Away (TV series)
A crewed Mars mission tests family bonds and human endurance.
Away is an American science fiction drama television series created by Andrew Hinderaker, starring Hilary Swank. It premiered on Netflix on September 4, 2020, and was canceled after one season in October 2020. The show depicts the sacrifices of an international astronaut crew as they prepare for the first crewed mission to Mars, a three-year journey away from their families.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction; Drama
- Creator
- Andrew Hinderaker
- Inspired by
- the Esquire article, Chris Jones
- Starring
- Hilary Swank
- Josh Charles
- Vivian Wu
- Mark Ivanir
- Ato Essandoh
- Ray Panthaki
- Talitha Bateman
- Music
- Will Bates
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Premise
The series follows the first human mission to Mars, the Mars Joint Initiative, commanded by American astronaut Emma Green. Her diverse crew includes an Indian medical officer as second-in-command, a Chinese chemist, a British botanist on his first spaceflight, and a Russian cosmonaut with the record for most time in orbit. Emma's husband, also an astronaut, was grounded by a medical condition. The three-year mission launches from the Moon, and several crew members doubt Emma's command after her response to an early crisis. The series is described as being about hope, humanity, and the need for one another to achieve impossible things.
Cast and characters
Hilary Swank plays Emma Green, NASA astronaut and commander of the mission and the Atlas, wife of Matt Logan and mother of Lex. Josh Charles portrays Matt Logan, Emma's husband, Lex's father, and a NASA engineer supporting the mission from Houston; he was an astronaut grounded by cerebral cavernous malformation. Vivian Wu is Lu Wang, a Chinese astronaut and chemist who had an affair with CAPCOM Mei Chen and is in a loveless marriage. Mark Ivanir plays Misha Popov, a Russian cosmonaut and the Atlas engineer, the world's most experienced space traveler, estranged from his adult daughter after being in space when his wife died. Ato Essandoh portrays Kwesi Weisberg-Abban, a Jewish British-Ghanaian botanist and rookie astronaut, born in Ghana and raised in England by adoptive parents. Ray Panthaki is Group Captain Ram Arya, the mission's Indian second-in-command pilot and medical officer, estranged from his family. Talitha Bateman plays Alexis 'Lex' Logan, Emma and Matt's teenage daughter. Monique Gabriela Curnen is Melissa Ramirez, Emma's crew support and friend. Michael Patrick Thornton plays Dr. Putney, Emma's NASA psychologist. Martin Cummins portrays Jack Willmore, a NASA astronaut and CAPCOM. Gabrielle Rose is Darlene Cole, head of NASA Flight Command. Brian Markinson plays George Lane, another NASA leader. Fiona Fu is CNSA Mission Liaison Li Jun. Nadia Hatta plays Mei Chen, a CNSA mission control and Lu's love interest. Alessandro Juliani is Dr. Lawrence Madigan, Matt's rehab doctor. Felicia Patti plays Cassie, Melissa's teenage daughter. Adam Irigoyen portrays Isaac Rodriguez, a boy Lex meets at school. Diana Bang plays Freddie. John Murphy plays Ryan Masters. Derrick Su plays Zhang Lei. Olena Medwid plays Natalya Popov, Misha's estranged daughter.
Production
Netflix ordered the series on June 10, 2018, for a first season of ten episodes. Andrew Hinderaker created the series, inspired by an Esquire article of the same name by Chris Jones. Executive producers included Jason Katims, Matt Reeves, and Adam Kassan; Hinderaker was co-executive producer and Rafi Crohn co-producer. Production companies were True Jack Productions, 6th & Idaho, and Universal Television. Michelle Lee, former head of development at True Jack Productions, was expected to be credited as executive producer on the first episode; Jeni Mulein, who joined as head of development in April 2018, was set as co-executive producer on episodes two through ten. Edward Zwick joined as executive producer and directed the first episode. Hilary Swank was cast on May 8, 2019; Josh Charles on July 17, 2019; and Talitha Bateman, Ato Essandoh, Mark Ivanir, Ray Panthaki, and Vivian Wu on August 8, 2019. Principal photography ran from August 26, 2019, to February 5, 2020, in North Vancouver, Canada.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Away holds a 59% approval rating from 66 reviews, with an average rating of 6.22/10; the critics' consensus calls it an emotionally earnest journey that does not reach the stratosphere. Metacritic gave a weighted average score of 59 out of 27 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews. Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly graded it a C, calling it a self-important patchwork of space clichés. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone rated it 3/5, noting that space scenes are energetic and moving while Earthbound drama feels like a return to normal gravity.
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