What I’m Watching: Terra Nova (Season Finale)

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episodes 12 & 13 “Occupation/Resistance” (C+)

It’s no surprise that this two-hour finale wasn’t terribly satisfying. After what I still contend was an awesome pilot, this show has spiraled downwards in terms of being interesting, coherent, and well-written. This show ended up being much more about the sci-fi link between the past and the future, which should be exciting but just isn’t. Having cartoonish villains is part of the problem, and Jim’s dinosaur, however cool it should have been, didn’t help with that as it promptly picked off some of the more ridiculous members of Lucas’ employment group. A complaint about “bugs the size of dogs and plants that eat children” was particularly irksome, and Elisabeth’s trickery involving a poison was obvious and dumb. Cara making it through the portal and dying because of her proximity to the suicide bomber is a huge letdown, though hopefully it will allow Josh to focus on Skye, who has been nothing but loyal to him. There was plenty of blabbering about loyalty to parents and children in this double episode, and what I take away most is that gunshots and stab wounds don’t mean much in prehistoric times because you can still move around with considerable ease. Jim pretending to be incapacitated following the explosion wasn’t terribly impressive, and the only real bit of drama we got, aside from the destruction of the portal, was the death of a character. That was a relatively unprecedented, finite event, and Wash did get a chance to display some personality before being killed by Lucas. Now, if it continues, maybe the show can focus on living with dinosaurs and some more engaging drama, which the plentiful amounts of Sixer loyalists living in the Badlands on ships from the 1800s could create. The fate of this show may not be known for a few weeks, and sad as it makes me, I’m not sure I would opt to pick it up. It needs a major overhaul, and I’m not talking about special effects.

Season grade: C+
Season MVP: Though I’m tempted to choose Dean Geyer as lunar accountant Mark Reynolds, it’s no contest, since the only decently impressive player is Allison Miller as Skye

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 10 “Within” (C)

I really hope that next week’s two-hour season, and probably series, finale, is much better than this. The dialogue in this hour is absolutely atrocious, and I can’t believe that this show can have such strong technical qualities, especially in its pilot, and have such unfortunate plotlines. It upsets me greatly that Lucas felt the need to keep calling Skye by her mother’s pet name for her, Bucket, and that’s the least of this show’s problems. I’ve mentioned that this show has absolutely no stakes, and that’s so true in this hour. Not only does the murderous traitor that has been exiled get to return to Terra Nova penalty-free, but Skye’s mother is rescued and apparently able to be treated by the folks at Terra Nova after all, making Skye’s traitorous acts entirely irrelevant. Maddy’s need to do homework is irritating, and I can’t understand why she needed to have a subplot in this episode, if only to bring Boylan back for some comic relief, giving her the generator core just so that Jim would look upon her favorably. The notable, and only real, development of this episode is the transformation of the portal into a two-way device. I’ll admit that Lucas shooting through the portal and having the blast amplified was cool, but I have to hope that whatever comes through the portal is a Hail Mary of sorts for the show, since it really needs to step it up in its finale if it wants to saved for renewal or even just remembered fondly.

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 9 “Now You See Me” (C)

Here we have another wasted opportunity, and another disappointing episode that’s nowhere near as exciting or satisfying as it could be. Putting Mira and Taylor together for nearly an hour is a cool idea, yet somehow it’s terribly uninteresting. Their chance meeting reminded me of the complaint I’ve heard some voice about “Star Trek” series, that the captains and high-ranking officers are always the ones going out on missions rather than some random red shirts, and therefore the fact that the two highest-ranking members from each camp happened to run into each other felt more than a little convenient. Swapping stories about how long they’ve been able to survive in the wild was old mildly intriguing, and I preferred Taylor’s theory about an alternate universe where they might instead be allies. The presence of a dinosaur was a letdown as well, and it’s seeming more and more like the show’s entire budget was spent on the pilot, which I still maintain was incredibly awesome. I’m glad that this whole Boxer plotline is done with, since I don’t have any interest at all in that. Mark’s bumbling in front of Jim is silly at best, and it would be better if he spent more of his time with Maddy. I don’t quite buy the fact that Skye is the spy, even if her mother is sick and only the Sixers can help. I imagine there are some seriously scummy people, like Boylan, in Terra Nova, and so having it be a blackmail victim is a bit of a cop-out.

