A Man. And His Blog.

Season 1, Episode 12 (12)
Date of first airing: Dec 19, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 13/13

Who would have thought that. It might easily be the best episode of the show so far. I don’t really know why, because it started in a sucking way, but the finale had a nice outcome. The story of the invasion from the future is over, Terra Nova is cut from the future, the colonists have gotten their colony back, Taylor (Stephen Lang) is back as the boss, and the private army has some information no one else has. Like I suspected in last episode’s review, the season will end with a happy end, followed by a cliffhanger. Sure, the cliffhanger wasn’t really one, instead the past looks like as if it was visited before (I knew that would eventually happen), while the present looked all happy. As is the writers knew they shouldn’t end this season with a biggie to arouse the audience. But then again: What the writers prepared for an eventual second season looks pretty boring.

Did I say it might easily be the best episode of the show so far? Well, I must prove myself wrong…

So, the colonists and Taylor’s men were all fighting against the private army and Lucas (Ashley Zukerman). So far, so good. But what about Mira (Christine Adams)? I can’t even remember if I have seen her in this episode. Did the writers forget all about her, did she ran away, before shit started to blow up, or did the writers not know at all what to do with her in the finale? I can remember the producers saying they will reveal all the background of the Sixers: why they do what they do, who they are, what they are doing back in time. But nothing was revealed. I still don’t know whether the Sixers were just the “first batch” of the army coming to get the iron, or if there is more behind the Sixers. I still don’t know whether Mira doubted Lucas’ actions and if she sees herself being stuck in time. Now that I wrote this, I can remember Mira again in this episode. Yet it’s still not enough for me: Sie was the leader of the Sixers – always fighting Taylor and Terra Nova, always stealing weapons and medicine, always doing something the opposite Taylor was doing. Was it all just because the Sixers could ally with the private army later on? So why abandoning Terra Nova in the first place? They could have tried to win Terra Nova by themselves in a political sense, bringing down Taylor from his horse. There is absolutely no logic in the presence of the Sixers, in what they were and are doing, and why they were sent back. And I was waiting for a logical answer. In this case, the writers lost this one – they just didn’t have any background information about the Sixers; they couldn’t get them connected with Hope Plaza.

Next point on the agenda: Hope Plaza exploding, which also means Terra Nova is cut from 2149 for ever. Does it mean the rift is also gone with the explosion? I personally can’t believe it. When the rift is still active, the guys in 2149 can build a new Hope Plaza during the next 20 or 30 years, building a new pathway to the past. Just because the building surrounding the rift explodes doesn’t mean that the rift closes. Or maybe I’m just thinking way too sci-fi-ish with this topic. Maybe not even the writers have thought about the fact that the rift doesn’t care about an explosion and is “invincible” since its discovery. After all, the scientist discovered the rift and somehow managed to open it and step through. The same should be possible now…

The fight Lucas vs. Taylor was okay. it didn’t blow my mind, and it was predictable that Lucas would bring down Taylor in one form or another. When Lucas told Taylor about his blame and started to whine like a little girl, I was expecting for him to play his father and knife him down. And I was also expecting for somebody to miraculously save Taylor from certain death. Nice that Skye (Allison Miller) saved him – the “father/daughter”-relationship could continue next season, when the writers are able to find a story in it.

The fight army vs. Terra Nova was also okay. As expected, Washington (Simone Kessell) gets killed. Sad scene, because I liked her. And kinda surprising that they showed her kill on-screen, even though just through binoculars. I wouldn’t have expected that in a family show like TERRA NOVA. In addition, the whole ambush thingy was tiring, but at least funny. Seeing Skye happy and laughing in front of Lucas, who is looking at two guns was a nice little moment. See, even Skye can kick ass sometimes. it already began with Elisabeth (Shelley Conn) kicking ass while taking advantage of the hypochondriac.

The ending… well, a little weak. Just because Lucas gets killed and the portal is useless (how did they actually know that Hope Plaza went boom? All they could have noticed is that the portal ain’t working anymore), the army goes North? Somehow, reasons are missing here. I know they know something about the Badlands (has no one from Terra Nova checked them out in the seven years they are there?), but vanishing in the middle of … something? I don’t know if that’s also logical. Not to mention the “bad-ass” private army, after all hired killers. They seem to be so brutal, even have decapitated some (Malcolm said that in the last episode), yet they don’t manage to pull maximum security around Jim (Lucas and Mira knew he would be trouble), or even kill him. Some whussies definitely. Jim (Jason O’Mara) was able to fight them all, and no one was able to stop him. Pretty weak army Lucas had here.

