Is Almost Human the best new show on TV already?

Don't screw this up FOX.

Two episodes in and FOX’s science fiction series Almost Human could very well be this season’s best show already. Sure, two episodes is a small sampling of the entire season, but the opening stanza has been so strong that only a truly catastrophic nose dive in quality could railroad this already positive showing. Yes, that is a possibility, but with the team involved in its production, it's hard to see something so dramatic happen.

We profiled the show on the eve of its premiere and Tariq brought up an interesting point regarding the show’s arcing storylines and insular episodes;

“it is possible to straddle the middle of the road somewhat, using the individual episodes to build up characters and the larger story in the background, and then dropping in a ‘bigger picture’ episode here and there (usually before mid-season breaks to act as a cliffhanger or dangle a carrot of future events). On the surface, anyway, it would appear that Almost Human has what it takes to flourish in such a setting.”

And true to that point, we have gotten an inkling that there is something bigger in the works as the show progresses (Karl Urban’s character’s ex-girlfriend and her involvement with a crime syndicate), but have been rewarded with interesting and compelling episodic arcs as well. The second episode featured sex bots, a futuristic take on human trafficking and our need for artificial sexual gratification. It was a rewarding plot that featured everything you’d want in a science fiction piece; great tech, beautiful settings and half naked robot women, and a sense of urgency to it that didn't leave you feeling … unsatisfied … upon its conclusion. It's not a rarity per say, but to have all the elements seemingly gel together in such fluid fashion certainly is.

There’s a scene in the episode where Urban’s character and Michael Ealy’s terrific Dorian are discussing Urban’s current deficient sex life and how his “testicles are full” and in need of “draining”. Yes, it all sounds very coarse on paper but the interaction between the two proved hilarious and uncharacteristic of the more common robotic/human interaction we've come to know in such settings.

Unlike the seriousness of recent science fiction fare like Battlestar Galactica and the follow-up Caprica, Almost Human has a less pained feel to the venture. Even in shows like Alphas, where there was a point of relation to our present world, it often felt a little too consumed by its own psyche, trapped in trying to be a revelation in both television and storytelling- whereas Almost Human can be serious but not serious enough it can’t make toilet humor work for it. There’s a weightlessness to all the gadgetry and imagination, and sometimes you need this for a show to succeed in gaining an audience outside of its niche target.

Complimentary to the Urban-Ealy chemistry, we’re given some great supporting roles from Lili Taylor (playing Captain Sandra Maldonado), Mackenzie Crook (playing the show’s resident tech support) and of course, Minka Kelly (oh where have you been Lyla Garrity?). Kelly’s character is as of yet, underdeveloped but we’re given an inkling there may be something in store between her and Urban (after that disastrous turn as an Angel, it’s great to see Kelly back in a role that doesn't stink), and her character has bee written and performed, thus far, with suggestions she'll be playing a bigger part in it all very soon.

Can two episodes be enough to say you’re sold? Ratings suggest that Monday night’s isn't the best time to watch (there's football!), as Almost Human lost 29% of its Sunday viewership of its two-night premiere. It is perhaps, looking for traction now, but on the strength of the quality alone, there is much to look forward to as the season progresses.

If there was ever a show FOX needs to invest in for the long run, it’s Almost Human. There are characters and story lines here that have the potential to cover the spectrum of science fiction that movies take years to tell. But if there was ever a network that could screw this up, it’s FOX. So for now, it's about being excited about the potential and the already high level, but weary not to get too invested until at least, the halfway mark of a full season.

Can we start the petitions already?