Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
It has been a tumultuous time for summer entertainment. With a hoard of reality series taking up a lot of time, the original programming has become increasingly dour. The biggest scripted series of the summer, The Leftovers, is very bleak and polarizing. There isn't much out there that doesn't involve some sort of deeper context likely to take away from the throwaway vibe of summer programming. Yes, there is value in substance, but the TV landscape doesn't have a discernible show out there that isn't completely silly nonsense. In a sense, The Strain is here to combat this attitude with its own subversion of the familiar vampire genre and give us reason to believe in horror-sci-fi mash-ups in ways that Penny Dreadful had politely dampened.
The premise of The Strain is very simple. An airplane lands in an airport with everyone on board dead. What kept it from crashing? Why is everyone dead? The first episode, "Night Zero" is an introductory run through of everyone in the series, including the airport security, scientists, and some shady thugs who steal goods from the case. Clocking in at 60 minutes (100 with commercials), it is an epic for FX to air the entire pilot. However, it is an endearing one that doesn't introduce any of the "scary" elements until the third act. The build-up is slow, choosing to focus on procedural aspects in between introduction to characters that we will come to know.
The show feels fully formed, which may benefit from episode director Guillermo del Toro's familiarity with the source material, which he co-wrote with Chuck Hogan. It also helps that he is a stylistic director whose films Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy films rank among some of the most visually creative. His love of mixing horror with fairy tales comes heavily into play here, but only in juxtaposition to realism of an airport under surveillance. There isn't a whole lot of facts being dispensed, though we get a lot of tonal treats that reflect del Toro's potential plans. The scares start slight and turn into a surrealist comedy that is vaguely campy, but effectively done thanks to his wonderful creature/vampire designs.
One of the more interesting things to note is that in comparison to The Leftovers, The Strain has a better grasp of characters. Yes, many are currently caricatures without any discernible characteristics, but there is a sense of purpose for everyone involved. Everyone is striving for goals and while many are just introduced, the broadly portrayed ones still have more impact and raise curiosity. Meanwhile, the show's central focus, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), introduces us to the world through some peculiar supernatural events that include disappearing paraphernalia and this strange vile substance that takes the shape of worms. To say the least, it is creepy.
It is a tough call to determine how exactly the series will play out. This is most notably because those that have read the novels of which The Strain was adapted from have claimed its poor conclusion. Having not read it, I cannot comment. However, with del Toro's recent output being a little lackluster (Pacific Rim), there is a chance that this is all a ruse. His technique of using the horror elements sparingly is the show's strongest strengths so far. This isn't because the vampires aren't interesting, but if "Night Zero" does one thing right, it is the understanding of build-up and paying off at the right times. Sure, we don't entirely get the actions of Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley), but the tone is set and this contemporary take on familiar concepts feels fresh.
Most of all, it is a show that gives realistic expectations to be solved. The most notable has to do with how the worms influence change in behavior. The creepy crawlies who have been part of the series' marketing campaign has definitely left a mark. They are the connection to the outbreak and may help the show to eventually reach a conclusion. The only question is whether or not the series will take it in a heightened, ridiculous direction, or if the show will continue to play out tension with intelligent horror beats and striking images that create enough sustenance for their sparing presence. There's a lot of curiosity here, notably because it is one of the few high profile shows this summer that actually feels promising.
Yes, some of the effects do seem goofy. However, del Toro makes them work with his craft of making visual horror striking. For the most part, he uses actual props and it impacts the creepiness all the more. It doesn't explain everything and the uncertainty is way more satisfying than the drawn out conversations of Penny Dreadful. Yes, there isn't a single performance that matches Eva Green yet, but the overall series is more confident. It is edgy, casual in language, and overall unique. It doesn't strive to be high art, and results in playing to the base tendencies of horror when fused with high concept plotting. It is deliciously weird and hopefully a predictor of things to come.
The Strain, at very least, features del Toro's best directorial work since 2008. "Night Zero" may play like a procedural with horror and sci-fi thrown in, but it is something that TV is lacking right now. It is a creative mixture that is fully realized when in the master's hands. There are some traces of things to improve upon, but visually it sells. Where every other show this summer is buried in its own brooding, this one feels like a knock-off of The X-Files in all of the good ways. It is too early to see how well the series will treat its elements, but for now, the universe looks appetizing and with everything in moderation, it has so much confidence and fun.
Most of all, it is a show that gives realistic expectations to be solved. The most notable has to do with how the worms influence change in behavior. The creepy crawlies who have been part of the series' marketing campaign has definitely left a mark. They are the connection to the outbreak and may help the show to eventually reach a conclusion. The only question is whether or not the series will take it in a heightened, ridiculous direction, or if the show will continue to play out tension with intelligent horror beats and striking images that create enough sustenance for their sparing presence. There's a lot of curiosity here, notably because it is one of the few high profile shows this summer that actually feels promising.
Yes, some of the effects do seem goofy. However, del Toro makes them work with his craft of making visual horror striking. For the most part, he uses actual props and it impacts the creepiness all the more. It doesn't explain everything and the uncertainty is way more satisfying than the drawn out conversations of Penny Dreadful. Yes, there isn't a single performance that matches Eva Green yet, but the overall series is more confident. It is edgy, casual in language, and overall unique. It doesn't strive to be high art, and results in playing to the base tendencies of horror when fused with high concept plotting. It is deliciously weird and hopefully a predictor of things to come.
The Strain, at very least, features del Toro's best directorial work since 2008. "Night Zero" may play like a procedural with horror and sci-fi thrown in, but it is something that TV is lacking right now. It is a creative mixture that is fully realized when in the master's hands. There are some traces of things to improve upon, but visually it sells. Where every other show this summer is buried in its own brooding, this one feels like a knock-off of The X-Files in all of the good ways. It is too early to see how well the series will treat its elements, but for now, the universe looks appetizing and with everything in moderation, it has so much confidence and fun.
Comments
Post a Comment