Web Series Spotlight: State of Syn

Back on January 18, an innovative sci-fi web series debuted on Hulu called State of Syn, which takes place in 2043 in an unstable world where corporations have replaced the government and a giant wall divides the rich from the poor.

What sets this web series apart, though, from all the others is that it uses photographs, sound, video and animation layered together to create a graphic novel set in motion. And, the web series stars Stargate: Atlantis actors David Hewlett and Jewel Staite in the lead roles with an appearance by their co-star Rainbow Francks, voice over narration by another co-star Torri Higginson as well as Instant Star actress Barbara Mamabolo.

The story behind State of Syn revolves around Annika Drake (Staite), a young woman with a special neurological condition called synesthesia, who finds herself at the center of a plot by tech giant Psylosense after her father is murdered. Aslin Kane (Hewlett) runs Psylosense, and his plot to bring a highly addictive new sensory experience, Vibe, to the masses, might just cost Annika her life.

In talking about what her character is like, Jewel had this to share about Annika. She is “a synesthete, meaning her senses are all sort of one. She can hear shapes, feels color. She’s always felt like an outcast because of it, and so her father, who’s a successful scientist, created a surgical shield for her to make her normal. What she doesn’t know is she’s a special kind of synesthete with a really unique gift that some very bad people would love to get a hold of to market to the masses”.

As for Hewlett, his character – Aslin Kane – “doesn’t plan on being a baby-disfiguring world-dominating madman, but he’s got bills to pay. He’s got a company to run. He’s been put in this ridiculous situation where he doesn’t have access to the very thing that he’s supposed to be responsible for. And he’s a scientist who’s gone corporate. He’s struggling to find a reason why he’s doing the right thing. He thinks he’s being pragmatic, but the reality is, of course, he’s lost his way in the world of science.

While a second season of State of Syn isn’t a certainty (just yet), there are plenty of other characters to focus on should the folks behind the scenes of the web series decide to proceed. For right now, though, you can check out the first three episodes of State of Syn and then head over to Hulu.com to watch all 8 episodes:

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three