Review: TERRA NOVA Season 1 Finale - Occupation/Resistance

Well, it took long enough but finally Terra Nova manages to impress me even if it was just a little.  Those of you come here often will know how utterly disappointed I have been with this show, since the season opener which was promising, this show has gone down hill big time, looking like it was just another write off.  That’s the reason you are getting this review now, I have put off watching the finale so long I almost forgot where the last episode left us, but I have to say I was pretty impressed with this episode all round, it’s left things well enough if there is no second season and it’s also left the door open to do a second if that's where they decide to go.

The producers, show runners etc are “optimistic” at this stage as to weather Terra Nova will get a second season but Fox have confirmed they made money on the show, they also confirmed something that I have mentioned a few times in past reviews.  Terra Nova is a family show, which would explain why all us Dexter and Homeland techno’ don’t like it so much. For the first ten minutes of this 90 minute finale including episodes “Occupation” and "Resistance” I was thinking here we go back to the bore but, Terra Nova had a little ace up it’s sleeve for the finale and we very quickly learnt that a group named Phoenix from 2149 are the people trying to overthrow Commander Taylor as the head of Terra
Nova, the groups personal army are on their way to shift out Terra Nova's regime in order that Phoenix with the help of Lucas and Mira can strip mine the place for all it’s worth.

Since I enjoyed this episode I’ll start with the positives, Lucas (Ashley Zuckerman) who in all honesty should have been introduced to the show earlier than these last couple of episodes, I know we have seen glimpses of him but this guy should have had a bigger part to play from the beginning, he was probably the most stand out of everyone during this 90 minute finale and if there is a second season his part in it would probably be my only reason for watching it, his allie Mira really didn’t have that much of a part to play here I’m thinking she is to be pushed aside and forgotten about by the Phoenix group, maybe she will come back to Terra Nova and join Taylor as replacement for Lieutenant Washington who up to now has pretty much been Taylor’s right hand lady.


As well as introducing Lucas earlier they really could have done with sending the Phoenix group back in time earlier, it could have made things a lot more interesting should they have been introduced mid-season, it also may well have kept a lot more people interested. You would think that they would have sent someone a little more hard nosed than Weaver (Rohan Nichol) to oversee the mining project though, this guy was popping off Brontosauruses just for the fun of it, a little bit of a stupid part in the show, one which we should be pretty much expecting by now anyways.

Although I enjoyed this episode a lot better than the others I still don’t really have anything that positive to say about the usual cast, had it not been for the major inclusion of Lucas and the Phoenix group then this finale would probably have fallen flat on it’s face just like the rest of the season.  It was a good all rounder really the story that has been brewing all season finally came to a head, one thing! Anyone know who that lady was from Terra Nova who disarmed the bomb? I have never seen her before.


I don’t know if Terra Nova will get a second season or not, if it does then it really needs to keep up the action like it did in this finale, I know that’s not possible every week but every other week at least. Terra Nova should also firm up where it wants to be, family or not, it’s 8pm scheduling would suggest family and the distinct lack of blood when anyone gets shot would also suggest family, I haven’t decided if I will watch the “possible” second season just yet, I think I may just wait and see if there is anything better on offer at the time.