Television Review – Defying Gravity
August 19, 2009 at 6:45 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | 3 CommentsTags: Defying Gravity
By John J. Joex
ABC, Sundays 9 PM EST
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars
ABC’s Defying Gravity is a Summer entry for the network along the lines of NBC’s Merlin and The Listener, i.e., it is a foreign produced show which is relatively inexpensive and which serves the purpose of filling up air-time during the low-viewership Summer months. Which is not to say that any of these three shows are just cheap throwaways, but the networks have much less of a commitment to them than the shows that get the premium airspace on the Fall and Spring schedules (evidenced by NBC’s yanking of The Listener from its schedule last month).
At first blush, Defying Gravity seems somewhat similar to Ronald Moore’s failed pilot Virtuality which aired on FOX earlier this Summer. The series is set in the relatively near future and chronicles an extended space voyage through the solar system while the crew’s daily activities are recorded and transmitted back so that the people on Earth can watch. However, the similarities stop there. Moore’s Virtuality gave us a much more heady, hard science fiction look at space travel with the twist of virtual reality thrown in to occupy the crew during their extended down time. Defying Gravity essentially gives us a soap opera on a spaceship with a few science fiction plot elements tacked on for good measure. Series creator James Parriott (Voyagers!, Forever Knight) even pitched the show as Grey’s Anatomy in space (a show which he is quite familiar with, having served as writer and executive producer from 2005 to 2006). And the series does spend quite a large amount of time focusing on who slept with whom or who will to sleep with whom (or wants to, seeing as they are all wearing patches which allegedly inhibit their sex drive).
This leads to a rather odd mix of soap opera and science fiction that hits as often as it misses. The series got off to a rather typical start as we find that the two male leads from the series (Ron Livingston of Office Space fame, and Malik Yoba previously seen on New York Undercover) have a tainted past from having abandoned two of their crew members on a previous Mars mission. Of course the two female leads from the series (Christina Cox previously of Blood Ties, and Laura Harris previously seen on 24 and Dead Like Me) both have prior intimate ties with these two and they must suppress their feelings while in close quarters on the mission. In addition, the rest of the characters on the ship and at ground control have their own soap opera sub-stories winding their way through the episodes as well.
And while it might seem like this show would veer too far from the type of material that would attract the typical science fiction fan, I find it to be a bit of a guilty pleasure. The four main characters give the show a solid base (with Livingston handling himself quite well in a dramatic role), and the series has enough science fiction elements to counter-balance the soap opera divergences. And the story arc about the mysterious force known as Beta, which apparently has some sort of control over the entire mission, provides some intrigue even if it seems somewhat familiar. Plus, it is nice to see a show making at least some attempt to provide a realistic portrayal of space travel, even if it does take its fair share of liberties with science.
Since ABC is also the home to Grey’s Anatomy, it seems that this show would make a good fit for the network. However, the series mixes two very disparate genres and could just as easily turn off science fiction fans as it would soap opera fans. Its rather anemic ratings on Sunday nights so far speak to this fact. Defying Gravity is really a niche show and would likely have better success on a cable network not looking for the same numbers broadcast networks demand. The show would probably do well on Lifetime where it would court their existing female audience while possibly luring over some male viewers. It would also seem a good fit for the new direction of SyFy as they attempt to bolster their female viewership.
In any case, the series will likely not have a long life on ABC. It has pulled low numbers even for a Summer show, and the network will likely pass on the show after it has completed its thirteen episode run (assuming they allow it to air that long). The fact that the show is an import, though, means that it could live on in another venue if it does well in the international market. And I do admit to having become somewhat attached to the show and I would not mind seeing it live on beyond its first season. Of course, neither would I be particularly heart-broken if the show disappeared after its inaugural run.
Go to TV.com for more info on Defying Gravity including Episode guides and Cast bios
Watch Defying Gravity Online at ABC.com
Shop Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Axiom’s Edge Bazaar:
Television Review – Eureka Season 3.5
August 11, 2009 at 9:32 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: Eureka
By John J. Joex
SyFy, Fridays 9 PM EST
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars (After 5 Episodes)
Eureka has become a Summer staple since debuting on the Sci Fi Channel back in 2006. The series focuses on a small town in an undesignated part of the Pacific Northwest that is the home to an assortment of scientific geniuses who work for the super-secret, government funded Global Dynamics. And as a counterpoint to the numerous eggheads that populate the town, the series gives us Sheriff Jack Carter who heads up the local police force and who makes up in common sense and intuition what he lacks in scientific comprehension. Each week, something goes awry with one of the latest experiments from Global Dynamics and Carter has to apply his down-to-earth sensibility to cut through the head-in-the-clouds viewpoints that dominate the geniuses he must work with.
And while this may seem formulaic, the series has managed to avoid descending into routine prior to the current season because of its whimsical plots, lovable and eccentric characters, and it sense of fun. While so many other Science Fiction and Fantasy shows of late have veered toward a grimmer bent, Eureka has bucked that trend and usually just delivered some fun episodes and quite a few laughs. The series also usually has a story arc or two working in the background as well, but not something that requires Lost-like devotion to following and analyzing the weekly episodes.
