"Iliad" is now in limited release.  Here's a thread for you to rate it as well as post your reviews.

Please note, this is a SPOLIER zone!!  If you have not seen the episode, you may not want to read this thread!

Enjoy!

Rob

I forgot that i was watching a fan made series half way through......

The music is amazing and i absolutely adore Lt Maya Stadie (however its spelled).....i think her character is solid

and the 10 minutes thats corey and Ro had......priceless  ;D

No matter how you look at it, it's nice to know that quickies still exist in the 24th Century.... 8)

What an amazing story...
This was more than I expected...

Some weak acting, some very strong acting...
The kisses are quite weak, if you are in a releationsship and say "good bye" you do this more deeply.

And "Mr. Henglar" needs to get more aggressive when playing, for god's sake he's a general now not a doctor :)


Thanks for this great stuff!


best regards,


Eliot

ok here is my take on the new Odyssey show!
I loved the Romulan battle scene in the beginning. The Romulans look very authentic and the costumes were excellent.
The kiss scene with Cory and Ro could have used a little more efffort! I mean thse guys are in love and freshly married! I did  like the "quicky scene"
  I didnt like the captian of the  Odyssey! Since when do vulcans have long hair! I mean yeah i mean when they are going through the Kohlinar ritual i can see. Aso he had a female vulcans name!
I absolutely loved Subcommander T'lorra. She had the perfect attitude for a romulan woman.
I did like the way Lt.Stadi intrduced herself on the shuttle. She has a unique personality and i bet she is going to have alot of moments on the Odyssey.

I have to agree with some others,this did have a Voyager feel to it but i LOVED Voyager soo...

I wish  that the XO could have lived. I think he would have made a great story line for future episodes! He was very interesting to say the least!

Ok i am done ranting but i do have a couple more comments to  make. Does this mean that Ro will now wear a red uniform instead of blue! Also what happened to Cory........"tears begin to form"...
  All in all the episode was well put together and the actors did a great job. I know that you guys are very talented actors and i am proud to be a fan of Hidden Frontiers and Odyssey.
I cant waite to see what the next episode will bring!!

An excellent episode.  It definently seems along the lines of Voyager.  Lost in the Andromeda Galaxy.  I too liked Stadi, her quirky sense of humor is not a quality often seen in a tactical officer.  The music was well made as well as the special effects.  I was only sad to see that the episode was over.  Without a doubt I'm glad I found Hidden Frontier just a few days ago and watched all the episodes to pave the way for Odyssey.  Two well made projects.  One thing is for sure I will be anxiously waiting for the next episode.  Great writing and acting, you would never think that it was a fan film.  Two thumbs way up!

What a great episode this was. For a while I thought I could pick where the story was going but a number of things happened that I did not even consider possibilites.

The fate of the Klingon Crew (and poor Corey) being one of the big shocks.

I agree that Lt Maya Stadi looks to be a great new character, as does Sub-Commander T'Lorra.

The mystery surrounding the Archeins and their relationships is also making my brain do somersaults.

That's all I think I can write tonight. I have to go and watch it again so that I can come up with some more interesting comments than just general excitement and jubilation.

I'll be honest... Its almost TOO much like Voyager. I mean the opening concept is IDENTICAL. A ship stuck well beyond the crew's lifespan from Federation space. A crew in massive conflict internally. It's just that they wrapped the conflict in two characters the Romulan and the Betazoid Sec officer.

Now that I'm done with its disappointments...
The episode as a production itself was great. Maya has great potential as a character, the music was wonderful, and the transitions were seamless. You can definitely see the improvements. The idea that there's some internal strife in the Empire is good. Also, a Romulan main character will be great.

8 of 10

Now I for one, have to say that I liked Voyager very much! There's not a Trek made that I haven't enjoyed (just a handful of episodes).  Along that line, I thought it would've been cool if Ro had referred to Voyager in some way.

"Now I have an idea of how Admiral Janeway felt, when her ship was trapped in the Delta Quadrant." or some such line, but that's just me.  I like seeing bonds made between canon and fan-made Treks.

