And that probably means this will wind up being canceled. I wasn't expecting any more than a supernatural soap opera as a summer diversion, and that element is there alright, but there's more going on under the surface. It's a really good sign that there's subtext as early as the Pilot, so I actually hope this show will last.
The Gates follows a Chicago homicide detective who moves his family to an affluent gated community to become its new Chief of Police. What he doesn't realize is that the community is really a sort of retreat/preserve for a variety of supernatural beings. There are subplots involving a handsome vampire couple trying to become well-adjusted participants in human society, a teenage werewolf pack trying to integrate a lone wolf into their group, and a witch trying to bring her rogue apprentice back from the left hand path. And that's not including the requisite teenage love triangle, only in this case it's looking like it's one of the teen boys who is the human in the equation.
This is a show posing the question about whether or not it's a futile effort to try to tame predatory urges, and it's not just the monsters who fit the theme. The cop also finds himself eager to hunt, his instincts tweaked by the mysterious goings-on. Each of the characters has a compelling reason to want to settle down, and an equally compelling reason to want to break free of the constraints represented by the stylized suburban setting.
I'm curious to see where these writers are going to go with this, but cautious, because ABC has not really been a long-term home to shows like this, with the notable exception of Lost. I hope they give this one a chance. Unlike the recently canceled Happy Town (also of ABC) this one is shaping up to be something more substantial than a guilty pleasure.
The Gates follows a Chicago homicide detective who moves his family to an affluent gated community to become its new Chief of Police. What he doesn't realize is that the community is really a sort of retreat/preserve for a variety of supernatural beings. There are subplots involving a handsome vampire couple trying to become well-adjusted participants in human society, a teenage werewolf pack trying to integrate a lone wolf into their group, and a witch trying to bring her rogue apprentice back from the left hand path. And that's not including the requisite teenage love triangle, only in this case it's looking like it's one of the teen boys who is the human in the equation.
This is a show posing the question about whether or not it's a futile effort to try to tame predatory urges, and it's not just the monsters who fit the theme. The cop also finds himself eager to hunt, his instincts tweaked by the mysterious goings-on. Each of the characters has a compelling reason to want to settle down, and an equally compelling reason to want to break free of the constraints represented by the stylized suburban setting.
I'm curious to see where these writers are going to go with this, but cautious, because ABC has not really been a long-term home to shows like this, with the notable exception of Lost. I hope they give this one a chance. Unlike the recently canceled Happy Town (also of ABC) this one is shaping up to be something more substantial than a guilty pleasure.