Slowly but surely, things are starting to change at Syfy. The network that once eschewed its roots in science-fiction programming in a move to grab ratings – and admittedly stability – is finally coming back around. Gone are the days when there was more wrestling than shows like Stargate: Universe (admittedly the WWE still has a place on the network, but sci-fi fans will take their gains where they can). Continuum and Defiance begat Dominion and Helix which are shepherding in 12 Monkeys and The Expanse (!!!). Depending on your opinion of the Sharknado franchise, Syfy has done a solid job at creating event television; Ascension, a mini-series premiering this week, hopes to continue that tradition.

Syfy President Dave Howe told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week that they don’t invest in miniseries programs without the potential backdoor for a series run, and what I’ve seen of Ascension thus far (the network has released the first two hours out of the six total), that is a really good thing. At San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with the show’s creator Phillip Levens and members of the cast: Brian Van Holt (Ascension’s captain William Denninger), Tricia Helfer (Denninger’s wife Viondra), Andrea Roth (Doctor Juliet Bryce) and Al Sapienza (Councilman Rose). Between those conversations, and viewing the first two hours, this is what we’ve learned:

The Ascension and its crew are a product of their time

The ship was launched in secret in 1963, on a course for the Proxima System. The mission was intended as a post-Cuban Missile Crisis lifeboat for humanity: a 100-year journey to establish a colony that can avoid the threat of the world’s destruction in a nuclear war.

Levens quotes a line from the script that talks about how technology might have developed separately from “our” timeline, “If you take 600 of the best and the brightest and put them in a tin-can for 50 years, you’d be amazed with the things they’ll come up with.” But the culture on the ship maintains a distinctly 1960’s personality, most specifically evident in the way gender relationships have developed (or more-specifically haven’t) since the mission began.

The crew isn’t able to communicate with Earth; the challenges of time and space (and the plot convenience of their engine-technology’s interference) prevent it. They aren’t even aware if the planet survived the Cold War; but the story spends enough time on present day Earth to confirm that we all still exist in this universe. At home, the existence of the ship and its mission is fodder for conspiracy theorists.

There are many characters that question the mission

We find the Ascension as it approaches its metaphorical Rubicon, the point at which the ship’s resources wouldn’t allow for changing course and returning home. Fifty years into its journey, none of the crew is there by choice. Their parents and grandparents, in effect, made that decision for them. Some are beginning to doubt the mission, “Some people [think] maybe their grandparents made a mistake, maybe they were conned by the government,” Levens explains, “Maybe they bought into something that wasn’t real.”

In closed society, segmented classes are unavoidable

Inevitably, one of the themes of the story looks at the distinction between the ship’s leaders and the manual laborers. Denninger’s second in command, Oren Gault, is promoted from the lower decks. Instead of being the example that the society can rise above its stratification, seemingly everyone on the ship not named Oren Gault sees his position as a move to mollify those lower-level folks that want to do more than tend to the livestock.

Dr. Bryce expects her daughter Nora to follow in her footsteps and becomes the ship’s physician. The events of the first episode (a murder on board is the series’ inciting incident) change her motivations

There is 5-6 seasons worth of story to tell if audiences respond

Ascension is just six hours for now, but Levens and the team already have multiple seasons worth of story if audiences and the network respond favorably. “It was always designed to have a much larger, five or six year arc. It has lots of surprises … it’s not what you expect.”

Love triangles, relationships and threesomes, oh my!

Ascension isn’t family viewing – at least not in my family. The ship’s interpersonal relationships are a mess. While a computer chooses mates based on optimal genetic conditions (a death has to occur before a life is allowed to be conceived), the characters sure do get around. Helfer adds, “In Viondra’s case it’s not so much about desire, it’s much more about power.” Her relationship with her husband is one of love, but is as much a partnership invested in maintaining the power the captain’s position includes.

Ascension is in for a bumpy ride

Things aren’t going to be easy for the crew — admittedly, that would make for a crappy narrative. From the murder that kicks the story off, to the growing friction between the classes (informed by the desire of some — if not many — to turn the ship around and head home) to the mysterious entity that seems to haunt one of the crew’s children, a thread of danger weaves its way throughout the ship. Monday’s installment presents interesting questions about the motivations of the crew and the many secrets they keep from each other. Some of those questions are likely to be answered on nights two and three, but I hope the story will get a chance to develop beyond what we see this week.