So, at the end, the finale was riddled with loads of questions I don’t wanna think about, and plotholes. I wonder why writers never think about them. Did they have to hurry to get the scripts done after the production difficulties? Did they just go with the flow, and didn’t think about what they were writing? Or did they miss every rule in writing? I don’t know… I’m just an amateur writer, but even I would know not to write myself into a plothole. And when I accidentally managed to write myself into a plothole, I would look for a way out. Or for a completely new scene. They are getting paid writing the show, and yet they still manage not to look behind every scene, if it’s logical in terms of storytelling, and if it’s not contradicting with what has happened before… Weak. Just weak. Honestly. 4.5/10

Skye is happy about the guns in her "brother's" face. Mean

Who will win the race?

Season 1, Episode 11 (11)
Date of first airing: Dec 19, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 12/12

How would the episode have been, when it was all about alternate realities? What would have happened, when this episode looked like FRINGE’s “The Day We Died”? How would the audience have reacted, when the writers would have found a way out of their little plot in this episode? So, I was a bit glad that the episode went through with it. Even though it looks stupid, and even though it wasn’t awesome, I have to applaud the writers for going through with the occupation. Okay, the plot for the season finale looks predictable now (plus cliffhanger – I can already smell that something bad will happen in 2149, after Taylor and Jim take back the colony), but as long as this episode delivered some action, and could also lead the finale to some action, I’ll gladly take it. Especially when the previous episodes were all purified shit – artistically speaking.

The whole sequence with Jim (Jason O’Mara) walking around as if he was in a dream looked interesting. Here I was thinking that Jim might be in an alternate reality. After all, the portal blew, and he was standing right beside it. Every TV writer without a muse would have used that as part of an alternate storyline. But after a short while, it was all real, and it was just three days later. But what a shame that the writers haven’t used the occupation by the army for a body-count. Malcolm could have been dead, Washington could have been dead, Boylan could have been dead, and so on. Basically most of the recurring guest stars. But it seemed like the writers were using those characters to fight before they die, so I’m still thinking some of them will be killed during the fight back. Predictable? Hell yes. But it should be done, just to create some emotional drama in the finale, or maybe even in the second season premiere (if there ever is one). Just thinking how Reynolds would die in the fight, and Maddy would blame her father for his death.

The whole occupation plot was ridiculous though. All of a sudden, Lucas (Ashley Zukerman) is ruling Terra Nova with Mira (Christine Adams)? I don’t understand, and I still don’t know what the Sixers are actually doing. I was actually thinking that Mira would despise Lucas and his plans, and yet she is a villain here. Not a really good one, since she isn’t doing anything, but she is still a villain. And I would have thought she would realize Lucas’ evil character. And the actions of the private army in Terra Nova. But she obviously hasn’t. No character development at all, nothing to hope for, nothing to fight for. The whole hunting plot with Taylor way back when was for nothing after all…

Even more: Couldn’t Hope Plaza have used the time stream back to do both? Saving human kind and making money in the future? I mean, build two portals (one leading to Terra Nova, the other leading somewhere else where you can find money), send two teams, and you have the best of both worlds. I don’t believe that anybody was not thinking about this. After all, the private army is destroying human kind’s last hope. For money. Pretty stupid motives in my opinion. And pretty lazy writing also. Giving money as reasons is just a way of telling you don’t have any better ideas. Honestly.

Well, like I said, at least the action was good to look at. The explosions in the woods with Taylor (Stephen Lang) driving away, the fist fights between Jim and the army (why does he always have to be the hero in town? It’s getting boring). Don’t tell me TERRA NOVA was conceived as a family show set in a world of science-fiction and dinosaurs. After the violence in this episode, you can’t tell anymore that you write a family drama. So, maybe this story will finally bring the show to its real roots, making something out of its setting? Sure, it won’t happen in the finale, but it could happen in an eventual second season.

I can say for sure now that Lucas is one of the most horrible TV villains ever. He gets shitty characterizations, he gets unclear motives, he is unreasonable, and I never know what he is up to: killing his father, or making money for the guys he is working for? 5.5/10

Let's fly away from the explosion!

Let's disarm that bomb!

Season 1, Episode 10 (10)
Date of first airing: Dec 12, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 11/11

Uff, what a fake-out episode. It felt like the penultimate episode to the season finale, but I don’t believe the last two episodes are one big thing, one big fight against Hope Plaza. And I never bought that Lucas (Ashley Zukerman) is the big enemy he was supposed to be here. He looked as if he is a supervillain in a comic, ready to destroy the world from the future, ready to kill his family, and ready to go with his crazy plan, even though he should think about it first. The way Lucas was written here… horrible. I mean, what is he exactly? Is he doing all this shit, because he wants to prove something to Taylor (Stephen Lang)? Is he still mad, because his father couldn’t save his mother? Is he really believing that Taylor is not ready to be the leader of a new world? Or is he completely lost within the opinions of his employers, thinking that Taylor needs to be removed, because they say so? There’s absolutely no answer, and you can’t tell me that he just hates his father for what he did in August 2138 and therefore teams up with Hope Plaza for some destruction of Terra Nova. No reasoning, no worthy storyline to be written in here. Instead Lucas is just the villain, who managed to jump back to the future.

