Science Fiction Aficionados discussion

Okay, let me get my $.02 worth in first. I had hopes for this. Spielberg's name all over it, Noah Wyle isn't bad (I sort of liked the first Librarian TV movie), humans fighting a gorilla battle against aliens. Could HAVE BEEN good.

The second half of the pilot and we're already fighting humans (aliens everywhere and we get a story about humans killing humans, yah it would happen, but this is a TV series and it's only the second half of the first program!)who are racist...idiotic...STEREOTYPICAL...etc. The thing is waited heavily to the angsty, emotional, soap opera side. I'm sure that what puts me off will be what some really like. I've seen the same type thing before over and over...Firefly goes off, the NEW Battlestar Galactica stays on and even spins off Caprica with its human looking villains (much less expensive than all that computer work and makeup), it's (again) an angsty story line full of emotional turmoil, ups and downs.

Sorry, I was hoping for SOME military science fiction. The story of a resistance. I really don't need (or like) the overwrought weltschmerz. I mean I'm the kind of person who watches a police procedural program and doesn't want to hear about the cop's personal lives. I don't want to know that the marriages are rocky and the kids are rebellious and that the sergeant is sleeping with the lieutenant. I just want to see how they solve the crime and how the prosecutor tries the case. I want here to see how the humans resist the aliens not who's in love with who, along side a lecture on human failings. I got through the pilot but don't hold much hope for the series.

I know, as I said, some will love about it what I dislike...just life. Count me disappointed.

Okay, to be fair the "previews" look pretty good. I'll not "quit" yet... but the rebel guy and all that still looks iffy to me... See how it goes, I "hope" it gets better.

Just started here, will give an opinion in the morning.

sadly, i have to agree. the first hour was okay. on the so-so side of things. that second hour was really annoying and eye-rolling. unlike mike, i don't mind relationships & characterization stuff like that...but i do mind trite, tired, constantly recycled plotlines. ugh. plus, more fighting of aliens is needed!

Don't get me wrong Mark. I don't mind relational writing in general...just the overly emotional angsty guilt ridden stuff they seem to be going for. I mean, the pilot and we've already gotten into the world weary negative outlaw...who will apparently become the antihero of the piece. I mean I loved Firefly and it had plenty of relationships but they were simply better done. This, as you said is trite, tired etc... or as I said, stereotypical.

Oh well, we'll see.

It wasn't anything spectacular and it didn't grab me much. So I'm giving it another couple episodes before I write it off completely.

I do agree Ala. I watched the previews (next episode)... I planned to watch a couple more before writing it off, but it's on opposite Ice Road Truckers, so it's not like there's nothing else on. :)

Now that Game of Thrones is done, there isn't anything else on Sunday nights that I'd normally watch.

So if this show goes bad, I'll just go back to reading instead :P

Just thought I'd say, not overly impressed last night either. Okay, doesn't look good.

Haven't seen this yet, but I'm not keeping my hopes up. I'm hoping that it will surprise me.

Well, on the up side, there's plenty of room for improvement...

Ala wrote: Now that Game of Thrones is done, there isn't anything else on Sunday nights that I'd normally watch.
Don't you watch True Blood?

As for Falling Skies, it is mediocre at best. Some parts are good, others suck. I'll give it few eps and see what happens. True Blood and Ice Road Truckers are on and I can guarantee they'll keep my attention.

Mike, as an aside, I have to admit IRT is annoying me this year with Maya. They've gone from serious trucking on the most dangerous highways in the Northern Hemisphere to having some silly twit parade around in a bikini in the hots springs. If they keep this up, they'll surely lose a viewer. Lisa would never put up with that sexist bullshit.

I know...but in my case it cracked me up...I mean how obvious could they be. "Hey maybe we can get even more guys to watch if we have a shapely trucker and show he bathing in a hot spring!!!!!" It probably ticks Lisa off royally.

Mostly Maya seems like she may not be that up to things but I don't want to be to quick to say that...I'll be called a male Chauvinist or something. It's just that she's made such a big deal of being a NYCity trucker and she reacted so badly to the Ice Roads.

Ya folks I like Ice Road Truckers...so I'm a red neck at heart. LOL

I'm a native New Yorker, so I wanted Maya to succeed, but I don't think she has what it takes. The announcer said one of the rookies will not last the season, and the only rookies this year are Dave and Maya. I saw Dave on the Himalayan roads, trust me, Dave will make it on the ice road.
I don't think it's chauvinistic to say Maya isn't good enough if it's true.

If Dave get's booted it'll be his attitude that does it. The first "training driver/evaluator" really ticked him off and he finally couldn't hold it in..

Yes, he's his own worst enemy. But now that he's driving on his own, I think he'll be able to keep his attitude in check. I liked Dave from his time on the other IRT, but even I was getting annoyed at his whining.
Maya is terrified of everything on the road. If I hear her say 'Oh My god' or 'That's crazy' one more time, I'll stick cotton in my ears. One cannot drive the ice road full of fear.
And with that said, I'd never be able to do it.

This show, along with the Lost Future, One Hundred and several more, are what is wrong with TV and Film at the moment. If you are going to make a relationship show do that. I can certainly say that in my life I do not spend my whole time angsting about everyone around me. Nor do my friends. They get on with life and solve issues with a logic and cooperation that generally exists in society.
Why do they always have to have parent child issues, race issues, power struggles and freaking personality clashes everywhere.
Drives me nuts. Not that you would have guessed. :)
The Europa Report, for me, was a well made and direct film with real people portrayed in believable roles. More of this please, less of Fallen Skies style schmaltz. IMHO.