Demascus

“Demascus” isn’t parochial or polemical; the emotional beats are accessible to any moderately sensitive human. And there’s pure pleasure to be found in the writing, which is sharp and smart and natural; the direction, which shapes and is shaped by the evolving material without getting in its way; and uniformly marvelous performances. I finished the sixth episode, titled “Season Two Prequel” (following the penultimate episode, “Penultimate”), wanting more.

Demascus is funny in the right spots and weird in all the right ways, but it’s also an interesting take on Black identity, whether it’s in the current world or the technology-enhanced version of it that’s in the series.

But while the premise of “Demascus” is enticing — what might our lives look like with small changes? — the six-episode series doesn’t live up to its initial promise. There is a “solution” offered by the final episode that explains everything we’ve seen up to that point, but instead of resonating, it felt somewhat pat.