By Max Bosshart
A show can often leave a person wanting more. This wanting can go one of two ways; the first being that of wanting more out of pure enjoyment and the anticipation for new episodes to appear. But the second form being left wanting is that in which The Tomorrow People left the audience wanting. The first episode left much to be desired, with the plot and the characters. It tried so hard.
The first episode wasn't a complete disaster, no it was a fair attempt at creating a new science fiction program. Sci-Fi TV is a difficult thing to do, many have tried and failed, and unfortunately some came across better than The Tomorrow People.
A show can often leave a person wanting more. This wanting can go one of two ways; the first being that of wanting more out of pure enjoyment and the anticipation for new episodes to appear. But the second form being left wanting is that in which The Tomorrow People left the audience wanting. The first episode left much to be desired, with the plot and the characters. It tried so hard.
The first episode wasn't a complete disaster, no it was a fair attempt at creating a new science fiction program. Sci-Fi TV is a difficult thing to do, many have tried and failed, and unfortunately some came across better than The Tomorrow People.
The problem was that the show has started out wholly unoriginal. Granted its hard to be completely original when its a remake. Beyond that it was a cookie cutter show, filling all the boxes of a CW show. It tried to hard to pull in references for the Sci-Fi crowd, like their shout out to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Their heart was in the right place, I suppose.
It was more than that, though. The main character Stephen Jameson (Robbie Amell) is the typical angst ridden high school student that one sees so often in television these days. He even has daddy issues. He's cast as the outsider with almost no friends who gets thrown in the middle of a war between more misanthropic teenagers versus the establishment. He's given a choice to be cool or to work for the man.
One of the biggest complaints is in how the episode ended. If the last five to seven minutes of the episode were cut and added to the second and the time added to pieces in the middle that felt too short, the episode would've ended on a cliffhanger that would have emphasized the moment before the last five or so minutes. This way of ending would have given the episode a bit more depth by adding time needed to events occurring earlier in the story. Not only that but the ending would have been a very satisfying cliffhanger that would have the audience clamoring for episode two.
It was more than that, though. The main character Stephen Jameson (Robbie Amell) is the typical angst ridden high school student that one sees so often in television these days. He even has daddy issues. He's cast as the outsider with almost no friends who gets thrown in the middle of a war between more misanthropic teenagers versus the establishment. He's given a choice to be cool or to work for the man.
One of the biggest complaints is in how the episode ended. If the last five to seven minutes of the episode were cut and added to the second and the time added to pieces in the middle that felt too short, the episode would've ended on a cliffhanger that would have emphasized the moment before the last five or so minutes. This way of ending would have given the episode a bit more depth by adding time needed to events occurring earlier in the story. Not only that but the ending would have been a very satisfying cliffhanger that would have the audience clamoring for episode two.
It isn't all bad, though. The special effects are top notch and there is plenty of action. Unfortunately the pacing of the fights and the choreography were a bit stale. The fights were too quick to let the extravagant style that was being used to really be showcased. The nice thing is seeing the powers of the Tomorrow People utilized in some of the fight sequences.
This is really a testament to the direction of the episode. Robert Bailey and Danny Cannon credited as directors. The duo took an otherwise bland script and story created a very beautifully looking episode. Granted the directors alone are not the only people who deserve the credit for the finished product. The entire crew did a wonderful job.
This is really a testament to the direction of the episode. Robert Bailey and Danny Cannon credited as directors. The duo took an otherwise bland script and story created a very beautifully looking episode. Granted the directors alone are not the only people who deserve the credit for the finished product. The entire crew did a wonderful job.
Also the acting which, for the most part, was superb. With Mark Pellegrino stealing the scenes he was in as the main villain, head of Ultra, Jedikiah Price. It hard to take a story and script that is so stereotypical that it leaves a bland taste and create characters that the audience empathizes with. The three Tomorrow People, John (Luke Mitchell). Cara (Peyton List), and Russell (Aaron Yoo) show us a dissident group of teenagers that are believable. As well as Astrid (Madeleine Mantock), Stephen's only friend in high school creates a character the audience can truly support and empathize with.
The Tomorrow People debuted with lackluster results. Through its many flaws, though, we received a show with some potential, a cast of good actors, and a story that if worked properly can go in a great direction. In the end though, there was much lacking. We didn't receive enough of some things, while in certain instances we got too many secrets too soon. Its a worthy attempt with room to grow and a need for improvement.
The Tomorrow People debuted with lackluster results. Through its many flaws, though, we received a show with some potential, a cast of good actors, and a story that if worked properly can go in a great direction. In the end though, there was much lacking. We didn't receive enough of some things, while in certain instances we got too many secrets too soon. Its a worthy attempt with room to grow and a need for improvement.
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