The Heroes Award- Worst Season

Named For: Heroes (NBC) 2006-10
Awarded To: The series with the worst season of the year
2010 Winner: Heroes (NBC)
2011 Winner: Eastbound and Down (HBO)

10. Dexter (Showtime) 2 points
1st by Jaydon

9. Smash (NBC) 4 points
5th by Larry, 3rd by Me

8. Ringer (The CW) 5 points
3rd by Jack

7. American Horror Story (FX) 6 points
2nd by T-time

6. Hung (HBO) 7 points
3rd by Larry

5. Louie (FX) 8 points
3rd by T-time, 2nd by Me

4. Glee (FOX) 9 points
2nd by Larry and Tyson

3. Girls (HBO) 12 points
2nd by Cecil, 1st by Me

2. The X Factor (FOX) 19 points
1st by Jack and Larry, 5th by Me

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Terra Nova (FOX) 28 points
1st by Tyson, Cecil, Rizzo, T-time, and Mags, 4th by Me

This is Terra Nova's first nomination and win for the worst season of the year.  Poolie voter T-time is here to tell you why this FOX series deserved the 2012 Heroes Award.

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Terra Nova stands out among previous winners of this award. Both Heroes and Eastbound and Down were shows that Poolie voters had enjoyed in previous seasons before ignominiously falling. When you’ve committed to a show, you keep watching as it falls apart, hoping that it will return to form. But Terra Nova was a new show.  People should have just stopped watching if it was that bad, right? Somehow enough people continued to keep watching the freshman effort so that they could later vote on how much they hated it.

The cast was forgettable. Jim Shannon, the nominal lead, was just dull. I don’t hate him. I don’t even dislike him. I’ll say this for Jason O’Mara’s character: he was in the show. Stephen Lang’s Commander Taylor threatened to steal the show at the beginning of the series. He was decidedly grey and inherently interesting. That lasted about three episodes before they started softening him. The rest of the cast is no more notable. Their actions ranged from pointless to foolish. Their character traits ranged from cliché to nonexistent. Only one character truly stood out. Josh Shannon was completely insufferable. In a year where whiny teenage boys filled our television screens, Landon Liboiron’s character surpassed all in eye rolls garnered. Seldom has one man caused so many viewers to make strangling gestures on their couches.

The plot was additionally uninteresting. They partially serialized it, with the story leading up the struggle with the Sixers, and that may have kept some people going, but often it got bogged down with one-off episodes that were often ridiculously stupid. I’ll only mention the amnesia disease because frankly that speaks for itself. Plot holes and inconsistencies were legion but again, I’ll only mention one. The super-advanced society from the future does not have weapons that can kill dinosaurs. Yes, at some point in the future we will abandon the perfectly adequate artillery of the twentieth century in favor of guns that shoot puffs of air and occasionally scare the beasts off.

So why? Why did I watch all of these episodes when I quit on arguably better shows like Magic City and American Horror Story. Well, from the beginning, Terra Nova had one thing in spades: potential. The pilot was surprisingly good considering what came afterward. It opened up a new world for exploration. That sandbox was always there. In Terra Nova, anything could have happened. So what if it hadn’t yet: it still could. More than that, there were dinosaurs. And a fantastically beautiful setting in Australia. The best shots of the series involved no dialogue and no characters. A pterodactyl lazily floating over a primordial cliff. A brachiosaurus lifting its head from a grove of vegetation. These things look good in HD. Every time that camera swept over the pristine wilderness, I thought that maybe this next episode would be the one where they lived up to that potential. It never was though.

And possibly, that’s the worst thing a television show can do: suck you in, promise more on the morrow and fail to deliver in any way. When it’s over you’re mad that you watched it. When the season’s over, you’re relieved. This year Terra Nova was the worst thing I watched on TV. Apparently, I wasn’t alone.

by Tim Forcella

Terra Nova 111 Review- No Hope Plaza

Zoe- "Lieutenant Washington was a nice lady."

