Ascension : A Glorious Failure

[@fabianherrmann6398]

This could should have rather been Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri as a series. The lore of that game was a similar setup. Sleeper ship waking up early due to a malfunction. Then the captain gets murdered and the officers each gather followers among the crew (and "passengers") then split and each make planetfall. The factions end up creating ideological nation states, fight each other as well as the dangerous planet, which is more than it seems. There could be aliens later on too if needed.

[@chaosgyro]

Such a great game...

[@KS-PNW]

​@@chaosgyroIt really was

[@Eldagusto]

I mean yeah that was a great game and premise but it’s a completely different story

[@KS-PNW]

@Eldagusto no kidding.. that's his point!

[@Eldagusto]

@@KS-PNW by this logic I can go to any sci fi colony movie or future movie in general and say “this should have just been an Alpha Centauri movie”. Lost in space sucks it should have been Alpha Centauri instead!

[@Shipwright1918]

Got an eyebrow raise from me at the nod to Project Orion, AKA "shove nuke after nuke out the back end and use the resulting explosions to drive the ship". Both the project and the show are haunted by the old phrase "What Might Have Been..."

[@DarkVeghetta]

My reaction to that was to quote Homer Simpson: "Neeeeerd!"... and then to promptly and strongly agree with Feral, once I remembered what the hell Project Orion was, thanks to your comment.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

I remember when this first aired. I was pretty excited about it, and 30 or 45 minutes into it I said, “this is all fake. They are still on earth.” in the end of the first episode or movie or whatever you wanna call it this was revealed to be the case. The person I was watching it with turned to me and asked how I figured it out. I said, “because I have read Thirteen to Centaurus by JG Ballard”. It’s a pretty good short story from 1962 about a British government official honor who discovers to his utter horror that government was running a long-term simulation of what life would be like for a crew on a starship for 100 years. None of the people in the simulation were told that it was a simulation. They honestly believe that their grandkids are going to pop out on Alpha Centauri. So to whole generations of people have left and died inside a tin can somewhere in England. The government official is appropriately aghast at this whole thing, and tries to figure out a way to end the mission and let the people out without destroying them psychologically. One of the crewmembers, a child, born well into the mission, has figured out on his own that the mission is a fake and eventually manages to figure out a way to communicate with the government official, and the figure, the only humane way, to end this whole far is to make sure that his generation has children, so people trapped in the fake ship will simply pass away without ever knowing the truth. This is meant to be a morally ambiguous as since anything you could do to the people who grew up in this situation is horrific. It bothered me that all of the well-deserved criticism of Ascension that happened at the time, I never heard anyone mention that was a blatant uncredited rip off of the concept of the JG Ballard story.

[@feralhistorian]

I'm a little surprised I've never read that Ballard story. Have to remedy that.

[@oneproudbrowncoat]

​@@feralhistorianThere's a 1972 Frederick Pohl novella called "The Gold at the Starbow's End" (expanded by Pohl into the novel "Starburst", a decade later) which also uses the concept of 'geniuses in a hothouse'. In Pohl's version, the spacecraft is genuinely en route, but to a destination that never existed.

[@asherdie]

Nothing new under the sun. Get over it.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

@@asherdie Seeing as I’d completely forgotten I wrote this comment until just now, and I’d completely forgotten the movie itself until I first saw this clip, I’d say I’m pretty over it

[@aerfwefd7334]

@@asherdie "Durr plagiarism is fine because it's happened before!" That's you. That's what you sound like.

[@gman02468]

I loved this mini-series. I've watched it a few times.

[@feralhistorian]

I probably shouldn't admit that generally I only do videos on things I've read/watched/played at least twice.

[@jens256]

@@feralhistorianI thought it was a fairly interesting concept, but yeah, there were other shows that did some of the same things better...I mean you had Snowpiecer, City of Ember, and...year.. Madmen

[@99Michael]

I watched and enjoyed it as a series that was suddenly canceled. I did think the little psychic girl pointing to the star in the last episode where they should be going was setting up a second season. She was transporting the ship to an alien planet's surface. Then, the colonists would see the Ark ship was a prop. Meanwhile, on Earth, the scrambled understanding somehow created a genetic superman with a supermind cable of moving objects through time and space.

