Last year's fall season yielded a few freshmen TV series that garnered a lot of buzz before their premieres. Terra Nova was one such show, in large part because of the sheer scope of concept and production.
In the year 2149, the world is suffering from over population and an increasingly polluted environment. For many people, the only remaining hope is to be selected to join a pilgrimage to Terra Nova. Terra Nova is the destination at the end of a discovered rift in space time, allowing people to travel to and live during the Cretaceous period in a different time stream. Getting picked for Terra Nova, which is determined by getting drawn in a lottery or by invitation, is a chance to live a new life in an unpolluted and untamed world. For Jim Shannon and his family, Terra Nova is the only chance they have left of reuniting and living together as a family. Jim escapes from prison to join the rest of his family, who are part of the 10th pilgrimage. They begin their life anew at the Terra Nova colony, headed by Commander Nathaniel Taylor.
I gave the show a must-watch label for both its concept and its potential to grow into a highly successful series. You have to give props to a show that attempts to bring dinosaurs into prime time network television. You also have to give props to a show for making alternate time streams understandable to sci-fi amateurs. And you just have to get excited when Steven Spielberg's name is mentioned along with the word dinosaurs. The show featured a relatively good cast, with great performances by Jason O'Mara as Jim, Stephen Lang as Commander Taylor, Allison Miller as Skye Tate, Christine Adams as Mira, and Ashley Zukerman as Lucas Taylor.
I do have to admit, though, that Terra Nova isn't without its faults. Since the show would be working with a limited television budget, I had expected that I wouldn't be wowed by the special effects. In the end, my biggest concern was the writing. The series was prone to cheesy dialogue, especially during Shannon family moments. Then there was the lack of plot development in the middle of the series, which created a lull that they attempted to fill with a bunch of side stories. I can appreciate how they tried to include several important details that would be relevant later on in in the season's finale, but certain episodes just feel misplaced or even unnecessary.
While it seemed that the series was going to be a letdown after an impressive start, things took a turn for the better leading to the season finale. The last three episodes finally brought what the series had claimed to offer from the beginning. There was action and adventure. There was the conflict that would define the season arc and would provide material for the following seasons. There were the dastardly villains with their dastardly plans. Oh, and they somehow brought a Carnotaurus (looks like a T-Rex) back to 2149, which the smug future people were so not ready for. The last one was incredibly satisfying.
As of this time, there's no word on whether FOX will give the series a season pickup for the 2012 fall season. Considering the amount of production it takes in making the show, they have to get started as early as possible on production for the second season. they hopefully don't have to wait until May sweeps before a decision is announced.
Terra Nova was far from perfect, but it has a lot of potential. Should they be given another chance next fall, they need to improve on one major aspect. They don't have to worry about the special effects nor production design. Viewers are actually a lot more forgiving when it comes to that. What they need are better writers. Or at least better writing by the same writers. Lose the cheesy lines and create a more cohesive story flow. They'll find that the storytelling will match the grandeur of their premise.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Action, Adventure, FOX, Must-Watch, Sci-fi, Terra Nova, TV, TV Series
