Pandora In The Media: Galactic News

[tv echo]

'Pandora' Season 2 Episode 2: Eve reveals Jax has a stepsister on a planet where all aged over 25 are killed
By Pathikrit Sanyal    Oct 12, 2020
https://meaww.com/pandora-season-2-episode-2-review-tierney-jax-stepsister-the-cw-eve-arrested-xander

Quote

Even someone as obnoxious as Gary Goodspeed from the TBS space dramedy ‘Final Space’ had a better about-to-die-in-the-vast-outer-space-soliloquy than our man Xander (Oliver Dench) in ‘Pandora’. Predictably (and fortunately) enough, viewers were saved from hearing him speak for too long thanks to Jax (Priscilla Quintana) finding him fairly soon enough -- even though the previous episode showed that they had given up all hope for anyone surviving.

Now saved, Xander is ordered by the Admiral to find out what exactly was in the canisters that caused the freight ship to be annihilated that fast. Xander’s best guess was that it was antimatter and that enough quantities of that could well act as a “planet killer”. No one seems to question the fundamental question -- how was this supposed antimatter stored in matter without causing a chain reaction. But then that is ‘Pandora’ for you. A show where ridiculous leaps in logic are taken with as much ease as Morpheus takes actual leaps inside the Matrix.

... Following the energy signals, they reach an unknown planet. Despite the planet being heavy with greenery, Xander asks the astute question: “Do you detect any signs of life here?”
*  *  *
As Jax pleads with her to change her mind and convince the Ancients of otherwise, the Pandora attempts to push Jax into the portal. Xander intervenes and pushes the Pandora in instead. The episode ends with Eve being arrested and brought onboard where she ominously says that this was exactly where she wanted to be, and a Xatarian space-ship seemingly being attacked by the same antimatter we saw the last episode.

Edited October 12, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Pandora’ Season 2 Episode 3 Photos: Preview of “Gates of Eden”
By Rebecca Murray -October 12, 2020
https://www.showbizjunkies.com/tv/pandora-season-2-episode-3/ 

Spoiler

The CW’s Pandora season two episode three just unveiled a batch of photos as well as the episode’s plot description. Episode three, “Gates of Eden,” was directed by Chris LeDoux from a script by Steve Kriozere and will air on October 18, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT.
*  *  *
“Gates of Eden” Plot: FACING THE FINAL JUDGMENT – Jax (Quintana) and the team visit the distant planet where Professor Osborn (Huntley) first discovered Jax as an infant during the Earth-Zatarian War in an attempt to find the Ancients in the hopes of saving our Universe; but is dealt a tragic blow when Ralen (Radcliffe) suffers a loss that will change him forever.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora - Episode 2.05 - On A Night Like This - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at October 15, 2020
https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/10/pandora-episode-205-on-night-like-this.html

Spoiler

"On A Night Like This" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, DV) (HDTV)

BATTLE TO THE DEATH - Xander (Oliver Dench) and Jett (Akshay Kumar) set out to save Ralen (Ben Radcliffe), who has gotten caught up in the high stakes world of an intergalactic fight club. Meanwhile, Jax (Priscilla Quintana) is on a mission for Osborn (Noah Huntley) to acquire intel from a beautiful Sumi princess who is about to get married, but finds herself falling for Jax. Tina Casciani, Nicole Mavromatis and Vikash Bhai also star. Brea Grant directed the story by Steve Kriozere and teleplay by Susan Estelle Jansen & Mark A. Altman (#205). Original airdate 11/1/2020.

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Ratings for the second episode (202) were 0.1 demo and 0.383 M viewers (same demo but 15.71% increase in viewers from first episode)...
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/pandora-season-two-ratings/

Edited October 17, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora | Season 2 Episode 3 | Falling To The Devil's Planet Scene | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 16, 2020

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

FYI, there's an official weekly (behind-the-scenes) podcast for this series called "Unboxing Pandora"...

Unboxing "Things Have Changed" (Ep. 201) w/ BRETT SIMMONS & MARK A. ALTMAN
October 4, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-things-have-changed-ep-201-w-brett-simmons/id1473960454?i=1000493586655

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA's second season premiere with audio commentary from director BRETT SIMMONS and showrunner/creator MARK A. ALTMAN (The Librarians, Agent X) as they talk about making the premiere episode with exclusive behind-the-scenes insights you'll only hear on UNBOXING PANDORA, the official PANDORA podcast hosted by PETER HOLMSTROM, Pandora's writers' assistant.  ** 

Unboxing "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" (Ep. 202) w/ BRETT SIMMONS & MARK A. ALTMAN
October 11, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-dont-think-twice-its-alright-ep-202-w-brett/id1473960454?i=1000494378601

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from director BRETT SIMMONS and showrunner/creator MARK A. ALTMAN (The Librarians, Agent X) as they talk about making "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," the second episode of Season Two where the crew encounters a planet with a deadly secret.

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Based on preliminary overnight ratings (which had slightly higher viewers numbers than final ratings)...

Edited October 18, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Gates of Eden
Diana Keng at October 19, 2020
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/10/pandora-season-2-episode-3-review-gates-of-eden/

Quote

I'm starting to suspect that this is a show I'd enjoy more as a drinking game. At least, that way, I'd probably be comfortably drunk by the time the credits roll.
*  *  *
Drink a glass of overpriced rosé every time Osborn acts or says something in a pompous, entitled, and/or misanthropic manner.
*  *  *
Down a jello shot whenever Xander or Jax express self-doubt.

Whew, you'd better just have a bottle on stand-by.
*  *  *
Pour another one out for every instance of the Zatarians being way better at everything than humans.

I know we're supposed to see them as awkward and hesitant, but Matta and Ralen have been the only crew members of the Dauntless that I'd want anywhere near the controls.
*  *  *
Make sure you down a double whenever things get needlessly complicated.
*  *  *
Take a flaming shot with a beer chaser everytime someone gets killed, taken hostage, or otherwise harmed because they were hanging out with Jax.

This is a trend that started with Greg Li on Pandora Season 1 Episode 4 (or maybe it started with the destruction of the colony on New Portland) and has been a tragic theme throughout the series.

We can add Matta to the list that includes Greg, Delaney, and Thomas. Even the other Pandora. Huh.
*  *  *
In any case, sober or not, we're about to launch into an interplanetary mission to save the universe.

Edited October 19, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "Gates Of Eden" (Ep. 203) w/ CHRIS LEDOUX & STEVE KRIOZERE
UNBOXING PANDORA   OCT. 18, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-gates-of-eden-ep-203-w-chris-ledoux-steve-kriozere/id1473960454?i=1000495193012 

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from director CHRIS LEDOUX and executive producer/writer STEVE KRIOZERE (NCIS, Castle, Team Knight Rider) as they talk about making "Gates Of Eden," the third episode of Season Two where the crew finally confronts the Ancients to stop them from erasing our universe.

