Under the Dome

:

Season 1
  • Network: CBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 24, 2013
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 450 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 229 out of 450
  2. Mixed: 104 out of 450
  3. Negative: 117 out of 450
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User Reviews

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  1. Mollomomo
    Apr 5, 2019
    2
    I had to make an account just to vent my frustration about how poorly executed this show is. After the first few episodes, it all quickly went downhill with generic plot twists, clichès and infuriating choices by the characters. I won't add spoilers but many many times i felt extreme frustration at their complete ineptitude and lack of common sense. Lazy, poor writing and very average soapI had to make an account just to vent my frustration about how poorly executed this show is. After the first few episodes, it all quickly went downhill with generic plot twists, clichès and infuriating choices by the characters. I won't add spoilers but many many times i felt extreme frustration at their complete ineptitude and lack of common sense. Lazy, poor writing and very average soap opera photography. Had this ended at the end of season 2, at least it might make some sense. Had to stop at season 3, it's just too painful to watch anymore.… Expand
  2. bru-nonono
    Oct 22, 2015
    2
    I couldn't watch more than the first episode, which bored me so much. Nothing is natural nor subtle in the show, and situations which could have been realistic and simply grotesque.
  3. pguizze
    Oct 14, 2015
    1
    Started well and finished awfully stupid. The worse tv serie I saw since years.
    I understand why King left the serie in the middle.
    The 3rd season was full of of romance everywhere where it was supposed to be a sci-fi serie !
  4. MlleChichi
    Oct 1, 2015
    3
    First season is not very bad. Second season is bad. I started to watch third season then my cat ran away from the house and it took me 3 days to find her. My cat has since never been the same. UNDER THE DOME BROKE MY CAT. Would no re-watch.
  5. aphx
    Jun 26, 2015
    3
    If you have ever wondered what it looks like when a cow is separated perfectly in half through the median plane, Under the Dome will show you. Over and over again.

    The pilot kind of draws you in, but don't be deceived. The characters and plot "twists" are frustrating to watch and also terribly predictable. The mysterious stranger from out of town starts out fairly compelling but then    If you have ever wondered what it looks like when a cow is separated perfectly in half through the median plane, Under the Dome will show you. Over and over again.

    The pilot kind of draws you in, but don't be deceived. The characters and plot "twists" are frustrating to watch and also terribly predictable. The mysterious stranger from out of town starts out fairly compelling but then proceeds to deer-in-headlights himself through every crisis the town faces, while the one-dimensional journalist stubbornly and brazenly follows every lead she stumbles across because hey, she's just got to clumsily get to the bottom of things like any imaginary stubborn journalist would!    … Expand
  6. cfernandomaciel
    May 7, 2015
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I read the book and was very excited about the show when it began. But right after the forth episode things began to get really wakko and shallow.

    They turned what could have been a great TV show into some average low IQ cheap soap-opera.

    It's insane how fast the characters seem to change sides, from being the good ones to becoming the bad guys!

    During one episode the entire town is trying to find the responsible for so many improbable deaths and get him hanged, then suddenly something happens, something as strange as little kids' make believe tales, which diverges people attention onto it and nobody really cares any longer about getting the culprit hanged!

    It's even worse! the real responsible who's the one who managed to put the blame to the good guy is clearly caught with his lies, but nobody seems to care about it any longer!

    Wait! There is more! Dale Barbara, after almost getting hanged for crimes that he didn't commit, accused by the real criminal, right after that entire plot being dismissed, resumes to making projects and going on errands with Big Jim!!!!?? Like buddies! And oh boy! Dale Barbara is really the guy, huh?! He can shoot, kick ass, be a good samaritan as good as Mother Thereza, and wait! He is a hell of a pilot too! What is that? Rambo VI?

    It's amazing how bad could the creators of the series turn a Stephen King's novel in so many ways and levels! Not to mention that the only resemblance one can actually find with the book is only the fact that the characters have the same names, the rest, it's nothing, absolutelly nothing like the book.

