Noonan

So very bad.....but I'll probably keep watching.

Where does light come from wherever they are? How did they know night was coming when they don't even know the source of their light?

I thought this was going to be a hollow Earth situation but it looks like they're going for something more supernatural.

Inhumans99

I watched it yesterday and I actually enjoyed it. It is already presenting a story that may bog itself down in how complicated it becomes to explain to the average viewer, but it seems the split in time is just that, some sort of weird incident where the folks in the sinkhole might be overlaid in present day Los Angeles where there actions do not massively effect what is happening outside of the sinkhole, at least not yet, like I said, things can get way too complicated too fast but at least I enjoyed the show.

The two places in one place thing obviously is hinted at by the ex-husband of Zea's character finding her ring. If they can hold things together I think this will be a fun show to watch even if it turns into a "mini-series" type event by being one and done after 10 episodes. I just hope the show runners provide some closure even if they are bold and leave some threads dangling to be resolved in a 2nd season.

The sabretooth tiger beast was okay as a special effect, but before everyone declares it was the worst CGI Sabretooth tiger everyone needs to find the clip on you tube from the Syfy (at least I know it aired on the Syfy channel at one point) film Attack of the Sabretooth (from 2005). You will see an incomplete special effects sequence that made its way into the completed film, it is a bit surreal how incomplete the scene is where one wonders who let it slip through and if it was inserted into the film to win a bet (some special effects guys is all I bet I can get this incomplete sequence slipped into the movie and no one will notice until after the film has aired).

The "wolves" were actually okay looking (but I wish it was less obvious they were CGI as they bounded over the ground towards the characters in the sinkhole) and I like that they made them genuinely vicious and a bit scary to encounter.

Finally, I just turned 50 so I do now want to sound like a creepy old pervert, but the daughter of the doctor dude is cute and they are clearly setting up Zea's son and her to be an item.

Like I said, this show is weird with a capitol W but I really did end up enjoying the heck out of it. Also, the dude with the gun...connected to the car with the trunk full of heroin, or is that too obvious an assumption?

ETA: I tried to find the bad CGI Sabretooth clip from the 2005 film but no luck yet.

Also, Rich...I get that they were trying to tell the audience that this type of rift also happened somewhere in the desert, but I also would have been okay if they removed the psychic visions bits from the show.

RichC2

I would have been fine with more of it if they didn't include the "visions" aspect

randian

I'm sure we'll get the usual "child who puts everybody else in danger, repeatedly" storyline. Network TV loves those for some strange reason.

OldDude

They seem to have fallen into a "time wormhole" that has transported them to the past. I assume the "rip" in the sky and strange light are that anomaly, but there is also a sun, the earth is still round, and it sets at night. The fate of the drone shows radio communication across the anomaly is not possible, you have to use clairvoyants.. The rock shows they are in pre-historic LA; the man watching them seems to be evidence that the timing corresponds to modern man inhabiting North America, maybe anywhere 2000 - 20 000 years ago. At least, that is what I think so far. It also seems dumb and poorly acted.

Quatermass

That was the impression I got too. Seems like the Tar Pit still ought to be there anyway, since it goes back millions of years. It amused me so I'll keep watching for a while. Scientific accuracy is not required for a show like this, but the visions and magic stuff is kind of a deal breaker for me, so I hope they don't rely too heavily on that.

Xiroteus

The pilot was fine. Of course, this will get canceled on a cliffhanger because it's network TV and not a Doctor, Competition, or Lawyer show. This would work well as a ten-episode series yet of course they can't do that so they will drag it out until it gets canceled because the ratings are not at fifty million.

Yes, I am snippy at Network TV (Aside from the CW as they don't cancel anything) as everything has to be the same generic concepts or it gets canceled. (Not that this is the most amazing thing I've seen)

GoldenJCJ

^ Mube they should rename this Chicago La Brea to prevent it from being cancelled.

Eric F

If Dick Wolf produced it there’d be multiple spin-offs already.

Xiroteus

Maybe add in some lawyers that will be dealing with insurance claims.

MLBFan24

Watched the pilot, sold!

Anything time travel and I'm instantly interested. Not the best acting or CGI, but I'm looking for new content so I'll continue watching.

Reminds me of Time Trap movie on Netflix.

MLBFan24

Episode 2 - CGI and acting are soooooooo bad!

Still loving the time travel plot. That’s what is keeping me interested.

Getting annoyed by the lens flares too. Awful.

Gizmo

This has got to be one of the worst looking shows on network TV in a long time. It feels like a SyFy show they picked up from Canada. Terrible CGI and acting. The saber tooth looked like early 2000s.

How is this airing?

Inhumans99

I am about half-way through with the 2nd episode and like MLBFan24 there is enough to the show to keep me watching, but I have to agree that sometimes the CGI is a bit Syfy channel/Asylum like. The bit where the beastie falls into the hunters trap and only upon the camera getting up close to the spikes in the pit is when we see any blood from impaling the beast, and I did admit to myself that the scene did look like one where a very noticeable CGI effect was overlaid on the scene, just like you would expect in an Asylum film. The thing is, the landscape and cliffs, and trees, all that stuff looks pretty nice to look at and not at all like very cheap CGI, so it is a bit jarring when bad CGI enters the picture.

