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Things I learned watching Terra Nova: (1) Whether it’s 200 years in the future or in the primordial past, white guys are still in charge. (2) Relatedly, they get away with shit no one else could. (3) Relatedly, American TV is still obsessed with a certain kind of rebel—guy breaks out of prison and breaks into a system that is the last best hope of humanity and, if queuing were not observed, would quickly be overwhelmed, but it’s cool ‘cause he really loves his family (presumably others don’t?). (4) Relatedly, the entry to the narrative had to be Rebel White Guy Who Isn’t Supposed To Be There, because you couldn’t possibly have a drama about people who qualified for their positions on the outpost of humanity—oh wait, his wife did do that, as did everyone else.
And he had to get there by the stupidest method possible. At two key points, nobody in security does what they should’ve done, which was to shoot him; also, at the first of those key points, his wife and children stop to watch him, thus holding up the line of people escaping the horrible future to get to their their new utopia. This somehow neither angers anyone else waiting behind them nor cues the security folks in to the fact that they have a real problem on their hands. Oh, and also, when he does punch out the security guys he pushes through to the portal with no problem, again because these highly qualified and motivated people are apparently indifferent to an obvious threat pushing past them. And then later there’s the most ludicrous example of “let’s pause the narrative to have a Serious Relationship Talk complete with Extended Parting Glances even though we’re in the middle of a life-threatening crisis in which every second counts” I’ve seen in a while, not least because the dozens of military personnel struggling to get the show on the road do not interrupt it to tell the characters to get their asses in gear, I guess because they recognize its emotional importance? Now I really want some sort of metanarrative that explicitly acknowledges the protection conferred by carrying the Protagonist Stick--not just on the protagonist but on the people (s)he is about to go out to rescue, allowing the protagonist to stop for coffee as well as Serious Relationship Talks.
You know, I think I might have talked myself out of waiting for episode 2. We’ll see if I run out of things to watch while exercising. I did like the older daughter’s geekitude, though I didn’t like that she thought it made her unattractive to the hot guy in range.
And he had to get there by the stupidest method possible. At two key points, nobody in security does what they should’ve done, which was to shoot him; also, at the first of those key points, his wife and children stop to watch him, thus holding up the line of people escaping the horrible future to get to their their new utopia. This somehow neither angers anyone else waiting behind them nor cues the security folks in to the fact that they have a real problem on their hands. Oh, and also, when he does punch out the security guys he pushes through to the portal with no problem, again because these highly qualified and motivated people are apparently indifferent to an obvious threat pushing past them. And then later there’s the most ludicrous example of “let’s pause the narrative to have a Serious Relationship Talk complete with Extended Parting Glances even though we’re in the middle of a life-threatening crisis in which every second counts” I’ve seen in a while, not least because the dozens of military personnel struggling to get the show on the road do not interrupt it to tell the characters to get their asses in gear, I guess because they recognize its emotional importance? Now I really want some sort of metanarrative that explicitly acknowledges the protection conferred by carrying the Protagonist Stick--not just on the protagonist but on the people (s)he is about to go out to rescue, allowing the protagonist to stop for coffee as well as Serious Relationship Talks.
You know, I think I might have talked myself out of waiting for episode 2. We’ll see if I run out of things to watch while exercising. I did like the older daughter’s geekitude, though I didn’t like that she thought it made her unattractive to the hot guy in range.
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While I didn't dislike it quite that much, I did have a few of the same objections. I also really feel like Jurassic Park + Outcasts = Terra Nova, which seems awfully redundant, and too close to when Outcasts aired (here in the US; no idea when it aired UK) to be a good idea.
My hubby likes it so far ('cause he's a big CGI & dinosaur geek; doesn't care much about the storytelling) so I may get stuck watching it-- at least for a few more episodes; I promised to give it a 4-6 ep chance before making my final decision.
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I hope you see something good soon in recompense.