FX’s Class Of ’09 is timely. Tom Rob Smith’s limited series explores the FBI’s use of AI and modern technology. Three confused and dull timeframes waste the crucial concept. Is it so hard to expect linear TV shows?
Must everything be a pen-and-paper homework assignment? FX’s Class Of ’09, which launches May 10 on Hulu, has storytelling potential but lacks thrills and urgency midway through its eight episodes.
Despite its intriguing premise and stellar performers, the program moves slowly. It loses momentum trying to weave several tangents under one umbrella: In 2034, AI has taken over everything, even ocular implants.
Quantico’s 2009 rookie agents face weapons, lie detectors, and fitness exams while building connections. In 2023, the titular class splits off for countrywide tasks. They deal with domestic terrorists, spy on themselves, or other political purposes.
Brian Tyree Henry and Kate Mara can’t anchor this confusing limited series.
So yes. Lots is occurring. Class Of ’09 swings between timelines so often and unevenly that little of it is interesting. Four episodes in, the program doesn’t dwell on weighty topics. AI is everywhere, from surveillance to Hollywood and journalism.
The show evades any message about it. One agent regretfully questions if the FBI “started or ended” a battle after a firefight, but it doesn’t lead to anything.
Since the performers appear the same in 2009 and 2023, it’s a game of patience to figure out which timeframe we’re in. Pen and paper, please. The future timeline also reveals their fate. The program fades to 2034, releasing all the tension. That year’s central mystery is uninteresting.
Even without the temporal issues, most of these characters have very nothing going on. The performers receive two attributes, not multi-dimensional arcs. Brian Tyree Henry’s Black Tayo Miller is hefty. Sincere and dutiful, Kate Mara plays Amy Poet.
Sepideh Moafi is an Iranian immigrant. Lennix (Brian J. Smith) defies his wealthy family. Then… nothing. The two leading performances are engaging.
Henry, who rose to fame with FX’s Atlanta and earned an Oscar nod for Causeway this year, is captivating. He receives the most story in each timeline, including a rare dramatic confrontation in episode two that shows Class Of ’09’s potential. Henry elevates the play by revealing his character’s struggles and emotions.
As a rookie in 2009, Tayo faces the same racial and weight-based bullying he had in high school. As Tayo advances from a quiet beginner to FBI director over 25 years, the program glosses over how some peers treat him with basic nonsense. At least Henry can play the role well. He gives another lesson and is half the entertainment.