The science fiction genre is a testament to man’s obsession with robots. The idea of creating an entity that would take care of mundane or even complex tasks has always been an exciting prospect, and it’s almost instinctive to imagine advancements in robotics whenever we talk about the future. With Tesla’s Optimus breaking the internet recently, having a home robot may no longer be a far-fetched dream. The German Netflix series Cassandra revolves around a robot that was created to be a house companion in the early 70s but has since been abandoned. When a family moved into the smart home, the system was suddenly activated and soon trouble began.
The story of the rogue robot is not a new one; it usually starts with a bug in programming or an advancement in technology that makes robots realize they can defeat humans to take over their world. But Cassandra is not your typical story of a robot going rogue; it’s much more detailed than that. And while dramatically the details and backstory are fleshed out quite well, those in the audience obsessed with technology may find it extremely unrealistic. As a story, it works as long as you don't sit there figuring out if such technology was even remotely viable in the 70s.
Stars: Mina Tander, Lavinia Wilson, Filip Schnack
A weird sci-fi element isn't the problem, but when the setting is rooted in reality, you can't help but wonder how it all comes together. The robot, Cassandra, wasn't "rebellious"; she was simply designed to be like a human, and wait for it, the robot has a soul. This hard-to-digest concept is extremely crucial, and that's basically what drives the series. Once a mother and now a robot, Cassandra felt alive when she saw a new family arrive at what used to be her home. Will she greet her guests with love and affection? Or will she terrify them? Well, you have to watch Cassandra to find out.
The German TV show plays more like a family drama than a sci-fi movie, and I'm not complaining. It’s intriguing, has elements of suspense that keep you on the edge of your seat, and is also emotional to a certain extent. As far as drama goes, Cassandra delivers. The story unfolds across six episodes, making it a compact and intense show. There’s no room for boredom, and it’s perfect for binge-watching fans. The story isn’t complicated, and every twist is explained quite clearly, making it ideal for OTT, where most of the audience is almost expected to watch the show on their secondary screen while scrolling through their primary devices.
Cassandra isn’t the only main character in the show; we also have Samira, an artist who decided to move to the suburbs with her family after a traumatic incident. The spacious house with good lighting and an indoor pool was quite an attraction, and perhaps the fact that it was the country’s first smart home made it even more unique and exciting. Samira’s children, Juno and Fynn, felt adventurous when they discovered the robot. Although the system was no longer working, Fynn was hopeful that he could modify the wiring to restart it. On their first night in the new house, the robot rebooted itself and introduced itself to the family.
The children wanted the robot to become part of their family, and seeing how happy her children were, Samira decided to allow the robot and the system to remain on. The robot, Cassandra, was a helpful addition at first. She helped them wake up on time; she prepared the shopping list; the robot also helped with cutting and peeling, and her help in the kitchen was immensely helpful. Everyone was quite impressed by the number of tasks Cassandra could perform, but Samira couldn’t help but wonder why the system had shut down. She thought there must be something wrong with the programming and that was why they abandoned the project. Soon Samira also realized that Cassandra didn’t like her. Every time she was home alone, Cassandra would try to attack her, and things eventually started to get out of hand.
As mentioned above, Cassandra's backstory makes the series engaging. And it's not just Cassandra's character that is well sketched; in the TV show, each character adds a layer to the narrative. While Samira and Cassandra take the lead, the supporting characters are equally important. Samira's character, of course, is the one you root for. She was a mother who wanted the best for her children and did everything she could to unravel the mystery of "Cassandra." One of the most obnoxious characters on the show is Samira's husband, David. He can best be described as a spineless man who cares for no one but himself. The husbands in the show are often portrayed as having a lot of problems.
Aside from all the chaos that unfolds across the six episodes, there is also a surprise at the end that wasn't entirely unpredictable, but was the perfect missing element to tie everything together at the end. The performances of the cast deserve a mention. Mina Tander as Samira and Lavinia Wilson as Cassandra steal the show. Their portrayals of these two characters bring a depth and complexity that is hard to ignore. Tander captures Samira's internal struggles convincingly, while Wilson captures Cassandra's duality perfectly.
Cassandra is definitely worth watching. It's not the most unique show out there on Netflix, but it's intriguing enough to keep you glued to your screens.
Aside from all the chaos that unfolds across the six episodes, there is also a surprise at the end that wasn't entirely unpredictable, but was the perfect missing element to tie everything together at the end. The performances of the cast deserve a mention. Mina Tander as Samira and Lavinia Wilson as Cassandra steal the show. Their portrayals of these two characters bring a depth and complexity that is hard to ignore. Tander captures Samira's internal struggles convincingly, while Wilson captures Cassandra's duality perfectly.
Cassandra is definitely worth a watch. It's not the most original series on Netflix, but it's intriguing enough to keep you glued to the screen.
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