Pilot Review: Blood Drive

Blood Drive (Syfy)
Premiered June 14 at 10pm

I seriously considered not watching this show, for obvious reasons, I think. I don’t have any particular desire to see people thrown into the gaping, sharp jaws of a car hood so that they can be immediately ripped to pieces and pumped for their blood which mysteriously powers the cars in this gas- and water-deprived dystopian reality. I really wasn’t into the idea of “Mad Max: Fury Road,” whose landscape bears a striking resemblance to this world’s (the other way around, of course) and even though I didn’t hate it as much as I expected to when I finally saw it, I still don’t know why this kind of thing is appealing. I watch “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which disturbs me immensely, but it’s not gratuitous just for the hell of it, which this completely is. It’s hard to make any sense of this violent, absurd concept, one which is pretty just fueled (pun intended) by the idea that misery is a way of life, and in a society where racing is everything (why?), it doesn’t matter who you are, even if you’re a cop – once you get chipped, you’re in it for life. I’m very happy that I can step back and do my best not to have nightmares about this hellish and completely unsettling, disgusting series. I didn’t recognize any actors and I’m happy not to have since I’d really rather not have to think about this show any more when I inevitably seem them again in something else fully guaranteed to be better than this.

How will it work as a series? Well, I guess the cop is now a racer, and his new friend Grace is determined to help him get with the program so that he doesn’t cost her anything. They’re sure to make a solid duo, but he’s going to have to get over his god complex in this godless world if wants to have a shot at surviving.
How long will it last? I cannot comprehend how this show earned decent reviews from anyone, let alone a handful of critics. Shockingly, the pilot was screened with “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which surely helped its ratings, and its week two airing was weaker but still not terrible. I’ll be furious if this gets renewed when Syfy cancelled “Alphas” after season two, but maybe it will??

Pilot grade: F-