George Addo wakes up to find himself several months in the past, and that single twist sets the whole engine of The Lazarus Project. Created by Joe Barton, the series premiered on 16 June 2022 on Sky Max, and it runs two seasons, sixteen episodes, ending on 3 January 2024. The premise is a secret organization that turns back time when the world faces extinction. That is the pitch, and the show spends its entire runtime trying to live up to it.
It mostly does.
Trailer, via Sky TV.
Waking Up
Paapa Essiedu plays George Addo, a man who wakes up to find himself several months in the past. He is recruited by the Lazarus Project, a secret organization that turns back time when the world faces extinction. The premise is simple on paper but difficult to pull off in practice, and Essiedu sells it through sheer force of presence. His performance carries the early episodes, making George feel like a man who is both lost and hunted at the same time.
Rudi Dharmalingam plays Shiv Reddy, Tom Burke plays Dennis Rebrov, and Anjli Mohindra plays Archie. Caroline Quentin plays Elizabeth “Wes” Wesley, Charly Clive plays Sarah Leigh, Brian Gleeson plays Ross Keane, Vinette Robinson plays Janet Daniels, Elaine Tan plays Zhang Rhui, Sam Troughton plays Dr. Henry Samson, Colin Salmon plays Robin Lerner, and Zoe Telford plays Dr. Kitty Gray. That is a full ensemble, and it rarely feels overstuffed.
The show’s strength is in how it handles the ensemble. Each character gets a moment to breathe, and the relationships between them carry more weight than any single plot point could manage on its own.
The Time Twist
The premise is the engine, and the show runs it hard. George wakes up to find himself several months in the past, and that is the first big twist. The second comes when he realizes the world is facing extinction, and the third comes when he learns the Lazarus Project exists to stop it. Each twist is earned, and each one lands.
The show trusts its audience to follow the logic. It explains the rules clearly enough that the audience can keep up, and it never stops to explain itself again once the rules are established. That is a rare gift in television, and it is one the show earns early and often.
The pacing is steady throughout. There are moments where the show leans on exposition to catch up a new viewer, but those moments are brief and well-placed. For the most part, the show trusts the audience to keep up with the timeline, and it rewards that trust with tighter plotting in return.
The Ensemble Carries It
The cast is large, and the show never loses sight of the people behind the premise. The relationships between the characters carry more weight than any single plot point could manage on its own.
Tom Burke’s Dennis Rebrov and Rudi Dharmalingam’s Shiv Reddy form a central partnership, and their scenes together carry some of the show’s best tension. Caroline Quentin’s Elizabeth “Wes” Wesley brings a sharp edge to the proceedings, while Charly Clive’s Sarah Leigh grounds the ensemble in quieter, more human terms. The show balances action with quiet character moments, and it never lets either mode overstay its welcome.
Brian Gleeson’s Ross Keane and Vinette Robinson’s Janet Daniels add depth to the supporting cast, and Elaine Tan’s Zhang Rhui and Sam Troughton’s Dr. Henry Samson round out the scientific side of the operation. Colin Salmon’s Robin Lerner and Zoe Telford’s Dr. Kitty Gray bring a sense of history to the project.
The Cast Breakdown
The show’s ensemble is its greatest strength. Here is how the main cast breaks down:
- Paapa Essiedu as George Addo
- Rudi Dharmalingam as Shiv Reddy
- Tom Burke as Dennis Rebrov
- Anjli Mohindra as Archie
- Caroline Quentin as Elizabeth “Wes” Wesley
- Charly Clive as Sarah Leigh
- Brian Gleeson as Ross Keane
- Vinette Robinson as Janet Daniels
- Elaine Tan as Zhang Rhui
- Sam Troughton as Dr. Henry Samson
- Colin Salmon as Robin Lerner
- Zoe Telford as Dr. Kitty Gray
Each character gets a moment to breathe, and the relationships between them carry more weight than any single plot point could manage on its own.
The Cancellation
In March 2024, the show was cancelled. The show ends on a note that leaves the door open. It does not resolve everything, but it resolves enough to feel like a proper end rather than a cliffhanger.
The Verdict
The Lazarus Project is a confident, well-made series that knows exactly what it wants to be. It is a science fiction drama with a strong ensemble cast, a clear premise, and a willingness to commit to that premise fully. The show trusts its audience to follow the timeline, and it rewards that trust with tighter plotting in return.
It is not perfect. Some of the later episodes lean harder on exposition than the earlier ones, and the pacing slows slightly in the middle stretch of the second season. But those are minor complaints against a show that otherwise delivers on nearly every front.
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