Threshold

Of the three new "Sci-Fi" dramas, Invasion, Surface, and Threshold, I have decided that Threshold is, hands down, the best. Invasion has the better pedigree (Sean Cassidy did create American Gothic, after all...), Surface instills more awe and wonder, but the one that I must watch every week is Threshold. It has learned that most important of lessons from the X-Files: keep 'em guessing, but give a little bit up every now and then. It doesn't try to keep you in the dark all the time. And on the subject of casting, I believe that this show has some of the best choices going. Carla Gugino is, as usual, brilliant. Beautiful, sexy and oh so smart. Charles S. Dutton does the best he can with a limited role. Peter Dinklage will be a favorite as soon as the writers figure out what to do with him. But the biggest surprise is Brian Van Holt as Cavennaugh, the muscle. In what should have been the obvious gimme role in the show, the guy who shoots, Van Holt has proved to be multi-faceted. Yes he is a true believer, but he has a soul, too. Not what I expected from the pretty boy with the gun. All in all, great show. Will be very upset when it gets canceled.

Did not get a fair shake. The plot to this was great and it's a shame we never got to see it come to fruition. It is worth watching even though it didn't finish properly.

Network: CBS; Genre: Science Fiction; Content Rating: TV-14 (for brutal violence); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: Complete Series (1 season)

The unprecedented success of USA's "The 4400", the death of reality television, rise of serial shows and the increasingly low cost of computer animated visual effects has given rise to a wonderful network fad for 2005 - the science fiction series. "Threshold" is CBS's entry into the year's 3-pronged alien invasion attack that also includes NBC's "Surface" and ABC's "Invasion". Its probably the cheapest, with a plot that hinders more on human action than visual effects and it is also the first to bite the network dust.

This is why there isn't more good, serious, comprehensive TV criticism. With a movie you at least get to see the whole thing, but with a series we're given a show and have it ripped from the line-up before the final episodes have aired and story has wrapped up. For what its worth, "Threshold" deserved the benefit of the doubt. Its not Shakespeare, even as science fiction shows go its on the campy side of a Sci-Fi channel original movie. But it is entertaining contemporary genre fair. Somewhere between the seriousness of "Invasion" and silly fun of "Surface".

But, 10 episodes. What the hell am I supposed to do with this, CBS?

The premise: a mutant infection is invading the human race, this time, however, the vehicle is auditory - through an alien frequency that plants itself in the brains of those with susceptible genetic dispositions and turns them into violent super-soldiers at worst (sort of "The X-Files" meets "28 Days Later…") and lumbering zombies at best. The entire crew of an ocean freight has been infected (as well as our heroes investigating them) and escaped into the population. Thankfully, scientist Molly Caffery (Carla Gugino, "Spin City") had devised a contingency plan that combats just such an invasion called Threshold, that involves quarantining subjects in a secret facility and... well, I'm not exactly sure what else.

Charles S. Dutton plays the typically gruff leader. Gugino makes a fine heroine, believably strong while going toe-to-toe with the super-soldiers. But Brent Spiner and Peter Dinklage lends some agreeably goofy life to the show as scientists with an endless supply of one liners. Uncharacteristic in usually serious science fiction shows, that quirky little attitude running through this show works for it and is what makes "Threshold" stand out well from the other network genre efforts.

* * ½ / 4

I am NOT a sci-fi nut and only watched because a friend recommended it, but the two hour opener was simply MESMERIZING. The show has flavors of several hits of the past and present, including "X-Files" and "The 4400", but has a style all its own. It was well-written, brilliantly directed, and managed to blend suspense, drama, and humor extremely well. I was very pleased with the casting. Peter Dinklage steals the show as he did in "The Station Agent", you just can't take your eyes off of him. Brent Spiner (Star Trek Next Generation's "Data") and Charles S. Dutton ("Roc", "Rudy") are the big names in the fine supporting cast. Rob Benedict is wonderful as computer geek Lucas and Brian Van Holt has the SWAT/military hero role nailed.

Was not a fan of Carla Gugino before, but she plays the lead role Dr. Molly Caffrey to perfection. She somehow manages to pull off intelligent, self-assured, and vulnerable all at the same time. She is a striking woman but manages to be believable in this role. You don't feel as if they inserted the requisite starlet in the lead, she's THAT good.

This show works on so many levels that I would be shocked if CBS didn't have another hit on its hands. The music was effective without being intrusive. Even the digital imagery was interesting and I generally HATE computer generated stuff..it only added to the overall texture. This show is similar to "24" in one way; you don't waste time questioning every single plot twist, (like the previous IMDb reviewer did) you just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Threshold is a pretty decent scifi show. I won't say it's brilliant, because there are flaws in the storyline which I'll come to in a moment. But it does entertain and has characters you actually like.

The basic premise is that aliens are trying to re-engineer human and animal DNA into their own vision - essentially making us into them (as the show would have us believe). It's an interesting concept (although I doubt it's new to scifi) and works surprisingly well with the "enemy within" mentality. Normally I dislike shows which do this as it is usually a cop-out because they don't have the budget to do anything flash. But here it works well.

If I have one gripe about the show it's that the aliens (although apparently having access to the memories of the hosts they infect) show a singular lack of imagination when it comes to finding ways to spread the disease. The internet is the most obvious medium, yet so far it seems to have gone unused apart from one half-hearted attempt.

But apart from this, the show is good fun and entertaining. The characters are fairly diverse, although they all fit into the usual stereotypes - expert, soldier, geek, scientist etc. But at least they all have charisma, though I suspect poor old Brent Spiner is being typecast as the scientist/doctor now.

Anyway, worth a look. There are far worse shows out there.

EDIT (15.12.05) Just heard this series is cancelled. Good one CBS! Gotta love the networks' slavish attention to viewing figures. Bah!