Earth: Final Conflict - 1st time watch thread

[The Habs Fan]

Atavus

When Augur gets jealous, he attempts to experience the Taelon Commonality by tapping into Da'an's frequency, accidentally cutting him from it. Without the Commonality, Da'an reverts into an Atavus - a distant primitive ancestor of the Taelons and begins feeding on the life-force of any human he comes into contact with. Zo'or orders Da'an to be killed, but Liam seems to think he has the power to restore Da'an to his Taelon-self.

So Augur owns the Flat Planet Café... the surprises just keep coming

Augur tapping into the Taelon commonality so easily was a stretch. Sure I know he's good at computers, but that seems kind of impossible. Da'an then turns into an atavus because of her link to the commonality being severed. Don't know why this would cause you to devolve into a primitive form of your being, but the Taelons are different so maybe I can't use human science. From what I can tell an Atavus is basically like a wraith from Stagate: Atlantis without trench coats.

By the way, I love the avatar of Augur's computer. It just seems like something he would do. I also like Lili's reaction to it. She wasn't mad that it looked like her, only that it was so submissive.

One thing that seems weird this season is Sandoval's total devotion to Zo'or and the lack of towards Da'an. It's kind of a big switch from the first season, but I guess the writers wanted Sandoval to be more of a villain.

Because an ancient Taelon kind of thing is involved, Beckett is called in because she has experience in this kind of thing (3 of her 4 appearances have dealt with an ancient Taelon of some sort). But once again she is helpless to stop its rampage.

Once again, Liam saves the day with his crazy powers which I guess makes sense since he's kind of a Kimera. So what's the stages in Taelon evolution? Does it go: Atavus ---> Kimera ---> Taelon? Or is there going to be another ancient Taelon that will wreak havoc in Beckett's next appearance? Of course, if you answer please spoiler code.

The ending was awesome. First, Doors understandably doesn't trust the 2 day old Liam. Just as he's about to lay it into him and expel him from the Resistance, Liam enters the Resistance HQ with Da'an. Again, the writers seem to be erasing all of the shades of gray with the characters this season, this time putting Da'an on the side of the resistance. But I still enjoyed the shock value of the ending.

Overall, it was a good episode taken for what it is. It appears as if this season is going to be much more fast and action-y, and less slow and ponderous. I enjoy the latter style more, but I can live with it like this.

Finally, maybe I missed it, but where did Liam get his last name "Kincaid" from? Did he just pick it randomly?

RATING: 4/5

 

[The Wormhole]

Ah yes, the ending of Atavus is perhaps my favourite moment of EFC. Liam bringing Da'an to resistance HQ is definately a great moment, especially the first time you see it where it comes as a total surprise.

It was explained in the premiere that Boone served with a Liam Kincaid in the Army. Our Liam has assumed his identity.

 

[Warped9]

Congratulations for finishing the show. EFC was awesome!

Too bad that it only had one season!

True

 

[The Habs Fan]

It was explained in the premiere that Boone served with a Liam Kincaid in the Army. Our Liam has assumed his identity.

Thanks for clarifying this. I somehow missed it, but with so much happening in the premiere, I guess that could happen.


A Stitch In Time

At a Companion museum which is about to be opened, Liam touches a panel on an ancient device, causing it to activate. He is transported into the future where he discovers the Liberation has ended in bloodshed. Determined to change the future, he recruits Augur to try and find out what happened. Meanwhile, Zo'or begins an experiment intended to drive Liam insane by interfering with his brainwaves.

I kind of liked this episode. Liam and Da'an's relationship is very interesting now that Da'an knows that Liam is half Kimera, and also Resistance. Also interesting is Liam's relationship with Doors. Doors was ready to expel Liam from the Resistance last episode and now even more so since Liam revealed the Resistance to Da'an.

It's all background to the plot where Zo'or is trying to make Liam go insane. I think Liam's reaction to it is true to his character. Even going so far as attempting to commit suicide to save the others. It's a nice twist when it turns out that the "funny farm beam" is mistakenly affecting Doors instead.

This is one of the few standalone episodes of the series so far. I much prefer the episodes that build on the arc in some way, but this episode was good.

RATING: 3/5

 

[DeepSpaceWine]

I'd love to read the reviews/ratings for Season 5. One of the more, ahem, 'interesting' seasons in sci-fi.

 

[The Habs Fan]

I'd love to read the reviews/ratings for Season 5. One of the more, ahem, 'interesting' seasons in sci-fi.

I'll get there eventually... and don't worry, I'll watch to the bitter end...

