Amazon Pilots: First Impressions: The After

The Show: The After

How to watch: Amazon has the pilot up as part of its model of getting audiences to decide on what shows should be picked up for full series. In the UK you can watch them on the Love Film site.

Premise:  The electricity goes out in a hotel, 8 strangers find themselves trying to get out. Something really bad has happened outside in the real world but it seems to be more than failed electricity and the phones being down, something much more sinister. This show is created by the man behind The X-Files, Chris Carter.

Pros: Whilst the plot is pretty predictable at times it is a compelling and suspenseful 54 minutes, you kind of want to know what the hell is going on. Not all of the characters work straight away but I am impressed by Aldis Hodge as Dee the escaped prisoner. It gets pretty tense at times and the ending is down right creepy.

Cons: Like I said predictable plot and paper thin characters. I don’t usually have any problems with swearing in TV shows but it kind of took me by surprise just how often ‘fucking’ was used almost like Amazon were trying to be edgy.

Overall: Ever since the success of Lost there has been many attempts to make big mystery sci-fi shows and they have largely failed. The After pretty much comes across as FlashForward meets The Event and Revolution and may end up with the same problems those shows have. Despite this I think it has potential and often in pilots with a lot of things going on the characters are one note but get to expand later on.

Will I watch it again:  I would definitely want to see at least a few more episodes if Amazon picks it up just to see where it goes.