S04.E01: Ghost in the Machine

[ganesh]

 

I don't see how world building helps the show because that just means we need more time to tell bigger stories.  The show was only ten episodes long.  That is way too short to tell a story about alien invaders that includes a world story, as much as I would love that to happen.

Just to be clear: World building doesn't mean actually showing everything going on in the world at the expense of the story you want to tell. World building means establishing your show universe. A good example is TWD, as I said, where the focus is still on the main group while giving you a sense of the larger picture. The more you need the audience to suspend they're disbelief the stronger you need your world building.

 

I like the show, it's a good concept. However, they dropped the ball and fell onto crappy scifi tropes, and part of it is that they didn't do the world building and put in a framework which you tell the stories. Eh, "it's not that kind of show" "It's about the journey." That's really an excuse. The Volm/Esphani war was getting too messy at expense of the Mason Story so they hit the reset button because they basically painted themselves into a corner. That's the show we have. It could have been better. 

The introduction of forced grown baby with powers, unless it's an hallucination, is a writing hack, cf. every time this has happened on tv ever. It allows you [general] to use magic to plow through plot because you didn't bother to world build properly. It would like if Rick et al., suddenly discovered that tomato sauce vaporizes zombies so they can rid the world of most of the zombies and start over.

[Bishop]

 

 

Just to be clear: World building doesn't mean actually showing everything going on in the world at the expense of the story you want to tell. World building means establishing your show universe.  A good example is TWD, as I said, where the focus is still on the main group while giving you a sense of the larger picture. The more you need the audience to suspend they're disbelief the stronger you need your world building.

I don't think the TWD gives a larger sense of the outer world at all.  It's actually quite similar to FS.  The WD only took place in Georgia and had scenes at the CDC.  We still have no idea what caused the disease almost five years in.  The only characters we travel with are Rick's group and who THEY come across.  We see nothing from the perspective of what is happening anywhere else in the U.S. or around the world.  This is the same for FS.  The WD also has not given us an insight into the illness, how it spread, how it might be cured, etc.  I'm not sure what the show universe is for the WD.  I like that the WD and FS are contained around one group.  It would be too messy to include so many other people all over the U.S. or around the world and tell their stories effectively.  The WD at least has 16 episodes to work with, FS only has 12.  So it has to be more tightly contained.

 

 

 

I like the show, it's a good concept. However, they dropped the ball and fell onto crappy scifi tropes, and part of it is that they didn't do the world building and put in a framework which you tell the stories. Eh, "it's not that kind of show" "It's about the journey." That's really an excuse. The Volm/Esphani war was getting too messy at expense of the Mason Story so they hit the reset button because they basically painted themselves into a corner. That's the show we have. It could have been better.  

 I agree that there are scifi tropes on FS, the worst being the alien child that ages at a ridiculously fast pace, but I don't see the other tropes.  I don't think the Volm/Esphani war got too messy because frankly, we don't have a ton of information.  I think we have enough, as explained by Cochise to the President, in that the Esphani have been doing this for centuries, and the Volm have been fighting them.  I certainly agree that we should understand why, but again, why can't universal domination satisfy that question for now?  Lord knows those on our planet have attempted it over the centuries.  It's simply happening on a much larger scale in the Aspheni universe.  I'll tell you what I find intriguing about the Aspheni and FS:  If a species like the Aspheni has been corrupting planets for centuries, then it has a WEALTH of technology and interesting new aliens at their disposal.  I mean think about it.  They conquered the Skitters and turned them into what they are now, took their technology (whatever that may have been), and their resources.  Then they used the Skitters to help take over the next planet.  So when I was first watching the season premiere, I was thinking "What's that new ship?"  "What is that flying alien?"  Then I thought -  maybe the Aspheni, after having the humans take out one of their towers and knocking down their defense grid, realize that they need to up the ante against the humans and brought in more species and technology that they felt they didn't need at first.  Who knows how many other species they have at their disposal due to the races they have conquered in various galaxies.  I find that intriguing.

 

The introduction of forced grown baby with powers, unless it's an hallucination, is a writing hack, cf. every time this has happened on tv ever. It allows you [general] to use magic to plow through plot because you didn't bother to world build properly. It would like if Rick et al., suddenly discovered that tomato sauce vaporizes zombies so they can rid the world of most of the zombies and start over.

