Haven't uploaded since before Christmas but I will try to more often now, I was hoping to review more Arrow, Flash and Supergirl but I think they are not coming back to the UK until March. I have been looking forward to doing this Top 5 list because it is a shame I couldn't review this season of Falling Skies because I think it probably is my favourite because of it's darker tone. Though Season Three might be a close tie because I like the intro of the Volm in it and that the humans are more like a big superpower against the aliens, which they completely got rid of in Season Four. Anyway here is my top five for Season Two, SPOILERS.
5. Young Bloods
You know some of my favourite episodes of Falling Skies is when the focus is on Weaver because he is one be of best characters in my opinion. I liked this episode because Weaver had a really touching moment being reunited with his daughter who he thought was dead and it was nice to see some good come to Weaver. I also think this was Matt's first really good episode because he was starting to grow up rather than acting like a kid and he made a compelling argument against his father for wanting to fight. Plus the scene at the end with the Jeanne and her friends almost being harnessed was great and made for a good rescue mission to watch.
4. A More Perfect Union
You know this episode might have been higher but the let down that kept it here was that the take over of Charleston that was built up with a cliffhanger the last episode didn't really amount to anything. I wouldn't have minded seeing some fighting between the people of Charleston and the 2nd Mass plus I don't really like Bressler and he was an ass in this. However they are minor things because it was a satisfying conclusion of the Second Season with the raid on the Overlord at the end which included some great action and torture scenes which lead to the death of Dia and Red Eye. Plus the cliffhanger was really good with the introduction of the Volm (unnamed at this point) and kept me wondering until the Third Season whether they where enemies or not.
3. Love And Other Acts Of Courage
See when Ben isn't completely obsessed with one of Hal's girlfriends his episodes are some of the most entertaining. This episode gave us the introduction to the Skitter Rebellion with Red Eye and the return of Rick from the previous season. I think it was handled really well because Red Eye's backstory of the rebellion was compelling but the scepticism of the other characters kept me constantly second guessing everything. Like I said Ben was great in this because I liked how he kept sticking up for Red Eye and this was the start of his own mission separate of his family and the 2nd Mass.
2. The Price Of Greatness
Quite a different episode here because 2nd Mass has to deal with integrating with another society of humans and of course it didn't go so well. It was interesting seeing some of the members of 2nd Mass accepting this (like Weaver and Tector) while other had a harder time like Pope and the Mason Family. It gave us a break from the alien war to watch these opposing views and the most compelling of them was the ones between Tom and his former history professor Arthur Manchester. I enjoyed seeing Tom trying and convince Manchester and the rest of Charleston the importance of fighting rather than hiding. All in all while there was no action it had some really strong character moments and dialogue that I really enjoyed.
1. Molon Labe
The best episode of the entire season and one of the best in the series overall, I just loved this episode. It really tries to be scary with the reveal of thus Trojan Horse bugs that burst out of that member of 2nd Mass and started chasing the characters throughout the dark hospital. It also created a really hopeless situation with 2nd Mass trapped in the hospital but thanks to Tom really doing something unexpected by shooting an Overlord in the neck. All in all there was a lot of tension and dark moments in this episode that made it unforgettable, plus Pope was back with the main cast again.
And because I have too the worst episode of the season in my opinion was;
Homecoming
I got to tell you I just really dislike Karen in the series because I never really bought her as this enemy leader in Season Three but before that she had a really underwhelming return in this episode. You know I didn't need Pope to tell me she was actually a spy because it was just so obvious from the beginning, I never understood why anyone in the 2nd Mass bothered listening to her. In my Falling Skies reviews of the later seasons you know I hate the subplots that involve the love lives of Hal and Ben, well this episode was the very first one; they are both fighting for Karen like they do for Maggie in later seasons. I just do not like the rivalry that Falling Skies constantly creates between Hal and Ben because all of the time Hal just acts like a prick and Ben comes off as kind of pathetic when he could be the most interesting character because of the problems he faces being harnessed.
Showing posts with label SKITTERS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SKITTERS. Show all posts
Monday, 1 February 2016
Thursday, 10 December 2015
Top 5 Falling Skies Season One Episodes
Now I will move on to Falling Skies for my favourite episodes list (about time I got round to it too) but since each season only has 10 episodes I will do a top five. SPOILERS
5. Eight Hours
We start with the finale and I guess I should start off by saying why it is in fifth place and that is because I am slightly disappointed that the battle with Weaver's group against the Skitters was not shown. I accepted that Falling Skies doesn't have a big budget for massive battles and it's more subtle approach does work for it for however the battle was pretty hyped and we saw none of it. But on to what I did like and that is the battle between those who stayed behind at the school against the Mechs because we had a great gunfight and tense moment when Ben tried to stop them with the frequency and I also liked Weaver's speech when asking for volunteers and seeing who was willing to go. I liked that because while we saw none of the battle the build up for it was really good like also during the trip when Weaver decides to push on despite hearing of the other Masses being destroyed. Finally it ended the season on such a big twist and cliff hanger where Tom goes aboard the Overlord ship that made me impatient for the new season so I can see what happened lol.
4. The Armory
I just had to include the episode that introduced my favourite fictional character; John Pope! I mean this episode showed straight away just how much of a badass he is, from his attitude, finger necklace and how he tired to take the 2nd Mass's supplies. I also like the episode because it also addresses the importance of Military vs. the Civilians and I liked Tom and Weaver's opposing views on the subject and Tom's talk about it with Anne. The only thing I didn't like was Maggie because overall I just don't like her and her whole reason for going along with Pope's gang until now and then just suddenly switching sides.
3. Live and Learn
The first episode was a great start to Falling Skies; it may start six months after the alien invasion but does a great job of introducing us to the characters and the state of the world. It establishes Tom as the main character and I've always really liked Tom because he has always been just a really likable character (despite his change in Season Five), he is not military but I history professor just doing what he can do against the alien menace. I liked all of the other characters as well and the whole situation of 2nd Mass; just a group of survivors each with their own differences and views working together. This also showed that the show can have some great action scenes when it wants to and I liked that they didn't give us that much info on the Skitters, leaving some questions for later episodes.
2. Grace
A great action packed and interesting episode early on in the season which had Tom, Hal, Pope, Dai and Antony trying to find gasoline. I liked the dilemma the group was in, whether or not to kill the sleeping Skitters but Pope escapes just to do it anyway lol and also when the harnessed group attacked them with guns. They definitely should have done that more often because it put the group in a desperate situation when they where almost forced to shoot kids to escape. Anne also got a good subplot with her experiments with the captured Skitter which was interesting to watch and Ricky getting the harness ripped off him was cringe worthy.
1. What Hides Beneath
This episode had two big twists in it and a compelling story that makes it worthy of the number one spot, with the first twist being that the Skitter are commanded by the Overlords. This was great because we finally got to see some form of leadership structure within the alien invaders and changed the whole game for the humans because they thought it was just the Skitters. There is also the reveal Anne makes that the Skitters used to be harnessed children because now we know the real reason for the harness and that Ben wasn't out of danger yet. The great story that was with Weaver going back to his family house and almost giving up on the war. We also found out that he accidently killed his youngest daughter by removing her harnesses and has been separated from the rest of his family ever since; not only was this a more bleak and dark turn for Falling Skies but creates a lot of sympathy for Weaver's character. Finally I also liked the subplot of Pope being kind of like the inventor for 2nd Mass by building the bombs and making the anti - mech bullets.
