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Post by Raffy on Jun 26, 2011 16:54:53 GMT -5
center]1.03. “Prisoner of war” - 26 Jun. A doctor (Steven Weber) who shares a history with Tom arrives at camp, and he may hold the key to saving the kids who’ve been abducted by aliens.But the plan could be derailed when Tom starts digging for answers to questions that have haunted him since the early days of the invasion.Meanwhile, the ragtag crew has nightmarish encounters with skitters and mechs. Directed by Greg Beeman Written by Fred Golan Created by Robert Rodat Promo Let's discuss the new episode here![/center] |
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Post by bpentecost on Jun 27, 2011 9:36:47 GMT -5
Watched Prisoner of war last night, and i thought it was great. Wow Noah kicked some alien butt last night
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Post by darksparrow on Jun 27, 2011 10:54:02 GMT -5
 indeed. 'Twas a sad episode for Tom and his family. But I like where they're going with this. I like that they're not playing out the 'love triangle' thing between Hal and Karen and Lourdes that was to be expected, now with this further complication. I like that they're going into the next phase- starting to try and gather intelligence about the enemy. (smart move with capturing a live prisoner, though dragging him in like that was kind of "Independence Day" all over again, could have spared me that.) I loved the Tom action and the Tom drama this week. Loved that he's finally cracking a little (can't blame him), love his moments with Matt, love the idea of the board to hang pictures of missing kids (and then Tom hanging his own picture, as if coming to terms with the loss, for now...), loved that Pope is still obnoxious but fun and Weaver is looking a little insecure there. I'll have to rewatch the episode, there were little things that I noticed throughout the episode that weren't exactly related to the main plot, but that seemed like nice touches. The notices on the school board about the invasion, setting the classroom in the school gym and using the school's boards and equipment, things like that. I also loved the mirroring. Even the more obvious comparisons, like Tom pointing out that he won't rescue just one kid, even if it's his own son, and then Mike going on and f***ing up the mission to do just that... Or comparing Tom and Harris's views on the invasion and what it says about the survivors, or the question of what's the 'right way' to survive- to abandon everyone and save yourself the way Harris (and Dai and Mike) did, or to go back there like Tom did? I like that it made me question what I'd have done. Watching the conversation between Tom and Harris in the beginning of the episode, where Harris tells him what happened the morning Rebecca died, I couldn't understand why Tom seemed so 'off'. I guess it must be kind of hard to listen to the man talk about how Tom doesn't need to apologize for abandoning him since 'it's war'... When actually he's trying to cover up his own fault here. No wonder Tom was staring daggers at him. Oh and pope explaining how to cook chicken was enlightening. "What are you, Hungarian?" ;D I guess they're keeping him around for comic relief for now? Meh. I also noticed some inconsistencies, but they weren't huge, gaping plotline holes. Rather small stuff like in the scene where they were trying to get the kids, when the mech blew up a car sending Tom in the air, he lands on his stomach, face down, but when Dai is dragging him into the car he's conveniently lying face-up. Stuff like that.
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Post by nia on Jun 27, 2011 15:50:27 GMT -5
I liked the episode too. I still think it's good old fashioned fun. It isn't ground-breaking and it's not like it surprises me at every turn but it's solid entertainment.
The only thing that made me groan was that Tom and his sons had a sweet, sentimental hug almost every 10 minutes. LOL. I think going into the future, they need to add a bit more complexity and flesh out the character past "history professor who loves his kids." The reveal about his wife also came a little too quick into the series, IMO. Carter was such a complicated, "real" character that Tom seems very flimsy and simplistic. I will give it more time but I think the writing needs to mature a bit.
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Post by Raffy on Jun 27, 2011 16:19:15 GMT -5
I really liked it. And I think Noah's doing a fine job with the part.
The show is far from being perfect but it shows "potential".
