2 Kernels

Streaming on Amazon Prime is Salvation, another story about the earth doomed by a speeding asteroid on a trajectory to destroy the planet.  The first nine episodes are up for viewing, with three more on the way.

We have lived through Armageddon in 1998, Deep Impact in 1998, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, 2012, and a host of other movies and programs about the possibility of destruction. Now comes Salvation, a television program. After spending my entire Saturday and Sunday watching the nine episodes, I can’t say that it’s anything new except for a few screwy sub-plots of government overthrow and meteor weapons.

Though there is some nice eye candy for the ladies in the way of male characters, it is somewhat overshadowed by unbelievable aspects that ruin the moment. Santiago Cabrera plays Darius Tanz, the successful and rich entrepreneur who wants to start the first settlement on Mars and now is intent on saving the planet.  Ian Anthony Dale plays Harris Edwards, the Deputy Secretary of Defence, with Jennifer Finnigan as Grace Barrows, his girlfriend, and coworker. Charlie Rowe is Liam Cole the young geek who discovers the incoming asteroid, who appears to be the only one on the entire Planet Earth to have noticed its existence.  I guess Russia and the UK don’t have any telescopes or scientists that look to the stars very often.

The show morphs from somewhat entertaining and leaves a few cliffhangers and then changes to unbelievable and ridiculous plotlines and scenes that make no sense. If I don’t believe it’s possible, my interest goes out the door.  I’ve seen more convincing science fiction movies than Salvation, which frankly isn’t worth saving if it keeps the trajectory it’s on.  If the characters portrayed are really operating the government, and the USA has all this power to determine who lives and dies on planet earth when the asteroid collides, we are all in big trouble.  There is no collaboration here by the world governments to save the planet–only self-serving individuals using the impending doom to their own advantage.

Will it be renewed? Iffy. I don’t think I will be tuning in to find out.

Filed under: CBS, Reviews Tagged: CBS, Salvation Television Series