 I agree with you completely about introducing grown babies with powers, but that's why in that particular instance, it can't be compared to the WD.  The minute you introduce aliens and new species, the "powers" factor is going to come into play.  It simply does by virtue of the nature of alien invasion shows.  I mean they have suped up space ships for heaven's sake.  It's not the same as a ZA when the only thing they are dealing with is an infection.  No aliens.  That being said, it did tick me off when the writers chose to make Ann pregnant because does Tom really need ANOTHER child?  Then when they made her an alien, I thought "Really?  Well okay," but then the rapid aging thing?  Yeah, it annoyed me - a lot.  Still I can't condemn the entire show because of one writer's obsession with that ridiculous scifi trope.  I am still loving all the other stories that were introduced.  I'll wait to judge the Lexi storyline as the season progresses, and I hope people won't judge the entire season solely around her story.  One of the dropped storylines from last season, which was never addressed, was HOW is Lexi part alien?  They never explained how that happened.  It was either Tom or Ann who introduced the alien DNA, and my money is on Tom because he was in alien captivity for four months at the start of season two AND he had an eye worm.  It would have been nice for them to touch on that fact, but they glossed right over it.  I'll call out the mistakes when I see them, and I know there are mistakes, but I am still enjoying the show immensely.  With all the reality crap shows and procedurals on tv, FS is a breath of fresh air for me, and it gives me something to watch and enjoy right up (almost) until October when the WD returns.  Two very different and very similar shows.  I really like them both.  There are flaws with the WD too, but still love it to death.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Bishop

[Maverick]

 Was I the only thinking this when Tom barreled in on his bike?

 

[iMonrey]

 

What did you find confusing (just for conversation sake?)

 

I was confused how everyone got split up. The episode started with the attack, and that electric fence started going up around the 2nd Mass (or whoever they are; more on that in a bit). Now, I understand that at the time the fence started going up, some people were going to be on one side of the fence, and others would be on the opposite side. What got fenced in and what got fenced out? Near as I can make out, the Espheni fenced in the ruins of Charleston. So, apparently, Anne & Co. are on the outside of the fence and can't even get to Charleston. Fine so far. But if Tom, Dan, Hal, Lourdes, Ben, etc., are all on the inside of the fence, why are they all split up and how did they get that way? That's where they lost me.

 

It appears that Tom and Dan are somehow being held captive by the Skitters, although unbeknownst to them, Tom has found a way to escape and become some sort of vigilante, the reasons for which escape me (other than his inherent nobility, I suppose). Does Hal know where Tom is? Does Hal know Tom is "The Ghost?" I don't know.

 

Where the hell is this Chinatown and why are some people there while some people are in the war-torn mean streets? There wasn't even any reference to this aside from someone saying to Hal "Isn't it strange not to have children around anymore?" Nobody mentions trying to find the kids or rescue them (strange, considering back in season 1, all we heard was "We've got to get Ben!")

 

Where the heck is Matt? Is he even in Charleston? He seemed to be on the other side of the fence when it cut him off from Tom, so why isn't he with Anne? Did Skitters and/or Espheni round up all the kids on both sides of the fence? The ones inside the fence got to go to Chinatown while the kids on the outside had to go to Nazi training camp?

 

What makes matters worse is that summer shows like this have such a long break between seasons it's hard to remember what happened the previous season. I had to go back and read recaps of all the first three season episodes to remind myself what the status was at this point. Because another thing that confused me was their location. They spent most of season 3 in Charleston, but some contingency of the 2nd Mass went to Boston to blow up the Espheni tower. Surely the entire 2nd Mass didn't go on this mission, and in fact there were more people than just the 2nd Mass in Charleston. And I know Lourdes blew up their underground bunkers but didn't parts of them survive? What happened to all the people that were living down there?

 

It all just takes some getting used to. It was both a lot to digest, and lot to try to remember, for one episode. I don't mind the show being ambitious in scope but I did feel like there was too much unexplained in this episode.

[ganesh]

TPTBs wanted to reset the board and 'shake things up' and a lot got lost in the narrative as a result. I don't mind a little fankwanking, but there's a line. It's fair that TPTBs on shows want to lay out new challenges for the characters and not do the same old thing all the time, but I think there was a lot of interesting things they could have done within the missing four months. 

 

Which would have lead to a lot of guerilla warfare possibly, which I think would have been cool. Since we've been seeing many parallels in history, this time around the 2nd Mass could have been styled as the North Vietnamese, which would have been subversive and cool. Galactica actually did a decent job buy having the occupied humans turn to suicide bombing.

 

I think Tom and Dan are isolated because the Esph know they are Big People in the revolution and they don't want them running around loose in the ghetto. I can wank that.

