Episodes were usually uncompromisingly formulaic. Some new invention(s) would be introduced that would tie into the episode's theme. The new gizmo would then inevitably go awry and cause a crisis that threatened anything from a few people to the entire planet. Town Sheriff Jack Carter would spend the first part of the episode figuring out how or why the device went wrong, usually by making connections between two or more seemingly unrelated things, then coming up with a solution to the problem using "every-man logic" and risking life, limb, and usually his police car to carry it out. He was a contemporary to Captain Kirk and most of the other characters fell into simple sci-fi archetypes to back him up. Here's where the carefree nature of the show really helped. Since every story from robots to time travel had been seen before, the writers endeavored to make them as fun as possible rather than as different as possible.
In their original pitch, series creators said this:
"In essence, this series is a post-modern love letter to the grand tradition of science fiction. It's an opportunity to reinvent and reinvigorate classic sci-fi plots and premises, creating an entirely unique show that blends the best elements of human drama with high concept storylines and up-to-the-minute scientific research. ... If the world of science and technology is the new frontier, then we want to be the pioneers. And we want Eureka to be the first settlement."
-Paglia and Cosby's Pitch to SyFy
Despite being highly derivative, the writers weren't afraid to take risks with their character and story arcs. A strong storyline was maintained over the whole show without being overpowering. Each season composed of one or two volumes with its own self-contained story that had ramifications for the whole series. Due to a strange quirk in the production order, seasons 3 and 4 lasted two years each, with one half airing each summer. Each half had its own separate story, essentially making up a slightly shorter season. The strongest of these, in my opinion, was season 4. The first half aggressively shook up the story as Carter and most of the main cast traveled back to1947 and inadvertently altered the timeline. When they returned to the present, there were adjustments that each of them had to make as parts of their lives literally changed overnight. The second half dealt with the preparation for a space mission to Jupiter. A historical resonance was present in the entire season as the story moved from the nostalgic 1940s to the espionage ridden space age reminiscent of the 60s. Issues from the altered timeline were present for the entire season and kept the drama lively and the characters from being too predictable. There were also two Christmas specials and a crossover with Warehouse 13 to top it all off.
The series finale, appropriately titled Just Another Day, was a bit on the weaker side. After years of dealing with so many crises, the townsfolk were not that worried when some wormholes threatened their town. Most of their energies went into dealing with the town's impending closure. There were several nods to previous episodes, especially the pilot, but most were just there for laughs and didn't contribute to the story. In the end, the lesson for the characters is simple, this is our home and it's where we belong. It wasn't a big finish, just a casual bowing out and an acknowledgment of the journey taken; a simple ending for a simple show.
While I would hardly call EUReKA one of the best products that SyFy has ever turned out, I will say it was one of the purest. It never pandered to the audience, never compromised itself to boost ratings, and there weren't any signs of aggressive interference by the network (excepting the Warehouse 13 crossover). It stayed true to what it was trying to be for its entire seven year run and succeeded the whole way. In an era where SyFy Channel is populated with reality TV and wrestling, it was one of those beacons of good storytelling. And there's plenty of it for new viewers to enjoy in syndication.
So long Eureka.
No comments:
Post a Comment