You know I don't really dislike any episodes in the first season because I think it kept a steady pace throughout but if I had to pick a worst episode it would be;
Sanctuary (Part 2)
I actually really liked part one but the second part didn't have much of a payoff as I thought it would have because while it had some decent gun fights I was disappointed there was no massive shootout between 2nd Mass and 7th Mass. I just think that the 7th Mass where wasted potential as villains when they waste a lot of time trying to make us sympathise with some of it's members.
5. Eight Hours
We start with the finale and I guess I should start off by saying why it is in fifth place and that is because I am slightly disappointed that the battle with Weaver's group against the Skitters was not shown. I accepted that Falling Skies doesn't have a big budget for massive battles and it's more subtle approach does work for it for however the battle was pretty hyped and we saw none of it. But on to what I did like and that is the battle between those who stayed behind at the school against the Mechs because we had a great gunfight and tense moment when Ben tried to stop them with the frequency and I also liked Weaver's speech when asking for volunteers and seeing who was willing to go. I liked that because while we saw none of the battle the build up for it was really good like also during the trip when Weaver decides to push on despite hearing of the other Masses being destroyed. Finally it ended the season on such a big twist and cliff hanger where Tom goes aboard the Overlord ship that made me impatient for the new season so I can see what happened lol.
4. The Armory
I just had to include the episode that introduced my favourite fictional character; John Pope! I mean this episode showed straight away just how much of a badass he is, from his attitude, finger necklace and how he tired to take the 2nd Mass's supplies. I also like the episode because it also addresses the importance of Military vs. the Civilians and I liked Tom and Weaver's opposing views on the subject and Tom's talk about it with Anne. The only thing I didn't like was Maggie because overall I just don't like her and her whole reason for going along with Pope's gang until now and then just suddenly switching sides.
3. Live and Learn
The first episode was a great start to Falling Skies; it may start six months after the alien invasion but does a great job of introducing us to the characters and the state of the world. It establishes Tom as the main character and I've always really liked Tom because he has always been just a really likable character (despite his change in Season Five), he is not military but I history professor just doing what he can do against the alien menace. I liked all of the other characters as well and the whole situation of 2nd Mass; just a group of survivors each with their own differences and views working together. This also showed that the show can have some great action scenes when it wants to and I liked that they didn't give us that much info on the Skitters, leaving some questions for later episodes.
2. Grace
A great action packed and interesting episode early on in the season which had Tom, Hal, Pope, Dai and Antony trying to find gasoline. I liked the dilemma the group was in, whether or not to kill the sleeping Skitters but Pope escapes just to do it anyway lol and also when the harnessed group attacked them with guns. They definitely should have done that more often because it put the group in a desperate situation when they where almost forced to shoot kids to escape. Anne also got a good subplot with her experiments with the captured Skitter which was interesting to watch and Ricky getting the harness ripped off him was cringe worthy.
1. What Hides Beneath
This episode had two big twists in it and a compelling story that makes it worthy of the number one spot, with the first twist being that the Skitter are commanded by the Overlords. This was great because we finally got to see some form of leadership structure within the alien invaders and changed the whole game for the humans because they thought it was just the Skitters. There is also the reveal Anne makes that the Skitters used to be harnessed children because now we know the real reason for the harness and that Ben wasn't out of danger yet. The great story that was with Weaver going back to his family house and almost giving up on the war. We also found out that he accidently killed his youngest daughter by removing her harnesses and has been separated from the rest of his family ever since; not only was this a more bleak and dark turn for Falling Skies but creates a lot of sympathy for Weaver's character. Finally I also liked the subplot of Pope being kind of like the inventor for 2nd Mass by building the bombs and making the anti - mech bullets.
You know I don't really dislike any episodes in the first season because I think it kept a steady pace throughout but if I had to pick a worst episode it would be;
Sanctuary (Part 2)
I actually really liked part one but the second part didn't have much of a payoff as I thought it would have because while it had some decent gun fights I was disappointed there was no massive shootout between 2nd Mass and 7th Mass. I just think that the 7th Mass where wasted potential as villains when they waste a lot of time trying to make us sympathise with some of it's members.
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Falling Skies Season Five: Reborn
The final battle between the 2nd Mass and the Espheni begins in DC as the fate of the whole Human Race is on the line.
Wow I can't believe that this is not just a finale but the last Falling Skies on TV, this has been on for five years and I have enjoyed it and it is going to be difficult knowing there is no new season. As for this finale it was satisfying way to end the story and I will first go into the good points. Firstly all the of action; the attack of the Flying Skitters, the assault on Washington and the creepy moments we had with the eggs where really well done, the best parts of the episode. I also really enjoyed the seeing the Queen and I just loved her design so much it is a shame it was saved just for the finale, plus I liked that she could talk because Espenhi talking was one of the best parts of Season Four. What was weird though is that they talk about the Queen's daughter being killed on Earth before but they didn't go into as much detail as I thought, how did primitives beat the Eshpeni? But still Tom vs. the Queen overall was an exciting moment and the moment when Tom used the magic bullet while being sucked of blood was really awesome. Another great moment was the epilogue at the end with the time skip; I love these at the end of a story in any form (TV, film, books, games) because I like seeing a glimpse at what the characters are doing after everything they have been through.
As for everything else I knew that Pope was going to survive last episode but it didn't seem to matter because he dies in this one anyway! I am not going to hate on this as much as I would have (his death was done well and he settled some of his differences with Tom) but I wished the whole scene didn't feel squeezed into the episode and wish we had more time with Pope. I still wish Pope survived as a hero to fight in the final battle and not die a villain, R.I.P John Pope, you where one of my favourite fictional characters. However the stupidest thing in this episode, which I just shook my head at when I saw, was Anne's revival at the very end, talk about all of the Masons surviving this war unscratched! It was one of the silliest things I every saw I must admit; her death was supposed to have this huge emotional impact but it was almost like the writers thought "screw it we'll bring her back in the end". I mean Anne is a good character but I think that could have been a good way for her to go and her being pregnant felt like was added as an afterthought. Finally another stupid thing was Hal asking Maggie to marry him which just felt so forced and out of place, I thought the last few episodes indicated that they had gotten over each other (I mean Hal looked like he was with Isabella?) and they kind of mention it several times.
Overall despite some small issues the finale was really good and I am glad the story ended on a really happy and positive note. I am going to miss this show and I kind of wish they would do spin off or at least make some comics or novels based on this but the ending was so final so I guess that won't be happening.
SCORE: 7/10
Highlights: The action scenes/the moments in the tunnel
Tom vs. the Queen
The epilogue
Let - Downs: Pope's death and his short appearance felt squeezed into the episode
Anne's revival was so bloody stupid!
