josh: yyyyeeeelllooo
matt: Hello! Happy 4th of july!
So are you completely up to date with Falling Skies, or have you only watched the pilot?
josh: up to date
matt: Oh, great! So you saw this week's episode?
josh: yes
hang on one sec
matt: ok
So (when you're ready) what do you think of the show so far?
josh:This week's episode i think the show was starting to get its legs a bit it's been a bit slow going for me.
I think Noah Wyle is great and steals every scene. Moon Bloodgood and Will Patton also keep the show in reality too
matt: Okay... So you are finding the pace slow?
josh: not slow paced, just kinda, TV-ish.
the secondary actors are adequate, but they don't sell the cheese.
some aren't that adequate.
matt: Aww, that's cold
josh: i like the characters themselves
just the interaction between them is verymeh
and there's no way that guy is 16 years old
here's my M.M.Dir. moment: there needs to be more conflict personally with the characters
matt: Yeah, but very rarely do they actually cast kids as the age they are
josh: not that they HAVE TO copy Lost, but take a cue from them.
yeah, but that kid has totally got his bachelors degree by now
matt: Hmm, your take on it is interesting. I seem to be enjoying it more than you. I know that summer is kind of a dead zone for TV, so maybe I'm just a drowning man clutching at straws, but I'm really digging it so far.
josh: anyhow, take a cue from Lost & Battlestar Galactica and have conflict between the characters. Will Patton had some going, but there never felt like there was any real THREAT between anybody. They argued a bit, but everyone gets along pretty well considering the world fell apart
That being said, I am enjoying it, i think the dialogue isn't on the nose as much as Walking Dead
matt: Well, what about the Steven Weber character, and Pope, the biker?
josh: I like all the alien.....
stuff
matt: There's some conflict in there...
josh: there's some,
i think the Pope character brings a cool element to it,
but again, the banter is pretty cheesy
the skitters are pretty cool, and I like that part where the teacher was pointing out how the Mechs are bi-pedal and the Skitters are 4 or 8 or whatever
matt: It's funny you mention The Walking Dead, because I thought as far as post-apocalyptic dramas go, FS was further ahead than TWD by this point in their respective seasons. In terms of plot development and establishing characters.
josh: i agree
matt: Which is somewhat ironic since TWD has 80-odd issues of comic to back it up
josh: WD had the belak vibe that FS doesn't, but I feel more invested in FS
bleak that is
not belak
belak must be the skitter planet but the action is a bit A-team. lots of gunshots, very little wounded.
matt: Haha... I thought the pilot of FS was particularly strong, and the bleakness was brought home immediately with the device they used with the kids voices describing their drawings. I thought that was such a concise way to set the scene and give it plenty of gravitas at the same time.
It actually made it scary - for me, anyway. More than TWD did in 6 episodes
josh: i agree with that
i feel on paper it's a better show than SOME of its presentation
it's almost there
I think they need to study what Noah Wyle is doing more, he has a vibe that will keep it grounded
there's one actor (who shall remain nameless) that I had a real hard time watching.
ooh, i think Steven Weber is good too,
they have a good cast for the most part, and that Asian guy is cool, but they don't give him the best lines.
matt: Yeah, Wyle's playing the "haunted soul" quite well. I never liked him on ER, so I was surprised to see him do so well here. I also liked the way that you saw the aliens within the first 30 mins of the first episode - no ridiculous subterfuge - at this point one alien pretty much looks like another, so I'm glad they dispensed with any phony shock value.
josh: i really liked him on ER
matt: Now I'm trying to figure out which actor you don't like...
josh: i agree about seeing the aliens soon and well
the jaws theory is great, but at this point, lets see some shit.
i think the FX are great for TV too.
not quite Battlestar great, but they don't take you out of it at all
matt: Yes I agree, very well done on a TV budget
josh: I'm a little tired of "I'm going to get my son, and nothing you say can stop me."
matt: Oh, fireworks are starting... can we break for a bit?
josh: "No, 1st you have to do this."
matt: Yeah, it is every episode so far
josh: "oh. Ok. then I'm going to get my son and nothing you can say can stop me."
sure, happy 4th
matt: oh sorry false alarm
josh: Ok then
matt: they aren't supposed to start until 9, but we just heard a big bang- must be a test or neighbors - unless it's the alien invasion
josh: yeah, here too.
matt: it is Independence Day, after all
josh: i say invasion
lol. yeah right
anyhow as i was saying:
matt: so, yeah, we were saying... a bit repetitive so far with the missing son
josh: "if it was your son what would you do."
"I'd do what ever it takes. but 1st do this."
"Ok. but then I'm going after my son."
"and did I mention his name is Ben?"
