http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Yex-Saga-Second-Cataclysm-ebook/dp/B00QMIH5UC
Friday, December 5, 2014
Cult of Yex Second Cataclysm
First novel published!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Yex-Saga-Second-Cataclysm-ebook/dp/B00QMIH5UC
http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Yex-Saga-Second-Cataclysm-ebook/dp/B00QMIH5UC
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
How to Train a Dragon
I watched this on DVD the other day and I have to say, totally impressed. It was a great movie. I recommend it highly for kids and adults. Fun stuff.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Battlestar Galactica Review
WARNING: SPOILERS UP TO THE LAST 2 episodes of the SHOW!
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
A SHOW GONE TERRIBLY WRONG
By Jason F. Smith
Hello there. Doesn't take much after reading the above title to see that I think Battlestar Galactica has gone horribly wrong. And I'm not talking about the characters per se. What do I mean by that? Let me take Felix Geata as an example of something I didn't LIKE, but I respect, as far as the writing goes:
Felix was one of the good guys. There is something likable about him as and actor and character. And they set up his motivations very well. I believed he could fall. But the thing they did that I didn't LIKE was that as he was conducting the mutiny, you could see that he was trying to find his good side. Trying to find the good inside himself to go against Zarek. And while the story was well done, and it was believable, after losing his leg, and all the crap that happened, what I didn't LIKE was that he didn't stand up and try and stop it. He took it to the end, and ignored the warnings of his own conscience. That was a very sad ending of a great character. I didn't like it. Not saying it was badly written, because it wasn't, just that I didn't enjoy seeing a good man fall and damn himself. But I respect it.
So where has the shown gone wrong? Let me tell you. And before I tell you, let me note to you that I don't think I've ever seen a show tank this badly in my life. And... hey... I realize there are still two episodes left. But I predict there is almost nothing they can do to salvage this show in the next two episodes.
Why? Because they have fundamentally broken the show, by, interestingly enough, simply breaking from the structure of the show. Is it really that simple? Yep. The show is a mythic archetype of a quest. The characters are called, often unwillingly, on a quest, to do something. They have a clear goal. The story can take twists and turns along the way, (and heck, interesting stories do this), but the structure stays true. In this case, they are searching for a home. Earth. (Which is so damn archetypal, and tickles the spirit bones of every one watching the show because earth is... us!)
Battlestar Galactica has been brilliant in executing this very simple quest. They do it with GREAT CHARACTERS. They do it with tons of mystery. There is lots and lots to like about the show.
Then things started to go wrong at the end of season 4. You might think it was the decision to scorch earth that was wrong. I don't necessarily think so. This falls into one of those areas that I don't LIKE, but I can still respect. I don't like it for many reasons, but mostly because it's kind of a crap in the face to all those who watched and hoped. The characters were searching for EARTH. WE are earth. And they are telling us we are all dead. That in effect, the archetypal EARTH, isn't real. Or that we are all dead. Doomed. Hm... that just rankles the old spirit bone if you ask me. I don't like the decision. But I'm sticking with them, right? I can respect a different take.
But what I can't respect is the breaking of the structure. It's a nifty little pocket I sit in as I watch. My characters, the friends I've made over these years watching the show, they are searching for a home. Earth isn't it, but that's okay, I still want them to find a good home. The quest lives. Adama, rousing a depressed and sad Roselyn says get up! We're going to find a home! And the Cylon refugees can come along if they want! GREAT! Quest is still ON!
Structure is intact.
Only it wasn't. There was the mutiny. An understandable detour. Had to happen. The logical outcome of all the disappointment, the heartache, and of course the ultimate ambition of Zarek.
But it was AFTER the Mutiny where they went wrong. They broke the STRUCTURE. Since Adama's little speech, the show has floundered because... there is no more quest. The structure and theme of the show changed! It changed to being more about the cylons than it did about humans. And it changed to the story of the death of the Galactica.
Woah. What?
