Earth: Final Conflict - 1st time watch thread

[The Habs Fan]

I was inspired by Shatnertage's DS9 thread (and his Voyager thread before that) to create my own episode review thread as I go through Earth: Final Conflict. I've previously done threads like this for Babylon 5 and Farscape, so I thought I'd do it again. (I also wish I did a thread like this when I went through X-Files, Homicide: Life On The Street, and Andromeda, but I didn't.)

I have already watched the first 11 episodes and am enjoying it so far. I probably won't have time to continue with E:FC for a couple more days so I'll space out my first 11 reviews accordingly.



Decision

This episode is passable for a pilot, but overall it's nothing special. Some things that happened just seemed too easy (for example, the coincidence that it was Boone's best friend as sniper).

It was nice seeing Lisa Ryder as Boone's wife. I guess she now qualifies as a veteran of Tribune Entertainment. The whole scene leading up to her death was very cheesy. What was with that guy's crazy laugh? Anyway, I appreciate the shock value of her dying, though it was a bit obvious something would happen as her name wasn't in the main credits.

I like the Taelon technology that was introduced in this episode, especially the interdimensional travel which I think is a neat idea.

RATING: 2.5/5


Truth

Now this is an episode I really enjoyed. First of all, I like how it continued from the previous episode and focused on Boone trying to find his wife's killer. The revelation that it was Sandoval was very surprising. If the Taelons had ordered the hit, it would have planted them firmly in villain territory, but instead I'm not really sure if they're bad or good. I think this approach works much better (as opposed to V, where the aliens are moustache-twirling bad guys). Actually, I'm not even sure if Sandoval is a villain. He seemed to have a good reason, at least to him, to kill Boone's wife (with the CVI, Boone wouldn't be able to sustain the relationship).

There is a bit of a plot hole in the fact that Sandoval kills Boone's wife before Boone had even joined the Taelons (and got implanted with a CVI).

The scene where Boone was about to kill Sandoval and Lilly had to talk him down, I think in order to keep his cover, is excellent. Boone and Sandoval are obviously going to have a very complicated relationship going forward.

Augur is introduced in this episode. I suspect that it'll be useful having someone with his skills around.

RATING: 4/5


Miracle

I hate to keep comparing this show to V*, but I'm going to.

* DISCLAIMER - when I refer to V, I'm referring to the remade V, not the original.

V did religious episodes like this, but they never seemed believable. It all just felt too sudden. Maybe it's because the setting for E:FC is that the aliens arrived 3 years ago, or the writing is just better, but this episode felt more realistic to me.

Some of the religious stuff was a bit too much, but overall the episode was good.

The relationship between Boone and the girl he saved was well written.

I like that the Taelon "miracle" ended up not working in the end. Advanced aliens can sometime make mistakes too.

Then there's the twist at the end showing the minister working with the Taelons. The Taelons get more mysterious...

RATING: 3.5/5

 

[Lindley]

Good start. Very shortly, people will begin weighing in with their opinions as to when the show "went bad". Unfortunately most everyone agrees that it did; some say it was after season 1, others (including me) think it remained good through season 4.

One thing everyone agrees on is that the series changes focus every year, for better or for worse. Enjoy it for what it is, rather than worrying too much about what it could have been, and you'll get a lot out of it.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Enjoy it for what it is, rather than worrying too much about what it could have been, and you'll get a lot out of it.

That's what I'm planning to do. I'm especially looking forward to season 5. I hear it's good.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Avatar

Boone investigates a serial killer programmed with a CVI who tried to kill Da'an while enacting an ancient Taelon myth of good conquering evil.

This is a very good episode. It opened the door for some interesting plot threads.

When Pike (the serial killer) "died" and was laying on the surgical table, I thought for sure he would come back to life and kill the doctor. It turns out I was half right, luckily for the doctor.

Boone checks out the cell and notices the Taelon writing Pike was painting on the wall (with his own blood). The fact that supposedly no one can read Taelon, yet this crazy guy is able to was interesting.

Boone and the doctor discover that Pike has a CVI. It turns out that Taelons were doing some experiments on prisoners to "rehabilitate" them. Sure... (as you can see, I'm starting to get more skeptical of the Taelons every episode).

Also, Pike's CVI is dying. If all CVIs have a time limit, what does that mean for Boone and Sandoval in the future?

I have to mention that when they find Doctor Belman all tied up, because Pike had kidnapped her, it was kind of disturbing seeing Lwaxana Troi with her head shaved and the drawing of a bow and arrow on her forehead.