 

I don't think Hal knows Tom is Batman, oh, I mean Ghost. They did have a scene together with Pope and it didn't seem like there was any recognition. 

 

But I don't know about the rest, nor should I be expected to fanwank the entire thing. Possibly they will explain about Chinatown, and that's fine. But I don't quite get how refugees aren't flooding the place. It reasonable that some people refused to put down their guns and were sent away. Ok. But how hasn't info on this place gotten out? It has to be Esph controlled. I just don't buy Maggie though. Not even cautiously cynical? 

 

What's stopping the kids from just leaving the Nazi camp for that matter?

[Iamsweetdee]

Yeah, wasn't Lourdes being controlled or something and blew up some folks? Was there any mention of that and/or suspicions? Was the addressed last season and I forgot? I can't make myself go back and check. 

[Ottis]

So basically, the Ashpeni are using humanity's history against them.  That's smart.

 

 

I can't see it. A more powerful civilization that has colonized many worlds will have a system, and they will use that proven system rather than take the time to learn human history to create a hastily conceived, customized process to beat the humans. I say hastily conceived because while they may have observed humanity for a long time, their tactics seem to have changed only recently.

 

I still struggle with Noah Wylie as any kind of action hero. Ghost was laugh out loud funny, especially since they first showed us Tom gearing up and then had him try to be mysterious while facing down the looters. That took away any possibility of his motorbike-riding 80s glasses dude being intimidating. And the grafitti "Ghost" head at the end was hilarious. Just terrible. Wylie has some acting ability but his strength isn't as a Schwarzenegger.

 

We also were sure this entire ep was a mind experiment on various members of the 2nd Mass - it was so inconsistent with what we knew of the characters. They definitely do need a new phase to this war, but this was silly. 

Edited June 26, 2014 by Ottis

[ganesh]

I would totally buy if this is one big mindfuck by the Esph. They need to subtly tip the viewers off or weave in some "hey that was weird" scenes sooner than later though. 

[iMonrey]

 

Yeah, wasn't Lourdes being controlled or something and blew up some folks? Was there any mention of that and/or suspicions? Was the addressed last season and I forgot? I can't make myself go back and check.

 

Yes, in the last episode, the Miracle Star Child Lexi cured her of the eye worms with a magical wave of her hand. (I shit you not.)

 

The explanation for the Volm exodus seemed clumsily inserted to me. Cochise just happened to be able to show up outside the perimeter fence and meet with Tom? Tom had some kind of glow stick or something that apparently told him Cochise was near, was there anything establishing this beforehand? 

 

I think ganesh is right, they would have been better off ending the last season by establishing the new status quo, with the Volm leaving for parts unknown, having accomplished their main objective on earth, leaving the humans to their own devices, and then established the attack and fence, with this episode picking up four months later. It was just too unsettling trying to figure out where everyone was and why. I watched this episode twice; I think I know everything I'm supposed to know, and I realize there's a lot I'm not supposed to know just yet, but it was a lot to digest for a season premier when the seasons are so far apart.

[Maverick]

 They didn't lay the groundwork last season because they had absolutely no idea what they were going to do this year.  The old show runner left after season but before doing so left a lot of "where's that going stuff (Lexi aging, curing eye worms, Anne sleeping almost 24/7) but hadabsolutely know idea where any of that was going.  All that got dumped on the new showrunner (who's the guy responsible for the Bionic Woman reboot disaster), who promptly ignored and did whatever the fuck he wanted.  I get wanting to take a show in a new direction, but this is almost a completely different show.  

[Bishop]

 

 

I was confused how everyone got split up. The episode started with the attack, and that electric fence started going up around the 2nd Mass (or whoever they are; more on that in a bit). Now, I understand that at the time the fence started going up, some people were going to be on one side of the fence, and others would be on the opposite side. What got fenced in and what got fenced out? Near as I can make out, the Espheni fenced in the ruins of Charleston. So, apparently, Anne & Co. are on the outside of the fence and can't even get to Charleston. Fine so far. But if Tom, Dan, Hal, Lourdes, Ben, etc., are all on the inside of the fence, why are they all split up and how did they get that way? That's where they lost me.

 In the opening, there were many ships dropping those fences.  It was simply a question of who was where when the fences activated.  TPTB simply could not show every instance of them being split up.  I think the main point was to show that 2nd Mass was completely scattered, and where they ended up is how season four opened.

