Intruders

One of the successful methods with The X-files was Chris Carters' premise of, for every one question answered, 2 more are posed.

I found it intriguing, dark and mysterious. That's really difficult to accomplish now.

I suspect that a chunk of the negative reviews are from persons who want all of the answers up front.

I knew a guy that would finish a book in hours. I asked him how he could possibly do it. He said, "Simple. I just read the first and last paragraph of a book."

This is why we live in Idiocracy.

Made by BBC America, INTRUDERS is a supernatural thriller centering on a secret society Qui Reverti, which has advocated that immortality can be achieved by possessing another person's life. They believe that each member of the society has two souls; prior to the death one of the members, the soul is activated and invades someone else.

The narrative is a familiar one involving the basic quest involving Richard Shepherd (James Frain) and Jack Whalen (John Simm) to discover what has happened to the people around them. The story also involves a ten-year-old girl Madison O'Donnell (Millie Bobby Brown) who appears to have two discrete sides to her nature - one childish, the other distinctly adult.

Shot in deliberately faded colors by Philip Linzey, INTRUDERS creates a dystopian world stretching across several American cities - Seattle, Reno being two of them - drawing our attention to the extent of the intruders' power. The scenario is strongly reminiscent of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956): apparently "normal" human beings turn out to be very different once their souls have been possessed by another person. The implication is clear - individuals must remain vigilant so as to protect themselves against possible corruption. Whether they can accomplish that task is another issue entirely.

In the mid-Fifties, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS was a thriller produced by the Cold War situation: many Americans feared that their nation would be "corrupted" by communism - hence the emphasis on Red-baiting that persisted from late in the previous decade to the early Sixties. INTRUDERS takes the same scenario and updates it, warning viewers about the possible "menace" of foreign inspired terrorism, that might encourage hitherto well-educated young Americans to veer from the path of democracy and pursue more drastic, if not violent, methods of achieving their aims. Once again we are exhorted to beware of "the enemy within" - by trying to protect ourselves, as well as rooting out those whom we believe have already been corrupted.

INTRUDERS is a fascinating, if structurally complicated piece; its plot-development is slow, forcing viewers to identify the links between its various strands by watching each episode. The links are allusive rather than overtly emphasized; it is up to us to make the connections. Hence the structure reinforces the theme; it is only by paying close attention to the story that we can acquire the vigilance that will prevent us from being invaded by the intruders.

Week after week, I am astounded by the acting skills of Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Madison on Intruders. She plays a person with seemingly multiple personality disorder, and the way she mimics her adult counterpart has me in chills. I would be severely disappointed if she isn't offered an Emmy for her acting on Intruders. She switches from a pretty young girl, to a mean crotchety man in seconds and leaves me wondering how she can embody both of these characters to this extent.

As for the show itself, it's still unfolding and I am drawn to the dark plot like no other. It's gritty and something I would expect from BBC UK, not anything out of the US. Kudos to the creators, writers, actors and directors. This show leaves me wanting only more.

Remember, what goes around, comes around.

I have only seen the first episode but I have a good feeling about "The Intruders". It grabs you from the start and uses a clever plot to keep you wondering and asking yourself questions. I hope it holds this level for the rest of the series. I think the idea behind the story line is good and well written. Some great acting from a young cast and I think it has a touch of "Fringe" and "X files" about it. UK Actor John Simm adds a further dimension to the plot as the moody ex cop. It's not another cop series. it's not wildly complex or too 'out there' Its really quite believable and I found myself hooked. This has the makings of an excellent series if the writers and producers don't cut the budget. It's hard these days to find a good series to hold your interest but I feel this one does. it's well worth a look.

Some people have been complaining about being confused after watching the pilot. To those people I say, who says a pilot has to lay out everything before you? Can it not just establish the mood and a general direction to color you intrigued without having to give a clear synopsis of what the series is about? Twin Peaks for example doesn't start to make sense until after the first season. What I mean to say by that is, just because a show starts out slowly and takes a few episodes to establish the characters and atmosphere doesn't mean it's bad. I liked Intruders very much so far, plot-wise we aren't given much answers until episode 6 or so, but it constantly keeps us guessing. The all around solid acting adds to the eerie mood and intriguing mystique. I am very curious where the story will lead and what strange revelations lie ahead.

Let's hope this gets renewed for a second season, Intruders is in my opinion currently one of the most intriguing horror/mystery series on television.