The Nevers: Story Details, Release Date & Episodes | Screen Rant
Here’s what you need to know about The Nevers, an upcoming sci-fi series set to premiere on HBO, including its release date and what the story is about. The show, created by Joss Whedon, takes place during the Victorian era and focuses on a group of people with extraordinary abilities. It features an ensemble cast that includes Laura Donnelly (Outlander), Olivia Williams (Dollhouse), James Norton (Happy Valley), Ann Skelly (Red Rock), Zackary Momoh (Doctor Sleep), Amy Manson (Once Upon a Time), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Eleanor Tomlinson (Love Wedding Repeat), and Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story).
Back in November 2020, Whedon released a statement explaining that he would be walking away from The Nevers. The creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer cited exhaustion and a desire to focus on his personal life as his reasons for exiting. Philippa Goslett, who wrote movies such as Mary Magdalene and Little Ashes, was announced as the new showrunner in January 2021. Doug Petrie, and Jane Espenson, who worked with Whedon on Buffy, are also executive producers and writers on the HBO series.
With its debut arriving on April 11, here’s everything you need to know about the story of The Nevers, what the reviews are saying about it, the episode count, and the release schedule.
Similarly to Firefly, which was also created by Whedon, The Nevers is a show that combines genres and ideas. It unfolds during the final years of Queen Victoria’s reign, as London experiences the arrival of a group referred to as the ‘Touched’ people. The group, consisting mostly of women, is distinguished by the abnormal abilities they suddenly manifest. Some of these abilities are charming, while others are far more disturbing. Amalia True (Donnelly), a mysterious and quick-fisted widow, is among the characters the show will follow. Penance Adair (Skelly), a brilliant young inventor, is another. The duo becomes champions for the Touched, making a home for this new underclass, while fighting against several forces.
Many of the critics who have watched the first few episodes of The Nevers express difficulty looking beyond the allegations Whedon has faced from former Buffy stars, with Charisma Carpenter and others accusing the Age of Ultron director of bullying and leading a toxic work environment. Alan Sepinwall, the TV critic for Rolling Stone, gave The Nevers two stars and a half out of five. He wrote that the show “feels tainted by the accusations.”
Setting aside that aspect, the consensus surrounding The Nevers suggests that it contains both the positives and negatives of Whedon’s past work. Liz Shannon Miller of Collider observed that “it’s impossible to separate Whedon from this show, for better and for worse.” The Rolling Stone review argued the same, pointing out that the sci-fi drama “has many of the elements you would expect from a Whedon show, and on a greater scale.” Overall, even though the reviews have been uneven so far, there is a general agreement that the HBO offering has its strong points. Those strong points were mentioned by Caroline Framke’s Variety review, who called the show “twisty” and “engaging.” The performances of the cast have also received praise.
HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys has confirmed that The Nevers will consist of 10 episodes. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting production, the season will be split into two parts; the first consisting of six episodes, and then the second with the remaining four.
The Nevers season 1 will premiere on Sunday, April 11. Episodes will air on a weekly basis, with episode 2 airing on April 18 and so on until May 16, which is when episode 6 will air. While the decision to split the season into two was influenced by a COVID-19 production shutdown, Bloys has promised that episode 6 will function as something of a natural narrative break. There is no word yet on when the second half of The Nevers season 1 will air.
Following on from an initial teaser, the first trailer for The Nevers was released on March 23, 2021. The full trailer gives a good look at what to expect from the show, including its characters and Victorian setting, which viewers will experience themselves when it releases on HBO.