Tag: Sci-Fi TV Shows

A collection of articles and news about the best science fiction TV shows (and possibly the worst) that are, have, or will be on television.

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Reviews Science Fiction Television

The Silent Sea on Netflix: Entertaining

I watched The Silent Sea on Netflix this last weekend. It’s a South Korean drama about a trip to a research station on the moon. As you can imagine, not much goes right for the crew tasked with finding something and bringing it back.

There are English subtitles and an English dub (I read the subs, because I like to hear the actor’s original voices).

The show has eight episodes and they’re just long enough.

The Silent Sea was suspenseful and had enough action to keep me entertained. I’ll avoid spoilers and just say that they did a good job doling out the information when it was needed, and the actors were well suited to their roles.

Although it was good, there are a few things I think could have been done better, but overall, I enjoyed the time I spent watching.

If you have a chance to see this one, give it a shot. :)

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Reviews Science Fiction Television

The Orville: A review at three episodes in

I’m not all that sure how I feel about The Orville, three episodes into its first season. It’s a fun—and funny—show, and I’ve enjoyed the first three episodes quite a lot. I’ve also spent a little too much time wondering at the derivative nature of the show. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t quite what I got.

Here’s the thing. I adored Galaxy Quest, probably because it managed to skewer Star Trek: The Original Series in a way that felt like love and yet still retain its individuality and bring plenty of original and unique content to the screen. In other words, it had something all its own, outside of the show it was parodying.

The Orville hasn’t done that. There’s nothing really original about The Orville and sometimes the show feels like it actually belongs in the universe it’s trying so hard to spoof. I can’t actually tell, because although it’s funny in places, it doesn’t really feel like parody.

On the other hand, I’m still watching, and I plan to keep watching, because there’s promise there. I like it. But my favorite episodes of Star Trek (any incarnation you want to imagine) have always tended to be the humorous ones, and the same goes for most of my other science fiction favorites like Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. Humor gets me almost every time.

That’s what The Orville feels like, instead of a straight up parody. It feels like a humorous episode of a Star Trek series that hasn’t yet been added to the universe but is coming soon. In other words, a little too close to the source material to really let me love it.

If you want to watch (and I recommend you do give it a try).

Other: FOX’s website for The Orville. (Might be free viewing available.)

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Science Fiction Television

Defiance season one is on Amazon Prime Instant Video

I had avoided watching Defiance, because I’d seen some photos prior to the airing of the show, and frankly, I wasn’t impressed. I also didn’t know if the show would make it past a first season, and over the last few years, I’ve gotten extremely leery of Syfy and their ability to stand behind a promising series. So, long story short, I chose to wait and see.

Defiance

Then I forgot about the show.

Yeah.

Last weekend, however, I saw it pop up on Amazon Prime Instant Video and was like, wow, totally missed that one. I watched the Pilot and then more than half the season, and although it’s not the best thing ever, there are definitely aspects of the series that I enjoy and certain themes I’d like to see explored in the rest of the first season and in season 2 when it comes (season 2 of Defiance premieres June 19, 2014).

The most underdeveloped part of the series, in my opinion?

Christie and Alak. Their interspecies relationship has a ton of  conflict and while the show touches on that story every so often in the first season, it hasn’t really broken out. (I’m not quite finished with the season, so if there’s something I’m missing here, I’ll update later.)

The most overdeveloped parts of the series, in my opinion?

Kenya. This is really the most glaring, uninteresting part of the show. I can’t even really think of how this could have played out better, although I’m sure someone could have figured it out. I’d accept this a lot better if the prostitute angle had played some kind of integral role so far, but it hasn’t. It’s mostly been set dressing, and bland at that.

Irisa’s badassery. She kind of annoys me. I mean, horrible childhood = bitch with issues. I want to like her and I think I could if she softened up a bit. She could give some of her bitchery to Amanda. That’s one I’d like to see toughen up. I find her mommy vibe as annoying as I find Irisa’s bitchiness.

And that’s the thing. The female characters on the show, with the exception of Stahma, all seem to be a tad too cliche for me. The men? Not bad at all, well rounded and interesting. The women? Not so much.

All that said, though, I’m enjoying the show, and I’m willing to overlook the trite and cliché for the good stuff.

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Science Fiction Television

The 100 hasn’t been cancelled

The 100The 100 is about “100 young exiles from a dying space station [that] are sent to the planet Earth 97 years after a nuclear apocalypse to see if it’s habitable.”

The premise intrigues me, and since the show hasn’t been cancelled, I think I’ll give it a try. I love post-apocalyptic settings and this sounds like it’s going to have that in abundance (a supposition based on having read some of the descriptions for episodes beyond the Pilot).

I feel kind of lost sometimes about what to post here, because I don’t like writing reviews of single episodes of a show, because I’m just not sure how helpful those kinds of reviews are. I do enjoy writing (and reading) commentary, just not the kind that spans an entire showing of an episode, so maybe I’ll do more of that.

Anyway! I’m just happy to have found another sci-fi show to try that hasn’t been cancelled already.

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Science Fiction Television

Orphan Black

I sat down to watch Orphan Black last week, and before I was done, I’d watched the entire first season on Amazon’s Prime Video. The series is sharp and entertaining, and the actress playing the lead, Tatiana Maslany, is excellent. I don’t know that I’ve seen so much range in one person before. Maybe, but I certainly can’t remember off the top of my head.

