Pilot Review: Midnight, Texas

Midnight, Texas (NBC)
Premiered July 24 at 10pm

I’m not much one for horror mainly because I don’t like being scared. Don’t get me wrong – the sight of people made up to look very dead and blubbering because they’re supposed to be permanently in the act of drowning is extremely unappealing and unpleasant, but it doesn’t rank as particularly frightening. I get the sense that maybe that’s not the point of this show, one that celebrates individuality and those who are a bit different not just in the sense of not fitting the description of normal but more because they’re actually witches, vampires, and communers with the dead. The appeal of that premise is completely lost on me, and therefore I had to suffer through the first hour of this vague, directionless show. The only reason I could think to stick around, and it’s not nearly strong enough to compel me to do so, are the recognizable faces in the cast. François Arnaud was a bright spot on “Blindspot,” and he’s much less likeable here. Dylan Bruce from “Orphan Black” continues to play a role that’s not all that easy to like, and I’m particularly intrigued if not a bit disappointed that Sarah Ramos, the most underrated part of “Parenthood,” chose this as her next regular TV role. I don’t think this show has any real quality, and I definitely want to get the hell out of Midnight, Texas before I feel trapped here forever. I’m not sure which is worse, this town or Wayward Pines.

How will it work as a series? We got a good introduction to who everyone is and to what their powers are, and theoretically all the characters are going to have to band together as other, less friendly elements try to infringe on their carefully-constructed community. I don’t particularly want to watch that, especially considering this off-putting start.
How long will it last? Neither ratings nor reviews were much to write home about, and this show isn’t likely to scare up much of a following. It did do better than another unappealing supernatural show airing in the same timeslot (review up next), so maybe it will last through the summer, but I don’t expect it to live much longer than that.

Pilot grade: F