Netflix’s Away Season 1 Primer: Everything to know before you watch

Away Season 1: What is it about?

From Jason Katims, the man behind hit shows like Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, comes a new emotional drama about an American astronaut named Emma Green.  Away Season 1 will follow Emma’s journey as she leads an international crew on the first official mission to Mars.

But leaving her family behind won’t be easy, especially as it seems the mission comes along right when her husband and teenage daughter might need her the most. Not only that, but the journey through space will create changing dynamics and complicated emotions between everyone involved.

Away Season 1: What should you watch or read before the show begins?

More from Netflix

• Snap your fingers, Mattel to release Wednesday dolls and collector sets in 2024!
• Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (December 4, 2023)
• Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (November 27, 2023)
• 5 TV Show Advent Calendars you’ll want this holiday season (2023)!
• Miss Face Off? 2 seasons are available to watch on Netflix!

As mentioned, Katims is the executive producer of the series, so if you’ve seen Parenthood or FNL, you probably have an idea of the emotional stakes likely to be present through Away Season 1.

The series is created by Andrew Hinderaker and appears to be his first official creator credit. However, he has previously served as a writer on shows like Pure Genius and Penny Dreadful.

As far as the story of Away goes, it is entirely original, so you won’t be in the dark if you jump straight in!

Away Season 1: A list of cast members and who they play

Emma Green – (Hilary Swank) Emma is an astronaut and former Navy pilot. She becomes the commander of the mission to Mars and is married to Matt Logan; they have a 15-year-old daughter named Lex.

Matt Logan – (Josh Charles) As Emma’s husband, Matt must deal with the emotional repercussions of his wife being away from home for so long as he struggles to raise their teenage daughter in her absence.

Alexis “Lex” Logan – (Talitha Bateman) Like her father, Lex is struggling with her mom being so far from home for a three-year mission as she begins to come of age. That said, she and her dad are both very supportive of Emma.

Misha Popov – (Mark Ivanir)  Misha is a Russian cosmonaut and the most experienced of all the crew on the mission to Mars. While he’s somewhat arrogant, he, too, has made sacrifices to be on the mission.

Dr. Kwesi Weisberg-Abban – (Ato Essandoh) As a world-renowned botanist and British citizen hailing from Ghana, Dr. Kwesi looks forward to trying to grow life on the surface of Mars.

Ram Arya – (Ray Panthaki) Unlike others on the mission, Ram is pretty alone in the world, but he is also an accomplished pilot.

Lu Wang – (Vivian Wu) Lu is a married chemist with a young son. She’s also a pragmatist, and while she’s very focused on the exterior, she has some complicated things going on in her personal life.

Melissa Ramirez – (Monique Curnen) Once an accomplished astronaut herself, Melissa gave up her ambitious career to care for her special needs child. In Emma’s absence, she also helps Matt with Lex.

Away Season 1: How many episodes? What is the runtime?

There are ten episodes of Away in total, and since this is a Katim’s drama, I imagine each episode is around 40-50 minutes in length, possibly longer.

Away Season 1: What are critics saying?

Thus far, critical opinions on Away are lukewarm at best. Many feel that the show fails to bring anything dynamic and exciting to the genre as it tries to hone in on what’s going on down on Earth.

“It’s the rare story of space exploration that stresses the importance of what’s happening down on Earth. That’s the show’s strength, and in Season 1, its biggest weakness. By overemphasizing mundane storylines, Away limits its opportunities to tell more compelling stories in the stars,” said Decider.

However, The AV Club said that Away is “stellar” overall. Still, they think Swank is the show’s most significant disadvantage as they feel Emma’s storyline is much less interesting than the other crew members.

“Here’s the biggest problem with an otherwise enjoyable series: Each crew member is more interesting, with more compelling backstory, than Emma, the show’s focal point,” reads the site’s review.

Will Away return for Season 2?

Away was likely an expensive production for Netflix with big stars like Swank and Charles attached. Along with Katims as an executive producer and what appears to be a polished set that likely required some expensive equipment to mimic astronauts in space, Netflix will need to see the show do well with viewership numbers or awards to garner a Season 2.

Thus far, the series hasn’t been granted an early renewal, so it remains to be seen if it will return for another season.

Are you planning to watch Away Season 1 when it debuts? What do you think about the trailer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Away Season 1 debuts on Netflix on September 4.