I am currently watching one of CBS's new shows this year: Threshold.
Why, you ask? Because it is a sci-fi show, and I was curious. Also because I wasn't doing anything particularly exciting. I give this show a rating of Horrible. Let me add it up, with a starting high score of 100. It's like grading a test.
1) The entire show is based on the theory that a particular alien sound can infect people and change their DNA. *bzzzt* Subtract 50 points for completely ignoring the fact that DNA replicates/changes through chemical interactions and sounds don't actually play a part in this process. Last I checked, playing Mozart to your petri dish doesn't make it smarter.
2) This sound is also capable of infecting various electronic devices. Including cell phones and credit cards with computer chips inside them. Subtract a further 25 points for ignoring the fact that computer chips take input only through electrical signals. Or, in some very rare occasions, electromagnetic signals. Unless you wired a microphone to your credit card and gave it the programming necessary to interpret sounds, it wouldn't matter what kind of alien sounds you played in its presence. You just wouldn't get any reaction. Cell phones, even if programmed for voice-activated commands, certainly wouldn't react to alien sounds any more than they would to static.
That leaves us with a grade of 25. It probably doesn't deserve that much, but I don't plan on watching any more to see.
See, I can watch Andromeda and be entertained. While it may be weird and off-the-wall, at least it's not set on current-day Earth. And even that show tries to make some sort of internal sense. And doesn't try to pretend that sound waves are Magic and can Do Anything. Yes, actually, that's the underlying problem with Threshold. Magic with no underlying myth.
On the bright side, the guy who played Data on ST:TNG is on the cast list.
Also, during the typing of this post, I typed 'DNS' when trying to type 'DNA' approximately 85% of the time. XD
Posted by Ardith at October 14, 2005 09:28 PM | TrackBack