Tripping the Rift Verdict?
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So far I’ve seen the first six episodes, but I’m not sure what to make of it. I think I’m evenly (and very) divided about it. It begins promisingly enough, but seemed to quickly settle into a lame sitcom format. The main thing going for it was the extreme sex and violence in a sci fi setting, but it now seems earthbound by uninspired plot heavy situations and scenerios. Somewhat surprisingly, two of the (relatively) crappy episodes rate highly at tvtome (episodes 4 and 6 are in their top 3 episodes), so I’m starting to wonder whether its worth watching anymore. In my view, 4, 5 and 6 barely warrant a sci fi setting and/or lack the inspired flights of fancy typically on display in the first three episodes.
Can someone (maybe hedgehog, or anyone else enthusiastic about the show) please indicate whether the series peaks and flatlines prematurely, and determine whether it (at least) regains its irreverent momentum towards the end.
Basically, if you were to select the best episodes in the series – say the best 5 – which episodes would likely convince divided fans one way rather than another.
Thanks in advance.
Was it something I said? 😆
I’ve since found the reviews and interview, and feel in a better position to judge.
Well I don’t want to write too much because I’ve been preparing a season 1 review and I don’t want to sound redundant, in a few days.
The season greatly improved toward the end. With some of the seasons finest episodes being 11,12 and to lesser extent 13. (Emasculating Chode, Love Conquers All, Android Love) It’s my understanding that Sci Fi Channel didn’t have to send back any nasty comments about these episodes.
It takes a while for any series to fall into place. Looking back, Futurama Season 1, wasn’t very good compared with later seasons. The same could be said for most any series and/or cartoon.
If I had to pick the five best (in no particular order): [list]
[*]1 God is Our Pilot
[*]5 Totally Recalled
[*]9 Nature Vs Nurture
[*]11 Emasculating Chode
[*]12 Love Conquers All…Almost[*]13 Android Love could replace 9 Nature vs. Nurture
[/list:u]Some episodes worked better then others, and there are a lot of mixed opinions. Miss Galaxy 5000 is very popular but I personally didn’t think it was [i]that[/i] great. Totally Recalled was wonderful, IMO but most people I’ve talked with only thought that it was “feh”.
As for TVTome, not to insult any lurkers out there, but I wouldn’t put much faith in their polls. Most people on that site can’t even vote yet, so their outlook will differ greatly from other age demographics.
I would say it was generally a good series. Not the best. But a good one. The animation was probably the best thing about it. The writing worked some of the time, but the animation was always top notch.
The Direction and Animation are beyond brilliant.
First off, the only difference currently between Sci-Fi network and a Saturday Afternoon Syndication network, is Tripping The Rift. You will not find anything like that except South Park on Comedy Central.
Shows like Tremors? Dime a dozen, and usually cancelled after their second episode.
Shows like Mad Mad House? Entertaining? Yes. But I can get entertaining on my other 653 channels. When I tune into Sci-Fi, I expect something along those lines, and not Fear Factor with witches and vampires, thank you.
Sci-Fi has an excellent opportunity to return to the days of original programming like I-Man, Farscape, Chronicle, LEXX, etc…
Here’s a no-brainer:
Friday Night Sci-Fi
Stargate Atlantis
Battlestar Galactica
Tripping the RiftAnd for gods sake bring back Farscape, you loons. Because you have nothing else in development that even remotely resembles the type of programming we expect from previous Sci-Fi network shows.
Ranting aside, yes TTR has had it’s dull moments, plenty of them in a pilot season like this. But it’s also shown signs of brilliance the least of which being the current writing. But as time goes on and this series is allowed to develop, the sky is truly the limit as shown by every single successful animation show. The ball is simply in Sci-Fi court, do they want to go the easy route and blur the lines between Sci-Fi and Action/Reality show pushing us all away, or do they want to embrace the Science Fiction community like they have in the past by renewing shows like TTR and getting to work on accomidating it by not placing it in timeslots with their reality shows?
You may as well cancel it when you do things like that. Because it makes absolutely no sense, you may as well tell people: “We have a show you’ll really like, but you have to watch 2 hours of complete and utter garbage first.”
Stay tuned after these commercial messages.
