Sanctuary Pilot: Sanctuary for All

[moonshayde]

Wow, I'm disappointed. I actually liked the webisode versions of this way way better. Huh.



I saw the webisodes some time ago and while they weren't perfect, I really really enjoyed them. The first 4 totaled about an hour and those 4 covered the storyline of the pilot.

I don't know. There were some improvements in the TV airing like fleshing out some of the side characters (and main characters) and making them a bit more likeable. There were parts recast. That's fine.

But overall, I found the pilot to drag and be a bit boring. The webisodes were tighter in that respect, though I do appreciate that the TV airing changed a few backstory things to make more sense.

I'm not sure what to think. I was really looking forward to this show, but the dialogue made me cringe half the time. Maybe I'm just accustomed to different kind of dialogue these days. I know much of the dialogue was the same in the webisodes and it didn't bug me then.

I'll give the show a try since I do like the premise. I was just really disappointed in how it ended up coming together. I expected much more.

Comments

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Short comment here (since I haven't had a chance yet to watch Sanctuary, and yes, I'm planning on it):

No where in any of the information I've read about this show (or webisode) can I remember WHY the Magnus character feels the need to collect ?dangerous? supernatural creatures? Is there a point to it? Is it to make sure there's a Noah's Ark for these creatures/sentient beings?

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

She does it for a couple of reasons. She collects them since usually they have trouble fitting into society. So she takes them in, provides physical treatments for ailments, and some counseling. Think Xavier's School for the Gifted.

For extreme cases, she offers sanctuary to protect them. Many of the creatures chose to stay there so they aren't hunted by humankind.

However, there is this darker side to it. She also holds dangerous creatures to protect people. But her intentions aren't completely altruistic. She's a scientist and she likes to study things. So while she is "protecting" creatures from humans and humans from creatures, she is also basically keeping them there as her little pet projects.

They talk about it in the webisodes and the pilot, but it's from her pov, so she sees her efforts as worthwhile. We'll have to see as the series progresses if they explore that darker element or sweep it under the rug.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

I read it. I knew about the effects since I watched the webisodes. It didn't bug me much on the webisodes based on the nature of those, but it was kind of painful to watch on screen. I've seen live action video games do a better job. So while it was jarring, I was expecting that aspect.

Maybe I'm spoiled on high quality writing from other shows these days. But I don't know. There was something off about it pacing, dialogue - something.

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

I was able to catch a few of them recently via youtube (by the time I was off dialup, the sanctuary site was offline getting retooled).

I agree about the improvements in flushing out side characters and that some of the backstory things made more sense.

And I also think that having it as a two hour pilot made things drag along a bit too much. I wasn't *riveted* by the storyline, more mildly entertained. My attention kept drifiting. I'd be paying more attention to spot the Vancouver Actor and props.

BTW, my BINGO Card...
Amanda Tapping and Chris Heyerdahl is the freespace
Kavan Smith (Lorne) played the cop
BSG's Dualla played notDaniel's ex-gal
Hiccup Girl (Novak) was the coroner setting up lunch date
Dan Shea (Siler) was TrainCop #2 that got beatup by Ashley
Jaffa Symbiote #5 was Chernobyl kid's extra appendage
PriorDaniel chair (also for NotAnubis and Adria) was Cherynobyl kid's chair.

Even Will's backstory was Stargate reminiscent--although that was true in the webisodes too. Poor wibble boy (semi)orphaned at 8 but is truly a misunderstood genius who is found in the rain by an older woman who gives him a quest.

The show wasn't painfully bad (a la Flash Gordon or Painkiller Jane), and I see potential there. Hopefully without this massive exposition/introduction dump and early show jitters, it'll find a good footing.

The New York Times review of the show was kind of interesting.

Since I love AT and Martin Wood, I'm hoping for the best.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

yeah, I remember playing vancouver bingo when I watched the webisodes. It was funny.

