The worst part is it's gotten worse. Lost at least knew basically where it was going on a season by season basis, and only over multiple seasons did you say WTF? These other shows, they aren't even plotting out one season. It's like they don't know where they're going from one episode to the next. The X-Files was the same way, so it's hardly new. But at least the X-Files, it wasn't the focus of the show and a small minority of episodes, and again, was plotted out on a season by season basis.

I'm not sure if it's because the shows are relying less on a staff of writers and allowing the writer of the episode to craft some of the broader strokes, leading to the schizophrenic stories, or if they simply don't care. Likewise, maybe they panic and when the ratings aren't good, redo everything in spite of their plans. None of those are an excuse, and these shows are clearly suffering. Their entire "catch" is a show with an intricate story to be revealed over time. When they clearly have no idea where that story is going, or simply shake things up to get more viewers, then... When that's the shows entire catch? Yeah, not good. I enjoy the Event now, but when I look back on the show, the shift from the aliens being neutral to good to being a clear and present danger is going to be the main thing I remember. That's not good.

Of course it could be a bunch of BS, but when the show was greenlit, it was with the knowledge that a whole 5-year arc had been written in a "bible" which detailed all of the nuances of the the story. It could be that the main ideas were there but how to get to them week-by-week was not.

I do like the show and I understand it's faults but the big thing is that there are many more issues that surround the story than just the few people we do see on a given episode. It is this large sandbox that give me hope of it sustaining my interest.

I'm watching "The Event," but I don't think it I would miss it much if it gets canceled.

There just isn't much of a hook there. None of the characters are terribly compelling or sympathetic, and the actors don't really sell anything. The overall arc of the plot hasn't really grabbed me, either.

I will agree with you on this that Jason Ritter was miscast as Sean. He IMO doesn't have the presence/gravitas to be a lead of a weekly drama. He was okay as Mr. Cyr on Parenthood last season, but he was a flop here.

Ritter worked great in Joan of Arcadia in a dramatic role. He was awesome in The Class in a comedic role, clearly evoking his father. But an action role? Yeah, he definitely doesn't work at all here. And it's not so much the appearance of him, or the scripts. He just can't act in the role. He's clearly a fine actor, but he cannot do this role with any serious belief behind it. So agreed.

I don't get the sense that there is a 'lead' on this show. If there are any, it's the Prez and Sophia.

I think Sean is probably the lead, as he's the one who feels like he's on a journey or quest of some kind. He's the everyman who has been pulled into all of this conspiracy stuff out of a normal life.

But there are so many disparate plot threads and character arcs going on concurrently that there doesn't really feel like there's any kind of glue holding it all together.

At least they dropped that annoying cut-up timeline.

I loved when the old man shot tig

shiiiiit, it's more than just Ritter

i mean Laura Innes and Blair Underwood are vetaran actors and when i watch them it's not even believeable... it just feels like they're reciting lines...I guess it's not their faults though because they are just delivering the shitty lines they are written

I like Zeljko Ivanek as an actor, he bout the only one i can't hate

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The show advanced passed the "jumping" stage where they were going back and forth to different time periods and i thought ok now we'll get a good storyline going, then they hit a brother with the "aliens from another planet" nonsense *smh*

maybe next time they will just do a 1-season plan vs a 5-season because it didn't seem to help them ... assume you'll get cancelled

when INVASION was on the air back in '05 they managed to tell a nice "alien" story in 1 season that wasn't too shabby.

just my 2cents

Yeah Zeljko Ivanek is easily the best thing about the show even if he's doing that growl mumble. However, I don't mind Ritter and I actually forward to his portion of the story.

This episode was kinda cool, unfortunately I was also thinking the whole time:

"I kinda hope they just blow up all the aliens, Sean has a 6th sense that his gf is dead and just starts banging the hell out of Taylor Cole for the rest of the hour. The End."

Seriously, you couldn't rig the buses with C4 before sending them over? Or like others said have 3 Apaches or a pilot who knows how to take out multiple targets? And what about the poor Ralph Cramdens that got blown to bits? Collateral damage I guess.

I used to make excuses for this show. I mean, it's OK, but nothing I'll miss when (not if) it gets canceled. But that scene with the Apache and the busses was just... retarded. I'm normally not the type of guy to use that word, but it's the best fit for it. I mean, c'mon... those busses are HUGE targets, and you mean to tell me they couldn't have been targeted simultaneously? Has the footage from Iraq and Afghanistan been lying to me all these years?

killing all the aliens would have been a good way to scrap the current storyline and start from scratch

but that still woulda left Simon and the guy on the phone with Thomas who operates the teleporter

my mistake, too many loose ends... no real way to completely destroy the aliens and insert new story

The Wikipedia article says the Apache Longbow can not not only handle multiple targets, but coordinate targetting amongst multiple Longbows. A flock of them can hide behind a ridge line, with only one having its radar dome above the ridge line. It can assign targets to all, they all leap up, destroy the enemy, and go back to lurking.

With a full load of 16 Hellfire missles, one Apache could have killed all three buses, with the last missiles being fired before the first missiles hit the bus. However, the writers needed Sophia to escape for their plotline.