Utopia Falls

I've seen a lot of opinions razzing the show. No, Utopia Falls wasn't what I was expecting. With a synopsis that sounds like The Giver meets Hunger Games, I was fascinated. While many seem to have taken offense when music and dance entered the picture, I was elated. The first few episodes are a little rocky, but all new shows are. What really excites me is the emphasis on current cultural commentary as seen through the arts. This reminds us that protest doesn't have to be violent to be taken seriously and that same and equal aren't synonymous. We can be equal and unique at the same time, music can hold social commentary, and dance can stand up for rights. I may not understand some of the slang, at 35 I'm just not up to date on pop culture lingo, but as New Babyl is learning, I can appreciate it without necessarily conforming, because different isn't a bad thing. I look forward to finishing the season and truly hope for a second.

This series is like Divergent and Hunger Games with a little HipHop culture. It is not meant for everyone, believe me I was suprised when they started dancing and singing for the first time. Once you get past the first couple episodes you realize the story is actually pretty good. I truly hope that they do a 2nd season to allow me to see where they were going with this.

I'm really eager for Season 2! It took a little bit for the show to find it's footing, but it's very enjoyable. The 1984-esque Authority environment in New Babyl sets a dark tone that, in some ways, is distressingly similar to our current world, all in the guise of a Utopian society.

To address some of the complaints I've seen here:

The singers are pretty good, the actor who plays Bodhi is a great performer, and the dancers are incredible.

If you continue the show, you'll see that it absolutely makes sense to elevate dance/song/music to such heights--I mean, it always struck me a bit odd that in Hunger Games, it was essential to be combat trained and ready to participate/succeed in the games. If you're going to oppress a people, why on earth would you encourage them to know how to kill people and to be capable of doing so?

Meanwhile, art performance can certainly be used to distract, shift focus, control a narrative without making your populace combat-ready.

Overall, it's a show that can really suck you in within an episode or two--I binged the whole thing in three nights. I *really* hope it gets picked up for a second season!!!

It's definitely cheesy, and has teen levels of drama, but I think if you're the target audience it's pretty great.

I definitely preferred the sci-fi, and the distopian elements of the series to the teen drama. However the idea that teens are saving the world with Hiphop through a talent show style competition I'm weirdly here for.

But I think the characters talking about the history of how music has affected history is pretty great.

If you hold on you can get to a pretty decent and better thought-out show!