[Xiii The Series Season 1 720p Or 1080p
Facunda Ganesh
XIII: The Series is an English-language Franco-Canadian TV series that premiered in April 2011 in France and Canada.The series is based on the Belgian graphic novel series of the same name created by Jean Van Hamme and William Vance. It's about an amnesiac protagonist who seeks to discover his concealed past. The TV series follows the events of the 2008 TV film XIII: The Conspiracy. The first season follows the plot in parallel with the existing volumes in the comic series, while the second season diverts into an all-new original story arc.
The two-part mini-series served as a backdoor pilot for the series and stars Val Kilmer, Stephen Dorff as "XIII" as well as series regulars Stephen McHattie, Greg Bryk, Ted Atherton and Caterina Murino. It premiered in France on Canal+ on 6 and 13 October 2008, was first broadcast in Canada on Global and in the USA on NBC on 8 and 15 February 2009, in Australia on Nine on 1 and 8 November 2009, and in the United Kingdom on 27 December 2009 on Five. Showcase rebroadcast the show in Canada in 2010 and ReelzChannel rebroadcast it in the US in 2012 before they started showing Season 1.
The first season of XIII consists of 13 episodes[4] with Gil Grant as showrunner.[2] It premiered in France on 18 April 2011 on Canal+, where two episodes were shown on Monday nights. The North American debut for the series was 19 April 2011 in Canada on Mystery TV, where the series was shown at 10:00 am ET on Tuesday mornings.[5] The series was shown in prime-time in Canada on Showcase, where episodes were shown Wednesday nights at 10:00 pm ET and were also available in HDTV. The twelfth and thirteenth episodes were shown Tuesdays at 10:00 pm ET on Showcase due to the return of Weeds seventh season.[6][7] In the United States it was shown on prime-time on Friday nights more than a year later on the ReelzChannel starting 29 June 2012.
After a period of some uncertainty, a Twitter announcement on 11 December 2011 by Stuart Townsend, the actor who plays "XIII", stated the series was renewed for a second season.[21] It further states the show will undergo "a major retooling, taking the show in a new direction". Filming began on 13 February 2012, in Toronto, Canada.[21] The second season consists of 13 episodes with Roger Avary as showrunner. It premiered in France on 15 October 2012 on Canal+,[22] where two to three episodes were shown on Monday nights for a period of six weeks. It is expected to be rebroadcast on M6 in 2013.[23]
Here's how XIII: The Series explained how the title character morphed from Stephen Dorff into Stuart Townsend. Like The Bourne Identity, the XIII franchise revolves around an amnesic assassin being hunted by his former agency. XIII began as a comic series back in the 1980s, with the title character waking up on a beach with no memory of who he is, with only an XIII tattoo offering any clues to his identity. The story revolves around XIII discovering his part in an elaborate conspiracy while dodging assassins.
Probably the most famous iteration of the franchise is the XIII video game from 2003. This Ubisoft first-person shooter is famed for its unique, cell-shaded graphics that give it a graphic novel look. The main character was voiced by David Duchovny (The X-Files) but while the game offered a distinct look and had bags of style, the gameplay itself was a little clunky. The game ends on a huge cliffhanger too but low sales saw a planned sequel being cancelled.
The property was revived once again with 2008's XIII: The Conspiracy. This miniseries starred Stephen Dorff as the main character while Val Kilmer played The Mongoose, the assassin chasing him down. The show followed the basic premise of the comic and video game and was compared to the likes of 24 and the Bourne series in reviews. XIII: The Conspiracy proved to be enough of a success that it led to a TV show, but minus its original leading man.
Instead, Stuart Townsend (Queen Of The Damned) took over for XIII: The Series. The show picks up two years after the events of the miniseries, which finds XIII - who's still suffering from amnesia - has been placed in a rendition camp. To cover up the messy events of XIII: The Conspiracy, Colonel Amos (a returning Greg Bryk) had XIII locked away, which included giving him a facelift. When asked about his new face, XIII responds simply with "The other one had become a liability." The show doesn't explain how the character of Lauren Jones changed from actress Lucinda Davis to Aisha Tyler (Archer), however.
Stuart Townsend did a fine job in the title role, so Stephen Dorff isn't really missed in XIII: The Series. The show ultimately ran for two seasons, with Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary taking over as showrunner for season 2. Despite the final series giving it a revamp, it never really broke out and the show was cancelled. There don't seem to be any plans to reboot the franchise as a movie or show, though the 2003 game has been reappraised as a cult gem in recent years.
