*Minor Spoilers Ahead*
In the age of 'hyper saturated content' -- that is, this over- mediated world in which a rush of new digital innovations have made television production infinitely easier and content much more plentiful as a result -- a television show has got to deliver the goods. Be it through hard hitting action, biting satire, or tear- jerking drama, the modern television show has to play (and play early) to specific sensitivities and sensibilities of viewers. For many content providers, this has meant hybridizing the traditional genre-pic (such as a creature feature) with upfront social themes and modern realities. And for many shows - displayed abundantly in Breaking Bad's scathing subtext about the American health care system - this synergy really works.
In the televised version of 'The Mist', there is an upfront thrust right at the start of the series, even before the action has gotten started, to infuse a series of social themes. But here, instead of coming off as genuine and additive to the story, these themes absolutely fall flat, and worse, seem seriously out of place. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is that the content's creators really don't care about any of the issues they are presenting. Unlike a series such as Black Mirror, where serious themes are presented with a certain conviction that hit viewers hard, themes presented in this series are merely thrown in as flimsy plot points, their only value being to cheaply grab the attention of viewers at various points in the series.
With the potential for a major expansion of the content presented in the original Stephen King story (at least beyond the limited format of the film version), a poor infusion of social themes would not normally condemn this show to the 'do not renew' column. But the series does nothing to redeem itself otherwise, as it falls off early with a combination of a weak and unlikable collection of characters, a meandering and often confusing script, uneven horror sequences, and the interweaving of backstory elements which really seem to add nothing to the story, beyond furthering the viewer's contempt for everyone involved with this production. At one point, we're treated to some nonsensical story about how everyone loved the wife of a central character, how she's now somehow hated by the whole community, how she appears to be principled and taking a stand as a married mother and a teacher -- and after all this, her dialogue reveals that if she hadn't met her current husband, she'd still be 'sleeping around and going from guy to guy'. A woman in her early forties would still be jumping into the bed of every man in town if she hadn't been married? It simply doesn't make any sense.
But perhaps one of the most reprehensible aspects of this show is its revival of the 'evil gay' character -- that long discredited (but at one time common) movie villain I certainly hoped I'd seen the last of long ago. The gay villain was at one time a stereotypical bad-guy character; effeminate, always looking to seduce straight men, and hiding his true (often murderous) intentions, the evil gay was a quick way through which weaker writers could draw a bunch of common events together in a plot by adding in a sinister presence, all the while pushing the old idea of gays as immoral and wicked. Amazingly, The Mist revives this character to the letter -- complete with his seduction of a straight man, his false emotional moments to hide his evil intent, and his ultimately violent and murderous turn.
In essence, The Mist is a failure from the start - but the show's descent down a path to mediocrity is about more than a combination of exploitative themes, poor overall production, and offensive stereotypes pulled right out of the pages of the worst old-time cinema writers. The Mist fails because it absolutely can't get itself together long enough to deliver any serious goods -- and in this hyper-content era, especially drawing from the work of an acclaimed author as well as a well received film -- this series is simply not good enough that anyone should consider watching. Skip this one and watch the film version instead.
In the age of 'hyper saturated content' -- that is, this over- mediated world in which a rush of new digital innovations have made television production infinitely easier and content much more plentiful as a result -- a television show has got to deliver the goods. Be it through hard hitting action, biting satire, or tear- jerking drama, the modern television show has to play (and play early) to specific sensitivities and sensibilities of viewers. For many content providers, this has meant hybridizing the traditional genre-pic (such as a creature feature) with upfront social themes and modern realities. And for many shows - displayed abundantly in Breaking Bad's scathing subtext about the American health care system - this synergy really works.
In the televised version of 'The Mist', there is an upfront thrust right at the start of the series, even before the action has gotten started, to infuse a series of social themes. But here, instead of coming off as genuine and additive to the story, these themes absolutely fall flat, and worse, seem seriously out of place. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is that the content's creators really don't care about any of the issues they are presenting. Unlike a series such as Black Mirror, where serious themes are presented with a certain conviction that hit viewers hard, themes presented in this series are merely thrown in as flimsy plot points, their only value being to cheaply grab the attention of viewers at various points in the series.
With the potential for a major expansion of the content presented in the original Stephen King story (at least beyond the limited format of the film version), a poor infusion of social themes would not normally condemn this show to the 'do not renew' column. But the series does nothing to redeem itself otherwise, as it falls off early with a combination of a weak and unlikable collection of characters, a meandering and often confusing script, uneven horror sequences, and the interweaving of backstory elements which really seem to add nothing to the story, beyond furthering the viewer's contempt for everyone involved with this production. At one point, we're treated to some nonsensical story about how everyone loved the wife of a central character, how she's now somehow hated by the whole community, how she appears to be principled and taking a stand as a married mother and a teacher -- and after all this, her dialogue reveals that if she hadn't met her current husband, she'd still be 'sleeping around and going from guy to guy'. A woman in her early forties would still be jumping into the bed of every man in town if she hadn't been married? It simply doesn't make any sense.
But perhaps one of the most reprehensible aspects of this show is its revival of the 'evil gay' character -- that long discredited (but at one time common) movie villain I certainly hoped I'd seen the last of long ago. The gay villain was at one time a stereotypical bad-guy character; effeminate, always looking to seduce straight men, and hiding his true (often murderous) intentions, the evil gay was a quick way through which weaker writers could draw a bunch of common events together in a plot by adding in a sinister presence, all the while pushing the old idea of gays as immoral and wicked. Amazingly, The Mist revives this character to the letter -- complete with his seduction of a straight man, his false emotional moments to hide his evil intent, and his ultimately violent and murderous turn.
In essence, The Mist is a failure from the start - but the show's descent down a path to mediocrity is about more than a combination of exploitative themes, poor overall production, and offensive stereotypes pulled right out of the pages of the worst old-time cinema writers. The Mist fails because it absolutely can't get itself together long enough to deliver any serious goods -- and in this hyper-content era, especially drawing from the work of an acclaimed author as well as a well received film -- this series is simply not good enough that anyone should consider watching. Skip this one and watch the film version instead.
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