Virtuality: Le voyage du Phaeton

For those of you complaining about how the show seemed to end right in the middle of its plot. Yes, it was supposed to be the pilot for a TV series. There's been plenty of speculation on websites that FOX has decided not to proceed with the full series, but it will proceed with the pilot since they already paid for it. So that's why the show was left in a cliffhanger.

FOX doesn't have a lot of confidence in this show, and I can't blame them for it; better to let it die quickly than to have a sci-fi fan base disappointed when it inevitably gets canceled in mid-season. It seems a bit inaccessible for non-sci-fi audiences, the pacing was a little slow most of the time. The virtual reality special effects seemed like bad CGI greenscreen, but perhaps that was on purpose, so that you'd know you're in a virtual reality setting. I started only getting interested when they started showing the special effects for the journey to the other star system, Epsilon Eridani. They did research their interstellar propulsion mechanisms well, and it looked like nuclear propulsion drives as described in various science fiction novels in the past.

I didn't think the idea behind the story was bad though. It was about a rogue virtual-reality character showing up within various crewmembers' holo-stories, and creating very scary havoc inside their stories. When things start going wrong in the holo-stories, a lot of finger pointing goes on between the crewmembers against each other. However, I don't think solving a new holographic mystery every week is enough to keep people's attention for a full-length series.

The problem with a science fiction movie/show based off human drama, is that on a mission of earth shattering importance, the crew are almost entirely antagonistic whiny incompetents, who have no business being responsible for a trillion dollar spaceship.

Quite early on it becomes obvious that the captain, who is the final decision maker on anything important, is of dangerously low intelligence, and would not be capable of managing an ice cream truck, let alone a 'world saving' space mission.

I think real astronauts would find this movie insulting.

But the visuals are nice.

reminds me of Harlan Ellison's "The Starlost", but also of sci-fi gems like "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Sunshine", "Solaris"...

first impression? Loved it!!! just brilliant! with wonderful characters that I felt deeply invested in - that by the time the gamechanger of an ending came I was left broken and demanding answers! that it just couldn't be!! I felt angry and a little bit betrayed. But mostly I wanted some explanation of what just happened. I didn't want to believe it at first. Then I understood the logistics of producing a Pilot - that sth had to grip you and sth needed to stand out amongst other new shows. On the other hand - this kind of storytelling - providing topics for discussion, for later pondering, for breaking each scene into little pieces of a great puzzle - this kind of storytelling is what I love most. I won't soon forget this little piece of art. please FOX give us more eps of this touching and ingenious new show.

I just got around to seeing this, in 2015, since I rarely watch TV, so at first I thought it was a crazy movie with even crazier ending. Now I know it was a pilot. While it is shot beautifully and the science of the set decoration is wonderful, I was a bit bothered by the character writing. The crew do not seem like NASA people or even scientists. So it falters fatally there. Why was the mission, a very serious thing, being used for a reality TV show? Other than to advertise that general idea to Fox audiences. Although the quizzical characters did fit that plot line and it would have been food for little plot lines and maybe solve some of the mysteries on board. Even with the character issues, I would have liked to have seen at least one season, although if it had been picked up in 2009, we might not have had Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau (the Commander) on Game of Thrones (Jamie Lannister). Very hard to imagine GOT without him, so all worked out for the best.

I have heard through the grapevine that FOX, even if it doesn't pickup a show, is contractually obligated to play the pilot on air. So of course FOX doesn't care if it is accurately portrayed or even advertised/marketed since they have no interest in the show.

I think this program is more suited for SciFi than FOX. The pilot seemed like an interesting beginning to a potentially more complicated series. Hopefully we will be able to see at least one season on another network that is more suited to the show's style.

Most of the characters were easy to relate to, even if a tad trite and stereotypical. As I said before I believe that there is potential here.