[@Justin-ee3im]

The bait and switch on this was egregious when it came out, and is still so now.

[@zimriel]

i noped out after that. not really seeing any reason here to pick it up again.

[@joshcarter-com]

When you first started describing Ascension, I thought it sounded like Bioshock in Space. I guess not…but now I’m wishing you’d do a video on Bioshock. Please? Pretty please?

[@IndusRiverFlow]

I remember this show. The sets and costumes were very nice, the story not so much.

[@feralhistorian]

The story sadly failed to deliver on almost every point. Interesting concept, but swing and a miss.

[@Grizabeebles]

I bought the DVD because I collect TV shows and movies with squandered premises. Personally, I *liked* the twist that the Ascention was actually a rediculously over-ambitions and unethical "simulated misson." I had really hoped the show would take a saner route and say that the loss of knowledge the mission was a simulation aboard the Ascention was a choice made by the First Generation after some simulated disaster (or deliberate sabotage) destroyed direct communication with Mission Control and/or to protect the mission and shield their children from a socially inconvenient reality. I had originally hoped that the "mission control" B-story would explore the idea of modern-day government bureaucrats and politicians inheriting the equivalent of an MK-Ultra or Tuskege Experiment that just plain never ended and kicking the can down the road because as long as the experiment is active, it's status as a compartmented Top Secret project can't expire. Once the eugenics and breeding psychics sub-sub-plot kicked in, the story clearly had fallen apart under its own weight in just one season.

[@apocalypseblues3897]

@@Grizabeebleswhat a niche collection to cultivate. good luck :)

[@antherthalmhersser7239]

H Sap is a new one for me. Definitely gonna use that.

[@georgeegerog4175]

I liked Ascension but i totally on board with your version being really awesome

[@Zeithri]

Isn't this just.... The Truman Show played straight?

[@kereymckenna4611]

His pitch sounds like a prequel series ro Earth 2...now there is a deep cut

[@gregcampwriter]

The show never explained how the ship experiences gravity, artificial or otherwise. That should have raised questions in the minds of at least some people on the ship.

[@turkeytrac1]

The Orion drive is a basic example of equal and opposite reaction using strategically timed nuclear bomb detonations. It is physics in its most simplistic and brutal form. The continuous drive is just that, and far more complicated.

[@alansargent9158]

However the drive worked, it gave a continuous 1g. They would get to Alpha Centauri in 3 or 4 years (subjective time, as they would get close to c) at that rate, not 100. They should have had it launch with Orion, then once on the way start to spin to make centrifugal gravity. Like the Nauvoo on The Expanse. That would be far more plausible. There is no rocket, nuclear or chemical, that could run for 100 years.

[@devilspalm16]

I just watched this mini series earlier this month! It ain't half bad!

[@feralhistorian]

I kind of like it mostly for what it could have been. It had the elements of a great show, but it felt like there was too much focus grouping and audience targeting at the expense of telling a solid story. Too bad it won't make it on the nostalgia radar for a vastly superior remake in 30 years.

[@splashpit]

I like your vision of how it should have been however imagine they get there but due to advances back home and faster space travel on arrival there has already been a colony for decades

[@qubex]

I tried to like this show but once it was revealed they were still on earth it became clear to me that aboard the ship they’d be experiencing the same gravity as on earth, and that in turn would imply that over the years of constant acceleration they would’ve approached very close to the speed of light, close enough in fact that the universe outside would’ve died a heat death, and that all the scientists on board would easily come to the conclusion that something was off.

[@bigdopamine9343]

It’s weird the crew didn’t notice there was still gravity when they cut the engines for the mid trip flip. Also they’d probably wonder how they were able to accelerate at 1G for decades without kissing the speed of light.

[@Emanon...]

It was an interesting concept, for sure. I was intrigued and massively annoyed to discover that there was no proper ending to the show, even if it wasn't exactly the best show out there. (I'm a sucker for anything sci fi or fantasy...)

