72 replies to this topic

[TWoP Howard]

This is the place to speculate on anything that isn’t a spoiler: promos, previews, or where you think the story is going.

[AimingforYoko]

Webcomic here.

[shapeshifter]

Based on the comics, it looks like this is gonna be another snarkfest.
Although it looks like they took the science out of the science fiction and replaced it with war games, so there might not be any facts to dispute.

Edited by shapeshifter, Jun 17, 2011 @ 9:10 PM.

[TVspectator]

All I am hoping is that this show is good to watch, and if I like it, I could wave away any technobabble, or zap guns, etc... By the looks of some of the promos, it looks like they will focus more on the drama, than any technobabble but hey, who knows. Although, I do hope that this show stays sci-fi and not turn into a Caprica and wipe most of the sci-fi elements away (minus a few visual sci-fi goodies).

Edited by TVspectator, Jun 18, 2011 @ 10:28 PM.

[Frost]

Since I don't get why the aliens would need teenaged human slaves, I'm wondering if the harness actually turns the kids into skitters. The scene in the food distribution warehouse where they all stand around the dying skitter and wonder what it's thinking felt like a 'this will be important in retrospect' scene.

I'm also very suspicious about Pope (I think that's the name of the head outlaw). I think ending up embedded in the 2nd Mass camp is exactly where he wanted to be. Maybe I'm giving the writers too much credit, but that scene in the school auditorium with Tom (a self-professed thug and career criminal immediately thinks of the Sumerians as soon as he hears Tom is a history professor? really?), combined with the guy teaching the biology class going on about how odd it what that the aliens built the mech robots with 2 arms and 2 legs makes me wonder if Pope is an undercover alien himself.

[MrBananaGrabber]

I'll be satisfied if the skitters turn out to be a conquered race, and join the humans in rebellion.

Previews indicated a humanoid grey-like alien shows up, so they're probably the overlords.

[Make It So]

I thought I saw a Gray in the previews as well. That makes me wonder if the show will go with the tried-and-tested Grays as the actual invaders.

I do believe that the actual invaders are beings other than the skitters. The skitters don't seem terribly bright, from what we've been shown. The mechs appear to simply be programmed robots. It makes sense that the actual aliens would stay safe up in their ships until the mechs and skitters complete all the grunt work. We'll wait and see, I guess.

Edited by Make It So, Jun 20, 2011 @ 11:53 AM.

[Wildog27]

I wondered based on the biology teacher's conversation if the teenagers were being turned into drones for the mechs.

[MDKNIGHT]

A dropped thread in the original V tv movie was that there was speculation that there was another alien race that the earth resistance might be able to partner up with to fight the Vs. I think that the Scitters are the previous harnessed subjugated race. The overlords probably go from planet to planet, harness the local young and use up whatever supplies they need from a planet and then they leave with whatever harness slaves are still alive to do the same to another planet. They probably use teens because the mind control may not take hold as well on older brains or more settled personalities (you may question who you are as a teen while adults tend to have a more fixed idea of self and that may be harder for thier harnesses to overcome). What resources the overlords may want however I have no clue about yet. I'd like them to try blocking off the signal from the harnesses instead of removing them to see what would happen. If I were them I'd try putting the harnessed teen behind lead or some other heavy metal or sending some kind of radio waves at the thing. I heard they got hit by an EMP pulse but I don't think that would damage something that wasn't turned on at the time so there should be some equipment they could scavenge to try out disrupting the signal that the aliens are probably sending to the harnesses with instruction. I would also look for anything that might be an alien antenna (if there are any on earth and not all in orbit) and blow it up.

[Slider]

Since I don't get why the aliens would need teenaged human slaves, I'm wondering if the harness actually turns the kids into skitters. The scene in the food distribution warehouse where they all stand around the dying skitter and wonder what it's thinking felt like a 'this will be important in retrospect' scene.

I was wondering the same exact thing.

