The kids are definitely not all right in Detroit, where Cade discovers an alien-influenced rock band whose music drives teenagers into violent frenzies.
Additional Credits
Jennifer Copping -- Kat Keith
Tyler Labine -- Billy
Dean McNeill -- Jeremy
Peter Wilds -- Preston Barry
written by Daniel Howard Cerone
directed by Jorge Montesi
Nostradamus Says
"Where iron chariots are forged,
Sweet youth cries revolt over a bitter melody.
The poisoned song taints mind and soul,
Spread by air across the land."
(quatrain 30, century 4)
What Happened
A concert is going on. As we pull away from the sound mixing board, we see that a band named "Sonic War" is rocking a small warehouse. However, they must be doing it a little too well, because two cops pull up in a squad car and ask to see a permit for the show.
): "It's you -- my first stalker."
Analysis
Television and rock and roll don't mix well. Rock music is about rebellion, and that's not what network executives want to see unless it's been diluted to the point of parody.
Television saw potential in the Beatles, but the medium didn't realize it until it was able to make sure with the Monkees that the cute moptops were too busy singing to pull anybody down. Unfortunately, "Melody" walks in the footsteps of television, forsaking the groove set down by the rock pioneers to instead preach the gospel of Davy, Peter, Mickey and Mike.
Let's start with the band. "Sonic War" is a nice reference to what's really going on, but it's a complete misnomer for a band that sounds like a K-Tel album collection. It's not that they play bad music, it's just that even with alien mind-control synths I can't imagine their rather soft rock whipping up audiences into a frenzy. Unfortunately, we spend most of several scenes listening to them -- more cynical souls might chalk this up to the producers padding out a thin story -- so there's plenty of time to reflect on how unthreatening they are.
The amateurish-looking zooms and camera tilts during the music scenes don't help. The whole point of a show like First Wave is let us spend some time pretending there's somebody out there conspiring against us. Stylish direction is one thing, but reminding us we're watching TV by abruptly imitating a music video is just dumb.
All this would be nitpicking, of course, except that the blandness extends to the heart of the show. "Melody" misses huge opportunities with its story.
Despite the lip service given to Kat's ability to move an audience, the only thing motivating the rioting kids is alien technology. As a plot device, it's perfectly workable. But "Melody" could have used the plot device to ask some more interesting questions.
Why do "angry chicks sell tix"? What's the appeal of rage rock? Why are the kids coming in droves to increasingly violent concerts? None of these elements would have been out of place in the story, and they're rather disturbing if you think about them, but nobody bothers with them here. It all gets swept under the rug and everything gets explained by the fantasy element of alien interference.
Unfortunately, fantasy additives are a lousy substitute for human drama. Late in the hour, I found myself desperately hoping that Preston wasn't an alien. After all, wouldn't it have been more interesting if he were a human using the Gua to make a sensation out of the band, driven by his ambition to have a hit group? Wouldn't that have been more satisfying than just another alien with just another plot?
It's not like this show can't do better. In last week's otherwise mediocre episode, "
", the townsfolk of Athlone explained their climatic plight as punishment for ignoring the old gods, an explanation that drove them to some desperate acts. There, the plot device of continual rain served a dramatic purpose by revealing something disturbing about our need for ritual and tradition.
We don't get that from this week's plot. Instead, we get Cade's moralizing about success taking hard work and a reassurance that scary bands with names like "Sonic War" aren't so scary and dangerous after all. It's a triumph of corporate entertainment -- a horror story that carefully avoids provoking any disturbing thoughts.
The handlers of the Monkees would have been proud.
Things We Learn
The Gua have agents in place and significant influence over radio stations.
Dangling Plot Threads
One thing that puzzles
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