The Deep Dive Into…
Edict Zero - FIS
By Lex Scott
Welcome to part three of my deep dive into Edict Zero. If you’re new here make sure you check out my previous episode reviews right here and here, before joining me for the rest of my journey.
And of course, spoilers ahead
Episode 3, Dead Canaries
The plot kicks into motion in this episode, with Briggs being rescued from his brief captivity in the sewers; Wakeman being suspiciously helpful about it, and a concrete confirmation that there is indeed a group conspiring (either directly or indirectly) against our protagonists.
Now this was a good episode, in that it definitely advanced the plot and gave us new information, but it also succeeded in highlighting what I’ve discovered is my main underlying issue with this series so far: The episodes are far too long, especially given how little actually happens in each one. It’s been three episodes so far and we’ve elapsed significantly less than 48 hours in this series of events.
That’s more than three hours worth of solid, jam packed story time, covering only two days. Now, you might be thinking that a lot has happened in that time but let’s recap. A bomb went off, agents were assigned to investigate it and evidence was reviewed. Suspects and witnesses were interviewed, more evidence was collected and presented, and our protagonists were assigned to the case. Then one of our protagonists was incapacitated and promptly rescued.
That’s it.
That is the entirety of the plot that has been covered in these three plus hours.
Now I don’t want to be giving out praise to TV procedurals, but that’s the kind of story they can (and do on a weekly basis) cover in a measly 35 minutes, with time left over to gossip about office scandals and hookups.
‘But Lex,’ I hear you saying through the magic of modern day spyware, ‘there’s been so much more covered! Important stuff, like character development, motivation, interpersonal relationships, all that vital good stuff that makes compelling human drama!’ And to that I say, everything I know about our characters I learned in about five minutes of “screen” time. Total.
I know Kircher is idealistic, moral, and honest. She genuinely cares about her job, her coworkers, and helping people. She’s also criminally underserved by her employer and unfortunate gender politics.
I know Garret is a widower, very unexpressive of his emotions (though the show would like me to believe he lacks them completely), and makes a very real and genuine effort to understand people and their motivations, but lacks the personal experience necessary to do so on anything more than a purely academic level.
I know Briggs was once in a relationship with Kircher, likely throws himself into his work to avoid confronting his personal and emotional issues directly, and tends to work alone and resents being anything less than self sufficient.
So much of the character and world building on display here is so gingerly holding my hand and carefully walking me through everything that it’s all but hammering me over the head. The show, and of course the writer, director etc, don’t trust me to follow along with it all.
They say show don’t tell, and Edict Zero has that down. They absolutely show me how everything fits together and works, and they show me how everyone relates through their interactions and genuinely good performances. But it also tells me all of that too.
The scene where the random drunk finds the briefcase floating in an alley (gravity bomb) was excessive. I don’t need to know that he’s late on rent and laid off from work, I don’t need to know that his wife is cooking and he’s ungrateful because he wants to go out drinking…
Side note: If your wife is generous and cares enough to cook for you don’t berate her, that’s just shitty.
...I just need to know that he’s drunk, it’s new years eve still, and he found a floating briefcase that he intends to pawn. It’s simple, it’s maybe a minute, and it’s far more engaging.
I should say though that there was one very satisfying moment, where Garrett’s brother-in-law confronts him and Kircher actually calls him out on it! It was a very typical moment between two characters where one says something confrontational and entirely unprofessional that just wouldn’t fly in a real workplace, that usually goes uncommented on by other characters. But in this instance Agent Kircher takes notice, and actively dresses down the man and defends her colleague.
It didn’t go as far as I personally might have liked, but it’s giving me hope that the writer will actually treat her character with a more deft hand than I previously thought.
Look don’t get me wrong: I like this show. It impressed the hell out of me the very first time I turned it on, and from a technical standpoint it’s goddamn genius. Each new episode I turn on I’m engaged with the plot and I genuinely want to know what happens, not to mention the director getting very good performances out of the actors (and of course the actors giving those very good performances).
But wanting to know what’s next isn’t always enough for me, I know that most recently from Wolf 359. The show started pretty strong with a fun irreverent vibe but now I'm half way through and I've been on the verge of giving up for a while now.
Now you should know that I’m obsessive when it comes to story: I have to finish them or it eats away at me. But in this day and age if something isn’t keeping me invested with good execution I have the option to just look up the plot online. I want new exciting shows to immerse myself in and get obsessed with, but you’ve got to be more engaging than simply reading the wikipedia page for your show or I’m not going to finish.
I like this show. I want to enjoy this show. I desperately hope it’s not losing its lustre for me so quickly.
Theories and Predictions:
Socrates is actually an agent of Edict One (can’t remember if I suggested this previously) but somehow had multiple peoples consciousnesses transplanted into his brain. He’s clearly got more than one, and it would explain the word salad verbal diarrhea thing he’s got going on.
Side Note: Also I forgot to mention the reveal of his invisibility ring, another artifact briefly mentioned previously, and shown to have failed him in his moment of need. Clearly these Paradox Artifacts are then fallible, so they run of tech as opposed to a kind of magic.
A bit of a fringe theory, but what if Edict Zero is actually a computer simulation. We know that the trip from earth took a huge amount of time, and that most were in cryosleep. What if the reality they’re experiencing is actually generated for them while they sleep? I still firmly believe(/possibly proven) that edict one is actively conducting experiments on the gen-pop, so this isn’t that far removed from what we know.
What do you think of my theories? What do you think of my criticisms: are they genuine but harsh, or the bitter ravings of an amateurish failure? Let me know in the comments below, let me know your own theories, or better yet let me know if you are listening along with me in this deep dive. Just please no spoilers for upcoming episodes, as I will absolutely be reading your comments.
And of course, go download episode 4 right here, and join me next time as I continue my deep dive into Edict Zero - FIS.
A Podern Playlist
For week ending 7/4/19
Welcome back again Podern family! Here’s hoping you had a wonderful week filled with fun, happiness and of course podcasts; Something I haven’t been able to do properly for a few weeks now if you’ve been following the saga. This week my Apple podcast app got deleted. Yes you heard right peeps, it seems I’ve fell into the deepest pile of bad luck you could possibly imagine. Anyway, let’s see what some of the team been checking out.
Lex Scott
This week I actually checked out the trailers and first episodes of a few new shows - Vega, Among the Stars and Bones, and Starhopper Radio - but none of them quite struck with me, for various reasons. If you’re into sci fi though you should check them out, give them a listen.
My old standby’s kept me going though, with small beans releasing a few great episodes - Classic Frame Rate: Princess Bride, What Dinosaur Real Good, a Q & A with Katie Willert, and a Pop Culture Petri dish about future foods - while the boys at Junkfood Cinema discussed the classic Alien, with special guest Owen Egerton, and Write Along had Cargill laying out the difference between Truth and Fact.
Alex C. Telander
This week the first episode of a great new show, Among the Stars and Bones, dropped and it's sciencey and great like Tides and everyone should be listening. A fun April Fools-ish episode of SCP dropped. Victoriocity brought the next chapter of an investigation involving a circus in the sky. The Cryotonaturalist told us all about the under hawk that feeds off shadows. Station to Station dropped a mini episode catching us up to the start of the second season coming April 15th. Finally, Science Friday, in addition to updating me on the science of the week, informed me that the Bristlecone Pines are the oldest trees of the world and can be over 5000 years old!
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