User Reviews

It's more of a drama than a Sci-fi. I need more Sci-fi. Not as bad as many reviews are saying. Henry is hard to stand. She is so annoying! Hope season 3 gets better! There are some salvable episodes in season 2. Nikolai was one of my favorite characters. :(

Henry is a villain. Obviously it's awful what happened to her, and I fully support her taking psychological or even physical revenge on that rapist POS Boone kid, but seriously, Henry freaking sucks. She's unbelievably selfish and ruins everyone around her. Her entitlement is off the charts. I have enjoyed this show, but it's real hard to keep up when the main character is such an unbelievable brat.

I read another review (something I do before watching or investing my time in a series) and saw a dismal 1 star. How Sad. Impulse is not going to be the easiest to watch based on the rape sequence which starts the series. NO spoilers here... it's in the first episode. So, ten episodes and I'm dying for the next. The acting is good and shows depth to characters and character building as we get to know the players. Filming and filming locations are rather bleak, but it is a series set in winter and the gray cast sets a tone. It's a science fiction fantasy but that doesn't take away from the story. Suspension of Disbelief is not a chore when the characters are so strong. Give the show a chance and you will love it!

The girl with teleportation power, absolutely no control over it throughout ten episodes. Instead we got a thriller revolving around family and drug business.

I cringed everytime Henry brought up what Clay did to her in the car, like seriously, she got fingered for two seconds and she is acting like she's been raped for a decade, not to mention she put the guy in a wheelchair one second after the incident.

No remorse from the lead character, it's all about her self pity and how badly Clay hurt her, LIKE SERIOUSLY, Henry started to makeout with Clay and wanted to leave him with blue balls, he went too far for two seconds and this was HUGE part of the series throughout the season. We get it, Henry is the victim, let's forget that Clay is in the wheelchair... was this series written by angry femi-nazi?

This is a good series mainly because of the jumper aspect and a few sub plots that make you want to see how the story develops. What keeps it from being a great series is the lead is not likeable and at times it appears goes out of her way to have this one dimension. I don't know why the writers thought it would be a good idea to not allow some growth for the lead from being the angry teen to someone who has grown more attached to those who are consistently there for her. The aspect that she is so rude and the others around her continue to suck up to her make their characters appear weak and unlikable too. If you can not focus on the lead but the premise of the show it is still interesting enough to binge watch. If they continue with her antics it won't make another season. Rude, obnoxious children have never been fun to watch, show some growth and develop the characters and plot.

In short, I was surprised that Youtube Red picked up this show and how little hype there was for it. It most definitely exceeded my expectations! If you're looking for a more complex Sci-Fi drama, with a bit of CW writing, here you have it. However, I do not believe this show is your stereotypical Sci-Fi or even melodramatic high school series, it is attempting to be a kind of social commentary.

If you do not want to read on any further, know that the characters are complex, have established motivations, but need more time to develop! You can only do so much in 10 episodes. It seems like the writers and director planted scenes and dialogue for potential future episodes: Jenna's sexuality, Townes gf(?), Henry's dad, etc. That's fine. To those saying that Henry is selfish and annoying, I do not believe this is a valid character critique, but rather, her actions align according to her placelessness (constantly moving around), not having long-term relationships (thereby not being able to easily trust and share her experience with others) and her having experienced sexual trauma. Who can she trust? She later learns to do so and speaks toward her experience, but it takes time.

At the end of every episode there is a hotline listed, encouraging the audience to reach out to those who have, or know someone who has, experienced sexual assault. We learn from very early on that Henry struggles through the repercussions of Clay's actions, Henry balancing the injustice done to her, yet, knowing full well that she paralyzed Clay for the rest of his life. But, that is the motif of the series: how does a woman live in male-dominated world after the repercussions of a male-to-female sexual assault? The series clearly depicts men of power (physical and social), the isolation of the victim, and effects of truth-telling. Let me explain each variable under the umbrella of this motif.

Regardless of your political views, this series narrates how men in power abuse what they have. I will give a couple examples including: "Dr."/Mr. Gibson, Lucas Boone, Bill Boone, and of course, Clay.

Mr. Gibson In episode 1, we see Mr. Gibson using his position of authority as a teacher and academic ("Dr.") to silence and control his students not exclusive to women, Townes being the first example. When Henry questions his academic merits, he is very quick to use physical force to silence her. He grabs her and tries to drag her out of the classroom. This induces a seizure.

Lucas Boone When Lucas suspects Henry of being involved with Clay's accident, he goes to her school, waits in the parking lot for her, and follows her. In their confrontation on the street, Lucas is also quick to use physical violence and grabs Henry, throwing her in the back of his car, the trunk. This later induces a seizure.

Bill Boone Though Bill never uses physical violence until the end of the series, he is the perfect example of one who abuses his power, as one who has the most social capital. He uses his position in Reston, scheming with the police, owning multiple businesses, land, etc, to manipulate people saying that he will "protect" them. When he confronts Henry, using her own car to lure her in and basically manipulates her to pick out Amos on the line. How is that not an abuse of power?

Clay This should be obvious. Clay uses Henry's first advances and the favor (getting her car back) as an excuse to advance his agenda, despite Henry's obvious verbal and physical signs: she says "no" and "stop" repeatedly. Clay uses his physical strength to fight her, grabbing her leg and face at one point. This is a terrifying scene.

Seen through this sense, the show isn't so much about Sci-Fi and teleportation as it is a social and metaphorical one -- teleportation is a convenient superpower for it is what Henry wants to do and has always done: escape. She wants to move on from this situation but is haunted by the mental, physical, and social consequences. She's reminded of Clay because everyone at school sees him as this hero/victim, she can't explain her powers to just anyone, and she certainly can't trust people to tell her about what Clay has done. Her powers, the sexual assault, her personality, her history of moving, and Clay's social capital, make it near impossible for Henry to fully explain herself. We see these barriers slowly break down and Henry being able to trust/share with those around her, parallel to her powers growing, but it is a slow process.

I recommend this series and hope it continues!

Just a good show overall. This atypical "gifted individual" story is another conclusive example of the evolution of the genre. Almost completely refuses superhero cliches and the usual kitsch. The action is convincing for the most part. No unrealistic fight scenes like in some other shows to take the credibility away. The emphasis is clearly on the coming of age drama part though. The development of the powers of the main character serves as an analogy to the drives and emotions that can be almost uncontrolable for young people. The sexual abuse angle makes it touching (wording, i know) and unique. This show will (hopefully) make some people think about this particular problem, as it exhibits the incident and it's aftermath from the perspectives of victim, attacker and their families. Unsurprisingly sexual assault is life shattering and destructive for everyone involved, so thinking more about it could actually do our society some good. Packing such a story in a "superhero" series will probably reach a broader audience than it would usually. Aside from the upsetting rape scene there's some mild teenage sexuality and strong language, which will at best trigger some americans, and some drug abuse. I liked the cast, solid acting. Especially the lead and her stepsister, as well as all the villains were pretty compelling. The "superhero" part of the series unravels with a slow pace and does follow the usual scheme to some extent, while not following through on it. There may be some lenghts, but all in all I was hooked after the first ten minutes and watched the whole season in two days. Definately looking forward to more!