Falling Skies

:

Season 1
  • Network: TNT
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 19, 2011
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 357 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 206 out of 357
  2. Mixed: 69 out of 357
  3. Negative: 82 out of 357
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  1. TwiTu
    Aug 15, 2012
    3
    I cant believe I actually tormented myself to view the whole season.
    After the first 2 episode I thought... Nothing special, but might still pick up!
    But it didnt. It was bland the whole season. Even the most action and suspense packed scenes made me yawn. This is Spielberg quality? Thats sad, because the story is boring, because it has been there hundreds of times before, the    I cant believe I actually tormented myself to view the whole season.
    After the first 2 episode I thought... Nothing special, but might still pick up!
    But it didnt. It was bland the whole season. Even the most action and suspense packed scenes made me yawn.

    This is Spielberg quality? Thats sad, because the story is boring, because it has been there hundreds of times before, the characters all are boring too hell and so are the dialogues.

    Anyway, I wont watch the second season. I seriously cant understand how this crap is even getting a second season while good series like Stargate Universe, Enterprise, Altlantis, SCC, or Firefly got axed so soon.    … Expand
  2. Coinin
    Aug 11, 2011
    1
    I had a lot of hope going into this series. With Steven Spielberg producing it, the series should have been an instant classic, right? Not so much. Noah Wyle's character is the only character worth caring about. Everyone else is trite and melodramatic. The whole show focuses on saving the children. "We have to save the children!"... Oh my lord. Could this be more cliched. I think not. TheI had a lot of hope going into this series. With Steven Spielberg producing it, the series should have been an instant classic, right? Not so much. Noah Wyle's character is the only character worth caring about. Everyone else is trite and melodramatic. The whole show focuses on saving the children. "We have to save the children!"... Oh my lord. Could this be more cliched. I think not. The special effects aren't very special and the writing is mind numbingly boring. I realize this is a cable show but they could have pumped in a little bit of money for some more action sequences and alien scenes. There's an entire battle that happens in the last episode that is only eluded to when the main character arrives at the location it was supposedly fought at. This is supposed to be the major climactic episode to keep us hooked for another season! They didn't even want to spend the money to make the last episode cinematically dynamic or explosive. I am so disappointed in Spielberg, who has hundreds of millions of dollars to produce box office blockbusters but only put enough into this show to let his reputation carry the series. In conclusion, this series is not worth your time. If you want good characters, watch reruns of Lost. If you want great alien action scenes, watch Cloverfield. If you want good dystopian sci/fi writing, read 1984 by George Orwell.… Expand
  3. Volvican
    Jul 7, 2011
    2
    Wow - could the mainstream critics be more up the arse of Speilberg? Because that's the only way to make sense of the discrepancy between them and the user scores. This was the most disappointing and boring pilot I've seen in a long time. Everything about it just seemed to strike the wrong note. The premise makes little sense- as others have mentioned, what alien species that couldWow - could the mainstream critics be more up the arse of Speilberg? Because that's the only way to make sense of the discrepancy between them and the user scores. This was the most disappointing and boring pilot I've seen in a long time. Everything about it just seemed to strike the wrong note. The premise makes little sense- as others have mentioned, what alien species that could take over the planet then doesn't finish the job? And having Noah Wylie walking around talking about the numerous times in history during which small groups of people fought off a larger enemy seemed utterly desperate. And it was SAPPY too. The acting was poor and even some of the casting was pretty crap. (that guy that is leading their unit- he plays the same guy in every show he's in and they are always really annoying) You don't really see much alien action and what action you do see is often in a darkened atmosphere so they can get away with CGI sloppiness. The alien design has been stolen too.. I can't remember from what other show or movie, but I've definitely seen those before. Very rarely do I give up on a show that I was interested in after only one episode but I feel justified in it on this one.… Expand
  4. collieuk
    Aug 5, 2011
    2
    Turgid, ill-thought out, cloyingly sentimental: all the things Spielberg now stands for. Could it be rescued by dramatic revelations? I doubt it: the plodding acting, writing and directing aren't up to it. Only the creature animation is adequate.
  5. kirkegrd
    Jun 22, 2011
    3
    I am generally a bit of a sucker for alien invasion stories. I was sad, for example, when V was cancelled. But this one just didn't draw me in at all. I suspect that it was written by boring people who are only capable of creating boring characters. The plot development is both linear and slow. The show alternates between boring action sequences and maudlin scenes where the humans reflectI am generally a bit of a sucker for alien invasion stories. I was sad, for example, when V was cancelled. But this one just didn't draw me in at all. I suspect that it was written by boring people who are only capable of creating boring characters. The plot development is both linear and slow. The show alternates between boring action sequences and maudlin scenes where the humans reflect on their difficult plight. I doubt Spielberg himself had much to do with the show, but the show features one of his favorite themes -- families and social groups coming together to attempt to overcome a seemingly insurmountable evil -- which I frankly find extremely uninteresting and trite. I was hoping to find a show that could hold me over until the next season of Game of Thrones, but unfortunately this isn't it.… Expand
  6. Gallaxy
    Aug 10, 2011
    3
    I've tried hard to like it but by the 4th episode I wasn't really interested in watching it anymore. I confess the Spielberg name made me go so far or else I'd quit watching it fom the middle of the 2nd episode ahead.
  7. Stopu
    Jul 11, 2011
    1
    Again... another good scifi idea so wrong used.
  8. colonelpepper
    Oct 5, 2011
    0
    It only gets worse... and worse... and worse as the season progresses. I had high hopes, you bet. I love sci/fi. This is not SciFi. This is a bunch of paintballers who don't shower and hang out at the local school without taking a shower. They hold candlelight vigils and spend lots of time in touchy feely conversations because it is easier than actually writing a scifi script. TheIt only gets worse... and worse... and worse as the season progresses. I had high hopes, you bet. I love sci/fi. This is not SciFi. This is a bunch of paintballers who don't shower and hang out at the local school without taking a shower. They hold candlelight vigils and spend lots of time in touchy feely conversations because it is easier than actually writing a scifi script. The first time I saw the aliens i wanted to laugh because the graphics were more cheesy than World of Warcraft. The sound that the metal aliens make when they march up... what's with that sound... is it supposed to be scary? I've heard more scary sounds in techno music. Everything fails. It is impossible to care about any of the characters because the acting and the script are terrible. FAIL.… Expand
  9. JumJum
    Jun 27, 2011
    1
    This show is brilliant in its idiocy. On first look, nothing makes sense at all in this show. But if we take a moment and look deeper we find that all of this not-making-sense stuff actually, when taken as a whole... makes no sense.

