Every Man and His Droid

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I've recently gotten into a new (well, old) fandom that's so incredibly brilliant and slashy that it's doing my brain in. It's called Total Recall 2070, and it's the best human/android love story EVAR.

That kiss up there? IS CANON. If you don't believe me, witness this:

...Yeah.

THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE COULD WATCH THIS SHOW AND NOT SHIP THESE TWO, SERIOUSLY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IT IS ILLOGICAL. YOUR INNER SPOCK WOULD DISAPPROVE.

Ahem. Allow me to introduce you to our lovely guys and their crazy subtext! (Well, actually, it's more like text. Ubertext, even. In case that kiss didn't give it away.)

David Hume. Human.

Ian Farve. Android.

They wear identical outfits. I don't even.

So, yeah. The two main characters are David Hume, a jaded futuristic detective, and his (absolutely adorable) android partner, Ian Farve. Together, they fight crime. And make ridiculous non-sequiturs.

Like these.

YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THESE NON-SEQUITURS ARE UNIFORMLY GAY.

But anyway. First, we must attend to the SRS BZNS of introducing the show. Let's get it out of the way, shall we?

The story is inspired by Philip K. Dick, and combines several concepts from both Blade Runner and Total Recall. In short: It is awesome. How is it possible that you do not need such awesomeness in your life?

There are 22 episodes in total. Sadly, the show was canceled after the first season, because television networks are strange and ineffable entities whose logic escapes us mere mortals, but those 22 episodes? Are filled with fantastic plot-lines and engaging characters.

The series first aired in 1999, but the world it takes place in belongs to a fictional, dystopian 2070 AD, or 50 NIO (New Interplanetary Order). This world is run by a creepy military-industrial complex (well, aren't they all creepy?) known as the Consortium, which consists of several large companies that often have conflicting interests - a conflict that contributes to much of the plot.

These companies include CorNet (the largest communications company on Earth), Minacon (pronounced Mine-a-con; largest mining company of the solar system), Uber Braun (the most successful android manufacturer on Earth), VariDyne (Variable Dynamics; the largest developer of genetic engineering and medical products) and Rekall (leading manufacturer of virtual reality technology). Most of the human populace is hooked on Rekall. It's tragic.

The governmental bodies include the IPC (Inter-Planetary Council), which is the governing body on Earth, Mars, and the moon, the CPB (Citizens Protection Bureau), the RSB (Reproduction Selection Bureau), the C&I (Customs and Immigration), the CIB (Citizens Information Bureau) and the Assessors Division. IT IS ALL SO COOL AND OFFICIAL-SOUNDING. But mostly it is dystopian. Very, very dystopian.

The setting of the show is futuristic and very similar to Blade Runner - densely populated and polluted and profoundly multicultural, with a populace somewhat uncomfortably divided between (on the one hand) the rich and the poor, and (on the other hand) the humans and the androids.

The androids aren't really considered 'citizens', though. They have no rights. They're used as slaves, and are considered less intelligent than human beings and less deserving of, well, practically anything. They're treated well as long as they're obedient - even with apparent affection and respect - but any behavior out of the ordinary is considered highly suspect, and suspect androids are dangerous androids, ripe for destruction.

Society is strictly controlled and homicides are extremely rare - practically unheard of - so the CPB, or Citizens Protection Bureau, generally ends up dealing with less serious crimes. Or hilarious non-crimes, you know, the futuristic equivalent of cat-up-a-tree.

That changes when rogue androids start killing people - why and how is unclear, but it's obvious that someone's messing with their programming, because androids are programmed to be as meek as sheep, unable to harm anyone or use force even to defend themselves.

It is in the midst of this world that our two principal characters, David Hume and Ian Farve, find each other - and themselves. Because this really is a story of self-realization, above all else - of two people - one human, one android - learning what it means to live, to give, to love. And, no matter what sinister shit goes down, to stay alive.

