Looks promising. Regular 'government's hiding stuff we have visitors with their own agenda' show. I've only sampled a little the moment I wrote this so I might be very, very, very wrong... Well, at least my disappointment will then be genuine. That's me. Delivering genuine disappointment since 1965.
Update. Finished it! Read on...
The Event
Cynical mode off.
Episode s01e07
Finished episode 7. Layers of deceit. And the president is drinking his beer directly from the bottle. Going fine thus far, though perhaps keeping that mole on-board is a little cramped. Scary little kiddies, by the way, where would that plot line lead to?
Episode s01e11
Multiple groups on the aliens side, multiple groups on the human side. Complex stuff. Well, it looks like one of the main male leads found a girl that stays young(er)... One of the interesting things is the somewhat alien nature of the, euh, aliens. (Euh, that makes sense, doesn't it?) Every time they appear to be human, there's a little something that makes them not that human.
Episode 11 shows some foreshadowing of V style hybrids. We'll see what happens next...
The creators of the show did work in some actuality. For example, who does remember that strange smoke trail on the US cost? The one that was explained away as a 'jet exhaust trail'?
Discontinued but watchable
Very important: IMHO discontinued series should at least be worth your time. An open ending, or a cliffhanger, that's fine, as long as it doesn't completely destroy the premise.
Though The Event has a kind of open ending, it's good enough, and it matches the final plot twist (even though I saw it coming).
Verdict: yeah, go and watch it.
The Event
The flashbacks make it sometimes confusing (too many levels) but the plot twists make all up for that. What would have helped is a voice over at the start of episodes 2 and 3. I've now seen 3 episodes, and I like what I've seen thus far. I dunno' if the quality keeps up, but if it does then it's a pity they cancelled it.
The Event - s01e05
Just finished episode 5. I know this series was discontinued, but I sampled the final episode to make sure I wouldn't be too disappointed with a premature ending. I can at least disclose that it ends with many threads unresolved, and yet it's fine.
I should look up if The Event predates the 9/11 events or not, as The Event features an airplane in a terrorist-style attack, and a black president (oh, wait, he's supposed to be Latino).
The Event shows one serious problem with modern television (and one I keep getting back to): lack of a wrap-up. I think I will be able to live with the way it was ended (as if I have a choice) but why do so many producers and networks and show-runners try to alienate their viewers? Tiffany Vogt wrote about it on:
... and I can do nothing but agree with her, though I think she misses one important potential motivation for proper wrap-ups, a very important motivation: money. There's money to be made on a canceled series as well!
Because, with a proper ending, you can release a boxed set and make a little more money even after the wrap-up. Why not recover some of the investments? With companies like Amazon proving that 'long tail' business models are simply viable, there's additional money to be made.
But they got it wrong... again...
The Event - s01e05
Just finished episode 5. I know this series was discontinued, but I sampled the final episode to make sure I wouldn't be too disappointed with a premature ending. I can at least disclose that it ends with many threads unresolved, and yet it's fine.
I should look up if The Event predates the 9/11 events or not, as The Event features an airplane in a terrorist-style attack, and a black president (oh, wait, he's supposed to be Latino).
The Event shows one serious problem with modern television (and one I keep getting back to): lack of a wrap-up. I think I will be able to live with the way it was ended (as if I have a choice) but why do so many producers and networks and show-runners try to alienate their viewers? Tiffany Vogt wrote about it on:
... and I can do nothing but agree with her, though I think she misses one important potential motivation for proper wrap-ups, a very important motivation: money. There's money to be made on a canceled series as well!
Because, with a proper ending, you can release a boxed set and make a little more money even after the wrap-up. Why not recover some of the investments? With companies like Amazon proving that 'long tail' business models are simply viable, there's additional money to be made.
But they got it wrong... again...
(My regular rant about discontinued / cancelled series.)
Dear show runner... That is the whole point! It's not about ratings, it's about money. And if it isn't direct income then at least it would create a happy customer. Happy customers tend to be loyal customers, and loyal customers just might be inclined to visit that same network which gave them that great series, the one with that incredible satisfying ending, etcetera ad infinitum.
Tiffany Vogt was mostly dealing with the question of 'open' ending (often a cliffhanger) versus 'closed'
ending, and if viewers should feel insulted about it or not. If the people behind a show know it's going to be cancelled, then it's almost insulting to end it with a cliffhanger. (If they do not know, then it's understandable.)