Hal proposing to Maggie
Wow I can't believe that this is not just a finale but the last Falling Skies on TV, this has been on for five years and I have enjoyed it and it is going to be difficult knowing there is no new season. As for this finale it was satisfying way to end the story and I will first go into the good points. Firstly all the of action; the attack of the Flying Skitters, the assault on Washington and the creepy moments we had with the eggs where really well done, the best parts of the episode. I also really enjoyed the seeing the Queen and I just loved her design so much it is a shame it was saved just for the finale, plus I liked that she could talk because Espenhi talking was one of the best parts of Season Four. What was weird though is that they talk about the Queen's daughter being killed on Earth before but they didn't go into as much detail as I thought, how did primitives beat the Eshpeni? But still Tom vs. the Queen overall was an exciting moment and the moment when Tom used the magic bullet while being sucked of blood was really awesome. Another great moment was the epilogue at the end with the time skip; I love these at the end of a story in any form (TV, film, books, games) because I like seeing a glimpse at what the characters are doing after everything they have been through.
As for everything else I knew that Pope was going to survive last episode but it didn't seem to matter because he dies in this one anyway! I am not going to hate on this as much as I would have (his death was done well and he settled some of his differences with Tom) but I wished the whole scene didn't feel squeezed into the episode and wish we had more time with Pope. I still wish Pope survived as a hero to fight in the final battle and not die a villain, R.I.P John Pope, you where one of my favourite fictional characters. However the stupidest thing in this episode, which I just shook my head at when I saw, was Anne's revival at the very end, talk about all of the Masons surviving this war unscratched! It was one of the silliest things I every saw I must admit; her death was supposed to have this huge emotional impact but it was almost like the writers thought "screw it we'll bring her back in the end". I mean Anne is a good character but I think that could have been a good way for her to go and her being pregnant felt like was added as an afterthought. Finally another stupid thing was Hal asking Maggie to marry him which just felt so forced and out of place, I thought the last few episodes indicated that they had gotten over each other (I mean Hal looked like he was with Isabella?) and they kind of mention it several times.
Overall despite some small issues the finale was really good and I am glad the story ended on a really happy and positive note. I am going to miss this show and I kind of wish they would do spin off or at least make some comics or novels based on this but the ending was so final so I guess that won't be happening.
SCORE: 7/10
Highlights: The action scenes/the moments in the tunnel
Tom vs. the Queen
The epilogue
Let - Downs: Pope's death and his short appearance felt squeezed into the episode
Anne's revival was so bloody stupid!
Hal proposing to Maggie
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Falling Skies Season Five: Reunion
Tom acquires a powerful new weapon for the final fight however an unexpected visitor turns up and Pope launches his attack on the 2nd Mass.
Can't believe that next week will be the finale of the entire Falling Skies series but no time for that now since I have to review this episode. First off the main plot point was the return of Lexi and I was both glad and disappointed; glad because I have always liked the character I just found the storyline in Season Four in Chinatown they gave her to be boring, disappointed because it is a bit of a repeat of the Marhsall Clone episode and it was obvious from the start she was a clone. However I did like the conflict she created by toying with the emotions of the Mason family like Anne and Tom but Matt was really good in it. Him dealing with the decision of bringing her back and justifying it to Hal made for some great scenes; I don't know about anyone else but I just get annoyed with Hal lately and want to punch him right in his smug damn face. All in all her return was handled really well, giving doubts to the 2nd Mass so close to the endgame and wanting you to wish it really was the real Lexi. The next big plot point was with the Dorina and while I am glad to know more about them and see them properly I find their magic bullet to be dues ex machina. I would have preferred the humans to think of their own plan to win rather than rely on an alien weapon that suddenly appeared but I did at least like the testing scenes with Marty and Anne.
As for everything else I did kind of like Pope's attack (good gunfight) on the 2nd Mass but it just felt so lacklustre in the end; it was over so quickly that I'm sure the 2nd Mass just treated it as a five minute inconvenience. Now this could either be because Pope actually survived the explosion and the writers have plans for him next week or they just didn't know what to do with him in the end. I hope it is the first one because this is POPE he just can't go out like this but I hope if he does come back it is for redemption. I will say again I would much prefer him surviving until the end fighting with the 2nd Mass than dying as a villain. Finally there is Ben's determination to get more intel on the Espheni which gives his character something better to do than cry over Maggie, it was like he was back to his old self where he was so important to the plot. The episode ended with an awesome shot of the flying Skitters attacking which should mean the finale will open up with a cool battle.
Overall a really good episode just before the finale, I am not going to put Pope's death in the Let - Downs because I'll save it for the finale if it is confirmed. Still finding out where the Queen is and Tom talking to the other Militia does get me excited for the final battle.
SCORE: 7/10
Highlights: The conflict Lexi Clone created with the Masons
Matt and Ben where real standouts
The action scene between Pope's gang and the 2nd Mass
Let - Downs: The magic bullet just arriving now to solve everything
Another clone so soon after the last one.
That was it for Pope's big attack?
Can't believe that next week will be the finale of the entire Falling Skies series but no time for that now since I have to review this episode. First off the main plot point was the return of Lexi and I was both glad and disappointed; glad because I have always liked the character I just found the storyline in Season Four in Chinatown they gave her to be boring, disappointed because it is a bit of a repeat of the Marhsall Clone episode and it was obvious from the start she was a clone. However I did like the conflict she created by toying with the emotions of the Mason family like Anne and Tom but Matt was really good in it. Him dealing with the decision of bringing her back and justifying it to Hal made for some great scenes; I don't know about anyone else but I just get annoyed with Hal lately and want to punch him right in his smug damn face. All in all her return was handled really well, giving doubts to the 2nd Mass so close to the endgame and wanting you to wish it really was the real Lexi. The next big plot point was with the Dorina and while I am glad to know more about them and see them properly I find their magic bullet to be dues ex machina. I would have preferred the humans to think of their own plan to win rather than rely on an alien weapon that suddenly appeared but I did at least like the testing scenes with Marty and Anne.
As for everything else I did kind of like Pope's attack (good gunfight) on the 2nd Mass but it just felt so lacklustre in the end; it was over so quickly that I'm sure the 2nd Mass just treated it as a five minute inconvenience. Now this could either be because Pope actually survived the explosion and the writers have plans for him next week or they just didn't know what to do with him in the end. I hope it is the first one because this is POPE he just can't go out like this but I hope if he does come back it is for redemption. I will say again I would much prefer him surviving until the end fighting with the 2nd Mass than dying as a villain. Finally there is Ben's determination to get more intel on the Espheni which gives his character something better to do than cry over Maggie, it was like he was back to his old self where he was so important to the plot. The episode ended with an awesome shot of the flying Skitters attacking which should mean the finale will open up with a cool battle.
Overall a really good episode just before the finale, I am not going to put Pope's death in the Let - Downs because I'll save it for the finale if it is confirmed. Still finding out where the Queen is and Tom talking to the other Militia does get me excited for the final battle.
SCORE: 7/10
Highlights: The conflict Lexi Clone created with the Masons
Matt and Ben where real standouts
The action scene between Pope's gang and the 2nd Mass
Let - Downs: The magic bullet just arriving now to solve everything
Another clone so soon after the last one.
