Lazarus Season 1 Review: Chad Stahelski’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’-Inspired Series is All Gas, No Brakes

Chad Stahelski is known for pushing boundaries when it comes to delivering action-packed moments (just take a look at the entire John Wick franchise). Of course, everyone likes action, but what happens when it gets a little too extreme?

That’s what Adult Swim and MAPPA’s Lazarus hopes to answer with its high-stakes story, even if it forces to propel its narrative forward.

Lazarus sees an unlikely group of agents banding together to stop what could be the end of humanity’s time on Earth. In a utopian reality, the illustrious Dr. Skinner was able to create a miracle drug to stop all diseases. However, when Skinner reveals that his drug will eventually kill everyone who takes it, these agents must come together to find a vaccine.

The series itself simply puts everything as straightforward as it can possibly get. It’s a fun sci-fi conspiracy that combines the adrenaline-pumping action of Cowboy Bebop with a story akin to Contagion. However, the action seems to take up much of each episode’s runtime, but there’s still some space to give these characters depth.

However, to say that Lazarus‘ main roster isn’t a fun bunch would be lying. Each member of the team, led by the always focused Hirsch, feels uniquely created even though they might be pessimistically snarky all at once. The enigmatic Axel, whose sentence has been extended to over 800 years, is proof of this as he’s full of charisma and teeming with energy.

Axel is certainly one that fans will love and is chemistry with the serious, no-fooling-around Doug can make for a snarky, yet fun, straight man comedy duo. Christine can be meticulously flirty, yet tactical in her own right, though she’s usually taking care of the newbie Leland.

As for Eleina, the youngest of the group and a hacker, she doesn’t get much involvement until the midseason. Particularly, she has a big role to play on Lazarus Season 1 Episode 5 “Pretty Vacant”. However, it can take some time to get there as the group tackles both physical and diplomatic dangers.

With such a diverse band of criminal misfits means that certain hijinks are bound to ensue. Most might be used to the setup of accomplishing a side quest to get closer to the main objective.

Fortunately, with Lazarus, each pairing’s situation is closely intertwined with one another, keeping the priority of each episode in focus.

One episode in particular, Lazarus Season 1 Episode 4 “Don’t Stop the Dance”, highlights this, with Axel and Doug’s hunt closely coincides with Christine and Leland are actually doing (in a pretty shocking turn of events.) While each narrative might feel separated, it’s the interactions of the team in between that are able to tie things nicely together.

The action of Lazarus is completely high energy and wild due in part to Chad Stahelski, but sometimes, it can take up much of the runtime. For example, on Lazarus Season 1 Episode 1, “Goodbye Cruel World,” the second half is completely focused on Axel’s escape as the original team hunts him down.

Sure, the fast-paced, well-shot action sequences can catch your attention as Axel, Doug, and Christine show off their moves. However, when it takes up that much runtime, it can hold back on important character moments.

Much of the character developmental moments are relegated to a singular episode as felt on Lazarus Season 1 Episode 2 “Life in the Fast Lane.” We’re able to get a little bit of information regarding how the roster ended up in their current situation with Hirsch, with Christine getting a hilarious moment with Axel, too.

Unfortunately, though, this feels like the only time we get that character building for the team.

Other ways viewers are handed important information is done through exposition drops, particularly when the team meets up with their target. While it takes some time to get to those moments, thanks to some heavy action scenes, it can feel like each build-up is just getting from point A to point B. Much like other shows like Misfits and Doom Patrol, this can often be the case.

However, Lazarus tries to rectify this by incorporating these heavy-handed introductory scenes. These sequences have each member of the team trying to recount their own feelings about Skinner’s actions, played back with some eye-catching visuals to allure viewers in.

This can be a good way to grab your attention as you want to know more about how each member of Lazarus thinks and how their personalities work in tandem with one another. Although, this may be the only ways we get that as once you’re fully into the episode’s story, these characters get thrust into the madness of it all.

Lazarus throws itself into action in the best ways possible, thanks to the coordination of John Wick‘s Chad Stahelski and MAPPA’s stunning visuals, but at the cost of deep character-building moments. While it’s great to see the animation working in tandem with the dynamic energy of the series itself, it can certainly use more time to add more depth to this diverse roster.

Though I’ve only seen five episodes so far, there’s still potential and time to flesh out this world further. When the stakes get ever higher, there’s always more room to dig into what can make Axel, Doug, Christine, Leland, and Eleina even more special.

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Lazarus premieres on Saturday, April 6, at 12 AM ET/PT on Adult Swim.

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