[TVspectator]

Since I don't get why the aliens would need teenaged human slaves, I'm wondering if the harness actually turns the kids into skitters. The scene in the food distribution warehouse where they all stand around the dying skitter and wonder what it's thinking felt like a 'this will be important in retrospect' scene.-Frost

I was wondering the same exact thing.-Slider

I was wondering if maybe the aliens have a history of conquering, and then enslaving/conscripting the young of the conquered into their military, and those harnesses act like a sort of mind control (as a way of decreasing the chances of having a well armed, and evenly match, rebellion).

[Crim]

I agree that the mechs could be programmed robots because we haven't seen any actual intelligent behavior from them and because there's always skitters where there's mechs, which implies a need for control/supervision.

I thought, however, that the harnessed kids are turned into mechs, not skitters: not only it would answer the "why do mechs have 2 legs?" question much better than "it sucks more for us to fight biped robots" (which was a lame answer), but this conversation was segued by people talking about the harnessed kids. The juxtaposition was so tight that it seemed a tad anvilicious.

I was wondering if maybe the aliens have a history of conquering, and then enslaving/conscripting the young of the conquered into their military, those harnesses act like a sort of mind control (as a way of decreasing the chances of having a well armed, and evenly match, rebellion).

Killing them would be a faster, cheaper way of decreasing the chances so I have to go with conscription as well. And since no one saw the kids again as workers or soldiers, this would support the mech hypo thesis. After the mech was blown up there was no examination of remains, or even a shot for viewers.

[scapebabe]

Clearly the kids are being used for something - I'm down with either piloting the mechs or becoming skitters - it looked to me like the skitter who died had a harness unit on its back.

Kind of reminds me of Torchwood: Children of Earth.

[JamesWest]

Jessy Schram's imdb bio shows here for 5/8 episodes while all other listed characters show for 8/8
She also isn't listed on the TNT sight as part of the cast/bios which I assume would be for permanent cast only.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1789336/

Falling Skies (TV series) (post-production)
Karen
– Sanctuary: Part 2 (2011) … Karen
– Prisoner of War (2011) … Karen
– Live and Learn (2011) … Karen
– The Armory (2011) … Karen
– What Hides Beneath (2011) … Karen

How or why she is leaving would be speculation but she is listed in 'Prisoner of War' and 'Sanctuary: Part 2' but not in 'Sanctuary: Part 1'.

So far all speculation I have read assumes that she will be part of a love triangle with Hal and Maggie. If so it will be short lived.

TV: In TNT’s ‘Falling Skies,’ an American dad battles some personal space invaders

As it ambles along in the first six episodes, you begin to root for the aliens, which cannot have been the writers’ intent. When the freedom fighters infiltrate an alien nest at the ruins of a hospital, viewers will see the unsettling image of a Skitter lovingly napping with her litter of human teenagers, stroking their heads with something like love. Everyone looks content. Did the aliens come to save us from ourselves?

This is perhaps the most intriguing and regrettably unexamined possibility presented in the first half of the “Falling Skies” season — that someone (some thing) could come along, destroy your family and property values, and then take better care of your children than you did.

Edited by TWoP Howard, Jun 22, 2011 @ 12:21 AM.

[TWoP Howard]

Maybe the skitters can’t incubate their young on their own, so they get them a young human host. The previews showed that the skitters can’t just be dislodged from the kid without killing him, so they must be tapping into the kids’ vital organs or systems in some way. The harnesses also look a lot like the skitters. However, they all look to be of similar size, so that argues against my guess. If they were growing off of the host kid, you’d think some of them would be bigger than others if they’d been there longer.

[JamesWest]

Doesn't make sense that they have mechs but use the children to gather scrap metal. Its either a huge plot hole or its going somewhere else. I've heard speculation that the children end up in the mechs but the son has been missing for months and hasn't been integrated into anything.

Noticing that the skitters don't use weapons and while scary haven't really seen them damage humans. I guess they can bite/kick/etc but its unusual not to see an alien tearing offsomeone's head and eating them.

The mechs are more intelligent that some are suggesting. In the next promo they're leading the kids around and seem to be caretakers as well.

