Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • What Looks Good for 11/4: Indies

      Paul Brian McCoy
      November 3, 2015
      Boom! Studios, Columns, Dark Horse, IDW, Image, Indie, What Looks Good
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Singles Going Steady for the Week of 8/7/2019

      Paul Brian McCoy
      August 13, 2019
      Dark Horse, DC Comics, Reviews, Singles Going Steady
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • What Looks Good for the Week of 6/19/2019

      Paul Brian McCoy
      June 17, 2019
      Columns, DC Comics, IDW, Valiant, What Looks Good
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      Utopia 1.06 - Review

      Paul Brian McCoy
      March 7, 2013
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Liam Sharp: A New Grammar for a New Medium

      Paul Brian McCoy
      September 28, 2012
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Steve Gerber's Son of Satan Pt. 4: A Quick Visit to Atlantis

      Paul Brian McCoy
      May 6, 2016
      Classic Comics, Classic Comics Cavalcade
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • A horror collection that is just Killer!

      Paul Brian McCoy
      March 22, 2014
      Kickstarter Spotlight, News
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Jason Shiga and His Deliciously Demented 'Demon'

      Paul Brian McCoy
      May 9, 2017
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Helix 1.01 & 1.02 “Pilot” & “Vector”

Paul Brian McCoy
January 16, 2014
Reviews
Helix 1.01 & 1.02 "Pilot" & "Vector"
3.0Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)

In the second “Dream Come True” scenario for first-time TV creators of the 2013-14 season, unproven Helix creator Cameron Porsandeh hooked up with the proven experience of Ron D. Moore (similarly, Sleepy Hollow‘s creator Phillip Iscove teamed up with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman – although I suppose Dracula‘s Cole Haddon teaming up with Daniel Knauf could also qualify), to develop a promising initial concept into ready-to-go programming. As with Sleepy Hollow, that means there’s some good news and some bad — strangely enough in almost the exact opposite categories as Sleepy Hollow.

Where the battle against ancient evil in New England suffers from horrible plotting and clichés too numerous to mention, it does have the benefit of charismatic actors and characters with a healthy dose of flair and dramatic histories to explore. Helix, on the other hand, has a fantastic concept, a fresh approach to pacing, and a serious storytelling style that is sure to disturb, but the characters are flat, boring, and suffer from ham-handedly cliché emotional lives.

It also doesn’t really have Moore on-hand beyond the development and producing phase. Steven Maeda is the showrunner and his experience with X-Files and Lost is on full display right from the outset as we focus on a select group of relative strangers forced together in an isolated situation where mysterious science is running amok. But to be quite honest, what it reminds me of most is 2005’s Threshold, which followed a crisis management team dealing with a first-contact scenario where the aliens were rewriting human DNA, transforming victims into stronger, faster, violent hybrid beings.

This worries me, because Threshold, while being similarly ambitious, boasted a stellar cast including Carla Gugino, Charles S. Dutton, Brent Spiner, and Peter Dinklage along with the all-star creative team of Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer. Despite that, nobody cared and Threshold was cancelled with four episodes left unaired in the US until the Sci-Fi Channel rebroadcast it a year later. And I could see something similar happening with Helix, although by starting out on Syfy in an environment that is much more open to science fiction television, that’s only a slight worry at this time.

But it’s still a valid worry, I think. After watching the first two episodes (aired edited together as a 90 minute premiere) I was decidedly underwhelmed. The third episode is available on-demand and on the Syfy website already, so a review of that will be up later this week, and hopefully things will begin to click. But as of right now, I found the lack of interesting characters to be almost too much of an impediment to really caring about what happens next.

Billy Campbell is sincere enough as Dr. Alan Farragut from the CDC, but his female co-workers are each saddled with problems. Jordan Hayes as Dr. Sarah Jordan could just as well be named Dr. He’s Too Old for You or Dr. Something to Prove Cause I’m so Young and Pretty, and Farragut’s ex-wife Dr. Julia Walker’s (Kyra Zaporsky) only defining personality trait is having cheated on Farragut years earlier with his brother, Peter (Neil Napier). Catherine Lemieux’s Dr. Doreen Boyle has a distinctive personality, for sure, but the wise-ass straight-talker persona is grating from the get-go — especially as she’s used to sarcastically info-dump backstory and plot points all through the first episode.

And so far, all of the scientists working at the lab are incredibly rude, awful people.

Our baddies are mostly just as lifeless as our heroes, with Meegwun Fairbrother as Security Chief Daniel Aerov and Mark Ghanime as the predictably double-crossy Major Sergio Balleseros. The only bright spot is Hiroyuki Sanada who plays the man in charge, Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, with barely restrained mustache-twirling and predatory reptilian seething whenever nobody’s looking.

As far as the plot goes, the basic idea is a great one and the effects are suitably gruesome and should lead to some startling revelations further on down the line. Each episode covers a single 24 hour period, so there’s a nice sense of sustained intensity that should keep things moving, despite the reliance so far on repeated trips up into the ductwork and jaunts outside into Arctic weather that is apparently cold enough to flash-freeze a horde of released lab monkeys, but not cold enough to require masks, gloves, or even zipped-up jackets for the actors.

I’m having a hard time figuring out if I want to keep watching because of the ideas involved or just because it’s so nice to have a straight science fiction show on the US airwaves again after too long having only goofy shit (Almost Human, I’m looking at you) and sci-fi-lite (the enjoyable, but cotton-candy Eureka, for example) to tide me over since Fringe crashed and burned in its final season. Regardless, I plan on checking out another episode or two. If I gave Almost Human that long to find its footing, it would be a crime to not to do the same for a real science fiction show.


Paul Brian McCoy is the writer of Mondo Marvel and a regular contributor/editor for Comics Bulletin. His first novel, The Unraveling: Damaged Inc. Book One is available at Amazon US & UK, along with his collection of short stories, Coffee, Sex, & Creation (US & UK). He recently contributed the 1989 chapter to The American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1980s (US & UK) and has kicked off Comics Bulletin Books with Mondo Marvel Volumes One (US & UK) and Two (US & UK). Paul is unnaturally preoccupied with zombie films, Asian cult cinema, and sci-fi television. He can also be found babbling on Twitter at @PBMcCoy.

 

HelixPaul Brian McCoy

Share On:
Tweet
Review: ‘Lazarus Book 1: Family’ is a Fantastic Graphic Novel by a Great Creative Team
Top 10 Comics Writers of 2013

About The Author

Paul Brian McCoy
Paul Brian McCoy

Paul Brian McCoy is the Editor-in-Chief of Psycho Drive-In, writer of Mondo Marvel, and a regular contributor/editor for Comics Bulletin. His first novel, The Unraveling: Damaged Inc. Book One is available at Amazon US & UK, along with his collection of short stories, Coffee, Sex, & Creation (US & UK). He recently contributed the 1989 chapter to The American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1980s (US & UK) and has kicked off Comics Bulletin Books with Mondo Marvel Volumes One (US & UK) and Two (US & UK). Paul is unnaturally preoccupied with zombie films, Asian cult cinema, and sci-fi television. He can also be found babbling on Twitter at @PBMcCoy.

Related Posts

  • “The Long, Strange Trip of Deathlok the Demolisher”

    Paul Brian McCoy
    May 22, 2017
  • 3.8

    Review: ‘Agent Carter’ 1.01 “Pilot” & 1.02 “Bridge And Tunnel”

    Paul Brian McCoy
    January 8, 2015

Latest Reviews

  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders