Terra Nova‘s had quite the rocky start, even before it made its debut. Its premiere was severely delayed, which certainly didn’t make one feel all that confident that the show could be any good. Did its special effects suck that badly? Was there hostility on the set? What was up? Well, you need not worry, because Terra Nova is far from being an atrocity many thought it might be. However, it’s not without its flaws.
Part of me felt robbed of backstory for a series premiere, especially given an extra-long episode — or pair of episodes — in which to do it in. We’re given very few details on the year 2149 Earth we’re introduced to in the episode’s opening moments, only being told the basics of why life there sucks and why people are itching to get the hell out of there. I have to imagine, though, that we will be shown more of what went on — and what is going on — as the series progresses.
What really seems to point in the direction of flashback sequences (or do we call them flash-forward, since they’re of the future..?) is the mention that the intent of those rebelling against the main encampment are intending to “control the past, control the future.” We’re told that this past is apparently an alternate universe, since a probe was tossed through the portal and never discovered later. The thing that doesn’t jive with me is that the probe wasn’t sent out to be hidden from the future and is instead sitting out in the open for anyone to steal, destroy or alter. Maybe I’m not understanding exactly how that probe is supposed to work.
I have two theories here. One is that the probe will be destroyed at some point, with no word getting back to the future about its fate, and that there is no alternate timeline going on. The other is that the people responsible for the writings on the river rocks have figured out how to alter the time portal such that they can travel to the future of this alternate universe, rather than having it take them to the ravaged one they first came from. There could be some pretty amazing things going on if it’s the latter scenario. Imagine the first season ending with everyone going through this altered portal, with a world far different than it was before, and season two picks up from there, a different kind of Terra Nova. Then again, I could also see that as the planned endgame to the series, with Terra Nova survivors leaving through the portal to a much better and less dangerous future.
I will say I wasn’t all that thrilled about the special effects, especially when the premiere was pushed back so much. They’re not awful, but I guess I was hoping for something more awe-inspiring than what we got. It’s strange that Jurassic Park happened so long ago, yet CGI dinos are just so uninteresting and could get old really quick at this point.
With the additions of the alternate camp of people and the mysterious scrawlings on the rocks, I’m pretty confident this show could be the next talking point, reminiscent of the days of Lost, where theories are abound and, sometimes, people get irritated at the lack of answers. All in all, though, it’s going to be a fun ride.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Sep 26, 2011 @ 22:00 EST5EDT
Based on interviews, I think the probe was included to explain there won’t be any butterfly effect or changing of the future in the series. They are in a different timeline. The probe was included to eliminate the question about changing the future.
Instead, they are colonists in a different timeline. Though, it sounds like future events, for example, the extinction of the dinosaurs from asteroids is something they will have to deal with at some point.
*POST AUTHOR*
But the quote in this posts’s title was right in the episode. Clearly they intent to try to affect the future, but to what end then?
I believe that refers to the new future, not the 2149 they came from. Taylor wants this society to progress differently than from the one from which they came.
The girl did mention something about an alternate timeline so no butterfly effect… but she did talk about the stars being in different positions… so I’m going to guess she’s eventually going to figure out that they’re being lied to about exactly when/where they are. I’m guessing Taylor’s son has already figured this out and is trying to get back to the future.
What’s the deal with the third kid? “I love you and my other two kids so much we should risk going to jail for a third kid!!” Let me guess, one of them has a disease and she’s genetically engineered to help one of them when they get sick? “… too many -ologists for me to pronounce…”
. . . . .
I’m having picky little problems already …
2149 Is A Society That’s Dumber Than Dumbass. Why? One example: Billboards screaming at people “A Family Is Four”. Hasn’t this been mandated by government … overseers … contracts … something. But, still, it needs to be shoved down everyones’ throats just how many members a family constitutes. Yet … there’s Zoe, youngest of the Shannon quintet. Go figger. It’s like 1984 … only it seems this society (what little we saw of it) really needs to be oppressed.
Continuity: It Ain’t Workin’. An announcement said before The Shannons were launched into the past something to the effect of “Your eyes may need adjustment to the light.” Didn’t really seem to be a problem when they got sent there, however … did it?
The Security of Terra Nova Sucks. Military-like figures guarding everything. Everything. Yet … the kids are able to slip out easier than pie to go frolicking in picturesque pools of water with romantic waterfalls and make hooch. Typical teenagers? Check. Lax structure in the policing of the colony? Check.
