T.V. Review- “Space: Above and Beyond” the Complete Series on DVD
I had watched most of the series during its single season run on Fox, and I remember being very impressed with the special effects. Re-watching the pilot, I was less impress with the obvious green/blue screen effects. Even the computer generated effects seemed a little off, and not quite right at times(I did some checking and apparently such early CG effects tended to have little in the way of texture, so maybe that was throwing me off.). Yet another thing I remembered though was that “Space: Above and Beyond” had some stories to tell, and I was right in remembering that.
I have to admit that the pilot episode is very good and very bad in so many ways. The okay effects, along with the production values of trying to make 1995 somewhere in Los Angeles, look like a Marine Corps base on the west coast in 2056 were laughable at times. When the principle cast members pull up as new recruits in what is clearly a retrofitted cheese wagon, I could only roll my eyes.
The pilot eventually starts telling a real story which is its saving grace. For those who don’t know “Space: Above and Beyond” is about the future where deep space travel is possible, and colonization of planets is being undertaken. Up to the destruction of two colonies sentient alien species were thought to not exist in the universe. It is the war with the Chigs, who are never given a real name, which is the driving force behind the shows story lines. The war which goes from bad to catastrophic, within the pilot no less, with our cast thrown in to help stem the tide.
For me the show immediately picks up when it gets the cast off Earth and into space, and the show doesn’t have to be dragged down by explaining how our main characters got into the United States Marine Corps, or making the Earth look like the future by trying to recreate the wheel every chance they get. Once they’re on board the ship it actually looks and feels like the future.
And when they finally get around to telling stories “Space: Above and Beyond” is much more enjoyable. As the series goes on episodes are devoted to faith, combat, bigotry, and other topics. Psychics were one, of the other topics and that was a horrible episode I should add. I honestly didn’t remember the effort put into the themes the show explores from what I remember of watching the series on television but this is science fiction at its best, telling stories in the future to explore the present.
Acting wise I have to give James Morrison top marks for giving an intimidating and convincing performance as Lt. Col. “T.C” McQueen. As an invitro (an artificially gestated human with their belly button conveniently placed on their neck, who are the stand-ins for all present day minorities) he got to explore all those existential questions of who he is in the best episode of the series. The Chiggy Von Richthofen storyline was probably the best storyline of the series with McQueen taking centre stage for the latter part of that storyline. James Morrison aside, the entire cast of “Space: Above and Beyond” is outstanding, Morrison being a standout as McQueen. He also got the best lines.
I also rather liked the fact that they use real military forces for the shows future militaries. I just like the thought that the Marines will still be standing guard on the ramparts of American civilization here until doomsday. An episode that involved a member of the Coldstream Guards of Great Britain I also liked. The Coldstream Guards were there when the Monarchy was restored, and were there for god knows how many other battles all over the world since; why should the Coldstream Guards and the United States Marine Corps not be fighting aliens on different planets?
Story telling and future gazing aside, numerous crimes against realism are committed by “Space.” A big one for me is the battle fought within the Mars-Jupiter asteroid belt, which couldn’t have happened as depicted ala The Empire Strikes Back, because the asteroid belt is not that dense. Imagine if we took the Earth, crushed it up and scattered it between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the pieces would be very far apart and I’m pretty sure that I am overestimating the mass of our asteroid belt by comparing it to the Earth. Though this can be forgiven since it looked cool. I guess I should also point out they also depict sound in space, but that’s only notable on a science fiction series or movie when they don’t depict vacuum as a sound transmitting medium. The unrealistic set up of the Marine unit that our main cast members are a part of was also dumb, and tighter writing probably could have prevented it.
Techincally the DVD for “Space” is a fairly barebones affair with only the episodes on a six disc set. No special features or episode commentaries. Though since the “Space” was made in 1995 all the episodes were filmed in full-screen, which sucks.
All together “Space: Above and Beyond” was a fine show that unfortunately got cancelled, but was probably just as well. The one and only season was tightly plotted without any major loose ends left in the series finale.
3/4 Stars.
I have to admit that the pilot episode is very good and very bad in so many ways. The okay effects, along with the production values of trying to make 1995 somewhere in Los Angeles, look like a Marine Corps base on the west coast in 2056 were laughable at times. When the principle cast members pull up as new recruits in what is clearly a retrofitted cheese wagon, I could only roll my eyes.
The pilot eventually starts telling a real story which is its saving grace. For those who don’t know “Space: Above and Beyond” is about the future where deep space travel is possible, and colonization of planets is being undertaken. Up to the destruction of two colonies sentient alien species were thought to not exist in the universe. It is the war with the Chigs, who are never given a real name, which is the driving force behind the shows story lines. The war which goes from bad to catastrophic, within the pilot no less, with our cast thrown in to help stem the tide.
For me the show immediately picks up when it gets the cast off Earth and into space, and the show doesn’t have to be dragged down by explaining how our main characters got into the United States Marine Corps, or making the Earth look like the future by trying to recreate the wheel every chance they get. Once they’re on board the ship it actually looks and feels like the future.
And when they finally get around to telling stories “Space: Above and Beyond” is much more enjoyable. As the series goes on episodes are devoted to faith, combat, bigotry, and other topics. Psychics were one, of the other topics and that was a horrible episode I should add. I honestly didn’t remember the effort put into the themes the show explores from what I remember of watching the series on television but this is science fiction at its best, telling stories in the future to explore the present.
Acting wise I have to give James Morrison top marks for giving an intimidating and convincing performance as Lt. Col. “T.C” McQueen. As an invitro (an artificially gestated human with their belly button conveniently placed on their neck, who are the stand-ins for all present day minorities) he got to explore all those existential questions of who he is in the best episode of the series. The Chiggy Von Richthofen storyline was probably the best storyline of the series with McQueen taking centre stage for the latter part of that storyline. James Morrison aside, the entire cast of “Space: Above and Beyond” is outstanding, Morrison being a standout as McQueen. He also got the best lines.
I also rather liked the fact that they use real military forces for the shows future militaries. I just like the thought that the Marines will still be standing guard on the ramparts of American civilization here until doomsday. An episode that involved a member of the Coldstream Guards of Great Britain I also liked. The Coldstream Guards were there when the Monarchy was restored, and were there for god knows how many other battles all over the world since; why should the Coldstream Guards and the United States Marine Corps not be fighting aliens on different planets?
Story telling and future gazing aside, numerous crimes against realism are committed by “Space.” A big one for me is the battle fought within the Mars-Jupiter asteroid belt, which couldn’t have happened as depicted ala The Empire Strikes Back, because the asteroid belt is not that dense. Imagine if we took the Earth, crushed it up and scattered it between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the pieces would be very far apart and I’m pretty sure that I am overestimating the mass of our asteroid belt by comparing it to the Earth. Though this can be forgiven since it looked cool. I guess I should also point out they also depict sound in space, but that’s only notable on a science fiction series or movie when they don’t depict vacuum as a sound transmitting medium. The unrealistic set up of the Marine unit that our main cast members are a part of was also dumb, and tighter writing probably could have prevented it.
Techincally the DVD for “Space” is a fairly barebones affair with only the episodes on a six disc set. No special features or episode commentaries. Though since the “Space” was made in 1995 all the episodes were filmed in full-screen, which sucks.
All together “Space: Above and Beyond” was a fine show that unfortunately got cancelled, but was probably just as well. The one and only season was tightly plotted without any major loose ends left in the series finale.
3/4 Stars.