'you'll find your way back down, and i'll keep the area clear (please clear the area)...'
Can I just say I love how many new shows there are that I’m interested in checking out! I know I’m not likely to fall in love with most of them, but it’s that pleasure of anticipation, in d/l a bunch of pilots and wriggling with excitement over what each may bring and speculating as to its promise. I’ve seen and reviewed The Secret Circle, Revenge and Charlie’s Angels (the latter bombed spectacularly, but the other two are pretty good!) and I’ve also checked out and been interested in seeing more of Unforgettable and A Good Man.
With the former…redhead!Poppy Montgomery is pretty, and I find her condition with the amazing recall to be fascinating. I know it has downsides, but I love the idea of it. Exams would be a breeze! I’m not in love with the show, unforch, ‘coz the leads used to date and I’m not into that kind of dynamic. I like people who are new to each other or who have history but not RST. Therefore, I’mma see a couple more eps just out of interest in her ability and how it’ll relate to their cases, but the lack of interest in what seems to be the show’s OTP might keep me from pursuing it further. (if the side characters, the guy and girl on his team, get fleshed out and have promise, I might give it longer)
With the latter…I like the lead. I know a lot of people dislike his attitude or think he’s a jerk, but I appreciate him anyway. All that’s important is if he can do his job and save lives, he doesn’t need to hold people’s hands and be all sappy and sentimental, damn it. There’s nothing wrong with being briskly professional and efficient instead of touchy-feely. It seems to be the trend in tv today that you can’t be spectacular at your job, you have to be a people person. It’s what Megan’s lambasted for in Body of Proof and it’s what annoyed me in Hart of Dixie as well- wtf, someone being the most talented surgeon in decades isn’t enough, the doctor has to be willing to read stories to patients and get emotionally invested? Since when?! It shouldn’t matter if the doctor can remember their name, just how good at surgery they are! I wish writers would stop hyping up the value of sociability when I’m pretty sure people only care if the doctor’s super qualified or not. I don’t give a damn how nice my doctor is as long as they can save my life.
I hate his sister (damn it! I really like the actress, Julie Benz is a darling, but oh, god, I wanna stab her character). She’s the worst kind of person, ugh, the sibling who takes and takes and TAKES, who gets babied so much, who’s a huge burden and nothing but trouble…but then gets upset and whiny when the responsible sibling is busy with an actual job and can’t humor their rubbish. I mean, what was the reason she had to show up to his work to badger him into giving up what little free time he has to go to therapy? She couldn’t wait til after work? Oh, no, the world revolves around her issues, it’s not like he has a life or a hectic work schedule, it’s all about her! *kicks*
With the supernatural stuff…first, what a ditz, how random for her to assume he was talking to a ghost, she had like, zero details and she immediately assumed the most outlandish possibility, wtf. And second, I can’t believe her nerve, divulging his personal details to a guy he doesn’t even know, not even consulting him before making decisions on his behalf, ugh. Acting all superior, hounding him about this gift from the universe, damn it, she makes me so mad.
I’m undecided on the ex-wife; she’s nice and all, but damn, boundaries, woman, wtf is it with ghosts being so pushy? I get ghosts of strangers not being concerned with the wishes of the person who can see them (even if it still irks me, like, have some damn consideration), but she supposedly cares about him and yet she can’t keep her mouth shut in public, she has to keep distracting him and making it hard for him to keep his composure? I don’t think it’s too much to ask to not yak on while he’s trying to pay attention to the alive person who’s trying to convey information to him and will not understand him being distracted by the ghost of the recently departed ex.
Also, I was really unimpressed with her protesting him trying to exorcize her. She’s dead! Their marriage ended ages ago, their time is over! It’s not healthy for him to fixate on a dead woman, but she’s encouraging him to develop a dependence on her and acting like it’s a horrible thing for him to not want to see a dead woman. ‘You’ll never see me again, is that what you want?’ HE HASN’T SEEN YOU FOR YEARS AND HE’S DONE JUST FINE, OKAY. Don’t act like he’s killing you, FFS, just ‘coz he wants some mental stability and a normal life.
I heard that she’s not going to be depicted as saintly throughout the series, that they’d explore other facets of her character. I wonder if it’s going to be revealed that she’s a soul-sucking demon who latched onto main dude to steal his life force or something. It’s just not cool of her to be so firm about remaining attached to him, otherwise. I wouldn’t want a loved one to fixate on me, it can’t be good for them, they need closure, they need to move on with life instead of being hung up on me, but she’s being selfish, damn it. >:[
(side note: her face and hair remind me of a younger Mary McDonnell)
I’ll admit it now, I kinda want to ship main dude and the nurse or whatever her job is. Don’t ask me why. Just their few moments of interaction made me interested, okay. I like the actress’ development of the character- that MRI scene, where she calmly acknowledged the doctor’s brusque set-down, and then when he went to the machine and she turned around, the way she blinked rapidly and breathed out deeply to try and regain her cool…IDK, it just made me sympathetic to her. A few blinks and a deep breath, but it gave the character an identity. Intimidated, a bit unsettled by his hostility, but determined to remain composed and professional. <3
And she’s the only one to have noticed his erratic behavior- there were two scenes in this one ep alone! When she walked in, thinking he was talking to her (I’m surprised she didn’t come earlier, when he was full-on shouting!) and later, when he throws caution to the winds and addresses thin air right out in public. I wonder if this will go anywhere?
