Warning! Contains spoilers for Constellation.
Apple TV+ has added a new fascinating sci-fi series to its repertoire, and one behind-the-scenes detail proves it deserves more attention. When it comes to science fiction, only a few other streamers come close to offering the diversity and quality that Apple TV+ brings to the table. The streamer has had a fair share of misses with sci-fi shows like Hello! Tomorrow and Amazing Stories, but it has also succeeded with other shows like Severance, Silo, and For All Mankind.
The streaming platform’s new addition to its science fiction roster seems to have nearly all the ingredients that make a show successful. From talented cast members to real scientific concepts, from familiar sci-fi tropes to mindbending story developments, the new Apple TV+ sci-fi show has the potential to gradually find its place among the streamer’s best outings. A behind-the-scenes fact about its development further reinstates why more viewers need to check it out.
In a recent interview, Constellation‘s creator, Peter Harness, talked about everything from Stephen King’s glowing review of the show to all the creative processes that led to its development. Shedding light on how much time he spent mapping out Constellation‘s season 1, Harness revealed that it took him almost seven years to know the characters, determine what was happening to them, formulate their backstories, and set the rules for their world. Constellation‘s compelling season 1 makes it evident that Harness put a lot of time into developing it, proving that the Apple TV+ sci-fi show deserves more attention.
Constellation‘s initial episodes unfold at a snail’s pace, barely giving away bits and pieces of what is happening to its characters. However, when the show finally unravels the tapestry around its metaphysical exploration of parallel universes and quantum mechanics, it becomes hard not to notice how intricately each story beat has been woven into its overarching narrative. While a first viewing experience of Constellation allows one to understand the fictional laws of its portrayal of interdimensional travel and the patterns in its complex timelines and character beats, a second viewing reveals new levels of depth and detail.
From subtle shifts in the color palette to hidden references to real scientific thought experiments, Constellation creates a rich layer of visual and narrative clues that brilliantly foreshadow its plot developments. Even its portrayal and explanation of advanced physics concepts like quantum superposition and entanglement are not mere window dressings but serve as drivers of its storyline. However, given the effort Peter Harness put into developing the series, it is not surprising that Apple TV+’s Constellation never leaves a dull moment with its ambitious approach to sci-fi storytelling.