Altered carbon

Humanity has conquered several planets. Then one day, on one of them, a unique alloy made it possible to manufacture “batteries” consisting of small carbon discs inserted at the base of the neck, in which personality could be stored. In the event of death, the battery could be transferred to another body. But you had to be able to afford it. For the wealthiest, immortality is assured.
But not everyone approves of this development. The legendary Quellcrist Falconer attempted to rebel against this system. Her movement was crushed. Only one of her lieutenants survived, Takeshi Kovacs, whose stack was put on ice (which serves as a prison).
Until the day Laurens Bancroft, one of the richest immortals, places him in a body trained for combat and hires him to solve a murder that occurred shortly before. His own. Bancroft has many enemies, but his security should have been unbreakable.
Initially reluctant to work for a man who represents everything he despises, Kovacs rediscovers the power of being alive and unearths carefully hidden secrets.

A powerful, violent and romantic SF series. A reflection on what makes us human

For science fiction fans, futuristic settings and technology abound. Visually, the rendering is effective. On the surface, where the population congregates, the darkness is broken only by garish neon lights. This is in stark contrast to the ethereal towers of the ultra-rich, with their empty palaces flooded with light.
Depending on their status and means, people use a number of artifacts and weapons with sophisticated features. AI has come to life and runs “leisure” establishments, hotels, brothels, and fighting rings.
Altered Carbon is first and foremost an action series. The military, police, and criminals clash in bloody, often ultra-violent battles.
Yet, more surprisingly, it is also a series that makes room for romance and even poetry with the character of the AI Poe, who is touching in his desire to understand what makes us human.
My only regret is the big difference between seasons 1 and 2. I clearly preferred the Kovacs of the first season. The plot of each season is gripping. Season 1 details all the vices that those who know they can count on their impunity are capable of. Season 2 is based on a sloppy premise, the vulnerability of the old, but it goes further than the first in the story of the old and the rebellion, as well as in the exploration of the mysteries of power in its various forms.

2 seasons, 18 episodes (55 mn), 2018-2020, on Netflix

WITH :

• Takeshi Kovacs : Joel Kinnaman (season 1), Anthony Mackie (season 2) and Will Yun Lee (original Tak, in both season)
• Both seasons : Chris Conner as Edgar Poe, Dichen Lachman as Reileen Kawahara, Renée Elise Goldsberry (The good wife) as Quellcrist “Quell” Falconer, Hayley Law as Lizzie Elliot
• Season 1 : James Purefoy (A discovery of witches) as Laurens Bancroft, Martha Higareda as Kristin Ortega, Ato Essandoh (The diplomat) as Vernon Elliot, Kristin Lehman as Miriam Bancroft, Tamara Taylor as Oumou Prescott, Marlene Forte as Alazne Ortega, Hiro Kanagawa as Captain Tanaka
• Season 2 : Lela Loren as Danica Harlan, Simone Missick as Trepp, Dina Shihabi as Dig 301, Torben Liebrecht as Ivan Carrera, Michael Shanks as Horace Axley, James Saito as Tanaseda Hideki