1x01 "Live And Learn" (Series Premiere Part 1)

[Raffy]

Episode 1.01 - Two-Hour Series Premiere – Part 1: “Live and Learn”

SPOILER: Click to show

The world is left in tatters after a sudden, unprovoked and unexplained invasion by aliens, leaving the planet’s remaining human population to fight for survival against the occupiers. History professor Tom Mason (Noah Wyle- ER) has been named second in command for the 2nd Mass, but his real focus is on his three sons, one of whom has been captured by the aliens for an unknown purpose.

Directed by Carl Franklin
Written by Robert Rodat
Created by Robert Rodat

Taken from: SpoilerTV www.spoilertv.com/2011/04/falling-skies-episode-101102103-episode.html#ixzz1Kzl3U0AV

[claired80]

I will post here only for a first opinion, not on the FS board, since it's mainly about Noah. Maybe with a bit of time gone and rewatching I can come up with a real review And this is not about 1x01, it includes a bit of "The Armory" too.

I'm keeping on wondering if you would have liked the show if it weren't for Noah , and I really don't know...
I can't say it struck me as great. Not bad either. Just quite mixed...

It's maybe too 'obvious'. It doesn't have this nice touch that ER sometimes had to make you feel like you were smart. It really shows that it's targeted at a wide audience, and wants to make sure everybody got it. Which can make it 'heavy'...

For instance, Tom said way too many times "my son". Especially one totally useless when he sees a dead harnessed kids, "same age as Ben... my son".
Yeah, I know not everybody read about the show already and knows who Ben is, but that will be to guess in the future, no?
I really feel like they wanted to make it clear those 3 kids are 'his sons', even the one who looks too old for that . Wasn't needed to call him "your/my old man" all the time.

But I can forgive that, for the "Papa smurf" reference that I found hilarious ;D. Did somebody on set made fun of Noah's beard by calling him that?

And the music annoyed me, really starting before a scene already letting you know what kind of emotions you were supposed to get in that next scene.

Things like that made me feel like it wasn't a very 'smart' show. But it's the pilot only, I know those are never the best episodes... They have to install the characters and plot. And I read way too many things before even watching so that I didn't really need all those installments, and they felt useless and heavy... Can only blame myself for being so spoilt!

And I found some characters to be really too caricatural: Weaver, and Pope and his guys... I didn't need either to see an american flag for the outdoor school.

That being said, it was very entertaining. And it at least had quite subtle ways to show that Tom is a smart guy. Not from the obvious history talks, but from the way he destroys one mech in the food shop for instance. Or how he gets information about how to kill skitters and mechs from Pope.

And since many reviews say it gets better, I will wait and see to get a better idea

[darksparrow]

It really shows that it's targeted at a wide audience, and wants to make sure everybody got it. Which can make it 'heavy'...

Like you said... Pilots often are.

They have to install the characters and plot. And I read way too many things before even watching so that I didn't really need all those installments, and they felt useless and heavy... Can only blame myself for being so spoilt!

*sigh* That's what I was afraid of.
Oh well, it's really our fault for knowing too much at this point, it's too be expected. I hope that for people just tuning in who weren't fed up with hearing the background details it seemed a little different. And since most people are saner than us in that aspect, I hope it won't be the 'general' opinion. Because that can really kill a show for me, when they beat the audience over the head with things.

Oh well. I'm willing to listen to the whole bloody story again... I'll try to not let that bother me.

Things like that made me feel like it wasn't a very 'smart' show.

And I found some characters to be really too caricatural: Weaver, and Pope and his guys... I didn't need either to see an american flag for the outdoor school.

Yeah, I was hoping for a bit of subtlety. Wanting to make sure we get it, I suppose, but I can see how they'd go too far with that.

See, now I'm worried I might really not like it.
(but I guess that's a better state to watch it in... expect the worst, right? :

[claired80]

I didn't think you would read this already . But yeah, not being overly optimistic is maybe better to be objective.

And the promo for 1x03 looks great ;D
I really want to know more about Tom. I really like Tom already ;D (okay, that was to be expected, right?)
I found Tom, Anne, and Matt to be the most 'subtle' characters so far and the ones I'm the most looking forward to watch. Peter Shinkoda's Dai seems to have potential but we saw really little of him. Jimmy seems interesting too and that I really like that young actor Dylan Authors. ;D

[darksparrow]

I didn't think you would read this already

I KNOW, I need to stop reading. Ugh. It's just that, at the speed that my computer is going right now, I'll get to watch it in about, oh, three days...

not being overly optimistic is maybe better to be objective

Not being overly optimistic is never really a problem for me, but being objective? When it comes to something involving Noah? come on....

[nia]

Although I agree with Claire's points regarding Falling Skies, I have to say I think it has a lot to do with what kind of expectations you had going into it. I was fully expecting to dislike it since I am not fond of sci-fi at all and I had not been keeping up with the pre-release hype as you guys had. I read almost nothing about it and I hardly even saw the promos. To me, it was just something I'd check out for Noah but not really like (kind of like some awful stuff like The Californians, lol).

The heavy-handedness you speak about actually helped me understand quickly what was going on and not be lost from the very first episode. It may seem "dumb" but I think it was done to make the premiere as easy to understand and inclusive as possible at least in terms of who these characters are and what their relationship is to each other. In a big cast, it's easy for the confusion to start very early on if there is too much subtlety. It would be good for them to tone to it down in future episodes but for now, it was not a problem at least for me.

