After hearing good buzz about the 3rd season of this series, I decided to see for myself and started from the beginning. It’s set in the titular structure, which is one big long vertical tube that has been housing 10,000 survivors for more than 400 years after some kind of above-ground holocaust. There’s lots of paranoid drama, as alliances build and crumble, while trying to avoid the ultimate disaster. Eventually one brave resident (Rebecca Ferguson) ventures outside, which opens the narrative for more conflict and confusion. The 3rd season spends more time unveiling the history that led up to the current situations. Creator Graham Yost has a strong record of solid creative shows (“Justified,” “The Americans” “Sneaky Pete” and “Slow Horses) and his skills are in full effect. He’s cast some strong leads, including Ferguson and Tim Robbins, while Common’s stilted delivery doesn’t work for me. Don’t expect lots of dazzling sci-fi visuals, because this is much more about the challenging drama of living underground and avoiding angry uprisings. Even though things happen slowly and the dialogue sometimes hinders the pace, this is a compelling show. The 3rd season sets up more options for the final season, which I’ll have to watch to see how it all ends. (Review based on 3 seasons with one final season coming) 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
