Brett Kramer

I started off really enjoying the first few episodes and I think you may as well. I felt a sense of curiosity and anticipation about where the series would lead in terms of its statement on technology, humans' drive to advance oftentimes at the expense of its own sustainability, and the inter-personal conflict of a few characters. Unfortunately, the series started falling apart in Episode 4 and accelerated its downward spiral in Episode 5. It became more disconnected with unanswered questions (why was the group of invited supporters stormed/arrested/killed?), storylines that were just dropped (the level of games in the headsets...or the headsets themselves and their purpose?), and unbelievable characters/scenes (seriously - what government would kill all of the people, including children - on the boat?). The problem is, after the ridiculousness of episodes 4 and 5, the other weaknesses of the series became more apparent, despite my desire to overlook them earlier. As other reviewers have commented, you overlook the unbelievability of the "World's Top Physicists" being all young (and mostly attractive)...and friends. The shallowness of most of the character development (with an exception or two) surfaces into your consciousness. And why would they call the San-Ti, "My Lord"? What the heck is that? It just felt stupid and odd. What put it over the edge for me was the explanation for why the aliens would destroy earth: because the rate of our technological innovation will overtake them by the time they reach Earth in 400 years. Except...they are already sooooo far more advanced than us that we can't even imagine their technology, let alone replicate it! And they are not advancing their technology??? And then the coup de grace...they flash across all screens that humans are bugs, completely contradicting the scene with the alien in the video game. If you want to suspend your brain, go ahead and watch it I suppose. But what I want in a good science fiction/space movie IS to think and believe that what is on the screen lives within the realm of possibility, even if remotely. There will be no Episode 6 for me.