Edited October 19, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Pandora’ Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Is Matta gone forever? Unexpectedly decent part sees Ancients take her away
By Pathikrit Sanyal     Oct 19, 2020
https://meaww.com/pandora-season-2-episode-3-review-matta-ancients-jax-ralen-the-cw-amy-mc-pherson-show 

Quote

For a change, ‘Pandora’ managed to write an episode that wasn’t altogether terrible. I mean it still depended on many cliches and tropes but it was better written and produced than anything we have seen so far on The CW’s sci-fi series that tries hard to look like ‘Star Trek’ without actually having any of its substance.
*  *  *
The episode jumps between the past and the present as we see Osborn as a young soldier, at a time when humans and Zatariams were at war. On that same planet, they track down the Pandora we know as Jax’s evil clone. They do so to make sure she did not go to the Ancients to tell them to destroy their universe. And while escaping some enemy Zatarians, Osborn chances upon baby Jax. Of course, the aforementioned good production value of this episode does not cover the baby that looked like (and most likely was) a cheap baby doll.

Edited October 19, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Akshay Kumar – Pandora
Jamie Steinberg    October 18, 2020
http://starrymag.com/akshay-kumar-pandora/ 

Quote

Q) What can you tease is new this season on “Pandora” and with your character Jett?
A) We have some awesome new sets, like the Dauntless, which is a dream to work on because you truly feel like a space pirate running around saving the universe…and all that stuff. We also have some incredible stunts, fights, action, LASERS! But most importantly, we have some wonderful, super-talented actors – like Roxanne McKee, Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis, Tegen Short and Shani Eres – joining the show. Some of which have VERY important and decisive roles in our story as it unfolds…no spoilers, sorry!

And as for Jett…Weeeeell, audiences seem to already have quite a strong recollection of him from Season 1 (which is actually really great!). So, it’ll be interesting to see how and IF their feelings for him change throughout this season as they learn more about him. I will say that there is much more to him than meets the eye. But it will be a journey that the audience will have to go on with him. And I hope they stay with him til the end!

Q) Have you had much of a say in how the character has evolved?
A) Honestly, I really haven’t had to say anything! When Mark Altman (our show runner) told me that he wanted me back for Season 2, I figured the only way Jett COULD come back was if he was looking for some form of redemption. And that’s exactly what Mark was thinking, too! So, we’ve been very much in-sync this whole time, which has been wonderful and made Jett so much more fun to play than I could’ve ever hoped.

But he does continue to evolve, too. He becomes very involved in certain story lines (again, no spoilers) and, also, we learn some key bits about his past and what drives him. All good, emotional backstory stuff 🙂

Q) What continues to challenge you about playing Jett?
A) Being “funny.” I had no idea that I was a funny person (and still don’t think so). So, playing a character who has these great punch-lines and one-liners took a lot of letting go of my own ego. Once I was okay with looking kinda foolish on screen EVERYTHING became easier and even liberating! (Life lesson, by the way). And then they wrote even more jokes for Jett! Gah!

Also, playing a character who doesn’t really know what’s going on (like the pending doomsday, what a Pandora is, Ancients, space battles, etc.) was a challenge to begin with simply because you just wanna look as cool as the other actors, who all seem to stay cool under pressure. Because all of this big-world stuff is new to Jett, it meant I got to be in awe of all these weird and wonderful things; or scared; or unsure…or just completely freaked out. And I think that element adds a nice dimension to the group dynamic.

Q) Going into Season 2, were you looking forward to sharing more/any scenes with?
A) I was only in Episode 6 of Season 1, so my exposure to the other actors was very limited. But I was really looking forward to working with Oliver Dench (who plays Xander). And as the season progresses, we get to know each other pretty well! He’s a dream! Also, Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis (who plays Zazie) is wonderful to work with. Jett and Zazie (#Jazzie) have a really cheeky/flirty but also very honest relationship with each other and Nicole was the perfect partner-in-crime.
*  *  *
Q) What are some episodes or moments that you think viewers should keep an eye out for?
A) There are some very key moments for Jett in episode 4 that I think will surprise a lot of his critics. Same goes for episodes 6, 8 and 10! Lots of developments scattered through the series for all of our heroes – so y’all will just have to keep watching!
*  *  *
Q) What do you think it is about “Pandora” that has continued to make it such a fan favorite show?
A) I think it’s the mixture of all the classic, fantastical elements of a good sci-fi show and all of these weird and wonderful characters that makes it special. At least for me, anyway. That’s what keep me interested. They’re people trying to do their best for one another. And this year I think we focus more on the ever-shifting group dynamics under the umbrella of this massive, looming threat to our universe!

Edited October 19, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Promo pics for 2x04 (Beyond Here Lies Nothin')...
https://www.showbizjunkies.com/tv/pandora-season-2-episode-4/

 

“Beyond Here Lies Nothin'” Plot: NIGHTMARES COME TRUE – Jax (Quintana) and the team go in search of a lost alien race that may be the key to saving the Universe, but on the way, find themselves plagued by disturbing nightmares that arise out of each individual’s personal traumas and most personal fears.
*  *  *

Edited October 20, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

It sounds like this interview was recorded just prior to 2x03 airing...

Noah Huntley Discusses Season Two of Pandora on The CW
FanboyNation    Oct 20, 2020

Quote

British actor Noah Huntley (Dracula Untold, 28 Days Later, The Royals, Snow White and the Huntsman) returns to The CW's hit series Pandora as Professor Donovan Osborn. The series airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT returns for its second season after filming in the Eastern European nation of Bulgaria.
*  *  *
We had the pleasure of speaking with Noah Huntley about Season 2 of Pandora, the difficulties or working through a pandemic but how it also unified the cast through these terrible times. We discuss family life, having multiple twins within his own immediate family, as well as being a fraternal twin himself.

-- NH said that they're already looking toward a Season 3 ("fingers crossed").

-- NH said that they didn't shoot a pilot, so in Season 1, they were trying out different things. Then, in Season 2, they focused on the main characters that had been established in Season 1. He said that he can come in, shoot his scenes and then return home to England, but the core 3 of Oliver Dench, Priscilla Quintana and Ben Radcliffe have to stay in Bulgaria all the time to shoot the show.

-- NH said that showrunner Mark Altman is "quite good at keeping everyone in the dark," which is kinda counter to the cohesiveness of the cast's family bonding, and which "frustrates the hell out of me." NH: "You hire actors and then you keep them in the dark." He doesn't know if Altman just wants actors to express genuine shock at "shocking scenes," but it's a "constant battle." NH said that, like all families, there's some "dysfunction" and "misunderstanding." 

-- NH said that they've been in their "Bulgaria bubble" during the global pandemic and have had a "problem-free" production of Season 2.

-- NH said that the cast has grown very close and that he took a trip to the Black Sea with "Ben and Priscilla and Ollie." He described those three as "best friends" and "brothers and sisters" and "guardians."

Edited October 21, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Exclusive Pandora Interview: Ben Radcliffe (Ralen) & Tegen Short (Matta)
Hollywood News Source  Oct 11, 2020

Quote

We got the chance to sit down with Ben Radcliffe and Tegen Short to talk about the hit CW show Pandora which recently returned for a second season this Fall. We talk about what it is like filming in COVID, fun things on set and get in-depth with some thoughts on season one.

