S02.E07: 1988

[AnimeMania]

Mid-Season Finale

A reunited Harris family leads the effort to rescue Caroline and stop the sinkholes from happening, only to face forces that threaten to tear their family apart. With Lucas’ life on the line, Ty accepts a challenge to win his friend a cure.

Premiere Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2022        9pm     NBC    

Next New Episode: January 31 (Still need confirmation)

[KaveDweller]

So, I know the whole point of the show is being in 10,000 BC, so they had to get everyone back. But, don't these people watch spy movies? You can totally fake a handprint to get past biometric security. Easiest way is probably to chop off Gavin's hand and have Caroline take it with him, but there are ways to copy a fingerprint on a fake hand if Gavin doesn't want to do. They've done it in lots of movies. But personally, I'd rather lose a hand and be stuck in 1988 then be stuck in 10,000 BC forever and put my family at risk. 

Is Levi off the show?

Also, Ty wants to marry Paara? Haven't they known each other for like a week? And it's not like there is a government to legally recognize a marriage, so what would even be the point?

Glad Lucas is okay. For now.

[Frozendiva]

Scotch tape can work on transferring a fingerprint.

The mismatched fight was stupid. Of course one ingredient was forgotten. Get it in writing. The words mean zilch. Stoner Guy was dumb.

Eve chooses Gavin? The guilt will be bad. Levi is stuck in 1988?

Wonder how expensive the rights to the U2 song were.

[iMonrey]

When they first started talking about a virus I thought I must have missed something. There's a virus now? What else are they going to throw into this show? Zombies? An asteroid, perhaps? 

Oh - it's a computer virus that will shut down the portal in 10,000 BC. But - why did Caroline have to go to 1988 to create such a virus? They barely had computers then. Wouldn't it have made more sense for her to go back to her own time, or 2022? Or just stay in the tower in 10,000 BC? They seem to have pretty high tech there. And how did they know where the hell Caroline was to rescue her?

Speaking of the tower, have we established why the Exiles are mining Unobtainium for the Tower people? What do they get out of the deal? And the tower people are apparently OK with them using slave labor to mine this crap? It's not as if there's a limitless supply of people to capture and work those mines. 

Hand to hand combat? Sure, why not. Married? Sure, why not. Hope Paara has a good divorce lawyer.

When Izzy said she missed Josh and he said he wished he had that on tape I wondered if someone Josh's age would even know what "tape" is. 

I get why Gavin and his family chose to go back to 10,000 BC (in theory) but why did Sam and Riley sign up? They have less chance of seeing their family (whoever they are) again in 10,000 BC than they do in 1988.

Man, this show is a mess. Why can't network TV do decent Sci Fi?

[Taget]

A few things.

First we know the area around LA is going to have more, worse sink holes.  So first priority should be to get yourselves and even if you are going to play hero your kids outside of LA.  Going to Denver.  No sink holes, no tidal waves.  And maybe keep them away from where the bad guys are?

Second Doctor dad wants pre-med daughter to go back with him to 10,000 BC.  Wouldn't it be better to have happy memories of your daughter and wife who are safe in 2020 (or whenever) and with your daughter and yourself who are save in 1988.  I know if you watch New Jack City you would think the 1980s were a pretty dangerous and scary time.  But I don't think of those characters would volunteer to jump down a sink hole into 10,000 BC.  Because it is WAY more dangerous  and they aren't idiots.

Third dad from the future (and past) wants to save his family.  Great.  Not going to order you a Father of the Year mug (or I guess in 10,000 BC boar skull) just yet.  But good start.  But let us think things through a little bit.  Going back to 10,000 BC.  We have already gone through why it's a bad place to bring the family on a vacation.  So we'll put that aside for a second.

What is the best case scenario of that computer virus plan working?  Well you have the smartest people from around 2070 AD in 10,000 BC with substantial technology stuck there.  They have advanced technology and even if they have to wipe the memory of their computers and can never be able to get back to the future pretty advanced technology for the period.  They are going to have kids and interbreed with the local population both native and those of "sky people" in origin.  Maybe they make themselves the master race for a bit or even end up being made mince meat.  But the trajectory is what it always is in such situations.  Integration.  Meaning we're in for a future where say the Caral-Supe conquer China and the Algonquins conquer Western Europe.  Meaning the Harris and Velez family cease to exist.

Probably the best scenario for that family is for super scientist dad figures out the kinks of his experiments and removes all the history changing stuff from the past before it does too much damage.

