TV is the New Reading

'Defying Gravity' defies some logic, science as well

It’s all so pretty.

A little more than 40 years into the future, an elite international group of astronauts climb aboard the Antares, a space cruiser named for the red supergiant in the constellation Scorpio, on a mission to visit seven planets in six years. For most of the astronauts, this is their first space mission.

Aboard the Antares, there’s a hydroponic chamber to grow food, a scrubber system to provide breathable air and there are these glorious observation decks. Their flightsuits are what provide the semblance of gravity -- married couples who have disrobed for the purposes of space sex can so engage while floating.

And the astronauts are so blase about the whole situation that the top physicist, surrounded in the observation lounge by the infinite majesty of space, is using comm system to hack pornography, which anyway seems to be something of a preoccupation with the show’s producers.

Also, it’s all so dark.

As just one illustration, in this vision of the future, abortion is illegal, and one of the astronauts has an alcoholic father, so it seems 40 or so years into the future we’re all still beset with human frailties. Scenes planetside seem dark, dank and desperate, suggesting a lot of resources have been diverted to the space program, pointing at some mounting realization that must have arisen between now and then.

Also, Mission Control has foregone some basic humanity in favor of profitability and expedience. This was illustrated on the Mars mission, set 10 years prior to the Antares adventure. Mike Goss -- the guy in charge of Mission Control -- ordered an emergency launch to escape a storm, stranding two astronauts on the surface of Mars. Two of the surviving team members from that mission -- Maddux Donner and Ted Shaw -- are aboard Antares.

Goss, if anything, has only gotten darker with the passage of time. But the Mars mission changed Donner and Shaw as well. When one of the Antares crew suffers a medical problem and is recalled to Earth, he is determined to kill himself rather than return. As Donner arrives at the Antares, Goss orders him to leave the crewman for dead. This time, however, Donner was ... disinclined.

Love and rockets

Pitched as “’Grey’s Anatomy’ in space,” it doesnt seem like it’s going to live up to the challenge. While all are young and beautiful, the astronauts are fitted with libido-dampeners, which should reduce the amount of time they spend sneaking off to the supply closets. That said, the network-friendly sex scenes they did include were filmed beautifully.

Also, there are a couple of on-board mysteries instilled early in the series that make it a little more like “Lost” than “Grey’s Anatomy.”

My initial reaction is that the science has to step up a little. Right now the show seems a little too driven by romantic histories and everyone’s background. But the setting for all of this drama is a spaceship visiting seven planets in six years. I get that that implies a lot of downtime while the crew is in transit and not much need for a lot of technobabble. But there should be at least some acknowledgment of the science, in that it’s the only thing keeping everyone alive up there.

And if they’re planning to visit seven planets in six years, then I hope at some point someone’s going to clue me in about that fantastic propulsion system we’ve invented between now and then. Also, if they’re going to keep up these back and forth conversations with Mission Control, someone should probably explain or at least acknowledge this subspace intercom they’ve developed that allows what otherwise seems to be a radio transmission to move faster than the speed of light.

As I’ve said before, I’m a geek, and I like my science fiction to be ... science-y.

So depending on the demands you place on your scifi, “Defying Gravity” will probably range between charming and intriguing to engaging but annoying. Certainly it’s worth a look. “Defying Gravity” airs at 8 p.m. Sundays on ABC.