It's finally here, after almost a year of being announced as in development at The CW, The Messengers is finally gracing us with it's presence. You can read my initial reaction the pilot here if you are wondering why I'm not going too in-depth here. I know I came off bit negative before, which wasn't my intention. My intention was to provide my thoughts on what I saw in a way that was analytical yet fair. I enjoyed The Messengers once I embraced it for what it was instead of trying to paint it as something it is not with unfair comparisons. The show has so much potential to be a new favourite of mine, and I am hoping that it succeeds. I do think I'm at an unfair advantage having seen more episodes for reviewing/previewing purposes, so I know what is coming and that's one more thing that makes it more exciting, anticipating how everyone else is going to react to the developments going forward.Speaking of going forward, from what went down in the pilot aka Awakening, we have a lot of story to see unfold. So let's recap shall we?
The Devil Went Down To Georgia...Houston: What an intense opening moment huh? The show kicks into gear when we open with Rose, nurse and recently engaged woman, talking to her co-worker about her engagement. Rose gets overcome with some sort of feeling and faints, but she has no idea what it is. Luckily, there's a stranger there to explain "His name is Death and hell followed with him." He then shoots her a couple of times with the firearm he had with him. Cut to-Seven years later.
When we first meet
Vera Buckley, radio-astronomer working somewhere 80km west of Socorro, New Mexico, she is driving up to her outpost in the middle of the desert to meet her coworker Alan after a meeting with a Congressman who holds the purse strings for their budget. The meeting didn't go to well we learn, probably because Vera may have problem not speaking her mind.Their conversation is cut short though by an alert coming up on their systems about an object about to come crashing to Earth. They check it out on their equipment and realize that this thing is really close to crashing on Earth at this point. Vera heads out just in time to see it land somewhere in the distance. After it lands, a strange force radiates from the object and Vera stands there as it makes its way through her, and after it does so, she dies. Alan finds her and tries to wake her before checking her pulse and realizing she is gone. He runs back to the truck and we see that the object that fell was not an object at all, but a man. Alan returns to her body with what looks like an emergency defibrillator, but before he gets a chance to use it, Vera wakes back up shouting for someone named Michael, which Alan points out moments later. Vera insists that she's fine, despite Alan's worry, and tells him they need to go find what just fell. Meanwhile,
The Man from the object approaches a mechanic on the side of the road, asking for the some clothes, and the mechanic doesn't think he can help, but it turns out his mechanic suit is just The Man's size. Vera and Alan, on their way to the object pass right by The Man in his new clothes, because despite Alan's advice of caution and Houston saying they have the object situation under control, Vera wants to be the first to find the object so they are headed towards the crash site.
Over the radio, Vera and Alan hear an announcer on the radio stating that the government has declared what happened earlier as a solar flare and that it is what caused the disruption to the airwaves earlier that day. Vera is curious, because she knows it wasn't a solar flare or a government source because they are the government source. She thinks the cover up that it was solar flare and not a meteor makes no sense, to which Alan proposes that it's aliens. They make their way to the crash site, which happens to be at Trinity, the place where the first atomic bomb was tested. They examine the surroundings and deduce that it had to have been a meteor that feel to earth, but Alan feels that it landing in this exact spot is too coincidental and it must be something else. Before he can muse any further though, the military shows up to take control of the crash site, forcing Vera and Alan to leave. They head back to their site, and Vera says they will go back tomorrow to get sample and Alan reveals that he has already swiped one from the site for her and hands it to her. Alan then reveals that he worries about her, not just because of her emotional detachment and her passing out and then he asks her about Michael. Vera replies that Michael is someone who has been gone a long time and tells Alan not to worry about her.