-- Ben said that he and Tegen can't wear face masks because the masks would mess up their Zatarian makeup. They all have to take COVID tests and get negative results before arriving on set.

-- When asked when he realized Pandora was a hit, Ben said it was when they got renewed for Season 2. He said that they got the news when they were in New York for comic con.

-- When asked how Matta feels about Jax and Ralen's history with Jax, Tegen said there's been a time jump between S1 and S2. She also said that this is the first time that Matta has been in love, that Matta is aware of Ralen's feelings for and infatuation with Jax, but that Matta believes it was just an infatuation on Ralen's part (as compared to the deeper bond between Matta and Ralen). She also said that Matta is "very wary" of the situation and therefore is "tentative" in her scenes with Jax, but that's "broken down later" as Matta gets to know Jax.

-- Ben said that six months have passed between S1 and S2 and that a lot has changed on the show as well, including "better CG effects."

-- When asked what they can tease for this season (S2), Ben: "New sets... We just go on a lot more adventures... Different planets... Something that could wipe out an entire planet. Big stakes." 

Edited October 21, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora - Episode 2.06 - Pay In Blood - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at October 23, 2020
https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/10/pandora-episode-206-pay-in-blood-press.html

 

"Pay In Blood" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, V) (HDTV)

BROTHERS IN ARMS - Xander (Oliver Dench), Ralen (Ben Radcliffe), and Jett (Akshay Kumar) help defend a mining colony in the Outer Rim that is under constant siege from Sumi Pirates. Meanwhile, back at the Academy, Jax (Priscilla Quintana) is recruited by Osborn (Noah Huntley) for a secret mission. Tina Casciani, Nicole Mavromatis and Vikash Bhai also star. Buddy Giovinazzo directed the episode written by Thomas P. Vitale (#206). Original airdate 11/8/2020.

Edited October 23, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The show being described by Mark Altman sounds much better than the show I've been watching...

Pandora showrunner: Season 2 has “rearranged the game pieces”
by Brittany Frederick   October 23, 2020
https://winteriscoming.net/2020/10/23/pandora-showrunner-season-2-rearranged-game-pieces/ 

Quote

WinterIsComing: What kinds of discussions did you have going into Pandora season 2 about what worked or perhaps needed to be changed after season 1?
Mark A. Altman: It’s funny you ask that since the title of the second season premiere is “Things Have Changed” and we do a six-month time jump forwards where we find Jax is now working closely with the Earth Intelligence Service—not to mention very closely with Xander, who is now a captain of a prototype starship, the Dauntless. We’ve definitely not only rearranged the game pieces, but made it very easy for new viewers to jump onboard as well.

WiC: You’re a well-documented expert in the sci-fi genre, having written fantastic oral histories about Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, and also having been a co-executive producer on The Librarians. Has any of that knowledge/experience applied to Pandora?
MA: Absolutely, I love genre so having the opportunity to work on a straight-up genre show has been very rewarding. I’ve never gotten to do a space adventure series, but being well versed in Star Trek as well as Battlestar Galactica and Firefly has really been helpful in knowing where those shows went right—as well as where they went wrong to try and avoid those mistakes, and lean into what I love about the genre, which is the hopeful optimism of a better future and that by working together we can triumph over any adversity.

I think for fans who have been craving a more hopeful, optimistic sci-fi series with characters they care about, this will hopefully be their show. Much like college students who discover themselves during their four years in university, I think we really discovered the show in its sophomore year. It’s bigger, more action-packed and we spend a lot more time in space.

WiC: In season 2 you expanded the cast. What do the new characters you’ve added, and the actors who play them, add to Pandora?
MA: We’re so excited to welcome back Jett, played by the brilliant Akshay Kumar. I think he’s really going to surprise audiences this year. If you think you know what to expect based on his appearance last year, think again. I don’t think anyone could see what’s coming with him.

Also, Jax has a new sophomore year roommate Zazie, played by Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis, who’s bubbly and fun—as well as Shani Erez who plays Admiral Lucas, another high-ranking member of the Earth intelligence Services that Xander and Jax will be answering to this season.

We’re also joined by the wonderful Roxanne McKee from Game of Thrones and Strike Back. who plays someone very close to Jax who may hold the key to the mystery.
*  *  *
WiC: What were your highlights from Pandora season 2? Favorite storylines, episodes or things that were just exciting to write or to film?
MA: Anyone who knows science fiction knows how sci-fi shows often need a season or two to find their space legs (e.g. The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, etc.) and I really feel that the show takes a quantum leap forward this year in terms of the look, the cast, the stories. It almost feels like a whole new series. There’s so much to like about it; it has suspense, comedy, drama, romance and action.

I think one of the most exciting and surprising arcs is Ralen’s journey this season given everything he goes through. We really put him through the ringer, but Ben Radcliffe was up to the task. He gave us everything we asked for…and more. I also think people will also be really surprised by Tina Casciani as Tierney, who’s back in a big way.

That said, as a longtime genre fan, standing on the bridge of the Dauntless the first day we filmed, was probably a series high for me—just being surrounded by the giant viewscreen and the crew and a captain and knowing all the incredible space adventures we were about to go on. I’m also thrilled with the quality of the visual effects that Crafty Apes has been delivering this season. Our co-producer Chris LeDoux directed our third episode and it looks like a movie; huge action and big stakes and it also offers the promise to answer a lot of questions fans have had since episode one.

WiC: The biggest pitfall of sci-fi TV is shows get lost in their own mythos. How did you build the mythology further in Pandora season 2 while still making it easy to follow and for fans to keep being invested in the characters?
MA: While we have a very dense mythology. it was important for us to answer as many questions as we could while asking new ones as well. I think we simplified the mythology a little this season so Jax’s journey is very clear, and there will be some resolution by the end of the season, so we don’t just string viewers along for seasons on end. We knew where we wanted to go so we weren’t spinning our wheels.

But at the heart of the show is always character. That’s the most important thing to us and I think the characters this season have some surprising twists and turns to them and will evolve in really interesting ways and we’ll see relationships we didn’t really anticipate at first.

Edited October 24, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Two cast interviews...

Pandora: Priscilla Quintana Warns Viewers to Expect the Unexpected in Season 2
BY MEAGAN DAMORE OCT 17, 2020
https://www.cbr.com/pandora-season-2-priscilla-quintana-interview/

Pandora: Oliver Dench Explains the 'Optimistic Responsibility' of Season 2
BY MEAGAN DAMORE OCT 24, 2020
https://www.cbr.com/pandora-season-2-interview-oliver-dench/

[tv echo]

Unboxing "Beyond Here Lies Nothin" (Ep. 204) w/ BREA GRANT & MARK A. ALTMAN
Unboxing Pandora   OCT 25, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-beyond-here-lies-nothin-ep-204-w-brea-grant/id1473960454?i=1000496022405 

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from director BREA GRANT and executive producer/creator MARK A. ALTMAN (Castle, The Librarians, Agent X) as they talk about making "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," the fourth episode of Season Two where the crew finally confronts the loss of Matta and goes in search of the mythical Lost Race.

