Brian K. Vaughan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s best selling novel “Under the Dome” kicked off last night on CBS. How did it start? Did it appropriately mix the styles of Vaughan and King, while drawing non-fans of both in?
Let’s take a look under the dome, from the eyes of someone who hasn’t read the book it is based off of.
As a note: no spoilers from the books in the comments!
1. A Very Promising Opening Episode
Let’s start from the top: for those who were thinking of watching this later on your DVR or downloading it (legally, of course), you should. As far as pilot episodes are concerned, “Under the Dome” is very strong. It has a good cast, top notch production values (besides some rather dicey cow based CGI), a nice foundation and clearly quality people working on it from top to bottom. I’ll talk more about the specifics in a bit, but after one episode, I’m hooked and ready for more.
It’s obvious a concept that won’t be pushed too far, as they have a limited run – just 13 episodes over the summer – to tell the length of the “Under the Dome’s” plot. Given what happened in this episode, I think it’s safe to say that this will not be a show that ever lacks in things going down, which is a relief considering Vaughan and fellow Executive Producer Jack Bender’s previous prominent roles in “Lost.”
2. Stephen King Vibe Definitely Permeates
One of the things that is omnipresent in most (quality) Stephen King movie and TV productions is an air of creepiness, of complete and utter ominous dread. From the start of this episode, that is evident, from the characters and their icy relationships to what is going on with the dome itself. It reminds me of some of the adaptations I loved of King’s work, like the TV mini-series of “The Stand” (sue me, I loved it).
It helps a lot that King veteran W.G. Snuffy Walden is onboard to provide the “Under the Dome’s” score, as his minimalist set of familiar King tones underline a lot of the best moments in this episode. Additionally, Niels Arden Oplev ably directs this pilot, and he’s a guy who has proven himself capable of character-based tension like this in the original adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”
3. BKV’s Work Stands Out
Vaughan himself provided the teleplay for this episode, and you can see his touches throughout. This is a show that does a great job of establishing characters, introducing the concept of the show, creating a hook, and filling the show with trademark BKV lines. I’m not sure if this one is direct from King or from BKV, but I enjoyed this quick conversation between arguably lead “Barbie” (Mike Vogel) and his little buddy Joe McClatchey (Colin Ford) in regards to the origins of the dome:
Joe: What if the government built it?
Barbie: I doubt it.
Joe: Why?
Barbie: Because it works.
Was it laugh out loud funny? No, but it was a great little conversation piece that brings a smile to your face and underlines character beats for the inquisitive Joe and the jaded Barbie.
The story tension of the first scene with Barbie in it and his last one was also expertly put together, and it was something that was staring the viewer in the face the whole time. Bravo to BKV for sneaking that one in on us, and I’m interested to see how his story develops within the show.
4. A Very Strong Cast…Mostly
As you may have noticed, I dug Barbie. He’s a man of few words, but he’s a very effective guy. Think of him as an interesting blend of Yorick and 355, but, you know, with a lot of differences. Mike Vogel does a phenomenal job with the character, and he’s a guy I’ve often enjoyed but strangely haven’t seen that much from.
He highlights a capable cast in “Under the Dome” that also includes a duplicitous Dean Norris (HANK!), a stunning and engaging Rachelle Lefevre, a besieged Britt Robertson and a…umm…troubled sheriff played by Jeff Fahey.
Continued belowThere’s a lot of depth here, as most every actor handles their role quite well.
The biggest potential miss, and I still can’t say exactly how I feel, is both in acting and writing on the character of Junior (Alexander Koch), Big Jim’s (Norris) son. In the very first scene, the kid seems just like some smitten collegian, but by the end, it’s like Norman Bates and Jame Gumb had some super freaky lovechild, much to the chagrin of Robertson’s Angie. His meteoric rise into psychodom was, frankly, jarring.
I reserve judgment though, as Koch is clearly a skilled actor at playing a crazy person with and on/off switch, and I’d wager he’s going to be a rather intriguing part going forward. I just wish his – and his story’s – 0 to 60 speed was a little slower.
5. The Saga Continues
This show is a weird creature for me. On one hand, I want Vaughan to stay in comics forever, but I also want the guy to be a big success in whatever field he desires. After one episode, I can say this: he’s on his way to really making his name in TV, as this is his baby, and it’s a quality one.
With a quality cast, a pulse pounding atmosphere throughout, a concept that is very engaging, and strong writing and directing, this rather competition free (it’s summer, after all) production could and should garner a sizable audience. Here’s hoping it does, and here’s hoping this show keeps the momentum going all the way until the end.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Damn good start, what did you all think?