[quote=”LexxLurker”]
Ranting aside, yes TTR has had it’s dull moments, plenty of them in a pilot season like this. But it’s also shown signs of brilliance the least of which being the current writing. But as time goes on and this series is allowed to develop, the sky is truly the limit as shown by every single successful animation show. The ball is simply in Sci-Fi court, do they want to go the easy route and blur the lines between Sci-Fi and Action/Reality show pushing us all away, or do they want to embrace the Science Fiction community like they have in the past by renewing shows like TTR and getting to work on accomidating it by not placing it in timeslots with their reality shows?
You may as well cancel it when you do things like that. Because it makes absolutely no sense, you may as well tell people: “We have a show you’ll really like, but you have to watch 2 hours of complete and utter garbage first.”
Stay tuned after these commercial messages.[/quote]
I do believe that was another rant, lexxlurker. 😆
but yeah – the sci fi channel is clearly not committed to quality programming, let alone science fiction. Unfortunately, there has been talk to introduce (a) sci fi channel downunder – if the Armerican model/experience is any indication, don’t think I’ll bother. To be frank,though, I suspect the original channel will be renamed or relaunched eventually – they seem to have alienated their own constituency, and (presumably) deter potential subscribers with their obvious committment to alien programming. Part of the problem is that there seems to be general resistance to science fiction on television – I think the big screen’s emphasis on ‘spectacle’ has conditioned us to expect special effects and action over character or plot. Since spectacle can’t be readilly produced on the small screen, producers attempt to attract as many people as possible with television’s variant of mindless crap. Its a shame, really – television also allows for the possibilty to explore sci fi with greater intelligence or depth.
The fate of Earth: Final Conflict sums up the state of sci fi on television – a distinctive and promising first season, characterised by morally ambigious situations , mysterious premise and indeterminate characters – is replaced with generic shite season 2 onwards. I recall a noted critic initially comparing it to the Sopranos and Homicide: Life on the Street (arguably the best written and acted shows on television) in the film journal Sight and Sight. By the time E:FC completed its run, it might as well have been something mass produced by KFC, and can be unfavorably compared to a Michael Jackson music video.
At the end of the day, I blame the ‘fans’ – if the general population indicated an interest in quality programming (intelligent writing, interesting characters, nuanced performances,etc) there would presumably be more of it. Witness what happened to Firefly (I wonder how well it will translate to the ‘big screen’? As ‘good’ as the Star Trek franschise?) In my view, television sci fi’s last best hope is more marginal settings, like fledging networks where Buffy and Angel somehow survived with a relatively small fanbase or on HBO, which has produced wonderfully varied stuff like Oz, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire and Deadwood.
Its true, of course, that the Sci Fi channel should lead the way, but they’d rather do it doggy style and lead from behind.
I think it’s a great show, not much more I can add to that lol. The character are different to the usual “soft-bad ass” things we get in shows in Futurama or the Simpsons, they can basically do anything in TTR, which makes it good to see and have a laugh with.
Oh goodie!!
I just saw “Sidewalk spoiler, and I looked it up.It’s only #4 from Season 1 so i’m going to get a chance to see most of them in the reruns on SPACE in Canada.
They didn’t advertise it much, thank god for forums or I wouldn’t hav etaken a look.
Yeah the show rocks Big time.
Violence !! You mean there is gonna be violence!!
In Cartoons!! ohygod!I hope i can take it.
Not much violence yet, just a ray gun zapping out of existence for littering and an attempted public execution by electrocution and some kung fu fighting by six in her high heels.Gina Gershon, the voice of SIX is really looks hot iboth now and when she was younger:”Showgirls”,”Matrix Reloaded”.”Bound”….
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000153/
So season 2 starts when????
Maybe this was cancelled
There’s been nothing since may 2004?1- 1 God Is Our Pilot
1- 2 Mutilation Ball
1- 3 Miss Galaxy
1- 4 Sidewalk Soiler
1- 5 The Devil and a Guy Named Webster
1- 6 Totally Recalled
1- 7 Space Idiocies
1- 8 Power to the Peephole
1- 9 Nature vs. Nurture
1-10 Aliens, Gun & a Monkey
1-11 Emasculating Chode
1-12 Love Conquers All… Almost
1-13 Android Love
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