Amazon's Mass Effect Show Is Getting Major Rewrites For One Controversial Reason
Mass revision.
Ever since Mass Effect arrived on the Xbox back in 2007, the original trilogy has been held up as a benchmark for not only the action RPG, but for thought-provoking, high-concept science fiction in gaming as a whole. Sure, Mass Effect 3’s unsatisfying original ending was met with widespread criticism, and sure, Mass Effect: Andromeda was a disappointment, but it cannot be understated just what an impact the games had on the medium. From the introduction of the dialogue wheel, which revolutionized the traditional RPG branching dialogue tree, to its controversial embrace of romance options and intimate cutscenes (which allowed for a lesbian relationship, still rare at the time), the reverberations of the original Mass Effect can still be felt, while rumblings of a new game prove there’s still an appetite for the franchise.
BioWare’s sprawling universe is also coming to television screens, courtesy of an Amazon MGM adaptation announced in 2024. Fans will not, however, be seeing Captain Shepard and the crew of the Normandy, nor will they get to witness the seismic battle between the intergalactic Citadel species and the dormant, techno-organic Eldritch beings known as the Reapers. Amazon revealed last year that the show would take place after the original trilogy, focusing on a new story with a new cast of characters. That makes sense, considering Commander Shepard’s story relies so heavily on player interactivity, but new reports suggest that the adaptation isn’t just shying away from Shepard’s story, but is trying to make the world more accessible to those who didn’t play the games.
Amazon’s show won’t focus on the cataclysmic conflict between the galaxy and the Reapers.
According to a report from The Ankler, Amazon’s new head of global TV, Peter Friedlander, has asked for wholesale rewrites of the show’s scripts in an effort to be “more appealing to non-gamers.” It’s not known how far along development was on the show, which is being written and executive-produced by Daniel Casey (the screenwriter of F9: The Fast Saga, 2018’s Kin, and rewrites on 10 Cloverfield Lane). But it’s certainly a setback, one that means fans will have to wait even longer to see the series.
On one hand, it’s an alarming update. Many video game adaptations have failed by trying to appeal to a broader market, only to lose exactly what makes the original material so singular in the first place. Mass Effect became one of the most acclaimed action RPG series because it was an intricately conceived world with an emphasis on meaningful decision-making against the backdrop of intergalactic politicking and conflict. If what Friedlander means by “more appealing to non-gamers” is neglecting all that in favor of a focus on generic sci-fi action, then it could be a disastrous move.
2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda was the first attempt at telling a story beyond the scope of the original trilogy, to mixed results.
On the other hand, the density of Mass Effect’s lore could overwhelm viewers who haven’t played the games, which will likely make up a large portion of the show’s audience. Sometimes, a dedicated fanbase just isn’t enough to provide the viewership necessary to ensure a show’s longevity and success, and it’s hard to say whether general audiences would be able to jump into the world of Mass Effect with the same ease as a dedicated fan. Perhaps the rewrites are simply to provide more context for the world and the events of the original trilogy, considering when the show is set. For better or worse, Amazon’s adaptation won’t be the same Mass Effect fans have spent four games becoming attached to. Hopefully, it still turns out to be a show that Shepherd would be willing to declare his favorite on the whole Citadel.
