Defying Gravity – Season 1

In the near future, eight astronauts from five countries – four women and four men – undertake a six-year international space mission covering thirteen billion kilometers through the solar system. With the eyes of the world upon them – everything they do is monitored, and every emotion they feel, scrutinized – they soon discover that their real assignment is not at all what they thought.

Episode 01: Pilot
I already gave some words about it here. 7,5/10

Episode 02: Law of Natural Selection
The episode was good. And I am impressed how the series handles much less storylines than other television serials. And I am impressed as well, how the story includes some sort of “higher power”, which chose Donner (Ron Livingston) and Ted (Malik Yoba) to be in the mission and Ajay (Zahf Paroo) and Rollie (Ty Olsson) to be on the ground. God? Fate? When the writers already started with this in the second episode, it has a meaning. And reminds me a bit of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica. If that is good or bad after all, I don’t know yet.
There seems to be a mystery storyline, of only a few characters knowing about. The simple question: What is the real reason for the mission and why will the crew learn it, when they are near Venus (said in episode 1)? Ted obviously knows about this and keeps secrets from his crew (and even a station on the Antares). Maybe it has something to do with aliens, I don’t know. But the fact that this is a mystery part of the show, it has to be something big, considering the science fiction themes.
The failed Mars mission seems to play a big role in the story. Not only gave it Donner some weird dreams about him and Zoe (Laura Harris), it got Ted as well – are the happenings from ten years a go connected with the happenings now?
Zoe’s drama was okay. First I didn’t understand, why the episode needs a second rescue mission in this series, but then I thought about the thin stories. The writers don’t have much to tell. Hopefully there aren’t any problems in every episode. And Zoe’s spit stopped the leak? Well, this was a little WTF moment, negatively speaking.
The flashbacks were interesting though. Steven (Dylan Taylor) really can’t swim, so why is he on the mission? 7/10

Episode 03: Threshold
Kind of an episode between boring and interesting as well as love stories and other shit and the mystery arc. And I am confused, because the series tries too much to copy Lost and sets the mystery in outer space. Last episode the talks about “it” and “beta”, and now? People, who are mysteriously connected with something I didn’t understand, other people who know about that and something happening on the ship, especially with puking Paula (Paula Garcés). First I thought she would be pregnant, but then somebody (the doctors e.g.) would have noticed, so I think she is changing with everything that’s happening on the Antares. But it didn’t change Nadia (Florentine Lahme) for now; Donner seems to be okay as well; Jen (Christina Cox) seems to be okay as well as Steven; and the ex drunk Mintz (Eyal Podell) has so much screentime you never notice him anyway, nothing wrong with him. So what the hell is going on up there?
At this time the show tries to be a mystery show and copying Lost with bringing “Smokie” into space. Ted seeing the Mars surface? His wife Eve (Karen LeBlanc) seeing the exact same thing or something different down on Earth in a secret room full of “special agent” kind of guys? Do we have to deal with aliens here?
Seriously, I get frustrated when there is more coming of this crap without any kind of solution. The love story stories are okay and don’t suck, because I like the characters, but the mystery crap… confuses me. The writers should bring some answers very soon or it gets very complicated. 6/10

Episode 04: H2IK
The episode was alright, but nothing special. Partly it was boring and sometimes it was a bit awkward and unintentionally funny. The story about the blackout on the Antares was boring and didn’t bring anything, except the crew’s love for Ajay and his reinstatement and Goss (Andrew Airlie) being a dick as a character. The rest of the stories in flashbacks and present time weren’t really interesting, except the failed Mars
mission story, which got a sequel here – one of the very few stories I like in this series. Just the scene in which Donner stood all time long on the ship, watching to his “ghosts” (we saw the two astronauts, but Sharon’s (Lara Gilchrist) face all the time… What’s with the other guy?) and chasing after them, was a bit stupid. Why didn’t he think? Or was it Beta’s plan (still a story, which needs some answers right now) not to let him think? Can Beta manipulate
people? At least two more crew member have to deal with their past on the Antares. There are still three missing.
And what was up with Paula this episode? Last episode she was puking all the time and the writers didn’t give an answer, why she puked? Not even in this episode? Or did I already forgot it? At least there is a story going on between her and Steven – an upcoming relationship?
Oh year, the gravitation failure: Not that I have anything against it, but why didn’t the both of them returned to gravitation, but stayed there the whole time? And the conclusion for the failure was stupid, too. 6/10

