“Away” is a solid attempt by Netflix to make a large-scale series about a flight to Mars, in which not everything went smoothly.

At the start of autumn, Netflix prepared a host of interesting projects: from a prequel to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” to a star-studded film by Antonio Campos. Among all this diversity, the sci-fi series “Away” with Hilary Swank as the captain of a ship heading to conquer Mars got a bit lost.

From the very first episode, this show sets an incredibly high bar of expectations, but it seems the creators slightly overestimated their capabilities. Why did this happen? Let's try to figure it out.

On the Path to the Impossible

At the center of the story in the series “Away” is the international crew of the ship Atlas I, which includes cosmonauts and scientists from different corners of the planet, including Russia. The mission of the project is as ambitious as it gets — to land on Mars. But on the heroes' path to the impossible goal, a multitude of various obstacles arise.

Based on such a plot setup, one could expect anything from the series: from another space horror to the melodramatic stories that have been fashionable in recent years. The creators of “Away” chose the second path, betting on the maximum possible realism of what is happening and the development of characters through personal dramatic stories and complex relationships on board the ship.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream

No, “Alien” has nothing to do with it. Here it's more about a cry of despair from the inability to be close to loved ones in a difficult situation. This thought runs as a thread through all the episodes of the series. A desperate wife and mother, whose husband suffered a stroke and whose daughter is going through a stage of teenage rebellion, a hidden lesbian who cannot admit her feelings due to duty to her homeland, a father who ruined his relationship with his daughter — all these mini-plots essentially say the same thing. Only by being far from loved ones and family can we understand the true strength of our feelings for them.

The writers of “Away” managed to brilliantly develop each of the existing characters. Even the most minor characters received enough screen time and clear motivation. On the other hand, this approach to story development quickly becomes boring. In each episode, another “skeleton in the closet” of one or another flight participant appears, with obligatory torment and subsequent acceptance.

Internal conflicts and external circumstances, of course, sometimes intrude into the tear-jerking narrative fabric, but they do not produce the effect the creators obviously intended. The feeling of hopelessness does not arise, because the heroes solve each new problem too easily and effortlessly. Believing in this is harder than flying to Mars on a ship with a hole in the hull.

Technical Splendor

What cannot be taken away from the Netflix project “Away” is its impressive visuals and overall technical perfection. Stylish depiction of space and its silent expanses, the constant feeling of weightlessness and its inventive use (the puppet theater scene turned out simply magnificent), solid musical accompaniment — all this provides a lot of pleasant emotions and genuine pleasure while watching.

Summary

The series “Away,” whose first episode was directed by Edward Zwick himself, could have become an unconditional hit, but in the end it did not reach that bar. Excessive and deliberate melodrama, lack of a sense of unpredictability, and few truly gripping events on screen do not allow this project to be called unequivocally successful. But it is worth watching, if only for the beautiful visuals and the very strong acting of the international cast of artists.

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