“BrainDead” (2016) is a political/sci fi satire created by Robert and Michelle King. It originally aired last Summer (on CBS!) in the midst of the heated presidential campaign and the story takes place in the same time-frame following aspiring filmmaker Laurel Healy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as she gradually uncovers a plot hatched by a parasitic alien species to divide and conquer the country via covert takeover of DC. The necessary tonal shifts of the plot are handled surprisingly well, balancing horror, comedy, romance, and conspiracy thriller. Instead of traditional plot recaps, episodes feature a clever musical synopsis by Jonathan Coulton. While enjoyable and provocative (for network TV at least), the writers missed an opportunity to incorporate the bizarre presidential campaign directly into the plot (though the connection is implied). While the plot serves as a satisfying allegory it fails to explain brain dead behavior of politicians and pundits before and after the alien invasion. Unfortunately this won’t be addressed in future episodes since the series wasn’t renewed.

You can watch the first and only season of BrainDead here.

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