Note To Self: Don’t Misplace ID Card
After last week’s action packed, but ultimately forgettable pilot episode, we return to The Passage right where we left off from before. With more history revealed for our core characters, an interesting couple of subplots and some foreshadowing for what’s to come, The Passage’s second episode feels much more driven in delivering a cohesive narrative whilst failing to really push the plot forward all that much. We begin right where we left off from before. Amy and Brad are on the run from the police and to make matters worse, Brad is badly wounded courtesy of a stray gunshot at the end of last week’s shootout. After being chased down winding country streets, they take a breather on the side of the road so Brad can get some well-earned rest. Amy, understandably not wanting to sit around for hours, uses her initiative and phones Brad’s ex-wife. After explaining their situation and being given some helpful pointers, Brad awakens none too happy that Amy’s taken his phone. After throwing the phone out the window, they head back on the road again where they find refuge with Brad’s ex military instructor. It’s here where the story slows down and paves way for the much more endearing storyline with Project Noah. This plot is advanced twofold; one through flashbacks with Jonas and another through the guards watching over Tim Fanning and Shauna. The flashbacks work really well to dive into the mind of our troubled scientist and hopefully we’ll see more of this as the season goes on. Seeing the visions get more severe and vivid for Anthony Carter is particularly exciting too and it’ll be intriguing to see where this story goes from here. We leave the episode with two significant deaths but two very different outcomes. For spoiler purposes we won’t divulge who they are but suffice to say, Amy and Brad look set for testing times ahead whilst the guards inside the science facility get their first taste of just how dangerous these two prisoners are. Having not read the book I couldn’t say how close to the plot this is but for the time being, The Passage seems content with working its way slowly into the main crux of the story. We didn’t mention it last week but the score and choice of music is particularly questionable. Whilst last week featured The Chain by Fleetwood Mac during Dr Tim feeding, this week we get a particularly misplaced song late on that feels a little tonally inconsistent to what we’ve been watching. I’ve said it before that music can make or break a show and while some of the songs fit perfectly, others do not and it oftentimes feels like the show is at odds with itself because of it. Still, the episode itself is enjoyable and there’s enough here to keep you watching through to next week. While there isn’t that much plot development here, what we do get is some promising prospects for the future. The vampires in particular look incredibly creepy and unnerving which helps to steer away from their glittery brethren in other young adult fiction. While no better nor worse than the pilot episode, The Passage appears to be a show biding its time before sinking its vampiric teeth into the meat of the show. Whether it can keep this going before people stop watching is anyone’s guess.