I think the skitters have taken out 99.9999 of humanity (I know hte knows don't jive... another plot point) and don't regard the remaining humans as worth the trouble. It may also be that we've been relegated to livestock status leaving just enough alive to keep up a supply of teenagers.

I think the large groups thing is either;
A) small groups aren't worh the trouble
B) the scanners are short sighted and only work in infared spectrum. 0-200F might not show up at all or be lost in the clutter, but 1000F shows up as such a contrast that they can see it from a distance

Edited by TWoP Howard, Jun 22, 2011 @ 12:14 AM.

[Elisende]

I thought, however, that the harnessed kids are turned into mechs

I read a novel sometime in the last few years that used that idea. I wish I could remember the title. The aliens used bioengineering to make humans capable of plugging directly into the tech and then sealed them into robot bodies. I'm a bit claustrophobic so the idea was incredibly disturbing to me.

As for the overlord species, I can see an interstellar species -- especially an aggressive one -- spreading themselves a mite thin. Using enslaved local populations and robots would help with the labor shortage.

[Slider]

Wylie, Bloodgood, Roy Interview

This interview mentions something happening to Karen, but that we do see her again. I wonder if she maybe gets harnessed and dissappears for awhile with the possibility of returning.

[Frost]

This interview mentions something happening to Karen, but that we do see her again.

Isn't that a spoiler, not speculation?

Edited by TWoP Howard, Jun 22, 2011 @ 8:37 PM.

[TWoP Howard]

No, it’s an interview with the show creator and the leads. They aren’t revealing anything they don’t want the public to know.

[TWoP Howard]

I wonder if the arrows the outlaws were using have any effect on the Mechs or Skitters? If they don’t, I suppose they had them to raid other groups of people and not waste ammo in the process. If they can be used against the aliens (the old weak spot in their armor trope), then the 2nd Massachusetts needs to head to a Cabela’s.

[Meushell]

As mentioned, I think the Skitters are harnessed children (or were harnessed as children, but grew up). Since one has never been captured before, it seems like something for the new doctor to discover. I think the one from the store had its harnessed destroyed, which also doomed it. It suddenly found itself in control, surrounded by strangers, and possibly (depending on if they are aware or not while harnessed) having no idea where it was.

Edited by Meushell, Jun 27, 2011 @ 5:22 AM.

[TWoP Howard]

The preview was interesting, with Ricky wanting to reattach his harness. Does he want to restore his opiate-delivery system, or his connection to the Skitters? Presumably the harness can either insert new needles into his spine, or rejoin the ones which Dr. Harris disconnected.

Seeing the harnessed kids collecting scrap metal makes me think that metal is scarce on the aliens’ home planet, so they’re out raiding the universe. However, there hasn’t been any mention of large metal structures like water towers or refinery storage tanks being dismantled.

If they’re here long-term, they could be leaving the rest of the humans alive to reproduce and provide them with a source of kids to be harnessed and work for them.

[Rickster]

However, there hasn’t been any mention of large metal structures like water towers or refinery storage tanks being dismantled.

Or cars - seem to be plenty of them around - ships, planes, steel frame skyscrapers, etc. etc. Seems like a poor use of resources to have bunches of kids stripping one old factory in a Boston suburb.

[taiko]

Was it Pope who said the Mechs react to sound? As the survivalist (and racist) the gang had a reusable stealty hunting and fighting weapon. Hence the bow and arrows. Meanwhile the 2nd Mass rocks and rolls full auto on contact with ammo that is not easy to find in New England. Movie ammo someone called it with a sneer on one of these treads

[Make It So]

Based upon the simple evolution of this show thus far, I wonder if the Skitters are having the harnessed kids gathering scrap metal for the building of their structures. If that is the case, I hope the show makes up for it by having a really innovative purpose for the construction of the stuctures.

While I'm still tuning in so far - so I obviously don't hate the show - there are a few things I don't get. (To be fair perhaps they wil be explained later.)