The one thing that did strike me as odd was how cheery they all seemed for people who had just gone through an alien invasion and lost family and friends. I would have expected a little more darkness and depression. On the other hand, ER has given me my fill of grimness and I like NOT have to deal with that. I'm not quite sure what would be the right tone but it did take me out of my element a bit.

I think all of this stuff would bother you a lot less if it's looked at like frothy summer popcorn entertainment. As long as it's fun, just go with the flow and don't think too much in the vein of all those movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. It might not make a lot of sense sometimes but who cares since you're having a ball.

Btw, I saw the executive producer of Lost tweeting about really liking Falling Skies.

[claired80]

Yeah, I know I was way too much spoilt to totally enjoy it

Jun 20, 2011 7:12:36 GMT -5 nia said:

The one thing that did strike me as odd was how cheery they all seemed for people who had just gone through an alien invasion and lost family and friends. I would have expected a little more darkness and depression.

I was a bit bothered by that too... You can imagine it's because it happened 6 months ago, but still... And some people get killed around them, or they kill other people themselves, and don't seem to really care about it. The only lives that seemed to matter are the ones of the few people we got to know better, and that felt wrong to me.

The extras are there really just to make number, and the crowd as a whole doesn't seem important. I found it odd too that in the middle of this big crowd, Tom bumps into Matt so easily, or let him go with the crowd without checking twice if there's an adult especially taking care of him.

I think all of this stuff would bother you a lot less if it's looked at like frothy summer popcorn entertainment. As long as it's fun, just go with the flow and don't think too much in the vein of all those movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. It might not make a lot of sense sometimes but who cares since you're having a ball.

Hmmm, I agree, but at the same time, they are tackling themes that are dark, important and sadly real, like rape, or being a refugee, and they can't go away with it if the show is just about fun imo.

[darksparrow]

Finally watching it. I'll comment as I go, I guess.

• I don't find the atmosphere too light at all. I think they did a very good job maintaining a subdued background feeling of shock and hopelessness, while trying to focus on the 'positive' moments. Which is what you'd expect six months into a situation like this, I suppose, when the initial shock's worn off and life goes on.
  I remember a few years ago when things were heating up at the borders and rockets were falling over the north of Israel and it was basically a warzone, things were crazy as hell and desperate as hell, but you'd never know it with the way everyone kept going to the best of their abilities, skirting right around the wounds and sort of 'storing it all away' to deal with later. I know it might be a stretch to compare war to a devestating alien invasion, but I really don't find it that unrealistic, Claire.
  
  
• The dynamics are really sweet. The family dynamics are great, the characters seem to be connected on some deeper level and I couldn't ask for more than that. As for Tom saying 'my son' in that context to Dai... Yeah, I can see how you'd think it's too much, but to me it didn't feel unnecessary. I find it very easy to imagine that Dai and Tom have never shared a personal conversation, why should Tom assume Dai would know who Ben is?
  
  
• The scenes that bothered me in the promos, when seen in context, seem much better. Noah, in the scene where they tell Weaver about their plan to get Ben back after taking the Armory, sent shivers down my spine. He's good. He's really, really good.
  
  
• I see what Claire meant by some characters *cough*Weaver*cough* being almost stereotypical. But it reminds me of something Noah said in (several) of the interviews- about how when they did the pilot they had really clear-cut ideas about who represents what: Weaver thinks military, makes cruel decisions, Anne is the humanitarian, Tom's the professor... and then it all sort of gets mixed up as the show goes on. So I think at this point the reason the characters seem so 'basic' is just so they can evolve. I really wouldn't worry about that.
  
  
• The birthday party scene is corny as hell but still touching when he hands the helmet over to another kid. Well done. The soldier kid- what's his name? Anyway, it was a nice touch to show him watching the 'real kids' play while standing there holding a gun.
  

Weeeeell, done watching the 'pilot' part of the pilot. Moving on to another thread.




So far? I like it.
As a summer action/drama series that tackles such an old topic and that really doesn't have anything DIFFERENT in terms of concept, it's really good. No, it's not a masterpiece, it's not very subtle or clever or original, but it's not SUPPOSED to be. it's entertaining and well done, and it's better than I ever could have hoped when I heard 'aliens', that's for sure.

And yes, I'd watch it even if it weren't for Noah, though I really do think Tom's character is crucial to the show. ;D

[janet]

Thanks for all your comments,. I finally watched it. I'm still not sure if I would have done without Noah being in it, because the sc-fi /fight scenes really aren't my thing, but he was terrific and I really liked the interraction with both his sons, who I thought were good too. Weaver is a bit too cardboard cut out as a character, but perhaps he'll get more subtle over time, and some of the more obvious dialogue is probably just to do with the pilot having to introduce everyone. Some of it was very obvious, like I knew what book Tom would choose, and the birthday bit was corny, but that's partly the Spielberg sentimentality. I think you kind of just have to go with that.

I did like some of the minor characters , though , and a few of the comic bits, like the old couple getting the clapped out car to start. I'm glad there isn't too much crash/bang /wallop and SFX stuff.I was a teanage boy I'd be disappointed, but I hope they develop tha human stuff as much as possible, so that Noah can get his teeth into some real acting.