Here’s the summary of the first episode. If I say much more, I’ll spoil the show.

Sarah, a streetwise hustler on the run, witnesses the suicide of a stranger who looks just like her. Sarah assumes her identity, hoping that cleaning out the dead woman’s bank account will solve all of her problems. Instead, after taking on the new identity, Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy and must race to find answers.

—From Natural Selection (Episode 1, Orphan Black)

If you haven’t heard of this one, check it out. I couldn’t stop watching once I’d started.

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Science Fiction Television

What’s With All The Walking Dead?

No, not talking about all the zombies running around in my supermarket who won’t get out of the way so I can get through the line faster. I’m talking about all the posts on the site about The Walking Dead. I have no idea why I’ve posted so much lately about this one particular show when my poor little site needs so much more attention.

Part of the reason could be that this is one show that’s really captured my interest, even when it really shouldn’t have. I am not a fan of gore. Never have been. The very idea that I’m enjoying sitting down and watching dead people make lots of other people into dead people is so WRONG I can’t even describe how wrong it is.

But The Walking Dead has that something special in it that makes it more appealing that it sounds just from a bare description of the series. But, in a nutshell, here’s what it’s about.

Rick Grimes wakes up in a hospital bed after having been shot in the line of duty. The world has gone to hell. Dead people walk the streets and try quite valiantly to turn the living into the dead—and fill their tummies while they’re at it. Rick makes his way to his house, discovers his wife and son gone but not necessarily dead, and after a few interesting things happen, he goes out into a world now overrun with zombies to find his family.

What pulled me in and made me stay was the people. The writers have a winner here and they need to tread carefully. This is the kind of show that makes you set aside your prejudices against horror flicks and watch (horrified) as you feel for every character you meet. I don’t really know why I like this show. But I do. And so does my sister, my brother-in-law, my friends, and my colleagues. And they, like me, can’t believe they’ve been sucked in.

I’m sure they thank me for that every time they sit down to watch. ;-)

Here are a few quick links to take to you the main parts of the site that deal with the show.

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Science Fiction Television

Can’t Miss Episode: The Walking Dead Finale

The Walking Dead

I have saved the last two episodes of The Walking Dead so that I can watch a little mini-marathon myself just before the big season 2 finale on Sunday. That’ll be three episodes all at once. Although I’ve tried watching single episodes at a time, I’ve found that I really do enjoy the show more when I watch several episodes back-to-back.

Even if that’s you, you probably don’t want to wait past Sunday to catch up, because why would you ever want to miss the big season 2 finale if you didn’t have to?!

Here’s a sneak peak photo from The Walking Dead’s 13th episode (aka the season 2 finale). Click the image for the original on the AMC website. Don’t do it if you want to be surprised about EVERYTHING about the episode. Or, oops, maybe that’s already too late.

walking-dead-episode-13-sp1

Categories
Science Fiction Television

The Walking Dead Canceled? No Way

I’ve seen people asking if The Walking Dead has been canceled. No way. The show has been renewed for a third season by AMC not that long ago. Here’s a link if you want to know more: "AMC Announces 16 Episode Order for The Walking Dead Season 3".

Next week is the season finale in case you didn’t know. Episode 13 of the series’s second season marks the end of season 2 of The Walking Dead, but thoughts of what’s to come in season 3’s 16 episodes will keep me going until the show returns to AMC. :)

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Science Fiction Television

Hints of Season 3 of The Walking Dead

Picture of Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead

Here’s an interesting video interview with Norman Reedus, the actor who plays Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead.

norman-reedus

The thing is, I’m not a fan of comics, unless they’re offshoots of a television series I enjoy (this one doesn’t fit that category because the comic existed before the TV show…) so I have no idea who this “The Governor” is.

the_governor

I don’t mind spoilers, but I’m not necessarily anxious to run out and read this comic because if I find out someone is going to die that I don’t want dead, it could affect my ability to enjoy the series and I definitely don’t want that. I’ve found that when an on-screen death happens and I don’t know about it in advance, I’m much more likely to keep watching than if I find out ahead of time. That might not make a lot of sense but it’s just the way it is.

One spoiler mentioned in the latter article is that Shane could be written out because Jon Bernthal is possibly interested in starring in a TNT drama pilot. If that happened, someone would have to appear who would continue to challenge Rick, other than the zombies. The good news is that unlike with character deaths that have no off-screen reason, when I know someone is moving on, I deal quite well with the news. (Not to say I have any idea how Shane would possibly be written out if that came to pass.)

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Science Fiction Television Tie-in Merchandise

The Walking Dead Board Game

The Walking Dead Board Game

Came across this Walking Dead Board Game at Think Geek today, and since I just came off a binge viewing session of The Walking Dead, I find myself noticing everything zombie these days.

walking_dead_board_game_detail

I’ve only recently been introduced to cooperative games, having bought my first one a few months ago. It was called Forbidden Island and it was pretty cool. The Walking Dead board game seems like a perfect type of game for cooperative play. Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to add it to the site, so here it is. Click one of the links to go to the store where you can buy the board game or just find out a little bit more about it. It looks really cool and if you’re anything like me, you enjoy branching out when it comes to your favorite television shows.

walking_dead_board_game_parts walking_dead_board_game

Doesn’t it look awesome?! Going in my cart now… LOL.

Sci-fi fantasies