Customer Reviews

Earth Final Conflict - No Refuge (Season 3)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, I will echo the views of the previous reviewers...and also say that I cant wait for Seasons 1 and 2 to come out on DVD.

Now having said that, I want to praise and condemn. This show in its first season was fantastic. Smart, interesting and well acted, it played on a couple of different concepts; that of the relationship between colonist/conqueror and conquered. One could almost see the agony of choosing whether to resist or collaborate and the problems and promises of both- there was no simple solution to that decision, and this was one of the sources of complexity and tension that kept the show going (and it was applicable to both sides); and that of the Platonic view of human nature as the interconnectedness of reason, spirit and appetites. With the Taelons providing the reason and the Juridians the appetites, it was clear that in some way the humans provided spirit, but how this was to manifest itself, and how it would develop in the course of the show was always agonizingly unclear, and a source of debate and discussion in my house after we discovered this show.

If only the same high level could have been maintained. Season two was good, and Season 3- in this DVD- was decent, but the show was losing its momentum by that point. I suspect that the writers/producers had exhausted the Roddenberry heritage and had little idea how to move the story forward, or what kind of ultimate resolution would appear. There was a marked tendency to replace 'action' with theme and intelligence, and even though there are several notable episodes in the 3 and 4 seasons (the 5th hardly bears watching... though sometimes it could be interesting) the show really ran out of ideas. This is a shame, because the promise that this show had form the beginning was quite marvelous, and is still mesmerizing to watch... so I've bought the Season 3 DVD, and I can sit and watch and wonder how I would have made it come out in the end... which is not an easy or an obvious thing to do.

The four seasons of Earth: Final Conflict (with the exception of the execrable so-called fifth season) were flawed but intriguing, with a mesmerizingly likable alien race and a sometimes peculiar cast of hackers, freedom fighters, corporate bigwigs and cold FBI agents. The third season is, if not the best, then certainly the best-balanced.

The season reopens with Lili Marquette taken captive by Ronald Sandoval, and sent to a mystery destination for reasons she doesn't know. On Earth, the Resistance is being roundly trounced; Liam and Augur are saved by a mystery woman -- who then turns out to be somehow connected with both the Taelons and the Resistance. One member of the Resistance will be lost, and a new, hard-edged Taelon arrives on the scene.

Like all four seasons (that count) of EFC, the third season started off on wobbly footing and steadied as time went on. Some amazingly memorable episodes are here, coupled with some of the most intriguing scripts that allowed us new insights into the Taelons. Several characters are better fleshed-out here; "Thicker Than Blood" in particular is amazing, in which an enraged Liam (Robert Leeshock) and anguished Augur (Richard Chevolleau) are thrown through the fire, and Liam has to face that he's Sandoval's son. There's even a Taelon-baby cult, and a pair of new recurring Taelon faces: The hard-as-nails T'than, sworn enemy of Zo'or, and the snotty healer Mit'gai.

Da'an (Leni Parker) and Liam go through some tough times after Da'an does something Liam never thought he would, yet helps his protector with the bioengineered Skrill Queen. But the one who really shines is Anita La Selva as Zo'or. Here we see that Zo'or is not the spoiled child emperor he sometimes seems like -- he's young, frustrated by the limitations the Commonality puts on him, frightened of the uncertain future, and his fear makes him ruthless because he doesn't know any other way to make things happen. In this season, he hits Taelon puberty, gets into a bar brawl (in a human body), hides in a basement with a pair of human teens, and has a heart-to-heart with Liam when they're stranded in the wilderness.

Some of the episodes are a bit on the silly side (the rubber skrill-puppet, for example), but when the third season is good, it's very good. Certainly it's worth getting and appreciating.

Unfortunately, I never watched "Earth: Final Conflict" while it was being actively produced. With that in mind and the fact that the first and second season are still unavailable on DVD, I had a little bit of difficulty figuring out what was going on when first watching this third season DVD. With just two seasons already accomplished, the show had developed considerable backstory and several rich characters. The series takes place on Earth in the not-so-distant future after a race of aliens called the Taelons arrive with the promise of peace and cooperation. The Taelons are not as altruistic as they seem, and hide ulterior motives for contacting humanity. The central protagonists belong to an underground resistance seeking to expose the true agenda of the Taelons, which could reveal important information about the past and future evolution of the human race.