Finally, something that has bothered me from the 1st episode (granted we are only on episode 2, so it has not bothered me for long, lol, but still) is why are folks just sitting around and doing no exploring except for the core group of main characters, and no one has bothered to search every square inch of every vehicle for useful items to use? C'mon...I would be all over exploring the trunks of cars and trucks and the only way I would be stopped is if someone with a gun kept me from entering a vehicle (I would imagine the guy with a trunk full of heroin would be keeping a close eye on his car). These are trashed vehicles that fell down a sinkhole and are fair game as you would want to gather as much stuff as you could as a group to help everyone out. There might be flares in several of the trunks of vehicles/trucks, more first aid stuff, blankets, water, aspirin, gauze, hand cranked radios, maybe even a weapon or two, tire irons which could be weapons, snack bars, and even fun stuff people put in their cars for long trips that could occupy someone's time.

As you can tell, this actually seems to bother me a whole ton. I just saw a bunch of lazy folks sitting around and the only person checking out the cars is the shady cop from Louisiana, how convenient for the shows plot, but that is just so unrealistic. You have folks who are injured, people would band together and find antibiotics in First Aid kits, stuff like that.

whotony

Yeah it’s a very poorly written show.

Another thing, the end of the first ep moving into ep 2 we see an exact copy of the Gieco commercial with the people hiding from a serial killer.
“Why don’t we just get in the running car?”

A sabretooth tiger is about to pounce on them and they are right at an ambulance that has an open back door.
All they had to do was jump in and close it but instead they start running.

I’ll watch a little more but boy it’s so dumb.

Inhumans99

Lol whotony! I never get tired of that particular Gieco commercial, that you were able to tie it into the dumb actions of the characters on the show is just all kinds of wonderful. I am not hate-watching this show, but boy there are a lot of actions the characters would logically take under these circumstances that they are not bothering to undertake. Using the vehicle to protect against a wild creature, gathering supplies and weapons, one might think the writing on the show will improve with time, but this first batch of episodes is already in the can so the poor writing in the first two episodes is probably going to carry through to the end. Anyway, I am in until the end even if we end on a cliffhanger.

OldDude

This. Scavenging for what is in the cars makes sense. Also, given wolves, humans would "weapon up," not sit around waiting to be eaten. Even if the weapons are only sharpened sticks. (Most of the group doesn't know about saber tooth tigers or the Others yet, but even more reason to weapon up.)

The writing, acting, and CGI are so bad, I think I'm out. I frankly was impatiently waiting for the episode to be over.

IBJoel

Funny you mention that. I was wondering if NBC was cutting costs by re-using assets from Syfy originals, which they own.

MLBFan24

I read the La Brea Tar Pits Wiki page out of curiosity.

One fact I read:





Xiroteus

I've had the same thought. Within the first few hours everything of use should be gathered up, buildings, cars, etc... everything! Put as much in a central SAFE area not in the open and figure out what you have. The "let's just sit around" is a bit odd after an entire day. Need to work on making some good secure shelter which should not be too hard with a lot of what fell down there.

I see what it bothers you, it's odd that people are just kind of doing nothing.

I was like, run? Where? No, go inside the ambulance and close the door. You can't outrun a Sabretooth tiger! (well, without tv magic that is)

MLBFan24

Episode 3 reaction:

This show gets worse, but I still feel like watching.




Inhumans99

MLBFan24, I just think the sloth was so darned cute that I am glad they did not turn it into food, but yes, I had the same thought. They should be hunting animals and even with no means to store the meat there are enough folks stranded back in time to make the most of whatever animal they decide to turn into protein. They gave themselves an out with the mushrooms being readily available. Yes, they cut scenes out from the cave sequence (probably for time and possibly for budgetary reasons, not wanting to stick a camera in water to film a sequence). That being said, I cannot quit this show as I am just compelled to watch it.

Sending 1 person into the time wormhole, I did not think about that very much but yes, usually you send a pilot and co-pilot in case things go awry. It will be fun to see Zea's husband in the present rant about wanting to wring his friends neck when he can "see" him macking on his wife but is unable to do anything about it, lol.

I wonder when we are finally going to get a proper introduction to the natives who moved the tiger from the pit, and placed that dead dude in the symbol made out of rocks. Maybe they are just observing to see how the newcomers do in their world and how much they have to worry about from Zea and her crew, so far the answer appears to be not very much and maybe the natives are laughing their asses off as they watch Sabretooth tigers, wolves, and sloths wreak havoc on the stranded folks.

Anyway, like I said, for some reason I find this show to be fun to watch and have no plans to stop watching unless NBC yanks it from the air.

ETA: Dang, the RT score is only 38% and the audience score is even worse, 31%, a bunch of fuddy duddies who are unworthy of the glory that is this show.

MLBFan24

Yes, I've been waiting for the natives to return. The writers keep putting that off. And those other idiot survivors aren't doing anything other than just moping around the same damn spot the past 3 episodes.

Xiroteus

At this point just make a few mile-long rope pully system and slide down. Likely no worse than an idea than what everyone else is doing. We know life can come out the way it went in so.....long rope!

Hot air balloon!

Anything without electronics.

I'm just making up stupid ideas.

WCChiCubsFan

I like the ballon idea, after all if the birds flew up and out that means their is oxygen the entire journey.