[@nickdaniels5892]

I liked that it wasn't what was expected. But it did manage to be even worse at bouncing between the crew and the people "back on earth" than SG:U in terms of using as a narrative device and how it affects pacing.

[@Born_Yashish]

For a better exploration of a similar premise (minus the60's gimmick and the "still on earth" twist) , I recommend the CRPG 'Colony Ship'.

[@gregmita]

The Orion drive issue was what made me doubt the whole thing from the beginning - this was not hard SF since Orion would never be able to provide constant acceleration for gravity.

[@scottlowther9967]

There's also the fact that fifty years (ship time) of one-gee acceleration, if it was somehow possible, would result in the ship being a billion light years away. The fact that the crew didn't recognize this mean that the ship was stocked with people who did not understand the concept of time dilation.

[@gregmita]

@scottlowther9967 heh, nice to see you here.

[@scottlowther9967]

@@gregmita I AM EVERYWHERE

[@torysetliff]

I really liked the set up. The twist was jarring in a way I didn’t love, but quickly became interested in. However, the soft core porn was very off putting. It’s like they didn’t trust their own storytelling skills, so they added a ton of smut to keep the animalistic audience tuning in.

[@itsallfunandgames723]

I found the idea that it was fake to be the only compelling thing about the show. The second they said we launched a colony ship in the 1960s because we had the technology, my thought was, "Nope. No you most certainly did not."

[@matthewcampbell7286]

Ah a tonal promise being broken

[@williamvorkosigan5151]

This was pretty good and I was disappointed that they ended it.

[@produccionesquino]

I remember watching the first episode wich is the only one they aired on the TV, I actually like the plot twist that it wasn't a real space ship but maybe it's becouse that was the first time I saw that kind of twist in a Sci-fi series

[@kacperbilozor]

It's "Silo" in space

[@leinadreign3510]

I still want to know how it continues, because it was so weird..

[@yt_Ajay_]

This sounds like Fallout but space

[@boobah5643]

"What if we made a Vault where we told everybody it was a spaceship traveling to another star?"

[@parsoniareigns]

great work

[@darthhodges]

Having it be a 1960s time capsule is unrealistic to me. Radio communication would still be possible and both radio and TV broadcasts would still have been (theoretically) receivable for several decades if not the whole mission. There would be a delay, of course. Just a few weeks in there would no longer be instant communication like we still had for the moon missions. Any reports sent back would effectively be emails. The maximum delay would top out at 4 years when they got to their destination. But they could still listen to the radio and watch TV broadcasts, with ever growing levels of interference. They would still be ignorant of a lot of things over time, not everything is clearly explained in a radio or TV broadcast, but the onboard culture would certainly have changed over the course of a century. Especially if anyone brought musical instruments or other tools for making art.

[@thomasmead4642]

I liked this series and felt it deserved a season 2.

[@ManyBothansDied]

I remember that big reveal completely turning me off to the whole thing. Never watched the rest of it.

[@DaveParr]

8:14 what a pitch!

[@mattresbert]

Will have to have a look ❤

[@michaelwest4325]

Really insightful and better vision for this to actually tell a story! Too bad the producers can't trust a guy with a vision and some actual knowledge with a story in his head.

[@robertprice2148]

Thank you for making and posting these videos. 2 questions do you think the cold war was real or could it be like the wild west, part of the US's mythology? Any chance of a video on your thoughts on Assange and Snowdon.

[@StruggleoftheOutsider]

Interested to learn the difference between the Orion Pulse Drive concept & Constant Thrust Nuclear Propulsion systems.

[@stolman2197]

I know this is a long ago video, I'll suggest another book series, the 'Grimnoir' books an alternate 1930s with magic.

[@feralhistorian]

I definitely have to check that out. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@NefariousKoel]

Ever see the movie, "Cast A Deadly Spell" from around 1991? It's an old HBO-created noir film set in a 1940s where everyone uses recently discovered magic - except the protagonist detective. Doesn't take itself too seriously and has fun with it. Great cast too. Still feels like a late '80s movie, especially with the occasional reference to other media. Seems to be one of the more obscure "cult films". First place I saw imported zombies being used as cheap manual labor.