 

[hyzmarca]

Da'an then turns into an atavus because of her link to the commonality being severed. Don't know why this would cause you to devolve into a primitive form of your being, but the Taelons are different so maybe I can't use human science.

I don't think he devolved as much as he went off his medication. It seems that the Taelons are insanely violent by default and need the influence of the Commonality to turn off their aggressive impulses, which also turns off their superpowers. It ties into the hybridization experiments from season 1.

 

[Mal]

Congratulations for finishing the show. EFC was awesome!

Too bad that it only had one season!

True

Boone was just so good. Never got into Liam. But with this thread, might it be time to give E:FC a second chance??

 

[Sakrysta]

This thread has definitely tempted me to pull out my season 1 DVD set for a trip down memory lane.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Sorry that it's taken me so long to watch some more E:FC but I've been distracted with all of the new show pilots. I plan to watch the next episode tomorrow.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Dimensions

When Doors attempts to have Liam killed, his shuttle explodes in interdimensional space, sending him and Augur to a parallel dimension, where Sandoval is the leader of the Liberation, and Lili is leading the assault against humanity...and winning.

This is the second episode in a row featuring a sci-fi concept that would be very out of place in season 1.

The episode begins with Doors once again trying to kill Liam. But his plan fails as Liam (and Augur who is taking his first ride in a Taelon shuttle) gets thrown into a parallel universe. A bit like Fringe I guess.

This episode would not be out of place in a Star Trek series or a Stargate, but in E:FC it just felt strange. First of all, it's almost completely standalone. Sure I guess it's interesting seeing Sandoval as a good guy, but what's the point? I could care less about the conflict happening in this parallel universe. Again, it just felt like the writers wanted to do a parallel universe story and just wrote it into the e:fc universe.

One thing I liked about this episode, though this is more of an observation of this season so far, is Liam and Augur's relationship. I also liked the ending with Kayla's sister taken back to the prime universe. Of course, she may not appear in the show ever again but at least something changed in this episode. Related to this, does Lili have a sister in the prime universe? Will Lili ever find out about her sister from the alternate universe?

When is Liam going to start going after Doors? Doors' vendetta against Liam is getting ridiculous.

Now that we've gotten the time travel and parallel dimension episodes out of the way, can we please get back to more bigger picture episodes?

RATING: 1.5/5

 

[Lindley]

The first half of season 2 pretty much just throws the SF cliches at the wall to see what sticks. There's some of that later on, but not to the same extent.

 

[The Wormhole]

Some story threads from Dimensions are revisited throughout the season, so it isn't completely stand-alone, but yeah, I agree, it doesn't add much to the story. But don't worry, a major story arc is going to start within the next few episodes that'll last the rest of the season and has some interesting developments.

But I warn you, you'll have to endure a clip show pretty soon.

 

[Chris_Johnston]

Well, I'm about a third of the way through Season 3 (and liking it way more than Season 2, BTW), and the big reveal in the episode "Pad'ar" shares an eerie resemblance to John Scalzi's "Old Man's War", methinks. Anybody else see it?

 

[The Habs Fan]

Moonscape

While attempting to acquire some illegal technology in Russia, Augur is arrested, and conscripted into an off-the-books Taelon experiment to create an army of warriors capable of fighting the Jaridians. As Liam tries to free Augur from the experiment, Lili must deal with Maiya after she approaches Sandoval in the streets, causing him to become obsessed with her.

While watching this episode, I initially questioned things that happened, only to have the episode answer it as soon as I questioned it.

For example, I first wondered if Liam and Augur just dropped Maiya off at the end of the last episode to fend for herself in her new dimension. That's what it seems when she first encounters Sandoval. But no, it turns out Lili knows her and Maiya is basically part of the Resistance. So why did Maiya approach Sandoval? She's dumb, I guess.

Another question that occurred to me was when Lili was searching for a counterpart to Maiya in this dimension and found one living in Brazil. This didn't make any sense to me at all since in the other dimension Maiya and Kayla (Lili's counterpart) were sisters. I love that the writers thought of this too and now it looks like Lili may have a long lost sister she doesn't know about. I'm looking forward to seeing where that leads.

And I don't think it was answered, but I'm under the impression that Lazarus had the consciousness of some other person that was close to Da'an. I'm guessing he was supposed to be Boone?

I also don't understand how a bunch of puny humans who can kick and punch pretty well will be any sort of defense against the Jaridians, but I'll hold off on my criticism until the Jaridians attack. In my opinion, Zo'or should be making new weapons not bio-engineering humans.