(I ship Cobb/Ariadne in Inception, so maybe that’s why I’m predisposed to this here? The dude hung up on the shade of his dead wife, the young woman who sees there’s something wrong and confronts him and tries to save him, keep him connected to reality…yeah, yeah, I’m reading way too much into it after only one ep; prob the second is going to joss all hopes of this tentative ship. ETA. SHE WASN’T EVEN IN THE SECOND EP, GAAAAH. But she is in ep 3…)
Basically, I think the main guy is handsome, the shattering of his worldview and making him lose grip on reality is compelling viewing, I think the show is kooky and I want to see more, especially how they’re going to deal with the ‘seeing dead ex-wife’ thing. It’s got me interested for sure. ^_^
More detailed thoughts on Terra Nova:
Gotta say, seeing Brannon Braga’s name revived the old bitterness. He’s the one who dated Jeri Ryan and then made Voyager all about Seven of Nine. *kicks him* Not only did he torpedo Janeway/Chakotay, but he pushed Seven into prominence and made it all about her sex appeal while marginalizing other characters. Douchebag.
Anyway, that’s ancient history (pun intended!), let’s get on with the actual show.
Awww, no! The main dude is married to the main chick? From the brief promos, I didn’t get a sense of relationships- I was hoping to ship them, but I don’t do established/married couples. (do you get the impression I'm all about the shipping? *g*)
Main chick is very pretty, btw. (the odd thing is that her face reminds me of a combination of Jaime Murray and Angel Coulby. It’s very odd. What random associations!)
Aiyiyi, another series where I don’t like the main character? *facepalm* ETA. It gets better, I like him okay by the end, thank goodness!
What bugs me is how we’re supposed to sympathize with Jim. No, okay, you broke the law, you got caught and you chose to behave like a moron- I have no sympathy whatsoever! I feel like we’re meant to feel sorry for him when his son rants at him, but kid’s got a point- if he hadn’t attacked those guys, his sentence might not have been as bad, if he even got jailed at all.
Look, I get irritated just when people get captured and the guy is all, ‘DON’T YOU TOUCH HER, DON’T YOU DARE’ ‘coz dude, if you’re in chains, just STFU, you don’t get a say and your male bravado is tiresome. It may be understandable, but it is still bloody irritating. So you can imagine how much Jim’s behavior annoyed me when- hello, the cops weren’t gonna do anything! There was no danger! Sure, the guy had a gruff tone, but it wasn’t like he was about to shoot Zoe! Losing his temper and attacking the law enforcement officers was a gigantically stupid thing to do and it accomplished nothing and cost so much.
Dr Shannon (no clue as to her first name atm) is pretty awesome. I wouldn’t wait years for a guy in jail, tbqh. And for her to plan his jail break, whoa! That is serious commitment. (side note: this reminds me of that ep of Castle where Martha tells him that true love is being willing to break a person out of jail and at the end of the ep, Beckett light-heartedly says she’d rescue him if he ever got locked up and it’s a ~significant moment, though she had no idea the weight Martha and Castle had put on it)
I feel like it’s lazy writing for them to put him in jail, manufacture this huge obstacle keeping the family from being apart- he’s locked up! They can’t take all three kids! Woe!- and then just cut out half the resolution to it. I don’t need it to take a season or so like Prison Break, but come on. One minute he’s in jail, next he’s on the train? And for a maximum security area, he breezed right on through with no trouble at all. Come on, guys.
Questions: Was he cutting out a tracker on the train? If so, how careless of him to wait til then to cut it out. *shakes head* And wow, it was so conveniently placed, right near the surface of the skin! Instead of embedded in one of the harder-to-reach areas…
And where did he score the money, gun and supplies? I cbf watching it again to see if the wife left him a treasure map, but damn. O.o
Idiot daughter. What part of ‘your convict father’s breaking in to hijack a trip to the past, play it cool’ do you not understand? Making a huge production out of greeting him is prob what got him flagged by security in the first place. If she hated him and was trying to sabotage his break for freedom, I would applaud her, but since that was apparently not her goal, I shake my head in disgust. (maybe I’m biased ‘coz IDGAF about my own father, but hell, even if I was waiting on my beloved mother, I’m pretty sure I would have the sense not to jeopardize her shot at getting away!)
Leader dude is also cool. Why did the doctor have to be married? I could’ve shipped it. *grumbles*
'What happened between me and my wife is none of your damned business. Now are you gonna lock me up or what?’ / ‘What I oughta do is throw you outside the fence and let you fend for yourself.’ / ‘No, what you oughta do is give me a gun and a badge and let me do what I’m good at.’
Aaaargh, someone punch out Jim for me! *gnashes teeth* He is SUCH an arrogant jerk! This is the guy who holds your future in his hands and your response is to give him attitude? How about trying for sincere and respectful? Apologizing for how you came to be there, but emphasizing your love of family and promising to work twice as hard to earn your place there? Noooo, Jim’s too badass for that, he’s gotta be cocky and full of it! *snarls*
YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, YOU’RE TAKING UP VALUABLE RESOURCES AND YOUR FAMILY’S HOGGING MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF NECESSITIES AND LUXURIES BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS, TRY KISSING ASS INSTEAD OF BEING ONE.
