Earth: Final Conflict - 1st time watch thread

[The Habs Fan]

Boone's Assassin

Furious at his constant failures, Sandoval comes up with a daring plan to capture both Boone and Renee...by reviving Zo'or from the regeneration chamber on board the Mothership. Zo'or is fused with the body of a deceased Atavus, and begins hunting down Boone, who has plans of his own for Zo'or..

As I attempt to do in every episode, let me try to understand what happened here. A few episodes ago, Sandoval resurrected Boone to get Renee and it backfired spectacularly. This episode, in order to kill Boone (again) because he's causing problems, Sandoval has the bright idea to resurrect Zo'or to get Boone. Yeah that makes sense. This will surely work.

You may be wondering exactly how Zo'or got resurrected? By a magical blue liquid that Sandoval poured into the same pool that Zo'or disintegrated in at the end of Season 4. Thank goodness for that magical blue liquid or else we wouldn't have an episode.

The main plot of this episode seems to revolve around a crystal that was found in the "previous" episode that shows the location of all the Atavus hives on Earth. Renee gets the help of Boone to take all these out and they also rekindle their relationship. In order to retrieve the crystal, Sandoval has the bright idea to resurrect Zo'or to take out Boone and well... it doesn't work as Renee and Boone defeat Zo'or but break the crystal in the process. (Of course they did, or else they would easily wipe out all of the Atavus on Earth in the next episode). Also, they conveniently never bothered to record the information from the crystal so now it is lost forever.

Boone, with Renee's help, ends up defeating Zo'or by blowing up some pipes and the steam seems to either burn her to death or freeze her to death, I'm not sure which. In any case, Sandoval points out to Howlyn that they could resurrect her at any time they want. (Or any time the writers want good TV ratings.)

And Boone survives to fight another day, though of course he can't be with Renee or else it'd be too easy to kill them both at once.

Despite the general stupidity of the premise, this is a very entertaining episode and is easily the best episode of Season 5 so far. I'm not sure whether it's Zo'or being back or what, but this episode was fun.

I notice that there are no more episodes with Boone's name in the title so it could be that this is the final Boone episode. Unfortunately, his storyline is not tied up at all at the end of this episode and if this is it, I'll be disappointed.

RATING: 4/5

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Regarding Kamchatka, I wish I could help you, but I've made it a point not to rewatch this series since it ended. The pains of the fifth season are still much too strong to me. Still, all the statements from readers in this thread about treating the fifth season as an unsuccessful spinoff have resonated with me; I might watch 1-4 again someday.

As for Boone... you shall see!

 

[DeepSpaceWine]

At the end of the series, I'd really like to hear your take on Season 5 and on the rollercoaster of the series as a whole.

So, you're through the Fall block of Season 5 and know what EFC viewers saw and were as confused as them. The Winter block is coming up and is quite 'memorable' .

I wondered about Juda too back during 01-02. She seemed to only intermittantly appear despite being the #2 Atavus (and despite being somewhat more intelligent and capable of self-control than the overgrown teenager Hissin' Howlyn). You'll get an answer in-series, though it was quite forgettable, especially when any distance from the series. I wasn't sure what was going on behind the scenes.

 

[The Wormhole]

2 minutes into Boone's Assassin and Renee tells Boone about a crystal that Street found in Stonehenge. Strangely, that hadn't happened yet but I chalked it up to normal Season 5 problems. Then I remembered that the next episode on the DVD is called Entombed. I checked the summary online and sure enough, it's about Renee and Street finding an Atavus in Stonehenge. As if this season isn't confusing enough, now the DVD has the episodes in the wrong order!

Boone's Assassin actually did air before Entombed. The reason was so they could get the other Boone episode into November Sweeps.

In fact, I don't think Juda has even appeared since the 4th episode, weird for a main character, but maybe not as weird as Doors being a main character in season 3.

Juda appears very little in the season. In fact, I know of characters not in the opening credits who appear more in the season than she does.

However, this is one thing I believe was beyond the control of anyone involved in the show. The actress died of cancer in (I think) 2005. Health concerns may well have played a factor in how often she could appear in the show.

