Ascension [SyFy - December 15/16/17] [** Spoilers **]

Mr E

About a month away, and it looks pretty good. SyFy are going to show 6 episodes over 3 nights.

Ascension is inspired by the real-life Project Orion that existed under the administration of President John F. Kennedy. The show sets up an alternate version of reality in which, in 1963, President Kennedy and the U.S. government, fearing the Cold War will become hot and lead to the destruction of the Earth, decided to launch a covert space mission. They sent 600 men, women and children into space on a century-long voyage aboard the Ascension, a massive, self-sustaining generation ship. Their mission is to populate a new world, known as Proxima, assuring the survival of the human race. Nearly 50 years into the journey (i.e. in the present), as they approach the point of no return, the mysterious murder of a young woman — the first homicide since their departure - causes the ship's crew to question the true nature of their mission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJqQ4OdPcAo

Mr E

Starts tomorrow night.

The opening episode got a great review on IGN (spoiler free), so I'm looking forward to it even more now.

SherlockWatson

Wow I knew they were going back to Sci Fi but I didn't actually expect anything decent, definitely gonna check this out.

pixelburp

I've read of it getting fairly mixed reviews, noting poor scripting and characterisation; the premise sounds very interesting though, if a little hard to believe so I'm hoping it's just some first-episode cobwebs. Still, ScyFy's reputation is so far down the toilet, if they manged to make this even vaguely competent and watchable it'd be cause for celebration.

Melodeon

Has anyone's American cousin got this yet???

somuj

That is some twist at the end of the episode. Thought it was rubbish with too much color at the start. Grew on me half way through the episode.

JohnK

I'm just after watching it and enjoyed it. Yeah that twist was interesting and a good way to keep the earth people involved.

somuj

Much better episode. Seems the real purpose of the "mission" is something different entirley.

pixelburp

Wow, it's not often you see a TV show jump the shark in its own pilot episode. I was genuinely intrigued by the premise, Mad Men crossed with Battlestar Galactica seemed like an interesting idea and good excuse to channel some retro sci-fi styling, but the big cliffhanger in episode 1 just killed everything dead.

Ok, in some ways the reveal that Ascension was an elaborate hoax answered much of the incredulity of the premise had it all been real (though you'd think people might wonder where the gravity was coming from), but equally it rendered everything that happened 'on-board' utterly meaningless and fake, adding up to showy filler for what was, in reality, a vague and uninteresting science-conspiracy. All the sexy-times, political manoeuvring and murder mysteries became that bit more pointless and hollow. I daresay people tuned in for 60s eras space thrills and mystery - though even that was completely half-baked - not eugenics and psychic children, or whatever that nonsense was all about.

Keep trying Scy-Fy, you might get there eventually...

Agent Coulson

I really enjoyed it.

I really didn't mind it was

an experiment

I thought that added to the overall story.

There was alot forced into making it a 6 episode mini series where it might have been better spread out over 10/12 episodes.

"The star child must be born!" Christa

A Christ like figure I'm guessing is what they are hinting at.

If they do make another series I will watch it anyway.

JohnK

Watched the rest of it last night and was quite happy overall. I didn't mind the

ship being on earth the whole time as even though it may be fake its still very real to everyone on board and while they may not be facing any legitimate danger from space they are still at risk for sabotage or even just games from the controllers so thats good enough for me. Plus based on the last scene if they do have a season 2 it probably will be in actual space.

I'll certainly be watching season 2 if it materialises.

squonk

Just watched all 3 tonight. Thought I'd only get in 2 tonight but got engrossed and stuck til the end. Very enjoyable. Bit of a crazy, unexplained ending I thought but definitely great for what it was. I hope they keep the same 3 episode format if it makes it to season 2. I liked this but I'm not sure I'm interested in a 13 ep season either.

