Terra Nova

[Ritterin Sophia]

I missed tonight's episode. Thankfully the internet provides.

I thought it was a pretty good episode, lots of good intrigue and it looks like Taylor's plan is really getting set into motion.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I really liked that they finally answered a lot of what's going on, instead of making us wait six seasons (I'm looking at YOU, Lost). The revelation of the sixers' plan is both believable and menacing, and opens the possibility of new badguys coming in any time.

[Guardsman Bass]

I might not be able to watch the episode for a few more days, and I'm curious. What's the Sixers' plan?

[bilateralrope]

I might not be able to watch the episode for a few more days, and I'm curious. What's the Sixers' plan?

Spoiler

Create a portal so they can send stuff to the future. Then the rich in the future strip mine the past for their own profit, with no regards to the environmental damage they do to the past or to humanities survival.

[CaptainChewbacca]

And to accomplish that... Spoiler

Taylor's son is working on perfecting a way to make the time-fracture work two ways. The plot of the episode was about a body found that didn't come in on any pilgrimage, but actually came BETWEEN pilgrimages

[Themightytom]

And to accomplish that... Spoiler

Taylor's son is working on perfecting a way to make the time-fracture work two ways. The plot of the episode was about a body found that didn't come in on any pilgrimage, but actually came BETWEEN pilgrimages

Additionally:

Commander Taylor's superior attempted to remove him from authority, and Taylor refused. The General escalated and Taylor killed him. I suspect the only thing preserving Taylor's authority is that this is a secret. Shannon now knows it, Boylan knows enough to get Taylor effed, Shannon's wife probably knows, and Taylor's son, who in fact arranged for the general to come through the portal knows it.

Taylor's son by the way contacted the future and had them create the portal to send the general. This must be how Taylor knew the sixers were working with his son, as they could communicate with the future. The question is,

Why the hell haven't they been getting reinforcements? Setting up a clandestined counter colony and obtaining more equipment? that must have been what the sixth pilgrammage was intended to be, but why not also, the seventh eight and ninth? And when is that better version of this on the BBC going to resume :-p

[KrauserKrauser]

I think Taylor is lying. Or at least would be if the show had depth. Since the show has been all surface so far he probably is not.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I would guess the reason they havn't been reinforcing the sixers is either;

1. They can't open portals reliably anytime they want.
2. The 'leadership' in the future doesn't like the sixers plan.
3. The sixers aren't reliable.

#3 seems a possibility, remember Mira is only doing what she's doing because the evil bad guys have her daughter.

Anyone else got an idea?

[Solauren]

The people responsible for the sixer plan are trying to keep a low profile so as to not cause problems in their own time?

[Guardsman Bass]

Wait,
Spoiler

why are the Sixers attacking Terra Nova is all they want to do is set up a portal to send minerals back to the "future"? Couldn't they just keep to themselves?

This sounds like an interesting episode. If I get the chance to watch it On Demand in the next couple of days, I'll do it.

[CaptainChewbacca]

The last time the sixers attacked Terra Nova, it was to get the box/device/computer that Taylor's son needed to advance his work. They attack for supplies, and to weaken the colony for its' inevitable conquest.

My question is why Taylor doesn't requisition a pair of gunships or something and go hunting. The Sixers have nothing that could take on air assault.

P.S. We've been there 10 years, has NOBODY tried to domesticate the dinosaurs? I'd be trying that as soon as my stomach adjusted.

[Solauren]

P.S. We've been there 10 years, has NOBODY tried to domesticate the dinosaurs? I'd be trying that as soon as my stomach adjusted.

Given the enviromental conditions of Earth in their source time, and the lack of pets in the settlement, it's possible no one remembers how to even have a pet, let along it's possible to domesticate animals.

[KrauserKrauser]

How many domesticated reptiles do we have nowadays?

We have Alligator farms but I wouldn't say that they are domesticated.

We have snake pets but those are hardly domesticated.

So think of the arrangements that are required for an Alligator farm and size them up 10x. Domestication took centuries in OTL. I think ten years for any meaningful domestication is just a bit of a stretch.

This isn't Dino-Riders. Though it should be.

[SylasGaunt]

You know, after getting caught up on the series I think I'm going to throw my vote in with that idea that Tayler is seeking to make himself king by virtue of being more awesome than everyone else.

[Tasoth]

I caught the last episode by accident, and I just have to ask: How does a super-future lab not have a god damned centrifuge? I mean, really, come on! It'd have made the super detective work a billion times easier.

[tezunegari]

How does a super-future lab not have a god damned centrifuge? I mean, really, come on! It'd have made the super detective work a billion times easier.

How would that have made it more easier?

They extracted a sample from a drop of blood in a pint of paint thinner. Then they had a machine scan it while processing the data into a genetic sequence...

Would it have been necessary to show the centrifuge at all?

The more glaring mistake was to not supervise the whole process with at least a cctv camera - or whatever their equivalent is - or have a trusted guard stationed in the room.

