Reviews

The series begins with Yates and Francis Forsythe adapting from their yuppie life in California to Yates' childhood home - a sprawling estate in smalltown Mississippi. They join Yates' parents, "the Judge" (Nick Nolte) and "Byrd" (Barbara Hersey). The manor is situated on vast property with green grounds and trees dripping with moss. The Forsythes are influential. Francis discovers secret-after-secret piling up and uncovering mysteries while much of the town dislikes her forward-thinking ways. She equally dislikes deep southern traditions. Along with Francis, I want answers to the questions she forms about the town and her husband. The characters are well constructed - many bigger than life - yet like the rest of us, no one is entirely good or bad. Each actor embodies the character he or she is playing so you believe. There are references to classic works of art: Paradise Lost (John Milton's epic poem) and Ophelia (John Everett Millais' painting). If you have access, Paradise Lost is worth watching. The greatest mystery surrounds Yates' dead sister Janus. She is the local legend with tales of her supernatural powers, which we see through flashbacks. If you think it is slow at the beginning, keep going because the last few episodes make it impossible to press pause. I am crossing my fingers for a Season 2. I want to know what happens next.

Excellent pilot! Looking forward to more. This is the best new series for sci-fi fans. To see Jennifer Connelly in a TV show after all her excellent film work is a rare treat. Daveed Diggs is new to me and talented as the protagonist. The plot is clear from the series description - no need to repeat that. I am a fan of the original film and this series does not disappoint so far. Unlike the original film, this series takes us to the beginning depicting how and why the train started rolling and who from the poor class were able to sneak aboard. The filmography is beautiful, showing a train car full of flowering plants and trees, the lovely chef diving nude in a sea tank for uni, and the 1,001 cars piercing through the snow. The wealth of those who could afford to live on the train is juxtaposed against the suffering of the stowaways at the tail. Immediately you will be attached to some in the tail section and hope for their liberation, yet you may have some small understanding of the rich who paid dearly for their seats and are clueless about happenings in the tail. The rich could have disengaged the rear cars and let the stowaways die but they are sustaining them with nasty looking food bars and require no work from them for the most part. This plot promises to move forward in showing us the clash between the poor and rich that has haunted human existence; yet here it is told in a sci-fi setting with impressive filmography, endless varieties of train cars, and top rate actors. There is a plot twist at the end of the pilot that diverges from the original film leaving me intrigued for more. Perhaps you will have the same reaction.