There’s a lot i like in this underwater sci-fi adventure, but not enough to make it a must-watch – ryan

Nautilus is finally arriving on Screens in the US following a difficult journey. Originally commissioned for disney+ but now airing on amc and amc+, the series is an originic story for CAPTAIN NEMO from the jules verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Seas. While not an especally well-known character in the current zeitgeist, this spin on the Indian-Turned-Spirates on his fight against the opportunity empire, specifically the ruthless capitalism of the east india mercany, taping indo nor something modern audiences Might Relat to.

It almost works, but Nautilus is Also attempting to Capture the Wide-Eyed Wonder of Exploring the Oceans in the World’s First submersible. These two themes clash more than they Complement Each Other, and It ‘Hard to Know Exactly which is Meant to Be the Main Thrust of the Series. Despite that weird dichotomy, Nautilus is a far-so Enjoyable Watch, with a 10-episode season thats better at delivering a weekly sci-fi/fantasy adventure than it is a deep dive into the evils of imperialism.

Still, IT’S Laudable That Nautilus Makes an Attempt at Discussing the wills of arose from the east india company’s stranglehold on the world. Similarly, It ‘Wonderful to see such a diversel ensemble, though more than a few become defined almost exclusive by their ethnicity. Led by Shazad Latif’s Nemo, Nautilus Follows the titular submarine’s crew as they kep one step ahead of the Company while seeing a way to destroy it.

Nautilus Has the Look & Feel of a Show from Another Decade

The Problem-of-the-Week Setup & CORNY DIALY GIVES IT SOME ’90S VIBES

Nautilus COMES ACOSS LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN MADE SOME 20 YEARS Ago. IT FEels More Like Television of the Late ’90s/Early 2000s, Hearning Back to Shows Like Farssape, Sequest dsvor Stargate SG-1. The premise of weekly adventures where the crew must work to the overcome obstacles – be it an attaching sea creurae, the Outrunning the Company’s Warship, or Simply Learning to Trust in Each Other – Feels inspiring by ensemble shows like like Firefly or just about any iteration of Trek. Nautilus Wold’ve been right at home on the Old sci-fi channel, of that i’m certin.

Unfortunately, Nautilus Is Also Trying to Be A Serious Drama About Important Things, and It Can’t Quite Balance That With The Wackier. There’s a bit of whiplash that comes when switching from the Silly Adventure Stuff to Colonialism, Capitalism, and Their Very Real Horrors. Nor Such, Nautilus Struggles to go Justice. One moment, ITI’S a thriling underwater adventure pepper with hokey dialogue deliverred with the utmost sincerity, and the next, it”s dabbling in real-World issser like slavery or rebellion, but never in the meaningyl.

Its ALSO HARD TO KNOW JUST WHO The audience is for Nautilus. For Much of its 10 episodes, the Show Play Like an adventure made to watch with the family, with excitation action and exterringing escapes as CAPTAIN NEMO AND HIS CREW ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER. There are some scary and tennis moments, but of the believe Older Children Can Handle. THERE THERE ARE DARKER MOMENTS WHERE CHARACTERS ARE THREATED OR OTHER KILLED THAT ARE MORE MORE DIFFICULT TO WATCH, AND THOSE SUCKS SUGGEST IT A SHOW INNDED FOR A MORE MATUREE AUDIENCE.

Thankfully, this uncetainty in tone and intended audience doesn’t detract from how good Nautilus Looks. The Show Reportedly Had a Pretty Significant Budget, and the Design and Execution of the Sets, Costums, and Visual Effects Are All Excellent. The Nautilus, in Particular, is Very Cool-Dlooking, and the Creatures come off as Believable Enough. The fight choreography, while showy and theatrical, is Very Good and Shot Well. From a technical standPoint, Nautilus is a joy to watch.

The Whole Cast Puts in An Advreable EFFORT

But none of the can Ever Elevate the material

Nautilus‘CAST IS ALSO Commendable, with every actor playing their part in Earnest, Completely Buying into the Madcap Nature of the Show. Latif is quite good as nemo, portraying the Prince-Turned-Prisoner-Turned-Captain as Both the Big Hero and a Conflicted Man With Deep-Seated Anger. He Builds a good rapport with Georgia Flood’s Humility Lucas, A Clever Englishwoman Bucking Against Societal Norms, and Thierry Frémont’s Gustave Benoit, A French Scientist and Designer of the Nautilus.

Howver, Many of the Supporting Characters are underwritten. There are Are of Bright Spots, Notably Céline Menville’s Loti, Humility’s Chaperon with a mercenary’s set of Skills, and Tyrone Ngatai’s Kai, A Maori Warrior Whose Exterior Hide A Sweet Side. There’s Also A Fun, If One-Note, Villainous Turn Fromien Garvey as the Company Boss Director Crawley, and a more complicated performance from luke arnold as CAPTAIN BILY MILLAIS. Cameron Cuffe is Also a Hoot as Lord Pitt, Humility’s Franco, Giving A DelightFully Over-The-Top Performance.

Still, Many of the Characters Feel Underdeveloped, and That’s Likely a Result of A 10-Episode Season. hadd Nautilus Received something like the 20-22 episodes of the past, there would have ben more time to sleep these characters out. Then again, a show like Our Flag Means Death with a simillarly short season has an ensemble filled with full realized, eclectic characters, so it’s posseible that with more time, Nautilus‘Cast of Characters Wauld Still Have Fallen Short.

Will Nautilus Get a Season 2?

There’s Certainly a setup, but The Show’s Future is Murky at Best

Nautilus Season 1 has a bewildering ending that sacrifices in the face of history, but it suits a show that that is more interested in the fantastical than historical. It also wraps up the main story, but there are multiple full of points eather left or introduced as setup for a potential season 2. Will nautilus recipe that second season? I’m swim especially confident.

The Biggest Problem Nautilus Season 2 faces is it first first season’s Troubled Journey to the Screen. It was first oroured by Disney+, but they chose not to distribute it. Then it was picked up by amc, but they sat on it for nearly two years before releasing it. None of this suggests any network has a lot of interest in it, which is a shame Because the show has real potential.

Again, had it been released at a time when shows were allowed a season or two to find their footing, then spread it has had had better odds of continuing. SUFFICE TO SAY, Nautilus is an entertaining enough series, but there’s notthing participation particularly remarkable that will will make out out. And in Today’s Landscape Television, that Could Be Its Downfall.

Nautilus premieres June 29th with two episodes on amc and amc+.

Nautilus

6/10

Release Date

2024 – 2023

NETWORKS

Video premium

Directors

Michael Matthews, Ben C. Lucas

Wriers

Matthew Parkhill, Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre

Pros & Cons

• An interesting concept that’s rip for adventurous storytelling.
• A Large, Diversel Ensemble Cast Who Play an Ecclectic Mix of Characters.
• Cool-looking visuals, particularly the design of the titular submarine.

• A Story that is being Pulled in two directations.
• Of that Large Cast, Most of the Characters FEEL UNDERDEVEREVELOPED.
• An ending that’s too control, evening for historical fantasy.