The Gates

Watching the pilot as I type. First impressions are good. Mysterious gated community. Security...seclusion...vampires.

Has decent character development and conflicts to make you want to watch the next episode and the next and the next. As long as it doesn't turn into a "monster of the week" series, I predict it will have long term success. And it doesn't hurt that it features beautiful women who aren't too overtly sexual.

It reminds you of the Best Stephen King novels and movies.

I find it intriguing even though to supernatural is overt. There seems to be a lot of potential for real dramatic development.

The "big bads" haven't even been revealed (or more than thinly eluded to) and I'm already hooked!!!

I loved the whole show, the dynamics of how wolves, vampires and others tried to live together without killing each other. The coolest part was to put an unknown in and get her to bring them all together. The witch doing things that people knew but could not prove was awesome. I want to know what Charlie is, what was Devon going to use him for besides just getting herself out of the situation she was in. Was Devon "Charlie's Master in a sorts because she brought him back"? Someone needs to pick this up and finish it because it could be a real hit. I know a lot of my friends talked about it so I finally watched it on Netflix and it was awesome. TNT, CW, Spike, USA, any one pick it up and use it and I can bet you will have a lot of followers. People are wanting someone to do something with this show, it was a great starter and we are all on the edge of our seats waiting for someone to do something with it.

I've watched all current seasons of Moonlight, Blood Ties, True Blood, Vampire Diaries & Being Human. If you are a fan of any of these shows you will most likely enjoy 'The Gates'. The first episode sets up the story (which seems a little dull) but progresses quickly as episodes two and three roll along. Hang in there and you might be pleasantly surprised. Viewers who appreciate the 'in your face', slick blood and sexually driven 'True Blood' type of stories may be a bit disappointed here. The tone of this show in comparisons is very light. It focuses more on drama then on suspense, thrills and horror. I'll give you a spoiler free summary of the show if you have not yet watched it. It's a story of an enclosed community (surround by a gate ...surprise!) of super natural beings hiding their real identities from those who are human. Normal stuff (drama) of everyday human life takes place. Work, school, stress, love, hate and romance. The town sheriff (human) helps unravel the story as unexpected events require investigations. Through this slow process the secret identities of the characters are revealed to the viewer. There's much room for development so the possibilities are endless. I hope the writers can take it to the next level.

Seriously, this show is not the trashy, sci-fi, comedy, over-the-top, fantasy type supernatural shows that are usually served up. It's soap opera with a bit of supernatural thrown into the various plots. Pure and simple! And it actually works for those who are fans of soaps. I wonder why this show wasn't pitched as a daytime soap given the various plots and numerous characters. Nevertheless, I like that it doesn't have a lot of blood and gore but has a lot of plot and mystery instead! Great job allowing Nick to find out that Dylan is a vampire. This completely changes the dynamic between them. How exactly will the chief maintain his will to do his job knowing that he's surrounded by a creature who has committed murder? Dylan saved Nick's life but still........ Nick has a job to do! Nick and Dylan will have a tempestuous relationship from here on out for sure.

Vampires have always had one thing in common, from their darkest days in Romania, to the Meyers chronicles of today: They are what we fear the most--us dead. You can coat them with glitter, you can make a soap opera out of them; but in the end they are us dead. That has to be the main conflict of the story. What makes the Vampire really interesting, to me, is not the Vampire themselves; but the living humans who are forced to deal with the consequences of the living dead among them. A story line, is just a story line after all: 'A police office and his family move into a gated community where many are denizens of the supernatural world'.What the writers do with plot and conflict will make the difference of whether this show is worth the investment of your time. Here Nick, a police officer --with a past-- is conflicted to begin with. Underneith the professional exterior he is driven to make up for sins of his past. It doesn't take long before he is confronted with the fact that he murdered a suspect in cold blood, and due to this, he is forced to make an allegiance with darkness. This, so far, is the main storyline.

There are werewolves teens (for the tween crowd) and there are other fringe supernatural characters (R.H. Macy's always said you must diversify if you are going to succeed at selling anything over a long period of time) even a succubus (perhaps she can eventually find a nice incubus, settle down, and buy a house in "The Gates"). They will, no doubt, be forced to jump the shark eventually, but for now it is great fun.

It is a beautiful cast and I have yet to see an unattractive person walking the streets of "The Gates". It is the Melrose Place of the supernatural. We carry a lot of baggage with us about Vampires and their kin the Werewolves. I like The Hammer Films of the 1950-1970's. I like the Werewolves of "The Howling" or even "American Werewolf in London" best. The egocentric evil of the Vampire or the Jekyll and Hyde conflict of the Werewolf is my genre home, but it is alright to leave the safety of your home and visit someone else's imagination for a spell. In the end, "The Gates" is summer fun and has something for every generation. A distraction from the heat of this summer. I plan to enjoy it for what it is.....