TV Tuesday: Debris

Book By Book

Most of the TV shows we’re enjoying right now are returns of old favorites like The Rookie, Good Girls, and New Amsterdam, but we’ve also gotten into a new sci fi series that just debuted this spring, Debris.

British agent Finola Jones, played by Riann Steele, and American agent Bryan Beneventi, played by Jonathan Tucker, are working together on an international, top-secret mission. Months ago, an alien spacecraft exploded over Earth, and the debris has been raining down on the planet ever since. Its alien technology does strange things and has horrible effects on the humans that come into contact with it. Bryan and Finola travel all over the U.S., going wherever a piece of debris has been found, no matter how small, to collect it and document the strange effects it causes … and hopefully, to keep the people nearby from being harmed. Of course, there are bad guys, a group called INFLUX, that want to get their hands on the technology, too, led by the nefarious, bearded Anson Ash (who is played by–no kidding–Scroobius Pip). As the two investigators race against the clock to try to collect the pieces before they can do harm (or get scooped up by INFLUX), the mysteries deepen. In each location, the effects of the debris get stranger and stranger, while well above their paygrades, different countries are scrambling to get an advantage in spite of their apparent cooperation, and INFLUX is experimenting with their own violent uses of the technology.

We have watched seven episodes so far and are enjoying this sci fi-mystery-thriller. The two main characters are likeable, though each has his or her own secrets and past. The alien technology is certainly very strange and intriguing, and it’s impossible to predict what will happen in each episode. We have seen lots of this type of sci fi-mystery-thriller, and we always enjoy them, even though they don’t always last very long (my husband’s theory is that the writers don’t know what to do next with the weird things they have thought up!). I’m hoping this one will stick around for a while because its mysteries are interesting and its plotlines suspenseful.

Debris is currently airing on Mondays on NBC and is available the next day on Peacock (free). It is also available on Hulu.

If you enjoy this kind of sci fi-mystery-thriller show, you might also consider some others we’ve enjoyed (my reviews, trailers, and info on how to watch at the links):  

• Manifest (currently in its 3rd season on NBC/Peacock/Hulu)
• The Crossing (1 season – ABC, Amazon, Apple TV)
• Hanna (Amazon)
• Orphan Black (best of them all! BBC America, on Amazon)
• Stitchers (Freeform, Hulu)
• Wayward Pines (FOX, Hulu)
• More sci fi reviews on my TV Review page.