“Five-Star Review From God”: Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Show Creator Reacts To Stephen King’s “Just About Perfect” Review

Constellation creator Peter Harness reacts to Stephen King’s glowing review of his show. The Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller follows the harrowing story of an astronaut, Johanna “Jo” Ericsson (Noomi Rapace), who survives an incident on board the International Space Station. However, her nightmare isn’t over as, upon returning home, she realizes her life on Earth appears to be altered. The series has received largely positive reviews from critics for its strong performances and eerie premise, but one review particularly stood out to Harness.

While speaking to Screen Rant, Harness revealed what it was like when Constellation earned King’s approval. At first, Harness feared something was wrong when his phone started blowing up at 6:00 AM on a Saturday. However, he was delighted to learn all the clamor was because King had reviewed his show and called it “just about perfect.” Check out his statement below:

I’ve seen the first thing he said. I’m sure somebody would have told me if he’s said anything more about it. My phone suddenly started going crazy, like, at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning — and I have lost all of my other pairs of glasses apart from these, and I couldn’t find my glasses. So, I thought, “Oh, God, what the hell has happened?” Something awful has clearly happened.” It took me about 10 minutes to find my glasses, and nobody else was awake in the house. And then, when I did, this amazing thing happened. I have a friend called Catriona Ward, who’s a horror novelist. Stephen King said a similar thing about one of her books, and it really just kind of made that book take off. I never thought he would do that about something that I wrote. That’s like getting a five-star review from God. I grew up, and everybody that I knew grew up, reading Stephen King books, and being terrified by Salem’s Lot on TV. That was one of those tiny moments that I will cherish forever. I’m going to have it printed out on nice paper and framed on my wall. It was really, really magical.

What Makes Constellation So Close To Perfect?

Harness’ reaction to King’s review of Constellation was certainly not an overreaction. While the author is best known for writing horror novels, he has gained a reputation for commenting on his favorite movies and shows. Getting the master storyteller’s approval is no easy feat, meaning King’s positive reviews are a unique badge of honor for specific projects. Not only is his approval a strong indicator of quality, but viewers will be very curious to learn how a show gets so close to perfection.

In his review of Constellation, King largely praised its suspense, calling it “nail-biting and believable.” It’s not often that a sci-fi series is called believable, but one of the show’s merits is, indeed, its realism. Constellation creates an exact replica of the I.S.S. and isn’t afraid to depict what being in space is really like, especially when it comes to a zero-gravity environment and terrifying claustrophobia. Meanwhile, even the altered reality portion is done subtly and realistically, reflecting the difficulty astronauts may experience re-adjusting to Earth.

Hence, viewers are constantly questioning what’s real and not, and the fact that the show is a blend of true science and sci-fi concepts makes it all the more eerie. Additionally, the performances, plot twists, and visuals only aid in building an exceedingly tense series. Still, King’s review cautioned he was unsure if the show could pull off its finale. Constellation‘s realistic and suspenseful premise is quite close to perfect, but it remains to be seen if the ending will place it squarely within the bounds of perfection or not.