Now onto the rest of it - I like the new characters!  The Archeins are definitely creepy, with those dark faces (is it me, or did Sharon's gums even look black? SCARY!), though I was sorry to see that the Grand Majan is dying.  Seems like Jenn's luck in Odyssey will be even worse than it was on HF! 

I don't quite get what the deal is with Caecus though, with Seram telling him he is greater than any of the Great Ones. Is this just because she's in love with him, or is he destined for something? BTW, did anyone else still find it weird to see Adam kissing a woman?

I liked Morrigu's intro, and for his first foray into the new character, I thought John did a great job, though I too think he could possibly be a little more aggressive.

Back before Odyssey began (seems like a long time now), I brought up the question of the Kelvans, though Rob was deliberately evasive (you clever schemer, you! ;) ).  Mayhaps we have a future ally for the Odyssey?

I was pleasantly surprised to see Joni Bovill again. I hadn't been expecting her!

Do I have any negatives to say? Yes, a couple.  I thought T'Lek was not a very convincing Vulcan. He lacked the inner strength that seems to exude from most Vulcans (Spock, Tuvok, T'Pol, S'Tal), so although his death was a tragedy in the story, I wasn't overly saddened.  And Conner? Well, no offense to Lund, but his character was a JERK! I was glad to see him go.

The sets are amazing work, with such clarity and detail!  I loved the observation lounge with the display of the Odyssey predecessors, though I couldn't see a Galaxy class Odyssey there.  Rob, can you put up a pic of that display?

But I still find it WEIRD to see DS12 and Ba'ku not surrounded by the Briar Patch. :D

I guess that's all I can think of to say for now. But I do want to know whether Korg and Aster survived the battle in the Alpha Quadrant! :D

So, how long until the next release?  :lol:

Overall a very good episode.

Particular plus points -

Loved Stadi and T'Lorra, can't quite put my finger on why but Stadi has a quirky humour thing going on, and she's a "real" betazoid, no half hearted attempts to feel for stuff, she can go the whole hog if required.  T'Lorra, I think I just like authorotative women, especially in uniform.  She's no nonsense, don't soften her up too much if at all.
Makeup - Romulan, Bolian, Archein in particular - Seems much improved and must have taken a lot of effort.
Tension in the Archien camp, Grand Majen does not appear to really know that her entire forces are at war and "taking" what they need.  Seram seems to be going against her wishes - There'll be trouble.
Morrigu - I like the fact that he's not outwardly aggressive - As they say "It's the quiet ones you need to watch.."
Music - The music worked very well and Dex has done a great job - Looking forward to hearing the music seperately.
CGI - This was extremelly good, especially the Odyssey itself and the backplates - Always good to see them animated.  The ship's core was good too.  There was an artifact/glitch on the DS12 pan shot, not sure where that came from.
Sharon - Great stuff, great character, from evil nastiness to smooth seductiveness in one sentence. 
The Archien's are well developed, we even saw some of their language (or their equivalent of old latin or greek?) ably spoken by Sharon.

Surprises :

[spoiler]The bolian died !!!  Did not expect that.  The makeup and Andrew were too good to die :([/spoiler]
Seram and Caecus, what's that all about ?  Whatever it is must lead to trouble. 

Nit picks -
Thought the Ro/Aster scene was a bit long and talky - maybe the rush around then slow down - embrace, kiss and flop down slowly to off camera would have worked a bit better for me.  But then I guess they did only have 10 minutes...
[spoiler]Stadi's response to the death of the senior crew was a bit blase (funny but blase).  Perhaps in response to less serious news and it would have been more ok.[/spoiler]
As mentioned, very Voyager premise, I don't have a problem with that, it will be all in the execution.  Rob - you know someone is counting shuttles ;)

Note - The interlacing was not visible when using VLC although I have not setup any special settings on it. 

Concidering Korg turns up in episode five of Lost Frontier which takes place a decade or two down the road still. It is safe to assume he got out alive. And I would be really upset if Corey did not make it out as well.

