So, I just watched Syfy's "Alphas" ...
Jul. 12th, 2011 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fembuck...and it was surprisingly enjoyable! I'm definitely in and excite for the next episode!
(click pic to download pilot episode)
I already love Nina (above: bottom middle). Laura Minnell has been on my radar since an episode of the 4400 she did where she was absolutely mesmerizing, so I'm thrilled to get to watch her being glam and sexy with an undercurrent of vulnerability on a weekly basis. Nina's ability no doubt means that she's done some shady, shady shit in her past so Minnell should get some nice dramatic moments.
I also really like the Rachel (above: top right) character. I feel she's the most accessible, the most normal of the group so far and already relate to her.
Based on nothing but prettiness and the fact that I like both of the characters, I'm also already shipping Nina/Rachel.
I've never really liked Strathairin, but I thought that he was pretty tolerable here so that's nice. I was expecting to constantly be annoyed by him, but while the Dr. Rosen (above: top middle) character is a bit overly quirky, I didn't have a problem with the actor or the character.
Bill (above: bottom right) is a bit abrasive as a character, but I like that the show acknowledged it and that it's a point clearly set up for character development rather than bad writing making a character intolerable. I would have reacted the same way as Rachel to him eating part of my muffin! Somewhat OT, but not too much: Does anyone know if Bill's wife was played by Rachael Crawford (a.k.a. Petra from When Night is Falling)? It looked like her, but I'm not sure.
Gary (above: bottom left) was interesting and pretty funny at times, but I see the potential for this character to get old really fast if the writers aren't careful. I liked him though, and I enjoyed the characters interactions with pretty much every member of the principle cast (especially Bill and Nina) so that's good. His power is the most WTF out of all of them though.
And finally Hicks (above: top left). I feel like this is the character I'm going to be the most 'whatev's' about. The actor has a nice, quite strength kind of quality thing going on, but I see the potential for this character to be hogging up a lot of screen time while pretty much every other member of the team seems more interesting than him. I don't want this show to be all about Cameron Hicks man!pain. I'm reserving judgement, but I can feel the side-eye gearing up.
Overall, I think what I liked most was how real things felt (which is saying something on a show about superpowers). I liked that all of the powers had side-effects/limits/drawbacks (i.e. Rachel's other senses becoming basically useless when she super-heightens a particular one, and Bill suffering major fatigue if he uses his strength for too long, etc.) I also really enjoyed the team dynamic and the different and interesting ways the characters interacted which other.
I'm officially looking forward to episode 2.
(click pic to download pilot episode)
I already love Nina (above: bottom middle). Laura Minnell has been on my radar since an episode of the 4400 she did where she was absolutely mesmerizing, so I'm thrilled to get to watch her being glam and sexy with an undercurrent of vulnerability on a weekly basis. Nina's ability no doubt means that she's done some shady, shady shit in her past so Minnell should get some nice dramatic moments.
I also really like the Rachel (above: top right) character. I feel she's the most accessible, the most normal of the group so far and already relate to her.
Based on nothing but prettiness and the fact that I like both of the characters, I'm also already shipping Nina/Rachel.
I've never really liked Strathairin, but I thought that he was pretty tolerable here so that's nice. I was expecting to constantly be annoyed by him, but while the Dr. Rosen (above: top middle) character is a bit overly quirky, I didn't have a problem with the actor or the character.
Bill (above: bottom right) is a bit abrasive as a character, but I like that the show acknowledged it and that it's a point clearly set up for character development rather than bad writing making a character intolerable. I would have reacted the same way as Rachel to him eating part of my muffin! Somewhat OT, but not too much: Does anyone know if Bill's wife was played by Rachael Crawford (a.k.a. Petra from When Night is Falling)? It looked like her, but I'm not sure.
Gary (above: bottom left) was interesting and pretty funny at times, but I see the potential for this character to get old really fast if the writers aren't careful. I liked him though, and I enjoyed the characters interactions with pretty much every member of the principle cast (especially Bill and Nina) so that's good. His power is the most WTF out of all of them though.
And finally Hicks (above: top left). I feel like this is the character I'm going to be the most 'whatev's' about. The actor has a nice, quite strength kind of quality thing going on, but I see the potential for this character to be hogging up a lot of screen time while pretty much every other member of the team seems more interesting than him. I don't want this show to be all about Cameron Hicks man!pain. I'm reserving judgement, but I can feel the side-eye gearing up.
Overall, I think what I liked most was how real things felt (which is saying something on a show about superpowers). I liked that all of the powers had side-effects/limits/drawbacks (i.e. Rachel's other senses becoming basically useless when she super-heightens a particular one, and Bill suffering major fatigue if he uses his strength for too long, etc.) I also really enjoyed the team dynamic and the different and interesting ways the characters interacted which other.
I'm officially looking forward to episode 2.
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-13 06:28 am (UTC)Sidenote: While I recognize it's a very effective way for a pilot to go about explaining the premise, I AM SO TIRED OF THE "THRU THE EYES OF THE NEWBIE" clichè. It's such a sloppy, boring way to excuse the stops and starts that go with explaining your plot and characters while highlighting that your aforementioned newbie is almost always the main character, aka the character the camera follows the most. Lame. I don't mind him all that much but I just don't find the actor who plays Hicks all that charismatic, or leading man-worthy, and setting him up the way the pilot did just telegraphed how much this should just be an ensemble show, not Cameron's Adventures in Alphaland. Also, I don't know if they purposely set Strathairin up as the straight man/human against all the Alphas to avoid X-Men comparisons, but I really wish they woulda made him special in some way, besides just randomly eccentric. I really enjoy the actor, but he just came off as the zookeeper/shrink/warden to the Alphas animals/nutjobs/convicts.
Maybe that was just me, and maybe the second episode will calm all these down with its non-pilotness, and I can only hope. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-13 07:24 pm (UTC)*applauds* Me too! Audiences really aren't so dumb that you can't just start off with an established team and let us get to know them as the episodes go on.
I don't mind him all that much but I just don't find the actor who plays Hicks all that charismatic, or leading man-worthy
This! I found him to be the most boring of the main cast. It's so very beige. I cared about all of the main characters and wanted to know more about them all EXCEPT for Hicks.
but I really wish they woulda made him special in some way
Are we sure he's not special in some way? I know nothing was specified in the pilot, but I got the impression that he might be like an empath or something. Could be just wishful thinking though.