There is a lot of science fiction on television these days, and as with its theatrical big sibling, a lot of it relies on special effects and/or the built-in advantage of belonging to some extended, mutually promotional universe. Castles are built upon cliches, for reasons that can seem both purposeful and lazy; action and mythology can take precedence over character and relationships, which are often more implied than portrayed. This does seem to be a recipe for success.
That is not "Paper Girls," which premiered Friday on Prime Video. I have no idea whether it will attract the audience it deserves, or even who exactly that audience might be. (That Prime put reviews under embargo until the release date suggests it may have doubts of its own.) Developed by Stephany Folsom from a comic by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, and counting "Halt and Catch Fire's" Christopher C. Rogers and Chris Cantwell as showrunners, it centers on a quartet of 12-year-olds. But the ideas are mature, involving identity, memory and youthful hopes coming literally face to face with adult reality, and it is more than usually subtle about loss and death. Between occasional bursts of action, the pace remains leisurely, with room for stillness; there is very little in the way of spectacle, and much of what there is shows the modesty of its budget. Still, I would rank it as one of the year's best shows, for what it does right and what it doesn't bother doing, for the intelligence of the writing and the natural flow of its dialogue, and the impressively deep performances of its phenomenally talented young cast — not actual 12-year-olds, but near enough.
Given that it begins in the 1980s — it's a time travel show, so it doesn't stay there long — and involves young people caught in the middle of science-fictional forces, the series is sure to be compared to "Stranger Things"; the comic already was. The sci-fi elements frame the story, create danger, draw the protagonists together and allow for encounters not possible under the laws of physics as we currently understand them.
