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Ascension |OT| Be part of Syfy's Last Hope

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K

Kevin

Member
I've only seen the first 5 or so episodes of Haven and I sort of got bored and stopped watching. That being said I did have some interest in returning to the series to see if I still feel the same about it and/or if it had improved.

Watched the entire first season of Helix and that was mostly crap. I did like a few elements of it including the setting and some of the ridiculousness of it all so I might watch the second season just for something to do on a very slow day.

12 Monkeys looks sort of ok. I guess we'll see how it turns out. It just seems like most SyFy shows are just average to crap in quality. Since I'm older, I still remember the great sci-fi shows of yore. At best now we just get popcorn stuff to watch.

Warehouse 13 and Eureka was the last two great SyFy shows that I liked and SyFy not only canceled both of them but refuse to release either of them on Blu-Ray for reasons unknown. I've lost more respect for SyFy then any other network including Fox.

I was interested in Ascension when details first came out about it. Upon seeing the trailers and reading the reviews, I am pretty sure I will just skip it like I did with most of the recent SyFy offerings.
 
S

Somnia

Member
Kevin said:
I've only seen the first 5 or so episodes of Haven and I sort of got bored and stopped watching. That being said I did have some interest in returning to the series to see if I still feel the same about it and/or if it had improved.

Watched the entire first season of Helix and that was mostly crap. I did like a few elements of it including the setting and some of the ridiculousness of it all so I might watch the second season just for something to do on a very slow day.

12 Monkeys looks sort of ok. I guess we'll see how it turns out. It just seems like most SyFy shows are just average to crap in quality. Since I'm older, I still remember the great sci-fi shows of yore. At best now we just get popcorn stuff to watch.

Warehouse 13 and Eureka was the last two great SyFy shows that I liked and SyFy not only canceled both of them but refuse to release either of them on Blu-Ray for reasons unknown. I've lost more respect for SyFy then any other network including Fox.
Click to expand...

The problem is Syfy has to do these shows on really low budgets. They've tried spending more on shows in the past and Warehouse 13 was the only really good ratings returner. Eureka and Haven are lucky to last so long.

Ascension is obviously another attempt at a higher budget, we'll see what happens.

I really enjoyed Helix season 1, season 2 looks a lot better imo.
 
K

Kevin

Member
Somnia said:
The problem is Syfy has to do these shows on really low budgets. They've tried spending more on shows in the past and Warehouse 13 was the only really good ratings returner. Eureka and Haven are lucky to last so long.

Ascension is obviously another attempt at a higher budget, we'll see what happens.

I really enjoyed Helix season 1, season 2 looks a lot better imo.
Click to expand...

People stopped watching SyFy shows because of the quality is KNOWN for being poor. Thus the low ratings and lack of interest in any new shows they develop.

Also budget doesn't equal quality. The writing is more important in most cases. Warehouse 13 both looked good and had fantastic writing. So did Eureka (most of the time). Both were canceled despite having better ratings then their most recent offerings. Which I always found to be quite strange as to why they were both canceled in the first place.
 
K

Kevin

Member
SyFy recently stated that they want to work on returning to quality programming. Let's hope they actually mean that and work toward that goal because good sci-fi tv is slim pickins these days.
 
S

saunderez

Member
rakhir said:
You can't copyright 'sci-fi', so not really.

I've only watched the pilot, should i bother with the rest, guys?
Click to expand...
Did you like the twist? If not then might as well leave it there. I enjoyed it a lot though I think a lot of that was down to the 60s aesthetic.
 
G

Gustav

Banned
So, I have only seen the first night so far and have a spoilery question, since I have not watched, um, intently enough.

How does the simulation work? How do they trick people into thinking they are in space? How do they explain gravity? What does the engineering deck do? Are there people on board that know it's a simulation? If you're an engineer on that ship, you need to know how it works, no?
 
S

Somnia

Member
Gustav said:
So, I have only seen the first night so far and have a spoilery question, since I have not watched, um, intently enough.

How does the simulation work? How do they trick people into thinking they are in space? How do they explain gravity? What does the engineering deck do? Are there people on board that know it's a simulation? If you're an engineer on that ship, you need to know how it works, no?
Click to expand...

They don't explain everything like gravity, etc. but they basically built a fully functional space ship. So on board the crew thinks its all legit working, has diagnostics, everything. There is someone on board yes and he is a very high up guy tech wise. Also this is 50 years after the "launch" which I guess they faked the launch also with the original crew since it sounds like they abducted some kids, etc. to do it. We'd probably find most of this out if they ever turn into a TV show.
 
