The Darwin Incident – Episode 1

Content Warning: animal abuse (example screenshots below)

What’s it about? Charlie is a half-human and half-chimpanzee who was rescued by eco-terrorists from a facility that experimented on animals.  He was raised by loving foster parents but always felt like he didn’t belong anywhere.  His family wants him to have a normal life and make friends at school, but it seems that more prominent eco-terrorist organizations want him to join their cause for the sake of fighting for animal rights. 

Say what you want about The Darwin Incident, but at least we have something unique airing this season.  Having said that..there’s absolutely no subtlety in this show whatsoever, though I appreciate that it’s trying to say something meaningful about animal abuse, eugenic experiments and the use of violence for the sake of fighting for the “greater good.”  Those are heavy topics, which then begs the question: can this show truly unpack the enormity of its themes? I don’t envy the show’s creator because inevitably those topics will evoke something personal for everyone.  The concept of veganism, for example, can be difficult to talk about because often times, hardcore vegans don’t think about the intersections of race and class and labor, which can affect how ​​inaccessible certain food items are and who is exploited in their acquisition; or the issue that, depending on what part of the world you live in, meat products are often the only food source available for consumption.  

It’s a complicated topic, and the tension is felt here when vegan eco-terrorist organizations use violence not only to attack lab facilities but to detonate bombs in civilian areas.  People are rightfully indignant, which leads to an uncomfortable conversation between Charlie and his new classmates about whether or not the lives of humans and animals should be treated equally. It’s clear the show wants to have a philosophical debate about these issues, but to be honest, it sort of feels shallow.  

There’s also the question on how the show will deal with the subject of eugenic experiments.  That whole topic is a delicate issue to talk about because so much of eugenic experiments is centered around white supremacy and “creating a superior race”.  Charlie’s existence poses plenty of questions about his place in the world and depending on how it’s handled, it can either break or make the series.  Charlie, himself, is an enigmatic observer and just wants to live peacefully.  There’s plenty of potential for his character to develop and while his classmates feel like characters straight out of a cheesy teen novel, for the most part they’re alright.  The fact that eco-terrorist organizations want Charlie as their leader is kinda hilarious since it doesn’t look like he’s all that interested in enacting violence for the sake of a “grand cause” unless he’s personally affected.  

There isn’t much to be said about Charlie’s new friend, Lucy, except that she’s a nice person and it seems like she’ll help him build connections with other people.  There’s also the occasional misogynistic remarks said by some of the high school jocks, but that’s immediately shut down by the other girls, which is nice.  If nothing else, I admire the show’s ambition and it definitely merits to go through our rigorous 3-episode test just to see how it holds up.