Falling Skies

Perks · Jun 21, 2012

I really wanted to like 'Falling Skies' but Season 1 was shaky. On the one hand, I really liked the characters and the mystery of the harnesses, but there were too many but-no-one-would-ever-do-that moments. So I let my opinion sit, balanced on the fence, for the start of Season 2.

First two episodes? Pretty good. I'm hopeful.

I really like Tom. He's a good character. But Will Patton kinda needs to stop chewing the scenery.

NewKidOldKid · Jun 21, 2012

CrastersBabies said:
Still not overly dazzled. It could be that there are too many kids running around with their innocent little faces and for the most part, kids in survivor scenarios are a huge turn off to me. It's always so clean and neat (with the exception of Newt from Aliens). It could be that the kid-factor makes it feel too family-oriented? Not that shows need to darken up for people like me, but it keeps me at a distance because I feel there's too much authorial (protective) intrusion when it comes to the kids.

That's interesting. I usually hate kids in survivor scenarios too (I keep thinking "they would be the first ones to die"), but it hasn't bothered me this time. In fact, I don't even remember the kids running around but I do remember other scenes (fighting, running), so I guess that says a lot about how much I like the show. Although I have some complaints about season 1, I mostly liked it and I'm looking forward to season 2.

jvc · Jun 21, 2012

I'm still watching it. However, I am finding it very predictable, and not just the story, but dialogue too. Such a shame. Maybe it'll get better. I'll tune in next week to see and cross my fingers.

Smiley0501 · Jun 25, 2012

I'm watching Season 2 without having seen Season 1. Despite this, I'm really enjoying the premise and characters. I'll have to netflix the first season

Gilroy Cullen · Aug 22, 2012

Well, the second season is over.
Any comments? Complaints? I'm trying to not reveal spoilers right now, until people who say they are watching it have seen everything.

NewKidOldKid · Aug 23, 2012

Gilroy Cullen said:
Well, the second season is over.
Any comments? Complaints? I'm trying to not reveal spoilers right now, until people who say they are watching it have seen everything.

Season 2 was a lot better than Season 1. Loved the last 3-4 episodes. More action, more character development. And very nice cliffhanger!

CrastersBabies · Aug 23, 2012

I found the s2 finale to be a bit of a letdown. Started well but pacing and tension seemed to fall apart from 2/3 of the show on. Some of the plots that make me nervous.. namely the pregnancy and Hal's situation.

NewKidOldKid · Aug 24, 2012

The pregnancy is stupid. I find it very idiotic when women in those situations get pregnant. Same thing in The Walking Dead. You're trying to stay alive, running around with guns... and you think getting pregnant is a sweet, happy event? No, it's idiotic.

Rhubix · Aug 26, 2012

NewKidOldKid said:
The pregnancy is stupid. I find it very idiotic when women in those situations get pregnant.

My thoughts exactly. It's about 1000 times more idiotic when the character is a doctor. Did she skip that health class? Were there no contraceptives found on the scavenger hunts?
I pretty much yelled at the screen at that point.

I think the show is okay over all. I'll keep watching. The main character was too self righteous for me, until he started developing anger problems. I hope they push that more.

CrastersBabies · Aug 27, 2012

I can't wait to see the birthing scene. Bullets flying. A montage. Something that goes back and forth between gun action and a woman screaming.

Yay (twirls finger)

Whoever came up with that gem needs to be kicked in the proverbial junk. Next thing we'll see is the sci-fi stereotype where a kid is mute because of trauma and only yells something out at the last minute to save the world.

GeorgeK · Aug 27, 2012

NewKidOldKid said:
The pregnancy is stupid. I find it very idiotic when women in those situations get pregnant. Same thing in The Walking Dead. You're trying to stay alive, running around with guns... and you think getting pregnant is a sweet, happy event? No, it's idiotic.

In Walking dead the woman is a ditz and kind of a slut so, that's understandable.

In Falling Skies, life and death stress has a way of making people hop in the sack and not worry about contraception, so that's understandable too.

I agree that the dialogue and the characters are very formulaic. The captain in particular is such a narrow character. You already know what they will say, so try watching it with the sound off.

JohnnyGottaKeyboard · Aug 27, 2012

One of the most interesting threads in S2 for me was the interaction between Hal and Maggie. So many AWWC threads lately talked about Schrodinger's rapist and how men, despite being told time and again that a woman is not interested in them, does NOT want a relationship, etc., will nevertheless continue to pursue a woman convinced that given just a bit more time they can change her mind.

Falling Skies provided us with a textbook example of why that attitude continues. Hal KNEW Maggie was the one for him. He KNEW she was wrong despite everything she said. He KNEW that he KNEW better. And it turns out he was correct.

The whole thing actually made me very sad. She should have just shot him.

Rhubix · Aug 27, 2012

CrastersBabies said:
I can't wait to see the birthing scene. Bullets flying. A montage. Something that goes back and forth between gun action and a woman screaming.

They can just use stock footage from the season 1 birth....

