have been set and unfolded and the action has been slow bubbling, building up to what we hope will be an epic showdown between the humans and Synths. 

The battle lines have been drawn already and it is only a matter of time until we see each person (and machine) take their mark. The question really is, just how will the humans fair against the Synths?

Well after the start of this episode, it is pretty clear that the Synths are indeed made of tough stuff as Anita (Gemma Chan) demonstrated at the beginning of the episode. Surviving a horrific knock-down from a van to protect Laura Hopkins’ (Katherine Parkinson) son, the more-than-your-average-synth was able to return to the Hopkins household ‘alive’, but with only her exterior injured.

As grateful as Laura was for Anita’s prevention of harm coming to her son, she can’t help but feel suspicious of her unwanted household assistant. However, can we really blame her? On every turn, it seems we are reminded more and more of our inadequacies compared to the Synths. Even Anita chillingly reminds the mother of three of that fact: 

“We’re stronger, faster and we never get intoxicated or sick – and we never forget.” Ouch! Ten points to the Synths then!

However, the one human (or so we think) who seems to be supportive of the synths is Leo (Colin Morgan), who considers them as his family. Despite his loyalty towards them, is there more to him than meets the eye? Last week we saw him receive a rather alternative medical treatment (you can read the review here) and his true nature has come into question. Is he some sort of cyborg? “I practically am one of you,” he tells Niska (Emily Berrington). In what way, Colin? We need to know more! This sub-plot will no doubt prove to be one of the show’s most intriguing mysteries, which we hope will unfold over the coming weeks.  

All of the characters involved in HUMANS are so impressive and the particular aspect that really stands out from the show is their visceral capabilities – their use of physical performance even when there is no dialogue is so impressive; it carries the story without the use of words. The actors who play the Synths are walking, talking robots personified, eerily well and effortlessly delivered. Clearly their coaching during pre-production has paid off, particularly as we saw so much of Gemma Chan’s Anita in this week’s episode, who can switch from impassive machine to emotionally responsive. 

Nobody is ready call the synths out on their emotional capabilities, particularly in regards to Niska after her murder of a client, which has come to the attention of Special Technologies Task Force officer Pete Drummond (Neil Maskell). His dislikes of the machines is evident and that is pretty clear by his behaviour towards his own Synth, who has made him feel incapable of providing help for his disabled wife (Jill Halfpenny). The scenes between her carer and her in the kitchen may also suggest their relationship could take a different turn in the future.

The audience may sympathise with George Millican (William Hurt) whose character so far has not yet become entangled with the others and it remains to be seen if it ever will. What we do know of the character is that he was a robotics pioneer, maybe he will come to the assistance of Leo and his robotic crew? For now, his attention remains sidelined with his own difficult situation: contending with his carer Vera (Rebecca Front) and the accident involving Odi (Will Tudor). Where the narrative will take Odi, who is lost int he woods, is certainly another intriguing plot line. 

Each week the plots for the characters are slowly starting to intertwine and this is what is making the show so engaging. HUMANS has become Channel 4’s highest rating original drama in over 20 years, with 6.1 million tuning in to the opening episode and it is not hard to see why. With a gripping, realistic story, sci-fi mystical elements and an outstanding cast, like the Synths themselves, this series looks set to keep getting stronger and better.  

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