I came of age in a time when movies like The Goonies, ET, and Stand By Me shaped the average movie loving kid’s notion of adventure. Whether looking for One Eyed Willie or a dead body – or in my case exploring the burned down cabin that supposedly had within its rubble the remnants of a man who was branded with an “H” from a window falling on him – there was a time when there was wonder mixed with innocence. Stephen King is the master of this in storytelling, and Spielberg was the king of bringing the images to life on the big screen. Lately I’ve come to not get my hopes up too high when I see the marketing phrase, “From executive producer Steven Spielberg.”
TNT’s Falling Skies is in a way a harkening back to the classic tales, where it’s about the people who struggle to deal with the extraordinary who are important. Even from seeing only the first 5 or so episodes there’s also a sense that discovering the reality of the alien’s intentions will reveal a lot about mankind. But don’t get too involved in the heady existential discussion, because Falling Skies doesn’t.
In a summer that’s bringing you interesting film with Super 8 – another Spielberg project – you wouldn’t think to look to your television for a new summer blockbuster. That’s exactly what TNT is putting forth. Not a big budget mindless explosion fest, to be honest the look and feel of Falling Skies is reminiscent of a Stephen King mini-series that’s been granted a significantly increased budget. The best summer adventures begin with a simple question: What if? What if an alien race came to Earth and attacked? What would happen next, and how would mankind respond?
That response has happened many times in every form of media. But Falling Skies takes it one step further and asks: What if that hokey Mac virus upload thing didn’t work out and the Fresh Prince and Ian Malcolm didn’t stop the attack? What if we lost on Independence Day and 80% of the world’s population was obliterated? That is where Falling Skies picks up, after the initial devastation is over and humans live on an occupied planet. On the one hand you have six legged creatures the group of humans the show follows have dubbed Skitters, who seem to always have nearby 2 legged mechs complete with evil death rays. On the other you have the small bands of human resistance.
The 2nd Mass is a group of humans who’ve formed an army near Boston, they are led by Weaver (Will Patton) and Tom Mason (Noah Wyle). It’s Tom who the narrative follows for the most part. He lost his wife, his son Ben (Connor Jessup) was taken by the Skitters, and he’s trying to keep his other sons safe. Tom is also a military history professor, so he’s conveniently there to put things into perspective for both his compatriots and the audience. It’s also always a benefit to have a man with military expertise, even if only theoretical, when going to battle with a vastly superior force.
The main story is the fighting of the Skitters, and trying to get the children back. But multiple mini-stories permeate the series. Where most shows you may get frustrated with 20 minutes of an episode being derailed by some side story, that will not happen with Falling Skies. Spielberg has collected a fantastic creative team including series creator Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan), Mark Veheiden (Battlestar Galactica), and Graham Yost (The Pacific). These guys, and all the writers, weave such interesting and human stories throughout the series. This includes a seemingly minor plot point with Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood), who tries to communicate with a captured Skitter. The caged alien, frustrated humans lashing out in anger, and everything that surrounded this section of the story reminded me of how prison was handled on Battlestar Galactica.
The truth is that Falling Skies is the best thing TNT has done. I know that people love The Closer, and many other TNT shows are interesting and fun. But Falling Skies is TNT’s BSG. Unfortunately it starts off shaky and uneven. The two hour premiere is a tad messy, and may turn some people off. This is a shame because hour 3 makes everything right, and by the time the show hits its stride in episode 5 you are completely enthralled. You’re like a kid watching in wonder as an amazing adventure unfolds before you. You may have forgotten that feeling with the over indulging on comic super heroes lately, but trust me when I say it’s still as exhilarating as ever.
Falling Skies premieres Sunday, June 19 at 9:00 PM ET on TNT.
