# The Passage



## svalbard (Jan 17, 2019)

Based on Justin Cronin's epic the TV series pilot was shown last night. Unlike the novel which slowly builds the story the TV hurtleds along at breathneck speed and I am not too sure if this is going to be a success. The two leads playing Brad Wolgast and Amy actually do a fine job and the chemistry between them is good. However I would like to have seen this go to a HBO or Netflix instead of Fox.


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## nixie (Jan 17, 2019)

I've recorded this but not watched yet.


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## Anthoney (Jan 17, 2019)

It gave me a "Girl with all the Gifts" feel.


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## Pedro Del Mar (Jan 17, 2019)

After being a huge fan of the book and being aware that the TV show doesn't necessarily stick closely to the book I was a little unsure whether I'd enjoy the show. Pleased to report I did and I'm very much looking forward to the future episodes


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## picklematrix (Jan 17, 2019)

The book is great. I've always thought it was prime material for adaptation, so I hope this series is at least entertaining.


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## svalbard (Jan 24, 2019)

Episode 2 was ok. It still skips along at a good old pace and chemistry between Wolgast and Amy continues to develop which as book readers will know is an important part of the story.

Sister Lacy enters early and exits just as quickly. Although I have my doubts that she is completely gone and may survive. I hope she does.


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## ctg (Jan 25, 2019)

I want to watch. I have the episodes, but somehow I haven't managed to press play.


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## Pedro Del Mar (Jan 27, 2019)

svalbard said:


> Sister Lacy enters early and exits just as quickly. Although I have my doubts that she is completely gone and may survive. I hope she does.



My thoughts too!


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## svalbard (Mar 13, 2019)

Season 1 finished up the other night with an action packed double episode finale. Despite my doubts as to what they have done with the source material, I do hope that it gets a second season.


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## ctg (Mar 13, 2019)

I have saved them but I haven't watched them. Could you please try to do a small talk about the first season? No big spoilers. Just introduce the theme and say something about the main characters. I promise you, it will help writing blurbs and things.


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## Pedro Del Mar (Mar 13, 2019)

Haven't seen the finale yet but really enjoying the show. I hope they continue with the series, one of the best things on tv at the moment


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## svalbard (Mar 13, 2019)

ctg said:


> I have saved them but I haven't watched them. Could you please try to do a small talk about the first season? No big spoilers. Just introduce the theme and say something about the main characters. I promise you, it will help writing blurbs and things.



The world is on the brink of an Avian Flu pandemic and a group of scientists are working on a vaccine. However their methods are not exactly ethical. The main protagonists are a precocious young girl called Amy, who just might be the saviour of mankind. Brad Wolgast, a agent working for the shadowy group running Project Noah. The story revolves around their relationship. There are a plethora of other characters who shape the story.

Is it a faithful adaption of the novel? Not quite but there is enough of the source material present to keep me interested. Season 1 covers about 30-40% of the first novel in the trilogy. It is how they deal with the 2nd half of the story that will either make the series for me or it could be a massive deal breaker. Part 2 of the novel The Passage is some of the best written fiction that I have ever read. I truly wish HBO or Netflix had picked this up and not Fox.


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## nixie (Mar 25, 2019)

Finally got round to watching this, I was dubious having been disappointed with screen adaptations of books Is in the past. Not 100% to the book but good enough.
Hope the next series is as good.


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## svalbard (Mar 29, 2019)

I am in the middle of rereading the book and I hope they do the scene with Ida Jaxon's diary about the flight from Philadelphia on the Amtrak train. If done right it would make some electrifying tv.


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## Mr Orange (Apr 1, 2019)

I have just finished the first season and, after high hopes, I'm a bit underwhelmed and disappointed with it all. I loved the book but it seems like they departed significantly from it (although i'll caveat that by saying it was a long time ago I read it, and it could be my memory at fault). not sure how they are going to reconcile this in the next season. 



Spoiler



but I bet there is a confrontation between Wolgast and Richards over Babcock. not sure why they screwed with Babcock's character so much.



also, and this isn't something I think I have said about an American series before, but I think they could have had a faster pace through the first half of the season. I actually got bored with some of the side plots that did nothing for the overall plot.*



Spoiler



for example, the whole Elizabeth/Jonas/Fanning thing. in fact the whole project Noah "act". it was almost like they could only afford one set, so made it Project Noah and then said to the writers "we need every episode except for the first and last to be set here". things that I feel they sacrificed to accomplish this:
- Lacey's storyline
- Amy and Wolgast's escape and subsequent running
- Jonas and Lacey post-Noah - this was a departure from the book i was actually interested in, although i still think i prefer the original storyline for Lacey
- The actual apocalypse (which was summarized by a 30 second radio broadcast
- the re-appearance of Amy in 97 years - it seems like she is just going to walk in to the compound, and I like the way she was introduced in the book better

also, there were a few instances where I just thought, that's dumb. two come to mind:
- when they started to burn the virals and then stopped because Amy was linked to Fanning. umm, hello, just kill the others then...
- the escape from 4B was through some drywall and up a ladder, on top of which the explosives that were meant to kill the virals didn't even collapse 4B? I mean, come on...





svalbard said:


> I hope they do the scene with Ida Jaxon's diary about the flight from Philadelphia on the Amtrak train


i agree although they will probably just have the entire trip from inside the train, with lots of talking...


* although having said that, i'm happy there is still almost half of the book to come (the best half in my opinion)


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## svalbard (Apr 1, 2019)

Mr Orange said:


> I have just finished the first season and, after high hopes, I'm a bit underwhelmed and disappointed with it all. I loved the book but it seems like they departed significantly from it (although i'll caveat that by saying it was a long time ago I read it, and it could be my memory at fault). not sure how they are going to reconcile this in the next season.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree with most of your points although I did think they got the pacing right. I do believe they got the vitals all wrong in the series. They are far more terrifying in the book, more powerful.


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## Mr Orange (Apr 2, 2019)

Agreed, the virals were much more scary an intense in the book


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## Bagpuss (Jul 5, 2019)

For those hoping for a second season of this, you're going to be out of luck. Fox has cancelled the show.


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## svalbard (Jul 5, 2019)

That's a pity.


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## nixie (Jul 5, 2019)

Typical, hate it when shows are cancelled.


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## Mr Orange (Jul 6, 2019)

That's a shame. Maybe someone else will pick it up.

To be honest i didn't think it was a great representation of the book.


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## nixie (Jul 6, 2019)

No, it wasn't a good representation of the book but it was good viewing.


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## Mr Orange (Jul 7, 2019)

I ageee i enjoyed it and am disappointed there won't be a second season.


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## Pedro Del Mar (Jul 7, 2019)

Cancelled just when it was getting to the best part! 
Aaaarrrgghhhhh!!!!!!   
They shouldn’t be allowed to do that.


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