SciFI Rewind: Primeval Ends, Seeker Begins
Last week was light on the usual scifi suspects but a new player joined the line-up, let’s have a look.
Both Sarah Connor and Fringe were reruns last week. You’ll get a new Sarah Connor tonight but Fringe won’t air due to the elections. After that we should be back on track with big November sweeps episodes.
Stargate Atlantis and Sanctuary were also missing from the schedule due to Ghost Hunters Live for Halloween. They’ll both be back with new episodes this week.
What was new was the CW Thursday line-up. I’m really loving this new, darker Smallville. Production junkie that I am, I’m enjoying the rich textures of Metropolis and seeing Tom in something other than red and blue. I’m fascinated by how we’re starting to see the whole Superman mythos unfold before our very eyes. I’m worried about Chloe, though. I’m afraid she may go darkside along with Sam Winchester if she keeps using her powers. Want more Smallville? Read Brian’s and Grace’s take on last week’s episode.
Supernatural turned in their first Halloween episode to date and I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, I liked the nod to Halloween roots but I don’t think they took it far enough. Once again, they got bogged down in the mythology, introducing yet another angel (Uriel) and delving into the idea of Dean being groomed to lead God’s army of angels. I don’t object to the storyline as a whole but I still miss the brothers saving people, hunting things, the family business.
Enjoyable moments — Dean’s don’t give up hope speech to Sam (bet that was hard for him to say), Sam using his powers to the point of pain and Dean’s reaction (I wanted a collapse at the end, but I can live with it) and Dean versus the astronaut. Points to director Charles Beeson for cool camera angles.
On the downside — too much angels and not enough Winchesters, the opening was too gross (a trend that’s also beginning to bother me) and the smearing their faces with blood. Though I imagine Jared had a great time smearing Jensen’s face with that goo, the whole thing was just too contrived. Next week is ANOTHER humorous episode. Seems like we’ve had more than the usual share of those so far this season. (Photo: Sergei Bachlakov/The CW©2008 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
Saturday brought the season finale of Primeval and I’m going to spoil you, so don’t keep reading if you don’t want to know.
The majority of the episode is spent with the gang trying to figure out how to escape their captors without becoming primeval lunchmeat. In the center of it all is Helen, crossing, doublecrossing, playing both sides against the middle. Frankly, I’m tired of her and I don’t like the fact that they put her on which ever side needs help at the moment. She’s like a human Deus ex machina waiting to save the day. Ah, but who does save the day? Stephen! I 
adored his scene on the beach with the big bug — all the times you think he’s going to eat it and then wham — he’s got it under control. I knew from the start he was doomed and I’m glad to see he gave his all to save his friends. But this is Primeval after all, where the dead aren’t necessarily dead, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’ll see him again. As for clone boys at the very end, you got me.
Also on Saturday was the premiere of the new syndicated series Legend of the Seeker. As I’m not really a fan of fantasy, I’m not familiar with the books, but SFUniverse reader Ben is and he left this comment about the series. (Photo courtesy of ABC Studios)
This series is actually proving to be very interesting. There are some major points ‘not’ made correctly in line with the books, however, I believe this series shows real promise. Kahlan is represented VERY well by the young actress, but Richard Cypher (or those of us who read the whole series know him by his other ‘name’) needs to step it up and not look like he is trying so hard at acting. The Zedd in this series represents Zedd VERY well by his constant hunger for food (literally), but needs to use more ‘truth’ in his speech. He was not called the Seeker solely until about midway through the seeker which it was short for the “Seeker of Truth.” He is the truth seeker which is why Richard needs to ask a lot more logical and reasoned out questions. Zedd’s implication towards Richard as the Seeker of Truth is only as forward as Richard’s questions about everything in the series. The biggest key part they missed in this series however is the simple fact of Richard ‘Memorizing’ the Book of Counted Shadows. That simple ‘truth’ branches into the latter books MAKING the plot of the whole series.
Coming into it with no prior knowledge, I did enjoy what I saw. The production values are amazing, gorgeous sweeping landscapes, fabulous costuming, detailed fantasy artifacts, all very enticing. The acting and the dialogue is over dramatic in spots but it works for this kind of show. It’s wizards and magic so I expect everything to be grandiose.
The show is syndicated which in my case means it’s showing at six on Saturdays on my local CW station. You can find out where it’s airing in your town by visiting their website at www.legendoftheseeker.com.
So that’s it for this past week. Happy to hear your thoughts on these or any scifi series, just leave us a comment below.
Graphic: GreekGod/Stock.xchng
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POSTED IN: Legend of the Seeker, Rewind, Smallville, Supernatural
5 opinions for SciFI Rewind: Primeval Ends, Seeker Begins
shelby02
Nov 3, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Thanks for posting your review of Supernatural’s Halloween episode. I agree with everything you had to say, good and bad, but especially in wanting more of the brothers together, saving people, and hunting things.
I too was hoping for a “collapse” at the end of the exorcism scene, and was really disappointed that they immediately split the boys up for their talk to the angels instead of talking to each other. I know, I know, it seems to be the theme of the season but I don’t have to like it.
Considering that the strength of the series is the chemistry between the boys, it doesn’t seem like it would make sense to carry this division on too long.
Most of all, I miss the brothers showing that they care about one another.
Katie
Nov 3, 2008 at 11:35 pm
After being a die-hard Supernatural fan I can honestly say I think the angels bring something great and refreshing to the show. Saving people, hunting things only works for so long, and considering this show is ending after the next season, I am happy to see them progress the story.
And IMO the standalone episodes this season haven’t been as captivating as the Mytharc episodes.
Missy
Nov 3, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I have to agree with Katie, I was extremely worried when I heard there would be angels on the show, but I find myself enjoying it very much.
But I do miss the brothers bonding, I don’t think there was too much angels in this episode at all.
And I also agree that the mytharc episodes have been much more exciting then the standalones, which is funny because I hate quite a few mytharc episodes from the past three seasons.
KayDee
Nov 4, 2008 at 1:57 am
I’m with Katie, in that I like the addition of the angels and their insertion into the Supernatural world. And while I miss the closeness of Dean and Sam this year, Kripke already told us he brothers weren’t going to be close this year, that what they’d gone through when they were apart was going to put a wedge into their relationship. So I was expecting it. We’ve seen Sam and Dean grow really close from S1 through S3. Now its time to pull them apart a little, and watch them knit their bond back together. I’m totally on board with the direction the writers are taking, and am enjoying the angel scenes - they haven’t been too lengthy and haven’t interrupted the brother scenes at all.
On the Sam note: I’m glad he didn’t collapse at the end of his battle with Samhaim: it would have been too much, too melodramatic. The very visible pain and the nose bleed were just enough.
galveston
Nov 4, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Put me into the “loving it” column on the addition of the angels. Very refreshing additions. I, too, prefer the mytharc episodes but usually find something to love about the standalones as well. As for Sam and Dean, their relationship is strained right now for a reason. They still care about one another very much. There’s just too much strain and pressure right now for them to do the sharing and caring thing 24/7. It’s a logical development. They’ll get back to where they were eventually, but they have to go through what they’re going to go through to get there. The payoff will be enormously satisfying when it comes. I loved season one, but I’d have been bored to death of standalones by now if they hadn’t mixed it up. Good for Kripke for sticking to his five year story plan.
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