It Lacks Suspension of Disbelief and why I just couldn't love it
It's taken me a while to figure out why I wasn't fully enjoying this series but I think I finally got it. Don't get me wrong, I liked much of it but something just always kept me from feeling like it was a show I'd love, gush about on forums, and re-watch in the future.
Keep in mind I will mention some spoilers but I'll block them out best I can.
The main issue for me is the show lacks a real Suspension of Disbelief. You know that thing where you can believe the fantasy because certain human interest and an amount of truth is presented.
I don't believe any of these main characters are in life threatening danger. They will all survive and they always do. So the constant danger seemed unbelievable fairly quickly after the show began. Granted many shows are this way but many shows also don't threaten death as often as Atlantis did to it's main characters.
I don't believe Hercules was a weakling and coward. I just can't get behind that unless this was pure comedy... but it isn't a comedy (and Mark Addy was the person that I wanted to watch this for as I love Trollied).
The plot to let Medusa go back to being a gorgon seemed completely unbelievable especially the way everyone gets over it and how Pythagoras makes it all happen. Heck what ever happened to her head even? Maybe more to the point, the choices the characters make aren't often relate-able and this is a prime example.
Jason is somewhat believable. I can go with that as he seems fit enough to do what he does if trained. But the link to our world shown at the beginning of the series really makes him seem so unbelievable to have such skill after living in our world for most of his life. IF they never would have done that I think it would have helped the show as we could imagine him getting training or something rather than being able to pilot a submarine.
The plot is very watered down from the myths it was super loosely based on. Not that it had to be an exact telling but being able to look up the stories made me realize just how much time was wasted on the constant soap opera style change of power plots. In fact that is the plot of the entire series in a nutshell. The battle for power flip flops far too much for such a short run show.
Whatever the case it's over. I guess it cost too much to make and with the potential third season going all over the place they probably would have needed a lot of new sets and stuff. Anyway, so that's where I'm at. I wanted to love this so much ... but I could only come away saying I liked quite a bit of it but this will just never be a classic to me. Especially with no ending. It just wasn't a very satisfying experience overall. There aren't any sustainable real wins for the "good guys" it's just one unbelievable situation after another.
To those that love this show a bunch and are sad it's over, I am sorry for your loss. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it more than I did. At least we knew well in advance of the end that it was over. Please hold nothing against me for only liking the show and finally figuring out why I just couldn't love it.