You know that feeling you get when you watch a show, or a movie, and realise that the main character is just not that interesting? The feeling when you realise you are more invested in a supporting character, than in the main protagonist?
Well, that is the ever increasing feeling I get when I watch an episode of Origin. I'm currently up to episode 8 and I really couldn't care less about the ongoing "who is the alien?" plot or any of the psychodrama going on aboard the spaceship. For me, the "supporting character" I mentioned above are the back stories to the characters.
Now, this is something of a new one for me. Normally, whenever a show delves into the history of a character, it is usually lackluster and perfunctory. Something done to inform on a particular trait, or flaw in that character. It's gotten out of the way as quickly as possible so that the main story can continue with the viewer having a better understanding of what drives that character.
In Origin, however, each and every back-story shown so far displays vastly superior writing than the turgid scifi-horror plot aboard the ship. Miles better. So much better, in fact, that I wonder if completely different people wrote the back-stories than wrote the main plot.
I have no idea why this is so, but it makes (at least for me) the main plot seem almost redundant. I look forward to every flashback scene and the main story is, if I'm honest, kind of getting in the way.
The problem is that the main story is a kind of fumbling "Thing" ripoff that we've seen many times before. The difference is that the characters in this main plot behave at times in utterly stupid ways. Plot-driven ways, of course. Ways that make the average viewer scowl and shake their heads. Ways that exist purely to drive the hackneyed plot and serve only to prolong an agonisingly slow plot progression towards the reveal of who the alien really is.
Now I can see what they were going for, but making your characters do dumb things just to drive the plot is a recipe for disaster in the long term.
So...good back-stories, weak main plot. But is it enjoyable?
Well, as I mentioned, the back-stories are so much better that they carry the main story, to be honest. If they weren't there, all you'd be left with is an averagely written Thing ripoff that would likely not hold your interest. All of which means that if the show gets another series (I have no idea if this is a one-off show or not) and those back-stories aren't present anymore, it will need to do better with its main story.
All in all, it might gel with you, but don't expect great things on the scifi horror side of things.
SUMMARY: Better backstories than main plot. Dumb people doing often dumb things to drag out an otherwise short plotline. Okay, but not spectacular.
Well, that is the ever increasing feeling I get when I watch an episode of Origin. I'm currently up to episode 8 and I really couldn't care less about the ongoing "who is the alien?" plot or any of the psychodrama going on aboard the spaceship. For me, the "supporting character" I mentioned above are the back stories to the characters.
Now, this is something of a new one for me. Normally, whenever a show delves into the history of a character, it is usually lackluster and perfunctory. Something done to inform on a particular trait, or flaw in that character. It's gotten out of the way as quickly as possible so that the main story can continue with the viewer having a better understanding of what drives that character.
In Origin, however, each and every back-story shown so far displays vastly superior writing than the turgid scifi-horror plot aboard the ship. Miles better. So much better, in fact, that I wonder if completely different people wrote the back-stories than wrote the main plot.
I have no idea why this is so, but it makes (at least for me) the main plot seem almost redundant. I look forward to every flashback scene and the main story is, if I'm honest, kind of getting in the way.
The problem is that the main story is a kind of fumbling "Thing" ripoff that we've seen many times before. The difference is that the characters in this main plot behave at times in utterly stupid ways. Plot-driven ways, of course. Ways that make the average viewer scowl and shake their heads. Ways that exist purely to drive the hackneyed plot and serve only to prolong an agonisingly slow plot progression towards the reveal of who the alien really is.
Now I can see what they were going for, but making your characters do dumb things just to drive the plot is a recipe for disaster in the long term.
So...good back-stories, weak main plot. But is it enjoyable?
Well, as I mentioned, the back-stories are so much better that they carry the main story, to be honest. If they weren't there, all you'd be left with is an averagely written Thing ripoff that would likely not hold your interest. All of which means that if the show gets another series (I have no idea if this is a one-off show or not) and those back-stories aren't present anymore, it will need to do better with its main story.
All in all, it might gel with you, but don't expect great things on the scifi horror side of things.
SUMMARY: Better backstories than main plot. Dumb people doing often dumb things to drag out an otherwise short plotline. Okay, but not spectacular.