 

It appears that Tom and Dan are somehow being held captive by the Skitters, although unbeknownst to them, Tom has found a way to escape and become some sort of vigilante, the reasons for which escape me (other than his inherent nobility, I suppose). Does Hal know where Tom is? Does Hal know Tom is "The Ghost?" I don't know.

 

But that's part of watching the story unfold.  I like the idea of Tom sneaking out and gathering intel.  The fact that he hasn't tried to escape allows the Skitters to believe that he's being submissive.  The way I view Tom Mason is that he is a man who has studied CENTURIES of human history - war, conflict, reconciliation, strategy, and peace.  He is a professor afterall.  Regardless of the species, the same motives and end results are similar.  So he's armed with "intel" so to speak that goes beyond the average human being.  It's why he was writing the Gettysburg Address on the wall (while some dimwit reviewers quoted it as the Declaration of Independence - wrong).  It's why he was also writing the Star Spangled Banner.  It helps him to stay focused on what inspires him and what history has taught him.  Weaver wants to escape NOW, and since his daughter is missing, I can understand why, but Tom knows he doesn't have enough information yet.  So he continues to gather the locations of Skitter patrols.  That's the purpose of him being the "Ghost."  It's not to be a vigilante.  I mean he's not destroying anything.

 

Where the hell is this Chinatown and why are some people there while some people are in the war-torn mean streets? There wasn't even any reference to this aside from someone saying to Hal "Isn't it strange not to have children around anymore?" Nobody mentions trying to find the kids or rescue them (strange, considering back in season 1, all we heard was "We've got to get Ben!")

 

They are hardly in a position to rescue kids, and if I were them, where would anyone even begin to search?  As you stated "Where the hell is Chinatown?"  Many of the questions you are posing, and they're good ones, will probably be answered over the course of the season.  I don't expect them to answer them in one episode.  

 

Where the heck is Matt? Is he even in Charleston? He seemed to be on the other side of the fence when it cut him off from Tom, so why isn't he with Anne? Did Skitters and/or Espheni round up all the kids on both sides of the fence? The ones inside the fence got to go to Chinatown while the kids on the outside had to go to Nazi training camp?

 

Matt was not near Anne when the fence came down.  He was with Pope's guy; Anne was with Anthony.  They were on opposites sides of Tom.  As for where Matt is?  No clue.  I'm sure that will be told in the next few episodes.

 

What makes matters worse is that summer shows like this have such a long break between seasons it's hard to remember what happened the previous season. I had to go back and read recaps of all the first three season episodes to remind myself what the status was at this point. Because another thing that confused me was their location. They spent most of season 3 in Charleston, but some contingency of the 2nd Mass went to Boston to blow up the Espheni tower. Surely the entire 2nd Mass didn't go on this mission, and in fact there were more people than just the 2nd Mass in Charleston. And I know Lourdes blew up their underground bunkers but didn't parts of them survive? What happened to all the people that were living down there?

 

The long season doesn't help, that's for sure.  I think I can clear up some of the confusion.  Yes, the 2nd Mass was part of blowing up the Espheni tower.  Some, like Weaver and Pope (and others that we didn't see), took Lourdes with them towards Chicago to lead the Aspheni to believe that that's where they were heading.  Lourdes had the eye worms, and so the Aspheni bought it and started to attack.  Tom took the rest of the 2nd Mass towards Boston to blow up the real target while the rest of the humans stayed behind in Charleston (Lourdes didn't destroy the city; she had specific targets).  The 2nd Mass was in Boston when the Volm arrived.  Chochise had helped Weaver and Pope and brought them back to Boston to regroup with the 2nd Mass.  So the 2nd Mass was all together in Boston.  At the end of season three, when the Volm told the 2nd Mass that they had to leave Boston, they began a trek, on foot, all the way back to Charleston to try and build a new resistance movement.  Their trek back to Charleston - 22 days - was what they were doing when season four started.

It all just takes some getting used to. It was both a lot to digest, and lot to try to remember, for one episode. I don't mind the show being ambitious in scope but I did feel like there was too much unexplained in this episode.

 

I personally feel it wasn't too much that was unexplained.  It's the premiere, and so they are setting up stories.  I do think there was a lot they introduced, but I liked it.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Bishop

[Bishop]

I don't think Hal knows Tom is Batman, oh, I mean Ghost. They did have a scene together with Pope and it didn't seem like there was any recognition.

