Night Sky is a chilling science fiction series that takes audiences on a captivating ride as they try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Night Sky season one takes viewers on quite the journey through all eight episodes of this Science Fiction drama. The story follows Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), an older couple who has been keeping a secret for a very long time. Years ago, after the loss of their son, they discovered a chamber to another world in their backyard. Eager to hide it from the rest of the world, it can only be entered through the shed that Franklin built over it.
When a young man named Jude (Chai Hansen) comes into their lives, their world is turned upside down. They soon discover that this chamber is much more than they ever could have imagined. On top of all this, a new neighbor, Byron (Adam Bartley), starts poking his head around where it shouldn’t be.
Night Sky season 1 takes place over eight episodes, all clocking in at just about an hour long. While there are certainly some filler moments, each of these episodes is able to bring a bit more to the story, and keep the mystery unraveling at a decent pace.
In order to fully explain the history of the Yorks, flashbacks take place over the course of a few episodes. These scenes don’t always work, but are there to help the audience understand what the couple has gone through, how they came together, and how they feel about each other. They are important to the story even if they aren’t always pulled off perfectly.
Night Sky season 1 will drop all eight episodes on Prime Video, meaning that viewers have the option to binge this season. That said, this show is one that should be spaced out over a few days. the episodes are on the longer side and while the story is interesting, it can get a bit slow at times. Sticking to two or three episodes at a time is probably the best way to go for those who want to fully enjoy the season.
Once the season hits episode three, more characters come into the picture. This causes reveals to come to light, and reasoning behind certain things to be brought to the surface, but it also pulls the story away from the Yorks, who are easily the most interesting part of it all. Because of this, the pacing slows and some elements go so far as to get confusing. The story gets a bit convoluted at times, which is one of its biggest downfalls, but by the time the season 1 finale rolls around, it cleans up creating much easier understanding for viewers.
One of the biggest complaints of this is season is that not enough time is spent exploring the other world – the one that the Yorks call the Night Sky. This could be for several reasons, including the budget of the series. The story certainly doesn’t depend on theses visuals. Whenever viewers catch a glimpse of it, it makes perfect sense in the story, and there is no need to be looking at it when we aren’t there.
However, the visuals are so stunning and well done, and the mystery of it all so intriguing, that the audience will likely be begging for more. Should a second season of Night Sky be ordered, hopefully the time on this planet will be increased to satisfy these wants.
Speaking of a second season, the door is left open for that possibility, but at the same time it could end with season 1. Sure, some questions wouldn’t be answered, but the writers did a decent enough job of making these eight episodes come together to tell a cohesive story. Chances are the majority of the audience will want to dive deeper into this world and these characters, and have all the loose ends tied up — so fingers crossed we get it.
Overall Night Sky season 1 is an entertaining show from start to finish. While it has Science Fiction touches, it doesn’t rely heavily on that aspect of the story telling. There are several mysteries that unravel over time, and some that don’t completely get there, setting up for a season 2 in the process. The actors breath life into their characters in a way that makes them believable when they need to be, and shady when they need to be.
The final two episodes is where things really get interesting, and the pacing is ramped up to get the story to where it needs to be. Characters come and go as questions are answered, and more are brought up. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending, leaving a whole new world to be explored, should Night Sky get a season 2.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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About Night Sky
Spanning space and time, Night Sky follows Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), a couple who, years ago, discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man (Chai Hansen) enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended…and the mystifying chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.
All eight episodes of Night Sky arrive on Prime Video May 20th.
