Falling Skies on TNT - Page 2

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Originally Posted by Simon West will kill Again 

 

These people are supposed to be not only survivors, but skilled rangers and scouts.

No they're not. Most of them are random ordinary people. The two that screwed up and ran after loved ones were a kid and a guy whose background we don't know (do we? He seemed to be non-military, like Noah Wyle).

It seems a bit lazy to use the "screw everything up by running into the open after a loved one" bit twice in three episodes, but I don't find either case unrealistic. Just repetitive.

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Originally Posted by stelios 

Distancing him from all the stuff his gang did will be quite a bullshit move. 

Yeah, the guy is a better class of actor than most on this show, but his character becoming part of their group will be the most unrealistic thing in a show about six-legged aliens, giant robots and mind-controlling parasites.

The blonde killed his brother. He let his men rape her. The two of them could not conceivably live together. It's dumb. If one doesn't try to kill the other, it's bad writing. 

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Originally Posted by Farsight 

Yeah, the guy is a better class of actor than most on this show, but his character becoming part of their group will be the most unrealistic thing in a show about six-legged aliens, giant robots and mind-controlling parasites.

True, but I think that's where they're heading with his character. I suspect Will Patton's character will turn out to be the real snake in the grass in future eps.
 

This show is awful.  Too much ersatz-drama and too little actual shit happening.  Noah Wylie was pretty good in those Librarian movies, but here he's just the lunch lady serving the dopey audience all the chest-thumping exposition they can digest in between the 'once every 8 minutes' commercial breaks.  The score just adds to the unctiousness. 

I get that Will Patton (who is squandered beyond reason in this...why the hell isn't he being wooed for William Sherman in that never to be made Lincoln movie?) is meant to be a foil for Wylie but DAMN!  He's so grizzled he's practically unintelligible.  And how long are they going rape that "You just have to get close enough." joke?

And so far this appears to be one of the most convenient occupations in history.

Ya know how looking at RED DAWN these days causes a twitchy cringe from the near indigestible level of jingoism?  That's how this show is shaping up to be viewed by posterity.  The only appealing character in the show is Dale Dye's and you actually spend more time looking at him saying "Holy shit did Dale Dye get old!".

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I consider this a big disappointment.  Shame with such a decent batch of actors.

I mildly enjoy the show so far and I understand and respect your disliking it, however, isn't an extended pilot plus one episode a tad too early to say 'little happens'?  It's a sci-fi show on TNT.  Personally, I didn't expect something remotely close to something like, say, BSG.  Would I like a darker, smarter show? Yes.  But a show on TNT with Wyle in the lead produced by "reborn" Spielberg? I fully expect something light and disposable, and that's what it is.  It's weird that Kubrick's passing influenced Spielberg in the most opposite way I expected.  There is way more Spielberg on the screen than I expected (and not necessarily in a positive way).

In the end, I am most impressed by the effects.  They are quite good considering.

Yeah, I was a bit harsh.  It's really that the show is giving me the JERICHO vibe; trying to appeal to too broad an audience and ending up wandering around the forest.  The show starts somewhat in medias res, and as episodic television it's point is to take it's time filling in details...that I can appreciate.  I'm just starting to feel like they had a great core idea, threw in some skeletal characters, but had no real thoughts on what direction to go with all of it.  If by the third episode I'm not really seeing some appealing characters (that don't bend believability too much), I start to tune out. 

I'm sensing that the whole alien occupation angle was fit to the needs of the resistance drama, rather than having the human drama subject to the extraordinary situation of an alien invasion.  I admit, I'm probably being a bit tough on a show that's just started and on what's basically the 21st century's version of broadcast tv.

You're definitely right, though, I was immediately struck by how the effects were more polished than I expected and blended quite well with the live action.

fuck this show.  I'm out.  Episode 4 was make or break.  Utter shite.

I'm gonna stick with the show, but I sincerely hope "Pretty Girl Who Prays" will just STFU in future episodes. Her dialogue is annoying, as is the other characters' reactions to her.

They need to take the guns away from the black kids dad and put him in the kitchen.  He's proven he can't handle pressure situations.  Ripping the alien harness may have been worse than the screaming to get him.  He stopped the line of communication w/ the alien and worse could have killed his own kid.

