Is it just me, or does Ascension sound like another bout of Soap-Fi?

[Overmind One]

Just trying to be funny . Guess it didn't work ...

Actually, I had a similar response, accompanied by a muttered "Dayyyyyyaaammmm". Then, I realized why and how and it became me facepalming myself. Feel better?

 

[shavedape]

Just trying to be funny . Guess it didn't work ...

Sometimes the only reason to watch a show is for the eye candy. I'm more than guilty of this myself.

 

[Overmind One]

Sometimes the only reason to watch a show is for the eye candy. I'm more than guilty of this myself.

Yep. But I have already seen Number 6. They are trying to...um...milk her. (that just doesn't sound right, given how she looks ). This time, they have added several more flavors and put them all in the same dress...expanding the line. Have you tried to watch the first episodes? It's friggin awful. I mean really awful.

 

[Joelist]

That 's okay. The ratings weren't all that.

Night one was a whopping 1.8 and overall it averaged a 1.5. Which coincidentally was what Z Nation averaged in its first season (this season). And Ascension likely cost as much or more than the whole season of Z Nation.

 

[Overmind One]

That 's okay. The ratings weren't all that.

Night one was a whopping 1.8 and overall it averaged a 1.5. Which coincidentally was what Z Nation averaged in its first season (this season). And Ascension likely cost as much or more than the whole season of Z Nation.

The very best thing about this thing is that it *allegedly* ENDS. But I am hearing whisperings in the walls that hint at a possible beginning of a longer series? That is a scary thought. I cant even watch the six episodes.

 

[Jim of WVa]

Actually they did not judge the original astronauts on intelligence. They judged them on physical stamina, and the pool of candidates was restricted to government personnel (not even remotely the most intelligent), male and white. Intelligence was not a factor. None of the astronauts were particularly intelligent...just resilient.

I did not catch the part of the miniseries where they talked about the selection of the crew. I just guess that they would be intelligent based upon their supposed inventions (Norplant, sophisticated electronics, etc.,) they said were invented on the fictional ship.

On the other hand, astronauts in the real world were selected from test pilots, which in the early 1960s were all male and white. Black and female test pilots and astronauts came in the 1970s.

 

[shavedape]

Yep. But I have already seen Number 6. They are trying to...um...milk her. (that just doesn't sound right, given how she looks ). This time, they have added several more flavors and put them all in the same dress...expanding the line. Have you tried to watch the first episodes? It's friggin awful. I mean really awful.

I haven't had time to watch this show yet. And like I said it sounds so bad that I really don't even want to waste the time. The whole premise sounds so flawed that I know I could never enjoy it, even if it was just to get a laugh.

 

[Bluce Ree]

Sometimes the only reason to watch a show is for the eye candy. I'm more than guilty of this myself.

This show has NO EYE CANDY!

 

[Bluce Ree]

The very best thing about this thing is that it *allegedly* ENDS. But I am hearing whisperings in the walls that hint at a possible beginning of a longer series? That is a scary thought. I cant even watch the six episodes.

It ended on a cliffhanger. It was basically a big, 6-hour pilot, although I have no idea how you can stretch out such a story into a multi-season episodic series.

 

[Tripler]

 

[shavedape]

This show has NO EYE CANDY!

Oh really? Then why are all you straight boys drooling about Tricia "I need a sandwich" Helfer?

 

[Overmind One]

Oh really? Then why are all you straight boys drooling about Tricia "I need a sandwich" Helfer?

Cmon...Tricia deserves it doesnt she? My issue is not with her being a hottie so much, it is how and why she is in THIS show. We know why she was in NuBSG, and everybody can see both reasons why. But then they tried to use her as a trope in this thing plus added more hotties. We know why they chose Tricia because many of the press comments on this keep trying to make us see "Mad Men meets NuBSG" in it. Syfy is convinced that NuBSG sets the bar for all science fiction television for some strange unfathomable reason. So, everything they come out with is going to be taking that into account.

 

[Jim of WVa]

I did not catch the part of the miniseries where they talked about the selection of the crew. I just guess that they would be intelligent based upon their supposed inventions (Norplant, sophisticated electronics, etc.,) they said were invented on the fictional ship.

On the other hand, astronauts in the real world were selected from test pilots, which in the early 1960s were all male and white. Black and female test pilots and astronauts came in the 1970s.

More on the real world astronauts:

If one can pass a military medical test, then one can go to space with no medical issues.

Spaceflight

Garn asked to fly on the Space Shuttle because he was head of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that dealt with NASA, and had extensive aviation experience. He had previously flown a B-2 Spirit prototype and driven a new Army tank.[5][6] STS-51-D was launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Its primary objective was to deploy two communications satellites, and to perform electrophoresis and echocardiograph operations in space in addition to a number of other experiments. As a payload specialist, Garn's role on the mission was as a congressional observer[7] and as a subject for medical experiments on space motion sickness.[8] At the conclusion of the mission, Garn had traveled over 2.5 million miles in 108 Earth orbits, logging over 167 hours in space.

