2022 the year of DRAGMA/Monster Discussion: DRAGMA

[Ryu]

Well the year is 2022. The same year the HEAT team was transported to an apocalyptic future, where godzilla and kaijus are dead, humanity fights for survival and DRAGMAS rule supreme.
For those who saw the ep future shock, I created this post to share your memories of the episode.

[LegendZilla]

It feels like only yesterday when years like this one were go-to near future years.

[Dinoskell]

Ah the Dragma. The fact they can be knocked unconcious but not reliably killed oddly adds to the sense of helplessness. Every one the humans down will just later pick itself up and come back again later.

[LSD Jellyfish]

The Dragma were cool. They had very unique chimeric designs that made them stand out a lot more from most of the mutations which were just “what if this insect was big”. Being flying three-legged triceratops, they stood out. The episode also felt unique as it was one of the few that had a lot of destruction, and where the stakes felt really high. Despite this, I think the episode is slightly overrated, because it feels very rushed and would’ve been better as a two-parter.

[edgaguirus]

The three legged design did give them a unique look. Not all of the kaiju in GTS were that intimidating, but the Dragma were monsters to be feared. It could be compared to the film Reign of Fire, where man was prey in a world dominated by monsters. I haven't watched the episode in a while, but I will soon.

[Gojira1604]

Felt for Crex, Bat & Cobra since they were taken out too. Weird that Mendel said he'd been waiting forever for Elsie to kiss him when she literally did that in the movie.

[Voyager]

I haven’t seen any so far but with the past two year’s luck I wouldn’t be surprised to find one.

[Al Diplodocus]

So I watched the episode, and I thought it was pretty good. However, I feel like its a bit compressed and should have been a two-parter episode to prevent that issue. First part in future, second part about stopping Insley in the present.

Also, Isley's accusations on humans' overreliance on technology do seem rather founded two decades later. With that in knowledge, maybe the plot could be that instead of mutant "jellyfish", its a couple of the DRAGMAs escaping from the facility, and Isley tags along to the future when HEAT takes them in. Seeing what'd he'd do makes him rethink his decisioms.

[The One and Only]

So I watched the episode, and I thought it was pretty good. However, I feel like its a bit compressed and should have been a two-parter episode to prevent that issue. First part in future, second part about stopping Insley in the present.

Also, Isley's accusations on humans' overreliance on technology do seem rather founded two decades later. With that in knowledge, maybe the plot could be that instead of mutant "jellyfish", its a couple of the DRAGMAs escaping from the facility, and Isley tags along to the future when HEAT takes them in. Seeing what'd he'd do makes him rethink his decisioms.

Insley's anti-tech rant reminded me of the infamous Ted Kazcynski ,a.k.a. the Unabomber, who talked about it in his manifesto which got published in Penthouse. Which led to him getting arrested by the FBI after his own brother tipped them off to the Unabomber's identity after reading it,and realizing the terrorist's ranting matched his brother's views on the encroachment of technology on humanity. Always thought that seeing "Future Shock" the first time back in 1999.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Hmm, it actually wouldn’t surprise me if insleys motivations were partially inspired by the unabomber. However, I’d like to say the episode really only focuses on the future, and Insley is an afterthought. He’s kind of an underutilized character and there’s an inherent hypocrisy in the fact that that he tries to save all the information on a CD. He’s more of what the unabomber represents than an actual reference to Ted K.

[edgaguirus]

Insley is not a threat at all in the episode. The episode's future focus seems to be an exploration of what would happen if man was replaced by another species as the dominant force. HEAT and the military seem to understand the danger of that, and they try to kill/contain the kaiju or keep them where they will do no harm. They know that with more kaiju showing up here and there, it is a possible threat. In the future, we see what happens when that becomes reality. Man hides underground while the surface is ruled by Dragmas.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Insley is not a threat at all in the episode. The episode's future focus seems to be an exploration of what would happen if man was replaced by another species as the dominant force. HEAT and the military seem to understand the danger of that, and they try to kill/contain the kaiju or keep them where they will do no harm. They know that with more kaiju showing up here and there, it is a possible threat. In the future, we see what happens when that becomes reality. Man hides underground while the surface is ruled by Dragmas.

Insley is the cause, but you’re absolutely right about him not being the focus or even having any relevance.

One thing you bring up is merely a monster that replaces man. It’s a brief moment, but the episode references how other monsters fought against the Dragma and lost, including Godzilla, and that tied into your “replacement” idea.

Thinking about it more, Godzilla The Series contains many more explains of man vs machine and technology, as well as radicals, and I don’t think or see Insley and the episode as anything significant in that regard.

[CrimsonBloodX]

I haven't seen the "Future Shock" episode in, like, 10 years (same goes for all the other episodes in Godzilla: The Series), but I agree that it should've been a two-part episode. Anyway, I remember the D.R.A.G.M.A.s being pretty cool. Genetically-engineered monsters that look like a mixture of a Torosaurus, a dragon and an insect that brought a global apocalypse. I also like their full name; Democratic Resurgence Against a Global Mechanized Armageddon. Sounds badass.

Here's to the year of D.R.A.G.M.A.

[The One and Only]

As some thought "Future Shock" should've been a two parter. While there does seem to be a slight feeling of the episode feeling cramped. I thought maybe it could've ended with the Dragma that pursued the H.E.A.T. Team into the time storm, vortex, but look like it was taken out by the lightning strike ended up surviving. And shows up in modern times ,with Dr. Tatopolis and the H.E.A.T. Team scrambling to track it down ,and exterminate the beast before it can reproduce, and start the nightmare again.