The Sci-Fi Channel’s Flash Gordon debuted last night with an hour-and-a-half pilot episode. There were good parts and bad parts. Overall, the story could have fit quite nicely into a regular, one-hour long episode that would have moved along nicely. With the extra time, parts seemed to drag.
But, other than the poor pacing, it looks like the series may have legs. Sure, Ming seemed a little young and handsome, and travel between Mongo and Earth appears to be appalling simple and quick, but they look to be setting up a decent chase story.
Dr. Zarkhov is now a “creepy RV guy” who was Flash’s father’s assistant. Flash’s father, the famed, and missing (they thought he was dead) scientist is the genius behind interdimensional travel (which is how one gets to and from Mongo). And dear old dad may be the series’ Macguffin.
In the first episode, we met Flash (a local marathoner who also runs an auto repair shop out of his mother’s house’s garage), Dale (Flash’s ex-girlfriend, now a local tv news reporter), Flash’s friend and partner (who didn’t even get a name), Flash’s mother (with whom he lives), Ming (the aforementioned too young, too handsome, the sinister is hiding inside guy), Ming’s daughter Aura (trying to get into daddy’s good graces), and a bit of Mongo (the water’s poisoned, so Ming is a water baron).
This is a totally new Flash Gordon, new music, new everything, and it’s got new sensibilities (it sure looks like it’s going to be a character story, a la the new Battlestar Galactica or Smallville, rather than an action series). Therefore, I was surprised when, over the teaser for next week’s episode, there was the music Queen composed and played for the 1980 debacle (all right, it wasn’t that bad).
I’ll tune in again next week, to see where they go with it. I hope they get their legs under themselves quickly.
And, in related news, Genius Products is offering Flash Gordon: The Premiere Episode on DVD for “a limited-time only.” The DVD will be available on Tuesday 14 August, and features “deleted scenes and a sneak peak at the rest of the season.” They’ve also filled out the DVD with “a sneak peak at Tin Man, the miniseries event” the Sci-Fi will be airing in December.