[TV] The Mist

[Smoove_B]

Coming to Spike in June. First official trailer was released yesterday. I loved the short story and enjoyed the movie (which we have a thread on), despite the changes made and the abbreviated format it needed. I'm hopeful this will be good, but they are also changing the scope of the story to accommodate a episodic format. Here's hoping...

[Lassr]

Could be good but I can't help but think about how much they (TV) royally screwed up Under the Dome.

[tgb]

Under the Dome is what's keeping me from telling tlr about this. I know she'll watch it, no matter how lousy it turns out to be, which pretty much means I'll be watching it as well.

Although with all the original programming for Netflix, Amazon, etc. we've split off into watching our own shows ourselves more than we ever have before.

[Smoove_B]

Yes, I had the same thought -- however, I'm hoping the Spike TV has different motivations than CBS and will work harder to impress everyone with a quality program rather than try to make a 22 episode TV show to sell commercial time. I should probably know better, but I really want to believe this isn't going to suck. They've quoted Fargo as their inspiration in terms of trying to make something related to or inspired by the original, but not remaking it. I don't know if it's confirmed, but the original 2016 news item suggested it was going to be a 10 episode run. I take that as a good sign.

[dbt1949]

One of my all time favorite stories. Maybe this time they'll do it right.

[Smoove_B]

Just a reminder, the show airs tomorrow night on Spike at 10pm EST. Early reviews seem quite positive.

[tjg_marantz]

The THR review is not so positive. Not bad but only one episode was sent to reviewers and it had a lot of exposition. Which is to be expected but I'm not sure how you can review a show based on one episode. In probably waiting for 3 episodes to air and then read reviews.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Lassr]

tonight's episode was "meh." A lot of back story of the people that will be trapped together. We'll see how it is after the next few episodes.

[dbt1949]

ditto. I hope the background stories are pretty much over.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Having watched the pilot over the weekend, sadly tgb's comparison to Under the Dome hit the nail on the head. This show is clearly cut from much the same cloth, i.e. banal, flat, and unlikable Mist-fodder characters, exposition and cliches aplenty with no real drama to speak of, lucklustre special effects, and schlocky SyFy-movie scare levels. After having seen the pilot, I honestly have no interest or desire to see the trials and travails of such insipid characters going forward. Speaking as someone that also very much enjoyed the original short story and the Frank Darabont movie, this show seems like rubbish in comparison.

[Smoove_B]

I think it's hard to judge the show on a single episode - I'm usually good for three before I can figure out whether or not it's a crap-fest. However, let's be realistic here. The source material is really a twist on the "zombie apocalypse" story where the real evil is what happens to some of the human survivors. The story is a character-driven drama so I'd expect this show to be a character driven drama with intersections of nameless horrors as the story progresses. While you can all say "I told you so" in July, I'm not writing it off yet.

[dbt1949]

Every TV series ever made has at least an episode or two setting up the super person or villain. Movies use the first hour or more setting it up.
So this is a throw away episode. I'll give them at least two more episodes to get to the action.

[Anonymous Bosch]

The story is a character-driven drama so I'd expect this show to be a character driven drama with intersections of nameless horrors as the story progresses.

I agree, which is why the opening episode felt like such a dud to me. Considering the characters on this show all seemed as dull as dishwater right from the get-go, I'm skeptical that any real drama is likely to occur. I hope I'm wrong, but the characters here just struck me as so bland and flat that I don't think it bodes well for what's supposed to be a largely character-driven narrative.

[Carpet_pissr]

Trying not to read comments too closely here, but I was interested in reading this before seeing it, but man, the ending is apparently just shit if you believe many of the neg reviews (many of whom love Kings other works).

Thoughts?

[dbt1949]

The book ending left the survivors in the car hearing a broadcast from Boston or someplace. It gave hope.
The movie ending gave hope but in a crappy way.

[dbt1949]

I watched the second episode. More character development. Blah blah blah. No monsters.
If I wanted more character development and no monsters I'd watch the Young and the Restless.)

[rshetts2]

I gave up after episode one. I am usually the one saying "give it time to develop" but the first episode was so damned bad that I just couldn't force myself to watch another episode.