That whole ending made the episode mostly ridiculous. First it was all about Skye (Allison Miller) and how she got the attention of Taylor and Jim (Jason O’Mara), and then they don’t manage to punish her? God dammit, she was a fucking spy, who’s guilty of some dead people. Even though Skye hasn’t murdered anyone, she is still responsible for the shit that has happened over the past couple of episodes. And Taylor and Jim just eat it up, because Mira (Christine Adams) has her mother? Come on, you can’t be serious. I really hope that Skye’s spy activities will have consequences for her. She can’t just sit around and not being punished for what she did. That would make the whole law thing created by Taylor ridiculous. He sent Curran out in the wild, because he killed a soldier with a dinosaur. Since Skye did much more, he should basically hang her at a tree in the wild, getting eaten by hungry dinosaurs. But I already know that’s not gonna happen. Too much drama was involved with Skye in this episode, and she’s too much of a major character to get written out now.

A big fat “fucking ugly and ridiculous” goes to Maddy’s (Naomi Scott) storyline. Oh my god, her plex is damaged and she needs a new core. Her world is destroyed, she doesn’t know what to do with herself, and she hasn’t studied in 24 hours. Blah blah fucking blah. How can you waste time with such a storyline? And how is it possible that the colonists are still using technology way too often and too much, when it was supposed to be a new beginning of life in Terra Nova? I would have imagined that everybody gives away their futuristic iPads and computers, making it for an old-style living. But noo, Maddy looses her plex and whines around like a little girl. Come on, you can’t be serious. The only funny thing about this situation was when she gave her hand to Boylan (Damien Garvey). So, now she has a job in the bar, where Josh is also working? When that isn’t being used for some conflict material between the siblings.

All in all, this episode was terrible. Nothing was working, time was wasted, the drama didn’t work (I wanted the emotional scene between Skye and her mother to be really emotional, but it just didn’t work – I don’t care about Skye at all to make me cry for her mother), and there are absolutely no consequences for the characters. So why should I write good things about TERRA NOVA, when the writers don’t take their show seriously, always looking for the best possible happy ending in every episode? That’s not good storytelling, that’s lazy writing. By the way: Using the Eye for finishing up the equations for the portal is just laughable. I thought Lucas is a genius. Yet he still needs the help of a super-computer. What a cop-out. And again: The writers made it themselves way too easy. 3/10

Skye cries. Who else is?

Sliders and Stargate in Terra Nova. Hooray! Not

Season 1, Episode 9 (9)
Date of first airing: Nov 28, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 10/10

Hello Sixers spy. Even though I knew that Skye (Allison Miller) would be the spy, and was waiting for the revelation, it was a good choice to reveal her here. After the last episode, every clever TV geek would have figured out that the spy would either be Skye or Reynolds. It’s just a shame that no one else was recovering the identity of the spy. It would have made for some interesting twists ad turns in the next three episodes. Figuring that Skye had a reason to be a spy, that she knows about Taylor’s lies, and that she could find an ally in Jim, when he finally wakes up from his boss trip.

That’s what I liked most about the episode: Skye has a reason to spy for the Sixers, is as trapped into their business as Leah was episodes ago. In addition it is even logical to have the spy in Skye. First: It rhymes. Second: She has a close connection to Taylor (Stephen Lang), which was teased in the pilot or the second episode, but never mentioned again. I was reminded by it, when she and Taylor were talking about her parents at the beginning, and that she probably sees a father figure in him (I can’t recall the dialog from the pilot or the second episode, but it must have been similar), so it’s nice that it went to a continuation here. And I hope that’s gonna be a topic for the next three episodes, especially since I was forgetting all about it between that bird attack and now.

