Amazon Prime has another winner on their hands with the upcoming series Utopia. The series was previewed at San Diego Comic-Con online and after watching seven of the first 8 episodes I can say that I am hooked.
The show follows the discovery of a rare comic named Utopia which appears to be a follow up of the cult comic Dystopia. The pages of the new comic are discovered in a cluttered home following the passing of the owner and the two young people who inherited the home opt to hold an auction for the comic at an upcoming convention.
The two decide to have people come to the room where they are allowed to view a single page before they write down their offer and contact information.
The plan goes well and one individual makes a very large offer to avoid the bidding process which is accepted.
This sets a chain of events into motion as a pair of assassins arrives to eliminate all who have seen the comic and claim it for themselves. Their plans go awry when the comic is stolen and a group of fans at the show set out to retrieve the comic and avoid the killers while trying to unravel the mystery of Utopia.
At the same time a mysterious and deadly Flu is killing children and appears to be spreading. Industrialist Dr. Kevin Christie (John Cusack) is in the crosshairs due to his synthetic meat being linked to the virus. He attempts to recruit viral expert Dr. Michael Stearns (Rainn Wilson), who is eager to regain his status but has misgivings over the planned course of action to rush his viral serum into market without proper testing.
The characters soon find themselves intertwined as things do not appear to be what they seem and the stakes grow more and more deadly and serious with each passing day.
While the show is a bit slow getting started as it establishes the characters and premise; it becomes an addictive and intense thriller that will keep you riveted. If you are a fan of The Boys you will be ready for the violence and gore in the show which is at times intense and extreme but always appropriate for the show.
Look for Utopia on Amazon Prime starting September 25th.
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Gareth is the mastermind behind the popular pop media site Skewed and Reviewed. He lives in Arizona with his wife Em McBride.
