Before The Pitt, Noah Wyle Starred in This Overlooked Sci-Fi Show Produced by Steven Spielberg
Both series showcase Wyle's ability to portray intelligent, determined and deeply human characters facing impossible odds.
The first season of The Pitt starring Noah Wyle is coming to an end. If you're wondering what to watch with the actor after the medical drama ends, it's time to turn to the most popular genre right now – sci-fi.
The criminally overlooked series produced by Steven Spielberg himself, Falling Skies, offers a very different yet equally compelling storyline that will keep you hooked.
What Is Falling Skies About?
Six months have passed since the first alien attack, the army and police no longer exist, and only the remnants of the defeated military formations are fighting in the territory captured by the monsters.
The 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, led by Captain Weaver, has one hundred soldiers and twice as many civilians left to protect. Weaver considers anyone who cannot handle a weapon a liability. But he understands that the purpose of any army is to protect those who need it.
Falling Skies Is a Must-Watch for Noah Wyle Fans
Falling Skies stars Noah Wyle as Tom, a former history teacher. After Tom's wife dies during the destruction of Boston by alien forces, leaving him alone with three sons, life forces him to pick up a gun and become one of the 2nd Massachusetts' best fighters.
His portrayal of a reluctant man balancing leadership, survival, and family is both intense and emotionally resonant. If you liked his performance in The Pitt, you'll appreciate his even more complex role in Falling Skies.
Steven Spielberg's Show Takes Unusual Approach to Alien Invasion
Most alien invasion stories focus on the initial attack or military response. Falling Skies does something different – it begins six months after the alien forces have already won. And the invaders aren't just mindless monsters – they have a complex social structure, including different species with specialized roles.
The aliens are not interested in adults, but in children and teenagers. Captured children are given harnesses that grow into their spines and turn them into zombies-like creatures.
The invaders need child slaves to collect scrap metal. One of Tom's sons, Ben, does not escape this fate. Tom suspects that this is part of the aliens' military strategy: they use children as cover, knowing that soldiers will not shoot at kids.
Falling Skies Is a Masterful Blend of Military Action and Powerful Drama
The main plot of Falling Skies is warfare and survival in a dark post-apocalyptic landscape in an atmosphere of utter hopelessness and moral decay.
But the show isn't just about shooting aliens – it delves into deeper topics of leadership, morality, and what it means to be human.
Falling Skies raises a rare issue about the difference in human temperaments. Almost every character has their own interest: children abducted by aliens or dead relatives – a weakness, something that at a critical moment can override reason and ruin the whole operation.