How many of you have watched someone die over the long haul? I have. It is not a pleasant experience. It's a difficult thing to face. And while it has some value in storytelling as an element, it never becomes the THEME and STRUCTURE of a story.
Who enjoys watching the Battlestar Galactica die? For many of us this great ship goes back to our CHILDHOODS!!! From the FIRST version. She's our friend. We love that ship. And... we are watching her die. And who the hell wants to do that? The structure of the show has changed from that of the humans finding a new home to watching the ship die. AND to watching Roselyn die.
Oh joy.
Are there some other problems? Sure! A focus on cylons instead of humans. A sense that the writers are kind of making stuff up as the end nears. A neglecting of once interesting characters (Baltar and Six in his head). A changing of once stalwart characters (Galen). Yeah, it's gotten loose. It's not tight anymore. But that's all secondary to the inherent structural problem.
When was the last time they talked about FINDING A NEW HOME?
So WHY have they gone off the structure? I have an insight into that. A theory. I listened to the commentaries of a lot of the shows, and I think the writers really get off on the idea of twisting the story and expectations of the audience. So much so... that it leads them to abandon true and good story telling in order to deliver on the expectation of shock and awe and change. They are courageous as writers in the sense that they are willing to really take risks. But I believe they have lost their purpose by becoming too addicted to shocking us.
The scorched earth is a great example. It was a shock. And it took courage as writers to do that. But was it the RIGHT decision? Ah... that's the question. That's the question. And are they being different by totally breaking with the structure here in the last season? Yep! That is totally different. But is it the RIGHT decision?
Let me offer you a simple quest story as an example. Two hobbits, Sam and Frodo, take the ring to Mordor to destroy it. That's the quest. Very simple. There are tons of obstacles. And a great twist at the end. What is the twist? That Frodo can't do it. He can't throw the ring in, but... Bilbo's ancient pity in allowing Gollum to live, and Frodo's own pity in also allowing him to live, proves the wise decision. Because Gollum takes the ring from Frodo, and falls. The quest is complete. Good survives! Evil is thrown down. There was a twist, but it was within the story structure!
Ask yourself this. Roselyn had visions leading her to Earth. So did Kara. The Cylons themselves did. So... what were those visions about if Earth turned out to be a scorched wasteland?
The Battlestar Galactica writers decided they wanted a twist, but they didn't realize they didn't need such a big one. Gollum biting Frodo's finger and then falling was very satisfactory twist to everyone.
Just like Luke Skywalker in the trench of the Death Star, about to die with Darth Vader shooting him from behind in Star Wars. But there is a twist. Han Solo returns, and saves the day, paving the way for Luke to destroy the Death Star! A twist. But a simple one.
Elegant.
Satisfying.
And that is why... the end of Battlestar Galactica will be a disappointment. Because the writers do not understand the concept of simplicity and elegance. They are going to try and shock us. And.... they WILL! I guarantee you, they will courageously do something so different we will all crap our pants.
But I also guarantee you... that we will not be satisfied. And that will be the great failure of Battlestar Galactica. We were shocked, but not satisfied. And that is a sad waste of a great great story.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
A SHOW GONE TERRIBLY WRONG
By Jason F. Smith
Hello there. Doesn't take much after reading the above title to see that I think Battlestar Galactica has gone horribly wrong. And I'm not talking about the characters per se. What do I mean by that? Let me take Felix Geata as an example of something I didn't LIKE, but I respect, as far as the writing goes:
Felix was one of the good guys. There is something likable about him as and actor and character. And they set up his motivations very well. I believed he could fall. But the thing they did that I didn't LIKE was that as he was conducting the mutiny, you could see that he was trying to find his good side. Trying to find the good inside himself to go against Zarek. And while the story was well done, and it was believable, after losing his leg, and all the crap that happened, what I didn't LIKE was that he didn't stand up and try and stop it. He took it to the end, and ignored the warnings of his own conscience. That was a very sad ending of a great character. I didn't like it. Not saying it was badly written, because it wasn't, just that I didn't enjoy seeing a good man fall and damn himself. But I respect it.