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 8 “Vs.” (C)

As I see it, this show is currently suffering from three major problems, all evidenced strongly in this episode. The first is a complete and total lack of stakes. The extent of Boylan’s torture is the blaring of a siren and the spiking of his food, which leads to his being released with no charges despite the fact that he was indisputably communicating directly with a known enemy. Secondly, the web of characters is far too small, and it leads to far too much silliness and constantly shifting loyalties. Malcolm’s discovery of Elisabeth’s mystery skeleton has him reporting her to Taylor moments later, and then the dragonfly flies directly to Jim’s home. After Jim is released, Mark, the arresting officer, has to ask him if he’s allowed to dance with his daughter, to which he politely agrees. Zoe getting the lead in the Harvest Festival play isn’t much of a surprise, considering the fact that Maddy is somehow the director. Where is this show’s lone interesting character, Skye, when we need her? Thirdly, a dragonfly with a chip in it is interesting and all, but where are the dinosaurs? It can’t be that advanced if Taylor was able to replicate a signal so swiftly to try to frame Jim, and watching Mark, Alicia, Taylor, and Malcolm awkwardly chasing the dragonfly around camp was almost comical. The flashback to Taylor’s mentor arriving was helpful only in that it establishes that he was telling the truth, and I’m not sure what to make of the shot of Lucas watching the fireworks at episode’s end since, like much in this episode, it provides us so with little to new no information.

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 7 “Proof” (C+)

I’m not sure what it is exactly that’s holding this show back, but after a decent episode last week, we’re back to the same subpar silliness that we saw before that. What’s most specifically problematic about this episode is the focus on the Shannon family. I understand that Jim is the head cop and Elisabeth is the head doctor, so to speak, but to highlight their children so extensively, especially sans romantic interests in this hour, makes it seem like everyone and everything else in Terra Nova is insignificant. Josh and Maddy are about the two least subtle human beings on the planet, irrespective of time, and they don’t seem to care about listening to anyone else, sounding out their thoughts and then accepting them despite the contradicting observations of others. When Skye tells you that what you’re doing is crazy, it’s time to listen up, especially if you’re planning on confessing and blowing the whistle on the whole operation just to help save one poor patient. I’m not sure we quite needed Zoe’s constant vampire musings, and there was an incredible lack of stakes when it came to the fake Dr. Horton trying to kill Maddy with a deadly spider moments after letting Zoe run off with an obvious distress message to give to Jim. Now that Taylor is aware that Mira can communicate with the future, one would hope that they’d use Boylan or Josh to their advantage, but I have a feeling that nothing’s going to come of it just yet, given that we’re just past the halfway point of the season.

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 6 “Nightfall” (B)

Here we have a hearty improvement over the previous, highly unfortunate episode, and while it’s not perfect, it’s much better in terms of its utilization of its surroundings and positive emphasis on character plot rather than just silly drama. The arrival of a meteor is a completely understandable event, and there’s nothing like knocking out the power to return a civilization to the prehistoric age, using such weapons as bows and arrows instead of electric-powered guns, and extracting parasites by hand. Jim being trapped in the Eye with Zoe both took away Terra Nova’s security chief and also didn’t permit Jim from realizing exactly what was going on above ground. Fortunately, things proceeded along just fine without him as Mark trained Maddy in the art of pungent camouflage as she demonstrated her knowledge of all things extremely useful, and the couple had their first kiss without her family knowing a thing about it. If this show doesn’t make it to a second season, Dean Geyer should definitely try to score a gig on a new sci-fi series playing a lunar accountant. Mira and her people sure took advantage of the power outage to send a large and intimidating dinosaur towards Terra Nova as a distraction so that her people could get the box. I was impressed that Taylor figured out her ruse by noting that the dinosaur had been abused. I’m sure it came as a surprise to almost no one that the mystery scientist Mira handed over the box contents to is none other than Taylor’s son, whose hatred of his father elevates him to the status of one of the show’s most intriguing characters.

