Terra Nova season one 09/26/11:

[Caliburn24]

Yeah, SGU, V, Caprica all ended in interesting places that left the audience wanting more. And while SGU and Caprica I felt started off in rather boring places(and how you make the discovery of Destiny in SGU boring I can still hardly wrap my head around), V started at exactly the right place. It just failed to really move the story forward until the very end, by which point it was already canceled.

Falling Skies and Walking Dead I would argue also fall into the trap of starting at boring points. Both did it for budgetary reasons and so as not to rehash things that big budget movies did better already. Walking Dead cheated of course, by having Rick wake up after the fall of civilization and introduce us to the new world. And I think it worked much better than the pilot of Falling Skies which was only mediocre.

Terra Nova started poorly, it has been treading water ever since. Story progress? None. Character development? None. Everybody is still entirely the same person they were in the pilot. I'm sure big things will happen in the season finale with a cool cliffhanger, but it'll probably be too late for the show.

 

[RoJoHen]

I completely forgot this was a show.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Shame to hear about all the problems. This show could have been good if the focus and circumstances behind it had been different. I was skeptical about it, yet holding out hope due to Spielberg's involvement, but the pilot didn't do much to encourage me to watch it. It seemed like a good concept badly executed. I was actually really interested in the fact that James Horner had created dinosaurs for the show that could have existed, but that doesn't mean all that much if the show isn't very good to begin with, so that disappoints me.

 

[theenglish]

I disagree that it is not getting a larger audience because it is not a family show. I am sure that there are a lot of people out there who want a family show. It is losing audience because it is dull and generic and predictable.

I'm embarrassed for Spielberg because he, at one point, made great family entertainment that was original and engaging. I recently watched ET with my wife and young children and everybody enjoyed it once again. Pixar makes great movies that everyone enjoys.

I am sure that if Terra Nova had even a hint of the old Spielberg magic and were on Sunday nights it could be an incredibly popular show.

 

[Goji]

I like it.

It's not great, nor intellectually stimulating in the least and with René Echevarria on staff I was honestly hoping for more. But Stephen Lang is entertaining and I admit it, I am a huge dinosaur nut. The show endeared itself to me in its first episode by choosing Carnotaurus, one of my favorite dinosaur species, as the primary theropod menace (though I hope it appears again before the end of the season, it's by far my favorite character). It hasn't done anything massively offensive to turn me off since, even the teenage characters are strangely tolerable, if a far cry from good (and I'm definitely one to run screaming away from a tv series due to obnoxious teens). I doubt it'll see a second season and I don't think I'll be very disappointed about that.

But its greatest crime is being underwhelming and failing to realize the full promise of its pretty cool premise. For what it is, I find it entertaining enough.

 

[AviTrek]

I agree, I like the show. It's nothing great. But it's fun to have a vanilla 90s sci fi show on the air again. The only thing that annoys me about the show is the son. But then again, people hated Wesley on TNG too. I'll keep watching through to the end and hope the viewers stay above 7m and we can get a second 13 episode run.

 

[Tom]

To me the show is ok, but definaetly not must watch tv for sure.

 

[js]

I'm still enjoying it - in fact, of all the new shows I've sampled this season (Ringer, Secret Circle, Free Agents, American Horror Story, Grimm), it's the only one I'm still watching. Well, I'm probably still in for Grimm, but I still haven't gotten around to watching last week's ep.

Maybe it's that I like vanilla, family friendly sci-fi. Maybe it's that I like Stephen Lang. Maybe it's that I like the sweetness of the Mark/Maddy relationship which is the kind of old-fashioned courting that no one shows anymore. But I like the show. It's my only appointment viewing for the week aside from Vampire Diaries. And I hope it gets renewed so I can continue to enjoy it.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

It's nothing groundbreaking or innovative or deep but it's rather fun. It's meant to be a fun family friendly piece of fluff and nothing more. I enjoy it for what it is. Plus it's got dinosaurs. Yeah!

 

[RoJoHen]

The main reason I never got into this show was because it looked so bland. And considering it's a show about people traveling back in time and fighting dinosaurs, that's saying something.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I disagree that it is not getting a larger audience because it is not a family show. I am sure that there are a lot of people out there who want a family show. It is losing audience because it is dull and generic and predictable.

It's dull and generic and predictable because they're going for the family audience - you have to bland things down so that it's understandable to a wide age range, and not offensive to anyone. That's an incredible handicap to have to overcome, vs what cable can do - just narrowly target a certain demographic or a certain interest and give them exactly what they want.

There are plenty of shows that are dull and generic and predictable and highly successful - just watch anything on CBS for starters. There's a market for cookie-cutter cop shows but not so much of one for cookie-cutter sci fi shows.

Sure, Pixar can appeal to a wide age range and they make it look easy, but they put incredible amounts of effort into their movies, and nobody in the TV biz has that luxury. It's very hard to appeal to all ages and not end up with brainless mush in the process.

