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Defying Gravity Season 1 Episode 4

H2IK

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Aired Sunday 10:00 PM Aug 16, 2009 on ABC

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AIRED: Aug 16, 2009

7.9

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Episode Summary

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The Antares crew loses control over power, heat and gravity after a series of unexplained system failures and has to face its first major crisis.

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Fan Episode Reviews (6)

the garbage show continue...

1.0

By InvasionFanbOy, Jun 22, 2010

the garbage show continue and guess what, i tortured myself through another episode of this sci-fi drivvel. i really wanted something good to happen but it did not, i am not suprised. this cockaduddle of a crapstick wannabe sci-fi garbarge show, just upped it a notch with more drivvel. it look there is no canceling in sigth. its unbelieve that they can still send this show, there is nothing interesting going on whatever, you think by now they at least try to make something interesting happen, but no its the same tedious boring flashback and endless mystery that goes on and on and on. go outside water your flowers, that is more exciting to do than watching this garbage show.moreless
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Another emergency on the Antares but more insightful flashbacks into the characters are provided.

9.0

By colettebond_ire, Dec 28, 2009

Episode 4 and we still have no new clues as to what 'Beta' involves. So far all Ted has seen is a storm on Mars which still leads me to believe that it has some link to what happened to Donner and Ted on Mars 5 years previously. The flashbacks once again bring us back to the early training days when Ajay corrects a point in Donner's lecture on Antares unaware that it was the anniversary of the Mars disaster and that Donner was unusually sensitive. Donner gets pretty mad but as per usual this seems to make Nadia more attracted to him than ever. We see the scars again on Evram's back and when he offers to listen to how Donner is feeling regarding the anniversary of Mars, Donner throws it back in his face asking if he wants to talk about his scars. We gain a better insight into Evram in this episode. The lights flickering trigger his post traumatic stress disorder and he hears audio of helicopters, guns and screams which confirms the suggestion that was made in a previous episode that it is 'war related'. In a flashback we see a building collapse around him as he reaches for an injured woman. In current time Ajay is still feeling lost following his forced departure from the programme. He goes to the astronauts bar where he is faced with the original poster of the Antares crew which just serves to remind him of where he should be. Following a 'chat' with the British reporter who informs him of the systems problem he collapses in the bar, which leads to him and Rollie receiving medical attention for the heart problems that led to their replacement on Antares. In flashbacks we also see how the 3 remaining members of the Mars mission remember their 2 colleagues left behind in a bitter 'toast' to their memories which clearly shows the bitterness still evident between Goss and Donner. Goss is tolerated because, as Nadia succinctly puts it, he chooses the teams. We also see Ted reject Jen's advances after the 'toast' while Rollie observes. However in a nice touch he leaves to go and hang out with Donner ensuring he is not alone to dwell on the past.

This week's emergency is a systems error which leads to shut-downs in gravity control, lights and heat. At times the lights flashing is used to excellent effect creating a creepy atmosphere reminiscent of the Aliens films, complete with the tunnels-in-space claustrophobia. It is sad that even though it's obvious Ajay knows most about the engineering aspects of the mission Goss refuses to involve him until forced to when no-one else can come up with a solution. It also appears that Wassenfelder has issues with the systems shut-down, preferring to remain in his room rather than attempt to get to a gravity-controlled heated room. When Donner goes on a spacewalk to check the panels outside for damage causing the shut-downs he has a vision of Sharon and the other crew member that he and Ted left behind. This must again link back to the Mars storm that Ted sees in Pod 4 and of course, 'Beta'. Sharon seems to speak to him saying she loves him. It takes Zoe saying she needs him to break through his vision and encourage him to re-enter Antares. Eventually with the assistance of Ajay and a bit of common sense Donner finds the cause of the problem. For a change this episode didn't focus on romantic relationships but instead on the interactions within the team, how they are beginning to share something of themselves and how they support each other. I also loved the end where the entire team demanded that Ajay was re-instated, a nice example of the team uniting in a common goal and Ajay being returned to his rightful place.moreless
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Memories..

8.2

By Parricida, Sep 05, 2009

I most say every episode seems to be stronger but they are not brilliant, far from it. The story is stil quite one level oriented and maybe it is "Grey Anatomy" in space but you would expect something more.. I have to say the whole electric problem was good turn but will this mean that for every episode we have somekind of a problem and that takes episode to solve with some relationship drama?

I most say I liked the whole Mars memory thing.. the anniversary and those flashbacks.. and of course finally getting AJ back but that was quite sure to come and they just tried to make it believable.

So the best part goes to the Mars memory part.moreless
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Strongest episode yet, though still hope to see quite a lot more improvement with this.