The rest of the episode was meh. Didn’t care about Zoe (Alana Mansour) and her dinosaur friend. Didn’t care about Reynolds’ (Dean Geyer) dreams to marry Maddy (Naomi Scott), even though she’s only 16 years old. Didn’t care about Mira (Christine Adams) and Taylor hunting together, because they’re both stupid enough to clash at each other in the same place at the same time. Didn’t really care about Jim’s (Jason O’Mara) point of view of the mole hunt either. Even though it really has an advantage when you watch TERRA NOVA back-to-back in not just less than 36 hours, but less than 28 – you just don’t care about the inconsistencies, the boredom and the predictability anymore, and you just take it all in, forgetting all about it when you’re two episodes ahead. So, I didn’t make much out of the blood sample in the water and how Jim was blown off by both Elisabeth (Shelley Conn) and Malcolm (Rod Hallett). After I have laughed about how it might be possible to get DNA out of water like this (but then again, I’m no chemist, so you can tell me you’re getting my DNA off the ocean and I’d believe you in an instant). After I have laughed how easy it was for Skye to destroy the sample. After I have realized that the whole Terra Nova complex seems to have cameras (as stated in the pilot), but not the infirmary. Or the rest of the rest of the complex, showing how Skye was running away from the new building. Did I say something about inconsistencies? Well, here they are.

I don’t know what the hunting bonding between Taylor and Mira was all about. Probably the writers need a reason for them to bond, when Lucas is a real enemy to Terra Nova, and they started with the bonding in this episode. But the whole thing was just boring. He was in chains, she was in chains, they were hunted, they hunted back, and at the end it was all “good hunting”. Naah, that didn’t tell me anything. Except some background information from Mira, as well as learning from each other’s past lives. That might be important for the later stage of the show, but for the episode itself, it was packed into a pretty boring story.

And Jim being the boss for three days? I’m curious how a non-military person from the current pilgrimage can be the leader of something like this. Is no one questioning Taylor AT ALL? When I would have been part of Terra Nova, I would have questioned Taylor’s moves after this episode at the latest. Bringing a new guy into the boss’ chair is just … Well, here you can see how thorough the writers are with their plot. While Skye’s spy action seems logical, Jim being the boss isn’t. 5.5/10

Did you cut your hand, Skye?

Trading knifes ia a hobby in Terra Nova

Season 1, Episode 8 (8)
Date of first airing: Nov 21, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 9/9

An episode for the back story. So, Taylor (Stephen Lang) lost his wife back in the days, he killed his mentor and he abandoned his own son. What a son of a bitch. I just don’t know how that’s gonna be important. The whole story at the end felt like it didn’t belong to the bigger picture, and just explained the equations on the rock and the skeleton at the pilgrimage tree – one mystery created in this episode, the other almost forgotten after it was created in the pilot. But hey, at least the writers solved a mystery for once. It would have been sickening to wait all year for it.

The episode was okay-ish. The fact that Jim’s (Jason O’Mara) investigation was only being used for Taylor spitting his guts out to him seemed alright at first, but Taylor could have told his secret earlier. After all the secrecy in the past couple of episodes, I was expecting something bigger. The equations, the whole clash with the Sixers and especially Mira, Taylor saying Home Plaza wants him out of the business and dead… I was thinking of more than just the murder of the one-armed General (Stephen Leeder), and a conflict with the own son. Only one thing was interesting though: Lucas (Ashley Zukerman) being genius enough to create a way back through the portal. That sounded like an interesting story for future seasons: a war between Terra Nova and the future they were leaving. With a bit of preparation, loads of likable characters, more grittiness and definitely more weapons, it could have been a great story. But I already know the writers are not thinking about bringing this story in and making Terra Nova a war zone between the past and the future. Though I have to say again: A war between two different time zones sounds fucked-up and really cool.

The search for the spy was boring. When Malcolm (Rod Hallett) said that the Dragonfly was down and couldn’t fly, I was waiting for him to find a way to the spy. Yet a couple of scenes later the fly was able to fly again, because Malcolm operated on it. First off: laughter. You can actually operate on a fly back in 2149. Second: What a lame outcome. So, Malcolm didn’t have to look for a way to the spy, instead he just let the fly fly. That it flew to the Shannon house was ridiculous though. That almost makes me think that the spy wanted to blame the Shannons for being in business with the Sixers. Which means that people close to the Shannons would be number one on my list now (if I wouldn’t know already who the spy is). It makes the story with the spy a bit more interesting, but it still doesn’t make me care about. Something else has to happen to make me care about this conspiracy plot. Like the creation of some thrill.

The harvest festival was partly hilarious. I loved Zoe (Alana Mansour) in the Taylor costume, though it was awkward to look at, considering what you know about Taylor now. But goddamn, stop with the fuckness of Zoe being a cutesy all the time. I know she’s a 6-year-old trying to be the best kid in the world, but it is getting horribly annoying. But hey, Zoe playing Taylor, Maddy (Naomi Scott) directing the whole play, and the Shannon family applauding to their little daughter for growing the beard and gray hair – when the writers want that in their, show they never want anything else. It showed that TERRA NOVA is mainly about family – which it shouldn’t be, because the whole family aspect destroys every other plot the show is creating within its story arcs.

