Terra Nova

[John Adams]

The nerds are letting me down.

 

I was prepared to be disappointed--the hype was kind of too good to be true. So far, I'd give it a "meh."

 

The back story was disjointed and senseless. Just a general, "We polluted things to death" sort of thing. Lots of unaddressed obvious sci fi questions. Not at all clear how the time portal opened. Not at all clear how 2 way transit is possible through the portal. Not at all clear why they wouldn't just send back the refugee guy and his daughter. Not clear why guns don't work against dinosaurs. Seems like putting holes in animals usually kills them. Avatar guy's dinohead table just stupid.

 

I liked the mystery of finding writing on rocks 90 millions years before man evolved. You'd think they could have drawn that out instead of just explaining it as the Avatar dude's son already.

 

I'll keep watching for a while but it kind of feels like a Sci-Fi science fiction show so far, and that's not a compliment. So far, there is no real interesting mystery driving the plot ("Why is a polar bear in an island in the Pacific?") There's some hint that there's some question but at the moment, nothing.

 

Budding romances between teens introduced too early too. Can the writers let a few episodes build before pandering directly to the Twilight crowd? Father son tension was similarly forced and resolved too fast, although they will doubtless continue feeding that plotline. Hope they can slow down and build some characters at some point, and not get lost in the LOST problem of making everyone shallow.

 

I really didn't find that much to like but it's high budget sci fi on a network, so I'll give it more time.

Edited September 29, 2011 by John Adams

[Dr. Fong]

If anyone missed it, like I did, and want to catch it they're re-running it tonight on National Geographic and Saturday night on Fox.

[SelmonSmith6378]

Great review. Wow. This sounds like crap. Go watch "Sons of Anarchy" if you want some REAL entertainment.

[/dev/null]

I skipped it. This show is either going to be god awful and be on for 5 seasons or be really super awesome and get pulled before the first season finishes (ala Firefly).

 

In either case, might as well save the disappointment.

 

Oh, and I second SelmonSmith6378's suggestion

[PTS]

The show has an interesting premise and had the potential to be good but the pilot rushed through what could have been a few good episodes.

 

Not that I can blame the creators. If they went the route of slowing developing the story line, it would have been cancelled in two weeks. Now it will get cancelled in four.

 

LOST is the only show that did it right. They went all in with the pilot but did it in a way that had us wanting more. I'm not even sure what I want after watching Terra Nova's pilot.

[dib]

Jurassic Park meets Avatar

[muffmonster]

I watched the first episode and pretty much agree with your analysis. I may give it one or two more episodes, but it didn't really grab me.

 

I guess they use fully auto cap guns in an effort to scare the dinosaurs?

[John Adams]

Jurassic Park meets Avatar

 

minus Spielberg's direction and Cameron's effects.

 

Jurassic Park was a lousy movie, but with cool dinosaurs.

Edited September 30, 2011 by John Adams

[DC Tom]

The nerds are letting me down.

 

I was prepared to be disappointed--the hype was kind of too good to be true. So far, I'd give it a "meh."

 

The back story was disjointed and senseless. Just a general, "We polluted things to death" sort of thing. Lots of unaddressed obvious sci fi questions. Not at all clear how the time portal opened. Not at all clear how 2 way transit is possible through the portal. Not at all clear why they wouldn't just send back the refugee guy and his daughter. Not clear why guns don't work against dinosaurs. Seems like putting holes in animals usually kills them. Avatar guy's dinohead table just stupid.

 

I liked the mystery of finding writing on rocks 90 millions years before man evolved. You'd think they could have drawn that out instead of just explaining it as the Avatar dude's son already.

 

I'll keep watching for a while but it kind of feels like a Sci-Fi science fiction show so far, and that's not a compliment. So far, there is no real interesting mystery driving the plot ("Why is a polar bear in an island in the Pacific?") There's some hint that there's some question but at the moment, nothing.

 

Budding romances between teens introduced too early too. Can the writers let a few episodes build before pandering directly to the Twilight crowd? Father son tension was similarly forced and resolved too fast, although they will doubtless continue feeding that plotline. Hope they can slow down and build some characters at some point, and not get lost in the LOST problem of making everyone shallow.

 

I really didn't find that much to like but it's high budget sci fi on a network, so I'll give it more time.

 

It's Fox. The same bozos that killed "Space: Above And Beyond" because they wanted it to be "more like Melrose Place, but in space!" The same morons that wrecked "Firefly" because they couldn't market it and ran the episodes out-of-order.

 

Aside from X-Files, they've never met a science fiction show they couldn't completely !@#$ up.

[John Adams]

Was reading around on sci fi skeptics to make sure I was not the only one. The show definitely established the premise that they can communicate (somehow) back and forth between times, but people can only go one way.