Episode 05: Rubicon
An average episode with far more flashback story than I anticipated. I wished to see more present storylines, but probably it was necessary to prepare all the character constellations for all the upcoming flashback scenes. The negative effect is that all the outcomes are already obvious. We already know that Ted and Jen won’t be together; we know that Zoe will have the abortion (unlikely that she will have the child and give it free for adoption); we know that Donner has some relationship trouble and the rest basically doesn’t get any screentime. Steven and Evram don’t have any screentime in the flashbacks, which is a shame (well, they don’t really have any much screentime at all…).
The episode itself felt like a filler. Nothing much happened. Donner has hallucinations, Ted wants to tell him about Beta (still a storyline which needs some answers now), nobody doesn’t know what to put in the time capsule. And the biggest problem: What was the time capsule story for, when Ted put everything out again? Only to see Donner getting over Sharon and throw out the baseball by himself? It is obvious that his past haunting story ain’t over yet, especially after the mystery story doesn’t really come into speed now after five episodes.
At least the mystery about the Mars mission is growing bigger. I can do it without this story, but I like it too much to miss it now. By the way: I missed Ajay this episode. Is he gone now for real? Surely, his character isn’t needed anymore, but after the last episode I thought the writers would bring him back. 6/10

Episode 06: Bacon
A good episode, finally Evram has some screentime (probably more in this episode than in the five before) and catches a good story. Even though the story with Paula on the table and Evram trying to save her life, having visions and having other trouble wasn’t really interesting (though I now know why ABC pitched the series as “Grey’s Anatomy in space” – because this episode WAS Grey’s Anatomy in space), it was nice to have Evram in the center of the story. But it is kind of awkward that half of the team is still “missing” their hallucinations. Jen, Paula, Steven and Nadia don’t have any fights against their past or why didn’t we see their hallucinations by now? Steven is a mystery part, because there is still the question why he is on the mission (at least the question was asked again in this episode, I already thought the writers had forgotten it); Jen has her relationship troubles; but Paula and Nadia don’t have any character development right now. They are just “along for the ride” and now completely useless.
I liked the flashback sequences. Not only did it have lots of medical stuff, but I liked the connections of the flashbacks with Evram’s efforts saving Paula, it reminded me of Lost’s “Everybody Hates Hugo”, where both stories collide and make it to one big story. And nice to see Ajay back in the series. Maybe he gets more important later this season, because I like his character and I think his story ain’t over yet. 7/10

Episode 07: Fear
Interesting episode. But not a really good one, because I saw some plot holes, especially when the writers are dealing with Beta. While the people on the ground were thinking about Beta revealing itself to the world, it never thought about the crew aborting this whole advertising thing? Well, the commercial story was kind of unimportant, illogical and didn’t bring anything to the mission. Sure, it finances the trip to the planets, but I couldn’t understand, why science was on the line, billions of dollars and why this commercial had to be live. It would be more realistic, when the story would be better written, but in this way it was just awkwardly stupid.
But I actually liked the hallucination thing. Finally Nadia and Paula got their first hallucinations, and I am surprised (again), how easily they believe, everything would be real. Paula runs after her dog and Nadia was at least reasonable at the beginning, but is on the run for the mysterious guy as well (it would be interesting to know who that guy was/is/should be). But all the astronauts in the Antares, facing all their fears through the hallucinations… I
don’t know, I didn’t like that. Ted sees the Mars surface again and completely freezes, not moving an inch, not speaking one word. Donner has his hallucinations as well, but why isn’t he freezing and not talking? And why are Steven and Jen the only crew members not to have any hallucinations for now?
But I was actually surprised that the dream story with Zoe and Donner got picked up again. I already
forgot about it and it seems the story is coming again.
Well, some plot holes, and the mystery story comes and goes (the writers should rather cut it, before a shitty conclusion comes – which definitely will come sooner or later). 6,5/10