What about Boylan (Damien Garvey) now? I don’t think his story is over, and I found it pretty much ridiculous he was free to go, after the attack on the convoy. And I don’t think he is taken it lightly that he was “tortured” by Taylor. I would wish for him to return, to show some anger towards Taylor, making it obvious he is not just seen as an enemy back in 2149, but also in Terra Nova. Like I said, the whole years he’s being in charge, there is no one not believing him, investigating against him, questioning his every move? Maybe Boylan is in contact with the spy, making the story more interesting towards the season (series?) finale. 6/10

Temperance Brennan could have been here...

So, rockets fly and explode in air?

Season 1, Episode 7 (7)
Date of first airing: Nov 14, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 8/8

I’m getting used to the generic episodes. Maybe because I’m watching all episodes back-to-back in less than 36 hours, and maybe because I’m starting to know the characters. On a weekly basis though I’d never imagine to develop any kind of interest for the characters. Like Maddy (Naomi Scott): a totally shitty storyline she got here, but judging from what the writers have delivered before, it’s kinda cool to have her kick ass once, even though she didn’t kick ass. Stumbling upon a fraud, a murder back in 2149, and showing how her guts are not deceiving her… Kinda interesting to watch. And I just loved how she talked to Zoe (Alana Mansour) about the fake Horton (Robert Coleby), and how Zoe responded with Horton being a vampire (“That’s how he lost his fangs” – cute, but again: too cute for a show like this). I’d wish for more interactions between the Shannon siblings, but with Josh in the middle of a small conspiracy, and with Zoe too young to get a proper story, I reckon it might never happen in the show. Even when FOX should renew it for a second season (disclaimer: this review was written before any kind of renewal/cancellation news)

The writers seem to focus more on individual storylines though. No big A plot, which rules all the characters, instead different plots with the same amount of screentime and focus. Interesting how this happens now in the show – as if the writers found their groove for the storytelling, and try to loosen up now with getting more into serious storytelling. The stories themselves are still boring, but at least they keep the whole cast busy. Like I said, I liked Maddy’s story, and maybe it will have a bigger aftermath than just “quitting” her medical internship with Elisabeth (Shelley Conn): She proved herself as an investigator, and surely could take part in Jim’s “Bring your daughter to work”-day. In fact, I’d be happy when this happens. Who knows, maybe the writers were thinking about that possibility later on in the show – making Maddy a cop and therefore making Jim establish a real police force in Terra Nova (something still missing). Only the conclusion around Horton was a bit lame. I was expecting bit more, maybe even some drama (if it would have been established that Horton has Alzheimer’s), but I can’t say much against it. It was just not satisfying enough for me.

Josh (Landon Liboiron) breaking into the infirmary for the Sixers, and revealing himself to daddy at the end? Well, the first part was kinda promising, but a bit of a fake-out, because it was leading to nowhere, except secrets. The second part was interesting though. I wasn’t expecting for Josh to come forward (the first real surprise of the show, and this after seven episodes), but then again the writers could have come up with more than just the ending. Just because Josh revealed himself, Taylor (Stephen Lang) is getting his head around the fact that Lucas is still alive and working with the Sixers? Great, now that Lucas was revealed last episode, his name is flying around the bushes every five minutes or so. As if there was no secret before. That’s how annoyed I was, when Taylor started to talk about Lucas during the fishing trip, and Jim (Jason O’Mara) just replied with “You never talked about your son like that before” or so. Come on, before last episode’s ending, I didn’t even know Taylor has a son named Lucas, who was part of a pilgrimage.

At least Jim and Taylor know about Mira (Christine Adams) now. Hopefully the story gets a bigger development from here on. I would wish for it – five more episodes, and a lot of time to develop the story arc about the Sixers’ real intentions, Mira’s secrets, as well as Taylor’s secrets. In fact, I was hoping that Jim would work together with Boylan (Damien Garvey) to find out if Taylor has any secrets. Remember the little conversation between Jim and Mira a couple of episodes ago? This could have been the chance for Jim to go behind Taylor’s back and find something out, but he was running back to papa, telling everything about the little secrets Boylan and the Sixers had. Disappointing. There was so much better play in that story, I’m shocked the writers didn’t use any of it.

So, after TERRA NOVA got a bit better after the pilot, the episodes go back to being annoying, boring, predictable. The writers just can’t (or won’t) get their story straight and go into business-mode. I wonder why… 5.5/10

Crazy special effect. Woooooooooooow. Not

Eve didn't eat the apple. It was Maddy!