I was worried when I heard that the pilot was going to be 2 hours. I was afraid they might drag it out. And I was right. They could have cut a lot of stuff out of the pilot and made the writing tighter. The webisodes were far from perfect, but the pacing was way way better in them.

Things they improved on: They made Ashley have more personality. They introduced the tech guy sooner. He was originally in the next batch of webisodes but it was nice to see him come in earlier. They fleshed out the Helen and Druitt stuff better. Little things like that were nice.

What I didn't like? They retooled Will's backstory so now he seems more like Daniel. I liked him the way he was before. Brilliant, but it didn't seem so contrived. And it was the Bigfoot character that came and scared him as a child, and not monsters that ate up his mom. I much much preferred that link between the two characters than the no-link we had this time. I had this huige disconnect with how they presented Will here vs the webisodes. I just found him more his own character in the webisodes.

I really want to like it so I'll see how the next episode goes. The next episode should finish off the remaining webisodes that aired online and then it will be new material.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I know much of the dialogue was the same in the webisodes and it didn't bug me then.
But they had to make it take twice as long, so they kept repeating things! If I heard one more time how everything was changing for Doctor Zimmerman, I was going to throw a stuffed animal at the tv (because I like my tv too much to do anything worse).

I reviewed it somewhere, but you made pretty much the same points much more concisely! (Except that I never saw the webisodes.)

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Thw webisodes were far from perfect, but had better pacing. Like I said above, they did change some things for the better - they made Ashley have more personality and a little more likable than her stuff webisode counterpart. They introduced some side characters sooner than before. They tweaked some of the Helen and Druitt stuff. And it looks like some of the reveals they did in the webisodes will be spread out through the season, which makes sense.

But imo, they messed up Will. In the webisodes his backstory didn't seem as contrived. it was still cliche, but not in the same way. In the webisodes, he saw a monster as a child and was very scared. It propelled him to try to uncover the source of his fear and that's how he was driven into his field. Then he learns it was one of Helen's rehabilitated monster people that did it and is truly sorry for it. Maybe they'll still do that, though if they do I just spoiled you. I really liked that plot. And while Will was a genius, they didn't overly hammer it into you. All the flashy shots of him zooming on things made it painfully obviously to the audience. That is not good storytelling. So I was really bummed about that aspect.

The webisodes had more of a gothic dark urban feel. The opening theme was beautiful and I hope they haven't killed it.

But oh man the dialogue! It was a lot like the dialogue in teh webisodes, but they were so short that you didn't dwell on it long. It kept making me cringe because it was so forced. People don't talk like that! *sigh* I can give Helen a pass because of who she is, but it just went on and on and on. I think you are right about the repetition. This pilot could have been done in an hour.

I hope I'll like the next episode better. I don't mean to bash it. I just was expecting much more.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Then he learns it was one of Helen's rehabilitated monster people that did it and is truly sorry for it. Maybe they'll still do that, though if they do I just spoiled you.
In my post, I asked if anyone else thought that the monster who menaces Ashley (whom Will successfully fights) is the one who killed his mother. I very much expect that if that one isn't, another one down the road will be, so you haven't spoiled anything.

In the webisodes, had Will just seen the monster, and not lost his mother to it?

Will seems awfully dim for a genius to me.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Yup, if I remember correctly, Will just saw a monster as a kid. He wasn't camping. His mom wasn't involved. Helen Magnus wasn't involved. He saw a monster and became afraid. As time went on, he tried to make sense of it.

And while in the webisodes he was shown to be a genius, they didn't overdo it like they did in the pilot. Will was my fave character from the webisodes :(

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Oh, noes! Robin Dunne played him in the webisodes too, right? If that's the case, then at least it's not the actor, and we can hope that the writers get themselves straightened out!

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

So glad I missed this bad boy!!

*hugs*

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Yeah :( It's too bad. I was so so looking forward to it. The webisodes weren't perfect, but I loved them for what they were. The pilot for Sanctuary just had so many issues and problems.