Terra Nova Talkback *SPOILERS*

[mightybuck]

*SPOILERS*

From what i've read, they are going back to a point where there is a split in the time stream. So the road they are on leads to a different "future" leaving theirs intact.

i don't know that they are on a past earth. didn't the commander say he hasn't talked to the people in the future about the sixers because he doesn't know who he could trust? that made it sound like there's the possibility of going back and forth between settings. but if they were truly in the earth's past, the future would be so different from the one they left. they shouldn't be able to either travel to the future or even communicate with the future. i can't buy the self-correcting time stream thing, not in this instance. they went too far back and brought too much technology for everything to just right itself.

i think they created a wormhole to a world similar to prehistoric earth. it would help explain the time discrepancy between leaving the "future" and entering the "past". it would allow communication to their previous world and even travel back and forth, as long as they don't explicitly say it isn't possible. it would even allow the makers of the show some degree of inaccuracy, like if they show two dinos from different regions or eras or if a discovery is made that proves a dinosaur looked or acted differently from their portrayal on the show.

[BCreviews4628]

SPOILERS

Highlight to read.

I'm wondering what the story is with Taylor's son. Something's not right there. And he made sure the girl(forgot her name) did not see the writing on the rocks.

END SPOILER

[Dave-Man]

I liked it, pretty much. I'm not a hard core dinosaur geek or anything, though.

[Patreek]

*SPOILERS*



i don't know that they are on a past earth. didn't the commander say he hasn't talked to the people in the future about the sixers because he doesn't know who he could trust? that made it sound like there's the possibility of going back and forth between settings. but if they were truly in the earth's past, the future would be so different from the one they left. they shouldn't be able to either travel to the future or even communicate with the future. i can't buy the self-correcting time stream thing, not in this instance. they went too far back and brought too much technology for everything to just right itself.

i think they created a wormhole to a world similar to prehistoric earth. it would help explain the time discrepancy between leaving the "future" and entering the "past". it would allow communication to their previous world and even travel back and forth, as long as they don't explicitly say it isn't possible. it would even allow the makers of the show some degree of inaccuracy, like if they show two dinos from different regions or eras or if a discovery is made that proves a dinosaur looked or acted differently from their portrayal on the show.

We don't know if what he said about the sixers is even true though, he's clearly hiding things and isn't being totally honest. Either way they sent the beacon to the point where the time stream breaks off... finding that point somehow allows them to open up portals TO the new time stream. From the point of the beacon there is a new time stream so if they were able to send humans various times there that would mean they''d have to be able to access this new timesteam. So they aren't sending them back in history, they are sending them back into this alternate history. So even if they are able to communicate to the alternate future I don't think it messes anything up. If they have the tech to send things to an alternate past then I don't see the stretch for them to be able to do the reverse.

[Ivan]

I liked it, I think I'll be watching it. Glad it's on Hulu Plus so I can watch it whenever I want.

SPOILERS

There were a few spots where it was a little thin - like the whole prison escape thing. I mean seriously?! How exactly did he escape? His wife was well off but she wasn't super rich to buy his way out so easy. And the whole story with the third kid. What were they thinking?! That kid would have grown up, how would they send it to school or take it to the doctor? If if police didn't get them, eventually they would have to turn themselves in. It just seems like a very stupid thing for a doctor and a cop to do. The whole future looks cliche and banal. But OK, if we move past that, the rest of the pilot was interesting. I like the mystery with the glyphs, and I like the conflict with the "sixers".

Another thing I have a problem with is the idea that this militarized, autocratic camp that is practically at war can develop a peaceful, idyllic, humanist society of the future. I realize that it's necessary to survive in the harsh prehistoric world, but I just don't see how that camp we have seen can turn into a democratic, harmonious society.

But OK, it's fun

[Dave-Man]

I liked it, I think I'll be watching it. Glad it's on Hulu Plus so I can watch it whenever I want.

