I bet Alphas is the series NBC wanted to make and, perhaps, regrets passing on in favor of Tim Kring's Heroes. The story is old now, but Alphas went through various stages of development through the years before landing on the desk of a Syfy executive (maybe Sci-Fi depending on how long ago this happened). I remember reading about NBC's interest in the show before eventually passing. Last summer, during the build-up to Alphas, I thought nothing of the premise because so many superhero-based shows failed. TV writers couldn't crack the formula for how to make a superhero drama work on a weekly basis. Heroes and No Ordinary Family destroyed my interest in shows about super-powered people; however, Alphas surprised me when I tuned in week after week. I learned superhero shows could work--just keep them away from NBC and ABC.
Alphas episodes were engaging week after week. The Alpha-of-the-week usually stood out. The core characters are written well. The universe is well-established. I groaned when the show introduced secret prisons for Alphas, because they caused horrible flashbacks of Heroes, but the prisons aren't groan-worthy. Season 1 didn't dwell on an ongoing narrative; in fact, the Stanton Parrish arc wasn't introduced until the season 1 finale. So, season 1 consisted of stand-alone episodes that were a joy to watch. (Of course, each episode served to build the mythology of the show as a variety of Alphas were explored).
Season 2 started last week with a traditional premiere episode. Dr. Rosen dealt with the fallout from his worldwide confession about Alphas and how they, you know, actually exist. The government kept him locked away in a mental institution. The team was split apart. Hicks and Bill continued to work for the government. The others struggled without their guide. By premiere's end, the team was back together, but they're fractured now.
The team reassembles in their office, now occupied by a group of government workers who don't respect Gary's refrigerator shelf. A bit of a power struggle develops between Bill and Dr. Rosen. Hicks is secretly sleeping with Dr. Rosen's duplicitous daughter, who's working with the villain Stanton Parrish. Hicks' trysts with Dani affects Nina, his ex-girlfriend who 'pushed' him last season. They're separation sent Nina down a path of destruction. She steals original Van Gogh art and pushes attractive men into sleeping with her and then forgetting her. Rachel's more-or-less arcless because Dr. Rosen helped bring back the equilibrium she desperately needs to survive and thrive on a day-to-day basis.
The team's distracted for a bit by C. Thomas Howell's Eli, an Alpha cursed with super speed, which caused a rapid aging process. The 22 year old looks like he's in his late 40s. He kills a man and almost kills another man, both of whom were involved in the creation of this ability in Eli. Eli wanted to see remorse from the people who ruined his life, but neither offered remorse. One died, the other was saved by the Alphas in the nick of time. Dr. Rosen promised to help Eli, but Eli was shot to death when he threatened both Rosens' lives with a knife. There were conflicts between Bill and Dr. Rosen during the hunt for Eli. Eli's death had a ripple effect on Dr. Rosen and Nina. Nina felt disheartened that another Alpha died on Dr. Rosen's watch while Dr. Rosen shared the same feelings. Rosen wants to help Alphas, not hurt them. Parrish is the age-old Alpha who wants to incite civil war between Alphas and humans. Dr. Rosen wants peace.
The most compelling aspect of season 2 is the lack of cohesion in the team. Hicks can't focus. Bill's heart is more troublesome. Gary's on edge, less cooperative than last season, throwing contents in the refrigerators at co-workers, yelling and such. Nina's pushing everyone she meets. She'd push for a free refill even if she's already guaranteed a free refill. Rachel's fragility keeps her separated from the team, as Bill dismisses her ability to function after they uncover a dead body. Dr. Rosen can't keep his team together, so how can he avoid war between Alphas and humans--this seems to be the main focus of the season.
Pain and hurt feelings are already prevalent just two episodes into the season. Dani's an important character to watch because she's tied into three major characters. Dr. Rosen doesn't know she's working with Parrish, nor does Cameron. Dani's not painted in black or white colors. The character has depth. She loves and cares for Dr. Rosen, as he's her father, and she loves and cares for Cameron. Her sexual relationship threatens Parrish's plans, but she's unwilling to leave him, so even when she's revealed to the team as an accomplice of Stanton's, we've seen her redemptive quality. As always in fiction, the most redemptive quality a person can possess is the ability to love, for love transcends and transforms a person. Nina could be healed through love. She spins out of control when Cameron informs her of his love for another. What will change when Dr. Rosen learns of his daughter's betrayal?
Beyond Stanton Parrish and the personal relationships in Alphas, I don't have much else to write. There are plenty of episodes left and many things yet to happen. Alphas is the best show on Syfy as well as one of the best overall on TV, network and cable. It's worth catching up on. Summer Glau's episode is a must-see, and she'll be back for three episodes this season. So yeah.
Other Thoughts:
-The theme song is so awesome.
-Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer are co-producers. I saw their credits last week and had flashbacks of No Ordinary Family, a truly awful show that aired during the 2010-2011 TV season. Marc Guggenheim, who worked on the show, said the audience wasn't ready for NOF. No, that wasn't the problem, Guggenheim. Your show absolutely sucked. Don't act like you worked on a brilliant-but-cancelled show. People started watching, realized NOF was horrible, and smartly stopped wasting ther time. I, of course, continued watching and writing about the show because I enjoyed ripping it every week.
-That's all. Good night.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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