G

Gustav

Banned
Somnia said:
They don't explain everything like gravity, etc. but they basically built a fully functional space ship. So on board the crew thinks its all legit working, has diagnostics, everything. There is someone on board yes and he is a very high up guy tech wise. Also this is 50 years after the "launch" which I guess they faked the launch also with the original crew since it sounds like they abducted some kids, etc. to do it. We'd probably find most of this out if they ever turn into a TV show.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's helps. Doesn't make it more believable to me, but I can follow.
 
S

Syncytia

Member
I just started the second(?) episode and I'm liking it even with the twist. Directv didn't give me any descriptions or anything but I'm assuming there are 3 episodes per night, 9 total?
 
I

ivysaur12

Banned
I would guess it gets picked to series. Even without knowing the DVR numbers:

.67
.43
.47

All 3 nights, which is like, fine and decent and whatever for es why eff why. I see them picking it up.
 
M

Mr.Swag

Banned
This show included the two things I hate the most, child characters important to the plot, and telekinesis.
Ahhh, I liked everything about it except that, and that's kinda the point of the show ain't it?

6.8/10
 
F

Freeza Under The Shower

Member
so... within ten minutes of the first episode I have seen tits, tight waist and ass, sex scene, and complete historical revision when the exposition academic (tm) claims that someone escaped the nazis and build rockets for NASA.
Oh yeah, complete historical whitewashing of the fact that it was (supposedly never 'really', but no sceptic buys that) nazis who build the entire bleeping space program.

I knew the premise was bad from the get go, but wow, that's a whole different level of shitting in the viewer's face and expecting them to like it.
 
S

Somnia

Member
Er it's a fantasy sci-fi show, I don't care if thing's aren't 100% realistic. That didn't bother me at all. To each their own though.
 
S

saunderez

Member
Mr.Swag said:
This show included the two things I hate the most, child characters important to the plot, and telekinesis.
Ahhh, I liked everything about it except that, and that's kinda the point of the show ain't it?

6.8/10
Click to expand...

Yeah making Krista central to the plot seemed like a mistake. I loved the face she made every time she was disgusted or scared by something. It was identical every time, would make a great drinking game to take a shot every time she made that face.
 
M

Morts

Member
Well, I liked it. I thought it was going to end when
what's-her-face got shot in the face at the motel
so I was quite surprised about where it actually ended.

Any idea when we'll know if it got picked up?
 
Pegasus Actual

Pegasus Actual

Member
THE STARCHILD MUST BE BORN. Get the hell out with that crap. No interest in seeing this go to series. It basically had two good scenes, the Rocket Man scene and the oxygen/rain scene at the end was kind of cool.

So the purpose of the spaceship was to trick scientists into thinking they were in space... so they could breed a telekinetic person that can then beam people to another planet with her mind. If not the outright winner that's at least a contender for "stupidest plot I've ever heard" And like half of the miniseries was wasted with a murder mystery that nobody cared about.

Swing and a miss, SyFy.
 
K

Kyougar

Member
Sooo...

where are the old people. Is this some kind of Logans Run dystopia sh**?
How did the first Generation didnt notice they were not really in space/starting?
*** some other dozen technical questions how they have xyz in this enviroment***

premise is ok. I want a second season, but boy Z-Nation is more credible right now.


And if it didnt get a second season, I would been pissed, that Im the only person on this fucking Alien Planet :D
 
A

aku:jiki

Member
I'm confused about what the point of all of that was. When the show begins, we're in space and it seems cool. Then we're not in space and it's all just a conspiracy. Then the conspiracy is about breeding superhumans that can teleport people to space? What? That feels like the most pointlessly circular plot ever.

I really enjoyed the first hour. A murder mystery on a space ship stuck in the 60's was cool with me. Then...I don't even know anymore. Where am I?
 
R

RS4-

Member
...what the fuck just happened. I guess I'd watch the rest of they ever show them.

At least that was better than Under the Dome.
 
S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
Sounds like a cool idea, but honestly, this would have been a lot more interesting if it was about mankind's first colony on a planet lightyears away - haven't really been any shows about the struggles of a cut-off human colony in a hostile environment.
 
