When I first saw this I saw so much potential. A world torn and changed. Filled with desperation and struggle and yet in the middle of nowhere there is a little town where peace reigns. There is so much potential for this. Struggling against the environment, scavenging for food, dealing with less reputable inhabitants, gangs, raids, accidents and sabotage.
But in the first episode they hint upon a huge evil plot. They put in a desperate unwinnable battle and through sheer luck and alien tech they managed to annihilate a massive enemy army. This, if it occurred at all, should have come at the end of the first season, preferably at the end of the series. The entire plot has been warped to massive scale before we can get a firm grip on the reality of this new world. I also feel the technology is under explained. I wish they had mentioned more about the core and the devices used and that gun which freezes people. I also wish there was more techy talk. More about how that power core thing could be turned into a weapon, why it could only be used once and, better yet, why it destroyed that army but not the rock walls? I really want SOME techno babble.
The characters. How do I put this? They Suck. I'll do main two last. There is very little mystery around them. Within the first episode I know virtually everything there is to know about the main characters. Who I have just met. I'm not wondering "why did he do that?" or "I could have sworn he would do this!" or even "what happened to him which caused this disdain?" I'm just "Met you, NEXT!". I don't feel any excitement from meeting them. No questions as to their motives and no desire to learn more about them. I already know that the mafia guy is all about family and I know the other guy is a complete Hot head who doesn't like aliens much. On to the love birds.... it came too quickly. The two of them went through the whole Romeo and Juliet thing within one episode. Why are they engaged after the first episode? Where is the tension? The secrecy? I did, at no point, feel like I was a part of a conspiracy. I never felt like I, like them, was keeping their love a secret from their raging parents. I felt like they dropped a massive part of the story for some reason. The mayor. I don't know a lot about human behaviour in that I haven't studied it but didn't the mayor seem overly mean when we first met her? She completely disregarded Nolen's status as one of the Defiant, despite the whole talk she made about them a few hours earlier. In fact there was shockingly little fandom going on to, what seems to be, the sole member of the Defiant the town had ever seen. I thought they were superstars or something. Where were the screaming girls and respectful old vets? Not even a cocky punk to call him lame or anything. Finally the annoying twosome. They are poorly made. They were supposed to be two idealists: One weathered but still hopeful and the other a raised survivor with a soft spot for kids etc. They should have been inseparable, completely devoted to each other but with a playful dislike in their mannerism towards each other. They had so much potential as a non romantic duo. But they aren't. The girl is bratty. Very bratty. She behaves like a ten year old when he tells her they have to give up the core thing and again at the start she is in the middle of a tantrum which is not fully explained. "Compromise us again?" What does that mean, Tirra can you explain? ...... nope silent tantrum. I still have no clue what the argument was about aside from it involved a married woman. As for Nolen, the father figure. Fail. He just earned some money from a fight, which I surprised didn't break a rib, and instead of spending the money on clothes, food and the medical fees he spends it on a prostitute..... while leaving his daughter waiting for him. There is a difference between dangerously idealistic and idiotically irresponsible. The impression of things being tough was officially lost when he did something so stupid and selfish. Seriously he stops his daughter from drinking but is fine with her knowing he is sleeping around? FAIL. FAIL FAIL FAIL. These two characters should have been deeply though out. They had so much potential to the point even a CHILD could make them more realistic and inspiring. Aside from their character flaws they are badass. Nolen constantly gives the impression that he is VASTLY superior to virtually everyone in the town. To the extent we have yet to see the extent of BOTH of their abilities. Which leads me back to what I was saying in the beginning. While the town lot are now well known and understood we now must hear about Nolen and Tirra. Thankfully we actually know little. Their past and motivations are still up for debate. What happened to Nolen after the war? Where did he meet Tirra? Why did Tirra's parents have to be killed? What love and loss did they experience over those 17 years (?) together? This is probably the only thing which is keeping me interested at the moment. What happened in their past? This had SO much potential but a lot of it is ruined. Lost to never be fixed. But it still has potential. I will be watching it to see what becomes of it.