I thought the episode was good. Even though it was painfully obvious that Pope was gonna escape. And yeah I was willing to forgive Black Dad for screwing up when they got his son back. But now they are just making him look totally incompetant.

What a surprise, Pope escaped. Who saw that coming? Gee, I wonder if he will be a problem for our heroes in the future. It's also great how they don't give a shit that a violent, capable criminal is now on the loose and knows pretty much all there is to know about them. And their little spontaneous Thanksgiving over the probably semen filled bread Pope made them was so eye rolling. 

I really like the concept and the sci-fi parts of this. But they're dropping the ball big time on the character stuff.  

Baking bread is hard! Where did he find the time between cooking all the rest of the food for people? He better come back soon (and with strategic information) because he's the best character so far. At least there's some nuance in him, unlike 'Imma get my son!' Noah Wyle and 'Imma get my son!' black dad and douchey doctor.

Last episode felt a little lifeless and slapdash. Still enjoy it enough, if only to see Will Patton snarl at every opportunity.

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Originally Posted by stelios 

the probably semen filled bread Pope made them

 

Yeah, you know he did something to that food.

I rather enjoyed the episode. Nothing earth shattering of course, but we had some interesting revelations about the aliens plus a bit of action for dessert. I initially thought the Wyle/history teacher thing would be some lame "forced to become man of action" angle, but I like where they're going now with his work smarter not harder attitude. Also liked the alien creeping in on the ceiling in the background, another good Skitter reveal. Cowardly, douchey Dr Steven Weber is amusing too.

While this show isn't the be-all-end-all, there's some hilarious nerd nitpickery going on in this thread. 

I'm having a great time with this show. I even laughed a bit. Loved what the Asian guy said about being "HIGH" while eating  bread. Pretty damn funny.

I'm also surprised about how well the aliens are looking. The scene with the skitter getting blasted in the motorcycle building was sharp.

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Originally Posted by Simon West will kill Again 

RIP Dr. Stephen Webber.  We barely knew thee, even though you play the exact same character in everything you're in.

 

Honestly, I was kinda disappointed with that death.  Did he really need to open that MASSIVE window into the cage just to check the alien's pupils?  And then Moon Bloodgood getting all up-close and personal to test out the silent kill was pretty good, even though it was kinda out of character since she was all about trying to learn more about the aliens.  If you ask me, from a leadership perspective, having a live enemy capture is more valuable than anything, and most of the problems could have been solved with having two armed guards stationed near that thing at all times, which seems like kinda a stupid lack of logic considering Crazy Black Dad (TM) was able to cause problems by being alone with it last episode.

 

The rescue mission was pretty well done, though, and the Skitter's treatment of the children was really interesting - kind of loving and protective.  They almost treat the children like you would pets.  You care about them, but you can also train them to do things for you.  I also think the children have some kind of connection to the Skidders since the kids seemed to decline pretty fast once their caretaker was killed.

 

It was good to see that Crazy Black Dad's (TM) son was actually able to give them a bit of intel as well.  Maybe these new kids will be able to tell them more about the Skidders and what their ultimate plans are.

 

No Bishop this episode though.  I hope he comes back soon.  He makes things far more entertaining when he's around.

Yeah, dissapointed they killed off Weber so soon. I was expecting a "Tom leaves him to die like his wife" scenario playing out.

I'm guessing she decided that it was gonna be killed anyway. Why not kill it herself in order to help Tom and his son complete the mission.

I would say the Skitter was acting motherly twords the kids. Maybe there are males and females? Not to mention it looked liked initially the kids were trying to revive the Skitter or something.

I was a little disappointed that Hal didn't mention how weirdly tender the skitter was when they were chatting in the hall after the surgeries.  Between that and how almost defensive Rick was about what it was like to be harnessed, and some of the things that the skitter was saying through Rick in the previous episode ('I will be punished'), they seem to be building up a definite twist about what exactly the skitters are.