But they don't start out so wonderfully in sync. In the very first episode, Hume's (decidedly human) partner, Blanchard, gets killed - by a rogue android, no less - and Farve is the guy precipitously assigned to be Hume's new partner. Needless to say, Hume isn't too happy about it.

This is their first meeting:

...Yeah. Not good. What's even worse is that Farve's an android, just like Blanchard's murderer, although Hume doesn't know about it at the start, because Farve (wisely) deduces that Hume has "a problem with androids" and chooses not to disclose his true nature. That creates a lot of tension, since we're all waiting for the Big Reveal. What makes it an even potentially Bigger Reveal is that Farve isn't just any android - he's an Alpha, an almost mythical kind of android that is practically indistinguishable from a normal human. Farve is very, very advanced, leagues ahead of any other android on the market.

Basically? He's a special snowflake.

Nonetheless, even with that secret between them, they start working together, and getting closer to each other. It's obvious that Farve, despite being an android, is inordinately fond of Hume, but the real surprise is that Hume - not knowing that Farve is an android - starts caring about him, too. As, you know, you'd start caring about any friend that bantered with you and fought crime with you and did the whole mutual life-saving thing. A sense of trust is established. A - for want of a better word - bond.

BUT! *cue dramatic music* Hume finds out!

At the end of the second episode, there is this gorgeous, heart-rending scene in which Farve is effectively 'outed', and - and - oh, god, it's beautiful. It's so obvious how deeply Farve is in love with Hume. Just. Look at his face. Look at it.

Of course, you can rest assured that this crisis ends well, largely because Hume's a decent guy that actually cares about Farve, whether he's an android or not, and - well - they continue to have a lovely, blossoming bromance, one that only grows deeper now that the truth, as it were, is out.

Thanks to Farve, Hume really learns to look at androids differently; he starts seeing them as people, not just machines. Soon after the Big Reveal, Hume is even awkwardly trying to ask Farve out for dinner, which, yeah. Is adorable.

Anyway, Hume and Farve continue on their merry way, forging an incredibly deep friendship that, as far as I'm concerned, is also infused with romantic feelings, at least from Farve's side. Just. THAT KISS. Remember that kiss? And those fraught, tormented eyes, brimming with love and desperation and radioactive, weapons-grade, baby-deer levels of innocence?

Yeah. Obvious, right? But Hume also cares about Farve, and protects him with a ferocity and a devotion that is frankly beautiful to watch. Hume even sheds tears when he thinks Farve is grievously injured or is about to die, which, again, is adorable. THEIR LOVE, DEAR GOD, THEIR LOVE. IT IS SO PURE.

SEE HOW PURE IT IS:

DEAR GOD THIS SHIP, ARE YOU SHIPPING IT LIKE I'M SHIPPING IT, SHOULD I CALL FED EX. LET ME CALL THEM.

Uh. I... probably ought to contain myself. This - this is, like, a proper pimping post, and everything.

*clears throat*

So. This pairing. Is fabulous. There are funny moments:

More funny moments:

Sad moments:

And (literally) touching moments:

This pairing has everything, okay? Even more than I can possibly effectively pimp, and - and you really ought to watch this show. Which you can do, for free, on YouTube. No, really. IT'S FREE. This is the beauty of getting into a fandom long after its original creators stop giving a damn about distribution. And copyright. There are download links available, too, and can be easily found on FilesTube, after searching for Total Recall 2070. Of course, if you do like the show and want to buy it, you can do so here.

The fandom exists on a tiny-but-dedicated LiveJournal community, which will hopefully become a lot less tiny and a lot more dedicated after this pimping post. Yes? You will join. You have to join. How could you not join?

The YouTube channel, where the entirety of the show is available for your viewing pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TotalRecall2070

The LiveJournal community:

http://totalrecall2070.livejournal.com/

The best story in the fandom, as far as I'm concerned:

http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/26/someoneelses.html

The Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_2070

The Wikia page:

http://totalrecall.wikia.com/wiki/Total_Recall_2070 (currently under construction)

Icons to start off with:

http://totalrecall2070.livejournal.com/tag/icons