And probably the best case scenario for the rest of us is all the settlers die and somehow an ancient volcano or earthquake destroys anything that can advance technology for the native population.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Taget

[MyArchangel]

I don't think Levi got shot by anyone, I think he shot himself. I think he knew that Eve was still in love with Gavin that was different from how she felt about him. Don't think most husbands would have been as forgiving with him as Gavin was. There wasn't anyone else in the warehouse nor around outside of it to shoot him. I also didn't hear two gunshots going off. Glad that he decided to stay in 1988 and that Gavin and family went back down to try and stop these sinkholes but I get the feeling from his mother's interactions with everyone she still hasn't told the whole story of just who Gavin's dad is and why he is so dangerous. Glad that Ty beat Tammet but I have to wonder how long Tammet will allow Paara to stay with him? The whole Lucas/Veronica friendship/romance, eh. 

[Msample]

That "fight" between Paara's husband and Ty was like a poor mans Viper vs The Mountain. 

[Dowel Jones]

Worst fight sequence ever.

Once again our intrepid heroes launch themselves into a sinkhole without even a smidgeon of gear to take back to 10K BC.  Except for the ATV, I guess.  

I still fail to see how a sinkhole opening in the ocean will cause massive amounts of water to flow onto land.

[Cobb Salad]

Of course they were going back to 10000 BC as a family.  I’m not sure if I missed something but why would Gavin’s father design something that has security attached to it that only he and his young son could activate?  Maybe that’s why Silas took Isaiah away?

A few episodes ago when Riley and Josh were planning to go through the Hollywood sign sinkhole but needed to sneak past security - now the only security seemed to be the bad guys sent by Gavin’s father.  I guess the 1988 LA police lost interest, lol.  

So this is it until the end of January - coming attractions indicate Josh didn’t make it to 10000 BC with the rest.  Oh noes what happened?  Maybe there was a wolf in the sinkhole at the same time that took a big bite out of him, 🤣🤣🤣

[Frozendiva]

2 hours ago, Cobb Salad said:

So this is it until the end of January - coming attractions indicate Josh didn’t make it to 10000 BC with the rest.  Oh noes what happened?  Maybe there was a wolf in the sinkhole at the same time that took a big bite out of him, 🤣🤣🤣

Chekhov’s Wolf. Introduce in Act 1 and use by Act 4.

[Lethallyfab]

You can’t have a love triangle if one of the participants is stuck in another time period, so I’m glad that’s finally resolved.  Or so I hope.

[peachmangosteen]

18 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Is Levi off the show?

I sure hope so lol.

This was the worst episode and that is truly saying something with this show. I laughed a lot though, which is what I hope for so there's that. Still not sure if I'll come back for part 2 though. We'll see if I have anything else to watch by then.

[Cobb Salad]

25 minutes ago, Lethallyfab said:

You can’t have a love triangle if one of the participants is stuck in another time period, so I’m glad that’s finally resolved.  Or so I hope.

I hope so too.  There was no reason as far as I can see that Levi had to go to 1988 in the first place.  If he hadn’t gone through the portal to 1988 we’d be picking up that triangle again later.  Now on to the new triangle with Ty, Paara and what’s his name who Scott let escape.  

[Artsda]

I rather Levi stay and Gavin be gone. They talk about type of husband he was and all the drinking. Alcoholism doesn't just go away, I guess nothing for him to drink in  10000BC but the way they just pretend like all that just went away with the excuses of the visions being real isn't right to me. 

He saw Eve dead? So logical thing would be to make her stay in 1988 so that doesn't happen, instead he lies says it's nothing just to keep her.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I don't think Levi got shot by anyone, I think he shot himself.

Being on this show? Who can blame him?

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, Cobb Salad said:

Of course they were going back to 10000 BC as a family.  I’m not sure if I missed something but why would Gavin’s father design something that has security attached to it that only he and his young son could activate?

And also, HOW would he design that? Child Isaiah's handprint would be much smaller than adult Gavin's, so he couldn't have taken an imprint then. And handprint's aren't genetic, so it's not like Gavin has the same handprint as his father. If it was just DNA, that I could understand, but I guess that wouldn't have forced Gavin to return.

[Suzysite]

I was yelling at the idiots to grab some food, some medical supplies, change of clothes, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes...something, before leaping into the sinkhole.  This show is so stupid it makes me twitchy.

[circumvent]

On 11/15/2022 at 10:46 PM, KaveDweller said:

Also, Ty wants to marry Paara? Haven't they known each other for like a week? And it's not like there is a government to legally recognize a marriage, so what would even be the point?