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
Diana Keng at October 26, 2020
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/10/pandora-season-2-episode-4-review-beyond-here-lies-nothin/ 

Quote

The surprising cohesiveness of Pandora Season 2 Episode 4 lies in a well-played juxtaposition of internal conflicts in both the mission crew and Ralen, left behind on Earth to deal with the loss of his wife.

No lie, I'm still pretty choked at Matta being served up as the sacrificial lamb to the mission on Pandora Season 2 Episode 3.

And I'm frankly outraged at how Ralen's closest supposed friends just left him to deal with his grief on his own.

But it made room for Jett and Zazie to step up and make their presence felt so I get the reasoning despite the fact it totally throws Jax and Xander under the bus as terrible people.
*  *  *
Sure, Jax's DNA is a star map.

Sure, Zazie and Jett were able to solve it in mere hours.

Sure, Admiral Lucas has no problems with them taking the Dauntless off to who-knows-where to track down an alien race on the word of the Ancients that she doesn't believe exist.
*  *  *
Man, I miss Matta.
*  *  *
I mean, if she'd been with the team, don't you think she would've found some readings on the cloaked planet that would've allowed them a less assinine way of landing on the surface than just FALLING down to it?
*  *  *
If anyone's got a good explanation why Shral's nightmare Pandora is dressed as a chorus line dancer, I'd love to hear it.

Edited October 26, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Pandora’ Season 2 Episode 4 : ‘Beyond Here Lies Nothin'’ is apt as the show seems to be going nowhere
By Pathikrit Sanyal    Oct 26, 2020
https://meaww.com/pandora-season-2-episode-4-beyond-here-lies-nothin-premonition-for-the-show-losing-its-plot-the-cw 

Quote

There are times when you feel bad for hating a show because it ends up being mediocre or outright trash, especially when you can see that the makers put in a tremendous amount of effort but simply lost their way. Luckily, ‘Pandora’ elicits no such guilt. Any visible effort in the show is only taken up by viewers - the sheer will power required to not stop watching. In the previous episode, we saw the Ancients -- who for some reason all appear to be White, bald, and mustached -- tell Jax that they are not convinced if the universe needs saving. But they offer her a chance to prove it to them. They allow her 121 days to change their minds and unite all the five species of their universe (apparently plants, lesser animals, and microbial organisms don’t count as species). 
*  *  *
On the other side of things, the task of tracking down the lost alien race would almost seem ridiculously easy, had it not been for the fact that almost everything is for the show’s protagonists. It’s like they are playing life in “easy” mode. So, on their way to find this long-lost race, Jax, Xander, and Shral experience chaotic and apocalyptic dreams that seem to get more powerful as they near the coordinates. We see Xander’s deep dark fears - his mother preferring his brother Zion to him. We also see Jax afraid of Xander killing her. And we see Shral protecting the Pandora baby (that would grow up to become Jax). Also in his dreams, Pandora is dressed as a chorus line dancer for some reason. 

Anyway, the Ancient race turns out to be a couple of meditating bald aliens who give Jax a shell necklace. No one knows what it does. Jax, who should know by now that things just reveal themselves to her when the right time comes, seems oddly perplexed by the necklace. But nothing in the show makes sense, does it? I mean there is no visible diminishing marginal utility of deus ex machina in this show.

Despite being a relatively short episode, it felt like an eternity to go through it, and to look for coherence in the plot is officially a lost cause at this point. One can suppose the episode’s title is a premonition of sorts: beyond here lies nothing at all.

Edited October 26, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

PANDORA CREATOR REVEALS WHY HIS CW SCI-FI SHOW IS THE NEXT BABYLON 5
RYAN BRITT    OCTOBER 31, 2020
https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/pandora-season-2-mark-a-altman-interview 

Quote

NOW IN ITS SECOND SEASON ON THE CW, Pandora is a passion project for creator and producer Mark A. Altman. A veteran entertainment journalist and the co-author of several books of pop-culture oral history — from Star Trek to James Bond to Battlestar Galactica — Altman is first and foremost a genre fan.

In the '80s and '90s, he wrote for genre-focused magazines like Cinefantastique, breaking stories about Star Trek: The Next Generation before anyone else. He also ran his own magazine, Sci-Fi Universe, which offered an honest view of the geek landscape. For sci-fi fans who grew up reading internet articles instead of magazine pieces, imagine your favorite genre critic or journalist making their own sci-fi show in a few years. That's what Pandora represents.

Pandora could get lost in the shuffle if you didn't already know why it's so darn great — it's a sci-fi series that's refreshingly without cynicism, and a potentially thrilling gateway to the harder stuff. Inverse caught up with Altman to get the inside story on the series that balances a deep love of the genre with the distinct desire to blaze its own trail.
*  *  *
"It’s a great season to be a sci-fi fan right now," Altman says. "You've got the debut of Pandora and, of course, The Mandalorian and The Expanse and Discovery all within weeks of each other. Ultimately though, our show really captures the spirit of original Star Trek’s optimism and hope for the future, looking at social issues through metaphor. There’s also a lot of soapy fun in the relationships, as well as humor, which makes it a really fun show to make and unlike any other space series that has preceded it."
*  *  *
"Babylon 5 is a very apt analogy in many ways," Altman explains. "It had big, expansive ideas even when it didn’t necessarily have the budget to match and [it] had a very dense and complex mythology. We’re in much the same situation where we’re making a season of Pandora for what [a Star Trek series] is spending on catering."

If history is any indication, a smaller-budget sci-fi series airing around the same time as similar big-budget shows has a greater chance of finding a loyal audience. Altman says a new fandom – "Boxers" as they call themselves — is already forming around Pandora. While the first season focused on what Jax is up to at Earth Space Training Academy, Season 2 takes a broader view, complete with a new kickass starship, the Dauntless — designed by Chris LeDoux — which takes the characters on adventures that depart from the tone of Season 1.
*  *  *
"I very anxiously await the toy or model kit of the Dauntless, which I think is a truly beautiful ship, inside and out," Altman says. "Some of the most fun we had this year was designing the bridge and the ship and making sure it was different than what came before. This is one reason we don’t have a captain’s chair, but a command station which we jokingly refer to on-set as the Treadmill."

Altman hopes that Pandora can complete a six-year arc, like Babylon 5. He says the "plan is to reinvent the show each season," because each change can "spin the show on its ear in a very exciting way."

For sci-fi viewers who are perhaps a little sick of trying to parse out complicated backstories and premises, the slightly retro and upbeat cocktail of Pandora might do the trick. Plus, the spaceships all look amazing. Pandora isn't exactly an indie space opera, but it's pretty damn close.

Edited October 31, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

New podcast interview with Pandora showrunner Mark Altman...