The only currently successful example I can think of is The Clone Wars, and even then, adults have to be very tolerant to follow that show and not get frustrated by the meaningless, shallow action episodes, of which there are many.

 

[The Wormhole]

Actually, I got to say, the November 21 episode was actually pretty good. Of course it was a Commander Taylor (Lang) centred episode, which explored his backstory and really developed his character. It was an interesting episode and provided some answers to some of the show's more prominent mysteries so far. If they kept this kind of quality up, they'd have a pretty decent series.

Unfortunately, I have my doubts about next week's episode. In one of the discussion threads for one of the earlier episodes, a bunch of us were predicting what kind of used Trek plot would get turned into a Terra Nova episode. In this post I predict the following would happen:

Other story idea: a Darmok/Dawn/Enemy Mine style story where someone like Jim or Taylor are stuck in the jungle with a Sixer, and the two must learn to set aside their differences and work together to survive and escape the dinosaur which is attacking them.

That's exactly what's happening next week with Taylor and the leader of the Sixers. This week's quality has me optimistic, I've seen this show can do a good episode and this is going to be another Taylor episode so it should be entertaining. But it is disappointing to discover an idea I tossed out there in a moment of goofing off is an actual episode.

 

[SG-17]

Actually, I got to say, the November 21 episode was actually pretty good. Of course it was a Commander Taylor (Lang) centred episode, which explored his backstory and really developed his character. It was an interesting episode and provided some answers to some of the show's more prominent mysteries so far. If they kept this kind of quality up, they'd have a pretty decent series.

Unfortunately, I have my doubts about next week's episode. In one of the discussion threads for one of the earlier episodes, a bunch of us were predicting what kind of used Trek plot would get turned into a Terra Nova episode. In this post I predict the following would happen:

Other story idea: a Darmok/Dawn/Enemy Mine style story where someone like Jim or Taylor are stuck in the jungle with a Sixer, and the two must learn to set aside their differences and work together to survive and escape the dinosaur which is attacking them.

That's exactly what's happening next week with Taylor and the leader of the Sixers. This week's quality has me optimistic, I've seen this show can do a good episode and this is going to be another Taylor episode so it should be entertaining. But it is disappoint to discover an idea I tossed out there in a moment of goofing off is an actual episode.

Well it is Braga...

That said, despite how dry it is I am enjoying the show.

 

[46379.1]

Actually, I got to say, the November 21 episode was actually pretty good.

I Agree, I enjoyed this one.

 

[Caliburn24]

Yeah, I think this latest episode is the best one so far, and there was not a dinosaur in sight for the whole thing(Just that big dragonfly).

The backstory and mythology laid out was pretty interesting, and the annoying characters were hardly in it at all. Good stuff.

But the writers of the show are either being extremely simplistic, or setting up a fantastic misdirect and being insanely clever. This being Terra Nova I expect the former, but wish for the latter. Let me explain.

If we accept everything Taylor said at face value, than he is trying to prevent Terra Nova from being exploited. He is the good guy, Jim agreed with him and is on his side. This is probably how the show will progress. Although Taylor will do bad things from time to time just to make the show more interesting.

But what if the show is more clever than that? All Lucas wanted to do was allow two way travel through the portal. Not a bad thing. Taylor is then relieved of command by Philbrick after Taylor trashes Lucas' research. Taylor kills Philbrick(and the editing of that scene is highly suspect) and keeps it a secret from the colony.

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'm firmly on the side of the Sixers and Lucas now. They are the good guys trying to help mankind. Taylor is a power hungry madman, the Shannons and the rest of Terra Nova are dupes.

I'm sure the bad guys(especially the powers that be back on future Earth) are going to be made increasingly mustache twirling(read, stupid) evil to make up for this mistake by the writers and to allow Taylor and the Shannons to look like the good guys. Even though the ideology of the Sixers and Lucas makes them the heroes and the ones I am rooting for, for now.

It would blow my mind if the show is ambitious enough(and clever enough) to create two sides with enough ambiguity to root for either side.

 

[The Wormhole]

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?

 

[The Habs Fan]

Actually, I got to say, the November 21 episode was actually pretty good.

I Agree, I enjoyed this one.

As did I. In my opinion Terra Nova has gotten better with each passing episode after the virus one.

Does the shady bartender remind anyone of Quark? I always think of season 1/2 Quark when the bartender pops up.

 

[The Wormhole]

Does the shady bartender remind anyone of Quark? I always think of season 1/2 Quark when the bartender pops up.

Yes! I thought it was just me, but he definately reminds me of Quark.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

I never connected Boylan with Quark but now that you mention it he does seem a lot like him. Must be Rene Echevarria's doing since he wrote for DS9.

Terra Nova's pretty straightforward so I think just about everything Taylor said is pretty close to the truth. Though I wouldn't be surprised if the Sixers are being played by their benefactors in the future. Eventually the Terra Novans and Sixers will unite against the faction from the future.

 

[MichaelDornFan]

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