So where has the shown gone wrong? Let me tell you. And before I tell you, let me note to you that I don't think I've ever seen a show tank this badly in my life. And... hey... I realize there are still two episodes left. But I predict there is almost nothing they can do to salvage this show in the next two episodes.
Why? Because they have fundamentally broken the show, by, interestingly enough, simply breaking from the structure of the show. Is it really that simple? Yep. The show is a mythic archetype of a quest. The characters are called, often unwillingly, on a quest, to do something. They have a clear goal. The story can take twists and turns along the way, (and heck, interesting stories do this), but the structure stays true. In this case, they are searching for a home. Earth. (Which is so damn archetypal, and tickles the spirit bones of every one watching the show because earth is... us!)
Battlestar Galactica has been brilliant in executing this very simple quest. They do it with GREAT CHARACTERS. They do it with tons of mystery. There is lots and lots to like about the show.
Then things started to go wrong at the end of season 4. You might think it was the decision to scorch earth that was wrong. I don't necessarily think so. This falls into one of those areas that I don't LIKE, but I can still respect. I don't like it for many reasons, but mostly because it's kind of a crap in the face to all those who watched and hoped. The characters were searching for EARTH. WE are earth. And they are telling us we are all dead. That in effect, the archetypal EARTH, isn't real. Or that we are all dead. Doomed. Hm... that just rankles the old spirit bone if you ask me. I don't like the decision. But I'm sticking with them, right? I can respect a different take.
But what I can't respect is the breaking of the structure. It's a nifty little pocket I sit in as I watch. My characters, the friends I've made over these years watching the show, they are searching for a home. Earth isn't it, but that's okay, I still want them to find a good home. The quest lives. Adama, rousing a depressed and sad Roselyn says get up! We're going to find a home! And the Cylon refugees can come along if they want! GREAT! Quest is still ON!
Structure is intact.
Only it wasn't. There was the mutiny. An understandable detour. Had to happen. The logical outcome of all the disappointment, the heartache, and of course the ultimate ambition of Zarek.
But it was AFTER the Mutiny where they went wrong. They broke the STRUCTURE. Since Adama's little speech, the show has floundered because... there is no more quest. The structure and theme of the show changed! It changed to being more about the cylons than it did about humans. And it changed to the story of the death of the Galactica.
Woah. What?
How many of you have watched someone die over the long haul? I have. It is not a pleasant experience. It's a difficult thing to face. And while it has some value in storytelling as an element, it never becomes the THEME and STRUCTURE of a story.
Who enjoys watching the Battlestar Galactica die? For many of us this great ship goes back to our CHILDHOODS!!! From the FIRST version. She's our friend. We love that ship. And... we are watching her die. And who the hell wants to do that? The structure of the show has changed from that of the humans finding a new home to watching the ship die. AND to watching Roselyn die.
Oh joy.
Are there some other problems? Sure! A focus on cylons instead of humans. A sense that the writers are kind of making stuff up as the end nears. A neglecting of once interesting characters (Baltar and Six in his head). A changing of once stalwart characters (Galen). Yeah, it's gotten loose. It's not tight anymore. But that's all secondary to the inherent structural problem.
When was the last time they talked about FINDING A NEW HOME?
So WHY have they gone off the structure? I have an insight into that. A theory. I listened to the commentaries of a lot of the shows, and I think the writers really get off on the idea of twisting the story and expectations of the audience. So much so... that it leads them to abandon true and good story telling in order to deliver on the expectation of shock and awe and change. They are courageous as writers in the sense that they are willing to really take risks. But I believe they have lost their purpose by becoming too addicted to shocking us.
The scorched earth is a great example. It was a shock. And it took courage as writers to do that. But was it the RIGHT decision? Ah... that's the question. That's the question. And are they being different by totally breaking with the structure here in the last season? Yep! That is totally different. But is it the RIGHT decision?
