Based on 1 season, 8 episodes · through April 16, 2020
Devs is a sci-fi mystery television show about a software engineer named Lily Chan. She investigates the death of her boyfriend after he starts a new job at a secretive tech company. The show has a highly competent Asian female lead who solves the central mystery and a young male character who is played by a female actress. While it explores themes about the power of tech billionaires, the main focus is on scientific ideas about free will and determinism.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Devs.
Woke representation / casting
The show features a highly skilled Asian female lead and another woman as the second-in-command of a massive quantum physics department. It also casts female actress Cailee Spaeny to play a young male character. While these choices highlight competent women and gender-bent casting, they are presented as natural elements of a modern tech setting. They do not feel like forced quotas or explicit identity signaling, and there are no queer characters or themes.
35%
Woke political dialogue
The dialogue is completely free of activist talking points, identity politics, or modern social-justice terms. The characters spend their time speaking about theoretical physics, the multiverse, determinism, and philosophy.
0%
Production
Identity-driven story themes
The plot does not focus on struggles related to gender, race, sexuality, or identity. The entire story revolves around sci-fi concepts, grief, and the struggle between free will and destiny.
0%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The series takes a critical look at the unchecked power and god-like ambitions of Silicon Valley tech giants and their messianic CEOs. While this is a critique of modern corporate power, it plays out as a classic sci-fi warning about human hubris rather than a modern activist attack on Western institutions, masculinity, or traditional social norms.
5%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was no notable anti-woke backlash or complaints from right-leaning viewers claiming the series was pushing a progressive agenda. Critics and audiences focused almost entirely on the slow pacing, the acting performances, and the technical aspects of the show.
0%
Creator track record context
Creator Alex Garland has a low-to-moderate score of 25, reflecting his reputation for neutral, cerebral science fiction. Casting director Carmen Cuba has a score of 36, and the other producers have very low scores with no history of progressive activism.
20%