 

I don't think Hal knows, but I don't think Tom is suppose to be this superhero.  The only thing he's doing with that bike is outriding the Skitters when he gets caught, like he did in the premiere.  If he happens to come upon something like Pope stealing food from everyone, he intervenes, but just to be clear, I don't think Tom is trying to be some kind of batman or even vigilante.  He sneaks out to gather intel, and uses the bike to outrun Skitters.  That's it.  I also think it's smart that the Ashpeni think Tom Mason is safely locked up, and so they don't suspect him.  Once Tom has collected all the intel of where the Skitters come and go, he'll work with the 2nd Mass to plot an escape.  That's my guess.

 

But I don't know about the rest, nor should I be expected to fanwank the entire thing. Possibly they will explain about Chinatown, and that's fine. But I don't quite get how refugees aren't flooding the place. It reasonable that some people refused to put down their guns and were sent away. Ok. But how hasn't info on this place gotten out? It has to be Esph controlled. I just don't buy Maggie though. Not even cautiously cynical?

 

I think the Chinatown oasis is Lexi's creation - for a very specific purpose, imo.  She doesn't want it to be a refugee camp, I think.  The fact that everyone IS acting so strange tells me that something is off about the place.  It's quite possible that Maggie is being drugged or she may even be faking.  Again, it's only the first episode. Frankly, I don't think Chinatown is meant for refugees.  I think Lexi is creating a "private" world, and manipulating Ben is part of her purpose.  That's just a hunch on my part, but her reference to the "Three of them" makes me suspicious of her.  I don't think she wants anyone else in her oasis unless they serve a purpose to her.

 

What's stopping the kids from just leaving the Nazi camp for that matter?

 

I'm guessing there's security like any other place. 

 

I can't see it. A more powerful civilization that has colonized many worlds will have a system, and they will use that proven system rather than take the time to learn human history to create a hastily conceived, customized process to beat the humans. I say hastily conceived because while they may have observed humanity for a long time, their tactics seem to have changed only recently.

 

But there is an arrogance about the aliens.  Even the Volm regard the humans as insignificant.  When Cochise told Tom "I don't think my father considers you (humanity) at all (in his decision making process)", it's a testament that they don't regard the humans as a threat either.  The Aspheni have learned otherwise. Even Cochise has learned that the humans are a different species than what he's encountered before.  I think the Aspheni felt that the humans would fall just like all the other species they have conquered, but they haven't.  Also, keep in mind that the Nazi camp may only be happening on the East Coast as one Overlord's tactic to control his region on the map.  The ghettos are worldwide, and I'll admit that I don't know why they haven't just killed the humans outright, but Tom voiced that fact in the season opener.  So it's going to be addressed.  He said why aren't they using the harnesses or the eye worms.  For whatever reason, they want them "lucid."  So we'll see how it unfolds.

 

I still struggle with Noah Wylie as any kind of action hero. Ghost was laugh out loud funny, especially since they first showed us Tom gearing up and then had him try to be mysterious while facing down the looters. That took away any possibility of his motorbike-riding 80s glasses dude being intimidating. And the grafitti "Ghost" head at the end was hilarious. Just terrible. Wylie has some acting ability but his strength isn't as a Schwarzenegger.

 

I don't think he was trying to be an action hero.  As I stated, the bike riding is about outriding the Skitters when they see him.  Stopping some looting was just an afterthought from what I saw.  I'll admit when the show started, I didn't think Wyle could pull off the soldier either, but I think he's completely credible.  I like that he's fallible.  He's been injured, captured, broken down, etc.  Schwarzenegger would just spout some stupid one-liner and then blow something up.  I think Wyle is a good fit for Tom Mason.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Bishop

[tv echo]

The TV Guide article about the Falling Skies premiere referred to The Ghost as Tom's vigilante alter ego (see Spoilers thread for rest of article):

Their odds are bleak. Tom and eldest son Hal (Drew Roy) are imprisoned "in a grim penal colony where gigantic, terrifying flying creatures grab people and take them off somewhere unknown," Wyle says. Tom creates "The Ghost," a vigilante alter ego who helps his fellow prisoners. "His actions give the new Espheni Overlord a personal grudge that will last through the season.

Edited June 27, 2014 by tv echo

[Bishop]

The TV Guide article about the Falling Skies premiere referred to The Ghost as Tom's vigilante alter ego (see Spoilers thread for rest of article):

Thanks I had read this a week or so back.  The upcoming spoilers sound pretty cool (I'll try and post them to the spoiler thread).

[ganesh]

His actions give the new Espheni Overlord a personal grudge that will last through the season.

 

That sounds ridiculously childish and silly.

[ramble]

That sounds ridiculously childish and silly.