 

In response to some criticism over some of the senseless science, there's an article on the TV Show's website that has the writers saying, literally, "It's TV. Relax."

 

If LOST got consecutively worse season to season, I can hope Terra Nova gets better.

[erynthered]

fag

[Dr. Fong]

I tried watching it. Couldn't get through the whole thing. I really wanted to like thus show because it isn't yet another cop show. Unfortunately it's just bad.

[Mark Vader]

It's Fox. The same bozos that killed "Space: Above And Beyond" because they wanted it to be "more like Melrose Place, but in space!" The same morons that wrecked "Firefly" because they couldn't market it and ran the episodes out-of-order.

 

Aside from X-Files, they've never met a science fiction show they couldn't completely !@#$ up.

You are correct in that assessment. FOX is very funny when it comes to knee jerk reactions and screwing up some of their tv shows.

 

Although I am kind of surprised at all the hate you guys are giving this show. So far I think it is decent, and I'm willing to give this show a chance.

 

I agree this show is not "LOST", but that is a very high standard to obtain. No doubt "Terra Nova" faces an uphill battle, with the expensive budget this show contains, and people not willing to give it more time to build on itself. It seems almost destined to fail.

 

If anything I am cheering for Jason O'Mara. He had a delicious recurring character in "The Closer", and I hope that he finds success.

[Clippers of Nfl]

The nerds are letting me down.

 

I was prepared to be disappointed--the hype was kind of too good to be true. So far, I'd give it a "meh."

 

The back story was disjointed and senseless. Just a general, "We polluted things to death" sort of thing. Lots of unaddressed obvious sci fi questions. Not at all clear how the time portal opened. Not at all clear how 2 way transit is possible through the portal. Not at all clear why they wouldn't just send back the refugee guy and his daughter. Not clear why guns don't work against dinosaurs. Seems like putting holes in animals usually kills them. Avatar guy's dinohead table just stupid.

 

I liked the mystery of finding writing on rocks 90 millions years before man evolved. You'd think they could have drawn that out instead of just explaining it as the Avatar dude's son already.

 

I'll keep watching for a while but it kind of feels like a Sci-Fi science fiction show so far, and that's not a compliment. So far, there is no real interesting mystery driving the plot ("Why is a polar bear in an island in the Pacific?") There's some hint that there's some question but at the moment, nothing.

 

Budding romances between teens introduced too early too. Can the writers let a few episodes build before pandering directly to the Twilight crowd? Father son tension was similarly forced and resolved too fast, although they will doubtless continue feeding that plotline. Hope they can slow down and build some characters at some point, and not get lost in the LOST problem of making everyone shallow.

 

I really didn't find that much to like but it's high budget sci fi on a network, so I'll give it more time.

They said once you leave you cant go back. that's why they didnt send the guy back.

 

I thought it was cool. (of course not super bomb, YET)

 

they showed dinos and some that kick ass. whats not to love.

 

favorite scene was when the brontos leaned their necks over and were eating the leaves. that was very cool for me.

 

i also liked population control. "a family is four", rebreathers, and how the light and the air would be so clean and bright that they had to prep you before entering terranova.

 

on a scale from 1-10 it was a 7

[SelmonSmith6378]

They said once you leave you cant go back. that's why they didnt send the guy back.

 

I thought it was cool. (of course not super bomb, YET)

 

they showed dinos and some that kick ass. whats not to love.

 

favorite scene was when the brontos leaned their necks over and were eating the leaves. that was very cool for me.

 

i also liked population control. "a family is four", rebreathers, and how the light and the air would be so clean and bright that they had to prep you before entering terranova.

 

on a scale from 1-10 it was a 7

 

If you want to see giant special affect monsters fight each other, go see the first "Transformers". At least that was OKAY. Plus: Megan Fox. xoxoxo.

 

Or see the 2010 Wolfman remake. Or Underworld. They're actually REALLY GOOD!

[Clippers of Nfl]

If you want to see giant special affect monsters fight each other, go see the first "Transformers". At least that was OKAY. Plus: Megan Fox. xoxoxo.

 

 

 

Or see the 2010 Wolfman remake. Or Underworld. They're actually REALLY GOOD!

of course there are better shows and movies out there with better special effects and stuff.

 

we're talking about this show though.

 

i'll watch tonight. its been one episode so far.

[the_franchise]

Its kinda nit-picky, but the names of the dinos is one thing about the show that imo sucks. Also, I was really expecting them to take a while to get to the Land of the Lost(I guess it was a 2 hour premier), but I guess you can't expect every show to try and develop its story and characters. Oh yeah, and for all the people in line for the portal it sure didn't seem like their camp was very populated. We'll see what happen with episode deuce.