Near the end, Pike kills Da'an, but it turns out it was a hologram of some sort. Kind of an easy out, but they're obviously not going to kill Da'an off this early in the series.

And then, with what I'm guessing is foreshadowing for the rest of the series, Pike with his dying breath tells Boone that he will reveal the truth and judge some name I can't spell (which I think symbolizes Da'an or Taelons as a whole). Oh, and that the Taelons are afraid of "The Sleeper".

I'm very interested to see where all of these plot threads go. (If they actually do go anywhere).

As an aside, I've noticed that Kevin Kilner is a good actor unless he has to show lots of emotion, which he seemingly can't do.

RATING: 4/5


Old Flame

Boone is caught in the middle of his double life when his old flame comes back in his life claiming to be working against the companions.

This is a difficult episode for me to grade. On one hand, it's your typical sci-fi love story. But the way it ends makes it more than that.

Throughout most of the episode, I was confused as to why Boone was falling head over heels for Chapel so soon after his wife's death. It turns out it makes sense because the Taelons implanted these memories of Chapel into his CVI, and with the help of the FBI, he's being tested.

If the Taelons can plant memories into a CVI, can they also extract memories? My guess is no, since they would know about the resistance.

And Dr. Belman was in on this test? How come she didn't warn Boone, since she is part of the Resistance?.

It was funny seeing Lilly go to Augur for help. I'm really starting to like the character of Augur.

RATING: 3/5


Float Like A Butterfly

Boone and Lili investigate a small Amish town after several of its citizens mysteriously die.

Now I have to admit when I read the synopsis about it being set in an Amish town, my hope for a good episode diminished. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this episode turned out to be good with more big picture stuff included.

Usually when shows set episodes in different societies, like Amish, they don't really have a reason for doing it other than "Amish are cool". However, I think it worked this time as the Amish are being experimented on and killed by an advanced piece of alien technology. An Amish's worst nightmare.

One thing I don't understand: how were the kids able to carry the metal scarecrow into the barn? It looks pretty heavy. Plus, if they did carry it there, how are they still alive? (everyone else who went close to it disappeared).

The CGI butterflies also looked fake, though I should take into account that it's 1997.

Once again, the Taelons seem to be studying humans for some purpose.

I liked how Doors came by to pick up the machine and study it. I'm liking the arc running through every episode. It's much better than having pure standalone episodes.

RATING: 3/5

 

[Lindley]

it was kind of disturbing seeing Lwaxana Troi with her head shaved

Have you seen her appearance on Babylon 5?

 

[The Habs Fan]

it was kind of disturbing seeing Lwaxana Troi with her head shaved

Have you seen her appearance on Babylon 5?

Yes I did, but I had forgotten about it until you reminded me. I think I blocked it from my mind

 

[Broccoli]

I hope you like roller-coasters, because this show is a doozy!

 

[OsmiumJohnnycake]

Was this ever released on DVD or is it on Netflix or something now? I ask because I have only seen s3-5 back when they first came out on DVD and have apparently only seen the "worst" of the show. Although I did enjoy what I saw, I'd like to finally see the first two years.

 

[Broccoli]

Season 1 was released about a year or two ago in the Region 1 area. Season 2 was released a little after that, but just in Canada, I believe (in addition to the final 3 seasons getting a re-release).

 

[OsmiumJohnnycake]

Thanks, I will track those down. I stopped paying attention at some point. I think those r1 DVDs of s3-5 came out around 2003 or so. In any case, quite a while ago.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Resurrection

Oblivious to Boone and the resistance, Jonathan Doors comes out of hiding and launches a media campaign against the Taelons, leaving Boone to clean up the mess.

This was an awesome episode. Like Avatar, this episode felt like a turning point in the series. Plot threads are being set up for future use.

I really love the character of Doors and how they are writing him as a parallel to Da'an. They are both on opposite sides of a conflict yet you are not sure if one is good and the other is bad. They both have good and bad traits and it's up to the viewer to decide, and Boone, which one is worth fighting for.

The character of Zo'or is introduced and he's quite different than Da'an. It's interesting to see that not all Taelons are the same and have their own distinct personalities and way of doing things. Either Zo'or despises humans more than Da'an, or Da'an is just better at hiding it.

Boone is getting very close to Da'an and I have a feeling that in a future episode he will have to choose between Da'an or Doors.

The subplot regarding Futurity Farms and the experiments they are doing on humans was interesting and continues the implication of Taelons experimenting on humans.