Season 3.5 debuted this past month (last Summer’s Season 3 was cut short by the writer’s strike, so SyFy just decided to call the current run Season 3.5), and unfortunately it seems like the show that had previously managed to stay fresh and unpredictable has hit a bit of a rut. While last Summer the show got off to a bit of a shaky start, it quickly rebounded and re-established itself as one of the stronger genre shows on television. This Summer, though, the series just seems to be meandering and marking time.
Picking up where the first half of Season 3 ended, we find Sheriff Carter out of the job even though you know that he will be back to his old duties by episode’s end. Then the writers threw the old cliché at us of the robot (named, humoursly enough, Sheriff Andy) replacing the human and you know that in no time Carter’s unfailing intuition would triumph over the robot’s ironclad logical mind. Everything went according to plan and we were back to status quo by the end credits. And then we have pretty much remained there through the ensuing four episodes as we have worked our way through the typical invention-run-amok episodes that the series has delivered for the past three years.
So far this season, the show just seems to lack the inspiration that it had in the previous years. Despite its formulaic premise, Eureka has always managed to throw a sufficient number of curves at us and to keep us laughing. This year, though, nothing seems really new and the show has failed to deliver the laughs on a regular basis.
One of the problems is that the show has seemed to run dry on the lovable, eccentric characters that always previously brightened the episodes. We have become quite accustomed to several of the regular eccentrics like Joe, SARAH, and Fargo and the new additions like Jack’s sister Lexi or the new head of Section 5, Tess Fontana, just haven’t added much oomph to the series (I’d love t see Taggart back because Matt Frewer could always light up the screen). I had actually thought that Sheriff Andy would become a regular, which would have been a plus because, despite his clichéd intro, he was an interesting character. By instead they decided to shuffle him out of the picture. So along with characters that have grown a might long in the tooth, the somewhat stale plots have really dealt the show a bit of a setback.
That’s not to say that that Season 3.5 is necessarily bad, just not as good as previous years. It’s still worth watching, even if I do not look forward to the coming week’s episode as much as I did in the past. And the show has still managed to keep its audience as its move to Friday nights have barely affected its ratings. Though newcomer Warehouse 13 has been showing it up in the Nielsens so far in Eureka’s old Tuesday night time slot.
If you are new to the series, I highly recommend that you go back and check out Season 1 and Season 2 to see the show in its heyday. If you are a returning fan, know that the show has not completely veered off course, it just doesn’t sparkle quite as well as it used to.
Go to TV.com for more info on Eureka including Episode guides and Cast bios
Watch Episodes of Eureka on Hulu.com for Free
Television Review – Warehouse 13
August 1, 2009 at 8:04 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: Warehouse 13
By John J. Joex
SyFy, Tuesdays 9 PM EST
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Warehouse 13 follows a super-secret organization that shepherds over the storehouse from its title which houses scientific and supernatural artifacts of great power. Yeah, I know that you just got an image in your mind of the warehouse we saw at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and you’re dead on. Of course, not only does this facility store items, they search out possible new items that may be uncontained and pose a danger to the public. To this end, two agents follow clues that could lead them to these potential artifacts on the loose. And right about now, you probably have an image of Scully and Mulder in your head, and once again you’re not too far off base. Warehouse 13 combines The X-Files with the notion of that warehouse from the first Indiana Jones movie and proceeds from there.
So, with such a derivative premise, can this series be any good? Well, after the pilot and three subsequent episodes, I can at least say it’s not too bad. The series starts off by introducing us to Secret Service agents Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) and Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) who work together despite sharing a serious mutual dislike toward one another. To their dismay, they are drafted into service by the mysterious organization that runs Warehouse 13 because of their “unique abilities” and are told that they must sever all of their ties with their past lives. They are then assigned to the super smart yet highly eccentric Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) who doles out their assignments. They receive a variety of retro gadgets to assist them in their missions like a Tesla stun gun and a Farnsworth two-way video communication device. And if you are experiencing some déjà vu at this point, you are still right there with me. Pretty much every part of this setup has appeared in some form or another in television, movies, books, comics, etc.
Still, the series manages to rise above its derivative premise and at least deliver a watchable hour of entertainment. And it does this mostly on the strength of its cast. Myka and Peter have the requisite amount of Moonlighting-style sexual tension combined with personal revulsion, but the actors manage to distinguish their characters and shine despite the show’s drawbacks. They definitely set themselves apart from Scully and Mulder and from Maddie and David, though they do draw some inspiration from both sets of couples. And character actor Saul Rubinek provides the requisite nerdy/intellectual presence that the series demands, though he manages to maneuver his way beyond the typical stereotype traps. His cantankerous, genius character provides just the right amount of additional chemistry to mesh perfectly with his two co-stars. C.C.H. Pounder, as Mrs. Frederick, also adds to the cast as the authoritarian director with an apparent sinister side. Episode four also introduced yet another regular, girl genius Claudia Donovan played by Allison Scagliotti, but it’s too soon to determine how she will fit in with the rest of cast.