Oh, hmm. The way he lets out a breath and the look on his face when leader dude (Taylor?) turns away and assigns him to the Agriculture department suggests it might’ve just been nerves making him a smartass, trying to cover up his anxiety. If that’s the case…well, it’s still irritating, but at least he’s not as entitled and arrogant as I thought.
And I quite like this, ‘According to my daughter, I have whatever the opposite of a green thumb is…I’ll do my best. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME DISLIKE YOU LESS.
Though I still have issues with him blithely breaking the law and expecting everyone to roll with it and reward him for his illegal actions. Wtf was with having a third kid? I assume there is contraception readily available and his wife’s a doctor, JFC. There better be backstory to this, some justification better than it seemed like a good idea at the time. (Incidentally also a HiH Writer’s Block challenge, lol) An excuse like one of the other two kids was dying from a rare disease with a high mortality rate, for instance, and they needed a third kid to procure some vital component for healing the sick one. I’d forgive ‘em for something like that.
Wow, an exposition scene that’s refreshingly not overly clunky and fits into the scene well! Props for that, writers, it’s not often people manage to include info the audience needs to know without it being awkward as hell. (Viserys telling the tale of dragons to the prostitute- like, you’re in a tub with a naked woman and your natural reaction’s gonna be to relate history and fairytales, riiight)
The daughter being a total geek (my new Hermione!) is adorable and her showing off her knowledge to her dumbass brother is totally realistic, while also letting the audience in on a few important facts.
It’s interesting the way the daughter explains that they’ve entered a different time stream. When I heard of this show at first, I was like, ‘but aren’t they gonna risk altering the course of history? That cliché where you could wipe out mankind’s future just by stepping on a bug?’ and it was neat the way they apparently proved it was an alternate timeline ‘coz they sent back a probe, but it didn’t show up in the future. Although…MAYBE THAT WAS ‘COZ SOMEONE REMOVED IT AFTER PEOPLE STARTED GETTING SENT BACK, DUH.
And by the end of the ep, there’s the ominous suggestion that perhaps this is the regular timeline- that black leader chick (Mira? Vera?) says that whoever controls the past, controls the future…so does that mean they actually ARE back in their own Earth’s past? And that crushing a butterfly could have a massive impact on the future, etc. etc.?
(also, where do I know leader chick from? I have a feeling she was in Doctor Who at one point. In the Rose era. I’m guessing the ep where the space station had a deadly reality tv thing going on, and she became their ally as they tried to fix it?)
I gotta give it to the casting people and the writers- aside from Jim being a part-time jackass, the family unit is rather likeable, makes me inclined to support them and hope for the best for them, and the actors do a good job endearing their characters to me. I’m not even a fan of little kids, but ZOE! Her actress is amazing, I mean, little kids are often shocking, just so painful to watch, but she’s remarkably natural and believable, wow. AND SO ADORABLE. *coos*
What is she doing to me, augh, I hate little kids, why do I wanna snuggle her
And the older daughter! LOL at her inner nerd taking control of her tongue and giving an impromptu lecture on dinosaurs to the cute boy, ahaha. Great scene, I laughed at Zoe’s wrinkled brow (kind of an ‘oh, god, why is my sister so lame?’) and older daughter’s ‘kill me now’.
I find her hilariously adorkable and am quite a fan from this point on. At least she’s not giving in to peer pressure and getting into stupid, risky situations! Unlike some people I could mention.
This is why I value my tendency to antisocial behavior. It insulated me from typical teenage stupidity- I didn’t care enough about conformity and my place in the social circle to let people goad me into doing things I didn’t want to or knew I shouldn’t.
That boy, though, being led astray by Sky so easily (gah, I remember her name but pretty much nobody else’s? *facepalm* Also, does her face remind anyone else of Kate from Lost?)- he oughta be ashamed. Ditching orientation is one thing, I totally get that, but leaving camp for the unknown dangers of the wild? Jumping from a waterfall? There could’ve been rocks down there, he could’ve wound up paralyzed! Just one bad decision after another.
Funnily enough, while I blame him for being suckered into things so easily (seriously, people, a dare isn’t an Unbreakable Vow, okay, you can just say no!) I don’t blame Sky. She’s presumably been going out there for months, if not years, and from her easygoing attitude, it doesn’t seem like they’ve been attacked before and I can give her the benefit of the doubt, that she scoped out the lake and knew she would be safe jumping in, etc.
IDK, basically I just like her and I can’t be too harsh. I loved her snarky remark when he was whining about being so different from his father, ‘Right, no, he’s like, the kind of guy who’d show up in a new place and he’s like, oh, I’m gonna ditch orientation and go swim with a bunch of people I barely even know…yeah, you guys are pretty different’! ZING. *squishes her*
I adore the hell out of this remark- I love the way the actress delivers the line, it doesn’t feel rehearsed, it’s just exactly the right balance of wry and gently poking fun while still being on his side but showing him a different side to the family dynamic than he’d realized or acknowledged. And lightening the impact of her statement, which could’ve sounded a bit harsh or been taken the wrong way, with a gorgeous smile. <3
I just think it’s awesome that in this group of kids, a chick is the boss. Usually you’ve have an alpha male leading the group and the chicks are just there to drool over his abs or be a prize that the established pack leader and newcomer fight over. But Sky’s in charge, while still being fun and likeable, and she’s got a cool head under fire and is pretty much a BAMF and I am a fan already. ^_^ Sense of humor, pretty and badass? Right on!
