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| SEVEN DAYS |
Time travel
extravaganza explodes onto the screen
A tv pilot has to fulfil several functions. It
must define the premise of the show, giving viewers (and network chiefs)
a clear indication of what they can expect from
subsequent episodes. It must also introduce the regular players, serve up a
little back story, and set in motion the inter-personal relationships. Most
importantly, it has to be entertaining, and function as a stand-alone
story.
In all these respects, the pilot of Seven Days is a resounding success,
as executive producer Christopher Crowe proves without doubt that there is
infinite life yet in stories about Time travel. Forget TimeCop,
ABC’s cliché-driven embarrassment from last year; forget even such
charming but insubstantial fodder as The Time Tunnel. Seven Days
breathes new life into a tired genre, marrying realistic scenarios with
effectively drawn characters, fast-paced action and an agreeable hard edge.
It’s one hour and five minutes into the pilot
before we’re taken back in Time. In those first 65 minutes, we meet Frank
Parker (Jonathan LaPaglia), a war veteran who has been interred in a mental
institution since he was tortured in Somalia. Deemed to be expendable, Parker
is offered a deal. Terrorists have bombed the White House, killing the
President and Vice President. The event can be undone using BackStep, a device
built from technology recovered from Roswell, which can travel back just one
week. Parker must pilot the sphere – and defeat the terrorists before they
complete their mission.
It’s a simple idea, but Crowe’s script
is so exquisitely layered that the ride never becomes wearing. There’s a
genuine sense of tragedy as the White House bombing unfolds, and Parker’s
crusade becomes personal when he discovers that his son was a victim of the
blast. Too much of a coincidence? Perhaps, but the scenes in which Parker pours
out his grief effectively dispel any cynicism on the viewer’s behalf.
More than just a pilot, this boasts the qualities of a big budget feature:
| Episode
A1/A2 |
| Reviewed by David
Richardson |
| First aired 7 September
1998 |
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there are great effects, some extensive location
filming (including Washington and Las Vegas, no less), and the BackStep set is
absolutely vast. And, like a good movie, you can watch it again and
again. |
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| EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT
|
Back with a bang
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‘William Boone’s life has been
destroyed’; prophetic words, as they’re now literally true. So where
does Earth: Final Conflict go from here? A brief recap: at the end of
Season One (The Joining), Beckett got pregnant by an alien using
Sandoval’s form, the Liberation were almost found, and Boone was
apparently killed by Zo’or
Now, Beckett gives birth to baby Liam Kincaid who grows to adulthood within
hours, and handily agrees to fill in for Boone, the Taelons receive a major
shake-up, an alien visits, and more of the Taelon plan is revealed.
The Joining was an extremely fast-moving episode, and First of its
Kind continues the trend. It very effectively wraps up some loose ends, and
introduces a new character. However, there isn’t quite enough room to
squeeze all this in with the episode’s ‘A’ plot. Every main and
supporting cast member makes an appearance, with the prize for ‘Most
Pointless Scene’ going to Joshua Doors, who appears for no other reason
than to annoy the Taelons a bit. Rayna (saved from the alien probe during
Season One) also appears just in time to be taken over by a Jaridian. This race
are apparently not big Taelon fans, and when they discover inter-dimensional
travel, they’ll be heading to Earth, ostensibly to wipe everyone on the
planet out. Apart from finally revealing where the probe was from and why, this
plot is utterly superfluous to the episode, and could have been held back.
Also, no-one seems to care that the alien has taken over Rayna, and are very
keen to despatch it with full force. Maybe none of the Liberation liked her
much.
The rest of the episode consists mainly of ‘shuffling the pieces’, as
Lili is assigned to Sandoval, Kincaid saves Da’an’s life in a
Boone-like fashion and is appointed his Companion, Doors gets more stroppy and
Zo’or and Da’an continue their power play. And this is where the
episode excels, with some great interaction, especially between Doors and Liam
and Da’an and Zo’or, with Zo’or particularly making his feelings
known. It’s a new era, but thankfully it is the same show.
| Episode B1 |
| First aired 26 September
1998 |
| Reviewed by Paul Spragg
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