Among Us is an adult animation series based on a video game, filmed in 2024 and released on Paramount Plus in 2026. Showrunner Owen Dennis has been associated with the gay-friendly Regular Show, Infinity Train, and AJ Goes to the Dog Park (and he has Pride wallpaper on his cell phone), so I expect some gay subtexts, or maybe even texts.
The premise: An alien shapeshifter is killing the crew members on the Spaceship Skeld as it travels toward its home planet with a precious cargo. They have to identify the imposter before it's too late.
The astronauts are bean-shaped, about 3.5 feet tall, named after their color (which could present problems in a large group). They have two legs, no arms, no mouths, floating hands, and large visors that change to express emotions. They are genderless, but they reference hookups and "childbirth," so something like human sexual activity occurs.
Since they are nonbinary, the astronauts are all LGBTQ. But I'm going to gender them through the gender of their voice actors, and check for "same-sex" desire.
I'm reviewing Episode 1.2, "You Can't Be Hot and Smart," which begins just after the first being, new crew member White (Patton Oswald) has been sliced neatly in half.
Scene 1: Everyone screams, retches, slips on the blood. Someone puts a "Wet Floor" notice. They try to notify MIRRA, their company, but comms are down. Captain Red (Randall Park, left) cautions everyone, "don't panic."
And don't forget your towel (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
Then Doctor Blue (Dan Stevens, Korvo on Solar Opposites) arrives, and everyone relaxes, because they inspire confidence.
Scene 2: In the med bay, Captain Red tries to avoid admitting that White was murdered; maybe it was a work related accident? Doctor Blue tells them that suddenly being cut in half is quite rare. They perform some tests. We see swabbing, a petri dish, typing into a computer, and finally they conclude that...White is dead.
Scene 3: Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, everyone agrees that it was a murder. Did White have any enemies? No, everyone loved them -- except Unpaid Intern Green (Elijah Wood) who wanted to steer the ship -- their lifelong dream -- but White stole the job. This aroused their bloodlust!
Green, mopping the floor, claims that they have "no lust for anything, especially blood."
Left: Reputedly Elijah Wood.
Scene 4: Captain Red asks Security Officer Purple (Ashley Johnson) to check the security cams for suspicious activity, but they only record in black and white, and without color, you can't tell who is who. Maybe by costume?
Doctor Blue calls Purple into the medbay for an invasive body scan: they want to compare White's body with every crew member's, to see if the splitting-in-half was caused by an alien pathogen or mutation. "I won't sleep until I know how to protect the crew!" they announce.
Purple swoons with romantic desire. M-F voice actors
More after the break
Scene 5: Next Unpaid Intern Green is scanned. They complain that they should have stayed home on the worm farm; their goal is to become a heroic captain, but how many unpaid interns actually make it to captain rank?
Left: Dan Stevens
"We all take different paths," Doctor Blue says. "My first doctorate was in the history of elegiac poetry. Once I understood the beauty of life, I decided to train to become a doctor, and save it. Trust your heart."
Green faints from romantic desire. M-M voice actors.
Scene 6: Doctor Blue tells Green to send in Engineer Lime for their invasive body scan, But Green can't find them. They try the hold, where Gemologist Cyan and Geologist Black (Kimiko Glen, Liv Hewson) are being interviewed by HR Representative Orange, so they don't sue the company. Romantic pair, with F-nonbinary voice actors.
Green asks Geologist Black to go in for the body scan, "So I don't get yelled at."
Scene 7: In the medbay, Geologist Black is impressed by the quality of the equipment. All the company gave him was a crappy microscope. Doctor Blue agrees that many sciences are severely underfunded. Everyone wants the results, but they don't want to finance the everyday work.
Black is so turned on that steam comes out of their slave collar.
M-nonbinary voice actors.
Scene 8: Next Gemologist Cyan and HR Rep Orange, who swoon together, and fly off, exclaiming "What a dreamboat!"
M-F voice actors.
Suddenly Engineer Lime (Wayne Knight) jumps up from the floor and yells "Don't do it! You'll fall in love with them!"
Doctor Blue asks to scan Lime, but they refuse: "That machine will steal my DNA and sell it to marauders, who will use it to steal my organs."
"I understand your concerns, but I really need a scan of every crew member. I know it's hard to open your heart to trust.."
"Swoon, swoon, swoon! Ok, but I'm watching you!"
M-M voice actors.
Scene 9: Montage of Doctor Blue examining the scans, testing samples, staying up all night, and finally a page comes out of the printer that shocks him. He says: "And lo, the knowledge of thy sin be found, the curse of blessing leaves the loss profound." Not a real quote. A shadowy thing sneaks up from the floor and envelops him.
Cut to security cam monitors: it is leaking out like a dark liquid from behind the medbay door. The end.
My Grade: I'm not really interested in the plot, since it's obvious from the start who the Intruder is. But I'm interested in the species. How do they do bedroom stuff, with no sex organs, butts, or mouths? Do they extrude sex organs during the act, as in The Left Hand of Darkness? Do they have human-type equipment that's not animated, like Yogi Bear or Casper the Friendly Ghost? Or is their entire body an erotic zone?
Did the "Solar Opposites Valentine's Day Special" really change everything?
Regular Show: It's Anything But Heterosexist
"Come to Daddy": Elijah Wood is Gay for 45 Minutes
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