Absolutely NO spoilers after here.
I was there when The Sci-Fi Channel rebranded to “SyFy.”
I was there when the new “SyFy” added shit like wrestling to its programming.
Something has changed over there.
And I hope this signals that change.
Because there’s only one way to describe the conclusion of this mini-series: Fucking magnificent.
I’m frustrated because I haven’t read Clarke’s book. So I don’t know what they changed, added, or subtracted.
But I have to think he would have liked this adaptation in the end. Immensely.
I hesitate to use the word because it’s been hijacked by so many snake-oil salesman, but this was transcendent.
This was very, very rare television.
And is not to be missed.
Well done, SyFy. Take a bow. Standing ovation.
And Nick Hurran? Incredible framing. Flawless direction.
And Matthew Graham? Beautiful final script.
Thank you all.
Previously here:
Childhood’s End: Part Two
Childhood’s End: Part One
Uhhhh…what happened to “formulaic and as clichéd as this adaptation” ..??
TRANSCENDENT in the end. Total redemption. Fresh, original, surprising.
To date, this is the only story that ends humanity in just this way. And then to make Prime Causality a sympathetic character… well, that’s rare indeed (trying not to do that spoiler thing. It’s hard!).
Clarke pulled out all the Biblical stops.
He really did, but in a totally unusual way. When you read the book, you may also want to read 2001. Thematically the same ending, but radically different approaches.