foolish_m0rtal | Defying Gravity? Really? Is Elphaba the Payload Specialist?

So I really like sci fi and just spotted something on ABC called Defying Gravity, which was toting itself as a space exploration show. Sounded pretty cool, so I watched the first episode. Privately, I was pretty pleased that the impact of 'geek' movies was suddenly allowing shows like this to premiere on big time networks like ABC.

It seemed really hollow to me. I know the pilot episode of a series can be difficult. Everything is new for the actors and they haven't meshed as a team yet. It was even more awkward here. Other pilots I've watched have been much smoother than this: Firefly, Spaced. The team of Defying Gravity is supposed to be at least a little close. When two of their own are found to have heart murmurs and are sent off the ship to be replaced, there's a lot of sad expressions and background music filled with mournful singing women. It's not very subtle at all. The viewer doesn't feel any sadness because the viewer has not been acquainted with these people and shall not miss them. Of course, this is the pilot episode, so how can this really happen?

A second point I saw but didn't understand till later. I felt the actors themselves were uncomfortable in their roles. One woman, the wife of the flight commander, seemed pretty comfortable. She was shown actually working at whatever job she was designated. Others weren't shown in their jobs too much, but there was interaction with other crew members, which is not terrible and definitely builds up the different types of dynamics on the ship. But I've been watching space shows for a long time, and this also felt much like a facade. Like I said before, hollow. Again, this is the pilot: maybe they just got off to a rough start. A lot of this stuff might have worked on a legit sci-fi show (you'll understand my wording later) but for this show, it just didn't click.

On the topic of characters, I did appreciate that the cast had a lot more non-whites than on other shows. This is a space mission, so they also had a lot more international crew members. Probably not international actors, but at least international characters. There seems to be a popularity in having Indians in shows nowadays. Heroes, House M.D., Royal Pains, Battlestar Galactica. (When I thought about it, Defying Gravity seemed a little like it was the 'popular' networks trying to ride on the coattails of success from the relatively insular geek world Battlestar Galactica)

But if you're going to have an Indian character, at least pronounce his godamn name correctly. If I pronounced American names like they are spelled, I would frequently get them incorrect and people would laugh at me in that condescendingly indulgent way they usually reserve for small children. If I try to correct Americans (and the actual pronunciations aren't difficult!) they attempt to try, say they can't (unfortunately, too common an excuse) and then go back to using it their way. Or worse yet, they tell me I'm wrong. Yes, this has happened. People who have done this, please make an effort. I make an effort for you every single day. Hold up your end of the deal, Mich-aiel and Step-hahn-ni-eh.

THE PRONUNCIATION: The guy's name is Ajay. I know it might look like the more familiar Ay-jay (like the initials A.J) but it isn't. It is 'uh-JUY.' The second syllable is pronounced 'joy' but instead of an 'oh' in the middle, it's an 'uh' as in jug. The stress is also on the second syllable.

THE REVELATION: Since I move in sci-fi circles, I was wondering why I hadn't heard of this series before, so I looked it up. The second point, which I had not understood before, finally made sense. This series was billed as 'Grey's Anatomy' in space.
What.
The.
HELL.
Pardon my crudeness, but this is like how they shoot the same porn with different settings. Instead of the pizza guy, it's the Chinese takeout guy. And this time, the network is bastardizing MY sci-fi, the stuff they were scorning years ago but now want to capitalize on. I was more than a little angry when I found out what exactly they were planning on doing with the series and what it was actually for. I should have known after that one scene with the commander and his wife that it was a space soap opera that was going to bill itself with anti-gravity...shenanigans.
I can only hope they billed it like this so the networks would give it the okay but will then break away, Whedon style, to do their own thing.

I can't believe I missed an hour of Blazing Saddles for this...