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pennie_dreadful) wrote2011-07-11 06:28 pm
pennie_dreadful) wrote2011-07-11 06:28 pm
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Anyone else been watching that new show on TNT, Falling Skies?
I think the characters are pretty ~meh, but it usually takes any show at least one season to work out the kinks and establish the characters. I think it could get better.
One slightly minor pet peeve: I know it's Hollywood, but for fuck's sake why is it only the beautiful people who survive the end of the world? And why do they all have perfect hair? Yes, Maggie, I am looking at you and your long, blond, perfectly wavy locks. And Hal, with your spiked hair. The only one who looks even a little shaggy is Tom. And damn, did everyone have time to knock over their local JC Penny's whilst running from creepy spider-looking aliens? By the time the show takes place (seven months after the initial invasion) it would be pretty slim pickings are far as clothing options. I would imagine most people would only be able to carry one change of clothes, if that. And it's established that by now all stores are booby trapped by the aliens, so you can't go and grab a new pair of shoes or jeans from an abandoned department store if you need some. By now all the houses that are left have been (or should have been) picked clean.
You know what would be really awesome, but I somehow doubt this will ever happen (at least to a main or a recurring character)? Give someone a facial scar. Or, you know, some other visual reminder that we're at war with aliens apart from a little stubble and some grime. A limp, a missing limb. Come on, they lave lasers, they have projectile weapons. They have giant robots (and I know that giant robots are so damn cliche at this point, but I can't help it, I love the mechs). Someone should be missing an eye or a finger. But, no. They have to remain beautiful, dammit.
And I would like some mention of what kind of sanitary measures the women are taking during menstruation. Just some kind of throwaway line like, "Damn, I miss tampons" or something like that. 'Cause it's a real thing we have to deal with.
Okay, things I love:
The skitters--delightfully creepy (GIANT SPIDERS WITH ARMS HELLO). Who are they, what do they want. They parked here for weeks, according to the show's site, before attacking. Why? Why not attack immediately? And what the hell are they doing with the harnessed children? And why does it seem like they only want kids in the preteen/teenager age range? You don't see any harnessed five-year-olds. They've demonstrated that they consider the harnessed kids expendable, but then last night's episode showed a skitter apparently caring for harnessed kids. It reminded me exactly of a hen when it goes broody. Is that an exception to the rule, or do most of the skitters act this way?
And I like that Tom and Weaver started out butting heads, but seem to have established an accord. I thought that eventually we would have some kind of showdown between them, but I think maybe not, now. That was a nice twist--I like when my predictions for a show are wrong. Of course, it's early days, yet....
And the whole thing is turning the writing gears in my head. I want backstory! But I can't bring myself to care about any of the characters. Except maybe Weaver. But I don't feel like writing him. I want an ordinary person, not a military guy. Hrmmmm.
I didn't have time time to say yesterday. I find Tom's character a little groan-worthy, mostly because of his whole "ra-ra, we beat the British during the Revolution, we can beat the skitters now!" pro-America spiel in episode one. I didn't say this out loud, because I watch the show with my dad, the super conservative, but I thought, wrong comparison, dude. This isn't the colonists vs. the British, this is the colonists vs. the Native Americans. And frankly, an American historian should realize that. Thankfully another character points this out later in the same episode, so it's just Tom's character who thinks that way, not the actual writers. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, because he has a young kid and he obviously wants to give him as much normalcy and hope as possible.
I think the characters are pretty ~meh, but it usually takes any show at least one season to work out the kinks and establish the characters. I think it could get better.
One slightly minor pet peeve: I know it's Hollywood, but for fuck's sake why is it only the beautiful people who survive the end of the world? And why do they all have perfect hair? Yes, Maggie, I am looking at you and your long, blond, perfectly wavy locks. And Hal, with your spiked hair. The only one who looks even a little shaggy is Tom. And damn, did everyone have time to knock over their local JC Penny's whilst running from creepy spider-looking aliens? By the time the show takes place (seven months after the initial invasion) it would be pretty slim pickings are far as clothing options. I would imagine most people would only be able to carry one change of clothes, if that. And it's established that by now all stores are booby trapped by the aliens, so you can't go and grab a new pair of shoes or jeans from an abandoned department store if you need some. By now all the houses that are left have been (or should have been) picked clean.
You know what would be really awesome, but I somehow doubt this will ever happen (at least to a main or a recurring character)? Give someone a facial scar. Or, you know, some other visual reminder that we're at war with aliens apart from a little stubble and some grime. A limp, a missing limb. Come on, they lave lasers, they have projectile weapons. They have giant robots (and I know that giant robots are so damn cliche at this point, but I can't help it, I love the mechs). Someone should be missing an eye or a finger. But, no. They have to remain beautiful, dammit.
And I would like some mention of what kind of sanitary measures the women are taking during menstruation. Just some kind of throwaway line like, "Damn, I miss tampons" or something like that. 'Cause it's a real thing we have to deal with.
Okay, things I love:
The skitters--delightfully creepy (GIANT SPIDERS WITH ARMS HELLO). Who are they, what do they want. They parked here for weeks, according to the show's site, before attacking. Why? Why not attack immediately? And what the hell are they doing with the harnessed children? And why does it seem like they only want kids in the preteen/teenager age range? You don't see any harnessed five-year-olds. They've demonstrated that they consider the harnessed kids expendable, but then last night's episode showed a skitter apparently caring for harnessed kids. It reminded me exactly of a hen when it goes broody. Is that an exception to the rule, or do most of the skitters act this way?
And I like that Tom and Weaver started out butting heads, but seem to have established an accord. I thought that eventually we would have some kind of showdown between them, but I think maybe not, now. That was a nice twist--I like when my predictions for a show are wrong. Of course, it's early days, yet....
And the whole thing is turning the writing gears in my head. I want backstory! But I can't bring myself to care about any of the characters. Except maybe Weaver. But I don't feel like writing him. I want an ordinary person, not a military guy. Hrmmmm.
I didn't have time time to say yesterday. I find Tom's character a little groan-worthy, mostly because of his whole "ra-ra, we beat the British during the Revolution, we can beat the skitters now!" pro-America spiel in episode one. I didn't say this out loud, because I watch the show with my dad, the super conservative, but I thought, wrong comparison, dude. This isn't the colonists vs. the British, this is the colonists vs. the Native Americans. And frankly, an American historian should realize that. Thankfully another character points this out later in the same episode, so it's just Tom's character who thinks that way, not the actual writers. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, because he has a young kid and he obviously wants to give him as much normalcy and hope as possible.