I love good science fiction shows and this year, I’ve been lucky enough to write about two of them and hopefully get you to check out a third one that I’ve discovered. One show in particular kept me interested because of its subject matter; genetics. Another show because of its plot centered on alien and human cohabitation, and a third because it handled zombies is such a different way. What are my February Faves of science fiction? Find out after the jump.
Orphan Black
“Orphan Black” premiered on BBC America and was created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett. The premise of this intriguing show did not ask if cloning was possible; it is, but what happens after you’ve cloned a human? What are the pros and cons of cloning humans? Do clones have rights? Everything on this show is based on scientific research, and the story allows the audience a peek into the shady side of cloning; think runaway science project.
The main star is the very talented Tatiana Maslany. Tatiana plays Sara Manning, an orphan who is street wise and always in trouble. She has a young daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler), who is being raised by Sara’s foster mother Mrs. S. (Maria Doyle Kennedy). After witnessing a look-a-like commit suicide, Sarah takes over the dead woman’s identity, bank account and boyfriend and becomes Beth Childs a police detective. Over the next few episodes Sara/Beth learns that she is clone and that there are other look-a-likes living in the vicinity.
Tatiana Maslany played seven different clones on season one. Tatiana was so good at morphing into the different personalities of each clone that you actually believe the clones were separate entities. Jordan Garvis plays Felix Dawkins, Sarah’s adopted brother, sidekick, and thankfully for us, comic relief. Sarah meets her birth mother and learns about Rachael Duncan a self-aware Proclone. People are trying to kill the clones. If you want to know why then catch up on season one because the season two premieres on April 19th, 2014.
Defiance
I didn’t think I would find a science fiction show equal to “Firefly” and “Farscape,” but the Syfy channel along with Universal Cable Productions and Trion Worlds has produced a hit series with its very own video game that ties in with the show; “Defiance.”
The story is set in the future where several species of aliens known as the Votans come to Earth seeking a new home; their solar system was destroyed. The original occupants of Earth are not looking for new BFF’s and a war breaks out. Carried on these spaceships is the technology to terraform the planet Earth to make it more suitable for the new species. Unfortunately the technology is released when one of the ‘Arks’ falls to earth causing a drastic change to the landscape and fauna on Earth. Antarctica is now a tropical rainforest.
A fragile peace is made and aliens and humans work and live together. The story focuses on one town, Defiance AKA Old St. Lewis and the people and aliens; good and bad, who live there. Grant Bowler is Joshua Nolan, the local lawman who along with his adopted alien daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas); try to keep humans and aliens from doing each other in. Their task is not an easy one, but they find an ally in Mayor Amanda Rosewater (Julie Benz) and her sister Kenya (Mia Kirshner) the Madam of the local saloon.
Like I said, there are good and bad on both sides, but it is the Tarr family that you need to beware of. While Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) stops at nothing, including murder, to take control of the town, his wife Stahma (the fabulous Jaime Murray) slowly draws her unsuspecting enemies within her web of deceit and death. Biff Bam Pop! did a two part interview of Jaime Murray, here and here Neither Datak or Stahma can control their headstrong son Alak (Jesse Rath) from falling in love with Christie McCawley (Nicole Munoz) daughter of Rafe (Graham Greene) owner of the mines and arch enemy of Datak. The cliff hanger has Irisa discovering her powers as the soldiers of the Earth Republic march into the town. This awesome show returns in June 2014.
The Returned
I found this show on one of those sleepless nights where I sit in front of the TV and scan the cable guide looking for anything that will hold my attention. “The Returned” not only held my attention, but made me a big fan. Created by Fabrice Gobert and shown on Canal+ in France and the Sundance Channel, “The Returned” is based on the 2004 film They Came Back, or in French Les Revenants. The story takes place in a small mountain town where suddenly dead people return to their homes looking quite healthy and alive, but with no memory that they’ve been dead; some for many years.
Season one of the story centers around a young teen Camille (Yara Pilartz) her twin Lena (Jenna Thiam) who is now for years old and not so happy to have Camille return, Simon (Pierre Perrier) a young man who was dead for ten years and returns to learn he has a daughter, Victor (Swann Nambotin) a small boy who was killed thirty years ago and Serge (Guillaume Gouix) a serial killer who likes to eat the internal organs of the women he kills.
If this scenario wasn’t enough to get your attention, there is also the problem of the town’s reservoir mysteriously getting lower as strange power outages continue to increase. Season one ended with a horde of dead people, who once lived in the town that was buried beneath the reservoir, coming for the newly raised zombies. It’s not your typical zombie show and I can’t wait for season two which should return in late 2014.
Conclusion
Hope you liked my pick of February Faves because I’m looking forward to reviewing them for you this year. Stay tuned for more of Biff Bam Pop!’s February Faves.
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