Everytime I interview a member of the Haven cast/production staff, I leave with a massive crush. In season one, it was Charles Ardai. Season two, it was Emily Rose. In season three, Eric Balfour. And, now, verging on season four, I’m on the edge of coping with crushing on Adam “The Edge” Copeland (see what I did there?). I can’t wait to interview the Teagues brothers. In our interview he came across as incredibly genial, gentle and charming. I’m going to have to watch old WWE footage, because it’s hard to remember he’s a former wrestler for the most performative league known to man. Although I’ve seen an “edge” in past conference calls/interviews, for the most part he comes across as incredibly interior and cogitative in his Haven press tours. However, the true reason I enjoyed talking to Adam during the SyFy upfronts is because he’s clearly a fan of the show.

If you haven’t caught Haven‘s third season, the finale is a total whiskey tango foxtrot. Long story short, Audrey and Nathan have a son together (based on Nathan’s Quantum Leap roll in the hay with Audrey’s former self, Sarah). Vince heads up the Guard. Nathan shot Agent Howard (keeper of the atemporal barn AND Audrey). Audrey’s some type of energizer bunny whose emotions keep the town safe every 27 years before her love batteries run down and require recharging. Audrey disappeared with Duke and her son into the barn leaving a bleeding Nathan behind while comets destroy Haven proper. Yea. Exactly. WTF.

When I grabbed four minutes with Adam on the purple carpet, he seemed as entranced with the WTF  moments as any fan. He particularly came alive when discussing the plot points and what’s next for the Haven crew. When doing red carpets, it’s easier for me to rock a sound recorder, but this time around, I wished that I’d carried a video camera just to capture his facial expressions. If you watched the finale and felt your face doing various contortions in shock and surprise, Adam’s face magnified that times ten. Surprisingly, unlike most actors breaking into a new genre, Adam doesn’t want to play to type. Yea, he’s a big guy who could break most weaklings in half, but he doesn’t want to play that the rest of his life. In Haven, he enjoys his character’s “tenderness” and wants to push himself craft-wise and outside his range to see what he’s capable of.

I’m always hesitant on directly complimenting actors to avoid seeming disingenuous. However, Adam’s Dwight portrayal surprised me. When they introduced his character in season two, I had no idea who he was, but I enjoyed the character. When they brought him back in season three, I cheered. I always believe acting is a craft you hone over decades of experience. And, you can tell, when you watch certain actors, who spent decades training and who hasn’t. Every now and again, an actor hits the scene with raw talent that you can’t immediately tell s/he hasn’t had years of acting like Person of Interest‘s Kevin Chapman, 30 Rock‘s Grizz Chapman or Haven’s Adam Copeland.

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I’ve liked Jaime Murray’s H.G. Wells portrayal since day one. So, upon discovering that she would join the Defiance cast I both cheered and booed. With evil Artie rearing his head, I secretly hoped they’d increase her time on Warehouse 13. So, I asked her what would happen with H.G. Wells for the remainder of Warehouse 13‘s current season and her thoughts on her Defiance character.

For those of you who haven’t caught up with Warehouse 13 this season, check out Hulu. But, here’s a rundown. So far, season four proved incredibly awesome for Warehouse 13, especially episodes one through ten. Jinks continues as an amazing cast addition, particularly concerning his intense Claudia relationship. But, despite his sexual orientation and the Claudia-Jinks pseudo-brother-sister friendship, he still seems TOO protective and TOO close to Claudia (more so than Pete is with Myka and Claudia is with her brother). Plus, the show continued to amp up Claudia’s role as the “B-Team” while maintaining her close father-daughter relationship with Artie. Mrs. Frederic hasn’t lost her mysteriousness. Pete’s still hot and Myka’s still his gal Friday. Plus, season four’s first half featured amazing guest stars including Brent Spiner as Brother Adrian (Artie’s psychotic hallucination after he uses the astrolabe to reset time to save the warehouse), Lindsay Wagner as Artie’s love interest, Amy Acker as Myka’s sister, Laura Linney as Jinks’ mother, and The Game’s Pooch Hall as the case of the week. Plus, Danielle Nicolet did a great job as the eager medical researcher, Deb Staley, in “Endless Wonder”.