Over all. This knocked my socks off. Everything was perfrect. It was amazing to see the work that went into this.

What a wonderful age we live in ehh? Where even thought the networks can ice a great show. But the fan can get together and make one just as good if not better.

I want to write one of these episodes one day.

You and me BOTH!  I coulda been a writer for ODY, but I was so FOCUSED on Origins, that I let a GREAT opportunity slip away!

(Writer slams his head into the wall, deliberately into a stud) :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall: :headwall:

What do you say, Rob?   :( :) :(

I was keeping my figures crossed all night while I waited for the download to finish that I would like the epsiode and not hate myself for waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the file to finish downloading.  I must say the episode was better than I imagined.

It was nice to have some of the familiar faces from HF appear, but I was more than glad to get the chance to learn about new characters (played by old actors) and see what journey Odyssey would take them on. 

The show was full of funny moments too.  I busted out laughing when Corey and Ro was trying to make their last minutes of DS12 count, and Commander Lefler kept trying to talk.  The whole "we can do it in 10 minutes, we have done it before" cracked me up.  I also loved the bits of humor that found its way into other spots of the new series maiden voyage.  The Security chief added her own whit regarding the trouble behind them, scary something in front of them and a warp core issue.  There were many, many more moments that made me laugh, but I will have to watch it again to remember them all.

In all, I want to tell the Odyssey team they did a FANtastic job, and they made something to be proud of.  Congrats again!!

Regarding Writer's comment, Yes, it did seem wierd to see Adam kissing on a girl.  At least in the garden (?) he seemed to be flirting with the other boy! :)

I definitely think it will be a welcome change to see this actor portray Stadi.  She did great as a Vulcan for HF, but this allows for more emotions (especially as a Betazoid).  I also loved some of the little funnies that she made here and there.

I also wish the "good-bye" kisses could have been a bit more passion-filled.  For two guys that haven't really finished their honeymoon, they need to be more "hot and heavy" for each other :) 

I am still glad a gay character is part of the story line though!

I liked it, course, I have a couple things.

Seems like the Alpha Quadrant will never know peace, huh?

Why is T'lorra wearing a uniform from over a century ago?

Kelvan resistance, interesting.

The acting, the battles, the effects, the music, all beautiful, although I do wish that not all the music was hopeful when it was a serious or sad moment.

Other than that, I can't wait to see the next one.

I give it an A-.  It wasn't perfect but it was a solid setup, makeup is looking great, the new hostile race and interesting, there was no speech about gazelles.

I find it a bit too convenient the most senior officers were killed all at once and there was only one ensign in engineering besides the chief?

I had no problem with the kissing.  It was good to see Adam as an alien again.  Can't wait to see Ro/Bobby in command next time.

Good job overall.  Unfortunately I had to watch the dial-up version because decoding the 720 is a bit too much for this computer.

WARNING: Lots of "un-cloaked" spoilers in this post.

I think the whole thing was fantastic. I particularly liked the little touches that might not be caught on an initial viewing. The doorway to Ro's and Aster's quarters was major to me. I think that's the first time I've seen Areakt characters come through a door. And Aster shoving Lefler into the hallway was hysterical. Uhm...isn't there a penalty for flinging a superior officer away?

Yes, the kisses between Ro and Aster seemed a little arid, but that doesn't surprise me. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't JT and Adam a couple? I know I'd have a hard time passionately kissing a woman if I had a girlfriend watching from ten feet away. But even though the kissing appeared to be subdued, the actual interaction wasn't. When Corey snatches the padd away from Ro and then sits next to him, that looked like an in-love couple to me. And Aster looking at the viewscreen as R'Kag and Odyssey parted ways...no dialogue...just looking at the viewscreen, perfect.

The CGI was superb, the battle scenes breathtaking and the blast shield coming down around the slipstream core was awesome. The backgrounds are all great. The editing in the group scenes was flawless.