Let me offer you a simple quest story as an example. Two hobbits, Sam and Frodo, take the ring to Mordor to destroy it. That's the quest. Very simple. There are tons of obstacles. And a great twist at the end. What is the twist? That Frodo can't do it. He can't throw the ring in, but... Bilbo's ancient pity in allowing Gollum to live, and Frodo's own pity in also allowing him to live, proves the wise decision. Because Gollum takes the ring from Frodo, and falls. The quest is complete. Good survives! Evil is thrown down. There was a twist, but it was within the story structure!
Ask yourself this. Roselyn had visions leading her to Earth. So did Kara. The Cylons themselves did. So... what were those visions about if Earth turned out to be a scorched wasteland?
The Battlestar Galactica writers decided they wanted a twist, but they didn't realize they didn't need such a big one. Gollum biting Frodo's finger and then falling was very satisfactory twist to everyone.
Just like Luke Skywalker in the trench of the Death Star, about to die with Darth Vader shooting him from behind in Star Wars. But there is a twist. Han Solo returns, and saves the day, paving the way for Luke to destroy the Death Star! A twist. But a simple one.
Elegant.
Satisfying.
And that is why... the end of Battlestar Galactica will be a disappointment. Because the writers do not understand the concept of simplicity and elegance. They are going to try and shock us. And.... they WILL! I guarantee you, they will courageously do something so different we will all crap our pants.
But I also guarantee you... that we will not be satisfied. And that will be the great failure of Battlestar Galactica. We were shocked, but not satisfied. And that is a sad waste of a great great story.
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Pigs are Walking
Itch. That inimitable feeling that starts so slowly. Hello frogs boiling in water. Are hard core Democrats beginning to get a bit... warm in these waters? Are they detecting a certain heat from below? Is their skin starting oh so subtly to itch, to crawl, to vibrate with a vicious hint of betrayal? What far right loon out there held on to George W. Bush no matter what he did? There were some, I assure you. There will also be those who watch that great ship in the ocean, the Ameritanic sink and start into the singing with their captain, ignoring the reality of the situation, until that fateful day they find themselves in a bunker with a glass vial in their hands.
Guys... Gals... let's be blunt shall we? Obama doesn't know what he's doing. And we are in trouble.
(What's that I hear? Rush Limbaugh calling? "Er, yes?" "Jason, Jason, Jason, Obama DOES know what he's doing! He's doing all this ON PURPOSE! Out of a sense of anger and rage against those he perceives have been evil wrong to America!."
You know if this were a fantasy novel Obama would remember his 'good' side at the last moment and turn back from this precipice.
Last night Bill O'Reilly had a lady on who was a democrat strategist. He asked her if all this spending was worrying her, if this was the change she wanted. Her reply? "Well, this isn't the change I wanted, but... it might be the change we need." Bill was agast. He asked her if she was worried all the spending would fail, and it would collapse. She admitted she WAS worried. He followed with, so if this doesn't work, you will admit it and vote Republican in two years. To which, this woman shook her head and laughed and said: NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. It doesn't matter WHAT happens, EVER, she is a Democrat NO MATTER WHAT.
NO MATTER WHAT.
Guys... Gals... let's be blunt shall we? Obama doesn't know what he's doing. And we are in trouble.
(What's that I hear? Rush Limbaugh calling? "Er, yes?" "Jason, Jason, Jason, Obama DOES know what he's doing! He's doing all this ON PURPOSE! Out of a sense of anger and rage against those he perceives have been evil wrong to America!."
You know if this were a fantasy novel Obama would remember his 'good' side at the last moment and turn back from this precipice.