That was it for Pope's big attack?
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Falling Skies Season Five: Non - Essential Personnel
The 2nd Mass leaves Chinatown to bring the fight to the Espheni while Tom tries to rescue Hal from Pope and his gang.
Well I got to say that this episode was better than the last one despite the fact that the story with Pope and Tom isn't going in a direction I would have liked. This is mainly because Colin Cunningham is such an amazing actor and he is really embracing the villain role now and makes for a really good one. I just think this would have been better for the early seasons because it feels like the show is going backwards now because I thought Tom and Pope had already moved past hating each other after Season Two? I would also have had an easier time accepting this if not for two reasons; first Tom being such a jerk these last few eps, sorry I just cannot side with him on this because he talked about the "greater good" but it does not apply to his family and he did cause Sara's death. Secondly Pope blames Tom getting lots of people killed yet he shot someone so he is just being a hypocrite, it would have been interesting if Pope actually ran a successful group and proved he was better than Tom as leader. As for everything else with this story I did like Isabella and her plan to free Hal and the action was cool at the end however Pope really needs to get better guards because Tom was all Big Boss sneaking in lol.
As for everything else the moments with Weaver an the 2nd Mass was great because Weaver got some more of the spotlight instead of the Masons and Pope for once. I like how Weaver said that Marty was similar to him and he would have become just like him if not for the 2nd Mass. This also touched upon the death of Weaver's daughters again and made for a really touching moment at the end, plus it is great to see 2nd Mass on the road again instead of stuck in Chinatown. It is a shame this subplot wasn't longer however it annoyed me that the damn love triangle was brought up again and if the preview is anything to go by Isabella is going to be thrown into the mix. I just do not care about this little subplot and I wish it was over already because I am getting tried tolerating it now. Also I just remembered Maggie wasn't in last weeks episode at all and she barely said anything in this one so how does she feel about Hal being kidnapped? It's like they forgot to include her reaction because they are focusing too much on her relationship with Ben.
Overall a more entertaining episode than the one last week and Tom being captured by the Hornet was a surprise that I am looking forward to seeing more of.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Pope is a good villain despite me wishing he wasn't
Good amount of action
Weaver's subplot with Marty
Let - Downs: Pope is just a bit of a hypocrite now
That damn love triangle
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Falling Skies Season Five: Hatchlings
2nd Mass discovers a massive enemy force so Tom, with the help of the Volm, makes contact with the other Militia around the world and prepares to strike back.
Really Falling Skies? Freaking really!!!! They just had to kill off Sara another great secondary character and who only in my last review I said should survive until the end with Pope. I'm sorry but this again is another example of Falling Skies just too afraid to off their main cast; now I do really like everyone one of the main cast but why does the show constantly kill off their well developed secondary characters for the dramatic death scene? Also with the way Pope reacted afterwards I can really see him rebelling now and for all I know that could get him killed at the end. I am not just saying this because he is my favourite character but the way Pope was, what he has been through and how he has changed I just really think he could be one of the characters who survived and had a happy ending in the finale. I know this is supposed to show us that Tom has changed but sacrificing someone else to complete the mission is going a bit too far me plus I bet if it was one of his family he would have went because I guess all of the Masons have got to survive. I know this is quite the rant but it did bother me and the only good thing about it is that Sara's death was done really well at least; it was a sad last moment between her and Pope.
As for everything else it is annoying the Hybrid Skitter subplot is over already because I thought it was going to be a big thing but the shooting and suicide at least was pretty damn dark. I did however enjoy the main plot of stopping the massive enemy force and Ben and Maggie brain diving into the Overlord was really cool; see I don't them working like that just keep the romance out of it. Now Anthony continues to get some spotlight which is great because his PTSD condition isn't something that has been touched before on the show and makes me wonder if he will turn against 2nd Mass. My guess is that he will join Pope's rebellion (from what I saw in the preview it is happening) which again bothers me because we already have had Tom vs. Pope in the previous seasons, I thought they have gotten past that now and became friends. Finally we get some light shed on the mysterious new alien race and finding out they probably are extinct makes me wonder if this is some kind of Overlord trick? One last thing even if I have to mark this episode down it is still better than Season Four because all of this season has been action packed and really damn gruesome. For example in this episode alone we got a murder/suicide, Sara's eaten legs and Anthony shooting that Overlord in the face. Now I don't need my shows to be always action packed to be entertaining but Season 4 for just so, so slow and I didn't really like much of the plots they had, mostly about Lexi.
Overall while this was still a great episode and we got a great reveal about the new aliens, Sara death does bother me because I found it to be uncalled for and the wrong direction for the show to take which could lead to Pope's death if he rebels.
SCORE: 6/10
Highlights: The main plot of stopping the enemy force
More info on the new aliens
Some good plot for Anthony
Let - Downs: Sara's death
Most likely Tom vs. Pope conflict soon
The Hybrid Skitter subplot didn't lead anywhere
Tom's change in personality went too far this episode
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Falling Skies Season Five: Hunger Pains
The second 2nd Mass now have to fend off the constant attacks by the Feral Skitters and deal with the crisis of a food shortage.
Wow, now this was one damn great episode for Falling Skies! Now to start off this episode was so action packed it was awesome thanks to the Feral Skitters attacking the 2nd Mass; I mean they where just fighting them throughout so it never stopped except for the end. The shootouts where cool and all of the actions scenes felt really intense with the shots of the hundreds of Skitters and them trying to force their way through the barrier. It also seems that 2nd Mass is continuing to take Tom's words to heart with Anthony torturing one of the Skitters which also brought a small conflict between Tom and Weaver. It is almost like their roles have been reversed since Season One because Weaver used to be more of the aggressive one, for example he tired to send the 2nd Mass on a hopeless mission without orders. So again I am liking that we get a change in Tom for the last season though of course it is through the influence of the new aliens who appeared to him in another vision. Now while I like suspense I do hope the show doesn't wait too long to reveal the true motive of the new aliens because I don't want them to barely have a role then take over all the final episode. Another standout during the fighting was Dingann who made that kick ass drone to stun the Skitters plus we got to learn a bit more about him. I do like his character since he is a useful inventor and I like his role but I hope this means he doesn't get killed off soon because I say again cool secondary characters get killed off all the time on this show to spare the main ones.
The other half of the story focused on the low food supply of the 2nd Mass and it was really interesting seeing starvation affect the characters because it hasn't been an issue before. We got to see how desperate the 2nd Mass got like the really cool and gruesome scene when someone ate part of a Skitter, did not expect that! We also got to see Pope, Sara, Maggie and Ben go on a food run which was also great because while I haven't cared much for Maggie and Ben lately it is great to see more of badass Pope and Sara. I am really liking the pairing between Pope and Sara because Pope has had his time as the detached guy from the group and this gives him someone to care for. This also makes me really want Pope to survive at the end (not just because he is my fav character) because after who he was and how much he has developed I think he deserves to be with Sara and settle in peace in new world if the Humans win. We also got to see another Human/Skitter hybrid and while it is a shame we didn't see more of it, it is not like it was the focus this episode anyway. Finally the fly at the end was really interesting and was probably a spy but I guess we will have to wait and see what the whole collection of flies and Skitters mean next episode. One more thing to say I am glad that damn love triangle took a back seat (with Pope and Sara even saying how silly it is) and it looks like Matt has a love interest now which I guess is alright because it gives his character more to do.
