Alphas

I just got through seeing "Alphas" on Amazon Instant Video for free. I saw every episode, all 24. It's too bad Syfy cancelled "Alphas". It was entertaining, interesting, not boring. Why they cancelled it I don't know. The action was good and the special effects were credible.

Usually Syfy TV series are awful. Usually the special effects in Syfy TV series are terrible. However, in "Alphas" they were pretty good. The characters were also credible and developed. I think Syfy should have had at least 1 more season. I think there was enough potential content to fill another season. Syfy also should have allowed "Alphas" to have an ending with finality, something where viewers would be satisfied. It appears to me the writers for "Alphas" wanted to continue with another season but Syfy just cancelled them.

In a situation such as this, where the Network wants to cancel, I think Syfy should have at least allowed 1 more episode to allow for a definitive ending for the series.

Good series, 8 out of 10.

I have to note this is the first time I have been compelled to write a review of a show on IMDb, and the reason is simple: in a sea of so-so soft sci-fi on SyFy, Alphas stands out as not just an excellent sci-fi program, but an excellent show.

Set, apparently, in the same universe as some of SyFy's other flagship soft science fiction series, Alphas revolves around individuals born with mutations that grant them specific enhanced abilities. On the face, it's an X-Men or Heroes clone, and certainly the influences are apparent and toe the line between homage and derivative.

However, the show handles this with great aplomb: the abilities are strictly limited and some effort is made for a scientific explanation for each ability. While it's firmly "soft" science fiction, it is actually science fiction, rather than the "science fantasy" that most of the popular SyFy series cling to.

One great strength of the series is the strict leash on the abilities and the savage downsides that accompany those abilities. One character is autistic. One suffers from social anxiety. One has oscillating medical problems directly resulting from his ability. On top the of the "upside-downside" nature of each ability, the characters are refreshingly nuanced. I never felt like the characters were defined by the advantages of the powers, but rather their more human struggles. It is, first and foremost, a science fiction show about a group people, not a group of superheroes.

Perhaps my favorite element of the series, however, is the moral ambiguity of the protagonists' actions. Certainly there are very dangerous Alphas in this universe; people with dangerous abilities, mental imbalances, malice, or a combination of the three. However, in working for the US government, which seeks to curb the rising tide of Alpha activism (and terrorism), the protagonists (and the viewers) find themselves questioning which side is correct. Indeed, the commentary on the use of force to combat terrorism, while heavy-handed at times, is possibly more adroit that most television programs that have attempted such commentary.

I highly recommend Alphas. If you've been turned off by the comic-book nature of many of SyFy's other shows, this is worth look. The only reason I didn't give it 10/10 stars are a few inconsistent abilities that I found a bit of a jump for an otherwise grounded series.

Real acting talent isn't depend upon language. The skillful utilization of space and time, combined with agile adaptation of voice, eyes, body language and other nuances, to character, conflict, imagination and verisimilitude (convincing me wholly that what is fantasy, is truly happening before my eyes). "Alphas" evinces every one of these essential ingredients; I quickly forget that they are merely acting; the story and the performers come alive within their personae like a glove indistinguishable from skin.

I suppose that when an intriguing series is cut short after only two seasons, that truncation leaves aficionados of the performers with keenly whetted curiosities, eager for more, somehow, some way, some day.

I like this show. I've been there since the beginning with the characters, struggling with their abilities and solving mysterious like Sherlock Holmes Xmen. Some of the characters are quirky, some are a little cliché but the dialogue is done well enough to were you don't mind so much. The powers some of these characters have may be the best part in the show. Its not just simply the "I can fly" or "I have super strength" powers. They are all interesting and creative, and some of them have downsides. Sometimes I just don't like how much this show tries to stay grounded in reality. They always have a scientific explanation for everything that has a little bit of whimsy in it. But as a whole its a very original show and they have me as a loyal viewer.

This is going to be short because I've rated this a 10, with nothing but delight over how this show is progressing.

I just finished watching "Bill and Gary's Excellent Adventure". With Fringe off the air until the Fall, I really have to say that I have found a satisfying summer replacement.

The character's interactions are very creative and entertaining. Each character has flaws that make this so much more intriguing than a super-hero action team, perfect and powerful in their own right, whose main test is to overcome some all-powerful evil.

I hope this show gets renewed, The big shock is that the Sci-Fi Channel, (SyFY) is hosting this program. This is heads and tails above their other fare, but a welcome surprise.

I have to say that I think Gary is emerging as my favorite character in the series.