Between

It's too early to tell where Between will take us. But it's off to a great start.

The pilot does the work of introducing the ensemble of characters, but spends so little time with each of them that when it builds to a cliffhanger in which one of those characters is imperiled, it doesn’t feel any more important than the frequent deaths of the adult characters.

Beyond that conceit [that none of the survivors are over 21], though, most of the action in the opening episodes is familiar ensemble soap opera with conspiracy-theory embroidery (the government knows more than it’s saying).

Despite the intriguing premise, Between's writing winds up being as deadly as the show's virus, except this sickness affects viewers of all ages. [22 May 2015, p.58]

The town is lovely, the premise solid if overfamiliar, but the script lacks both depth and tension (big problem), and McCurdy is one of the few cast members who can act. All of which makes it difficult to care very much.

A post-apocalypse is only as interesting as the people left behind, and these are all a bland, badly acted bunch.

There’s an “Under the Dome”-type vibe to the situation--especially with those tall, barbed-wire fences that immediately sprout up--with a “Lord of the Flies” wrinkle. That all has to be taken on faith, however, given the messiness of the premiere, which races about introducing undistinguished characters whose subplots have yet to connect.

The dialogue on Between is horrendous, and the performances are not much better.