On the down side, the stories have been somewhat underwhelming so far. They follow the typical pattern of Myka and Peter following clues of the existence of some sort of powerful artifact and stopping someone from using it before too many people are hurt while bickering with each other all the while (the fourth episode diverged from this a bit, though). The new artifacts they have been chasing so far have been mostly uninteresting, and make me really want to see more of the items already stored in the warehouse that they have teased so far. Also, the episodes are a bit short on humor, despite that fact that SyFy seemed to play up that angle in the lead up to the show’s debut. I expected this one to follow Eureka’s lead, and while it does make me smile or chuckle once in a while, I rarely laugh out loud like I do with the veteran show. Maybe the show just needs to get its footing, though, and we will see more of that in coming episodes.
Ratings-wise, Warehouse 13 has been a huge hit for SyFy. The series debuted with the largest opening numbers that network has seen since Eureka debuted back in 2006 (when they called themselves the Sci Fi Channel) and has continued to hold on to its audience in subsequent weeks. The good news about these numbers is that this should give the producers some sense of security and allow them to build and improve the show. And that’s a good thing because while the show may not be too remarkable at the current time, it has potential and could grow into a decent series.
Go to TV.com for more info on Warehouse 13 including Episode guides and Cast bios
Television Review – Merlin
July 9, 2009 at 8:10 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: Merlin
By John J. Joex
Airs on NBC, Sundays at 8 PM EST
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars (After 5 Episodes)
BBC Import series Merlin, currently running as a Summer entry for NBC, gives us a new take on the Arthurian legends. In this incarnation, Merlin is not the wizened old sorcerer sporting a long grey beard on gnarled staff that we often associate with the tales of King Arthur. Instead, he is but a youth, perhaps in his late teens, who has come to Camelot as a greenhorn who must learn how to control the magic he has a knack for and how to deal with humility in his lowly position as a servant. And Arthur is not the brave king leading a company of knights into gallant battles against Medieval perils. His is but a brash young prince who must earn his way to the throne while constantly running afoul of his unyielding, authoritarian father, King Uther Pendragon.
When I first heard about this series, I immediately assumed it would follow a King Arthur meets Smallville track. However, right out of the gate this series established itself as something very different from that CW mainstay as well as most other shows that focus on youthful characters. It avoids the expected teen angst angle that Smallville followed early on and that last year’s Twilight flirted with. Instead, it uses the youthful perspective of Merlin and Arthur to offer us a different take on how these characters will mature and eventually assume their mantle as the ruling core of Camelot.
Merlin we discover to be a young man with immense yet raw magical talent that he has yet learned to fully control. This presents a serious problem to him as Uther Pendragon has outlawed the use of magic, which he fears, in his realm. Court physician Gaius, who also dabbles a bit in sorcery, takes Merlin under his wing and tries to guide the young acolyte in his use of magic. Arthur we see as an arrogant prince who often bullies those he considers beneath him. However, we also discover that this attitude comes in part from his royal heritage, and that a good person lives deep down inside of him. Merlin unwillingly finds himself thrown into the position of Arthur’s servant, and though the two clash initially, they have develop a mutual respect as the series has progressed.
Merlin also learns early on that he has a destiny to assure that Arthur one day ascends to the throne. This sets the stage for the series and relationship between its two leads. And each episode carries on the story of Merlin’s and Arthur’s growth into maturity and their journey into infamy. The series avoids the more intricate story arcs of domestic shows like Lost and Heroes, preferring to deliver mostly stand alone episodes. However, you can see how each episode advances the overall story of the duo’s rise to power. Note that the series completely dispenses with the more traditional canon of Arthurian legend, preferring to develop its own mythology. But we know in general the direction it is headed.
The cast of Merlin is superb, just as I would expect from a British production. Colin Morgan is sufficiently wide-eyed and hot-headed as the young, eager Merlin and Bradley James plays the young Arthur as a petulant, arrogant young man yet with just the right amount of earthiness to demonstrate his sincerity. And Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) shines as the dictatorial king of Camelot who Arthur will one day replace. We also see several more of the characters from the Arthurian legends sprinkled about through the series in unexpected places. Morgana (Katie McGrath) is Uther’s ward and Guinevere (Angel Coulby) is her servant. Lancelot (Santiago Cabrera) made an appearance in the fifth episode as a commoner who manages to win the respect of Arthur and the king.
While the series takes plenty of liberties with Arthurian legend and has more than its share of anachronisms, it succeeds as an excellent example of the Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery genre on television. And it fully embraces that genre as it gives us wizards and dragons and other creatures and concepts common to the genus. However, unlike Legend of the Seeker, the series does not become overly mired in cliché. Thus it gives us a fresh spin on Sword and Sorcery tales while also presenting fairly strong stories.