A lot of the acting in this was top notch. Michelle Laurent blew me away. I can't wait to see more of Julia's Stadi. John Whiting as always, proved that he's on the "right" side of the camera, no matter how much he protests. And I like him playing Morrigu slightly understated. This is a man with a lot going on under the surface.  In a couple of scenes with Sharon it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if she'd started screaming about wire hangers. Shudder. Seram, definitely not the type of woman you bring home to Mama. Unless Mama's jonesing for some red goo. Tim's performance as Gillen is a nice taste of the vulnerability he's bringing to the table. An ensign chief engineer. Talk about pressure.

The script was solid. Pacing was great. A number of HF episodes had some real speed bumps in 'em. I saw none in Illiad. The jokes in this were some of the best from Areakt so far.

My quibbles:

Captain T'Lek - T'Lek is a female name. But maybe the good captain underwent gender reassignment at some point in his life. Crosswired CNSs happen in human births, stands to reason the same thing could happen to Vulcans.

The Great Purple One - First episode and Jenn's already dying? Hey, my heart's still on the mend from Cole's untimely demise. Here's hoping it's a long, drawn out illness. Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd ever type.

I could continue to heap on the praise, but I've already made too long a post, and I'm sure others will say anything and everything I'd like to add.

The next Ody ep's coming out tomorrow right? No? How about the day after?

HD

(Edited for spelling)

The Trek Gods are smiling. ;D

You have all come a long way and I love you guys for the blood , sweat, and tears that went into this and all that came before. And is it me or did anyone else get a kick at Ro's magical switching Dja'Pagh (Bajoran earring) that switched from ear to ear.

:lol: I finally got my right ear pierced a while ago so I can wear it on that one now.
Yes, it was very Voyager esque but I don't see that as a minus. Space is HUGE...similar sittuations will occur.

Again I am hooked!

~Aaron

the episode just blew me away! great start for the new series... :clap:

i liked both the story and the execution -- and i'm just astonished how far the quality has come along even since the end of HF... and it's not just the resolution, it's also the backgrounds, all CGI now, if i'm not mistaken... a LOT of work must have gone into those...

yeah, i'll be pretty disappointed too if aster hasn't made it... would be a double whammy for ro... spend seven years (presumably) getting back, only to find there's nobody left to come back to...

with regard to the general... yeah, he's not coming across as the number one guy in the empire... but then again, no every general can be as nutty as patton -- probably not a bad thing either... AND he's in a society with a pompous, self important, short fused, tyrannical stand-in ruler with legitimacy issues... (i bet she poisoned her mother to take over... :shock: that red stuff she fed the old lady didn't look very healthy, at any rate... :innocent:) if he acted like he was a force to be reckoned with, he'd probably be perceived as a threat and eliminated... well, that's my two cents on the subject... :)

My take:

The whole "We have ten minutes" bit: I have a common reaction in movies when it's obvious that some sweet lovemaking is about to begin. It usually goes along the lines of "Stop with the chatting and get to it, already!" ;D

There were times that I wanted to reach into the screen and give T'Lorra a good slap. Things that make you go "Grrrrr!" (And I think Ro will have his hands full. Aster's clairvoyance strikes again? I'd like to think so.)

Being used to the somewhat gruff-looking Dr. Henglaar (which was not too different from the somewhat gruff-looking Mr. Whiting - love ya, John), I was actually surprised that I kinda took a liking to Morrigu. The good General actually kinda reminds me of the Vorta, trying to sweet-talk you into baring your throat long enough for it to be slit. Though I've seen a story very similar in various other genres: A high-ranking official who acts like a yes-man to the ruling party, only to create his alliances, ambush his leaders, rip their frickin' limbs off and beat them to death with them! Yeah, that's the ticket...

Though I was not too much of a fan of Voyager, I will admit - and this does sound like a Voyager type series - I think the prospect of exploring new space with a new enemy, rather than rehashing old ones (I mean, come on, how many episodes of Voyager had the damn Borg in them? *YAWN*) has a lot of potential. I await further episodes (and potential guest spots!) with interest.

Ok, some more things, just some thoughts and questions about the Archein.