GeorgeK said:
In Walking dead the woman is a ditz and kind of a slut so, that's understandable.

I'm going to hell for laughing at this, lol.

JohnnyGottaKeyboard said:
One of the most interesting threads in S2 for me was the interaction between Hal and Maggie. So many AWWC threads lately talked about Schrodinger's rapist and how men, despite being told time and again that a woman is not interested in them, does NOT want a relationship, etc., will nevertheless continue to pursue a woman convinced that given just a bit more time they can change her mind.

Falling Skies provided us with a textbook example of why that attitude continues. Hal KNEW Maggie was the one for him. He KNEW she was wrong despite everything she said. He KNEW that he KNEW better. And it turns out he was correct.

The whole thing actually made me very sad. She should have just shot him.

That's so true! I have to stop reading this tread or I'm going to realize how bad this show really is! ^_^

CrastersBabies · Aug 27, 2012

That's the thing . . . I don't think the show is "bad." I LIKE the show. I just get annoyed when writers don't know how to tease out a season and keep the pacing going. When Falling Skies hits it, it really NAILS it.

NewKidOldKid · Aug 27, 2012

Being a slut or being under stress should NOT be an excuse to get pregnant. Go sleep with as many people as you want but don't get pregnant in the process! I wish them both a really painful delivery just for being so stupid (and yes, I'm a woman).

Max Vaehling · Aug 28, 2012

CrastersBabies said:
I can't wait to see the birthing scene. Bullets flying. A montage. Something that goes back and forth between gun action and a woman screaming.

Seen it. On Farscape.

Actually, it's how they saved that whole pregnancy storyline - by making it a very funny birth.

On Falling Skies, the kid will probably have some mutation duie to Whatshisname's time with the aliens. It will then go on to display special talents that will, eventually, either doom or save the (yawn) world.

Apart from that, I liked S2 a lot better than S1, btw. Really felt like they're pushing everybody towards new challenges. Except when they didn't...

Max Vaehling · Aug 28, 2012

JohnnyGottaKeyboard said:
One of the most interesting threads in S2 for me was the interaction between Hal and Maggie. So many AWWC threads lately talked about Schrodinger's rapist and how men, despite being told time and again that a woman is not interested in them, does NOT want a relationship, etc., will nevertheless continue to pursue a woman convinced that given just a bit more time they can change her mind.

Falling Skies provided us with a textbook example of why that attitude continues. Hal KNEW Maggie was the one for him. He KNEW she was wrong despite everything she said. He KNEW that he KNEW better. And it turns out he was correct.

The whole thing actually made me very sad. She should have just shot him.

Didn't even realize that while watching, partly because Maggie was portrayed as being wrong from ther beginning, and partly because it's such a familiar trope and this wasn't a romantic comedy. Where I usually hate it with all the might of my guts.

rugcat · Aug 28, 2012

Rhubix said:
That's so true! I have to stop reading this tread or I'm going to realize how bad this show really is! ^_^

It really is a bad show but I like it anyway. That's why they call them guilty pleasures.

JustinlDew · Jun 11, 2013

Falling Skies [merged with other thread]

Anyone else watch this?

JohnnyGottaKeyboard · Jun 11, 2013

JustinlDew said:
Anyone else watch this?

Yes. Still watching. There was some discussion HERE. The thread sank because of the long hiatus.

CrastersBabies · Jun 11, 2013

Yeah, I'm watching. It's hit or miss with me. I like the new aliens. They're intriguing.

GeorgeK · Jun 12, 2013

The characters are a bit one dimensional. I'm watching it, but part of that would depend on if there was anything else that I liked playing against it.

When was this election where Tom got elected?

Also, when did Hal get put in a wheelchair? There wasn't anything in the, "previously on," intro section that I didn't recognize. As far as I know I didn't miss a show. Then in the season premier, he's in a wheelchair...

Last season finale he was wounded but got up and stood in front of the mirror. He was unwitnessed getting out of the bed, so I'm guessing it's the alien thing, but all through the premier my wife and I kept saying, "Did we miss a show?" It was a poorly done transition, that or a show got cut somehow.

JustinlDew · Jun 12, 2013

They usually fill in the gaps as the season goes on.

JohnnyGottaKeyboard · Jun 12, 2013

Yeah, they kept harping on the fact that seven months had passed (it could have been a drinking game, every time someone said the words "seven months"). Didn't last season end with the new aliens descending to Earth and exiting their vehicles?

I suppose they'll either slowly reveal what transpired or it'll turn out the aliens are playing with someone's mind (ah Star Trek, TNG, you ruined me).

I do like this show, despite the shortcomings I see in it, but I hate hate hate when otherwise rational characters do stupidly inexplicable things. And Anne not talking to Tom about the strange baby is really dumb. I mean, Mary Roberts Rinehart dumb. I mean, this-character-is-only-behaving-this-way-to-force-some-melodrama dumb.

jvc · Jun 12, 2013

I've merged the two threads together.

Falling Skies

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