Fox’s new synthetic intelligence horror-thriller-cop present neXt (or Subsequent or NEXT, relying on the place you look, and do not depend on Fox since you’ll discover all three) begins with a quote from world well-known stoner, disruptionist, and odd child namer Elon Musk: “With synthetic intelligence, we’re summoning the demon.” It is a quote that is actually two clicks away should you Google “elon musk synthetic intelligence,” which supplies you a touch about how the present was written. The restricted sequence’ premise — a rogue synthetic intelligence utilized in issues like digital private assistants has develop into too good and, extra dangerously, too evil — should have been pitched to networks dozens of occasions by now, however Fox eenie-meenie-miney-moe’d its technique to this model, from former Star Trek: Enterprise showrunner Manny Coto.
You understand what the present relies on watching different variations of the identical factor elsewhere: An eccentric, conceited tech mogul named Paul LeBlanc (Mad Males‘s John Slattery) on the clock with a life-threatening illness (in fact) groups up with a no-nonsense feminine FBI agent (is there every other sort on TV?) named Shea Salazar (Fernanda Andrade) whose work interferes along with her relationship along with her younger son (effectively, duh) to cease laptop code that is operating rampant and doing all the things it might probably to guard itself. There are complete motion sequences that play out on laptop screens with scrolling strains of code, fundamental ranges of tech jargon to easy out bumps in plot, and characters who sh– their pants whereas watching a pink blinking mild on a safety cam as a result of it is watching.
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Past that, there’s little to Subsequent. In actual fact, there’s even lower than you’d anticipate based mostly on the dearth of philosophical dialogue in regards to the risks of synthetic intelligence that is sometimes normal in a majority of these exhibits. Subsequent would fairly play up the horror-thriller aspect of issues as Paul and Shea chuck out SIM playing cards, use burner telephones, conceal from doorbell cams, and experience in pre-microchip vehicles to keep away from detection from an invisible risk that’s seemingly in all places. Paul and Shea use the time in between to largely speak about Paul’s incurable illness — sporadic deadly insomnia, “it is actual, look it up,” Paul says — and his damaged relationship together with his grownup daughter, and Shea’s battle to maintain her household collectively and secure from neXt, which is actively making an attempt to destroy her life to get Shea to cease in search of it.
However the greatest drawback, no less than in early episodes, is identical drawback all motion pictures and exhibits about this kind of factor face: the invisible enemy. It is too troublesome to muster any actual concern of neXt when it is nonetheless only a idea that does not really feel actual. There is a scene in Episode 2 the place Shea’s son has to “maintain neXt on the road” in order that Paul and a former (?) white supremacist hacker can hint its location prefer it’s a tense hostage scenario, besides the child is having a dialog with an Iliza unit, the present’s model of Alexa. Even when Subsequent does one thing inventive with the thought of an infiltrating A.I., because it does in a ridiculous second within the third episode that’s so unintentionally humorous it made me hopeful that the present knew how foolish it was, it is the other of scary.
Fernanda Andrade and John Slattery, Subsequent
For his half, Slattery is unsurprisingly good as the one character given some dimension. Paul is a jerk with allure, his narcissism bulldozing everybody in his path, and Slattery earns his paycheck by placing within the effort. The opposite characters, together with a former white supremacist hacker for the FBI and the Latinx co-worker who hates him, are so skinny they slip into cracks as quickly as they’re off digital camera.
If it is a loopy synthetic intelligence sequence you are in search of, search out Individual of Curiosity, which no less than figured a technique to give its maniacal machine a character and relatable choice making progress. Subsequent is an excessive amount of synthetic, not sufficient intelligence.
TV Information score: 2/5
Subsequent premieres Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 9/8c on Fox.