The Archein ships seem to be superior to the Alpha Quadrant ships, with multiple Romulan Warbirds needed to take down one Archein ship, now, if they have the numbers to go along with this as well, or do they sacrifice numbers for size?

While they can establish a wormhole between galaxies, the question is how long it would take them to build it, and how long it'll take them to build another?

"We have 1000 ships waiting to come into this galaxy."

Now, was he lying to try and get the Romulans to surrender, or do they actually have that kind of industrial capacity?

Did the wormhole open up in Romulan space by choice or was it just random chance?

Now, the current or retiring leader of the Archein is female, and the daughter is of course female, now, is this just because of random genetics and the new leader is female or do they have a matriarchal society? I believed to led the latter because of her male companion, or it could just be evidence of him being in a lower caste system.

Then there's the subject of what he is and what his importance is.

And my last bit of wondering, The Great Ones. their gods that they believe in? The highest caste of their society? Aliens that control them? Elvis and the Beatles? Guess we'll have to wait and see on that one.

Now who thinks I'm overthinking this?

Well I fought my way through the chat room for the link and the server died on me once and then I had to try to get it again on the alive server and even then it wasn't done until this morning, now for the review. I found that Iliad was very well filmed and the music just blew me away, although you guys really need to work on the fact that everyone looks like there on a bluescreen. I havn't really seen any improvement in this area over the years. The story interesting and kept me wanting to watch it even though I am a christian and have a problem homosexuality, so there were parts of the film hard to enjoy. However over all the story was a great introduction to a great show to come. Acting was decent, it's interesting to see how far some actors have come and to see them playing new charectors. The visual effects were excelent and the new format really shows them off. Every time a space battle would start it was very exciting and you forgot it was a fan film. So filming was good, acting was decent, story was interesting (minis gay stuff), the music was incredible, and the effects stupendous. I give Iliad a 7.5/10. I would definitly suggest this to my freinds. 

I really have to disagree with you on that, I think the greenscreen work has markedly improved over the years.

Oh thank goodness, because if Corey died... I dunno how I'd cope  :D

I literally just finished 'Illiad' the first of many episodes of the new Odyssey series. This is still fresh in my mind so I will try to give my opinion as best as I can.

The Good: CGI, the acting, and the new villans. There is a light years differeence between forst season of HF and the first season of Odyssey. The greenscreen is very much improved as well as the acting. I liked the bits of humor, Stadi's wry sense of humor, the quickie and subsequent aftermath, the poor young ensign being torn a new one just for being a poor young ensign, Lefler's ill timed wanting to talk, and so forth. The virtual sets were nice, I loved the moving MSD on the bridge and in the observation lounge. I also enjoyed the gruff first officer, made it seem like the ship actually runs. I also enjoyed the newlywed aspect, very nice.


The Bad: The Vulcan captain needed some work, he was not forceful or believable with the inner strength, his long hair should have been gelled down at least. I am on the fence about the General, he could be more forceful but then again it might be hiding plans within plans, so I will hold off on John's performance for the moment. I have to agree that the kissing should be more passionate since they are in private and have that newlywed glow about them. 


The Ugly: Voyager has been done, I am hoping Rob and company are going to do a different spin on this or otherwise I am going to be very disspointed. FOr the record, Voyager was not my favorite of the series for numerous reasons but I loyally watched and taped it during it's run as I will with Odyssey. This is the only major red flag I have with the concept as a whole.


Summary: I was very entertained by the pilot and I look forward to more. Rob, John and the rest of the cast and crew gave thier all and it did not feel like an hour or less. I support this and the other series 100% and I look forward to more efforts from the areakt team. I will be reccommending it to everyone as it was overall very enjoyable.

It's fantastic! :) CGI, lighting, costumes, make up, greenscreen... you've achieved a lot - again!

I love the Archein ships and the moody settings, and all the new backgrounds, with so many details - WOW! Jenn was also fascinating. Is it just me or does she "sound" quite a bit like Kai Winn (a "good" Winn, if there was one)?

