The Nevers’ unaired episodes are worth streaming for free, despite Joss Whedon

2021 was a weird time to become a fan of a show with Joss Whedon’s name on it. The NeversThe supernatural thriller series “The Lie” premiered April 20, 2021, under cloud because of accusations of abuse on the set dating back to 1995. Buffy the Vampire Slayer built up against Whedon, the series’ creator and producer. NeversAfter six episodes, the show was unable to find an audience due to negative media. The production delay reportedly caused the cancellation of the series. Two years later, the promised back half of the opening season — the other six episodes in its 12-episode run — are now sporadically streaming free online, at least for those willing to jump through the considerable hoops involved in watching them. The majority of viewers won’t bother. And that’s a pity, because Nevers It was better than the reputation it had or the man associated so closely with it.

The series’ launch was doomed from the start. The series was cancelled almost a full year prior to its premiere Justice League actor Ray Fisher had been complaining circuitously about Whedon’s behavior as the stand-in director on the film, after Whedon took over from director Zack Snyder. In the wake of Fisher’s statements, other actors and creatives who had worked with Whedon came forward with their own stories of abuse and humiliation. Whedon was forced to resign in November 2020. NeversPhilippa Goslett, the producer, was then left in charge. However, the damage was done. Fisher finally provided details about his experience with Whedon in April 2021, as the series was premiering, and the show’s launch was muted and meek in the wake of the news.

The show received mixed reactions from viewers, with some expressing disgust. The pilot episode is certainly a problem, introducing so many characters and concepts that it doesn’t feel like a teaser for a coherent story. It packs in too much of the kind of banter-focused, self-aware whimsy that fandom has come to despise — and to blame Whedon for whenever they see it in any medium. In the wake of Whedon’s career-long focus on waifish yet tough, troubled but duty-driven female heroes, the show’s focus on that exact brand of superpowered women didn’t feel empowering, so much as it felt like Whedon plagiarizing himself. Maladie (Amy Manson), the first villain in Season 1, feels like Drusilla with a lighter skin. BuffyShe feels embarrassed by her appearance in an age where writers are trying to move beyond portraying mental ill people as villains.

However NeversIt did have a modest fandom because, despite everything, it picks up significantly in the second half of its first season. The series quickly becomes a compelling, surprising science fiction series with many unexpected twists and bold storytelling. Whedon seemed to be relying on the fame of his fans and their support in getting viewers past the initial hurdles of an unorthodox fantasy series opening. But a lot of them never did — and they missed out on a lot of surprises, especially once they got past the pilot Whedon wrote and directed, and on to the deeper action of the series.

Plus, the series missed a stellar performance by Laura Donnelly’s Amalia True character, a dynamic character that is equally defined both by its kick-ass action and intricate character work. Donnelly and Ann Skelly as Amalia’s best friend, Penance Adair, both feel like cliched types in the opening episode, then rapidly blossom into winning and admirable characters whose strengthening resolve and developing relationship throughout the season’s first half was a major part of the show’s appeal. This means for fans: Nevers However, they did receive the exciting information that the second part of the show is real.

The next step is to find out how they can watch it.

Given everything that happened around Whedon in 2020 and 2021 — and his insistence on digging himself in deeper with a disastrous interview once he did respond to the accusations — the show’s suspension after episode 6 made it seem unlikely that the other episodes would be made, let alone that they’d ever air. HBO Max’s demise Nevers Off its platform. This was apparently done as an attempt to cut costs and allow for higher-ticket shows (like WestworldAnd Wolves raise the childrenIt was like the end.

Then Tubi announced that it had acquired the license to not only the aired episodes but the back half of the season and would stream it free online, via a WB Watchlist channel — one of a number of livestreams hosted at Tubi, and accessible through all the same apps and services that access Tubi. But “livestreaming” means the episodes air at specific times and in multi-hour back-to-back blocks. So if you want to see them, you have to create a free Tubi account, tune in at a specific time, and watch them uninterrupted, with no access to pauses or rewinds — which is really not how most people watch TV these days. “Appointment television” is certainly a thing, but it usually means people sitting down to start a new episode of their favorite show the moment they can first watch it, not logging three-hour stretches locked in front of the TV starting at a specific time.

This limitation is finally able to see the rear half Nevers Fans have been trying to solve the problem or asking others to help them download episodes. This means that even big fans can watch the episodes over and over again, until they are safe to pirate. It’s just the latest depressing blow for a series that deserved better, and never really had a chance to thrive.

TubiTV.com offers Tubi via Android and iOS mobile apps, Roku and smart TV apps, including Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. It is also available on the current generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Nevers and other shows can be found under the “Live TV” tab, which takes you to the service’s continual-streaming channels. Next window to view episodes of NeversIt will air from March 1 through 3. Tubi says to expect the show “in regular rotation.”