Constellation (TV series)

Last updated
Constellation
Genre Sci-fi psychological thriller
Created by Peter Harness
Based onconcept by Sean Jablonski
Written byPeter Harness
Starring
Theme music composer Ben Salisbury
Suvi-Eeva Aikas
Country of origin
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Original languagesEnglish
Swedish
Russian
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Simon Arnal
  • Caroline Benjo
  • Peter Harness
  • Rebecca Hobbs
  • Michelle MacLaren
  • Tracey Scoffield
  • Carole Scotta
  • David Tanner
  • Justin Thomson
Running time50–58 minutes
Production companies
  • Turbine Studios
  • Haut et Court TV
  • Haunted Barn
  • MacLaren Entertainment
Original release
Network Apple TV+
Release21 February 2024 (2024-02-21) –
present

Constellation is a sci-fi psychological thriller television series created by Peter Harness, based on a concept by Sean Jablonski. The first season was released on 21 February 2024, beginning with the initial three episodes. It stars Noomi Rapace, Jonathan Banks, James D'Arcy, Julian Looman, Henry David, William Catlett, and Barbara Sukowa. [1]

Contents

Plot

An unidentified object collides with the International Space Station, leading to the death of one of the five astronauts aboard and crippling most of the onboard systems and one of the Soyuz descent modules. Three of the surviving astronauts make an emergency evacuation in the functional Soyuz module, leaving Swedish astronaut Johanna "Jo" Ericsson of the European Space Agency behind to repair the other Soyuz. When she returns to Earth with the body of her dead crewmate, she finds that parts of her life are missing or not as she remembers them.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date  [2]
1"The Wounded Angel" Michelle MacLaren Peter Harness 21 February 2024 (2024-02-21)
Jo Ericsson is a Swedish ESA astronaut on the ISS. Just as NASA astronaut Paul starts an experiment with the CAL, an object hits the ISS, damaging it. Paul is injured and dies, despite the crew's efforts. Jo performs a space walk to assess the damage and sees the object that hit them ― a desiccated female corpse in a USSR space suit. The other three of the crew board the docked three-seat Soyuz MS spacecraft that is undamaged and return to Earth, while Jo remains to repair and then take the other docked Soyuz MS. Back on earth, NASA's experiment leader Henry Caldera insists that Jo bring back the CAL data core, which Roscosmos' flight leader Irena Lysenko allows after she is disturbed by Jo's drawing of the USSR corpse. While alone on the space station, Jo experiences strange occurrences: a clock speeds up, and she has a vision of a cupboard with Alice's necklace on it. Meanwhile, Jo's daughter Alice and her husband Magnus are flown from their home near the ESA Centre in Cologne, Germany to the Roscosmos cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to await updates. Intermixed with this story are several flashforwards to five weeks later, where Jo late at night drives through a snowy northern Sweden and takes Alice and the CAL data core to an isolated cabin. After Alice has fallen asleep, Jo hears her voice calling from outside and follows the voice to an identical but dilapidated cabin, where she finds a sickly Alice hiding in a cupboard.
2"Live and Let Die"Michelle MacLarenPeter Harness21 February 2024 (2024-02-21)
Jo seemingly blacks out and loses hours of time. Having lost contact with TsuP, she completes repairs and calculates deorbit parameters on her own. The strange occurrences continue, and Jo seemingly hallucinates that Paul is still alive. Jo recovers the CAL data core and records a farewell for Magnus and Alice that she leaves behind on the ISS. As Jo is inside the Soyuz MS and prepares to detach it from the space station, a complication arises that can only be fixed from outside the Soyuz, but the error is mysteriously fixed and Jo sees a shadowy figure watching her from the receding ISS. Jo lands safely and is reunited with her family, but Alice and Magnus are confused when she speaks to them in Swedish. In the flashforward, Jo recognizes the second Alice as "hers"; this Alice asks Jo if she is a ghost. Jo brings second Alice back to her cabin, but she disappears, leaving the other Alice that Jo doesn't recognize.
3"Somewhere in Space Hangs My Heart" Oliver Hirschbiegel Peter Harness21 February 2024 (2024-02-21)
Jo notices that some of her memories do not match with those around her. No one believes her claim about the USSR corpse, since no cosmonaut has ever died in space; Irena suggests that Jo had a hypoxia-induced hallucination. Jo is given medication she's told are vitamins; Irena and Henry also take them. When alone, Jo sees the cupboard with Alice's necklace on it. While playing hide-and-seek, Alice sees someone stamp on her toy rabbit. The CAL data core only replicates the effect seen on the ISS when Henry is alone; he theorizes this is due to the observer effect. Jo identifies the USSR suit she saw as the same type Irena wore in the 1960s, but she withdraws her claim after she sees Paul at his own memorial. Elsewhere, former astronaut Bud Caldera, who flew on Apollo 18 when two people died, is at a cruise ship convention where he is questioned by author Ian Rogers for inaccuracies in his memoir. Bud blames the Apollo 18 disaster on "Henry" and, in a drunken rage, throws Ian overboard. In the flashforward, Jo takes Alice in search of the other cabin, and confirms Alice's suspicion that she isn't her mother.