Ratingswise, Merlin has brought no magic to Sunday nights for NBC. The series debuted with a paltry 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and only about 5.3 million viewers, pretty low numbers even for a Summer show. It has since slid from there, ending up with a 1.1 rating and about 4.3 million viewers this past Sunday. The good news, though, is that since this is a product of BBC, it does not live or die by the Nielsens. In fact, the show already aired in Britain last Fall to great acclaim and received a renewal for a second season. Whether we see those episodes on NBC, BBC America, or some other venue, remains to be seen. But at least we know that we have more episodes coming which is a good thing.
Go to TV.com for more info on Merlin including Episode guides and Cast bios
Watch Episodes of Merlin on Hulu.com for Free
Have an idea for an article or review relating to the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre? We are always looking for fresh ideas so write it down and send it to us at mail@axiomsedge-scifi.com. (See our Submissions Guidelines)
Television Review – Virtuality
June 28, 2009 at 5:00 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | 5 CommentsBy John J. Joex
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Virtuality is a television series pilot written and produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) that follows the crew of a deep space mission. They are headed to the Epsilon Eridani star system on a journey that will take ten years. Their day to day activities on the ship are recorded and transmitted back to Earth where viewers watch them on television, reality series-style. In addition, each crew member has a virtual reality module that they can use as an escape from the rigors of deep space travel. However, a glitch in the programming has lead to several bad experiences in the virtual world, and they consider switching off the system for the duration of the mission. This glitch seems to extend beyond that, though, and ultimately leads to the death of one of the crew members which points toward a potentially subversive plot unfolding on the ship. So essentially, Virtuality gives us hard science fiction meets reality television meets the Star Trek holodecks meets murder mystery meets a conspiracy story arc.
If that description makes this two hour movie sound like an odd mish-mash of ideas and genres, then you are following right along with me. Ronald D. Moore did a good job of turning the iconic Battlestar Galactica franchise upside down and he apparently wants to keep heads spinning with his latest venture. I have to admit that half way through Virtuality I felt like his eclectic, genre-splicing movie was a bit more than I could stomach, though I stuck it out and by the end he had finally won me over.
It is filmed very much like a realty series, with the jerky, hand-held camera flitting about try to catch the quibbles among each of the crew members along with separate “confessional” pieces directed at the camera. And really, the characters seem like some of the standard types that Reality TV producers cobble together to generate the required amount of friction that draws viewers to watch their shows (and for that matter, parts of the interior of the ship resemble those super-sleek apartments where MTV’s The Real World often boards its participants). This aspect of the series can be a bit disconcerting to non-Reality TV fans, but at the same time you have to admit that there is a hint of authenticity to the way that the people interact with one another.
Adding the virtual reality system to the mix of course draws immediate comparisons to the holodecks of the Star Trek franchise (right down to its tendency toward malfunction). However, Virtuality takes a very different approach. Each person wears a virtual reality visor that lets them see and experience this cyber-world, though it is not physically “real” like Trek’s holodecks. And to what extent this virtual reality engages all five senses is not made completely clear. The participants seem to fully experience the situations in their mind, including sexual encounters, but we don’t know just how real it feels to them. Still, having such a system on a long voyage makes a lot of sense.
Which leads to the next part of this movie that I really appreciate. Moore takes a very realistic, scientifically accurate approach toward space travel (including no sound in space!). So often, space travel in television and movies follows whichever physical laws that the writers feel like acknowledging at any given point in time (or simply no laws at all). Virtuality on the other hand tries to portray life and travel in space as accurately as possible. So even if you dislike all of the other aspects of this movie, you have to at least appreciate this rare attempt to give viewers a more accurate portrayal of what it would be like to travel in deep space.
As far as the cast, they all seem to fit quite well in each of their respective roles. Nikolaj Coster Waldau (of 2008’s New Amsterdam), stands out as the captain of the ship and the one person who can keep this collection of oddballs from ending up at each other’s throats. The rest of the cast include an assortment of actors that you have seen in guest slots or supporting roles in various television shows and movies and will have you saying “where did I see that person before”? Among the standouts we have Clea Duvall from Carnivale and James D’Arcy from Master and Commander.
Ultimately, this movie seems somewhat unapproachable at first and a bit difficult to digest. But if you think about it, that could easily describe Battlestar Galactica at times. As I mentioned, at first I didn’t like it, then I did, then after sleeping on it I liked it even more. And I went from originally deciding to give the movie a 3.5 rating to boosting it to a 4. Check back with me in a week and maybe I will change that up or down.
Virtuality was intended to proceed into a series, but FOX chose to pass on it, and I while I might understand their thinking because of the density of the movie, I would definitely like to see more. Maybe one or two sequel movies? The death of the crew member leads to the suggestion of some sort of conspiracy or larger sequence events that could play out over two or three more movies, and I would definitely tune in for those. I highly doubt this one could survive the weekly grind of a network series, though.
