Listen up post-apocalyptic scifi fans, because this may be a great new show for you! I just finished watching the entire first season in one go (available on Netflix Instant Viewing) and after a rocky start, I am a fan.
The premise is this: Almost a hundred years ago there was a nuclear war. A few humans in orbiting space stations survived by coming together to create an arc. There they plan to stay until the radiation levels on Earth are safe once again — in another one hundred years. But something has gone wrong. Life support won’t keep them all alive much longer, and they’ve got to figure out what to do. So they send 100 juvenile delinquents to the ground to see if they live or die.
I have to admit, I was very iffy after watching the first episode. I had to turn off a lot of credibility censors to enjoy it. And the next few episodes were only marginally better as I got to know the characters.
But something kept me watching, and I’m glad I did, because at the end of season 1 I felt like it was a strong show overall. A lot of elements are gradually introduced that keep tension levels high and keep you guessing — internal conflict, external conflict, people who survived on the ground (they thought everyone had died), and the people in the space station struggling for their own survival. Put together, it made for a captivating show. Season 2 has begun on the CW on Wednesdays. I definitely plan to watch!
The characters are all kinds of shades of gray, which is nice. These are people who have made bad decisions — sometimes because they had to and sometimes when they should have known better. Still, there are a lot of 3D players in here. And I have a feeling that season 2 has more surprises in store.
If you like scifi, especially dystopian, then check this out. Give it a few episodes; you won’t regret it!
I have been recording it off Fox 8 in Australia. I have watched the first couple of episodes and I agree there were a lot of credibility problems with them. I am glad to hear it gets better.
It does get better. It was in episode 7, I think, when they finally explained why they sent 100 juvenile delinquents instead of, say, the 300 people they were going to have to kill anyway if the Earth didn’t turn out to be survivable. That was the hardest thing for me to accept and I was glad to find out there was a solid reason for it.