[Warning: This review may contain some minor spoilers.]
TNT Network makes its first foray into original sci-fi TV programming with Falling Skies the post-apocalyptic/alien invasion story produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood.
Premiering on June 19 at 9 PM, Falling Skies’ narrative begins six months after aliens (known colloquially as “skitters”) have invaded Earth. In the United States, in Boston, a ragtag army of Massachusetts militia (the first of many allusions to the American Revolution) includes Tom Mason (Noah Wyle, ER), a military history professor and father of three who lost his middle son to the skitters unexplained desire for teenage humans. His elder son, Hal, serves as part of Tom’s combat group, as do a racially, economically, and age (the youngest soldier is thirteen) diverse set of resistance fighters. Tom’s youngest son Matt is just turning eight as the series premiers, and represents the youth who just wishes things could go back they way they were.
Tom, as second-in command of the 2nd Massachusetts under Commander Weaver (Will Patton, Armageddon, TNT’s Into the West), must do his best to defend, feed, and house 200 civilians nominally led by pediatrician Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood, Terminator Salvation) while continuing the search for his son Ben, held under the control of the skitters by the “harness” – an insidious mind-control (and probably more) device that kills the wearer if anyone tries to remove it.
Falling Skies begins enigmatically. Viewers are not given the source, reason, or even history of the invasion by the six-legged, reptilian skitters and their attendant bipedal mechs. The militia itself doesn’t know, and while a few army vets and weekend warriors still remain, most of humanity is gone, and their armies with them. Scientists are few, and it is a motley crew that wishes to resist but can’t due to the geas of civilian population protection. It is this enigma that intrigues the viewer about Falling Skies, and what will keep this viewer watching over the course of its eight episode summer season.
In the series premiere, two key events occur. Firstly, the 2nd Massachusetts (indeed all of the Massachusetts militia) must abandon Boston and find a place to hide. Resistance is not yet possible when the civilian population is vulnerable, which creates considerable tension among the military command. Too, there is also the tension between the military objectives and civilian need. Tom and his company of six have more than there fair share of encounters, firstly with a skitter (which gives the viewer our first close-up of the ugly conquerors) while searching for food and secondly with human bandits led by the intelligent but lawless John Pope (Colin Cunningham) who is likely to become a foil to Tom’s family-centric, honorable, and duty-bound bearing.
There is certainly enough action in the story. Tom and his command get into several scrapes where bullets fly and the writers and directors place them well within the narrative structure to ensure that the character-building moments are heightened by the action’s punctuation. In a twist on similar stories, the history professor’s on-the-fly command is not always successful and he is as flawed as he is heroic. As the premier opens Tom nearly gets his entire squad killed to save one lousy can of tuna [view it here]. Not their intent, of course, but it delineates just how technologically inferior humans are to the skitters, their mechs and combat spaceships, and their lack of fear to use nukes to wipe out the human population when and where they find them as well as highlighting that humanity’s fight is a rearguard action at best. This action is fairly bloodless, though violent, and the scary nature of the skitter race will make Falling Skies unsuitable for younger audiences, but mature viewers will enjoy the post-apocalyptic scenario.
The story does fall a little flat when it tries to introduce religion. The scene in which one minor character (and potential love interest for Hal) comes out as Christian is awkward for the story, though she does deliver a good line when challenged by an angry individual to ask God to send a B-2 bomber. “I don’t think it works that way, I don’t ask God what he can do for me, but what I can do for Him.” While this line is spot-on in its understanding of Christianity, the scene in which it appears is odd. The writers seem to be saying, “Look! We are going to include religion in our science fiction!” While this is a good goal, as faith is a part of the human condition for many, its going to need some smoothing before its fits into the fabric of the Falling Skies story.
Noah Wyle brings a sort of calm self-assurance to the role of Tom Mason, yet you can see the seething doubts in the tightening of his face when given a foolish command, or the fear in his voice when Hal wants to harry off to find his brother Ben. It’s an understated presentation at odds with the usual brusque and brash commander that usually provides the main protagonist for apocalyptic stories. (The story does have that in Will Patton’s portrayal of Commander Weaver, but Weaver is not our hero.) Perhaps Mason is a reflection of the great American General George Washington, who also led his citizen-soldiers with quiet dignity and humble manner?
Moon Bloodgood plays Anne Glass as professionally competent, caring, decent doctor who sees Tom as a leader. There is a potential romantic interest there, but too little is known of character backstories and the events leading up to the moment at which the viewer is thrust into the story to be sure yet. Hence, we have romantic tension that will provide a reasonable subplot to the greater story.
The other supporting cast members are mostly unknowns, or who have only limited resumes, but all the actors do a good job supporting the main story, which are Tom’s and secondarily Hal’s. Though the larger milieu is an alien invasion, the writers and directors have been careful to include the human element, such as Matt’s desire for a birthday party while on the march, and the moment of peace and tranquility – of normalcy – provided by the simple tradition of blowing out a candle.
Falling Skies is one of the better sci-fi tales to hit the small screen in a while. I would rate it better than Flash Forward or V. While of a different setting than Battlestar Galactica, has its success potential if done well. I enjoyed it and want to watch more to discover just what these harnesses are and the inscrutable goals of the skitters. There are just so many promises of lots more interesting things to come to stop watching now. Highly Recommended.
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I can’t wait for this series – Hopefully it will be worth the wait!!
Don’t get TNT. I guess I’ll have to wait for DVDs next year or something. There’s something about the show that appeals to me. I suppose it’s the grittiness that was missing from V. Thanks for the review.
[...] for the Wind had some mixed feelings about the premiere with strong acting and plot being sometimes dragged down by the introduction of [...]
It’s awful, absolutely terrible. Apart from the production errors, such as the main character, a professor of military history, standing in front of a war memorial that’s obviously in Canada due to the dates on the inscription, Falling Skies is failing in all the ways that other series like ‘The Event’ ‘Flash Forward’ and ‘V’ have, by trying to incorporate a soap opera element into the storyline so that it can broaden its appeal.
Some people like science fiction, and a different group of people likes soap opera…very few people like both and will therefore watch a series which is a combination of the two.
I watched the first episode online; and that was enough for me.