Dig

Some of the show is effective, especially the parts that double down on anything eerie or particularly ominous.... [But] Too often the series confuses "mysterious" with "dull."

Dig is a conspiracy theorist's treasure trove, and scary, to boot. Whether it has a chance on an already drama-packed Thursday probably depends on how much space is left on your DVR.

It's sure to make for addictive viewing for the Dan Brown faithful. The rest of us will make a lot of snack runs.

As for the story, it's so murky and convoluted that following it requires a lot of work--far too much work for something so flat-out ridiculous.

Beyond its handsome locations (shooting extensively in Israel) and impressive list of players, Dig keeps referencing the grand forces at work, but also does little to divulge what they are. And while that might be fine for those determined to hunker down for this entire 10-episode event, it can feel a bit tiresome to others still debating whether the show merits such a commitment.

USA’s new international thriller is fun to watch and makes almost no sense whatsoever.

There’s a third storyline involving a cow. Really, I’m not kidding. These, I’m guessing will come together, at some point, but I’m not sure I’ll be willing to wait that long for the payoff.

All the scripture and trinkets add up to a lifeless series that’s more puzzle than narrative.

There’s plenty of action, but it comes across as muddled and at least so far is failing to serve the intrigue.

The problem arises when these plots become so intricate, and lurk so far beneath the surface, that many viewers will just put down the shovel and decide it’s not worth the effort to follow them.

It's one crazy mess of a TV "event series" that doesn't make much effort to clarify what it's about in the early going, plopping viewers into two concurrent plots that will presumably intersect at some point.

Dig bears the telltale scars of hack TV assembly--a little of this, a little of that, all of it meant to tie together eventually for the viewer who can endure all the hammy setup and self-seriousness (and stale ideas) seen in the first few episodes.

Dig spends too much time building ominous atmosphere, and hinting at vast schemes that may change the course of history--that again--and not enough time giving us a reason to stay tuned as he convoluted plot unfolds.