Aidan5 Ep.7 “The Life of Riley” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

5 Swirlies

“In the illegal world, we’re born in a sewer.”

This episode of the unique, mixed media science fiction web series Aidan5 takes a break from the high octane action of the previous few and gives us a little backstory into Riley.

One of the things that this series does well is to take a look at cloning from various angles, and how it impacts our society; even if some of the angle they choose to examine are a little obvious. In this one, they tackle a few things, including clone discrimination. My favourite bit - and a very nice, interesting touch, is how vilely Riley’s original reacts to her clone, who then goes to the original’s funeral.

One the parts I liked the least is seeing Aidan as heroic (and thus, presenting him as heroic to the audience) for brutally beating a bad guy unconscious for threatening to hit Riley. Sure, the guy was a bad guy, but Aidan is a cop - we’re supposed to cheer on this behaviour? It is a small beef, more of a pet peeve about how the U.S. cop mythology is handled in general rather than a complain about this episode. Oh, I also cringed a bit when Riley was portrayed as a damsel in distress that needed to be saved by a strong man handing out savage beatings to those he disagreed with. I’m not saying every woman in every novel, TV, web series whatever needs to be portrayed as being as tough if not tougher than a man, it just felt very… thoughtless on the part of the writers, not coming so much from the character and on the cliche side.

I like that they’re willing to take a break and do something a little more introspective. And writing wise, it was interesting that Riley choose not to remind Aidan that they had met before - like she was making a clean break from the past. I also like that they fast forwarded a bit from the end of the previous episode - not that there couldn’t have been some great episodes in that period, but they chose to take a different route. For me, every evidence that the writers and creators are making choices about their story makes me respect them more.

I also really like seeing some new locations - man, I don’t how how the artist doing the backdrops can keep up with this show. They must be drawing all the time. One thing that I don’t think I mentioned before is the trouble they must have in matching the POV between the drawings and the live action material. How do they make sure the perspective isn’t off?

From YouTube Description:

Episode 7: A look back at Riley’s cloning and troubled past.

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Aidan5

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Aidan5 Ep.6 “Off The Tracks” | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

4 Swirlies

“Be advised: Suspect is clone of Detective James Aidan”

This episode of webseries Aidan5 is both supremely awesome and little cheesy at the same time.

This is supremely ambitious - shoot outs, flying scenes, a train racing through a city scape, giant crashes and explosions… in a Hollywood feature, this scene along would cost a million bucks and take months to make. There’s plenty to admire about the execution of this in such a small webseries - and what I’m assuming is a labour of love more than a lucrative venture for the creators.

But I found myself thrilling to the action and wincing at the same time. Some of the dialogue and action are standard action movie moments and cliches that feel like they’re here more because that’s what happens in action movies rather than being natural or believable to the story and characters. And there’s an odd moment at the end where Aidan, after risking the lives of dozens if not hundreds of people by firing at a train in the middle of a big city, lets the bad guy go because he runs out of bullets (he doesn’t try to chase him down or go after him, nor does he radio in that the suspect is getting away) and then he tends to his partner who was just in a horrific crash. It might seem like I’m a fanboy nitpicking how I would have done it - there’s nothing easier than going on the internet and spouting off on how you would have it different or better, without knowing any of the reasons or complications that lead to the creator’s decisions - but I don’t think that’s where I’m coming from. I feel like the writing here has taken a back seat to the cool, actiony, plot-twisty stuff in this episode.

Like I said, there’s a lot in this episode that they did right. I don’t know how they manage to make this episode every month. The animation may just be in a pencil sketch style, but the angles and camera moves are extremely well thought out and executed. Some of the greenscreen work is a little rough, but some of it is actually quite amazing - like the shots from “outside” the flying police car in which we partially see through the pencil sketch window. I can’t imagine that something like this is easy to pull off, but in watching the episode is so well pulled off that you don’t even notice it - you just accept it. And, for its flaws, the episode is incredibly cool.

And very watchable. I hope that my discussion of those flaws dissuades you from watching it, because it is easily one of the best science fiction webseries out there.

From YouTube Description:

Episode 6: After killing Hicks and stealing the Infinity database, Matthew escapes the police station with Aidan and Riley hot on his trail.

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Aidan5

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Aidan5 Ep.5 “In Sheep’s Clothing” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

5 Swirlies

“There’s a storm raging through this city.”

The creators have really stepped this one up. The pencil sketch backgrounds are constantly moving, and there’s a tight integration with the performers.

The stakes are raised, too. The storyline has taken on an epic feeling as people have rioted against the clones, and Aidan serves a warrant against the main cloning corporation.

This episode has a lot of info, and while it didn’t feel like it, it is all kinda leading up to the end. And what an end it is - a nice twist that I didn’t see coming.

I feel like the creators behind this series are constantly striving to find the exact right tone and story, and to push their production quality with every episode. A little tough here, a tweak there. I could be wrong, but I kinda feel like they increased the contrast on the live action actors to blend them in a little more with the background.

