The Event episode 5 review: Casualties Of War

Ti has had enough of The Event, which after five episodes, still leaves him looking for a character to care about...

5. Casualties Of War

And I’m out. That’s it. I’m done. I wash my hands of The Event. I’ve stuck with the show this long, but now, after the fifth episode with more derivative plotlines and twists and turns, I am going to ditch The Event and stick with the likes of Boardwalk Empire, Caprica and Castle.

So, why am I dropping The Event, especially as it’s one of the most popular new shows of the season (according to viewing figures), has just been picked up for a full 22 episode run and is about to start on Channel 4 this week on the back of a major marketing campaign?

Well, five episodes in and I still don’t care about any of the characters. They all seem so 2D. I really don’t care if Leila is rescued, if Sean finds her, or if the President releases Sophia or not. Not just that, but we again are seeing plotlines we’ve seen a hundred times in better shows and films.

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This week, Thomas negotiates the release of Sophia and the other alien prisoners by threatening to let the survivors of the Avias 514 die from the weird bio-virus, which seems to be just like Ebola. Of course, the President refuses to play ball and throws in a counter-threat of executing the prisoners unless he gets the antidote. Ooooh. So far, so generic.

Next, we discover evil Vicky, the cold blooded hit woman, who has no qualms about killing anyone, actually has a heart of gold and once refused to kill a baby. Ah, bless. Seems the child is her Achilles heel and Sean is able to not only negotiate Leila’s release, but also get her to switch sides, killing her accomplices?!

This is just stupid. Beyond stupid. It is uber-stupid.

Oh, and did you know the aliens helped the US develop the Manhattan Project? I swear to God, this is the most interesting aspect of the show, how the aliens crash-landed and blended into everyday life. But it’s done so badly (and infrequently), that those occasional flashbacks are not holding my attention to the rest of the show.

As such, I am out. I’m done. If anyone else wishes to pick up the baton and keep reviewing The Event, read here for more details. However, this is one viewer that no longer wants to know what the event is, and more importantly, doesn’t care.

Read our review of episode 4, A Matter Of Life And Death, here.

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