I am all for this kind of stuff - going into space, colonization, living among the stars and I hope to witness this when it happens. But I am very much on the fence with this show. maybe my expectations were too high. The concept of the show is good as is the execution. The documentary parts are very informative and insightful. Then there is the scripted part that is all about dramatization. And most of it is due to illogical decisons of the characters. The science isn´t waterproof and I felt there are a lot of plot holes. One thing this shows, and I´m not sure if intentional or by accident, is that humans will stay humans. They take their structures and hierachies with them no matter where they go.

Great show, really atmospheric and factual as well. Its kind of a Docu-Drama with a sprinkling of suspense in there. The music is really good too, really adds to the experience.

I was really impressed with this show. I really like how they switched back and forth between the drama of being on Mars in the future with documentary elements in the present. It sort of set up why they were doing the things they were doing on Mars. They really showed you how it's not just technology that is needed to get there but humans that are able to withstand the long trip and the complete isolation of a new planet. While I wish there were more episodes, I think 6 was probably perfect to push the story along at a quick, but manageable pace. I wonder if there is going to be a season 2 but if not, I really enjoyed the show while it lasted. If anything, it has made me wonder what other shows National Geographic is making. Highly recommended.

Entertaining at points but essentially thinly veiled propaganda. Climatistas and anti-corporate sentiments combined with a healthy amount of deceptive facts designed to instill a sense of doom. They poured it on a little thick for me. To each their own and it is entertaining but don't buy into too much of it. Try fact checking any of the 'documentary' aspects, they are very misleading.

This show is really about its format; the mix between fact, and dramatization is novel and I hope to see more like it. Unfortunately the calibre of acting and writing needs to be much higher for this format to succeed, else it could actually sour the entire format.

Another series that I drop! The idea and concept are good and endering but the execution its mediocre at best, and the political bs, the anti-capitalism is just in your face, the acting of the asians actors is bad like really bad, the agenda it's just to obvious the subtlety of puting Trump face each time they speak about climate, really? well no more, it's just so tiresome.
Oh forgot, in the last episode[spoiler] the woman scientist just punch a guy in the face because womyn and capitalistic pig! Then go and disobey a direct order, get lost and then rescue by the pig. Not even a thank you, pig![/spoiler] wtf.

I definitely enjoyed season 1 more than season 2 as I felt the whole show moved more into drama category than documentary by season 2. Not that this wasn't well done overall, but the mix documentary-fiction of season 1 was just so well balanced and informative that I can't help feel a little disappointed by season 2. Not that the second season doesn't have merit on its own and depicted something we can all agree on: humans being humans, conflicts, personal vs national interest, the need to colonize over and over again.

However, nothing beats the charm and discovery of season 1 with the first steps, the first trials, the first everything.

This would normally tick all the boxes for me. It struggles between actual good story and preachiness. Had it had a lower budget, It would have been unwatchable.

it should be two different shows. It just seems so split in how it was produced. Still worth giving it a shot though

Twin Storytelling! This novel approach to story telling has great potential and I've chosen to characterize it as that of twins: one brainy the other dramatic, together dynamic. National Geographic (not somewhere I expected to find good SciFi) has artfully presented the race to colonizing Mars as both Science (using interviews with those intimately involved in the historical and current space program) and Fiction (as a dramatic projection of the how those theories will play out in the next 15+ years). I've found it fascinating, even though, in the first season, I was sometimes impatient when the drama had been interrupted by the science (the drama is that good!). The first season I binged because I hadn't become aware of it until it had finished broadcasting. The second season I watched episodically, as broadcast, and feel they have fine tuned the balance and rhythm of integrating hypothesis and projection. I gave the first season an 8 (fascinating) out of 10, but have now raised my rating to 8.5 (exceptional) and hope National Geographic will continue this experiment by renewing it for an indefinite run. This is a really great series! [Documentary Science and Dramatized Fiction hybrid]