Week after week, Terra Nova finds ways to tear me apart in different ways. In ‘Nightfall,’ that worrisome trend continues.
There’s much to appreciate in ‘Nightfall’ including some gnarly prehistoric medical work, a giant dinosaur, Taylor’s son showing up, and Jim Shannon singing a spider song. Unfortunately, for all that was good there were equal parts annoying.
About that spider song: thank you, Jason O’Mara, for providing something that I can play while banging my head against a porcelain sink. It actually works for the scene, because it is supposed to be a father’s attempt at soothing his child’s fear while making a song up on the spot, which would probably turn out into what he ended up with.
Jim and Zoe are in what Terra Nova calls a library when a meteor strike causes an EMP that takes out all the electronics in the colony. The only way for them to get out is through this really small shaft that only Zoe can fit in. This little girl just cannot get away from being crammed into small places no matter what eon she is in. She is too scared to enter it because she is afraid of spiders, hence Jim’s spider song.
For several episodes now Zoe has been getting on my nerves. As a matter of fact, between her and Maddy, I can understand why the government of 2149 set up the whole family = four members law.
Speaking of Maddy, her and Mark go out for a romantic date outside of the colony when the meteor strike hits. This strands their transport, which of course needs static sensitive chips to run, so Mark tries to make the best of it. They end up in a tree together to avoid the Nykos that are now constantly on the prowl around the property, and share their first kiss.
I really wish the Nykos would have suddenly developed Michael Jordan-like jumping ability and taken them out. They do nothing when on-screen but drag every episode down into serious doldrums.
Not so boring and tedious was the giant 30-foot intestinal worm getting snaked out of a human with no high-tech instrumentals available to assist. This was awesome and the kind of unexpected material that I want to see on Terra Nova more and more.
I do have to question the timing on Hudson’s part to proclaim his feelings for Skye while he has this THING protruding out of him, though. It seemed a little surreal of a scene. Then again, we are dealing with time travel and dinosaurs, so I guess everything is up in the air and not following convention perhaps is the convention.
Taylor’s son pops in, finally, following an attack by the Sixers where they use a GIANT dinosaur as a distraction for the increasingly manly Taylor (Really? A toothpick, now? What’s next, opening a bottle of beer with his teeth?). The whole exercise was to get a hold of a mysterious box, and inside it was a whole bunch of tech and no answers. This was like opening Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction suitcase and finding a legal notepad and a banana sandwich inside. I am anxious to see the throw down between father and son and happy to finally get a glimpse of Taylor’s kid as was hinted at in the pilot, but the introduction still left me feeling a little empty.
– James Zappie
