|
 Helix airs Fridays on SyFy at 10pm Eastern / 9pm Central. !!! PREMIERES JANUARY 10th with the first two episodes back to back with limited commercial interruptions !!!  Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation. However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves the chilling truth begins to unravel. Executive Produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Carnivàle, Star Trek : Deep Space 9), with Steven Maeda (Daybreak, Lost, X-Files) as showrunner.
 An impressive pedigree for the show developers, and a hook that sounds like The Thing mixed with X-Files mixed with Contagion mixed with Lost, with some black bile-regurgitating zombie looking things thrown in! Plus I'm sure there's a fun drinking game in there somewhere trying to identify when the next nameless bit actor gets all disease-ified. (or is that virus-ificated?) Official Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXa9-OtopJs Official Site: http://www.syfy.com/helix/ - Includes an interactive experience where you can get more videos and information on the backstory of the station. Syfy Youtube Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX5Az9LAnbkSqDB3xmlAjKW7qkS-v7Ax3 - tons of videos with character and backstory information - probably TOO MUCH information if you're already interested. The Ronald Moore interview clips may be better if you want to get a little more feel for the show without getting spoiled on so much content. Let's all head to the arctic and choke on black bile!  The series pitch was developed by Cameron Porsandeh, an ex-economist with no TV credits to his name, who then submitted it to Sony Pictures, where Lynda Obst (Contact, Interstellar) revised the idea along with Porsandeh. Sony then asked if there was a major science fiction television writer Porsandeh would like attached as executive producer, and he suggested Ronald D. Moore, who joined the production team and pitched several new major concepts. The pilot script itself was written by Porsandeh and Obst, and while Moore pitched several key ideas he did not write the script itself, though IMDB does give him a writing credit along with another writer. While Ron Moore is an Executive Producer, and I tricked you with the thread title, Steven Maeda is the day-to-day Showrunner.  Ronald D. Moore Ron Moore has a pretty crazy impressive history of writing on and producing great sci fi shows (barring arguments about how to end them…). Starting as a writer on Star Trek : The Next Generation (helping produce some of its best-loved episodes - Yesterday's Enterprise, The Best of Both Worlds, All Good Things…), eventually becoming a co-producer for ST:TNG and Deep Space Nine, helping develop the Klingon race and culture. Still, he's probably best known for producing the 2004 version of Battlestar Galactica. For Helix, it appears he'll be taking a more traditional Executive Producer role - that is, not as involved in the day to day business, as he develops other projects, but still helping oversee the concept and parts of the execution. He also once wrote a prequel script for the Thing that was promptly bought and entirely rewritten to get rid of all the science and speculative talk about the origins of The Thing. Role: Executive Producer Known For: Caprica (Exec. Producer, Writer - S.1), Battlestar Galactica (Creator, Exec. Producer, Show Runner, Writer), Carnivàle (Exec. Producer, Writer), Roswell (Writer), Star Trek : Deep Space 9 (Co-Exec. Producer, Writer), Star Trek : The Next Generation (Co-Producer, Writer).  Steven Maeda Steven Maeda is a genre writer and producer. Maeda started his TV career writing episodes for X-Files and Harsh Realm before moving on to join Lost as a supervising producer and writer during Season 2. Maeda left Lost before Season 3 started to handle writing and executive producer roles on Daybreak and later Lie to Me.. Maeda will serve as the show-runner, leading the day to day decisions for the project and guiding the overall vision. Role: Executive Producer, Showrunner Known For: Pan Am (Showrunner - S. 1), Lie to Me. (Exec. Producer, Writer - S. 1), Daybreak (Co-Exec. Producer, Writer - S. 1), Lost (Co-Exec. Producer, Writer - S. 2), CSI : Miami (Producer, Writer - S. 1-3), X-Files (Writer - S. 7-9), Harsh Realm (Writer, S. 1).  Lynda Obst Lynda Obst is primarily known as a movie producer, having started her career producing some seminal 80's and 90's teen films and romantic comedies (Adventures In Babysitting, Sleepless In Seattle). Though never having produced a sci-fi television show before, she has overseen sci-fi and genre movies, exec. producing on The Fisher King, and Contact. She's currently a producer on Christopher Nolan's next feature, Interstellar. Role: Executive Producer Known For: Interstellar (Exec. Producer), Contact (Exec. Producer), The Fisher King (Exec. Producer), Sleepless In Seattle (Exec. Producer), Adventures In Babysitting (Exec. Producer), Flashdance (Exec. Producer).  