Hard Sun premieres March 7th on Hulu.
By Ariba Bhuvad
Had your fill of post-apocalyptic television shows? Well fret no more, because Hulu and BBC One have teamed up to give us a unique pre-apocalyptic crime drama TV show. Critically acclaimed creator of Luther, Neil Cross, is the show runner behind this intriguing new drama that will hit the U.S. market in early March.
This thrilling drama introduces us to a world that has not quite entered the apocalypse but a government secret known as “Hard Sun” reveals that the end of the world is nigh—and closer than anyone ever imagined. The central characters of the series are Detectives Robert Hicks (Jim Sturgess) and Elaine Renko (Agyness Deyn) who are made partners under shady circumstances which are revealed as the story progresses. With the confirmed knowledge that the end of the world is near, crime rates begin to skyrocket as Detectives Hicks and Renko work together to protect not only London, but their loved ones.
Hard Sun is slow to start as the story and characters are established and the premise of the story becomes clear. What started as a bit of a convoluted, complex story, soon gained traction as we fell deeper into the drama. One thing Hard Sun did really well was give their main characters a deep, dark background that only added to the allure of the story. Each character carries a past that connects to the story and complicates matters as the end of the world approaches.
The overall feel and emotion of the story mimics that of Luther with the foreboding, suspenseful music and the sensation that something wicked awaits at every corner. The suspense and mystery of Hard Sun is the core of the plot and is beautifully intermingled with the gloom and doom of the world ending and the revelation of the government’s plans to deal with it. As the characters face their new reality, Hard Sun does a superb job of integrating that fear into the show. Given the current state of world affairs today, this show feels like a metaphor exemplifying the fear and worry many feel nowadays. This sentiment is apparent in the plot, the characters, and the impending dilemma.
While the first three episodes have given an indication to the chaos to come, there is still room for plot and character development. With the brief glimpse given into the government’s “Hard Sun” secret, we have to yet learn the details of it and what exactly it entails — which will hopefully be revealed in the episodes to follow and be something completely unexpected. Without it, the story faces the danger of getting monotonous and unoriginal. However, the first three episodes were a pleasant treat that approached a dystopian story from a unique perspective and left us wanting more.
I give Hard Sun an A-.
TV and City 