4"The Left Hand of God"Oliver HirschbiegelPeter Harness28 February 2024 (2024-02-28)
Jo is increasingly disturbed by differences between her memories and the world around her, including the revelation that she's been having an affair with Frederic, head of ESA. Henry takes the CAL data core to ESA, where Jo has visions when it is active. Henry theorizes that the CAL may have opened a pathway to another universe. Jo realizes that the "vitamin" given to her is lithium, which was also secretly given to a handful of other astronauts who displayed erratic behavior during or after their time in space. Jo briefly slips into another universe where cleaners are emptying her office and cannot see her. Jo receives a package from Skagerrak Marine Observatory containing audio recordings made of Jo in the ISS after she'd lost contact with TsuP, and of the accidental death of a female cosmonaut in 1967. Alice panics when she slips into the other universe where a wake is being held for Jo; Alice and her doppelganger look at each other. Jo and Magnus fight, and during the struggle Magnus hits his head in a fall. Ian Rogers' death is investigated by the FBI.
5"Five Miles Out, the Sound Is Clearest"Oliver HirschbiegelPeter Harness6 March 2024 (2024-03-06)
Jo calls an ambulance for Magnus and flees with Alice. Alice reveals to Jo that she has been seeing the USSR corpse, which she calls "the Valya". Jo asks Illya to check their vitamins, and Illya learns that certain historical cosmonaut files have been purged. Jo steals the CAL data core and travels with Alice to Skagerrak Marine Observatory. There, they meet Walberg and Laurenz Bang, who have for decades been making amateur radio recordings of astronauts in space, and have recorded audio of astronaut deaths, only for that astronaut to return to Earth safely afterward. These "ghost tapes" become clearer when near the CAL data core. After arriving at the cabin, Jo listens to the recording of her mission where she and Alice had a video chat, and Alice confirms that that Alice is not her. Jo hears her Alice call out to her, while in another universe her Alice searches for Jo in the snowstorm. Henry and Bud are in different universes, but are aware of and have been able to communicate with each other. Henry tells Bud he thinks the CAL made things worse, while Bud is determined to destroy Henry's life.
6"Paul Is Dead" Joseph Cedar Peter Harness13 March 2024 (2024-03-13)
In another universe, the ISS is hit by debris, and Jo is killed when thrown against the cupola. Paul is the astronaut left behind to fix Soyuz 1, during which he keeps hearing the sound of Jo breathing. Alice, upon being told of Jo's death, hides in a cupboard and has a vision of Jo approaching her. NASA allows Paul to leave Jo's corpse on the ISS. Paul faces a complication with the Soyuz that can only be fixed from the outside, but the error is fixed on its own and he sees a shadowy figure watching him from the ISS. After returning safely, Paul is disturbed by differences between his memories and the world he's in, including how the CAL has never existed. Paul and his family attend the wake at the Ericsson house, where Paul and Alice see the other universe where Jo is alive. Paul finds Bud, who realizes he's from a universe where Apollo 18 was a success. When Paul presses for answers, Bud loses his temper and shoots him. Alice insists that Magnus take her to the cabin, where Alice sees Jo arrive as well.
7"Through the Looking Glass"Joseph CedarPeter Harness20 March 2024 (2024-03-20)
When Jo leaves the cabin to find her Alice the second time, her lamp falls off the table, causing the cabin to catch fire. The two Alices independently find the dilapidated cabin and enter the same cupboard, where they see each other in the mirror and are able to talk through a recording device. The Alices figure out that Jo is in the wrong universe and doesn't know how to return. Jo finds the cabin with the "wrong" Alice and carries her to safety through the fire. Jo attempts to revive the unconscious Alice, and tells her Alice to return to her father. Henry, Frederic and Magnus arrive at the cabin with the authorities, and Jo is taken away. Henry and Bud switch bodies, allowing Henry to call 911 to save Paul. In the hospital, Alice has a vision where the Valya offers to take her to her mother. Alice wakes up and tells Magnus that they have to get Jo back from Irena.
8"These Fragments I Have Shored Against My Ruin"Joseph CedarPeter Harness27 March 2024 (2024-03-27)
Jo is taken to a facility, run by Irena, that treats so-called "astronaut burnout": the madness experienced by astronauts that they have chosen to hide from public knowledge. Illya visits Jo and gives her keys to escape, but she chooses to stay after seeing another patient, whom Irena refers to as the first man in space. Both Alices attempt to explain the situation to their fathers, who do not believe them; but both Alices accept the fates of their respective mothers. Irena advises Jo to let her old life go, and tells her that she is pregnant. Jo tells Magnus that she wants to take the lithium medication and move on, but taking the medication would affect her pregnancy. Bud destroys the CAL, takes over Henry's life, and meets Irena to tell her about the switch. Henry is arrested for Bud's murder of Ian Rogers, and Bud's attempted murder of Paul. Paul wakes up in the hospital. In the ISS, the Jo who smashed her face against the cupola, and was left behind as a corpse, wakes up.

