The King Is Dead

Sci-Fi is about ideas, technology and action - stuff that is thought provoking. This show so far is 90% about dysfunctional relationships. This is like a techie chick flick. Totally slow paced and booooooring. Please speed it up a bit.

I gave it another shot. 6 minutes of watchable entertainment out of 56 minute program. Excepting the Japanese portion, the other people have no useful content. Focusing on irrelevant and unimportant events for no discernible reason. What happened to Sam Neill and his part? Sigh.

I can't help but feel that many of the reviews here are slightly prejudiced, in no disrespect btw. I completely get the argument that it's slow - yes, I agree. Sometimes, at points and at times it's lethargic. The characters (some of them) are weak, and the attempts to make the audience reconcile and actually like some of them are often futile. But I also feel like some characters have been worked excellently.

Yes, there are multiple random story arcs with limited resonance but that's a refreshing take on TV. Yes, there's very little "Invasion" happening for a series named "Invasion", but overall I feel like so far it's building its way up. Little by little we are introduced more backstory, which allows for such powerful scenes (the ending in this episode and some other scenes in previous episodes).

It's slow, but for a reason.

I feel like nobody is addressing the elephant in the room. That's why all those reviewers of those "positive" reviews are ranting at the ones leaving a negative review.

So, if I may, allow me to play the devil's advocate here;

The main problem of this show (thus far, 4 episodes in) is not that it is super slow, lack of actual Alien invasion, too much drama, boring, boring, boring japanese segment, wife that totally belongs in a lifetime movie deals with cheating husband, etc. No, the problem is that this show has been falsely advertised as being a Sci-Fi show.

This is the premise of the show, and I quote from IMDb's main page for this series:

"Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens humanity's existence. Events unfold in real time through the eyes of five ordinary people across the globe as they struggle to make sense of the chaos unraveling around them."

Of course, when you look at the genre, it says, DRAMA, FANTASY, SCI-FI. We are used to sci-fi shows of this combination. Usually it means more sci-fi, a little fantasy and the drama part is suppose to be there for developments and to make the characters more relatable; be it plot, characters, life changing events, etc. Think a sci-fi TV-show/Movie that has to deal with politics for example, (Dune, Foundation, The Expanse, to name a few) not just mindless shoot'em up. So, we need the drama.

Having said that, this show leans too much into the drama part. It's a drama show that has like 3% sci-fi element. Again, a drama show in itself is not necessarily bad. However, this show was marketed as SCI-FI, was sold on the fact that IT-IS-A-SCI-FI-SHOW! So naturally the GROUP IT TARGETS (or at the very least DRAWS), is a group that wants to see a SCI-FI show. A group that watches shows like Resident Alien (2021), The Expanse (2015), Falling Skies (2011), Altered Carbon (2018), The Mandalorian (2019), Foundation (2021) (FOUNDATION also entices quite the hate, but not from me. I like it. Say what you will about FOUNDATION, at least its more sci-fi than this!!!).

This group is not interested in a drama show. I'm switching to my perspective now; I'm not interested in TV-Drama. The genre that is. So when I choose what to entertain myself with, I completely omit only Drama Television ala Titanic, The Crown, etc.

No one is saying they want to just see mindless Alien Invasion that leans heavily into explosion and heavy artilleries firing at anything that moves ala Transformers! Or dismemberment of people, brains flying all over the place!!! We don't need that! Though the mob of the positive reviews sure make it seem like anyone who doesn't remotely like this show is part of that group that also enjoy the endless Halloween movies where Mike Myers is basically stronger than Thor and Hulk combined!!! No, all we are saying is we want what we came here to see: a decent Sci-Fi show and so far INVASION has failed to deliver.

Anyways, in conclusion: This show, is not inherently bad. The problem is the targeted group it drew under false pretense of being a Sci-Fi show, when in reality its just an ordinary drama show that deals with real life issues, laced veeeeeeeeeeeery thinly with a wee bit of Sci-Fi (the Sci-Fi, thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread; the DRAMA.... Bilbo Legendary Baggins!!!)

Update: per the comparisons to foundation... imho it took 7 (!) entire episodes of that show, to arrive at a "point", or to click (only for me personally I'm saying) and make me say "ohhhhh...I get it now" out loud, like an idiot. But I didn't write a single review of foundation because it was mostly good. I came here to write a review, of this episode only, because I was so bored watching it and because of my disdain for stupid characters/motivations. The other reviewers pointed out the marketing vs the actual show. Well said. Go watch the trailers and come back here and tell me they match the content. The other reviewers pointed out the highway stop scene also. Well said. Wasn't that the stupidest thing you're ever seen? For the record, the woman portraying the Japanese space agency character is one of the better actors on the show. I was invested in her emotionally.

Original: Took 48 minutes to get interesting. I'm writing this during the episode. That should tell you how entertaining I found it.

Some lame characters do some dumb things. Questionable motivations abound. Actress on the poster is good when she isn't whining about her doofus husband or screaming & crying. Given dialog, she's clearly a solid actor. My point is, the on-screen talent isn't the problem.

A kid gets knocked to the ground at one point. And it takes them what feels like 30 seconds to get back up. The pacing forced me to check my watch. I want to like the show. Stayed up to watch it. But almost fell asleep this episode.

I remain skeptical of this show. I dont like shows about dumb characters doing dumb things.