Killjoys - Cheap but enjoyable

[mzzz]

Saw it, was pretty meh. This is more of a clone of Firefly than Dark Matter in certain aspects. Mostly the bazaar settings, the hangouts, and Ashmore's characters clothing style and whatnot. But the other two characters seem straight out of a conveyer belt of mall clothing store models, so generic. Firefly's characters were so average looking which magnified their charm, well to me anyways. The characters don't have a fraction of the charm. Mousey girl's 'badass' scene was a fucking joke. I almost turned it off right there.

Maybe it'll go somewhere though, we'll see. Currently out of the two mediocrities, Dark Matter has a more interesting array of characters but Killjoys low amount might allow for more personalization later on. Story-wise, too human-ish. I was hoping for actual alien crap and sci-fi. I feel like we need a new word for space-based sci-fi that doesn't really have any sci-fi content or aliens or anything extraterrestrial. I guess we could just say the space-based setting is just sci-fi dressing. Of course, I could be wrong down the line, but I doubt it.

 

[Joelist]

It's not really a Firefly clone. It is exactly what I labeled it as in the OP - action in a sci-fi wrapper.

Episode two was on Friday but I only saw it tonight as I was out of town. It was okay. The fight choreography was improved by getting rid of the slo mo scenes and the pacing was nice and quick too. The plot was pretty standard action fare but entertaining enough. The main problem this time out was the rock music score - it doesn't really fit the show well.

It is still a good deal better than DARK Matter - the latest episode was shot in such low light that it was almost impossible to see what was happening. It is also better than Defiance just because they saw fit to give us backstory information so the character actions have some context. Assuming this gets sufficient ratings to be renewed it could develop into a nice little action-ey show.

 

[shavedape]

It's not really a Firefly clone. It is exactly what I labeled it as in the OP - action in a sci-fi wrapper.

Episode two was on Friday but I only saw it tonight as I was out of town. It was okay. The fight choreography was improved by getting rid of the slo mo scenes and the pacing was nice and quick too. The plot was pretty standard action fare but entertaining enough. The main problem this time out was the rock music score - it doesn't really fit the show well.

It is still a good deal better than DARK Matter - the latest episode was shot in such low light that it was almost impossible to see what was happening. It is also better than Defiance just because they saw fit to give us backstory information so the character actions have some context. Assuming this gets sufficient ratings to be renewed it could develop into a nice little action-ey show.

Yeah, I don't get a Firefly vibe from Killjoys at all myself. If anything DM has the Firefly vibe (derivatively of course).

 

[Joelist]

Last episode ticked up: 1.1 with a .3 demo.

 

[Jim of WVa]

Yeah, I don't get a Firefly vibe from Killjoys at all myself. If anything DM has the Firefly vibe (derivatively of course).

I get a Stargate Universe vibe from Dark Matter (minus the gratuitous basic cable sex scenes).

 

[Joelist]

Tonight episode was again better than the prior one.

First, no rock score! That helped a lot in the episode keeping the tone set correctly.

Second, good action story that both told us more about the characters and did it without any soapiness. We learned a bit more about the RAC too, and how they recruit agents.

Third, the fight choreography was hugely improved. Especially for Hannah John-Kamen. Just the simple change of radically speeding up her moves made a big difference.

I also saw some actresses I was sure we've seen in other shows like Sanctuary and Continuum and such (for example Lisa Ryder). In fact the whole show has that "Canadian Sci-Fi show" vibe to it. It's improved every episode - I am starting to think it might stick.

 

[Overmind One]

I get a Stargate Universe vibe from Dark Matter (minus the gratuitous basic cable sex scenes).

I get that too. I get SGU + Firefly. The way it is filmed and the look of the sets and scenes reminds me of SGU. But the acting and the way they have developed the characters reminds me of Firefly. Whatever the case, it is a case of "Strawberries are good. Asparagus is good. Strawberries + asparagus = OMG where is the bathroom?".

 

[Joelist]

I get that too. I get SGU + Firefly. The way it is filmed and the look of the sets and scenes reminds me of SGU. But the acting and the way they have developed the characters reminds me of Firefly. Whatever the case, it is a case of "Strawberries are good. Asparagus is good. Strawberries + asparagus = OMG where is the bathroom?".

I agree. Dark Matter just lacks the energy it needs. All the acting feels flat and the pacing is off.

 

[shavedape]

Tonight episode was again better than the prior one.

First, no rock score! That helped a lot in the episode keeping the tone set correctly.

Second, good action story that both told us more about the characters and did it without any soapiness. We learned a bit more about the RAC too, and how they recruit agents.

Third, the fight choreography was hugely improved. Especially for Hannah John-Kamen. Just the simple change of radically speeding up her moves made a big difference.

I also saw some actresses I was sure we've seen in other shows like Sanctuary and Continuum and such (for example Lisa Ryder). In fact the whole show has that "Canadian Sci-Fi show" vibe to it. It's improved every episode - I am starting to think it might stick.

I thought the episode was okay. There was a lot of talking in the show up until the end. It picked up at the end though so that's a plus.