The largest issue I have with the Terra Nova season finale is that there were many nice moments in "Occupation/Resistance" that could have been great if they weren't part of a show that - in general - is just not good.

For example, the early scene at the bar was nice. Lucas making a big deal about his pseudo brother/sister relationship with Skye was funny, and then after he tried to go a bit too far with his fake sister, Josh coming to the rescue was admirable. Lucas again proved to be a viable villain as he took a number of free shots on the teenager, before Big Jim Shannon came storming into the bar to save the day.

For as smart as Elizabeth is supposed to be, this was the first time she really did anything to prove her intelligence. Her ruse on Weaver, which got him to give up Jim, was bright, hilarious, and moved the plot exactly where it needed to go. It took 12 episodes, but Elizabeth finally did something worthwhile.

Unlike a number of the times that Terra Nova has attempt to pull at the heart strings of its viewers, the sweet moment between Zoe and Commander Taylor worked like gangbusters. It worked because it was an honest moment between two characters that we have had a chance to get to know over the season's run, and two characters that we've seen have a history (Zoe playing Taylor at the festival). It didn't hurt that the girl's "If you need another hug, just ask" was the cutest darn thing I've ever seen.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova season finale, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 111 - "Occupation/Resistance"
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Terra Nova 110 Review- Son of a Son of a Taylor

Lucas- "How is the great Commander? Has he walked on water yet?"

Anyone who has watched the first 10 episodes of Terra Nova knows that it is not brilliant television. The acting isn't all that great, the dialogue has been awkward and the series took a while to figure out just one kind of show it wanted to be.

All that said, "Within" was the third straight episode in which I have more positive things to say than negative ones. Sure, that may be because the problems with each outing tend to be similar week in and week out, and nobody would want to read about that time and time again, but if Terra Nova gets a second season by FOX, I think it's heading in a decent direction.

Let's start with the best of the best. Ashley Zukerman was fantastic this week as his Lucas Taylor finally got a bit more screen time. He was a pretty great villain in this hour, with his character proving to be creepy, funny, smart and emotional. Zukerman combined all of that into the best performance we've seen on this show to date.

Between constantly referring to Skye as "Bucket," wanting to take out his father for what happened to his mom and destroying all of those nobodies with a sonic wave, it's just a shame that it took until the 10th episode to introduce such an interesting character to a series so lacking in them.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 110 - "Within"
Review
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Terra Nova 109 Review- Don't Go Jumping Waterfalls

Taylor- "The question is how does it end?"

Mira- "We'll find out soon enough."

It's amazing what story, conflict and inner turmoil can do for a television series.

While it wasn't without its usual clunky dialogue and regretfully mediocre acting, Terra Nova put forth some of its best work of the season in "Now You See Me."

A nice action-adventure piece with Taylor and Mira, as well as the longer-form mystery plot dealing with Skye as the mole, combined for an episode in which most of the hour was held my interest. That's something I haven't really said about anything since the pilot.

Sure, there were the normal issues Terra Nova faces. Commander Taylor and Mira jumping down the waterfall looked about as fake as could be, and a leap from that height would most certainly kill them no matter where they landed, right?

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 109 - "Now You See Me"
Review
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Terra Nova 108 Review- Who Has Skeletons?

Taylor (to Lucas)- "You're a traitor. There's no place in Terra Nova for you. I never wanna see your face again."

I'm not saying that Terra Nova has all of the sudden become quality television, but "Vs." easily created the most intrigue the series has seen since the pilot.

Did a majority of the interesting aspects derive from the final ten minutes of action? Yeah, but that's a trick tv writers have been using for all of time. Leave a great taste in viewers’ mouths, and they'll be excited to come back for more.

The sequence in which Taylor detained Jim, revealed what in the heck was really going on with him, the Sixers, his son, and the recently discovered General Philbrick peaked my interest indeed.