Cameron Porsandeh Porsandeh doesn't have any listed experience writing or producing for TV or movies. An ex-economist who later went to film school, he has written plays and wrote the spec script for Helix, then revised it for production alongside Obst. Role: Creator, Executive Producer, Writer (Ep. 1) Known For: Umm...  The cast has some recognizable faces (though you probably won't remember their names) in addition to a batch of fresh unknowns. [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ ARCTIC STATION TEAM ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]  Hiroyuki Sanada as Dr. Hiroshi Hitake -  Dr. Hatake is the charismatic head of the Arctic Biosystems research facility. He appears eager for the assistance of the CDC in containing the situation within his base, but his true motivations are shrouded in mystery. Actor Bio: Sanada was born in Tokyo, Japan. Originally aiming to be an action star, he started training in Shorinji Kempo, before eventually taking up Kyokushin kaikan. Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good all-round martial arts ability, and soon became Chiba's protégé. Sanada has starred in over 60 movies and tv shows in his native Japan, starting with fast-paced action movies before branching out into many different types of roles. Sanada's first big break onto the US movie scene came in The Last Samurai, followed by roles in Danny Boyle's Sunshine (great movie, don't want to hear any other opinions!) and the final season of Lost. Where you might have seen him before: 47 Ronin (Ôishi), The Wolverine (Shingen), Revenge (Satoshi Takeda), Lost (Dogen), Speed Racer (Mr. Musha), Sunshine (Kaneda), The White Countess (Matsuda), The Last Samurai (Ujio).  Neil Napier as Dr. Peter Farragut -  Dr. Peter Farragut is a research scientist at the Arctic Biosystems facility working in mutagens. Peter is brother to Dr. Alan Farragut, head of the incoming CDC team investigating the outbreak, with whom he has a complicated relationship. Actor Bio: Neil Napier is a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he starred in several television series, made for TV movies, and theatre productions - the best known of which are probably the IFC productions The Business and Bullet In The Face. Napier has recently taken on voice-over roles in popular video game franchises such as Thief, Assassin's Creed, and Batman: Arkham Origins, and most recently appeared in the latest Riddick film. Where you might have seen him before: Batman: Arkham Origins (Voice: Penguin Thugs), Riddick (Rubio), Assassin's Creed III (Benedict Arnold), Bullet In The Face (Lt. Karl Hagerman), The Business (Wendell Cooper), 300 (Spartan With Stick)  Meegwun Fairbrother as Daniel Aerov -  Daniel Aerov is the head of security at Arctic Biosystems. Having worked with and for Dr. Hiroshi Hatake for most of his life, he is fiercely loyal and dedicated to helping the head of the facility achieve his goals...whatever they may be. Actor Bio: Meegwun Fairbrother is Ojibway from the Grassy Narrows First Nation tribe. He was born in Toronto but has lived in many communities all over northwestern Ontario. He graduated from the prestigious conservatory acting program at York University. Helix is Fairbrother's first big role in a production, having previously only played minor parts in a few Canadian TV shows. Where you might have seen him before: Mohawk Girls (Butterhead), Ghostly Encounters (Aboriginal Man), Dancing With Spirit (Dancer). [[[[[[[[[[[[[[ CDC TEAM ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]  Billy Campbell as Dr. Alan Farragut -  Dr. Alan Farragut is the head of the Centers For Disease Control's Special Pathogens Branch, and shares a complicated past with his brother, Peter, and his ex-wife, Dr. Julia Walker. Brilliant and intense, he's seen his share of action battling outbreaks and saving lives around the world...but none of that compares to what he'll find at the Arctic Biosystems base. Actor Bio: Billy Campbell was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is probably the best-known face in the cast. Campbell's first major role was Steven Carrington's lover on Dynasty in the 80's. Campbell was the second choice of the producers of Star Trek : The Next Generation to play the role of William Riker, but lost the role to Jonathan Frakes. His first leading role in a popular movie came with 1991's The Rocketeer (yes, this was a shocking realization), after which he had a string of medium-sized roles before moving back to television with series like Once and Again, The 4400, and, most recently, The Killing. Campbell is a rugby enthusiast, having played rugby with the Chicago Lions RFC and the Santa Monica Rugby Club. Go Mighty Lions! Where you might have seen him before: The Killing (Darren Richmond), The 4400 (Jordan Collier), The O.C. (Carter Buckley), Once and Again (Rick Sammler), Bram Stoker's Dracula (Quincey P. Morris), The Rocketeer (Cliff), Dynasty (Luke Fuller).  