JP Liz V1

Starts on Sky 1 on Friday January 16th at 9pm

Mr E

Finished it off today. Not bad but not brilliant. It looks like it was designed as an extended pilot for something longer (like the original BSG mini-series). The

starchild

thing has been done to death, though.

I'll watch season 2 if it gets commissioned.

danger_mouse_tm

Just finished watching a marathon of it. Fantastic. They do like to take a drink!

silverharp

I liked it. There are some obvious science flaws in it but that aside its fine

pixelburp

I dunno, ultimately the whole 'Mad Men in space' angle felt completely wasted and like an empty excuse to market the episodes as something they weren't. Not sure I'd tune in to a full series.

MagicMarker

30 minutes into the first episode. It's bloody awful.

Antar Bolaeisk

Wasn't too bad, actually started to like it before the end.

Thought the episode one twist was fairly obvious when they opened in present day America so at least they had something else up their sleeve.

johnire

Snap!
I lasted about the same time. It's a pity as I was willing it to be good but I just couldn't get in on it. Pity.

MagicMarker wrote: »

30 minutes into the first episode. It's bloody awful.

TerrorFirmer

Very interesting idea, poorly executed. Still though, idea's strong enough that I'd be willing to watch more. Can't help but feel that holding back the big reveal from the end of episode one until a season finale would have been a much better move - as someone else said, events after the reveal lost a large deal of their meaning instantly.

AMKC

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Very interesting idea, poorly executed. Still though, idea's strong enough that I'd be willing to watch more. Can't help but feel that holding back the big reveal from the end of episode one until a season finale would have been a much better move - as someone else said, events after the reveal lost a large deal of their meaning instantly.

Have to agree thought it was silly of them to have the big reveal on the first episode they should have kept it till at least the 2nd or 3rd one.There is some parts to it I really like and there is some parts that I just found boring or dull. Hopefully the next two episodes will be better.

AMKC

The 2nd episode of this was so much better. It makes real sense why they revealed that the ship is not really in deep space in this episode. There was a lot more going on in this episode too and also more action. Can,t wait for episode three to see how they finish it. I think there was the potential in this to make a good series out of it.

golfball37

I've watched the first two episodes and I am enjoying it. Then again I enjoyed Caprica which many seem to despise also.

AMKC

@Golfball37 I quite liked Gaprica myself too thought it was really good the way it was done and had some very interesting story's. Was a pity it got cancelled after its first season.

pinkypinky

Just finished the third episode.

Should have known better than to think they would wrap it in these few episodes. Ending was a little rushed but cool to see Vionndra take over the ship and that the captain wasn't quite the person we thought. I think the starchild concept is overdone but I was not expecting that final scene. I'd say we're definitely looking at a second series. Best twist for me was the conspiracy blogger.

alchemist33

I enjoyed the first episode, was bored in the second, and just got confused in the third about what sort of programme it is. It veered from SF to conspiracy thriller to SF again. Overall I thought it was poor, with rushed scenes and poor plotting. I wouldn't be too bothered about another series.

FutureGuy

A pretty decent show that I will remember for it's twists rather than the rest of the content.

It could definitelty have a season two and I would watch it,

bnt

I don't think there will be a 2nd season as such, because the story is kind-of played out since a primary project goal has been reached.

I saw the "star child" as a reference to the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and since Gault has landed on a planet with two Suns, that means she transported him across multiple light years in an instant. Who needs conventional space travel - or a simulation thereof - when you have her?

I thought Brian Van Holt (Capt. Denninger) looked familar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before. Well, he also starred in Cougar Town, a series I watched in full and enjoyed. D'oh!

pixelburp

Bumping the thread, as anyone hoping this gets a full series will be disappointed to learn it won't:
http://deadline.com/2015/03/ascension-not-going-as-series-syfy-1201389677/

Not too surprising, the big surprise in episode 1 was the precise moment the show took a nose-dive into the abyss. Another case of 'wasted potential' with Scy-Fy, but that's par for the course

expectationlost

hopefully they'll get to make something else