To me, that's the one thing in this show I cannot swallow. I can watch this whole shit show for laughs but the idea that in 10,000BC the concept of marriage as a legal avenue existed is too ridiculous, even for this show. Besides, two adults don't really need a reason to just go to a corner and have sex, then live together. Why do they need a legal concept? to combine their individual taxes? This makes me think that the creators of this show are a bunch of fundamentalists that need to insert "family values" in every single pathetic plot they develop.

I haven't watched it yet so what's the deal? Ty is fighting the "husband" to force him to get a divorce? Maybe they will go through a portal where the the norm is the legality of the institution and cross back so everyone is not only legal, but pure and following the teachings of god - because obviously, the magical powerful god was totally thinking about lawyers when it "created" life 🤮

[nokat]

On 11/15/2022 at 8:00 PM, Frozendiva said:

Wonder how expensive the rights to the U2 song were.

That was the most interesting part of the show. How much for the U2 song that I enjoyed more than the show?

[Cobb Salad]

3 hours ago, Suzysite said:

I was yelling at the idiots to grab some food, some medical supplies, change of clothes, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes...something, before leaping into the sinkhole.  This show is so stupid it makes me twitchy.

Maybe they’re planning to take advantage of all the amenities at that tower after they help Gavin’s mother with that computer virus? 🤣🤣🤣 yeah, grab some supplies already.  

2 hours ago, circumvent said:

I haven't watched it yet so what's the deal? Ty is fighting the "husband" to force him to get a divorce?

He knew how to treat the injuries Lucas sustained when they were fighting the guards at that tower.  I don’t think the intent was for a divorce to take place.  
 

[Amy Beth]

I guess it was too much for Scott to make it through the season unscathed. 
 

He sees his friend getting better, but decides to take the word of someone who has every reason to lie. Why not go back and monitor Lucas’ miracle cure before letting Taamet go?

Edited November 17, 2022 by Amy Beth

[iMonrey]

Quote

I guess it depends how it works. If your whole handprint has to match, then a bigger hand wouldn't line up. But if it just needs to match 5 fingerprints and it doesn't matter if they are in a certain spot, it could work.

I interpreted it to mean it was a DNA thing if the only two people with access were Gavin and his father. How the scanner reads DNA from a handprint I dunno, but they do have 2070 technology. 🙄

[North of Eden]

Were they actively trying to get us to despise the Harris family?

I could not believe that not damn one of them stopped for a second to say, "But what about our friends in 10,000 BC?"  They were going to completly and cheerfully abandon them to go off and live and be merry in 1988 without a second thought about stranding everyone in the clearing. That was wrong...just wrong.

So zero security or police precense at the sink hole? The 2022 one was crawling with them.

The barbarian husband...can't remember his name at the second...something tells me he will eventually become an anti-hero and perhaps even a friend to the clearing folk. You usually don't cast a good looking dude like that as a villain.  We'll see..

[shapeshifter]

On 11/16/2022 at 12:39 PM, Msample said:

That "fight" between Paara's husband and Ty was like a poor mans Viper vs The Mountain. 

Not familiar. Which one was played by Jason Mamoa?😉

[Taget]

13 hours ago, North of Eden said:

I could not believe that not damn one of them stopped for a second to say, "But what about our friends in 10,000 BC?"  They were going to completly and cheerfully abandon them to go off and live and be merry in 1988 without a second thought about stranding everyone in the clearing. That was wrong...just wrong.

What about when it's explained to the clearing folk that there is a way out of 10,000 BC but the Harris family & co came back personally to make sure every one of them is stuck in 10,000 BC.  I am sure everyone in the clearing will volunteer for the cause.  Sad thing?  I am sure that is what the writers of the show are going to make everyone in the clearing do!

[circumvent]

On 11/17/2022 at 1:29 PM, Cobb Salad said:

 I don’t think the intent was for a divorce to take place.  

the divorce part was ironic. They are in 10,000 BC, I don't think divorce is part of the societal norms of that time. 

Ty and Paara deciding to "get married" was so ridiculous, I sneered out loud, with a "c'mon" right after. They are having sex, why come up with legal agreements? What are they going to do? Go to the City Hall to get a license? Besides, if they use the concept of marriage, Paara does need to divorce her husband first. One cannot go without the other.  I was totally expecting to see wine glasses on that scene 🙄

Speaking of Paara, the props department of this show needs to be fired and replaced. The braids on her hair are a completely different color and look exactly what they are - cheap fakes

What is with people hugging strangers as if they are a happy family? Caroline had virtually no relationship with Gavin. Why the hug? The director could have made that a little awkward and clumsy. A grown son that you never really raised all of a sudden shows up and you are mommy again? Besides, that actress is really bad, unless she is playing someone who doesn't really have feelings. No questions about the son's life, nothing. No interest in the human being, only on the task. I don't care if they are saving Santa Monica, a mother would show some, I don't know, feelings for her son?