Back at home, Vera is examining the sample Alan got her when she notices a window open and hear a noise from the bedroom. She heads into the bedroom and notices her laptop is open on the bed. Before she can make a move for it, the lamp clicks on and sitting next to it, is
The Man. Vera pulls a gun from the nightstand on him and tells him not to move and he tells her he doesn't need to, and that she will come to him. He tells Vera that she has been chosen and that who he is doesn't matter, but what he knows does. When she threatens to call the cops he tells her what he knows is about her son and to look at her computer. She sees it and starts crying while repeatedly saying the name Michael and The Man tells her the video is from just last week. Vera looks confused while stammering the words, "He's alive". The Man tells Vera he knows who took Michael and he knows why and Vera pulls the gun on him demanding him to tell her and as she steps forward we see she has angel wings on her back. The Man smiles and says "Don't Worry Angel, I can tell you where to find your son, you just need to finish a job for me first". That job happens to be killing a woman who has been in a coma for seven years, because she is a threat to everything. Vera calls him insane and tells him to do it himself. The Man says he will find someone else and Vera pulls the gun on him again but he knows she won't kill him because he is her only hope of ever seeing her son again. Next thing you know, Vera is on the road to Houston, as The Man laments on how nothing is random or coincidence and everyone has a part to play.
Somewhere in Juarez, Mexico,
Raul Garcia is just about to get his head cut off with a machete over a misunderstanding it seems, but he is saved by two of his fellow operatives. Turns out, Raul has spent the last five years undercover, trying to get information on El Jefe. Raul tells the men that he wants out, and he wants to go home, and the two men assure him that's why they are here now.(Did anyone actually believe these guys?)They ask Raul if he got the coordinates and he assures him that he did get them and that the shipment is on the plane. They question Raul about the drop site and how much more product is there. Raul assures them there is more there and evidence that can put away El Jefe for good. One man, unconvincingly, says they have to call in a location to get the team over there, and Raul feels something is off, but before he can act on it, the force from the object travels through him and he dies. The men assume Raul had a heart attack, and are surprised when they turn around shortly after and see him standing in front of them. Suddenly, it's like someone turned on a high pitched frequency in his head and Raul can hear the thoughts of one of the men, stating to remember the training and put three to his chest. He plays it off as just a headache, but hears it again, this time with the name Isabel attached, so he questions them who is Isabel. One guy gets shaky and pulls his gun on Raul and Raul then states that they plan to kill him. (I mean he does have a gun on you) Before you know it, Raul is shot and both me are dead after a little gunplay is had so Raul runs and makes his way to U.S. Border, with his path eventually crossing with another messenger. Raul hitches a ride in the back of pickup truck and makes his way into a gas station restroom, where he calls someone named Caesar and tells him to lay low. He then tightens the rag he has compressing his bulletwound, and in the mirror we see he also has wings on his shoulders now.
is just a single mother trying to make a clean break in Tucson, Arizona. A feat made difficult by someone named Ronnie. Ronnie calls Erin as she and Amy are leaving in the morning and tries to spook her, which has a minimal effect on Erin. Erin seems to be trying to make sure that Amy doesn't know what is going on, but as they are driving and speaking of a trip to Texas this summer, Amy asks her mom if she'll be going to Dad's anymore. Erin replies no just as the radio starts acting funny and the lights on the car start flickering. Erin turns her head and sees the strange force coming right at her. When she comes to, it's on a stretcher surrounded by first responders. When she died, Erin had crashed the car and now Amy is being taken off to the hospital in an ambulance as a panic-stricken Erin screams after her. At the hospital, Erin nervously paces back and forth waiting on news on Amy right before she is confronted by her ex, Ronnie, who is also a cop. Ronnie confronts Erin, blaming this on her despite Erin trying to insist it was accident while people look on. He tells Erin that report was going to say that she was drinking again, and Erin tells him that's not true, but Ronnie tells her it is if he says it is before walking away leaving Erin in tears.
After Amy's surgery, Erin is brought in to see her daughter who is hooked into machines and unconscious and she bursts into tears. She leans over Amy let her tears fall on her daughters face and kissing her forehead. She cries into her daughter shoulder, not noticing that Amy's wound has healed where Erin's tear fell on it until Amy wakes up questioning why she is here. Erin, overjoyed and simultaneously panicked about Ronnie's threat, grabs Amy from her bed and sneaks out of the room. As she rounds the corner carrying Amy on her way out, we see in the reflector a set of Angel wings now rests on Erin's back. Ronnie comes back and finds that his daughter is gone, and alerts the hospital staff that she's missing. Erin and Amy end up at the same gas station that Raul is in and Amy notices Raul's face on the screen as a wanted suspect and then spies him behind her stealing candy. Erin and Raul share a look as she leaves and Raul notices his face on the TV screen. He exits quickly and hops in Erin's car and pulls his gun on her and says he is not going to hurt her, but that he just needs a ride and makes Erin nod she agrees to take him. Amy questions Raul as to where they are going and he tells her Houston, because that where his brother and niece are and he needs to make sure they are safe. Amy replies that it's lucky he is with them because they were headed to Houston anyway.
