So, How Is: Under the Dome

This summer the broadcast networks have started offering more scripted series in an attempt to keep up with cable (finally) and some, such as NBC's underrated hour-long comedy Camp (Wednesdays at 10pm) are even proving worthwhile (not sure the same can be said of ABC's Mistresses...). CBS in particular took a big gamble this summer with an adaptation of Stephen King's Under the Dome (Mondays at 10pm), a big high-concept serialized drama that seems to contradict with the network's bread-and-butter procedural dramas like NCIS and The Good Wife. Their risk seems to be paying off, as the show has done well enough halfway through its run to warrant a renewal for a second season, thanks to the cache of King's name and a rich streaming deal with Amazon Prime (episodes are available on the service four days after they air). Of course success is all well and good, but how does Under the Dome fair creatively?

The basic premise of the series is a small town called Chester's Mill and its inhabitants are all suddenly trapped under a mysterious clear dome one fateful day. This means people passing through are stuck, people out of town are locked out, and all communication with the outside world is terminated as well. Upon realizing that they could be in this predicament for a while, local car salesman and councilman 'Big Jim' Rennie (Breaking Bad's Dean Norris, relishing the chance to get his hands dirty) seizes the opportunity to take charge and maintain order in the town, though his true motivations are not always clear, as he was also involved with some shady dealings pre-dome that left him with a large secret stash of much-needed propane. Big Jim butts heads with other well-established members of the town, as well as his sociopathic son Junior (Alexander Koch), who's attachment to summer fling Angie (Life Unexpected's Britt Robertson) is particularly disturbing. Additionally, former-soldier Dale 'Barbie' Barbara (Bates Motel's Mike Vogel) is trapped in town after burying the body of local reporter Julia Shumway's surgeon husband (Rachelle Lefevre), making for some one-sided awkwardness when Barbie is invited to stay with her and sees a photo of the man he just killed in her home. Despite this dark secret, Barbie actually fits the role of defacto hero for the series, often offering his military skills to help Big Jim or in-over-her-head local Sheriff Linda Esquivel (Natalie Martinez).

The central cast (a lot of people have died so far...) is rounded out by local teen Joe (Colin Ford) and Norrie (Mackenzie Lintz), who was passing through town with her two moms. Joe and Norrie's storyline is actually one of the most intriguing, as the two experience strange simultaneous seizures that have them muttering about "pink stars falling in lines," leading Julia to suspect that they have some kind of connection with the oddly-charged dome. With each episode comes new revelations about the dome (it cuts through the ground, its apparently indestructible) and new insights into the characters (the reason Barbie was in town, Big Jim and Junior's relationship), a formula that resembles the one pioneered in Lost, but done in a much more cursory manner. Although the characters and plot-points aren't quite as detailed as those in the ground-breaking Lost (which spawned numerous failed attempts to replicate its success with sprawling casts and mysteries), Under the Dome's isolated small town setting allows it to explore new ideas about human nature, while steadily building its own mythology at a brisk pace. Compared to the even glossier Revolution on NBC (which actually plays more like a PG Walking Dead), Under the Dome does a far better job of balancing a dense plot with interesting and more fully dimensional characters, and although it still isn't as engrossing as it probably could be, it still offers a unique narrative that viewers will find rewarding.