    That whole thing of the dome having it's own willpower, got as ridiculous as The Forty Four Hundred tv show, and as disappointing as Heroes got to be.

    As a huge fan of Stephen King's novels, I tried to give it a shot, actually I went really far down into the show, too far for my normal taste. I deeply regret to have wasted so much time with that series, and it's sad how a good book with so many aspects that could have actually helped to save the show could be so easily dismissed.

    Big cliche TV Show, filled with shallow characters, unsteady as a bipolar's opinions; a hectic plot with so many unsolved cliffhangers, that were so many times dismissed as nothing. It's full of cheap dialogues. It's a drag.

    I cannot give any score but a full fledged zero to it. For it was even a waste of money.    … Expand
  7. jronne
    Oct 1, 2014
    0
    just not well written and poorly acted. Absurd predictable stupid storyline. Compared to a decent series like breaking bad or lost this series is a joke.
  8. Swampguy
    Sep 25, 2014
    1
    This may not be the worst TV series ever, but it ranks right up there. Horrible acting, hackneyed dialogue ("this is what the dome wants," "the dome has chosen me," yadda-yadda). It's like they they cribbed themes from "Lost" and "Heroes" and transmogrified them into the most inane drivel. It boggles one's mind that somebody would put up all the millions it took to produce two seasons ofThis may not be the worst TV series ever, but it ranks right up there. Horrible acting, hackneyed dialogue ("this is what the dome wants," "the dome has chosen me," yadda-yadda). It's like they they cribbed themes from "Lost" and "Heroes" and transmogrified them into the most inane drivel. It boggles one's mind that somebody would put up all the millions it took to produce two seasons of this series, or that the network would give it all that air time. I can't believe I wasted two seasons watching this potboiler. Since things were left hanging in the season finale, one assumes there will be -- God knows why -- a third season. Which you could not pay me to watch. Will the townspeople escape the dome? Will everyone live happily ever after? What does the dome REALLY want? Does anyone remotely care? Not I...… Expand
  9. SluggerOToole
    Sep 21, 2014
    1
    Flat cheezy characters with motives that have to be completely transparent... Retread archetypes that you've seen in 50 previous shows... Bad guys are a politician and a hipster kid... Yes this is tv for yokel morons.
  10. ngb222
    Sep 17, 2014
    1
    This show is so bad, So so bad. I kept thinking it would get better. But after watching the 2nd to last show in season 2 I am speechless at how badly written and clunky and the acting is. It is not even laugh at bad, it is grimace bad.
  11. Galsail77
    Sep 10, 2014
    2
    Just don't bother. The show quickly turns from an interesting premise to a crushing disappointment. The last 2 episodes of Season 1 were so contrived, with wooden dialogue and what seems to be every cliche in the network TV book, they are not even laughably bad, they're just bad.
  12. Blackops1231
    Sep 7, 2014
    0
    I watched a couple episodes a long time ago and it looked really lame and boring. The characters were bland and the dialogue was very poor. It was also very slow and boring. I just felt like I was wasting my time watching it and I never will again. You should definitely skip watching this one. Hope this helped.
  13. GluedtotheTV
    Aug 26, 2014
    0
    Bottom line: this is a terrible show.

    No one who has ever seen a TV series can with a serious face appreciate Under the Dome on any level. In fact, comparing this to the dozens of shows I have followed in my life (currently I'm watching 70 different series a year), I'm convinced that Under the Dome is the worst TV series I have ever seen. Giving it a score of one would be too kind.    Bottom line: this is a terrible show.

    No one who has ever seen a TV series can with a serious face appreciate Under the Dome on any level. In fact, comparing this to the dozens of shows I have followed in my life (currently I'm watching 70 different series a year), I'm convinced that Under the Dome is the worst TV series I have ever seen. Giving it a score of one would be too kind.

    The characters are laughably birdbrained. Their decisions make no sense, they change their minds all the time without direction. They get themselves in trouble because they are so massively stupid, and they turn against each other on a whim even though only a second earlier they were friends. Then there are characters who for some reason just disappear for several episodes. The people outside the dome (who for some reason are almost non-existent from the show) can consider themselves lucky for being isolated from this town of morons.

