44%
Tomatometer
18 Reviews
"The Matrix" meets "Platoon" in sci-fi drama "Harsh Realm." A soldier, Tom Hobbes, gets in way over his head when he's recruited for a government-sponsored war game involving flesh-and-blood people, digital representations of those people, and entities that look real but exist only in a virtual reality universe, known as Harsh Realm, now ruled by the clever retired sergeant major, Omar Santiago. When he enters Harsh Realm, Hobbes leave his pregnant fiancee, Sophie Green, in the "real world."
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Critics Consensus
Even though this dark sci-fi drama comes from the brilliant mind of Chris Carter, Harsh Realm falters due to its stilted dialogue and overtly complicated premise.
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Kinney Littlefield
Orange County Register
A hunk-on-the-run caper akin to Nowhere Man, Harsh Realm stalls from clichéd writing, cardboard characters and too much shadowy retro-high-tech atmosphere that is empty filler.
Rated: C+
Oct 11, 2022
Full Review
Kay McFadden
Seattle Times
Although there's been buzz over the violence in this drama about a soldier trapped in a virtual-reality war game, the real problems are stale concept and dialogue.
Feb 3, 2020
Full Review
Joyce Millman
Salon.com
It's not as exhilaratingly addictive as The X-Files, but, unlike the coldly uninviting Millennium, it has characters and a mythology you could potentially care about.
Jul 12, 2019
Full Review
M.S. Mason
Christian Science Monitor
This hero's journey is as innovative and scary as [Chris] Carter's The X-Files.
Jul 12, 2019
Full Review
Filip Vukcevic
IGN Movies
I could go on about the lack of character development, the stupid and formulaic plots, the terrible dialogue and the fact that it seemed like the writers were making everything up as they went along, but there's no point.
Rated: 3/10
Jul 12, 2019
Full Review
Terry Sawyer
PopMatters
Harsh Realm has plenty of low-rent charm.
Jul 12, 2019
Full Review
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Jacob B
This obscure show from X-Files creator Chris Carter isn't that great but I do think it was salvageable. It has the usual positive attributes you'd expect from the man including an intriguing set-up, movie-quality cinematography (if not quite as amazing as that of his flagship show), good performances and Mark Snow continuing to be an underrated composer. However, this show has quite a few issues that make it weak and probably the reason why it is not regarded as an underrated masterpiece like Millennium. The characters aren't all that interesting or fleshed out with the protagonist being a naïve newcomer because "metaphor for the audience", the deuteragonist is your average jaded hardass and only the female character, who's a mute, could've been compelling but she ended up underutilised. I barely remember the characters' names. You'd think a guy whose surname is Pinocchio would stick with me but just barely. Chris Carter's usually good with names; even the short-lived Lone Gunmen spinoff had memorable names (not that Jimmy Bond is exactly inventive but still); yet I barely have a clue what our hero's name was supposed to be. Rather standard dialogue as well. You sure Darin Morgan couldn't have spiced things up, Mr. Carter? And, as is common with Chris Carter, too much filler episodes in a show that really lends itself better to a serialised narrative rather than this villain-of-the-week schtick. Yes, they can't immediately off the bald guy with the nice moustache who looks suspiciously like Peter Watts (I think I've got just the MOTW story for you, X-Files staff: a comedy episode where Mulder, Sully and Frank Black investigate a sinister conspiracy regarding why there were so many people who bore a striking resemblance to Terry O'Quinn...and does this mean the actual actor exists since Richard Gere exists in the X-Files-verse suggesting that Primal Fear is a film that exists and O'Quinn was a bit part in it? *mind blown*) because then there would be no show but it hardly feels like any progress is being made after the third episode. The fact that the show was cancelled without at least something resembling an ending didn't help. Harsh Realm could've had the chance to come into its own if it got more episodes and/or was renewed for a second season but what we got, while still watchable, just isn't very memorable. A show whose only lasting legacy was Chris Carter getting onto legal trouble with the writers of a same-named comic book that I liked but don't really know why they bothered since outside of the simulation aspect, they might as well be two different IPs that share the same name. Points for trying to experiment outside of the police procedural/crime drama/conspiracy aspects of The X-Files and Millennium, however.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
06/22/23
Full Review
David S
Amazing show Ahead of its time
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/05/23
Full Review
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Cast & Crew
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Cast & Crew
Episode 1
Aired Oct 8, 1999
Pilot
A soldier assigned to test a computerized training simulation finds himself trapped in a virtual-reality world.
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Episode 2
Aired Oct 15, 1999
Leviathan
Hobbes and Pinocchio are captured by bounty hunters, while Sophie challenges the military's version of Hobbes' death.
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Episode 3
Aired Oct 22, 1999
Inga Fossa
Hobbes and Pinocchio return to Santiago City to search for a portal back to the real world; Inga Fossa delivers a message to Hobbes.
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Episode 4
Aired Oct 29, 1999
Kein Ausgang
Hobbes and Pinocchio risk being caught in a perpetual battle loop after traveling through the virtual fabric of the game.
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Episode 5
Aired Nov 5, 1999
Reunion
Hobbes encounters a virtual version of his mother when he is captured and imprisoned in a concentration camp.
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Episode 6
Aired Nov 12, 1999
Three Percenters
Hobbes, Pinocchio and Florence discover that a potentially lethal computer virus has infected the Harsh Realm program.
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Episode 7
Aired May 5, 2000
Manus Domini
Women with amazing healing powers help Hobbes and Pinocchio after they become trapped in a mine shaft.
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Episode 8
Aired May 12, 2000
Cincinnati
Hobbes and Pinocchio attempt to stop Santiago as he attempts to kill an American Indian terrorist leader.
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Episode 9
Aired May 19, 2000
Camera Obscura
Hobbes and Pinocchio get involved with a priest and two families feuding over a treasure of buried gold.
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