And Stadi's loose tongue made me smile more than one time. Conner was a bad-ass, war or not - he should have been more grateful to the Galaxy's best experts in hyperdimensional physics, not treating them like recruits. Dr. Vaughan (Yeah, Matt!) has already become my favourite Trek doctor (and suddenly it went very hot in my room) ;)

I have to say, I find the whole Slipstream explanation came a bit quick and rushed, and the climax (hiding, leaving the anomaly) should have taken place AFTER the staff meeting in the observation lounge, but that may just be my taste. And I have some difficulties with Ro's personal log scene. But what the heck - it's loaded with such great stuff and very well written!

I'm really blown away by the experience! You guys delivered!! Thanks Rob and the whole gang! :)

Damn, this was good! :shock: Seems like your Voyager-done-right is working out very well. 8) After all, you've got the advantage of using already established characters and also that of being obsessed fans. ;) I loved the amazing CGI, the well planned storyline and setting, the new characters, the Archein... One wish, though: Give us some non-humanoid species! We are in another Galaxy after all. There have to be some planet size space monsters, CGI blobs or robot societies around somewhere...

Truly wonderful---  everyone has hit on the high points for me, so instead I will mention one item that I wanted to share.

One issue I had with the episode, that I hope we explore on here, is the way in which the gay relationships are portrayed on Hidden Frontier and Odyssey.  For example, I am hoping that Caecus' flirtation in the garden with the other guy was integral to the story, and not just a gratuitous drop in.  I tend to think it will be important to the plot-- I give Rob and his team credit and definitely think they know what they are doing.

I guess I am hoping that the ongoing gay storyline becomes an integral non-issue, instead of a constant exposition.  I think it will better serve the series if the focus is on the stories and characters and not depictions of just the gay characters (I am not saying it is --just that I hope it doesn't become a focus every episode)  I am frustrated when I hear others (unfairly) label this the "gay star trek" -- as if that is its only claim to fame.  This is top-notch Star Trek, and I hope it gets its recognition for that, and not because it had two guys kissing in it.   In this episode, I know it was important to the continuation of the storyline, and was important to establish the strong bond between Ro and Aster.  And people who know me know that I am very supportive of showing these kinds of characters ... following in the progressive tradition of Star Trek.  I just hope to see everything in balance.

Hope that made sense without diminishing how much I enjoyed Odyssey and all the hard work that has obviously gone into it.

Rick

well I dont know what to say to be honest.I need to see the next episode to give ita fair chance but I wasnt to thrill it was going in the voyager storyline getting lost. Also the kiss between the guys was weak have to agree and I think you guys said in a interview on your website that the relationship between the two guys are being toned down . I like the humor the girl had that was on deck with the yellow suit on forget her name sorry and she was pretty good also to be honest I think the bad guys were pretty good too and there ships on the bad side very good. But the graphics inside the ship I could tell there were computer animated and was hoping it be more like the ships from new voyagers or gods of men in there trailers a little more real. Again I am going to watch the next episode or two because I have to see where you guys are going with this series again this isnt my final review just rough draft overall it was fine. Now alot of you may disagree and some of you may agree and others may agree on some and disagree on others what I said thats fine.

I've relayed my comments to the source, but for the sake of public information...

85% fantastic, 15% could use work :P

Focus on the 85% though. Good stuff. :D Proud of youz guyz!

I have to say that the wait during the download last night was well worth it.  I thoroughly enjoyed the episode.  The Chief Security Officer made me laugh more than once ("That must have been payback for my good news.").  The SFX were excellent and the green screen is much improved from HF.  Good work all around.  I look forward to more...

Just finished watching, all I want to say is ...

Very Impressive! Well Done Everyone! BRAVO! BRAVO!  :D :D :D

... and the scariest one of all: ENCORE! ENCORE!

All that Voyager SHOULD have been--and MORE.

Not only was the story better, the set up better, the enemies better (okay who couldn't bear hyperspace aliens who hadn't master hydrolisis, but I digress--altho given how the new leader seems to be violating her race's beliefs, nice), but even the internal divisions amongst the ship's crew is nice given you've basically gotten newbies in charge.