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Post by Raffy on Jun 27, 2011 16:30:42 GMT -5
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Post by darksparrow on Jun 28, 2011 5:04:01 GMT -5
 They really did... I feel like making a montage of all the 'Tom hugging his boys' moments. I'm sure by the end of the series we'll have at least enough for an entire episode...   I do agree with you, but I still feel a little uncomfortable making comparisons to Carter or to ER. After all, they had 15 years to 'develop' Carter's character. And while it's true that Carter was an interesting, full character through most of the show, he really didn't get that much attention during the first episodes. Keep in mind this is only episode 3, and 'develping' a character takes time. Though I don't actually believe that's the main problem. I see what you mean. No, the writing can't be compared to the writing in ER. It's not as subtle and it's not as mature. That's true. The point of the show isn't to be as good as ER was, though- those are some really high standards. And I think that the biggest problem with FS so far is something that many critics have pointed out- it doesn't know exactly WHAT it is. I mean, ER was a medical drama, and it followed that direction clearly. FS is trying to find a balance between Action, Sci-fi and drama. As a result, it has to compromise in all three aspects. It's not original or subtle or different enough to stand out as a drama, it's not MEANT to be an action series or a sci-fi series so the action sequences and special effects, though good, aren't the focus of the show... And as a result, it sort of loses that main focus that ER had. But that's the challange. If they want to create an EPIC show like ER, they need to be much more focused, the writing has to be MUCH smarter and they need to make the characters much less predictable and stereotypic. If they want to make an entertaining show that has a little bit of everything and is a fun summertime action series--- well, they're doing it right. I say give it time. Right now I'm inclined to keep watching, and that's enough for me. ETA: I love that Noah fought to keep that scene. I thought it was a perfect ending scene for the episode and it was much more emotionally loaded than some of the 'obvious' emotional scenes. And Noah did a very good job there.
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Post by Raffy on Jun 28, 2011 7:40:57 GMT -5
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Post by darksparrow on Jun 28, 2011 8:13:34 GMT -5
 Raffy, you're the best.
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Post by msnoah88 on Jun 28, 2011 15:57:53 GMT -5
Brilliant, Raffy ! As always |
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Post by janet on Jul 1, 2011 5:39:18 GMT -5
Thanks for all the hugs, Raffy. Sentimental, yes, but Ahhhh
My internet was down for four days, so I couldn't watch this epi till today. Just my luck. Better late than never.
I agree with everyone , it is a bit corny and predictable at the moment, but there is a nice balance between nail-biting action and slower, more intense drama and Noah is so good at intense emotion which still doesn't explode, that trying so hard to keep a lid on things he does so well. I can see why Spielberg wanted him. I'm slightly worried that he is too good at the moment next to flawed characters like Harris and Weaver. He is so noble and heroic and the message that we have to try and be better human beings now is clearly a theme for the future and a good one at that, but no one is perfect, so I hope they show him as having a little bit of human frailty - not too much, of course, he is supposed to be an old fashioned hero, I think.
I thought Pope and the cooking was OK. You do need a bit of comic relief providing it isn't overdone, which it wasn't, but the hugs and sugary stuff were a bit over the top.
I thought the scene near the end with Tom and Harris was powerful, though and a good set-up for how their relationship will develop. I thought the actor playing Harris was good and Noah, superb, of course. On the whole I liked this epi better than the first two.