Season 5, Episode 18.5 Mark A. Altman and the Janeway Monument
Just Enough Trope   Oct 29, 2020

Alternative podcast link:  
https://www.spreaker.com/user/7818684/ei-5-18-5

-- Podcaster: "In your mind, what does the Star Trek series for the 21st century in the current moment look like?"
Mark Altman: "From a selfish point of view, I would say that the - the, um, Star Trek show for the moment is - is my show, Pandora... Obviously, Star Trek, um, was a huge influence on it. Particularly in the second season, you really see the huge influence of Star Trek because, of course, our - um, Oliver Dench is the - ah, Xander Duvall gets a ship called the Dauntless. It's a, you know, giant starship. You know, we have a bridge. ... Also, more importantly than that, it - it is a show that extolls optimism and hope for the future. It has the idea that, um, friends are family and can overcome any obstacle. ... We deal with, um, social issu - contemporary social issues through the lens of allegory, like the original Star Trek did so well, you know, issues of xenophobia and date rape and all kinds of things. ... Obviously, what I now call 'Vintage Star Trek' - Original, Next Gen, Deep Space Nine - was a huge influence on the show. And I feel like, you know, the first season, we're finding kind of our space legs. I mean, I'm proud of it, but, you know, we got green-lit in February, we're on the air in July, we didn't have a lot of time, we were filming around the world. It was - it was insanity. But the second season of the show, that recently premiered on The CW, I just think is - is fantastic and I'm so proud of it... To me, you know, it honors, uh, you know, so much of what I've learned about Star Trek and what made Star Trek work... That is part of the DNA of the show, without being Star Trek. It is clearly not a Star Trek show and it's a very, you know, different type of show, with different type of characters. ... But I definitely took the lessons that I feel that I learned from people like Rick Berman and Michael Piller and Ira Behr and - you know, and - and - and, you know, even going back to The Original Series and - and applied them to, um, creating my own sci-fi series. And, uh, you know, I - I don't think our first season was Next Generation season 1... But I feel like, you know, by the time you get to, uh, the new season, we're - we're sort of cruising along Next Generation season 3, hopefully."

-- While talking about Pandora's small production budget in comparison to other, bigger sci-fi shows, Mark Altman: "We have the budget of - you know, we spend on a season what they spent on an episode... A lot of the other, big, sci-fi shows. ... The first season it was really about introducing the characters and it was very stand-alone and everything. But I think Season 2 is - is very serialized and, um, we really were able to explore the characters in much more depth, and I think it is a lot more surprising... There's some really, sort of classic, Star Trekkian types of, um, challenges and stories. And, um, I'm really happy about it. I mean, just the fact that we were able to film it during a pandemic is - is - is really remarkable. I mean, we're wrapping the first - the second season this week. And, um, it was just an incredible obstacle to overcome. But, uh, I just - I just feel like everything about the show - a new production designer, I just feel like the effects, the music, the cast... everything about it, the stories, the scripts - everything has just taken a quantum leap forward this season. So I'm really, really excited. So maybe the pandemic helped, because, of course, we had more time... But, you know, I'll let viewers be the judge of that. But from my personal perspective, I'm very happy with how it turned out."

-- Podcaster noted that every episode of Pandora has had a Bob Dylan song for a title.
Mark Altman: "To me, I love the poetry of Original Star Trek titles. 'Requiem for Methuselah.' 'The City on the Edge of Forever.' 'A Taste of Armageddon.' Those to me are great. ... One thing I knew I wanted to do was have, you know, titles that are more poetic, that also don't necessarily - aren't just a high concept description of the episode, you know? ... Or a Latin quote. ... I said, what's more poetic than Bob Dylan? And, of course, his songbook is so extensive that it's going to be many years before - you know, I had already said, oh, first season will be Dylan. And I think I joked at some Sony event, the second season would be like, uh, you know, Taylor Swift or something - I was kidding! ... You know, I thought, oh, okay, we have to go to another artist because, you know, after one season... But it was no problem finding Bob Dylan titles for the second. ... The second season premiere was, um, 'Things Have Changed,' which was so perfect for it, because in a way we re-pilot the show, and it's six months later and there's a time jump and it was just so perfect. And there are so many great titles and I love that. ... The problem with it is, it's always very hard for me to remember what the titles are called, so I always am referring to them by the number of the episode. ... It's been really fun using the Bob Dylan titles. And we'll see - we'll see if there's a third or fourth or fifth season, you know, if we end up - if it suddenly becomes Duran Duran or Billy Joel or Spring - I said, maybe Springsteen. Springsteen at least, you know, has great poetry in his titles. But who knows?"

Edited November 1, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "On A Night Like This" (Ep. 205) w/ STEVE KRIOZERE & MARK A. ALTMAN
UNBOXING PANDORA   November 1, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-on-night-like-this-ep-205-w-steve-kriozere/id1473960454?i=1000496868584 

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from writers/executive producers STEVE KRIOZERE and MARK A. ALTMAN as they talk about making "On A Night Like This," the fifth episode of Season Two where Xander and Jett set off in search of the missing Ralen and Jax goes on a special mission for Professor Shral.

Go behind-the-scenes with exclusive insights you'll only hear on UNBOXING PANDORA, the official PANDORA podcast hosted by PETER HOLMSTROM, Pandora's writers' assistant.

Edited November 2, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 5 Review: On a Night Like This
Diana Keng at November 2, 2020
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/11/pandora-season-2-episode-5-review-on-a-night-like-this/ 

Quote

There's no doubt about it at this point. Pandora Season 2 Episode 5 proves that this can be a pretty good show when they stick to interpersonal plots and politics.
*  *  *
The writing still swings wildly between being entertaining and pretty obnoxiously pretentious -- seriously, why is a Zatarian going to quote Latin? -- but at least most of this script made sense.
*  *  *
Firstly, kudos for the backstory on Greg and the Sea Hawk survivors.
*  *  *
And despite the fact the same footage [of Las Venus] was run everytime we returned, it's the one time the sci-fi-ishness of the show wasn't distracting in its meh-ness.

Greg's role as the cut-man to all the arena fighters was a great in and Jett's insistence in being included on the mission gave Xander an option to send in to make contact with Collins.

So why the HECK did Xander have to walk in with him?
*  *  *
If Collins was going to recognize him as a buyer, why wouldn't he recognize him as a bodyguard?
*  *  *
If I was prone to asking clarifying questions (and expecting answers), I'd want to know why the reigning fight champion gets put "in charge" of the fights and fighters.
*  *  *
Jax's whole mission was more about setting up yet another character to be harmed by proximity.

Also, it once again establishes Jax as being irresistably attractive to basically everyone. Tall blondes, in particular (oh hello, Cordelia), seem to be vulnerable to her charms.
*  *  *
Based on Aleka and her guards, the Sumi are Klingon-like in behaviour but Tolkien Elvish in appearance.
*  *  *
All in all, I was a lot less frustrated with and enjoyed this offering more than any previous adventures this season.

