Harsh Realm

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....

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.

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?

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.

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.