I tad belated this week as I have been watching a whole TV season for a change, rather than just one film. I've just finished watching the first season of Warehouse 13, an original SyFy channel sci-fi show created byJane EspensonandBrent Mote.
Technically this is the second time I've started watching W13, as it can be neatly shortened too. The first time I watched it, which was ages ago, I got a little bored of 'find an artifacts a week' thing, which sounds silly now, as my brother pointed out - that's the point of the show! Anyway, I don't know quite what I was thinking the first time, but on this second viewing I really got into it.
The show follows two American Secret Service agents, Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly), who are transferred to the mysterious Warehouse 13 - a huge warehouse full of artifacts with strange proprieties. These artifacts can not only do amazing things but can be highly dangerous, and it becomes Pete and Myka's job to locate artifacts then snag'em, tag'em and bag'em - as their new boss Artie (Saul Rubinek) explains.
What I like about this set-up is that opens up a multitude of creative possibilities, as artifacts can be anything, and doing anything. They often link artifacts to famous figures in history too, which is fun, such as Poe's pen or Harriet Tubman's thimble. Whilst the gadgets they use themselves range from the supertech of the video labels in the warehouse, to the more steampunk style video communicator's, the Farnsworths, they use on missions. The show also mixes in a good dose of slight absurdity and humour, which makes sense when its set in such an odd place, and the dialogue between characters - and especially from whizz-kid Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) - has a slightly silly, quick-fire sense to it from time to time - like an odd-ball film. However, the show can also be serious, and alot of that comes from the character's pasts, especially Artie's - and I wasn't sure if the serious straight stuff gelled with the more goofy, fast-talking side of the show at first. Now, I've seen the whole season, I think it pulls off alright. The weighty important bits are generally allowed room to breathe before they start being funny again, and of course the humour is used to lighten the mood during a more serious situation. So, all in all it works, and it is nice to have a scif-fi show that can be dramatic but also not take itself so seriously all the time.
Another thing I enjoy about the show, and which attracted me to it, is that there are apparently several cameos from other sci-fi actors. Already I have seen two actors from Battlestar Galactica and Joe Flannigan from Stargate Atlantis turn up in season one. As does actor Mark Sheppard - who seems to have a habit of turning up in sci-fi shows. I have also seen him in Firefly, Star Trek and Doctor Who. I enjoy all the characters on the show, especially Claudia and Pete, who are both funny and smart. I was a little put out by Artie, with his cuddly, professor appearance it took me a while to get my head around the fact the character was also secretive, cranky and bossy. This is not a bad thing though, as of course it gives his character not only more depth, but it also gives the first season most of its over-arcing plot and villain, as someone from Artie's past returns. In summary: A fun, bizarre sci-fi show that's very creative. The characters are all likable and well developed, and the setting is great. The first season gets a little slow in the middle, but does kick off once it gets going with its over-arcing storyline, and after that the stakes are raised and the twists just keep coming. Definitely recommended for sci-fi fans.
This review is about State of Syn, a multiplatform sci-fi webseries that was released along with an App. It stars David Hewlett - of whom I am a fan, check out my review of another his films Nothing, and hence how I found it - along with his Stargate Atlantis co-stars Jewel Staite, Rainbow Francks and Torri Higgson, who does the opening voice-over. Currently there are only three episodes available in the UK, but it hopefully it should be made internationally available.
Unlike other series, State of Syn is not life action per se, but an animated graphic novel with the story told in panels and shots, with some animated movement - such as hands, expressions, walking etc. The effect was created by photographing the actors in front of green screens and then adding backgrounds. I must admit, I wasn't so keen on the style at first - some of the movements look a little odd, especially character's running feet - but a second viewing has made me appreciate the 'comic that come to life' look, and the series truly does feel like some dark, science fiction graphic novel come to life. The settings have an atmoshperic contrast of darkness and neon colours, and the environments look sleek, whilst being detailed - it just looks great. And let's not forget the cast, who pull off their character's emotions and personalities brilliantly, in the snap shots and through their voice performances. Meanwhile, from a production point of view, I think the comic and green screen photography concept is brilliant. It opens up so many possibilities for webseries creators, as you can literally put your actors in any setting you want - as long as you have the time to create it. You could even re-use the same shots, but just change the settings and order to create a new story.
Anyway, now I should probably explain the story. Basically, its your typical futuristic dystopia, with a giant gap between the rich and poor, and corporate companies now in charge. A new type of drug - or rather techno drug, it looks like a pair of ear buds - called Vibe is being released. It's developer is the father of our hero Annika, and when he dies she begins to uncover secrets surrounding Vibe and her dad.
This is solid sci-fi stuff, but its not particularly new, in fact its rather typical. The really interesting concept, for me, is what Annika and the drug can do. Annika has synesthesia, a neurological condition where if one sense is stimulated, another sense also kicks in - for example, people with synesthesia see specific colours along with specific numbers, so when they look at 4 it always looks green. I think this is fascinating, and I love it when sci-fi shows use real science concepts.
The other thing I enjoyed about State of Syn was following and getting involved with the series through social media - and I must say, the show engages with its audience really well. They respond to tweets, they've run competitions, they've asked for what people want to see on merchandise, and even got David Hewlett to do an Ask Me Anything interview on Reddit that anyone could participate in. Obviously this benefits the webseries, but its also really fun for fans too, so basically everyone wins. I recommend you check them out if you're intending to start your own webseries, as they have come up with some nifty ideas to get people involved - meme competition? Genius! In summary: State of Syn is a stylish, sleek sci-fi webseries with an excellent cast, a fascinating real life science idea at its core and an engaging online presence. Definitely one for Stargate Atlantis fans (and Firefly fans) to check out - and lets hope the next five episodes reach the UK soon.
