The Event episode 4 review: A Matter Of Life And Death
The Event is still struggling to find its feet, although the ratings are telling a different story. Yet Ti is getting less and less impressed with what he's seeing...
4. A Matter Of Life And Death
So, here we are, at the fourth episode of The Event. Generally, the fourth episode of a new series is where a show finds its feet and the audience is either committed to it or tempted to jump ship. For me, I’ve stuck with the show this far and I was curious to see whether the fourth show would cement my viewership or signal me giving up on it.
As usual, the episode follows the three separate story lines: Sean Walker and his search for his girlfriend, the president and his dealings with Sophia, and his staff, and the what is happening with Leila.
First up, Sean is still on the run with the erstwhile FBI agent trying to find Leila. Their research takes them to an address where they believe she may be being held. However, in a Prison Break-esque reveal, we discover that is not the abode of evil kidnapper Vicky, but her mother and her abandoned son.
It’s an interesting little reveal, as not only do we have no idea why Vicky is doing what she is doing, but we discover she has abandoned her child for a life of crime and murder, something that she takes great pride and relish in.
Her and her mysterious partner’s manipulation of Leila, in allowing her to escape and then be captured by the police so they can find Sean, is the kind of story twist we’ve seen before in the likes of 24 and Prison Break, thus it wasn’t very shocking. Again, this episode of The Event was another case of ‘seen it all before and better in another show’.
Meanwhile, the show’s obligatory flashbacks show us how Sean and Leila spent their first Thanksgiving together. Plot-wise, it’s completely pointless, but it gives us an interesting insight into Sean’s personal life and why he is so determined to find her. She is the only family he has.
Elsewhere, the president is trying to get Sophia to talk, but to no avail. However, Thomas, the man behind the plane crash and the passengers’ deaths and revivals, is now threatening something worse unless his people are released. This point raises some interesting questions that the show actually brings up. If the aliens can make a plane disappear, how come they can’t transport their own people out of prison?
The question is, at this point, do we care any more? Do we care about Sean and Leila? Do we care about the aliens? And do we care about the president? For me, the answer is no.
By this point in shows like 24 and Battlestar Galactica, I was gripped but, for me, The Event is just slowly treading water, finding its feet and in the process being unengaging and unoriginal TV.
However, it appears I am in the minority, with the show being one of the most watched new series of the season. I guess there’s no accounting for taste…
Read our review of episode 3, Protect Them From The Truth, here.
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