[KrauserKrauser]

How does a super-future lab not have a god damned centrifuge? I mean, really, come on! It'd have made the super detective work a billion times easier.

How would that have made it more easier?

They extracted a sample from a drop of blood in a pint of paint thinner. Then they had a machine scan it while processing the data into a genetic sequence...

Would it have been necessary to show the centrifuge at all?

The more glaring mistake was to not supervise the whole process with at least a cctv camera - or whatever their equivalent is - or have a trusted guard stationed in the room.

Especially when we already knew there was a spy in the camp. Craziness.

"Let's just leave this key evidence that will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt who the spy is unguarded. Derp derp derp."

Par for the course with the lax operational security you see in every aspect of the Terra Nova security team.

One of my main problems with the execution of the premise is the refusal to kill the indigenous animals. Simply for the safety of the colonists and the colony they should be eradicating the local populations of super predators and culling the shit out the remaining mega fauna. Animal conservation can wait until after 1 pissed of Dino can wipe out the entire colony or a pack of slashers can sneak in and take large chunks out of the populace. Survival first, then the rest.

[tezunegari]

Especially when we already knew there was a spy in the camp. Craziness.

"Let's just leave this key evidence that will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt who the spy is unguarded. Derp derp derp."

Par for the course with the lax operational security you see in every aspect of the Terra Nova security team.

Yeah, I kind of expected either Shannon to use a camera trap with the evidence or the evidence to be fake so that they can lure the spy into trying to destroy it... Personally I think it was a mistake to reveal the identity to the audience but not to the other characters. It removes the a lot of tension.

One of my main problems with the execution of the premise is the refusal to kill the indigenous animals. Simply for the safety of the colonists and the colony they should be eradicating the local populations of super predators and culling the shit out the remaining mega fauna. Animal conservation can wait until after 1 pissed of Dino can wipe out the entire colony or a pack of slashers can sneak in and take large chunks out of the populace. Survival first, then the rest.

That actually might be an cultural problem. To them this place is paradise compared to the future. And Cmdr. Taylor states over and over that this is their second chance. They might have been instructed by Hope Plaza to keep the natural habitat intact and are taking it to the extreme - being misguided by historical records about man-made extinctions. At least there are a few things that might indicate that they actually kill at least Slashers. The kids making moonshine outside the gate used a Slasher tail-claw as knife and we've seen Taylor using one during last episode. (The size difference between that claw and his combat knife was truly a wtf moment ).

And even though Terra Nova does have critical plotholes and rather bad writing on camp security I do enjoy watching it.

[CaptainChewbacca]

You know, after getting caught up on the series I think I'm going to throw my vote in with that idea that Tayler is seeking to make himself king by virtue of being more awesome than everyone else.

If that's his plan I'm totally okay with it. Planning to be elected King by popular assent by genuinely winning over the people is pretty magnanimous.

[Ritterin Sophia]

We have Alligator farms but I wouldn't say that they are domesticated.

Comparing crocodilians to coelurosaurs is patently ridiculous, you're talking about a solitary predator that can and will eat it's own young and comparing it to a vast array of animals that use coordinated hunting tactics in family groups.

[The Original Nex]

While I agree that dinosaurs are not very comparable to modern reptiles, I am curious to go back the original point about domestication. Is there any evidence that humans domesticated any animals in as short a time as ten years? If not, then it's perfectly reasonable for the Terra Novans not to have tame dinos running around...

[Ritterin Sophia]

While I agree that dinosaurs are not very comparable to modern reptiles, I am curious to go back the original point about domestication. Is there any evidence that humans domesticated any animals in as short a time as ten years? If not, then it's perfectly reasonable for the Terra Novans not to have tame dinos running around...

No one said we should see tame dinosaurs running about. What people wondered about were why no attempts to domesticate seem to have begun, domestication is a process that requires effort. What I find hard to believe is there are no attempts at doing so when the payoffs are immense.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Ghetto Edit: It occurs to me that in fact the Domesticated Silver Fox was created in the Soviet Union from the Red Fox in under ten years after the project to do so began, due to careful behavioral conditioning and selective breeding. I don't see why a colony with advanced medical equipment like Terra Nova has couldn't do the same in a shorter period of time utilizing genetic manipulation.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Yeah, my point is that if I found myself back in dinosaur times the absolute FIRST thing I'd say to myself is 'I wanna ride one'.

I don't expect brontosaurus burgers or a velociraptor corral or freaking dinotopia, but I would appreciate at least a throwaway line like 'Thats Henderson, he's in a wheelchair due to the spectacular end of the three-week preliminary domestication program they tried after the third pilgrimage. Seems dinosaurs will take generations of breeding to make them usable for beasts of burden, something about their hindbrains.'

[CaptainChewbacca]

Watched the two-hour season (and possibly series) finale tonight, it didn't disappoint. Lots of action, good guys AND bad guys acting intelligently (for the most part) and a great resolution.

Terra Nova is now cut off from 2149, but there's an evil army of 100 mercs with heavy equipment poking around in the badlands looking for another fracture. I hope the series continues.