Helix: Love it or Hate it? (Awards Given)

[shavedape]

Okay, Helix premiered tonight. Did anyone else watch it or am I the only victim?

My overall reaction to it is just "Meh". The characters are (almost) all boring. The story, while interesting on paper, is not that intriguing on film. And the construction of the production seems very choppy and it doesn't flow.

I could nitpick for days but don't feel it's worth the waste of energy. If I catch the next episode, then fine, if not, still fine.

 

[Gatefan1976]

A few days till we get it, but I'll give it a look when it comes out.

I don't have high hopes, but we will see?

 

[Overmind One]

Okay, Helix premiered tonight. Did anyone else watch it or am I the only victim?

My overall reaction to it is just "Meh". The characters are (almost) all boring. The story, while interesting on paper, is not that intriguing on film. And the construction of the production seems very choppy and it doesn't flow.

I could nitpick for days but don't feel it's worth the waste of energy. If I catch the next episode, then fine, if not, still fine.

http://www.syfy.com/rewind/

Episodes 1-3 are available. I will post when I have watched first.

 

[Overmind One]

OMG...this show is horrible (based on its pilot). I watched the pilot, and I barely made it through awake, even though it is only 10am in the morning and I have extra strong coffee here to help. The show is TOO DARK, and everything is boring and bland looking. Throw in a bunch of truly labored interpersonal crap and a mysterious pathogen which can either liquify you are make you want to french kiss the nearest person to spit in some black goo down their throat, this show just misses on so many levels. The characters are all depressing and already there is too much attention being paid to relationships and who slept with whose brother and burning desires to shag bosses and such. This thing moves SLOW. Watching it was like trying to jog in quicksand. .

Syfy misses the mark once again, with yet another boring soap-fi monstrosity.

Okay, Helix premiered tonight. Did anyone else watch it or am I the only victim?

My overall reaction to it is just "Meh". The characters are (almost) all boring. The story, while interesting on paper, is not that intriguing on film. And the construction of the production seems very choppy and it doesn't flow.

I could nitpick for days but don't feel it's worth the waste of energy. If I catch the next episode, then fine, if not, still fine.

I just watched it. . Meh is an understatement. If this show is going to all take place on this boring desolate arctic base, then I already know that I wont be watching it. Could they have picked a more boring locale? The complex is not even high tech! There are no fancy computer systems or slick control rooms lined with monitors and consoles, no communication to the outside world, and dammit...hardly any light! They refer to this as a "high tech" lab? I have seen higher tech in fast food kitchens. There are too many clusters of minutes wasted showing us taping up gloves and shimmying through ducts, too many labored "gotcha" moments where people jump out of the shadows, too many "bump in the dark" scenes, this thing is a total mess.

Leni Parker (Earth Final Conflict's D'Ann) was in this, and all that I could keep thinking was "Wow, you have been reduced to this?". I cant see this going more than one season unless Moore got a deal with the contract. Otherwise, I think we will see this show start out bad and get worse, ratings-wise.

 

[Overmind One]

Okay, there is an episode 3 and I have watched episodes 1-2 (the pilot). I have added a shot of espresso to my coffee, lets try and see if I can make it through episode 3.

 

[Overmind One]

Episode 3, a little bit better, a little bit brighter, but still awful. We get the reason this virus exists, we get a little bit more backstory about why this base exists. But still the basic premise is better suited for a made-for-TV movie than a series. And what is with whomever is inserting 70s era road music into this show? Dionne Warwick's "San Jose" is just part of it. Give them a few more episodes, and listen for Brazil '66 or some classic Carpenters. Maybe even Captain and Tenille. It sounds cool and nostalgic to a boomer, but it does not make up for the writing flaws in this thing.

Episode 3 turns the lights up quite a bit which is a HUGE improvement, and we see a lot more people other than just the main cast. I found episode 3 better than the pilot, but still Im not seeing it being that much an improvement. SGU was more entertaining than this show. But not as stupid.

 

[mzzz]

Does it feel like a very simple premise/story that's unnecessarily stretched out?

 

[shavedape]

From what I remember of seeing the opening credits they listed "Part 1" and "Part 2" as being written and directed by different people. That, in my estimation, is never a good thing.

As for the interpersonal drama, I groaned while watching the pilot when they did that tired, tired, tired gimmick of having the lead guy have to work with his ex. It was at that moment that I began to mentally check out.

Oh, and I'm not buying the way the bad guy(s) can simply run around the entire base without being caught. This might be believable if the other characters actually showed some fear and caution instead of just waltzing off to go have a leisurely shower.

So far the only character I remotely like is the larger, older (lesbian?) woman. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer but she's at least got something to her. The rest of the characters are just lame and are the aesthetic equivalent of watching a loaf of Wonder Bread go stale.

 

[Overmind One]

Does it feel like a very simple premise/story that's unnecessarily stretched out?

YES. Very much so. There is way way too much interpersonal filler. Too much forced tension.

 

[Overmind One]

From what I remember of seeing the opening credits they listed "Part 1" and "Part 2" as being written and directed by different people. That, in my estimation, is never a good thing.

As for the interpersonal drama, I groaned while watching the pilot when they did that tired, tired, tired gimmick of having the lead guy have to work with his ex. It was at that moment that I began to mentally check out.

