Let's see if they can hold it.
"Happy Town" is presented as a whodunit about a mysterious rash of kidnappings in an idyllic small town. The kidnapper got clean away and has been inactive for five years at the time of the pilot. Ominous doings indicate that the Magic Man has returned to Haplin, Minnesota. As the premiere episode progresses, it becomes apparent that Haplin is hiding a number of dark secrets, which may or may not be related to the mystery of the Magic Man.
The episode opens on Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives," an excellent choice not just because it's a great song but because it is not immediately apparent which time period the show is presenting to the viewer. It's an unsettling note on which to start the episode, and it really sets the tone for this show.
Another thing the show runners got right was the small town setting. I've watched any number of Gothic shows set in small towns that did not remotely resemble the dynamics of any small town I ever lived in. This show gets the claustrophobic vibe just right, so points for that. Their location scout also deserves kudos for whatever town is standing in for those exterior shots. It's just perfect.
Also perfect: the cast. This show is chocked full of wonderful actors, any one of whom could have carried a show on their own. Together, they have the kind of combined presence necessary to keep a viewer engrossed while watching for developments in the plot.
As to the plot, the pilot asks more questions than it answers, but that's to be expected in the first episode. I really hope the pace picks up in future episodes, though.
Only one thing didn't quite work for me, and that's the dialogue. Nobody talks like this. The Sheriff's eccentric pronouncements are somewhat explained by the end of the episode. None of the other characters have that excuse. The marketing folks at ABC are inviting viewers to compare this series to Twin Peaks, but part of the reason that show's oddball dialogue worked was because the directors were taking their cues from David Lynch, maintaining a dreamlike ambiance in which strange verbal choices were just another part of that world. This director played it pretty straight, so the dialogue just didn't quite come off.
That's not going to stop me from watching the second episode, however. This show could shape up to be really great. I'm willing to keep watching and find out if it's got legs.
"Happy Town" is presented as a whodunit about a mysterious rash of kidnappings in an idyllic small town. The kidnapper got clean away and has been inactive for five years at the time of the pilot. Ominous doings indicate that the Magic Man has returned to Haplin, Minnesota. As the premiere episode progresses, it becomes apparent that Haplin is hiding a number of dark secrets, which may or may not be related to the mystery of the Magic Man.
The episode opens on Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives," an excellent choice not just because it's a great song but because it is not immediately apparent which time period the show is presenting to the viewer. It's an unsettling note on which to start the episode, and it really sets the tone for this show.
Another thing the show runners got right was the small town setting. I've watched any number of Gothic shows set in small towns that did not remotely resemble the dynamics of any small town I ever lived in. This show gets the claustrophobic vibe just right, so points for that. Their location scout also deserves kudos for whatever town is standing in for those exterior shots. It's just perfect.
Also perfect: the cast. This show is chocked full of wonderful actors, any one of whom could have carried a show on their own. Together, they have the kind of combined presence necessary to keep a viewer engrossed while watching for developments in the plot.
As to the plot, the pilot asks more questions than it answers, but that's to be expected in the first episode. I really hope the pace picks up in future episodes, though.
Only one thing didn't quite work for me, and that's the dialogue. Nobody talks like this. The Sheriff's eccentric pronouncements are somewhat explained by the end of the episode. None of the other characters have that excuse. The marketing folks at ABC are inviting viewers to compare this series to Twin Peaks, but part of the reason that show's oddball dialogue worked was because the directors were taking their cues from David Lynch, maintaining a dreamlike ambiance in which strange verbal choices were just another part of that world. This director played it pretty straight, so the dialogue just didn't quite come off.
That's not going to stop me from watching the second episode, however. This show could shape up to be really great. I'm willing to keep watching and find out if it's got legs.