Hard Sun season 1 review: A Hulu series that is a prelude to the apocalypse

Hard Sun manages to keep a compelling premise incredibly dull throughout an uneven first season.

Strong performances save the series and are probably the sole reason for tuning in for the six episodes. Plenty of Neil Cross fans will tune in hoping for another complex character study like Luther.

Unfortunately, this series comes across as unsure of itself almost every step of the way. What story is Hard Sun trying to tell? Based on the ending, it’s attempting to be an origin story for its two lead detectives.

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It’s hard to find one reason to actually root for Sturgess’ DCI Charlie Hicks despite his charismatic exterior. Throughout the season he’s regularly lying to his wife about murdering his former partner and sleeping with his wife. Not only that, his poor spouse is pregnant and taking care of their daughter while he’s stopping crime.

How can one man be so selfish? By the end, his dirty laundry is finally revealed but it doesn’t make up for his mistakes. Hard Sun tries to make it feel like underneath all of his faults there’s a good person but it’s hard to root for him as a hero.

Luckily, Agyness Dean perfectly portrays DI Elaine Renko as a woman who doesn’t allow tragedy to define her life. Hard Sun hints at a traumatic childhood throughout the first season but ultimately she proves to be a formidable adversary for MI5 to face.

However, her quick turn from distrusting Charlie to being his loyal partner feels unearned by the finale. It’s difficult to tell if she genuinely believes Hicks is innocent or has just come to respect him. Yes, it turns out the dead partner was dirty but it’s confusing why Renko wouldn’t just say that.

The storyline is where things begin to really run thin. In this pre-apocalyptic world, the general public isn’t aware of their impending doom. For the first three episodes, this makes the stakes pretty low because the world is going to end. Does regular crime even matter?

The MI5 agents tasked with silencing Hicks and Renko is equally futile because there’s no way the show kills off its two leads. Hard Sun has to set up the world, but taking half a season to do so feels like a waste of the viewers’ time.

Things start to pick up in the latter half which shows a promising second season. While the government has irrefutably denied the world ending event, some people have gone crazy.

One of the killers has a complex motivation and a compelling performance. He’s a religious man who’s decided to murder any good person simply to disprove God’s existence. It’s disturbing to watch him try to create moral apathy in society before they all die. Hard Sun doesn’t pull any punches with his character, and it shows Cross’ ability to create a gripping tale with a killer.

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The true bad guy of the series, MI5 agent Grace, is a hard sell throughout the first season. She comes across as incredibly one-note that it feels as though she only has one facial expression. Hard Sun waits too long to showcase her home life which offers a whole other side to the character.

There’s a clear contrast between the woman she is, and the one she needs to be at her job. The finale sets her up to join Renko and Hicks so maybe she’ll be better utilized next year.

Probably the most divisive character is Renko’s teenage son, Daniel. As the season unfolds, more information is revealed about him and how he got to such a dark place. He attempts to kill her multiple times throughout Hard Sun because of the anger he has at being given up for adoption.

Viewers will learn that 13-year-old Renko gave birth to him after being raped by one of her teachers. Their relationship is tragic, but it does get a little frustrating to watch her desperately try to help a boy with severe underlying issues. Despite his violent tendencies and emotional instability, the two really do care about each other. It would be more interesting to see their relationship take some real steps towards being healthier in season two.

There was a lot of anger online regarding the finale of Hard Sun because it resets the board for next year. Despite the outcry, the final hour actually has a lot to like. The scenes between Grace, Renko, and Hicks are a dynamic switch that feels satisfactory to watch. However, the true ending with the arrival of the “Hard Sun” event feels rushed.

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There are more than four years left on the countdown clock but the show just claims the government lied to MI5 about the true timeline for the event. It feels like the show wasn’t confident enough in its own premise that it just blew it up. Now, Hard Sun is officially an apocalyptic show and the first season is simply a prequel to the real story.

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