Earth: Final Conflict - 1st time watch thread
- Thread starter The Habs Fan
- Start date
Season 2 certainly started off on the wrong foot, I agree. It did recover somewhat though.
Everything after season 1 was a bad dream that Boone was having while he was recovering in a hospital.
Everything after season 1 was a bad dream that Boone was having while he was recovering in a hospital.
E:FC to me, ended in a cliffhanger where Boone was dematerialized and we have no idea if it's for keeps or not. I will willfully ignore the rest of it, I don't care how much better it got.
Sanctuary
After Zo'or is infected by an ancient Taelon plague, he goes on the run, taking refuge in an asylum. As Liam and Sandoval do what they can to recover him. Its a race against time to find Zo'or before the plague mutates, infecting humans, turning New York into a city of homicidal psychopaths.
I'm a bit surprised I actually liked this episode. Usually I don't like the virus episodes that are often done in sci fi shows, but this episode I found interesting.
I also got confirmation that Zo'or is the lesser of two evils between him and T'Than which again brings up the question as to why Liam saved T'Than's life a few episodes ago.
I like Renee's idea to turn the virus into a biological weapon as it would be exactly what a real life Resistance would be doing. Of course, by the end of the episode that plan is impossible with the advent of the patches, but at least they tried.
RATING: 3/5
After Zo'or is infected by an ancient Taelon plague, he goes on the run, taking refuge in an asylum. As Liam and Sandoval do what they can to recover him. Its a race against time to find Zo'or before the plague mutates, infecting humans, turning New York into a city of homicidal psychopaths.
I'm a bit surprised I actually liked this episode. Usually I don't like the virus episodes that are often done in sci fi shows, but this episode I found interesting.
I also got confirmation that Zo'or is the lesser of two evils between him and T'Than which again brings up the question as to why Liam saved T'Than's life a few episodes ago.
I like Renee's idea to turn the virus into a biological weapon as it would be exactly what a real life Resistance would be doing. Of course, by the end of the episode that plan is impossible with the advent of the patches, but at least they tried.
RATING: 3/5
Liam does have to maintain the illusion of being on the Taelons' side. If a Taelon died on his watch, that would invite all kinds of uncomfortable questions and risk exposing Liam's Resistance ties. Plus he also has some sort of pilosophy he lives by, so I imagine he wouldn't want to let anyone die, human or Taelon if it could be prevented.
I guess that kind of makes sense.
Through Your Eyes
In an attempt to kill all those who stand in his way, Zo'or undergoes a risky procedure to transfer is consciousness into the body of a human. He begins manipulating humanity into banning energy based weapons, the only ones that can harm a Taelon. But what he doesn't know is that it is killing him in the process.
This is an interesting episode. Zo'or's latest nefarious scheme is to transfer his consciousness into a human body in order to understand humans. Not only that, but also manipulate things to convince humans to ban weapons that can harm Taelons. Quite the plan, but of course it's foiled by Liam, Renee, and Augur. But I still found it interesting despite the unsurprising ending.
The Taelons can obviously now transfer their consciousness into human bodies. Is this part of their plan for humanity when the Jaridians arrive? Or is it more related to the survival of the Taelon race? Or maybe it's just a plot of the week.
RATING: 3/5
I think it was just meant to be plot of the week, although this ability is revisited later on in the series, but not in any way as to indicate it was planned.
I seem to remember the scene in this episode where Zo'or in a human boday goes into a bar was rather amusing.
I seem to remember the scene in this episode where Zo'or in a human boday goes into a bar was rather amusing.
Time Bomb
When Liam and Renee are trapped on board Ma'el's ship, a human who has been in stasis for hundreds of years awakens. He quickly takes control of the ship, announcing his presence to the Taelon Synod, putting them on trial for coming to Earth against Ma'el's wishes.
This is a mostly standalone episode, so I'm a bit surprised to say that this is one of my favourite episodes of season 3 so far.
