Almost Human Lets Us Learn A Lot More About MX-43 '1'

Fox's Almost Human, set thirty-five years in the future, is designed to raise questions: about what confers a person's humanity; about how far law enforcement could or should go in stopping the kinds of crimes we probably should start expecting; about why Detective Valerie Stahl's hair in 2048 looks exactly like Minka Kelly's hair today. But nothing the show has done thus far has provoked more questions from this commentator than one memorable/disturbing moment in the latest episode.

Sick of loitering at the elevator waiting for Dorian to show up for work, Kennex goes looking for him in the android recharging bay or whatever the hell. But before he finds his partner, he runs into MX-43 '1,' in the middle of his morning ablutions.

SO MANY QUESTIONS, you guys.

Why is MX-43 '1' naked?

We saw him (and his same-faced brethren) in his charging bay, wearing his undershirt (or whatever). Why wouldn't he just put his police uniform on over it?

Why is MX-43 '1' ever naked?

I know we are accustomed to the idea of people starting the day by taking off whatever they slept in, then bathing, and then putting on street clothes. But presumably an android wouldn't need to shower because he doesn't sweat, so why wouldn't he just hang out in his uniform all the time? Although, wait....

Why does MX-43 '1' even have a removable uniform?

And by that I mean, why isn't his "flesh" just painted to look like a uniform? If you say it's because the reason the MX-43s are hyper-realistic is so that they don't make civilians uncomfortable because it's obvious on sight that they're not human, then (a) why give each product line the same face so that if you've seen one you know they're androids, and (b) why let them essentially broadcast their androidosity by showing them processing data with their light-up cheeks?

At what point did Anthony Konechny, who plays MX-43 '1,' decide he'd better send this letter home?

Think this offer is going to be withdrawn in light of what we just saw?

How did the MX-43 engineers decide which anatomical corners to cut?

Creepy as the shot above definitely, definitely was, I'm not saying that the MX-43 necessarily needs genitals, even though I think we all remember that Lt. Data was happy to be fully functional and that Tasha Yar was pretty happy that he was as well IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN (which is that they Did It on Star Trek: TNG). I am saying that if the MX-43's designers went to the trouble of sculpting [counts] an eight-pack on their creation for literally no reason (who is EVER going to see them?), I don't know why he had to end up with hips articulated like an action figure's — particularly when his shoulders don't work like that?! Did they just spend too much time on his upper body and run out of time and money to finish the bottom?

...How big is Dorian's action?

After his exposure to the MX-43's...blank canvas, shall we say, Kennex is moved to ask whether Dorian was similarly deprived by his creator, to which Dorian replies in the emphatic negative — and proves it by showing Kennex what he's working with, crotchwise. Apparently it's so impressive that Kennex sputters, "Is that all for one person?!" If an NC-17-rated look at Dorian's garbage isn't an extra on the Season 1 DVDs, then I guess I don't know anything about marketing at all. Make it happen, Executive Producer J.J. Abrams. You owe us.