In a career that spans almost four decades,Halle Berryhas only been a main cast member on two television shows. Her first stint as a small-screen mainstay occurred in 1989, when the future Academy Award winner played Emily Franklin in the short-livedWho’s The Boss?spinoffLiving Dolls. Greeted with negative reviews across the board, the Leah Remini-led comedy lasted just 13 episodes.
In the coming years, Berry would go on to have a run of unforgettable portrayals. She played the Bond girl, Jinx, inDie Another Dayand left a mark asStorm in fourX-Menmovies, in addition to winning an Oscar for her leading role in the Marc Forster-directed dramaMonster’s Ball. But she didn’t return to television in a major way until a 2014 sci-fi series that’s now trending.
Extant Is Climbing The Ranks On Netflix
Extantwas added to Netflix in the U.S. just this month, and it’s already making a splash. Created by Mickey Fisher, with Steven Spielberg as an executive producer, the two-season drama centered on astronaut Molly Woods (played by Berry), who returns home to her family after 13 months in space on a solo mission. She finds that she’s inexplicably pregnant.
With a supporting cast that includesThe Walking Deadstar Jeffrey Dean Morgan, along with Goran Visnjic, Pierce Gagnon, Hiroyuki Sanada, Camryn Manheim, Grace Gummer, and Michael O’Neill,Extantran for 26 episodes across its two seasons before being cancelled by CBS in October 2015. According toFlixPatrol, it is now finding new life on Netflix. It is currently in the Top 10 in the U.S.
Our Take On If You Should Watch Extant
Extantgarnered generally favorable reviews. It holds an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 42 reviews, with the consensus cautioning that the premise is familiar but benefits from the presence of Berry in the lead role. The second season was largely consistent in terms of reception, though it was not matched by a significant increase in viewership.
New to Netflix’s audiencein the U.S., it’s perhaps worth at least samplingExtant. Between the presence of Berry and Morgan, not to mention other pros like Sanada and Manheim, there will be something in the story that curious audiences can grip onto. It’s a particularly strong recommendation if you’re a sci-fi savant. It’s a short commitment, helped along by a strong cast and a solid hook.
