So ... Masters of Science Fiction debuted yesterday ... what's the verdict?
The first episode 'A Clean Escape' was very interesting & twisty. It wasn't a bit boring & was really fantastically performed. I would give it an 8/10 !
But ... it's a bit strange that a new series debuts on a Saturday night! Who's really going to watch it? What's the expected number of viewers? Logically, not much!
When something like this happens, the series has been put in a place called 'television Siberia' ! Again ... Why would an intriguing show be stashed away like that?
The Verdict on Masters of Science Fiction
I mean, on one level, Professor Stephan Hawking narrates the stories! That's gotta count for something! An iconic physicist, with an artificial voice, provides the opening and in most cases, the closing thoughts of each episode. Now, that's cool!
I advise all you Sci-Fi lovers to watch the show ... record it if you're out partying! You won't regret it.
Bland and boring...this is a public puter and not posting me?? INvasion of bland and boring TV tricks.
no spark
Why has there been so little political commentary on "Clean Escape", the first in the MSF series. It was mesmerizing, not only for the intriguing plot line and fine acting, but because of its chilling indictment of the Bush Administration.
We encounter a mentally disturbed president, responsible for the destruction of the world and subsequent nuclear winter, visiting his psychiatrist in their bunker 3000 feet underground in Virginia where the world's 800 surviviors now live. He has no memory beyond the previous 45 minutes, doesn't know he was president, or is in a bunker, or that he is responsible for destroying the world. He has developed amnesia about the last 25 years in an attempt to block out the horror he has wrought. The psychiatrist and the 800 people in the bunker want him to remember what he has done instead of escaping responsibility for it by hiding from reality in amnesia.
It's obvious who this mentalyy ill fictional president is supposed to represent. He is an arrogant, stubborn, power-hungry ideologue who repeatedly insists that he knew his course of action was right, despite complete disagreement from his own advisors, his own political party, and most of the citizenry. If there is any doubt who this president is after all the parallels are drawn, it is all but wiped out when the psychiatrist tells him that he has succeeded in wiping out the evil in the world by killing 6 billion people and she concludes with -- "Mission Accomplished, Sir". Steven Hawking ends the episode with a warning about "so much power being concentrated in the hands of so few".
Why isn't there more discussion of this show?? It seems that some powerful Hollywood forces, famous actors, physicists, and others may have gotten together to send us a message. I'm baffled as to why no one seems to have gotten it?!
Masters of Science Fiction started out as a fascinating idea with potential up one side and back down the other. Unfortunately, the chosen airing schedule (TV Siberia is very accurate) and an initial lack of interest have given us what was a decent half season, now reduced to four or so episodes. It's a shame really that something that could actually be interesting, that could actually take us somewhere and give us something entertaining and worth watching other than all the "Please make me a star/I'll do anything to be famous" pieces of crap reality shows that litter the year long schedules. Such is the way of good television these days. When it comes along, we have to get it out of the way as quickly as possible to make room for mindless garbage.
That being said, last nights first episode wasn't so much Sciffy as it was a deep socio-political commentary set in a future (possible) world with neat toys. I would call it more of a Speculative story than Sciffy.
I like Sam Waterston. Now I don't "Follow" actors careers at all, but I've been a fan of his ever since I saw him as Joe Cutter in Walter Matthau's "Hopscotch" which is still one of the best spy flicks ever made even if a light hearted one. Sam was excellent in character last night. He played the role of a power mad dictator perfectly. Of course, he's got a lot of inspiration to work with.
I'm not so much a fan of Judy Davis, but she is a top shelf actor, and when she's got a role, she owns it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Dying of cancer, having lost everything she'd ever had that mattered and being stuck in a daily routine with the man that took it all away... simply put, I'd not have been as restrained and professional as she was.
The story was thorough, yet simple. It played out well against it's backdrop of post apocalypse life. It had moments of simplicity mixed directly into the emotional, madness driven reality that the remaining 800+ were forced into. There was a couple moments of suspense, a couple of danger, plenty of emotion and enough science with the occasional flashback for filler to make this first episode an above average hour of television. I liked what I saw and am saddened to know that we are not going to get a full season of such things with all the great and wonderful stories out there to choose from.
go away you boring robots!!! Go AWAY this is a CELEBRITY blog
go away BORING ROBOTS!!