(random aside: I hope we get more of Lieutenant Washington. Not in the gratuitous ‘strip naked and do the nasty with some random military grunt’ Stargate: Universe way, but just more of her character, because I find her air of stern professionalism really intriguing, I love tightly wound-up, by-the-regs characters like her)
If the show is setting up Sky and…Josh?...at least I’m not vehemently opposed. It’s a nice change to not want to stab my eyes out over a main character’s son or the girl he may/may not be interested in. I’m hoping they keep it platonic, because he was in love with that girl back in his own timeline and it’d be pathetic for him to be over her so quickly and moving on to the next warm female body, but if they do progress to a romance, I don’t mind him, when he’s not throwing tantrums, and I don’t think he’s unworthy of her. (Not like my seething fury and disgust at Lisa/Tyler on V! SHE COULD’VE DONE SO MUCH BETTER, UGH)
Random, but I like how not all the young people move in the same circles. On shows with smaller casts and lower budgets, everyone mingles, even if it’s unrealistic, out of necessity- but here, you’ve got Josh joining Sky’s group, and then there’s the good girl geek daughter back at the ranch, stumbling over her tongue with another guy. I hope she doesn’t go through a rebellious stage. Writers need to not make kids gigantic brats all the time, not all children are demons in disguise. Some of us try to be good and follow rules, so I hope she stays true to that. (I’m not projecting myself onto her at all. Except for the part where I get not being one of the cool kids, having esoteric interests that nobody else shares and gives you funny looks when you babble on about it and being a rule-follower who would never push boundaries. PLEASE REMAIN ALL THOSE THINGS, DAUGHTER WHOSE NAME I MUST LEARN)
Anyway, moving on. Interesting plot questions abound right from the beginning! Anyone care to venture a guess as to the origins and motivations of the Sixers? Whether Taylor is a good guy *hopes* or if he’s got nefarious plans? What the deal is with his ‘missing’ son and those equations? Who else is loyal to the Sixers back at camp and are they hatching other plots?
I hated the idea of the Sixers at first- nooo! I wanted everyone to get along and be one big happy family!- but it is kind of intriguing, and I guess they needed to sow the seeds for conflict to keep it fresh and tense. Can’t just show a bunch of people setting up camp, after all, gotta have some drama happening. It’s just that I hate traitor stories, I want the team to be solid and stick together, not worry about moles passing on info. >_< But on the whole, at least the conflict is mainly, at this point, with a group of outsiders- it’s not like BSG or SGU which had main characters turning against each other and nobody being able to rely on the team because there could be back-stabbers.
I do think the writers are doing a good job with keeping the Sixers ambiguous. I was ready to hate on them when they crashed into the base, but then they offered up that quartz or whatever rock that Terra Nova needed in exchange for their man and medical supplies. It wasn’t exactly conventional trade, but at least it wasn’t terrorism! I liked that moment of silent communication between the black leader chick and Taylor, it’s always cool when the leaders are calm and rational and above all, concerned for the wellbeing of their people and not more worried about saving face or trying to score points.
A lot of guys would’ve been OTT with the macho attitude, but he just nodded and accepted the trade, and both of them were firm and maintained control of their people admirably well. Me likey! (please don’t either of them die! I like this uneasy cease-fire, it’d suck if one of her people managed to kill him. Why are they trying to kill him? Damn it, leader chick!)
Btw. When the hell did she rescue her man? I mean, the kids were in the vehicle with him for all that time and then the slashers came and there was a lot of chaos, but you think people arriving on the scene and evacuating a man losing lots of blood would attract some attention! But still, it speaks well for her as a leader that she was so determined to bring him back, against all odds. (and I’m kinda glad he survived, it was nice of him to let the kids shelter with him- I wonder what his connection is to Sky, though? Are we meant to infer some deeper connection or is it as simple as him chatting with her now and then in camp?)
Can I confess something? I kinda, semi-sorta, might perhaps potentially ship Sky with Taylor. :P I KNOOWWW, I fail. I just find it interesting when young women have a maturity beyond their years and interactions with an authority figure on a different level than their peers. (Like Sasha and Payson of Make It or Break It)
It’s the balcony scene! I’m a sucker for balcony scenes! She sought him out to own up and take responsibility for what happened, which is really mature and elevates her above the other kids, for me. She said she hated disappointing him, which makes it seem like more than just ‘oh no, I broke the rules, the leader’s gonna be upset’, it’s personal for her. Apparently he’s looked out for her after her parents died, which is another way her interaction with him differs from the other kids.
Aaaand…IDK, I laughed at the part where she ‘fessed up to drinking, the two of them just seemed really comfortable with each other at that point, him chuckling at her expense and her being self-deprecating over it. Some lingering eye contact, him leaning into her personal space a bit…yeah. I fully expect this to go nowhere, don’t worry, I’m not delusional, I just find this kind of dynamic fascinating.
