Terra Nova (Fox) - News/Discussion/Speculation SPOILERS

[LtColCarter]

Brannon Braga

OH...that one...

Is there a thread here to discuss plot points?

We had a watch thread going while the show was on...

[Sue_Jackson]

I guess it's okay. I thought the CG dinosaurs were a little cheesy. Almost cartoonish...but I guess after watching Stargate my expectations are a little high.

Like the story. Like the characters. Looks like there might be a twist in the plot which can be interesting. I might grow to like this one.

[mr_kennedy]

I really liked it, I would even go as far as to say its the best pilot from 2011 - 2012 season so far

Also i see Atlantis (not SGA Atlantis, but the myth) playing a part in this story somehow?...... maybe in future seasons? (if there will be such a thing)

[Coco Pops]

Hey funny thing .....They arrive in the past through a crack... haha...... Wonder where that idea was ripped from?

[Naomi]

I enjoyed the premiere. The show kept my interest from the beginning, which surprised me. I expected the 2149 city scenes to be throwaways, but they were well done, and demonstrated a lot about the society in a short time. After seeing the show, I know that there is a lot more to discover about the world of 2149, and it will be a factor in the series. I never thought about the Terra Nova settlers being in constant contact with 2149 Earth. The potential intrigue from the two time lines having contact with each other makes the show more interesting to me.

There were a lot of "hm, secrets" moments in the show (almost too many), however the show was understandable, and I could follow the story. I immediately liked the older daughter, Maddy Shannon. The father is interesting, but not yet remarkable. The mother, son, and youngest daughter are not yet memorable. I'm confused about Skye. I thought the son, Josh, was supposed to be a teenager, hanging out with other teenagers. Skye looks, and acts, like someone in their mid-twenties, not a teenager. Josh could be a teenager, or maybe in his mid-twenties. I'm not sure.

A scene involving the commander provided the only groaner, over-the-top moment for me -- when he went head to tooth with the dinosaur just outside of Terra Nova. Seriously? The dinosaur just took out a man who was using a powerful weapon, while he is in a moving vehicle. Yet, I'm supposed to believe that the commander while on foot, with a less powerful weapon, stands a chance? Even if he was supposed to be sacrificing himself to buy time, how long would it take a dinosaur that's fast enough to run down a fast moving vehicle to nip over, and snap up the commander as a snack?

Overall, I had a fun time viewing the show. I'm looking forward to re-watching this episode this Saturday, FOX is re-broadcasting the two hour premiere on October 1, 2011, and seeing new episodes in the weeks ahead.

I enjoyed it. There's a lot of intrigue going on and I think my only concern is that it doesn't get too bogged down with the conspiracy that they forget the cool stuff of dinosaurs and the ancient past

I agree about the show not getting bogged down with conspiracies. So many conspiracies, and secrets, were introduced in the first episode. Hopefully, secrets will be unveiled at a steady pace, rather than constantly brought up throughout the season, with one big reveal in the season finale.

According to the show they have travelled back in time but it's a parallel universe that they arrive in.... Now that wouldn't affect people in the present on their universe but what about the one they arrive in?

And if we had the same thing happen to us in our universe would there be a ripple effect back to us now?

I wondered about that question myself. Terra Nova being located in a parallel universe dodges the paradox created if it was in their own universe. Then, I wondered about the future life that would have developed in the Terra Nova universe. Did the settlers create that world's future, or uncreate that world's original future?

Hmmmmmmmm ok. This is why I find time travel stuff gives one a headache.

Me too.

[Skydiver]

I think my one big question...why dinosuars???

first, you're gonna go back and try to 'save' mankind by putting them down with thousands of giant man eating critters?
Second, there is an extinction event coming. Whether you want to believe the asteroid or not, something killed off most of life on earth during hte dinosaur time, so why try to create a new timeline that has this MASSIVE extinction threat coming?

We have a rough idea about when in time various extinction events happen, why not go back to a 'safer' point in our time?

It just seems that they're postponing the inevitable.

[Davros]

I was just waiting for the Sleestaks to show up.

[Demoniser]

I really enjoyed the first episode. It had a decent number of plot threads introduced that should be interesting to watch develop over the series.

Pros
- I really liked the Aliens/Colonial Marines vibe to the soldiers/equipment, it works really well imo.
- Lovely visuals for the most part.
- Some great mysteries have already been introduced. What happed in those 108 days Taylor was alone? What's up with his son? What is it with the writing on the wall? What are the sixes all about? Great stuff.
- For the most part i found most of the kids to be bearable, and quite likeable.

