Sci-Fi Discussion in TV and Movies

So the Matt Smith generation of Doctor Who kicked off tonight with its premiere on BBC 1 here in the UK.

DCan't have been easy for him to try and fill the shows of David Tennant; and they were some mighty big shows to fill indeed.

I won't go into plot spoilers but will give my verdict

I thought that the acting was very good, both the new doctor and Amy Pond, the new companion came over very well in my opinion, the story was good, the new cinematic approach to the camera work made it look well and the tone of this one episode at least seemed more adult.

Karen Gillan

So as far as I'm concerned at this early stage, thumbs up for the casting and the production values.

What gets a thumbs down from me though is
- The titles and the new theme music; I could have done better (and that doesn't say much): see for yourselves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIkd2PesQFg
- I'm not convinced over the new TARDIS set
- The external of the TARDIS looks wrong, it's too vivid, too shiny

I didn't realize the show had really come back -- I recall the failed attempt in 1996. Tom Baker was always my favorite, though.

The 1996 one off tv movie failed because of a serious miscalculation. They americanised a national institution and the domestic audience wanted none of it.

There have been 4 highly successful series and several feature specials since its return in 2005. This is the start of series 5. You have some catching up to do!

I lost track of the show over the last two years... I have seen the first season of Torchwood, now that is a strange little show. I need to catch up with Dr. Who again! Is the show "Adventures of Sarah Jane still on?

I've never watched Torchwood or SJA. SJA is actually aired during kids TV I believe.

I think it's worth catching up on

Yes, SJA did seem to be directed towards children... however, it aired here right after Dr. Who... I guess a spin-off is a spin-off...

Has anyone seen the movie Moon? I highly recommend it!

Never heard of it.

It is a great movie. Sam Rockwell stars in it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/
Really good!

I saw the previews on TV...never did see it, I figured the astronaut on the moon was a clone or something that was expendable and was about to meet a newer version of himself or something...

Yeah I saw it. What I couldn't understand was why he wanted to escape from his life's real purpose after he found it out.

You're a pupet to a corporation who has utterly violated you and instead you err on the side of having a contract and decide to go back to work...

I watched it and thought it was alright. I liked Kevin Spacey bot

I was a little hazy over whether they were dropping dead after 3 years because the clones were set to degrade at 3 years, whether they were being poisoned (water?) or generally irradiated.

The plot was a little weak on the exact reason why they had to keep clones up there. The human monitored harvesting system isn't a closed system, the machines had to be maintained, those delivery rockets needed to be returned, food especially needed to be delivered although technically it's possible that the water could be a closed system.
They would have to send up replacement parts too. So why would they actually need to go to the great expense of cloning and covering it all up anyway?

You are created and raised by a company who only wants your service for 3 years and instead you ditch them and run for a life you never had...

It might be cheaper to "maintain" a clone (one at a time) compared to paying a qualified employee to live by himself on the moon. How much would you ask for working that job?

I think that assumption ignores the human spirit and the fact that the clone is entirely predisposed to believing that they really are who they think they are. If someone told you that you aren't the real Tak Wu right now and then suggested that you go live in isolation for the rest of your life - you know you're going to die - I doubt that you would be so obliging.

As for cheaper, hmm, possibly and I guess that they wouldn't be paying him anything. Yet sending things up and sending things back is clearly possible so the need for such long periods of isolation are unclear and the need for the workers to be alone is also unclear, the station could clearly support more than one person.

But generally in sci-fi, the clones, after finding out who they really are, usually choose (or are forced) to live the way their creators intended. I guess because usually their "parents" are the protagonists, and if the clones try to take over they would become the antagonist. And if they succeed, the story would be a tragedy, which simply doesn't happen nowadays in TV and movies.

In Voyager, the Kim and Paris clones had no choice but remain on the planet they were born in (or they'd die), and they accepted that fact. In SG-1, the team's robotic clones also needed to be recharged by their creator, and they also accepted that fact. However in both cases there is a follow-up episode where the clones would eventually try to live the lives of their parents, and ultimately fail.

What's so strange about Moon is that they put the clones as the protagonists, and so they have to succeed (at least partially) in their evil plan of betraying their creator. I guess it's a twist on the concept, but one that doesn't make much sense to me, especially if I think the clones should fail to be justice. And personally if I found out I was a clone I would simply accept that and live on the way I am supposed to.

Speaking of clones, how come we don't talk about Clone Wars anymore? In Canada we had a short down time after all channels dropped the series after season one. But recently Teletoon picked up the series and we get to see season two with almost no delay.

The Star Wars clones make more sense in that they do not retain Jango's memory, and they are altered to be obedient... "Execute order 66!" Sorry I had to But it's interesting as quite often Clone Wars episodes go into the clones' mentality; there was even one clone who ran away from the war and got himself a family. But in general there's no point for clones to be created if they betray their creators and become individuals.