*whew*
Now that I’m past a (very) few of some of the nit-picks, let’s see where this series goes from here …
What do you mean when you say that “this society needs to be oppressed”? Babies come along quite often even when ugly policy dicates they should not.
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Let me put it like this, bsgfan2003:
Either the majority of this 2149 society is dumber than a bag of hammers … or the government hasn’t a clue how to control the upstarts.
How would you “control” the population? Things happen, mechanisms for such things fail. Babies are born.
. . . . .
You can’t bsgfan2003.
My point is the news reports (inexplicably broadcast outdoors where the air is practically unbreathable – another picky point) and billboards are just doofus.
From every utopia novel and classic on down, population can’t be controlled effectively. I’m just mouthing off about the some of the inconsistencies in the show that gripe my cookies …
You mean those wide open fences that anyone could fit through? Yeah, real tough security :)
I’m wondering who controls the event horizon… – gubment? – a corp? – eye patch baddie twisting a mustache? I too, wish they spent more time in the future, answering the fundementals.
It was said that they were going to get a group of 100 soon. How often do they get supplies, I wonder? How many in total is the plan to send through? How long until the sabotage of the event horizon?
It was a pleasant surprise for me. I really liked it, and look forward to more. I hope the numbers are strong.
The details that have me most concerned are character ones. The children all seem to be complete stereotypes: brainy, nerdy girl and rebelling douchebag teenaged son. Why, oh why, must every show not directly about teenagers write them like these flat stereotypes. If we have to deal with the son being a trouble making jerk for long, I don’t think I’ll have the patience for it. Here’s hoping he gets eaten by a dinosaur.
Hope springs eternal. Think of what happened to what’s his face on V. That was worth the wait.
You’re reading my mind bsgfan2003. I thought the exact same thing, when I read Bob’s post. That kid was the most annoying teenage character ever.
I think they’re in the same timeline, but someone hid the fact that they found the probe in the future. That would mean, that someone knows that the future can and will be changed, by them being there. If these people have enough power and influence, they would have been able to send people to the past with a mission (sixers). They seem to be well organized if they managed to steal a bunch of equipment and were able to establish a home in a very hostile environment.
The pilot was better than expected and I’m looking forward to more.
*POST AUTHOR*
A co-worker friend of mine joked saying that maybe this is the same timeline and their plan is to make for more dead dinosaurs so there’s more oil made in the future. I thought that was pretty funny … and then I hoped to God that doesn’t turn out to be the case.
This doesn’t make sense.
You’d actually create less oil by killing dinosaurs not more.
You kill a dinosaur whom has 30 offspring whom has countless additional offspring and you potentially wipe out the arab oil fields completely.
All the dinosaurs that ever existed already died, to generate more oil you’d need more dino’s not kill dino’s that are already going to die and make oil anyways.
*POST AUTHOR*
I said “make for more dead” meaning make more dinos, so there’s more that die off to make more oil. Oh I know it’s silly, just mentioning what someone said.
But then there’s orphaned Princess Michelle … erm … I mean SKYE, who was the character I connected with the most.
You’re talking about Schmidt’s granddaughter Marlena, who is getting in legal trouble, a lot.
Yeah she’s one of the actresses I like in every role she plays.
. . . . .
Per Bob:
“If we have to deal with the son being a trouble making jerk for long, I don’t think I’ll have the patience for it. Here’s hoping he gets eaten by a dinosaur.”
And they say I’m picky …
I will be disappointed if they do end up being in the same timeline. I took the probe and that explanation to be a sign that this show was truly going to be about the colonists and the life they live on Terra Nova, rather than a complex space-time continuum story.
I hope they do both. My guess is that they will ease us into the space/time stuff, lest some folks run away screaming at having to think! :)
*POST AUTHOR*
Maybe it’s the same timeline … different planet, like pre-cataclysmic-event Mars. I’d just love there to be more to it than what appears on the surface.
*****TZZZZZZ Keith, that was a hot idea!
I’m the exact opposite. I hope for once a show is what it seems to be and doesn’t try to get all “BSG” or “Lost” on us. There is plenty of opportunity for it to be interesting and have intrigue without a time travel thing happening.
There are a million vanilla shows. Let me
have something :)
*POST AUTHOR*
But … there is a time travel thing happening here!
Yeah, there is time travel happening, but I don’t want a space time continuum problem. I was happy to hear about the probe and alternate timeline is all. I don’t care about 2149 and hope we rarely, if ever, see it again.
Your not gonna love the rock etching episode explanation, but Im gonna love it!
@BSG – I’m actually looking forward to that.