The Messengers Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Awakening
Amanda Steinmetz
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In addition to vampires, superheroes, and werewolves, The CW has now added angels into the mix.
The Messengers Season 1 Episode 1 unveiled a group of strangers who are about to embark on a journey of biblical proportions.
So, did the pilot give the audience enough to work with? Let’s discuss!
A man shoots a woman after saying, “His name was Death, and Hell followed him.” This was our first glimpse at the spiritual and religious plot that will drive this series forward.
Watching the pilot felt like a mash-up of Heroes and Supernatural. On Heroes, strangers ended up becoming connected through their abilities. Supernatural has spent 10 seasons heavily covering the topic of religion (God, the Devil, angels, etc).
So The Messengers is going to have to find a way to stand out in the crowd. Let’s dive into what worked well.
The pilot did a nice job of introducing the main characters: Vera (the radio astronomer), Raul (the agent on the run), Erin (the devoted mother), Peter (the teenager), and Joshua (the TV preacher).
Out of the five messengers, I’d have to say my favorite so far is Joshua. His intensity after coming back to life was intriguing. What did he see in his vision?
I have seen such things that would make your blood freeze. I have had visions of the future. I have seen the face of God, and it is a terrible thing to behold.
Joshua
My least favorite was Erin. I just didn’t find the actress’ portrayal of a mother convincing. Her acting was a little too forced.
Another aspect of the pilot that worked was the introduction to the spiritual journey all the characters are about to take. The religious mythology gave the pilot enough momentum to make me want to see what happens next.
Vera will probably be the one least accepting of her new path. She’s a woman grounded in science, so she’ll definitely have a difficult time believing what’s happening to her.
I have a feeling their new abilities could send them all on different paths. Their “powers” can be used for good or evil. Peter’s already killed someone with his newfound strength.
I’m sure the sinister creature/force/person known only as “The Man” will try to sway them to the dark side.
Vera, you experienced things today you don't understand. You're trying to deny it, but you feel it. Nothing is random. Nothing. Is it coincidence? Everything is happening for a reason, and you have an important part to play.
The Man
Speaking of The Man, let’s get into what didn’t work.
I’m not sure what to make of The Man yet. The episode heavily implied he is Lucifer. I’m hoping for a twist, but he acted way too evil to not be a bad guy.
You’ve got to give it to Diogo Morgado for fighting against typecasting. The actor played Jesus in the wildly successful TV mini-series The Bible. Now it looks like he’s playing the Devil himself.
The problem I had with Morogado’s introduction was his accent. It was very shaky. His delivery was also a bit stiff.
Another aspect of the pilot I didn’t care for was the cheesy special effects. I could have done without the red glowing eyes. The spectral wings were also not as visually stunning as I would hope them to be.
The dialogue can use some fine-tuning. If I’m going to believe that Shantel VanSanten is an astronomer, then the “science-y” dialogue she’s given needs to be more believable.
The show is going to have the difficult task of sustaining the heavy overtone of religion while also still being an entertaining show to keep the viewers coming back every week.
Religion can be a touchy subject to cover, so I hope they keep it as neutral as possible without making it apparent to the audience that the show is mainly dealing with Christianity.
Still, the pilot succeeded in throwing a lot of questions at the audience. Here are some of the biggest ones that stayed with me after watching:
- Why did the meteor/The Man crash down at the Trinity site where the first nuclear bomb was tested?
- Who is Rose, and why does The Man see her as a threat?
- Which characters will embrace their higher power, and which ones will be swayed by the Devil?
So over to you guys? What did you think of the pilot? Was there enough to keep you around for the next episode? Which character interests you the most? Is The Man the Devil or something else? What are your predictions for The Messengers Season 1 Episode 2?
Sound off below, and don't worry if you missed the premiere because you can watch The Messengers online via TV Fanatic!
Amanda Steinmetz was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She went into retirement in June of 2027. Follow her on Twitter.