Season 3 ("No Refuge") continues the calamatous events of the second season cliffhanger finale in the episode "Crackdown". A series regular, marine captain Lili Marquette (Lisa Howard) departs to be replaced by the savvy corporate executive Rene Palmer (Jayne Heitmeyer). Liam Kincaid (Robert Leeshock) continues as the series' central protagonist with the Taelon leader Zo'or (Anita La Silva) and FBI special agent Ronald Sandoval (Von Flores) countering as the series' two deliciously evil villains. Leni Parker, David Hemblen and Richard Chevorellaeu also contribute as the enigmatic Da'an, corporate raider Jonathan Doors, and computer genius Augur, respectively. One of these three will also make a tragic exit toward the conclusion of the season (or did he truly die, see season 4).

I have read fans of the show criticizing the third season for wandering aimlessly among several different developing plots with no real sense of direction. Having viewed the third, fourth, and fifth seasons in their entirety, I do agree that this season lacked a certain coherence and fluidity with plotlines. However, several key events happened in these semi-standalone episodes that are crucial to following the show's continuing story to its ultimate conclusion in season 5. There are several memorable episodes this season, many of which ironically pertain to the fate of departed Lili Marquette ("Crackdown", "The Vanished", "In Memory", and "The Arrival"). There are also a few episodes with less than engaging stories.

Certainly, one of the most interesting aspects of this season is the delineation of the complicated relationships between different members of the Taelon race, particularly those between Da'an and Zo'or and between Zo'or and T'Than. Additionally, with the introduction of Rene Palmer, we see more of the inner workings, secrets, and conflicts within Jonathan Doors' corporate empire.

As for the DVD's themselves, the episodes were tranferred well and are beautiful to watch. This DVD set is the only one of the three seasons released thus far to have actual interviews with cast members in the extras section on the final disk.

I highly recommend purchasing this DVD set as well as the sets for the following fourth and fifth seasons. This was an excellent TV show, a worthy addition to the Roddenberry legacy! I look forward to the eventual release of the first and second seasons on DVD.

I love this entire series from season one to five. It is progressive in its nature and leaves you curious 'til the very end.
I noticed that season 1 is being released in the UK on April 3 2006. It should not be long before it is available in the US and Canada. Season 2 will be hopefully not too far behind...

Amazing release of EFC tv series. 6 dvd's with full 22 episodes from season 3.As a bonus features you have interviews with the cast , photo gallery and featurette.I'm waiting for season 1 and 2 to be released and i hope to see it as good as seasons 3-5 are. Highly recommended to all sci-fi fans :) The price is right get it now , you won't regret it !

This is Season 3 for those of you that don't know. The last two seasons (4 and 5) are available as well. However seasons 1 and 2 have yet to be released.

MY REVIEW:

I've finished the entire season, and wow. Brilliant sci-fi, simply brilliant. The music/soundtrack of the show is awesome. It's just so good. Plus the shows are all in beautiful animorphic widescreen, making them better than ever. Widescreen always adds a movie-like element to shows, which is quite intoxicating to be sure. The special effects are marvelous. This show is just great fun.

Personally I think the best seasons were Seasons 2, 3 and 4, what I like to call "The Liam Years". Liam is a great character, and an improvement on season one's Boone. Season 1 was of lower production quality as well. More money was put into later seasons. Plus these are the years with Zo'or, a spectacularly entertaining villain. He's the guy you love to hate. Sandoval is funny to watch because he clearly has trouble with english. Plus he's shorter than Liam making scenes with them together particularly amusing, especially when Sandoval is trying to exert his authority over him. I remember loving this show when it was on, and it was the character of Liam that drew me in. He's always looking around for spies in every one of his scenes, especially outdoor ones, which is hilarious. The character of Renee was introduced in the first episode of this set (Season 3). She's not who I would have cast for the part, she's just not quite right, but at least she's bearable (unlike the entire cast of Stargate SG1...ugh). Season 4 was another great season, however Season 5 was NOT. The wonderful characters you grew to love over the years, including Liam, Zo'or, and Da'an are gone. Renee is left to carry the show on her own, and well, it didn't take. In fact it was terrible. I will go so far to say that Season 5 was terrible. Just stick with Seasons 2 (when it comes out), 3 and 4, and pretend 5 never happened. (Season 1 was o.k., but Zo'or and Liam aren't in it yet, and they're great.)