To reinforce that thought, the movie barely registered in the Nielsens pulling only a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 1.8 million viewers (and for those of you who missed it, you can still catch it online at FOX.com). I’m sure once the DVR returns come in the number of viewers will rise, but despite that and the fact this ran during a typically low viewership timeslot, those numbers will definitely scare FOX away from putting any more money into this concept. Still, I’m betting that Virtuality will start to pick up some cult notoriety and could return at some point and on some channel either as an ongoing or limited series or several made for TV/DVD movies. And when and if it does, I will definitely tune in.
Watch Virtuality Online at FOX.com
For More info on Virtuality, go to TV.com
Have an idea for an article or review relating to the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre? We are always looking for fresh ideas so write it down and send it to us at mail@axiomsedge-scifi.com. (See our Submissions Guidelines)
Check out the New and Upcoming DVDs, along with specials under $20 and under $10.
Television Review – The Listener
June 25, 2009 at 6:45 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | Leave a CommentTags: The Listener
By John J. Joex
Airs on NBC, Thursdays at 10 PM EST
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars (after 4 episodes)
NBC’s Summer paranormal series The Listener is a Canadian import that the network picked up to fill up a place on the schedule during the months where viewership is light. So basically that tells you right off that they did not believe the series had hit potential and that they really just see it as a “filler” show. Still, after four episodes, it has proved mildly interesting and shown some potential if it can find a way to diverge from its formulaic approach.
The show follows paramedic Toby Logan (played by Craig Olejnik) who is a telepath and has tried to suppress his ability most of his life but ultimately decides that he can use it to help others. This unfortunately leads to the more trite, formulaic side of the series. Toby gets mental “flashes” from people in some sort of trouble which leads him to playing junior detective to investigate their problems and try to help them. He of course has regular run-ins with a female detective from the local precinct who is quite annoyed with him always sticking his nose in her business. Ultimately, though, he leads her down the right path to arrest the bad guy or help the person in trouble (or a combination of the two).
So basically, The Listener pretty much just gives us another “cop show with a twist” Prime Time entry. And because of this, I actually almost gave up on it early on, but the third episode added a few elements that convinced me to stick around. First, Toby decides to reveal his abilities to his EMS partner, who had been previously asking a lot of questions and wondering how Toby knew some of the things that he did. Also, this episode established that Toby’s mentor, a university professor, is also a telepath and that there are others out there like them as well. This introduces a possible “mythology” for the show and provides the creative team with alternative to the procedural-themed stories, and hopefully they will venture in that direction.
I’m not saying that I expect this show to become a more serialized drama like Lost or Heroes, I just would like to see more interesting stories than simple crime-of-the-week yarns. The procedural has been done to death, and simply adding a person with telepathic ability into that format just provides no interest for me. Exploring more about these people with heightened abilities and how they’ve learned to get along in the world could lead to some interesting stories, though.
The performances by the cast members have all been good to adequate so far. Craig Olejnik, with his piercing eyes, gives Toby Logan almost an otherworldly feel, though what’s up with his 60’s British Invasion haircut? Enis Esmer plays a decent second-fiddle as Toby’s partner Oz, and Lisa Marcos is sufficiently cranky as their oft-put-upon foil from the police department.
Ratings-wise, the show has done nothing to light up the Nielsens as it premiered with a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and just over five million viewers. While those numbers might be acceptable for NBC for a Summer entry, the show’s most recent 0.9 ratings performance could jeopardize its future on the network. If it does not improve those numbers, it could go the way of last year’s Summer series on NBC, Fear Itself, which got yanked after eight episodes. Still, the series has already aired all thirteen of its episodes internationally starting in March of this year and could live on in another venue if performed did well there.
Overall, The Listener has its moments, but it needs to rise above the formulaic procedural stories to become anything more than a derivative television knock-off. And the fact that this one is not a network product could give it the opportunity to live on and explore its potential, whether on NBC or another channel.
Go to TV.com for more info on The Listener including Episode guides and Cast bios
Watch episodes of The Listener Online for Free at Hulu.com
Sci Fi TV Briefs – Lost Goes a Bit too Far with Time Travel; Dollhouse Wraps Up
May 12, 2009 at 8:28 am | In John J. Joex, Sci Fi Briefs, Television Reviews | 3 CommentsTags: Dollhouse, Krod Mandoon, Lost, Supernatural
Short reviews/comments on select episodes from this past week’s Science Fiction and Fantasy television offerings.
