• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Terra Nova season one 09/26/11:

The show has definitely been getting better. It's too late, though... It's pretty much doomed to cancellation by now isn't it?

When Fox announced their schedule in the Spring, Terra Nova was only going to get 13 episode this season. Whether or not it returns next fall depends on the ratings, the show's expense, and how Fox's development season turns out.

If they don't end up with a lot of good shows for next fall, this one will return. However if I was betting, I would bet against it, solely due to the cost of the series.
 
Shocked so many people diss this show. I really enjoy it and hope for another season.

Yeah it might be a tab bit family oriented but honestly thats refreshing. Who needs all the blood ,dark, and depressing adult stuff when you can have something like this that the whole family can watch.

Sorry so many people dislike this show, its really growing on me.
 
I loved the Star Trek references tonight. "Jim, I'm a doctor not a chemist" and Nurse Ogawa.

Great tweet from the writer tonight about the doctor/chemist line.
 
I had three suspects as to who the mole was: Skye, Malcolm and the kid dating the Shannon daughter (Reynolds I think his name is). The kid was too obvious since he's dating the daughter. I thought that might've been a ploy but not. Malcolm didn't seem like the mole last week plus he's kinda too goofy. So I figured it was going to be Skye so once I settled on her I knew it was that she was promised something in return and she wasn't doing it out of trying to make a buck. In the end it was pretty obvious but this show isn't all that deep or complex. It's pretty straightforward but I do enjoy it. It's been a fun little show.

Another reason I thought Skye was going to be revealed as the mole because she was showing some cleavage near the beginning of the episode tonight.:drool:.
 
Last edited:
Pretty good episode, even if nothing really happened. Why Taylor was wandering around by himself I do not know. Why Mira was wandering around by herself I do not know.

Two other things bothered me. First, the Sixer camp must be really close to Terra Nova. Skye rides to the camp and back before evening. On dirt roads(and shouldn't roads be a pretty obvious way to track down the Sixer camp?) we're not talking super high speed, so within a hundred miles of Terra Nova perhaps?

Second, every villain in the show is motivated the same way(Except possibly Taylor's son) they're doing bad things for the good of their family. It is getting pretty one note and boring.
 
Mira and Taylor should have made a baby.

What the frakk else could make her more bullet proof, ney "blaster" proof than carrying her enemies child?

Seska from Voyager proved that to be an ace idea.
 
Second, every villain in the show is motivated the same way(Except possibly Taylor's son) they're doing bad things for the good of their family. It is getting pretty one note and boring.
I agree with this criticism - I thought "not another family member excuse!"

Also, while I figured Skye was up to something fishy from the beginning, I still don't trust Malcolm. He's too reticent to do anything actually helpful and I wouldn't be surprised if he's the backup spy... with another family member to help. LOL

That said, I still really enjoy this show. :)
 
So i didn't bother with the last 3-4 episodes because i found the previous ones incredibly generic, bland stories with a story of the week vibe (very 90s).

Did the show improve significantly, did i miss something important and should i tune back in? Because right now i've got very little interest and less time that i don't want to waste shows i watch besides doing something else (sure way to gauge a quality of the show if my mind wanders and i do something else instead of paying attention).
 
So we have a murderer running Terra Nova, a full blown dictator(have we seen signs of any democracy in the colony?), who refuses to allow two way travel through the portal, and spouts some environmentalist anti-exploitation cliches as his cause.

I have found it odd that Terra Nova seems to be completely under military control with no form of civilian leadership. But, I suppose that isn't much of a problem, since all the civilians seem to be well treated. The only one Taylor and his people give a hard time is the Shady Bartender, who isn't exactly an angel anyway.

It's not like Taylor intentioanlly cutting people off from the future. Everyone most likely went through voluntarily, and they knew the time portal is only one way, so they've accepted they''re not likely to return to the future. And really, who the hell would want to?

Actually, historically speaking, military rule is pretty much the norm for newly established colonies. Eventually though they'll have to set-up some type of governing body. Most likely something akin to a Mayor at first (like Taylor is now) and later a council made up of prominent citizens. As things stand it's all very precarious as if Taylor dies, there'd be one hell of a power vacuum. I mean I can't see the colony being as eager to follow his chief lieutenant, she seems more of a follower than a leader.
 
You'd think these people would wise up that it's NEVER a good idea to go OTG. Something ALWAYS happens. Hey, there are fucking DINOSAURS out there!!!!
 
This week's episode was actually good in my book. Mira and Taylor are great opposites, and now that we have a general idea of what the Sixers are here for, they can start to play more character and less mystery when they meet.

Also, we actually HAD dinosaurs this week. I know that this is a very expensive show, but personally I'd prefer we had better reminders that we're millions of years in the past than a single big dragonfly.

And have there been any estalished metrics as to WHERE on Earth they are? In practice, even 85 million years ao many of the continents would still be recognizable. A previous post notes that the North American and African subcontinent would be around. Given that they're in a jungle it would suggest they were somewhere in the equatorial regions, but for all we know Hope Plaza only displaces people in time, not space. Could there ever have been a jungle in north america?

