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Although it’s one of the most celebrated subgenres of science fiction, cyberpunk is criminally underrepresented in live-action TV. Fans have a hard time finding any long-form content to watch that’s not animated, and are generally still waiting for a series that does it justice. The thing is, there is already one that most people forget about: Altered Carbon. Starring Joel Kinnaman and Anthony Mackie as the same character, this groundbreaking Netflix series left an indelible mark on streaming over its two seasons and is proof of the unexplored potential of the genre on TV. There may be more cyberpunk stories on the way for different streaming platforms now, but it all began with mercenary Takeshi Kovacs being re-sleeved.

‘Altered Carbon’ Has One of the Most Creative Worlds in Science Fiction

When thinking about cyberpunk, it’s usually the neon haze, fast-paced action, and interconnectedness between humans and technology that come to mind. All this is present in Altered Carbon, of course, but it also highlights other essential tropes of the genre, like the ever-expanding social gap between the rich and the poor, and how death isn’t the end in a world where the line between the human soul and raw data is blurred. In the series, this is mostly represented by the cortical stack, a disk-like device that stores one’s consciousness and may be inserted into different vacant bodies called sleeves.

That’s where protagonist Takeshi Kovacs comes in. Once part of a rebel group called the Envoys, he is re-sleeved and brought back to life after 250 years at the request of a man named Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy). Part of the wealthy elite known as Meths (like Methuselah, not that other thing), Bancroft recruits Kovacs to investigate his own murder, which didn’t fully succeed thanks to his remote satellite backup (something only made available to absurdly rich individuals). If Kovacs succeeds, he gets to live again in his new sleeve, which is one hell of a prospect after centuries of pretty much not existing.

The series is based on the Richard K. Morgan novel of the same name, posing many of the same philosophical questions. While Meths live in impossibly tall buildings high above the clouds and may be perpetually re-sleeved inside clone bodies, people like Kovacs deal with different sleeves (that is, if they even get new ones) and live precariously in the darkness of the surface. Because of all that, notions like identity and morality become fluid, since death isn’t necessarily final, and your current body may very well not be the only one you’ll ever have.

‘Altered Carbon’ Broke New Ground in Live-action Cyberpunk on Streaming

There’s a reason there aren’t many live-action cyberpunk series around: the genre usually thrives in animation, which favors the surreal aesthetic and fast-paced narratives. Replicating it in live-action is a huge financial risk, since production costs are often higher than the average series’ budget, thanks to setting and CGI, for example. As Joel Kinnaman revealed at the time, Altered Carbon itself had “a bigger budget than the first three seasons of Game of Thrones.” That’s a risk not many are willing to take, of course, an investment that’s usually reserved for feature films with blockbuster potential.

So, when Netflix released Altered Carbon in 2018, it felt almost like a statement that not only could it compete with premium cable in both scale and tone, but also give audiences something they wouldn’t find on TV. It was the first proper live-action cyberpunk series in decades, effectively opening the doors to the genre for fans and newcomers alike. The series checks nearly all of cyberpunk boxes, including the pulpy noir feel of Takeshi Kovacs’ story, the existential sublayer that is intrinsic to it, and an R-rating mostly due to its gritty action sequences and adult themes.

Thanks to all that, Altered Carbon shaped what cyberpunk could be in a series. Its first season was acclaimed by audiences and critics thanks to its impressive visuals and futuristic pulpy detective story. Only in cyberpunk would you find the story of a man in a body that isn’t his, using an abandoned hotel managed by an Edgar Allan Poe AI (Chris Conner), for example. All that happening in live-action with live actors sets the series apart from other works of the genre in visual media. Season 2 then doubled down on what made the series special, but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out as well as Season 1 did.

Despite Being Short-Lived, ‘Altered Carbon’ Has Become a Cult Favorite for Fans of Cyberpunk

Image via Netflix

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Altered Carbon‘s sleeves are a unique narrative device, and having different actors playing the same character over the seasons seemed like a great way of keeping things fresh and adding star power to the series. Two years after Season 1, Kinnaman was replaced by Anthony Mackie as Takeshi Kovacs, and, while that would seem like a great idea at first, it didn’t translate on screen. Mackie’s version of Kovacs is more charming than Kinnaman’s brooding take, and many behind-the-scenes changes also affected how Season 2 felt to the audience, leaving behind the neon-drenched setting and pulpy noir atmosphere.

