The Brave New World pilot is a solid start to an intriguing sci-fi series

The visuals and performances help Peacock’s Brave New World get off to a decent start, setting the tone for a potential fan favorite.

Brave New World’s opening titles welcome audiences to New London, and tell us of the three rules it’s citizens follow: no privacy, no family, and no monogamy. Bernard Marx (Harry Lloyd) lays everything out for us when reprimanding Lenina Crowne (Jessica Brown Findlay) for selfishly copulating 22 times with the same person.

After this well-crafted introduction, the continues to explore a dystopian future where everyone belongs to everyone else, with every person connected to every other via a giant technological network they access with a very uncomfortable-looking contact lens.

After Findlay leaves Marx’s office, Bernard is summoned to look into an incident involving an accident, something extremely rare in this world. An Epsilon or E-class citizen has fallen to his death, but evidence suggests a suicide, which is incomprehensible in a world where any unhappiness is chased away with a pill. He looks into it, but is told to let it go and to get away to a special theme park for some rest and relaxation.

That theme park has an exhibit dedicated to Marx’s past and our present: the exhibit is called the Savage Land, complete with the House of Monogamy and Black Friday reenactments. It’s here we meet John (Alden Ehrenreich), who works at the park. He doesn’t truck with the futuristic ways of New London. He also has access to a lot of guns, which attracts the attention of an extremist group that wants to take down the dystopian society.

Things escalate between Findlay and Marx at an event that can only be described as the raves from the Matrix sequel if they took place on the set of Logan’s Run. They begin to form a bond, which is interesting considering that connection is frowned upon in this world.

So we have three main conflicts here: the possible suicide Marx is looking into, Findlay’s self-exploration, and John’s ordeal with the radical bullet-toting rebels.

Brave New World tries really hard to be as provocative as Game of Thrones and as intriguing as Westworld, but unfortunately comes off as an above-average SyFy series. The concept of a future where everyone is connected, and where the perfect system of control isn’t so perfect, is reminiscent of the Amazon series The Feed, but thus far Brave New World pulls it off much better. And of course, it has first claim, since the Brave New World novel by Aldous Huxley came out in 1983.

I got a kick out of the idea that this horrifying dystopian society isn’t scary because of hunger games or oppressive regimes: it’s all about transparency, drugs, and complete dissolution of any long-lasting relationships. The idea of Savage Land, where people reenact the horrors of consumerism from our time, was also pretty funny. The rundown boardwalk vibe was an interesting look that worked well.

What really draws me in is the desire to understand this society better: how it came to be, and how it all works. And thanks to the cast, the characters provide a great hook. Lloyd, whom Game of Thrones fans will remember as Viserys Targaryen, does a stellar job in the lead role. Downton Abby and Harlots star Jessica Brown Findlay is magnetic. Honorable mentions from the premiere include Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ready Player One), Kylie Bunbury (Game Night, Pitch) and Demi Moore.

Alden Ehrenreich, who has been pushed as the lead of the show, feels very much like a side player. So far, he kind of feels out of place, not unlike how he felt in the lead role in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s hard to tell if it’s the performance or the writing, but something isn’t gelling with him just yet.

“Pilot” has just enough provocative titillation, visually stunning sci-fi aesthetics, and mysterious intrigue to get fans to revisit a Brave New World.

Episode Grade: Beta +

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