By John J. Joex
(THESE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Lost (“Follow the Leader”) – In the past, Jack is determined to carry out Faraday’s plan to explode the hydrogen bomb and destroy the island and hopefully change the sequence of events that brought him and the others to the island in the first place. Meanwhile, in the present, Locke has plans that involve The Others and killing the mysterious Jacob. And this time around they finally really annoyed me with their time travel stuff. The part where Locke, Richard, and Ben go to where Locke was previously shot so that Locke can tell Richard to do what we had previously seen him do to help him with his injury (yes, it’s as confusing as it sounds) just pushed my time travel endurance to its limits. So basically, what happened there only happened because Locke knew it would happen and told Richard to do what Locke knew he should do (my brain is really starting to hurt). These are the sort of conundrums that we often see in Science Fiction television and movies that just drive me crazy. They stretch the credibility for a show that has worked hard so far to suggest there really are rules governing this whole time travel thing. And this just verges on contrivance. The only potential out that the writers gave themselves was Locke’s comment that the Island told him to do this. The season finale comes this week and hopefully it will bring with it the end to this whole time travel story line.
Dollhouse (“Omega”) – In the previous episode, Ballard unknowingly helped Alpha infiltrate the Dollhouse. Now the rogue active apprehends Echo and plans to make her like him by implanting all of her previous imprints into her brain at the same time. Ballard then teams with Langton to get her back. This episode was actually not as strong as several of the ones that preceded it, but it had its moments. It was good to see Alan Tudyk back aboard a Joss Whedon production and you know that he was channeling Woody Harrelson’s performance as Micky Knox from Natural Born Killers into his role as Alpha. This episode gives us some answers about Alpha and the Dollhouse and appears to resolve the storyline of Ballard hunting the Dollhouse. He seemed to agree to work with the organization he previously crusaded against a bit too easily, but he may have been doing so with ulterior motives. The episode gave us an acceptable wrap up to the season, but not a satisfying series finale which it almost certainly will be based on the finale’s ratings.
Supernatural (“When the Levee Breaks”) – Dean and Bobby decide that Sam has gone too far with his addiction to demon blood and create their own detox program by locking him up. Then Bobby starts to second guess their decision and wonders if it would be better to have Sam at full strength, despite the consequences, in order to defeat Lilith and avert the apocalypse. And apparently Castiel is on the same wavelength as he unlocks the cell while Dean and Bobby are sleeping and Sam escapes. This episode brings to a head the storyline about Sam’s thirst for demon blood and sets the stage for the season finale which will come this week. Considering how the previous three seasons ended, I’m sure they have something big in store for, though hopefully it does not involve one of the brothers dying or promising away their lives again as that act has gotten a bit old. If they just keep the whole story moving forward, I will be happy.
Krod Mandoon (“Thrilla in the Villa”) – This Comedy Central entry ends its six episode run on a pretty bad note. It won’t go into too much detail, but basically Krod and his men are transformed into dogs to spy on Grimshank and decide they like this change because they can lick themselves. Okay, that probably was too much detail. The show had a few moments where it delivered the laughs across its six episodes, but far too many more that made you want to cringe and/or just shake your head and wonder what they were thinking. It started out leaning toward good Mel Brooks but ended up leaning way too far in the direction of bad Mel Brooks. I’m not too sure how this one did in the ratings because I didn’t see too much information about it. So I’m not sure if Comedy Central plans on bringing it back for more episodes or not, and I’m not sure I care.
Previous Column:
Read Full Episode Recaps at
Zap 2 It’s – It Happened Last Night
Have an idea for an article or review relating to the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre? We are accepting contributions so write it down and send it to us at mail@axiomsedge-scifi.com. (See our Submissions Guidelines)
Television Review – Knights of Bloodsteel
April 23, 2009 at 10:22 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | Leave a CommentBy John J. Joex
Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 Stars
I have always been a huge fan of Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery tales, so when one of the rare examples of the genre makes it to television or the cinema, I usually try and check it out. The Sci Fi Channel’s Knights of Bloodsteel is a two-part mini-series that debuted this past Sunday and Monday which should appeal to fans of the genre.
The story focuses on a world that has come to rely on an enchanted metal know as Bloodsteel. The supply of this metal is running low, so all the nations are battling to possess the last few scraps. However, there is a rumor of an enchanted device called the Crucible which is the key to an unlimited source of Bloodsteel. The evil Dragon Eye (a half human, half dragon sort of thing) wants to possess the Crucible so that he can use it to rule the world (of course). The united Human, Elvin, and Goblin nations task four anointed knights to find the Crucible before Dragon Eye does (and of course there is a prophecy that they are the chosen ones).
So basically, we get a hodge-podge of Sword and Sorcery clichés wrapped up with commentary on current events. But if this was meant as a parable for modern times, it offers very little in the way of enlightenment. Of course the actors feel like they are making a grand statements as they deliver their lines with a great amount of self-importance and dramatic emphasis as if they were bringing us Shakespeare. However, this is definitely not the work of the Bard, and dialogue they have to work with is often hackneyed or just plain clumsy.
Knights of Bloodsteel succeeds a bit more as a Sword and Sorcery tale, giving us a pretty straightforward entry in the genre. It definitely has its share of clichés, at times seeming like Lord of the Rings-light for television. However, it does not pile on the platitudes like The Legend of the Seeker does, but neither is it as much fun as that show.