Hugo Simberg paintings

Two paintings by the Finnish symbolist painter Hugo Simberg play a symbolic role in the cabin scenes in the series: The Wounded Angel — also the title of the series’ opening episode — and The Devil by the Pot. [3] [4]

Production

It was announced in April 2022 that Apple TV+ had greenlit the series, created by Peter Harness. Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks were announced to star with Michelle MacLaren directing. [5] The following month, James D'Arcy joined the cast, and Oliver Hirschbiegel and Joseph Cedar were announced as additional directors of episodes. [6] Writer Robert Shearman was a story consultant on the show. [7]

The production received a record €10 million grant from the German government's German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF), [8] and €1.5 million in production incentives by Business Finland. [9]

Filming began by June 2022 in Cologne and July 2022 in Berlin [10] and also took place in January–February 2023 in Inari and Ivalo in Finnish Lapland, [11] [12] which represented the northern Sweden locations depicted in the series. [3]

In August 2023, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that the series's production companies had failed to pay over €1 million for services the film crew had used in Finnish Lapland, [9] [13] including estate companies, catering and casting services, and an electrical contractor. [14] In September 2023, Helsingin Sanomat reported that the production company Turbine Studios had contacted its creditors by email, announcing its intention to pay the unpaid expenses. [15] As the series had its world-wide premiere on 21 February 2024, the Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat confirmed that a solution for the debts had been settled the previous autumn, but contractors were not able to comment on the terms due to a non-disclosure agreement. [3] [16]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 51 reviews are positive. The website's critics consensus reads: "Solid performances and creepy atmosphere help Constellation engage during a first season with some noticeable narrative turbulence along the way." [17]

On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Simberg</span> Finnish painter (1873–1917)

Hugo Gerhard Simberg was a Finnish symbolist painter and graphic artist.