Another strange plot point occurred near the beginning when a beam of light pointed the way to the Atavus. Renee had a line that said a similar thing had happened when they found the hive in Kamchatka. How come I don't remember this? Did this actually happen in a previous episode or is this in a future episode on the DVD that is also in the wrong order? Or is this something that happened off screen and the writers are pretending that they planned this whole season in advance?

I honestly don't remember. Anything's possible, continuity was not this season's strong suit. And the previous season did have Liam and Renee reuniting with old close friends who were never seen before, so it seems likely there could have been unseen adventures.

I notice that there are no more episodes with Boone's name in the title so it could be that this is the final Boone episode. Unfortunately, his storyline is not tied up at all at the end of this episode and if this is it, I'll be disappointed.

This is the final Boone episode, however his story will be wrapped up before the series ends. It's going to piss you off though. Oh will it ever.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

It makes you wonder why they had Boone return at all...

 

[The Wormhole]

Ratings, obviously. And since so much had changes this season, they wanted some link to the way the series was.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Still what comes after just really irks the hell out of me...

 

[The Habs Fan]

Legacy

Renee pursues a female Atavus through an ancient portal through time, taking her back to the point where the Atavus were first forced into stasis by the meteor showers. When Howlyn discovers the portals existence, he plans to use it to his advantage by enslaving humanity in the past.

Of course, this episode wasn't perfect and had its problems, but it kept me entertained enough and was the first episode this season that felt like it had big plot points revealed (though we knew some of them already).

It begins when a female Atavus is resurrected and starts wreaking havoc. (Resurrection seems to be the theme this year). What's different about this Atavus is that she's blonde and wears the white version of the Atavus standard clothing.

Anyway, Renee goes on a journey through time to hunt this Atavus, gets a new partner in the form of a monk who is eventually killed, and finally catches up with the white Atavus a long time ago when the Atavus ruled Earth. There, Renee kills the white Atavus in front of Howlyn which explains Howlyn's strange infatuation of her in the present.

Renee also has a new weapon, a kind of energy dagger, that doesn't work at all. I'm not sure why she doesn't go back to swords?

RATING: 3/5

 

[Peacemaker]

You're making quick work of Season 5...best to swallow the poison quickly to get over with.

 

[The Habs Fan]

You're making quick work of Season 5...best to swallow the poison quickly to get over with.

Exactly

 

[The Wormhole]

Renee also has a new weapon, a kind of energy dagger, that doesn't work at all. I'm not sure why she doesn't go back to swords?

Because then she could defeat the Atavus with one fell swoop. And since Sandoval isn't really much of a threat without alien masters to whip him, there'd be nothing left to do for the rest of the season.

Actually, I can't see anything wrong with that.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

^ "Indeed."

 

[Peacemaker]

What would have made Season 5 so much more interesting would be the Atavus emerging as actual composites of the Jaridians and Taelons and not a completely separate species. Take Zo'or in Boone's Assassin. Yeah, the plot is pretty thin, but Anita Da Selva as Atavus Zo'or is actually a lot of fun. I would have made for a much more interesting plot to have brought back an Atavus Daan and an Atavus Zo'or and a group of peers and detail a struggle over the direction of the Atavus race and humanity, perhaps with a conflict taking place with Earth truly caught in the middle.

 

[The Habs Fan]

What would have made Season 5 so much more interesting would be the Atavus emerging as actual composites of the Jaridians and Taelons and not a completely separate species. Take Zo'or in Boone's Assassin. Yeah, the plot is pretty thin, but Anita Da Selva as Atavus Zo'or is actually a lot of fun. I would have made for a much more interesting plot to have brought back an Atavus Daan and an Atavus Zo'or and a group of peers and detail a struggle over the direction of the Atavus race and humanity, perhaps with a conflict taking place with Earth truly caught in the middle.

Yeah that would have made it much better. Right now the Atavus are just random aliens and are useless.


Death Suite

When she fails to save a young mother from the Atavus, Renee has a mental breakdown, and checks into an isolated health spa with J. Street in order to regain her focus on the battle with the Atavus. But when she begins seeing hybrids and Atavus in the spa, they soon discover that there's more going on than they thought.

What the...

