Intruders

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.

Intruders took a little while to unfold, but it was worth giving the patience of the first couple of episodes. It's very enigmatic, in a most intriguing sort of way. I'm enjoying it immensely. I'm surprised by the low ratings, but I could see how some people wouldn't want to stick with it. It has currents of darkness and violence. And there are some graphic scenes with a child that could be off putting for some. Since I love American Horror Story, this is really nothing in that league. Anyway, color me compelled and along for the ride to see the mysteries unfold. You have to stick through the first two to three episodes, but I find that to be true with premiere shows anyway as there is a great deal of background to be told. Patience folks...it's worth it.

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.

Overall, I like this show. It creates a sense of mystery and intrigue and has a good cast. On the other hand, I feel it's a little too fond of the mystery, and I'd really like to see answers come at a faster clip.

The main thing that keeps me watching is the creepy little girl (played by Millie Bobby Brown, who went on to greater success with Stranger Things). She is so good, in such a disturbing way, that she *makes* the show in the way Agent Cooper made Twin Peaks.