Last night Bill O'Reilly had a lady on who was a democrat strategist. He asked her if all this spending was worrying her, if this was the change she wanted. Her reply? "Well, this isn't the change I wanted, but... it might be the change we need." Bill was agast. He asked her if she was worried all the spending would fail, and it would collapse. She admitted she WAS worried. He followed with, so if this doesn't work, you will admit it and vote Republican in two years. To which, this woman shook her head and laughed and said: NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. It doesn't matter WHAT happens, EVER, she is a Democrat NO MATTER WHAT.
NO MATTER WHAT.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Colosimo Bratwurst
Okay, so everyone had heard of Jonsonville Sausages and Bratwurst. At least that is the brand that is found in most grocery stores. I've been eating them for as long as I can remember, and until recently I didn't realize how bad they really are. In one fell swoop you will never go back and buy Johnsonville again after you have tasted the incredible flavor of the Colosimo Bratwurst. They are a company from Utah, and are clearly the best tasting bratwurst EVER. They have other types of meat as well, sausages, Italian Sausage, New York, Tuscan, etc. All are good, but the one you want is the plain Bratwurst. Not sure if you can get them out of Utah, but if you can, you owe to yourself to give these a try. I been eating them for about a year, because Jennie bought them one day. Well, the other day, I ended up wanting Bratwurst, and went to Smith's and they only had Johnsonville. I was like, okay, no big deal. We ate them that night, and it was like, eh.... So a few days later Smith's got some more Colosimo in, we bought it and brought it right home. After one bite, I vowed never to eat an Johnsonville Brat ever again! Give it a try!
Xenocide Review
And so I immediately read the next book in the series, right? Right? Nope. I have read a lot of Orson Scott Card books over the years, but I never read Xenocide. Why? Well it starts with this new character, and half way through the first chapter I always put it down. You don't know how many times I've started that book.
But this last month, I finally managed to get past that first chapter. It's ironic, because I am always saying I think the first chapter of Speaker for the Dead is one of the best there is. And this one? Well it's not bad, it's just so different that I couldn't get into it.
Okay, enough about why and when I read the book. Is it any good? It is. It is a GREAT book. It asks so many questions, and puts it's characters in such moral dilemmas that it has this unique edge to it. I guess you don't see most authors these days confront ethics like this. For that matter, most authors these days have loose morals and just assume a certain degree of villainy is common to the everday man and woman and isn't worth confronting.
Plus, Card does something in a lot of his stories I admire and always enjoy: He talks about GOOD people. I think common wisdom would say that GOOD people are boring, but that is the crux of Xenocide. A lot of good people together end up butting heads, and doing a lot of bad. Not because they are bad, but because they get misguided and because they are doing things they are so convinced ARE good. And indeed, each individual person's point of view CAN be seen as good! But when you throw it all in the mix, and you add in the dynamics of a very dysfunctional family, and you add in the ethical dilemma of three different races (or even four, actually) trying to coexist, and you get a really great story.
But... the story is loose. It's not as tight as Speaker for the Dead. I'm not entirely sure what I mean by that, except that it's expansive and big and lacks grounding. Card is never one for detailed descriptions of people, places or things, and this novel suffers because of it. Granted, I never skimmed a paragraph because he was describing the leaves and stems of the trees. But I think one of the reasons it doesn't feel as tight is because so little is devoted to description.
Plus, the story is just big. And the characters don't have the time to develop and grow and 'simmer' that they should. Too much happens. It's a big book as it is, but it should have been a bit bigger. The exploration of ethical dilemmas was incredible and exciting. But the characters and the setting came up a bit short.
Years ago, I was talking to Card about Ender's Game, and I told him one of the great things about the story was that more than all the science fiction, the buggers, and the battle school, I came to really care about Ender, and I wanted this little boy to have happiness. He responded by saying "Then I have succeeded. That is what really matters."
And as good as Xenocide is... it does not focus enough on any one character for me to have that bond with them, that rooting interest, that place in my heart where great characters reside and live with me.
In Xenocide, the story overwhelms the characters. Oh, but what a fine story it is!
