Class of '09

Class of '09 is an American drama thriller television miniseries created by Tom Rob Smith. The show premiered on FX on Hulu on May 10, 2023.

Synopsis
The series takes place across three distinct time periods: The Past (2009), The Present (2023 and 2025) and The Future (2034). It follows the lives and careers of a team of FBI recruits whilst focusing on the transformation of the U.S. criminal justice system as it is altered by the growing use of artificial intelligence to predict future crimes.

Main

 * Brian Tyree Henry as Tayo Michaels, a former insurance adjuster and FBI recruit in 2009, Special Agent-in-Charge in 2023, FBI Executive Assistant Director in 2025, and FBI Director in 2034
 * Kate Mara as Ashley Poet, a former nurse and FBI recruit in 2009, Special Agent in 2023 and 2025 specializing in undercover work and later the investigation of serial murders, and a Special Agent-in-Charge in 2034. By the end of the series, she is a trainer at Quantico.
 * Sepideh Moafi as Hour Nazari, an Iranian American FBI recruit and MIT graduate in 2009, a Special Agent and senior member of the FBI's Cybersecurity division in 2023 and 2025, and an off-grid survivalist in 2034 after resigning from the Bureau in protest
 * Brian J. Smith as Daniel Lennix, a former lawyer and FBI recruit in 2009 who later becomes FBI Associate Deputy Director in 2023. By 2034, he has retired from the Bureau to focus on managing his family's business
 * Jon Jon Briones as Gabriel, a Special Agent and trainer at Quantico in 2009
 * Brooke Smith as Drew, a Special Agent and trainer at Quantico in 2009 and 2023
 * Jake McDorman as Murphy, a former SLCPD officer and FBI recruit in 2009 and Special Agent in 2023 and 2025
 * Rosalind Eleazar as Dr. Vivienne McMahon, a civil rights attorney in 2009, Tayo's wife in 2023 and 2025, and a federal judge in 2034

Recurring

 * Raúl Castillo as Amos Garcia, an AI tech entrepreneur who designed the original AI system for the FBI in 2023 prior to his death in 2034
 * Rasool Jahan as Spenser, a United States Senator and skeptic of the FBI's AI system in 2034
 * Lindsay Ayliffe as Shannon Fitzgerald, the FBI Director in 2025 and Tayo's predecessor who resigns after a terrorist attack
 * Dan Tracy as Warren, a senior Bureau official and Tayo's successor as FBI Director in 2034

Guest

 * Mark Pellegrino as Mark Tupirik, a domestic terrorist in 2009 and 2023 responsible for a major attack on FBI headquarters

Production
On June 22, 2021, it was reported that FX on Hulu had given the production an eight-episode order. The limited series is created by Tom Rob Smith who also expected to executive produce alongside Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, with Nellie Reed serving as a producer. FX Productions and Color Force are the production companies involved with producing the series. Upon the limited series order announcement, Brian Tyree Henry and Kate Mara were also cast to star.

On August 13, 2021, it was announced that Sunu Gonera was set to direct the pilot. On November 10, 2021, Raúl Castillo, Jake McDorman, Sepideh Moafi, Brian J. Smith, Jon Jon Briones, Brooke Smith, and Rosalind Eleazar joined the main cast. On March 1, 2022, Steven Canals announced that he was to direct two episodes of the series.

Release
Class of '09 premiered on FX on Hulu in the United States on May 10, 2023, with the first two episodes available immediately, and the rest debuting on a weekly basis. It later debuted on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in other territories.

Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 58% approval rating with an average rating of 6.3/10, based on 33 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Class of '09 hardly flunks out thanks to an impressive cast and intriguing structure, but anemic execution keeps this series far from being valedictorian." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Sage Ashford and Alexander Vance of Comic Book Resources described Class of '09 as intriguing and constructive across its story, writing, "With insightful themes and splendid acting from the cast, Class of '09 is an appealing examination of the use of AI in the criminal justice system." Erick Massoto of Collider complimented how the show utilizes its three distinct time periods and praised the performances of the cast, saying, "Class of '09 plays out like a show that makes great use of the time that it is given. It provides the rare feeling that it is exploring every possibility inside its own narrative and is able to excel in everything it tries to do."

Accolades
Brian Tyree Henry was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance in a TV Movie/Limited Seriesat the 2024 Black Reel Awards for Television. He was also nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards.