While I can’t be 100% sure, I’m pretty confident NBC’s The Event was their attempt at jumping on the bandwagon when all the conspiracy shows were hitting the air. It was that time when TV stations were throwing new shows at the wall to see what stuck.
Shows like LOST, 24, Flash Forward, Fringe, Heroes, and Prison Break all had elements of political intrigue, worldwide conspiracies, or extraterrestrial involvement, heck – sometimes a mix of everything, with a splash of a little something extra to give it a spin, or make it edgy.
The Event tried to tick ALL the boxes.
The plot centres on a group of extraterrestrials who crash-landed on Earth in 1944 near the end of World War II. These aliens look human but age at a much slower rate. The U.S. government, fearing what their presence might mean, locked them up in a hidden facility in Alaska called “Inostranka.” Their leader, Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes), represents only a fraction of their population. The rest, known as Sleepers, have lived undetected among humans, quietly influencing world events and waiting for their time to reveal themselves.
The big mystery in the show revolves around a major, looming moment, rather ominously referred to simply as “The Event”, that the aliens hint is coming.
We the viewers, are left to speculate as to what exactly that is.
Is it a catastrophe? A hugely uplifting moment for humanity? Who’s a Sleeper? Who can we trust?
Etc.
I’ll admit, I was all in for shows like this for a while. I even own several of them in complete box set form, The Event included. Just the one season, though, at the risk of spoilers, it was one of the doomed ones.
Beyond the global stakes, The Event also focused on personal stories, including one character in particular: Catherine Lewis, played by none other than Virginia Madsen, because, let’s face it, I wouldn’t be talking about this show otherwise.
Catherine is the widow of a U.S. senator who died under suspicious circumstances. And we know how shady that can be. While Madsen’s role wasn’t massive, it was pivotal in pushing the government conspiracy into the light. Catherine’s suspicions about her husband’s death became part of a bigger investigation into what the government was hiding about the aliens.
I wouldn’t say we see anything new from Virginia Madsen in this role. Don’t get me wrong, she’s perfect for this kind of part, but it also feels a little like lazy casting. Virginia can do this kind of thing in her sleep, and let’s be real: she can probably act circles around most of the cast. If they’d needed her to carry more of the show, she could’ve done it with ease. The role had plenty of room to grow, and with Virginia Madsen behind the wheel, it would’ve been in safe hands.
But, alas, the show was cancelled, and Catherine’s character arc was cut short, along with everyone else’s. Another TV show that asked way more questions than we’ll ever get answers for.
Is it worth watching? That’s not an easy one to answer. It’s good, and I did like it – But it’s one of those shows where the cancellation hurts. Too many questions, not enough answers. It’s probably not worth putting yourself through the emotional wringer, knowing there’s no closure.
That said, watch it if you like. You’ll probably enjoy it if you’re into this kind of thing. Just don’t come looking for me when you’re hitting forums, searching for what could’ve been.
Availability:
Good, not hard to find at all on DVD
Trailer:
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