Helix: new SyFy Channel show (2014)

Reminds me a bit of the Doctor Who episode "The Waters of Mars." Creepy enough, although a bit too predictable, we could do worse.

 

I didn't think I could keep another serialized TV show going in my brain, but "Helix" fits the bill. Not too convoluted, but overall it keeps my attention.

Interestingly, I have a small list of TV shows I've wanted to go back and re-watch (still haven't started "Lost" over since the series ended!), and finally re-started "Fringe." I still haven't watched Season 5, but at this stage I can't start cold so figured I should start over. I only mention this because I was amazed at how near-perfect the show is, at least the first season I'm watching presently. A near-perfect mixture of procedural, sci-fi, built-in mythos stuff, bleak but not too bleak, general good acting and writing.

I don't think "Helix" compares to something like that (I conceded there's zero reason to compare the two beyond my having watched both recently), but it's closer than some of the stuff I've tried lately.

 

I just saw an article on the net that claimed that there's a Baldo Observer in every single episode of Fringe, usually way in the background, plus a brief shot that promotes a clue for the next episode. I knew they were doing it pretty early on, but I had no idea this was going on in every single show.

 

I stuck with Helix until episode 5 but then I realized that I was BORED OUT OF MY MIND. It's so glum, not a hint of humor, no characters I really like and honestly not much of anything was happening of interest. So, to the scrap heap of partially watched shows it goes….

 

It's definitely not a fun, upbeat, humorous kind of show. It's not unlike The Thing or Alien where you have a bunch of people in a remote area, beyond rescue, and they're having to fend for themselves against a horrible enemy (in this case, infected people). I think as long you know that going in, it's entertaining and well-done. No question, not a show I'd go to if I were looking for a lotta laughs.

 

The Thing and Alien were both amazingly suspenseful though, filled with dread, paranoia and never knowing what was going to come up behind you (and not totally devoid of comedy either). This show tries for that but I think falls far short…I just really don't care what's coming up behind them.

 

I think this concept is a bit thin for an entire season of episodes. I think they were trying to capture some of the intensity similar to The Walking Dead, but that show has better writing and acting.

 

It feels like 28 Days Later on too much cough medication.

 

I finally caught up on my DVR wit the last few episodes. I'm still enjoying it enough to continue, even if some plot devices and developments are occasionally "facepalm" enducing.

I also read a blurb on the show on Wiki where the creator states that the show, rather than using flashbacks, will use these "hallucinations" instead, which provide some *possible* backstory elements, but which are not neccesarily "reliable." I'd say this technique is an interesting premise, but as a regular device used constantly in a series, I'm not sure I like it. This show is good overall, but it doesn't seem to be quite good enough to pull off the sort of surreal, "unreliable narrator" hallucinations. I openly laughed during the "dinner" scene where Billy Campbell is nearly having an orgasm over the bleeding turkey carving bit. I suppose it was meant to be funny a bit, but there are some definite bits of overacting starting to show through.

There are definitely some signs that they are going for a Lost/Fringe secret backstory vibe, but the pacing of the show and the secretive nature that often comes across as simply vague or confused, isn't always lending itself well to making that backstory something I'm excited to know more about. Especially if we'll only find out about them through clunky exposition or hallucinations.

 

I love the use of elevator muzak juxtaposed against a really violent scene. Or even as the show's theme music in the opening sequence. Cracks me up every time.

 

I was thinking the same thing. The "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" theme muzak to be run completely counter to the content of the show.

Actually, I think this is one of the more interesting shows on TV right now. But it looks like the cast is going to expand in the next episode and I wonder where the story goes from here.

 

i don't love it , but will
finish the season

 

Me too.

Jeri Ryan coming into the show tomorrow might be interesting.

 

That's my feeling too...I invested the time thus far so I won't bail but it certainly isn't the show it could have been. Having said that perhaps things will pick up with the new characters arriving.

 

I watched about 4 episodes as I thought it might catch my interest, and it did a little for the 2 hour pilot but then just fell into formula and when you add that to the fact I really did not like any of the characters much was good enough reason to ditch this one. It's not totally awful but I just try to avoid watching something "just because it's on TV" - I'd rather keep my TV time down to stuff I really like.

 

Was the pilot 2 hours ?!

i saw it on demand , thought
it was just an hour

 

I think it was an hour and a half.

 

I'm sticking with it. Cool idea for a TV show. And I like all the influences which it borrows from. For most part, high production values. However, the plot, acting, dialog gets more outlandish every week > it's falling into the "so bad, it's good" category.

 

I wanted to love this show but really found it to be really bad and poorly written.

Made it through 4 episodes and gave up. The entire show revolves around people doing the dumbest thing possible at every moment. People are alone when they shouldn't be alone. No one talks to each other. They don't have radios or anyway to communicate with each other. Theyt have to force the story to work by making everyone do things no one would do in real life.

 

You did better than I did, I gave up after three episodes. Very poor writing and wooden acting IMO.

 

Only 2 more eps left for season 1 > was it renewed for a second season?

 

Gee, I really enjoyed it! It's a cheap show, but they've really crammed a ton of plot into it. This is not one of those usual shows where there's maybe 4 characters and 15 minutes of plot in every hour; there's about a dozen characters and 60-70 minutes of plot crammed into 45 minutes! I find it's a very, very complicated show, and I'm kind of impressed that they tried something this ambitious.

The only two things I dislike about Helix: 1) the exterior snow effects of the North Pole are so cheap, you can almost see a crewmember over the camera dumping down boxes of soap flakes; 2) series star Billy Campbell has the annoying habit of whispering his lines in a hoarse voice about this loud very much of the time, even though everybody around him talks in a normal voice. Beyond that, the performances are terrific and the scripts are surprisingly gripping, even borderline scary.

Not a great show, but given that I expected something horrible, I was pleasantly surprised. Put it this way: it's about three times better than Revolution, which is a show so bad I hate-watch it every week just to make fun of how terrible it is. (Although Elizabeth Mitchell is always good in anything she does.)

 

Or in the first ALIEN movie ........

 

Really? I like it and have found the show to be very engaging. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it great? Nope but it is very entertaining. There could be very simple explanations for the issues you mentioned (and they have used radios to communicate in the show....just because we don't see it all the time doesn't mean that it isn't done in the "world").

Not sure what you mean by "forcing" the story it moves along pretty well n it's own momentum. As far as doing things that no one would done in real life....the characters react to their situations and within the context of the show it works for me.

I agree. The CGI also isn't always the most convincing as well but it is serviceable.

 

So the fact that they have radios and never use them in an emergency or when they should makes it better somehow?

Terrible show.