D

DarkFlow

Banned
Zeitgeister said:
so... within ten minutes of the first episode I have seen tits, tight waist and ass, sex scene, and complete historical revision when the exposition academic (tm) claims that someone escaped the nazis and build rockets for NASA.
Oh yeah, complete historical whitewashing of the fact that it was (supposedly never 'really', but no sceptic buys that) nazis who build the entire bleeping space program.

I knew the premise was bad from the get go, but wow, that's a whole different level of shitting in the viewer's face and expecting them to like it.
Click to expand...
Out of all the crap in this show, THIS is what bothered you. Lol, okay man.
 
H

HP_Wuvcraft

Banned
I'm still confused as to why they thought they needed to go further than the show's original premise.

I mean.

I'm like.

Every ridiculously stupid thing they could have possible done, they did.
 
F

Freeza Under The Shower

Member
DarkFlow said:
Out of all the crap in this show, THIS is what bothered you. Lol, okay man.
Click to expand...

that was just the first ten minutes, and me being willing to suspend disbelief for the heck of it.

I could have just pointed out that miracle gravity apparently is a thing.
You know, the kind of things well known and anyone would have been to figure out in less than ONE whole minute. "we have gravity... so we never left Earth". And that's ignoring the whole 'miracle radiation shield', the use of sun instead of star, the fact that bodies are dropping fast because the writer has no fucking idea how to create a compelling premise ,and the list goes oooooon.


But all that aside, I'm European and so anyone going "lol, history" on that particular topic is deeply insulting. Not only that, it's meant as a lazy twist for the son being 'EEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIL', so it's actually insult upon insult.
Because they could easily have hooked the necessity of evil to the actual historical development of the rocket program itself, placing it firmly in actual history and providing the entire plot with a sense of gravitas that the show now DOESN'T FUCKING HAVE.

So yeah, that's kind of big deal because the show's entire premise hinges on it and falls apart right there and then. This thing is crap, and you damn well know it.
 
S

Somnia

Member
Zeitgeister said:
that was just the first ten minutes, and me being willing to suspend disbelief for the heck of it.

I could have just pointed out that miracle gravity apparently is a thing.
You know, the kind of things well known and anyone would have been to figure out in less than ONE whole minute. "we have gravity... so we never left Earth". And that's ignoring the whole 'miracle radiation shield', the use of sun instead of star, the fact that bodies are dropping fast because the writer has no fucking idea how to create a compelling premise ,and the list goes oooooon.


But all that aside, I'm European and so anyone going "lol, history" on that particular topic is deeply insulting. Not only that, it's meant as a lazy twist for the son being 'EEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIL', so it's actually insult upon insult.
Because they could easily have hooked the necessity of evil to the actual historical development of the rocket program itself, placing it firmly in actual history and providing the entire plot with a sense of gravitas that the show now DOESN'T FUCKING HAVE.

So yeah, that's kind of big deal because the show's entire premise hinges on it and falls apart right there and then. This thing is crap, and you damn well know it.
Click to expand...

Except I enjoyed it, so to each their own man.
 
B

berzeli

Banned
I still haven't caught up entirely (and might not even do that), but boy is this stupid. Like wow.
Anyway Den of Geek (UK) review up:

If you’ve spent the sort of money that Ascension cost to make, and employed some of the actors in it, you’d think that would go hand-in-hand with a plan of sorts. But having seen Ascension there appeared to be no plan other than to come up with a unbelievable, nay preposterous idea and then hope that somewhere in production something magical might happen. It didn’t.
...
The inspiration for Ascension is a long buried plan that JFK had drawn up called Project Orion
It never happened because it was a very dumb idea and entirely impractical on numerous levels given 1963 technology. It’s even impractical today, because we don’t have the capability to lift an aircraft carrier-sized object into space even in bits.
...
That they then use Rocket Man as the intro music is pretty ironic, because it came out in 1972 and therefore nobody on Ascension would ever have heard it.
...
Also, some of the acting in these sequences is awful. There is no other way to describe it. People spit out the words like they’ve found something truly horrible in their mouths, and given some of the lines, it’s quite understandable.
...
Eventually they determine that Lorelei was strangled, beaten, drowned and shot, and that it might well be suspicious with there being no guns on Ascension. That revelation was the only point at which I laughed, because the idea that 600 Americans would go anywhere and no one would bring a gun is beyond belief.
...
For one amazing moment I realised that an interesting idea was bubbling under the surface, trying to make it to the sunlight. And then, Ascension just continued on its dreary and utterly humourless path.
...
That poses the question as to why this is still going on, given that those government people running the show are trampling on just about every human right that those on the ‘ship’ have.
When the answer to that came about half way through the second part, it was the dumbest idea this reviewer has ever heard voiced with such seriousness.
...
Ascension was science fiction without science, character-driven narrative without characters and a story so lacking in interest that this could be the cure for insomnia.
Click to expand...
They didn't like it.