Over the past couple months I have grown accustomed to watch Terra Nova with the excitement of a comatose 80 year old, but all the talk about what the Sixers are really doing, and what Lucas was up to got me to the edge of my seat...just barely.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 108 - "Vs."
Review
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Terra Nova 107 Review- He's The Great Imposter

There were parts of "Proof" that I actually enjoyed. In fact, Maddie's turn as a detective - in attempting to take down the man masquerading as her apparent hero - was surprisingly one of the highlights.

The problem with Terra Nova continues to be that there are just so many... problems. The acting is subpar, the dialogue is some kind of awful and even when you think a story is going somewhere interesting, it turns out to be a dud.

I was completely invested in the Josh and Mira story when I though the latter was letting the former go in exchange for a favor down the road that was going to be important. I thought it would be for something she had planned. The fact that she used up that favor the very next episode in order to help her sick Sixers was extremely disappointing.

More disappointing, though, was the entire robbery scene in which Josh stole the medicine Mira needed. It was never established that he had any plan, which was obvious by what a shoddy job he did once he feverishly broke into the clinic. Nobody heard this happening? The glass shattering? The sonic boom of the gun?

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 107 - "Proof"
Review
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Terra Nova 106 Review- When The Lights Go Out

Lucas- "So much to do."

Although it is still not living up to preseason expectations, at least Terra Nova reverted back to the type of show I though it would be, and the sort of show it has the best chance of excelling at, in "Nightfall."

These people are living in a world that is both hundreds of years in the future and millions of years in the past. It is a perfect opportunity to keep the audience intrigued by mysterious storylines. That's something it has failed to capitalize on since the pilot, but did a much better job here.

The meteor shutting off all power at Terra Nova became a nice opportunity for Mira and the Sixers to go looking for the box that Taylor and company could not open. Because they found it so easily after distracting the Commander with a giant dino, it was once again clear that Mira has someone on the inside.

Although it's a plot that may be a bit played out, there being a mole for the Sixers inside of Terra Nova is at least interesting.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 106 - "Nightfall"
Review
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Terra Nova 105- A Problem With Procedure

Taylor- "How do you kill a man with a dinosaur?"

I'm having a tough time reviewing Terra Nova because it's not the show I thought it was meant to be. I'm not even sure it knows what it is, or wants to be.

The series seemed to start out as some version of a serialized science fiction drama. Then, for a couple episodes it tried to be a family drama wrapped in a dinosaur-filled world. Then there was "The Runaway," which seemed to be some sort of spy thriller, and this week's "Bylaw" felt very much like a police procedural.

I don't watch a lot of cop shows (The Mentalist and Hawaii Five-0 are the exceptions), but it didn't seem like this was a terribly bad episode of this genre. They did a decent job at keeping the identity of the killer under wraps until the end, and the setup by Jim and Taylor was nice, but early on it was blatantly obvious that it wasn't going to be the dude who confessed.

I'm not a procedurals guy due to their structure alone. I watch the the programs above for Simon Baker and the Alex O'Laughlin/Scott Caan duo, respectively. If the overarching story isn't going to be all that compelling, I need the characters I'm watching to keep me interested. But Terra Nova is yet to exude those type of compelling, or even just humorous, individuals.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 105 - "Bylaw"
Review
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Terra Nova 104 Review- Power of Deception

Jim- "Then what's Terra Nova really about?"

Mira- "You'll see."

"The Runaway" was definitely a bounce back episode for Terra Nova. There was excitement, there was intrigue and it kept the viewers on their toes about what was really going on. It sure was a step back in the right direction for this dino crew.

It doesn't surprise me at all that an episode directed by executive producer Jon Cassar was mainly dealing with spies, moles and deception. As one of the forces behind 24, Cassar helped run a show that exposed its audience to more mole plots than any other in history.

The deception during this week's story had me predicting end results in every-which-way, making it the best single episode plot of the series so far. Also, it didn't hurt that the little runaway was A-DORE-A-BLE.

