“People of Earth” explores what it means to be human

Carmella Jimenez / Contributing Writer

“People of Earth” emerges as one of the most promising series on TBS as an alien abduction support group discovers more of their past and grows together through their search. The aliens that kidnapped them plot to invade Earth amid their tangled encounters with the humans. The series deserves way more attention than it has received.

Here’s why.

The series begins with a journalist, Ozzie Graham, who is apathetic to report on a human interest piece about “Star Crossed,” a group of lunatics, as he describes them. He travels to Beacon, New York to knock out the quick assignment before he realizes he has some soul searching of his own to do. He too is an “experiencer,” a term the group prefers over “abductee.”

We meet a group of three aliens in his interviews with the group members. Kurt, a Reptilian or lizard person, represents the most aggressive and cunning species. Whatever you do, do not make Jeff the Gray snap his fingers in a Z formation, because he brings the sass in every episode with his uptight personality and bossy attitude.

Don the White, a Nordic alien, appears as a photocopy of Legolas from “Lord of the Rings,” and looks and acts the most human of the three. His awkwardness and sensitivity make him the butt of most of Jeff and Kurt’s jokes, but keeps the plot moving to new places when he develops feelings for a subject.

“People of Earth” doesn’t waste time with unnecessary details.  The characters are the center of the show. Unlike many comedies that fall back to comedic trope, each character displays a peculiar depth.

Jonathan Walsh, a perfect example, starts the show as Ozzie’s annoyingly friendly boss that acts as the poster child of white male privilege – Ivy-league educated, wealthy, charismatic – all but human. It is soon revealed that as a Reptilian, he forms a special bond with Ozzie and betrays his own race to protect him. “People of Earth” flipped a handsome villain trope on its head to create one of its most multidimensional and impactful characters.

Ozzie as a main character balances the abnormal set of personalities within Star-Crossed with a healthy dose of skepticism and sarcasm.  He also values their friendships, even acting as a fake divorce attorney for Richard, a member in denial about why his wife left.

Viewers are kept on their toes by how the plot never resorts to the predictable.  The show constantly has a new trick up its sleeve. Each backstory includes vital details without fluff that enrich the characters’ relationships.

From a comedic perspective, “People of Earth” doesn’t ever come off as though it’s trying too hard. Jokes naturally roll of the tongue as extensions of each character’s quirks and inherent richness, slowly unraveling in each 30-minute episode.

It may not be laugh out loud comedy, but the plot’s perfect timing and the unforced interactions fill up the screen time with purpose and intrigue.

The premise of each story alone is attractive. An alien falls in love with an abductee, but doesn’t reveal his identity. A woman in an unhappy marriage develops a romantic relationship with a priest. Jeff the Gray loses his friend (or more than friend) and seeks revenge on the human that killed him.

No matter how weird the plot gets, “People of Earth” ultimately explores what it means to be human through a group of people coping with events they can’t explain. Their community validates their experiences and makes what would be a group of nutjobs, a supportive group of friends.

Alien or human, “People of Earth” makes you feel something.

Give it a shot on Monday nights on TBS at 10:30 p.m.