Without too many spoilers, the plot of Away follows the journey of Dr Emma Green, a NASA astronaut about to set off to Mars under a three-year joint international space project called Atlas I. This international project includes other astronauts, namely Dr Ram from India, Misha from Russia, Dr Lu from China and Dr Kwesi from England. Emma, along with her four colleagues, is going to be the first human beings to step on Mars, but every achievement comes with a sacrifice. With a risk of improper communication with Earth and numerous things going wrong, the astronauts have to leave their families behind and face multiple challenges on their own, including personal conflicts.
This martian narrative is as much about family and relationships as it is about the technicalities of a journey in space
The show is breathtaking in terms of its visual effects and cinematography. Quite like First Man (dir. Damien Chazelle) and Interstellar (dir. Christopher Nolan), this martian narrative is as much about family and relationships as it is about the technicalities of a journey in space. It's different than the rest because even though the story revolves around Emma, it makes an effort to significantly dive into the storyline of the rest of the characters. In a way, it's more collaborative, personal and human than the previous films and television shows which take the flawed, human and error-filled aspect out to project a supernatural strength in the astronaut characters.
As a music fan, the show made my heart fill with joy with its brilliant choice of soundtracks which go hand-in-hand with the topic upon which the various episodes focus. From Debussy to Joni Mitchell, the music helps in connecting the audience in an emotional bond with the characters. More than the story, the show is about people and how support, trust and companionship are the real heroes in life.