On my binge watch list: Counterpart (Starz)

After only 1 episode I already knew that I am going to love every next one until I get sad when they cancel this show. J. K. Simmons is starring in the science fiction thriller Counterpart and is doing that with a capital S.

Simmons is playing Howard Silk, who feels he is stuck in his low-level day job at a UN agency in Berlin. He's been at the same level for many years, not really understanding why he is doing what he is doing. He wants to move up but he fails at even being considered for a promotion. After work, he visits his wife in the hospital, who is in a coma. His life pretty much sucks and I didn't even feel sorry for him.

Howard's job doesn't look too exciting

Not by his own success, Howard Silk discovers that this agency has been hiding a huge secret: a gateway to a parallel dimension. He meets with his "counterpart" from the other side to solve a problem that has emerged. They might be genetically identical, but it soon becomes clear that they must have made very different life choices. They couldn't have more different personalities! But can he really trust his other self?

Meeting with the other side

It's another parallel universe shows and I have yet to see how much it is different from a show like Fringe. But the storyline has a lot of potential to turn this into a hit series quickly.

I am watching this mostly to enjoy the acting of Simmons. He was able to turn both versions of Silk in similar but different enough characters so that you can distinguish them easily, even when they dress the same. The subtle differences in tone of voice, facial expressions and body language are close to brilliant. No need for Orphan Black like extreme character differences to tell them apart.

Expect a slow starting series with many open endings after each show. After episode 1 you will question what the deal with the comatose wife is and what happened in the past that made the counterparts so different. I want to stick around to figure that out!!

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Sources image/video: promo material show & stills

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Other shows on my binge watch list that I have covered:
McMafia (BBC)
The Good Doctor(ABC)