Still, why not pre-shoot (the larger part of) an (alternative) ending at the series start, keeping it at hand just in case if? Viewers happy. Execs happy. Done.
It's absolutely amazing to see how networks are dealing with shows, it's supposed to be Nielsen all the way, there's either a lot of personal preferences (taste), or personal influences involved in the decision making process. Perhaps the primary leads of the series should bed the show runners. After all, it's not who you know, it's who you do.
So, there's nothing wrong with a cliffhanger in principle. Just make sure not to insult your viewers.
Tiffany Vogt was mostly dealing with the question of 'open' ending (often a cliffhanger) versus 'closed'
ending, and if viewers should feel insulted about it or not. If the people behind a show know it's going to be cancelled, then it's almost insulting to end it with a cliffhanger. (If they do not know, then it's understandable.)
Still, why not pre-shoot (the larger part of) an (alternative) ending at the series start, keeping it at hand just in case if? Viewers happy. Execs happy. Done.
It's absolutely amazing to see how networks are dealing with shows, it's supposed to be Nielsen all the way, there's either a lot of personal preferences (taste), or personal influences involved in the decision making process. Perhaps the primary leads of the series should bed the show runners. After all, it's not who you know, it's who you do.
So, there's nothing wrong with a cliffhanger in principle. Just make sure not to insult your viewers.
Cynical mode off.
Episode s01e07
Finished episode 7. Layers of deceit. And the president is drinking his beer directly from the bottle. Going fine thus far, though perhaps keeping that mole on-board is a little cramped. Scary little kiddies, by the way, where would that plot line lead to?
Episode s01e11
Multiple groups on the aliens side, multiple groups on the human side. Complex stuff. Well, it looks like one of the main male leads found a girl that stays young(er)... One of the interesting things is the somewhat alien nature of the, euh, aliens. (Euh, that makes sense, doesn't it?) Every time they appear to be human, there's a little something that makes them not that human.
Episode 11 shows some foreshadowing of V style hybrids. We'll see what happens next...
Episode s01e15
In episode 15 one major villain is killed off, whilst a potential good character is turned to the dark side. And Martinez seems to be loosing it. I like how some of the characters are pushed from one side to the other, having their worlds destroyed, their decisions questioned, their loyalty tested (and lost).
In episode 15 one major villain is killed off, whilst a potential good character is turned to the dark side. And Martinez seems to be loosing it. I like how some of the characters are pushed from one side to the other, having their worlds destroyed, their decisions questioned, their loyalty tested (and lost).
Some of the writing is a bit sloppy though, and takes away some of the shows credibility. Seriously, people, blowing up a few buses full of terrorists, knowing those terrorists have friends with unstoppable super weapons, that's stupid.
I also noticed fewer flashbacks compared with earlier episodes. Perhaps the flashbacks were a little too confusing for some?
Actuality
I also noticed fewer flashbacks compared with earlier episodes. Perhaps the flashbacks were a little too confusing for some?
Actuality
(Well, it was actual at the time I wrote this, 2011 or so.)
The creators of the show did work in some actuality. For example, who does remember that strange smoke trail on the US cost? The one that was explained away as a 'jet exhaust trail'?
(Trust me, I've seen a rocket trail as well as an airplane contrail in person, and that was a rocket trail. In general I'm not a complot thinker, but this one was a cover-up. Excuse me whilst I look for me tinfoil hat...)
That same event was worked into The Event. Nice touch, that.
Unfortunately, sometimes the main characters are plain stupid. Overpowering an enemy, yet not searching for clues or weapons? Running away from a car accident in the middle of nowhere on foot,
whilst they could have grabbed the car of a passerby? Self defense might require a weapon but it definitely requires information.
Episode s01e22
Okay. Series done. Few more goofs, but not to bad after all. I liked the little plot-twist at the end (though I did see it coming.)
Dapper / TellTales! 64
That same event was worked into The Event. Nice touch, that.
Unfortunately, sometimes the main characters are plain stupid. Overpowering an enemy, yet not searching for clues or weapons? Running away from a car accident in the middle of nowhere on foot,
whilst they could have grabbed the car of a passerby? Self defense might require a weapon but it definitely requires information.
Episode s01e22
Okay. Series done. Few more goofs, but not to bad after all. I liked the little plot-twist at the end (though I did see it coming.)
Dapper / TellTales! 64
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