The third episode of the J.J.Abrams produced “Almost Human” does not disappoint as we continue to learn more about the partnership between man and machine.

The future that’s painted by the new series, “Almost Human,” is a bleak one, but one that’s filled with some very interesting technology and characters. The opening moments of the show set a theme that is reflected in numerous action movies and series to date: hostage situation in the skyscraper. Thanks to Bruce Willis and “Die Hard,” this is a motif that is very common in modern day movies and media. On a high note, the dual presences of Karl Urban’s Det. John Kennex and Michael Ealy’s Dorian saved the episode from being another “Die Hard” wannabe in the entertainment industry.

As in the first two episodes, the pilot and “Skin,” we get a front row seat to watching Urban’s Kennex character deal with his issues towards synthetics, primarily in the role of his partner Dorian, played masterfully by Ealy. Somewhat reminiscent of “I,Robot,” another futuristic cop movie in which a police detective is forced to face his own criticisms against synthetics when he teams up with one, we see Kennex warm more and more towards his partner with the airing of each episode. Never outright showing any respect or affection to Dorian, we get a more in depth look into what makes the character tick. If Abrams had anything to do with the casting of Urban and Ealy, and something tells me that he did, than he single handedly saved this show from obscurity and failed reflections of cheesy action movies.

The expressive depth of Ealy makes the Dorian character approachable and believable to everyone, forcing us to remind ourselves in every episode that the character is in fact a synthetic life form. The gruff no-nonsense Kennex is captured, perfectly, by Urban, himself no stranger to the archetypical emotionless hero with the quick trigger finger and the granite jaw. All in all, this show is shaping up to be very impressive. While I don’t think it will go on to break any records, and it certainly won’t be unseating blockbuster shows such as “The Walking Dead” or “Breaking Bad,” it is a highly entertaining show with two main characters that are portrayed masterfully by amazing character actors. I am very much looking forward to where this show is going to go next, and where the characters are going to go with their partnership.