Alphas

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

Anyone else check out Alphas? Kind of interesting. If you’re not familiar with the plot, it’s very similar to the Xmen. A team of “Alphas,” people with special abilities, is formed to help find and make contact with the undiscovered. Generally, they have to stop the newly contacted alphas from killing, or doing something crazy.

A big part of the show is exploring how the powers would effect people’s minds. For instance, one character who had a sort of precognitive power became paranoid and insane because he thought that if everyone could see the future, then anyone who did something that was detrimental to him, did so on purpose. So far they’ve set pretty firm rules on how the powers work. They’re not out of control, though some characters are quite powerful within their “realistic” limitations.

I’m going to keep with it and see where it goes. It’s interesting how they’re exploring both the powers, and how the powers effect those who have them.

#2

The Reverend Sean had mentioned this on the Summer TV podcast a few weeks ago. It’s pretty good! Like to see where they go with it

#3

I’m really enjoying this show. Each character is interesting and they really sell the concept. The whole dynamic with Dr. Rosen and Birmingham adds a sinister tone. Gary is my favorite character. The creative staff has two of my favorite Star Trek writers, Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe.

If you haven’t checked it out, I recommend you do.

#4

Everyone’s favorite, Summer Glau, just showed up on this weeks ep. I’m mid episode so I’m not sure if she’ll have more than just the one week arc, but tune in. So far I’m enjoying the show. Good action, good characters. A bit of a different take on the mutant powers scenario that’s keeping me engaged.

PS, Glua has tattoos and messy punk rock hair in this ep. Who doesn’t love the “bad girl” look?

#5

just got renewed for season 2!!!

http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/syfy-renews-alphas-for-second-season/

#6

Glad the show was renewed. Highly recommend it to those that haven’t seen it. Yes, Gary is a great character. Although, I’m sad the actor had to be killed off Bones to be on Alphas.

#7

This last episode was great! No spoilers but lots of great character moments

#8

Rachel is hot

Did I mention she is hot??

She’s kinda hot

#9

Yes. Yes she is.

#10

Gig-e-dy!!!

#11

Fell behind but I just got done with the last two eps. Really got into it. The action ramped up big! All the characters have something going on, and they all contribute, but I really enjoy how they’ve been featuring Gary. He’s by far the most different character from the normal superpower archetypes, but definitely the most interesting.

#12

About a year late to the party here, heh, but am thinking of checking it out. Without giving anything away, is this a worthy series to dive into? Good or Great or Average or Eh?

#13

Omg, I just watched this episode a few days ago! Loved that sarcastic in-joke where Summer said she came from the future using a time machine ^_* heheh…

Actually, for me, this show is a good homage to that 80’s romp, the “Misfits of Science”! Too bad there’s no Johnny who can shoot lightning bolts from his hands.

I loved the group dynamic that is reminiscent of X-men, especially the psychiatrist dude who basically the “Professor X-avier” of the group; & that hynoptist who’s carefree by nature but struggles being the babysitter of the internet “I-can-see-frequencies” boy.

But I wish the “Hulk-smash” of a tank dude had more latent powers other than 'riod rage (literally).

#14

Anyone notice that in the episode following Summer Glau’s cameo, another terminator is guest starring in it - Garret Dillahunt!

#15

I very much enjoyed this show from the 1st episode. The premise was familiar but with a unique enough twist to make it interesting, and they did a great job of not making the main characters superheroes. The decision of having Dr. Rosen not be an Alpha but rather an expert on them created alot of layers of drama between himself and his team. It had excellent character development and a great subtext of this rising paranoia and government overreaction to this emerging ‘Alpha’ phenomenon (having to deal with an ‘out of context’ situation). They even introduced the ‘Big Bad’ Alpha at the end of Season 1 and brought that conflict (both physical and philosophical) to a head all through Season 2. The Season 2 finale was quite compelling and ended in a cliffhanger with even more potentially dire ramifications than the Season 1 finale episode.

And of course, true to form, ‘SyFy’ went and cancelled it.

Just this afternoon, I noticed in dismay this headline on ‘Blastr.com’ - ‘SyFy decides not to renew Alphas for 3rd season’. The reaction so far has been fairly predictable, with about 90% of the comments being made by those who are clearly fans of the show. Personally, I’m having ‘SGU deja-vu’ all over again. All I can really say right now is thank God that Warehouse 13 has already been greenlit for Season 5, and that I’m really rather disappointed. First SGU, then Eureka, and now this. At least Eureka got a proper finale.

#16

I watched the pilot and a few episodes in, then stopped. Alphas was formulaic but in a good way. Fortunately the first season is on Netflix, to be followed by the rest.

Ratings fell below the one million mark, and Alphas met the same fate as the other dearly departed. So I’ll say it again, blame the lack of a mainstream audience. They came but they left. What’s different this time is one BermanBraun show, Alphas, is being replaced by another, Rewind. BermanBraun also runs Revolution on NBC, which is doing fairly well, and will allow them to continue to field ever more expensive productions. Syfy is betting the farm on Defiance, the most cash they’ve spent up front on a series since Battlestar. In 2012, the (not premium) Cable nets royally trashed the big four networks in ratings with great shows, but Syfy sat on the sidelines and did not enjoy in that historic success. They absolutely have to do something. Alphas, Eureka, Stargate, an aging Warehouse 13, basically Syfy’s years old dramedy formula, is not the way forward when they have to compete against cable TV-MA dramas with millions of viewers. Time slots aside, you can blame the unexpected success elsewhere on cable for sucking away Alphas audience too. And this time it wasn’t a MTV teen pregnancy reality show, but scripted genre shows that almost directly overlapped Syfy’s own supposed bailiwick.