Chef Pope. I understand the attempt at comic relief, but, first of all, that wasn't even funny. Secondly, if the show is really trying to integrate him into the Resistance, this way is totally unbelievable to me. He's apparently amoral, his brother and friend were killed and his gang overthrown, then he's held captive by the Resistance. The only way I could contemplate seeing him join and fight with the resistance would be after something causes his whole attitude and viewpoint to change. And it'll take more than walks down History Lane with Professor Tom.

The Skitters killing the harnessed kids in cold blood. I suppose just in case any viewers had any notions of empathy about the almost cuddly, dying Skitter from the first ep, don't get it twisted! They're mean and bad baddies full of badness! (Or maybe some are - could we eventually meet some noble ones a la Martin from V?) Other than that, I don't see any reason for the Skitters to perform that slaughter. I can't buy that they would need to send a message about anything. The message was received loud and clear six months ago. Haven't they already proven that they are the types to shoot first...and shoot again?

Also, if the aliens arrived and starting blowing everyone away six months ago, why is the Resistance just discovering how to kill Skitters? Six months is a mighty long time to be fighting. This epiphany never came over anyone before? It wasn't like they came up with some elaborate method like a virus or something. Basically, 'Just shoot at them. A lot. And try not to miss.'

I think the implausibility of the continual food-finding has been covered greatly, as has the implausibility of such large groups on the move all the time going undetected by the aliens. But really - these beings destroyed the world's military but can't detect all these folks? I'm trying to suspend by disbelief on a lot of things here, but that can only go so far! (I know, it's a show about alien invaders - suspension of disbelief is a given. But to me, good sci-fi, while fantasy, is successful when it's written in such a way that it melds with science and reality to create scenarios that could almost seem within the realm of possibility.)

I've already expressed my complaint about the dialogue, so I won't rehash that.

Even with these observations, I'll probably still watch for a while longer - or as long as it lasts, anyway. I liked the ending on the last one - perhaps the show will get better. And I agree with all who said that the actors are good, and are putting in great performances in spite of the lousy writing.

Edited by Make It So, Jun 28, 2011 @ 9:05 PM.

[taiko]

He's apparently amoral, his brother and friend were killed and his gang overthrown, then he's held captive by the Resistance. The only way I could contemplate seeing him join and fight with the resistance would be after something causes his whole attitude and viewpoint to change. And it'll take more than walks down History Lane with Professor Tom.

He may be amoral but where else is he going to go. It would be like when he was upstate, join the white gang or be by yourself waiting to be picked off because there is nobody to watch your back.

On the other hand the kids and the little bits of scrap metal when all the bulk metal for the taking is lying around unguarded. Maybe for the newly enslaved its just a version of "wax on, wax off". Or for a younger generation "put on the jacket... take it off.

[Make It So]

Reading the recap (the recaps are funny, btw!) reminded me of another nit. Hal is so justifiably upset over witnessing what was probably one of the most tramautic things he's ever seen, and the Consummate History Professor's words of comfort are a historical reference even then?
"They killed those kids!!!" 
"Yeah, I know...the Nazis and blah blah blah...". 

I like Noah's acting in this show, but they've got to give him better dialogue.

Edited by Make It So, Jun 29, 2011 @ 10:45 PM.

[Elisende]

I wonder if the Skitters are having the harnessed kids gathering scrap metal for the building of their structures.

I like this. Now I'm imagining the Skitters bedding down in a Bear Grylls' type lean-to made out of parking meters and crumpled bumpers. Which is, of course, not at all what you meant . . . .

I suppose the scrap could be just easily transportable. Except that we haven't seen any alien transport.

[TWoP Howard]

Moon Bloodgood was on Craig Ferguson last night, and they showed a brief clip which I’m assuming was from tomorrow night’s episode. Moon’s doctor character was holding up pictures of Earth and the solar system to the Skitter and saying the names, trying to communicate with it while Dr. Smug scoffed in the background. The scene ended with her saying she thought the Skitter was frightened.