Based on 1 season, 13 episodes · through May 24, 2021
Debris is a science fiction TV show about two agents, one American and one British, who work together. They investigate mysterious and dangerous events caused by wreckage from an alien spacecraft falling to Earth. The show focuses heavily on the characters dealing with grief and family trauma. The casting features a Black female agent and her scientist father in key roles, which is highly visible to the audience.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Debris.
Woke representation / casting
The main British agent is played by a Black woman. Her father, a very smart scientist, is also played by a Black man. This matches a common pattern of casting diverse actors in highly competent roles. However, the show never talks about their race or identity. The diversity is visible but is treated as normal for the setting.
32%
Woke political dialogue
There is almost no political or activist dialogue in the show. The characters talk about alien technology, science, and their personal lives. They do not give lectures on social justice or modern politics.
0%
Production
Identity-driven story themes
The story does not focus on identity issues like race, gender, or sexuality. Instead, the episodes are about grief, lost family members, memory, and high-concept science fiction. The characters work to solve alien mysteries rather than fight social issues.
0%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show has a basic government conspiracy plot. The CIA and MI6 keep secrets from each other. Some bad guys try to steal alien technology to keep it out of government hands. This is a very common science fiction story. It does not critique capitalism, patriarchy, or traditional family values.
12%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The show is completely original. It is not based on any old books, comics, or movies, so no legacy characters were changed.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was no political backlash or anti-woke complaints about this show. Audiences did not accuse the show of pushing a political agenda. The main complaints from viewers were about the slow plot and the focus on relationship drama instead of aliens.
0%
Creator track record context
The main creator, J.H. Wyman, has a clean record with no political activism. Almost all of the writers and producers also have very low scores. A couple of staff writers and directors have progressive backgrounds, but they did not bring any political messaging into the actual episodes.
22%
