by Ray Keating
The Keating Files – September 25, 2020
Science fiction at its worst tends to be too “sciency,” that is, it’s all about the imaginary future of science and technology. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m as much of a sci-fi nerd as the next person standing in line at a comic con waiting to meet William Shatner. But there has to be more than futuristic techno-jargon.
At its best, science fiction serves up compelling storytelling and interesting characters within settings like space faring, time travel, or life across the galaxy. Sure the Enterprise, warp speed, time travel, the transporter and boldly going where no one has gone before are awesome, but what made Star Trek: The Original Series great were Kirk, Spock and McCoy, who they were, their relationship, and their interesting, fun and sometimes insightful adventures.
In terms of character-rooted science fiction, Netflix has nailed it with Away, starring Academy-Award-winner Hillary Swank, along with Josh Charles, Talitha Eliana Bateman, Ray Panthaki, Vivian Wu, Mark Ivanir, Ato Essandoh, and others.
This is the story of the first manned mission to Mars. Led by Emma Green (Swank), the American commander, the rest of the international crew is Misha Popov (Ivanir) from Russia, Dr. Lu Wang (Wu) from China, Ram Arya (Pathaki) from India, and Dr. Kwesi Weisberg-Abban (Essandoh) from the United Kingdom.
Back on Earth, we are treated to an assortment of characters supporting the mission and/or affecting or influencing (sometimes through flashbacks) the astronauts. That includes Green’s husband – fellow astronaut Matt Logan (Charles) – and their daughter, Alexis (Bateman).
Away makes for a fascinating drama – perhaps more accurately, a series of interesting character studies – that happens to be set on board a spacecraft headed for Mars. We see how the astronauts meet assorted challenges and interact with each other. Perhaps as expected, sacrifice (in terms of who was left behind and what occurs during the mission), courage, conflict, honor, and trust all come into play.
But there’s much more. Away dives into what makes each character tick. So, for example, we see Emma being torn by the deep love for her family – who are facing trials at home – in the midst of the significant risks and problems she faces during a journey that is the pinnacle of her life’ work. Misha’s broken relationship with his daughter is explored, as are Lu’s with her family and beyond. The roots of Ram’s isolation are probed as well. And the personal costs of space travel are made clear.
Most interesting, though, is the fact that the show’s creators, writers and directors don’t shy away from presenting characters in full. It’s not just a sliver or moment here or there. As best they can during a ten-episode season, the creators try to go deep on each character.
That even includes matters of faith. In an interview with TheWrap.com, showrunner Jessica Goldberg was asked about the issue of religion in Away. It was reported:
“When you talk about the universe, it’s hard to eclipse those questions of faith,” Goldberg told TheWrap. “We did a lot of research, we talked to a lot of astronauts, and one thing we kept hearing was when you’re up there, if you’re atheist, you’re even more of an atheist, or if you believe, you become a deeper believer. I think because we were having those conversations in the [writers] room, they just worked into the larger fabric of the show.” …
“In our [writers] room, we’d be talking about these things, and then it would definitely evolve back to, ‘Is there a God? Do you need faith to get through these kinds of missions? What happens if you believe in nothing? What if there is other life out there?'” she continued. “If we get to go on and have a Season 2, that question will play even more deeply because the question of life on Mars is the scientific basis, you know, it’s the holy grail of what Mars could possibly hold.”
In Away, Kwesi is a devout Jew, who prays and often speaks of faith. And it’s apparent that his faith has an effect on other crewmembers. Back on Earth, Alexis sneaks out of the house on Christmas Eve night with her new boyfriend, Isaac (Adam Irigoyen), and unbeknownst to her, they wind up meeting his family at Midnight Mass. And at another point, Isaac and Alexis pray the Lord’s Prayer in church together.
Viewers were fortunate that principal production work reportedly started in August 2019 and was completed in early February 2020, just before the pandemic hit the U.S. As a result, Away was able to be released on September 4 on Netflix.
Season 1 of Away stands tall on its own, and warrants watching. But I’m certainly rooting for more character-rich sci-fi in a second season. Let’s hope that Netflix gives it a thumbs up.
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Recent Columns by Ray Keating…
“A Few Reflections on the U.S. Open at Winged Foot”
“Applaud, Don’t Attack, Robinhood”
“Sports Are Back But Americans Aren’t Happy”
“Should We Take Our Ball and Go Home When Pro Athletes Disagree with Us?”
“‘Greyhound’ Ranks as Strong Storytelling – Even on a Smaller Screen”
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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. You can order his new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?
Keating’s latest novel is The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which is the 12thbook in the series. There is a big sale on signed books and sets at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month. Also, the best way to fully enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club. Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship
Also, tune in to Ray Keating’s podcasts – the PRESS CLUB C Podcast and the Free Enterprise in Three Minutes Podcast
Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.
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