The A.V. Club also posted their review but it is no way near as quotable. B-
 
S

shadyspace

Banned
Zeitgeister said:
that was just the first ten minutes, and me being willing to suspend disbelief for the heck of it.

I could have just pointed out that miracle gravity apparently is a thing.
You know, the kind of things well known and anyone would have been to figure out in less than ONE whole minute. "we have gravity... so we never left Earth". And that's ignoring the whole 'miracle radiation shield', the use of sun instead of star, the fact that bodies are dropping fast because the writer has no fucking idea how to create a compelling premise ,and the list goes oooooon.


But all that aside, I'm European and so anyone going "lol, history" on that particular topic is deeply insulting. Not only that, it's meant as a lazy twist for the son being 'EEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIL', so it's actually insult upon insult.
Because they could easily have hooked the necessity of evil to the actual historical development of the rocket program itself, placing it firmly in actual history and providing the entire plot with a sense of gravitas that the show now DOESN'T FUCKING HAVE.

So yeah, that's kind of big deal because the show's entire premise hinges on it and falls apart right there and then. This thing is crap, and you damn well know it.
Click to expand...

You are goddamn crazy.
 
C

Chris R

Member
I liked this :(

though it would be a better show if it was actually about a murder mystery on a generational ship, no human experiment incubator stuff. That or if the human incubator didn't crank out the star child.

edit: about gravity
if the ship was in space gravity could be provided by constant 1g acceleration. You thrust at 1g towards the desired goal for half the trip and then thrust away at 1g to arrive at the trip having Earthlike gravity applied the entire time. Only issue is this would take like 5 years to get to Centauri and not 100 :p
 
I

ivysaur12

Banned
rhfb said:
Eh common courtesy to other late viewers. If I was a month late in watching I'd drop them but the stuff just aired this week and people often have a DVR backlog.
Click to expand...

Nope. That's not how TV-GAF works. Once it airs, free reign. If you care, don't come in the thread.
 
S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
rhfb said:
I liked this :(

though it would be a better show if it was actually about a murder mystery on a generational ship, no human experiment incubator stuff. That or if the human incubator didn't crank out the star child.

edit: about gravity
if the ship was in space gravity could be provided by constant 1g acceleration. You thrust at 1g towards the desired goal for half the trip and then thrust away at 1g to arrive at the trip having Earthlike gravity applied the entire time. Only issue is this would take like 5 years to get to Centauri and not 100 :p
Click to expand...

Seriously, remove everything outside of the ship and would have might for quite and interesting show. You could still have the whole breeding thing, only that would be done by a faction that's been secretly been working behind the scenes on-board teh ship.

That way, you'd at least have a proper space serial.
 
D

DarkFlow

Banned
Zeitgeister said:
that was just the first ten minutes, and me being willing to suspend disbelief for the heck of it.

I could have just pointed out that miracle gravity apparently is a thing.
You know, the kind of things well known and anyone would have been to figure out in less than ONE whole minute. "we have gravity... so we never left Earth". And that's ignoring the whole 'miracle radiation shield', the use of sun instead of star, the fact that bodies are dropping fast because the writer has no fucking idea how to create a compelling premise ,and the list goes oooooon.


But all that aside, I'm European and so anyone going "lol, history" on that particular topic is deeply insulting. Not only that, it's meant as a lazy twist for the son being 'EEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIL', so it's actually insult upon insult.
Because they could easily have hooked the necessity of evil to the actual historical development of the rocket program itself, placing it firmly in actual history and providing the entire plot with a sense of gravitas that the show now DOESN'T FUCKING HAVE.

So yeah, that's kind of big deal because the show's entire premise hinges on it and falls apart right there and then. This thing is crap, and you damn well know it.
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0
 
F

Fantastical

Death Prophet
Why do child actors have to be so horrible? That little girl was fucking horrible and was basically what the show was centered around. Why would you not try to find a better actress?
 
T

The Teachinator

Banned
I watched this today. Wow! I was surprised. I thought it was awesome. As another poster stated I was expecting them to actually launch.

What an interesting show! I'm hopeful for additional episodes!
 
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