Pavor Nocturnus (205)

[DigiFluid]

She almost made it sound like this was the first time she'd gone looking for a cure, but you have to wonder if she did at other times in her life too. Or maybe even if she went through dark periods she still had her work etc. But with the loss of Ashley she felt like it wasn't worth it anymore. (And of course she'd also recently lost her long time friend Watson, and Druitt and Tesla are basically nuts. ).

Not quite..... We learned at the end of the episode that the hunt for something to help her die happened in the here and now, meaning that Druitt and Tesla are still very much alive while she searches.

She's almost as upset about losing Ashley as I am

[jckfan55]

^All Will seemed to know is she was looking for some artifact, iirc.

[jckfan55]

Not quite..... We learned at the end of the episode that the hunt for something to help her die happened in the here and now, meaning that Druitt and Tesla are still very much alive while she searches.

I didn't say those two were dead--I said they are nuts.

[DigiFluid]

....yes. Yes you did

[AresLover452]

^All Will seemed to know is she was looking for some artifact, iirc.

Cause I think if she actually told will what she was looking for he would talk her out of searching... well he would try to and then Helen would do it anyway.

[Khentkawes]

I just read through this thread and... I guess I'm alone on this. I was very bored with this episode. I don't mind slow-pacing and I don't need an episode to be action-packed, but the first 20 minutes of this simply didn't catch my attention, and I never got into the story. I think my lack of interest had a lot to do with the lack of dialogue in the beginning. No talking, lots of Helen wandering around in a grey world trying to figure out what's going on... it just didn't work for me. I almost got up and walked away from the TV. And I've never had that reaction before (not to Sanctuary, not even to SGA).

The lighting effects seemed over-the-top, partially because I've seen them used too often (post-apocalyptic world = grey and faded colors). The zombies were... predictable. As was Will's infection. And I spent too much time laughing at Will at moments that I think were supposed to be dramatic (his random little yell when he ran of to face the zombies made me laugh really hard. And his perkiness in the last scene didn't feel natural to me... just a little too perky). All in all... I just didn't see the overwhelming awesomeness that most of you did. Maybe it's because I'm just not a fan of zombie movies, but that's because I find them rather predictable.

I am glad they dealt with Helen's grief over Ashley some more. That was good. And I liked the mention of Druitt. But that's about it.

My only complaint here is that they really went overboard on the multicam. It's something you all know I'm very displeased with to begin with, but in this episode it felt like they were throwing it in every 5 minutes just for the hell of it. Very jarring.

I'm with you on being "very displeased" (or somewhat stronger words ) about the multicam effect. But it didn't bother me in this particular episode because... well, for me, it was sort of a break from the monotony of Helen wandering around looking confused and Will fighting zombies. So it didn't disrupt the storyline for me because I was already disengaged from the stroyline. Granted, that's not a positive thing.

<snip> ...and Druitt and Tesla are basically nuts. ).

Which may be why I like them so much. I'm really missing Tesla. I really wanted to know what happened to him in this episode.

[majorsal]

i'm going to rewatch tonight (what a horrible chore ), but i've got a question...

once the outbreak took, and the end of the world started; how long into it was it that everyone thought helen was killed? i'm wondering how long helen lived through the world ending around her.

but yes, i know it never really happened, but i'm just curious.

[Khentkawes]

i'm going to rewatch tonight (what a horrible chore ), but i've got a question...

once the outbreak took, and the end of the world started; how long into it was it that everyone thought helen was killed? i'm wondering how long helen lived through the world ending around her.

but yes, i know it never really happened, but i'm just curious.

IIRC... Helen said she had gone to Honduras "10 years ago, not long after Ashley died." And Will said that Helen died "3 years ago." So she would have lived through 7 years of the virus taking over the world. I could be wrong, but I thought that's what they said.

[shel]

i'm going to rewatch tonight (what a horrible chore ), but i've got a question...

once the outbreak took, and the end of the world started; how long into it was it that everyone thought helen was killed? i'm wondering how long helen lived through the world ending around her.

but yes, i know it never really happened, but i'm just curious.

