The Passage: That Should Never Have Happened to You Show Only

January 28, 2019 8:47 PM - Season 1, Episode 3

Brad strikes a deal with Sykes and Richards to stay with Amy at Project NOAH, as they begin to test the virus on her. Upon learning the harsh truth regarding the state of the inmates in 4B, Brad forms an alliance to get more information. Meanwhile, Babcock sheds light on her past.

Den of Geek - The Passage continues to build steam as the virals pay the price for a cheat meal in That Never Should Have Happened to You.

TV Fanatic recap

posted by oh yeah! (10 comments total)

If Clark is from "just outside Philly" I will buy a hat and eat it. Also, the doctor's revelation about why they aren't eating... What's the only other thing you do at the dinner table? They are talking! Like holy shit, that's the dumbest deduction I have ever seen in my life. He is a scientist that refuses to believe in vampires even though they are right in front of him, but he immediately jumps to telepathy as the reason they aren't hand-spooning blood out of a bucket and into their mouths?

I will continue to watch this show, but I am in hate watch territory now so I think I will lay off commenting in the future so as not to ruin the mood with my cynicism.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:21 AM on January 30, 2019 [2 favorites]

If Clark is from "just outside Philly" I will buy a hat and eat it.

Yeah, I know Philadelphia figures prominently in the book because Cronin spent some time there, but if you're going to cast Vincent Piazza, maybe it's time to change the character name and back story.

I'm just normal watching this, and for some reason the dumb parts don't bother me. I hated all the dumbness of The Strain and gave up on it. I think The Passage did a better job casting their show, and there's better performances all around that let me forgive the wild leaps for plotting.
posted by gladly at 8:27 AM on January 30, 2019 [2 favorites]

I'm just normal watching this, and for some reason the dumb parts don't bother me. I hated all the dumbness of The Strain and gave up on it. I think The Passage did a better job casting their show, and there's better performances all around that let me forgive the wild leaps for plotting.

I actually *presided* over the hate watch of The Strain, and this mostly where I'm at: the difference is mostly that I hated almost everyone in that story, especially Eph and Zack, and very early in.

Here? Brad's... well, sorta cardboard, but he's all right. Amy is fantastic. I even feel for some of the vampires - I mean, in Babcock's shoes, I feel stabbing was an understandable response.

That said:
I will continue to watch this show, but I am in hate watch territory now so I think I will lay off commenting in the future so as not to ruin the mood with my cynicism.

There's room to be negative about content here. If you're offering some detailed reasons, I'd actually prefer to know them. Like, I know fuck all about Philadelphia, so your frustration there is good to know, you know?
posted by mordax at 10:16 AM on January 30, 2019

Amy is fantastic. I even feel for some of the vampires - I mean, in Babcock's shoes, I feel stabbing was an understandable response.

If this show succeeds on any level, it is because their Amy is perfect for the role. What they've done with Babcock is really good too. I don't remember being sympathetic to Babcock while reading the book, but they've made it possible to sympathize with her and still keep her scary.

There's room to be negative about content here. If you're offering some detailed reasons, I'd actually prefer to know them.

Agreed, I wish I'd said that too. Even if you're hate-watching this, I'd prefer critical discussion than none at all!
posted by gladly at 1:42 PM on January 30, 2019 [1 favorite]

There's room to be negative about content here. If you're offering some detailed reasons, I'd actually prefer to know them. Like, I know fuck all about Philadelphia, so your frustration there is good to know, you know?

Yeah, it's the "this show sucks and you're all dumb/wrong for liking it" sort of comments that are flag-fodder. The "why am I still watching this terribleness" kind of comments don't strike me as being a problem generally.

I'm still really enjoying the show. Looking forward to some kind of Amy vs. Fanning psychic showdown. And pleasantly surprised by Brad's old mentor not being dead after all. I mean, I guess if we're heading into an eventual vampire dystopia, the body count is going to rise, so maybe she'll get dead later, but, still, yay for now, regardless of how miraculously she (and Brad) are shrugging off bullet wounds.
posted by oh yeah! at 2:30 PM on January 30, 2019 [1 favorite]

God, I can't even hate-watch this, it's so bad. We've got the Magical Negro trope in Carter, the Magical Angry Black woman in Lacey, the Hot Blonde Murderer who can, somehow, disappear from death row without anyone noticing (as if she would even BE on death row in the first place), oh, and let's not forget that she's entirely motivated by sexual violence. And yeah, that leap to "Oh, they aren't eating, so clearly they must be telepathic!!" bit had me rolling my eyes.

I know the books were also problematic -- leaning heavily on the Magical Negro trope, and very, VERY rapey, but there was at least a compelling story in there, too.

I turned this episode off halfway through. So disappointing.
posted by sarcasticah at 12:49 PM on February 2, 2019

Are you sure you are thinking of the same books? I don't recall any rape, except for one of the death row murderers crimes. There were a few mystical long lived characters but they were fairly evenly split between genders and races as I recall.
posted by fshgrl at 10:26 AM on February 5, 2019

I am, yes. Sister Lacey was a victim of gang rape as a child, and in the second or third book, a character in one of the post-apocalyptic cities subjects female prisoners to repeated rapes. The special apparatus he built for this purpose is described, and two of the main female characters are raped by this character. And I feel like there are other rapes at least mentioned; those are the ones I clearly remember, though -- especially the one with the apparatus, because that detail seemed so deeply, deeply unnecessary. (There was also a baby conceived from one of the rapes.)
posted by sarcasticah at 8:54 AM on February 6, 2019

Hey, can people please start a ‘Books Included’ thread if you want to get into book details? I would really prefer not to have the spoilers, in case I end up reading the books on the hiatus/after cancellation. Thanks.
posted by oh yeah! at 9:36 AM on February 6, 2019

Hate-watching The Strain and Under the Dome was the absolute best! I was totally gonna take a pass on watching this until the comments. Anyway, I'm 20 mins into this and I really like Amy and the vampires and fed kidnapper #2. Also, carnival games are rigged, the nightmares are stupid, and I don't believe in the couple who are sleeping together. I'm onboard and look forward to the 2019 version of The Strain.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 10:12 PM on February 10, 2019