Better Than Us is set in Russia, in the near-future, where humanoid robots are being used to serve humans as cleaners and manual workers. A Chinese company creates a “bot” called Arisa (played by Paulina Andreeva), a bot which can understand human emotion – but also doesn’t follow the Three Laws of Robotics. In short, she can kill.
Russian robotics manufacturer Viktor Toropov buys the prototype Arisa, and intends to use it to cement his company’s place at the top of the robotics industry. There’s only one problem – Arisa escapes and bonds with a young girl, Sonya. Then follows a roller-coaster of a ride as Toropov tries to reclaim the fugitive bot, by any means necessary. Throw into the mix a group of anti-A.I. extremists, Arisa’s evolution as she starts to experience emotions of her own, and Sonya’s family’s private drama, and you have a series which stands head-and-shoulders above your standard sci-fi fare.
I personally give it a 9/10!
Darren Cameron