4
This review may contain spoilers
In space, no one can hear you facepalm
I have finished this series and here are my final thoughts;
I don't think the ending substantially changed my views nor my rating. In the end, the show becomes an existential tearjerker. I wasn't surprised by this development but it has certainly taken plot development to infinity and beyond. The FL could have returned to Earth but they are not getting off the ISS that easily. It is a narrative mess. Is it a dream? Did the writer-nim OD on special herbs? Obviously, it is hard to diss the ending as I don't want to speak ill of the dead but it is very tempting. My original comments stands, with minor edits. Peace.
~~~ my original comments ~~~
Rather than a rambling rant I'll hit you with some salient points. Here goes;
1) While the show is billed as a rom-com, there is a disassociation. Yes, there are comedic moments but they are largely at the ML's expense. The astronauts also gets up to some whacky stuff as well. They are more cringey than funny. You can feel the show labouring to make it work and it has largely given up by mid show.
2) Taking itself seriously is a fundamental problem with this drama. If it was written as a spoof then I can excuse many issues. As it stands, there is a serious disconnect between the hyper realistic setting and a fanciful plot. So much effort is devoted to reproduction in space. Yes, the story does come full circle but is that really the whole point of a multi million dollar production?
3) The series is full of pseudo science yet it laughs in Newton's face and do whatever it needs to move the plot forward.
4) Cue The Space White Truck of Doom™. Let's be real, the ISS is designed to function for years in the most hostile environment known to human and every system is designed with fail-safe and redundancy in mind. I don't have a problem if they did something dramatic with a failed valve or some such but they face catastrophic failures on multiple fronts as soon as the ML arrives.
5) They kept referring to the morula. That is BS because it is only called a morula on day 4. In another ~24 hours it will become a blastocyst as the cells divides every 12 hours. They are still looking at the same 16 cells after days in the incubator. My head hurts.
6) While I touched on the comedic aspect, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. The ML only met the FL a few times before the launch and she is always cold and aloof. There is no hint of any chemistry/attraction. Flash forward a few days after launch and he has the biggest crush on her but why should she reciprocate? Ah, yes, finding your man sleeping with your boss can do it. So . . she has revenge sex? Once they are back on Earth, the romance does progress as expected. I can sense the writer's desperate attempt to sustain the romance.
7) Which leads us to the relationship between the various protagonist. What a mess! There are so many unrequited love, crushes and toxic relationships. That is a recipe for disaster even in a normal k-drama, let alone in a space opera.
8) Chairman Choi is a caricature. His lording over everyone is so cliché. It is painful to watch and he gets away with it.
9) The whole lottery ticket plotline is like a game of Whack-a-Mole. It kept popping up every ep. The 3 astronauts just look pathetic. The scene where they wave the ticket around outside a restaurant is beyond stupid. No words.
10) The KSA is not a quasi space police. They can't interrogate people and confine them. The ownership of the zygote is very grey. Riding roughshod with science is bad enough, very iffy about their interpretation of extraterrestrial laws.
I have a feeling this series relies on star power and CGI extravaganza to paste over narrative gaps. It's a huge gamble and they lost, big time.
I don't think the ending substantially changed my views nor my rating. In the end, the show becomes an existential tearjerker. I wasn't surprised by this development but it has certainly taken plot development to infinity and beyond. The FL could have returned to Earth but they are not getting off the ISS that easily. It is a narrative mess. Is it a dream? Did the writer-nim OD on special herbs? Obviously, it is hard to diss the ending as I don't want to speak ill of the dead but it is very tempting. My original comments stands, with minor edits. Peace.
~~~ my original comments ~~~
Rather than a rambling rant I'll hit you with some salient points. Here goes;
1) While the show is billed as a rom-com, there is a disassociation. Yes, there are comedic moments but they are largely at the ML's expense. The astronauts also gets up to some whacky stuff as well. They are more cringey than funny. You can feel the show labouring to make it work and it has largely given up by mid show.
2) Taking itself seriously is a fundamental problem with this drama. If it was written as a spoof then I can excuse many issues. As it stands, there is a serious disconnect between the hyper realistic setting and a fanciful plot. So much effort is devoted to reproduction in space. Yes, the story does come full circle but is that really the whole point of a multi million dollar production?
3) The series is full of pseudo science yet it laughs in Newton's face and do whatever it needs to move the plot forward.
4) Cue The Space White Truck of Doom™. Let's be real, the ISS is designed to function for years in the most hostile environment known to human and every system is designed with fail-safe and redundancy in mind. I don't have a problem if they did something dramatic with a failed valve or some such but they face catastrophic failures on multiple fronts as soon as the ML arrives.
5) They kept referring to the morula. That is BS because it is only called a morula on day 4. In another ~24 hours it will become a blastocyst as the cells divides every 12 hours. They are still looking at the same 16 cells after days in the incubator. My head hurts.
6) While I touched on the comedic aspect, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. The ML only met the FL a few times before the launch and she is always cold and aloof. There is no hint of any chemistry/attraction. Flash forward a few days after launch and he has the biggest crush on her but why should she reciprocate? Ah, yes, finding your man sleeping with your boss can do it. So . . she has revenge sex? Once they are back on Earth, the romance does progress as expected. I can sense the writer's desperate attempt to sustain the romance.
7) Which leads us to the relationship between the various protagonist. What a mess! There are so many unrequited love, crushes and toxic relationships. That is a recipe for disaster even in a normal k-drama, let alone in a space opera.
8) Chairman Choi is a caricature. His lording over everyone is so cliché. It is painful to watch and he gets away with it.
9) The whole lottery ticket plotline is like a game of Whack-a-Mole. It kept popping up every ep. The 3 astronauts just look pathetic. The scene where they wave the ticket around outside a restaurant is beyond stupid. No words.
10) The KSA is not a quasi space police. They can't interrogate people and confine them. The ownership of the zygote is very grey. Riding roughshod with science is bad enough, very iffy about their interpretation of extraterrestrial laws.
I have a feeling this series relies on star power and CGI extravaganza to paste over narrative gaps. It's a huge gamble and they lost, big time.
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