"his name is Ben."
and no REAL threat.
matt: Yeah, I hadn't really noticed the repetition, because there's been enough stuff going on around it which fleshes out the world and the situation they're in
josh: I understand why they haven't gotten him yet, the harness being dangerous and all
yeah, i pretty much have watched them in a row
but Ben seems to be doing fine.
he'll be there next time
or the next time
or the next matt: Haha, right
I think that element definitely brings it back to the "TV show" realm
josh: and they're ALL just setting up camp and coming and going at that school like the 1st period bell rang and there's going to be a pep rally
HOW have the aliens NOT seen that?!
again, I am enjoying it though. it's good TV cheese. with enough above par stuff spread throughout
matt: I think it's been suggested that the aliens are only going after big groups, implying that groups smaller than 300 or so are no real threat to the aliens. It does have a bit of a sense of "Mission of the Week"... but TWD fell into that trap as well
josh: TWD got REAL preachy and melodramatic too
cardboard cut out characters and soap opera acting
matt: Yeah I agree
josh: after some time has passed I was thinking it doesn't do the comic justice at all
matt: Speaking of which, you just finished reading the latest trade paperback?
josh: not that you'd be able to transcribe the dialogue right from the comic to the screen, but it has so much more depth
i did just finish vol 14, yes
matt: What did you think?
josh: Loved it again, never fails to frustrate, shock and geek out
i think something that the comic has is exactly what Falling Skies needs
that sense of dread
they feel too safe at the camp
and even on missions sometimes
the sleeping skitters were really cool, but they didn't seem to whisper too softly
matt: Yeah, I have to say that this latest Walking Dead comic storyline subverted my expectations at every turn.
josh: and how long were they sleeping there? they had the whole mission, Pope ran back and torched them, ON A BIKE!
In the WD vol.14: when Morgan tells Carl he saw him kill that kid. That moment between them was awesome
I've really grown to like Carl a lot. he went from an annoying whiny kid to a really cool character
which is why it was so shitty and so great that what happened, happened
matt: Every time I thought I knew where Kirkman was going with the story, it turned and did something completely different. I thought this was going to be the Woodbury prison story all over again, but it seemed like Kirkman was doing everything he could to make it distinctly different
josh: in the beginning of the storyline when Rick told Carl what happened and Carl said he was glad they were in danger, because that means everyone will stop acting like they're not
and Andrea mentioned that too. that she felt better being on edge. feeling safe didn't feel safe
i find myself reading now too sometimes when they start doing something, like a plan of action...
and you can feel something is going to happen. I'm reading and I go "Oh no." out loud. Like I know something is going to happen
matt: Well, you know that every quiet period is going to be followed eventually by chaos and death, in this book
josh: like when you watch a youtube video of some kid on a pogo stick and you just say "oh no, kid."
i know, but it's great that you can feel it in a comic book, without music and editing
well, i guess there's editing in it's own form
man, what a great book
matt: But yeah, like I've said before, it's the only comic I've read that has given me a visceral, palpable reaction
Ok, NOW I have to go watch fireworks.. want to wrap it here or continue later?
We've got a lot of material already
(I think)
josh: a little more after i have a couple more things
matt: ok be back soon
| 33 minutes |
matt: I'm back... are you there?
| 7 minutes |
josh: yo
sorry
didn't hear the BLEEP
matt: right on
josh: anyhow: I like how Noah Wyle's character is always pointing out the comparisons to military history
reminds me of Anthony Hopkins character in The Edge
matt: Yeah I liked that too, it helps explain his character's optimism, in a way I haven't seen The Edge
josh: ah. it's good. David Mamet script i think
matt: hmm, I'll keep my radar out for it
josh: anyhow, it makes it make a little more sense how he can be an effective leader, aside from his personality
on the flip side - the tough chick from Pope's crew does a good job, but she's too Dawson's Creek/CW/WB. Feels kinda Smallville
the later seasons
"ooh. she's tougher than she looks."
matt: In her defense, they haven't given her too much do so far
I think Pope is my favorite character so far. He gets all the best lines and is definitely the "meta" character, making comments that someone watching the show might make
josh: yeah, but it's a bit hammy
matt: A little bit, but still enjoyable
I think he's written to be broad
josh: yeah
i like the whole forced-to-be-a-chef thing
i like his character.
i just think there's a lot of "hey this is who this is, and everything that they're about!" going on at this point
exposition city
once we know who everyone is, hopefully the plots will take precedence and subtext will kick in
matt: Yeah I was actually thinking about the exposition while watching the latest episode, and I don't think it's anywhere as clumsy as something like the later seasons of 24.
josh: true, even though i didn't watch much of the later 24 seasons
overall, I'm enjoying falling skies, but I'm not planning my week around it
matt: Unfortunately, it's one of the only watchable shows on right now, for me josh: well then. Falling Skies: Monday Morning Direct-ED
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