I have yet to meet a Final Fantasy XIII apologist willing to defend its story. Commonly, supporters cite the game's mechanics as a highlight. Others express affection for its art design or visuals. However, these advocates concede Final Fantasy XIII's mainline story is a dumpster fire. The cast is inconsistent; there are no memorable characters; the antagonist is ill-defined; things happen at a whim; the general plot is incomprehensible. It's a piss poor storytelling effort on Square's part especially when you consider their legacy. For years, they were the studio to count on for epic fantasy tales.
To clarify, the scaffolding for the main narrative is a patchy and frayed network. In the beginning, our motley crew lives on a planet called "Cocoon." On Cocoon, there exists a pantheon of gods called "fal'Cie." The leader of these gods, Barthandelus, wants to sacrifice humanity to the god of creation. For one reason or another, Barthandelus is tired of tending to humanity's needs. Rather than lead Cocoon through a spiritual awakening, he precipitates an act of genocide. This premise guides the story, and it is here where Final Fantasy XIII falters.
While I understand the story's leading actors, there's no grounding on why everything unfolds the way it does. On a whim, Barthandelus assumes he can summon an omnipotent being called "The Maker." However, we never see this figure in the game. Somehow, Barthandelus is an expert on things that have never happened. Similarly, our party is intimately connected with Barthandelus' scheme. For instance, Vanille and Fang share a destiny in becoming an apocalyptic figure known as "Ragnarok." Luckily for Barthandelus, Ragnarok is one of the few deities capable of killing him, thus setting into motion the possible end of the world.
It seems like a "red thread of fate" guides every twist in Final Fantasy XIII. Regrettably, Final Fantasy XIII doesn't use the theme of "predestination" to its advantage. In fact, I would hazard to say there isn't a central idea to Final Fantasy XIII's narrative. In chapter two, the story vaguely hints at a government conspiracy. By section three, Sanctum is a pseudo-fascistic military-industrial complex. At some point, the story devolves into stopping the Apocalypse, and the game never justifies this turn of events. Before any of you accuse me of back-seat writing, let's look at Final Fantasy VII as a case study. Like Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy VII starts modestly and becomes cataclysmic by its end. However, every twist and turn in Final Fantasy VII sticks with you. Without a doubt, no one forgets Final Fantasy VII's final ac, but the same cannot be said about Final Fantasy XIII.
Case and point, I dare anyone to describe three non-cutscene character moments in Final Fantasy XIII, and I suspect this task is impossible. One reason for this problem is the game lectures you for hours and fails to set aside time for you to process new information. Likewise, the game transitions to new environments without scaffolding. There's a distinct lack of character dialogue when exploring new environments. While Final Fantasy XIII's levels are objectively beautiful, they are stunningly superficial. To illustrate, I know I spent hours at the Gapra Whitewood and Sunleth Waterscape, but I would be hard-pressed to name a single accomplishment at either location.
Therein lies another pressing issue with Final Fantasy XIII. The story haphazardly moves from one set piece to the next without breathing room. Between chapter twelve and the credits, the player witnesses four distinct environments. Each level looks different from the previous one, but there's nothing connecting these environments. Every level exists in its own little bubble. Sure, there are monsters, but they don't feel like they are part of an ecosystem. The same sentiment applies to the game's cityscapes. You'll interact with the occasional NPC, but they are a far cry from the well-renown worldbuilding of past Square-Enix games.
When we last met, our intrepid explorers affirmed a desire to defeat Barthandelus. I wish to remind you, Barthandelus said killing him would set into motion the end of the world. He wants to die. For some reason, no one in our party addresses this fact as we invade Eden. Additionally, the characters never establish what they hope to accomplish on Cocoon. When we last set foot on the planet, the characters were chased away by the planet's populace. Seriously, what the fuck are they going to do?
Admittedly, the Siege of Eden is a marvelous affair. It's a change of pace after the game meanders on Pulse. If there is one problem, it's the editing. Final Fantasy XIII's action cutscenes feature a dizzying number of close-ups and quick cuts. Often, the cutscenes use extreme close-up as establishing shots and jump cut to a different character without warning. Similarly, these cutscenes feature an obscene amount of motion blur. The use of motion blur is especially problematic when everyone's Eidolon looks like a Michael Bay Transformer. It's undoubtedly flashy, but likely to give you a headache after ten minutes.
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