[@coinopanimator]

I like the pitch. More pitches please.

[@Sir_Loin_Of_Beef]

Damn, I forgot that one existed

[@johnmoore8599]

Hollywood always has trouble making good scifi shows. Good ones are more the exception than the rule.

[@richardmurphy9006]

Great sci-fi honestly i loved it very seventies i loved it just loved it

[@dake4629]

myself, I liked the fake ship plot twist - to me it was the ultimate MK-Ultra

[@HighLordCrypto8951]

started out as a good show, silly that it ended before they finished the story. Really wanted to see how it ended.

[@troyevitt2437]

A big Twilight Zone episode.

[@ReezeGoingSenseless]

One chance this show had I really would have enjoyed to see - the meeting (or clash) of glorified 60s americana and reality, both then and current. The show alluded to as much with the generational difference and the guy in the "modern" world. Comment about plastic was a fun start. Shame it all but ended there as well.

[@sashafortis]

You hit on exactly why the show did not hook me/ On another vector, do you have any plans to tackle the Murderbot series?

[@amarjamakovic1297]

This sounds like Alpha Centauri prologue series.

[@jamesomeara2329]

I have watched a couple of the videos now, and not knowing your specific educational emphasis, you usually sound like a historian or political philosopher. But I kind of hope you write the version of the story you described, or find someone perhaps to work with. It would be an interesting read I think.

[@frankm.2850]

So, where can one watch this monstrosity?

[@flyingwombat59]

I think the makers should have went for it being real. I wish they did.

[@Ethesto]

So essentially you wanted to be a better fallout

[@anno-fw7xn]

i watch Ascension it on netlfix and i had fun but the twitst was the wors part a proper space storie could have bin cool. but the twitst is nice i am just a sucker for space stuff.its reminde me of the silos books serie! I mean you could have done a twist taht they are not the only ship or that the coal is sombody were. 3:20 this guy also was in the expanse.

[@ethanmckinney203]

If you're going to reboot something, pick something that had a great idea, but misfired. There are a lot of movies, especially, that missed the mark, but you can identify the errors in retrospect. The Maltese Falcon was a remake of a moderately successful 1931 film. The difference was Bogart. (And the speed of delivery, directing, etc.)

[@eurojamie]

FH's version sounds way better, maybe it could be done by re-editing, with some new material at the end. I still think it should end-up being a scam, with the ship 'landing' at some remote part of the Earth, e.g., Ethiopians desert, so that the experiment can still be contained and monitored; the dummy-run for the real thing perhaps, or perhaps not.

[@BrotherDog]

Wow, never eard of this one, parts of it sound very similar to "Frame of Referance" by Jerry Oltion.

[@henningjust]

No, they are not at all the same 😂

[@djolds1]

No. They are NOT at all the same. Orion is a beast all of its own.

[@cameraman502]

Your alternative version of the shows a lot like MacLeod's Learning the World

[@marxnutz]

I much prefer your version, although the notion of using 1960s era technology is a bit farfetched. I would rather a true hard science and culture story than a soap opera anyways.

[@cameraman502]

Your alternative version of the shows a lot like MacClouds

[@SpaceMonkey23101]

4:54 Government incompetence is a cultivated facade. Yes, the average bureaucrat box-ticker is a moron, even their manager is a moron. But the ultimate top-level CEO-level bureaucrat? They know exactly what they are doing. If the government is so incompetent, why does it get larger every year?

[@Emanon...]

It doesn't though, compared to overall economic output and productivity. Otherwise you'd never hear of downsizing, cutbacks and defunding government organs. I'd however grant you that certain aspects, like the military and everything attached to "the world's largest social jobs program" is ever growing...

[@jasonh.7661]

The whole “not in space” thing totally ruins the show. Awful.

[@brianhotaling5849]

Pitch your version under a different title!!!!

[@jjohnson3469]

Lulz the 100 it aint

[@Fred-rv2tu]

I was so excited for this. And then it showed it was fake. I never watched another second after the guy they spaced hit the gym mat.

[@cynbartek9324]

This comment instead: I don't like any of this.