FX's FBI Thriller With Kate Mara Is Off To A Hot Start

FX might have hit a home run with "Class of '09."

The limited series starring Kate Mara follows a class of FBI recruits who entered that academy at Quantico in 2009, and then jumps to the present time and the future. It's noted right away that there's never been an "exceptional" class in the academy's history. The stage is set for this group of people to do major things through the different timelines.

Admittedly, the jumps can get a bit confusing, but the concept of the show on the surface is simple enough.

AI is the dominant theme of "Class of '09."

An artificial intelligence program has been designed that can essentially track crime before it happens. Tayo, the man who eventually takes over the FBI, says on loop early in the show, "Not only are we now one of the greatest countries on Earth. We are also one of the safest."

However, as we all know with a great thriller, nothing is truly as it appears, and Kate Mara's Poet soon finds herself at the middle of a conspiracy that appears ready to take her down a deep rabbit hole.

When viewers are introduced to Poet, it's clear something is already off with her. How do we know? One of her eyes isn't real. It's some kind of electric eye that can scan as if its a surveillance camera with facial recognition technology.

This was teased in the trailers, but I expected it to be revealed later in the show. Nope. It's revealed in the premiere. Is she part-cyborg? It's not clear.

Poet seems to have great intentions in the past and present timelines. Viewers get to watch her take down a ring of corrupt cops during her career. However, have those intentions stuck with her in the future where artificial intelligence dominates everything?

The answer is almost certainly going to be complicated. Without spoiling anything, the very end of the premiere makes it clear Poet still has free will. How much? We're going to find out down the stretch.

Artificial intelligence isn't presented in a positive light.

Just in case there was any confusion about "Class of '09," artificial intelligence isn't a hero in this story. In fact, it couldn't be more of a villain.

That much is clear. Just like real life, many people who hype up AI have positive intentions. However, what will happen to society if we really hand over our lives to computers?

The answer is obvious and not good. The risk of disaster is very high. "Class of '09" is going to show a very dystopian future of what happens when AI goes unchecked.

It's a bold vision from FX, and it's great to see. Far too many people are all in on AI without any questions being asked. This show will give fans a look at why it might not be a positive.

Overall, "Class of '09" is off to a solid start through the premiere and Kate Mara is great as always. I'll definitely be following along on Hulu.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.