FALLING SKIES – The TV Review

With the relative disappointment of alien invasion films like SKYLINE and BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, the genre has suffered recently. Similar television failures have come and gone, including the cancellation of ABC’s revival of the V series, which lasted only two seasons. So, the lingering question is whether another alien invasion TV series can survive?

TNT is entering the competition with FALLING SKIES, a new dramatic series from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg. Scheduled to have its initial run over an 8-week stretch, the story begins with the two-hour premiere that will air on Sunday, June 19^th, 2011 at 9:00PM ET/PT and then move into its regular time-slot of 10:00PM on Sunday nights.

FALLING SKIES jumps right into the aftermath of a devastating alien invasion, whereas the extra-terrestrials known as “skitters” by the human survivors are systematically hunting down the remaining human beings. From the onset, things are looking grim, as only civilians remain the defend themselves, forming ragtag camps on the outer edges and suburbs of the wiped out cities. Perhaps the darkest moment of the first three hours of FALLING SKIES is the opening sequence, which has 8-year old Matt (played by Maxim Knight) narrating what has happened prior to the current moment in time, laid over a montage of crayon drawings depicting the carnage they have witnessed.

This moment sets the mood for FALLING SKIES, which struck me as similar to JERICHO (2006-08) with the addition of an overwhelming alien invasion to replace large-scale terrorist attacks as the source of the post-apocalyptic circumstances. This is not a negative criticism, as I myself enjoyed JERICHO quite a bit. Besides, the general theme of post-apocalyptic survival is one not yet overdone and in many ways appropriately contemporary and intriguing.

Writer Robert Rodat (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE PATRIOT) created FALLING SKIES and his knowledge for military history is apparent. This is especially evident in Tom Mason, the main character played by Noah Wyle (ER). Mason is a well-read history professor with a particularly valuable interest and knowledge in military history. Mason has three boys, one of which has been captured by the “skitters” which creates an ongoing rift between his own personal motives and his obedience to Weaver, played by Will Patton (ARMAGEDDON), the hard-nosed commander of Mason’s band of civilian resistance fighters.

The dramatic nature of the series is really hammered into the viewer from the moment the series begins, which is one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of FALLING SKIES so far. There’s little time wasted on back story early in the show, allowing the history of the characters and of what has occurred to slowing emerge in fragments, unraveling the mystery gradually. This is what makes entertaining television drama. Spoon-feeding the viewer is the quickest way to send me packing, but for the time being, I’m camped out with TNT.

FALLING SKIES relies heavily on the hefty dramatic score from composer Noah Sorota (THE PACIFIC) to pull on the viewers’ emotional strings. The music is fairly typical, never truly unique or outstanding in my opinion, but effective nonetheless. FALLING SKIES benefits greatly from the special effects. The CGI is not overdone, but impressive by network television standards. The creature design of the “skitters” still has me scratching my head a bit, but I am counting on the logic behind their design playing a key role in the story arc at some crucial moment. The aliens also have Mechs, large weaponized robots that accompany them while out in the field. These robots successfully fill the testosterone-fueled (myself included) need for big guns and cool tech in my television science-fiction.

Once the viewers’ have been thoroughly introduced to the primary cast, FALLING SKIES unveils the wild card, the rogue element of essential entertainment, the catalyst that blurs the line between good and evil. John Pope, played by Colin Cunningham (STARGATE: ATLANTIS), serves both as the subtle and sharp comic relief and also an integral moral pendulum. John Pope has the potential to become the FALLING SKIES equivalent to LOST’s Sawyer. Other key roles are present in the groups’ doctor Anne Glass, played by Moon Bloodgood (TERMINATOR SALVATION) and Drew Roy (SECRETARIAT) plays Hal, the eldest of the Mason boys.

FALLING SKIES is primarily a story of humans surviving an alien invasion on the surface, but once the viewer jumps into the series it becomes apparent that the true drama is found in the human factor. Character interaction and line between societal civility and the base instinctual drive to survive are at the core of the show. FALLING SKIES promises plenty of surprises to accompany the more standard and expected traits of such a genre outing. However, only time will tell if the humans will survive the alien occupation and each other, much as time itself will determine whether FALLING SKIES survives the high standards and discerning tastes of it’s viewers.