Earth: Final Conflict (beware spoiler)

[theblitz]

I just finished watching the first season of Earth: Final Conflict. I was kinda surprised (super-understatement) that they killed off Boone. Does it screw up the next seasons or it is still watchable? (no spoilers please). I understand that they kill off others as well.

[Lindley]

Every season takes a somewhat different tone. The general consensus is:
Season 1: The best
Season 2: First half too many cliches, second half pretty good
Season 3: Fine but unmemorable
Season 4: Strong finish
Season 5: Wait, why is there a season 5?

[Sindatur]

Lindley wrote:

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Every season takes a somewhat different tone. The general consensus is:
Season 1: The best
Season 2: First half too many cliches, second half pretty good
Season 3: Fine but unmemorable
Season 4: Strong finish
Season 5: Wait, why is there a season 5?

Yea, I enjoyed all of the first 4 seasons pretty well. Boone's replacement for me, was a fine replacement, and didn't do any damage to the show. The next major cast member replaced, I actually prefer the replacement.

Season 5, was a bold decision for a twist, and if well executed, I think it could've been really great. The execution, however, wasn't so great, and S5 definitely suffered for it, but, I was able to find some stuff to enjoy in Season 5

[theblitz]

Probably gonna start season 2 tonight. So will soon see.

[MacLeod]

DMany will say the show started to go downhill post Boone.

[The Wormhole]

EFC fans are usually split into two groups: those who only accept season 1 and those who also enjoy seasons 2-4. The only thing everyone agrees on is that season 5 is crap.

[Morpheus 02]

Lindley wrote:

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Every season takes a somewhat different tone. The general consensus is:
Season 1: The best
Season 2: First half too many cliches, second half pretty good
Season 3: Fine but unmemorable
Season 4: Strong finish
Season 5: Wait, why is there a season 5?

I concur...2nd season especially had sci-fi cliches including time travel, parallel, universes, etc.

Season , to me, felt like they were REALLY trying to get back to the season1 feel.

I think that's one of the reasons why season 5 felt so horrible..

[DeepSpaceWine]

There was a thread of someone reviewing the series episode by episode (I forget the topic name but the reviewer was The Habs Fan).

Season 1: The best
Season 2: First half too many cliches, second half pretty good
Season 3: Fine but unmemorable
Season 4: Strong finish
Season 5: Wait, why is there a season 5?

This. Season 1 has many fans, many who stop right there and hate the rest of the series. Those who go on find something decent in most of the rest of the series. Some even say it does have something Season 1 is a bit weak in (the action, the schemes) but everyone does agree overall, Season 1 has the highest quality. Season 2 early on feels like a sci-fi variety pack (trying out every idea from time travel to alternate realities, B-movie bugs, devolutions, etc) but does get better later on. Robert Leeshock, despite being a cheapo replacement does manage to become a watchable lead. Some people have it (Liam Kinkaid, Duncan MacLeod, Hercules, Xena, Mulder, etc) some people don't (Renee Palmer, Highlander: Raven actress, et al). Season 4 tends to be seen as the 2nd best. Many who actually stayed with the series long enough to get there feel that way. Season 5, all EFC fans hate it and many feel it's among the worst seasons of sci-fi ever. Watching Season 5 is an interesting experience. I tried in 01-02, but ended up only half paying attention at times, missed a few episodes, some sent me into a nap, though I did come to for the last few episodes. If EFC weren't such an overlooked show, Season 5 would be legendary in how bad it is.

[theblitz]

I have now got as far as the first few episodes of season 2.
I can see what you mean by a bit of everything.

Sometimes I get the impression that the really had no plan of where they were going with the story. Sort of made it up from week to week.

Compare this to DS9 with its obvious long-term planning and you can definite see the differences some planning ahead makes.

[Morpheus 02]

Did the first couple seasons of DS9 have a lot plotted out? DOn't get me wrong 00 i loved it (like Duet -- amazing episode).but i thought they just had a strong scenario (i.e. Bajor in the process of joining the Federation; dealing with the aftermath of a foreign occupation)... but not the big story arc that Babylon 5 had (and i wonder if EFC had a long term arc....we know that Andromeda, another Tribune tragedy, actually had one)

[Sindatur]

Morpheus 02 wrote:

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Did the first couple seasons of DS9 have a lot plotted out? DOn't get me wrong 00 i loved it (like Duet -- amazing episode).but i thought they just had a strong scenario (i.e. Bajor in the process of joining the Federation; dealing with the aftermath of a foreign occupation)... but not the big story arc that Babylon 5 had (and i wonder if EFC had a long term arc....we know that Andromeda, another Tribune tragedy, actually had one)

Nah, DS9 S1 and S2 weren't planned long term. And actually, even when they started planning in S3, I think they only planned 1 season ahead (Same thing with Buffy and most other shows). B5 having a plan all the way through from the get-go (though it morphed) was a rarity

[The Wormhole]

I'm fairly certian EFC probably had its seasons mapped out to some degree. Maybe not as extensive of certain other shows, and I doubt there was anything long term planned.

In the case of the second season I think they wanted to start off with several stand alones to introduce the audience to Liam Kincaid before they launched into the big story arc of the season.

[The Habs Fan]

theblitz wrote:

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I have now got as far as the first few episodes of season 2.
I can see what you mean by a bit of everything.

Sometimes I get the impression that the really had no plan of where they were going with the story. Sort of made it up from week to week.

Compare this to DS9 with its obvious long-term planning and you can definite see the differences some planning ahead makes.

I think you will enjoy the second half of Season 2. Just stick with it past the bad episodes in the first half.

[Christopher]

The Wormhole wrote:

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I'm fairly certian EFC probably had its seasons mapped out to some degree. Maybe not as extensive of certain other shows, and I doubt there was anything long term planned.

The original developer, Richard C. Okie, did have a long-term plan, but of course this was a Tribune show so naturally the original showrunner was fired and his replacements took it in directions he never intended. In fact, they set a record for firing the developer on this show; Okie was let go halfway through the first season, and you can see some changes in approach starting to set in during the back half of season 1, with Zo'or (a character created by Paul Gertz, who took over from Okie as head writer) becoming a recurring player and the original ambiguity of Da'an starting to give way to a more simplified good Da'an/evil Zo'or dynamic.

So yeah, they were pretty much making it up as they went after the first season. If there's one thing not to expect from a Tribune show, it's creative consistency.

[Morpheus 02]

Did Okie ever post up his plan for EFC? By the way -- as i remember it, Season 4 FELT like they were heading back to the feeling of season 1....and that got me excited about Season 5. ooops.