Welcome to my E:FC file. Earth: Final Conflict is an American T. V. show that ran from 1997 to 2002. Based on a script by Gene Roddenberry, it tells the story of the emerging relationship between the human race and the Taelons, an alien species who have "come to earth with the promise of peace." The Taelons, or "Companions", as they like to be called, seem benevolent, and many people welcome them. However, some humans distrust the aliens, certain that they must have some kind of hidden agenda.
The series begins when William Boone, a police captain, is recruited by the Taelons to act as protector to Da'an, the Taelon ambassador to Washington. At the same time, he is approached by the underground human Resistance, and organisation dedicated to uncovering and exposing the truth about the Taelons. Though ambivalent in his feelings about the aliens, he agrees to act as a double agent, serving the Taelons while passing information secretly to the Resistance. Paired with a former army major named Lili Marquette, Boone negotiates a difficult course between helping the Taelons and spying on them, and lives in constant fear that his Resistance ties will be discovered. At the same time, he trusts neither the Resistance nor the Taelons completely, and is often forced to rely on his own judgment in choosing his course of action.
Earth: Final Conflict begins very well, with its morally ambiguous characters, and complex political and philosophical meditations. Sadly, it does not live up to the promise of its early episodes. As the series progresses, moral complexity is sacrificed for a more clear-cut Good vs. Evil mentality; major story arcs are forgotten or resolved sloppily; and the characters are gradually replaced, so that by the fifth season only one member remains from the original cast. Despite all these failings, I consider E:FC one of my favourite T.V. shows ever. I still think the first season is very good, and I like a lot of the second season as well. The third season has its moments, although the series shows definite signs of weakness by that time. Season four is unwatchable, and I didn't bother to watch season five, although my understanding is that it tells a very different story from the first four seasons.
With its near-future setting, Earth: Final Conflict presents itself as a kind of missing link between The X-Files and Star Trek. We know the aliens are here, but we do not yet know why. Society has made great technological advances, but in other respects looks much the same as it does today. My belief is that fans of either series may find E:FC engaging, and, indeed, I would recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction. Unlike The X-Files, I cannot say there is any clearly defined moment when the series gets bad; rather, it goes through a long, slow decline. If I was to choose a moment to end the series it would be at the end of season one, when one of the main characters dies, precipitating a substantial shift in the show's tone, but there are later episodes that are worth watching, as well.
Unfortunately, Earth: Final Conflict never developed as large a following as the other shows discussed on this web-site. There aren't as many fan sites for it, and transcripts, screencaps, and other media are much more difficult to come by. The amount of content I can actually put in this file is therefore limited. Nonetheless, I intend to do whatever I can to keep the memory of E:FC alive, and to encourage others to watch it.
Enjoy!