I hate to say this sort of stuff, but the place where the show could use the most improvement is the acting. I know it is hard to work against a green screen, reacting to things that aren’t there. And it is hard to be natural when the style that the show is made in means most of your dialogue will be in the master angle, but the choices the actors sometimes make in the little moments don’t seem to always gel with the big picture. I think maybe the writing may be to blame, as well, for some of that.

Still, it is easily one of the best made web series out there right now.

From YouTube Description:

Aidan and Riley serve Infinity Cloning Corporation with a warrant, invoking some unintended consequences.

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Aidan5

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Aidan5 Ep.4 “The Enemy of My Enemy” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

4 Swirlies

“The duplicate population have moved from useful machines to self-thinking automatons bent on our destruction.”

Wow. I thought the last episode was a little off the mark, but this episode pretty much nailed it.

There’s two chunks to this episode - the first is a pretty well executed action sequence, and the second is an extended character moment where Aidan talks about his past. And then… there’s a final twist at the ending that hooked my interest.

And it is not just the plot and the technical execution that grabbed me, but I feel like in this episode they re-captured the mood and tone of suspense and quiet tension that was missing in the previous one.

I also liked the fact that Aidan is an “original” with clones and his partner is a clone. Whether or not the creators intended this, it gave the scene in the bar quite a bit of interesting sub-text as Aidan talked about his reasons for cloning himself. I had assumed that his clones were cloned to help with his police work, but here we find out it was just about money. I couldn’t help imagine that she was thinking about her original, and her reasons for cloning herself. What must it be like to know that you exist not because someone really wanted you, but because they wanted a payday?

I’m very impressed, it is not often a web series wins me back. Usually if a series is off to a strong start but then stumbles as the episodes progress, that’s the end to me enjoyment. Aidan5 is again one of the few shows that I really look forward to each week.

From YouTube Description:

Aidan and Riley must stop an assassination plot at Senator Kendrick’s political rally.

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Aidan5

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Aidan5 Ep.3 “Chasing Shadows” | A Web Series on The Watch List

Aidan and Riley are attacked by a mysterious gunman.

3 Swirlies

“Clones are accused of being emotionally shallow. But what’s my excuse?”

Wow, quite a change from both earlier episodes.

While still being visually unique, and having a couple of amazingly drawn backgrounds, this episode shrugs of the patient pacing and suspenseful mood of the first two in favor of an extended gun battle.

The action sequences are less than convincing. And it seems neither a professional killer with a machine gun or trained police officers are very good shots.

There’s a scene with the screamed sergeant guy who pull them off yet another case - I think that’s three in three episodes.

It was only the short, final scene that is sticking with me. Not only are we back to what was working in episodes one and two, we get a little backstory in there that gives the character some depth. Nice touch.

I also like that they continue to explore the relationship between clones and their “originals.” Interesting stuff that I hope they go further with.

Aidan5 Ep.2 “Infinity”

Aidan returns to active duty, searching for his would-be assassin.

4 Swirlies

Can’t see the video? Click here.

“Every time a clone commits a criminal act I get asked the same question; what did we get wrong with the batter?”

The follow up to the visually stunning first episode, which was (I think) originally a short film.

Detective Aidan is on the hunt for his own clone.

The pencil sketching that provides the sets seems less busy, a little more cartoony than I remember from the first one. I wonder if that’s because they need to work faster to meet an episodic schedule, a change of artist, or just ’cause?

This episode kinda feels like the pilot, in that we’re spending quite a bit of time explaining the world.

I like a lot about this series, one of them is that it avoids the trap of “one scene is an episode” that’s so easy to fall into for web series.

My one true complaint is the dialogue recording and editing. When the music isn’t loud, you can hear the dialogue sound clips.

But that’s a minor complaint that most people won’t even notice. Glad to see this show actually released episode two on schedule! I can’t begin to imagine how much time and effort goes into each one.

Aidan5 Ep.1 “The Rooftop”

Based on the award-winning 48-hr film festival short, AIDAN 5 is a no-budget, sci-fi web series. It has been short listed for Best Original Series for the Vimeo Awards, and was an Official Selection at the Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival and at GenCon Indianapolis. The Original 48 Hour Film short was 2nd Runner-Up at the Miami International Film Festival and has been screened at the Cannes Short Film Block.

This is the first episode of the series.

“At least your damn surrogates know their place around here!”

Cool!

They made this is 48 hours? This sci-fi series features live actors against pencil and charcoal sketch sets and locations.

The story is that of a police detective who has cloned himself 5 times. But then he finds versions of himself turning up dead. Who’s doing the killing?

It ends with a twist that I found a little confusing. The script’s not really the best. Lots of voice over. And I like a good voice over, when it is used well. But all in all, this series is pretty cool.

It looks like they’ll have new episodes in March, 2011. We’ll have to check in then!