Helsingin Sanomat, abbreviated HS and colloquially known as Hesari, is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of the Finnish capital, Helsinki, where it is published. It is considered a newspaper of record for Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paavo Väyrynen</span> Finnish politician

Paavo Matti Väyrynen is a Finnish politician who, in his long and eventful political career, has served, among other things, as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1982, and again from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1993. He is a former member of the Finnish Parliament who has represented the Seven Star Movement, the Citizen's Party and Centre Party. He left the Centre Party in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Helsinki</span>

Trams in Helsinki form part of the public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd in Finland's capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city center, and 56.8 million trips were made on the system in 2019. In addition to the older tram network, there is a single light rail line that was opened in October 2023. Although technically compatible with the tram network, the light rail line is separate from the city center tram network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Finland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 56 times since its debut in 1961. Finland won the contest for the first – and to date only – time in 2006 with Lordi and their song "Hard Rock Hallelujah". The country's best result before then was achieved by Marion Rung with the song "Tom Tom Tom" in 1973, which placed sixth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships</span> Annual synchronized skating competition

The ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) are the world championships for the sport of synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite senior-level synchronized skating teams from around the world to compete for the World Championship.

<i>The Wounded Angel</i> Painting by Hugo Simberg

The Wounded Angel is a painting by Finnish symbolist painter Hugo Simberg. It is one of the most recognizable of Simberg's works, and was voted Finland's "national painting" in a vote held by the Ateneum art museum in 2006. In a similar 2013 vote held by Nordic Moneta, it was voted second most important.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noomi Rapace</span> Swedish actress (born 1979)

Noomi Rapace is a Swedish actress. She achieved international fame with her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish film adaptations of the Millennium series (2009): The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. For her performance in the Millennium series, Rapace won amongst others two Nymphe d'Ors, a Guldbagge Award, and a Satellite Award as Best Actress, and was nominated for a BAFTA Award, an International Emmy Award and a European Film Award. Following the success of the Millennium series, Rapace has gone on to star in American movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia Arena (Tampere)</span> Finnish ice hockey arena

Nokia Arena, also known by its non-sponsored name Tampere Deck Arena, is an indoor arena in Tampere, Finland, which hosts ice hockey games and large cultural events. It is the home arena of Ilves and Tappara of the SM-liiga. Its construction was approved by the City Council of Tampere on 19 May 2010, and it was officially opened on 3 December 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erkki Pohjanheimo</span> Finnish television producer and director (born 1942)

Erkki Pohjanheimo is a Finnish television producer and director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corruption in Finland</span> Institutional corruption in the country

Finland's overall corruption is relatively low, according to public opinion and global indexes and standards. The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International scored Finland at 87 on a scale from 0 to 100. When ranked by score, Finland ranked second among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country or countries ranked first are perceived to have the most honest public sector. Finland has ranked first, second or third every year since the current version of the Index was introduced in 2012. For comparison with 2023 worldwide scores, the best score was 90, the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Western European and European Union countries was 90, the average score was 65 and the lowest score was 42.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petteri Orpo</span> Prime Minister of Finland since 2023

Antti Petteri Orpo is a Finnish politician currently serving as the prime minister of Finland since 2023 and as the leader of the National Coalition Party since 2016. He briefly served as speaker of the Parliament of Finland after the 2023 parliamentary election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismo Leikola</span> Finnish comedian (born 1979)

Ismo Mikael Leikola, sometimes known professionally as ISMO, is a Finnish stand-up comedian, musician, author, screenwriter, and YouTuber. Leikola made his United States debut in 2014, when he won "The Funniest Person in the World" competition organized by the comedy club Laugh Factory. In 2015, he made comedy series ISMO for Finnish television and moved to the United States. He gained more recognition after his appearance on the Conan talk show in 2018 and has since toured internationally. He has a YouTube channel with over 360,000 subscribers.

The city of Helsinki and the neighbouring city of Vantaa have plans for a radical expansion of the Helsinki tram network within the 2020s and 2030s that would more than double the length of the network from 2021. If completed, the plans would both extend the current tram lines and build new light rail lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät</span> Finnish punk band

Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät was a Finnish punk rock band, formed in 2009 in a charity workshop for adults with developmental disabilities. They are the main focus of the 2012 Finnish documentary film The Punk Syndrome. In 2015, they qualified for the finals of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, which they later won; they represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 but got knocked out in the semi-final. The group disbanded in December 2016 when guitarist Pertti Kurikka turned 60 years old and retired from playing punk rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helsinki light rail line 15</span> Light rail line in Helsinki and Espoo, Finland

Helsinki light rail line 15 is a 25-kilometre (16 mi) light rail line connecting Keilaniemi in Espoo and Itäkeskus in Helsinki, Finland. Known during construction as Jokeri light rail, construction was started in June 2019 and the line began operating in October 2023, about 10 months ahead of the original schedule. The line replaced the trunk bus line 550, the busiest bus service on the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority public transport network, at the end of 2023.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Finland has resulted in 1,499,712 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11,466 deaths.

