Sci Fi TV Review: Demascus

Demascus is somewhat of a slowburn of a sci fi series, and its alternate realities can get confusing at times, but it has some depth to it and a message about self-exploration, so it is certainly worth a watch.

What Is It?

This reality-bending series follows the title character—a 33-year-old Black man (played by Okieriete Onaodowan)—on a journey of self-discovery through experimental digital/psychiatric technology. He undergoes immersion therapy that allows him to enter alternate timelines of his own life, exploring questions of identity, purpose, and how small changes might have altered who he became.

Aired: Tubi TV, One Season Totaling 6 Episodes

Starring: Okieriete Onaodowan, Janet Hubert, Caleb Eberhardt, Shakira Ja’nai Paye, Martin Lawrence

Created By: Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

Johnny Jay’s Thoughts:

This series was originally scheduled to air on AMC but ended up on Tubi TV instead (more on that below), and it had its premiere on that service back in August. I finally got around to watching it, but then I had to really think about the show before I sat down and wrote a review about it. I liked the show at times and found myself invested in the characters, but it tended to meander and left a lot of questions unanswered, which I found frustrating. Still, by the time it reached the final episode, it picked up the pace again, and I definitely wanted the story to continue.

The series takes place in what appears to be an alternate version of 2023 in which technology is notably more advanced than our current level (i.e., people use driverless cars and have AI systems running their homes). Demascus is in his “Jesus year” (referring to the age when Christ was crucified) and works in Washington, D.C., with a stable job and a comfortable home. He tends to drift through life—“My one dominant quality is I’m unknowable,” he claims—and doesn’t have many close attachments. He’s going to therapy, though, which involves a procedure called DIRT (Digital Immersive Reality Therapy). That allows the patient to explore different versions of themselves in alternate realities, ostensibly to learn more about their true nature.

The advanced technology is never explained, and it is one of several aspects of Demascus’ reality that the audience is expected to just accept. And that may ultimately play into some of the mind tricks this series works into its storylines. Demascus travels through several realities during the course of the therapy, and at times we’re not certain if we’re in the real world or one of the alternate timelines. Then the final episode hits us with yet another twist that forces the audience to rethink everything they’ve seen up to that point (I’ll get into some spoilers below).

The first episode got the show off to a strong start, as it appears to subvert the stereotypes of Black masculinity—something that continues throughout the series—and that results in some humorous incidents before ultimately descending into tragedy. The next four episodes are where the show meandered and seemed to lose focus, turning more toward interpersonal drama and quasi-sitcom plots (to give the show credit, it is considered a comedy). I found my interest waning, and if the episodes had been an hour long, I might have bailed midway.

The final episode is where everything came together, and I really started to appreciate the series. (Full disclosure: I did some additional reading after watching that made me even more intrigued by the elements that had caught my attention.) While several of the episodes leading up to the finale seemed rather slow, they’re important because they set up aspects of the character and his relationships as well as the ongoing story. And in that final episode, realities seem to collide so that the audience is no longer sure what’s real.

(Minor Spoilers in this paragraph.) Demascus finds himself in a mental health facility and has apparently been in a mostly comatose state for eighteen months. The technology here doesn’t appear to be as advanced as in the other realities, so does that mean this is the real world and he dreamed everything else? But then, at the same time, Demascus finds himself on a plane with no one aboard except a pilot—who looks just like him—and who is dead or comatose. Is this how he ended up in the asylum? How exactly does this reality relate to the others?

So basically, the show delivers a fascinating, mind-bending story of self-exploration, even if it does meander at times. After it was over, I found myself missing Demascus, his friends, and his family, realizing I had become more invested in the characters than I thought (helped by the excellent performances from the very capable cast). They did a really good job with this series, and it stuck with me. I had to digest it for a while, but I discovered that I genuinely liked it. And writing this review makes me want to rewatch it to see if there are more answers than I caught the first time around. At six episodes of roughly 30 minutes each, that should go quickly, and it is a sign of a good show that that it has engaged me that much.

What’s Next?

The title for the final episode is “Season Two Prequel”, so that certainly suggests that there were plans to continue the show. But at this point, it does not appear that will happen. AMC originally gave the greenlight to Demascus back in 2022, and it was set to hit the schedule at some point in 2023. The first season was completed, but then the network started to go through cost-cutting measures, and they cancelled the show before it ever aired (that was also at the time that they reversed the second season renewal for Moonhaven and cancelled Pantheon). Tubi TV eventually picked up Demascus to bolster its “original” programming, but I believe this is just a burn-off run.

Tubi has been trying to do more scripted originals, but that is only on a very limited basis at this point. That streamer certainly does not have the budget of the bigger services, and I am not certain if they could foot the bill for another season of Demascus. Plus, I have not heard them touting the viewership numbers of the show after it premiered, so I am not certain if it drew much of an audience, especially considering that they did little to promote it. If there is a fan following for the show out there, it would certainly be worth the effort to stage a Call to Action on the social networks, pushing for a second season. This one was likely not too expensive to produce, and Tubi is owned by Fox, so perhaps they could come up with the money to produce it. But otherwise, I am considering this to be one-and-done for now.

Where Can You Watch It?

All six episodes are streaming on Tubi TV for free with ads. It has not received a DVD or Blu-ray release at this point, nor is it available VOD, so streaming on Tubi is the only option at this point.

Are you watching Demascus, and do you believe it should continue to a second season? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

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