Air Dates: Tuesday April 19 and 26, 2016 at 9/8c on The CW.
Rating:
A viral outbreak can happen. We’ve seen it with the Ebola scare back in 2014, as well as the avian flu (better known as bird flu) and the H1N1 virus (or swine flu). While Ebola has a much higher mortality rate than the bird or swine flus, that doesn’t mean these viruses can’t mutate. What Containment focuses on is the humanity, as well as its cast of characters. While there is a deadly virus looming, Containment revolves around the people and how they survive this ordeal.
What I enjoyed most about the first two episodes of Containment is how quickly the characters are developed, allowing the audience to immediately begin caring about them and what they go through. I identified with Kristen Gutoskie’s character Katie, who is a single mother. Although, the entire cast is equally engaging and you can’t help but empathize with their torment and suffering. One of the most frightening things about Containment is the real possibility of the mutation of a specific blend of viruses that can be engineered for biological warfare.
This virus leaves a bloody mess.
Pictured: Chris Wood as APD Officer Jake Riley — Photo: Tina Rowden/The CW — © 2016 The CW Network
In “Pilot,” the premise of the show is established and the key players are introduced. The series is set in Atlanta, GA and through a CDC investigation, we learn a deadly viral outbreak is happening in Atlanta. Things begin to escalate quickly when it’s discovered this may be an act of terrorism against the United States. In my interviews with the cast and executive producer Julie Plec, I learned the producers and some cast members consulted with the real CDC to help them with not only medical terminology, but the procedures the CDC would take in an emergency such as this. In the series, while the CDC tries to instill confidence that the viral outbreak will be contained, the fact that the government is placing a majority of the city under quarantine doesn’t evoke calm among the citizens. In a flash forward, a chaotic, riotous scene unfolds to show a much different state of affairs only 13 days after the initial “patient zero” case was confirmed.
While “Pilot” becomes intense at times, it also provides a brief background on many of the characters in an efficient manner so the audience is able to both sympathize and empathize with major players. Containment, based on the Belgian television series Cordon, takes us on a journey, exploring the state of affairs of a large, well-known U.S. city divided. Can you imagine if this were happening right now – Atlanta split in half, with many of its citizens trapped in the hot zone, cordoned off from family, friends, and loved ones? It’s downright terrifying to fathom.
Pictured (L-R): David Gyasi as Major Lex Carnahan and Claudia Black as Dr. Sabine Lommers — Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW — © 2016 The CW Network
As the second episode, “I To Die, You To Live,” begins, we see more panic and even more chaos among all factions – government officials, police, medical personnel, and people on both sides of the electrified fence that separates the quarantined from the non-quarantined zones. Again, the character development, although quick, is very fluid and organic. It doesn’t feel forced at all and by the end of the second episode, you feel as though these characters are people you know, or maybe even your friends.. As many people stay indoors to avoid potential contact with another human being, you begin to see their psyche wearing down as food supplies are (eventually) rationed and cabin fever sets in. But are all the sick people truly within the quarantined area? Who knows how many people “patient zero” came into contact with on the plane or who his family members kept company with since his arrival?
One of the things I love about a show like this is the unknown. They say ignorance is bliss, but not when it comes to a deadly contagion. You don’t know who will rise to the challenge and become the unsung hero. You also have no idea who will stab you in the back to save their own skin. There are many characters with seemingly duplicitous natures. Leo (Trevor St. John), for example, is someone I will be keeping a very close eye on. His journalistic instincts may lead him to a juicy headline story for his blog, but his ambition and selfishness will make it difficult for people to trust him.
On the government side of things, the incomparable Claudia Black plays Dr. Sabine Lommers of the U. S. Department of Public Health. Black’s ability to play the icy Lommers blows me away. Lommers cannot let her emotions guide her when she must give the order to quarantine a large part of the city. At first impression, Lommers seems to have her own agenda, but it’s still unclear whether she knows more about the origins of the virus than she’s letting on.
Pictured: George Young as Dr. Victor Cannerts — Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW — © 2016 The CW Network
CDC doctor Dr. Victor Cannerts (George Young) works tirelessly to find a vaccine for the virus. Let’s be honest, everything sounds better with a British accent; even the horrible news Cannerts about the virus’ mortality rate doesn’t sound as bad. It’s almost as though there is hope in his voice when he says “ithin 48 hours, death,” there isn’t.
Another key player is Major Alex “Lex” Carnahan (David Gyasi) of the Atlanta Police Department. He must work with Lommers, against his better judgment, because his fiancée Jana (Christine Moses) is trapped on the opposite side of the cordon. Lex’s right hand man Jake (Christopher Wood) is also inside the quarantined zone, inside the hospital where “patient zero” was first treated. Also inside the hospital is Katie Frank (Gutoskie) who is on a field trip with a bunch of fifth graders, including her own son Quentin (Zachary Unger). Meanwhile, in another part of the cordoned off zone, Teresa (Hannah Mangan Lawrence), a young pregnant teen, is desperate to join her boyfriend Xander (Demetrius Bridges) on the other side.
I’m very anxious to see where this limited series takes us in just 13 episodes. As demonstrated in “Pilot” and “I To Die, You To Live,” Containment doesn’t take the approach of day 1, viral outbreak confirmed, and then move on to day 2, and so forth. Several days are spanned within each episode so it’s impossible to know whether the flash forward scene showing day 13 occurs in the third episode or somewhere in the middle of the series.
Containment is gripping and intensely engaging; there are also some light moments sprinkled throughout to help alleviate the heavy drama. If you loved movies like Outbreak and Contagion, then you will surely enjoy Containment. It has action, drama, romance, and, of course, a deadly virus that is not kind to its victims.
Check out my interviews with some of the cast and executive producers from WonderCon as they discuss their characters and more.
Tune in to the series premiere, Tuesday, April 19 at 9/8c, followed by new episodes every Tuesday at 9/8c, only on The CW.
For more on the show, go to http://www.cwtv.com/shows/containment
Containment social media:
Twitter @CWContainment
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CWContainment/
Instagram @CWContainment https://www.instagram.com/cwcontainment/
Photos: ©2016 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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