    In a world where billions are dead, apparently the doctor who figured a way to remove the harnesses from the children by using a blowtorch (using a blow torch    This show is brilliant in its idiocy. On first look, nothing makes sense at all in this show. But if we take a moment and look deeper we find that all of this not-making-sense stuff actually, when taken as a whole... makes no sense.

    In a world where billions are dead, apparently the doctor who figured a way to remove the harnesses from the children by using a blowtorch (using a blow torch so near to skin definitely wouldn't burn said skin), also knows the "professor," in fact they apparently were friends! And not only that, this doctor apparently hid while the aliens invaded leaving the professor's wife to die alone in the street. The professor is able to figure all this out because he somehow found his wife's body after the invasion and she had a bag near her that was very, very heavy (so heave she couldn't carry it on her own), so the conclusion must be the doctor left her to die! Such drama! Oh yeah aliens are killing off all of humanity too.

    The criminal the 2nd Mass captured complained so vocally about the food that they decided to make him... the cook! Thank God, because the whole theme of how the food they was being prepared was driving me crazy with anticipation. I can't wait to see what he cooks up for the rag tag 2nd Mass next! Luckily the military leader of the 2nd Mass is smart enough to take time away from trying to survive, protect the civilians, train his "fighters" and kill aliens, to oversee this criminal as head cook. Thank God the military knows how to prioritize! Oh yeah aliens are still killing off all of humanity too.

    Some people think harnessing children, turning them into zombified kids and having them collect scrap metal is silly. I disagree. This is a wonderful plot point! As everyone knows, aliens are huge do-it-yourselfers - just look at how passionate they are about their DIY Earth Invasion! For the aliens, Earth is DIYer's dream planet! And what better way to collect all that yummy scrap metal than by using zombified children! OK, sure, using advanced machinery (or a magnet) would be far more efficient and wouldn't require taking robocop guards away from slaughtering the rest of humanity - but DIYing isn't always about efficiency, it's also about fun! And what's more fun than invading a planet, wiping out the civilization and turning children into zombies who collect the scrap metal? I hear in episode 7 they're going to display some of the alien's art work.

    These aliens are also smart when it comes to getting paid by the networks. For example, when the robocops fire weapons at people behind barricades they use bullets that ricochet harmlessly away. When they see the professor, unprotected in the street, they fire missiles. Luckily the missiles, fired point blank, don't kill or even seriously wound the professor. They also wisely don't kill the show's "stars," instead they "stun" the show's "stars." By not killing the "stars" the aliens can keep the show running longer which will mean way bigger residual checks when it goes into syndication on SYFY.

    I think the aliens also have aq bit of the matchmaker in them. See I think the aliens saw that the professor and the doctor would like each other. So they planned this invasion to bring those two together. I mean if I knew two people should be together and I was a member of an alien race with far superior technology, I'd invade a planet, kill billions and destroy their civilization if I thought it would help a couple of people hook up. Well, if they lived on a planet with plenty of DIY scrap metal I would anyway.

    Anyway, brilliant show. I hope the writers can maintain this level of quality throughout.    … Expand
  10. MarcDoyle
    Jun 23, 2011
    3
    I'm a Sci-Fi fan, but unfortunately I was bored to death by the pilot. Had to stop watching. No sense in prolonging the agony. When you've got a new show, and you're competing with so many others, you've got to so SOMEthing to get the viewer's attention. This did nothing. Let me know how it goes. If it gets amazing, I'll check it out on DVD.
  11. Rattazustra
    Aug 8, 2011
    1
    Falling Skies is one of the few shows I kept watching, even though I found it to be horribly bad, because I couldn't stop wondering how much worse it could still get. Doing so, I found out that it actually got better halfway through the season, but only a little and not nearly enough.
    My greatest issue with the show is, that the setting is completely implausible and has plot holes ranging    Falling Skies is one of the few shows I kept watching, even though I found it to be horribly bad, because I couldn't stop wondering how much worse it could still get. Doing so, I found out that it actually got better halfway through the season, but only a little and not nearly enough.
    My greatest issue with the show is, that the setting is completely implausible and has plot holes ranging from background to on-going story arc, which are so huge that tanks could be parked in them. A score of 1 instead of 0 is deserved, because most of the characters are well cast, even though the writers did not manage to do anything useful with them. The biggest minus in my opinion is the horrible quality of the special effects, which makes the menacing alien machines look like nothing more thrilling than broken Lego toys.    … Expand
  12. IraqBobby
    Aug 14, 2011
    1
    One of the worst shows on TV! Bad writing, bad camera work, bad acting! Even Mystery Science Theater would not bother with lampooning this one! It is just that bad!!!
  13. Derpicus
    Aug 26, 2011
    3
    Falling Skies is a prime example of a show trying to do something amazing but falling short of it. To summarize, Falling Skies revolves around a human resistance against invading aliens. Which sounds like it'd be great fun, but unfortunately, it isn't.

    Getting right down to it, Falling Skies has very sub-par writing. It's B-movie material that's unfortunately given to a great cast of    Falling Skies is a prime example of a show trying to do something amazing but falling short of it. To summarize, Falling Skies revolves around a human resistance against invading aliens. Which sounds like it'd be great fun, but unfortunately, it isn't.

    Getting right down to it, Falling Skies has very sub-par writing. It's B-movie material that's unfortunately given to a great cast of actors- it's basically what you'd expect out of a rough draft from a 15 year old's "epic" movie idea. The "romance" bits are shoehorned in, along with all the other bits of cliche "character bonding" moments.