The fact that she’s keeping secrets from him and his comment about ‘treacherous waters’ being faintly foreboding makes it all the more irresistible! :D
To summarize: aside from a few rocky moments, I like the core family. I think they’re mostly charming and appealing in their own ways and I’m invested in them surviving. I’m already very fond of Sky, who is a refreshing young female character, the kind I don’t see much of, so I’m excited and hoping the writers continue with her being strong and leader-like, while still being funny and compassionate and not defined by love interests (hallelujah!). In addition, I have a soft spot for the leader of Terra Nova, I hope he doesn’t get killed off anytime soon. The plot is exciting, there are several characters to root for and a whole new world to explore. I’m def coming back for more. ^_^
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Vidspam: Emma's dancing moves, omg! She is the cutest thing, I cannot handle it! ♥
With the former…redhead!Poppy Montgomery is pretty, and I find her condition with the amazing recall to be fascinating. I know it has downsides, but I love the idea of it. Exams would be a breeze! I’m not in love with the show, unforch, ‘coz the leads used to date and I’m not into that kind of dynamic. I like people who are new to each other or who have history but not RST. Therefore, I’mma see a couple more eps just out of interest in her ability and how it’ll relate to their cases, but the lack of interest in what seems to be the show’s OTP might keep me from pursuing it further. (if the side characters, the guy and girl on his team, get fleshed out and have promise, I might give it longer)
With the latter…I like the lead. I know a lot of people dislike his attitude or think he’s a jerk, but I appreciate him anyway. All that’s important is if he can do his job and save lives, he doesn’t need to hold people’s hands and be all sappy and sentimental, damn it. There’s nothing wrong with being briskly professional and efficient instead of touchy-feely. It seems to be the trend in tv today that you can’t be spectacular at your job, you have to be a people person. It’s what Megan’s lambasted for in Body of Proof and it’s what annoyed me in Hart of Dixie as well- wtf, someone being the most talented surgeon in decades isn’t enough, the doctor has to be willing to read stories to patients and get emotionally invested? Since when?! It shouldn’t matter if the doctor can remember their name, just how good at surgery they are! I wish writers would stop hyping up the value of sociability when I’m pretty sure people only care if the doctor’s super qualified or not. I don’t give a damn how nice my doctor is as long as they can save my life.
I hate his sister (damn it! I really like the actress, Julie Benz is a darling, but oh, god, I wanna stab her character). She’s the worst kind of person, ugh, the sibling who takes and takes and TAKES, who gets babied so much, who’s a huge burden and nothing but trouble…but then gets upset and whiny when the responsible sibling is busy with an actual job and can’t humor their rubbish. I mean, what was the reason she had to show up to his work to badger him into giving up what little free time he has to go to therapy? She couldn’t wait til after work? Oh, no, the world revolves around her issues, it’s not like he has a life or a hectic work schedule, it’s all about her! *kicks*
With the supernatural stuff…first, what a ditz, how random for her to assume he was talking to a ghost, she had like, zero details and she immediately assumed the most outlandish possibility, wtf. And second, I can’t believe her nerve, divulging his personal details to a guy he doesn’t even know, not even consulting him before making decisions on his behalf, ugh. Acting all superior, hounding him about this gift from the universe, damn it, she makes me so mad.
I’m undecided on the ex-wife; she’s nice and all, but damn, boundaries, woman, wtf is it with ghosts being so pushy? I get ghosts of strangers not being concerned with the wishes of the person who can see them (even if it still irks me, like, have some damn consideration), but she supposedly cares about him and yet she can’t keep her mouth shut in public, she has to keep distracting him and making it hard for him to keep his composure? I don’t think it’s too much to ask to not yak on while he’s trying to pay attention to the alive person who’s trying to convey information to him and will not understand him being distracted by the ghost of the recently departed ex.
Also, I was really unimpressed with her protesting him trying to exorcize her. She’s dead! Their marriage ended ages ago, their time is over! It’s not healthy for him to fixate on a dead woman, but she’s encouraging him to develop a dependence on her and acting like it’s a horrible thing for him to not want to see a dead woman. ‘You’ll never see me again, is that what you want?’ HE HASN’T SEEN YOU FOR YEARS AND HE’S DONE JUST FINE, OKAY. Don’t act like he’s killing you, FFS, just ‘coz he wants some mental stability and a normal life.
I heard that she’s not going to be depicted as saintly throughout the series, that they’d explore other facets of her character. I wonder if it’s going to be revealed that she’s a soul-sucking demon who latched onto main dude to steal his life force or something. It’s just not cool of her to be so firm about remaining attached to him, otherwise. I wouldn’t want a loved one to fixate on me, it can’t be good for them, they need closure, they need to move on with life instead of being hung up on me, but she’s being selfish, damn it. >:[
(side note: her face and hair remind me of a younger Mary McDonnell)
I’ll admit it now, I kinda want to ship main dude and the nurse or whatever her job is. Don’t ask me why. Just their few moments of interaction made me interested, okay. I like the actress’ development of the character- that MRI scene, where she calmly acknowledged the doctor’s brusque set-down, and then when he went to the machine and she turned around, the way she blinked rapidly and breathed out deeply to try and regain her cool…IDK, it just made me sympathetic to her. A few blinks and a deep breath, but it gave the character an identity. Intimidated, a bit unsettled by his hostility, but determined to remain composed and professional. <3
And she’s the only one to have noticed his erratic behavior- there were two scenes in this one ep alone! When she walked in, thinking he was talking to her (I’m surprised she didn’t come earlier, when he was full-on shouting!) and later, when he throws caution to the winds and addresses thin air right out in public. I wonder if this will go anywhere?
