A diverse group of recruits has arrived at the FBI Quantico Base for training. They are the best, the brightest and the mot vetted, so it seems impossible that one of them is suspected of masterminding the biggest attack on New York City since 9/11.
Serious dramas about terrorism and primetime soap operas featuring attractive people sleeping with each other don't immediately sound like they would pair well together. That's exactly what Quantico is setting out to do. It is notable that the depiction of terrorist acts on TV has gotten to the point where it can be a fictionalized story about a group of young, attractive recruits at Quantico. But the big foreboding act of destruction on New York City shown in this premiere largely gives the show a sense of urgency and tension more than anything else. In order to show how high the risk is and how dangerous this job can be, the premiere shows a devastating attack on American soil that revolves around the action of the main characters. It establishes importance even though those flash-forward moments aren't the best parts of the show in this opening hour.The future storyline is a bit more over-the-top and less character focused than the rest of the premiere. It shows an attack that has created a mass situation of panic. It shows us one character reacting to all of it. But it's all told in grand proclamations. It's a shoddy way to tell this story. The aspiration is to make it a compelling story that is just around the corner for the main characters. But it's also the hook for the viewers and nothing more than that. It doesn't inform the audience on the details of the characters. All the dialogue in those sequences are way too cryptic in order to work well. At one point, leading lady Alex refers to the FBI's assumption that one of her fellow recruits "is actually a terrorist?" The dialogue exists in order to excite the audience. It's compelling and thrilling to watch as Alex is framed for this crime and has to fight her way to escape in order to prove her innocence. But that doesn't inform anything about her character or her relationships with the rest of the regular cast.
The structure of this premiere is really bothersome. That's a direct consequence of the first hour of any new television show having to stuff too much into it in order to engage an audience. This premiere does a lot of interesting things with its characters. It has a personality and a voice already that is distinct. It is able to derive tension out of a purely expositional situation by simply having the various recruits interview each other. That sequence is very informational but also very engaging. The audience gets insight into who these characters are and what's motivating them into joining the FBI. That's a crucial piece of information in order to better understand this ensemble of characters. But it is also paired with another sequence of action in order to keep the audience on high alert no matter what point in time the story is in.
Despite the show handling a number of things well, this premiere has too much going on. It doesn't allow its characters or the audience to breathe. It starts with the allure of tension and intrigue and ends with a thrilling car chase and crash that puts its main character in peril. But the character work and interactions while everyone is learning about each other in the early days at Quantico is the best part of the show. That's where the distinctiveness of the show's personality is able to come through. Yes, a certain part of it is just checking a box with a varied cast of characters. All of whom have secrets. Some of which they are keeping from others and some from themselves. In order to create a mystery over who amongst these recruits is a terrorist, the show needs to present a crop of characters where any one of them could be seen as a suspect.
A number of story points are being hit with confidence. That is a very encouraging sign that the show has some idea of where it's going in the future. And no, that's not just because of the flash-forwards that show the literal future. Alex is given a comprehensive backstory that is able to make her a strong and powerful character while also being alluring and compelling. Her father was a secret agent with the bureau and her family had no idea until Alex killed him in self defense. It wasn't abundantly clear why that confrontation happened in the first place. But something is definitely amiss here. The mystery of her father is fueling her in the present. Not only that but Agent Liam O'Connor and Ryan Booth are keeping a close look on her as well. Liam is much more than the once great agent who he is made out to be. The director of the Quantico program, Miranda, talks about his various problems and him almost losing his job. But he is still able to run some kind of undercover operation with Ryan. One that will likely have major consequences given the cryptic things he says in the future.
It's uncertain if the show will be able to maintain this level of fun and sensitive appeal in the future. This show won't be for everyone. But for the people who do get it, they will probably love it. They will enjoying trying to figure out who is the mastermind behind this big terrorist attack. Nimah apparently has a twin and they are swapping in and out in order to both attend the program. Ryan is already an agent who is being tasked to spy on Alex. Shelby is an expert sniper doing her best to honor her parents' memory after they died in 9/11. Simon is gay and a virgin but also spent some time in Palestine. Caleb is the golden boy who got into the program because both of his parents are agents but he completely sucks at everything. All of that is meaningful character work that should create an interesting dynamic for the future. Let's see where this goes.
Some more thoughts:
- "Run" was written by Joshua Safran and directed by Marc Munden.
- Right now, Priyanka Chopra is the only standout amongst the cast. She has screen presence that makes Alex instantly compelling. That goes a long way in making the show around her feel just as good. Though it is also notable that no one in the supporting ranks is awful which is a good sign initially.
- It's easy for the show to keep the audience on edge when it comes to Nimah. Her being Muslim unfortunately gives her a stronger potential connection to terrorism. And yet, that means the show has the responsibility not to make the non-white character the villain in the end.
- Miranda isn't involved with a ton of the action in the present day. But in the future, she is the only one certain that Alex is innocent of the crime she is accused of orchestrating. Why is she so certain though?
- It wasn't that surprising that Brian J. Smith was only a guest actor for the premiere. He still has his regular commitments to Netflix's Sense8 after all. His exit was memorable. But it also served a very basic purpose to keep things as tense as they can possibly be. His character's suicide does make the people in charge seem a little incompetent at their jobs though.
- It should be interesting to see how well this show does in the ratings tomorrow and in the coming days. Chopra is a huge international star. It's an unprecedented situation for American TV. Hopefully, it will create some results worth talking about.