    The plot lines are so bad they make me cry. Introduced plot lines are soon forgotten, abandoned or buried for no reason. They leave so many questions unanswered. The challenges that are thrown at the town are faced with the intelligence of a five-year-old and pseudo-scientific solutions. There are so many holes in the plot that it makes Swiss cheese jealous.

    But the worst thing has to be the dialogue. There is nothing good to say about it. It is just so absolutely inane. Like during the fifth episode when Jim and Rebecca tried to release a deadly virus to kill a large part of the town population. What did Julia say about this to the townspeople? This: "What Big Jim and Rebecca tried to do yesterday is inexcusable. But it's not unforgivable." What? What kind of stupid comment is that after they tried to kill hundreds of people? The dialogue is completely void of emotion, reason and logic.

    Some viewers say we shouldn't take this show too seriously. To them this is just a little bit of fun summer entertainment. Unfortunately this is not the case. There are many shows out there that are made for fun and that don't take themselves too seriously, and yet they manage to make sense. Under the Dome however does not do this. It takes itself too seriously while not making any sense. It is just an appalling insult to human intelligence and should under no circumstances be praised. Even playing Russian Roulette with six bullets in the chamber is more fun than watching this show.

    There is no reason for anyone to even call this show "OK", "decent" or "passable". Let's call this what it is: a sad, pathetic excuse for a TV show without any redeeming qualities. I have no idea how on earth a bunch of professional writers and producers have managed to create something this bad. They should hang their heads in shame.    … Expand
  14. rainbow29
    Aug 24, 2014
    0
    this is the worst show I've ever seen - simply a waste of time. The producers are living under a dome.I am amazed how this can be continued at all. really looking forward to its cancellation.
  15. samurai1855
    Aug 18, 2014
    0
    This show really sucks. The characters are very annoying. Why would a journalist be in charge of a town? Why does a town even need a leader in the first place? Most characters have ridiculous dialog. The story kind of sucks too. I am only watching this show in hopes of seeing some aliens that will destroy Chester's Mill.
  16. ReedBosgoed
    Aug 11, 2014
    0
    I don't even know where to begin with this absolute train wreck. The dialogue is awful, the pacing is off, the acting is at the best of times bad, at the worst of times I would liken it to a 3rd grade play where the kids were given no time to rehearse.

    My roommate is obsessed with this show and I've been forced to sit through several episodes of the second season. Now, everybody loves    I don't even know where to begin with this absolute train wreck. The dialogue is awful, the pacing is off, the acting is at the best of times bad, at the worst of times I would liken it to a 3rd grade play where the kids were given no time to rehearse.

    My roommate is obsessed with this show and I've been forced to sit through several episodes of the second season. Now, everybody loves plot twists. Everybody enjoys being thrown tat curve-ball that makes think. The thing is, at some point, the plot twists actually have to start MAKING SENSE. Much like the disjointed **** that was "Lost", "Under the Dome"s writers seem to just sit around in a circle throwing out random ideas. You know what would be cool? Nuclear butterflies! Oh! And psychic visions! And religious zealots! And genetic pathogens! And a dead girl from 1985! And a mysterious chasm under the school that sends you back in time! AND! AND! AND...etc, etc.

    It wouldn't be so bad if there was some kind of line drawn between any of this nonsense. There isn't as far as I can tell. Just a group of hack writers with a fistful of crayons and a nice fat paycheck.