I agree. I found the entire obsession arc of the old overlord & the Karen version slightly ridiculous. In reality, which I'm aware this is not, a conquering race would more than likely have squished Tom like a fly long ago.

I just binge watched the first 3 seasons this past week while my kids were gone. It helped fill the quiet evenings. I watched this episode yesterday. Like some of y'all I found it rather disjointed. Although I'm sure my view is skewed from being able to see a story unfold one episode after another without waiting a week.

Two things annoyed me the most. First was Dr. Anne becoming super dooper rebel leader & front line charger. It felt like an abrupt shift & I didn't really like her. It also felt a bit strange to go from her being almost frightened of her strange spawn to leading a crew through seven levels of hell to try to save her. I know part of that can be excused as the time jump, but it still felt odd. I guess I should just chalk that up to mom love & let it go.

Second was the alien hybrid child of wonder. Spooky new paleness & creepy calm attitude all rolled up in a rapidly aged mystery. Know it. Seen it. Read it. It's a tale as old as time, a tune as old as song. Stupid rehash of a thousand other sci-fi plots is making me sing Beauty & the Beast.

Still I'm glad I found this show while browsing Prime looking for a series to keep my mind occupied while my kiddos were away. Overall I throughly enjoyed it.

[Ottis]

So according to TV Guide, Tom's Ghost *is* a vigilante action hero. Which I find hugely comical.

 

I get that the humans are "different," but they aren't that different. They can't be, given their lack of technology, no special powers and dwindling numbers. That's a central conceit of many sci-fi productions, that we as a species are somehow different, and it only works when we see how we are different. So far, humans are mostly dying and losing on this show. A few small wins, sure, as we exploit that alien arrogance. But not enough to be meaningful. And with this season premier, it became even worse. I don't see an end game for humanity without a convenient plot twist like a new weapon, a new alien race or a disease that kills aliens.

 

I think ganesh is right, they would have been better off ending the last season by establishing the new status quo, with the Volm leaving for parts unknown, having accomplished their main objective on earth, leaving the humans to their own devices, and then established the attack and fence, with this episode picking up four months later.

 

I just watched the season premier of Defiance, and that's what Defiance did. It closed last season with characters split up and opened with them in their new situations, and then reunited some of them. While I am not a huge fan of Defiance or Falling Skies (I love sci-fi though), Defiance did the season transition much better IMO.

[shapeshifter]

I don't think Tom is suppose to be this superhero.  The only thing he's doing with that bike is outriding the Skitters when he gets caught, like he did in the premiere.  If he happens to come upon something like Pope stealing food from everyone, he intervenes, but just to be clear, I don't think Tom is trying to be some kind of batman or even vigilante.  He sneaks out to gather intel, and uses the bike to outrun Skitters.  That's it.  I also think it's smart that the Ashpeni think Tom Mason is safely locked up, and so they don't suspect him.  Once Tom has collected all the intel of where the Skitters come and go, he'll work with the 2nd Mass to plot an escape.  That's my guess.

The TV Guide article about the Falling Skies premiere referred to The Ghost as Tom's vigilante alter ego (see Spoilers thread for rest of article):

From what I saw and heard, @Bishop's conclusion is more likely than TV Guide's. If Tom's primary goal is to get intel (which he says), then he better keep his light saber in his pants, or the grand plan is going to go bust.

[ganesh]

 

A new alien race or a disease that kills aliens.

I think this would have to be it. And that's fine. Either they're going to leave of their own volition, which, if they need the planet for raw materials or as a staging area, then no. Or it's going to be a mass extinction. I kind of like the darkness of it. Commit total genocide to win the war. But this is a stupid plot. It would be more interesting if Tom was just in the ghetto organizing a secret rebellion. Making Tom and Pope work together is one of the better things the show has done. The actors can at least sell the concept of the show while playing it straight. And now this bs is season long? 

 

Again looking at the show in general. It's the 4th season and I still don't have much of a picture of this show universe. I want to compare to TWD again because this is another example of world building that's not here. On TWD, they did show a scientist trying to figure out something about the walkers. He was wrong in the end, but there was at least someone doing something like that. 

 

We had the one engineer here, which was cool, but I find it very hard to believe there's no one else like that. I said over on twop at the time: The 2nd Mass was marching from Boston to Charleston. It was the perfect time to run into other groups and exchange intel and a seemless way to world-build. Nothing. 

[FormerMod-a1]

Whenever I see "TWD", I think Torchwood, and I'm pretty sure you're actually referring to The Walking Dead?  It took me a while to remember that.  I don't watch that show.

