THE RIVER
FEBRUARY 7, 2012-MARCH 20, 2012
The two hour series premier will push every viewer back on their heels. Steven Speilberg is executive producer of what is building up as one of the most reliably complicated science fiction mysteries that is packed full of suspense.
The 2011-'12 television season is ear marked with the Speilberg stamp that begin with the TNT summer hit series "Falling Skies." The journey goes through "Terra Nova", which never got its due from Fox network even though all those we spoke to loved all 11 plus episodes. Then it was the two-day special as Speilberg debuts brand new shows on different networks. First, NBC premiered "Smash" to fair reviews but it has little space in the world of RUSTYSCAGE.COM. Second was the well promo'd ABC "The River" that pulled in the sci-fi community from all corners of the world.
Touchdown!!!!, Take me out to the ballgame, and "He shoots he scores", any one of these cheers of happiness can be felt from the opening sequence. Viewers can be guaranteed everything the previews offer including very few answers to the questions that rack up throughout the pilot. The characters come from all walks of life but have some DNA in common, starting with their love of Emmet Cole (Brice Greenwood), a famed explorer and reality TV personality who disappeared in the Amazon along the acclaimed river. Emmet was in search of the "magic" that is believed to exist deep in jungle. Now, after much time has passed and everyone including friends and family are ready to move on, the emergency beacon begins to sound.
Lincoln (Joe Anderson) has just accepted that his father is gone and never to return, when suddenly he finds hope. Emmet's beacon is what pumps life back into him and he realizes that the beacon is hope and with that comes possibility. It takes his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), to give him the tug he needs to join the crew that she has begun to compile.
The crew is made up of those who want answers and those who are professional reality cameramen who want to film every step in the search and possible rescue of Emmet Cole. The documentary is necessary to fund the search, so Tess calls on Clark (Paul Blackthorne), who had a lengthy relationship with Emmet. He hires camera men who will film around the clock, gathering documentation as the crew pursues the hunt. Lead camerman A.J. Poulain (Shaun Parkes) is new to the crew, and understands not only the risks but the gratification that can come from finding Emmet. By the end of the pilot, Poulain's partner will have be killed, but by who or what will be the question left unanswered. There are things in the jungle attached to magic which have their own legacy that few in the outside world would ever believe exist.Rounding out the crew is Lena Landry (Eloise Mumford), whose father also became missing on his last adventure with Emmet Cole. She was raised with Lincoln as the two would travel together on their dads' endeavors. They found happiness while learning things most kids can only dream about. Long time mechanic Emilio Valenzuela (Daniel Zacapa) is known for keep the boats running even when their funerals are about to begin. His daughter, Jahel Valenzuela (Paulina Gaitan), who speaks only Spanish, joins the crew and finds herself within elements she understands but still questions their validity.
Never underestimate what goes on when the sun goes down, as creators Oren Peli and Michael R Perry have schooled themselves on Speilberg's legacy. The twists and turns they have created in the outline of the characters are the beginnings of a mythology that can become deep and wide and will be what draws the viewers back each week.
RUSTY
2/7/12
