Critic Reviews for Pandora Season 1

All Critics (7) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (1) | Rotten (6)

There's no character I particularly liked, no relationship that seems particularly interesting and no mystery embedded in the pilot to which I'd like to get any answers.

Jul 16, 2019 | Full Review…

Dan Fienberg

Hollywood Reporter

Top Critic

Predictable sci-fi series for the younger set has violence.

Aug 21, 2020 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Melissa Camacho

Common Sense Media

The foundations of this story are very much set in a world that has been heavily influenced by Star Trek, mix this with the YA audience it begs to attract and you've got a rather ropey version of the series Shadow Hunters for the intergalactic age.

Jul 8, 2020 | Rating: 4/10 | Full Review…

Zehra Phelan

2 Minute Telly

I watch a lot of TV pilots for work-including ones for shows that never make it to air-and Pandora's is quite possibly one of the worst I've seen in years.

Jul 23, 2019 | Full Review…

Beth Elderkin

io9.com

Pandora feels like a show that should be binged instead of watched week to week... it just feels like a show that's not worth the time investment of watching it in weekly installments.

Jul 16, 2019 | Full Review…

Joel Keller

Decider

Doesn't seem to realize or care which of its scattered pieces should be its most important, stumbling around draped in all the external trappings of the type of show it wants to be when it grows up, like a little kid playing a haphazard game of dress-up.

Jul 16, 2019 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Lauren Thoman

Collider

Lifts so many themes and concepts from Star Trek that Pandora comes off like a fan film made by someone who's desperate to get noticed by the producers of the real thing.

Jul 11, 2019 | Full Review…

Josh Bell

CBR

View All Critic Reviews (7)

Audience Reviews for Pandora: Season 1

• 5d ago

  this show is just awful.
  

  Barry S
• Oct 20, 2020

  I am a grandmother who started watching the WB, then CW, with my grownup daughters a couple of decades ago. We call all their programs "Beautiful People Having Adventures." At my age, I tend to lose track of plots and characters, but my kids do better. Most of them are fun or interesting; all of them have very earnest and beautiful actors doing stuff that is diverting. Pandora is struggling with the diverting and interesting part right now. But it may grow on me, anyway. Never underestimate the loyalty of a CW audience, or the appeal of earnest and beautiful people having adventures.
  

  Mary C
• Sep 14, 2020

  Love Sci-Fi u will love this
  

  Robert R
• Sep 01, 2020

  The first season takes time to absorb, but it has potential. Unfortunately it seems that if it truly comes to life, it won't be till the next season.
  

  Wayne C
• Aug 05, 2020

  A lot of shows have done slimier things but the story remains engaging and surprising.
  

  Steve D
• Jul 11, 2020

  Well, I started watching this TV show as Netflix suggested it to me. I recognized a lot the buildings, since it was filmed in my home country and continued watching to see it. To me, it was very funny how the zatarians spoke Bulgarian while Ralen speaks something completely different. Then the set looks very weird as you switch between very old buildings and extremely futuristic ones. Clothing is also weird - you have futuristic things and things as if the actors came like that on set and they filmed this way. The acting was really bad. The main characters are just pretty, and that is pretty much it. The story is poorly written and you can't feel compassion if anything bad happens with any of the bad characters. Their decisions did not make much sense and it all felt really rushed and you don't get an idea what kind of story it will be. Even after I finished watching it, I still have no clue what this TV show is about. I read so many reviews of people dropping out after watching the 1st episode, but I kept watching. Music was also weird and did not fit well all the time. All the small things that outright scream at you low budget could have been resolved if it was somewhat incorporated in the story - e.g. with the clothes, someone explains how some people prefer to wear vintage looking clothes because they are cheaper, while the more futuristic ones are maybe too expensive. Oh, and Atria's wig, makeup and clothes were looking hideous 90% of the time. I get that she wants to look more interesting, but at least they could have chosen a better wig and maybe higher quality of clothes, not something that looks from Forever 21. Too much money was put into extras, rather than to put that in special effects, set or clothes. Also, I could not grasp much the age of the characters - is the academy like high school, or like college. Because it feels weird for the main character to be sent to live with her uncle, as if she is a teenager, but then they go and drink in a bar. As much as I liked Ralen, cause he at least tried to act a bit, his makeup and hair was also hideous. Sometimes I would notice him having very greasy weird looking hair and then in the next shot hair with completely different style and looking clean. When you stack up the small things that are bad, and the fact that the story is average as ..., and that it is not a high budget show, you really see the show for what it is - Meh, it passed the time. I am giving two generous stars, just because it did pass the time and I did not have anything to watch. Do I recommend it? Only if you want to watch something ridiculous and have nothing else to watch. I cannot grasp how it got renewed. Maybe if they fix the story a bit, and the actors improve their acting, it could get better. Who knows...
  

  Boryana G
• Jun 21, 2020

  Is this a low budget show? Most definitely. Is the acting great? Not really. Is it fun to watch and interesting? Hell yeah it is! Maybe it's the low budget feel, or the fact that it seems like the actors are having a good laugh and a fun time. The show just feels fun and new. Amateurish but also endearing. Sure, perfect acting and big budgets make OK movies and series, but they're just so boring and don't try something new, in case it fails. This show was a breath of fresh air. It's willing to do stupid and different things. I always wanted to watch the next episode. Character development? Yes, almost every episode. And not to mention a VERY diverse cast, both in terms of appearance, personalities and, most importantly, accents. Like, I am so tired of hearing the standard American accent on TV. Boooooring. Plot twists? Again, almost every episode. The plot may seem strange at times, but it's fun. It's like a game of Dungeons and Dragons, anything can happen. Silly love triangles? Sure, feels just like an anime. But not in the stupid drama/romcom way that most shows do it. I cannot stress enough how unique this show is. It's similar to Other Space but also very different in many ways. I highly recommend this show. Don't listen to critics, they're just snobs who can only critique and not truly enjoy what they watch. Maybe the imperfections are what make this fun to watch. Give it a try.
  

  Victor M
• May 24, 2020

  Had potential and ships looked great but story was weak and way too much about 'right's ' and so bored of yet another female lead. After watching whole season 1, got this to add. 1, Episode 12 best series but should have epilepsy worning. 2, action fight scenes hand to hand ones mean look bad because, camera too close actors so cant see anything, and too shaky and just makes you dizzy 😵 and feel sick. At least offer type like ships fights and fun fight ok. (Seriously what's point putting great fight seen in can't see or enjoy because bad camera work's just waist time and annoying.) 3, guys fight hand hand was good from what could make out and offer girl too not bad but main characters is terrible, in so many ways.
  Carl H
• May 21, 2020

  As soon as the Uncle started speaking in that hilarious "Briddish" accent I had to switch off. Only Stephen Fry speaks like that and it's an affectation even for him.
  Jo Z
• Oct 26, 2019

  Cool, upbeat, positive show set 200 years in the future. The series has good action, a cool look, romance, humor, and great characters. It reminds me of an updated Star Trek.
  Adam K

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