If you ask me (which you won't) Sundays episode was so disjointed. Moon goes on about how we must keep the alien alive to learn from it. Then, kills the alien dude prison style, and not quietly either, which was the point. Why not just stick a phallus shaped object in the alien mouth and knock it the fuck out, then stab it in the brain, silent and deadly. Weber before death scenes looked like it was going to lead somewhere interesting, but no, head crush death instead. Play music but not this song but then I'll play it...in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping, in a alien infested world...over the PA. Strange reveals by cancer girl??? Errors with the bags of drugs, at the beginning, taped or not taped? Moon going to a baby shower and then the next scene washing blood off her hands, she went with blood on her hands? Pre-med girl is annoying as a teen and looks aged 15 tops, but she knows a healthy baby when she hears one. Was I retarded last week and saw the Crazy Black Dad's (TM) son reattach the harness and saw the spikes like fuse back together? Did they remove it again? None of the new kids seems to be as addicted as Crazy Black Dad's (TM) son, was it the Heroin? Aliens are not observant, the harnesses glow, unless your a faker.

Still like the show but it's starting to frustrate me about how it's starting to go all over the place and it's causing me to question my sanity.

The characters are and have always been one dimensional; the plots are equally inane. Yet still I watch.

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Originally Posted by Joe Lavers 

The characters are and have always been one dimensional

For the most part, but I liked the bit about Moon Bloodgood not having any photos left of her family.

Weber's death was stupid. Didn't get the point of that character at all.

She's the best of the lot of them, but everyone else is a stand-in: religious girl, rape/cancer/other-future-bad-stuff girl, bad guy who's not so bad (oh look he cooks! how quirky), hardass commander haunted by a certain song, school teacher searching for his son AND looking to prove he can hold his own (multi-dimensional!), the surgeon/scientist, etc.

All of these traits either serve the plots or are used to hammer the themes fast and hard. Few if any of them feel like human beings, nor act like ones. The oldest son doesn't even seem concerned his girlfriend is missing!

It's really the aliens so far that I find even remotely interesting. The affection that one showed toward the children was refreshing.

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Originally Posted by Joe Lavers 

 The oldest son doesn't even seem concerned his girlfriend is missing!

To be fair, he has gotten an upgraded model.

The characters are alright. The story is ok. The action is acceptable. Everything about the show is thoroughly adequate. Thanks to my affinity for scifi, that's enough for now.

I will give them credit: the tenderness from the alien brood mother was creepy as hell.

well I think everyone saw what was coming.. but I didn't expect Pope was the guy selling the kids out. That was actually cool. And I'm sure with him being chained up that he will be repaying the shit out of the people that locked him up.

I also loved the terminator call back to Moon Bloodgood's acting career.

I'm not a parent, kinda hoping I won't be and you know why: because apparently you lose all sense of reason and logic when it comes to safety. I'm glad Wyle at least acknowledged that having the kids stay was perhaps a selfish move. Granted, they will be found to be right because the 3rd Mass guy is a traitorous cunt, but with the information available to Wyle and crew: large platoon of aliens coming at ya, why does it make any sense to have the kids, or even the god damn layabout civilians (who seem to do nothing but cry "think of the children!" and undermine all authority), anywhere near the scene of battle?

Also, two things that irks me in any grave, quasi-apocalyptic scenario: a) why are the women put anywhere near the front lines? and b) why isn't every able bodied adult trained in combat? To have civilians in this situation just seems patently absurd. If a college history professor can command men and kick ass, why can't the douchedads do the same?

Lotsa problems with the show, so thank god it's a summer series. Glad Pope is back and wondering what happened to him to make him do this. Very eager to see next episode.

Against my better judgement I caught up on this and now that I can deal with the glaring inconsistencies I'm kind of almost liking it.

It has serious flaws but I am really liking the 'Aliens wan't your kids in a happy community' idea. It would be entertaining if the skitters have judged humanity as being fundamentally fucked but that it's not too late for our kids! Only the 'innocent' will survive (although they seem a bit arbitrary about what ages they'll take).

The overt praying girl annoyed me a lot but it would entertain me no end if she interprets it all as 'end of days' biblical madness and goes fully nutso.

Just caught the latest episode, it went exactly where it was looking to go but the biggest thing that got me going was the preview for the next few episodes.  It looks as if we are about to find out what the skitters/mechs are which is going to be good.  The way it played we could find out why they want kids, I have an idea which it could be ( I posted something about the kids being in the mechs but think it's a little more complicated than that).  It's been slow building this series but I'm starting to enjoy it.

