Fiction Friction

As I impatiently wait for more of series six of "Dr. Who", I am trying to find other media to entertain and amuse me while I try desperately to avoid the depressing news of our nation's meltdown in utter stupidity.

I've been watching SyFy's new series "Alphas" (though I failed to record last night's episode). I think I've already described it as "X-Men lite" with bland acting and forgettable actors. So far my opinion hasn't changed. David Straithairn (playing the soft-spoken Dr. Lee Rosen) and Ryan Cartwright (playing the autistic Gary Bell) demonstrate the most compelling characters of the cast. Laura Mennell (playing the mind-controlling Nina Theroux) and Azita Ghanizada (playing the hyper-sensitive and neurotic Rachel Pirzad) are attractive actresses, but surprisingly boring. The two action heroes, Warren Christie (playing the super-coordinated, brooding Cameron Hicks) and Malik Yoba (playing the temperamental and super-strong Bill Harken) are easily the most one-dimensional and yawn-worthy of the lot.

It's really sad that "Alphas" is probably one of the best shows SyFy is currently airing. I've never really had the patience for the SyFy fluffy quasi-comedy shows like "Eureka" or "Warehouse 13". The 2000 "Invisible Man" show outclassed all of those in action/comedy the way a finely-tuned sports car outclasses a rusting used car.

Hm. Guess I've got opinions.

In desperation for other science fiction fare, I've tried to watch TNT's "Falling Skies". The "Hallmark Channel" style of heavy-handed moralistic claptrap is hard to handle in most of their plots. The stories are generally uninteresting and I often find myself hoping the aliens will swoop in and obliterate most of the cast save the delightfully sociopathic John Pope (played by Colin Cunningham), the out-of-her-depth Dr. Anne Glass (played by the beautiful Moon Bloodgood... I love her name), and the damaged Margaret (played by Sarah Carter).

I generally hate shows that have kids playing central roles anyway.

I have enjoyed the aliens in "Falling Skies". The bizarre mechs, the multi-limbed Skitters, and their gangly alien masters have all been entertaining. Their motivations and actions are generally stupid, but they look cool.

Honestly the show really does seem like it belongs on the "Hallmark Channel". It's hard to imagine how they could get more preachy about America's Revolutionary War history, Christianity, and the bonds of family.

Why the hell can't we get good, solid, adventure shows? "I-Man" was a great example of stories with clever writing, compelling characters, entertaining dialog, and good plots. Hell, "Battlestar Galactica" was outstanding in its first three seasons (despite my feeling that the pilot mini-series was a bit slow).

Bring back my "Dr. Who"! I needs me my sci-fi!