Ranking Every HBO Drama Series From Worst To Best
38. The Nevers
The latest from the mind of Joss Whedon, The Nevers is a real mess. Whedon is a high concept guy, and at his best he can juggle a lot of crazy concepts within a tightly structured show with long term vision. In The Nevers, it seems he’s jotted down all the wild ideas he can think of, slotted them into an ugly steampunk setting, and called it a day.
The plot concerns a disparate group in the Victorian era who find themselves imbued with incredible powers thanks to a mysterious extraterrestrial visitation. The set up is part Penny Dreadful, part Heroes, and somewhat lacking in originality, featuring beats and themes that have long been covered by Whedon and others.
They’re not lacking for ideas, and accordingly it’s rarely a boring watch, but the frantic nature makes The Nevers a tough watch. There are shades of Lost or the aforementioned Heroes - it doesn’t feel like a show with a plan.
To make matters worse (or probably: better), Whedon has since recused himself from the show due to the ugly allegations he faces concerning his on-set misogyny and bullying. Whether The Nevers will improve without him or fizzle away remains to be seen.