    It can't be all bad though, right? Even generic, B-level action movies can still be well liked, if only because of the overly gratuitous action. But it lacks that campy charm from, say, Starship Troopers. The action takes the backseat to the many conversation scenes that take place in the human shelter, which unnecessarily drags the show on and on. When the action finally happens, it's very slow and predictable. To top it off, it all comes across as serious- at least with a B-movie, you know it's a B-movie. However, Falling Skies tries to act like Spielberg's other alien-themed production, War of the Worlds- without any of the feeling of a constant threat, terrifying invaders, or even a somewhat realistic sense of human survival. All of the good things you'd expect from Falling Skies just don't come true.

    All in all, Falling Skies is a show that's a great idea that pretty much completely fails to deliver.    … Expand
  14. DanielK
    Oct 20, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Boring, bad, dumb, slow, but above all this show is incredibly annoying. Whether the dialogue, action scenes, poor (lack of) logic or character building, every aspect of this show is incredibly annoying. It is so annoying that I was forced to skip scenes at an exponentially increasing rate, after episode 3 I skipped the rest of the show. OK let me try to give you an idea how annoying this show is. So, aliens came to earth and defeated every military and nation around the world. The show is about the last survivors of the human race (+ a dog) and their resistance against the superior alien enemy. The aliens have superior technology, higher intelligence and had the advantage of a surprise attack, that is why they won, right? Nope, apparently the aliens won because nobody knows how to kill them. It's told a couple of times, they knew you would start skipping the dialogue and wanted to make sure you catch that. However, the hero of the show is determined and wont give up. He is a professional history teacher and explains numerous times how history is full of examples of inferior forces winning battles. He also uses his history lesson airtime to shove a medium portion American patriotism down your throat, just in case you missed your daily dose of any other generic American TV show or forgot to sing the national anthem in front of the flag. Luckily, our hero finds a way to kill the evil invaders, you know, you just have to get close. Yes, that's it, if only the combined military powers of the world with their fancy special forces, jets and nuclear weapons knew this intriguing secret before they were utterly defeated. With shocking knowledge in mind and handguns loaded the untrained, partially underage resistance fighters of the earth stand a chance again. It's obvious that humanity can't win head on, that's why hundreds people walk around in broad daylight to regroup with other groups of people who I guess also walk around in broad daylight without being spotted by the extraterrestrials. That makes total sense, these aliens must have skipped technological conveniences like satellites, aerial reconnaissance, night vision, effective weapons etc., instead they went directly after space travel, mind control, autonomous robots and a device to find earth in the vast universe. Also the aliens are morons, just like the humans. All these facts combined make for mind-blowing action scenes. So, once again our group of heroes has to leave the larger group of people who are totally safe by the way, because anything noteworthy in this universe happens in the immediate surroundings of one of the characters you know the name of, except being killed. The objective is as always getting supplies from an seemingly abandoned warehouse, but surprise an alien is hiding behind that box someone is grabbing. Here I should mention there are two types of aliens, the first one is a walking robot that can shoot, the second one is the actual alien. The actual alien has multiple legs, sharp teeth, wears an armoured vest, makes strange noises, is capable of mind control and can only fight by catching people and biting and maybe punching. So again, the second type alien is hiding behind some box in an abandoned warehouse in anticipation of someone to grab it, because that's what you do after you have decisively won an interplanetary war. Finally, some unsuspecting fool grabs the box, *waaagghhhgheeee* the alien screams and waits for the humans to react. They do, by running around waving their weapons in front of their groin and shooting in full auto. *Pweew*, *ching* all the missing bullets surprisingly do no damage, the ones that statistically have to hit some part of the aliens body do no damage either. You have to get close man! You see, when you get close you can beat them even with a flashlight. Luckily the aliens don't have walkie-talkies, would be a pain encountering more than two aliens at once. After a while the next battle starts, this time it's the robot alien. Usually our heroes spot them first, hide behind a car at a throwing distance and make an attempt at strategy. However, it never works out as planned, either someone runs out of cover screaming *insert dog's or loved one's name* or someone tips something over while doing something that was completely unnecessary to begin with. Robot alien activates it's advanced weaponry, multiple slightly differently colored laser beams converge on the target's head, advanced battle AI identifies target as an extra, boom, dead. If the laser beams spot a regular cast member, robot alien activates dramatic mode that freezes the target and makes it stare. After the target was dive saved the robot usually fires it's other weapon, a small rocket that makes cars go boom. Well, the really annoying stuff is the romance sub-plot, the moronic god talks and the father-son relationship building exercises while everybody is staring.SorryNotEnoughSpaceToExpressAllMyHate… Expand
  15. TalleyReviews
    Jun 19, 2011
    1
    I really can not describe the amount of hate I feel for this show. I just left it on as I was doing some things, I watched some action scenes and some 'moving' scenes. The action scenes were very clumsy feeling and goofy, like a movie from the 70s with enhanced visuals. Then I come to the very dramatic little touching scenes, well they were supposed to be touching. The one that I rememberI really can not describe the amount of hate I feel for this show. I just left it on as I was doing some things, I watched some action scenes and some 'moving' scenes. The action scenes were very clumsy feeling and goofy, like a movie from the 70s with enhanced visuals. Then I come to the very dramatic little touching scenes, well they were supposed to be touching. The one that I remember is the boy riding the Ripstick, I guess it was supposed to be symbolic of the boy's childhood being robbed by the invasion. However it just ended up being a bunch of people staring at a boy riding a Ripstick. I am going to make a little point system and come up with an average to score it.

    Story: Not that original, they skipped six months ahead of the initial invasion which makes me feel like they didn't want to waste the energy and time to produce those scenes. Really it is just another alien show/movie with a different name and different visuals. It does have some interesting moments. 2/10

    Acting: The lead was Noah Wyle, I have no idea what he has done in his past, but I am not impressed so far. He has not a hint of chemistry with anyone in this show. I don't know the names of the other actors but they aren't making me say "WOW!" 1/10

    Visuals: This is the part that really shocks me, the visuals are actually really bad. I expected when I heard the name Steven Spielberg being pasted all over this show, I thought it'd at least have the best of the best CGI. I would compare the CGI to a Syfy movie. Really this was shocking to me. The CGI explosions and the aliens look out of place in the real world. 0/10

    If you did the math, that is a 1. . This is only based on one episode, so this could change but if it doesn't, I'd say avoid this giant blockbuster that fails to captivate me.    … Expand
  16. MethylONE
    Jul 4, 2011
    2
    As of now this show is just above terrible. I wanted to like it. I'm still trying to like it but the direction is really bad, the actors should be ashamed. V was way better and BSG put this to shame.
  17. gail-oh
    Jun 19, 2011
    3
    I agree that the Spielberg name made me hope for more, but this hardly deserves hatred. It's pretty formulaic, pretty ho-hum for thrills, pretty - well, slow. I don't necessarily look for constant bloody action, but the encounters with the aliens are just plain boring. Oops - there's a bad guy...shoot it!