Kyra Zagorsky as Dr. Julia Walker -  Dr. Julia Walker is a Senior Scientist at the Centers For Disease Control and ex-wife to Dr. Alan Farragut. Brilliant and authoritative, she co-heads the rapid response team's mission to the Arctic Biosystems facility. Actor Bio: Kyra Zagorsky was born in New York and raised in the mountains in a small town in Colorado. Her first role in TV was a bit part on Stargate : Atlantis, and she's continued to grab small parts on various sci-fi and genre shows over the years, from Fringe to Falling Skies. Helix is her first regular series starring role. Zagorsky has also trained in various martial arts over the years, including kickboxing, capoeira, and Filipino stick and sword fighting. Where you might have seen her before: Falling Skies (Bonnie), Stargate : Universe (Tasia), Fringe (Nurse), Smallville (Kandorian), Stargate : Atlantis (Ara).  Jordan Hayes as Dr. Sarah Jordan -  A member of Dr. Farragut's rapid response team, Sarah Jordan is highly intelligent and motivated to impress. What she lacks in experience, she makes up for in audacity and medical knowledge. Actor Bio: Jordan Hayes was born in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Her career so far has been one-shot roles on a few television shows, and various lesser known movies and shorts, including writing and directing a short film, Lay Over. Helix is Hayes' first starring role in a regular series. As far as I know, she doesn't know any martial arts. Where you might have seen her before: The F Word (Becky), House at the End of the Street (Penn State Carrie Anne), Flashpoint (Franca), Nikita (Elizabeth).  Catherine Lemieux as Dr. Doreen Boyle -  Sarcastic and generally light-hearted, Doreen Boyle is a veterinary pathologist, which means she specializes in the diagnosis of diseases through the examination of animal tissue and bodily fluids. As a member of Alan Farragut's rapid response team, she has experience battling outbreaks across the globe. Actor Bio: Ok, I give up : I don't know where Catherine Lemieux was born -- but I tell you what… I'm going to guess Canada. Call me crazy! Lemieux is another newcomer, having just recently nabbed her most widely seen role, as "Midwestern Woman" in White House Down. Again, I have no idea whether she has any crazy martial arts skills to speak of. Where you might have seen her before: White House Down (Midwestern Woman), Oscar and the Lady In Pink (Plum Pudding), Léolo (Regina).  Mark Ghanimé as Major Sergio Balleseros -  Major Sergio Balleseros is the Army liaison with the rapid response team headed by Dr. Alan Farragut. As part of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and a systems engineer, he has more knowledge of viral pathogens than your average military man. Actor Bio: Heads up guys! Another Canadian incoming! Raised in Montreal, Mark Ghanimé is half Lebanese, trilingual, and, according to his IMDB profile, has Uncle Jesse-like hair. Ghanimé's first foray into the world of acting was a stint on a Juliette Lewis movie in 2003. Again, that's what his profile says. What it doesn't tell you is that the movie was 2004's made for TV movie Crying Freedom where he played the part of Villager (uncredited). Since then, Ghanimé has managed to grab a few more uncredited roles in addition to one-shots on various genre shows (they love casting him as a doctor), until he finally achieved series regular status on Emily Owens, M.D. which my friend, because she has horrible taste in television, says was "really good, honestly!" and yet was cancelled while also being on the CW. Where you might have seen him before: Emily Owens, M.D. (Dr. Jamie Albagetti), Soldiers of the Apocalypse (Daniel Goose-Egg), Arrow - Career Redeemed! (Dr. Douglas Miller), Supernatural (Dr. Drake), Smallville (Teddy Bear Guy - uncredited), Crying Freedom (Villager - uncredited)  The writing staff includes Porsandeh and Maeda, most likely working as leads, with Javier Grillo-Marxuachi as the senior staff writer. The rest of the groups is very young, with little experience under their belts (which isn't that crazy for a new genre series). Javier Grillo-Marxuach Written and produced on a ton of sci-fi and genre shows, including Lost, and Seaquest DS-Motherfuckin'-V. Also created The Middleman. Known For: The Middleman (Creator, Exec. Producer, Writer), Medium (Co-Exec. Producer, Writer - S. 2-4), Lost (Supervising Producer, Writer - S. 1-3), Charmed (Co-Producer, Writer - S. 1-3), The Pretender (Writer - S. 1-2), Seaquest DSV (Writer - S. 2-3). Keith Huff Writer and co-executive producer, was a writer and producer on House of Cards and Mad Men. Unsure if he's on the permanent writing staff, but was listed as writer of episode 2. Known For: House of Cards (Producer, Writer - S. 1), Mad Men (Co-Producer, Writer - S. 4) Cori Uchida Worked on the production staff for several shows, like Sons of Anarchy, Eli Stone, and Dirty Sexy Money, but only has a story credit for an episode of Sons of Anarchy. Known For: Sons of Anarchy (Story - S. 2). Adam Lash Writer's assistant on Defying Gravity, worked as an actor, writer, and producer for the web series Blood Light. Known For: Blood Light (Writer). Misha Green Written a few episodes for various genre shows. Including Spartacus - so she is automatically awesome. Known For: Spartacus : War of the Damned (Writer), Spartacus : Gods of the Arena (Writer), Heroes (Writer - S. 3-4), Sons of Anarchy (Writer - S. 2). Tiffany Greshler Has only served as a production assistant under Steven Maeda on Pan Am. Known For: ???  The Huffington Post "Despite the bio-threat setup, Helix isn't trying to be Contagion in the South Pole. What Porsandeh and Moore have crafted is solid science fiction, and feels like a return to the latter's Battlestar Galactica days." "…And with each episode spanning about a day, the characters -- while they do refer to backstories and love triangles seem possible -- are more concerned with doing their jobs than talking about their feelings. As a result, it is easier to get caught up in the action along with them…" "...It is additionally refreshing to that all the characters, three of whom are strong females, are incredibly intelligent…" "…So yeah, the Helix DNA contains strands from a lot of familiar franchises, but the show doesn't feel derivative. To the contrary, it is a fresh sci-fi freak-out very much welcome on the TV landscape. And if additional episodes maintain the quality of the premiere, the show might have the makings of an infectious fan favorite." L.A. Times ... if it doesn't match "Battlestar" for ambition or poetry or sparkling dialogue — to judge by the three hours available for review — it's well-made, solidly scary and disturbing all the same. San Francisco Chronicle ... There's nothing all that original about "Helix," but it works well enough. The script gets bogged down in soap opera suds from time to time, especially when it involves the love triangle. There are also credibility problems with some of the characters, but again, that's where it's useful not to think too much. … Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ... It's executive produced by Ron Moore of Syfy's "Battlestar Galactica" reboot but plays more like a somewhat tiresome cross between "The Walking Dead" and "The Thing." … Perhaps in time "Helix" will develop into something more substantial but in its first two hours it sets up a lot of questions without providing answers or a compelling reason for viewers to stick with it. IO9.com "Syfy's hottest new show in 2014 is the mysterious Arctic thriller Helix. And now we've seen the first episode, and we can honestly say this series could very well be the next Lost (before it went downhill)…" "…We were completely sold on Helix the minute the "before the title" scene dropped. We are completely hooked, and just so drat happy that actual horror is on Syfy again. All we want from this series is terrifying body horror with a dollop of conspiracy theories. And that is exactly what Helix is serving up." USA Today ... The plot creaks, but for the most part, Helix is sufficiently scary. Unfortunately, outside of Campbell, it's insufficiently cast and performed. … Variety ... If the remote, frigid location vaguely echoes the often-adapted “The Thing,” “Helix,” as the title implies, stays more closely rooted to the science, without completely skimping on the what’s-down-that-corridor thrills. Created by Cameron Porsandeh, it’s a delicate balancing act, but the two-episode premiere (airing with limited commercials) and a subsequent hour – enhanced by Campbell’s stiff-upper-lipped performance, and the clever promo slogan “Play God. Pay the price” – dangle enough DNA strands for a discerning audience to want to see where they might lead. … Palooka fucked around with this message at 06:52 on Jan 11, 2014 |
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 06:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 09:17 |
|
|
