The new Channel 4 Philip K Dick anthology of programmes goes two for two in terms of quality with this second episode in its much-hyped new Sci-fi series.
In this one, two tired and somewhat cynical employees of an outer-space tour company see the chance to make a small fortune at the end of a long week, by hoodwinking a rich, elderly old lady (Geraldine Chaplin) into believing she's being taken back to Earth for one last look at the dear old place before she dies. With her, she has for company a protective android companion but what neither she or her bot know is that Earth doesn't exist anymore and that the two guides are substituting a similar if dead planet closer to home in the hope that she doesn't notice the difference and they can pocket a nice fat fee, what with her being old and deaf and all.
Of the two guides, one, played by Benjamin Wong just wants the old dear's money and it's him who dreams up the ruse, dragging along his younger colleague, Jack Reynor, the more personable and conscientious of the two, in his wake. But why does the younger one have flashbacks to an older time which sees him roaming around on an old bike? Just what strange attraction does the elderly lady have for him? And how are the two going to pull off their con when the lady wants to actually land on the dead planet?
All is neatly played out and resolved by the finish even if I was reminded perhaps too much of the ending of the classic "Star Trek" pilot episode "The Cage" in so doing.
Well acted and shot, this is starting to turn into a good, watchable series and I'll certainly be staying along for the remainder.
In this one, two tired and somewhat cynical employees of an outer-space tour company see the chance to make a small fortune at the end of a long week, by hoodwinking a rich, elderly old lady (Geraldine Chaplin) into believing she's being taken back to Earth for one last look at the dear old place before she dies. With her, she has for company a protective android companion but what neither she or her bot know is that Earth doesn't exist anymore and that the two guides are substituting a similar if dead planet closer to home in the hope that she doesn't notice the difference and they can pocket a nice fat fee, what with her being old and deaf and all.
Of the two guides, one, played by Benjamin Wong just wants the old dear's money and it's him who dreams up the ruse, dragging along his younger colleague, Jack Reynor, the more personable and conscientious of the two, in his wake. But why does the younger one have flashbacks to an older time which sees him roaming around on an old bike? Just what strange attraction does the elderly lady have for him? And how are the two going to pull off their con when the lady wants to actually land on the dead planet?
All is neatly played out and resolved by the finish even if I was reminded perhaps too much of the ending of the classic "Star Trek" pilot episode "The Cage" in so doing.
Well acted and shot, this is starting to turn into a good, watchable series and I'll certainly be staying along for the remainder.