    The plot is also predictable - potential romance that they'll try to milk for    I agree that the Spielberg name made me hope for more, but this hardly deserves hatred. It's pretty formulaic, pretty ho-hum for thrills, pretty - well, slow. I don't necessarily look for constant bloody action, but the encounters with the aliens are just plain boring. Oops - there's a bad guy...shoot it!

    The plot is also predictable - potential romance that they'll try to milk for all it's worth, running short of supplies, tension between leaders. Getting captured by human criminals had some zing to it, but that seems already played out in the first episode. The criminal leader has some spark, but he'll probably be used to make pithy sarcastic comments and little else.

    Hey, it's summer TV - just ow many reruns can we watch of NCIS and Law & Order??? Oh yeah, we could read a book....    … Expand
  18. MorriBey
    Jun 20, 2011
    2
    I hadn't realized it was done by Spielberg until i started writing this. Doesn't look like he has moved on much from ET. I was trying to stay with it , in the hope it may be get better, but when the kid runs after a dog i had to turn it off. Its nonsense stuff. Its boring and it has the suspense of melting ice.
  19. BrianC
    Jun 27, 2011
    3
    Below par on all levels. The dialogue is oversimplified. The CG is poor. The plots are recycled. With the exception of the Pope character, the characters are generic, plagued by stiff acting. It basically says "NBC" on all levels. Falling Skies has very obviously attempted to replicate elements of Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead, which are some great shows to emulate.Below par on all levels. The dialogue is oversimplified. The CG is poor. The plots are recycled. With the exception of the Pope character, the characters are generic, plagued by stiff acting. It basically says "NBC" on all levels. Falling Skies has very obviously attempted to replicate elements of Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead, which are some great shows to emulate. Unfortunately, the show fails to deliver even a fraction of the quality.… Expand
  20. BoabDreeps
    Jul 19, 2011
    0
    Dreadful. For a kick off, the best thing about a season 1 premier, especially a sci-fi one, is that you usually get a good chuck of a 'Genesis' story line to set the scene. So I was looking forward to a good story and some nice visuals depicting how the characters in this story first encountered the aliens. No chance. instead we are brought up to speed with a childs view of the events andDreadful. For a kick off, the best thing about a season 1 premier, especially a sci-fi one, is that you usually get a good chuck of a 'Genesis' story line to set the scene. So I was looking forward to a good story and some nice visuals depicting how the characters in this story first encountered the aliens. No chance. instead we are brought up to speed with a childs view of the events and the visuals are provided by kids drawings of aliens shooting folks. I suppose it's supposed to be thought provoking and edgy, but I just saw it as a blatant effort to save on an FX budget. And on a whole the FX shots that we do get are pretty poor. The plots are rubbish too. This is just a bunch of no-body actors walking around fields and derelict houses with dirty faces and guns. Rubbish. Don't waste your time… Expand
  21. NCCrank
    Jun 21, 2011
    1
    Bad, bad, bad, bad. Mr. Spielberg needs to get his check back, and sue whoever made this mess for defamation.

    I'm not even sure where to start with this mess - except to say that critics must be watching a different show than what appeared on TV. First - aliens have invaded the earth, and will stake out / protect empty buildings. But, they won't attack a column of 300 people moving in    Bad, bad, bad, bad. Mr. Spielberg needs to get his check back, and sue whoever made this mess for defamation.

    I'm not even sure where to start with this mess - except to say that critics must be watching a different show than what appeared on TV. First - aliens have invaded the earth, and will stake out / protect empty buildings. But, they won't attack a column of 300 people moving in broad daylight....really....

    There are a lot of what the #$*#$ were they thinking moments in the first hour of the show. To many to list here. The biggest problem is that this show makes a story about alien invasion boring. Too many drawn out plot points, rote scenes that don't hang together, characters you don't care about - because they don't give you a reason to....

    Don't waster your time on this show. There are too many other good options besides this dreck.    … Expand
  22. Innovationrules
    Jul 20, 2011
    2
    Falling Skies has an interesting and creative premise. Too bad the execution is so, well, stupid. The army officers do not follow army protocol, they do not know exhibit any army or common sensical expertise, much less how to set up a perimeter, and treat the civilians like dogs. Really Spielberg? Really?

    Is this supposed to be great TV? The silliness extends everywhere in every episode.    Falling Skies has an interesting and creative premise. Too bad the execution is so, well, stupid. The army officers do not follow army protocol, they do not know exhibit any army or common sensical expertise, much less how to set up a perimeter, and treat the civilians like dogs. Really Spielberg? Really?

    Is this supposed to be great TV?

    The silliness extends everywhere in every episode. These people are supposed to be fighting for their lives. Losing the doctor was a horror show of stupidity and unrealistic drama. Can't there at least be one smart guy in the room, or this just in general bad writing?

    Good lord.    … Expand
  23. skim123
    Jun 22, 2011
    3
    They blew a great opportunity with this show. It could've been great if it had been done right, but they "hollywooded" it up too much. I'm not a fan of TNT and their shows (too corny, sappy and cliche)...and this show got the typical "TNT" treatment - bad casting and mediocre writing. The casting is especially horrendous, but predictable for a network like TNT - all of the women andThey blew a great opportunity with this show. It could've been great if it had been done right, but they "hollywooded" it up too much. I'm not a fan of TNT and their shows (too corny, sappy and cliche)...and this show got the typical "TNT" treatment - bad casting and mediocre writing. The casting is especially horrendous, but predictable for a network like TNT - all of the women and young men look like models - none of them look like real people, and their acting is wooden to say the least. Typical TNT casting choices - they cast good-looking people with no charisma or personality. The premise is also flawed. I simply can't believe that large groups of humans would be able to successfully hide from an advanced alien race. The aliens have ships that could easily just drop bombs on every square mile of the planet and could eliminate the entire human race in a matter of days...with their advanced technology, they should be able to locate and destroy every human relatively quickly.

