Sorry for not reviewing Alphas last week. I spent my free time on Monday watching all the shows I hadn't watched the night before and by the time I was done the Tuesday shows had started. So everything snowballed from there and I wasn't able to review Alphas. I liked the idea of the episode, putting them in confined area and sowing distrust among them. The reveal of the actual mole wasn't bad either, though I would have been really crazy if one of them had actually been the mole.
The first season finale of Alphas brings great promise of a show reaching to break out of the Syfy bubble. It tackles the issues head-on and, unlike other Syfy shows, does not back down in the end, reseting to the comfortable position. Instead, Alphas forges ahead, after the already-shocking massacre of Red Flag alphas, and sends the show in an entirely new direction with Rosen's revelation to the entire world. There's no turning back from this.
Even if the writers didn't go ahead and have Rosen give his big speech, Alphas would still have plenty to work with at the end of the first season. There's a government willing to imprison alphas, willing to kill them. And there's Stanton Parish who Danielle, Rosen's daughter, is working for. This is good stuff already and I'd be fine with that. But the episode ends with the vigor it did, Rosen dragged out and the signal lost, and it seals the episode, and the show, amazingly.
Score: 9.3/10
Showing posts with label Alphas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alphas. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 9 Blind Spot
When I think about Brent Spiner on Star Trek: TNG, his most memorable performances were not as Data but as Lore, Data's malevolent brother. He projected a calm that went with Data's character but also managed the underlying evil of Lore, and every confrontation was always polarizing. In "Blind Spot," Spiner plays a similar character, an alpha who is blind. There he is one moment, calmly sitting and talking, and in another causing havoc at the headquarters. He makes for a pretty awesome enemy, the best one yet in my opinion.
To add to that, there's Griffin, who finds blind spots to avoid being seen by others. She creates a frantic situation as the team learns of her presence. While she's causing trouble, Dr. Kern is doing worse, making the last act of the episode very fast paced and energetic. On top of this, it all plausibly fits into the established mythology. Kern wants more alphas and doesn't see eye to eye with Rosen while Griffin is an alpha for hire.
My inner X-Files fanboy has to comment that Griffin has parts of two X-Files characters--Robert Modell, who coined himself a ronin, and the Vietnam POW who could exploit blind spots. Not saying that Alphas is unoriginal or anything--just something that popped into my head.
Score: 9.2/10
To add to that, there's Griffin, who finds blind spots to avoid being seen by others. She creates a frantic situation as the team learns of her presence. While she's causing trouble, Dr. Kern is doing worse, making the last act of the episode very fast paced and energetic. On top of this, it all plausibly fits into the established mythology. Kern wants more alphas and doesn't see eye to eye with Rosen while Griffin is an alpha for hire.
My inner X-Files fanboy has to comment that Griffin has parts of two X-Files characters--Robert Modell, who coined himself a ronin, and the Vietnam POW who could exploit blind spots. Not saying that Alphas is unoriginal or anything--just something that popped into my head.
Score: 9.2/10
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 8 A Short Time in Paradise
Boy was there something off with last night's episode. I've enjoyed watching every episode of Alphas, but "A Short Time in Paradise" was a chore. The main problem is that the alpha this week, a cult leader named Jonas, is a stock character from all perspectives. His powers allow him to give people something that makes them feel good, he has messianic ideas, and people are dying. That's it. Nothing about him or the situation changes from the first time we see him to the last, and it's not even that scary or creepy. But the writers continue to show us Jonas's powers again and again as if the audience will realize something new after the 10th time.
The subplots have significantly more substance, as Rosen shoots a gun for the first time and kills Jonas, and Rachel's father comes to terms with his daughter's condition.
Score: 8.0/10
The subplots have significantly more substance, as Rosen shoots a gun for the first time and kills Jonas, and Rachel's father comes to terms with his daughter's condition.
Score: 8.0/10
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 7 Catch and Release
The premise of Alphas--a team of genetically different people stuck between the government and genetically different radicals--is nothing new, and "Catch and Release" feels like the natural course of the plot, but it is a premise that is compelling from every angle.
It's impossible not to see the predicament the characters are in. Skylar is an innocent inventor who creates stuff and sells them. From the inventions we see, they are non-lethal. However, the government, with its power and authority, deems that she is unsafe based on some coded messages and pursues her. When Rosen and the team finds out who Skylar's been communicating with, her genius daughter, they realize what the government will do.
