Falling Skies

[Spring Bass]

I just watched "Death March", which is a bit misleading as an episode.

Not much happened, to be perfectly honest. It felt like a filler episode to pass the time and get them to Charleston so that we can get to the action again. I'm guessing that budgetary concerns were at play, too, since this was likely a cheap episode that allows them to put the money towards the penultimate and finale episodes of this season.

I doubt I was the only one who was underwhelmed at Maggie's revelation about her past. I know Hal is supposed to be shocked by this, but all I could think was "That's it? Your big secret is that you got involved in hard drugs, committed some petty burglary, got pregnant, and had your kid in prison?" From the way Pope was talking about it, I was expecting some bigger.

[Corvinus85]

How many people here watch this show? Because after yesterday's season finale, I was surprised not to see it on the first two pages of this section.

I personally like this show, and the finale definitely had an interesting ending.

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

How many people here watch this show? Because after yesterday's season finale, I was surprised not to see it on the first two pages of this section.

I personally like this show, and the finale definitely had an interesting ending.

I watch it, but I thought last night's episide was...not good.

The whole back and forth with whether it was a coup, martial law, not martial law, lock them up, don't lock them up, we're defying you...ugh. It was like they had a whole bunch of ideas for the show, couldn't figure out which worked best, so they kind of did them all. And the character motivations on the part of the Charleston residents, from the general, to that guy from Lost, to the way the troops acted, etc., just struck me as pretty unconvincing. Sort of just stereotypes rather than convincing characters.

I also thought the "we're all going to stand in front of Noah Wylie so he doesn't get shot" scene was just really cheesy. It goes back to the core problem the show has -- are we an alien invasion show, or are we a relationship show? They just don't seem to mix it very well, and it is becoming obvious that they just think it broadens the appeal. But it ends up looking like pandering to me Also, I keep hoping that Anne will die a horrible death, because I think she's really annoying, but alas, she'll be around until the end, I think.

It's a shame, because there are some pretty good ideas and scenes in there. But I think the hybrid approach -- is this show about fighting aliens or is it about all these relationships -- doesn't work very well.

[Spring Bass]

It was all right, and fun to see the actress playing Collaborator Karen hamming it up to the max. "This isn't over Tom!"

The ending was not surprising, although still kind of cool. I've been totally wrong before, but I wonder if the aliens are the equivalent of the French in the Revolutionary War: a long-time enemy of the Ishvanni who are just now intervening because they see an opportunity to deal them a blow.

Speaking of which, the whole "they do everything in their heads so they don't need computers" is kind of lame, but not the idea of them being a society where everything is "personalized". I've often wondered if a highly advanced, individualistic race of nearly immortal beings would end up with a society built around very long-term arrangements among individuals instead of institutions. Institutions tend to be stronger when you need something to survive the lives of particular human beings, and when you need systems to keep people in-line when the informal mechanisms for doing so (like those that work in small human groups) break down.

I also thought the "we're all going to stand in front of Noah Wylie so he doesn't get shot" scene was just really cheesy. It goes back to the core problem the show has -- are we an alien invasion show, or are we a relationship show? They just don't seem to mix it very well, and it is becoming obvious that they just think it broadens the appeal. But it ends up looking like pandering to me Also, I keep hoping that Anne will die a horrible death, because I think she's really annoying, but alas, she'll be around until the end, I think.

The show has generally had an optimistic tone to it, going back to the very beginning. It has its moments, but I would never call it a great show.

That said, it had me hooked and waiting throughout the whole season, so there's that. It's more than I can say for Terra Nova.

[Black Wolf Smith]

Well they have a good cast, and while they have killed off a couple of known characters in the series, it doesn't take many risk. I agree that the coup angle was crap (really max headroom as its leader?) but it should have been a two-hour season ending show. The coup was rushed, not well played and then it was "fixed" in way to short of time. the primary story of the mission suffered because the little time it took time away from it. The biggest disappointment was of course the promo's. I mean when they all but tell you another alien race is showing up, in the last 5 mintues was just stupid. I did not even make that a spoiler. If you are smart of enough to read aSoIaF then you got that before it aired.

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

I had a feeling that another race was going to show up when it was pointed out that the weapon was being aimed at the sky. Overall it was a good episode although I disappointed that Karen is still alive. She really annoys the hell out of me.

