Helix

After the first three episodes, I was a big fan of this one. It was stylishly filmed, intriguing, and contained some genuinely creepy/scary moments, making it the closest thing to Fringe I've seen in some time.

Unfortunately, the series as a whole was never as good as that beginning. There were always problematic choices, such as characters who failed to offer pertinent information for no good reason, or who did dumb things, or who made weirdly uncharacteristic choices. While Season 1 was better than Season 2, both seasons went off the rails towards the end, with endings that were very unsatisfying.

Season 1 I would rate a 7.5 overall, season 2 probably deserves a 6.5, so let's give it a 7.

This show is quite good. It has nice twists and plot cliffhangers.

However, the person who chose the soundtrack should never be allowed to do that ever again!!! It's excruciating!!!!

I was hoping for something like "Burning Zone" - intense show about a team of brave scientists containing deadly diseases. A show with tense and creepy atmosphere and genuinely frightening moments.

Instead, I got this.

The yellow-blue filter only accentuates the show's low-budget look. Characters spout out generic lines, and every scene unfolds right on cue of a predictable beat. There are no surprises, no scares, no suspense, no sense of involvement with the cardboard characters.

SyFy channel has succeeded at accomplishing the most difficult task of taking a show about infectious diseases and people in Hazmat suits and making it into a banal snore-fest.

Of course, if anyone could do it, it's SyFy.

To start off with the good, I will say that the show "sounds" very appealing (deadly virus outbreak on a massive secluded base in the arctic). The general setting/premise is solid.

The show fails however in many facets. The acting ranges from mediocre to sub-standard, though I don't blame the actors. While I can't say I enjoyed any of the performances, The writing is where the show falls apart.

If you tasked someone to find a team of writers to do a project, but instead of doing any work finding the right writers, they just hired a football team (no offence to football teams here), you would have the quality of writing in this show.

The characters typically do not act rationally (rationally referring to how a person might normally act under the same circumstances). Conflict feels like it is created on the spot, and often leads to very unrealistic sequences of events.

The show has poor dialog, and very undefined characters (their personalities seem to change radically without a proper basis as to why).

I could go on, but I would like to end on a positive note.

Despite having it's serious flaws, you may find yourself still willing to endure this series. It has mystery, it has action, it has zombie-ish themes, and from time-to-time has a few moments.

Example- Those in quarantine shut off the CO2 scrubbers threatening the oxygen supply. Really? You're not in outer space, OPEN THE DOOR TO THE OUTSIDE!!

Sure it's cold, but you've already been outside numerous times with no problem breathing. Open the doors, fill the building with oxygen, close the doors and warm up. Repeat as needed.

See? Stupid stuff.

Someone blows up the satellite dish and everyone just shrugs and goes on with life like that sort of thing happens alot.

And no one thought to bring satellite phones to an arctic medical research station just in case the satellite dish blows up or stops working?

See? Stupid stuff.