SFFTV: Outcasts (Ep. 1) and Falling Skies (Ep. 1+2)
Two of the more interesting science fiction shows hitting U.S. airwaves this year are BBC’s Outcasts and TNT’s Falling Skies. The former has already had its run in the UK (cancelled, sadly) and is only now getting its fair shake on BBC America. The latter is the much anticipated, and heavily pushed, Noah Wyle vehicle. Both show remarkable promise. The first episode of Outcasts is an eye-opener. As a Doctor Who fan, I’ve been used to seeing science handled with a heavy dose of humor on the BBC. Outcasts is everything but a humorous show, though it tries hard to lighten the mood with a few jokes. It’s a fine display of what the BBC can do when it puts its mind to serious SF, with a strong cast and beautiful CG and cinematography. Outcasts focuses on the first settlers on the planet Carpathia, who have been specially selected to pave the way for future
SFFTV: The 9 Lives (Episode 2) of Teen Wolf (Episode 4)
You’ll have to excuse us, we’re going through some growing pains and trying to figure out how much space we actually want to dedicate to tv. So that means you get two quick reviews in one post! How exciting is that? We’ll be grouping similar programs so it shouldn’t be too jarring. A mashup of The 9 Lives of Chloe King and Teen Wolf really does make sense, if you think about it (but don’t think about it too long or you’ll get a headache). This week’s episodes have almost changed my mind about which show is better. They’re both working off a standard Romeo & Juliet, puberty analogy, storyline about kids with claws, and aimed at a teen audience, so this is a valid comparison to make. Teen Wolf *might* actually be better. I know, I know, I was all kinds of slamming Teen Wolf when I reviewed the first episode of 9 Lives, but it’s really growing on me. Perhaps that will change over time, but head to head it’s a tough call. Spoilers Ahead!
Feed the Machine: Love Me True
Read me. What is this world coming to? Jesse Schell interviews Bob Bates, game designer and former chair of the IGDA. In it, Bates predicts a few future changes in video games, but the one that is really interesting has to do with player-character interaction. He believes that soon, players will build real emotional conversations with avatars and other NPCs. This goes beyond being scared that your character is going to die, or feeling bad that they had a tragic past. These are real emotion bonds. What sort of societal changes would this bring on? Video game addiction is well on its way to becoming a recognized mental illness. I’m sure most readers out there can think of at least one person they know who spends a majority of their waking hours playing WoW. If avatar interactions become more real, more visceral, and draw the player into the game that much more, what will happen to our cozy little society? Will game boxes come with Surgeon General’s warnings and photos of obese, Cheetoh stained teens with “This could happen to you” written above it? Going further in time, will some sort of legal unions between players and NPCs come into the fold? How bout we look in the opposite direction, towards optimism. Will something like Ted Chiang’s “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” be our future? Can digital “beings” have any sort of legal status? Will the sun be tried for genocide should it knock out our power grids with a flare? I’m hesitant to muse any more because this is such a rich idea and I would much prefer to see what you all come up with. Go forth, and tell your pixelwife that you love her.
