There’s nothing else on TV like “The River” (8 p.m. Central Tuesdays on ABC), so maybe it’s unfair to say this about a show that’s trying to break new ground, but: It moves way too fast to be scary. Or even to set a scary mood.
Weird stuff happens
The format has been established after two episodes: A mom (Leslie Hope from “24”), a son and others — ship’s crew and a TV crew — are searching for the missing dad, nature-show host Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood), along the Amazon River and in the surrounding rainforest; weird stuff happens.
But in the first episode, I didn’t even catch the explanation for the existence of the creature that is flitting around like a giant fly and attacking people. I think they say it is the spirit of a dead person or something (they keep calling it by a specific name), but it happens way too fast.
“The River” (2012)
Tuesdays, ABC
Creators: Oren Peli, Michael R. Perry
Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Joe Anderson, Leslie Hope
The second episode features a creepy setting of trees with baby dolls hanging from the branches, offerings from locals to a spirit that tends to drown people in the river. We get one of those fast-forwarded sleeping sequences a la “Paranormal Activity” (that franchise’s Oren Peli is a creator of “The River”), but it seems rote and forced.
Then the group solves the mystery of what’s going on super-fast. The characters figure out the premise of the show they are on faster than I did, and this is absurd because, of course, TV characters shouldn’t know they are TV characters.
There’s too much of a sense of “being on TV” with “The River.” With the “Paranormal Activity” films, the found-footage style is built into the plot. But with “The River’s” plot, it’s not strictly necessary to show the whole thing via handheld and mounted cameras. This story — even though it’s largely about a camera crew — could be told traditionally, perhaps with occasional view-from-the-camera shots peppered in.
No reason to film everything
Instead, every single thing we see is ostensibly from one of the handheld or mounted cameras, and it’s distracting because there’s no reason that absolutely everything should be filmed. Recall that this group is merely searching for Emmet; at first, they have no reason to think they are entering into a place of supernatural horrors.
Beyond that significant flaw, there’s a lot to like about “The River.” It’s filmed in Puerto Rico, and even with the cinematography being compromised due to the format, it looks beautiful yet unsettling, with lush greens during the daytime and dark shadows at night. The pilot episode ends with a panning shot down the Amazon River (which, now that I think about it, breaks from the show’s format, doesn’t it?) showing it snaking in many different directions through the forest.
Emmet’s son Lincoln (British actor Joe Anderson, struggling with the American accent) says something about how this area is so mysterious it hasn’t even been mapped. That seems unlikely, and I would’ve liked more explanation, but it’s a neat idea at least.
Characters have potential
I also like the relationship between Lincoln and Lena (Eloise Mumford), the daughter of Emmet’s cameraman (who is likewise missing). In flashback videos, labeled as B-roll from old episodes of “The Undiscovered Country,” we see them playing as little kids. Emmet comments with humor that Lincoln and Lena will end up getting married someday. I’ll be interested to follow this relationship going forward.
There’s also potential with the Hispanic father-daughter duo that works in the engine room of the ship, Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and teenage Jahel (Paulina Gaitan).
Overall, I’m a little disappointed with the first two hours, but like I said, there’s nothing else like it on TV right now, so I’ll stick with “The River” at least through its initial eight-episode first season. It’s unlikely it’ll last beyond that anyway.
What were your thoughts on the first two episodes of “The River?” Share your thoughts below.