It's nice to see actors show their range, if only to prove they have no range. Richard Chevolleau's acting was pretty bad this episode, just like Lisa Howard's last episode, but it's nothing worse than what I've seen before on other shows.

Overall, it was a fun episode which seems to be the theme this season: less substance, more fun. I can live with that.

RATING: 3/5

 

[The Wormhole]

For example, I first wondered if Liam and Augur just dropped Maiya off at the end of the last episode to fend for herself in her new dimension. That's what it seems when she first encounters Sandoval. But no, it turns out Lili knows her and Maiya is basically part of the Resistance. So why did Maiya approach Sandoval? She's dumb, I guess.

Pretty much, yeah. In fact doesn't Lili chew her out in this episode for approaching Sandoval, saying it was a pretty stupid thing to do?

And I don't think it was answered, but I'm under the impression that Lazarus had the consciousness of some other person that was close to Da'an. I'm guessing he was supposed to be Boone?

Spoiler: That guy

It is never revealed just who the hell he was, and although the episode makes it seem rather convincingly that he is Boone, you'll learn in later seasons why he can't be Boone.

I also don't understand how a bunch of puny humans who can kick and punch pretty well will be any sort of defense against the Jaridians, but I'll hold off on my criticism until the Jaridians attack. In my opinion, Zo'or should be making new weapons not bio-engineering humans.

Spoiler: Taelon military

We discover later on the Taelons have no soldiers of their own and are engineering humans to be their fighting force against the Jaridians

 

[The Habs Fan]

Sleepers

After a Jaridian probe lands on Earth, the Taelons find they are being slowly cut off from the Commonality. To prevent them from morphing into Atavus, Zo'or begins rounding up humans and begins using them as cattle to increase the strength of the Commonality. But when some of the 'cattle' include Augur and Maiya, its a race against time for Lili to discover the location of the probe before its too late.

Even though I was getting some scary flashbacks to the nexus from ST: Generations, I enjoyed this episode. Actually, I'd call this my favourite episode of season 2 (so far).

Liam being able to tap into Augur and Maiya's psychic planes was too easy, but I still liked seeing more of Augur's backstory, more from Maiya's past, and more of Liam's father Ha'gel.

It was also nice seeing the probe return. Well, it's not THE probe, but it's another Jaridian probe that looks a bit similar.

I also like that the Sandoval/Maiya plotline from 2 episodes ago continued here. Maiya is certain;y turning into an important character. The ending with Sandoval at the Flat Planet Café reuniting with Maiya was nicely done. I look forward to seeing what happens with their relationship.

RATING: 4/5

 

[Guy Gardener]

As this page was loading the wife from Unhapily Ever After said the word "Commonality".

Spooky.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Fissures

To combat the increasing popularity of portal travel, the Taelons begin opening up lanes of interdimensional space which haven't been properly charted. But what the don't know is, they have opened the door to energy eating creatures, who not only consume electricity, but Taelon Core Energy as well. As Earth is over-run, its only a matter of time before the Taelons perish.

Despite a formulaic plot and some questionable special effects, I enjoyed this episode. And it's all because of the subplot involving Sandoval.

You see, so far this season I've been a bit confused with Sandoval's character. Before this episode, I just assumed the writers changed his character to suit the story they were going to tell this season. It never quite made sense to me why Sandoval was so loyal to Zo'or and not Da'an anymore. Also strange was his infatuation with Maiya, despite having a CVI that prevents such feelings.

Now, I don't know if the writers had this planned all along or just came up with it for this episode, but it appears as if Sandoval is not loyal to Zo'or at all, he seems to be trying to acquire power for himself.

Of course, this still doesn't completely jive with him having a CVI and all, but maybe the turning point for Sandoval was witnessing Boone's death at the hands of Zo'or. Maybe it was at that moment where Sandoval realized that the Taelons couldn't be trusted. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

The scene where Zo'or is "unconscious" (or that Taelon word I can't remember), I thought for sure that Sandoval would kill him. Instead he just took Zo'or's hand print so now Sandoval has access to all of the Taelon files.

I also like that Lili knows this and is obviously trying to figure out if she should recruit Sandoval into the Resistance.

By the way, where is Jonathan Doors? He's credited as a main character but I think he's only appeared in 3 or 4 episodes this season. Strange.

RATING: 4/5

 

[The Wormhole]

How Sandoval can be behaving like he is despite having a CVI will be addressed very soon. As for Jonathan Doors, he has a major story arc coming up that will last the rest of the season.