Zero Hour

I watched the pilot online before the official broadcast because friends recommended that it would come across as just plain bad in its broadcast time slot (8/7pm).

--- Emotional reaction ---

The overall tone is hilariously overwrought. The scenes are hacked together. There isn't even an attempt at a pretense of internal logic. Even in the context of a portion of an individual scene, the characters' actions often are absurdly nonsensical. The silliness, stupidity and illogic come flying at you at such a pace it is impossible not to laugh -- I was laughing well past the end of the credits.

Watch it with friends and wine/beer/... and debate questions such as: Is this good enough to be a bad parody of "The Da Vinci Code" and the like? Is Anthony Edwards starring because Nicholas Cage said that there wasn't enough money ...?

--- Analytic reaction ---

Quick cuts between short scenes are typical of this genre, but to be successful, it requires audience involvement, either with the characters or the cause (idea, threat, ...). There is none here.

Nazis as villains is so overdone and outmoded in this and related genres that it hurts audience buy-in. Even if this isn't the case, it is just so badly done -- so over-the-top and comic. This is an enormous red flag that the show's creator has no creativity or imagination.

The genre appears to be race-to-the-treasure. This requires the lead characters to buy into the high-energy craziness, such as Nicholas Cage in the National Treasure series and the gaggle of comics in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (1963). Anthony Edwards is badly suited to play this role, both from the type of actor he is and audience expectations from prior role. And worse the script saddles him with two conflicting roles. The other one is that of the skeptic/voice-of-sanity (comic relief, exposition, whatever). Although the actor is much better suited to this role, the writers give him no support (I remember only one line, and it was a throw-away). The Anthony Edwards character could have been the "reluctant hero", but actor and the setup in the pilot preclude this.

There are multiple statements by characters to tell the audience that things are not what they seem, but rather than ambiguous hints to draw you in, they are ham-handed signals that the writers don't have the finesse to handle this genre.

Thank God, a mystery with a bald, middle-aged hero. I'm so tired of the sneering, posturing superhero that has the depth of a tissue. I'm also enjoying the mystery. It's an interesting story and one I look forward to watching. I tune into television to relax and be entertained. Just like National Treasure, a movie I thoroughly enjoyed, it's not meant to give us the meaning of life, it's designed so we can have fun and possibly learn some interesting facts along the way.

What I liked about last night's episode was how it left me wanting to do some more reading about Einstein. His personal life was far more interesting than most people believe. If a program can do that, I say we need more of them. And the lines about love? Love can never be corny or irrelevant.

I watched this series because I really missed the late Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, and he absolutely excelled and shined as brightly as he ever did.

And I really liked Anthony Edwards and Jacinda Barrett, and Carmen Ejogo was a stunner. She was perfect.

May Michael rest in peace.

I was outside the USA and have seen the show all the way through from foreign broadcasts. This gives me a lot better perspective on it. So I have to speak in defense of the show against some attacks I see as based on lack of knowledge.

First, they do fully resolve the plot. This isn't a show that is canceled in mid-stream like Threshold where there is never a satisfactory answer as to what is happening and why. The show apparently was intended to only go thirteen weeks so the resolution was much clearer and more complete than say Lost's was.

Second, not every cliché was used the way that we expect. Against the Evil Nazi Mad Scientist, they had the Good and Human Nazis.

So was it great art? No. Was it over the top and crazy? Yes. Would I say the ending was politically correct? I'd say yes, but it was feel good. Did it foreshadow many of the events ALL the way through? Yes. Some were painfully telegraphed, and a couple of them you KNEW they would do without motivation by the characters.

As a religious person, I also liked that there was an almost semi-favorable representation of a name brand religion by a TV show in this day where constant attacks on religion seem to be fashionable in Hollyweird. So I'll give it a seven. One extra point above average for mentioning God as a good idea and one for actually finishing out the story.

My husband and I seem to have a foolproof method of picking winners in new TV series.....if the half hour or full hour passes by very fast....the show is always a hit!!! This has been true for every one of our favorite shows. Guess what.....ZERO HOUR went by in zero time !!! We both think it's an entertaining, interesting, and well acted show. The concept has been done before, but not exactly in this manner. We liked the fact that past history was included, not just total fiction. Some things portrayed in the show really did exist or actually happen. It was fast paced, no long, drawn out scenes. I think this show will appeal to those of us that enjoy a good mystery, with lots of clues, and plot twists. There was good chemistry between the cast members, another element needed for a long running series. We think and hope it will run a long while !!! Following Day: Wow, some of you guys are really tearing this show apart!! Are you all unaware it is suppose to be a TV show, for entertainment purposes?? Most of you sound like its a doctoral thesis gone wrong !! Lighten up...it's unique and exciting to watch, OK a little work on the Arctic costuming, and the missing breath vapor was a good call. I hope the show's production team will take notes from some of the reviewers ! And the Fed got to go along on the plane because she is allowed to carry her gun on a plane...and she's sexy !