Overall I really can't find any fault myself with this episode; I enjoyed it all the way through, there wasn't any part that I disliked and unlike last episode a lot more characters got some spotlight. This one is probably one of the best episodes of Falling Skies in my opinion which makes me think I should do a top ten when this season is over.
SCORE: 10/10
Highlights: The constant attacks from the Feral Skitters
Starvation as an enemy
Great action scenes
Great character moments
Wow, now this was one damn great episode for Falling Skies! Now to start off this episode was so action packed it was awesome thanks to the Feral Skitters attacking the 2nd Mass; I mean they where just fighting them throughout so it never stopped except for the end. The shootouts where cool and all of the actions scenes felt really intense with the shots of the hundreds of Skitters and them trying to force their way through the barrier. It also seems that 2nd Mass is continuing to take Tom's words to heart with Anthony torturing one of the Skitters which also brought a small conflict between Tom and Weaver. It is almost like their roles have been reversed since Season One because Weaver used to be more of the aggressive one, for example he tired to send the 2nd Mass on a hopeless mission without orders. So again I am liking that we get a change in Tom for the last season though of course it is through the influence of the new aliens who appeared to him in another vision. Now while I like suspense I do hope the show doesn't wait too long to reveal the true motive of the new aliens because I don't want them to barely have a role then take over all the final episode. Another standout during the fighting was Dingann who made that kick ass drone to stun the Skitters plus we got to learn a bit more about him. I do like his character since he is a useful inventor and I like his role but I hope this means he doesn't get killed off soon because I say again cool secondary characters get killed off all the time on this show to spare the main ones.
The other half of the story focused on the low food supply of the 2nd Mass and it was really interesting seeing starvation affect the characters because it hasn't been an issue before. We got to see how desperate the 2nd Mass got like the really cool and gruesome scene when someone ate part of a Skitter, did not expect that! We also got to see Pope, Sara, Maggie and Ben go on a food run which was also great because while I haven't cared much for Maggie and Ben lately it is great to see more of badass Pope and Sara. I am really liking the pairing between Pope and Sara because Pope has had his time as the detached guy from the group and this gives him someone to care for. This also makes me really want Pope to survive at the end (not just because he is my fav character) because after who he was and how much he has developed I think he deserves to be with Sara and settle in peace in new world if the Humans win. We also got to see another Human/Skitter hybrid and while it is a shame we didn't see more of it, it is not like it was the focus this episode anyway. Finally the fly at the end was really interesting and was probably a spy but I guess we will have to wait and see what the whole collection of flies and Skitters mean next episode. One more thing to say I am glad that damn love triangle took a back seat (with Pope and Sara even saying how silly it is) and it looks like Matt has a love interest now which I guess is alright because it gives his character more to do.
Overall I really can't find any fault myself with this episode; I enjoyed it all the way through, there wasn't any part that I disliked and unlike last episode a lot more characters got some spotlight. This one is probably one of the best episodes of Falling Skies in my opinion which makes me think I should do a top ten when this season is over.
SCORE: 10/10
Highlights: The constant attacks from the Feral Skitters
Starvation as an enemy
Great action scenes
Great character moments
Monday, 11 August 2014
TV Series Review: Falling Skies Season Three
After this one I will be finally up to date on all for reviews for all the TV Series.
Season three takes place seven months after the arrival of a new alien race; The Volm. The Volm have been fighting their own war against the Espheni across the galaxy and have offered their help to the humans in the form of help technology and better defences against the Skitters/Mechs. Tom Mason has been elected the new President in Charleston and has managed to make a thriving community and with the help old and new allies, they are finally holding their own against the Espheni. However there are many who are unsure about the true intentions of the Volm and the Espheni have invented more subtle ways to strike.
This was a great season and I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and the stand out in this season by far is the Volm. Cochise (Doug Stones) has quickly become one of my favourite characters because of his helpful nature for the humans and the already friendly relationship with Tom. Unfortunately we barely see any other Volm apart from him throughout the season but luckily Cochise more than makes up for it and every time he and the other Volm had some screen time I just really wanted to see even more of them. We get a lot of background information and insight as the series progresses in why they help the Espheni, why are they helping the humans and their big overall plan but even I still questioned in whether or not they could really be trusted because even the Espheni try to turn Tom against them.
The old cast is just as good as ever, when I first heard that Tom was President I thought he would take a back seat but no he is still in the thick of it and Pope is still my favourite!! A great addition to the cast is Roger Kadar (Robert Sean Leonard) who is the resident scientist.
Now I want to go over several parts of season three that I think need to be addressed, some good and some bad. SPOILERS.
Episodes "Search and Recovery" and "Strange Brew": Two stand out episodes which are also two of my favourite. The first one mainly focuses on Tom and Pope who are stranded in the woods and need to make it back to Charleston. What I really liked about it was that we get to see a lot of interaction between Pope and Tom which I think they haven't had since season one and I think this was the start of them finally forming some sort of friendship (Which they seem to be now in episode three of season four).
The second episode is where Tom is trapped in an almost Matrix like reality where he is still a history professor before the invasion, his wife is alive and his friends are all teachers at the school he works, however the Espheni are using it to extract info from Tom. I really like episodes like this (like the one with Aaron in Revolution) because they are always a fun watch and we finally have Tom get some closure with the death of his wife since they barely brushed the subject in the previous seasons.
Hal the traitor: As seen at the end of season two Hal has been implanted with an insect that puts him under the control of the Skitters and they fully take over in episode six. Now this was a great episode but I really did not like how they dealt with it in the end. Hal almost commits suicide during it and there was a chance the removal of the insect could have killed him, neither of which happens. This really was a disappointment because I think the death of Hal would have had a major emotional impact on Tom which I think could have been great for creating a more darker tone for the show.
Think of it this way; out of everyone in Falling Skies, Tom's life has been alright in all these seasons. Sure he lost his wife but he still has his sons, he is President, remarried with new kid and he and his family always seem to make it in bad situations. Weaver seems to have had more than his fair share of loss during the invasion and I think Tom's character needed a big tragedy. Matt may have been to young to kill off, Ben is far too interesting but I think Hal has been developed enough that they could have sacrificed him. I do like his character but imagine the impact it could have had on Tom if he made the wrong choice during the operation.
Alexis: If I am honest I really like the Alexis as a little kid in this far more than what she has become in season four. Sure she had powers in this but they didn't go overboard and turn her in to some sort of stupid crazy cult leader yet. Would have been better if in season she stayed young like she is in this season instead of skipping a lot more years and they didn't have that sanctuary in Chinatown.
As for everything else about the show it was one really great season however the Skitters and the Espheni do take more of a back seat in favour of their insects doing to work for them. It is a shame because they introduced a new Mech design that looked really cool however the final two episodes where full of action and very fast paced, probably my favourite finale so far in the show.
