The River
ABC | Release Date: February 7, 2012
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
11
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanFeb 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: The River isn't terrible, and it actually has some effective elements, but it's fairly indicative of ABC's post-"Lost" flailing. Read full review
58
NewsdayVerne GayFeb 6, 2012
Season 1 Review: The River still has a quirkily eccentric charm. It's just so deliciously odd. Read full review
58
Uncle BarkyEd BarkFeb 6, 2012
Season 1 Review: The River in comparison seems like stale tap water, unworthy of any prolonged big drink of time or effort. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Matt Zoller SeitzFeb 17, 2012
Season 1 Review: It's reasonably clever and well acted and has strong atmosphere and a few good scares, and the concept--a found-footage voyage into the Amazon to locate a mysteriously MIA scientist--is catchy. But the format of the show may prove a dealbreaker for me. Read full review
50
Denver PostJoanne OstrowFeb 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: Depending on your tolerance, it's either a ridiculous presentation best suited to a drinking game (take a gulp every time the screen goes black), or a paranormal adventure that owes everything to "Lost." Read full review
50
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardFeb 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: The makers of the "River" deserve credit for spilling so much of their "X-Files" myth-ology from the start, but there's not enough reason to book passage on this voyage of the bland. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesLori RacklFeb 6, 2012
Season 1 Review: After swimming in its silliness for two hours, I can only say The River goes downhill fast. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandFeb 6, 2012
Season 1 Review: The performances are adequate, but in many cases, the cast deserves credit for having to enliven trite, stock situations. Read full review
40
Washington PostHank StueverFeb 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: Although it has some nice moves and the occasional tense moment, the show's visual allure quickly leads to aggravation. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyFeb 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: All these characters seem modestly interesting, but none, at least on first acquaintance, feel compelling. Nor are we drawn into their quest. Read full review
40
The New York TimesMike HaleFeb 6, 2012
Season 1 Review: The mixture of "Lost" storytelling and "Paranormal" style is neither intriguing nor particularly scary, and it doesn't help that there's hardly a glimmer of humor. Read full review
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