(I ship Cobb/Ariadne in Inception, so maybe that’s why I’m predisposed to this here? The dude hung up on the shade of his dead wife, the young woman who sees there’s something wrong and confronts him and tries to save him, keep him connected to reality…yeah, yeah, I’m reading way too much into it after only one ep; prob the second is going to joss all hopes of this tentative ship. ETA. SHE WASN’T EVEN IN THE SECOND EP, GAAAAH. But she is in ep 3…)
Basically, I think the main guy is handsome, the shattering of his worldview and making him lose grip on reality is compelling viewing, I think the show is kooky and I want to see more, especially how they’re going to deal with the ‘seeing dead ex-wife’ thing. It’s got me interested for sure. ^_^
More detailed thoughts on Terra Nova:
Gotta say, seeing Brannon Braga’s name revived the old bitterness. He’s the one who dated Jeri Ryan and then made Voyager all about Seven of Nine. *kicks him* Not only did he torpedo Janeway/Chakotay, but he pushed Seven into prominence and made it all about her sex appeal while marginalizing other characters. Douchebag.
Anyway, that’s ancient history (pun intended!), let’s get on with the actual show.
Awww, no! The main dude is married to the main chick? From the brief promos, I didn’t get a sense of relationships- I was hoping to ship them, but I don’t do established/married couples. (do you get the impression I'm all about the shipping? *g*)
Main chick is very pretty, btw. (the odd thing is that her face reminds me of a combination of Jaime Murray and Angel Coulby. It’s very odd. What random associations!)
Aiyiyi, another series where I don’t like the main character? *facepalm* ETA. It gets better, I like him okay by the end, thank goodness!
What bugs me is how we’re supposed to sympathize with Jim. No, okay, you broke the law, you got caught and you chose to behave like a moron- I have no sympathy whatsoever! I feel like we’re meant to feel sorry for him when his son rants at him, but kid’s got a point- if he hadn’t attacked those guys, his sentence might not have been as bad, if he even got jailed at all.
Look, I get irritated just when people get captured and the guy is all, ‘DON’T YOU TOUCH HER, DON’T YOU DARE’ ‘coz dude, if you’re in chains, just STFU, you don’t get a say and your male bravado is tiresome. It may be understandable, but it is still bloody irritating. So you can imagine how much Jim’s behavior annoyed me when- hello, the cops weren’t gonna do anything! There was no danger! Sure, the guy had a gruff tone, but it wasn’t like he was about to shoot Zoe! Losing his temper and attacking the law enforcement officers was a gigantically stupid thing to do and it accomplished nothing and cost so much.
Dr Shannon (no clue as to her first name atm) is pretty awesome. I wouldn’t wait years for a guy in jail, tbqh. And for her to plan his jail break, whoa! That is serious commitment. (side note: this reminds me of that ep of Castle where Martha tells him that true love is being willing to break a person out of jail and at the end of the ep, Beckett light-heartedly says she’d rescue him if he ever got locked up and it’s a ~significant moment, though she had no idea the weight Martha and Castle had put on it)
I feel like it’s lazy writing for them to put him in jail, manufacture this huge obstacle keeping the family from being apart- he’s locked up! They can’t take all three kids! Woe!- and then just cut out half the resolution to it. I don’t need it to take a season or so like Prison Break, but come on. One minute he’s in jail, next he’s on the train? And for a maximum security area, he breezed right on through with no trouble at all. Come on, guys.
Questions: Was he cutting out a tracker on the train? If so, how careless of him to wait til then to cut it out. *shakes head* And wow, it was so conveniently placed, right near the surface of the skin! Instead of embedded in one of the harder-to-reach areas…
And where did he score the money, gun and supplies? I cbf watching it again to see if the wife left him a treasure map, but damn. O.o
Idiot daughter. What part of ‘your convict father’s breaking in to hijack a trip to the past, play it cool’ do you not understand? Making a huge production out of greeting him is prob what got him flagged by security in the first place. If she hated him and was trying to sabotage his break for freedom, I would applaud her, but since that was apparently not her goal, I shake my head in disgust. (maybe I’m biased ‘coz IDGAF about my own father, but hell, even if I was waiting on my beloved mother, I’m pretty sure I would have the sense not to jeopardize her shot at getting away!)
Leader dude is also cool. Why did the doctor have to be married? I could’ve shipped it. *grumbles*
'What happened between me and my wife is none of your damned business. Now are you gonna lock me up or what?’ / ‘What I oughta do is throw you outside the fence and let you fend for yourself.’ / ‘No, what you oughta do is give me a gun and a badge and let me do what I’m good at.’
Aaaargh, someone punch out Jim for me! *gnashes teeth* He is SUCH an arrogant jerk! This is the guy who holds your future in his hands and your response is to give him attitude? How about trying for sincere and respectful? Apologizing for how you came to be there, but emphasizing your love of family and promising to work twice as hard to earn your place there? Noooo, Jim’s too badass for that, he’s gotta be cocky and full of it! *snarls*
YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, YOU’RE TAKING UP VALUABLE RESOURCES AND YOUR FAMILY’S HOGGING MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF NECESSITIES AND LUXURIES BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS, TRY KISSING ASS INSTEAD OF BEING ONE.
Oh, hmm. The way he lets out a breath and the look on his face when leader dude (Taylor?) turns away and assigns him to the Agriculture department suggests it might’ve just been nerves making him a smartass, trying to cover up his anxiety. If that’s the case…well, it’s still irritating, but at least he’s not as entitled and arrogant as I thought.
And I quite like this, ‘According to my daughter, I have whatever the opposite of a green thumb is…I’ll do my best. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME DISLIKE YOU LESS.
Though I still have issues with him blithely breaking the law and expecting everyone to roll with it and reward him for his illegal actions. Wtf was with having a third kid? I assume there is contraception readily available and his wife’s a doctor, JFC. There better be backstory to this, some justification better than it seemed like a good idea at the time. (Incidentally also a HiH Writer’s Block challenge, lol) An excuse like one of the other two kids was dying from a rare disease with a high mortality rate, for instance, and they needed a third kid to procure some vital component for healing the sick one. I’d forgive ‘em for something like that.
Wow, an exposition scene that’s refreshingly not overly clunky and fits into the scene well! Props for that, writers, it’s not often people manage to include info the audience needs to know without it being awkward as hell. (Viserys telling the tale of dragons to the prostitute- like, you’re in a tub with a naked woman and your natural reaction’s gonna be to relate history and fairytales, riiight)
The daughter being a total geek (my new Hermione!) is adorable and her showing off her knowledge to her dumbass brother is totally realistic, while also letting the audience in on a few important facts.
It’s interesting the way the daughter explains that they’ve entered a different time stream. When I heard of this show at first, I was like, ‘but aren’t they gonna risk altering the course of history? That cliché where you could wipe out mankind’s future just by stepping on a bug?’ and it was neat the way they apparently proved it was an alternate timeline ‘coz they sent back a probe, but it didn’t show up in the future. Although…MAYBE THAT WAS ‘COZ SOMEONE REMOVED IT AFTER PEOPLE STARTED GETTING SENT BACK, DUH.
And by the end of the ep, there’s the ominous suggestion that perhaps this is the regular timeline- that black leader chick (Mira? Vera?) says that whoever controls the past, controls the future…so does that mean they actually ARE back in their own Earth’s past? And that crushing a butterfly could have a massive impact on the future, etc. etc.?
(also, where do I know leader chick from? I have a feeling she was in Doctor Who at one point. In the Rose era. I’m guessing the ep where the space station had a deadly reality tv thing going on, and she became their ally as they tried to fix it?)
I gotta give it to the casting people and the writers- aside from Jim being a part-time jackass, the family unit is rather likeable, makes me inclined to support them and hope for the best for them, and the actors do a good job endearing their characters to me. I’m not even a fan of little kids, but ZOE! Her actress is amazing, I mean, little kids are often shocking, just so painful to watch, but she’s remarkably natural and believable, wow. AND SO ADORABLE. *coos*
What is she doing to me, augh, I hate little kids, why do I wanna snuggle her
And the older daughter! LOL at her inner nerd taking control of her tongue and giving an impromptu lecture on dinosaurs to the cute boy, ahaha. Great scene, I laughed at Zoe’s wrinkled brow (kind of an ‘oh, god, why is my sister so lame?’) and older daughter’s ‘kill me now’.
I find her hilariously adorkable and am quite a fan from this point on. At least she’s not giving in to peer pressure and getting into stupid, risky situations! Unlike some people I could mention.
This is why I value my tendency to antisocial behavior. It insulated me from typical teenage stupidity- I didn’t care enough about conformity and my place in the social circle to let people goad me into doing things I didn’t want to or knew I shouldn’t.
That boy, though, being led astray by Sky so easily (gah, I remember her name but pretty much nobody else’s? *facepalm* Also, does her face remind anyone else of Kate from Lost?)- he oughta be ashamed. Ditching orientation is one thing, I totally get that, but leaving camp for the unknown dangers of the wild? Jumping from a waterfall? There could’ve been rocks down there, he could’ve wound up paralyzed! Just one bad decision after another.
Funnily enough, while I blame him for being suckered into things so easily (seriously, people, a dare isn’t an Unbreakable Vow, okay, you can just say no!) I don’t blame Sky. She’s presumably been going out there for months, if not years, and from her easygoing attitude, it doesn’t seem like they’ve been attacked before and I can give her the benefit of the doubt, that she scoped out the lake and knew she would be safe jumping in, etc.
IDK, basically I just like her and I can’t be too harsh. I loved her snarky remark when he was whining about being so different from his father, ‘Right, no, he’s like, the kind of guy who’d show up in a new place and he’s like, oh, I’m gonna ditch orientation and go swim with a bunch of people I barely even know…yeah, you guys are pretty different’! ZING. *squishes her*
I adore the hell out of this remark- I love the way the actress delivers the line, it doesn’t feel rehearsed, it’s just exactly the right balance of wry and gently poking fun while still being on his side but showing him a different side to the family dynamic than he’d realized or acknowledged. And lightening the impact of her statement, which could’ve sounded a bit harsh or been taken the wrong way, with a gorgeous smile. <3
I just think it’s awesome that in this group of kids, a chick is the boss. Usually you’ve have an alpha male leading the group and the chicks are just there to drool over his abs or be a prize that the established pack leader and newcomer fight over. But Sky’s in charge, while still being fun and likeable, and she’s got a cool head under fire and is pretty much a BAMF and I am a fan already. ^_^ Sense of humor, pretty and badass? Right on!
