User reviews

Like other reviewers, I was quite pleased to discover a new series to start the new year with. The description sounded enticing, "a young man wakes up from a coma after 12 years and discovers new abilities" so I decided to give it a go.

Tim Kring, the man behind Heroes, is one of the producers and for anyone who watched Heroes there will be similarities. A twenty- something develops strange powers and finds himself being hunted by a powerful organisation for unknown reasons. However, unlike Heroes, the characters mostly stay disappointingly one-dimensional and the story is predictable enough to be slightly boring.

The cast is competent and some of the ideas are interesting, but it feels like the show is aimed at a YA market, sort of like a Baby Heroes, and while there are some decent moments I never really got that "Wow" moment after the first couple of episodes.

It's a pity, because some of the characters have real potential and if they were willing to push it a bit and take more risks by aiming for a more mature market I think I would have liked the show a lot more.

As it is, I give it a 6/10 for good effort, but not good enough. Watch if there is nothing else on or if Heroes was too edgy for you.

So after binge watching the first 10 episodes, I'm now in a position to put forward a review a little bit more comprehensive than what's been posted previously (by the way, it's cheap*, not cheep).

The first few episodes are a bit slow to get into as for the character having super powers, well it's a bit more than that. As far as being categorised as a mystery series, I'd say this hits the mark, particularly when you think about the back plots to newly introduced characters not being lain out on a table for you.

The actors aren't the best in the world but I've seen worse and to be honest, I'd give them a decent 7/10, with more talent and "CGI" playing a role the further you get into the series.

Without spoiling the plot to much (which does develop quite well I'd say), the main character is well formed and continues to show growth throughout each episode. A few side characters fall away which just supplemented the main story line more than anything but nevertheless still played an important role in the plot.

Overall, I'd suggest watching the first 3 episodes all the way through rather than fast forwarding and looking for the big action explosions because these simply aren't there till much later on however there is a good insight into whats to come in the second episode.

In Fort Reed, Kansas, Holden Matthews wakes up from a 12 year coma after a motorcycle crash where he was chased by his best friend Kevin's older brother Jeff. He apparently returns with latent superpowers after crossing over from a different Realm. His younger brother Luke is now in college. There is the mysterious Willa and the dangerous Man in the Yellow Jacket who are interested in him. There is a vast conspiracy looking to harness his new powers. Charlie is another who woke up from a coma with special powers.

This Freeform sci-fi show struggles for two seasons and never really settles into a good flow. The young lead Burkely Duffield is a bit stiff with a deer in the headlights look. Oddly enough, that actually fits the character. I'm less impressed with Dilan Gwyn who plays Willa at various levels of irritation. Eden Brolin has the most fun playing the sarcastic Charlie and she has great chemistry with the lead. Sadly, she joins the show at episode five and they didn't figure out adding her character as a main character until the second season. This show really took too long to figure out the group chemistry. It's too bad because all the parts are there. The Man in the Yellow Jacket is a great villain. The premise is intriguing. In more assured hands, this show could have been good but this never truly found its footing despite getting a twenty episode run.

I started watching Beyond and it got more interesting and addicting too watch. Great story line and keeps you Engaged. The second season really got me hooked as the story progressed. I wanted to see the next episode at every turn. How and why this great show gets cancelled just when it rev's up, really baffles me what Freeform is doing. Now I only have Siren which is another good show that I see will progress. Will that be cancelled as well!!!!!. Wake up Freeform!.

I found this show enjoyable and it pulled me in. It has some good actors and some very well done scenes (I was particularly impressed by Eden Brolin- -it seems the Brolins may be getting better with each generation.) However, you must suspend disbelief almost entirely, as the show's plot really doesn't stand up to any sort of analysis.

Like many of the other early reviews here, I binge watched this series over the New Years holiday.

I went into 'Beyond' thinking it was likely campy, breezy, sci-fi with an eye toward a YA demographic (similar to Freeform's 'Shadowhunters', a guilty pleasure if you're in the right mood).

However, this show takes itself more seriously-the violence in the early episodes is much more realistic. As is the bickering that goes on in the lead character's family. Additionally, there are more serious background themes present here concerning the exploitation of grief by religion and commerce, as well as the common experience of PTSD by former soldiers. Heady stuff, for this kind of show. That this show takes itself more seriously, however, is not really a good reason to watch it. The early episode violence is gratuitous, to the point that it doesn't even make sense by the end of the series; and the background issues remain firmly in the background.

