‘The Lazarus Project’ Timeloops the Never-Ending Choice Between Love & Duty

It may feel like we’re living in apocalyptic times, and that sense of impending doom is exactly the jumping-off point that thriller The Lazarus Project uses to fuel some of the most bingeable escapism on TV today. From Joe Barton, creator of crime drama Giri/Haji, The Lazarus Project is a surprisingly heartfelt sci-fi tale of the choice between love and duty.

The show stars Paapa Essiedu as George, a mildly successful techie and the most average of average joes, who realizes that he has been experiencing several months on a time loop, culminating in an apocalyptic pandemic. (No, it’s not COVID, although that real-world pandemic is referenced, giving the show a strong foundation in reality.) George is quickly recruited by the Lazarus Project, a secret organization beyond the government with the power to reset time to the previous July 1st every time humanity experiences an apocalyptic event. The agents of the Lazarus Project then must stop the event or minimize its effect on humanity.

George is what the agents call a “mutant,” someone who is genetically able to perceive the time loops. He is brought onboard, but after working with the Lazarus Project for several years, George witnesses his wife Sarah (Charly Clive) die in a tragic accident. He is then faced with a choice: let time play out, or intervene to reset time to a world in which his wife is still alive. The show’s action and thriller elements disguise what is actually a deeply emotional and philosophical story that invites viewers to ponder profound questions on an enormous scale.