The show finally seemed to catch up to its ideas last night. Very exciting episode all around. A good blend of action, plot movement and character. Plus, Will Patton delivers a kid then rescues his men LIKE A BOSS.

I understand that Mike's kid is mind controlled somewhat, but god damn, I want to shake the shit out of him. He reminds me of my younger brother when he was his age, moping around and being critical. At least the kid on the show has a reason.

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Originally Posted by Simon West will kill Again 

Also, I wasn't sold on why they let Mike wander around ARMED after he discovered the big "secret."

That was pure bullshit. I liked the episode but that really was a crock of shit. The show should've had the balls to have Mike taken out back and shot in the head, then let the kids figure out some shit was going down and escape themselves. Would've fit the episode better, what with the kids fending for themselves and all.

Just have Patton and Wyle find Mike's body later on. Sorted.

Look, the show is on TNT, so some things that should happen just won't.

Pope stabbing the guy who was about to kill him? No way! Taking the young girl hostage instead of letting her run around screaming for armed men to come kill you? No chance! Actually punishing the people who are traitors to mankind, tried to murder you and make your children alien slaves? No how!

I enjoyed the episode, but I'm realistic - this show has no chance to be great. They want to brush up against adult subject matter without actually embracing it. They want it to be edgy, but NOT TOO EDGY! 

I'm just hoping for consistently entertaining. This was a good step.

Eh, what difference does it make if Mike is taken out back and shot and we hear the gunfire from a distance, and what they already did in the episode? At least one makes sense.

As someone with an admittedly small military experience, captain Patton runs the most miserable excuse for a paramilitary unit in the history of insurgent movements. Under any conditions, Pope, medicine stealing dad and the Sanctuary crew would have summarily been taken out back and shot in the head. And just taking the dude's lies at face value without even an attempt at authentication? The fighters are at least supposed to be partly military, right? And the librarian's plan to stop the firefight was so damn stupid. 

This show has some silly moments for sure... but some of the humor still works. Seeing Pope in a rugby shirt and shorts was pretty damn hilarious.

Shocker, Henry Czerny was a secret bad guy! and Pope turned out to be a rogue with a heart of gold, a misunderstood bad boy, an outlaw who knows right from wrong! (etcetc). I think I preferred it when he was a racist rapist.

Show sucks on so many levels but ultimately it's so lightweight and harmless that I just don't feel like giving it a hard time. Plus, Jimmy Cliff. Can't stay mad at ya when you put on some Jimmy Cliff. No matter how weird/creepy Patton looks during his "I'm remembering my family" scenes.

This show is exactly what I expected from the channel that gave us Rizzoli & Isles. Just so dull and bland. Also, once you notice the way Patton whistles every time he says a word with the letter "S", you can't un-notice it.

All else aside I hate that Christian female with the burning intensity of a million suns.  Every time she gets that beatific look on her face I want a skitter to drop in and rip her arm off and beat her to death with it.

While I enjoyed the last episode, and I never fast-forward a show, I had to skip her song. It was just too awful.

If they ever do another Sleepaway Camp, she would be perfect in the Pamela Springsteen role.

Hey! Let's hide in this house here! There are armed people looking for us so now is the perfect time to play hymns on the piano and let the kids play boardgames at full volume. It's OK, I'm Sister Mary Annoying! My God will protect and save all of us!

This is like the anti BSG. Where that was PTSD, dysfunctional relationships, strife and self destruction 24/7, everyone in Falling Skies behaves like they're on maneuvers with the Reserves rather than surviving after a near total genocide.

So fucking oblivious, it's a wonder why the aliens aren't luring them into traps by leaving trails of candy by the road.

I actually think 'oblivious' is a more realistic reaction than 'everyone wants to commit suicide'.

Not that I'm defending Falling Skies... it'd have been nice if one person had suggested staying away from the windows while playing games with crazy traitorous slavers chasing them...

well I gotta say I liked the introduction of the new aliens.  I also like the scenes with Pope. The rest of the episode was kind of poop. Nina from Fringe makes a cameo as a crazy lady. Wasn't as cool as it should have been.