TV Jots

New Original Syfy Series Debuts

Syfy has built up a well-known reputation as the go-to outlet for lighter-weight original science fiction fare that often leans toward the cheesy and low-tech side, and sometimes the just plain bad side (more than a few of the network’s unintentionally amusing original movies spring immediately to mind, for example). Thankfully for viewers, however, Alphas, the latest series to join Syfy’s original lineup, is more promising than trivial, based on the 90-minute July 11 premiere. It also meshes well with good-time dramedies Eureka and Warehouse 13, which precede the newcomer on Monday nights this summer.

An action drama with crime and conspiracy elements, Alphas revolves around a group of Alphas — people with uncommon abilities — who complete urgent missions for the U.S. Department of Defense, or so we’re told. Psychiatrist and neurologist Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn, The Bourne Ultimatum) leads the unit, which includes Ryan Cartwright (Bones) as frequency-reading human antenna Gary Bell; Azita Ghanizada (General Hospital: Night Shift) as Rachel Pizad, who can enhance her senses at will; Laura Mennell (Smallville) as hyper-influential Nina Theroux, who can force certain people to do whatever she tells them to; and Malik Yoba (New York Undercover) as exceptionally strong ex-FBI agent Bill Harken. Sure, none of the abilities seem mindblowing or all that hip, but they are special compared to the average human’s skill set.

The extended premiere introduces the members of Team Alpha right around the time they encounter their newest future colleague, former military sniper Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie, Happy Town). Troubled, estranged from his young son, and living the working-class life while employed at a grocery store, Hicks has extraordinary control of his muscular system, which enables him to do impressive stuff like shoot firearms and pitch baseballs with perfect aim from a great distance … when his mind doesn’t get in the way, that is.

This talent brings Hicks to the attention of another, shadier Alpha, who turns him into an unwitting puppet by hypnotizing him to commit murder in a seemingly impossible manner. And, of course, Hicks has no memory of the deed after it’s done, although the several witnesses certainly do. Enter Dr. Rosen and his not-so-merry band of Alphas, who initially set out to track down and capture Hicks, but end up making room for him on their team after he proves his worth when they need his expertise most.

The Alphas pilot almost lost me and my interest in the beginning as the episode presented the main characters in a series of uninspired, 30-second-ish vignettes designed to quickly acquaint viewers with them and their unique traits. The introductions are too rushed and simplistic, and the unique traits are nothing groundbreaking or captivating, as I already mentioned.

Yet, the outlook for Alphas improves considerably whenever Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) appears too briefly as Rosen’s contact Wilson — regrettably, he’s not a regular also — and whenever the show’s plot reveals its darker underside for a fleeting moment. The second selling point promises viewers more than just a repeated stream of catch-the-bad-dudes antics interspersed with periodic slices of mildly humorous chitchat as the season progresses.

Some might tune into Alphas for that very reason, though — the chance to be entertained with minimal effort or lasting effect. Mindless television works for me, as well, but I’m also going to watch to learn what the premiere’s villain meant when he informed Hicks, “You’re on the wrong side of this.” Could the members of Team Alpha be in for a rude awakening any day now? I can only hope, and the more malevolent the real deal is, the better.