 Review: FOX's Virtuality
By Craig Byrne - KryptonSite Webmaster
On Friday, July 26 at 8PM, to break viewers from the monotony of repeats and reality shows, FOX will be airing a 2-hour TV-movie titled Virtuality. The show is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore, one of the minds who made Battlestar Galactica good.
Like Battlestar, Moore has started off with a largely unknown cast. Yes, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau might be recognized from New Amsterdam, and Clea DuVall was very well-liked as the FBI agent Audrey on Heroes, but those were the only two actors that I personally recognized.
Before I cut into the review, here's how FOX describes the project:
"The crew of the Phaeton is approaching the go/no-go point of their epic 10-year journey through outer space. With the fate of Earth in their hands, the pressure is intense. The best bet for helping the crew members maintain their sanity is the cutting-edge virtual reality technology installed on the ship. It's the perfect stress-reliever until they realize a glitch in the system has unleashed a virus on to the ship. Tensions mount as the crew decides how to contain the virus and complete their mission. Meanwhile, their lives are being taped for a reality show back on Earth in the World Broadcast Premiere of VIRTUALITY airing Friday, June 26 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX."
The positive: Good science fiction often takes the time to take an ordinary situation and make it extraordinary, and Virtuality definitely succeeds there. To have the events of the crew of the Phaeton as viewed by billions on TV as if it was reality TV is interesting, especially when some characters see how they are portrayed on television. To have a place where the characters can go in a stressful time... and to see what environments they choose to live in... is particularly interesting.
The set pieces and special effects in this project are great and clearly intended for something much more than a TV-movie. At one time it seemed that Virtuality would become a weekly TV series; now, that ultimate decision will probably depend on the ratings the show gets. A lot of time and effort came into creating this "world," and visually, it all looks good and most of the actors put in good performances.
This was clearly an expensive project to put together, and all of that money can be seen on screen. It's not a cheap product.
The negative: Unfortunately, the "reality show/documentary" aspect is something that I didn't care for, and as with any ensemble show or any reality show, some characters are more enjoyable than others. In fact, I could go so far as to say the "documentary" style made me apathetic, and beyond that, there weren't enough "hooks" to make me interested.
As a science fiction comparison, take a show like Star Trek: The Next Generation, as cheesy and bad as those early special effects were. That show thrived on its characters, and each had a unique voice. Upon a first watch I'd know and remember immediately who Picard is; that Data was the android; and Worf was the name of the Klingon. After watching Virtuality, I don't think I could honestly name more than one or two. Nor would I care to see anything more of them. It's surprising in a way, since the characters on Battlestar Galactica - also by Moore - were so memorable, just like those ST:TNG characters mentioned above. Here, for me, it's "the guy with the beard," "the doctor," "the gay couple," "the lady with the accent," "Clea DuVall"... you get what I mean. They didn't resonate with me.
The frequent trips into virtual reality environments, while occasionally interesting, also are a bit distracting from the action at hand. It does mix in with the narrative, but again, I don't think this is a style I could really get into.
Also, I know they were trying to tie it all into the FOX Network, but even in science fiction, I can't picture FOX as being the network to show a "space station virtual reality television series," and the references to the network kind of took me out of the moment.
For a much better look at reality TV merging with science fiction, I'd recommend the Doctor Who episode "Bad Wolf."
 The Final Verdict: There are some mysteries and challenges involved for this crew, to liven up the movie, but it still didn't jump out at me. I freely admit that I have a short attention span for television. There are shows like 24 that, while good, I will not watch mostly because I can't stare at the TV long enough. Unfortunately, Virtuality was one of those pilots that had a lot of trouble keeping my interest.
If you're curious for a different kind of science fiction story that would probably be a better fit for SciFi/SyFy than FOX, check it out. It might be your only chance, which is too bad, because a lot of effort went into making it even if it wasn't totally my cup of tea. And hey - it is nice to have something new to watch, even if just for one night.
Krypton Rating: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
Virtuality premieres Friday, June 26 on FOX. Talk about Virtuality on the KryptonSite Forum!
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"Virtuality"
Airs Friday, June 26
8:00-10:00PM on FOX
Executive Producers: Ronald D. Moore & Michael Taylor
Krypton Rating: 1.5 Stars (out of 5)
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