The famous cinematic comedy team of Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan has struck again, this time on the silver screen. The Hulu-exclusive series, Future Man, is a hilarious take on all things nerd and combines so many aspects of fantasy and sci-fi that it’s hard to keep up because you’ll be laughing your ass off constantly. This review discusses the first half of the first season. Stay tuned for a finished review later.
The scenes are filled with slightly familiar faces that make you say, “I’ve definitely seen that person before, but where?” The cast is led by Josh Hutcherson and nails his role as Josh Futturman; a janitor at an STD research facility who’s addicted to a video game that comes to life after he defeats the final level. The two supporting characters, Tiger and Wolf, played by Eliza Coupe and Derek Wilson, are introduced during the most uncomfortable scene you could imagine. They have come from the future to recruit Josh to the all too cliché: “Resistance”. Since Josh has become the first to defeat the toughest training simulation in the future, he must be useful.
They quickly learn that much isn’t true in the slightest, but Josh does possess just enough skill to get the crew closer to their mission of saving the world from a corporate takeover that destroys mankind. Each episode plays out like a quest in a video game and stays true to many canons in the sci-fi culture. Sometimes the references are subtle, and sometimes they are obvious and called out by the characters themselves. The laughs just keep coming, almost to the point that its hard to keep up, which isn’t a problem if you’re into the humor.
The show is the best representation of a video game as a comedic series I could imagine. The action is great, although brutal and violent; as is expected from the minds of Superbad, This is Us, and the likes. The 30 minutes of each episode are packed with action, dirty humor, sci-fi references, and a great story to tie it all together. The herpes-centric storyline is just too much, in a good way. As the crew travels in the past and future, the historical references are abound and amount to a highly entertaining journey. One awkward and aggressive sex scene made me laugh until I cried, because the humor is just right for someone like me.
I have to give this show a 10. It might be a 9.5 if I wanted to be exact, but the decision to make episodes 30 minutes makes for the perfect amount of humor and storytelling. I’d recommend this show to anyone looking to be stimulated in every way a nerd can be. The video game mission-like episodes are original and well researched. The crew goes on seek-n-destroy, grab-n-go, smuggling, and so many more types of quests you are used to if you’ve played any type of sci-fi or RPG game. The three main characters are outstanding in their portrayal and elevate the show even more from its already great script. Rogan and Goldberg have created a show that I hope is here to stay. 
Stay tuned for a final review on Season 1 of Future Man and tell us what you think of the series!