The space sickness he experienced during the journey was so severe that a scale for space sickness was jokingly based on him, where "one Garn" is the highest possible level of sickness.[9] Some NASA astronauts who opposed the payload specialist program, such as Mike Mullane, believed that Garn's space sickness was evidence of the inappropriateness of flying people with little training.[6] Astronaut Charles F. Bolden, however, described Garn as "the ideal candidate to do it, because he was a veteran Navy combat pilot who had more flight hours than anyone in the Astronaut Office".[10] Fellow 51-D payload specialist Charles D. Walker—who also suffered from space sickness on the flight despite having flown before—stated that

he worked out extraordinarily well, and quite frankly, I think the U.S. space program, NASA, has benefited a lot from both his experience and his firsthand relation of NASA and the program back on Capitol Hill. As a firsthand participant in the program, he brought tremendous credibility back to Capitol Hill, and that’s helped a lot. He’s always been a friend of the agency and its programs.[5]

The Jake Garn Mission Simulator and Training Facility, NASA's prime training facility for astronauts in the Shuttle and Space Station programs,[11] is named for him.

Upon his return, he co-authored a novel entitled Night Launch. The book centers around terrorists taking control of the Space Shuttle Discovery during the first NASA–USSR space shuttle flight. It was published in 1989.

 

[Bluce Ree]

Oh really? Then why are all you straight boys drooling about Tricia "I need a sandwich" Helfer?

Not me. I'm not into tall bleached blonde sticks with fake tits.

 

[Jim of WVa]

Not me. I'm not into tall bleached blonde sticks with fake tits.

I am not certain that Tricia Helfer's breasts are bionic. Are you? I suppose the show could say that the research needed to improve implants since 1964 was performed on Ascension.

 

[shavedape]

Cmon...Tricia deserves it doesnt she? My issue is not with her being a hottie so much, it is how and why she is in THIS show. We know why she was in NuBSG, and everybody can see both reasons why. But then they tried to use her as a trope in this thing plus added more hotties. We know why they chose Tricia because many of the press comments on this keep trying to make us see "Mad Men meets NuBSG" in it. Syfy is convinced that NuBSG sets the bar for all science fiction television for some strange unfathomable reason. So, everything they come out with is going to be taking that into account.

This is a good explanation of what's going on with SyFy. You nailed it. :encouragement:

 

[Gatefan1976]

Jesus Christ guys, you DO know you can watch a show for some T&A, or A&A's, right??

Not everything needs to be a sociological study into the inner workings of the human experience.
Have some fun for christssakes.

 

[Overmind One]

Jesus Christ guys, you DO know you can watch a show for some T&A, or A&A's, right??

Not everything needs to be a sociological study into the inner workings of the human experience.
Have some fun for christssakes.

I agree...but what I am seeing is the lack of the ability to write good science fiction or air it over at Syfy. ALL the so-called Syfy shows are about T&A, drama and tropes. If they had some balance like before, they could have Star trek and Stargate and throw in some Farscape for shits and giggles. Go ahead and give us some real science fiction then create the dumbed down stuff for the masses. Everything does not have to be interpersonal drama and borrow themes and tropes from NuBSG. Currently, it is. BTW, before you say it, I liked Farscape. But it was decidedly less science fiction than Star Trek or Stargate...at one time all three were airing on Syfy at the same time.

 

[Overmind One]

I am not certain that Tricia Helfer's breasts are bionic. Are you? I suppose the show could say that the research needed to improve implants since 1964 was performed on Ascension.

Did some research...hers are real. No bionic breasts on her (good for you Tricia!). In fact, she is one of the few working blondes in Hollywood who does NOT have implants. Seems that studios are now actively rejecting actresses who have huge implants now, or are too skinny.

 

[YJ02]

So i finished watching this "waste of space on my dvr" show

What a friggen tedious task!!!!

As soon as the little girl said something about "its like everything is just stretched over something else--like a skull" (about 30 minutes in) I guessed they were not really in space. Didn't quite get the part of the "today" part of the plot (those in todays world) until a bit latter

What a stupid show! what reason is there to pay attn to anything inside of the ship when it is all pointless?

once they are told they are being lied to-none of it matters; the SES structure, the ranks or systems of living--all pointless

And the ideas--
I see pieces of others movies all through--
I see THE VILLAGE in the notion of leaving chaos (leaving earth) to live isolated and 'protected' instead.

I see every space based show in the rank structure and power struggles

I see procedural crime dramas disguised in sci fi

I see other shows in the "flower power" myth child --even without her hair blowing for no reason (SG1, falling skies)

I see LOGANS RUN in the fact that I DIDN'T SEE any old people on board--will we be shown in the future that those of a certain age walk themselves into a "recycler"?
etc,etc

So if it gets to be a series, let me guess----

the women who killed agent Amazonia is some kind of cultist who has whacky beliefs in "xyz"

the runaway guy will become some type of twisted and flawed "hero" who quest to save the rest of the crew

eventually, a rumor will spread on the ship of the truth and we will see factions develop--the CPT and his wife-to secure their power, will align with the guy in charge outside, to ensure that the experiment continues-so long as they get to remain in power

oh, and the shipping will continue at full throttle

the end with Gault being teleported to some other planet tells me that perhaps we will see an alien species introduced OR that somehow the geeks have found a way to turn the experiment into some type of wormhole device....

oh, and the shipping will continue at full throttle