Edited November 2, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

'Pandora’ Season 2 Episode 5: Is Ralen really dead? The episode has more than one plot twist this time
By Pathikrit Sanyal    November 2, 2020
https://meaww.com/pandora-season-2-episode-5-is-ralen-really-dead-more-than-one-plot-twist-zazie-spy-cw 

Quote

Despite the preposterous plot of ‘Pandora’ in general, the show sometimes manages to surprise us, and episode 5 of season 2 of ‘Pandora’ is one of those episodes. It’s not that the plot is extraordinary -- not even by a long shot. But there were a couple of surprising plot points at the end of the episode that makes you think that the show might be more maverick than one considers. Not good in any way. But reckless about how it proceeds.
*  *  *
For some unknown reason, ‘Pandora’ decides to get all racist here and Jett, who is played by actor Akshay Kumar, takes a heavy Indian accent, bordering on offensive, in an attempt to disguise himself even though no one knows who he is or what he sounds like. Anyway, Ralen it transpired was scheduled for a fight after which the bidding price would be set.
*  *  *
Back on Earth, things are boring. Jax has to get some secret information from a Sumi warrior woman, who is supposed to soon marry a Sumi monarch, who seems to be very attracted to her -- to the point where she tries to kiss her twice. Token gay representation out of the way, there’s a bunch of drama where the Sumi guards realize she is trying to spy. All that is shoved out of the way soon. But that’s when the second reveal is made! 

It turns out that Zazie, Jax’s boring but enthusiastic roommate at the academy is a spy for Tierney. Boom! What a twist. Like interdimensional TV from ‘Rick and Morty’ this show seems to have an improvisational quality to its writing. People just do things and things are revealed out of the blue without any context and we are left wondering why we even bother with it. But fear not, we’ll bother with it again next week.

Edited November 2, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora - Episode 2.07 - A Fool Such As I - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at November 06, 2020
https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/11/pandora-episode-207-fool-such-as-i.html

 

A Fool Such As I

(All New!, HD, TV-14, DLV)

AN UNEXPECTED DELIVERY – Xander (Oliver Dench), Ralen (Ben Radcliffe), and Jett (Akshay Kumar) discover and track a consignment of illegal weapons to a freighter captained by a desperate cargo pilot, Roy Scantron (guest star Reggie Hayes), where they discover the cargo is clones of dead EarthCom soldiers. Priscilla Quintana, Noah Huntley, Tina Casciani, Nicole Mavromatis, and Vikash Bhai also star. Christian Gossett directed the episode written by Darin Scott & Steve Kriozere (#207). Original airdate 11/22/2020.

Edited November 7, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Pay In Blood
Diana Keng at November 9, 2020 
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/11/pandora-season-2-episode-6-review-pay-in-blood/ 

Quote

If Pandora Season 2 Episode 6 felt weirdly familiar to you, don't worry it's not you.

The best I can figure, the whole Aluna 4 plot was an homage to Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, complete with one of the outlander heroes falling in love with a girl in the victimized town.
*  *  *
For the record, I would like to know why a smuggler and thief like Gorch fights like a Zatarian. Also, what happened to Rachel's mother?
*  *  *
Unlike the silver-screen samurai, Xander's strategy was doomed for failure.

The entire settlement and his crew (except maybe Jett who would've headed home in the repaired Kubrick, I'm sure) would've been massacred if Aleka hadn't shown up.

I would think, for someone who allegedly feels great insecurity in his role as commander, it would be rather galling to realize your girlfriend had to save your butt by asking for help from a princess with a crush on her.
*  *  *
Xander may be able to talk the talk, but the only captain-like action I've seen is his ability to handle a lot of foreign and sketchy-looking booze.
*  *  *
After you watch Pandora online, answer me this in the comments: Which Seven Samurai homage did you prefer - this one or the film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar?

Edited November 9, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "Pay In Blood" (Ep. 206) w/ THOMAS P. VITALE & MARK A. ALTMAN
Unboxing Pandora   Nov 8, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-pay-in-blood-ep-206-w-thomas-p-vitale-mark-a-altman/id1473960454?i=1000497693819

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from writer/executive producers THOMAS P. VITALE (Slasher) and showrunner MARK A. ALTMAN as they talk about making "Pay In Blood," the sixth episode of Season Two where Xander, Greg and Jett find themselves stranded on a mining colony being harassed by the Sumi.

Edited November 9, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora - Episode 2.08 - Tell me That It Isn't True - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at November 12, 2020
https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/11/pandora-episode-208-lost-in-space-press.html 

 

"Tell me That It Isn't True" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, DLV) (HDTV)

LOST IN SPACE - Xander (Oliver Dench), Ralen (Ben Radcliffe), and Jett (Akshay Kumar) finally return to Earth, only to find it completely devoid of life with the exception being a mysterious and amnesic Jax; now they will need to work together to unravel the strange mysteries of this surreal world. Priscilla Quintana, Noah Huntley, Tina Casciani, Nicole Mavromatis and Vikash Bhai also star. Maximilian Schmige directed the story by Mark A. Altman and teleplay by Lisa Klink & Peter Holmstrom (#208). Original airdate 11/29/2020.

Edited November 13, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Pandora’s Priscilla Quintana

Spoiler

‘Wouldn’t Say’Jax & Xander Are ‘End Game’: ‘She Can’tTrust Him’

Ali Stagnitta    November 12, 2020
https://hollywoodlife.com/2020/11/12/pandora-priscilla-quintana-jax-interview/ 

Edited November 13, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited November 14, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora's S2 demo rating has dropped below 0.1 and has been rounded down to 0.0 for the last three episodes; however, it's total viewers number has fluctuated slightly each episode...
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/pandora-season-two-ratings/
 

Edited November 16, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora - Episode 2.09 - All Along the Watchtower - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at November 19, 2020
https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/11/pandora-episode-209-all-along.html

 

"All Along the Watchtower" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)

ONE SECOND TO MIDNIGHT - As the Galaxy sits on the brink of war, Jax (Priscilla Quintana) and the team must unite all the races of the Galaxy in the hopes of preventing their destruction. Meanwhile, Osborn (Noah Huntley) grapples with the ghosts of his past. Oliver Dench, Ben Radcliffe, Akshay Kumar, Tina Casciani, Nicole Mavromatis and Vikash Bhai also star. Buddy Giovianzzo directed the story by Mark A. Altman and teleplay by Brea Grant & Steve Kriozere (#209). Original airdate 12/6/2020.

Edited November 21, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "A Fool Such As I" (Ep. 207) w/ DARIN SCOTT & STEVE KRIOZERE
UNBOXING PANDORA    November 22, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-a-fool-such-as-i-ep-207-w-darin-scott-steve-kriozere/id1473960454?i=1000499851655

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from writer/executive producers STEVE KRIOZERE (NCIS, Castle) and c-writer DARIN SCOTT (Tales From The Hood) as they talk about making "A Fool Such As I" the seventh episode of Season Two where Xander, Ralen and Jett pursue a cargo ship filled with contraband cargo that may tie Parallax into a greater conspiracy.

Edited November 23, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 7 Review: A Fool Such As I
Diana Keng at November 23, 2020
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/11/pandora-season-2-episode-7-review-a-fool-such-as-i/ 

Quote

Dang it. I was starting to really have some hope and then Pandora Season 2 Episode 7 happened.