    The aliens themselves are also not believable as an "advanced, intelligent" race. I have a hard time believing something that looks like an overgrown spider could create advanced technology....and why do so called "advanced" aliens never wear clothes?

    Boring, unrealistic plot, with boring, generic characters. I would love to see what network like AMC could do with and alien show. AMC would do a real, gritty, believable version with interesting characters....this watered down TNT could've been great if it had been in the right hands.    … Expand
  24. starmanj
    Jun 27, 2011
    2
    I should know by now to expect a Spielberg sci-fi show to be full of bad-acting kids, bad science, marginal special effects, and sappy dialogue. In fact, I think Spielberg ruined "Super 8" as well along these lines. (Abrams, you did fine with Cloverfield, you DON"T NEED SPIELBERG!)

    Take Battlestar Galactica (new) (yes, we have Cylons and Baltar on land), merge with Robert Heinlein's    I should know by now to expect a Spielberg sci-fi show to be full of bad-acting kids, bad science, marginal special effects, and sappy dialogue. In fact, I think Spielberg ruined "Super 8" as well along these lines. (Abrams, you did fine with Cloverfield, you DON"T NEED SPIELBERG!)

    Take Battlestar Galactica (new) (yes, we have Cylons and Baltar on land), merge with Robert Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters", add kiddies, remove all good actors/acting, water down the violence and drama, and slash the budget. And throw in the name of a former director has-been who was relevant 35 years ago.

    This should have been made by Joss Whedon if you wanted a great series.    … Expand
  25. agrimwade
    Jul 13, 2011
    3
    Pilot double header was OK, but subsequent episodes have been duller and duller. The characters tend to hang around being mopey or doing stupid things. The potentially interesting story line of what the bugs are doing on earth, why they are so hostile and how they have such an extraordinary grasp of human biology that they can enslave children with a "harness" is playing out excruciatinglyPilot double header was OK, but subsequent episodes have been duller and duller. The characters tend to hang around being mopey or doing stupid things. The potentially interesting story line of what the bugs are doing on earth, why they are so hostile and how they have such an extraordinary grasp of human biology that they can enslave children with a "harness" is playing out excruciatingly slowly. The rest is sentimental and dull and annoying.… Expand
  26. Zack2981
    Jul 27, 2012
    1
    For some reason I have committed myself to watching this show. Having said that, I feel like that entitles me to say with all confidence that this is one of the worst television shows I've ever seen. I could basically summarize the entire first two seasons in less than a paragraph. That's right, less than a paragraph.

    Two seasons in and NOTHING remotely interesting has been revealed.    For some reason I have committed myself to watching this show. Having said that, I feel like that entitles me to say with all confidence that this is one of the worst television shows I've ever seen. I could basically summarize the entire first two seasons in less than a paragraph. That's right, less than a paragraph.

