Review: Human Discoveries “And Then They Discovered Fire”

Does this celebrity-loaded show hold up to its potential?

Overview:

A tribe of cavepeople is dealing with the everyday struggles of their place in time.  The hunter-gatherer society is about to come into question when a woman named Jane pushes her role.  When the men are off hunting a dangerous tiger, Jane decides that she will put her duties aside in place of finding a new way to protect the camp.

A hunter, Gary, agrees with Jane’s progressive stances tries to help and change things in his own ways.  When he inadvertently discovers fire, he decides to share it with her first.  As the tiger approaches the camp for another kill, the fire is successful in chasing him away.  The camp is safe, but the societal norms are about to be shaken even further.

Our Take:

The hype building up to the release of Human Discoveries on Facebook Watch has been minimal.  Besides sites like Bubbleblabber sharing in the excitement, not much has been said to bring attention to this show.  Which is surprising considering the all-star cast that includes Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Paul Scheer, and Jillian Bell.  A cast of that caliber almost guarantees that the production value and effort put into its success would be top-notch.  However, Human Discoveries premiered without much notice.  Understandable considering Facebook Watch is still trying to get its feet under it.  Maybe the expectations are that the show will stand for itself and spread on its own organically after its release.

Hopping into the show is pretty easy.  The animation is quality and recognizable, which could also be considered a fault as the art style is quite derivative.  The concept is easy to latch on to, as the idea of putting modern minds into our most ancient of ancestors is also nothing new, but does deserve further exploration.  There is nothing to the overall layout that pushes the boundaries.  However, everything is produced with high-quality standards, add in powerful talent and comedians, and this is a viable competitor in the adult animation genre.

The episode is well-written, with an understanding of the talents strengths.  Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick do their jobs at leading the cast, but it’s the crew that surrounds them that stand out.  Jillian Bell delivers her unique brand of comedy to this prehistoric world, and it adds a lot of laughs.  It is almost jarring to hear Paul Scheer’s voice inside the hulking tribe leader Ugg though you get over it quickly.  He is talented at delivering the condescending lines the character requires in a comedic way.  Honestly, this show may not be what it is without Lamorne Morris.  Supporting the lead, he has a charm that stands above the rest.

There are a lot of highlights of this very first episode.  Within the first minute, someone is brutally eviscerated by a man-eating tiger.  We also get to witness the discovery of how one poops themselves.  It is the topical humour that carries the show.  It promises and delivers when saying that they will cover topics that are relevant to society today in a prehistoric context.  Besides the old man who has been shamefully hiding his love for basket making, there is also a clever joke about ‘mansplaining’ that sells what the series will stand for.  Though the highlight is the vegetarian deer that are ready to violently kill the tiger so that they can rise in the food chain and be feared by the humans.

There is some weight on this premiere to perform.  It clearly has significant financial backing, and it is exclusive to a free streaming platform that has yet to gain much traction.  But, this may be the show to help get the word out.  There are enough celebrities to help it gain notice, and enough fun and humour to keep audiences.  It is exciting that they decided to release three episodes on the first day to help us become invested in the series.  With that said, I am entirely ready to enjoy some more of this comedic compilation in a prehistoric world.