This is easily the worst episode in all of EFC. Renee and Street in a spa with Atavus in a story that doesn't make sense at all.

RATING: 0/5


Atavus High

When a high school boy named Jeremiah hacks into Renee's anti-Atavus website, he replaces it with an Atavus fan club, forming a cult, believing that one day he will become an Atavus hybrid. Renee and Street try to convince Jeremiah that the Atavus are evil and have nothing to offer him, but Howlyn and Sandoval have their own plans.

This episode is exactly as bad as its title. This would be the absolute worst episode of the entire series if it wasn't for the episode immediately preceding this one which is somehow even worse. The only thing better about Atavus High was that it guest starred Rachel McAdams.

RATING: 0/5

 

[Peacemaker]

Hey, even a girl Atavus needs a manipedi...

 

[The Habs Fan]

Deep Sleep

The existence of the Atavus is finally brought to light when Renee encounters a hospital filled with hybrids who have been feeding on coma patients. as Renee tries to stop what is going on, Hubble Urick awakens from his coma and pledges the entire force of the FBI to her crusade.

Hubble Urick didn't die after all, he was just in a coma. I thought for sure he died in "The Seduction" but I guess I was wrong.

This episode also features the fan favourite recurring character of Resse Jackson who abandoned the Resistance to start a family. Wait... you mean he hasn't appeared in an episode yet? The writers are once again inventing "recurring" characters? Can Season 5 get any worse?

One thing I don't understand is why Street and Renee hate Reese so much at the beginning of the episode. They come across as a couple of bitches which I'm not sure the writers intended.

Anyway, this storyline deals with the latest plan of the Atavus: doing something to coma patients. Actually, I'm not really sure what the purpose of the coma patients were, though it may be something to do with a food/energy source for the Atavus? What a coincidence that the hospital that Hubble is comatose in has been taken over by hybrids and is coincidentally putting patients into comas!

The important part of this episode seems to be Hubble recovering from his coma and announcing to the world that the Atavus exist. Finally! Also, Patrichio is outed as a hybrid which is the least surprising twist of all time.

RATING: 2/5

 

[DeepSpaceWine]

How are you liking the Winter of Discontent (the winter block of episodes, ran from "Legacy" to "Deportation")? Quite a block isn't it? It's not that often that a show has a block of episodes quite that bad. Early Season 5 with Xena was that (a number of the 12 worst episodes of the series came from there).

Now that you've seen the worst episodes of the series (there might be some stinkers ahead, but I don't think people felt they were worse than the episodes you've seen), what do you think was the worst non-Season 5 episode? Browsing thru the thread, you've given 2 eps 1.0s (Thicker Than Blood, Interview), 2 eps 1.5s (Infection, Dimensions). Which one of those stands out as the worst pre-S5 for your viewing?


I'm pretty sure the writer of "Deep Sleep" saw the 1970s movie Coma, a conspiracy thriller about a hospital with an unusually high occurrence of coma patients.

 

[The Wormhole]

Hubble Urick didn't die after all, he was just in a coma. I thought for sure he died in "The Seduction" but I guess I was wrong.

You're not wrong, Hubble did die in that earlier episode. Or at least they did a pretty damn convincing job of making it look like he did, only to be brought back here in a coma. Like I said, continuity is not this season's stong suit.

This episode also features the fan favourite recurring character of Resse Jackson who abandoned the Resistance to start a family. Wait... you mean he hasn't appeared in an episode yet? The writers are once again inventing "recurring" characters? Can Season 5 get any worse?

One thing I don't understand is why Street and Renee hate Reese so much at the beginning of the episode. They come across as a couple of bitches which I'm not sure the writers intended.

Obviously anyone who paid attention to the last episode he was in knows what Reese did to piss Renee and Street off so much.

Okay, seriously though, I remember a rumour that the original intent was to bring Augur back but Richard Chevolleau was unavailable forcing them to bring back this previously unseen guy. I've never been able to verify that story, it sounds reasonable, but given this show's habit to creat new characters with an established past, anything's possible.

The important part of this episode seems to be Hubble recovering from his coma and announcing to the world that the Atavus exist. Finally! Also, Patrichio is outed as a hybrid which is the least surprising twist of all time.

