If you are able to selectively remember only a few key scenes from last night's episode of "The Event," you will have watched one of the coolest scifi shows on TV. If not, let us gripe together.
But first, let's focus on the positive.
Sophia, the alien leader and integrationist Dr. Xavier of the alien group, explains to the president what she wants for her people - most of whom have been detained in prison for over sixty years. Like current US president Obama, he's the child of immigrants and has risen to the top office in the country. He's clearly moved by her description of aliens as immigrants. Yes, we've seen this kind of thing before - in the show Alien Nation for example - but it still feels fresh. It's a sophisticated political take on alien-human meetings.
And as this subplot weaves its way through the annoying lameness of the rest of the episode, there are again glimmers of what this show could be if it would just realize that it's a cross between X-Men and The West Wing. Don't you want to watch that show? Fuck yeah.
Now that Sophia has killed one of her own, a guy who was about to spill his guts to Director Sterling and intelligence gang, it's clear that she's ruthless even though she's willing to play nice with President Martinez. Still, she's not as ruthless as Magneto figure Thomas, who is roaming free among the humans and orchestrated the whole plane teleportation thing - as well as the killing and resurrection of its passengers.
Thomas drops a cell phone into the backpack of Martinez' kid (security breach, anybody?) and uses it to call the president and threaten that next time, the passengers won't be revived if Sophia and the prisoners aren't released. I know, I know - you're asking why Thomas didn't do all this back when Truman was president. I'm trying to enjoy this show, so I'm not going to go down that route. There lies madness.
Anyway, my point is this is a cool subplot and it should be the main plot of the series. How does the White House deal with political prisoners who have more awesome technology than what's in the US arsenal?
By the way, can we stop having gotcha moments with the teleported passengers, please?
First they were teleported DUM DUM DUM and then they were dead DUM DUM DUM and then they were revived DUM DUM DUM and then they were interrogated DUM DUM DUM and now they have deadly nosebleeds DUM DUM DUM. Seriously, get a new source of DUM DUM DUM willya?
Let us look only glancingly at the subplot with the assassination and Sean because it makes no sense and contains nauseating flashbacks.
So Sean and the Fed are chasing down Laila. They do it using Sean's "hacker powers" which involve mentioning backdoors, which is the only hacker thing that Hollywood knows about. There is a seriously irritating and way-too-long flashback to the Thanksgiving dinner where Sean met Laila's parents and admits that he comes from a divorced family (which for some reason makes him incredibly ashamed, as if history stopped in 1960). This results in dad giving Sean some scotch and mom saying to Laila that she "picked a good one" and the audience members all stab themselves in the face because they can't believe how badly written this is.
Back in the present, Laila totally deserves to have to cut her way out of her bonds with a glass shard and get all bloody because we had to watch that awful Thanksgiving scene. Yay, Laila escaped from her kidnappers! And then for some reason when the cops pick her up all bloody and freaked out, they don't believe her, don't look her up on the computer, and don't investigate in any way at all. In fact, I think they basically arrest her. They only give her one phone call. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? Sorry, but even when we find out that the cops are in on the conspiracy it still doesn't make sense. Laila's captors let her escape so she would call Sean and get him to come to the police station.
Luckily, Sean's cell batteries just died so she had to leave a message. Plus, he and Fed have something that evil kidnapper Vicky doesn't know about. They figured out where her mom and son live, and can now threaten her with that. Can you feel the tension mounting.
I know this is going to shock you, but . . .
Next week, the teleported passengers are going to be in danger again DUM DUM DUM! Also there will be references to terrorism! Please light me on fire now.