SPOILERS

Another thing I have a problem with is the idea that this militarized, autocratic camp that is practically at war can develop a peaceful, idyllic, humanist society of the future. I realize that it's necessary to survive in the harsh prehistoric world, but I just don't see how that camp we have seen can turn into a democratic, harmonious society.

But OK, it's fun

The fact that there are "sixers" at all seems to underscore the difficulty of this. If it were the utopian society they want it to be, the sixers would have no reason to rebel.

[Ivan]

The fact that there are "sixers" at all seems to underscore the difficulty of this. If it were the utopian society they want it to be, the sixers would have no reason to rebel.

I know, right! What kind of a utopian society is it if there's a military commander who shows up on a balcony like that, surrounded with his uniformed guards and holds speeches? Not the one I'd like to live in, thank you very much. The moment I saw the Sixers, I thought "Hmmm, I have no idea who these people are yet, but something tells me if this were reality I'd probably be a Sixer"

[gbagok]

From what i've read, they are going back to a point where there is a split in the time stream. So the road they are on leads to a different "future" leaving theirs intact.

Well they said, via brainy exposition daughter #1, that an experiment with a probe proved that this is an alternate timeline so no worries about the Butterfly Effect. But there are obviously some lies and secrets all over the place, so I suspect that probe story is a big deception and this is the same Earth. My guess is that either the Sixers or Ranger Rick's militia are actually there to set something in motion that will help their associates in the future and not just to get a fresh start. In fact the entire colony might be glorified canon fodder. One thing I didn't pick up on was how they are communicating with the future to coordinate this colonization.

For all my doubts I thought it was okay. My biggest hate on Braga was his overuse of cheap reset button solutions and the absolute lack of development from week to week that typified his work on Star Trek Voyager. But this could be better since it seems to be setting up an arc and ongoing mystery. They're also not moving too slowly about some of the answers like a certain show set on an island did. We know who's drawing the mysterious markings already, and I didn't think we'd learn that in the pilot.

The characters/actors seem okay. I like Lang and O'Mara. I don't think I like the teenagers. Any of them could have been dino-food and I'd have been fine with that. The son looks exactly like the son from Spielberg's War of the Worlds, and I have a feeling I could dislike him more. The stuff with the father and little girl works the best of all the family drama. On the plus side it's all a lot more engaging than Falling Skies.

Another thing I have a problem with is the idea that this militarized, autocratic camp that is practically at war can develop a peaceful, idyllic, humanist society of the future. I realize that it's necessary to survive in the harsh prehistoric world, but I just don't see how that camp we have seen can turn into a democratic, harmonious society.

But OK, it's fun

I don't think the show is maintaining it will, just that that is the cool-aid the scientists and their families are buying in to because the future is so awful. I don't think they fully sold how bad the future was though. I mean sure, a gestapo police state seems to be running population control, but when we're told they would just have paid a fine if not for dad hitting the lead cop, all of that just seems forced. I think they were trying to just play into the same basic Blade Runner-esque urbanized nightmare future that we've seen many times before. If Max Headroom had been on a monitor somewhere, I wouldn't have been surprised. Admittedly that's becoming a dated vision of the future, but so is the post-nuclear wasteland and that still makes it into movies too.

[Divia]

I wasn't impressed and I was hoping I would be.

The cutesy kid thing is an automatic downer for me. Im like gawd

The fact that this doesnt have an original thought in the show worries me. Rogue cop, family he loves, goes to different world. Bad guys on the word and I'm gonna guess good guys who ain't so good. *YAWN* Yeah it did nothign for me.

The teenagers were annoying. I didn't care about them.
The characters were eh. Crazy military man. Angry chick with gun. Super smart genius(mom)cute kid, rogue cop, rebellious teen. Yeah it did nothing for me...

[King Kahn]

I am sort of MEH... about this series after watching the first episode.