As mentioned by another reviewer, there is no Closed-Captioning/Subtitles. A useful tool for trying to decifer unclear dialogue. Why would this be left out?

Also, there are no advanced menu screens on these discs, just the episodes basically. That is, no Scene Selection screens, no Sound Option screens, no nothing, just choose an episode and play it. But the chapters are placed nicely, including just after the opening theme (which is always convenient). However unlike most shows, the opening theme portion of EFC is done so well I want to watch it each time.

And I would have liked to see COMMENTARIES recorded for some shows, but no dice. At least there are some extras on the last disc though.

Another interesting thing to note is that a "Dolby Surround WHERE AVAILABLE" logo pops on the screen at the beginning of every episode just as it did on TV. This is clearly a mistake, something that wasn't removed. This, along with the above leads me to believe these sets were RUSHED into production. Rushed or not though, the picture and sound are top notch and that's what matters.

Great show. A well-earned 5 stars.

My advise is, watch the show on VHS or on TV first and if you find you love it then buy the DVD. The widscreen format gives a more epic feel to the show and gives added dimension. The interviews with the actors are great. If you missed Season 1 and 2 I would recommend that you view them first. Since this is a DVD set of Season 3 and NOT SEASON 1, any discussion of Season 1 here is not very relavent. The fan base is very divided on this show. Some thought Season 3 was the best and others didn't. It all comes down to personal preference. Season 3 is generaly thought of as an attempt to return to a more Season 1 direction after the divergent and poorly recieved Season 2. Liam Kincade seemed to lose his alien side and even lost his Shaqarava which I thought was yet another mistake the show made. Robert Leeshock is younger and perhaps not as experienced as some would have liked. But his saving grace is he is infinitly likable and very believable. As others have stated the acting is good and what little "action" there is wasn't too distracting. I thought the sword fight in "Thicker than Blood" was quiet good. Lots of great episodes and guest characters. More focus on Zo'or and the relationship with Da'an (won't give anything away here). If you liked Season 1 and 2 then theres no reason not to get 3. The price is very affordable. Hopefully at some point Universal will...release Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD soon. It is diffucult to appreciate the show fully without the backstory.

I would also like to add that the comment made about "Canadian-based Sci Fi" by another reviewer is not only misinformed but laughable. Tribune is a US based company and the decisions reguarding the firing of actors and directional changes came directly from them.

I was glad when I heard EFC was finally coming out on DVD, so I could get the incredible first season. But for some reason they started with season three...

Still, season three is very good, in fact, only seasons one and three are worth watching. Robert Leeshock's (Liam Kincaid) acting is kind of strange, like he always keeps staring into the distance when talking to people, but its all good. Rene Palmer (Jayne Heitmeyer) is stunning, and Augur (Richard Chevolleau) is a fascinating character to say the least. The show creates this very believable version of near future. It explores the possibility of first contact very elegantly. The technology in the show is cool as much as it is practical. Globals, teleporters, and the CVI (cyber viral implant that enchances one's brain usage) are some examples. I can go on, but I won't.

I stopped watching the second season after the first few episodes, maybe it improved later on, I don't know. Then I resumed with season three and was pleasantly surpised. As for the last two seasons, you can forget about those.

Actually this is season 3 on, Universal decided not to release the first and second season due to their owning of it, basically they just sit on it. But season three is as good a place to start as any.

Earth: Final Conflict will be a great addition to your scifi collection. It features a deep plot with good quality acting on the part of the main charactors. I am sure you will fall in love with this series as much as i did

NO SPOILERS

EFC is a wonderful series - all of the years not just the first season.
It was after all, created by the father of modern sci-fi TV sagas - Gene Roddenberry.
The costumes and acting are excellent with lots of characters that you love, hate, love to hate and just plain loathe.
The character of Da'an, played by the highly acclaimed Ms. Leni Parker, is truly alien and is both a delight and an enigma.
This series is one that proudly takes its place in the archives of timeless sci-fi. It is worthy of your hard earned dollars.
A most enjoyable series with more plots than the local cemetary and a host of unforgettable villians and heros.