It's a comic book tv show - like superhero shows. You take your disbelief out back and beat it to death to watch, because a wingless alien from a planet with higher gravity than Earth cannot actually fly. Nor will a "yellow" sun give him x-ray vision and freeze breath. So, from the outset, you should not expect much factual content and watch it for the interpersonal drama.
The science in Scorpion is an eighth graders's fantasy of what science is - like "yellow" suns and "red" suns having different effects on human physiology but not skin color. Seriously, why would Superman look like an ordinary Earth human? Why wouldn't he have a different color to his skin since he was born under a "red" Kryptonian sun?
To watch Scorpion, you just accept that someone who knows nothing about science decided to write a show based on science. This is infuriating to some people who, not unreasonably, want a science-based show to have some basis in reality.
As for the personal drama that should make up for the unrealistic science, this show is an eighth grader's fantasy of being a nerd and how a nerd could become a hero and get the girl. It's fantasy, the jocks all express unbridled admiration for the nerd's heroism. The girl swoons at his prodigious brain power, but teaches him how to love.
As for using real or even semi-realistic STEM in shows, MacGyver did it. CSI:TOS did it (mostly). No one railed against the science in Quincy, ME. Numb3rs was pure fantasy, but pulled off a modicum of realism. So, it's been done, and done well. House and other medical shows pulled it off. Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton made whole careers out of using semi-realistic STEM to set up fantastic situations. Even The Big Bang Theory stays somewhat grounded in real science using science advisors to help keep things in the realm of realism.
Even shows that fudge the science to keep things moving manage to keep things somewhat realistic. Those shows at least seem to respect the science. Yes, I'm looking at you, NCIS. Scorpion shows little respect for the science it professes to love. It just pulls "science" out of its ass to solve a problem.
This show is little more than a stroke to the ego of (the real) Walter O'Brien and that's what makes it cheesy ... and pisses some people off. Others can accept it. Me, I use it for a drinking game: every time someone says "genius" I drink. Try it. You'll be hammered by the third act.
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Sam-953-169285
9 years ago
It absolutely is not "a comic book tv show". You obviously don't listen to the beginning where it says something about being based on the real-life Walter O'Brien. Pay attention to reality.
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GreenInkBrigade
9 years ago
Walter O'Brien's claims have been shot down and discredited (e.g., no evidence of his hacking into NASA or even taking an IQ test). Unless you really believe that Walter O'Brien and his team of geniuses, a waitress, and a kid have saved the world an average of 15-20 times every year while doing things that defy the known laws of science, you'll acknowledge this show is comic-book fantasy.
Mind you, being a comic-book fantasy is not a bad thing. But to claim to be based on reality while being as believable as a flying alien impervious to bullets, is silly. Marvel is making pretty good money with comic-book fantasy and people are flocking to their shows, movies, and comic books.
Watch it and enjoy. My wife does and she doesn't believe a word of it.
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Sam-953-169285
9 years ago
You said it's "a comic book tv show" and I am saying it claims to be based on reality. I don't need a lot of words to say what I am saying. I won't repeat myself again.
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GreenInkBrigade
9 years ago
It can claim to be based on reality all it wants. It's a comic book tv show. It has as much in common with reality as a comic book. That's what I'm saying.
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Sam-953-169285
9 years ago
You can say whatever you want but what the show says is what is important. You seem to think that what you say about the show is more important than what the producers say but it is not.
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GreenInkBrigade
9 years ago
Because television producers never lie. Riiiight.
It was sold to the network and the public as "based on the real life of..." but other than the fact that there is a Walter O'Brien, this show is not based on reality, no matter how much you want it to be.
And whether what I say is important doesn't matter (hint, it is). But it seems to get your goat.
If you don't like what I have to say about it, how about some others?
From The Irish Times:
The main problem with Scorpion, apart from the writers’ belief that anyone clever is a magic robot-wizard, is that coding is a boringly stationary activity.
Presumably Walter will eventually dispense with it entirely and start using his laptop to hit baddies while shouting “Science!” but in the meantime the writers must fabricate reasons for action.
Walter and Paige go on a death-defying car chase, purely, it seems, to get a better broadband connection.
And later Walter drives a convertible down a runway, while a passenger plane, which can’t land because it can’t contact air traffic control, flies directly overhead and lowers a DSL cable to his laptop.