Altered Carbon is still regarded by fans as one of the best cyberpunk stories on streaming, despite its flaws, and rightly so. Perhaps if Season 2 had been given the same conditions as Season 1 to tell its story, the series could have gone on longer and become a classic. In the end, instead of the bold statement it was supposed to be about streaming’s potential, it became almost like a cautionary tale about how unstable the whole system may be. Regardless, Altered Carbon is still very much worth the watch, and is still the standard for what live-action cyberpunk can achieve.

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Sara Ramirez celebrated the life of their late Grey’s Anatomy costar Eric Dane by sharing how he once selflessly supported a guest star on the medical drama.

On Saturday, February 21, Ramirez, 50, became the latest Grey’s Anatomy cast member to pay tribute to Dane, who died at age 53 on Thursday, February 19, following a battle with the neurodegenerative disease ALS.

Ramirez posted a “broken heart emoji” via Instagram and shared a video from trans activist and actress Alexandra Billings, who played Donna Gibson in the classic Grey’s Anatomy season 3 episode “Where the Boys Are.” The powerful episode dealt with Dr. Mark Sloan (Dane) supporting Donna when she was diagnosed with breast cancer while in the midst of transitioning.

In a 15-minute tribute, Billings recalled the way Dane showed her empathy on set and fought for her when her lengthy monologue was supposed to be cut. Per Billings, she shared with Dane how her real-life doctor would “touch my knee or he would hold me” while she was going through the process of transitioning in the 1980s.

Related: Eric Dane Died on 20th Anniversary of His 1st ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Episode

Eric Dane died on the 20th anniversary of his first appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. Dane’s loved ones confirmed his death in a statement on Thursday, February 19, following his battle with ALS, noting that the actor “spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, […]

“[The doctor] would let me know he saw me, no matter what we were talking about,” explained.

After sharing that memory, Dane held Billings’ hand during their scene to emulate the real support she’d received. Later, the director and writer informed Billings that they would have to cut her inspiring monologue for time reasons.

“[Eric] turns to me and he says very quietly, he says, ‘What are the five most important things you say in that monologue?’ … And I told him! I don’t remember what they were, but I told him one of them was about my wife, a line about my wife. And he said, ‘Say that and we’ll do a little improvisation,’” she remembered. “And he turned to the boom mic [operator] and he said, ‘What do you think?’ And from the back, you hear like little Muppets, ‘Yes, that’s a great idea!’ So they were all for it. And that’s what you see in the episode.”

Billings said that “it changed everything for me” when Dane fought for her character Donna to have that moment of catharsis.

“There was no reason in the world for him to do that. It didn’t have anything to do with him,” she said. “Time is money, especially in television. Eric Dane was one of the kindest, most empathetic humans I think I’ve ever worked with. I think that I could count on one hand the amount of times where I’ve left a set … and gone, ‘I can’t believe.’ Or, ‘That was extraordinary.’ And that was one of those times. Eric Dane showed everyone on that set what a true ally looks like. It’s not just talk.”

As she fought back tears, Billings went on, “An ally is present even when there’s danger in them being present. And that’s what Eric Dane did. I didn’t know him. I really didn’t know him but I absolutely knew him. And he will be missed. And I’m going to say something I didn’t get a chance to say to him: Thank you, Eric. Thank you. From all of us.”

Earlier this week, Patrick Dempsey admitted it was “hard to put into words” what his Grey’s Anatomy costar Dane’s death meant.

“He was the funniest man — he was such a joy to work with, and I want to just remember him in that spirit, because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it,” Dempsey recalled. “He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with. We got along instantly. First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant.”

“We hit it off because it was never really any competition,” he added. “There was just this wonderful mutual respect, he’s wickedly intelligent, and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives, and the real loss is for us who don’t have them anymore.”

Dane’s family announced on Thursday that he’d died nearly a year after going public with his ALS diagnosis. Per the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a nervous system disease that weakens nerve cells in both the brain and spinal cord and leads to a progressive loss of muscle control.

“[Eric] will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always,” his rep said. “Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”

Dane was survived by two daughters, Billie and Georgia, from his marriage to Rebecca Gayheart. A GoFundMe was set up to support his daughters on Friday, February 21, and has already raised more than $274,000 towards a $500,000 goal.