First. the runaway seemed to be afraid for her life, then all of the sudden she was dirty as all Hell sneaking away with Mira's box, and finally we find out it was all just to protect her brother. The fact that she was only doing it to save her sibling was more heartwarming, but much less interesting.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 104 - "The Runaway"
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Terra Nova 103 Review- The Common Cold

Jim- "I never catch colds...only crooks."

If you finished the Terra Nova series premiere excited to watch a full season of epic adventures against dinosaurs and defiant rebels - while pondering the many mysteries of time travel and its effects on this society - you have probably been disappointed the past two weeks. "What Remains" built on "Instinct" in the worst ways possible.

Conversely, if were were thinking to yourself post-pilot, I wish this show was more of a mixture of a soap opera and a procedural crime drama, then you've been pleased with the two most recent outings.

In "What Remains," the acting and writing continued to resemble some of recently cancelled daytime TV oferrings, while the "challenge of the week" turned this potentially interesting serialized drama into every other show on CBS.

Having said all that, I don't deny that the show still shows signs of life. I'm mostly speaking of the final few minutes when Terra Nova's version of Red from Shawshank Remption meets with the Sixers about getting Josh's girlfriend to town on an upcoming pilgrimage.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 103 - "What Remains"
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Terra Nova 102 Review- Pterosaurs and Pheromones

Some criticized the Terra Nova pilot for lacking in character development, saying it relied too much on its flashy special effects to excite its viewers. Others, including myself, enjoyed Shannons, the mysterious events and the overall epic nature of "Genesis."

I don't foresee as much of a divide happening in regards to "Instinct." Don't get me wrong, the sights were still very much for sore eyes, but everything else about Terra Nova's third hour was pretty disheartening.

Maybe it was hidden in the pilot by all the bright colors, but this time around the acting - especially in terms of spoken word - felt amazingly mediocre. Jim attempting to make dinner and help his kids with homework in the kitchen was tough to watch, as was Maddie attempting to ask her father about boys.

Even more troublesome was how stiff Stephen Lang was throughout the hour. I gave his robotic portrayal of Nathaniel Taylor a pass in the pilot, but it's only become worse. Maybe it's just the writing he was given here, but every time the Commander spoke, I wanted to hold my head in my hands.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 102 - "Instinct"
Review
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Terra Nova 101 Review- A Family Is Five

Taylor- "Together we are at the dawn of a new civilization...no pressure."

Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, and FOX's Terra Nova. What do they all have in common? Sure, they are all projects that Steven Spielberg is attached to, but more importantly to me, they are all epic in scale and in idea.

When you mentioned Terra Nova to anyone prior to the series premiere, the immediate response was "Oh that Dinosaur show?" Or "Jurassic Park for television?" While Terra Nova is not Jurassic Park, it shares that one shiny detail: dinosaurs.

In no way does the inclusion of dinosaurs make a series great - or even watchable for that matter - but it does have a way of getting the audience's attention. It got mine from the jump off, and as "Genesis: Part 1" began, I was only sucked in further and further as the episode went along.

Anything apocalyptic in nature is sure to have me on the edge of my seat. So when the series kicked off, and the world as we knew it was on the verge of destruction, my eyes opened wider. The futuristic elements are great, with all of the technological advances, but add that to the ridiculously historic atmosphere that the show turns to after the first half hour or so, and it is a recipe for success.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova series premiere, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 101 - "Genesis: Part 1"
Review
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Terra Nova 101 - "Genesis: Part 2"
Review
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2011-12 Season Outlook- FOX

Here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to give you a head start on figuring out what to watch heading into a new television season. Although we aren't cool enough to get all of the pilots in advanced, we have seen each and every trailer, have done the research, and have listened to what the critics are saying about all of the new shows for the 2011-12 season. So below are some my opinions on what should be watch, as well as some early insight on what I will be watching this year.