The central conceit of the show is that after recovering from a 12-year coma, the lead character Holden is plagued by mysterious visions, supernatural experiences, recruitment attempts by bizarre cultists, as well as the attention of a beautiful and mysterious woman who wants to help protect him from all of these other things.

With each episode, more memories from Holden's time in his coma are revealed. Whether these memories are dreams, near-death experiences, or actual memories of time spent in purely spiritual world slowly becomes clearer over the course of the episodes. The way in which Holden's memories are revealed, and their relation to the cult and his mysterious guardian are what pulls you into the story. Along the way, there are also some really well done bits concerning Holden's romance with another coma victim, as well the appearance of random characters, such as a movie obsessed pharmacist, that make the unfolding of Holden's story rather more enjoyable than it probably ought to be.

By the end, frankly, none of it makes a damn bit of sense, making a scene from Holden's middle episodes romance all the more foretelling. In that scene, after catching a fish with his paramour, he lets it go, much to her amazement-the moral being that it is about the effort/journey, not the result/destination. As long as you keep that in mind, and don't bother trying to make sense of the series as a whole, 'Beyond' is an enjoyable ride.

I started watching Beyond with low expectations because the premise sounds pretty typical. Cute boy mysteriously receives powers and is forced into action to protect the cute girl. I'm glad I was pleasantly surprised. Its still a typical small town unwilling teen hero plot, but the story line is absorbing, the acting is good and the characters are interesting enough to drive the story forward. A nice mix of mystery, drama, action and a sprinkle of horror in a teen hero plot complete with all the eye candy needed in today's ADD environment. I either rate things high if I like it or low if I don't, I don't believe in anything that exists in between. Beyond gets my vote for a good TV show.

My husband and I are watching Beyond as I am writing this. We have just started episode 4, it was unusual to find that we could binge the entire season 1 on demand. We absolutely love it, so we know we will be watching the entire season today. The show is great, sucked us in immediately, after watching the first episode. We watch primarily series and are in the entertainment biz, doing special effects, makeup etc for many beloved shows. This is right up there with the best of them! It is action packed and riveting! Great acting and awesome audio and cinematography. Would be undeniably a shame if Freeform doesn't give viewers a second season at the very least. Professional in every sense, amazingly interesting story line, although similar in some ways to others, but we both could see it going very far. With so many series coming and going, we would hate for this show to just have one season, that would be a terrible shame! We see Supernatural in season 12, TWD in Season 7, with no near end in sight, and all series see ratings going up and down. Yet these shows plunder on. We really hope that Freeform gives us more material! We were unfamiliar with this channel, and I have read that Freeform doesn't have the greatest track record with following into second seasons, perhaps the very reason why we are so unfamiliar with this channel! That's not at all a very good advertising strategy, we have become very familiar with AMC after many great shows, but probably would never know much about AMC, without renewing seasons. This show Beyond is as great as any show that AMC and other channels have, in our opinion, from TWD to Breaking Bad and their spin-offs. Give the viewers a chance to know this station and we are sure more people will come to know Freeform just as well as most know AMC. We REALLY hope to see more, not only of Beyond, but other good shows to follow. We may give it a 10 after viewing all 10 episodes of Beyond. I'm sure we will be exhausted, it REALLY is that good. But so far, so GREAT! I will follow up after we see the finale. Every show only leads us excited to watch the next!

"Here I come to save the day!" Is the song of a super hero created back in 1942. It's Mighty Mouse's theme tune.

And so roll out nearly every super hero since then basically singing the same old tune.

It's nice to see something different. I'm on the 8th episode, season 1. Does it have bad guys? Check. Are you sure you know who the bad guys are? Nope. Could they all be bad guys or all be good guys who's motives are at odds? Check.

As for formulaic? At 10% the audience must know what a successful outcome looks like. I don't even know now. At 25% the hero must buy in to the plot. I'm not even sure he's bought in at this point...

Lastly, if someone wakes up one day and has super powers? Well, the natural course of action is to save the world. "With great power comes great responsibility." and "Here I come to save the day!". One question I asked as a kid and ask now? Why? Where did that come from? I agree, it's the moral high ground but would you really do it? I mean, actually? Or would you sit there and wonder how you could turn this power into a money spinner so you can give up your meaningless job that your supposed to be oh so proud to have?