 Ep. 1 - 01/10/14 - "Pilot" - Written by Cameron Porsandeh, Ronald D. Moore, and Javier Grillo-Marxuach. Directed by Davjd Slade (Hard Candy, Awake (pilot), Breaking Bad (Open House), Hannibal (3 eps). A team of scientists are thrust into a potentially life-or-death situation after being deployed to the Arctic to secretly investigate what could be a disease outbreak. Ep. 2 - 01/10/14 - "Vector" - Written by Cameron Porsandeh and Ronald D. Moore. Directed by Brad Turner. Dr. Alan Farragut and his team work to treat the outbreak patients and contain the virus, while at the same time a rebellion erupts at the Arctic Biosystems base. Ep. 3 - 01/17/14 - "274" - Written by ???. Directed by Steven A. Adelson The team have every hope that the virus is contained, but unfortunately it continues to spread at an alarming rate; at the same time, some of the secrets the doctors are keeping prove to be deadly. Ep. 4 - 01/24/14 - "Single Strand" - Written by ???. Directed by Duane Clark. As the crisis heightens and Walker tries to survive on Level R, suspicions grow as Alan and his team keep secrets from each other with deadly consequences. Ep. 5 - 01/31/14 - "The White Room" - Written by ???. Directed by Duane Clark. Suspicion and death stalk the base as members of the CDC team start to realize that nobody at the base is quite who they seem to be. Ep. 6 - 02/07/14 - "Aniqatiga" - Written by ???. Directed by Mike Rohl. Ep. 7 - 02/14/14 - "Survivor Zero" - Written by ???. Directed by Mike Rohl. Ep. 8 - 02/21/14 - "Ultra" - Written by ???. Directed by ???. Ep. 9 - 02/28/14 - "Level X" - Written by ???. Directed by ???. Palooka fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Jan 5, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 06:31
|
|
|
Please be good... please be good... please be good... I'm so weary of getting excited about a sci-fi show these days, we've all been down this road many times. Trailer looks awesome though and I've enjoyed other things Moore has been involved with (namely BSG & DS9) so I have hopes. I'm not pumped with hype, or excitedly reading everything I can about it, or recommending friends check it out or anything like that this time round, I just have hopes. Please be good.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 10:20
|
|
|
Oh man, I had no idea something like this was coming out. The Thing is one of my favorite movies, and I love the idea of the concept being spun into a television series.Cactus posted:Please be good... please be good... please be good... Also this.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 10:53
|
|
|
So just saw the first 15 mins of the pilot: http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/3/5271544/watch-the-first-15-minutes-of-the-new-syfy-series-helix-right-now Looks okay, a bit to much cramming of plot points into the first minutes of the show though: I like it when these things develop in time instead of being crammed into a few fleeting conversations. However I also want this to be good, haven't seen any stuff like this in a while.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 14:16
|
|
|
Oh I had no idea this was so close to being out. Here's hoping it delivers!
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 16:17
|
|
|
Yeah, been looking forward to this. Hope it's good. Palooka: according to the Helix Writers twitter, there are four more writers: Cori Uchida, Adam Lash, Misha Green and Tiffany Greshler.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 17:55
|
|
|
Cloud Potato posted:Yeah, been looking forward to this. Hope it's good. Palooka: according to the Helix Writers twitter, there are four more writers: Cori Uchida, Adam Lash, Misha Green and Tiffany Greshler. Ah, thanks! Added to the OP, along with another review and more episodes. Looks like Grillo-Marxuach is by far the most experienced and will probably work as co-head under Maeda. At least we got a Spartacus writer added!
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 19:15
|
|
|
DVR set. Last time I tried a SyFy show, it was Defiance... Yuck. High hopes, but I'm ready for disappointment.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 19:35
|
|
|
I enjoyed the first 15 minutes; fingers crossed the show ends up being good. Getting some Code Veronica vibes from this. braveplan fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Jan 6, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 23:57
|
|
|
I want to like this so much. I've been getting burned out on TV from so many uninteresting/boring shows that go no where. This looks like it could be really good if its done well.
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2014 03:13
|
|
|
I know they released the first 15 minutes, but I SWEAR I read an article that there was one place where they were releasing the episode early. I believe it was on xbox one. I have searched and searched, but I can't find so much as a reference to it. I think it was Tuesday or Wednesday so it is probably too late, but at this point I just want to know I am not crazy. Anybody know what I am talking about?