Season 1, Episode 6 (6)
Date of first airing: Nov 7, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 7/7

Unbelievable. The writers finally get into the main arc of the season, and they spent a whole episode just to introduce Lucas (Ashley Zukerman). And then I was wondering what this whole thing was actually about: Did Taylor (Stephen Lang) ever say something about a son? I know about his wife and that he had a kid, but why did he never mention his son being part of Terra Nova once? Sure, it’s part of having a secret as a character, but I find it ridiculous that Taylor knows the answers to some problems of Terra Nova, but decides not to share. That’s pretty idiotic, and that made my eyes roll.

The next eyesroll moment was the revelation of Mira’s (Christine Adams) reason to be in the past: So, it was her mission to get the box to Lucas from the beginning? Couldn’t she have just taken the box and left with it, while she still could? I mean, it doesn’t make sense that Mira left Terra Nova, became a Sixer, but left the box behind, and needed so long to get the box back, as well as a plan involving a child to get the box? Sorry, but that’s also idiotic. It doesn’t make sense at all.

And the final eyesroll moment was the ESP. Sorry, but a meteor can cause an ESP, which destroys literally every chip in Terra Nova? And then there’s a chip-recreating device, which needs to be fired up, just so all burned-out chips can be replaced? Pretty convenient that this device was with Malcolm, and that he knew a guy who could fix it. I was laughing here. The writers make it themselves way too easy most of the time. This show is not about creating conflicts anymore, but creating ways and means to get the episode filled with stuff the show doesn’t need. The characters are written around the stories, and not the story written around the character – super-lazy writing right here. The characters don’t need adventures, where an EMP strikes out all the electronics; they don’t need attacking birds hungry for a fuck; they don’t need a murder investigation. They should finally get to business and figure out what is going on.

At least the writers went back to the equations. Does that mean Taylor knows the meaning of them, and Lucas wants to find out the meaning? Does it also mean that Taylor knows more about this place than anything else? After all, he spent some months alone in the wild, so I could imagine he found something (out), and knows what he was doing from the beginning he stepped a foot into 85 billion years BC. But acting all good and mayor-ish and as boss of Terra Nova, and no one (except the Sixers plus Lucas) figured something out? Sorry, but I don’t believe that. Ten pilgrimages, and not one person from one pilgrimage has managed to go past the fence and figure stuff out like Taylor obviously did?

Well, at least the aftermath of the EMP was interesting. I liked Jim (Jason O’Mara) and Zoe (Alana Mansour) being stuck in the Eye (pretty interesting, like the Holodeck for TERRA NOVA), and Jim trying to make it easy for Zoe and taking her fear. Though I think that Zoe is too cutesy for me. She could stop smiling for once and show the audience that it’s not just a family show with happy kids, but also a fucked-up world she is living in. I also liked Hunter’s (Sam Parsonson) (who is this guy? Coming from nowhere, getting a throwaway story, probably forgotten with the next episode) miserable day and the disgusting parasite, which brought some attention to Skye (Allison Miller). But of course the writers just created a possible love triangle. What happens when Josh’s girlfriend comes back in time and makes it a four-some? Not really a good thing, when Hunter was “declaring” his love, but right now I don’t care about him or Skye to be angry about it.

Maddy (Naomi Scott) and Reynolds’ (Dean Geyer) day out was okay. A little love story here and there, plus some dinosaur action, and a kiss. That they sat all night in the tree reminded me of JURASSIC PARK. It was a cute little story, and I’m happy for Maddy. But only for this episode, because I don’t know if the rest of her story becomes a romance or something else. If the former, then I will be bored after the next episode. If the latter, then Reynolds should be a guy not to trust. Maybe (hopefully) he has some dirt. Just to let his character have some meaning. The final scene was predictable as hell though. Of course Maddy would be back before her family, all fresh and showered, but still stinking. But whatever. 5.5/10

"Somebody saaaaaaaaaave meeee"

The little one doesn't hide in crawl spaces

Season 1, Episode 5 (5)
Date of first airing: Oct 31, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 6/6

Now the law is part of the show. I wondered when it would come, and I wondered when the writers would go a bit deeper into the world of Terra Nova, and what it means to live in this place without an official law book. But this episode became LAW & ORDER: TERRA NOVA, and for that it was just too boring for my taste. Instead of going into the juridical part of the story, this whole thing was just a lame Whodunit, with a twist which brought the story into a predictable corner, as well as opened up some question: Did Taylor (Stephen Lang) never thought about if the banished colonists will end up with the Sixers, and have even more enemies than they have at the moment? Did no one think about that you’d give the Sixers a new weapon, when the banished colonist gets catched in the outside with a gun? Seriously, that was just idiotic from the beginning until the end. No questions were asked, no answers were needed, instead banishing out colonists was just used for … Taylor playing Judge Dredd without executing his colonists.