Also on the subject of geography, a couple episodes ago I think a convoy was ambushed by Sixers 400km from Terra Nova. That's quite some distance! I'm wondering just how much of this world they've actually explored. Actually, why haven't they brought any aircraft with them? Horny Pterodactyls aside, there doesn't seem to be much threat from the air, and it would allow them to cover ground a LOT faster, even if there seem to be a LOT of vehicle-ready roads lying about..

Mark
 
Actually, why haven't they brought any aircraft with them? Horny Pterodactyls aside, there doesn't seem to be much threat from the air, and it would allow them to cover ground a LOT faster, even if there seem to be a LOT of vehicle-ready roads lying about..

Mark

The visual effects from a futuristic aircraft of some kind would be expensive. Right now all they have to do is add a different sound track to the vehicles, and make the exterior look a little more futuristic. Much cheaper in the long run.

I would rather they save the vfx for the dinosaurs that airplanes.
 
Last edited:
They should be using blimps and airships for long range exploration. With the fuel-cell technology the show has displayed, those craft would have almost unlimited range and the ability to land anywhere there is a flat open space. The effects budget to show some airships would be minimal compared to rendering dinosaurs and other biological highly textured critters. But Terra Nova(sadly)as a show is really not into the exploration aspect of things, they would much rather show some teenage romance and stick close to the settlement.

I wonder if they have put any satellites into orbit yet. Hauling a couple large rockets through the portal big enough to carry some small com-sats and GPS-style system would be pretty important.
 
They should be using blimps and airships for long range exploration. With the fuel-cell technology the show has displayed, those craft would have almost unlimited range and the ability to land anywhere there is a flat open space. The effects budget to show some airships would be minimal compared to rendering dinosaurs and other biological highly textured critters. But Terra Nova(sadly)as a show is really not into the exploration aspect of things, they would much rather show some teenage romance and stick close to the settlement.

I wonder if they have put any satellites into orbit yet. Hauling a couple large rockets through the portal big enough to carry some small com-sats and GPS-style system would be pretty important.

Sorry, but hauling a satellite launching facility would be insane. You can't just bring a rocket, stand it up, and launch. I think you're probably right about a blimp for communication/surveillance, but a satellite is going a little too far.
 
Although considering the technology, miniaturization, and the few things that they would need it to do... The actually satellite might be smaller than a marble.

meanwhile.

What if instead of rocket propellant, they used an electromagnetic crossbow, ie a rail gun, to fire thousands of marble sized multi purpose satellites into space, from the future, through the portal, into the past, and maybe a few of those satellites would hold out in a usable orbit long enough until the next pilgrimage.

That is if the extreme sheer of the rip doesn't extend into space naturally and they actually have to use science to make sure their pilgrims land with their feet on the ground, that they can't just "drop" satellites in place.
 
Sorry, but hauling a satellite launching facility would be insane. You can't just bring a rocket, stand it up, and launch. I think you're probably right about a blimp for communication/surveillance, but a satellite is going a little too far.
The U.S. Airforce and former Soviet missile brigades would disagree.

The Soviets had nuclear missiles on trucks that were plenty powerful enough to put small satellites in orbit 30 years ago. I think the future tech of Terra Nova, if the writers thought it through, could manage a few low orbit com sats.

As for the shape of the continents, the opening credits would seem to indicate that in this alternate reality the earth of 85 million years ago is still one big super continent.
 
Actually, historically speaking, military rule is pretty much the norm for newly established colonies. Eventually though they'll have to set-up some type of governing body. Most likely something akin to a Mayor at first (like Taylor is now) and later a council made up of prominent citizens. As things stand it's all very precarious as if Taylor dies, there'd be one hell of a power vacuum. I mean I can't see the colony being as eager to follow his chief lieutenant, she seems more of a follower than a leader.
Which was the whole purpose of this week's episode - clearly Taylor is grooming Jim to take over in case something happens because he likely realizes his soldier-lieutenant isn't up for the task of protecting the colony and keeping everyone together psychologically as well as physically. And it looks like it worked quite smoothly - the military didn't rebel against a non-military (or non-Taylor) commander and Jim seemed to work well as a leader.
 
Actually, historically speaking, military rule is pretty much the norm for newly established colonies. Eventually though they'll have to set-up some type of governing body. Most likely something akin to a Mayor at first (like Taylor is now) and later a council made up of prominent citizens. As things stand it's all very precarious as if Taylor dies, there'd be one hell of a power vacuum. I mean I can't see the colony being as eager to follow his chief lieutenant, she seems more of a follower than a leader.
Which was the whole purpose of this week's episode - clearly Taylor is grooming Jim to take over in case something happens because he likely realizes his soldier-lieutenant isn't up for the task of protecting the colony and keeping everyone together psychologically as well as physically. And it looks like it worked quite smoothly - the military didn't rebel against a non-military (or non-Taylor) commander and Jim seemed to work well as a leader.

Taylor most likely recognizes that a civilian government is going to develop eventually. Why not groom a person to appear to the masses as a natural leader who has shown he can work with the military but is not part of said military? It may be why Taylor hasn't slapped a 'battlefield commission' on Shannon.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top