There is something diabolical about the way the government goes about its business in the episode, bypassing Rosen and alway using force first, along with the machine that can find anyone in the world. Nina instantly sides with Skylar, as a friend and also as a fellow alpha. They are in the same boat, and if Skylar, a non-violent alpha, can be locked up, then so can the rest of them. In the end, Rosen defies the government and lets Skylar go, cooking up an excuse. This flies for now, but it's unlikely Rosen can continue to do this.
The greatest concern for the show is whether the writers wish to maintain the status quo. If the writers decide to forever keep in the team working for the government against Red Flag, then there's probably not much to get excited about. But there is a distinct possibility that certain characters could split off and become one of the hunted, and perhaps the writers will go in that direction.
I like how the episode episode built on Gary and Bill even though they weren't that integral to the plot (other than Gary finding NIna and Skylar). We're reminded that each character has lots to deal with on their own outside of work, and it makes their mission even more precarious.
Score: 9.0/10
It's impossible not to see the predicament the characters are in. Skylar is an innocent inventor who creates stuff and sells them. From the inventions we see, they are non-lethal. However, the government, with its power and authority, deems that she is unsafe based on some coded messages and pursues her. When Rosen and the team finds out who Skylar's been communicating with, her genius daughter, they realize what the government will do.
There is something diabolical about the way the government goes about its business in the episode, bypassing Rosen and alway using force first, along with the machine that can find anyone in the world. Nina instantly sides with Skylar, as a friend and also as a fellow alpha. They are in the same boat, and if Skylar, a non-violent alpha, can be locked up, then so can the rest of them. In the end, Rosen defies the government and lets Skylar go, cooking up an excuse. This flies for now, but it's unlikely Rosen can continue to do this.
The greatest concern for the show is whether the writers wish to maintain the status quo. If the writers decide to forever keep in the team working for the government against Red Flag, then there's probably not much to get excited about. But there is a distinct possibility that certain characters could split off and become one of the hunted, and perhaps the writers will go in that direction.
I like how the episode episode built on Gary and Bill even though they weren't that integral to the plot (other than Gary finding NIna and Skylar). We're reminded that each character has lots to deal with on their own outside of work, and it makes their mission even more precarious.
Score: 9.0/10
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 6 Bill And Gary's Excellent Adventure
Until this episode, Alphas only had Alpha-related cases. "Bill And Gary's Excellent Adventure" has no hint of an alpha doing something bad and instead is about a fairly run-of-the-mill kidnapping and ransom. It makes sense that there would be an episode that resolves Bill's ties to the non-alpha law enforcement establishment. Bill, with Gary in tow, solves the case and gets an offer to be reinstated into the FBI, something he's pushed for and brought up many times, but he declines the offer and stays with the team. The team is clicking and Bill has people around him with similar problems. This is what Dr. Rosen wanted all along and Bill has legitimate reasons to stay.
The other plot development was Nina and Hicks almost hooking up. They don't follow through because Nina interrupts, but it was clear where they were going. One of the big things we learn is that Nina killed her ex-boyfriend by pushing him to kill himself. While the writers make it perfectly clear that the boyfriend was no good person (though I thought the bit at the end about the financial scam was a bit much), Nina is scared of what her powers can do coupled with her emotions. It's a deadly combination and she doesn't want to repeat mistakes of the past.
I know some people may hate him, but Gary is my favorite character. Although his behavior may be annoying at times, the writers give him so many funny throwaway lines that I think he's great, and Bill plays off of him nicely.
Next week, Summer Glau! Cue the collective nerdgasm.
Score: 8.9/10
The other plot development was Nina and Hicks almost hooking up. They don't follow through because Nina interrupts, but it was clear where they were going. One of the big things we learn is that Nina killed her ex-boyfriend by pushing him to kill himself. While the writers make it perfectly clear that the boyfriend was no good person (though I thought the bit at the end about the financial scam was a bit much), Nina is scared of what her powers can do coupled with her emotions. It's a deadly combination and she doesn't want to repeat mistakes of the past.
I know some people may hate him, but Gary is my favorite character. Although his behavior may be annoying at times, the writers give him so many funny throwaway lines that I think he's great, and Bill plays off of him nicely.