I understand they needed to put the dad in prison so they had to do the whole "only 2 kids" angle but even with suspension of disbelief it was hard to swallow that he just escaped and we didn't see it and he was able to get to his family as well on time.

I understand they needed to speed through things to get to where they finally arrive on Terra Nova.

I also was not fond of the kids. The smallest one is just annoyingly 'cute', the middle one is the 'smart' one and the oldest is 'the rebel'.

I still say that the other world is not earth or else it IS the same time line.

I'll continue watching as I love genre shows but it won't be the priority.

[BCreviews4628]

I agree about the little one. I HATE scenes in tv or movies, where someone is talking all cutesy to a little kid like that, with sappy music playing, and then they show others in the room, smiling warmly as they watch on.

Glade I come from a loud, out spoken, angry family, cause I don't think I could take that ****.

[sonofblaine]

1st off, this felt like a Syfy channel movie.

2nd off, I loved it.

Compared to most big Prime Time shows, this felt really low rent. See the Syfy mention above. The dino cgi was bad, the acting was bad, especially the main guy who over-emoted everything.... and it was great. I guess I'm the type of person who likes a good cheesy movie or show, but this who thing sat well with me. I like the premise, people from the future settling the prehistoric past and plenty of secrets and intrigue.

The worst scene was him being cute with his daughter. His horrible over-acting and scenery chewing along with the terrible, adorable dialogue just killed it.

The smart middle child keeps making weird faces, as if she's trying TOO hard to make her character the awkward nerd (even if she looks like a cheerleader... silly TV tropes).

The teen girl love interest is also a very annoying actress. I dunno, just the way she delivers lines.

Like i mentioned above as well, bad TV movie CGI on the dinosaurs made alot kinda laughable. The lack of any real security and their reliance on wooden fences seems ridiculous.

It sounds like I'm saying it sucks, but I plan on continuing to watch until it's canceled (possibly next season.

[gbagok]

The cutesy kid thing is an automatic downer for me. Im like gawd

I agree about the little one. I HATE scenes in tv or movies, where someone is talking all cutesy to a little kid like that, with sappy music playing, and then they show others in the room, smiling warmly as they watch on.

The worst scene was him being cute with his daughter. His horrible over-acting and scenery chewing along with the terrible, adorable dialogue just killed it.

Well dang! The bit with the dad and his youngest daughter was the only part of the family interaction I found charming! I guess I'm just a sucker for cute kids over awkward teenaged lust and bratty angst.

[Firefly]

I inserted the comment "Expect *Spoilers* after an episode has aired in this thread" in the OP. If a mod wants to add *spoilers* to the title of this thread as well, feel free.

It was nothing great, but I liked the first episode. As a dad of a young one, I didn't mind the cutesy kid thing. They are obviously trying to speak to as big an audience as they can unlike some sci-fi network tv shows. If this show fails, I don't think there is much hope for sci-fi on network television. Due to the costs of the show, it will probably have to maintain pretty strong ratings to have long-term success. It had a decent rating on Monday, but still landed in third place.

[Staff Of Ka]

Really liked it, far superior to 'Falling Skies'.

Weirdest thing was seeing all the australian actors putting on American accents!

was most impressed with how likeable all the characters are -even the sixers, Its rare to find a show where the characters are shades of Gray not black & white!

will watch and see where it takes us!

ka

(and I agree with 'Possible Spoilers' being added to the Thread title! we In Aus dont see the show til a day or two after you guys!)

[Bonehead]

1st off, this felt like a Syfy channel movie.

I thought the same thing. I was getting flashbacks to Earth 2 the entire time I watched this.


I hate to say it but I was kinda disappointed with the pilot. The characters were all kind of dull and boring. If it wasn't for Lang I wound have probably changed the channel. I find it funny that he's playing basically the same character he played in Avatar.