But in the first episode they hint upon a huge evil plot. They put in a desperate unwinnable battle and through sheer luck and alien tech they managed to annihilate a massive enemy army. This, if it occurred at all, should have come at the end of the first season, preferably at the end of the series. The entire plot has been warped to massive scale before we can get a firm grip on the reality of this new world. I also feel the technology is under explained. I wish they had mentioned more about the core and the devices used and that gun which freezes people. I also wish there was more techy talk. More about how that power core thing could be turned into a weapon, why it could only be used once and, better yet, why it destroyed that army but not the rock walls? I really want SOME techno babble.
The characters. How do I put this? They Suck. I'll do main two last. There is very little mystery around them. Within the first episode I know virtually everything there is to know about the main characters. Who I have just met. I'm not wondering "why did he do that?" or "I could have sworn he would do this!" or even "what happened to him which caused this disdain?" I'm just "Met you, NEXT!". I don't feel any excitement from meeting them. No questions as to their motives and no desire to learn more about them. I already know that the mafia guy is all about family and I know the other guy is a complete Hot head who doesn't like aliens much. On to the love birds.... it came too quickly. The two of them went through the whole Romeo and Juliet thing within one episode. Why are they engaged after the first episode? Where is the tension? The secrecy? I did, at no point, feel like I was a part of a conspiracy. I never felt like I, like them, was keeping their love a secret from their raging parents. I felt like they dropped a massive part of the story for some reason. The mayor. I don't know a lot about human behaviour in that I haven't studied it but didn't the mayor seem overly mean when we first met her? She completely disregarded Nolen's status as one of the Defiant, despite the whole talk she made about them a few hours earlier. In fact there was shockingly little fandom going on to, what seems to be, the sole member of the Defiant the town had ever seen. I thought they were superstars or something. Where were the screaming girls and respectful old vets? Not even a cocky punk to call him lame or anything. Finally the annoying twosome. They are poorly made. They were supposed to be two idealists: One weathered but still hopeful and the other a raised survivor with a soft spot for kids etc. They should have been inseparable, completely devoted to each other but with a playful dislike in their mannerism towards each other. They had so much potential as a non romantic duo. But they aren't. The girl is bratty. Very bratty. She behaves like a ten year old when he tells her they have to give up the core thing and again at the start she is in the middle of a tantrum which is not fully explained. "Compromise us again?" What does that mean, Tirra can you explain? ...... nope silent tantrum. I still have no clue what the argument was about aside from it involved a married woman. As for Nolen, the father figure. Fail. He just earned some money from a fight, which I surprised didn't break a rib, and instead of spending the money on clothes, food and the medical fees he spends it on a prostitute..... while leaving his daughter waiting for him. There is a difference between dangerously idealistic and idiotically irresponsible. The impression of things being tough was officially lost when he did something so stupid and selfish. Seriously he stops his daughter from drinking but is fine with her knowing he is sleeping around? FAIL. FAIL FAIL FAIL. These two characters should have been deeply though out. They had so much potential to the point even a CHILD could make them more realistic and inspiring. Aside from their character flaws they are badass. Nolen constantly gives the impression that he is VASTLY superior to virtually everyone in the town. To the extent we have yet to see the extent of BOTH of their abilities. Which leads me back to what I was saying in the beginning. While the town lot are now well known and understood we now must hear about Nolen and Tirra. Thankfully we actually know little. Their past and motivations are still up for debate. What happened to Nolen after the war? Where did he meet Tirra? Why did Tirra's parents have to be killed? What love and loss did they experience over those 17 years (?) together? This is probably the only thing which is keeping me interested at the moment. What happened in their past? This had SO much potential but a lot of it is ruined. Lost to never be fixed. But it still has potential. I will be watching it to see what becomes of it.