The story wasn’t interesting either. It was literally just a Whodunit, the murder executed with a dinosaur instead with a knife or gun. And I can’t think of why Curran (Jay Ryan) would kill Foster (Sweeney Young), just because he owes money. Is the show so much in “debt” after seven years of “existence” that people have to kill for getting rid of money problem? Or was this story needed to waste another episode until the season finale and get the order of 13 episodes full? If the latter is the case here, then congratulations, dear writers: You just managed to bore me to sleep.

When Milner (Steve Rodgers) confessed the murder, I was already thinking that he would be lying. This kind of show doesn’t pack the conclusion of the story literally in the middle of the episode, when you still have loads of time to twist the story around for another time. In fact, it could have been a good episode in its second half, when Milner was accompanied outside the gates: how he would survive, how he would fight a dinosaur, and how he would eventually die. Or get together with the Sixers. But instead, it was still a Whodunit, and the case continued, even delivering a complete different angle after Milner was banished. Totally lame. Honestly.

I don’t even know what to say about the egg hatching story. Reminded me too much of that one scene in JURASSIC PARK, reminded me too much of a story I didn’t wanna see. At least Alana Mansour had some screentime here and had something to smile about, even though I don’t like that Malcolm (Rod Hallett) continues to be part of the show like this. Is he still just “competition” for Jim in the long-run, or is something else happening with him? Same goes with Mira (Christine Adams). Is she always supposed to be the leader of the Sixers, or does she have more to say about the situation? Six hours into the show, and the writers haven’t even developed the characters yet. That’s why I still don’t care about them.

The only interesting fact was Josh (Landon Liboiron). And I can’t believe I’m writing this, but his story gets more interesting. At least his story gets more interesting, compared to the other stories. With Josh involved in all kinds of shit, something is finally happening, and at any time, this will arrive at the recurring, who don’t know about the connection between the Sixers and Boylan (Damien Garvey). If there would only be a way to speed things up a bit. I don’t need to wait another five episodes for something to happen. I don’t need another half a season for the writers to deliver generic episodic plots, which will bore the shit out of me, when they’re so many more interesting story arcs out there. 4.5/10

Looketh, a CG egg

Evil Curran makes a move

Season 1, Episode 4 (4)
Date of first airing: Oct 17, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 5/5

I think this episode was okay. Considering how the show is being run by the producers, and written by the writers, and how every opportunity to make something great out of TERRA NOVA is missed. Instead I’m kinda having fun with all the seemingly stolen storylines from sci-fi of the 80s and 90s. This time, I was all thinking about ALIENS, and how Elisabeth (Shelley Conn) could have been integrated better into the plot, instead of making Jim (Jason O’Mara) the go-to person for Leah (Morgana Davies). Yeah, I was thinking about ALIENS, when Elisabeth was trying to talk to Leah and make her more comfortable. The similarities with Ripley trying to make it easy for Newt were just too big. And in my head I was thinking what Leah would answer, when Elisabeth asks for her name. It would have been funny to hear her answer “Im Rebecca, but everyone calls me Newt. Except my brother.” It would have fit perfectly, since Leah had a brother herself. But damn, this episode didn’t even get nearly into ripping off James Cameron. What a shame, because a rip-off would have been better than this episode.

The whole twist-around was boring. It doesn’t bring anything, when you make Leah a kid, who doesn’t know what’s going on and who ran away from the Sixers for whatever reason, and five minutes later she’s a spy for the Sixers and Mira (Christine Adams), just to twist around she was doing it all for her little brother. Sorry, but too many twists here – the whole thing with Sam (Angus Freer) and Leah in danger of sorts could have been resolved better. Especially when Leah came over as the child, who had to survive for years in the woods by herself (like I said, the Newt syndrome). In addition, I really wanted Elisabeth to be in front and center of the story and not Jim. Elisabeth already started it with talking to Leah, so why didn’t the writers continue it. Why does Jim always have to be the hero at the end of the day? Just because O’Mara is billed with the “starring” title? Lame. Honestly.

At least I got to see some Washington (Simone Kessell) action. I was mentioning it in last episode’s review, and I like her more, when she kicks ass. The fact that she’s billed as “special guest star” makes it a bit obvious she will die though. Maybe very soon or in the season finale. I hope that’s not gonna happen, and Washington will be taking part in Jim’s effort to find out what Terra Nova really is about.