I am getting tired of them reusing the same "sets" which is what they clearly did in last nights ep. It was the same location as the one in the premiere episode. Cheap and lame if you ask me. You are correct about the fight choreography and thank goodness for that.

But I did get to see Aaron Ashmore with his shirt off (finally) so they get points for that. I did remove a some points for him wearing that ridiculous head scarf in the last part of the episode though. (Goodness he looked stupid.) So basically we're back at square one with him.

 

[Joelist]

Remember he cut his ear off - hence the scarf.

As to the sets, they were in three locations per the story. The RAC baseship, the city they use as a home port and the agro planet. The agro planet was new. The ship and city will of course not be new as per the plot we've been there previously.

 

[shavedape]

Remember he cut his ear off - hence the scarf.

As to the sets, they were in three locations per the story. The RAC baseship, the city they use as a home port and the agro planet. The agro planet was new. The ship and city will of course not be new as per the plot we've been there previously.

Honestly I was "in and out" during the "meat" of the episode because there was just so much talking talking talking. The ship and the home port were fine but the agro planet was the same set that they used for the premiere episode. The buildings even looked exactly the same.

I know I'm nitpicking but just saying I didn't find it to be that great of an episode. Still, it was better than Dark Matter in that I at least hung around for the whole episode (even if I was distracted). The next episode looks like it might be a bit more interesting in terms of locales and action.

 

[Joelist]

Eh. I keep in mind that this thing is shot on a very low budget which inherently means sets will get reused a lot (not enough dough for on location shooting a lot).

The thing is, it isn't profound or thought provoking science fiction. It is exactly as advertised - a simple action show in a scifi wrapper. So far the writing has been okay - no logic holes you can drive a truck through. The acting has been pretty decent and they have succeeded in imparting a sense of "energy" to the show. And yes it is far superior to Dark Matter.

 

[Bluce Ree]

I checked out about 20 mins into the Dark Matter premier and a whole 15 mins into Killjoys. I wish they would at least put an effort into the damned writing. Ok, save money on special effects and sets and even actors. Why forfeit the writing, too?

 

[shavedape]

I checked out about 20 mins into the Dark Matter premier and a whole 15 mins into Killjoys. I wish they would at least put an effort into the damned writing. Ok, save money on special effects and sets and even actors. Why forfeit the writing, too?

I can't help but compare Canadian "scifi" shows of today to those of the 90's and early 2000's. Even though budgets were constrained back then they still wrote compelling stories. But that is lacking in today's shows to a large degree. Am I alone in thinking this way or do others feel this way also?

 

[Joelist]

There does seem to be a trend to make the stories extremely simple in these shows of late. Dark Matter is both oversimplified and illogical (and overly dark (both metaphorically and physically) and flat). Killjoys while at least not being illogical and having energy and not stupid dark is definitely on the simplified side. The thing is, I'm more okay with it in Killjoys because they have always been upfront about what the show is - a simple actioner in a scifi wrapper. Dark Matter portrayed itself as complex and deeper - which it is not.

 

[shavedape]

What, no JL Killjoys review today? I missed last nights ep so I have no idea what happened in the show.

 

[ecgordon]

You didn't miss much.

 

[Joelist]

Sorry I was partially offline yesterday.

Last night episode had its good and bad points.

Good points were they continued to give us more explanation of the world the characters operate in. We learned about "The Nine" who seem to hold a lot of the power in the quad. We also had the first warrant that all three went on together as certified agents. It involved a crèche of young women who serve as surrogates for women of The Nine to have children without carrying them themselves, and how this all played into the traditions of the quad. So good job on continuing to explain the story world - unlike Defiance which took over two seasons before actually laying background out. We also got hints as to Dutch's (the female Killjoy) background as she knows more about The Nine than she should.

Action was also still the improved type (no slow motion).

On the bad side, the godawful techno rock music was back...I wish I could say it is just Killjoys but other SyFy shows do the same stupid thing. Blaring techno rock takes me out of the scene and ruins what was otherwise a good job of setting tone. Notably it seems the SyFy shows they buy from Canadian networks are the offenders on this as the US shows (Z Nation) did not do this.

 

[Jim of WVa]

Killjoys is like Dark Matter in that very large corporations or feudal families control the economics of the universe. This is an idea that was copied from Frank Herbert's Dune and a thousand science fiction stories from the 1960s and 1970s.

In one of the first season episodes of Enterprise, T'Pol suggested that the ship's crew needed an orgy to improve morale. The cast of Killjoys would be an interesting MFM orgy. Dark Matter's cast would be even more interesting.

 

[shavedape]

Killjoys is like Dark Matter in that very large corporations or feudal families control the economics of the universe. This is an idea that was copied from Frank Herbert's Dune and a thousand science fiction stories from the 1960s and 1970s.

In one of the first season episodes of Enterprise, T'Pol suggested that the ship's crew needed an orgy to improve morale. The cast of Killjoys would be an interesting MFM orgy. Dark Matter's cast would be even more interesting.