(random aside: I hope we get more of Lieutenant Washington. Not in the gratuitous ‘strip naked and do the nasty with some random military grunt’ Stargate: Universe way, but just more of her character, because I find her air of stern professionalism really intriguing, I love tightly wound-up, by-the-regs characters like her)
If the show is setting up Sky and…Josh?...at least I’m not vehemently opposed. It’s a nice change to not want to stab my eyes out over a main character’s son or the girl he may/may not be interested in. I’m hoping they keep it platonic, because he was in love with that girl back in his own timeline and it’d be pathetic for him to be over her so quickly and moving on to the next warm female body, but if they do progress to a romance, I don’t mind him, when he’s not throwing tantrums, and I don’t think he’s unworthy of her. (Not like my seething fury and disgust at Lisa/Tyler on V! SHE COULD’VE DONE SO MUCH BETTER, UGH)
Random, but I like how not all the young people move in the same circles. On shows with smaller casts and lower budgets, everyone mingles, even if it’s unrealistic, out of necessity- but here, you’ve got Josh joining Sky’s group, and then there’s the good girl geek daughter back at the ranch, stumbling over her tongue with another guy. I hope she doesn’t go through a rebellious stage. Writers need to not make kids gigantic brats all the time, not all children are demons in disguise. Some of us try to be good and follow rules, so I hope she stays true to that. (I’m not projecting myself onto her at all. Except for the part where I get not being one of the cool kids, having esoteric interests that nobody else shares and gives you funny looks when you babble on about it and being a rule-follower who would never push boundaries. PLEASE REMAIN ALL THOSE THINGS, DAUGHTER WHOSE NAME I MUST LEARN)
Anyway, moving on. Interesting plot questions abound right from the beginning! Anyone care to venture a guess as to the origins and motivations of the Sixers? Whether Taylor is a good guy *hopes* or if he’s got nefarious plans? What the deal is with his ‘missing’ son and those equations? Who else is loyal to the Sixers back at camp and are they hatching other plots?
I hated the idea of the Sixers at first- nooo! I wanted everyone to get along and be one big happy family!- but it is kind of intriguing, and I guess they needed to sow the seeds for conflict to keep it fresh and tense. Can’t just show a bunch of people setting up camp, after all, gotta have some drama happening. It’s just that I hate traitor stories, I want the team to be solid and stick together, not worry about moles passing on info. >_< But on the whole, at least the conflict is mainly, at this point, with a group of outsiders- it’s not like BSG or SGU which had main characters turning against each other and nobody being able to rely on the team because there could be back-stabbers.
I do think the writers are doing a good job with keeping the Sixers ambiguous. I was ready to hate on them when they crashed into the base, but then they offered up that quartz or whatever rock that Terra Nova needed in exchange for their man and medical supplies. It wasn’t exactly conventional trade, but at least it wasn’t terrorism! I liked that moment of silent communication between the black leader chick and Taylor, it’s always cool when the leaders are calm and rational and above all, concerned for the wellbeing of their people and not more worried about saving face or trying to score points.
A lot of guys would’ve been OTT with the macho attitude, but he just nodded and accepted the trade, and both of them were firm and maintained control of their people admirably well. Me likey! (please don’t either of them die! I like this uneasy cease-fire, it’d suck if one of her people managed to kill him. Why are they trying to kill him? Damn it, leader chick!)
Btw. When the hell did she rescue her man? I mean, the kids were in the vehicle with him for all that time and then the slashers came and there was a lot of chaos, but you think people arriving on the scene and evacuating a man losing lots of blood would attract some attention! But still, it speaks well for her as a leader that she was so determined to bring him back, against all odds. (and I’m kinda glad he survived, it was nice of him to let the kids shelter with him- I wonder what his connection is to Sky, though? Are we meant to infer some deeper connection or is it as simple as him chatting with her now and then in camp?)
Can I confess something? I kinda, semi-sorta, might perhaps potentially ship Sky with Taylor. :P I KNOOWWW, I fail. I just find it interesting when young women have a maturity beyond their years and interactions with an authority figure on a different level than their peers. (Like Sasha and Payson of Make It or Break It)
It’s the balcony scene! I’m a sucker for balcony scenes! She sought him out to own up and take responsibility for what happened, which is really mature and elevates her above the other kids, for me. She said she hated disappointing him, which makes it seem like more than just ‘oh no, I broke the rules, the leader’s gonna be upset’, it’s personal for her. Apparently he’s looked out for her after her parents died, which is another way her interaction with him differs from the other kids.
Aaaand…IDK, I laughed at the part where she ‘fessed up to drinking, the two of them just seemed really comfortable with each other at that point, him chuckling at her expense and her being self-deprecating over it. Some lingering eye contact, him leaning into her personal space a bit…yeah. I fully expect this to go nowhere, don’t worry, I’m not delusional, I just find this kind of dynamic fascinating.
The fact that she’s keeping secrets from him and his comment about ‘treacherous waters’ being faintly foreboding makes it all the more irresistible! :D
To summarize: aside from a few rocky moments, I like the core family. I think they’re mostly charming and appealing in their own ways and I’m invested in them surviving. I’m already very fond of Sky, who is a refreshing young female character, the kind I don’t see much of, so I’m excited and hoping the writers continue with her being strong and leader-like, while still being funny and compassionate and not defined by love interests (hallelujah!). In addition, I have a soft spot for the leader of Terra Nova, I hope he doesn’t get killed off anytime soon. The plot is exciting, there are several characters to root for and a whole new world to explore. I’m def coming back for more. ^_^
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Vidspam: Emma's dancing moves, omg! She is the cutest thing, I cannot handle it! ♥
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