Titmouse Inc/AMC
The tragic and transcendent possibilities afforded by technology are the province of Pantheon, which intriguingly suggests—as did Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 animé classic Ghost in the Shell—that there are both benefits and dangers to having specters in the machine.
AMC Networks’ first traditionally animated TV series (debuting on AMC+), showrunner Craig Silverstein’s eight-episode tale is science-fiction drama on an intimate scale, plumbing big questions about the nature of reality and humanity through a narrative of familial turmoil, shadowy machinations, and paradigm-altering innovation. Buoyed by an excellent voice cast as well as Titmouse Animation visuals that are sharp, emotive, and imaginative, it’s a bold attempt at creating a unique streaming sensation, all of it revolving around a captivating conceit: uploaded intelligence.
Based on the short stories of celebrated author Ken Liu, Pantheon’s first season, which premieres Sept. 1, opens on three characters whose lives—and experiences—will soon crazily intertwine.