[Corvinus85]

Well they have a good cast, and while they have killed off a couple of known characters in the series, it doesn't take many risk. I agree that the coup angle was crap (really max headroom as its leader?) but it should have been a two-hour season ending show. The coup was rushed, not well played and then it was "fixed" in way to short of time. the primary story of the mission suffered because the little time it took time away from it. The biggest disappointment was of course the promo's. I mean when they all but tell you another alien race is showing up, in the last 5 mintues was just stupid. I did not even make that a spoiler. If you are smart of enough to read aSoIaF then you got that before it aired.

Actually I didn't know they were going to introduce a new race of aliens, though it was something I would have done.

The show does seem to draw on the American Revolution, or maybe the French-Indian War, with the natives being us, and the British and the French being the powerful aliens.

[MisterOJ]

I watched the last two episodes last night. Like others have noted, the finale felt really rushed and probably would have been better as an extended episode. I think two hours would have been too long, but and hour and a half would probably be just about right.

I like this series in general, but it has a lot of flaws. It's a perfect summer series because there's nothing else really on during those months that I care for. If it were on during the regular TV season, I'm not sure I'd bother making time for it.

[Black Wolf Smith]

I watched the last two episodes last night. Like others have noted, the finale felt really rushed and probably would have been better as an extended episode. I think two hours would have been too long, but and hour and a half would probably be just about right.

I like this series in general, but it has a lot of flaws. It's a perfect summer series because there's nothing else really on during those months that I care for. If it were on during the regular TV season, I'm not sure I'd bother making time for it.

While I agree with what you are saying, I really expected more from it. Executive Producer Spielberg, Noah Wyle (always liked), Moon Bloodgood(who I have a major crush on), Will Paxton ( who always steals the scene in what ever he is in { I even like him in the Postman}) and Major Davis from SG1 I guess I expected more.

[ZombieWife]

This show needs a pregnancy/baby story about as much as it needs a mute kid can't talk because he/she is traumatizes and finally speaks up at the last minute to save the day plot nonsense.

Really? A baby? Can't wait to see the labor scene montage with fighting and bullets flying.

(hangs head)

[MisterOJ]

While I agree with what you are saying, I really expected more from it. Executive Producer Spielberg, Noah Wyle (always liked), Moon Bloodgood(who I have a major crush on), Will Paxton ( who always steals the scene in what ever he is in { I even like him in the Postman}) and Major Davis from SG1 I guess I expected more.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had high hopes for it too. And I think the first season was really, for the most part, pretty strong. (Even though I didn't care for the ending.) The second season was just flawed though. And that's kinda sad, but at least it gave me something to look forward to (TV wise) over the summer.

This show needs a pregnancy/baby story about as much as it needs a mute kid can't talk because he/she is traumatizes and finally speaks up at the last minute to save the day plot nonsense.

Really? A baby? Can't wait to see the labor scene montage with fighting and bullets flying.

(hangs head)

Yeah. Just lame. I'm hoping that she miscarries sometime between now and next season. That would be okay, I think. It would be okay to see them dealing with that angst.

[Spring Bass]

This show needs a pregnancy/baby story about as much as it needs a mute kid can't talk because he/she is traumatizes and finally speaks up at the last minute to save the day plot nonsense.

Really? A baby? Can't wait to see the labor scene montage with fighting and bullets flying.

(hangs head)

I thought that was lame, too. Obviously, it could happen - they've been sleeping together for some time, and I doubt they'd been using contraception - but it feels so generic, especially in the season finale.

[MisterOJ]

Oh the other hand....

What if it's a mutant alien baby?

Yes?

YES!

[Black Wolf Smith]

Oh the other hand....

What if it's a mutant alien baby?

Yes?

YES!

:bang: :bang: :bang:

[Corvinus85]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had high hopes for it too. And I think the first season was really, for the most part, pretty strong. (Even though I didn't care for the ending.) The second season was just flawed though. And that's kinda sad, but at least it gave me something to look forward to (TV wise) over the summer.

I guess you and I have watched different shows. I thought season 2 was above season 1. And I would really like someone to list for me the multitude of flaws they are seeing in this show, because I really don't see them. And I have no subjectivity for any of the actors or producers.

[ZombieWife]

Flaw #1: teeny bopper angsty Twilight-esque conversations.

"This is never going to happen, HAL, because I was a teenage junkie, HAL. Just give up on me because we're in our late teens and early 20s and we have to get trapped in a car on top of each other in order to find our sexual chemistry, Hal. Wait, let's talk about chick-lit while the skitter bots are hunting us...."

Flaw #2: Catering to a "family" demographic then trying to take it too dark. I've rarely see dystopian, apocalypse (what have you) with kids that has actually worked and not looked like some kind of 80s Solarbabies deal.