I don't really care if they go back to 10,000 BC or stay in 1988. I guess they have to go back to keep the sow going and in 1988 they would not have identification or record of existing, it would be impossible to stay. Of course, that wasn't even raised as an issue. What ticks me is how they all were so cool jumping into an abyss. I mean, it is an abyss and there was no hesitation whatsoever. 

Shy does the acting and the directing have to be so bad? I can enjoy the bullshit of the writing, it is fun and laughable. But they could at least make an effort ot remain entertaining. They are acting as if this is a serious show, not a sci-fi comedy. It is a sci-fi comedy, right? 

[brisbydog]

This show is horrible. Writing, acting, characters, plot. It wants to be Lost but it's no Lost

[iMonrey]

Quote

I could not believe that not damn one of them stopped for a second to say, "But what about our friends in 10,000 BC?"  They were going to completly and cheerfully abandon them to go off and live and be merry in 1988 without a second thought about stranding everyone in the clearing.

Eh, I think that's the least of the show's problems. I mean, what "friends" do they have back in 10,000 BC? Ty? Scott? Veronica? Lucas? They literally just met them. 

From they way the story is presented, if they do nothing and remain in 1988, the sinkholes will continue and eventually the earth will be destroyed. The only way to prevent it is if Gavin goes back and uses his special handprint to stop this from happening. But that means he'd be stranded in 10,000 BC along with everyone else already there. OK, so why does the entire family decide to go with him, plus Riley and Sam? That makes zero sense. Eve doesn't even seem to know whether she wants to be with Gavin or Levi. 1988 is preferable to 10,000 BC any way you slice it.

[Taget]

On 11/21/2022 at 7:18 PM, brisbydog said:

This show is horrible. Writing, acting, characters, plot. It wants to be Lost but it's no Lost

Wanting to be Lost isn't necessarily a bad thing.  The show From on Epix wants to be Lost.  And that show so far captures many of Lost's best elements.  Doing Lost badly is of course bad.  But to be honest I'm not sure I'd compare to this to Lost.  But what should one compare it to?

Maybe Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure?  Except the acting, character development, story, and even special effects were better in Bill & Ted.

Same thing could be said about Planet of the Apes.  Both the classic and the needless remake.  So maybe Misty Mundae's spoof, Play-Mate of the Apes?

Or perhaps I should compare it to one of those remakes that tries to be nonsensically darker and grittier than the original.  This being the Flint Stones if they tried to put in a backstory for the advanced stone age technology and had Fred, Wilma, Pepples, and Bam Bam come from 2020.

[shapeshifter]

4 minutes ago, Taget said:

Or perhaps I should compare it to one of those remakes that tries to be nonsensically darker and grittier than the original.  This being the Flint Stones if they tried to put in a backstory for the advanced stone age technology and had Fred, Wilma, Pepples, and Bam Bam come from 2020

You forgot Barney Rubble for the love triangle.

[TV Anonymous]

Let us stay in 1988 as a family! Yay! Even though we do not the small things like... all civil documentation? No job, no money, no home, not a single credential to prove who they are, their civil status, their academic or professional credential. But hey, if it is on TV who needs those pesky things, amirite?

[pezgirl7]

On 11/27/2022 at 6:22 PM, TV Anonymous said:

Let us stay in 1988 as a family! Yay! Even though we do not the small things like... all civil documentation? No job, no money, no home, not a single credential to prove who they are, their civil status, their academic or professional credential. But hey, if it is on TV who needs those pesky things, amirite?

I think a lot people would choose to start over and at least have a chance of a good, safe, life. Not much different than the migrants who come to the US seeking a better life. If I had my loved ones with me, I’d definitely choose modern times over 10,000 BC.

[TV Anonymous]

11 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

I think a lot people would choose to start over and at least have a chance of a good, safe, life. Not much different than the migrants who come to the US seeking a better life. If I had my loved ones with me, I’d definitely choose modern times over 10,000 BC.

But if they went back to 10k BCE*, they would have the opportunity to go back to 2022, as the apparatus for time travel was there. If they stayed in 1988, nobody would be there anymore, they would be stuck there without anything substantial.

*All the time travel in this show was always to the precise time around 10 000 BCE. Why everybody, especially the scientists, kept on referring that point as 'ten thousand BC' instead of the exact year?

[Dowel Jones]

12 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

I’d definitely choose modern times over 10,000 BC.