10

By imaginedmind, Aug 24, 2009

I actually think this episode has stood out against the other episodes, and is beginning to show what potential they show may or may not have. The first couple episodes came off as a little weak to me, and this one was really more interesting. More characters are now getting involved with the script, and are beginning to actually show more of their personality. The change is very subtle admittedly, and who knows whether this trend will continue as the series progresses. If it continues to progress at the rate it is now, it may pull itself out of the ditch it's dug itself into publicizing itself as "Grey's Anatomy in Space" (and what other's are calling even more ridiculously "Sex in Space").

The show still has some major weak points. The whole thing with the mysterious "beta" is a bit tiresome and tacky, and I hope that when they actually begin to reveal what in the world beta is, that situations with it become less awkward (less people whispering to each other "It's what beta wants!!"). However, out of all of them, this one probably was the most scientific and least soapy of the episodes shown so far, which I think is one of the episodes strong points.

Many Soap Operas these days end up in the dustbin after one season, mainly because they don't really show much prowess in script. If done correctly though, this could maybe survive. I actually particularly like what they did with Wass and Paula, and from a soap opera standpoint, I think whatever happens between those two in the future will be good for the show, much better at least than the floppy Donner-Zoe thing. I think that if this show really wants to stay on the air, they need to get a better flow going between characters, especially between Donner and Zoe, which seems to be the central relationship of the show. Things are just awkward right now for most of them, which no one really wants to see. Especially with the whole Baby thing, which I was most pleased NOT to have been brought up in this episode.

Probably the most interesting part of the episode was really introducing Evram for the first time, with the PMS flashback scene. Of course he has appeared in previous episodes, but only briefly, and ultimately all we knew about him was that he was married to Claire from control or whoever, and that he had alcohol problems.

Also Flashbacks are acceptable at times, but this may remain a problem of the show, as we are basically watching two different timelines simultaneously developing, and going back and forth throughout the show. Obviously the more present timeline is the more interesting, and should in the future, get more focus. Hopefully now that we are better introduced to the characters, that the flashbacks will become less numerous.

Ultimately:

Strong Points:

-Stronger Character Development, particularly with Wass, Paula, and Evram

-More Focused and Better Written Script, namely bringing AJ back into the mix, if only temporarly.

-Stronger Sci-Fi Elements, namely we learn more about the science behind the inner workings of the ship.

Weak Points:

-Soap Opera Elements, though improving slightly, still need a lot of work if this show wants to stay on the air.

-Flashbacks interrupt the flow of the show a bit, hopefully the show relies less on them in the future

-Certain Plot Elements, that are supposed to add an element of mystery to the show, namely "Beta," need to be develop a little bit faster to keep them from getting tiresome. (If this show wants to stay on the air, it actually has to be going somewhere.)moreless
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This ep is about trust. The ship has a mechanical failure and the crew has to trust each other and ways be vulnerable in order to fix the problem. See other summaries for more details.moreless

9.0

By coachmm, Aug 23, 2009

This a great episode. By far the best of the series so far. I like the fact that it address Patrick Lencioni's 1st of 5 Dysfunction's of a Team. Trust, the absence there of. Discarding ego or looking cool is important in building the foundation of trust. The key to overcoming a lack of trust is shared experiences its ok to be wrong or not know the right answer. Its even better or more productive to ask for help. In this episode H2IK is the link between two crew members that have learned to be vulnerable yet are able to help each other.

The next four are Fear of Conflict, Lack of Commitment, Avoidance of Accountability, and Inattention to Results.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Ron Livingston	Maddux Donner
Florentine Lahme	Nadia Schilling
Laura Harris	Zoe Barnes
Eyal Podell	Evram Mintz
Christina Cox (I)	Jen Crane
Malik Yoba	Ted Shaw

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Tyler McClendon	Bartender	Guest Star
Adrian Hough	CAPCOM	Guest Star
William C. Vaughan	Arnel Poe	Recurring Role
Leanne Adachi	Suki Cho/FDO	Recurring Role
Lara Gilchrist	Sharon	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Malik Yoba and Christina Cox on Defying ...

© 2009 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Maxim Roy and Ty Olsson on Defying Gravi...

© 2009 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Ron Livingston and Malik Yoba on Defying...

© 2009 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Christina Cox and Laura Harris on Defyin...

© 2009 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- The title "H2IK" is a code originally used at Ajay Sharma's engineering company to ask for someone's help. The abbreviation stands for "Hell If I Know".
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QUOTES (2)
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- Paula: You're swimming in a sea of self-delusion, Wass.
  Steven: Okay, if I'm swimming in it, you're drowning.
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- Donner: Ajay once told me that the idea of a man knowing everything about something is folly. His word, not mine. He said that man by his very nature is dependent on other man. We need each other to survive.
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NOTES (2)
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- International Episode Titles:
  Czech Republic: Všichni za jednoho (All for One)
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: August 16, 2009 on CTV
  United Kingdom: November 5, 2009 on BBC2/BBC HD
  Czech Republic: September 25, 2010 on Prima COOL
  Germany: October 14, 2012 on Sixx
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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