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 5 “Bylaw” (C-)

I’ve tried to remain entirely optimistic about this show and its post-pilot potential, but this isn’t what I signed up for at all. My first thought was, awesome, a dinosaur killing someone! That’s exactly what this show needs, more dinosaurs and less people squabbling. It turns out that was on the menu for this installment too, as Jim came up with the oh so clever theory that it was murder by dinosaur, prompting Taylor to reveal the dramatic statistic that this was the first-ever murder in Terra Nova history. I’m not concerned with whether Milner did it or his wife did it or the random guy in Taylor’s entourage did it. The expulsion of Milner was so anti-climactic since Jim just casually followed him out into the woods, and even the real culprit didn’t seem too worse for the wear, though he was quite concerned with not being left with a weapon. Arresting Boylan and then revealing that he was actually cooperating with them and never under suspicion is unfortunate, since it means they’re so far off his trail. Josh’s trek out into the middle of the woods was similarly unexciting, as Mira simply asks for a favor to be cashed in later. The fact that the end of the episode features with Jim grimacing after being asked if they can keep the newly-hatched dinosaur demonstrates that this show’s priorities are not in order. I’m hopeful this is just another fluke, and that we’ll soon get back to the amazing prehistoric universe at hand.

What I’m Watching: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Runaway” (B)

This episode is considerably better than the one that preceded it, but still not nearly as strong as the first three hours this show produced. The notion of having new characters introduced each episode for one episode only worked wonders for “Outcasts,” but here, I feel like we need to develop the regular players first before getting to other people. The search for the traitor seems to be going quite slowly while the Sixers come face-to-face with the leaders of Terra Nova once again. I like the sound of Taylor’s threat, that the third time they come to the gates it’s going to be war. I don’t think we’re at that point yet, however, and I imagine that this cold war of sorts will continue for a while before all hell breaks loose. Jim getting some face time with Mira proved very enlightening, and I’m incredibly intrigued by her claim that the bigwigs in 2149 want Taylor gone and promised her a chance to see her family if she helps bring him down. Mira really wanted that box she sent Leah to retrieve, and I don’t imagine that Malcolm will have any success discovering what its purpose or function is. While we’re a bit light on dinosaurs in this hour, there are some highly amusing romantic developments. Jim’s response to Reynolds telling him that he’s in the first stages of courting Maddy was hilarious, and his military attitude towards relationships is sure to be good for some terrific laughs in the near future.

Take Three: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 4 “What Remains” (C+)

I’m hardly ready to throw in the towel just yet, but it’s hard to argue that this episode is anywhere near as good as previous installments. The setup of a memory-erasing condition that takes people back in their lives to an earlier time is definitely interesting, but the execution is hardly impressive. Elizabeth conveniently reverting to a time when she was dating Malcolm felt all too convenient, and Taylor’s Somalia-inspired attempted killing spree was a bit forced as well. Jim getting a cold was obviously the reason that he was immune to the memory regression, and suspecting the root just wasted ten minutes. I do think that a good lengthy kiss is necessary every once in a while to help spread a virus, and there’s plenty of romance to be found in this hour. Both appropriately-aged children have romances progressing nicely, as Mark continues his courtship of Maddy and devotes extra resources to ensuring that her family is protected. Josh’s relationship developments are taking a more dangerous turn, as an impossibly understanding Skye offers to help him get Cara to Terra Nova. What’s most problematic, and exciting, about this is that her contact just happens to be a good friend off the Sixers, and happily suggests using his status as Jim’s son to achieve some malicious endgame that is yet to be revealed. Who knew that teenage romance could be so productive in helping to propel a show’s plot forward? Both Jim and Taylor are both definitely not going to be happy about this.

Round Two: Terra Nova

Terra Nova: Season 1, Episode 2 “Instinct” (B+)

I’m thrilled to report that the second standalone installment of this show is quite exciting and enthralling. It’s definitely not going the way of “Falling Skies,” emphasizing action and interaction with the foreign species over human drama. The presence of love interests for the elder Shannon children during the invasion of the flying dinosaurs is just something that happens rather than an entire plot point that takes up screen time. I realize that some may take issue with the fact that the show may end up being a procedural of sorts, with some different, mysterious dinosaur species plaguing the residents of Terra Nova each week. I think that’s a fine setup for now, and there’s no shortage of topics to be covered. Also, dinosaurs are pretty exciting, and even bat-like ones are cool. I like that Taylor and Jim are the ones to go out on an expedition all by themselves to lead the attacking vultures from the colony, since it’s nice to have truly fearless leaders that aren’t afraid to put themselves directly in harm’s way for the benefit of their community. Jim managed to be rather direct and forceful in telling the scientist would-be-suitor that his wife is most certainly off-limits, and calling him out on the fact that he definitely didn’t expect Jim to be there as well. I’m pleased that this show could well work, and I’ll be eager to learn more about the history of Terra Nova and the Sixers in addition to whatever dinosaur species we may next encounter.