    Two seasons in and NOTHING remotely interesting has been revealed. Characters who come and go without reason have little to no development and the writing constantly tries to hit you over the head with these emotional moments that just come off as trite and annoying. In fact, I didn't even know most of the characters names until the second season. This entire show is a big gaping plot hole that the writers/producers never even attempt to fill. In fact, when the opportunity arises for a little damn exposition, it's skipped for more trite, emotional BS. Look, I'm all for heart in a story but Falling Skies neither has the capacity to pull it off or the story to back it up. I've seen every episode of this show and the fascination only comes from how amazingly bad this show is. And yet it gets picked up for a third season. My hate is real. There is nothing remotely interesting or compelling about this show. At all.    … Expand
  27. reeleyes
    Oct 16, 2011
    0
    What? The talent of the Spielberg factory couldn't come up with a different looking invader? They look like the offspring of the "War of the Worlds" family. And how many times does Noah Wylie have to comfort his sons about how things will be all right? I'm happier watching re-runs of the old "V". Now that was fun! Oh well, another boring "epic" from Spielberg. Thank the stars for "TheWhat? The talent of the Spielberg factory couldn't come up with a different looking invader? They look like the offspring of the "War of the Worlds" family. And how many times does Noah Wylie have to comfort his sons about how things will be all right? I'm happier watching re-runs of the old "V". Now that was fun! Oh well, another boring "epic" from Spielberg. Thank the stars for "The Walking Dead"!… Expand
  28. Rex_richards
    Jul 9, 2013
    0
    This show is absolutely the most immature and pathetic sci fi show I have ever seen. It makes sponge bob squarepants look like an intellectual leviathan alien, it's just so feeble. It's like a sci-fi version of the 1960s batman series, but without any of the laughs.
  29. TheKiddy
    Jun 19, 2011
    1
    cloying. saccharin. clumsy, unoriginal dialogue, and too much of it. too little excitement, energy. the world is ending and it feels like nothing is happening. expects us to care about this group of people before we are ready, before we even know them. the opening with the little kids talking -- doesn't sound like real kid dialogue and sounds a lot like exposition. the father -soncloying. saccharin. clumsy, unoriginal dialogue, and too much of it. too little excitement, energy. the world is ending and it feels like nothing is happening. expects us to care about this group of people before we are ready, before we even know them. the opening with the little kids talking -- doesn't sound like real kid dialogue and sounds a lot like exposition. the father -son discussions are annoying.… Expand
  30. wordy_actions
    Jun 19, 2011
    2
    Interesting concept sunk by cliche after cliche. After 2 hours of cliched dialouge and character 'development' I couldn't stand it anymore. The only thing impressive about this show is the production values, and even then only some of the CGI shots look good. In the first 30 minutes we see a huge group of humans traveling slowly, in daytime, and in a town. What the hell? Why aren't theyInteresting concept sunk by cliche after cliche. After 2 hours of cliched dialouge and character 'development' I couldn't stand it anymore. The only thing impressive about this show is the production values, and even then only some of the CGI shots look good. In the first 30 minutes we see a huge group of humans traveling slowly, in daytime, and in a town. What the hell? Why aren't they being attacked by the 'hundreds' of aircraft that the aliens have in their mothership which is only several miles away? Look, I'm not one to nitpick but how am I supposed to be scared of aliens that can't find hundreds of people in the middle of the day? And they have aircraft for crying out loud! The characters don't seem like they're taking the whole thing seriously. Everyone is acting like this whole alien invasion thing is just an inconvenience as they spout off 'witty' one-liners and cliched emotional dialouge that we've all heard before. The lead actor is the only person who seems like he's trying to deliver his lines with any amount of emotion. The child characters feel shoe-horned in and are mostly annoying. To be fair, it's only the first episode. But it'll take some serious effort for this show to find it's footing and get better. Compared to all the gold that's on TV right now, this show is a serious letdown.… Expand
  31. Digitalkid
    Jun 22, 2011
    3
    Awful, primitive, disappointing! Such a glamorous end of civilization. "Exhausted" survivors just lost their friends, siblings, homes, are flirting and.. acting like its some weekend trip just with guns. Their stupidity will cost many lifes.. so what?! I would say more, but show just not worth it. And critics are happy as always)) "Great show", "Wooow".. Pffffff..
  32. YetAnotherScott
    Jun 20, 2011
    2
    Time is the most important thing we have. It's worth more than money, worth more than fame, worth more than status or position. I write this review so that you might save some of your precious time by not watching the show Falling Skies. I was unable to feel even a small shred of sympathy toward these characters. You know that feeling you get when you are watching a TV show and you forgetTime is the most important thing we have. It's worth more than money, worth more than fame, worth more than status or position. I write this review so that you might save some of your precious time by not watching the show Falling Skies. I was unable to feel even a small shred of sympathy toward these characters. You know that feeling you get when you are watching a TV show and you forget its a TV show because you are so into it..? This will not be an experience like that, you wont spend any time being immersed in the character's plight, hoping for small miracles, and generally caring how things turn out. You are so reminded that this is a poorly made TV show that you begin to wish the aliens finish them off because if this is a cross section of what is left of humanity, wow, humanity is really in trouble. Someone else here mentions about the kid running after the dog...yes, I too felt a tinge of 'why'...no wait.. it was more like 'why me?' and 'I knew this was never going to get any better!!' Any review that seems to sway you toward a favorable opinion of this fiasco must be taken note of so you can ensure that you never listen to that critic again. I ranked it low, but not the lowest as I did chuckle once during an exchange between Noah and the A-Team fella...something about " you dont need to agree with me you just need to listen!" or something like that. His response was fast, and witty, and I grinned. Anyway, that is in no way a redemption statement.… Expand
  33. syrik
    Jun 22, 2011
    0
    I don't know if network types read these reviews, but I hope so. Plugging in a ZERO for this one because somewhere in the 2 hour presentation there was supposedly a show about an alien apocalypse but I'm not sure because there was a commercial every 5 minutes. They even showed this thing again, immediately after it ended in a half hour shorter time block, so 1.5 hours, with fewerI don't know if network types read these reviews, but I hope so. Plugging in a ZERO for this one because somewhere in the 2 hour presentation there was supposedly a show about an alien apocalypse but I'm not sure because there was a commercial every 5 minutes. They even showed this thing again, immediately after it ended in a half hour shorter time block, so 1.5 hours, with fewer commercials. Seriously, were they broadcasting a new show here or a new way to get people to watch ads? What there was of the show was boring, poorly acted and unoriginal. Pass next week and pass on the network the next time they pop this many ads into a show. I'm not interested in 2 hours of ads.… Expand
  34. skykappah
    Jun 25, 2011
    2
    Very, very generic, cliche'd and they even have stereo typical black guys. So white folk can feel good that black people having been included! Yay! There's also 1 Asian, yay! Beside the racial quota filling in generic ethnic roles that Caucasian's aren't allowed to portray.. It's all family **** and not what I expected.. I hope the aliens win. The Walking Dead is 110% more realisticallyVery, very generic, cliche'd and they even have stereo typical black guys. So white folk can feel good that black people having been included! Yay! There's also 1 Asian, yay! Beside the racial quota filling in generic ethnic roles that Caucasian's aren't allowed to portray.. It's all family **** and not what I expected.. I hope the aliens win. The Walking Dead is 110% more realistically written. Which was what I was hoping for... An alien invasion version of The Walking Dead. I felt like I needed to strap a bow tie to my hair, put on a pink dress and suck a lollipop by the end of this show. Here's the math... Generic+Stereo typing+Idiocy+Family+Family Dog+Aliens+Ugly people all dead+Doc Carter= Falling Skies.. Sesame Street is more hardcore.

    I was really looking forward to this show.. For people that want a less sillier review... I'll grant you one.
    This series is aimed towards a family audience and when you do that.. There are about 50% of scenarios and language that you cannot use. Realism cannot be successfully portrayed here.
    The characters are generic and nobody is outstanding. The acting is ok but clearly everybody seems to have graduated from day time TV acting school. Even Will Patton is average and this guy was great. Noah Wyle is just Noah Wyle.. the rest you can take it or leave it..
    Judging from the pilot, I doubt we will see much alien activity as the show will aim towards the usual "we are the our own worst enemy" type of story.... To save on budget I guess. I agree we are our worst enemy but it would be nice to see something different. Just about everything on this show is too predictable and clumsy. Top it up with average writing and acting, then Falling Skies will not last long at all.