Sure, some of the shippy stuff was kinda mushy--and I felt like a pre-teen wishing for more space battles.

-- Ken from Chicago

P.S. Bonus: With it being inspired by THE ODYSSEY, it will be nice playing Which character is which mythological character (tho I think I know which one is Circe).

P.P.S. The "exterior" fx shots ... forgot it was an "amateur" production. Great job all around.

I confess that this is where my weakness in acting shows:  I'm having a hard time making my character more aggressive without making him like Henglaar.  Two directors have counseled me on the subject, and I hope with their help that I start to get it right.  Many insightful comments on why Morrigu might be less aggressive than otherwise, too.



Well, their sets look a lot more real because they ARE real.  Our sets are almost completely green-screen, and that imposes certain limitations on us and on them.  I don't doubt that we will be experimenting with ways to minimize the problem, but as long as we have solely green screen sets without fancy motion-tracking software (and the time to use the motion-tracking software, which is strictly a post-production operation), you're going to continue to see a difference between CGI and real.

I'd love to tell you "Yeah, we'll have that fixed in the next episode" but the fact is, even Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow used partial sets for maximum realism.  Sets require money we don't have, storage space we don't have, skill sets that I don't have (DON'T ask me to assemble anything more complicated than an Ikea bookshelf, and even then, I get hurt.), and time we can ill afford.  (Yeah, time:  setup time, teardown time, rigging time, camera setup time, maintenance time . . .)

I am very envious of the folks who can build sets and store them and afford them; it gives an air of reality that just can't be beaten yet.  But most of them spend more on a single episode than we can for an entire season.  Our people bring their own food to the shoots because we can't afford the catering costs.  (Or they pay for their own when we order out.)

So, while I appreciate the implied compliment by comparing our "sets" with real sets, this is one of those areas where CGI still cannot compete, and it's not really fair to compare the two.

Actually, John, since I've watched and listened to "Iliad" a few more times ("Iliad" has the honor of being the first thing played in my new car! :mrgreen:), I've come to think that I rather like Morrigu as is.  He seems to have a kind of cold ruthlessness that does not require excessive displays of aggression.  His actions speak for him more than his voice or words.  I like that kind of a villain.  Who knows?  Morrigu may soon be in the same echelon of bad guys that I place Khan and Siroc!  :D :D :D :D :D

[chuckle]  You flatter me, sir.

John:

I also really liked the idea of the cool, skilled warrior (Morrigu) who had served most of his life under the rightful "queen" -- and obviously successfully done so --- and is now forced to kowtow to the arrogant whims of a pretender to the throne.  I would think, like a Klingon, he would find no honor in those battles.  However, evil leaders such as Seram often find themselves all alone when it comes time to rally their troops.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

Do you see Morrigu as coolly plotting, or simply being dominated?  I am hoping the former...

Rick

I see similarities between Morrigu and Robert E. Lee, but that may just be me.

I thought Morrigu was just fine. As I posted previously, slightly understated was a good choice. Morrigu's not a Klingon, so there's no need for him to act like one. I see Morrigu far more as a Picard than a Martok, and Picard only raised his voice when he absolutely had to or if he was being pushed past his emotional limits, like when Ryker refused to divulge information about Pegasus. Picard shouts, "I'm taking it up with you, Will!" Apart from that scene, the only times I can remember Picard shouting is when Q's really ticked him off.

Even when Picard goes head to head against Klingons, he's calm, subdued even...in response to an accusation that Picard couldn't fight a Klingon, Picard says, very quietly, "You may test that assumption at your convenience."

Now, I'm not saying that Morrigu is Picard, only that he's Picard-like, as befits the commander-in-chief of one the galaxy's most powerful Armadas.

HD

(Edited to remove a text duplication)

Disagree.  Unless everything done is "according to canon", then the fate of any one character can only be determined in the series in which he/she was last seen.