Oh yes horrible chore (I guess thats a chore i've done a few times then)

I thought that it had been maybe 3-5 yrs since she had been killed. I doubt i'm right, but i was thinking maybe she lived through 1 to 2 years through the world ending around her. IDK

[WishIwasJoes]

I just read through this thread and... I guess I'm alone on this. I was very bored with this episode. I don't mind slow-pacing and I don't need an episode to be action-packed, but the first 20 minutes of this simply didn't catch my attention, and I never got into the story. I think my lack of interest had a lot to do with the lack of dialogue in the beginning. No talking, lots of Helen wandering around in a grey world trying to figure out what's going on... it just didn't work for me. I almost got up and walked away from the TV. And I've never had that reaction before (not to Sanctuary, not even to SGA).

The lighting effects seemed over-the-top, partially because I've seen them used too often (post-apocalyptic world = grey and faded colors). The zombies were... predictable. As was Will's infection. And I spent too much time laughing at Will at moments that I think were supposed to be dramatic (his random little yell when he ran of to face the zombies made me laugh really hard. And his perkiness in the last scene didn't feel natural to me... just a little too perky). All in all... I just didn't see the overwhelming awesomeness that most of you did. Maybe it's because I'm just not a fan of zombie movies, but that's because I find them rather predictable.

I am glad they dealt with Helen's grief over Ashley some more. That was good. And I liked the mention of Druitt. But that's about it.



I'm with you on being "very displeased" (or somewhat stronger words ) about the multicam effect. But it didn't bother me in this particular episode because... well, for me, it was sort of a break from the monotony of Helen wandering around looking confused and Will fighting zombies. So it didn't disrupt the storyline for me because I was already disengaged from the stroyline. Granted, that's not a positive thing.



Which may be why I like them so much. I'm really missing Tesla. I really wanted to know what happened to him in this episode.

No your not the only one that was not in love with this eppy, but I am 29 and I guess I am just not into stuff that younger viewers are. So far this season is not really up to where the first one was. End of nights was ok. Hero was just eh for me. And this one was just NOT interesting to me. I did like seeing her deal with her grief but I thought it was rather silly that she wanted to shorten her life when she could have just jumped off her high spot in the Sanctuary.

Everyone has been debating the point if she was trying to kill herself or what. We are all told that Helen is very strong, wise, yada yada, the want to shorten her life to me felt like a neat side step to saying she wanted to kill herself. Not a zombie fan and Will's acting was just so distracting! Did like the idea behind the story and the idea that Helen wanted to end her life but instead damned man kind.

My guess is it looked better on paper that it did on screen. Also we are told that the show needs to be less Americanized, so why the heck are we looking at NY in the background?

[slurredspeech]

IIRC... Helen said she had gone to Honduras "10 years ago, not long after Ashley died." And Will said that Helen died "3 years ago." So she would have lived through 7 years of the virus taking over the world. I could be wrong, but I thought that's what they said.

I believe this is the case, as well. Alas. I haven't yet done my rewatch so we could both be terribly wrong.

No talking, lots of Helen wandering around in a grey world trying to figure out what's going on... it just didn't work for me.

They could have done that part better, I agree. I thought it a bit too slow and without a desired effect of shock or suspense (partially because I knew the plot of the episode?); not so much for the lack of dialogue either, just the way they did it.

Save for that and the outrageously overused multicam - which I don't usually mind and it only pulls me out of the story because I always always think of the people here who hate it, and the discussion makes me smile - the rest was . Me likey.

No your not the only one that was not in love with this eppy, but I am 29 and I guess I am just not into stuff that younger viewers are.

That's... awfully presumptuous. I'm sorry, but not everyone who enjoyed this ep is 13, or has - juvenile? unrefined? easily entertained? - taste.
Just as it would be unfair and horribly incorrect to assume everyone who didn't is a big mean meanie who, I don't know, hates AT and MW and secretly wishes their carreers to plummet.