The character development is minimal at best, but then you expect that in productions like this. At least the actors succeed in keeping their characters from disappearing into the scenery. Dru Viergever stands out with his performance as the Goblin Ber-Lak, and I found this race of creatures quite interesting, kind of like the Klingons from Star Trek. Genre veteran Christopher Lloyd also gives a bang-up performance as the Elvin wizard Tesselink. His performance was fairly straightforward, though, as we saw little of his trademark quirkiness and no attempt to step out and have fun with the role like he did with Commandeer Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
Production-wise you could tell it was done on a limited budget, but they did the most with what they had and it came off much better than many of the cheepies that the Sci Fi Channel throws at us. And as with almost any mini-series made these days, the two moguls of that genre, Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr., were involved. However, Knights of Bloodsteel did manage to break away from their typical pattern of all style and no substance. Not too much, though, but at least it was better than 2007’s dreadful Tin Man.
All in all a decent enough Sword and Sorcery yarn as long as you don’t try to take it too seriously (like some of the actors did), and if you are prepared to yawn more than once over its rather tedious four hour run time. They definitely left it open at the end for a sequel or continuation as a series, but since they killed off two of the best characters, my interest in seeing more is minimal.
Sci Fi TV Briefs – Krod Mandoon Gets the Laughs and Benjamin Linus Gets his Comeuppance
April 15, 2009 at 10:18 am | In John J. Joex, Sci Fi Briefs, Television Reviews | 3 CommentsTags: Heroes, Krod Mandoon, Lost
Short reviews/comments on select episodes from this past week’s Science Fiction and Fantasy television offerings.
By John J. Joex
(THESE REVIEWS CONTAINS SPOILERS)
Two late season entries bowed this past week so I decided to check them out along with two of our regulars.
Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire (“Wench Trouble” & “Golden Powers”) – I read the Hollywood Reporter review of this show, which ripped it good, before seeing the premiere, so I went in with pretty low expectations. And that was a good thing because, not expecting much, I really quite enjoyed this show. It’s basically a send-up of Sword and Sorcery movies and television shows like Lord of the Rings and The Legend of the Seeker. Krod, along with his flaming sword, is the prophesized one who will lead the people in an uprising against the evil empire, or something like that. The less you really think about the details, the better. He has a ragtag, bumbling group of followers which include an oafish pigman, a faux wizard, and a pagan, nymphomaniac female warrior (steaming performance by India de Beaufort). The humor is quite obvious, as we have heard most the jokes before, but at least they avoided too much potty humor and they didn’t drag out the jokes until they were dead, Austin Powers style. I actually laughed out loud a few times during the double episode (30 minutes each) premiere. It reminds me a lot of some of Mel Brooks’ work. Not his best stuff, but not his worst either. Consider it the Get Smart of the Sword and Sorcery genre.
Harper’s Island (“Whap”) – I did not read the Hollywood Reporter review of this one before watching and probably should have. It would have set my expectations equally low. I really just decided to check in to see if it had any genre elements, and I found little to report back. It’s basically a murder-mystery about a group of people who go to an island off the coast of Seattle for a wedding (not an isolated island, though, because there’s a small town there). Apparently a maniac had gone on a killing spree there some years ago, and now a new set of killings in the same vein has begun, bumping off the wedding guests. Producers have promised that at least one person will die each week up until the thirteenth episode when all is resolved (for the premiere at least two and perhaps three got whacked). This is planned as a thirteen episode “event” that could continue with new characters (since most the old ones will be dead) if the show proves a success (unlikely based on the overnights from the premiere). It has some elements of Scream, but lacks the humor of that franchise. It also harkens back a bit to Ten Little Indians. In any case, I saw little to suggest that this would appeal to Science Fiction and Fantasy fans, though Horror fans might give it a nod. I read somewhere that the killer has some supernatural ties, but I don’t have enough interest to stick around and find out.
Lost (“Dead is Dead”) – Benjamin Linus finally gets his judgement from the island. What an episode! It starts off with Locke confronting Ben, the man who had killed him. Ben goes off into a long justification of why he killed John and how he knew he would come back to life when Locke just quips “I just wanted an apology”. We see that Locke has grown much more confident now that he has returned to the island and he has developed a bit of a swagger. He accompanies Ben to his judgment day who faces the smoke monster and talks with the daughter he was responsible for getting killed. She tells him that Locke is calling the shots on the island now and that Ben must listen to him. All throughout, we see flashbacks of Ben’s earlier time on the island and of what transpired prior to his appearance on Ajira Flight 316 earlier this season. I have to admit that up to this point, Season 5 has been a bit soft. Not bad, mind you, just not always as gripping as I would expect from Lost. This episode really gave the current season a jump-start, though, answering a lot of questions while posing even more mysteries. One of the best episodes in quite a while, and that is really saying something.
