The Non-Event

Watching this week’s episode of The Event put me in mind of my recent post on love as a cliche.
The point of the post is that cliches and formulas can work if the characters are interesting enough. And The Event certainly has plenty of all three: Characters, cliches and formulas.
Aliens living among us. A sinister conspiracy. The government treating ETs as a threat just by existing (though handled in a very post-9/11 style, permanent incarceration in a black prison site). Everyday people caught up in the web. Conflicted loyalties. Dozens of characters on various sides of the conflict.
All of which might work with a strong cast, but good actors are one thing that’s in short supply (I’m not a fan of the revived V, but at least the cast are more interesting to see onscreen).
Most notably, the actors playing Scott and Leila are nowhere near memorable enough to be the center of whatever’s going on. Not only that, their love isn’t so special or magical or whatever that I care whether Scott can save his True Love, which seemed to be the main thrust of the first few episodes.
The female leader of the aliens comes off dull and lifeless. So is pretty much every other major character except for the president’s hardline advisor.
Since it’s the kind of show I can use as a “talking lamp” without difficulty, I may watch a few more episodes.
But then again, maybe I won’t.