Season 2, Episode 1
Air Date: Sunday, September 28, 2014, 9/8c on ABC
Rating:
“Who am I?” – Margaret Langston
Jacob welcoming a familiar face.
The fallout from the military occupation of the small town of Arcadia continues to take a toll on its citizens, especially Sheriff Langston (Matt Craven) who finds himself torn between family and duty. But, as things start to settle in the town, a new mystery begins to unfold.
I don’t usually get into supernatural dramas and was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first season of Resurrection, particularly the modern day Mayberry feel of the show. While The Andy Griffith Show’s Andy (Andy Griffith) and Barney (Don Knotts) never had to deal with the returning dead, the small town component of a father, the return of his deceased son, and the brother who is the sheriff trying to keep the peace has a refreshing feel to it. Along with interesting characters and a captivating story, I found myself drawn to the events unfolding in Arcadia as departed loved ones once again mysteriously start showing up in town.
After the season one finale, “Torn Apart,” I started to have concerns that the writers would be forced to change the tone of the show for season two given the military’s takeover of Arcadia. How would the world react to the discovery of people returning from the dead? What kind of impact would the military control have on the small community? Could Resurrection still keep its Mayberry feel?
“Revelation” picks up shortly after last season’s finale and I found myself intrigued, yet somewhat disappointed, with the episode. Intrigued because the show takes an interesting turn with the focus of the story shifting from Jacob (Landon Gimenez) and his return to something else entirely. I was disappointed, though, because at this point it appears the writers are taking the easy way out in order to put the genie back in the bottle after the conclusion to season one. This created several “Ya but…” moments for me because I was longing for a better explanation as to why certain things were happening, or in this case, not happening.
Is Margaret visiting or one of the returned?
While the main cast from season one is back, Arcadia also gets some new residents, most notably Margaret Langston (Michelle Fairley), Henry (Kurtwood Smith) and Sheriff Langston’s mother. Margaret’s introduction provides for some interesting conflict within the Langston family and gives the writers a lot to work with in the future. While her initial introduction is rather eye rolling, and done in a way to trigger a range of emotions from the audience, it’s her scenes later in “Revelation” that fans of the show will be talking about. One scene in particular where Margaret is talking to one of her sons is reminiscent of the iconic “Say my name” scene from Breaking Bad, especially given its intensity.
My biggest frustration with “Revelation” revolves around the lack of answers to the questions we were left with after “Torn Apart.” I don’t mind some unanswered questions as often writers will have a little give and take to those mysteries because as one is explained, another develops. Looking back at Resurrection’s freshman season, no real answers to any of the mysteries are provided in this season premiere. Making matters even more complicated is that “Revelation” adds even more questions to the pile of conundrums that has already accumulated about Resurrection. It would be nice if the writers would provide some answers to existing questions before they are buried in a new pile of twists and turns.
Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed “Revelation” but in many ways, Resurrection no longer feels like the show I enjoyed so much last season. Instead, it feels like a pilot to a new show rather than a continuation of last season. It reminds me of the 2005 series Prison Break, which I thought was brilliant in its first season. But after Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) broke out of prison, the writers seemed lost as to the show’s identity and that season one magic was never seen on the show again. I hope that doesn’t happen with Resurrection.
Who are they and what or who do they want?
Resurrection for me was a mysterious tale of a little boy named Jacob who seemingly returned from the dead. While others also returned, the story focused around Jacob. That story line seems to have been put on the back burner as Agent Bellamy (Omar Epps) is forced to focus on Arcadia’s newest mystery, which hopefully will draw new fans to the show.
As someone who doesn’t consider himself a religious person, I appreciate the show’s departure from some of the heavier spiritual tones of the show that may have turned off some viewers. Season two appears to be more of a governmental conspiracy thriller, and that excites me.
I expect that going forward, the writers will do a better job connecting the two seasons in order to address the unanswered questions while simultaneously moving forward with an exciting season two.
The season premiere of Resurrection airs September 28, 2014 at 9/8c, only on ABC.
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All photos © 2014 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Greg Staffa
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