Still, when I heard the breakdown for his new Fox pilot "Virtuality" I couldn't help but think – oh man,
So, not earth-shatteringly original, right? Well, it seems I didn't just christen Ronald D Moore a sci-fi genius for nothing. io9 has gotten hold of some "Virtuality" script pages that are being used to cast the pilot, and they probably reveal more than Fox intended.
I was especially interested in an entity called 'the Green Eyed Man.' He is an apparition that appears to all of the astronauts inside their VR fantasy modules, and is the literal manifestation of the 'computer bug' in the system. He kills each in gruesome ways and even rapes the ship's female computer whiz, Billie. And if virtual rape and murder aren't enough to convince you that Moore has still got cred, "Virtuality" also features a gay couple, Manny and Val, and a ship's doctor suffering from Parkinson's disease.
The standout character, for weirdness anyway, appears to be the ship's shrink, Roger Fallon. He is the author of a crazy-popular self-help book back on Earth, but in space seems more concerned with ratings for the reality TV streams that he is producing for NASA. He is manipulative yet oddly compelling – just not to his wife. She is having a virtual affair with the ship's captain, Frank Pike. You heard me - the guy's name is Captain Pike.
The bottom line is that "Virtuality" looks dark enough to satisfy hard-core fans of "Battlestar Galactica." Now if
If you want more "Virtuality" details and spoilers, check out io9's exclusive here.