Sarah Conner Chronicles
TV has just gotten better in the last decade. Without a doubt, some of that has to do with our big screen TVs, HDTV, DVRs, and great sound systems. DVDs anyone? Is there a better way to watch a long serialized TV show? And now BLU RAY!
Today I bought my first ever BLU RAY disk, and I choose Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Instead of an actual movie, I choose a TV show. Of course. Being a fan of Lost and Battlestar Galactica, I love my serialized TV. Big stories, with twists and turns. Who here got LOST Season 1 on DVD and ended up watching the whole season in about 2-3 days? Who stayed up till 2-3 in the morning, watching... 'just one more episode?" Yeah! That is the way to watch TV.
Okay, so the visuals are better, the sound is better, and the story is BIGGER. But is it better? I think that's a great question. And I'm tempted to rattle of the top off my head a quick and surefire YES. It's just BETTER. But I have a tendency (and I bet you do too) to think the current thing we are into is the BEST we have ever seen. There was probably a day when I thought the ORIGINAL Battlestar Galactica was the best on TV. (Come on... I can't even watch an entire episode now, they are THAT bad.)
But... then I was younger, and far less picky. And I wasn't spending a great deal of my time WRITING stories, so I wasn't really thinking about what made a good one or a bad one.
Truth is poor visuals of old shows can really irritate me. But some stories I think stand the test of time. Though it is relatively new, The Sopranos is a character based story that I think will stand the test of time. But were they any really good TV shows from the 80s? The A Team anyone?
Here is another question for all of you: Does anything really stand up to the test of time? Did Lucas really need to go in an re-digitilize Star Wars A New Hope?
This has gone a long way from where we started, which was The Terminator, Sarah Conner Chronicles. Okay, does Terminator 2 stand up to the test of time? I think it does. It was a great STORY. (James Cameron, wizard of the special effects, was once a great STORYTELLER).
And so here we stand at Sarah Conner. Okay, I've watched ONE episode. But what about that ONE episode? First impressions mean a lot. And this is what I thought: Storytelling has gotten better on TV. This was a great and fun story. The visuals were great, but around the 20 minute mark, I was on the edge of my seat. It propelled me forward with some great characters. Sarah, who is trying to protect her son from 'the machines' and is thought to be crazy, and maybe... just maybe she IS! And then there is John himself, this messiah of the future who pretty much doesn't do anything but whine and bitch and run. He needs some work, but you get the sense that he'll become the star of the show. And Terminator wouldn't be terminator if you didn't have a bad robot, and... a good one. And this time around, why not go with an upgrade on the good robot, and make her a sexy teenager? The ensemble works, and has room to grow. You have the cop who is chasing them who will inevitably realize that there really ARE robots out there and that Sarah might be onto something! You have the jilted finance, who... might be more than he seems. But better than all that you have a pretty damn cool story.
It is the root of science fiction that robots, artificial intelligence, etc, turns bad. Hell Battlestar Galactica is entirely based on this concept. Most science fiction writers have a world invaded by aliens story, and along side that they also have the robots went mad and took over the world story. The Matrix wasn't original after all, was it?
And the genre has a lot of room in it. In this version, they throw in time travel. It's loosey goosey in the movies, and I'm hoping they expand it here and get some meat on it. But it's looking interesting. And it has built in tension. Being chased by a killer robot. It's relentless.
I like it.
I've only watched one episode. I'm sure it will twist, and it will turn. I'm sure it will have some dud moments, and I'm hoping it will have some great moments. But even if it's a dud, I think I will answer my original question with this answer: TV is better today. And not just because of the visuals.
I think it's because writers are getting better. So many stories have been told out there, and there is little original left, so if you tell a time travel story, and you tell a robots gone mad story, you better do it BETTER than the guy/gal before you did it! And in a lot of instances, I think that writers are stretching and getting better. Not all of them! And they aren't perfect. But the DVD serialized concept of TV, longer biggger stories, with room to explore multiple characters, has some promise still left in it.