I haven't given up on the series though. Like most sci-fi shows, it just takes a bit of time to develop. I remember how awful ST:TNG was at the beginning. I just hope FOX doesn't pull the plug on it before it has a chance to grow and get a steady audience.

[pakledjim]

I liked it, thought it was okay. Some of it seems predictable. Gee I wonder who's going to figure out the glyphs? Brainy daughter?
Spoiler Warning:
So were the 2 sixers at the end of the episode working for Taylor by infiltrating the sixers?

[Ntumbuluku]

*Spoilers about Episodes 2 and 3*

For all my doubts I thought it was okay. My biggest hate on Braga was his overuse of cheap reset button solutions and the absolute lack of development from week to week that typified his work on Star Trek Voyager. But this could be better since it seems to be setting up an arc and ongoing mystery. They're also not moving too slowly about some of the answers like a certain show set on an island did. We know who's drawing the mysterious markings already, and I didn't think we'd learn that in the pilot.

This is my biggest problem with Braga, too. When I saw his name on the opening credits of the pilot I immediately lowered my expectations for this show. Braga is the reason that DS9 was so much better than Voyager.

Unfortunately, episdoes 2 and 3 seem to be following the Braga pattern: humanity gets into a bind, humanity finds some "cool" tech way to get out of it.

Episode 2: "Oh no! A killer flock of pteranadons is trying to use the colony as a breeding ground and will kill us all! No problem! We'll just use pheromones to drive them away! Day saved!"

Episode 3: "Oh no! Someone was doing genetic experiments to find a way to rid himself of his Alzheimer's-like genetic disease and his experiements affected everyone around him! No problem! We'll just figure out at the last minute that Steve's (I know that's not the dad's name. But he seems like a Steve to me.) cold virus blocks the effects of the genetic disease, use Steve in order to develop a vaccine and then innoculate everyone! Day saved!"

Braga Voyager plots were always like this. TNG fell into that trap at times, too. "No problem, we'll just reroute the external coupling of the delta wave emitter to fire a pulsated tachyon particle ray so that the flux capaciter realigns to the correct timeline! Day saved!"

All of the above said, Terra Nova seems like pretty good "have something marginally interesting on the TV in the background while doing something better with my time" TV. I'll keep DVRing it and watching it when I have time.

[Mr. Shokoti]

I saw the 2-hour premiere, but haven't gone back for any episodes since. It wasn't extremely bad, but it just didn't make me eager to keep watching.

[ehenyo]

*Spoilers about Episodes 2 and 3*

Episode 3: "Oh no! Someone was doing genetic experiments to find a way to rid himself of his Alzheimer's-like genetic disease and his experiements affected everyone around him! No problem! We'll just figure out at the last minute that Steve's (I know that's not the dad's name. But he seems like a Steve to me.) cold virus blocks the effects of the genetic disease, use Steve in order to develop a vaccine and then innoculate everyone! Day saved!"

Thank you for saving one hour of my life. looks like it's not getting any better. time to take the show off of my dvr.

[Divia]

I forgot this was on again. I guess I didn't miss anything.

[13977]

Watched the first three episodes so far and its been a lot weaker then I was hoping for, but think I'll stick with it at least for the first season.

1st off, this felt like a Syfy channel movie.

Think you've hit the nail on the head there dude.

[Staff Of Ka]

Watched the first three episodes so far and its been a lot weaker then I was hoping for, but think I'll stick with it at least for the first season.

I totally Agree, the wheels fell off big time in the 3rd episode. every Sci Fi series has a Amnesia/madness/Isolation Episode Ive seen better!

[gbagok]

A baseball game pushed TN so far back that it messed up my DVR and it only caught about 7 minutes. I could just watch it online, but it sounds like it's not worth the effort. This is feeling like Land of the Lost written like Seaquest DSV more than a mixture of Jurassic Park and Lost.

[Drakken]

I've only been able to watch the pilot and I enjoyed it. I have to sit through the other episodes now to see how I like them.