Con's
- What is it with stupid teenagers, seriously. Does every show with a teenage kid have to be rebellious? (Eureka, Falling Skies im looking in your direction).
- Again, what is it with stupid teenagers?
- The CG for the slashers was off but the other dinosaurs, for the most part seemed alright.

Overall i really liked the first episode. I hope that they have some parallel stories with the future earth, as i'm just as interested as what's happening there, as whats happening in the past.

Will be tuning in to the next episode.

[morrismike]

Reed Richard says that going back in time creates alternative timelines. What they do has no impact.

I am struggling with the 6er thing. I hope they don't fall into the SGU trap of having half the show being about hatred of military. It never ceases to amaze me that nobody ever brings a big enough gun to one shot a trex.

[morrismike]

And how would we be affected if people from another parallel universe but "future time" arrived in our past?

Anyone going back creates an alternate timeline. The timeline comes into being when the excursion arrives. Nobody is impacted.

[morrismike]

I think my one big question...why dinosuars???

first, you're gonna go back and try to 'save' mankind by putting them down with thousands of giant man eating critters?
Second, there is an extinction event coming. Whether you want to believe the asteroid or not, something killed off most of life on earth during hte dinosaur time, so why try to create a new timeline that has this MASSIVE extinction threat coming?

We have a rough idea about when in time various extinction events happen, why not go back to a 'safer' point in our time?

It just seems that they're postponing the inevitable.

The rift in time went back 85 million years. They take it or leave it.

[morrismike]

I was just waiting for the Sleestaks to show up.

There very well may be sentient beings.

[Commander Zelix]

I must say I didn't like it very much (but I almost missed the end of the second part because I was distracted and didn't care. I'll need to rewatch a bit that part).

I didn't feel the dialogue was crisp or that the reaction of the people made sense (like they do in Fringe or Alphas for example).

It's strange but I think it would have made a much better storyline if they didn't create a 100% new parallel universe but that like "Back to the future" everything they did (even possibly stepping on a butterfly) would have an impact into the future. They could even have some feedback.

But with that point of view, it wouldn't make sense to go back to the dinosaur time when they could just have gone to 50000BC or 1900 or 1985 or 2050 and talked down humanity about the pollution or whatever thus changing the future of mankind.

Also as pointed out the choice of the Dinosaurs time to go back too is a bit strange. Maybe I missed the part they say they didn't have the choice. Because it would obviously make more sense to go back much later in time after dinosaur, the danger of extinction or the danger of fighting dinosaurs. In fact, maybe even in 1900 1985 2050 as stipulated above to change the future of mankind even if it was a completely new alternate universe. I mean you to 1985. Instead of dinosaurs you got (new) human from the 1985 era (for example). You told them everything about the upcoming end of mankind but at least you don't fight dinosaurs or something like that. You live comfortably with the people of 1985. The only challenge is to convince them (the alternate us) to stop the pollution and whatnot.

Obviously, its not such consideration that make me not like a show. Sometimes in Sci-Fi, you must just accept the premise and see if they do something good with it. It's just for discussion sakes. It's the writing in general that I didn't find crisp. For example, the son/father "you left us" crap didn't make sense. The escape from prison a bit too easy and convenient. The father and doctor lady don't seems like a real couple. Sure the police in the future didn't even bother to check out his home and wife to see if he goes back to them after his prison escape. Yeah right. In the future, the detectives will be crappy it seems. As well as the father now becoming a close buddy of the leader in such a short time. If I was the leader of Terra Nova I would have no confidence whatsoever in this criminal who like to defy authority!! I also didn't care about the dinosaurs and the action around it. The special effects weren't very good, but I don't really care about that type of thing.

The only thing that interest me in that show is the mystery around the strange writings by the lake. But I guess it will be forgotten or skimmed over like the numbers Hugo was seeing in Lost (why would Hugo see numbers of Island candidates in his car and else?).

This shows does remind me of Outcasts, but that's not a problem. It's also completely different. I'm in the opinion that every stories have been told already since Shakespeare time.

[Skydiver]

The rift in time went back 85 million years. They take it or leave it.

didn't catch that part.

i kind figured the show creators went for dinosaurs, cause, you know, dinosaurs are cool

[Coco Pops]

3 Mall cops guarding the rift and everyone just pushes past them? What no attempt to stop them?

I watched a "file" "smacks hand"

Ooh OK I can live with that.

If the two times have contact with each other will there be a constant resupply effort? Can they get more supplies, fuel, ammo or will they have to make their own? Can they get bigger guns because what they have is crap.