    After all the critics raved about this show all last year, I thought I was missing something great. This is bar none the worst show I have seen in a number of years. Awful, just awful, it's the television equivalent of a hydrochloric acid enema.    … Expand
  17. theflash956
    Aug 5, 2014
    0
    Under the dome has progressively got worse. I read the book and enjoyed the first few episodes but now it is just predictable and boring. I personally facepalm a minimum of 5 times each episode. Ignoring the fact that 60% of the things that happen don't even make any sense. "Sandstorm occurs and if somehow the winds hit every wall the dome gets clogged, and setting up a tiny fan to shootUnder the dome has progressively got worse. I read the book and enjoyed the first few episodes but now it is just predictable and boring. I personally facepalm a minimum of 5 times each episode. Ignoring the fact that 60% of the things that happen don't even make any sense. "Sandstorm occurs and if somehow the winds hit every wall the dome gets clogged, and setting up a tiny fan to shoot water 5 meters saves the city in 1 min flat." that is just plane stupid. I had high hopes for this season 1 but i cant bring my self to watch the next episode.… Expand
  18. DennyCraneEsq
    Aug 4, 2014
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The 5,9 score may be a product of mixing Season 1 and 2. Season 1 was not bad. Season 2 started out OK, but rapidly plunged into an abyss. My wife is a big sci-fi fan, but by the middle of the episode where the food warehouse blows up, she was ready to turn it off. Is it the writing? The directing? Can none of the kids act? Dean Norris was good in "Breaking Bad." What went wrong here?

    I have not done the math, but my guess is that the reviews here will skew much lower for Season 2 than for Season 1, probably around a 3.    … Expand
  19. trebark
    Jul 25, 2014
    2
    2nd season is awful... the science teacher that thinks she is the savior, raining blood.... come on.

    I got hooked on series but.... if it stays on the current course i will not watch.. to bad.
  20. Druganov
    Jul 23, 2014
    3
    The first episodes where great, after that it kept the tension up for the rest of season 1.

    But, enter season two. That was the great decline into product placement and worse storylines. It became barely tolerable to watch, but the episode that did it for me was the one in which the cast chased some magic 3G/wi-fi signal, that somehow penetrated the dome (even when a MOAB bomb    The first episodes where great, after that it kept the tension up for the rest of season 1.

    But, enter season two. That was the great decline into product placement and worse storylines.

    It became barely tolerable to watch, but the episode that did it for me was the one in which the cast chased some magic 3G/wi-fi signal, that somehow penetrated the dome (even when a MOAB bomb couldn't get trough in season one), with their Windows (tm) 8 (c) tablets, and spending close to 5 minutes of screentime showing off how awesome those tablets are, and how nice and easy it is to read e-mails on them!

    Another series that seems to think it's viewers are mindless zombie-consumers.

    Shame on you, Stephen King.    … Expand
  21. diager
    Jul 15, 2014
    0
    Terrible show... poor acting (when its not over acting of which there is quite a lot), very dated directing and absolutely no chemistry between any of the major characters. And some chemistry is definitely needed since none of the characters are interesting enough to stand on their own. And the Barbie character... omg... no matter what the crisis, he behaves as if he's entering a bar for aTerrible show... poor acting (when its not over acting of which there is quite a lot), very dated directing and absolutely no chemistry between any of the major characters. And some chemistry is definitely needed since none of the characters are interesting enough to stand on their own. And the Barbie character... omg... no matter what the crisis, he behaves as if he's entering a bar for a night on the town. The dude seriously can't act.… Expand
  22. Ravens1294
    Jun 24, 2014
    1
    Another show that looked to have potential in the pilot, but this show is crap too. It has some of the worst characters on TV, some horrible acting, and story lines we could care less about.
  23. drcrider
    Jun 16, 2014
    0
    awful awful show. cliche characters, predictable plot, poor acting. Its a shame that truly creative shows like hello ladies on HBO end after one season and tripe like this nonsense lurches on....
  24. serialpilot
    May 4, 2014
    2
    First of all: I think Steven Spielberg is not always great. For my taste, most of Spielberg 's family stuff. His tendency to put children and young people make to the forefront of almost all children's programs. As is true of Cowboys vs. Aliens , Real Steel , ... Third Child tec. If it's not funny is that it is eternal whining , drama, whining , drama ... etc. He makes blockbusters for theFirst of all: I think Steven Spielberg is not always great. For my taste, most of Spielberg 's family stuff. His tendency to put children and young people make to the forefront of almost all children's programs. As is true of Cowboys vs. Aliens , Real Steel , ... Third Child tec. If it's not funny is that it is eternal whining , drama, whining , drama ... etc. He makes blockbusters for the mainstream. But those were also the Waltons and Little House on the Prairie and just like this , most of Spielberg a vale of tears and glop from soppiness .

