Spielberg's "Falling Skies" on TNT

[Tippster]

Anyone watch it? I think it's pretty fucking good...

[PB]

Pleasantly surprised so far; beats the crap outa V.

[dookey67]

I'm torn.

On the one hand I find the entire scenario to be incredibly redundant (i.e. it borrows themes from the aforementioned V and just about every other alien invasion story you can think of...it's also slightly reminiscent of Walking Dead in the whole "rag-tag band of survivors fighting for their lives in a world gone awry" type of way and the kids as slaves angle is pretty old hat, as well). Also the look of the show is pretty familiar (for example, I just watched Battle: Lost Angeles and there's a lot of similarities in creature design, spaceship design, etc.). Additionally, the allegory to WW2 seems a little forced.

In spite of the routine alien invasion angle and the familiar look of the creatures/spaceships, I do really like the cast (and feel that this is where the show will make or break itself in terms of creating ongoing and engaging interaction and solid storylines). Standouts for me include Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, and the crazy guy who kind of looks like a redneck Paulie Shore and happens to be a gourmet prison cook. The addition of Steven Weber's character has potential, too. If they keep the storyline cracking and toss in some unexpected twists that will tweak the genre, then this could end up becoming decent.

I'll probably give it a few more episodes before I decide to really grab on to the bait or bail altogether...but right now it's the kind of show that if it's on, I'll watch it, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to make sure that I'm home on Sunday to see it first run.

Also, it will be interesting to see how long it lasts since alien invasion themed shows always seem to have a short shelf life (remember Invasion or First Wave or Dark Skies, just to name a few?)

[PB]

Agree - it has to be character driven, given the worn out premise. It seems they are aware of that, however, and I thought the aliens were tastefully minimalized, and we weren't forced to go through the entire dawning horror of initial contact. Definitely a wait and see kind of thing though.

[Moeghoul]

Meh....the only entertaining character so far is the guy that's going to be the chef. Otherwise, agree with most of the other criticisms posted.

[Grange]

I like the show so far.

[Tippster]

Man you guys are a bunch of naysaying whiny bitches.

Yes it's a show about an Alien Invasion... like "V." Name some more. Fuggit - name a better one. Just one. I'll wait.

This is a very entertaining TV show - no it's not "art" but fucking hell - it's summer TV. Would you prefer another drama about Lawyers, Cops, Doctors, the Mafia, or Mob Lawyer Cops, MD?

[PB]

Whaaat ?!?! 3 out of 5 positives isn't OK?? OK maybe 2.5 out of 5, but still ....

[Tippster]

You're either with me or against me. The world is Black or White.

;)

[mtskier]

you've convinced me to give a try Tipp. i'll report back.

[otto parts]

Last epi was a letdown, especially the captured alien scenes which went nowhere.

[commonlaw]

I have never heard of it, but is this another venture where some rich folks pay Spielberg a bunch of money to lend his name as a "producer" and then Spielberg cashes the check and doesn't give two licks about the show moving forward?

[mtskier]

the show is ok. I do like the genre (V, walking dead, jericho, the road, etc).

some of the acting is pretty bad.

i like the father w/ his sons and the doctor. that is the best storyline by far.

curious to see what the skidders want the kids for.

i'll keep watching. i just hope we get some answers about the alien invasion and their intentions before the show gets cancelled.

[PB]

Didi you notice how the one skidder was acting very motherly towards the batch of harnessed kid with the fake-harnessed elder son, just before he ripped the skidder's tonsils out? I suspect a"complicated" family structure ..... There bette rnot be any hybrids .....

[mtskier]

^^^I saw that too. I wonder if the skidders are unable to reproduce, putting their species in jeopardy. or maybe they need our tiny fingers to make stuff. we'll see, I guess.

[PB]

OK ... last chance: next episode needs to kick ass or I pull the plug. It's had its moments, but not enough to maintain the momentum .....

Staying within the genre: Alphas had a great moment this episode, when the govt. handler gets bludgeoned to death by a chair leg wielded by one of his very own lackeys, and the rainman character is gold!

Torchwood: Miracle Day, however, is rapidly going off the tracks; the only standout moment was the hot but evil Asian CIA chick's staggering out on to the tarmac with her head twisted around backwards ......

[Gripen]

Man, I like the show. Acting isn't awesome, but still entertaining.

[Sublime]

Moon Bloodgood



You had me at Moon Bloodgood. Man all watch that show just because she is smoking hot. The aliens will just be extra.

[Anospa]

Man, I like the show. Acting isn't awesome, but still entertaining.

Same sentiments here. I hope it picks up and can go into a second season. It has potential, but might just flop out.

[mtskier]

season finale sucked. i knew it would, but i still watched. no questions answered. next season doesn't start until summer 2012.

[dookey67]

FYI: Spielberg is lending his name to another sci-fi series:

http://www.dailyblam.com/news/2011/01/06/images-synopsis-of-steven-spielberg’s-sci-fi-tv-series-terra-nova-revealed

[dak244]

Been wanting to give this one a try... Only wish there were 4 more seasons of breaking bad to catch up on..

[otto parts]

season finale sucked. i knew it would, but i still watched. no questions answered. next season doesn't start until summer 2012.

Huh? Are you saying that an old coot's radio thingie, hooked up to the flagpole with jumper cables, wouldn't be able to stop
attack robots created by a race with interstellar travel capability? Some people are just picky about their scifi....

[Moeghoul]

Huh? Are you saying that an old coot's radio thingie, hooked up to the flagpole with jumper cables, wouldn't be able to stop
attack robots created by a race with interstellar travel capability? Some people are just picky about their scifi....

That and the fact that they can melt down the mig metal with a BIC lighter and make bullets and grenade launchers out of it. Turns out it's just a variation on depleted uranium munitions. They flew a billion light years to get here and their metallurgy is par with 20th century earth.

[PB]

That and the fact that they can melt down the mig metal with a BIC lighter and make bullets and grenade launchers out of it. Turns out it's just a variation on depleted uranium munitions. They flew a billion light years to get here and their metallurgy is par with 20th century earth.

I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation ....... but I have no intention of bothering to wait 3 years while suffering repeated agonizing family decisions to find out

[Tippster]

Yeah, since all Sci-Fi plots are usually so plausible...

[PB]

The basic plot fine, it's the ggggggggllllllllaaaaaaaaaccccccccciiiiiiiiiaaaaaaa llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
rate of development; needs a stiff shot of Abrams.


And all the male characters are strangely imbalanced - perhaps they're all actually harnessed because they were abducted at the age of two.