I was only 10 minutes into episode 1, but I got a strong feeling this was gonna be about a bunch of arrogant teens played by actors in their thirties, who are so self-centered that it borders on psychopathic tendencies, and I was in a bad mood, so didn't watch further. Should I give it a chance, or am I kinda right?
shareIt changes a lot from the pilot. The first few episodes are probably the worst of the series. The characters get a lot more nuanced and grey, the show generally gets a lot darker and deals with big moral ambiguities.
That being said I think the characters still can be seen as selfish. Probably not the way you're describing, but one of the big themes of the show is taking action 'for your people' and deciding whether the end justifies the means. I hope that makes sense, it's hard to describe since you haven't seen much of the show yet. If you like the setting and are interested in some of the characters I'd keep watching. It gets a million times better than the pilot.
The setting seemed really awesome, and so did the concept. Not sure about any of the characters though, but I haven't watched enough to really have an opinion. It just bothers me a lot that not one of the characters look younger than 25, and they are all supposed to be teenagers.
I'll try to watch some more, when I'm in a better mood. Thanks!
Yeah the characters don't really look like teens at all. The technicalities and science of the show often aren't that accurate so you have to try not to take it too seriously. I don't really blame them for hiring older actors though because they're probably more skilled than a teen would be. I know the acting is extremely cheesy at the beginning but a lot of them do actually get really good in their roles, like the actors who play Bellamy, Murphy, and Octavia (she changes A LOT), and Raven who you'll see in episode 2.
If you want to see more of what the show turns into here's a fan video that made me start watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6kkxWuKpR0&app=desktop (there are super quick scenes from season 2 but it's not actually spoilery)
You could also watch the new season 4 trailer if you don't mind spoilers. I feel like that really captures what I like about the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3koIh0Izwk
I just finished episode 1, and it was actually pretty good towards the end. I thought I would hate Octavia, but I felt like she has already shown more depth, and I also like Jasper and the chancellor's kid.
I get the benefits of picking older actors, but it really ruins the immersion a lot for me. If just the characters were 18 or 19, I could maybe overlook it, but that they are all supposed to be 17 or younger, but played by actors that are pushing thirty is ridiculous, but it's not the deal-breaker I felt it was in the beginning. I also think I can overlook the technicalities and misused science you talk about, as long as it's not just bad writing. I understand that it would be way too complicated to make this concept work otherwise.
I feel like everything gets ruined if I just get a minor detail spoiled for me, so I didn't watch the videos, but thanks for giving me confidence to give it a chance.
hey if you thought the end of the pilot was pretty good it just keeps getting better!
shareTen minutes isn't that much. ;) But as I see you finished the first episode, which is the worst one, even according to the producers and writers, and you don't want go give up on it. Which is a good sign. :)
I couldn't bring myself to watch it when it first aired. The premise sounded good, but on The CW? Yet another teen drama love triangle The CW is realy good at (and not in a positive meaning of the word). Nope, not gonna happen, at least not for me. It took 8 months until some online friends on another site finally convinced me to give it a shot. I ended up binge watching 1 1/2 seasons just to be up to date to watch the season 2 midseason finale live in December 2014. Or at least the next day, because I'm not living in the US.
Long story short, stick with it. My new found rule since back than: Give a show at least 3 to 5 episodes to see how it works for you. My "turning point" regarding The 100 was the last scene of ep 3, and ep 5 convinced me that what I'm watching was and 3 seasons in is so much more than just another teenie drama show.
"Who we are, and who we need to be to survive are very different things." Bellamy Blake (The 100)
On my first try in summer 2015 I didn't get through the pilot either but then I tried again in December 2015 and got hooked.
What might help to understand why the pilot is the way it is: The pilot was still geared towards teens. So it feels more like a typical CW show with hot teens without much substance. After that the CW boss encouraged the creator of the show to go darker.
The show definitely gets better though. Episodes 3 and 4 give you a better idea of what the show is like. How dark and grey it's going to get AT LEAST. Seasons 2 and 3 get even darker and more grey.
Personally, I would say that s2 is the best story-wise and stuff. S3 is the most scifi of all of them.