Earth Final Conflict: Roddenberry done by schizoids

[Joelist]

Seeing as we have episodes of both Andromeda and Earth Final Conflict on Roku Channel for free and we already have an Andromeda thread, I thought this would be a place for some thoughts on Earth Final Conflict.

The premise was actually interesting, as aliens come to Earth and bring as lot of advancements but also mysterious motives. The show originally centered around the search for why they came to Earth.

Season One was really good Science Fiction. It had good stories and strong characters coupled with concepts such as the CVI and the Skrill and also the aliens (the Taelons) were presented in a very morally ambiguous manner that perfectly set up the air of mystery.

But remember my using the word Schizoid? Well Tribune Entertainment decided for really nebulous reasons to bring in a new showrunner for Season Two. And that new Showrunner basically decided to change everything, so Seasons Two, Three and Four are basically a different show. Season Five was so bad it was literally laughable and it is noteworthy that Roku Channel does not have Season Five...

It's there if you're interested.

 

[PussyGalore]

I haven't seen EFC since it originally aired years ago. This is just going off the top of my head but I really liked the show until they killed off Kevin Kilner, the lead character and switched the focus to another guy (who was playing a bad guy of sorts who then sorta becomes good, I dunno, it's been awhile so I can't remember it all).

*If COMET TV airs the show I'll no doubt watch it.

 

[Joelist]

Yep that's where to me it jumped the shark. A show like this needs the "antagonist" to be morally ambiguous to work. And in Season Two they removed that ambiguity.

 

[Overmind One]

Why don't they redo THIS show? Yes, it was an earthbound drama the way it came to TV, but that is because the showrunners did it the way they wanted. They could redo it the way Roddenberry write it.

 

[Joelist]

It could be redone, but it needs to have a coherent vision and stick to it. As I said in the OP Season One is actually very good and had the show continued along those lines it would have been an enduring classic.

 

[Gate_Boarder]

EFC should of course be redone.

Can the producers help it if Kevin Kilner or whoever wanted to leave the show for greener pastures. Let's face it his career went on and on, so he is not looking back and smacking himself on the side of the head.

Don't forget that the originating Canadian station cancelled the show after two seasons, then another one took up the cause.

Now a days there are hundreds of stations world wide that might want to invest in a new sci-fi show. On a second thought it might not do a flyover unless NetFlix coughs up some change.

 

[PussyGalore]

I'm shocked that the show got 5 seasons. I honestly don't recall that many. Granted, I gave up on it somewhere in season 2 due to lack of interest. It really is a shame that they screwed it up so badly after season 1. It's one thing for a show to peter out over 5 seasons but quite another to do it so abruptly.

 

[Joelist]

I'm also shocked it got five.

I kind of think of the show this way:

Season One - The Real Earth Final Conflict

Season Two through Four - ECFINO (Earth Final Conflict In Name Only). Sort of like how Alex Kurtzman would have written the show.

Season Five - ECFIN (Earth Final Conflict Incoherent Nonsense). sort of like how Damon Lindelof would have written it.

 

[PussyGalore]

I'm also shocked it got five.

I kind of think of the show this way:

Season One - The Real Earth Final Conflict

Season Two through Four - ECFINO (Earth Final Conflict In Name Only). Sort of like how Alex Kurtzman would have written the show.

Season Five - ECFIN (Earth Final Conflict Incoherent Nonsense). sort of like how Damon Lindelof would have written it.

I thought it unusual that one of those 90's series became derailed so quickly. Even the hokiest shows of that era (like Highlander) managed to maintain a certain consistency over the seasons. Sure some got muddled near the end of their run (like Sliders) but overall they held together for at least three to four seasons. EFC is something of an anomaly in this regard, and more's the pity.