The 2010s were the decade of TV continuations of legendary horror franchises, highlighted by “Bates Motel” (2012-17), “Hannibal” (2013-15) and “The Exorcist” (2016-18). The least of these – among viewers and critics — is “Damien” (2016, A&E). However, “Omen” fans might enjoy these 10 episodes as a lavishly shot, inconsistently written curiosity.
Delayed struggles
Continuing from writer David Seltzer’s lore in the 1976 film, Glen Mazzara’s series reimagines Damien’s (Bradley James) transition from innocent to Devil-incarnate. Here, it kicks in at age 30, rather than at 13 in “Damien: Omen II.”
As with the films, the TV show is not interested in a logical timeline. The story opens with Damien turning 30. It should be June 6, 2001. However, judging by the smartphones, it’s June 6, 2015.
“Damien” (2016)
A&E, 10 episodes
Showrunner: Glen Mazzara
Stars: Bradley James, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Omid Abtahi
Over six Tuesdays, RFMC is looking back at five films and one TV series in the “Omen” franchise.
“Damien” therefore misses an opportunity to comment on the encroaching evils of the 21st century, such as the 9/11 attacks and the U.S. government’s authoritarian responses. The 2006 “Omen” remake touches on this, but it came out in the “too soon” era so it couldn’t do much.
That “Damien” shies away from a wider commentary on evil is the first indicator that it’s a safe series. Unlike it’s A&E counterpart “Bates Motel,” it’s scared to expand the mythos much. Meanwhile, the mythos itself isn’t deep enough to sustain momentum – it wraps back in on itself and reaches a climax only because it’s the last episode and it has to.
The ‘Omen’ mood you want
On the plus side, the moody atmosphere you expect from an “Omen” story is in place. The NYC settings are lushly dark; even Damien’s loft apartment is barely lit.
Among the awesome shots are a trio of growling black dogs silhouetted against the nightscape; it took me awhile to realize they are canines rather than cloaked cult members. Occasionally, we get good scares, some from a mysterious old crone who moves within photographs, “Sinister”-style.
Bear McCreary’s score is its own aggressive thing while respecting Jerry Goldsmith’s foundation. Having also done “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” McCreary is one of TV’s best composers; you can currently hear his work on the “Lord of the Rings” prequel.
Good but underused cast
The actors are a notch better than the material they are given. James walks a line where Damien a good dude – a photojournalist chronicling the world’s evils — but also the devil’s son. Damien denies it, but power brokers Scott Wilson and Barbara Hershey keep telling him he is, and deep down he knows it.
The films imply the suicides and accidents that happen around Damien are because of him, but not because of his conscious intentions. His sub-sub-subconscious is doing it. The same rules hold for “Damien,” but – unlike teen Damien in “Omen II” — he’s troubled by these deaths and not interested in embracing his destiny.
“Damien” pulls a casting trick that reminds me of “Angel,” where Glenn Quinn’s Doyle is intentionally killed off after nine episodes. Here, Damien’s girlfriend Kelly (Tiffany Hines, “Beyond the Break”) seems like part of the lead trio – rounded out by Omid Abtahi’s Amani – but she’s killed off in the pilot episode (with a pretty wild special effect).
Kelly’s sister, Simone (Megalyn Echikunwoke), then steps in. By the metric of “easy-to-look-at female leads,” I had no complaints about Kelly, but none about Simone either.
The naturally smiley Hershey is good for a while as Damien’s mysterious ally (or so she says) Ann Rutledge. And the writers almost do something with Rutledge’s daughter Veronica (Melanie Scrofano, “Wynonna Earp”). Veronica resents her mother’s obsession with Damien; she’s losing a sibling rivalry to someone who isn’t an actual brother.
Slight improvement over the film sequels
But “Damien” sets aside supporting characters too quickly while giving the main cast repetitive material. Detective James Shay (David Meunier) is a victim. Shay eventually looks silly pursuing Damien (always nearby when “accidents” happen) while brushing aside supernatural evidence. It’s mildly interesting that Shay is gay, with a husband and son, while also being a jerk of a cop – that’s not a standard TV trope.
The best episode is “Seven Curses” (5), the only one that’s almost a standalone. Jose Pablo Cantillo gives a moving turn as a soldier with life-threatening injuries, physical pain and PTSD. The episode critiques war and tiptoes into criticizing the V.A. while commenting on assisted suicides.
That’s followed by the worst hour, “Temptress,” where the whole thing is Damien’s nightmare. The story is told too normally (with other characters’ POVs and many straightforward scenes) to cue a viewer that this is a dream world.
The other eight episodes fall between the extremes; it’s not homework to watch them, but nor do I desire a rewatch. “Damien” wasn’t intended to be a miniseries (broadly speaking, this is the “Omen II” arc and a second season would’ve been the “Omen III” arc). It does bring the title character’s journey to a logical point, although it’s rote and inevitable by the end.
But given the low bar of the film sequels, I give the stylish “Damien” a slight edge as the superior continuation of what Seltzer started in ’76.