The Passage

The Passage, which shows considerable promise in these early episodes. Thanks to Gosselaar and Sidney, the all-important human element goes hand-in-hand with all the sci-fi ins and outs.

Overall, it’s a series with the promise to intrigue, terrify and bring nuanced tales of fanged villains back into the weekly fold (it’s been a long time since “True Blood.”) Just don’t call them vampires.

The Passage may not reach the grandiose and tragic heights of Cronin’s books, but it has the potential to be equally satisfying: It’s pragmatic, aggressive, and most of all, present.

To the extent that The Passage is political, it's the age-old horror/sci-fi skepticism about science empowered by government but untempered by moral considerations, the same perspective that's driven everything from the big ants of Them! to the relentless microbes of The Andromeda Strain.

It's a lot of plot for 43-minute episodes, but creator Liz Heldens aptly threads the needle, balancing disparate elements into an action-adventure series with just enough mythology and mystery to keep the audience guessing. As an emotional anchor, Gosselaar's hunky, post-"Saved by the Bell" persona is perfect for a father figure/GI Joe/tortured soul like Brad. His has natural chemistry with the young Sidney, who deftly stays on the right side of the line between cute and cloying.

A better-than-average show of its type ... For now, "The Passage" should appeal to those who like their popcorn TV less touchy-feely and more action-oriented than NBC’s fall hit, "Manifest." For those interested in similar vampire-infection material done with more subtlety and menace, the four seasons of "The Strain" can be streamed on Hulu.

Is The Passage presented by Fox as good as it would be if it were on FX or HBO? No. But is it better than 95 percent of the other broadcast dramas that have hit the airwaves in the past 18 months? Yes, and just because it's trying to be better than adequate.

It’s an incredibly game, consistently charming ensemble for a show that, overall, is brimming with potential. The opening chapters aren’t exactly love at first bite, but there’s something to this show’s wonky pseudo-science and earnestly beating heart that kept me enthralled all the same.

A hokey but mildly entertaining drama.

The Passage is a solid example of adequate network television. ... The problem with The Passage is one that plagues practically every network TV drama: a need to keep exposition and plot development flowing at all costs, particularly at the cost of nuance. ... That said, in the second and third episodes, The Passage does a better job of slowing down and exploring the dynamics between its characters.

It's a slow road to apocalypse in the absorbing, if derivative, opening chapters of this Stephen King wannabe based on the epic horror trilogy by Justin Cronin. [21 Jan - 3 Feb 2019, p.13]

Much of The Passage feels like [...] a placeholder waiting for the sharper, crisper second draft. Sidney and Gosselaar’s bond is charming--and proof that Gosselaar, despite bad luck with recent projects, has become a reliable player on television. But it’s reliant, too, on a dynamic that feels lazily overmotivated.

There is no piece of information delivered fluidly or artfully in The Passage. Maybe if this had been a cable or streaming show with 55 minutes per episode, there might have been time for breathing. Instead, the first three episodes are an aggressive information dump punctuated by sweet bonding with Wolgast and Amy and creepiness with veiny creatures who aren't called vampires even if everybody keeps asking why they aren't called vampires.

The Passage teases a disaster on an even grander scale yet backtracks several times over in its first three episodes and still manages to rush its most crucial relationship.

There’s morality struggles and supposed bigger questions about humanity, but it’s all lost in a mess of genre splashes. Add in paper-thin characters and an abysmal sense of pacing, and you have a new show that misfires on just about every front.

The Passage is frustratingly mechanical yet, being human, you can’t help but feel at least slightly invested in this threatened world. It induces eye rolls but still, the virus is easily caught.