With only three episodes left and a freakin' universe to save, it seems rather irresponsible to be throwing the clones of dead brothers and babies (that are, again, clones) into the mix.

Also, enough with the classical Earth references.

I was skeptical about Ralen quoting gladiator lines on Pandora Season 2 Episode 5 but for a secessionist force trying to leave the Earth Confederacy to call themselves Bellum Batonianum is just contradictory in nature.
*  *  *
They've seeded the season with a multitude of characters capable of reprising and yet, certain characters we'd expect to recur are completely M.I.A.
*  *  *
Captain Roy Scantron is a fun addition, but it's almost painful how much of a Star-Lord rip-off he is in regards to the vintage memorabilia and musical penchants.
*  *  *
As for the bulk of the narrative, I'm honestly at a loss as to which character's insanity I disliked more -- Xander's brother fixation or Jax's mommy psychosis.
*  *  *
Yes, I get that finding a clone of your dead brother is probably going to blow your mind but how does anything Xander has learned or experienced lead him to think that a clone of Zion will manifest his memories?

And HOW THE HELL DOES IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?
*  *  *
You don't get to call yourself science fiction when the science is this bad.
*  *  *
By the way, if there's any consistancy with Bloom's growth -- and WHY would I even presume there would be -- she should be walking within a week and a fully-grown Pandora (yay, ANOTHER Jax!) by the time the universe gets zapped by the Ancients.

Edited November 23, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora - Episode 2.10 - I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at November 26, 2020
https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/11/pandora-episode-210-i-forgot-more-than.html

 

"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know"

(8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, V) (HDTV)

SEASON FINALE - Jax (Priscilla Quintana) races against time to save the Universe from complete destruction before the Ancients can render their final judgment, as Xander (Oliver Dench) covertly pursues his own plans for redemption. Ben Radcliffe, Noah Huntley, Akshay Kumar, Tina Casciani, Nicole Mavromatis and Vikash Bhai also star. Buddy Giovianzzo directed the episode written Mark A. Altman (#210). Original airdate 12/13/2020.

Edited November 27, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "Tell Me That It Isn't True" (Ep. 208) w/ MAXIMILLIAN SCHMIGE
UNBOXING PANDORA: THE OFFICIAL PANDORA TV SERIES PODCAST
November 29, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-tell-me-that-it-isnt-true-ep-208-w-maximillian/id1473960454?i=1000500724345

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from director/director of photography MAXIMILLIAN SCHMIGE and co-writer/writers assistant PETER HOLMSTROM as they talk about making "Tell Me That It Isn't True" the eighth episode of Season Two in which The Twilight Zone meets The Prisoner in a spellbinding mystery.

Edited November 30, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Tell Me That It Isn't True
Diana Keng at November 30, 2020 
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/11/pandora-season-2-episode-8-review-tell-me-that-it-isnt-true/ 

Quote

There are a lot of answers crammed into Pandora Season 2 Episode 8 and, at the same time, some great potential is wasted. Again.
*  *  *
The wasted potential here is that the Westworld-like routine that starts with Bloom waking up in Jax's dorm room could have led to a reveal where each awakening was a new clone, the previous Bloom having become unstable or damaged/killed by her curious nature.
*  *  *
It would've tread dangerously close to ripping off the HBO show's concept but it would've made more sense than the idea that Bloom could have an adventure with Ralen, get zapped into unconsciousness, and wake up with no memory or trauma of that happening.
*  *  *
I don't know why I continue to look for logic in this show but does time move differently on Zazie's Earth?

Because Bloom's apparently had multiple days, maybe weeks, in her isolation campus while, on -- let's call it -- "Earth Prime", Jax has only just discovered her baby's gone.
*  *  *
Oh yeah, and she's completely obsessed with finding her missing baby (who is now a fully-grown and identical copy of herself) so saving the galaxy is kind of low priority, it seems.

Edited November 30, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited December 4, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "All Along The Watchtower" (Ep. 209) w/ BUDDY GIOVINAZZO & STEVE KRIOZERE
Unboxing Pandora   December 6, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-all-along-watchtower-ep-209-w-buddy-giovinazzo/id1473960454?i=1000501535755

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from director BUDDY GIOVINAZZO and co-writer/executive producer STEVE KRIOZERE. as they talk about making the first part of the two-part season finale, "All Along The Watchtower," the penultimate episode of Season Two.

Edited December 7, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 9 Review: All Along the Watchtower
Diana Keng at December 6, 2020
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/12/pandora-season-2-episode-9-review-all-along-the-watchtower/ 

Quote

Meanwhile, Cadet Jax gets to be captain now?
*  *  *
No, but seriously, how much dumb does Xander have in him? Even pretty doesn't make up for that level of stupidity. And is he completely incapable of turning down a drink?
*  *  *
I found it particularly reprehensible that he took credit for planting a tracker on Zion when that was actually Jett's doing.
*  *  *
His [Jett's] unlikely friendship with Ralen gets spotlighted, which indicates they'll probably factor into Jax's testimony to the Ancients.
*  *  *
Despite all her angst about her testimony, I'm not sure why she thinks she needs to say anything since the Ancients have shown that they're completely capable of pulling truth straight out of a Pandora.
*  *  *
My final quibble with this penultimate offering of the season is that the entire point of the Ancients providing Jax with a four-month extension was for her to unite the races of the galaxy.
*  *  *
She made (brief) contact with the Lost Race and got a glowy shell necklace out of it.

She made (more intimate) contact with the Sumi and got Aleka's substantial support in times of crisis.

She's got Ralen. He's only one Zatarian, but that probably counts.
*  *  *
However, there's another race we've never seen and with whom she has made no effort to connect -- the Chronoms (sp?)

So now she's headed to Asmodeus VI and plans on testifying but has she actually done anything?

Edited December 7, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited December 11, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" (Ep. 210) w/ MARK A. ALTMAN & AARON RATNER
Unboxing Pandora   December 13, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-i-forgot-more-than-youll-ever-know-ep-210/id1473960454?i=1000502287710

Quote

Go behind-the-scenes of the making of PANDORA with audio commentary from showrunner/executive producer MARK A. ALTMAN and proudcer/post supervisor AARON RATNER as they talk about the thrilling and shocking season finale of Season Two.  

Next week don't miss executive producers MARK A. ALTMAN & STEVE KRIOZERE as they look back and talk about the future of PANDORA in an overview of season two with behind-the-scene stories and insights from filming this year. 

Edited December 14, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora Season 2 Episode 10 Review: I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
Diana Keng at December 14, 2020
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2020/12/pandora-season-2-episode-10-review-i-forgot-more-than-youll-ever/ 

Quote

Oh, my freakin' Gawd. As an episode, Pandora Season 2 Episode 10 was pretty "meh" with a little bit of "argh" thrown in.

As a season finale, it could've been salvageable if they'd ended it at Aleka's fun speech about returning to her hugely misogynistic society to grow them a new way of being.

It might even have worked to have the Ancients wipe everything out, and then Jax gets to see how a new universe starts à la Ragnorak, in a way.

