Under the Dome Premiere

Everything we expect from a Steven King inspired show is brought to CBS in Under the Dome!  King literally wears the crown when it comes to all types of science fiction, particularly bringing them into film and television.  We have all the usual from a King inspired series; a complicated premise, a small town with a slew of crazy insidious characters and the expectation to be surprised at every twist.  Like so many of his other stories, this show involves the concept and tension of what a group of people will do when
trapped together (The Mist, Storm of the Century) but adds a second pressure point of hysteria from unexplained events and a third of characters who all have something to hide.  While I enjoyed the show, I have to admit that introducing so many characters in such a short amount of time was a poor decision.  For a premiere episode, I would prefer a little more content.  Instead I was tasked with attempting to keep up with the entire group trapped in the dome and to their secrets. I am not the type of person who just watches a show, I want to understand it completely and be able to predict what's coming next.  However, in the hour I felt like I needed to take notes in order to fully grasp the characters and their ulterior motives, especially Angie as she did not make a bit of sense.  For those of you who didn't rewind, retake and pay super close attention, I'll give you the rundown:

• I want to begin with the eerie happenings of the main character, The Dome.  Everything is normal when suddenly a large force-field appears out of nowhere.  We are not yet sure how it came to be; whether it originated from the ground or the sky, it was clear from the gory and jaw-dropping scene when a cow was literally sliced in half that something had taken form.  It was not clear the shape or size until a small aircraft crashed into it high above and other motor vehicle accidents consisting of trucks slamming into an invisible wall that the entire town was surrounded on all sides and in the air taking the shape of a dome or snow globe (similar to the Christmas episode of Haven).  All of this commotion was certainly exciting and well produced, simulating the chaos that the dome created.  We also learned that touching the dome initially caused a sort of shock, but after the primary buzz residents were able to firmly place their hand on the surface without any visible damage.  It is also sound proof, when fire, rescue crews and military forces came along the sirens, helicopter noise and all of the commotion arising on the outside could not be heard within.  We don't yet know what secrets this character holds, but it is clearly complex in nature and we have much to learn.   
• We are first introduced to "Barbie" an apparent debt collector for a shady enterprise, and when he went to collect money from Peter some sort of chaos ensued in which he ended up killing Peter and burying him in the woods. 
• We also have Julia, the town's reporter, who is constantly chasing a story and the dome is a big one.  I have a feeling that she will take the lead in attempting to understand and figure out what the dome is, why it's there and how to escape it.  Unfortunately in the episode she finds out that under her own nose her husband has been lying to her, claiming that he works Sundays when his actual whereabouts are unknown.  She is kind and offers Barbie a room in her home, since he is not a local, which is when we discover that Peter, the man Barbie killed, is actually Julia's husband. 
• "Big Jim" is a car salesman but also a town councilman, he seems to be attempting to gain more respect and power.  What he is hiding is still not clear but we do know that he is a part of some sinister plot and has been stockpiling oil which will now come in handy since all power, phone lines and all other resources were lost when the town was cut off from the outside world. 
• Big Jim also has a son, James or "Junior", who comes off as a shy, young college kid.   We find out that James is a sociopath with an infatuation with his summer fling Angie. 
• Angie is, well I don't know what she is.  At first she seems to be James' love interest and a waitress at the diner.  Then she is a creepy candy stripper at the clinic.  Next she is a kind sister.  Her personality changes, as well as her job and outfit changes, had my husband and I rewinding and confused.  Anyhow in the end she is kidnapped by James and placed in Big Jim's bomb shelter as a hostage. 
• Angie's brother, Joe is a responsible sharp witted high school student.  While I don't think he is hiding anything, right away he begins to hypothesize about the dome and search for anomalies or an off switch.  I believe that in the coming weeks he will also be vital in discovering the secrets of the dome and how to get out. 
• We are also introduced to a family of women; Caroline and Alice are a lesbian couple with a daughter, Norrie.  They are just passing through the town when the dome dropped and don't seem to have any ulterior motives or share the craziness that the inhabitants seem to.  However both Norrie and Joe have seizure-like episodes in which they repeat the line "Pink stars falling in lines".  This is obviously a clue as to what is going on in Chester's Mill and I predict that they will form a relationship due to their similarity in age and their strange condition. 
• Atop that we are also introduced to the crew of a local radio station, Phil the DJ and Dodee his engineer.  While Phil is not too worried about the strange happenings, Dodee begins investigating immediately with her equipment and will also become a front runner in solving the mystery of the dome. 

Yes there is more.  Like I said, introducing us to the plethora of characters with goals ranging from kidnapping, power, investigating, murder, escaping and more, was a dicey choice but to understand all the inner-workings under the dome we have to know them all! 

• To wrap it up we have Rose, the owner of the local diner, who I am sure knows all of Chester's Mill's gossip and secrets. 
• Finally we have the local law enforcement which is spread thin because many of the fire and police forces were away in the next town for a parade when the dome emerged.  We are only introduced to the sheriff, Duke, briefly as he dies in the premiere when the dome's electrical activity interferes with his pacemaker and his heart exploded (another shocking and exciting scene). Thankfully he has passed his knowledge onto his deputy Linda who now will likely step up.  She seems to be one of the few good-hearted souls in Chester's Mill and will probably be the front runner in keeping the peace and possibly delving into the secrets of the other trapped characters from the law side of things rather than the scientific side of understanding the dome.

So, lets divide this group up into the major aspects the show will cover:
1. Secret Keepers: Barbie, Big Jim & Junior         
2. Dome Investigators: Julia, Barbie, Joe (probably with help from Norrie) & Dodee (possibly with help from Phil)  
3. Town Secret Investigators: Linda & Rose (in a tangential way as she will come across the many secrets in her diner)
4. The Survivors: Angie, Alice & Caroline 

As far as a premiere goes we are faced with a ton of tidbits leading us on as to what's to come, which leaves us on the edge of our seats right from the start!  This should lock in viewers but also is a gamble, as it is not the type of show where you can occasionally tune in and understand the complexity of the town, it's members, the inner-workings of their secrets and the mystery of the dome.  This might shy off that demographic, but also will create a cult-like following for dedicated viewers.  The acting was good, the dialogue was believable and the production was above what has become the norm on many network shows.  There is so much potential and correlation of a mix of genres that has the ability to draw in a big crowd.  We have to hope that the writers have put in the effort needed to make sure this amalgam of storylines stays clear throughout the season.  I have high hopes for the show and would recommend you to tune in and check it out as there is so much to give.  If you did miss the premiere I think that my recap can catch you up as the majority of the episode was spent on introducing and developing the characters which is described above and laid out clearly.  Even if you did catch the premiere the recap may help you get the characters straight as it was a bit of an overload and these characters as well as their place in the hierarchy of things will be important factors as the show progresses.  Under the Dome has something for everyone, so tune in, check it out and enjoy! 



"Bloody Hand Sticker" courtesy of John Wilkerson:
http://www.thestickercast.com/2013/07/possible-getglue-stickers-for-under-the-dome/