    I'll watch it all though due to fact it's still going to better than all the cop shows, hospital and law dramas out there. Though if it doesn't improve I will have to abandon it. It's not looking good because the pilot is where most most of the money is spent and where some of the best stuff is written before they run out of steam.    … Expand
  35. Captiosus
    Jun 20, 2011
    3
    I guess someone at Dreamworks and TNT weren't told that serialized Sci-Fi is toast. All they had to do was look at recent events: ABC's V reboot, cancelled. NBC's The Event, cancelled. FOX's Fringe.. lucky enough to live on, but the ratings are in free-fall. So TNT decides to premier (yet another) predictable aliens-invade-the-planet serialized show. Unlike the aforementioned shows, whoseI guess someone at Dreamworks and TNT weren't told that serialized Sci-Fi is toast. All they had to do was look at recent events: ABC's V reboot, cancelled. NBC's The Event, cancelled. FOX's Fringe.. lucky enough to live on, but the ratings are in free-fall. So TNT decides to premier (yet another) predictable aliens-invade-the-planet serialized show. Unlike the aforementioned shows, whose premiers were strong and generated decent interest, this premier was cliche, tired, uninspired and completely predictable. No one but Noah Wylie seems to be interested in the plot of what they're trying to convey, the situations the "resistance" found themselves in were absolutely laughable, the scenes jump all over the place (hey, look, one commercial break and we're out of Massachusetts and in Ohio - with a massive invasion force around? really?) and the fighting sequences mundane. It's a sad statement when the human renegades seemed more villainous than the aliens trying to wipe humanity off the earth. I feel like we've been down this road several times before over the last three TV seasons, and none of them panned out - but at least most of the predecessors to this show had decent acting. This one just has an uninspired cast, Noah Wylie acting like, well Noah Wylie (really, this is the guy who went from ER to the Librarian, Indiana Jones ripoff movies), terrible effects and a terrible plot that's been done before RECENTLY. I can't say I'm even interested in future episodes as the series is going to predictably be about Noah's character trying to save his son (and, by proxy, the rest of the children) more than humanity resisting an invasion of supposed bad-arse aliens we almost never see.… Expand
  36. joxgeraldo
    Dec 1, 2011
    0
    isso é uma lixo. nao recomendo nem para o meu pior inimigo! péssima, péssimo roteiro, péssimos atores. nao tem nada que salve e espero que nao tenha uma segunda temporada!
  37. AIDY
    Jun 20, 2011
    2
    I can really get into why Falling Skies truly came up short in its premiere--I decided to just let it progress on its own slow decline in viewership. I truly was hoping for "more" considering Spielberg was tied to the series. The show did not present enough for me to be concerned for any of the survivors. The concept overall wasn't remotely logical. Predictable. Forgettable. Done
  38. alienchaos
    Jun 20, 2011
    0
    To compare this show to Battlestar G or X Files is unconscionable. Bad: terrible dialogue, completely predictable plot, no emotions, no growth of characters, too many kids, no injuries, no bathrooms, no blood, stupid aliens, human interactions are not natural, on and on and on. Good: I recorded it so I could fast forward through the commercials and only wasted about and 1hr 25 min...
  39. helohe
    Jul 2, 2011
    0
    the last 'spielberg' sci fi show I watched (taken) was great, and I had hopes for this one. but I was disappointed almost instantly. the characters acting is really bad, and the special effects of the show are not better. the atmosphere is too nicely for the kind of situation those people are in. the people almost seem as if they are not afraid at all. There is no suspence, nothing gory.the last 'spielberg' sci fi show I watched (taken) was great, and I had hopes for this one. but I was disappointed almost instantly. the characters acting is really bad, and the special effects of the show are not better. the atmosphere is too nicely for the kind of situation those people are in. the people almost seem as if they are not afraid at all. There is no suspence, nothing gory. Quite boring all in all.
    UPDATE: well, after watching two more episodes, I change my rating from 3 to 0 points for this show.    … Expand
  40. mosconstein
    Sep 2, 2013
    0
    Aliens' weapons of conquer are boredom and dullness...
    It is really unbeliveable how characters of this show are dumb. Really. The only reason why invaders haven't won yet is because they are even more stupid than humans! The plot is boring and has gap holes as big as the solar system, the characters always (yes, ALWAYS) act with brainless strategies and the only reason why they are    Aliens' weapons of conquer are boredom and dullness...
    It is really unbeliveable how characters of this show are dumb. Really. The only reason why invaders haven't won yet is because they are even more stupid than humans! The plot is boring and has gap holes as big as the solar system, the characters always (yes, ALWAYS) act with brainless strategies and the only reason why they are still alive is because the so technological advanced aliens seem not to have a proper radar or heat sensor. (no really, how can a flying alien drone not notice a caravan just because it has a blanket on its engine? How can a bad-ass alien terminator not notice human presence 1 meter away?)    … Expand
  41. TheRealRalf
    Jul 22, 2012
    3
    I anticipated Falling skies very much but was disappointed by the lame storytelling and the too obvious logical flaws there are. People are constantly struggling more with their relationship issues in dialogues as common as it can be and not driving the story itself. Battlestar or Lost performed a lot better in ways of interweaving plot lines and displaying everyday relationship issues inI anticipated Falling skies very much but was disappointed by the lame storytelling and the too obvious logical flaws there are. People are constantly struggling more with their relationship issues in dialogues as common as it can be and not driving the story itself. Battlestar or Lost performed a lot better in ways of interweaving plot lines and displaying everyday relationship issues in the wake not as the main-topic in an interesting setting. Sad, very sad. But perhaps the second season will get better.… Expand
  42. Stabs_with_Pudz
    Jan 16, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The shows plot is predictable, cliched and slow.
    None of the actors could act to save their lives
    The CGI is rubbish.
    And all the characters are completely unoriginal.
    Basically, its a **** show that will rob you of your time and of your brain cells    … Expand
  43. Stenapan
    Mar 26, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Acting, directing and CG is ok or even good for a show thats more of a drama than a sci-fi.

    What gets my blood pressure is the incredible stupidity of the characters and script. If at any point, there are two options of which one is stupid or counter-productive they will invariable choose that one. They catch one alien alive, which apparently hasn't been done before. The supposedly smart doctor wants to kill it without questioning it first. Seems an incredibly dumb suggestion as it's already been stated that they know next to nothing about the aliens.
    One character suddenly forgets that they are in the immediate vicinity of some bad-ass aliens and starts shouting as to make certain that everybody gets killed. This happens twice by the way. One would think that people who have survived by guerilla warfare for 6 months would be smarter than that.
    The discover that the aliens reuse ammunition cartridges from guns made on earth but nobody thought of trying it in their own weapons.
    One kid's mind gets transformed by the aliens but it doesn't seem to occur to anyone that he might have useful information. Medical procedures that in one episode are described as complex and time consuming, can be done on ~10 people at once a few episodes later.
    The script is extremely predictable. The record for me was 5 minutes. That is, 5 minutes before I'd correctly guessed what was going to be the twist in the episode.

