Beacon 23 Review: Corbenic and Wreckers (Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2)
Beacon 23 Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2, “Corbenic” and “Wreckers,” spotlight an intriguing dynamic between its leads while introducing us to a multifaceted mystery.
MGM+ is hopping on the Hugh Howey adaptation train almost five months after Silo (another Howey adaptation) ended. Episode 1, “Corbenic,” perfectly captures the intimacy and isolation of living in a place like Beacon 23. Lena Headey and Stephan James lead the charge with compelling, nuanced performances. Aster and Halan’s complex relationship is easily the best part of the series.
“Wreckers” kicks the overarching narrative into high gear with an action-driven episodic plot. However, it brings in a handful of disposable characters who feel pointless in the grand scheme of things. Well, save Chick, who we might see again.
The performances of these guest stars in “Wreckers” also feel contrived and slightly over the top, a style that doesn’t fit what we see in Beacon 23‘s premiere episode. If anything, said style in “Corbenic,” courtesy of Headey and James, feels more anchored in grounded drama as opposed to heightened, melodramatic sci-fi.
The fight sequences in “Wreckers” also leave something to be desired, especially the zero-gravity battle between Halan and Big Face. It could’ve fared better with more polished, intricate choreography.
It’s difficult to tell this early on what kind of show Beacon 23 wants to be, particularly with the tonal shifts between “Corbenic” and “Wreckers.” The narrative moves quickly, making it challenging to become attached to our leads. So far, we’ve got significantly more questions than answers. The series might be barreling toward a common issue with sci-fi: getting bogged down by its own mystery.
There’s a lot of potential, to be sure, as long as Beacon 23 doesn’t convolute the plot by having too many balls in the air. The highlights of both episodes are the performances and the delightful art direction/set pieces. The set is quite detailed. It’s easy to immerse yourself in this world because of it.
Headey and James do their best to endear us to their characters, even amid a fast-paced story. Here’s hoping the series takes a breather and allows us to get to know our leads so we understand why we should root for them.
Stray Observations:
- Living alone in a sweet lighthouse in space? The introvert’s dream!
- Beacon 23 feels like the offspring of The Expanse and Silo.
- I know Lena Headey herself has tattoos. I wonder how many of Aster’s tats are hers or are for the character. Regardless, she looks like a badass.
- Bart seems suspicious — as if he’s overcompensating for something — especially regarding his hatred for Halan. Could he be directly involved in Solomon’s death? Perhaps Bart killed him? I can picture him turning on Aster and Harmony in later episodes.
- I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Chick again. There’s a reason he is the sole survivor in “Wreckers.” He knows about Solomon’s mineral deposits. He could leak their existence to the QTA, whatever the flip that is.
- Halan was legitimately stabbed in “Corbenic,” yet … he’s magically okay? I almost forgot it happened because we never see him react to it for the remainder of the episode.
What did you think of these episodes of Beacon 23? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Beacon 23 streams new episodes every Sunday on MGM+.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.