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2014 06:30
|
|
|
You sure you didn't confuse it with Chozen somehow?
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2014 07:02
|
|
|
I was looking at the channel guide and noticed that Helix will be on all day Saturday. I thought maybe they were trying to be like Netflix and have the whole series available at once. Nope. They are repeating the first two episodes over and over for 24 hours. They really want people to try this show.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2014 20:30
|
|
|
grrarg posted:I was looking at the channel guide and noticed that Helix will be on all day Saturday. I thought maybe they were trying to be like Netflix and have the whole series available at once. Nope. They are repeating the first two episodes over and over for 24 hours. They really want people to try this show. Well, I understand now.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 03:29
|
|
|
When was the last time siffy had a real sci fi show on? I'm glad they are trying to make this work.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 03:35
|
|
|
Mu Zeta posted:When was the last time siffy had a real sci fi show on? I'm glad they are trying to make this work. Defiance?
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 03:37
|
|
|
I forgot that existed after I heard Nirvana.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 03:39
|
|
|
You know, I've seen Billy Campbell in plenty of things over the years but I don't think I ever made the connection that he was the Rocketeer.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 05:05
|
|
|
Well the season preview was something else.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 05:31
|
|
|
The Hitake eye thing sure is weird.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 05:32
|
|
|
I'm watching the pilots now and it seems pretty cool, but it's also very...Canadian? Everything about it seems like it's almost there, but just a little bit off. EDIT: And the writing is pretty goddamn painful. "What you did back there... thank you." "I was just doing my job." 
Inspector_666 fucked around with this message at 06:52 on Jan 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 06:35
|
|
|
Inspector_666 posted:I'm watching the pilots now and it seems pretty cool, but it's also very...Canadian? There's a lot about it that's kind of janky in a "yeah this is a show on Scifi Channel" sort of way, for sure. I'll keep watching, though - it's got potential, I think.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 07:28
|
|
|
Janky is the right word. I can feel that as I'm watching it, but it kept me absorbed the length of both episodes. To a certain extent, the premise of the thing is so narrow-beamed at me - The Thing as a TV series - that I can forgive an awful lot.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 07:43
|
|
|
I love the concept of the show so much I'm willing to let a lot of the problems slide but I'm concerned they're going to try to build up too much mystery and conspiracy that a 13 episode show can't really tackle well at a slow pace. With so many people infected by day 2, obviously by day 7 they'll either have found a cure or be trying to hold off the infected and wait for the chopper to arrive (which it won't).
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 07:57
|
|
|
One of the coolest things about The Thing franchise is that the characters can't trust anyone, because the monster can imitate humans almost perfectly. So to be honest I'm kind of disappointed that this show seems to be lacking in that element, because you can instantly tell who's infected because they look and act like poo poo. The Hitake eye thing does give me hope that there's more to the virus beyond just making intelligent zombies, though. I'll definitely give the whole season a shot, I'm hoping it can morph into something excellent.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 12:53
|
|
|
Carver Crisis posted:One of the coolest things about The Thing franchise is that the characters can't trust anyone, because the monster can imitate humans almost perfectly. So to be honest I'm kind of disappointed that this show seems to be lacking in that element, because you can instantly tell who's infected because they look and act like poo poo. The Hitake eye thing does give me hope that there's more to the virus beyond just making intelligent zombies, though. I'll definitely give the whole season a shot, I'm hoping it can morph into something excellent. As it stands now we have the following major plot elements. - Crazy research being conducted in the lab - The 15 nm virus which defies all conventional knowledge - Hitake and the Army guy being subordinate to the same mysterious organization - Hitake's eyes being some some of progress with the crazy poo poo - Peter being the first successful infection who can pass the successful infection onto others There's a lot to build off of but have the 1 episode=1 day means they're probably going to hone on in the rapid infection spread of the mysterious virus rather then secret organizations. It would make a great single season show/miniseries with them slowly losing ground and ending up in some serious poo poo to deal with the virus, but I'm worried the writers are setting up the show with the expectation of being a multi-season franchise and constantly building up this metaplot backstory like in BSG without really making the show fun to watch at the start. I'm not hopeful given how badly SyFy hosed over Alphas after 2 seasons ending on a huge cliffhanger then canceling the show 6 months later. It was notable enough that it got an entire episode of BBT with Sheldon complaining about the cancellation and having to learn to deal with unresolved situations. Helix could give us a decent first season and a fantastic 2nd season and still end up canceled due to the whims of the network. Maybe if there's a huge amount of media buzz by the mid-season it'll be safe from getting arbitrarily axed and we get a complete story.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 13:15