    Steven King is also not a great writer in the sense of literature. But success in terms of spirit of the age . Filmizations more B-movies ( maybe excludet Shining and Misery ), but he is probably a member of the Hollywood club.

    Nevertheless, I expected in Tension " Under the Dome " in Germany and yesterday I watched all the episodes of the first season. It started not bad. But minimalism was noticed already . Poor or immature GFX / VFX . A half a cow only in the formation of the dome, extremely unspectacular, here one would have liked a little more devotion, a Demonstartion a force of nature, a spectacle. Even here a wasted potenial ! Even later, the butterflies are poorly made. But actually typical Spielberg. Should that be " spielberg cuteness " when a bad- made ​​butterfly unrealistic totter through the image , or inability of the special effects team? Then you should start looking for much better amateurs in the field of Blender 3D . This is generally meant for the special effects.

    Maybe it is all so in the book by King, no idea, i did not read ( never read King, except " the Mist " short story) , but for a movie / series at the present time (American Horror Story , Salem, Breaking Bad , SoA etc. ) effeminate and out of place. Overall, I find the serial character and also immature and too quickly dealt with . One could list many details of the superficiality here. The more episodes the more it is likely a soap.

    J. J. Abrams is also not good for everything. But the implementation would certainly become mystical and exciting. Or Lindelof. Apparently it can but some men do their "producer / editor-experiments" to continue. They love each other and is very very great friend. Under the Dome is a good example of such Hollywood "incest". In the main, you have done something together, squandered millions as others (ordinary people) cook or bake together on Fridays. So it makes it seem.

    Would " Hank " not there ( Dean Norris ), I would not have looked further from the 7 episode.

    I am very disappointed on the one hand . On the other hand , it is still typical. Spielberg was in his time the opponent by Carpenter ( Hollywood Goodboy vs. Hollywood Badboy. Had his own right to life in the eighties. But today? Only tearjerker!). In the eighties! Spielberg may still be a crowd-pleaser, I find it boring. ( Did I ever ). It has not changed . He reached it, to turn a good idea into a great sappy mass product.

    Pity!

