Thursday, September 29, 2011

We were very disappointed by Terra Nova; we got through the first hour but bailed shortly after. It bothered me that I didn't actually like any of the charactes. It bothered me more that the main character looks like he's going to be a cop; of course, it's a TV show, every TV show has to be about someone who solves crimes. It bothered me most that they're sending a colony of people from a ruined Earth to a pristine, Cretaceous Earth... and the script made that seem banal, ugly and tedious. I was not once surprised by something that happened. None of the characters were interesting, or seemed like they'd reward further watching. Nothing about the Terra Novan society surprised me. Nothing about the science surprised me. There was just nothing new in the show, after an hour.

I want my SF to surprise me. Wah.

1:30 PM

5 Comments:

The ONLY thing that held my attention was the equations on the rocks. And for some unknown reason they felt the need to explain that away too. Literally, the last 3 minutes of the show I went from, giving it a chance, to -- well, now I know where this is going.

So much wrong with that show -- from bulletproof dinosaurs, to dinos that don't eat people, inexplicably wounding them (and barely wound them at that -- they all walk away from it) covering plot holes with devices that create even larger plot holes -- when I send a probe through a crack in space/time and never find it again, my first thought is NOT "Oh, it must be 85 million years in an alternate past."

That's not even getting to the characters -- mom and dad have no chemistry. The girl that falls for the boy is like 30 -- oh and how much do you want to bet the next group of people to come back includes his girlfriend from the future?

Honestly, I don't even know how they determined they are 85 million years in the past. They're in an alternate universe. Maybe it's just one that ages slower.

Here's what I think the original idea was -- and it was COMPLETELY developed out of the show --

You have a future society that has destroyed their planet beyond recognition. Their only chance for survival as a species is to go back into the past. The problem is that going back into the past puts their own timeline and existence at risk.

So, now in this past timeline not only do they have to tread lightly with their surroundings in an effort to not repeat the future that awaits them -- but they have to do so to try and not prevent their own existence.

Doesn't that sound like a GREAT conflict?

And I bet its the first thing execs had an issue with. Wouldn't them being in the past jeopardize their entire existence to begin with? YES THAT'S THE POINT! Oh, right, well change that -- what if it was just alternate version of Earth? Would be the same thing, right?

If by same thing, you mean stupid, then yes.

By  James, at 5:03 PM  

I did read a fe wmonths ago that they had scrapped most of the first version of the pilot and re-tooled to put the emphasis no the family and off the science and history.

I started losing interest at that point. It was going to become a Speilberg Family Robinson (without the cool tree)

I hate that instead of exploring the core premise of timeline conflict they felt they had to add family conflict, an extra community who have a different agenda (although if that brings us back to core theme; then ... maybe), Beautiful Mind Petroglyph Dude and crime.

As as James said, dinos, dinos, dinos. Did Stephen spend a fortune on those 20 years ago and is trying to max his ROI?

By  ed.j., at 10:09 AM  

He isn't just a cop!

Just as any nerd can do any science (as his wife can, but multiple doctorates), so, too, can a cop spontaneously develop all the constellation of skills for any occupation with a gun.

He's now a park ranger, body guard / security expert, park and military strategist!

By  brief episode, at 11:09 AM  

They also hinted that changing the past changes the future so maybe not an alternate Earth at all? I agree - the characters are nothing -just don't care and I am rooting for the dinosaurs. Also noted that the husband and wife did not sleep together after he got out! TerraBore

By  Andre' Gensburger, at 12:21 AM  

I bailed after five minutes ... I rarely do that, but honestly, there was just something about it, I dunno ... when they were searching for the little girl, hiding in the duct ... and she was whimpering ... and the cop searching was a cardboard villain, I just said, eh, I don't even want to watch this ...

so I bailed.

By  Joshua James, at 9:25 AM  

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