Over the way, in Houston, Texas at the Church of the Eternal Redeemer,
Joshua Silburn Jr. is anxiously pacing backstage, nervous before he heads on camera to deliver a sermon. His pregnant wife makes her way over to him and offers him some words of encouragement. Joshua is nervous because his father is also a televangelist at the church and preaching to the church in his footsteps is like "Opening for the Stones". The look between his wife and his father as Josh Jr. takes the stage is enough to tell you that something is off here. Josh Jr. takes the stage and immediately is enigmatic and has the audience riled up. It looks like things are going well, until the force from the object passes through him, in the middle of his telecast and he falls dead on the stage. They move him offstage while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, but his wife fears it's too late because there is no pulse. Josh Jr. wakes up and the first thing he says is that he needs to make a broadcast, that night, and his father agrees because they must share his miracle. Josh Jr.'s opens his broadcast by telling those people watching that earlier that day, he died. He died, and now he lives, but why? He tells them he has seen things, things they can not imagine, he tells them he has seen God's face.
Josh Jr. goes on to state that the wheels of Revelations have begun to turn and that there will be chaos and war and what they do next will determine everything. His father is in the room and tells the crew to cut JJ off and the crewman replies that it is going live, and Josh Sr. just tells him to end it, and the man obliges. Though not before Josh Jr. states for those listening to heed his words or parish for he is a messenger of God. His father confronts him later about his new message and tells Josh Jr. that if he continues to spread this message he will not be welcome in his church. JJ's reply, "it's not your church, it's God's church", causes his father to walk away. We see in the camera lense that pair of wings now rest upon JJ's shoulders as well. His death isn't the only shock Josh Jr. gets because later, he finds his wife crying in a room with his father and she admits that she slept with his father. Josh Sr. tells his son that whether the baby is his son or his brother, he's still family. (Uhm, gross) Josh Jr. heads back to the stage and collapses as he receives a vision of The Man falling to earth, of Houston Memorial Hospital, of Rose in a coma, and of someone smothering Rose with a pillow so he heads to the hospital. Inside, Rose lays in her room blissfully unaware The Man is now sitting a few feet away from her, as telecast of Josh Jr. plays in the background and he speaks of how the Devil is among them in flesh and blood, how he knows their secrets and will use them against them and that he is temptation and sin. He goes on and says that he is evil incarnate, Lucifer aka the Prince of Darkness and that whether you believe it or not, he is coming for us all.
Finally in Little Rock, Arkansas we have
Peter Moore, who seems a bit on the shy side, especially when asked by a really cute girl if he'll be attending Lindsay's party tonight, because she was hoping he'd drive her home and not swim laps all night. He doesn't get a chance to answer though as some guy named Sam and his goons walk up and start antagonizing him. Thankfully his cute friend-girl comes to his defense and Sam backs off but not before swearing that next time, things are going down. Later, while in the pool, the force of the object passes through Peter causing him to drown, and unlike the others he doesn't just wake up, it was after CPR is performed that he wakes up coughing up water. Shortly after the school counselor is talking to Peter and implies that he thinks this may have been a suicide attempt, like the one Peter tried before and that he read about in Peter's file. Peter tells him it wasn't an attempt and that he as practice early and needs to leave, and the counselor says he can leave after they notify his parents, and Peter tells him to notify the group foster home where he lives. The counselor looks surprised and Peter just walks off.
Peter decides to attend the part at Lindsay's that evening, but before he can make it in, he is stopped by Sam and his goons at the door. Sam, who for whatever reason has a grudge against Peter, starts beating Peter up. He tells Peter to admit he is gay while his two goons hold him by his arms and Peter spits in his face, so Sam punches him again, knocking him to the ground. Peter gets up and starts punching Sam repeatedly before raising Sam off the ground by the throat with one hand and launching him through the air into the windshield of a nearby car. When he walks over to see what he has done, Peter notices his reflection in the window of the car now shows angel wings resting on his back. He heads into the party and finds the girl from earlier, Alice, and she takes him out back to clean him up and he confesses to her that Sam is dead. Peter tells Alice he has to leave here, despite her pleas that he could stay with her while they figure this out. Peter tells her again that he must leave, right before he melodramatically kisses her as sirens wail in the distance. He tells her that he may be confused about everything, but not about how he feels about her, before running off as the cops arrive at the party. Later, Peter hitches a ride with a Trucker who is headed to Houston.