Episode 08: Love, Honor, Obey
Waah, fuck it. It had to come, it was the last scene and the audience is not knowing anything. How brutal is that? For now, it is even worse than Lost. In Lost, you get some answers now and then, but here you don’t get any answer – not even one word. The last scene is the best example for that: The crew finally knows about what’s in Pod 4 (bright light, kind of reminds me of the bright light out of the suitcase in Pulp Fiction), but the audience can’t look into the Port, because the episode is over. Rolleyes. Fuck it. Damn this show for a few minutes.
Okay, when you think about it, the cliffhanger was great. Finally we are going to know what the crew is dealing with and what the mission is really about. Sure, the writers always can play with the audience and fuck us with something complete different in the next episode, just to delay the secret about Beta and what’s in Pod 4.
The story about the solar activity was interesting and the “evacuation” scene was full of thrill, but the conclusion to that story was kind of shitty. Everything was just a drill? Pretty lame, especially with the thing that happened in the lab – first I thought it really was something unexplainable and mysterious, but then it had to be revealed it was a test and that unexplainable thing was really unexplainable.
A bit more character drama would have been nice, and I have the feeling Donner’s off-comments are getting more rarer.
Probably the best episode so far, even though I was flipping out after the cliffhanger. 8/10

Episode 09: Eve Ate The Apple
Hm, I don’t know what to make of this episode. Sure, finally we had some answers and almost everything is fitting into the big thing, but I believe we had too much answers in this episode, when the writers could have easily put some answers and clues into the earlier episodes.
Like I expected, the crew is dealing with an alien lifeform. Would be interesting to know, why there are seven versions of it on the seven different landing sites. At least all the hallucinations are fitting into the pattern now, even though I had some difficulties to put Eve’s hallucinations into the pattern.
And it is really nice that the failed Mars mission has a reason now to be mentioned over and over again. And it is already a shame that the show won’t survive for another season, because it really gets more interesting now. Especially with all the secrets about the Mars mission.
Eve’s flashbacks were alright, maybe it was a bit too much, I didn’t need the whole story.
The cliffhanger was kind of creepy and keeps me guessing. Jen isn’t seeing Beta at all. She and Steven didn’t have any hallucinations, but Steven can see Beta. Why isn’t Jen? This explains why she is questioning herself (about the chosen part and why she cut the fractals) and I am eager to know what this story is about.
Not the best episode so far, because the flashbacks had their lengths, but a good episode with a really interesting cliffhanger. 7,5/10

Episode 10: Deja Vu
Well, at least the Canadian Space is airing the last episodes of the series. And I almost believed I had to wait another year for the last episodes. ABC will air it probably during the Olympics or in the summer (if they are going to air it after all), I don’t know about CTV, and when ProSieben is airing the show… I don’t know.
The episode itself: very good. It shows that the writers can deal with the sci fi element perfectly, and it shows that I don’t even miss the flashbacks when they are not in the episode. Okay, we had flashbacks from the Mars mission, but actually, the Mars mission story is super interesting (what you can’t say for the 5 years earlier flashbacks) and has much potential; I was already asking myself when the writers deal with this topic. And even though I wished to see far more, I was excited. Even the characters were more introduced in this one. We had some more screentime for Sharon and even for Arnel (William C. Vaughan). I am wondering why he isn’t in the main cast (and why we have Claire (Maxim Roy) instead), because his character is now way more interesting than in the episodes before. And now we know what he sacrificed for the mission, even though we don’t know the reasons.
The story on the Antares was partly interesting. Jen dealing with the fact that she can’t see Beta and being pissed on the whole universe (a bit over the top in some scenes); Donner wanting to go to Venus with Zoe, because he sees the Mars mission all over again (predictable); Nadia wanting to know what Beta really is and can do (could be more interesting when the writers would spend more time in that); Steven doing… something (huh, what?); and Paula failing while getting herself cleared for the Venus lander (really interesting, especially the “one down” deal at the end). Only the “episode cliffhanger” was dumb. Rollie in an accident and we have probably a little side plot on the run. After we had only the Antares crew and mission (and past and present of all involved) in the story, the writers give us something completely different. I don’t know if I will like this. 8,5/10

Episode 11: Solitary
A good episode, even though nothing happened and it was totally a filler episode to stretch the story until the Venus landing.
Rollie’s story was complete crap and I surely hope this was it; I don’t want to see anymore about this in the remaining episodes. It can have some small aftermath (Rollie’s doubts about the mission, about his marriage with Jen or about his actions at all), but I am not in the mood to see more about that. When I am honest, it was actually nice to see some characters from the floor in an episode main story – we almost know lots of facts about the characters on the ground (from the Antares crew we already know more than we used to), but they should get better storylines. Like Claire, who slept with Trevor (Peter Howitt) (and lets me think that she, instead of Arnel, will be the one who first leaks the story) in her flashbacks.
The story on the Antares was way too boring though. I don’t need Donner preparing for the landing for the whole episode, and I don’t need Zoe thinking about what she is saying on the Venus surface. The talk Paula had with Evram was interesting (despite his dumb questions he asked her) and Nadia’s hallucination (goosebumps effect). I want to know why she is hallucinating again, especially after she was one of the characters who barely had some (and she is one of the characters the writers never took care of). Maybe she will get necessary at a later point. But there are two episodes left and I don’t believe in a second season, so let’s forget it again.
By the way, a production mistake: One of the video logs showed the date 05 12 2052 – last episode was November 5th, I don’t think the story hopped one month into the future for the video logs, especially with the Venus landing coming up. Haha, I got you!
Despite the mostly boring Antares story still a good episode. The characters are fully grown and the series could get into more speed at this time of season (especially with the sci fi element being revealed), only a bummer that the audience didn’t play along. 7/10

