The River
ReviewsShould you take a trip along The River?
Posted 10th February 2012, 12:04am in TV, by David Bedwell
Airing from 7th February on ABC, available on iTunes in the UK.
There are moments in The River where you feel something magical. You're looking at the scenery, taking in everything that TV personality Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) knew and loved, until that split second where the camera quickly shifts and the score signals danger. It's what all good horror movies do - let you slip back into your comfort zone and forget something is wrong, and then when your guard is down they get you. It's clear that the creators Oren Peli and Michael R. Perry completely understand how to work an audience. It may not be original, but it's a style of show we've not had from television in quite some time - genuine edge-of-your-seat fear.
The River doesn't rely on cheap scares either. For all its plaudits, the recent first season of American Horror Story may have had one too many 'creepy thing moves in the background' moments, and shows like Harper's Island and Supernatural almost play it too safe to target their younger audiences. Here there's a real sense of danger, wondering what lures around every corner as we follow the rescue mission to find the lost Dr. Cole. Using a documentary style, we see every moment of the team's tension, anguish and heartbreak as they desperately search for the explorer. The mission comprises Cole's wife Tess (Leslie Hope), son Lincoln (Joe Anderson) and ex producer Clark Quitely (Paul Blackthorne) alongside others who offer their expertise.
In the first ten minutes we see Lincoln and Tess struggling with Cole's job, Captain Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann) throwing someone overboard for touching his guns, and a cameraman goofing around. The writing and acting is so succinct that you only need seconds to understand where the characters are in their lives currently, and how each individual will deal with what's to come. Some will fall, and others will survive. It's an inevitability that gives the show an edge, clearly not being scared to kill anyone off along the way. The potential relationship between Lena (Eloise Mumford) and Lincoln certainly seems a prime candidate for death if horror history is anything to go by.
Yes, there may be moments where you feel like you're watching the lovechild of Lost and Quarantine, descending into the ridiculous on a number of occasions, but it's something you learn to enjoy. This is definitely a show where you don't ask questions and you just go along for the ride. Leslie Hope (memorable as Teri Bauer, wife of Jack in 24) has such a presence that if she's in the middle of a strange unknown entity shouting her lungs out, you damn well listen. English actor Shaun Parkes steals many a scene as the courageous and humourous cameraman A.J. Poulain, and credit is due to Steven Spielberg and the executive producers for creating a believable 'lost footage' edit.
The real tragedy of Dr. Cole being lost may well be that we see little of Bruce Greenwood, an actor who shines in the short screentime he is given. This is one mission you really want to succeed because Cole is such a character. In the two part opener, things don't slow down and the creepy moments are amplified. Who knows where we'll be by the season finale, but chances are you'll be sleeping with the light on. Television has found an adrenaline rush that has been sorely missing.
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