I saw a lot of positive reactions to the pilot over at the "
What Did You Think Of Poll?" Which is great, I also heard it was trending on twitter which is also great. Unfortunately nothing has changed with my initial reception of the pilot. It was a severely mixed bag. Like I said it my preview, it's not a bad pilot, but it wasn't quite exceptional either. I see that some of you are stating that some just dont get it and are asking too much when seeking answers in a pilot. I beg to differ, a pilot needs to able to define the show in a way that keeps the viewer engaged. Having seen episode two, I state that it sets up the premise of the series more so than the pilot. I agree with those people who state it should have been a 2-hour premiere. Cut the fat off the first, cram in the exposition from the second and hit the ground running from there. I didn't find myself immediately drawn to a particular character or caring for one, and going forward I'm not sure if I will. The closest I've come is sympathy for Erin, who didn't ask to die behind the wheel of the car, and have her cop ex become suspicious. The next episode
Strange Magic is quite good because it delves a bit more into Vera and about her struggle, so if each episode is centered around a character but also provides growth for the others, I'm sure my heart will grow to care eventually, but this was a pilot and it had a lot of characters to introduce as well as set up their past and present in such a small frame of time. I love how it played out that all the character paths are headed to Houston, though they are unaware of each other for the most part. It was a great setup of what's to come and it most certainly makes you wonder what is going to happen when they get there. Especially since The Man is there waiting.
Don't get me wrong though, I did enjoy the show, it just had some things that bothered me. When it comes to juggling the POV of all the characters I felt it was a bit sloppy, yet I still enjoyed all of the characters and all the personal turmoil they have. I really love that a second generation televangelist has been chosen and was given the gift of vision, that has got to be my favorite part of this so far. I really viewed the pilot (and the show) as summer blockbuster entertainment. Kind of cheesy and cliche in parts(C'mon the baby was his father's? ugh!), full of flash, and not too much you have to sit and analyze. I just simply sat back and enjoyed it(the second and third times I did anyway). I do wish that
The Man came off a bit more sinister and a little less bad boy which I feel like is more the portrayer than then the character. This is the Devil for goodness sake, and maybe Ray Wise(Reaper), Jamey Sheridan (The Stand, not exactly the Devil, but close), and Mark Pellegrino(Supernatural) spoiled me, but I want
The Man to be sweet like candy laced with poison and I didn't feel it here. I also think it's cool that each character has a specific gift to wield as an Angel and it really gives it a Heroes vibe, which I like, and I hope as the season progresses they develop the gifts further.
I will say, the series itself feels too adult for The CW, and I feel that is why it went to Friday. The religious ties and lack of love triangles mixed with the tone make it hard to envision where on the schedule it could have went. Friday is not a death sentence for the show though, the show could do relatively well there because expectations are lower on the night. I think the pilot had enough going for it that people are going to be willing to give it a second try and that if the reaction is as strong as it appears over here at SpoilerTV, more eyeballs might find their way. Sure, the show may feel a bit disjointed initially, but it has a certain, creepiness to it that resonated well and kept me engaged. Som=, while we may disagree now, that's okay, everyone sees things differently, and once you read how I feel about the show going forward, I'm sure you'll see that I'm truly rooting for the show to succeed.
So what was your first impression of The Messengers? Which characters do you feel were a hit? Which were a miss? Why do you think The Man wants Rose dead? Which Messenger power do you think is the best? Do you plan on checking out the next episode Strange Magic? Was the pilot enough to keep you hooked or draw you away? Sound off Below!
The Messengers, second episode titled Strange Magic, airs Friday April 24th at 9pm EST on The CW.
About the Author - Winston Mize
Winston is a 24 year old goofball, born in the north, and currently living in the south. He loves TV.... for some it's coffee, for him it's TV talk that gets his day going. He wants to be a screenwriter, and watches some of everything. You name it, he's probably checked it out. And he would like you to know that it is okay for a 24 year old to play with action figures... well, he does anyway