Maybe if the teens weren't always whining about angsty teen things when the world was ending, it would fly. But, instead, they have 35 minutes of conversational filler about relationships when I'd rather see some red-eyed skitter mess some stuff up.

I get it. It's probably about budget and the cost of special effects. But, so many shows (especially sci-fi) fails because they blow their budgets on a few good wham/bam shows then give us Starbuck and Lee boxing and crap on the Galactica. Why not focus on the big story arcs? The material is there. Why ignore it? Why not pace things out so that when the finale comes, it actually has believable and compelling movement? Why not spend that "downtime" building intrigue instead of showing us how Maggie and Hal "got each other's back because they are in teen love?"

I think the show has massive potential. That's why I get so frustrated. I see moments of wonder and awesomeness then get to watch people frack around and have pointless conversations where they try to force me (the viewer) to care more about characters in an artificial manner. They need to clean up the writing. The Walking Dead had the same issues and (from what I have heard) have at least tried to overcome those challenges.

I don't want 5-minute dramatic monologues here.

I agree that season 2 was better. But, there was filler BS that I simply FF'ed through. Whenever Lordes came on screen. Fast forward. Maggie and Hal. Fast forward. Kid whining because he can't go shoot skitters up because he's too young, oh Dad, you don't trust me. FF.

[Black Wolf Smith]

I guess you and I have watched different shows. I thought season 2 was above season 1. And I would really like someone to list for me the multitude of flaws they are seeing in this show, because I really don't see them. And I have no subjectivity for any of the actors or producers.

edit repost

[Black Wolf Smith]

@ZombieWife pretty much has most of it. It took almost all the 2nd season to get to Charleston. Had they got there say in the middle, then they could have slowly played the coup and might have worked. at least twice the characters say something like we need to quit messing around and get to Charleston.

While I did like season 2 more because we finally get to know a little bit of the aliens, and the whole red eye( everything is good with the aliens under plot) they spent way to much time on with the kids, and not with what I like. It just needs to make up its mind. Is it a bad ass aliens against us, or a kids show?

And what happen to Pope in the second? Yes he was there, but 1st he was crimmal, chef, and wepons guru. Second season, he gets in a fight with Mason, and then tells them that Karen is playing them. What happen to the new bullets he made last year, out of Mech's that kill Mech's? Why did we not see more about it? You know they could have used some, when Karen had them surrounded.

[ZombieWife]

There's an idea. Get to Charleston (we all knew it wouldn't pan out in SOME way from the get go) then let the coup unfold more slowly. I would have been down with that. There was enough tension and conflict to feed a few more episodes at least.

Pope kind of fell off the radar much to my disgust. Though he did have one of the best lines/scenes near the end there. And the bullets. I found myself asking that numerous times. Were we to just assume that they had the bullets? It was such a huge deal at the end one season 1 (and rightly so!). Now, it just kind of fizzled out.

I do like the intrigue with the rebel skitters. Will miss red-eye. Sad they had to sacrifice him/her. It would have been good to let that grow, imho. The death felt empty because it was so rushed. The whole attack on the rebels felt rushed. And now they pile on prune-face aliens. Who are these guys? Okay, they might be allies. Who cares? The new aliens will be too controlling or not have the right ethics and the 2nd mass will take matters into their own hands again.

I guess as long as I can FF through Lourdes having fits and realizing that "wow, people died in this invasion" (when her aunt/uncle in Mexico were offed) and teen angsty BS, I'll be fine. I love the high moments. Love them.

[imladolen]

I watch it, but I thought last night's episide was...not good.

[snip]And the character motivations on the part of the Charleston residents, from the general, to that guy from Lost, to the way the troops acted, etc., just struck me as pretty unconvincing.

And here I was thinking it was the guy from Millenium. What's this Lost show you talk about? :cool4:

While I agree with what you are saying, I really expected more from it. Executive Producer Spielberg, Noah Wyle (always liked), Moon Bloodgood(who I have a major crush on), Will Paxton ( who always steals the scene in what ever he is in { I even like him in the Postman}) and Major Davis from SG1 I guess I expected more.

Huh, what? Oh shit, Pope is Major Davis. I totally didn't realize that. Damn, I thought he was a bit familiar.

I have to say, he's probably my favorite still living character.

I guess you and I have watched different shows. I thought season 2 was above season 1. And I would really like someone to list for me the multitude of flaws they are seeing in this show, because I really don't see them. And I have no subjectivity for any of the actors or producers.

I too thought the second season was better than the first. I wasn't sure if I was even going to watch season 2, but glad I did, and yes, I'm looking forward to season 3.