Cleopatra in Space Review

The mythology and history of Cleopatra, pharaoh of Egypt, has often been a topic in popular culture, from Hollywood films, webcomics like Everywhere and Nowhere, and mature animated series such as Clone High. This year, a new show, titled Cleopatra in Space, tapped into those myths and stories and began streaming on NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock.

The animated series is based on a graphic novel series of the same name by Mike Maihack, with Doug Langdale and Julia “Fitzy” Fitzmaurice as showrunners. As a fan of various animated series, especially those with sci-fi elements, this series drew me in, even though it’s aimed toward younger kids, rather than young adults or mature adults over age 18. Egyptian themes and mythology are interwoven throughout the show’s imagery and music, composed by Jay Vincent and Ryan Lofty.

The series begins with the premise that brown-skinned Cleopatra “Cleo,” voiced by Lilimar Hernandez, a rambunctious teenage princess in Ancient Egypt, touches a tablet, which sends her 30,000 years into the future. She enters the Nile Galaxy, where she is considered the “savior” to defend the galaxy from the evil clutches of Octavian (voiced by Jonathan Kite) and attends an intergalactic high school on a planet, Mayet, governed by a council of talking cats. Lilimar also sings the theme song, “Written in the Stars,” which opens every episode.

The show’s first season, which is 13 episodes long, begins Cleo’s adventures with her friends Brian (voiced by Jorge Diaz) and Akila (voiced by Katie Crown), and her mentor, Khensu. Cleo is shown to be sometimes brash, dislikes authority, and likes to do her own thing. However, she also respects Khensu (voiced by Sendhil Ramamurthy) and supports her friends, apologizing if she made a mistake or overstepped. Unlike other shows where the protagonist wants to talk rather than fight, she fights the robotic soldiers of Octavian, destroying them repeatedly, using futuristic weapons like laser guns and plasma staffs. At the same time, she is a relatable character, is resourceful, and can go into action as needed, not even needing to plan. She, Brian, and Akila form a team, which go on wild adventures, whether on Mayet or in the Nile Galaxy, fighting space scavengers, space butterflies, robotic dragons, or angry ex-cons who work at a space hotel. While there are serious moments, the show is filled with comedic moments. Like other animations, teamwork and friendship are emphasized.

Cleopatra in Space has compelling characters and stories, and various sci-fi themes, like time travel. Apart from Maihack confirming Cleo as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the graphic novels, which means that she would have the same characteristics in the animated series, Brian is shown to have social anxiety and Akila as a busybody who enjoys school. Specifically, Akila, unlike Cleo, who detests school, likes to study in libraries and is very gregarious. Cleo is further shown to have an academic rival, who is unique to the animated series, named Callie (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) and Zaid (voiced by Xolo Maridueña), a so-called “bad boy” who Cleo has a crush on. Additionally, the episode “Quarantine” has a lot of parallels to the current COVID-19 crisis, as Cleo ends up infecting the whole school campus with a virus from another planet after she ignores Khensu’s warning to quarantine. However, licensing issues have prevented it from being added to Peacock.

Currently, half of the show’s second season, six episodes, are listed on Peacock for streaming. This season begins with Cleo getting her own animal companion named Mihos, like similar companions in other animated series: Kero in Cardcaptor Sakura, Amaru in LoliRock, Luna in Sailor Moon, and Nut in Magical Girl Friendship Squad. The mystery of Octavian deepens as Cleo and her team tries to search for the UTA Tablet, while Zaid is expelled by the council. Like season one, there are many sci-fi and fantasy vibes, including simulated realities and futuristic technology. The importance of self-worth, accepting who you really are, and controlling your ego, are major points of these episodes, including when Brian employs an A.I. named Cyrano (voiced by Greg Cipes) to help him become more popular. Furthermore, at times Cleo begins to distance herself from her friends, while at others she plays matchmaker between Brian and Akila, whose romance expands during these episodes, and tries to establish herself as the team leader. In one episode, “School Break,” the show’s first confirmed LGBTQ characters are introduced: Theoda (voiced by Cissy Jones) and Pothina (voiced by Kari Wahlgren), the mothers of Akila.

If the show is renewed for a third season, after the second half of season 2 is added to Peacock, hopefully, the show improves moving forward. For one, the show could have more LGBTQ characters other than Theoda and Pothina. While Cleo and her friend Akila, who are roommates, do kiss each other in the episode “Do-Over,” it is clearly shown to be a “friendship kiss,” rather than a romantic one. Any same-sex pairings, either of Brian and Zaid, Akila and Cleo, or Cleo and Callie, some of which are favored by those in the small fandom for the show, are unlikely in the upcoming season, due to the emphasis on Brian and Akila as a would-be couple, and Zaid and Cleo are shown to have feelings for one another. The show could further benefit from re-casting the voices of brown-skinned characters, like Lakshmi and Yosira, so they are voiced by people of color rather than White actors like Kari Wahlgren.

If Cleopatra in Space is a success, it may result in more animated shows from DreamWorks are added to Peacock in the future, instead of on Netflix, like most animated shows from the company. However, due to the lack of promotion by DreamWorks and Peacock of the show on Twitter, and in general, there is a possibility that the show will be canceled after the second half of season two is added to Peacock. In the end, the show is fun, exciting, and can be enjoyed by everyone, worth watching in its entirety.

Cleopatra in Space is available on Peacock for streaming