TV Review: Away starring Hilary Swank

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Plot: As American astronaut Emma Green prepares to lead an international crew on the first mission to Mars, she must reconcile her decision to leave behind her husband and teenage daughter when they need her the most. As the crew's journey into space intensifies, their personal dynamics and the effects of being away from their loved ones back on Earth become increasingly complex. 

Review: There have been a lot of series and films in recent years about the first manned missions to Mars. From THE MARTIAN to Hulu's The First starring Sean Penn, these projects have taken different approaches to telling the same story. Netflix's Away is the latest addition to the sub-genre and offers a strong roster of talent behind the scenes and Hilary Swank's first lead role on the small screen. As the first series created by writer Andrew Hinderaker, Away is a story that relies far more heavily on drama and emotional stakes than it does action or science fiction thrills, but there are some truly intense moments in this story that will have you on the edge of your seat. 

Away starts out seeming like a conventional space drama replete with NASA press conferences, sweeping instrumental music as the team launches into space, and a team of astronauts from around the globe, united for the advancement of mankind. The crew, comprised of Commander Emma Green (Hilary Swank, Chinese astronaut Lu (Vivian Wu), Russian veteran cosmonaut Misha (Mark Ivanir), astronaut and second in command Ram (Ray Panthaki) and scientist Kwesi (Ato Essandoh), are presented early as a united team before an early incident shows strains in the chain of command. This initial incident unfolds via a series of flashbacks and retellings that set the tone for what is to come.

But, over the ten-episode first season, Away takes us beyond what comes between the crew on their three-year mission by showing us what they left behind on Earth. Emma's husband Matt (Josh Charles) deals with a health crisis that causes emotional stress for their teen daughter Alexis (Talitha Bateman). While Swank is the lead here, each actor gets a chance to delve into their character's backstory with whole episodes devoted to what led the five crewmembers to this historic journey. With Mars approaching with each consecutive episode, ten hour-long episodes may not seem like nearly enough time to show us what a real journey to Mars may be like, but the writers and directors do a solid job of grounding this story in as much scientific realism as possible.

That being said, Away often feels like a watered-down version of APOLLO 13 with each new chapter throwing a distinct challenge at the crew. From fire to malfunctioning equipment to insubordination between officers to a viral outbreak, everything that could conceivably go wrong does. I found myself gripped by the mission itself and the perils the crew faces in space but these scenes are often undermined by the personal drama back on Earth. This series spends so much time with high school drama and romantic melodramatics that it often undermines the scenes set on the spacecraft.

Creator/writer Andrew Hinderaker (Penny Dreadful) seems to be going for a more balanced approach to the dramatics and it works when you have as strong an actress as Hilary Swank in the lead. The first episode is directed by Edward Zwick (THE LAST SAMURAI, BLOOD DIAMOND) who knows how to combine sweeping dramatics with epic action, but his hour is notably lightest on the dangers of outer space. Producers Jason Katims (Parenthood) and Matt Reeves (THE BATMAN) clearly know their stuff as well and Netflix has ponied up substantial dough as the special effects here look as good as big-screen productions set in the vacuum of space.

Away sometimes feels like a series that could only be technically achieved today with a story that was created twenty years ago. While it has a great deal of potential, it would have far more if the focus shifts to the Mars mission central to the series. Hilary Swank plays a convincing leader, especially in light of the stress piled on her character over the course of the first season. Many viewers may like the shift between Earth and space-set characters but to me it just doesn't work. There is a lot that is unexplored with these characters who grow on you as the season progresses. Away does not feel like an event/limited series but the first part of a longer story. If audiences connect, I would like to see this tale continue but with less attention on Earth and more attention of the Red Planet.

Away premieres September 4th on Netflix.

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