    I REALLY hope season 2 is as good as they say as that's the reason I stayed with season 1. Oh yeah, I also hope the script writers for season 1 got fired.    … Expand
  44. Ravens1294
    Jun 24, 2014
    3
    This was probably the best season of the show and it ain't good. Characters are so one dimensional and so pathetic, I can't believe they're even alive in this war. Acting is sub par and it is so boring.
  45. Zerind
    Sep 3, 2013
    0
    Slow action, incredibly dimwitted characters, predictable plot, boring scenery. This show is a huge disappointment. It could have, it should have been great! Post apocalyptic rebuilding, or sci-fi action, or tense thriller, but no. This series fails at all levels. Even the otherwise good actors seem to have lost most of their skills.
  46. Motcritic
    Feb 20, 2014
    3
    The Walking Dead of alien invasions, but not as bad.

    This show is just weak all around. Starting with, it makes no bloody sense, action scenes are ridiculous beyond comprehension, character decisions are baffling poor, scenario choice is cheap and poor, and the way things evolve is to say the least, utterly unbelievable, finally ending with the boring endless touching drama scenes that    The Walking Dead of alien invasions, but not as bad.

    This show is just weak all around. Starting with, it makes no bloody sense, action scenes are ridiculous beyond comprehension, character decisions are baffling poor, scenario choice is cheap and poor, and the way things evolve is to say the least, utterly unbelievable, finally ending with the boring endless touching drama scenes that just don't connect in any way... I could go on and on about it.

    What saves this show is that the characters have some value, the acting is ok, the characters actually evolve and sometimes they even learn, and there's an alien invasion in an apocalyptic world.    … Expand
  47. Targe
    Mar 13, 2014
    0
    Incredibly stupid. Seriously, the characters are dumb, they act dumb, think dumb, which is frustrating. Aliens too, they are just stupid, do illogical things.
    But the worst part is the "hooray America the great free nation will save the world" syrup poured all over this pile of boring dogpoo.
    Avoid this series, unless you like looking at stupid people doing stupid things.
  48. gsmonks
    Jun 15, 2014
    0
    Okay cast, okay special effects, but a terrible script- nothing but a string of platitudes and cliches. Because the script is junk, there's little or no chemistry between the actors. Hand the writing over to me and I'll give you a show worth watching. I can't understand how such crap ends up in production. Spielberg seems to be great at raising money for projects, but beyond that the guyOkay cast, okay special effects, but a terrible script- nothing but a string of platitudes and cliches. Because the script is junk, there's little or no chemistry between the actors. Hand the writing over to me and I'll give you a show worth watching. I can't understand how such crap ends up in production. Spielberg seems to be great at raising money for projects, but beyond that the guy himself strikes me as being as dumb as a bag of hammers. The CGI aliens and machines are derivative to the point of absurdity, obviously stolen from here and there. The worst part about the show is that the plot doesn't work. If aliens had killed of 95% of Earth's population, there wouldn't be a building or structure left standing. You'd have a moonscape devoid of life, and food would be conspicuously absent from the picture. Note to scriptwriters- always work from an outline: that's how you avoid train-wrecks like this.… Expand
  49. Harr70517
    Jun 30, 2014
    2
    I was looking forward to the new season of Falling Skies for months now. I really tried to get enjoy the first two episodes. So far it has been a disappointment to me. Nothing I have seen so far has been able to keep my interest. They are spending too much time in the prison area and it's always dark and dingy looking. I think in the first episode that was ok. Now it is dragging onI was looking forward to the new season of Falling Skies for months now. I really tried to get enjoy the first two episodes. So far it has been a disappointment to me. Nothing I have seen so far has been able to keep my interest. They are spending too much time in the prison area and it's always dark and dingy looking. I think in the first episode that was ok. Now it is dragging on into the 2nd episode. You would think they had a shortage on lighting while filming. Yawn.........
    I really really want it to get better!    … Expand
  50. xxvaderxx
    Jun 30, 2014
    0
    So much potential so much waste.

    This vs Battle Star Galactica, Galactica wins by land slide. The same setting (post apocalyptic refugees on the run) much better character development. This shows tries action scenes and fails miserably. Tries emotional depth and fails miserably. Tries character development and fails miserably, Sarah Carter`s character should be next to insane due to the    So much potential so much waste.

    This vs Battle Star Galactica, Galactica wins by land slide. The same setting (post apocalyptic refugees on the run) much better character development. This shows tries action scenes and fails miserably. Tries emotional depth and fails miserably. Tries character development and fails miserably, Sarah Carter`s character should be next to insane due to the trauma of being repeatedly raped and used as a toy by a gang, thou when they find her she is cracking snide remarks and jokes.

    This is a show that tries to present a harsh and bleak setting, but is unwilling to compromise the brutality that comes with it. Everything seems fake, the reactions, the fights, the motivations, the interactions, the gang of guerrilla fighters constantly on the move and the verge of starvation who also happen to walk around with iron pressed "rags" for clothes.

    Bottom line is a show that tells a PG-13 to R story, but wants to be G rated show. Everything comes out bland and artificial.    … Expand
  51. Kinokarte
    Nov 17, 2015
    0
    its a pity you cant give -10.borring booooring boooring pooop, other than that its pure dog poop. already said too much.this show was made so you can enjoy ads and more ads and even more ads. and dog poop. even for free, while not watching, while beeing in another land, is too much of a hassle. and look how these bots voted it up to 10.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best TV Season of 2011
6
#6 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011
17
#17 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27
  1. RedEye
    Reviewed by: Curt Wagner
    Aug 1, 2011
    75
    Falling Skies, although competently directed, acted and sometimes written, goes off on more than a few tangents and paint-by-numbers subplots of the genre. It's best when it sticks to the main thread, and that's the battle for survival and to learn what the six-legged freaks are doing with the children.
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  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Storm
    Jun 20, 2011
    80
    Falling Skies generates its own excitement, very much worth the ride, like Lost and Jericho, to watch characters develop as they struggle under confusing and life-threatening circumstances.
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  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jun 20, 2011
    70
    The characters lack the depth of those in smarter, premium cable dramas like "The Walking Dead," but they do show some growth as the series goes on. What Falling Skies does best is create a sense of the struggle for survival.
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