Yeah, Hubble declaring the Atavus do exist is a cool scene and give you a sense of momentum that you think the story is getting into gear. And yes, this story actually develops now. But it doesn't turn out as good as this scene makes you think.

 

[The Habs Fan]

How are you liking the Winter of Discontent (the winter block of episodes, ran from "Legacy" to "Deportation")? Quite a block isn't it? It's not that often that a show has a block of episodes quite that bad. Early Season 5 with Xena was that (a number of the 12 worst episodes of the series came from there).

Now that you've seen the worst episodes of the series (there might be some stinkers ahead, but I don't think people felt they were worse than the episodes you've seen), what do you think was the worst non-Season 5 episode? Browsing thru the thread, you've given 2 eps 1.0s (Thicker Than Blood, Interview), 2 eps 1.5s (Infection, Dimensions). Which one of those stands out as the worst pre-S5 for your viewing?.

Thicker Than Blood, but it's way better than a couple of season 5 episodes.

This episode also features the fan favourite recurring character of Resse Jackson who abandoned the Resistance to start a family. Wait... you mean he hasn't appeared in an episode yet? The writers are once again inventing "recurring" characters? Can Season 5 get any worse?

One thing I don't understand is why Street and Renee hate Reese so much at the beginning of the episode. They come across as a couple of bitches which I'm not sure the writers intended.

Obviously anyone who paid attention to the last episode he was in knows what Reese did to piss Renee and Street off so much.

Okay, seriously though, I remember a rumour that the original intent was to bring Augur back but Richard Chevolleau was unavailable forcing them to bring back this previously unseen guy. I've never been able to verify that story, it sounds reasonable, but given this show's habit to creat new characters with an established past, anything's possible.

Deep Sleep would have been so much better if Augur was in it. If there's anything this season needs, it's more Augur.


The Art Of War

After Juda is killed by Renee and her new S.W.A.T team, Howlyn begins probing Sandoval's mind for information which could allow him to conquer humanity. Meanwhile, Ra'Jel desperately tries to convince Howlyn that Humanity cannot be conquered and that he should leave Earth.

The first 10 minutes of this episode were promising. Renee now has a team of army dudes to storm the mothership. Unfortunately, their plan is foiled when Sandoval and his team of hybrids destroy the gun that was to disable the shields on the mothership. (Renee is able to get onto the mothership seemingly at will, but now that she has a strike team she needs to disable the shields...) And Juda takes a few shots from a gun and dies. Yes, dies. Thankfully this becomes a subplot as to why she died rather than an "Atavus is now able to be killed by guns" plot stupidity.

This episode also becomes a clip show as Howlyn picks Sandoval's brain for ways to conquer humanity. It seems that Zo'or has already tried every plan possible and all of them were foiled in some way. Ra'jel also returns this episode for the purpose of more clips from past episodes and again only has bad news for Howlyn. So Howlyn just says screw it and is about to fire on the Earth with the mothership's guns until Ra'jel saves the day by locking him out.

And Sandoval has been banished to Earth. That was moderately interesting and really it's about time this has happened as he should have been fired after the whole Zo'or/Boone debacle.

RATING: 1/5

 

[hyzmarca]

Atavus High

When a high school boy named Jeremiah hacks into Renee's anti-Atavus website, he replaces it with an Atavus fan club, forming a cult, believing that one day he will become an Atavus hybrid. Renee and Street try to convince Jeremiah that the Atavus are evil and have nothing to offer him, but Howlyn and Sandoval have their own plans.

This episode is exactly as bad as its title. This would be the absolute worst episode of the entire series if it wasn't for the episode immediately preceding this one which is somehow even worse. The only thing better about Atavus High was that it guest starred Rachel McAdams.

RATING: 0/5

The boy kind of has a point, though. The Atavus aren't exactly shy about spreading the immortality around. Baring Rene-related violence, a hybrid can potentially live forever. It's a pretty sweet deal, all things being equal. A lot of people would go for it.

But you know, I think the episode would have been better if they skipped the Atavus altogether and just had Sandoval be the villain in season 5. He's got the mothership and absolutely nothing left to lose. At that point he could probably try a world domination plot all by himself and stand a decent chance of success.