I liked seeing another story about Ma'el's ship and learning more about it and its purpose. Actually, we learned everything about Ma'el's plan. It turns out he recruited a Roman senator to judge the Taelons as to their intentions with humans. Of course, they are found guilty and are sentenced to death but Liam, Renee, Augur, and Doors (making a rare season 3 appearance) save the day. Yes, the Resistance actually saved more Taelons again, but this time it made sense. Augur finally gave a good reason for saving the Taelons: the fear of reprisal from the rest of the Taelons. It's something I never thought of before is how the Taelons in the rest of the galaxy will react if all the Taelons at Earth are wiped out by humans. Augur's prediction is probably correct. So now when Liam saves another Taelon in a future episode, I promise not to get annoyed
Anyway, while all this is going on, Zo'or and T'Than are dueling to the death using a game as an intermediary. You see, Taelons can't kill each other, they must use a "middle man" to do it for them (hence, the Roman senator that Ma'el recruited). Anyway, despite the nice coincidence of both plots happening at the same time, their duel is interrupted by Ma'el's ship hurtling toward them on a kamikaze mission (which as I said above is foiled by Liam and co.) While the "Ma'el's ship" storyline is completed in this episode, the T'Than storyline lives to continue at a future time (I assume).
There was something about this episode: the directing, the writing, the editing, the acting, all of the above... that made the suspense and tension work perfectly.
RATING: 4.5/5
(By the way, I seem to be watching only one episode a week lately and I apologize for this. I'm in the midst of the busiest time of the year for my work so I don't have a lot of free time to watch it. However, soon I'll be able to watch a lot more episodes in one sitting.)
When Liam and Renee are trapped on board Ma'el's ship, a human who has been in stasis for hundreds of years awakens. He quickly takes control of the ship, announcing his presence to the Taelon Synod, putting them on trial for coming to Earth against Ma'el's wishes.
This is a mostly standalone episode, so I'm a bit surprised to say that this is one of my favourite episodes of season 3 so far.
I liked seeing another story about Ma'el's ship and learning more about it and its purpose. Actually, we learned everything about Ma'el's plan. It turns out he recruited a Roman senator to judge the Taelons as to their intentions with humans. Of course, they are found guilty and are sentenced to death but Liam, Renee, Augur, and Doors (making a rare season 3 appearance) save the day. Yes, the Resistance actually saved more Taelons again, but this time it made sense. Augur finally gave a good reason for saving the Taelons: the fear of reprisal from the rest of the Taelons. It's something I never thought of before is how the Taelons in the rest of the galaxy will react if all the Taelons at Earth are wiped out by humans. Augur's prediction is probably correct. So now when Liam saves another Taelon in a future episode, I promise not to get annoyed
Anyway, while all this is going on, Zo'or and T'Than are dueling to the death using a game as an intermediary. You see, Taelons can't kill each other, they must use a "middle man" to do it for them (hence, the Roman senator that Ma'el recruited). Anyway, despite the nice coincidence of both plots happening at the same time, their duel is interrupted by Ma'el's ship hurtling toward them on a kamikaze mission (which as I said above is foiled by Liam and co.) While the "Ma'el's ship" storyline is completed in this episode, the T'Than storyline lives to continue at a future time (I assume).
There was something about this episode: the directing, the writing, the editing, the acting, all of the above... that made the suspense and tension work perfectly.
RATING: 4.5/5
(By the way, I seem to be watching only one episode a week lately and I apologize for this. I'm in the midst of the busiest time of the year for my work so I don't have a lot of free time to watch it. However, soon I'll be able to watch a lot more episodes in one sitting.)
I haven't watched E:FC in so long that I hardly remember a lot of it, but I remember that episode as one of my favorites.
This bastard pissed me off.
Julianus could have been awesome, a fricking Roman. Ancient. Citizen of Rome is just another word for ruler of the world. Not saying he's a bad guy, but he has a responsibility to humanity, time and the future as ruler of the world, to make sure that the children scurrying about don't do something more stupid than capitulating to the Talon...
With not only a star ship to add volume while excercising his logic, but a gunship.
A ship they had been workng their way towards using for half a season.
A citizen of Rome is going to have an entitlement complex that makes Johnathan Doores look like a pastor working in a soup kitchen, Julianus won't act like the Earth is his, it is his, but more so not his to abuse, but his to nurture, and rightly so to allow us to persist in the illusion that we are the masters of our own fate... Even though he has the power to level the planet.
but 40 minutes after the opening credits...
It's all gone.
Rest button.
No ship.
No Roman.
Fuck you reset button.
Julianus could have been awesome, a fricking Roman. Ancient. Citizen of Rome is just another word for ruler of the world. Not saying he's a bad guy, but he has a responsibility to humanity, time and the future as ruler of the world, to make sure that the children scurrying about don't do something more stupid than capitulating to the Talon...