So, after Mrs. Frederic and Leena entrust H.G. Wells with the astrolabe to prevent Artie from re-using it (and re-catalyzing their deaths), Artie becomes evil, kills Leena and Claudia stabs him to save the world. As you might tell, I had a couple questions for any Warehouse 13 member that might cross my path.Would Danielle Nicolet return? Considering the real life brother Adrian seemed as creepy as Artie’s hallucination, could he cause more harm to the Warehouse? Did he control Artie? Will Artie remain an antagonist for the rest of season four? Will they ever bring him back to the fold? How would H.G. Wells handle Artie’s defection? Would Leena return? Admittedly, I never saw the Leena character as a good fit. But, when Artie killed her, I cried. Maybe she isn’t a fast talker like Pete, Myka and Claudia, but she’s the quiet heart that keeps the home lights burning. I hope they bring her back as a ghost.

Of course, all my questions slipped my mind when Jaime Murray crossed my path. She did an excellent job evading my spoiler-oriented questions and proved incredibly gracious when I couldn’t remember how to pronounce astrolabe. One thing surprised me is a complaint that I typically hear from most minority actors, but I’m glad to hear from her: having race and class pigeonhole her into specific roles. It’s one that Dichen Lachman (Being Human) mentioned as well as Reggie Lee (Grimm). But, little did I know, Caucasian female actresses also feel that bite. She’s excited for Defiance because playing an alien means she can go outside the roles typically ascribed to her. Additionally, she loves that her appearance isn’t a spoiler.

Check out the audio interview below and don’t forget to check out Warehouse 13 and Defiance on the SyFy Channel.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDtlfNMOJTs

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I was really excited about going into season 3 of Face Off. And it started off with a bang.

Joe Castro — who we barely met in the first episode — not only tossed his weight around like it was nobody’s business but got his panties in a wad and walked off the show because he was called on his BS bulldogging by partner Tommy Pietch**. We never got the opportunity to see if Joe was all he purported to be … which ended up making for a terrific start to the season.

Well, it seems Joe and his attitude might have left with a lot of the inspirational creations and  imagination in tow because there hasn’t been much to get excited about.

Remember the hideous ice cream man from Matt Valentine of last season’s “Burtonesque” episode? You can see in the above photo the character was downright ghastly. My first glimpse of Matt’s wafflecone-headed nightmare made my jaw drop. Yet I haven’t seen anything coming remotely close to that kind of awe-inspiring performance this season. Don’t get me wrong: There have been some nifty designs that have popped up along the way, but nothing like many of the drop-dead gorgeous accomplishments seen in Burtonesque or in many of season 2’s episodes.

So where are they? What’s happened to the creativity borne from the contestants this round of competition? Thus far the comments from the judges have been more inspiring than many of the make-ups from the players in the game. Case in point? Judge Glenn Hetrick’s lambasting of Alana Rose Schiro and her character last week: “Your inability to settle on a concept was blindingly obvious.” Ouch. (Never let it be said Glenn holds back his feelings; he gives it to you straight.) While Alana fumbled her way through a couple of challenges and came out shining, she was a walking disaster area. She fell into way more praise than she deserved and her efforts finally came back to haunt her with the gun-metal grey Seussian Offt she came up with.

One of the best contestants of the season is, without doubt, Roy Wooley. The dude is a fabricating animal. And he does a little make-up on the side, too. His imagination definitely runs wild. He not only puts that imagination on paper but in his work as well. He’s showcased it time and time again. But even Roy is getting tiring with his over-the-top concepts. A shoe-in for the win from Day One, I would really be surprised if he doesn’t walk away with the whole enchilada come next week.

There have been glimmers of hope with everyone else, but those lights faded pretty quickly. They just didn’t or haven’t cut the mustard. The only other interesting note comes from the fuchsia-haired and  reinstated Nicole Chilelli who has been burning things up since originally being ousted, then brought back. She could give Roy a run for his money come the finale.

So here’s to next week and the finale. We can only hope we’ll be served up something to wow us.

** CliqueClack has recently been informed Joe Castro left “after realizing the producers were running a fake and unfair competition.”

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