Events in the year 2021 in Finland.

Jonathan Banks is an American actor. His first notable film roles were in the films Airplane! (1980), 48 Hrs. (1982), and Beverly Hills Cop (1984). He has received critical acclaim for his role as Mike Ehrmantraut in the television series Breaking Bad (2009–2012), its spin-off series Better Call Saul (2015–2022), and its sequel film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). He is also known for his breakthrough role as Frank McPike in Wiseguy (1987–1990).

The Lapland Chamber Orchestra is the northernmost professional chamber orchestra of Finland and the EU.

References

  1. ↑ "Apple TV+ shares a glimpse at its upcoming, action-packed psychological thriller "Constellation", starring Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks". Apple TV+ Press. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  2. ↑ "Shows A-Z – Constellation on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic . Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Järvinen, Kari (2024-02-21). "Kalliin suursarjan kuvauksista Lapissa nousi kohu – näin kävi miljoonaveloille". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  4. ↑ Crain, Caemeron (2024-03-27). "Some Thoughts on the Hugo Simberg Paintings in Constellation". TV Obsessive. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  5. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2022-04-06). "Noomi Rapace & Jonathan Banks To Star In Constellation Apple TV+ Space-Themed Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  6. ↑ Petski, Denise (2022-05-18). "James D'Arcy Joins Noomi Rapace & Jonathan Banks In Constellation Apple TV+ Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2022-05-18.
  7. ↑ Shearman, Robert (2024-02-20). "For the last few years I've been working on this show, Constellation, created by the wonderful Peter Harness - and it's finally dropping tomorrow on Apple TV+. It's a bonkers sci-fi folk horror thriller, and biased as I am, I think it's rather good". Twitter.
  8. ↑ Niemeier, Timo (2023-09-07). "Apple TV+ nennt Details zur ersten deutschsprachigen Serie". DWDL.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  9. 1 2 "HS: International film crew leave €1m bill unpaid in Finnish Lapland". Yle News . 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  10. ↑ Mueller, Matt (2022-09-01). "The Centrepiece interview: Mike Goodridge, Leontine Petit, Carole Scotta talk Fremantle‑backed alliance The Creatives". Screen Daily . Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  11. ↑ Tammela, Linda; Rauhala, Mira; Fofonoff, Suvi-Tuuli; Suoninen, Inger-Elle (2023-02-02). "Inarissa kuvataan kansainvälistä Constellation-sarjaa – yksi suurimmista Suomessa kuvatuista tuotannoista jättää alueelle 1,7 miljoonaa euroa". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  12. ↑ Kinnunen, Kalle (2023-02-02). "Noomi Rapace on Lapissa kuvattavan suursarjan tähti – Constellationia tekee Breaking Bad- ja Game of Thrones -ohjaaja". Keski-Uusimaa (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  13. ↑ Riihinen, Eleonoora (2023-08-25). "Satojen ihmisten kansainvälinen kuvausryhmä jätti miljoonalaskun maksamatta Lapissa: Paikalliset yrittäjät nyt pahoissa ongelmissa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  14. ↑ Seikkula, Heidi (2023-08-25). "The giant TV Production left invoices unpaid in Finland". Mynewsdesk. Archived from the original on 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  15. ↑ Riihinen, Eleonoora (2023-09-16). "Kansainvälinen tuotantoyhtiö lupasi viimein maksaa miljoonavelkansa Lapin yrittäjille". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  16. ↑ "Wednesday's papers: SPP support historic low, unsold homes, and Apple TV+ series shot in Finnish Lapland". Yle News . 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  17. ↑ "Constellation: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  18. ↑ "Constellation: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved 2024-02-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.