Episode 12: Venus
Damn, with the last episodes the series is getting better and better. The episode of the episodes is the best episode of Defying Gravity so far. The landing on Venus was awesomely full of thrill, I liked Donner’s and Zoe’s little flashback story (I was quite surprised that Zoe didn’t make the Top 20 the first place; now it would be interesting what happened so she could get in again, but I think this story will be part of
the finale), the pathos was great and the cliffhanger was predictable, but great as well. Only Zoe’s first Venus line was pretty boring. Or just too simple to be great.
Seriously, this episode would be one of the best I watched, when there would not be the partly lame first act (Rollie and his efforts to get the name of the girl he hit, all the faith crap Eve was talking about and all the signs that Arnel will leak the story), but
the rest was pretty much awesome. Paula’s face to Zoe was kind of unintentionally funny, as if she wanted to tell a bad joke or get the evil/hell crap from her (well, she did it anyway at a later time), and now I believe she will be the first to leak the story. It would be an interesting second season…
The writers should have cut the first act and brought more into the Venus landing, because with the moment Crossbow flies out from the Antares and lands on Venus the series had its best moments. And maybe a little bit more Zoe, who takes her first step on a planet full of hell. Well, at least we will hopefully see a lot of it in the finale.
Funny was the fact that special effects crew faked parts of the Venus landing; not only was this plot device dumb, but I think this will happen, when somebody lands on Mars in 20, 30 years. Shoot some sequences which fake your landing, when you are about to die. Or collecting an alien lifeform.
Now I am hooked to see the finale. 9/10

Episode 13: Kiss
Very good season finale. It shows once more that the mixture of sci fi elements and relationship stories is working perfectly now. It is just sad that the series will be canceled after the first season; now I am definitely interested how the story will evolve. How is Trevor investigating the Venus thing after Arnel told him about the black box? How is the genetic mutation changing the Antares crew? And especially: What has Eve to do with the mutations? How will Paula react to the objects after she learned everything about her miracle? How are Beta and Gamma behaving, now since they are on the same ship? Is Rollie going into prison? is their now a real relationship between Zoe and Donner, after he learned about the baby? Why is Nadia’s hallucination the only one which is not explained? These are very interesting questions and this is just the beginning. The second season would have so much opportunities for interesting stories without losing all elements which made the first season (especially the second half) so interesting. It is sad that the viewers weren’t hooked up on Defying Gravity.
The Venus walk was full of suspense. How an almost 500 meter walk could be that interesting is awesome. And connected with the flashback stories about Zoe and Donner saying goodbye to each other (she needs two episodes for that, lol), the Venus walk has even more meaning. And has risen some more question about the past of the objects’ history with Earth. Canaveral under water? Two probes sent to Venus? And why was nobody else noticing the signals from the objects, why only the US observatories?
By the way: The flashback story very reminded me of Lost’s “Stranger in a Strange Land” from the third season: A story is told how one of the characters got the tattoo. But I thought it was interesting here, so I don’t have a problem with that. Zoe and Donner were cute together and definitely would have made a good couple; this is why I love the ending scene so much.
Well, at least Defying Gravity is one of those canceled TV shows without a proper ending, but at least it is not a big cliffhanger. The Venus story would be over now, the rest could come. It is such a bummer that we won’t see a second season of this show. 9/10

Season average is 7,31. Yeah, I will miss this one. All the bad critics on the internet are false. What do you expect from a show about astronauts being on a six-year mission? A suspenseful story in every episode?
Sure, the first half of the season was a bit lame due to the sci fi story and the writers waiting for that to be fully revealed, but after that the show strongly got better and more interesting. The rest of the series would have been interesting in the story, because after 13 episodes the story completely developed and stood on the edge of a great science fiction story.