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6.8/10
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Several strangers awaken and find themselves imprisoned inside a small ghost town. They quickly search for answers and along the way start to question each other's motives.Several strangers awaken and find themselves imprisoned inside a small ghost town. They quickly search for answers and along the way start to question each other's motives.Several strangers awaken and find themselves imprisoned inside a small ghost town. They quickly search for answers and along the way start to question each other's motives.
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Janet Cooper (Daisy Betts) hired a P.I. to find his deadbeat husband who disappeared on her and her daughter. She's utterly broke and then is kidnapped in broad daylight. She wakes up in a nameless hotel in a nameless town. She is helped by mysterious Joe Tucker (Jason Wiles). They are joined by soldier Graham McNair (Chadwick Boseman), camp counselor Moira Doherty (Tina Holmes), party girl Tori Fairchild (Kate Miner), wealthy investment banker Charlie Morse (Alan Ruck) and car salesman Bill Blackham (Sean O'Bryan). There's a field around the town that makes the abductees pass out. There is endless Chinese food and messages from their abductors. Newsapaper reporter Mark Renbe (Gerald Kyd) investigates Janet's kidnapping with his editor Kat Damatto (Lola Glaudini).
It starts with an interesting premise but the viewer is left frustrated waiting for the whys. It's a mistake to show the 'real' world. The reporter, the investigation, her kidnapping and her daughter are all problematic. Without them, this could be purgatory, supernatural, a dream or aliens. With them, it can only be orchestrated by people. Then it becomes nothing more than simply asking why and those are limited questions. The show really is left with only one card and it can't actually play that card. In the end, the show loses steam by constantly hinting at the card without actually showing it. It becomes a bore.
It starts with an interesting premise but the viewer is left frustrated waiting for the whys. It's a mistake to show the 'real' world. The reporter, the investigation, her kidnapping and her daughter are all problematic. Without them, this could be purgatory, supernatural, a dream or aliens. With them, it can only be orchestrated by people. Then it becomes nothing more than simply asking why and those are limited questions. The show really is left with only one card and it can't actually play that card. In the end, the show loses steam by constantly hinting at the card without actually showing it. It becomes a bore.
Not sure why so many people were disappointed in and even hated this series. They even blasted the production and writing. The whole point of this story is that there is no end, no exit. It's like life, it just keeps changing with some new and some same people, and different levels of "evolution". There is no way out. We are stuck with who we are and how we work it all out. The writing is concise, to the point, and doesn't get bogged down in misdirection. People answer with immediate understandings, and the action moves quickly. And the photography and, lighting, and camera work is excellent. I know because I'm a professional photographer who has worked on some high end productions. The acting is true and heartfelt. It's a great metaphor for life on so many levels. The resistances to what is, the paranoia, the struggles with questions of doing what it takes, survival, and compassion in the face of distrust. The dynamics are great to watch. There are of course some aspects that are easy to criticize because, hopefully, the conspiracy is contrived and nothing like this could happen. But perhaps on some levels, we actually live in this kind of world. So yes some plot lines are unexplained and far-fetched, but are they really. There is a lot of mystery around all kinds of corporate and govt activity.
While slow at first I think this show is a keeper ! better than a "the Prisonner" clone, different than Lost, this show has potential. Are there bad guys in the team ? why are they there etc... the lack of info makes it all the more compelling, but you have to get over the first two episodes... then you're hooked ! It seems you can't defeat the defenses of the town easily. They kill you if you try too hard, and yes, they are underground as well.. but are they in the air ? the delivery of the gas masks by helicopter suggests otherwise.. where is the town ? when they escape for a bit, you can see rolling hills with hand-made hay stacks, the type to be expected in an Amish community or in eastern Europe, or the middle east (arabic speaking taxi driver)...
Why is it whenever there is a great show it gets canceled? And many are left unfinished. This story could of went on for many seasons. Great cast and story line. So many shows get a lot of hype months before premiere and then bomb. Yet the network will drag it on for a few more seasons trying to convince us that it will eventually get better.
This show isn't like that. A great show that silently gets cut. Who are these people who make these decisions? Too many shows get canceled without closure. Tera Nova was another great one. Jericho could of ran for years! Yet, they hype up Revolution, which was a bomb, that I'm sure they will try to run with it for years.
I really liked Persons Unknown. Last episode left me wanting to see more. Too bad the network didn't see it that way. Now days, if you don't have "C.S.I.", "reality show" or dumb slap stick comedy in it, it won't make the cut. It's sad!
This show isn't like that. A great show that silently gets cut. Who are these people who make these decisions? Too many shows get canceled without closure. Tera Nova was another great one. Jericho could of ran for years! Yet, they hype up Revolution, which was a bomb, that I'm sure they will try to run with it for years.
I really liked Persons Unknown. Last episode left me wanting to see more. Too bad the network didn't see it that way. Now days, if you don't have "C.S.I.", "reality show" or dumb slap stick comedy in it, it won't make the cut. It's sad!
Let me just start off by saying that I really think that people are wrong when they say that this show is the new Lost, or that it was simply made as a "follow up" because Lost ended. I really feel that is has NOTHING to do with Lost.
That being said, I enjoyed the first episode. It was really good. My entire family watched all first six episodes in one day. And I'm really looking forward to the end since the guy who did Persons Unknown also did The Usual Suspects. I think that it's a good thriller/mystery, and I like the fact that I still don't know who it is, or why it is happening, and that I can't just randomly guess. That's what makes it a good mystery.
So if you have time on your hands, and want to watch a mystery TV series - which there aren't a lot of, I would recommend Persons Unknown. Just give it a chance. You won't regret it.
That being said, I enjoyed the first episode. It was really good. My entire family watched all first six episodes in one day. And I'm really looking forward to the end since the guy who did Persons Unknown also did The Usual Suspects. I think that it's a good thriller/mystery, and I like the fact that I still don't know who it is, or why it is happening, and that I can't just randomly guess. That's what makes it a good mystery.
So if you have time on your hands, and want to watch a mystery TV series - which there aren't a lot of, I would recommend Persons Unknown. Just give it a chance. You won't regret it.
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- Persons Unknown: Evolution
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime43 minutes
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- 1.78 : 1
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