No one says: “sure, while you’re 10 feet from the runway, you might as well land” or “for *beep* sake”.
While this all may sound a bit loopy, I’ve been told by an Irish Times IT person that programmers do this sort of thing all the time.
Anyway, I must go. He’s just abseiled past my window firing a machine-gun. My laptop must be ready.
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Sam-953-169285
9 years ago
You say "no matter how much you want it to be" but you continue to ignore that it is not a matter of what I want, it is a matter of what they say. You keep trying to make us (those of us that complain about the lies) the ones that are wrong but you yourself admit that they are wrong.
Let us say that Toby, Happy the Walter O'Brien character (I am not sure about the real Walter O'Brien), or even Sylvester had a good idea and they knew it is good, or that someone is lying. Would they be quiet about it? No, they would not. They would not listen to authority if they are told they can't act on a good idea that they know is possible, practical and effective.
You are telling people to not express what they know to be the truth.
Also, note that saying something is loopy yet programmers do it all the time is like saying that the Moon is pretty yet obscene. Sure, the act of mooning is considered obscene but that has nothing to do with the Moon.
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GreenInkBrigade
9 years ago
You are so besotted with this show that you are incapable of carrying on a rational conversation about it.
It's not real! It's a television show! Walter O'Brien is not out there saving the world! The Dude may be, but not Walter. They can say all they want it's all real, but they're television producers, they lie.
You are telling people to not express what they know to be the truth.
No, I'm telling you to face the truth.
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Sam-953-169285
9 years ago
I don't make personal attacks like that. You are taking this too personally. It is not good to let this affect you so personally.
It would make sense if you are a writer or producer or someone else that is associated with the show. That would explain why it is so personal to you and why you want people to behave in the manner you want them to. Certainly a producer would want people to think that it is not supposed to be real whereas officially saying it is real.
I can't think of any other reason why you have such a strong need for people to think the way you want them to.
I am not telling people to think a certain way. I am trying to explain why people that think like me do that.
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GreenInkBrigade
9 years ago
It's not personal and nothing I said was a personal attack. You simply need to face the fact that this is not a scientifically accurate show. Watch it for any reason you like, but don't argue that it's scientifically accurate because the producers claim it's based on a real person.
The science in this show is a joke, like the kung fu in Walker, Texas Ranger. Yes, Chuck Norris was a martial arts champion, but I doubt the bad guys in Texas line up to attack one at a time or never have guns when they're facing a karate champion police officer - like they did in the show. Funny how Walker never went up against a veteran bar fighter who could take a punch or a kick. Some shows require you to beat your disbelief senseless - and Scorpion is one of them.
Walter O'Brien is a con artist. His "true" life story is not a round-the-clock adventure of saving the world, no matter how much he and the producers of this show want you to believe it is.
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Sam-953-169285
9 years ago
You simply need to face the fact that you will never convince people you are right. There are many people that will say you are wrong, even if you were to convince me that you are correct. Don't argue that people should censor themselves and not try to make the world a better place.
You keep trying to compare this show to other shows. Those are useless comparisons, none of the other shows are relevant in this context.
Go ahead and take your last shot, but don't assume you have convinced me of anything except that you won't budge. Interpret my silence as an indication I have said everything I need to say.
You won't stop people from trying to improve the show.
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GreenInkBrigade
8 years ago
How do you get from "the show is a cartoon" to "people should censor themselves and not try to make the world a better place?" I said nothing about people censoring themselves or not making the world a better place. I merely pointed out the show is like bubblegum pop music, enjoyable but not to be taken seriously.
If you wanna believe the show is based in reality and uses real science, then go ahead. I never said you shouldn't. I merely pointed out that the show has only a tenuous connection to reality, despite what the producers (and Walter O'Brien) want you to believe.
And, if you believe them, I've got some nice land just east of Miami I'd like to sell you.
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k_m_simpson
9 years ago
This show is little more than a stroke to the ego of (the real) Walter O'Brien and that's what makes it cheesy ... and pisses some people off. Others can accept it. Me, I use it for a drinking game: every time someone says "genius" I drink. Try it. You'll be hammered by the third act.
I not only give your post a high five, I say this to encourage you, "Genius, genius, genius, genius, genius, genius."
Are you sloshed yet?
LOL,
kms
"Life is short, eat dessert first."
Robert Heinlein
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