Overall season two of Falling Skies is slightly better than season three because of it's more darker tone but it is still a very strong season and. I just think it should have had the guts to kill of Hal and I wish we saw more of the Espheni besides from Karen because like I mentioned before she is just not very good. However the Volm are a welcome addition and the clear stand outs which make up for some of this season's let downs.
SCORE: 8/10
Season three takes place seven months after the arrival of a new alien race; The Volm. The Volm have been fighting their own war against the Espheni across the galaxy and have offered their help to the humans in the form of help technology and better defences against the Skitters/Mechs. Tom Mason has been elected the new President in Charleston and has managed to make a thriving community and with the help old and new allies, they are finally holding their own against the Espheni. However there are many who are unsure about the true intentions of the Volm and the Espheni have invented more subtle ways to strike.
This was a great season and I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and the stand out in this season by far is the Volm. Cochise (Doug Stones) has quickly become one of my favourite characters because of his helpful nature for the humans and the already friendly relationship with Tom. Unfortunately we barely see any other Volm apart from him throughout the season but luckily Cochise more than makes up for it and every time he and the other Volm had some screen time I just really wanted to see even more of them. We get a lot of background information and insight as the series progresses in why they help the Espheni, why are they helping the humans and their big overall plan but even I still questioned in whether or not they could really be trusted because even the Espheni try to turn Tom against them.
The old cast is just as good as ever, when I first heard that Tom was President I thought he would take a back seat but no he is still in the thick of it and Pope is still my favourite!! A great addition to the cast is Roger Kadar (Robert Sean Leonard) who is the resident scientist.
Now I want to go over several parts of season three that I think need to be addressed, some good and some bad. SPOILERS.
Episodes "Search and Recovery" and "Strange Brew": Two stand out episodes which are also two of my favourite. The first one mainly focuses on Tom and Pope who are stranded in the woods and need to make it back to Charleston. What I really liked about it was that we get to see a lot of interaction between Pope and Tom which I think they haven't had since season one and I think this was the start of them finally forming some sort of friendship (Which they seem to be now in episode three of season four).
The second episode is where Tom is trapped in an almost Matrix like reality where he is still a history professor before the invasion, his wife is alive and his friends are all teachers at the school he works, however the Espheni are using it to extract info from Tom. I really like episodes like this (like the one with Aaron in Revolution) because they are always a fun watch and we finally have Tom get some closure with the death of his wife since they barely brushed the subject in the previous seasons.
Hal the traitor: As seen at the end of season two Hal has been implanted with an insect that puts him under the control of the Skitters and they fully take over in episode six. Now this was a great episode but I really did not like how they dealt with it in the end. Hal almost commits suicide during it and there was a chance the removal of the insect could have killed him, neither of which happens. This really was a disappointment because I think the death of Hal would have had a major emotional impact on Tom which I think could have been great for creating a more darker tone for the show.
Think of it this way; out of everyone in Falling Skies, Tom's life has been alright in all these seasons. Sure he lost his wife but he still has his sons, he is President, remarried with new kid and he and his family always seem to make it in bad situations. Weaver seems to have had more than his fair share of loss during the invasion and I think Tom's character needed a big tragedy. Matt may have been to young to kill off, Ben is far too interesting but I think Hal has been developed enough that they could have sacrificed him. I do like his character but imagine the impact it could have had on Tom if he made the wrong choice during the operation.
Alexis: If I am honest I really like the Alexis as a little kid in this far more than what she has become in season four. Sure she had powers in this but they didn't go overboard and turn her in to some sort of stupid crazy cult leader yet. Would have been better if in season she stayed young like she is in this season instead of skipping a lot more years and they didn't have that sanctuary in Chinatown.
As for everything else about the show it was one really great season however the Skitters and the Espheni do take more of a back seat in favour of their insects doing to work for them. It is a shame because they introduced a new Mech design that looked really cool however the final two episodes where full of action and very fast paced, probably my favourite finale so far in the show.
Overall season two of Falling Skies is slightly better than season three because of it's more darker tone but it is still a very strong season and. I just think it should have had the guts to kill of Hal and I wish we saw more of the Espheni besides from Karen because like I mentioned before she is just not very good. However the Volm are a welcome addition and the clear stand outs which make up for some of this season's let downs.
SCORE: 8/10
Sunday, 3 August 2014
TV Series Review: Falling Skies Season Two
Back with the review of Falling Skies Season Two, this review will contain a lot more spoilers than my review of season one.
The story picks up three months after Tom Mason boarded the Overlord ship and things are not looking too good for the Second Massachusetts. They have lost over half of the group, can not get in touch with any of the other Mass's and are constantly on the run from the Skitters. However Tom suddenly appears out of nowhere with barely any memory of what happened aboard the ship. The group continues to move on but hear of a well organized group of humans have set up a base at Charleston and journey there experience many hardships along the way.
Guess I will just come out and say it that this season is definitely better than season one! They have improved on a lot of things this season and I guess what has mostly helped is the darker tone they have this season has. Whether it is mass executions of Humans, character deaths or the constant feeling of desperation the Second Massachusetts has against the Overlords. I guess one thing that I criticize the first season for doing is having the school as a base of operations for the majority of it. While having a base is good for a post - apocalyptic genre I much prefer when the characters are constantly on the move and we get to see the ruined world (like I mentioned in my Revolution reviews)
Now when I said earlier that this season has a more darker tone than the original I definitely meant it because in this one they have the deaths of several characters, the most notable being Dai and Jimmy. While they are not major characters they were never just background characters either and their deaths were done really well. Also a lot more action and violence as been added probably to make up for the lack of much in season one; one of my favourite parts of this season for example was when the group decided to stay at a hospital for a while on the way to Charleston. Some great scenes were the Second Mass are defending themselves against the Skitters, Mechs and a new insect like enemy that attacks the insides of people. Overall the sense of safeness that the Second Mass had in the first season was almost gone in this one. Also as mentioned above the action is just overall bigger now than ever, straight from the first episode to the very end we get some great scenes of explosion and excellent gunfights .
Another one of my fav parts was near the end of the season and the group makes it to Charleston only to discover that it is not the haven they thought it was. Sure it is well organized and secure but one individual and old friend of Tom's, Arthur Manchester (Terry O'Quinn), thinks it is best just to hide from the enemy. In my opinion this replaces the dilemma presented in the first season of Soldiers vs. Civilians and was really interesting in seeing how the characters deal with the conflicting views.
As for the characters and Skitters I like them just as much as I did last season (Pope still being the best!) and I even like Weaver more in this since he works more with Tom than against him and realises that the civilians are not a bother to the Second Mass after all. However I really did not like the character Karen for the voice of the Overlord and I found the episode when she tricked her way in to Second Mass to be pointless and annoying. I also hated in that episode when she tired to pit Hal and Ben against each other because with all that is going on they can both be fooled like that. Also the Skitters got a lot more interesting in season when we find out that many are resisting the harness affects and want to overthrow the Overlords, creates a lot of infighting in the group on whether they could be trusted or not (got me wondering as well).
