If you like “The Walking Dead” but
want more sci-fi and less horror, “Falling Skies” may be the show for you. If
you repeatedly watch “Battlestar Galactica” but don’t find the melodrama
cheesy, “Falling Skies” may be a perfect fit. For all of the rest, this show
may have too much melodrama and sci-fi geekiness to overcome. It may sound as
though I’m being harsh on the show, but it is on-par with TNT programming, and
it is better than some of the other alien projects Steven Spielberg has
attached himself to in the past decade.
The storyline itself has some
similarities to “The Walking Dead,” though this show is heavy on sci-fi and
gets even more entangled in other-worldly characters by the close of the second
season. Season three not only has an additional race of aliens, these are
capable of communicating in English. In this aspect, the series drifts even
deeper into sci-fi territory as the narrative develops. Noah Wyle heads up the
cast as a former history teacher who has learned to become a leader with the
alien invasion. He and his sons fight the aliens with their group, but the
alien’s ability to take over human bodies complicates this fight along with the
introduction of ally alien forces.
There are several types of aliens,
including the typical tall and lanky ones who are the main invaders. They first
attacked and stole many of the human children, so that they could be harnessed
and made to integrate into the invader’s army. The second season makes it clear
that the other type of alien doing destruction on earth are actually harnessed
from another planet. The close of season two brings the arrival of yet another
species or race of aliens to earth, battling to save all planets across all
universes from the tyranny of the original aliens. If this sounds complicated,
just watch the series for the alien effects and occasional battles.
Despite advancing the story seven
months from the close of the second season, little seems to have changed for
the human resistance fighters. Human advisors and leaders refuse to believe
that any of the aliens can be there to help, postponing an inevitable alliance
against the invaders. There are many frustrating aspects to the narrative,
including some annoying melodrama, but the good mostly outweighs the bad. The
introduction of new weapons is not nearly as predominant as you might imagine,
especially when we are given sight of what they are capable of in the opening
episode. It is as if the series creators realize that the only way to continue
the storyline is by having the humans remain the underdogs.
There are ten new episodes in season
three, all of which are included in this two-disc Blu-ray set. There are also a
handful of special features, including Digital HD copies of all episodes. There
are also several featurettes, with special focus given to the new alien race
introduced to the series this season. Also included is “2nd Watch,”
which examines the series with host and sci-fi actor Wil Wheaton. There are
several additional featurettes and behind-the-scenes footage for the more
dedicated fans of the series.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 5.5/10
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