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Alphas

Super. And all too human.

2011–2012Ended2 seasons24 episodes~44 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

Five ordinary people with superhuman physical and mental abilities are brought together to form one extraordinary team of Alphas. Operating within the U.S. Department of Defense, the team investigates cases that point to others with Alpha abilities.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Alphas?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Alphas streaming on The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Alphas?

Alphas earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is Alphas worth watching?

Alphas' Midcredits score is the 57th percentile of all shows, from 31K ratings across 2 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

57th percentile

Better received than 57% of shows

48th percentile among Action55th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)49th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

71 /100

49th percentile of all shows

43rd percentile among Action47th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.5 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

77% liked it

65th percentile of all shows

53rd percentile among Action63rd percentile among 2010s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

93rd percentile

31K ratings across platforms

76th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28

What reviewers say

Common ground

A show about ordinary-looking people with extra abilities who work for the government.

Fans praised

  • grounded powers with realistic limitations and downsides
  • strong characterization and human drama over spectacle
  • nuanced moral ambiguity and relatable team dynamics

Detractors panned

  • derivative premise, compared to X-Men and Heroes
  • boring pacing and flat, clichéd characters

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

cast inhabits roles naturally, especially Strathairn and Cartwright

CharactersDivisive72

well-rounded, flawed, and human; some find them boring or cliché

Emotional impactDivisive70

cares about characters' struggles and losses

Plot and storyDivisive60

intriguing arcs but often predictable and full of conveniences

PacingDivisive58

starts slow but builds momentum; detractors find it plodding

Effects and spectacleDivisive40

limited budget; B-movie CGI and shaky cam criticized

OriginalityDivisive35

heavily derivative of X-Men/Heroes formula

Ending20

canceled on a cliffhanger, deeply unsatisfying

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Episodes

2 seasons

Season 2 · 2012 · 13 episodes

  • S2E1

    Wake-up Call

    Jul 23, 201244 min
  • S2E2

    The Quick and the Dead

    Jul 30, 201243 min
  • S2E3

    Alpha Dogs

    Aug 6, 201243 min
  • S2E4

    When Push Comes to Shove

    Aug 13, 201243 min
  • S2E5

    Gaslight

    Aug 20, 201242 min
  • S2E6

    Alphaville

    Aug 27, 201243 min

Watch experience

What is Alphas like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you bittersweet.

Style

  • Adventurous
  • Warm

Feelings

  • Tense
  • Hopeful

Themes

  • Identity
  • Community: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
  • Oppression

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Full focus
  • Affecting
  • Open-ended

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Urban
  • Institutional

How it leaves you

  • Bittersweet
  • Hopeful

Story

  • Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.
exact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Heaviest: throughoutWry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcOne continuous story
ToneThe series approaches its superhuman premise with earnest character drama and action, treating the characters' struggles seriously while maintaining an adventurous spirit.
The rideThe series maintains a sustained tension with occasional moments of hope and warmth, especially in the team's interactions.
StructureEpisodes follow a conventional case setup, investigation, and confrontation, with serialized arcs woven in.
Episode formatMost episodes present a self-contained case or mission while advancing a season-long arc about the organization hunting Alphas.
Season formatThough each season has its own primary threat, the overarching narrative and character development continue directly across both seasons.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a sense of hope for its characters' growth and teamwork, tempered by an unresolved cliffhanger due to cancellation.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe typical episode features the team hunting down an Alpha who has turned to crime or conspiracy, a clear monster-of-the-week structure with a larger arc against a terrorist group.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% (this title) · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10% (this title): Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

IdentityCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Oppression · 2% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on what it means to be an Alpha, with abilities that both empower and alienate, and the team's struggle to control their powers and find belonging.
StanceThe show questions the nature of identity and power, portraying Alphas as both gifted and marginalized, without a clear moral judgment.

The world

Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingA contemporary world where individuals with neurological differences possess superhuman abilities, operating in a covert government context.

Content guide

Is Alphas okay for kids?

TV-14

Alphas is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (42/100), sexual content at mild (28/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (100/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France10
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands12
  • PhilippinesG
  • PortugalNR
  • RO12
  • Spain7
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (18 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Alphas have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Alphas?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

David Strathairn
as Dr. Lee Rosen
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ryan Cartwright
as Gary Bell
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Warren Christie
as Cameron Hicks
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Azita Ghanizada
as Rachel Pirzad
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Laura Mennell
as Nina Theroux
Malik Yoba
as Bill Harken
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mahershala Ali
as Nathan Clay
newcomer then · star now
John Pyper-Ferguson
as Stanton Parish
Erin Way
as Kat
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Kathleen Munroe
as Danielle Rosen
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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What other shows share a tag with Alphas?

123 other shows share the rarest tag below, up against: terrorist. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.