Falling Skies (TV Series) Eight Hours (2011) User Reviews

Season One

[zkonedog · 9/10 · 4 July 2019]

Despite being a big fan of science-fiction television fare, I never really gave "Falling Skies" much of a chance upon its initial airing. The main reason? I'm not into post-apocalyptic drama. Upon continuous pressuring from family members telling me how much I would like the show, I finally decided to give it a try. Boy, had I ever been missing some great television.

For a basic plot summary, this first season of "Falling Skies" introduces a group of survivors from the Massachusetts area who are engaged in a war with alien creatures that are trying to colonize planet Earth. The aliens (primarily mechanical robots--Mechs--and spiderlike crawlies---Skitters--) always seem to have the upper hand, and it looks grim for the survivors. Yet, as we get to know this band of resistance fighters, we discover that they have quite a human spirit burning inside them and will do whatever it takes to survive and endure.

Though the post-apocalyptic setting initially turned me off, rest assured that it is only in setting. "Falling Skies" is really a show that focuses on the "human element" of the drama, featuring strong characters and many moral situations that must be faced in the wake of the alien attack. Some of my favorite moments/characters from this first season include:

-Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), who could be consider the somewhat-central character of the show. A former schoolteacher now thrust into very much a military role, it is interesting to see how Tom adapts to this "new society" while still retaining the lessons of the past. Tom's relationship with sons Hal (Drew Roy), Ben (Connor Jessup), and Matt (Maxim Knight) also provide some great drama as he must balance his love for them with their usefulness to the war effort. -Captain Weaver (Will Patton), commander of the military forces. Over the course of this first season, his character easily makes the most dramatic strides. What you think might be a cardboard, one-dimensional character turns out to be the exact opposite! -Pope (Colin Cunningham), a drifter who pledges loyalty to no man but himself. Provides an interesting perspective on how certain individuals could interpret a world catastrophe.

Basically, what it comes down to is that I never should have doubted a show executive produced by Steven Spielberg. "Falling Skies" features come of the greatest science fiction scenarios ever put to screen, while also balancing out that action and unique scenarios with incredible human drama as well. With only ten episodes this season, the action has to (and does) steadily progress in order to get anything accomplished. Even though that seems like a relatively short run-time, a remarkable amount of character development and plot progression occurs from episode one through episode ten.

I compare "Falling Skies" very favorably to the remake of "Battlestar Galactica". Both shows touch on very, very similar themes, but while BSG did it in space, FS is grounded here on Earth. I will hit Season Two off and running as soon as I can!

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 5 February 2022]

Rick flees to meet Megan and discloses the plan of the humans; however, she leaves him behind and Tom brings him back to the 2nd Mass. Captain Weaver requests volunteers to blow up the Skitter base since he does not have any information regarding Potter and the 4th and 5th Mass. Tom evacuates the civilians since the enemies know where they are. When they are attacked by Mechs, Scott and Ben jam their transmission. Tom finds Weaver and rescues him, but they are stopped on the road by Karen that invites Tom to meet her leader; otherwise the 2nd Mass will be destroyed.

"Eight Hours" is an episode of "Falling Skies" where the ending is a cliffhanger. Tom entering in the spacecraft recalls "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and the viewer can guess what he will discuss with the invader. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Eight Hours"

What waste of time!

[ferrers405 · 4/10 · 10 August 2011]

The last episode (8) gives you a hope that it will get better, but if there is a perfect single word to describe this season finale of Falling Skies is disappointment.

I can't imagine what Steven Spilberg had in mind when he supported this completely boring series, all it's a mess, weak characters, a few and slow action moments, almost nothing of Sci-Fi plus a horrible background history, show that unfortunately that series doesn't deserve a second season.

And this episode it's a combination of all this factors, and more an unwillingness to hold a sloth and a final decent, pleasant to the public and fans of the series.

One thing a can say to you: if you came through all the season to this episode it's better you expect nothing good and maybe you can feel comfortable watching to this.

Four minutes of real sci-fi and thirty eight of torturing lack of intelligence and ideas.

[cdagosto · 8 August 2011]

Is this a joke or real conspiracy?

Slowly making us more and more dumb, the people behind this unbelievable broadcast transmissible spongy encephalopathy has bad intentions.

The script is structured to maintain our attention waiting for signs of human thinking and behavior, like the primitive human ancestors part of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Mr Spielberg, are you an Alzheimer victim? Or simply believe that people can always be fooled with your old and obsolete tricks?

I want my time back. I want my cable tax back. I want my passion for the sci-fi back. I want my IQ back!

Your neuron killer is working, i can't find an elegant way to expose my thoughts, I'm just feeling an irresistible compulsion to repeat the same words over and over.

A few rare good minutes saved this episode from exploding in the deep blue sky

[igoatabase · 10 August 2011]

It's actually a story praising the finale, and even mentioning Lost, that convinced me to give Falling Skies an other chance. Now that I have seen its finale second part it's not that I regret it but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations and the inevitable jaw dropping effect I was awaiting never happened. It's obvious the production budget is limited but I just don't get the biped robots. The premiere intrigued us about these metal creatures but when they reminded me of RoboCop's ED-209 series their CG rendering is just too cheap and watching them walking in bright daylight is almost ridiculous. Moreover their masters have super advanced technologies that allowed them to blast the Earth and travel through space but their robots fire ammos and rockets. So it was weak in the action department but also when it came to the substance. I get the creators good intentions of teaching a few things to the audience about moral values and history but Tom's speech was misplaced, Noah Wyle played his part like a machine, and the flag metaphora was poor. Worst the characters behavior is questionable. One minute they're scared like chickens, the next they laugh and joke about what just happened. What would be wrong with frightening our children a little ? Hopefully the arcs involving the mutant and the captain were good. I think the teenager has done a decent job so far and looks spooky enough to make us believe that he's turning into something inhuman. Tom and Anne's relationship also developed further and even if it was nothing surprising it should make these characters grow on you even more. However I still consider Moon Bloodgood's talent deserves more than such a cliché role. As for the cliffhanger its concept was good but its execution was flawed. From the flimsy visual effects to the hasty development its quality wasn't worthy of a finale. In fact my biggest reproach would be the general lack of spirit. Falling Skies doesn't feel at all like a Steven Spielberg production. Where is E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial poetry and magic ? What about Close Encounters of the Third Kind epicness ? Otherwise I can only admit that it was at least interesting and made me curious about what could happen in season 2.

Just a question

[lowellstone · 14 August 2011]

I have no problem with the series other than it's just a soap opera with an invasion by extra-terrestrials as a background. I've noticed that there is really very little creature exploitation. Skitters are fairly well-conceived creatures, but we don't see enough of them.

We are constantly hoping the humans, with all of their frailties, don't become turncoats and try to save their own skins by consorting with the enemy. Enough! How about an overview of the conflict in other parts of the country - might give our boys some hope. It worked in "Independence Day"

Bottom line: from the great AL Capp character, Pogo - "We have met the enemy, and he is us".

By the way, was the final episode "Eight Hours" really a 2-hour episode, or did I miss something?