|
|
|
Didn't really dig this, the CDC dudes really don't seem to care about getting infected at all and so I give zero fucks if they all die horribly. But they wont die, they'll all turn into alien supermans or something.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 13:54
|
|
|
I didn't like this. It seemed much more of a horror show than a science fiction one (which is fine, but not my cup of tea) with all the cliches of people getting isolated for dumb reasons so they could be surprised and attacked. The most egregious example of this was everything to do with Boyle's storyline. So she and Balleseros go and investigate a closed off portion of the lab, discover that Hitake was lying about a bunch of things, that there are infected monkeys and that they may be the source of the disease. Instead of immediately returning to tell Farragut and the others about this vital information, she instead proceeds to stay by herself dissecting the monkey and listening to music so she can get attacked by one of the infected people. Why wouldn't anyone have gone to find her after they escaped to warn her that it probably wasn't safe to stay by herself when there were multiple infected people running loose, at least one of whom who is actively trying to infect others? It's possible that she thought Balleseros was going to relay the information, but in that case she should've been surprised when Farragut didn't know it and suspicious of why Balleseros was helping Hitake hide things. I don't want to nitpick the show to death but this is just one example of what seems to me like shoddy writing to allow for horror cliches and it doesn't really work for me.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 14:24
|
|
|
CDC makes me think intelligent, competent professionals that deal with frightening and very real threats, but I guess they also have a clown squad for the odd zombie outbreak in nonsensical subterranean ham factories?
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 14:28
|
|
|
I was hoping for more "The Thing" and less "Outbreak/The Andromeda Strain." By the end I was starting to get pretty bored for various reasons, many of which have already been mentioned. I'll keep going with it to see how it turns out, I suppose, but I really wish they would have just done The Thing: the series.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 16:02
|
|
|
I really wanted to like this show... But that was loving awful. The series preview looked interesting, but I hope this show gets cancelled right now so they can dump the budget into something better. Ugh. Poor Billy Campbell... As always, you deserve so much more. 
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 16:35
|
|
|
How the hell did Hiroyuki Sanada end up in this piece of poo poo?
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 17:07
|
|
|
I actually didn't think it was all that bad. Might be because I watched enlisted right before it and that was even worse, though. edit: parts of it were funny, the rest was pretty horrifically bad. Bright Future fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Jan 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 17:18
|
|
|
Enlisted was pretty funny
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 17:25
|
|
|
Regy Rusty posted:she instead proceeds to stay by herself dissecting the monkey and listening to music so she can get attacked by one of the infected people. Oh that was another thing. Why the hell did they pick the blandest muzak for some of the most dramatic scenes? I felt like I was waiting for a mall elevator to come to a stop at the beginning and end, and the stuff Boyle was listening to was like some kind of weird hold music.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 19:28
|
|
|
Did anyone else notice that the desktop wallpapers of the strange company that runs the lab have a picture of a cell corrupted by the super virus on them? (they had a shot of them at the end of episode 2). You would expect that the brilliant CDC people would notice that.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 20:38
|
|
|
You know, I get that the will to live can make us do really stupid and irrational things at times but I'm kinda tired of scientists who are aware of the risks when dealing with this kinda work wouldn't always want to endanger everyone else by wanting to just leave or get out when they know they're infected with something extremely dangerous. Still enjoyed it for the most part.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 20:56
|
|
|
Inspector_666 posted:Oh that was another thing. Why the hell did they pick the blandest muzak for some of the most dramatic scenes? I felt like I was waiting for a mall elevator to come to a stop at the beginning and end, and the stuff Boyle was listening to was like some kind of weird hold music. I think they were trying to create a tonal disconnect between the music and what was actually happening. If done effectively, it can be pretty creepy. They overused it though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2014 21:10
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 09:17 |
|
|
The actors are all really bad, (especially the head of security and the southern monkey lady), none of the characters are notable, and its really boring. Also why is this show based in the Arctic instead of the Antarctic? It wouldn't take very long to figure out that there isn't any unclaimed land in the Arctic for a subterranean research base to go. And they aren't dug into the ice because that you know, melts.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2014 01:41
|
|
