We Were Tomorrow isn’t necessarily the typical post-apocalyptic story. This isn’t The Walking Dead, for instance. The series combines elements of sci-fi and fantasy, though instead of veering into the truly fantastical, it centers itself on characters and avoids the pitfalls of falling into an utterly grim tone that’s apparent in some post-apocalyptic storytelling. The Australian production is a decent watch and a relatively quick binge.
The first episode establishes the lore. Earth has been destroyed. However, for whatever reason, a group of God-like characters known as the Alchemists save a group of humans and transport them to another world. They have three lifetimes to restart civilization. You would think most humans would rejoice at the chance to begin anew. That’s not the case with Cain Foster (Gyton Grantley). He harbors resentment that he was sparred but his son was not. Because of this, Cain wages war to return to Earth. When he realizes it’s not possible, he attempts to kill himself, but he fails. The Alchemists grant him immortality as a punishment of sorts.
Left to wander aimlessly forever, Cain eventually discovers that twins, Evelyn Reeves, played by series creator Madeleine Kennedy, and Noah Reeves (Chai Hansen), somehow entered a portal that returns them to post-apocalyptic Earth. Cain also realizes the twins are children of his arch enemy. Because of this, he hunts them down.
Just within the first episode, the series does a good job establishing its world and backstory. It also keeps it simple enough to not lose the average viewer. The mythology never feels convoluted or too hard to follow. Additionally, the first episode sets up all of the key storylines and introduces the main characters. Immediately, it’s clear that there are real stakes here, including the attempt to rebuild civilization and Cain’s warpath for revenge, fueled by his anger that his son was left for dead. It’s apparent that an eventual showdown between Cain and the twins will occur.
As for the performances, Kennedy and Hansen are standouts. Their characters feel like natural siblings. Grantley’s acting feels a bit too wooden and stiff, at least initially, which is noticeable since he plays such a major role and is the series’ big bad. Meanwhile, the settings are kept simple and include lush and green fields where the survivors live and graffitied backdrops in the case of post-apocalyptic Earth. Again, the series, at least the first episode, never veers into the fantastical, even though it dabbles with fantasy and sci-fi elements. It all feels rather grounded.
We Were Tomorrow has an interesting premise and establishes the stakes from the first episode. The acting and performances vary, with some actors not quite rising to their roles. That said, the series is a quick binge and perhaps worth a stream for fantasy or sci-fi fans.