For stuff I did not like about this season, besides Karen and Maggie (as always!), I did not like the episode were Weaver found his daughter with a group of kids. I just do not like when I group of kids can manage to survive for ages in a post - apocalyptic environment and causes the Second Mass a lot of trouble, which they did at the end of the episode. I am also finding Tom's youngest son Matt to just keep getting more and more annoying because for some reason they are deciding to give him a more prominent role.
Overall this is a definite improvement over the last season in terms of more bigger action, darker tones and more expansive story such as getting to Charleston, dealing with Tom's arrival and destroying the massive Overlord weapon at the end. It is only let down by some annoying characters that luckily don't distract from the majority of the show and the lack of a major character death (will talk more in to this in my review of season three because there is some stuff about Hal I want to talk about, those who have watched it may know what I mean).
It also left the audience on a cliff hanger even more better than the end of season one; just when we think the Overlords are the only thing the Humans have to worry about a new species appears. That ending shot of the alien walking out of the pod in that arm was just so cool!
SCORE: 9/10
The story picks up three months after Tom Mason boarded the Overlord ship and things are not looking too good for the Second Massachusetts. They have lost over half of the group, can not get in touch with any of the other Mass's and are constantly on the run from the Skitters. However Tom suddenly appears out of nowhere with barely any memory of what happened aboard the ship. The group continues to move on but hear of a well organized group of humans have set up a base at Charleston and journey there experience many hardships along the way.
Guess I will just come out and say it that this season is definitely better than season one! They have improved on a lot of things this season and I guess what has mostly helped is the darker tone they have this season has. Whether it is mass executions of Humans, character deaths or the constant feeling of desperation the Second Massachusetts has against the Overlords. I guess one thing that I criticize the first season for doing is having the school as a base of operations for the majority of it. While having a base is good for a post - apocalyptic genre I much prefer when the characters are constantly on the move and we get to see the ruined world (like I mentioned in my Revolution reviews)
Now when I said earlier that this season has a more darker tone than the original I definitely meant it because in this one they have the deaths of several characters, the most notable being Dai and Jimmy. While they are not major characters they were never just background characters either and their deaths were done really well. Also a lot more action and violence as been added probably to make up for the lack of much in season one; one of my favourite parts of this season for example was when the group decided to stay at a hospital for a while on the way to Charleston. Some great scenes were the Second Mass are defending themselves against the Skitters, Mechs and a new insect like enemy that attacks the insides of people. Overall the sense of safeness that the Second Mass had in the first season was almost gone in this one. Also as mentioned above the action is just overall bigger now than ever, straight from the first episode to the very end we get some great scenes of explosion and excellent gunfights .
Another one of my fav parts was near the end of the season and the group makes it to Charleston only to discover that it is not the haven they thought it was. Sure it is well organized and secure but one individual and old friend of Tom's, Arthur Manchester (Terry O'Quinn), thinks it is best just to hide from the enemy. In my opinion this replaces the dilemma presented in the first season of Soldiers vs. Civilians and was really interesting in seeing how the characters deal with the conflicting views.
As for the characters and Skitters I like them just as much as I did last season (Pope still being the best!) and I even like Weaver more in this since he works more with Tom than against him and realises that the civilians are not a bother to the Second Mass after all. However I really did not like the character Karen for the voice of the Overlord and I found the episode when she tricked her way in to Second Mass to be pointless and annoying. I also hated in that episode when she tired to pit Hal and Ben against each other because with all that is going on they can both be fooled like that. Also the Skitters got a lot more interesting in season when we find out that many are resisting the harness affects and want to overthrow the Overlords, creates a lot of infighting in the group on whether they could be trusted or not (got me wondering as well).
For stuff I did not like about this season, besides Karen and Maggie (as always!), I did not like the episode were Weaver found his daughter with a group of kids. I just do not like when I group of kids can manage to survive for ages in a post - apocalyptic environment and causes the Second Mass a lot of trouble, which they did at the end of the episode. I am also finding Tom's youngest son Matt to just keep getting more and more annoying because for some reason they are deciding to give him a more prominent role.
Overall this is a definite improvement over the last season in terms of more bigger action, darker tones and more expansive story such as getting to Charleston, dealing with Tom's arrival and destroying the massive Overlord weapon at the end. It is only let down by some annoying characters that luckily don't distract from the majority of the show and the lack of a major character death (will talk more in to this in my review of season three because there is some stuff about Hal I want to talk about, those who have watched it may know what I mean).
It also left the audience on a cliff hanger even more better than the end of season one; just when we think the Overlords are the only thing the Humans have to worry about a new species appears. That ending shot of the alien walking out of the pod in that arm was just so cool!
SCORE: 9/10
Monday, 14 July 2014
TV Series Review: Falling Skies Season One
Now to review a series I have been promising to for ages; Falling Skies. I have really enjoyed this series and since season 4 is going to air in the UK tomorrow I thought it was about time to get to work on reviewing the previous seasons. These reviews will contain MAJOR spoilers for all three previous seasons, so it is advised bot to read this review until you have at least watched season one.
The story begins six months after the invasion by a mysterious alien race that managed to destroy every major city, wipe out the world's military and kill over 90% of the world's population. They have also been capturing every human between eight and eighteen and attaching a bio - mechanical device called a Harness on to their backs which puts the individual under their control. However groups of survivors consisting of those from all walks of life have banded together to fight back, one of the groups is the Second Massachusetts led by retired US Army Captain Dan Weaver (Will Patton). In the Second Massachusetts is a former Boston History Professor named Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) who has chosen to be a 'Fighter' so he can protect his sons and hopefully destroy the alien menace.
Those who have read my previous blog reviews know that I am a massive fan of the Post - Apocalypse genre (The Walking Dead, Revolution), I think it is one of the best genres for a book, film or TV Series. This is because I enjoy watching characters try and survive in a new dangerous world (The Walking Dead) or build a new society and the hardships they have to go through (Revolution). Falling Skies is more of the former but I also really like it because it brings aliens and huge science fiction elements in to it as well.
I guess I should say first that Falling Skies is a very, very character driven series more than anything else. It is not loaded down with massive amounts of gore or violence however this is not a bad thing, it has done it so well that it is one of the best series out there right now. For example because this is the beginning of the journey of the Second Massachusetts a recurring plot device is civilians vs. military. Second Massachusetts calls its solider personal Fighters, these are the people in the group who risk there lives to fight the aliens, scout out areas and protect everyone else and these Fighters aren't just people who were soldiers or cops, anyone can volunteer. The rest are the civilians who do not actively fight but instead chose to be doctors, cooks and perform other means of labour.
This brings a lot of infighting within the Second Massachusetts in this season on whether which group is more important. Tom for example may be a Fighter now but he sympathizes with the civilian's because he used to be a professor so we get to see both sides from him, meanwhile there is Weaver who used to be an Army Captain so he obviously feels the Fighters are a higher priority. It is just things like this for example that makes Falling Skies a really great watch.