And that was the most important thing of the episode. Though I already knew it before through the sneak peeks of the show, Terra Nova is not what it seems to be and Taylor (Stephen Lang) obviously is in front of this whole thing. Again, the equations ont he rocks don’t get a mention and instead the writers begin a completely new conspiracy-ish storyline, but I like this one better than the super important rocks. Jim knows something about Taylor, and it’s all mistrust now. When the writers keep it up (I kinda know they won’t), it could be a suspenseful conflict between the two alpha males. And that’s why I hope Washington will be involved also, because with her connection to Taylor, it makes for a somewhat emotional story, when she all of a sudden has to act against her boss.

By the way, FOX: Never show episodes out of order, when it’s totally obvious. Reynolds (Dean Geyer) asking to date Maddy (Naomi Scott), wanting to ask her father first? We already had that established last episode. I still don’t know why networks have to swap episodes nowadays, especially when those stories make it obvious the episodes were swapped. It’s just a shitty feeling, when you notice that and think about writing mistake first, when it’s just a network broadcaster pointing at the episodes to be aired next, regardless of the intended order chosen by the writers. 6.5/10

Hicks and Newt, when they were in the past #AliensReference

An action scene for Washington

Season 1, Episode 3 (3)
Date of first airing: Oct 10, 2011 (FOX)
Watched for review: 2011
Number of review in January/2012: 4/4

I really try to like this show. But as long as the stories remain generic and predictable, then I won’t like it. I just don’t care. The writers don’t make me care, and they don’t even make thrilling storylines, when it’s obvious from the start that the genetic virus, guilty for letting our main heroes forget the past 20-or-so years, will not have any kind of effect for the characters in future episodes. They won’t be a problem in the future, and they aren’t even a problem right here, right now, because I was waiting almost the whole episode for Jim (Jason O’Mara) to be the hero, because he found a way to save them all.

The story with the virus, coming out from a disease, coming out from DNA manipulation… weak. TERRA NOVA is not a 90s television show, it is a science-fiction show about time travel and dinosaurs. I don’t know why the writers weren’t checking that while writing this episode. Four hours into the show, and they still haven’t gotten the possibilities of what TERRA NOVA could be all about. But then again, it looks like the producers just wanted to have a nice little family show with loads of science-fiction and for the kids some dinosaurs to look at. For TV nerds like me this isn’t enough though. I need more bone to accept this show, and when I don’t get it, I’ll hate it. Like now. Anyway, the virus story was completely lame. Predictable as hell, not even suspenseful. At least it brought some back story for the characters. I liked that Taylor (Stephen Lang) has a bit of a dark past with the loss of his family, and I kinda liked that Elisabeth (Shelley Conn) “went back” to her university time, making the “first meeting” between her and Jim count more. Yeah, it was romantic, and yeah, when Elisabeth checked she had a family she doesn’t remember – but does it count in the next episode? Does it count for something in the marriage, when Malcolm (Rod Hallett) is right behind the corner, hoping to get some action with Elisabeth, when Jim isn’t around?

Again, some logical things to talk about: It seemed pretty easy for Taylor to break into Terra Nova, even though he didn’t remember the place. So why aren’t the Sixers breaking in like him? When Taylor was having Washington (Simone Kessell) in front of his knife, I was just laughing. How the hell did he get in without anybody noticing, while there’s a threat with the Sixers out there, who seem to be worse than Taylor at this point? Sorry, but these are scenes where I think the writers don’t think about them at all. But hey, as long as Washington gets some screentime in this show, I’ll take it. I still wait for a story with her being kick-ass and mean to bad people (or dinosaurs). Here I got the chance to see her care about something, and that she knows about Taylor’s past. Not that they are secretly dating or whatever. But let’s wait here.

Josh’s (Landon Liboiron) story was dumb again, until the end, when it found a reason to be part of the episode. I don’t need a subtle romantic plot between him and Skye (Allison Miller), and I don’t really need Josh being in the middle of some conspiracy between the Sixers and Taylor/Jim. Okay, it’s good that Josh somehow gets involved in this mess (probably even proving useful to his father later in the show), but how it was brought up is just… meh. I didn’t even understand why Mira (Christine Adams) was so interested in having the sheriff of Terra Nova close, when she can establish contact to the future, and probably has more ways and means to get what she wants. Hopefully there’s an answer coming in the future, or I’ll just shake my hand in disgust.

By the way: Again, the back story of Terra Nova wasn’t mentioned. Did the writers forget all about the equations on the rocks? You can’t just put this story aside and never mentioned it again for the sake of episodic and generic storylines… 6/10

It should have been a shocking moment... to find a survivor

Dinosaur hungry for Malcolm. Mmhmmh