Guess he's not really here to save the day and, so far, would definitely prefer to live a normal life.

As for the women? Well, if I was 12, slipped into a coma and came out at 24? Well, yeah, girls would be high on the list of 'things to do'.

This is coming across as trying to be more realistic, as apposed to: "I'm doing this for my dead Uncle!" (Spiderman) or "Dead parents!" (Batman) or "Dead world!" (Superman) or "Dead mum!" (Meredith Quill). I call it "The dead dog syndrome." - always cracks me up when that heart felt moment pops up in the latest comic to movie cross over... and my brain says: "DEAD DOG MOMENT!!!" Are all your parents alive? Is so? You got NO HOPE of getting super powers! Ain't how it works buddy!!! Lolz! So as I said, nice to see something different.

Talked to one guy and he pointed out he prefers Marvel to DC because in Marvel, even when the world is in imminent danger, the hero always has time to crack a joke and make light of the situation. DC is far to dark for his liking. And, you know, I respect that. Hey, we all come to entertainment for our own reasons... but lets just say I won't be recommending Beyond to him.

westworld...game of thrones..we can safely say in this day and age that the quality which can be achieved in the TV medium can be amazing,truly awe inspiring stuff.Being able to connect with the viewers through likable characters with fleshed out personalities and flaws,first class acting delivered by titans in their field.

then there's the 'arrow' style of TV production...colour by numbers,cookie cutter,play it safe TV.shows that stretch out story lines to pad out a lack of story.side stories that never lead anywhere.TV where all the teens have perfect white teeth,no acne,siblings who look nothing alike but fresh off a catwalk,mediocre acting that makes you feel nothing...vacant,slightly dead inside,coma TV.

now,don't get me wrong,I'm not saying 'coma' as in 'it'll bore you to sleep'.there has probably been a group of TV producers/executives who've done market research for this just to make sure it excites to just the right level without pushing anything so as not to rock the boat...the whole thing just stinks of 'formulaic' (even the mysterious assassin was done better and way more sinister in 'utopia')

basically..the shows a pass..in the same way that 'the dome' was a pass...'arrow'..'the flash' and all the other one dimensional shows that leave you pondering absolutely nothing except plot holes and inconsistencies. i don't know about you guys but I'm tired of giving formula TV 'a pass'...the bars been raised...its shape up or ship out time...go hard or go home

I just read some of the reviews and you gave this show below a 7 your an idiot there's tons of twist and turns always wanting more i cant wait till the 2nd season of this show i just finished watching all 10 episodes and couldn't get enough of it.

For the people who say your not understanding whats going on well your not going to get the whole story in season 1 wait for season 2 to explain more of whats going on cant just spoil the whole show in one season duh well good job with beyond i cant wait for more!!!!!!

I don't want to spoil the show but you do see great relationships and failed ones too always wandering who he will end up with and who's really good and who's really bad can you trust your friends or your enemy's.

I didn't expect much out of this show but it's actually pretty entertaining. The acting is better than I expected for a FreeForm show and contrary to some of the reviews, it has quite a bit of sci-fi in it. Specifically in the last two episodes where you start to see and understand more about "The Realm". Obviously it doesn't have a major budget so it's a little limited and shouldn't be compared to major hits, but this is a good start to what could be a good show if they continue it. I just watched all 10 episodes online and will definitely be awaiting the second season. Hopefully this won't get axed too soon. I have watched a lot of movie marathon weekends on FreeForm but never cared for any of the TV shows. This is one that I will watch for sure, if they keep it running.

I just finished watching season one and I have to say that I rather enjoyed this one. It's not perfect by any means but it was captivating and a great binge watch.

This series definitely had a Syfy channel feel to it and I mean that in a rather negative way. I used to be a Syfy channel fan when it first kicked off but they chose a more bubble gum Sci-Fi route for most of the new programs so haven't watched much lately. This Syfy channel feel along with some sloppy directing were among my top annoyances but it was pretty decent otherwise.

On the positive side, top of the list for me was the fresh and diverse Cast and the great job they did. Burley Duffield (Holden) was annoying at first as he ran around like a confused fool for the first three or four episodes but that played out well for later when he finally snapped out of being such a wuss and properly took the lead for the show.