[Lassr]

Not giving up yet but the first two episodes did nothing to keep be captivated.

[tgb]

Sounds like I dodged a bullet.

[dbt1949]

You can go to Spike.com and catch the first three episodes.

[Lassr]

so far I feel the show should be called "People in the Mist"

[Lassr]

I think i am through with this show. Just not anything to hold my interest.

[Smoove_B]

I'm not sure if anyone else is watching, but I'm still in an I've been enjoying it. It's clearly "inspired by" the novella (with all the traveling and various locations), but I think the tone is correct. I didn't see the hospital situation happening (both times) and Frances Conroy is quite enjoyable to watch. Last night's episode in particular was rather surprising overall regarding Adrian:

Spoiler:

He's...one fucked up dude. I'm not sure how he thought telling Alex's dad that he's the one that raped her was going to go.

Anyway, once again, not really about The Mist (tm) but how man's true nature is magnified under stress. This whole episode was filled with some crazy murdering chaos. Not really sure what's going to happen in the next two weeks...

Is it great? No. But for a Stephen King sourced show, it's not too bad. Certainly miles ahead of whatever the Dome became when I had to stop watching.

[Lassr]

I'm not sure if anyone else is watching, but I'm still in an I've been enjoying it. It's clearly "inspired by" the novella (with all the traveling and various locations), but I think the tone is correct. I didn't see the hospital situation happening (both times) and Frances Conroy is quite enjoyable to watch. Last night's episode in particular was rather surprising overall regarding Adrian:

Spoiler:

He's...one fucked up dude. I'm not sure how he thought telling Alex's dad that he's the one that raped her was going to go.

Anyway, once again, not really about The Mist (tm) but how man's true nature is magnified under stress. This whole episode was filled with some crazy murdering chaos. Not really sure what's going to happen in the next two weeks...

Is it great? No. But for a Stephen King sourced show, it's not too bad. Certainly miles ahead of whatever the Dome became when I had to stop watching.

I missed the episode 3 weeks ago and didn't return. I may play catch up just to see how I like it now.

[Jaddison]

Just started watching, well binge watching.

True to Stephen King in that he is really writing about people and their nature being exposed in crisis.

Only on Episode 4 and liking it a lot. I am also watching Van Helsing season 1 and I like The Mist better at this point.

[Isgrimnur]

Coming to Spike in June.

Canceled by Spike in September.

The Mist has lifted. Spike confirmed to Deadline that it has canceled its horror series based on a novella by Stephen King from the early 1980s after one season.

The Mist, which marked Spike’s first original scripted series, was leftover from the old regime and programming strategy at the network, which will be rebranded as Paramount Network in January. Asked in March whether The Mist could continue on the Paramount Network, Kevin Kay, president of Spike/Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT, said, “in success, if this season on Spike goes well, we would pick it up for next year, and Season 2 will be on Paramount. We think it’s got a lot of potential.”

[hepcat]

Ouch, that bad, huh? I was going to check it out on Netflix as it's coming to their service. But if it sucks I'll avoid it.

[Smoove_B]

Wow, I didn't see that coming at all. I didn't think it was that bad. Certainly better than S1 of Fear the Walking Dead or whatever it's called.

[tjg_marantz]

Figured. Glad I held off.

[Kyosho]

I have a soft spot for Stephen King miniserieseseses. I'm kind of interested in watching this. I know the show was cancelled, but did the last episode give any sort of closure at all? Or is it a case of "big cliffhanger and many questions that will never be resolved" ?

I've never read the story but I've seen the film. As a fan of the Dark Tower books, I always assumed the creatures in The Mist were from the todash darkness. If anyone here has read those books, am I correct on that?

[Isgrimnur]

Then you should know about the Castle Rock series that’s due out next year.

[Isgrimnur]

The Mist is up on Netflix.

[Punisher]

The Mist is up on Netflix.

Wonder why they bothered... The show is canceled and does not have an ending...

[Paingod]

Probably the same reason they put up the last 2 seasons of a 4-season show. It gave me something to watch while I dozed off.