Harsh Realm

Harsh Realm was an intriguing premise which was unfairly dismissed out of hand before it got a chance to show what it could become. Aside from movies such as 'The Matrix', or if you want to go back even earlier, 'Tron', the concept of virtual reality is still largely unexplored in popular television and cinema. Had it been allowed to develop naturally, who knows where Harsh Realm might have led us as it explored the worlds within our world.

Scott Bairstow, the quietly earnest Tom Hobbes, and D.B. Sweeney, throwing a more cynical view on things as Michael Pinocchio, were great leading men, giving wonderfully nuanced performances that were just beginning to grow in strength as they worked out their characters quirks and foibles. Supporting players Rachel Hayward as Florence and Max Martini as Mel Waters did much with little, while Terry O'Quinn's Santiago was a suitably driven dictator and Sarah Jane Redmond added many shades of grey to the ambiguous Inga. Perhaps the only performance that failed to impress came from Samantha Mathis as the saccherine Sophie, but given time she to could have shone.

That's not to say it was all good. The dog, although very cute, quickly became a plot liability, while episodes like 'Three Percenters' and 'Leviathan' were hardly stand-outs and the pilot needed a second and even third viewing for this reviewer to understand the complex story line. But in the mix you also get episodes such as 'Reunion', 'Manus Domini' and 'Cincinnati' which are rich in character development and great stories to boot.

Who knows what might have happened had Harsh Realm been allowed to run a full season. It might not have lasted the distance, but then again, maybe it could have. With careful nurturing it could have turned into a thoughtful, contemplative show that questioned our very reason for being, or else simply a rollicking good adventure series.

As it is, Harsh realm lives on in the minds of a few dedicated fans and is a prime example of why nervous network executives should give second thought about pulling the plug too early.

Okay, let me start off by saying I'd never heard of Harsh Realm. 1999 was a busy year for me, and when I heard the words "From the creator of the X-Files..." I didn't get to the end of any of the ads before I turned the channel. I never liked the X-Files, and for no particularly good reason. I might never have heard of Harsh Realm, but I work at Wal-Mart, and they got some DVD series in for fifteen bucks, and I thought "Hmmmm." I picked up Dark Angel first, another series I'd never heard of, then, the next week, I gave Harsh Realm a try. I enjoyed all 9 episodes very much, and I enjoyed the special feature's look behind the scenes. It was well put-together, and they didn't spend the whole time yelling about how they were never given a chance and all that, as some people like to do in their commentaries. I only wish the show had had a definitive ending, and, of course, that I had watched episode nine before episode eight, as I was instructed to do. I'm not going to say anything to spoil it, just that if you pick up the DVDs for yourself, you should watch nine, then eight, it gives it more of an "ending" feel, if only slightly....

The show is about a guy named Hobbes who is put into a sort of alternate reality (like the matrix, but knowingly). Hobbes wants to get out of this alternate reality and the only way is to kill a guy called Santiago. Chris Carter's (creator of the x-files) directing makes the show very good and have a great plot and acting. Another cool thing is the constant use of the song "Climbatize" by prodigy. Overall a great plot and very well made show. Was one of those summer shows on fox that was really good but never made it.

Lt. Thomas Hobbes (Scott Bairstow) is set to leave the military and marry Sophie Green (Samantha Mathis) to start a new life. Out of the blue, he has one last mission to complete. He has to enter a virtual reality game developed by the military called Harsh Realm. His mission is to take out retired legend, General Omar Santiago (Terry O'Quinn), in order to get the high score. Once inside, he can't get out. He is saved by the mysterious Florence (Rachel Hayward) who has special healing powers. He is joined by fellow soldier Mike Pinnochio (D. B. Sweeney) sent on the same mission and Dexter the Dog. Harsh Realm is a recreation of Earth with all the population copied from the real world but it is running on its own dystopian course. Meanwhile in the real world, Sophie is told that Thomas had been killed while on a secret mission but the mysterious Inga Fossa (Sarah-Jane Redmond) sets her on a course to uncover the truth.

This is a great general premise adapted from a comic book but creator Chris Carter needs to work out some of the details much better. First, the military would never select soldiers with any close families. The soldiers need to disappear without anyone noticing or coming to search for them. This makes the real world a rather annoying distraction. The show doesn't need Sophie or much of the real world after going into Harsh Realm. The dog is another weird addition. It seems to be somebody's silly idea but nobody thought too much about it. The show eventually pushes them aside in the later episodes. Some more brain-storming sessions would have cut them out right from the start.

There is also the difficulty of doing this with limited CG and probably a lower budget. This is a virtual reality world where strange things can happen. It doesn't deliver on what it promises. My favorite episode is the WWII one. I like the theme song which is a good pump up for the show. In the end, it failed to retain a good audience. It got canceled after three episodes and only nine were ever made.

I have never been a fan of the sci-fi type shows, although I did like Star Trek (the original). However as a die-hard D.B.Sweeney fan, I had to buy this series when it came out on DVD. I have only had a chance to watch four of the episodes, but I am so intrigued by this series, I am making time on my calendar to watch the rest. I cannot imagine why Fox cancelled it. It is fun to watch, it is thought provoking and I thought the actors all played their roles well. When I look at the TV shows in the lineups, all of the so-called "reality" shows, I cannot help but wonder WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? I am so sick of the bachelors, the bachelorettes, now wife-swapping? Come on somebody give us a good storyline. One like the Harsh Realm. We know it's not real, it's not supposed to be, but it is just good acting, adventure and what-are-they gonna-encounter-next viewing. Good old time TV, kind of like the shows that we used to be able to watch, "The Streets of San Fran,", just to name one of many. I agree with the previous comment, FOX would do a good thing if they would make a mini-series or a theatrical movie of this show. Only please use the same actors, I hate when someone creates a character and then the Hollywood moguls replace them with another so-called "name" actor for the box office draw. If you're afraid, make a TV mini-series. I've seen the Matrix, yuck, (my husband made me) I've watched the X-files, so-so. If you risk your money on these why not Harsh Realm?