I admit, like with several other pilots of late before I actually saw them, I had preconceived notions going into ABC’s new series The River, which begins with a two-hour premiere tonight. And those preconceived notions were, unfortunately, that I probably wouldn’t like it.
Paranormal Activity, which came from River co-creator Oren Peli, wasn’t as amazing or even as scary as everyone made it out to be. Sure, it has a punch, but for me, it wasn’t this great thing that others said it would be. I expected The River to be more of the same. Thanks to some great locations, strong characters, and a [mostly] good cast, I was proven wrong.
The basic plot of The River involves a man named Emmet Cole who for the past decades has hosted a PBS-style nature show called “The Undiscovered Country.” There are some flashback clips to his show within, and the production designers totally made me feel like I was watching PBS on a Sunday morning. Within the past year, Cole has disappeared… and his wife and son are recruited to host a new documentary to find him. They think they have a lead when his emergency beacon goes off, which leads them down some rivers… and down more rivers.
A lot of the action on The River involves a ship/boat called the Magus. Like the locations seen in the show, this is one impressive set, and one I’d like to see explored more. The documentary style and interactions within give me a vibe that I can only describe as “Voyage Of The Mimi on crack.”
There are scares and definitely some jumping-out-of-your-seat surprises. But don’t let the shock value fool you – shocks mean nothing without character. Already there are rivalries seen, and hurt feelings, and there just might be a traitor.
My only concern about The River is the wonder of how long a show like this will sustain itself. Is this a mini-series? If so, then they have me on board for the whole trip. But what would the story be if this show lasted for 6 years? And more importantly, what does everyone eat while they’re stuck out there? Thanks to this engrossing cast, I want to know where Emmet is, and I want to see and explore more. Moreso, I want to know what it is that Emmet seems to have discovered. There are some curious hints already seen within the first hour. Fortunately the labyrinth of rivers seems like it’ll be good territory for the plot and for the viewer to explore.
Casting-wise, The River is pretty strong. There might be at least one character or actor I wasn’t feeling and just got annoyed by, so I’m going to be nice and not name names at all, though you’re welcome to guess in the comments. Still, the other 90% or so of the casting is great, so I don’t need to complain too much.
The River premieres at 9PM (ET) tonight on ABC, and is definitely worth two hours of your time. Here’s a trailer from ABC if you’re still undecided:
