I think it's a Stargate crossed with a Rambaldi device.

I like the Jack and Joe.

I agree with ita that the townsfolk should be less rather than more twee and an explanation for Frewer's accent would be a good idea. (Maybe that could be like a tertiary overall arc.)

Next year I'll just email the scripts to the board and you guys can proof them.

Actually that'd be amazingly fun.

You realize that if we'd had a crack at this week's script, I would have either nixed the gratuitous rib-wrapping scene or insisted on adding a shot of a painting of an aging woman in Allison's attic to explain why her medical knowlege is so out of date? That could be fun.

ETA: I adore Jack's sense of the absurd - not really sure how to specify what-all I like about this character, there is some combination of charisma and centeredness that really draws me. Generally speaking, when Jack is on-screen, (unless Henry is around) he is the one character I focus on.

As for the twee, wacky townspeople? I say, bring it on. My job has me surrounded by various levels of wackiness which is often harmful, which I have to Do Something About. But any hint of benign wackiness, I revel in. What can I say, I'm just wacky that way.

Jo and Henry definitely need more screen time. I like watching both of these characters interact with Jack.

SARAH could get real old, real fast.

I like Matt Frewer. I hate the stupid accent and cringe whenever I hear it. It is very wrong that I can't enjoy watching him.

I like that the characters are acknowledging that SARAH is annoying.

As long as it remains benign, and not "OMG! AI HOUSE TURNED EVIL!" I'm willing to give it a tiny bit of slack.

I like SARAH. And Allison. I don't get a clear Allison/Jack vibe, but I don't think it's been too overplayed so far. It's a little annoying that every show has to have a love triangle, but...every show has to have a love triangle. I suspect studio execs have to sign a contract in blood that says Thou Shalt Have A Love Triangle In Every Show Whether It Needs One Or Not before they're allowed to oversee any shows.

(And seriously, don't change the show based on what people on the internet say. Even us. We don't always know what's best for us.)

Change the show based on what I say. Ignore Jessica.

I'm willing to allow an exception for people on the internet who can also kick your ass in person. I'm generous that way.

So aparently I'm having a sci-fi theme week in my dreams. Yesterday was Eureka, today it's Doctor Who. Thank Heaven it was the Fourth Doctor. He and some new companion were caught in a castle made of old bones. The bones were so brittle that they broke as the Doctor et al. were attempting to climb down the walls. It was a high enough fall that the Doctor had time to summon the TARDIS, using an ordinary-looking car key fob remote, to materialize around them to catch their fall. That worked great, but then the Cloister Bell started sounding. The Doctor thought maybe his own TARDIS from another part of the time stream was attempting to materize inside this one.

Turns out it was just Daniel's boss asking if he could come in to work on his day off.

Hmm, might have made the start of a very cool episode. The castle of bones was exceptionally creepy-looking. It looked so creepy, I could smell the dusty decay. And it's always great to see Peter Davison.

What are you guys thinking so far?

Good show. The lead guy is great.

What do you want more of?

More Henry. And at some point, an explanation of why he doesn't seem to work at Global Dynamics, just saves the day a lot.

And oh-my-god-please-no-more less of?

1. Frewer's accent 2. Zoe. Completely unnecessary

I like the quirky townspeople, but I don't want the writers to fall victim to one dimensionality. They find that there is an aspect of a character that people like, and they beat it to death. Like The Stupid One ^TM. Character is a little dim, sometimes the butt of jokes, sometimes the person that asks the obvious question to allow exposition. As time goes on, they get stupider and stupider, and that's the only aspect of their character. Joey on Friends is a good example.

I like that they were trying to make Carter a family man and I see the reason for Zoe. She's still sort of annoying.

And I HATE the fact that they made Allison a parent to an autistic boy. I know his autism was an important plot point in the pilot, but it's now bothering me that Allison could just fall asleep and stay away all night with a single throw-away line about picking up her son from a friend's house. If he is as profoundly autistic as they played him, no way is Allison going to have that much free & flexible time in her life (especially as a single parent) to just vanish for a night like that.

Although, it would explain why she was tired enough to fall asleep like that.

Becoming a parent has ruined all fiction this way for me. Must realize that teevee kids can just vanish for long periods of time and are magically fed, bathed, clothed and educated while their parents solve crime, save the world and have dates--all the while looking incredibly well groomed.

Guess that's why they call it "fantasy."