(Dare I cite the death of Bobby Ewing in "Dallas" [it was a dream] and the fact that he remained dead in the sister series "Knot's Landing"? ;) )

I thought the episode was top notch. Was this really a fan film? Great work guys and gals. The characters are believable, and well built. Of course, I'm partial to the brief scene between Ro Nevin and Corey Aster, during that "10 minutes". HOT! But on other notes, the special effects are Voyager worthy! There are some definite similarities between Odyssey and Voyager, and I love it. In my opinion, Voyager ended before its time. I'm ready for this ride. Looks very exciting! When does the next episode release? LOL

I think that each of Rob's Treks have a similar 'flavor' to the canon series.

Hidden Frontier had its similarities to Deep Space Nine
Odyssey definitely has its similarities to Voyager.

Now I'm wondering . . .

Will "The Helena Chronicles" have a similar flavor to The Next Generation?

Please understand, I'm not calling them rips or anything. Just that I get similar vibes from them.  But I love the continuity between them, and their well-developed characters, as much as the canon series.  I don't differentiate between them. :)    This is also a good thing - Rob could easily have been involved with the canon Treks, if the cards had been stacked just a little differently. :)

I've read (OK skimmed) a lot of the comparisons of Star Trek Odyssey and Star Trek Voyager.  The thing to keep in mind is not that ST Odyssey mimics Voyager; Voyager mimics THE Odyssey (the one written by Homer many years ago).  There are very very few original stories out there.  Most "new movies" or "new shows" are just retellings of the same story with different characters and motivations.  If you don't believe me, go to any chick flick and you'll find they almost all end up the same:

Boy meets girl
Conflict
Boy and girl fall in love
Live happily ever after

Odyssey is a retelling of the hero's journey.  What he/she will experience, the conflicts faced, and the growth because of it.  Voyager gave us an opportunity to see the hero's journey in the Delta Quadrant.  We saw the heroes grow, change, and by the time they got home become better than they were because of the journey.  (Look at Tom Paris who moved from womanizing criminal to heroic Starfleet officer, loving husband, and father.)  Odyssey is telling the hero's journey from a whole new perspective and has the potential to bring incredible depth, debate, and discussion to the social issues of today.  Much like classic Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation did so well, in countless episodes.  

Is there room for improvement, sure.  But don't let one episode and/or its seeming familiarity dissuade you.  Remember, things grow that are nurtured, cared for, and pruned when needed.  If I had based my opinions of Star Trek: The Next Generation off of the first two or three episodes, I would have given up on what I feel is one of the best achievements in television in our lifetimes.  (What could I mean?  Why does Picard keep yelling at everyone for no reason?  Is Data a Vulcan, a computer, or just a really bad actor?)  

My sincere congratulations on what I believe to be a thoroughly enjoyable, fun, and well constructed show!

(And sorry for being a little too verbose!)

It will be interesting to see if the writers and directors decide to go with that interpretation, Dlan.  Me, I do my best to do what I'm told.  [grin]

John, I couldn't tell it was you! I think I expected to still see you as Henglaar! But I think the way you characterize your new  character, Morrigu, is perfect! I see Morrigu as someone who is very controlled and restrained, he wishes to accomplish his goals with the least amount of force as possible, but if you push too hard it will be your last mistake! He carries a big ol' can of "whip a&&" in his back pocket!

I've shown the first episode the some of the guys in my squadron and they are impressed with the show! New fans for sure!

Red

You're very kind.

See if you can hook your friends on HF, too.  [grin]

i have to agree with some on here! This is the pilot forOdyssey and i have a distinct feeling that this is gonna get even better! For being a fan based film it is one of the best i have seen in a long time! These actors put alot of time and effort into each episode which makes it more worth watching and waiting for!
Yeah it has a voyager feel but i believe this series will grow passed that assumption!


John , your acting is awsome and you just continue to do that thing you do!..:)

 

Loved it and gave it an A.

A great mix of characters, I loved Stadi, loved the new Doc, and found Morrigu quite an appealing character. Good story, excellent effects.

Kind of sorry to see the XO die, since I quite liked him. In some ways I'd have like to see him take command with Ro as his XO, but this way works too.

Roll on 102!