The After: Pilot

October 1, 2014 3:49 PM - Season 1, Episode 1

A new Amazon Original Series: From Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Eight strangers are thrown together by mysterious forces and must help each other survive in a violent world that defies explanation.
posted by davidjmcgee (9 comments total)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carter wants to do 99 episodes as

he based the mystery-focused The After on Dante's Inferno, which has 99 cantos in its story. "I'm using that as my model," he revealed.

98 TO GO.
posted by davidjmcgee at 3:57 PM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Wow, I saw this ages ago. I think I mostly liked it though it ended up being completely different from what I expected in the beginning with the interview and everyone trapped in the parking garage. They shouldn't have let themselves be kicked out of the house. Having the cast go on the run makes me think this is going to be a take on TWD.

But by 2015 I will have forgotten all about this show and I'm tired of the Lost/TWD wannabes, anyway.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 6:55 PM on October 1, 2014

It's been a while since I watched this, but my impression from back then still holds true: Auteurs are cautioned to think long and hard about having an alarm blare constantly during the first five minutes of their pilots.

That said, I agree that, as usual in these types of shows and honestly probably very realistically, the group doesn't want to give up on their humanity or the idea of civilization. Thus they aren't yet prepared to kill, even when it's necessary. Hell, they didn't have anybody watching the road.
posted by ob1quixote at 10:54 PM on October 1, 2014

This reminded me in the best possible way of the early days of LOST and I really can't wait to watch more. Here's to hoping we avoid a hugging in a non-denominational-church ending.
posted by davidjmcgee at 11:09 AM on October 2, 2014

I liked this enough to check out more episodes. I can see it going either way for me. I'm generally interested in the post-apocalyptic genre, but don't care for too dark & grim (a bit of a contradiction I know). Especially liked Aldis Hodge being cast in the male lead despite his character's basic setup skirting cliche.
posted by audi alteram partem at 1:41 PM on October 2, 2014

I like shows that make me think or challenge me but this was just a bit too weird. for me. I'm not gonna wait for a narrative to emerge through the fog of what we've seen so far.
posted by scalefree at 7:36 PM on October 2, 2014

I wonder what they're going to do with the old woman character. There seems little reason to cast the lovely Sharon Lawrence as an old biddy unless she's not going to stay that way.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:09 PM on October 7, 2014

Also: Jamie Kennedy... surprisingly tolerable.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:10 PM on October 7, 2014

I wish Chris Carter had made this semi-promising show instead of bailing to go back and fart out some bad X-Files episodes.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:42 AM on December 6, 2021