[Bishop]

 

 

Two things annoyed me the most. First was Dr. Anne becoming super dooper rebel leader & front line charger. It felt like an abrupt shift & I didn't really like her. It also felt a bit strange to go from her being almost frightened of her strange spawn to leading a crew through seven levels of hell to try to save her. I know part of that can be excused as the time jump, but it still felt odd. I guess I should just chalk that up to mom love & let it go.

I agree about this.  I hate the trope that women become this hardened, uncaring persona in order to be an effective soldier.  Maggie has some of that writing in her too.  I also found Anne's behavior jarring and off putting, and I also couldn't understand why Anthony was listening to her.  Then I thought that she has already lived through one child's death, and she's determined not to lose another.  Anthony IS going to be protective, and she is effective in having established a new fighting unit, but I agree it was disjointed.

 

Second was the alien hybrid child of wonder. Spooky new paleness & creepy calm attitude all rolled up in a rapidly aged mystery. Know it. Seen it. Read it. It's a tale as old as time, a tune as old as song. Stupid rehash of a thousand other sci-fi plots is making me sing Beauty & the Beast.

 

I already agreed on this point too in my earlier post.  The only really weak link in the story from the season premiere for me is the Lexi story.  I, too, am tired of the alien/hybrid/insta-aging storyline, but if that's the only thing I have to roll my eyes about, I'm okay with it.  I liked the rest of it.  I like Tom, Weaver, Ben, Anne, and Hal's story set up.  

 

Still I'm glad I found this show while browsing Prime looking for a series to keep my mind occupied while my kiddos were away. Overall I throughly enjoyed it.

 

Glad to find someone who enjoyed it too.

 

 

So according to TV Guide, Tom's Ghost *is* a vigilante action hero. Which I find hugely comical.

 

That's not what the TV guide article said.  He's not an action hero, and unless I missed it, what exactly is this vigilante doing?  He's not destroying anything.  He's not fighting the Skitters.  All I saw was a guy scoping out Skitter patrols, and outrunning them when he got caught.  Yes, he stopped to prevent Pope from stealing everything, but nothing I would call "vigilante action hero" type behavior.  I could be proved wrong this Sunday, but so far, I'm not seeing it.

 

I actually like that Tom's actions will pose a problem with the Aspheni Overlord.  The stories have to be grounded in such a way that it connects the characters to the drama.  Again, this story is being told from the pov of the 2nd Mass, and Tom has been a thorn in their side since season one.  Now, it's true that in real life, the aliens would have dispatched a host of Skitters to take out Tom Mason just because he was a pain in the ass, but then that ends the story.  I mean half the cast on TWD should be dead also.  

 

I get that the humans are "different," but they aren't that different. They can't be, given their lack of technology, no special powers and dwindling numbers. That's a central conceit of many sci-fi productions, that we as a species are somehow different, and it only works when we see how we are different. So far, humans are mostly dying and losing on this show. A few small wins, sure, as we exploit that alien arrogance. But not enough to be meaningful. And with this season premier, it became even worse. I don't see an end game for humanity without a convenient plot twist like a new weapon, a new alien race or a disease that kills aliens.

 

 

I can agree that an end game for humanity is hard to see, especially if this war has been going on for a while, but I can see the Aspheni leaving the planet - much like the Volm did if they are driven out.  I think that's the best hope for humanity.  They will need help from the Volm to eventually drive the Aspheni out of their world.  They can't do it alone.  

 

As for humans being different, we've been told by both the Aspheni and Skitters and the Volm that they are different.  They've made a point of stating that humans are different.  What they have also said, however, is that they still consider humans to be inferior, which is why the Aspheni are having a harder time with the 2nd Mass.  For the most part, the Aspheni are beating the humans.  The story of Falling Skies is this one group of fighters but I think the reason that because Lexi is part alien and so is Ben, it's the reason Tom is still alive  It's been stated that there is a reason they need the humans alive and lucid  We just don't know why yet.  I can't judge this storyline or the season after only one episode.  I'll have a better feel after four or five episodes in.  I agree that the story needs to start fleshing itself out, and I also agree that they could have/should have maybe set up these plot points at the end of season three, but I don't think they were expecting to lose their show runner.  So they got a new person, and he has changed some things.  I think it's better changes because I think last season was its weakest.  

 

QUESTION:  What is the proper spelling of Aspheni?  Is it Espheni or Aspheni?  Idk.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Bishop

[ramble]

QUESTION: What is the proper spelling of Aspheni? Is it Espheni or Aspheni? Idk.