Heroes (“1961”) – We get a look at Angela Petrelli’s past and see that as a teenager she was sent to an internment camp with her sister where Suresh’s father promised to “cure” her and others like her. Things go bad and most of the people at the camp end up getting killed with only Angela and a few others surviving. They decide that they must take matters in their own hands to make sure this never happens again, thus laying the seeds for the formation of The Company. Not a bad episode, but it could have been much better. I previously heard this one compared to the Season 1 episode “Company Man”, but it did not measure up. The writing has really stepped down a notch on this show. They are trying too hard to make a statement and they seem to have forgotten how to just tell a good story. Even such mundane lines as (paraphrased) “we used to watch movies and make popcorn” are thrown at us intended as profound statements. But they just seem to fall flat more often than not. I know I have spoken highly of Volume 4 previously, but I have to admit they are losing me. With only two episodes left in its current volume, and a lot of loose ends to tie up, Heroes really needs to get back into focus.
Previous Column:
April 7th – Life on Mars Goes to Mars
Read Full Episode Recaps at
Television Review – Kings
April 8, 2009 at 5:53 am | In John J. Joex, Television Reviews | 2 CommentsTags: Kings
By John J. Joex
Rating (after five episodes): 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Is Kings a Science Fiction show? Well let’s see. It takes place on a different world from our own. I do not recall them referring to Earth yet, so this could be another planet or just an alternate reality for our world. The main focus of the show is the Kingdom of Gilboa and its crown city Shiloh (an analogue of New York City). Gilboa has been at war with the neighboring kingdom Gath for years and the two are now negotiating an uneasy peace. The series focuses on the political intrigue and maneuvering that takes place during this process. Okay, maybe it doesn’t sound too much like Science Fiction, more like political drama, but whether you count it as such or not, it still offers much that fans of genre would appreciate. And in my mind it has enough speculative fiction elements to count as an entry in the genre.
Basically the series, from Heroes veteran Michael Green, is designed as a modern take on the biblical story of King David. The soldier David Shepherd takes on a “Goliath” tanks and manages to destroy it (mostly out of luck), after which he becomes a national hero. The jaded monarch of Gilboa, King Silas, decides to use David’s newfound fame to his advantage and elevates him to high-profile position. Now the simple farm-boy turned national hero experiences the intrigue and conniving of the royal court first hand.
Kings presents us with an interesting premise much different than the police procedurals and reality shows that dominate the Prime Time landscape. The alternate world setting of the show allows the writers to use this as a mirror to our own world and to address social and political issues from a different and unique perspective. I would not call the series topical (so far at least), because it does not try to create parallels to current day situations like the war in Iraq or the Israeli/Palestinian struggle, but it does deal with broader issues that relate to our world such as how to establish an acceptable peace agreement among warring nations. In this way, the show follows in the footsteps of other well written Science Fiction television shows by providing a lens to see ourselves from a different perspective.
However, ultimately Kings boils down to its two central characters. David Shepherd is naïve to the ways of politics and high society, but is brimming with raw enthusiasm and idealism. Christopher Egan manages to strike the right balance between David’s lack of sophistication and his zeal to make a difference. King Silas is the jaded monarch who apparently achieved his throne through dubious means and now jealously clings to his seat of power. He seems to see something of himself in the young David that has long faded after years of playing the game of court intrigue. Ian McShane provides a marvelous performance as the monarch, much like a stately Al Pacino.
Kings provides us with engaging drama that invests the viewers in its world and the characters that populate it. It has the feel of an epic mini-series, though the storylines established so far have the depth and richness to carry the show for several years. Unfortunately, that will most likely not happen. The series premiered with dreadful ratings and only went downhill from there. NBC has already made the decision to banish it to Saturday nights starting April 18th, so its chances of renewal are almost nill. However, at least they will let the show complete its run and hopefully the creative team will provide us with some sort of resolution to the primary storylines (which had better not involve giving up all technology and mating with the natives or waking up to find out they were really on a trip to another planet).
Kings currently airs on NBC at 8 PM EST on Sundays. Starting April 18th, it will move to the same time on Saturday nights.
Axiom’s Edge Blog- Comic Book Reviews: Girls Night Out: Bat, Spider, and Wonder December 16, 2009
- 21 Days of Sci Fi Christmas Day 13: You Are Entering the Christmas Zone! December 16, 2009
- New in Comics This Week: Star Trek Alien Spotlight Cardassians December 16, 2009
- Weekly Box Office Results: Princess Reigns Over the Theaters December 15, 2009
- 21 Days of Sci Fi Christmas Day 12: Star Wars and Star Trek Collectibles from Collectibles Today December 15, 2009
- Comic Book Reviews: We Can Only “Marvel” at the Action and Adventure in DC’s Lineup This Week December 14, 2009
- 21 Days of Sci Fi Christmas Day 11: The Discovery Channel Store December 14, 2009
- The Sci Fi Scroll: Syfy renews Stargate: Universe and Sanctuary; Avatar Film Review December 14, 2009
- 21 Days of Sci Fi Christmas Day 10: All the Who’s in Doctor Who-Ville December 13, 2009
- Ratings Results for the Week of December 6th: Fringe Back Down December 13, 2009
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
