This series has been subjected to numerous negative reviews. I can sort of understand some people’s frustration, given that Kevin Williamson suggested this wasn’t going to become a show that’s just about violence against women – only for the show to start with a woman being killed in a fiery explosion.
But I do wonder where those criticising that draw the line – are they to suggest that every case should be stalking men, as if women don’t get stalked? No. Both genders get stalked. I have no complaints with the choice of victims in the pilot, but I do agree that it needs to even out over the course of the season.
The actual case was nothing spectacular, but it was a good starting point. It allowed both Beth and Jack to show off their skills to us, and it really set the tone for the season to come. I wasn’t overly fond of the first half of the episode, however, which focused far too much on the murder and attempted murder. This, for me, was the episode’s main flaw.
Not every stalking case results in murder – admittedly, it’s not 100% the other way around either. However, if the stories can revolve a lot more around investigating the stalking side of things without the death of the victim, I really think that the show can work. Otherwise, it might become a slightly darker, stalking-added version of Criminal Minds.
The episode really picked up in the second half of the episode. I enjoyed the idea of the detectives attempting to prove that Larry was behind the stalking, and in fact, this concept intrigues me looking ahead to the season. It’s difficult to prove, and I’m looking forward to seeing inventive ways that the cases are solved.
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Stalker immediately creates a very dark feel. With the show coming from the creator of The Following, I’m hardly surprised. I really enjoyed this darkness though, and it definitely worked in the context of the show. This is one thing they need to keep up. If they take their foot off the pedal in this area, the show will lose a lot of its effect.
I loved the chemistry between Beth and Jack. It was an interesting dynamic, with Beth not really open to having Jack on her team, while Jack tried desperately to make her like him. The humour was, at times, good; others a little bit strange.
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I enjoyed both character’s backstory – despite how little of Beth’s there was. Obviously, she was stalked – and the case was clearly very serious. It adds a nice edge to her character, and Maggie Q plays it very well. One line stuck with me: “I can lie better than you, and they believe me. They always do.” Beth’s scene with Perry was superb, and you could really feel the fear she put into him. Maggie Q is no stranger to playing strong women – and this is no different.
From what I can gather, it appears that Jack slept with the Deputy Chief’s wife, got her pregnant, they got divorced, she moved to LA with the kid. I do hope that they explore it a bit more, because there are definitely avenues that the story can go down.
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I’m really looking forward to seeing Perry and Eric’s storyline play out during the season. As they pointed out early in the episode with a David Letterman reference, stalking takes place over an extended period of time. The more cases they introduce that last a number of episodes, the better. However, for now, I’m eagerly anticipating seeing more between these two.
In all, this was a really enjoyable pilot. This is definitely the kind of show for someone who enjoys The Following, or Kevin Williamson in general. It needs to keep up its dark tone, as well as moving away from the idea of attempting to kill all of the victims and it needs to find inventive ways to solve cases. Those are just some of my wishes for the season ahead. What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the episode? Do you have any wishes for the season ahead? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