Oh, and I'm not buying the way the bad guy(s) can simply run around the entire base without being caught. This might be believable if the other characters actually showed some fear and caution instead of just waltzing off to go have a leisurely shower.

So far the only character I remotely like is the larger, older (lesbian?) woman. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer but she's at least got something to her. The rest of the characters are just lame and are the aesthetic equivalent of watching a loaf of Wonder Bread go stale.

Agreed (bolded). She is the only one worth watching IMO. I would have liked the military dude Bellasario (sp?), but evidently he is involved in the shady part of this operation too. I just hate the whole "drama in a can" formula they are using here. Didnt they do this in The Abyss and SGU? The working with the ex was expanded to also working with a sibling who is infected? And what is with the zombie-esque behavior of this virus? I cannot imagine the reveal being anything more than either (a) an alien virus or (b) an engineered virus which was intended to be used in war. But I really dont care either way, and that is the sad part.

 

[Jim of WVa]

I kinda liked it. It is not as if there are any other science fiction television programs on.

 

[Backstep]

Agreed (bolded). She is the only one worth watching IMO. I would have liked the military dude Bellasario (sp?), but evidently he is involved in the shady part of this operation too. I just hate the whole "drama in a can" formula they are using here. Didnt they do this in The Abyss and SGU? The working with the ex was expanded to also working with a sibling who is infected? And what is with the zombie-esque behavior of this virus? I cannot imagine the reveal being anything more than either (a) an alien virus or (b) an engineered virus which was intended to be used in war. But I really dont care either way, and that is the sad part.

I haven't seen this yet, in the promos wasn't it said the virus was engineered by man?

 

[YJ02]

OMG...this show is horrible (based on its pilot). I watched the pilot, and I barely made it through awake, even though it is only 10am in the morning and I have extra strong coffee here to help. The show is TOO DARK, and everything is boring and bland looking. Throw in a bunch of truly labored interpersonal crap and a mysterious pathogen which can either liquify you are make you want to french kiss the nearest person to spit in some black goo down their throat, this show just misses on so many levels. The characters are all depressing and already there is too much attention being paid to relationships and who slept with whose brother and burning desires to shag bosses and such. This thing moves SLOW. Watching it was like trying to jog in quicksand. .

Syfy misses the mark once again, with yet another boring soap-fi monstrosity.



I just watched it. . Meh is an understatement. If this show is going to all take place on this boring desolate arctic base, then I already know that I wont be watching it. Could they have picked a more boring locale? The complex is not even high tech! There are no fancy computer systems or slick control rooms lined with monitors and consoles, no communication to the outside world, and dammit...hardly any light! They refer to this as a "high tech" lab? I have seen higher tech in fast food kitchens. There are too many clusters of minutes wasted showing us taping up gloves and shimmying through ducts, too many labored "gotcha" moments where people jump out of the shadows, too many "bump in the dark" scenes, this thing is a total mess.

View attachment 29257

Leni Parker (Earth Final Conflict's D'Ann) was in this, and all that I could keep thinking was "Wow, you have been reduced to this?". I cant see this going more than one season unless Moore got a deal with the contract. Otherwise, I think we will see this show start out bad and get worse, ratings-wise.

OK, but is it any better then SHARKNADO?

 

[Jim of WVa]

OK, but is it any better then SHARKNADO?

Yes.

 

[Overmind One]

I kinda liked it. It is not as if there are any other science fiction television programs on.

True, but it is not done very well IMO. You consider this show science fiction? I see this as a very edgy soap opera.

OK, but is it any better then SHARKNADO?

LOL, yes. This show is not stupid like that, but it misses because it is a drama disguised as science fiction. The main push of this show is drama and not much else.

Yes.

Yes, but not by much.

 

[YJ02]

Of course my sharknado question was entirely rhetorical-pure saturday night syfy crap

 

[shavedape]

True, but it is not done very well IMO. You consider this show science fiction? I see this as a very edgy soap opera.
LOL, yes. This show is not stupid like that, but it misses because it is a drama disguised as science fiction. The main push of this show is drama and not much else.

Do they increase the science aspects of it in future episodes, or is the focus still on interpersonal drama?

 

[Bluce Ree]

Can't burn up the data right now (lousy Verizon limits) to watch this thing so tell us, is it worth it?

Verizon limits? You mean wireless? T-Mobile gives me unlimited everything @ 4G for $70.

 

[shavedape]

Verizon limits? You mean wireless? T-Mobile gives me unlimited everything @ 4G for $70.

It's that Verizon MiFi I bitched about awhile back. Can't really stream video without it eating up the data. They tend to bitch when monthly limits are exceeded. (It's not mine so I can't really complain. But it does suck at times when I want to watch Youtube clips of shows we're talking about here. I can do it, but have to be selective.)

 

[Bluce Ree]

It's that Verizon MiFi I bitched about awhile back. Can't really stream video without it eating up the data. They tend to bitch when monthly limits are exceeded. (It's not mine so I can't really complain. But it does suck at times when I want to watch Youtube clips of shows we're talking about here. I can do it, but have to be selective.)

You mean the whole plan is not yours? That's fine, then. Can't complain about something you're getting free.

If you're paying, though, dump that service. There is better.