The reveal of Doors' underground base was very well done, and Augur being part of the resistance already was a nice surprise.

And the metal scarecrow makes another appearance as Doors mentions that his team of scientists are studying it.

RATING: 4.5/5


Horizon Zero

When Lili's shuttle is stolen by a friend whose mission to Mars was cancelled, Boone, without breaking orders to find the shuttle for the Taelons, has to help the resistance make the most of the stolen shuttle.

This is the latest episode where Boone has to juggle working for Da'an and Doors at the same time.

Basically, the Mars mission is cancelled, some astronauts are mad, one of them is Lili's old boyfriend, he steals a shuttle, they break the codes to leave the atmosphere with Augur's help, then they barely escape in time before Sandoval shoots them down.

This is an average episode that is elevated a notch with an excellent ending. (I like how most of the episodes are ending with a twist of some sort). The twist this time is the reason the Taelons don't want humans going to Mars: there is a Taelon mothership in orbit, and there seems to be some kind of Taelon moonbase being built.

RATING: 3.5/5

 

[The Habs Fan]

Scorpion's Dream

The Skrills have been bioengineered on the Earth to be a weapon for the humans who assist the Companions. A Skrill from the first generation infests a bioengineer who goes underground, bent on freeing all Skrills from the oppression of the Companions.

Before this episode I didn't think too much of the skrill. Now that they're proven to be sentient and have been genetically modified by the Taelons to serve a purpose, a new question is raised: do humans provide the same purpose to the Taelons?

The one problem I have with this episode is at the end. How does Dr. Clark get off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist for stealing some valuable technology? It seemed a little unbelievable to me that all is forgiven at the end.

RATING: 3.5/5

 

[Lindley]

I'm afraid I don't remember the details of that one too well. I always liked skrills, though. I think they're one of the neater ideas in the show.

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

Great review thread!! I just got done re-watching the first season myself and you're pretty much hitting all the points nicely. Nifty insight on the parallel between Doors and Da'an. I never quite thought of it that way before. Looking forward to the rest of your opinions.

 

[MacLeod]

My own opinion is that it started to go downhill after S1, won't say any more and isk spoiling it for you. But you may prefer the later seasons, each to their own.

 

[Pauln6]

The moral ambiguity was played so much more effectively in the first season. Subsequent seasons did devolve a lot more, which each season devolving a little bit more than the last. I think I only saw about half the penultimate series and only a handful of the final series so I can't comment too much but I do think the show failed to live up a its tremendous potential. If Lost-style shows had been in vogue back then, this show would have been fabulous in that format.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Live Free And Die

Several soldiers who have volunteered to train in Taelon Interdimensional flight have instead been the victims of strange experiments - some have disappeared all together. A high ranking officer kidnaps Da'an in an attempt to have his men released.

This is the first episode I was disappointed in. I like how they are following up on the new Taelon space program introduced a couple of episodes ago, but we don't learn anything new.

All we come away with is that Taelons may be experimenting on humans, something almost every single episode has said so far.

Oh, and Da'an can somehow "will" herself to death.

I didn't really understand what was happening to that one soldier guy who looked like he was turning into a Taelon. Is that what was going on?

One interesting thing was Sandoval's ears bleeding, which if I remember correctly happened to Pike in the episode Avatar. Could his CVI be expiring?

RATING: 2/5

 

[The Habs Fan]

My own opinion is that it started to go downhill after S1, won't say any more and isk spoiling it for you. But you may prefer the later seasons, each to their own.

I've already watched all of Andromeda, so I'm used to shows going downhill

Great review thread!!

Thanks! I did a search and I couldn't find a thread like this for E:FC, so I thought I'd start one. I always like reading these types of "watching for the 1st time" threads.

 

[MacLeod]

^I managed through 2 full seasons of Andromeda and into the 3rd, were I felt it began to veer away from it's original premise. Which if memory serves was shortly after it's head writer moved onto pastures new.

Once again from memory it seemed to move away from it's original premise. For whatever reason the studio felt that viewers couldn't follow a drawn out story arc over years (B5, DSN, Heroes, Lost etc....) or some other reason.

 

[The Wormhole]

Oh, and Da'an can somehow "will" herself to death.

Maybe at the point you're at this hasn't really been covered yet (aside from the brief and vague line in the pilot) but as the series progresses, all the Taelons are referred to as he/him/his, even though they are all played by women and as a species they are supposed to be genderless.