The Event: A Sci-Fi Mystery That Could Have Been the Next Lost!
The Event: A One-Season Wonder with the Potential to be HUGE
The Event (2010) from NBC was supposed to be the next Lost. Seriously! It was heavily promoted as that big, next mystery show, full of suspense and alien intrigue! This ambitious project from creator Nick Wauters followed aliens after their ship crashed in Alaska; featuring a gigantic ensemble cast; mixing science fiction, political thrillers, and a major mystery, all packed into one awesome package that attempted to duplicate those key aspects present within that prior, critically lauded series, Lost!
It began strongly with mostly positive early reviews, demonstrating those amazing Plot Twists and building intense suspense with its amazing opening scenes and episode finale. The mysterious events in that pilot were amazing and instantly grabbed viewers' attention. It looked so good, too, promising a big, mind-blowing season. Unfortunately, all these hopes were dashed in the most unfortunate way: The show didn't last!
A Lost-Inspired Pilot With a Twist (That Didn’t Quite Work)
The Event’s first episode mirrored Lost. A large cast; science fiction elements; a mind-blowing mystery built around that initial plane crash – exactly what Lost did! The pilot deftly introduced this plot without overdoing it, giving audiences a perfect hook into a thrilling second episode. The initial scenes focus on what looked like a government conspiracy (something left mostly vague in that opening sequence) yet those reasons were almost completely unexplained which perfectly led viewers to ask more questions, further fueling speculation around the impending unraveling events to follow.
However, subsequent episodes failed to maintain the same momentum! This caused that initial interest in the pilot to vanish rapidly which hampered the overall engagement with this entire series; a series initially very well-received, as it lost all that energy. It lacked Lost's ability to maintain intrigue through sustained suspense; creating an intense plot that wasn’t carefully crafted through these well-placed hints that would later allow fans to revisit the earlier parts of the season, instead, they tried to make everything happen quickly without allowing room for speculation to slowly build those emotional connections; a creative choice and oversight that greatly hurt that potential for growth, engagement and most critically – critical acclaim. The big reveal arrived way too soon; removing any suspense or buildup; that plot reveal removes any necessity to watch and makes it immediately lose that reason for prolonged engagement. A very regrettable yet also understandable creative oversight considering the context of that Production; these issues surrounding episode development hampered what should’ve otherwise easily been great.
The Cancellation: Low Ratings and a Swift End
The Event started huge, with very large numbers for early episodes. Unfortunately, ratings tanked afterward; resulting in this premature cancellation! Before getting the final axe NBC attempted that last-minute reboot and scheduled it again in early 2011 to try and fix things; to revive that previously lost excitement, however they failed in the most ultimate way, leading to permanent cancellation; a complete defeat.
This was doubly frustrating because the finale revealed additional surprising twists, plot elements never given opportunities and plots left unexplored due to that untimely end! The end had a conclusion, even attempts to resolve some existing story plots, it ultimately left that gaping hole and unanswered questions that ultimately make some audiences question the existence of this show. There were later attempts to pick it up; unfortunately it never happened!
Conclusion: A Sci-Fi Tragedy With Unfulfilled Potential
The Event had Lost-level potential! Its compelling premise was only marred by inconsistent pacing, over-exposing too early which greatly hurt how the rest of the show played out and impacted viewers in incredibly disappointing ways; showcasing just how little this ambitious attempt to copy some of Lost's amazing traits; failed ultimately by simply mismanaging how much is revealed, making the rest of this storyline less relevant than it could’ve easily been. It’s a classic cautionary tale in the fast-paced world of TV: Great ideas need execution.