Generalization. It kills kittens and white blood cells.

We are all told that Helen is very strong, wise, yada yada, the want to shorten her life to me felt like a neat side step to saying she wanted to kill herself.

Did it? I beg to differ. In fact, even back in S1 I wondered if perhaps she ever thought of somehow reversing what the source blood has done to her physiology. Not because I thought - or think, for that matter - that she has suicidal tendencies, but simply because OMG!!ELEVEN!! who the heck would want to live forever? Granted, it might've seemed like all the rave back when all five of them were experimenting, pushing the boundaries (ah, the eighteen hundreds, with the big dresses and vampire blood; good times!), and even now there's always so much for her to do. But I do believe that after so many years, and so many loved ones lost one is prone to reconsider that decision.

Not kill herself. Just... live normally, and die that way.

Also we are told that the show needs to be less Americanized, so why the heck are we looking at NY in the background?

Look. I know you're disappointed with Ashley gone - it's not what I was wishing for the character either - but perhaps if you allowed yourself to put that aside for any one episode and just tried to enjoy it as it now is? That last comment, it sounds as if you're looking for things not to like. It's a background. Of NYC. We see it for all of a second. If - DigiFluid, yes? - hadn't pointed it out, I would never have noticed. Granted, I'm not as New York savvy as he obviously is, but still.

[Eternal Density]

I'm more of a Half Life gamer myself.
*imagines Ash and Henry shooting up headcrabs and headcrab zombies*
Ashley...

[majorsal]

i rewatched the ep... wow.

and the shower scene was *much* shorter than i remembered! but i think that's b/c when i first saw it, i was so blown away i was holding my breath or something. hehe.

amanda was won.der.ful!!!

the only thing i didn't care for were the zombies, but that's how they moved and walked around. but that was a small thing and i think the ep was great!!

[AresLover452]

i rewatched the ep... wow.

and the shower scene was *much* shorter than i remembered! but i think that's b/c when i first saw it, i was so blown away i was holding my breath or something. hehe.

amanda was won.der.ful!!!

the only thing i didn't care for were the zombies, but that's how they moved and walked around. but that was a small thing and i think the ep was great!!

Totally. I also rewated it and i was like OMFGS!!!!! NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO HELEN!!!

[EvenstarSRV]

No your not the only one that was not in love with this eppy, but I am 29 and I guess I am just not into stuff that younger viewers are. So far this season is not really up to where the first one was. End of nights was ok. Hero was just eh for me. And this one was just NOT interesting to me. I did like seeing her deal with her grief but I thought it was rather silly that she wanted to shorten her life when she could have just jumped off her high spot in the Sanctuary.

Everyone has been debating the point if she was trying to kill herself or what. We are all told that Helen is very strong, wise, yada yada, the want to shorten her life to me felt like a neat side step to saying she wanted to kill herself. Not a zombie fan and Will's acting was just so distracting! Did like the idea behind the story and the idea that Helen wanted to end her life but instead damned man kind.

I agree with slurredspeech on this, I think there's a distinct difference between Helen wanting to kill herself and Helen wanting a normal lifespan.

My guess is it looked better on paper that it did on screen. Also we are told that the show needs to be less Americanized, so why the heck are we looking at NY in the background?

Well, the main Sanctuary is set in America (the Pacific Northwest) so I'd imagine the backgrounds would be rather Americanized. Though honestly, I didn't even realize it was the Brooklyn bridge until it was pointed out. And I'd say the effort to show other Sanctuaries in Japan, London, and later Mumbai do add a global feel to the show.

Personally, I rather liked the opening sequence, with Helen trying to figure what was going on along with the viewer. And I think the set dec and lighting really sold the post-apocalyptic world. In a nuclear winter (so many cities being nuked) the place is going to be gray and colorless.

The tiling was overdone at times, I generally like the effect but they should probably be more judicious in how the use it, or it gets annoying like the overuse of bullet-time in the later Matrix films.