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Post by claired80 on Jul 3, 2011 16:05:24 GMT -5
Noah is so good at intense emotion which still doesn't explode, that trying so hard to keep a lid on things he does so well. I can see why Spielberg wanted him. I'm slightly worried that he is too good at the moment next to flawed characters like Harris and Weaver. He is so noble and heroic and the message that we have to try and be better human beings now is clearly a theme for the future and a good one at that, but no one is perfect, so I hope they show him as having a little bit of human frailty - not too much, of course, he is supposed to be an old fashioned hero, I think. I totally agree on the "Noah is so good" of course ;D There were really more than one scene where I thought he was amazing. I don't agree so much on the "so noble and heroic" aspect of Tom Mason though . I think that's what he wants to be, relying on naive ideas about heroism and freedom, but it's fairly obvious his main motives are all about his kids. And his ideas about trying to be heroic are what makes him a flawed character I think. In the scene between Harris and Tom, I didn't have the feeling that it was a conversation between a good guy and a bad guy, but between two guys who have survivors guilt, trying to rationalize it as they can, one guy being well aware of how flawed he is, and one blinding himself by thinking he can be a hero, and HAS to be one, because his life was spared. I really didn't find Tom to be the most sympathetic of the two in that scene Same things when speaking with Weaver and Porter, when he says that at least "the kids will die FREE". I found that sentence quite stupid. Actually, maybe I do agree on the "so noble and heroic", but with not finding it a good thing...  if you see what I mean. I find this aspect of the character rather annoying. And I'm glad there are hints that he is actually quite selfish. I hope he'll become more complex and conflicted in the future... |
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Post by breizh22 on Jul 4, 2011 5:04:56 GMT -5
Finally, i coul watch the episodes! I will not speak of the pilots. No top!! But i liked the third!! What I enjoyed: - the scene between Harris and Tom. I liked how slowly Harris admits was a coward for a wife's Tombut that it was human nature and also how he feel guilty Tom I had not understood, at first, that his wife had died after the attack. - The scene between Tom and alien even though the scene was short and easy. I wanted a little more battle... i really laughed when he lit the lamp in the face  and jump in my couch when he lit a alien, I knew he had to be close but i didn't know so close - How it brings the alien in front of everyone ( as W Smith in the Independance Day) - I found terrible when the alien orders the robot to execute children! At first, i didn't understand why. Thank yiou to Tom for the explanation. I remembered a movie " Escape from Sobibor": the prisoners tried to escape and have been caught. To punish and deter, they must choose someone who will die with them and if they refuse to chhose, the nazis killed 50 other persons... horrible! - and especially the final scene that leave a big suspens. One wonders what will happen with the child. I love this kind of end where i say " I want to know more, I WANT TO KNOW!!" What i hated: - Why people around Tom and Matt stop around them and look stupid ( it looks like it is they who have a harness!) i found this old-fashionned because of that - the music: too this and too annoying - too many American stereotypes. For example, Weaverit irritates me - the fact that Tom is all one his shoulders. The military does what except to give orders - and Matt too temperamental, his brother is a prisoner and he wants to play... Fairly positive for this episode I think and hope it's a serie that will ramp up It would be interesting for further details about the robot, the fact taht they don't like the aliens |
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Post by claired80 on Jul 4, 2011 5:47:59 GMT -5
What i hated: - Why people around Tom and Matt stop around them and look stupid ( it looks like it is they who have a harness!) i found this old-fashionned because of that - the music: too this and too annoying "hated" is maybe a bit strong, but I do see what you mean and I agree with you on these two points. The extras on the scene when Tom comes back with his 'prisoner of war' aren't doing a very good job (random point about that scene: there's a little boy -in grey t-shirt, very short hair- that looks like Owen... I don't think it's him, but since we know he was on the set at a point during the filming of this episode, I can't help but wondering a tiny bit... ) And the music is annoying to me too. I knew the moment Matt was shown that there would be this piano tune starting...Very predictable! The music is all in all too loud, and too much like a placard put in the corner of the screen that tells you "be scared!", "be moved!", "this is now the beginning of an action scene!", like guys showing up signs "Applause!" and "Quiet!" for the audience of talk-shows or sitcoms...  I really do hope they improve this quickly, 'cause it is a serious turn off to me  |
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Post by breizh22 on Jul 4, 2011 6:10:58 GMT -5
that's exactly how I feel with the music !!!!
by cons for you always that you have in mind that I have a limited vocabulary in English, i didn't like would be appropriate!!!! :-)
I see the little boy, too bad I can not make a copy of the image!! I don't know if Owen but it's true that there is a similarity
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==--
and jump in my couch when he lit a alien, I knew he had to be close but i didn't know so close