But their choice to play a mulligan/do-over card and then drag out the exposition for an unfathomable fifteen minutes reads to me like they didn't know where they were going with it all.
*  *  *
Mind you, for Bertha to represent all Chronins seems a bit of a stretch, seeing as she was hatched (!) and raised by humans.

And it was super-sweet for Aleka to come at Jax's call.

Honestly, that relationship had a lot more going for it than any of Jax's hetero-hookups.
*  *  *
Especially when you consider Xander, who has been sliding with increasing speed all season into a cesspool of stupidity, machismo, and whiny entitlement.

I have a hard time deciding if they were attempting to write a good man with many flaws or a bad man deluding himself into thinking he is a good man.

Repeatedly, he has shown poor judgment when it comes to dealing with opponents, unwarranted distrust and inconsiderateness in his relationship with Jax, and a complete disregard for his crew, his command, and civilian lives.
*  *  *
And, throughout it all, he seems to think he holds the moral high ground somehow.

How he can declare his love for Jax when faced with separation when he just shot and boxed her moments before -- albeit in a different timeline now, but he REMEMBERS -- is infuriating.
*  *  *
If he and Tierney are being set up as some sort of rebound relationship, I sincerely hope Jax's half-sister is less sentimental and takes the opportunity to shoot him at least once.
*  *  *
I don't know if I have the mental energy to parse out all the weirdness in Xander taking the clone of Zion back to his catatonic mother on her farm in the middle of nowhere and just leaving.

He's a clone. Of a soldier. A programmable clone of a soldier who has already malfunctioned by tapping into his genetic material source memories.

What if he malfunctions again? What if new programming is downloaded?
*  *  *
Even if you suspend your disbelief, blindfold it, coat it in resin, and set it on fire, it's almost impossible to acknowledge this show on its merits as sci-fi, storytelling, or characters because it just can't pick a lane.

Based on the crickets in the comments section this season, I would assume that I'm writing into a vacuum at this point. By all means, correct me if I'm wrong, but after ten weeks of painful plot holes and excruciating character meanderings, I. Am. Done.

Edited December 14, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora season 3: Will there be another series of Pandora?
By FAY WATSON    Dec 13, 2020
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1372083/Pandora-season-3-release-date-another-series-renewed-cancelled-The-CW-evg 

Quote

Currently, Pandora has not been renewed for a third season by The CW.

However, in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, series star Noah Huntley gave a positive update on the show’s future.

When asked if he would like to return for a third outing, he said: “Yeah, I think so. I think it really needs to get cohesive.
*  *  *
“I think there's a danger that when you create this very broad world, you just keep creating going further and further and extending that frontier and I think some of the stakes need to be answered now.

“Once you’ve presented the elements at stake and you presented the conflict, you then need to create resolution.

“And I think Mark's [showrunner Mark A Altman] aware of that and certainly goes some way to explain those threads that were left unanswered from season one.

“And I think it's really about making sure that that continues to be part of the process in future seasons.

Edited December 14, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

PANDORA SHOWRUNNER TEASES A NEW STAR WARS VIBE FOR SEASON 3
RYAN BRITT    DECEMBER 14, 2020
https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/pandora-season-3-star-wars-mark-a-altman-interview 

Quote

THE CREW OF THE DAUNTLESS HAS GONE RENEGADE. The Season 2 finale of The CW's cult sci-fi hit is a game-changer on multiple levels. Not only did Jax resolve a major plot point that's been on the table since Season 1, but the status-quo of the Dauntless crew is now irrevocably different. If Pandora was a kind of pseudo-Star Trek tribute prior to Season 2, the series has now set-up Season 3 to be way more like Star Wars.

But within all of those internal shifts, Pandora has to find its identity as a sci-fi series alongside massive shows like The Mandalorian and Star Trek: Discovery. While many popular genre shows rely on callbacks, Easter eggs, and crossovers to sustain interest, Pandora has to stay true to its own emerging mythology. Or as showrunner Mark A. Altman tells Inverse, "as much as we’d like to just bring back Boba Fett [in Season 3], we don’t have that option."
*  *  *
"Sci-fi is inherently a cerebral genre," Altman says of his approach to Pandora. "That’s our idea as well; to deal with some heady ideas, but wrap them in fisticuffs, action, and romance."
*  *  *
Altman says Pandora contains some of the "aspirational" values of Trek and is poised to be more "swashbuckling and mission-based" like Star Wars. But unlike those two franchises, it has to earn its own keep. Other than The Orville and The Expanse — which is poised to end in 2021 — Pandora is pretty much the only non-legacy space opera in town.

"Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica were huge inspirations for us," Altman says. "What Joe Straczynski did with Babylon 5 was marvelous. Sometimes the changes he made were necessitated by cast issues as well as budget, but he was usually able to make it work effortlessly. It was the same with Ron Moore’s brilliant Battlestar Galactica. Ron was unafraid to really push the envelope and reinvent the paradigm. That’s something I’d like to do more of in future seasons of Pandora."

The cliffhanger of Pandora Season 2 turns the crew of the Dauntless into renegades on the run, and Altman acknowledges Season 3 will have a very different feeling than what's come before it. With the disappearance of the show's lead character, Jax (Priscilla Quintana), Season 3 leaves the door open for a bunch of new characters.

"We’d certainly plan to expand our core cast while introducing some new characters and alien races," Altman explains. "But we’re in a tough spot, we don’t know who to trust, and we’re out there in the cosmos, alone with a damaged ship and not a lot of allies."
*  *  *
"We leave Season 2 with a bunch of cliffhangers that really set up the stakes for future seasons including the reveal of Shral as a Zatarian sleeper agent, the disappearance of Jax and Tierney’s mother," Altman says. "But things might feel a little more Guardians of the Galaxy going forward, while retaining the heartfelt, emotional stories and serialized character drama that’s become our stock in trade."
*  *  *
"We’re all hoping for a third season pick-up, and we’ve been very gratified at how successful the series has been globally," Altman says. "Everything in Season 2 we wrote before the election. So it was very much informed by the world in which we were living in pre-November 3rd. Season 3 will lean into the space adventure even more. It will be bigger, more epic and hopefully speak to our audience and who we are as a race today."

Edited December 14, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Pandora ended its second season with ratings of 0.00 demo and 0.240 M viewers...
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/pandora-season-two-ratings/

Edited December 16, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Unboxing Season Two: A Look Back w/ MARK A. ALTMAN & STEVE KRIOZERE
UNBOXING PANDORA    DEC 18, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unboxing-season-two-look-back-w-mark-altman-steve-kriozere/id1473960454?i=1000502794562

Quote

Executive Producers MARK A. ALTMAN and STEVE KROZIERE look back at the making of second season and how they managed to fit an entire season in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. You don't want to miss this look back... and forward... at making Pandora. Find out things you never knew about the cast and filming and get a sneak preview of the future of Pandora.

Edited December 19, 2020 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Saturn Awards website:
http://www.saturnawards.org/

[NeenerNeener]

I think this got canceled, but The Outpost didn't. Go figure.