 

In other news arrested development is coming back. I never watched it but do know quite a few people that enjoyed it.

Edited October 4, 2011 by the_franchise

[CosmicBills]

I have mixed feelings after (finally) catching the 2 hour pilot. Truth be told, I very much want to see Terra Nova succeed. But that's from a purely selfish perspective. That aside, the show itself left me cringing more than it left me wanting more.

 

For a pilot with a budget as big as Terra Nova (upwards of $20 million not counting reshoots I've heard), it's a crime that the effects were cartoonish. The future scenes were a mess CGI wise, and for all the talk that the dinos were going to look as good as Jurassic Park I thought they looked pretty shoddy. I have nothing but respect for Alex Graves who directed it, but man ... just because you have the budget to do an effect doesn't mean you HAVE to do one. That seemed to be the biggest bump I had throughout the pilot.

 

Story wise I am a huge fan of several of the writers on staff, so I am confident that the storytelling will be top notch as the show gets its legs (IF it's allowed to). And I actually dug the story in the pilot -- even if some of the beats were a bit overdone. They just seemed to be in a big rush. With everything. And that, I fear, is more the result of network notes more than anything.

 

I recorded Episode 2 last night, will probably get to it tonight after work but damn. I really wanted to dig this show. Right now I'm kind of "meh" about it.

[John Adams]

Episode 2, worse than episode 1. This show is about off a cliff. Acting is poor. Episode 2 was totally self-contained and moved the plot nowhere--or at least not along any big arc that makes me interested. There remains nothing that has me curious about 85 million year old earth. Nothing mysterious. Nothing that has the people there super puzzled. Basically, they're all happy for sun and citrus, and oh yeah, there are some dinosaurs. Again: I can't believe they didn't leave the rock writing a mystery...that alone would have piqued my curiosity enough to hang in for a few episodes. But they already said it was written by a colonist. Even though the author of the writing, Avatar-dude's son, is kind of mysterious, it's not as interesting as finding secret writing 83 million years before homo-species. Just poorly done.

 

Pretty lousy. I will give it 1-2 more episodes just because I like the overall idea and maybe the story will finally get traction.

 

tgreg: Episode 1 was a rush and part of me forgives that since it was likely pressured to be that. But episode 2 was just a 1 hour dino hunt with the recurring theme that the parents want to bang each other. What the hell?

Edited October 5, 2011 by John Adams

[CosmicBills]

Episode 2, worse than episode 1. This show is about off a cliff. Acting is poor. Episode 2 was totally self-contained and moved the plot nowhere--or at least not along any big arc that makes me interested. There remains nothing that has me curious about 85 million year old earth. Nothing mysterious. Nothing that has the people there super puzzled. Basically, they're all happy for sun and citrus, and oh yeah, there are some dinosaurs. Again: I can't believe they didn't leave the rock writing a mystery...that alone would have piqued my curiosity enough to hang in for a few episodes. But they already said it was written by a colonist. Even though the author of the writing, Avatar-dude's son, is kind of mysterious, it's not as interesting as finding secret writing 83 million years before homo-species. Just poorly done.

 

Pretty lousy. I will give it 1-2 more episodes just because I like the overall idea and maybe the story will finally get traction.

 

tgreg: Episode 1 was a rush and part of me forgives that since it was likely pressured to be that. But episode 2 was just a 1 hour dino hunt with the recurring theme that the parents want to bang each other. What the hell?

Yeah I agree. It was a real sin to solve the rock writing so quickly ... but that seems to be what this show is: in a rush. Take the interesting new character they introduced tonight. I liked the fact that the science officer recommended her for the post knowing that O'Mara was locked up. I hated the fact that, not only did they give that to us right away, but O'Mara confronts this guy with that information less than two scenes later! That's the kind of thing that could really give the characters dimensions and make us care about them. Give them secrets. Build the relationships and string the dynamite along the way -- but give it a slow fuse.

 

Which brings me to what I think is the root of the problem. LOST never made any illusions that it was a character drama with sci-fi elements. It was not a sci-fi show with character elements. Terra Nova seems to be the later. Which instantly makes it cheesy no matter what the intentions of the creators was. They are putting all their cards on spectacle -- which is IMPOSSIBLE to maintain when that spectacle is expensive CGI that still looks crappy.

 

They need to reduce the scope of the show. Stop with all the huge sprawling shots of the CGI vistas (that look crappy) and instead focus on the people trying to restart civilization. Tonight's episode could have been awesome ... if it happened episode 10 of Season 2. The show should be Deadwood in the past. But instead they're trying to be Avatar Light.

Edited October 5, 2011 by tgreg99