With not only a star ship to add volume while excercising his logic, but a gunship.
A ship they had been workng their way towards using for half a season.
A citizen of Rome is going to have an entitlement complex that makes Johnathan Doores look like a pastor working in a soup kitchen, Julianus won't act like the Earth is his, it is his, but more so not his to abuse, but his to nurture, and rightly so to allow us to persist in the illusion that we are the masters of our own fate... Even though he has the power to level the planet.
but 40 minutes after the opening credits...
It's all gone.
Rest button.
No ship.
No Roman.
Fuck you reset button.
Ah, Time Bomb. One of EFC's greats.
I understand your point of view, as I feel the same way, but despite the reset button I still really liked Time Bomb. It's kind of like Voyager's episode Timeless in a way (a very good episode with a huge reset button at the end).
The Fields
Liam and Renee go undercover, infiltrating the Church of the Companions, where they believe people without any family are being shipped to a secret Companion facility where they are being used to create Kryss, a Taelon drug which helps them adapt to the Earth.
There really needs to be a good EFC wiki. While watching this episode, I was trying to remember the previous episodes where the Church of the Companions and Kryss were featured. The only episode I could think of featuring the Church of the Companions was the 3rd episode of the entire series, Miracle. I couldn't remember any previous episode featuring Kryss, but I'm sure there is at least one since it sounds very familiar. On a related note, have Devon and Gina appeared in a previous episode as well?
This episode gave off a very X-Files-ish vibe to me. It was probably the cult-like religion featured at the centre of this episode. Add to that the human harvesting fields underground in the middle of nowhere and all we need are Mulder and Scully in place of Liam and Renee.
This whole episode was fun: from Liam and Renee's infiltration of the church, to them being sent to the fields, to Augur's rescue.
RATING: 4/5
Apparition
When Ku'don, a deceased Taelon returns from the Commonality to haunt Zo'or, Liam discovers that Zo'or is stealing money from Taelon co-ventures in the hopes of one day buying Earth, and everyone on it so he can do as he pleases.
Speaking of X-Files-like episodes... here's a ghost story. Somehow I didn't hate it.
Mulder (Liam) is haunted by a malevolent Taleon ghost who needs Mulder (Liam) to set his spirit free by cleansing the impurity, which I guess involves Mulder (Liam) downloading a bank's files. Meanwhile, Scully (Renee) grudgingly helps Liam out despite not believing in silly things called ghosts and the Lone Gunman (Augur) provides technical support. Zo'or enjoys a cigarette while pondering his many secrets while looking at his hangar full of gold. (Ok, the cigarette didn't happen but everything else did).
Yes, even Zo'or pulling off the biggest heist in history. That actually happened. You see, Zo'or now wishes to buy the world (what is this, Zo'or plan #578?) This is a strange episode, but somehow not awful. I was entertained (if only it was because I was reminded of the X-Files for the 2nd episode in a row.)
RATING: 2/5
When Ku'don, a deceased Taelon returns from the Commonality to haunt Zo'or, Liam discovers that Zo'or is stealing money from Taelon co-ventures in the hopes of one day buying Earth, and everyone on it so he can do as he pleases.
Speaking of X-Files-like episodes... here's a ghost story. Somehow I didn't hate it.
Mulder (Liam) is haunted by a malevolent Taleon ghost who needs Mulder (Liam) to set his spirit free by cleansing the impurity, which I guess involves Mulder (Liam) downloading a bank's files. Meanwhile, Scully (Renee) grudgingly helps Liam out despite not believing in silly things called ghosts and the Lone Gunman (Augur) provides technical support. Zo'or enjoys a cigarette while pondering his many secrets while looking at his hangar full of gold. (Ok, the cigarette didn't happen but everything else did).
Yes, even Zo'or pulling off the biggest heist in history. That actually happened. You see, Zo'or now wishes to buy the world (what is this, Zo'or plan #578?) This is a strange episode, but somehow not awful. I was entertained (if only it was because I was reminded of the X-Files for the 2nd episode in a row.)
RATING: 2/5
I actually think The Fields is the first time Kryss is mentioned, but don't hold me to that. It is definately the first and only appearance for Devon and Gina.
This is going to be happening a lot more in the coming seasons. Liam and Renee meet up with old friends (some of which are key members of the Resistance) who have never appeared on the show before.