Swedish actress Dilan Gwyn was probably my favorite of the bunch and she should have a very successful career ahead of her. Other fantastic performances came from Jeff Pierre, Eden Brolin, and a long-time favorite of mine from his Hal Hartley 'Trust' days, Martin Donovan. Oh, and special mention for Peter Kelamis who was an awesome villain.

The Sci-Fi itself was also not that bad. It certainly wasn't groundbreaking or mind-altering but was enough to keep me interested. I look forward to season two, provided there is one.

What a surprise. I avoided it for several weeks on Netflix, expecting more light acting, over use of special effects and a dull story. I am (we are, my wife now has joined me!) totally gripped. Watched all of season 1 and the 8 available episodes of season 2. I can't believe how very brave the writers have been. They don't throw lots of action into each episode. Instead, they carefully and patiently build the characters and manage to o give too much away too early on. The occasional use of humour is also fresh, with a few nice little unexpectedly ordinary jokes. Overall, it's worth taking the time to let the characters grow on you. Even the obnoxious 'yellow jacket' has unexpected depth. Looking froward to the rest of season two and, I hope, a third season (and maybe more?). I just hope they don't mess up the formula. It's working well, please don't mess with it!

During the pandemic, this hits the spot when you've nothing to watch. I've only watched Season 1. 80% of the actors are terrible- either the writing or their delivery. It's staid and seems odd/out of place. But the plot is interesting, albeit predictable. I'd rate it 6-7 stars out of 10

This is quite an enjoyable show full of mystery and suspense and a little magic thrown in for good measure.

The only problem is it's left on a right cliffhanger as the show got cancelled after 2 seasons.

Studio's really need to stop doing this and give it's consumers what they want and deserve.

A&E did the same thing with the glades tv series.

This series had promise but fell apart after the first 4 episodes. The dialogue became inane. The "yellow jacket" villain was poorly written and played. The Realm had no internal reality. The "Church" was poorly conceived, especially how a cult with "no Judeo-Christian root" (as Jeff explains) could be have such public support (ie. volunteers, congregants) in small town America. The show runner seemed to lose the thread of the series, allowing it to take ridiculous turns. The continuity is sloppy. And, the biggest failure is that the relationships between characters just doesn't make sense, there is no attention to building rapport, forging bonds or chemistry (although the second season improved somewhat over the first). By the 9th episode I was just watching to give a fair review and to see if there was a grand design behind the mess. The premise could have supported a great series. What a shame. I give the first episodes for episodes a 7 (potential) but the rest of the series ranged between a 4 (poor) and a 6 (fair) out of 10. {Fantasy}

Many of the reviews on here seem to miss the point/plot of this show.

This is not some action pack super powers show. This is more of a you need to think about whats going on kind of show. To try and compare this show to KyleXY or Stranger Things is like saying The Matrix and Batman V Super Man are the same kind of movie.

It's not without it's faults, The story is a little slow and many things seemed like a waste of time rather then part of the story but even at those times I didn't feel bored.

If you want some action packed super heroes type show then this is not the show for you. If you want a mystery show with lots of character developments and fill in the blinks to understand type of show than watch this. The "powers" are a side kick to the main plot. This show is a you need to be 3 steeps ahead kind of show to understand whats going on.

-The actors are Amazing and pull you into the story. CGI is on par with top quality shows. Story and plot are more then just a simple story.

If you run out of sf / mystery tv shows, and you try to dig out something, this show is watchable if you skip 2 till 4 episodes in both seasons, they are boring and have no relation to any important story plots. After 5th episodes things actually start to happen. The Story is a little above bad. Acting same, tho Jonathan Whitesell and Eden Brolin performances are kinda good, and they basically lift the series with their scenes. Protagonist and the rest of the supporting cast are mediocre to bad. If you like sf / mystery fun you might find some enjoyment in this show.

To sum it up, it's one of the most thrilling shows on air right now. Of course you can see it's produced on a lower budget; however, it's really thrilling, and if you start watching, you will not be able to stop.

I love how the characters are pictures through-out the series, and I found my self cursing whenever something occurred which could not be foreseen.

A huge recommendation to watch the show; and if enough people start to watch it, the producers will have more money to enhance the special effects ;)