I don't remember that last time I tuned in to the Sci-Fi (I can't call it Syfy. Or as my wife says it "Cee-Fee.") Channel, but it had to been around 1998 or 1999. Once the final credits rolled on MST3K's series finale well then that was pretty much it. I think I stuck around for FarScape, but not sure if I followed through. The network formed a core of my adolescence particularly on school breaks when I would catch up on syndicated runs of Sightings, The Flash, Twilight Zone, The Friday the 13th series, and the umpteen Stargate series. I knew the network changed (It has wrestling now. One day I will have to put down the sheer lunacy of my pro wrestling phase. All boys must go through a pro wrestling phase. Like chicken pox, you hope it is in your earlier days as, later in life, it is much worse and tends to linger), but if you want a catharsis well you better go find another blogger.
Sci-Fi just premiered a new show called Helix. I caught some of the promos and buzz for this show which is saying a lot since I rarely watch actual TV anymore. Consume media on Netflix and Youtube well yes, but sit down and surf channels? My younger self could not recognize me. This is where Facebook helps since most of my news and even weather updates come from the newsfeed. I remember one college colleague post that she was happy to hear about this show because it was real science fiction coming back to the Sci-Fi Channel after so much had been lost to wrestling and shows about stage makeup.
Science fiction and fantasy are easy to spot, but tricky to nuance down once you start to really label things. Is Ghostsbusters science fiction or a comedy first? Isn't the new movie Her a bit of science fiction? We have such voices on our phones, but one so well evolved is sometime in the future. Doesn't that mean science fiction?
Helix certainly feels like science fiction but only because the stories it follows. The story begins at a remote Arctic (Greenland to be specific) research base where something has gone wrong and a super virus has infected some folks. They call in the Centers for Disease Control and they send in a five man team (Lead Guy, Lead Guy's Ex Wife (Who also slept with his brother who is one of the guys infected in the lab), Cute Young Girl (I have jokingly called this actress Kate Mara's stunt double. They look alike and I am horrible with names. It is amazing I know who Kate Mara is!), Butch Girl, and Army Guy. They then meet their counterparts at the station (Head Research Guy who may or may not be evil and his faithful lieutenant..who kind of looks like Chris Pratt) and, while they don't have mustaches to twirl, are certainly up to no good. Hijinks ensue at the lab where everyone is trapped, who knows who is infected, and secrets abound.
Makes for a nice pitch and neat show, but I only considered it science fiction because A) It is on the Sci-Fi Channel so it needs to have some connection and B) There are many similar stories firmly affirmed in science fiction. Helix feels much like that X File Season 1 episode "Ice" which makes it feel like The Thing which makes it feel like The Thing From Another World. Oh, and there is duct crawling scene that along with the whole "Who has the disease in them" and "You can't leave!" make the whole thing feel like Alien.If not for these I would say the thing feels much more like a medical thriller as if Outbreak stood a bit too long next to the microwave. Because of my job, I cannot resist fussing over silly details. The pilot has a wide shot of the helicopter coming up on the ice base which shines with an albedo to rival the ice cap and is surrounded by green blinking wind turbines. Meant to be impressive and it looks sharp but my first thought is "How are they funded!?" or "How do you support the supply chain for such a place?" We may never know as we many never learn who cleans the toilets in heaven.
While we have seen the premise before it does have that Lost like feeling gnawing feeling of needing to know more! There is a neat scene where one of the characters stumbles upon a cache of hidden bodies that reminded of the polar bear scene in Lost and you can't help but to take the bait. Production values are decent and we have seen this all once before but as long as they are not making it up as they go along (Again, Lost) then it is worth a try. You can watch online and I saw the first two episodes for free using my Xbox Live Gold Microsoft takes your money whatever account. I will be watching every Friday or so!
Seriously, there are enough tropes here to send freshmen writing seminars into a frenzy. A hero with daddy issues, a young heroine not taken seriously because of her age/looks, ball busting lady scientist, and jump scares. A harsher review could say it is a bit flat footed, but there is something about the mystery, the need to know more and more, that makes me end of a much more positive note.
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