Next week, Summer Glau! Cue the collective nerdgasm.
Score: 8.9/10
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 5 Never Let Me Go
Compared to the previous episodes of Alphas, "Never Let Me Go" had nothing that stuck out to me. Rachel could be an interesting character, but she's just not enough in an episode which had a sub-par plot. It's an open and shut case of an alpha gone bad, and the team has to clean it up.
Like Gary in the previous episode, Rachel makes a connection to the alpha, but unlike Gary, it's hard to see how her powers play into the episode other than making her more susceptible. In the climax of the episode, she is taken out of commission and it is up to her teammates to save her. And the best she gets is Dr. Rosen telling her that he's a father to her. Boy, we didn't know that!
This is the second time there is an alpha who affects people's internal chemistries, and it's not that exciting to be honest. Besides the initial shock of zombie-like people die, the whole bit about falling in love we people and then pushing them away was both tame and boring. At least the first time an alpha did something similar, it sent people into a frenzy.
Score: 8.3/10
Like Gary in the previous episode, Rachel makes a connection to the alpha, but unlike Gary, it's hard to see how her powers play into the episode other than making her more susceptible. In the climax of the episode, she is taken out of commission and it is up to her teammates to save her. And the best she gets is Dr. Rosen telling her that he's a father to her. Boy, we didn't know that!
This is the second time there is an alpha who affects people's internal chemistries, and it's not that exciting to be honest. Besides the initial shock of zombie-like people die, the whole bit about falling in love we people and then pushing them away was both tame and boring. At least the first time an alpha did something similar, it sent people into a frenzy.
Score: 8.3/10
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 4 Rosetta
Of all the characters on Alphas, the one who gets the most complaints is Gary (from what I've read online). They don't like his mannerisms, his occasional disregard for instructional, and think he's annoying. While these people are hardly a large part of the audience, it seemed very relevant since "Rosetta" has lots of Gary.
I would agree that Gary is unlike the other characters. He's more difficult than the other characters and can be annoying at times, but that is an essential part of the character--his behaviorisms that come with his condition. What his autism also brings is a sense of innocence and charm when he does his job. In "Rosetta," realizing that Anna is in charge of the Red Flag cell, Gary is broken from this. Both he and Rosen realize that Anna's message may have some credence, but that her methods are wrong. Indeed, Gary asserts himself at the end of the episode and we realize that Gary was helped, in part, by Anna, a potential killer.
Score: 8.7/10
I would agree that Gary is unlike the other characters. He's more difficult than the other characters and can be annoying at times, but that is an essential part of the character--his behaviorisms that come with his condition. What his autism also brings is a sense of innocence and charm when he does his job. In "Rosetta," realizing that Anna is in charge of the Red Flag cell, Gary is broken from this. Both he and Rosen realize that Anna's message may have some credence, but that her methods are wrong. Indeed, Gary asserts himself at the end of the episode and we realize that Gary was helped, in part, by Anna, a potential killer.
Score: 8.7/10
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 3 Anger Management
Alphas rebounded this week with a strong episode that featured quite a shocking twist, the death of Don Wilson, the guy supervising the whole operation. While the team will remain intact and nothing has really changed, the way in which he died was startling. The alpha releases his pheromones, inducing everyone, except Bill, into violence. This is something that happens on sci-fi shows once in a while, but this scene is all out bonkers--changing colors, camera wildly swinging everywhere, people pounding each other, and finally, Wilson beaten to death with a chair. In total the ordeal lasts less than two minutes, but was stylized in such as way as to be very disorienting and memorable for the viewer.
I'm fairly certain this episode was supposed to be the second episode instead of the third, with the female supervisor last week, so the character development in the episode may have already happened. Still, it's unlikely anything will be notably different.
Score: 8.8/10
I'm fairly certain this episode was supposed to be the second episode instead of the third, with the female supervisor last week, so the character development in the episode may have already happened. Still, it's unlikely anything will be notably different.
Score: 8.8/10
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 2 Cause and Effect
After only one episode, Alphas already hit a roadblock: originality. This isn't too big of a problem right now, but it does seem a little early to have an entire episode based on very derivative themes, doesn't it? The plot this week is the team tracking a guy named Marcus who can alter a situation with his intuitive knowledge of cause and effect, basically the bad guy in the Fringe episode ""The Plateau," which aired less than a year ago.
