Editorial Reviews and
DVD Information about
Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
Amazon.com
Based on an idea by Gene Roddenberry, Andromeda confidently wears its debt to Star Trek on its sleeve, recalling the best sci-fi of Roddenberry's heyday. The two-part premiere "Under the Night" and "An Affirming Flame" make for a terrific introduction to the lead character, Captain Dylan Hunt, played by Kevin (ex-Hercules) Sorbo. He's a sympathetically flawed idealist in command of the Andromeda Ascendant, a massive starship of the now-disbanded Systems Commonwealth. The fall of civilization has meant that although she ought to be a relic she remains the zenith of technological advancement. In the series opener we see Captain Hunt in battle against 10,000 enemy ships, winning a bout of fisticuffs with a close friend turned enemy traitor, wrestling with the shock of being frozen in time for 300 years and then diplomatically negotiating his way out of a salvage rights battle for his ship. The Andromeda Ascendant's emotionally driven, life-like computer is desired by the Eureka Maru salvage vessel, and feisty Captain Beka Valentine can barely stop her engineer Harper from drooling about tinkering with her. The Maru's shipmates are similarly driven: Rev Bem (from another sworn enemy race) has a spiritual calling, while cutesy-pie Trance Gemini's motivations are part of her winning mysteriousness. One final addition is the show's muscle, Tyr, the enemy with a conscience who would later get the spotlight in such episodes as "All Neptune's Great Oceans" and "Music of a Distant Drum." "The Pearls That Were His Eyes" was one of the first conceived episode ideas, but was delayed until the availability of a Star Trek regular. That eventually turned out to be John (Q) de Lancie, who gives a brilliant turn as Beka's long-lost Uncle Sid. "Star-Crossed" is the first-season episode that caused more gossip than any other. Stargate regular Michael Shanks guest stars, falls in love with Rommie on screen (and with Lexa Doig off screen), and then suddenly quits SG-1. There's certainly a spark between them in the show to support the gossip. The secondary cause for talk was its broadcast rescheduling in sympathy with the events of September 11 since it opens with a terrorist attack. Criticized by some for its extreme violence, the season finale "Its Hour Come 'Round at Last" will stay with you one way or another. Maybe for the sight of an alternate Rommie turning uncharacteristically nasty to everyone and seriously kicking butt. Or maybe the mind-blowing Magog Worldship, made up of 20 planets and their sun. Or maybe just the seemingly impossible scenario each major character is faced with as the show ends. --Paul Tonks
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Customer Reviews for
Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
Abysmal dreck for neurotic nerd girls
I remember watching Andromeda on the television machine around 2001 or 2002 and rather enjoying it. So I picked up Season-1 to see if I could relive the happy memory. Alas, if I liked it, it's because I didn't watch Season 1, which is one of the most insanely bad things I've sat through, ever. It's the sort of science fiction fantasy which is designed to appeal to bored lady office workers.
It's definitely a female fantasy in the same sense that original Star Trek is obviously a man's fantasy, with all of them hot Yeomen running around in miniskirts. Sadly, my possession of a functioning Y chromosome makes this difficult. I can't relate to female fantasies as well. I don't think it's cool that the mad, bad, dangerous to know Nietzscheans are also sexy family men. I don't think Prince Valiant/Captain's confused quest to restore "the commonwealth" via peaceful European Union diplomatic style means ... and also by killing a lot of people ... but only when he really has to is at all interesting. In fact, I agree with the ridiculously attired Nietzschean dude that it's neurotic and stupid. The Purple space bimbo ... I realize she's supposed to have hidden depths (which is a fantasy doubtless many airheads have about themselves), but for now they remain hidden. As for the engineer: every woman wishes she had one of those; the non-threatening platonic male friend who fantasizes about her, and will fix her car. The argumentative pilot/first officer chick is every annoying girl I've gone out on a date with who thought arguing with me about the price of tea in china would make me respect her, rather than just considering her an insecure grouch. It's hard for me to mention the silly furry dude, who makes Yoda like aphorisms as often as possible, and whose reproductive cycle seems to be some kind of unfavorable Freudian commentary on motherhood. There's also the space ship, who, from the outside, manages to look sort of like a stylized set of female genitalia, and from the inside, is a hot asian nerd girl.
The special effects are incredibly bad. The fight choreography is beyond absurd, and involves a lot of people standing off, pointing weapons at each other, and talking dirt to each other. Remind you of anything? Thank you, drive through. This was obviously a budget affair; they couldn't even afford extras to wander about the cavernous uterine space ship that everything happens in.
The upside; there's a sort of interesting backstory, and despite his silly outfit, the Nietzschean guy's bon mots occasionally lighten up the leaden dialogue. The idea of religions of the future is underutilized in science fiction; maybe it will go somewhere interesting. It also fills me with a lot of sympathy for women who complain about the lack of characters they can relate to in science fiction adventures, or that rocket ships look like, well, you know. Finally, I managed to keep watching it. The camp of it all is kind of addictive.
I'm gonna watch more, because I'm a stubborn guy, and because I do remember it as being good. But season-1 is a car wreck. It's like watching the TV show "Galaxy Quest" -not the movie, the TV show the movie shows you bits and pieces of. It would be difficult to purposefully design something worse.Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
Si Fi Heaven
Straight to the point...All five seasons are the best. I was able to buy the mega set that has all five seasons in one nice box. I still go back and watch it over again even thought I have more than 2,000 titles to chose from. You just can't go wrong with Gene Roddenberry!Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
Surprisingly, this first season is actually decent
I'm a major sci fi / fantasy fan. I've seen and watched them all. Star Trek, Stargate, Babylon 5, X-Files, etc. Well, I finally reached the point where i ran out of science fiction to watch on tv. So i've been scrounging around the bottom like Farscape and Stargate Atlantis. Surprisingly, this first season is actually watchable. The dialog is actually decent and not overly fluffy or wise crackish like Farscape.
For a character based sci fi series, you must have good characters. Andromeda pulls this off pretty well. You got the super good guy Dylan Hunt and his hodge podge crew members.
Tyr Anasazi is just amazingly cool. His acting is decent at best I suppose but he just pulls off his image so well. The way he talks is just awesome. Seriously, you can tell Ronin Dex from Atlantis is blatantly ripped off from Tyr down to the dreadlocks. Trance is pretty damn cute I have to admit. Seamus is probably my least favorite character due to his sense of humor. Almost all the characters are pretty decent though...!
The stories aren't really anything new but most of them do not fail to entertain. Of course you'll have some duds but right now they're in the minority. Keep watching and i'm sure they'll increase though.
A few negatives are the atrocious special effects. Seriously, I do not remember 2001 having such poor computer effects. They're pretty bad but watchabe I suppose.
All in all, worth watching. Just don't expect Star Trek: TNG or Babylon 5 quality... I still think this show is better than Farscape - which is a cult classic. Less wise cracks!Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
Great Sci-Fi series!
I enjoyed watching every season of Andromeda and this one was no exception. The main characters are very interesting and well written.
Andromeda is a sentient war ship striving, with the help of her captain and new crew, to restore light to a universe that has fallen into a time of darkness.Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
thinking about selling
i love andromeda but there is a new box set with all 5 season here available on amazon and its a lil over $100 but worth the purchase, slim casing and "ONE" sided discs!! something i prefer! its a space saver as well!Andromeda - Season 1 Collection
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