Interesting analysis of the Taelon ghost episode. I never thought of it that way before. Fun fact, the detective Liam meets with throughout the episode is played by Michael Hogan, Colonel Tigh on BSG.
This is going to be happening a lot more in the coming seasons. Liam and Renee meet up with old friends (some of which are key members of the Resistance) who have never appeared on the show before.
Interesting analysis of the Taelon ghost episode. I never thought of it that way before. Fun fact, the detective Liam meets with throughout the episode is played by Michael Hogan, Colonel Tigh on BSG.
I noticed that but I forgot to mention that in the review. I somehow didn't recognize him at first until I heard his voice, then I did a double take.
One Taelon Avenue
Doors attempts to win back his son Joshua from One Taelon Avenue, a company in competition with Doors International which works closely with the Taelons. But when Renee resigns from Doors to work with Joshua, Liam and Doors soon discover that the Taelons are using mind control to ensure complete loyalty from its employees.
And another character bites the dust. But before I get into that, what did this episode about sentient AI and brainwashing remind me of? You guessed it.
Anyway, yes another original cast member has been written (killed) off the show: Jonathan Doors. The guy who somehow managed to be in the main credits this season despite appearing in only 5 episodes (by my count). It was a surprising death, though I kind of wish that it was Joshua who killed him rather than having to see an old man fall off a ledge. So now is Joshua, as the new head of Doors International, going to appear in 5 episodes a season? I wouldn't mind that, I like the character, and I enjoyed picking up his storyline again after the events of last season's finale.
However, I don't understand why they had to change the whole meaning of that episode. You see, Joshua betrayed Jonathan in the latter's run for the Presidency and it made perfect sense the way that it was written. Please correct me if I heard this wrong, but now it appears as if he was under the control of this AI which was making him a bit schizophrenic, explaining why he betrayed his father (I guess daddy issues wasn't enough of a reason). Unfortunately, it was an explanation for something that already had an explanation. A better explanation.
Another thing I don't understand about this episode is the entire beginning. It appears as if Sato was the only one under brain control at that point but we learn later that everyone working at the company is. How does that explain Sato continuing the experiment despite everyone's objections? If the AI wanted the experiment to go forward despite all warnings, why would the other people in the room question Sato?
This episode does have its good parts though, none better than Sandoval ending up with the power to control all Taelons (or at least immobilize them).
RATING: 3/5
Doors attempts to win back his son Joshua from One Taelon Avenue, a company in competition with Doors International which works closely with the Taelons. But when Renee resigns from Doors to work with Joshua, Liam and Doors soon discover that the Taelons are using mind control to ensure complete loyalty from its employees.
And another character bites the dust. But before I get into that, what did this episode about sentient AI and brainwashing remind me of? You guessed it.
Anyway, yes another original cast member has been written (killed) off the show: Jonathan Doors. The guy who somehow managed to be in the main credits this season despite appearing in only 5 episodes (by my count). It was a surprising death, though I kind of wish that it was Joshua who killed him rather than having to see an old man fall off a ledge. So now is Joshua, as the new head of Doors International, going to appear in 5 episodes a season? I wouldn't mind that, I like the character, and I enjoyed picking up his storyline again after the events of last season's finale.
However, I don't understand why they had to change the whole meaning of that episode. You see, Joshua betrayed Jonathan in the latter's run for the Presidency and it made perfect sense the way that it was written. Please correct me if I heard this wrong, but now it appears as if he was under the control of this AI which was making him a bit schizophrenic, explaining why he betrayed his father (I guess daddy issues wasn't enough of a reason). Unfortunately, it was an explanation for something that already had an explanation. A better explanation.
Another thing I don't understand about this episode is the entire beginning. It appears as if Sato was the only one under brain control at that point but we learn later that everyone working at the company is. How does that explain Sato continuing the experiment despite everyone's objections? If the AI wanted the experiment to go forward despite all warnings, why would the other people in the room question Sato?
This episode does have its good parts though, none better than Sandoval ending up with the power to control all Taelons (or at least immobilize them).
RATING: 3/5
This isn't the last we'll see of Joshua Doors, but he's not going to become as prominent as you think he is.
Joshua was cheaper than Jonathan and he seemed to be paid by the appearance only (not in the opening credits). Did they pay Hemblen for all 22 episodes of Season 3? Tribune was such a bean-counter and meddler it would seem surprising they would let this happen.
Since he was in the main credits, he would be paid for every episode, regardless of if he showed up or not.
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