The major theme in the episode is the idea that humans are incompatible with Alphas, that they cannot coexist. Again, the idea that super-humans and regular humans come into conflict is littered throughout fiction of any kind. But this is a popular theme because it is effective and interesting, dredging up thorny issues on a number of topics. Marcus seems to believe that Alphas are already being thrown under the bus while Rosen doesn't think that will happen. Indeed, when Nathan, intending to kill, shoots Marcus square in the chest, there is a sense that the world of Alphas has become a much different place in which the characters may have to choose a side eventually.
Score: 8.4/10
The major theme in the episode is the idea that humans are incompatible with Alphas, that they cannot coexist. Again, the idea that super-humans and regular humans come into conflict is littered throughout fiction of any kind. But this is a popular theme because it is effective and interesting, dredging up thorny issues on a number of topics. Marcus seems to believe that Alphas are already being thrown under the bus while Rosen doesn't think that will happen. Indeed, when Nathan, intending to kill, shoots Marcus square in the chest, there is a sense that the world of Alphas has become a much different place in which the characters may have to choose a side eventually.
Score: 8.4/10
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
Alphas fits the current Syfy brand perfectly in a way that will bother those who call on Syfy to have actual science fiction and appease those who probably don't watch the channel too often. Like the two shows airing before it, Eureka and Warehouse 13, Alphas is terrestrial, without aliens in makeup, spaceships, or scientific jargon.
The characters of Alphas are distinctly human, located in America, and seem normal--except for their powers. There is Bill Harken (Malik Yoba), the super-strong black guy, Nina Theroux (Laura Mennell), the hot seductress who can control people's minds, Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright), who has Asperger's syndrome and can see all kinds of waves, and Rachel Pirzad (Azita Ghanizada ), who can sense what others feel. Joining the team by the end of the episode is Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie) who was being controlled to kill a witness. Running the team is Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn), who dilligently and calmly handles this ecclectic group of people, and his boss Don Wilson (Callum Keith Rennie).
The powers all seem pretty strong, but limitations are seen throughout the episode whether their come from personality or an inability to fully control the powers, so potential plot holes can be avoided. One thing that isn't fully explained is Nina's dark past, something that cuts into her godly powers which seem the most useful.
The plot, like the characters, is simple case for the team the solve through the first episode. There isn't some massive conspiracy or superhero underworld they wade into. They investigate, find the bad guy, and that's that. The biggest thing to carry over into future episode is Red Flag, an organization made up of other alphas. We don't know anything about them so far, but I'm sure we'll be seeing them soon enough.
The writers know the limitations of Syfy and of the genre. They aren't going for the Heroes "we're going to save the world!!" vibe or something philosophically deep. Instead, Alphas has good characters and simple plots with powers thrown in. With ready humor mixed with the serious tone, the show is well-suited for the summer.
Score: 8.8/10
The characters of Alphas are distinctly human, located in America, and seem normal--except for their powers. There is Bill Harken (Malik Yoba), the super-strong black guy, Nina Theroux (Laura Mennell), the hot seductress who can control people's minds, Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright), who has Asperger's syndrome and can see all kinds of waves, and Rachel Pirzad (Azita Ghanizada ), who can sense what others feel. Joining the team by the end of the episode is Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie) who was being controlled to kill a witness. Running the team is Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn), who dilligently and calmly handles this ecclectic group of people, and his boss Don Wilson (Callum Keith Rennie).
The powers all seem pretty strong, but limitations are seen throughout the episode whether their come from personality or an inability to fully control the powers, so potential plot holes can be avoided. One thing that isn't fully explained is Nina's dark past, something that cuts into her godly powers which seem the most useful.
The plot, like the characters, is simple case for the team the solve through the first episode. There isn't some massive conspiracy or superhero underworld they wade into. They investigate, find the bad guy, and that's that. The biggest thing to carry over into future episode is Red Flag, an organization made up of other alphas. We don't know anything about them so far, but I'm sure we'll be seeing them soon enough.
The writers know the limitations of Syfy and of the genre. They aren't going for the Heroes "we're going to save the world!!" vibe or something philosophically deep. Instead, Alphas has good characters and simple plots with powers thrown in. With ready humor mixed with the serious tone, the show is well-suited for the summer.
Score: 8.8/10
