"Earth: Final Conflict" (1997) TV series 1997-2002

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Creator:

Gene Roddenberry

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

6 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Plot:

When an alien species comes to Earth bearing boons to Humanity, a few suspicious humans seek to learn and resist the newcomers' true designs.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Implant | Police | Product Placement | Planet In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Von Flores	...	Ronald Sandoval (110 episodes, 1997-2002)
Leni Parker	...	Da'an / ... (88 episodes, 1997-2001)
Anita LaSelva	...	Zo'or (78 episodes, 1997-2002)
Richard Chevolleau	...	Marcus 'Augur' Deveraux (70 episodes, 1997-2001)
Robert Leeshock	...	Liam Kincaid (67 episodes, 1998-2002)
David Hemblen	...	Jonathan Doors (67 episodes, 1997-2000)
Jayne Heitmeyer	...	Renee Palmer (66 episodes, 1999-2002)
Lisa Howard	...	Lili Marquette (49 episodes, 1997-2000)

Also Known As:

EFC (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Gene Roddenberry's Battleground Earth (USA) (working title)
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict (USA) (complete title)
Invasion planète Terre (Canada: French title)
Mission Erde: Sie sind unter uns (Germany)

Runtime:

Canada:60 min (110 episodes) | UK:41 min | USA:60 min

Country:

USA | Canada | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Trivia:

The original title for the show was "Battleground: Earth", but the producers changed it because it sounded too much like L. Ron Hubbard's novel, "Battlefield: Earth".

Quotes:

Captain William Boone: It was you. You killed my wife.
Agent Ronald Sandoval: You don't have to thank me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reality Quest (2004)

A great plan gone awry

It was clear from the beginning of the series that the story had been fairly carefully mapped out. The early ambiguous characterization of the Taelons became clearer as their motivations were revealed, and the righteous fear of the Resistance was confirmed; such gradual exploration of a complex storyline is one of the best elements of Sci-Fi television (I have no idea what semantic distinction is supposed to exist between "science fiction" and "SciFi"--fanatics are always inventing new layers of obfuscation to objectify their opinions). Unfortunately, E:FC has suffered from apparently unplanned cast changes: the departures of Kevin Kilner after the first season and Robert Leeshock after the fourth (though both have made brief return appearances) have plainly disrupted the story. The latter disruption has sapped the drama of its narrative drive, unfortunately; Jayne Heitmeyer's Renee was fine as a secondary character, but just doesn't have the stuff to carry the show. The introduction of the Atavus has the feel of last-minute scrambling too. The Taelons were a deft, sophisticated creation of a fascinating mind, while the atavistic hybrid that succeeded them would be more at home in a cheap horror story. If I'm wrong about the ad hoc storytelling, then Gene Roddenberry's bible wasn't as good as I had thought. In either case, the final season of Final Conflict has been a distinct disappointment.