Here’s what’s new on FOX...

A Quick Look

Excited For
  1. Terra Nova
  2. The X Factor
Interested In
  3. Alcatraz
  4. New Girl
Giving a Chance
  5. The Finder
  6. Allen Gregory
Passaroo
  7. I Hate My Teenage Daughter
  8. Napoleon Dynamite

And Some More Depth

Allen Gregory – Sunday – 8:30 p.m.
Need to Know: Animated comedy starring Jonah Hill as the titular character. He heads to elementary school, but for some reason he acts way older than he is, so it causes plenty of problems. I guess this is the role he lost all of that weight for. David Goodman, who was a writer on Family Guy, is the showrunner.
Quiet Pool Plan: I’m still undecided. I guess I’ll give it a try, because kids acting like adults is always funny to me. Those of you who have never enjoyed Manny on Modern Family should probably steer clear of this.

Napoleon Dynamite – Sunday – Spring
Need to Know: It’s an animated version of the movie. Most if not all of the original cast is voicing.
Quiet Pool Plan: God no! I hated the movie, and I hate this.

Terra Nova – Monday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: The modern world has been all but destroyed so people are going back in time to give Earth a second chance. That’s all I need to know. They travel millions of years into the past in order to start over. They face many obstacles, including dinosaurs!
Quiet Pool Plan: I will be reviewing the show for TV Fanatic so I am in it for the long haul, and boy am I excited about that. As long as the extensive amount of time and effort it is taking them to make episodes doesn’t cut the season short, I will be good.

One of the survivor families on Terra Nova

Alcatraz – Monday – Spring
Need to Know: Hugo Reyes and some girl look into the reappearance of missing inmates from Alcatraz over 50 years ago. A bunch of Lost guys, including JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk are listed as Exec Producers.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will re-evaluate come midseason, but I had higher hopes for this when it was first announced. Something about it doesn’t have me all that interested. If it takes a turn for the supernatural, I may jump back on board.

New Girl – Tuesday – 9:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Zooey Deschanel is adorable. She stars in this sitcom about her being cute and the nerd dudes she’s friends with thinking the same thing. Damon Wayans Jr. was in the pilot but after Happy Endings got picked up, they replaced him with a different Black man. The creator apparently wrote No Strings Attached.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will watch for Zooey. If the rest of this turns out to be awful, then I will quit, but I have high hopes.

The X Factor – Wednesday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: It’s old school American Idol with Simon and Paula. They’ve added a different Black guy with glasses and another insufferable chick in Nicole Sherzinger. The contestant age minimum is lower, the age maximum is higher, and there can be groups.
Quiet Pool Plan: I am on board with Simon coming back into my life. With all the singing talent spread out over numerous shows now, there will never be anything like the best seasons of Idol, but if X Factor helps cancel Idol, I’m for it.

The X Factor judges

I Hate My Teenage Daughter – Wednesday – Winter
Need to Know: Sitcom starring Jaime Pressley. She and her friend hate their daughters. It comes from the ladies that did The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Quiet Pool Plan: I like you Jaime, but this should not be on tv.

The Finder – Thursday – Winter
Need to Know: A Bones spinoff starring the groom from Wedding Crashers, the video gamer from The Break Up, or the dying stud from that one episode of Las Vegas who smashed with Sam on those rocks. Geoff Stults is kind of awesome, and in this he solves crimes as The Finder.
Quiet Pool Plan: I doubt I will find the time to check this out, but that’s a shame because it will probably be decent.

Don't Forget, there is plenty of great television returning to the screen this season.  Here are some of our favorites on FOX...

1. Family Guy – Sunday – 9:00 p.m.
2. American Idol – Tuesday – Spring
3. House – Monday – 9:00 p.m.
4. Glee – Tuesday – 8:00 p.m.
5. Raising Hope – Tuesday – 9:30 p.m.
6. Bob’s Burgers – Sunday – 9:30 p.m.