We also have a suburb cast; Noah Wyle is perfect as the main protagonist, I admit I have not seen him in much before this but he is great and it is cool to see him constantly referring to battles with the aliens to wars in the past, thus using his background in history. We also have Will Patton and that guy has been great in everything I have seen him in and we have a great range of secondary characters such as Moon Bloodgood, Peter Shinkoda, Mpho Koaho and Tom Mason's three sons who are each in a different age group which I think was deliberate so we get to see how the youngest to the oldest deal with the aliens. The most interesting in this season out of the three by far is Ben Mason because of the harness attached to his back and the effects it is having on him.
However an honourable mention I have to give is Colin Cunningham as John Pope the former badass leader of a group of rebels who joins the Second Massachusetts. Colin Cunningham has always been one of my favourite actors and he absolutely kills it as Pope because he is so cool in every scene he is in, either when its killing the aliens or arguing with Tom. I can honestly say that John Pope is my favourite TV series character even more than Miles Matheson (Revolution) or Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones).
Now as for the aliens they have been dubbed the Skitters by the Second Massachusetts because of their multiple legs and how fast they move with them. Their design is really cool, similar to insects, and they prove to be quite the formable foe against the humans. They also have advanced technology such as ships and giant Mechas which is cool to see because I am so used to seeing them in anime and the special effects used for them are awesome. We also get their mysterious Overlords, stick thin leaders who command the Skitters and they have got a pretty creepy design almost like the Slender man. Overall we have a really great adversary for the human race that and as the episode progress we get more and more answers about them.
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL EPISODES BELOW
If I had to find some faults to this season is that even though I mentioned that it is alright that this series is not loaded down with violence I do wish they had a bit more sometimes. For example while we get some great battles there is much build up to a final battle that Weaver is leading to blow up a Skitter base however it happens completely off screen so that was a tad annoying. Also I find Sarah Carter's character Maggie to be completely annoying, everything from what she does to her stupid backstory but still every show has one character that you absolutely can't stand. I also admit that some may find this a little slow sometimes (I didn't but I read that some might) just remember that this is the first season and every first season in almost every show with just ten episodes a season is more to do establishing the world, story and characters.
However while I was annoyed that the massive battle with Weaver this season did end on a high note; it seems more grim for the Second Massachusetts than ever and Tom went on board an Overlord space craft. While major cliff hangers can be so frustrating at times this one was done just right because it made me really look forward to second season.
There you have it a great science fiction drama that I think many people from lots of ages groups can enjoy. This season really did a great job of setting up Falling Skies as something that is going to be big and seeing as we are on season four now that just proves my point.
SCORE: 7/10
I admit it is a bit weird doing a review of season one now that season four is out but I will try to write the review for two and three has quick as I can so that I can at least review season four straight way when it is finished.
The story begins six months after the invasion by a mysterious alien race that managed to destroy every major city, wipe out the world's military and kill over 90% of the world's population. They have also been capturing every human between eight and eighteen and attaching a bio - mechanical device called a Harness on to their backs which puts the individual under their control. However groups of survivors consisting of those from all walks of life have banded together to fight back, one of the groups is the Second Massachusetts led by retired US Army Captain Dan Weaver (Will Patton). In the Second Massachusetts is a former Boston History Professor named Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) who has chosen to be a 'Fighter' so he can protect his sons and hopefully destroy the alien menace.
Those who have read my previous blog reviews know that I am a massive fan of the Post - Apocalypse genre (The Walking Dead, Revolution), I think it is one of the best genres for a book, film or TV Series. This is because I enjoy watching characters try and survive in a new dangerous world (The Walking Dead) or build a new society and the hardships they have to go through (Revolution). Falling Skies is more of the former but I also really like it because it brings aliens and huge science fiction elements in to it as well.
I guess I should say first that Falling Skies is a very, very character driven series more than anything else. It is not loaded down with massive amounts of gore or violence however this is not a bad thing, it has done it so well that it is one of the best series out there right now. For example because this is the beginning of the journey of the Second Massachusetts a recurring plot device is civilians vs. military. Second Massachusetts calls its solider personal Fighters, these are the people in the group who risk there lives to fight the aliens, scout out areas and protect everyone else and these Fighters aren't just people who were soldiers or cops, anyone can volunteer. The rest are the civilians who do not actively fight but instead chose to be doctors, cooks and perform other means of labour.
This brings a lot of infighting within the Second Massachusetts in this season on whether which group is more important. Tom for example may be a Fighter now but he sympathizes with the civilian's because he used to be a professor so we get to see both sides from him, meanwhile there is Weaver who used to be an Army Captain so he obviously feels the Fighters are a higher priority. It is just things like this for example that makes Falling Skies a really great watch.
We also have a suburb cast; Noah Wyle is perfect as the main protagonist, I admit I have not seen him in much before this but he is great and it is cool to see him constantly referring to battles with the aliens to wars in the past, thus using his background in history. We also have Will Patton and that guy has been great in everything I have seen him in and we have a great range of secondary characters such as Moon Bloodgood, Peter Shinkoda, Mpho Koaho and Tom Mason's three sons who are each in a different age group which I think was deliberate so we get to see how the youngest to the oldest deal with the aliens. The most interesting in this season out of the three by far is Ben Mason because of the harness attached to his back and the effects it is having on him.
However an honourable mention I have to give is Colin Cunningham as John Pope the former badass leader of a group of rebels who joins the Second Massachusetts. Colin Cunningham has always been one of my favourite actors and he absolutely kills it as Pope because he is so cool in every scene he is in, either when its killing the aliens or arguing with Tom. I can honestly say that John Pope is my favourite TV series character even more than Miles Matheson (Revolution) or Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones).
Now as for the aliens they have been dubbed the Skitters by the Second Massachusetts because of their multiple legs and how fast they move with them. Their design is really cool, similar to insects, and they prove to be quite the formable foe against the humans. They also have advanced technology such as ships and giant Mechas which is cool to see because I am so used to seeing them in anime and the special effects used for them are awesome. We also get their mysterious Overlords, stick thin leaders who command the Skitters and they have got a pretty creepy design almost like the Slender man. Overall we have a really great adversary for the human race that and as the episode progress we get more and more answers about them.
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL EPISODES BELOW
If I had to find some faults to this season is that even though I mentioned that it is alright that this series is not loaded down with violence I do wish they had a bit more sometimes. For example while we get some great battles there is much build up to a final battle that Weaver is leading to blow up a Skitter base however it happens completely off screen so that was a tad annoying. Also I find Sarah Carter's character Maggie to be completely annoying, everything from what she does to her stupid backstory but still every show has one character that you absolutely can't stand. I also admit that some may find this a little slow sometimes (I didn't but I read that some might) just remember that this is the first season and every first season in almost every show with just ten episodes a season is more to do establishing the world, story and characters.
However while I was annoyed that the massive battle with Weaver this season did end on a high note; it seems more grim for the Second Massachusetts than ever and Tom went on board an Overlord space craft. While major cliff hangers can be so frustrating at times this one was done just right because it made me really look forward to second season.
There you have it a great science fiction drama that I think many people from lots of ages groups can enjoy. This season really did a great job of setting up Falling Skies as something that is going to be big and seeing as we are on season four now that just proves my point.
SCORE: 7/10
I admit it is a bit weird doing a review of season one now that season four is out but I will try to write the review for two and three has quick as I can so that I can at least review season four straight way when it is finished.
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