The Passage: Pilot Show Only
January 14, 2019 7:32 PM - Season 1, Episode 1 - Subscribe
As an imminent flu epidemic threatens the U.S., Federal Agent Brad Wolgast is tasked with bringing in Project NOAH's latest chosen test subject, a 10-year-old girl, Amy Bellafonte. But, after meeting Amy, Brad's loyalties to the project are tested.
Indiewire - Fox’s Mainstream Vampire Series, with an Extraordinary Child Star
Variety - "The Passage" is doomed by its unwillingness to commit to its own darkness.
Collider - ‘The Passage’ Review: Fox’s Vampire Series Does Not Suck
AV Club - It takes a lot of work to make something as bloodless and dull as The Passage
Indiewire - Fox’s Mainstream Vampire Series, with an Extraordinary Child Star
Variety - "The Passage" is doomed by its unwillingness to commit to its own darkness.
Collider - ‘The Passage’ Review: Fox’s Vampire Series Does Not Suck
AV Club - It takes a lot of work to make something as bloodless and dull as The Passage
I think I'm more with the AV Club. So far this is one of a long line of what should be exciting SF pilots that are dead set on telling the most pedestrian and boring story possible in a giant universe of possible stories. Vampire apocalypse story? Let's do a road trip with an orphan kid with a bunch of cops! Yeah!
The previews make it seem like that is short lived, though, so I'll keep going for now.
posted by Justinian at 1:25 AM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
The previews make it seem like that is short lived, though, so I'll keep going for now.
posted by Justinian at 1:25 AM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Heh, you’re getting Lucifer pilot flashbacks, aren’t you, Justinian? I didn’t get the feeling that they’d be doing the ‘Cop/Not A Cop’ formula with Brad and Amy solving crimes while on the run though.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:47 AM on January 15, 2019
posted by oh yeah! at 7:47 AM on January 15, 2019
So many SF shows, oh yeah! So many.
Remember that show about humans colonizing a new planet with, like, dinosaurs or something and they felt that a bunch of storylines about the kids school and relationship troubles was a good idea? Terra Nova? And so on.
Nobody cares.
It's a vampire apocalypse! Show me a vampire apocalypse!
posted by Justinian at 2:42 PM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Remember that show about humans colonizing a new planet with, like, dinosaurs or something and they felt that a bunch of storylines about the kids school and relationship troubles was a good idea? Terra Nova? And so on.
Nobody cares.
It's a vampire apocalypse! Show me a vampire apocalypse!
posted by Justinian at 2:42 PM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
I take heart that it started with someone being an idiot and getting bit as a result.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:10 PM on January 15, 2019
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:10 PM on January 15, 2019
Show me a vampire apocalypse!
I did like what we saw of the vampires so far. I've had my fill of the 'broody/angsty/oops I keep falling off the wagon and murdering people again/I'm so sad and sexy' vampires, so, I liked that The Passage's vampires were just full-on villains.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:13 PM on January 15, 2019
I did like what we saw of the vampires so far. I've had my fill of the 'broody/angsty/oops I keep falling off the wagon and murdering people again/I'm so sad and sexy' vampires, so, I liked that The Passage's vampires were just full-on villains.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:13 PM on January 15, 2019
oops I keep falling off the wagon and murdering people again
Yeah.
The thing that finally turned me off on all those emo murdery vampire shows (I'm looking at you TVD, TB, etc!) was coming to realize that the folks who said all the vampires were too dangerous to live/be allowed to roam free/whatever were... actually right. Even the "good" vampires who went decades or centuries being more or less model citizens would occasionally fall off the wagon and gruesomely murder a whole bunch of innocent people. Stefan Salvatore, Bill Compton, you name it... they have body counts that put prolific serial killers to shame and should have been treated accordingly.
Nice to see some vampires who don't pretend to be anything but.
posted by Justinian at 9:54 PM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Yeah.
The thing that finally turned me off on all those emo murdery vampire shows (I'm looking at you TVD, TB, etc!) was coming to realize that the folks who said all the vampires were too dangerous to live/be allowed to roam free/whatever were... actually right. Even the "good" vampires who went decades or centuries being more or less model citizens would occasionally fall off the wagon and gruesomely murder a whole bunch of innocent people. Stefan Salvatore, Bill Compton, you name it... they have body counts that put prolific serial killers to shame and should have been treated accordingly.
Nice to see some vampires who don't pretend to be anything but.
posted by Justinian at 9:54 PM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
The books were great, the first one in particular was genuinely terrifying in a way that most post apocalyptic stories just aren't. I still have a vivid mental picture of several scenes from the first book and I read it years ago. I still find it hard to believe they made it into a network TV show. There is no way to properly film the books for TV and stay true to the tone. It would have been an amazing scary movie though if done right
posted by fshgrl at 3:36 AM on January 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 3:36 AM on January 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
When I read the first book, it scared me so much, I didn't want to sleep with my windows open in the summer time. And I will stick with this series, mostly because the actress playing Amy is wonderful, and Amy's chemistry with Wolgast feels very right. And the character design for the Twelve looks very good.
There is no way to properly film the books for TV and stay true to the tone.
Yeah, I'm curious to see what direction they take for the show since the books don't seem adaptable.
posted by gladly at 8:48 AM on January 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
There is no way to properly film the books for TV and stay true to the tone.
Yeah, I'm curious to see what direction they take for the show since the books don't seem adaptable.
posted by gladly at 8:48 AM on January 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
Terra Nova?
total derail here but man I liked that show, it was entertaining and the dinosaurs even looked decent!
posted by numaner at 9:30 AM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
total derail here but man I liked that show, it was entertaining and the dinosaurs even looked decent!
posted by numaner at 9:30 AM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
I thought this was all right but there's no chance it's going to do justice to the books. The acting was good but the tone and plot development is so networky. I don't know why the networks can't make something genuinely good that doesn't scream NETWORK PRIME TIME DRAMA but that's a discussion for another thread, I guess.
posted by something something at 9:39 AM on January 16, 2019
posted by something something at 9:39 AM on January 16, 2019
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I haven't read the book trilogy it's based on, so, if anyone wants a books-included thread please go ahead and post it.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:45 PM on January 14, 2019