From reading on the internet as I binge watched I believe it is with an E, so Espheni.

[tv echo]

I'm not giving up on this show yet.  I watched all previous seasons and I'm hoping the next couple of episodes bring some clarity to the mess that was the first episode of season 4.  

 

In addition to my other concerns about Lexi's aging, I'm puzzled as to why she suddenly has blonde hair.  I get that she's wearing white and now her hair is blonde.  But her mother is played by Moon Bloodgood, who's half-Korean.  And both her parents are brunettes.  Was the lighter hair color meant to symbolize her purity and god-like status?  If so, then that's kinda racist, isn't it?

 

EDITED TO ADD:  When I first saw the older blonde Lexi, I immediately flashed back to watching Stephen King's The Stand mini-series.  After the Nadine character (played by Laura San Giacomo) had sex with the Devil, her hair turned from brown to white.  Lexi looks like a younger version of Nadine - same center-parted, long blonde hair, same round face with large eyes and slightly pug nose.  So maybe, if I'm giving the writers the benefit of the doubt, Lexi's sudden blondeness is a sign of trauma.

Edited June 29, 2014 by tv echo

[sjohnson]

^^^^But....bleached blonde is a surefire symbol of sluttiness! Consult the filmography of Jean Harlow. 

 

In a more serious vein, whiteness can be consciously used as a symbol in conscious opposition to the usual iconography or convention. The famous example of Moby Dick should come to mind pretty quickly. In recent genre outings on TV, FlashForward played with the symbolish of white clothing. The previous level of execution on Falling Skies has been high enough I think we can't rule that out...yet. But Eick has come on board and his record inspires anything but confidence in me. So her hair may be just as incompetent and unpleasant as it appears at first glance.

[ganesh]

I have to think the casting of the older Lexi is deliberate. I'm still not sure if Ben is being mindfucked. Or if the Esph swapped out the real Lexi and inserted this one for whatever reason.

[Raja]

I'm out

[Ottis]

That's not what the TV guide article said.  He's not an action hero, and unless I missed it, what exactly is this vigilante doing?  He's not destroying anything.  He's not fighting the Skitters.  All I saw was a guy scoping out Skitter patrols, and outrunning them when he got caught.  Yes, he stopped to prevent Pope from stealing everything, but nothing I would call "vigilante action hero" type behavior.  I could be proved wrong this Sunday, but so far, I'm not seeing it.

 

 

A vigilante is by definition fighting back. If Tom were simply gathering intel, he wouldn't be so visible. And in the brief exposure we have had to "Ghost" so far, he actually rides up on his bike, stops, flashes a *flamethrower* to interfere in an "injustice" and that gets the attention of aliens who then chase him. That's the opposite of stealth. By making that stop, "Ghost" appears to be aiming to be a symbol of something, which means he is fighting back and not simply gathering intel. Vigilante + fighting back + symbol = vigilante action hero. I don't think itc an be any more clear. Or funny.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Ottis

[ganesh]

Maybe if he skilled a skitter or incited a riot, but I don't call wagging your finger at Pope fighting back anything. 

[gatopretoNYC]

I'm trying to remember the last time I was so out-and-out confused by a season premiere of a show. My father and I watch together, and we were saying before it started that maybe we should have re-watched the last episode or two from last season...but about a third of the way into it, he said, "It's like we missed an entire season." I was almost too gobsmacked to reply.

 

I literally can't believe the Hitler Youth...then I'll work my way down to whatever the hell is going on with Lexi, to Tom being a comic book hero, to our good doc becoming our military leader, to the Volm essentially being written out, to...

 

I don't want to be overdramatic, but I'm just straight flummoxed. WTH just happened?

 

This is exactly how I feel! I watched the first part of this episode weeks ago, and only now just got back to it before it expired from the On Demand. My husband was in the room, and I said "You know how sometimes I watch shows you haven't watched in ages, and you have no idea what the hell is going on? That's how I feel right now."

 

What thee deuce was that?! I couldn't see what was going on half the time, it was so darned DARK!

And likewise, I had no clue if it was a dream or if I had missed something and I too wish I had seen the previous episodes again. Actually, I don't think it would have helped.

 

Yeah, I had to crank the brightness on my tv waaay up, and I still had trouble!

 

And now I'm finding the artistic choice of everything being blue-toned very annoying. I know aliens have taken over the planet, but they didn't destroy the sun while they were at it, did they?