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.

Virtual reality, a video game in which everything and everyone seems real. The bullets, fire, even people you'd know might turn up in it and try to shut you down. That's the problem Lt. Tom Hobbes (Scott Bairstow, "Wild America", "Lonesome Dove: the Outlaw Years") has to put up with in Chris Carter's new FOX show "Harsh Realm", about a soldier whose forced to play in a dangerous VR game that acquires the title of the show!



Before watching this show, I never really was a fan of Chris Carter's shows or of Scott Bairstow. I don't like "The X-files" that much, and I thought Bairstow played weak roles prior to joining the ansemble cast of "Harsh Realm". This is a really cool show, with cool graphics, great performances (especially of Bairstow's, who really shines in this) and a nicely-woven plot. This is a great way to spend Friday nights, proving that virtual reality doesn't bite!!

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 got into 'The X-Files', loved 'Millennium' so it wasn't a huge shock that I was going to give Chris Carter's new project 'Harsh Realm' a fair shake. Though I can also say I was no fanboy who thought he could do no wrong. With a decent cast, a fair bit of hype and with no knowledge of the comic book it was quasi based on for the record, I was going in completely blind. I don't love this series as much as other people, but I can go as far as saying it showed promise.

Watched the three episodes that aired on TV before it was cancelled then saw all nine. I admit I was intrigued by the initial premise of a virtual reality world & the military man sent into it. Allies, foes, learning the landscape. They certainly gave some action. Shades of government conspiracy certainly didn't hurt. Lastly his journey to get back to the real world to be with his pregnant fiance felt authentic.

I became a fan of Terry Quinn (General Santiago) because of 'Millennium' and I had watched Scott Bairstow (Lt. Hobbes) in the Canadian filmed series 'Lonesome Dove'. Pinocchio (D. B. Sweeney) was fun and a much needed rougher edger to the show. I knew of Samantha Mathis (Sophie) from films such as 'Pump Up The Volume' & 'Broken Arrow'. It's the first thing I remember seeing Max Martini (Major Waters) in too.

Reviewing it leaves me in an odd place because I have to judge it as-is and presented in episodic format leaves it opens to questions. Like those of "what's going on?", deeper motivations and real world consequences to the game that never got to be explored. I liked the premise and some episodes ideas were stronger than others. I liked the actors involved and the bursts of action. The opening title sequence was pretty hype and loaded with atmosphere. 'Harsh Realm' was ultimately uneven, but maybe it would have gotten better. Maybe it wouldn't have. We'll never know now.