    Whether I look at the next season? I do not know. Maybe it's because other brilliant series just have a break.    … Expand
  25. polexiasmallpox
    Mar 15, 2014
    3
    The concept and idea behind the show is exciting and interesting which gave me high hopes for this show, but the writing is terrible and so is some of the acting. Some of the writing is so bad that I almost feel sorry for the people writing this dribble (why wast such a good idea?) and a few of the characters are so excruciating to watch that I don't know if I'll ever bother with seasonThe concept and idea behind the show is exciting and interesting which gave me high hopes for this show, but the writing is terrible and so is some of the acting. Some of the writing is so bad that I almost feel sorry for the people writing this dribble (why wast such a good idea?) and a few of the characters are so excruciating to watch that I don't know if I'll ever bother with season two. i'll just buy the book it's based on instead!… Expand
  26. jazzpatico
    Dec 28, 2013
    2
    I was excited to see this show based but it ended up a huge disappointment and no better than Harper's Island (itself an atrocious TV serial). The characters in Under The Dome are paper thin to match the story. It is larded with cliche and contrived plot points, things like the following: Person A: "I wonder what the old sheriff was up to" Person B: "Well, he never walked around withoutI was excited to see this show based but it ended up a huge disappointment and no better than Harper's Island (itself an atrocious TV serial). The characters in Under The Dome are paper thin to match the story. It is larded with cliche and contrived plot points, things like the following: Person A: "I wonder what the old sheriff was up to" Person B: "Well, he never walked around without his hat." Person B then takes his hat from the coat rack and looks inside. "Hey, here's a key hidden in his brim." Person A: "I have one just like it, it opens a safety deposit box!" Person B: "Let's go!"
    I'm paraphrasing here, but not by much. This is just about the complexity of the story that runs throughout the entire series. I haven't even finished the final disc...I'm painstakingly making my way through the last few episodes.
    Another example is the town psycho is deputized after performing one nice deed. It makes absolutely no sense. The entire town knows he's a nutter! And there are so many contrived instances of drama, such as one of the police officer's pulling his gun on a crowd because he can't handle the pressure of the Dome. It makes absolutely zero sense, and there's no way a trained officer would crack like that. It's the type of shoe-horned drama that falls so flat it turns the desired moment laughable.
    There are also many "As you know Bob" moments, which is to say that a character says something that would never be said, but only to 'educate' the audience. An early example is how electronics stopped working and one character questions why his watch still works, and the female officer glances over at his watch and 2 seconds later says "I can see that watch is a windup...this must only effect battery operated devices" or some such nonsense that is telegraphed as information for the audience but in fact makes you feel like you're watching a teaching moment on par with Sesame Street.
    These ratings are certainly arbitrary. I gave it a 2. It could be a 1 or a 3 or some variant in-between. The point to bring home is it is very bad television.
    If you are a fan of mindlessly contrived auctioneers such as the aforementioned Harper's Island, or Prison Break, or 24 (though even 24 had some fun moments in the early seasons), then this would be right up your alley. But if you like smart television (the things you would see on HBO, AMC, Showtime), then this program is NOT for you.
    The fact that the critics have rated this a higher score than the users is, in fact, mind boggling. Normally I find that the critics have an eye for quality, at least more so than the masses. Here, inexplicably, the lower user score is the more reliable number (though still far too high, IMRO).    … Expand
  27. raviopatra
    Nov 17, 2013
    3
    The show was very promising at the first two or three episodes, but went downhill on later episodes to the finale. It's just so ridiculous. The only good actor in the show is Mike Vogel. The rest of the cast are making the show looks like a comedy to me. A total mess.
  28. oakridge
    Oct 3, 2013
    2
    Stephen King's book wasn't great and was definitely overblown, but the story was sound even if the style wasn't. This rather insulting adaptation which takes many a liberty with the original is full of cliches, irritating characterisations and cloying sentimentality. In all fairness episode 1 worked really well and the one thing that the show excels at is the special effects. It's allStephen King's book wasn't great and was definitely overblown, but the story was sound even if the style wasn't. This rather insulting adaptation which takes many a liberty with the original is full of cliches, irritating characterisations and cloying sentimentality. In all fairness episode 1 worked really well and the one thing that the show excels at is the special effects. It's all watch ably bad, but tiresomely predictable and oh so p c. Occasionally it even remembers to resemble the book.… Expand
  29. mam
    Sep 17, 2013
    2
    Started out loving this show, it got stranger and stranger but still couldn't wait for each new show. The final episode was more than awful, it made no sense and was a waste of my time.
  30. thamilton
    Sep 17, 2013
    0
    I thought (at the beginning) that this was a good series. Now i am completely disappointed. We are at episode 13 of the first season. I just found out that this is only season one. Are you kidding me! In the book the time frame was a couple of weeks. They are milking this series to the max! And not doing a good job of it either. This series sucks!
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Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best TV Season of 2013
5
#5 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
36
#36 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. Denver Post
    Reviewed by: Joanne Ostrow
    Jun 24, 2013
    80
    Not only is it creepy, suspenseful and full of splendid special effects, veteran actors and fresh young faces, but it's laced with big thoughts about environmentalism and the future of the planet.
    Read full review
  2. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jun 24, 2013
    70
    You don't immediately sense how all of the characters are connected or how they might eventually become connected--most of the pilot is scene-setting and mood-building--but what's onscreen is compelling.
    Read full review
  3. Salon
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Jun 24, 2013
    70
    Based on just one episode, it’s hard to tell how the series will unfold, but the mood, threatening, uneasy, a little kinky, is there, and that just might be enough.
    Read full review
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