Think of all the opportunities back in 10K BC, though.  Set up in the Exiles' village, and tell them "Look, what I have here, let's call it a 'bank'.  You bring those black rocks to me and leave them here on, eh, 'deposit'.  I'll sell them to the wackdoodles in the Tower for all kinds of stuff, and pay you off in more rocks.  Then, if you maybe need some rocks at the end of the month, I'll be glad to 'loan' you some rocks at a slight 'interest'.  What's interest?  Don't worry."

[pezgirl7]

On 11/30/2022 at 1:44 PM, TV Anonymous said:

But if they went back to 10k BCE*, they would have the opportunity to go back to 2022, as the apparatus for time travel was there. If they stayed in 1988, nobody would be there anymore, they would be stuck there without anything substantial.

True. It’s definitely a roll of the dice. I do like that they stuck together as a family, and that Levi didn’t follow. lol I was sick of the love triangle. 

Edited December 2, 2022 by pezgirl7
Changed Eli to Levi. Don't know where I got that name from!

[Camera One]

It took me awhile to get to watching this episode, and they certainly outdid themselves in the stupid department.  The potential fallout from the various cliffhangers (Gavin's vision, Scott's stupidity, the half-cure) feel like they will all be irritating to watch.

It was obvious they were all going to return to 10,000 BCE so quit with the dumb "last minute" change of plans. 

I wouldn't put it past Levi to be stupid enough to throw himself into the portal after they leave because Gavin's evil stepuncle shows up and tells him Eve is going to be in grave danger and he will pop up right when Gavin reveals he lied about his latest vision.

So Riley's father had a part-time job on the pier, and that was also where Gavin and Eve met?   All the emotional beats were total failures in this episode.

The sudden cut to finding the building where Gavin's mother was being held captive (using that convenient radio transmitter) was jarring.

Did Lazarus' people all come through the portal to find Gavin's mother, or what?  Or had they been around in 1988 for awhile?   What was Levi going on about "clearing the building"?  So he could get shot and Izzy could see her mother's lingering looks?  Levi was walking around normally after the surgery, even hugging everyone with nary a wince. 

Gavin's mother was in such a huge rush to finish the virus, but she had time to stop and chat with Gavin while telling him absolutely nothing useful?  Wasn't all the computer equipment trashed when she was captured?  Good thing there wasn't a power issue this time, or they could have all gone to have a skating party at the rink.  Eve could rock out to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" while her three boytoys spin around her.

That fight to the death was a total joke.  Ty's secret weapon was his deep psychoanalysis of the ex-husband's emotional weakness?  When he told Paara there was something he hadn't told her before, I thought it was that he was a secret master fighting ninja.   He got hit in the face a few times and no bruising.  Good thing his terminal illness didn't show any symptoms today.

What was up with the weird filming style where the periphery of the screen is out of focus.  I've noticed that on a few different shows recently.

The funniest part of the episode was the terrific plan of driving those carts at the Lazarus agents while they are shooting directly at you since of course all three would stand together so they could fall backwards off a cliff.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Camera One

[peachmangosteen]

9 hours ago, Camera One said:

Eve could rock out to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" while her three boytoys spin around her.

Who is the third?

Quote

What was up with the weird filming style where the periphery of the screen is out of focus.  I've noticed that on a few different shows recently.

I've noticed that trend lately too and I hate it.

[Camera One]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

Who is the third?

Just throwing in Navy Seal dad for good measure since initially, it looked like he would become part of the triangle but then he got replaced by a bigger hunk.

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, Camera One said:

Just throwing in Navy Seal dad for good measure since initially, it looked like he would become part of the triangle but then he got replaced by a bigger hunk.

Ah! In the beginning, to me it felt like they were testing out Eve with both Jon Seda and the psychiatrist guy. And there was Gavin of course and then they added Levi. It's too much!

[Camera One]

7 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I've noticed that trend lately too and I hate it.

I was looking it up and maybe it's the effect using anamorphic lenses, but it's so exaggerated to the point it's distracting.

[TV Anonymous]

On 11/30/2022 at 3:56 PM, Dowel Jones said:

Think of all the opportunities back in 10K BC, though.  Set up in the Exiles' village, and tell them "Look, what I have here, let's call it a 'bank'.  You bring those black rocks to me and leave them here on, eh, 'deposit'.  I'll sell them to the wackdoodles in the Tower for all kinds of stuff, and pay you off in more rocks.  Then, if you maybe need some rocks at the end of the month, I'll be glad to 'loan' you some rocks at a slight 'interest'.  What's interest?  Don't worry."

Considering that Paraa's tribe and the Exiles seem unfazed with the modern people and their devices, I think there is reason to believe that they are either modern people themselves, or close descendants of modern people, who chose to live in that era.