Pilot Review: Terra Nova

Terra Nova (FOX)
Premiered September 26 at 8pm

I’m a sucker for sci-fi, and so it’s almost guaranteed that I’d love a show like this. I’m ecstatic to report, however, that this show lives up to expectations in its first double-decker episode, setting the bar high for the future. I’ve heard this described as another “Lost,” but I think that’s selling it short. The future presented in the opening quarter of the premiere is clearly decaying, and necessitating a trip back into the past means that there’s no coming home, so they’re trapped there, prepared for whatever they can anticipate but sure to encounter some nasty surprises along the way. Terra Nova is an absolute beauty to behold, and I like how the dinosaurs are mesmerizing creatures during the day and absolutely terrifying monsters at night. Some of the dialogue and the family drama verge on soapiness, but overall, those faults can be overlooked for the greater excitement that the show provides, because when it delivers, it really delivers. It helps that the kids are pretty stupid and go beyond the fence on Josh’s very first day, and that just makes them getting attacked by violent dinosaurs all the more awesome. I like that there’s a splinter group hovering nearby, threatening to expose whatever it is that Commander Taylor is covering up, which may amount to changing history entirely, contradicting what everyone had been told about Terra Nova existing in a parallel dimension. I’m so intrigued to discover just what’s going on, and a whole lot of mystery that doesn’t get solved for a while will be fine with me. This is a great part for Jason O’Mara, whose convict Jim managed to make quite an impression on his first day. Stephen Lang is a fantastic choice to play Taylor, slightly calmer and less bloodthirsty than his “Avatar” character but still determined to do what it takes to get the job done. I like that both of the older children already have love interests, and I’m especially enjoying the adventurous tendencies of Allison Miller’s Skye. There’s a whole jungle of potential to be explored here, and I can’t wait for the next installment.

How will it work as a series? This show has a lot going for it, but it also needs to be very careful to avoid what tends to be the Achilles’ heel of genre shows, and that’s an over-emphasis on character drama while the sci-fi takes a backseat. This could go the route of “Falling Skies” and drag on, but I think the dinosaurs give it a definitive sharp edge.
How long will it last? I hope it’s going to last a while, but I also know that it’s very expensive and a huge gamble for FOX. The premiere numbers weren’t too high thanks to CBS comedies and “Dancing with the Stars,” so we’ll have to see if FOX things it’s worth it to keep this show around and get some return on their investment. Let’s hope they do – I’m already psyched for a second season and I’ve only seen two hours.

Pilot grade: A-

Friday Fall Preview: Terra Nova

For the past few years, I’ve wanted to do a summer feature where I took a look at one upcoming show each week. Come back every Friday for a new Fall Preview, and suggest an upcoming show to be featured if you’re looking forward to it!

Terra Nova – Mondays at 8pm (FOX)



What could be more exciting than this, honestly? Sure, there’s plenty of potential for it to be a huge, exhaustingly expensive disaster, but consider the possibilities if it’s actually as awesome as it looks and sounds. The first few moments of the trailer, which show the dystopian state of society in 2149, could make up a stellar show all by themselves. Still, going back eighty-five million years to the land before time isn’t a bad idea. In fact, it’s an incredible one. This is also a two-part show, half calm exploration of a deserted and prehistoric era and half action epic, which should mostly involve humans running from and shooting at terrifyingly violent and giant dinosaurs. That of course reminds immediately of “Lost,” with the isolated factor and the Smoke Monster factor, but the shows are plenty divergent enough for them to be different. This also reminds me of “Monsters,” the small film from last year about an “infected zone” between the U.S. and Mexico where tentacled aliens are kept and wreak havoc. Jason O’Mara is in full-on intense mode, and that’s a good thing, considering how creepy he was in his guest spot on “The Closer.” Stephen Lang was perfect in a similar colonialist role in “Avatar,” and so I think he’s going to be great here. This is certainly one of the most ambitious network television projects ever, and the payoff could be huge if it’s not awful. Just how excited are you?