History YMMV / TerraNova

* JustHereForGodzilla: Many people probably only watched this show because [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs DINOSAURS]], and were probably very disappointed that [[AdvertisedExtra there was only about six minutes worth of dinosaurs in the entire show]].

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For a network TV program, the CGI was pretty damn good and the show looked awesome as a result. Unfortunately, this was [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools part of the reason]] that the show was dropped so quickly, as the large amounts of CGI needed to uphold the standard made it [[RealityEnsues prohibitively expensive to produce.]]

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For a network TV program, the CGI was pretty damn good and the show looked awesome as a result. Unfortunately, this was [[TropesAreNotGood part of the reason]] that the show was dropped so quickly, as the large amounts of CGI needed to uphold the standard made it [[RealityEnsues prohibitively expensive to produce.]]

%%* IdiotPlot: So these characters live in a BadFuture where environmental collapse threatens to destroy all life on Earth. So where do they go to escape? The late Cretaceous, of course! Nothing like ''that'' could happen there!

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For a network TV program, the CGI was pretty damn good and the show looked awesome as a result. Unfortunately, this was [[TropesAreNotGood part of the reason]] that the show was dropped so quickly, as the large amounts of CGI needed to uphold the standard made it [[RealityEnsues prohibitively expensive to produce.]]

* IdiotPlot: So these characters live in a BadFuture where environmental collapse threatens to destroy all life on Earth. So where do they go to escape? The late Cretaceous, of course! Nothing like ''that'' could happen there!

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Most of the inaccuracies with show can be {{Hand Wave}}d by the fact it is an alternate universe.
* ClicheStorm / TropeOverdosed

* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler: Washington told an AntagonisticOffspring that [[FamilyEyeResemblance he had his father's eyes]], which was just about as good as a "screw you!"]]

* HyperCompetentSidekick: Not that [[CommandingCoolness Taylor]] needs a super awesome sidekick, but he damn well has one in Washington. Their [[NoodleIncident Noodle Incidents]] might justify her low rank since it seems she's unwilling to outrank Taylor due to respect and camaraderie.

* SubordinateExcuse: Washington towards Taylor.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: A dystopian time-travel epic with a large ensemble cast and dinosaurs! ''How do you mess that up?''

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Nathanael Taylor, thanks to being played by Creator/StephenLang and his FanNickname "Santa Steroids" (which originated from Jeremy Jahn's review of the show).

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Most of the inaccuracies with show can be HandWave by the fact it is an alternate universe.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY: ''Lots'' of possibilities.
** ''Series/{{Lost}}'' meets ''TheLostWorld''
** ''Series/{{Lost}}'' meets ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter''
** ''Film/JurassicPark'' meets ''Film/{{Avatar}}''
** ''Film/JurassicPark'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' [[RuleOfThree meets]] ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''Literature/TheLostWorld'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''[[Series/LandOfTheLost Land of the Lost]]'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''Series/{{Earth 2}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''Franchise/{{Stargate|Verse}}'' [[UpToEleven meets]] ''Series/LostInSpace'' [[YourHeadASplode ...]]
** ''{{Film/Avatar}}'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''Series/SeaChange''.
** ''{{Outcasts}}'' meets ''JurassicPark''.
** ''{{Series/Lost}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''{{Film/Avatar}}'' - [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/babbletrish/6188862899/ but they're in the Cretaceous!]]

** ''{{Lost}}'' meets ''TheLostWorld''
** ''{{Lost}}'' meets ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter''

* JustHereForGodzilla: Many people probably only watched this show because [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs DINOSAURS]], and were probably very disappointed that there was only about six minutes worth of dinosaurs in the entire show.

** ''Film/JurassicPark'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' [[RuleOfThree meets]] ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''Literature/TheLostWorld'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''[[Series/LandOfTheLost Land of the Lost]]'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''Series/{{Earth 2}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''{{Stargate}}'' [[UpToEleven meets]] ''Series/LostInSpace'' [[YourHeadASplode ...]]

** ''{{Film/Avatar}}'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''SeaChange''.

* FanFavorite: Admit it, Nathaniel Taylor is the real protagonist of this show.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Admit it, Nathaniel Taylor is the real protagonist of this show.

* UnfortunateImplications: Terra Nova is, to put it bluntly, a military dictatorship led solely by Commander Taylor. Not only does he make all political decisions, he also acts as judge, jury, and executioner in criminal matters. Yet the series treats this as pretty close to an ideal state. Jim even says that Commander Taylor's method of handling trials is much better than the judicial system back home, where the accused actually has rights.
** On the other hand, he actually [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority handles]] [[LawfulNeutral it]] [[BigGood well]] for the most part, and shows no real signs of [[MoralEventHorizon going off the deep end]], despite [[DependingOnTheWriter the odd]] ProperlyParanoid WellIntentionedExtremist moment. On the whole, he's probably better than [[CrapsackWorld whatever they all left behind]], despite the undeserved near-worship from the colony.

** ''Film/JurassicPark'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' [[RuleOfThree meets]] ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''Literature/TheLostWorld'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''[[Series/LandOfTheLost Land of the Lost]]'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''{{Earth 2}}'' [[OverlyLongGag meets]] ''{{Stargate}}'' [[UpToEleven meets]] ''LostInSpace'' [[YourHeadASplode ...]]

* CompleteMonster: Lucas, whose [[FreudianExcuse motives]] in no way excuse his [[PsychoticManChild behavior]]. He's hell-bent on destroying Terra Nova simply to one-up his father, who he blames for the death of his mother. More specifically, he casually threatens to murder [[spoiler:Skye's mother]] if she doesn't obey him. He only gets worse in the finale.

* IronWoobie: Taylor. His wife dies in what is suggested to be very poor circumstances (he was ready to commit suicide over the fact) which in turn causes a life-long hatred towards him by his son. And then [[spoiler: Washington, someone implied to have helped him over his issues, gets killed during an attack on what now amounts to Taylor's life's work -- preserving humanity's future from [[CompleteMonster really evil]] forces.]]

* JustHereForGodzilla: Many people probably only watched this show because [[EverythingIsBetterWithDinosaurs DINOSAURS]], and were probably very disappointed that there was only about six minutes worth of dinosaurs in the entire show.