And it doesn't hurt that they have big budgets and we get to watch them on DVD with big screens and great sound! Nah... that doesn't hurt at all.
Today I bought my first ever BLU RAY disk, and I choose Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Instead of an actual movie, I choose a TV show. Of course. Being a fan of Lost and Battlestar Galactica, I love my serialized TV. Big stories, with twists and turns. Who here got LOST Season 1 on DVD and ended up watching the whole season in about 2-3 days? Who stayed up till 2-3 in the morning, watching... 'just one more episode?" Yeah! That is the way to watch TV.
Okay, so the visuals are better, the sound is better, and the story is BIGGER. But is it better? I think that's a great question. And I'm tempted to rattle of the top off my head a quick and surefire YES. It's just BETTER. But I have a tendency (and I bet you do too) to think the current thing we are into is the BEST we have ever seen. There was probably a day when I thought the ORIGINAL Battlestar Galactica was the best on TV. (Come on... I can't even watch an entire episode now, they are THAT bad.)
But... then I was younger, and far less picky. And I wasn't spending a great deal of my time WRITING stories, so I wasn't really thinking about what made a good one or a bad one.
Truth is poor visuals of old shows can really irritate me. But some stories I think stand the test of time. Though it is relatively new, The Sopranos is a character based story that I think will stand the test of time. But were they any really good TV shows from the 80s? The A Team anyone?
Here is another question for all of you: Does anything really stand up to the test of time? Did Lucas really need to go in an re-digitilize Star Wars A New Hope?
This has gone a long way from where we started, which was The Terminator, Sarah Conner Chronicles. Okay, does Terminator 2 stand up to the test of time? I think it does. It was a great STORY. (James Cameron, wizard of the special effects, was once a great STORYTELLER).
And so here we stand at Sarah Conner. Okay, I've watched ONE episode. But what about that ONE episode? First impressions mean a lot. And this is what I thought: Storytelling has gotten better on TV. This was a great and fun story. The visuals were great, but around the 20 minute mark, I was on the edge of my seat. It propelled me forward with some great characters. Sarah, who is trying to protect her son from 'the machines' and is thought to be crazy, and maybe... just maybe she IS! And then there is John himself, this messiah of the future who pretty much doesn't do anything but whine and bitch and run. He needs some work, but you get the sense that he'll become the star of the show. And Terminator wouldn't be terminator if you didn't have a bad robot, and... a good one. And this time around, why not go with an upgrade on the good robot, and make her a sexy teenager? The ensemble works, and has room to grow. You have the cop who is chasing them who will inevitably realize that there really ARE robots out there and that Sarah might be onto something! You have the jilted finance, who... might be more than he seems. But better than all that you have a pretty damn cool story.
It is the root of science fiction that robots, artificial intelligence, etc, turns bad. Hell Battlestar Galactica is entirely based on this concept. Most science fiction writers have a world invaded by aliens story, and along side that they also have the robots went mad and took over the world story. The Matrix wasn't original after all, was it?
And the genre has a lot of room in it. In this version, they throw in time travel. It's loosey goosey in the movies, and I'm hoping they expand it here and get some meat on it. But it's looking interesting. And it has built in tension. Being chased by a killer robot. It's relentless.
I like it.
I've only watched one episode. I'm sure it will twist, and it will turn. I'm sure it will have some dud moments, and I'm hoping it will have some great moments. But even if it's a dud, I think I will answer my original question with this answer: TV is better today. And not just because of the visuals.
I think it's because writers are getting better. So many stories have been told out there, and there is little original left, so if you tell a time travel story, and you tell a robots gone mad story, you better do it BETTER than the guy/gal before you did it! And in a lot of instances, I think that writers are stretching and getting better. Not all of them! And they aren't perfect. But the DVD serialized concept of TV, longer biggger stories, with room to explore multiple characters, has some promise still left in it.
And it doesn't hurt that they have big budgets and we get to watch them on DVD with big screens and great sound! Nah... that doesn't hurt at all.
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