Between 1×06 review: ‘War’

Man, I hate this series. All I can say is thank goodness this crap show was only six episodes long.

Let’s bitch it out…

The entire first half of ‘War’ is a complete write-off. It’s like a condensed version of the first five episodes in its repetitiveness, containing the usual Rich Bitches vs Creekers battle that escalates in a predictable fashion. Nice guy Pat (Jim Watson) tries to make amends for the hit and run that claimed Amanda’s life last week and his attempt to defuse the situation nearly ends up getting him killed. Wiley (Jennette McCurdy) stepping into Chuck’s (Justin Kelly) line of fire to argue for reason and Emily’s announcement about baby Jason’s lineage are the only thing that prevent further bloodshed. Naturally just when things seem their bleakest, the real threat is revealed: the government has arrived to “decontaminate” the kids (aka murder them). Hallelujah, maybe something interesting or unexpected will finally happen!

The military’s plans are known to Adam (Jesse Carere) because his father tells him. Daddy dearest worked on the virus, but he isn’t immune and after telling Adam about a way out, the sole remaining adult dies. The death initially seems illogical: why introduce the character only to kill him moments later? In a blindside attempt, the death is later revealed to be a ruse. When the kids sneak into the prison to prevent the mass slaughter of the town’s kids, Adam’s pop returns. Obviously he faked his death and is directly involved in the conspiracy, which is helpful because his leadership role enables him to drop a metric ton of exposition about its origins and plans. Blah blah “there’s no cure” blah blah “everyone is a carrier” blah blah. It’s more or less exactly what we’ve already been told, with a dash of hopelessness since the truth is that the kids can never leave. Just as we always expected, Between is all about the sunshine and rainbows.

In the true spirit of amateur-hour screenwriting, Adam is forced to kill his father, Wiley is forced to take ownership for her pregnancy to Melissa (Brooke Palsson) and Pat is forced to work with Chuck. By the end of the finale, one member of each of the pairing is cut down after a tentative peace or truth has been spoken. Things end ambiguously: the adults have died (conveniently) and the teens remain locked in, setting up a continuation of the status quo that leaves them fending for themselves until they turn 22 one by one. Thankfully the smartest teen in town knows a way out and Adam is happy to announce the fact to Wiley, despite the fact that he’s just learned that if the virus gets out, it is unstoppable. Apparently he doesn’t appear to care, although his ambivalence for the lives of everyone else on earth may simply be a projection of how little I care about continuing this tale. I would rather imagine he foolishly killed everyone in his desire to get out than be forced to watch another episode.

Between started out as an intriguing, albeit uneven drama. It ends with an anticlimactic and predictable whimper, misguidedly hedging its bet on a renewal that is both unwarranted and undeserved. Let’s hope this series dies as quickly and painfully as its fictional adults did.

Other Observations:

• I liked <sarcasm> that all of the show’s most sympathetic characters were killed. Melissa endures Wiley’s confession about hooking up with Chuck’s dad (blech) and deciding to keep the baby. She is then immediately and unceremoniously killed in a car accident. Ditto Pat, who arbitrarily decides to martyr himself in the jail stairwell to protect Chuck’s life to make right Amanda’s wrongful death. I think we’re meant to find his death heroic, but also ironic since had Pat waited just a few minutes longer, the soldiers would have died and he would have lived. Alas, I just think this is bad writing.
• If anything surprises in this final episode, it is that Frannie (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) is not killed, since that would have completed the trifecta of likable characters being murdered while idiotic/repugnant/whiny characters live on. Then again, after killing all of the kids, Between had to keep at least one youngster alive for a hypothetical S2, right? Who else will be threatened by a tiger?
• Just to confirm: Mark (Jack Murray) was totally just on this show so that there was a character who knew the prison lay-out, right? That seems like a really poor excuse considering how much screen time was wasted on him.
• My one take-away from this series is how truly atrocious Jesse Carere’s hair is. I wish we could have spent more time with it, especially when it is parted in the center like it is here. When Between was at its worst and my thoughts began to wonder, I often pondered who would win in a hair/wig battle: Adam’s frizzled fro or Lizzie’s S1 spiky wig from The Blacklist? Watching that would have been more enjoyable than pretty much any part of Between.

Best Lines:

• Mark (when Ronnie asks what he was in prison for): “Jaywalking” Oh, not being a total a-hole?

Your turn: which aspect of the series was most frustrating for you? Are you at all surprised that virtually every single nice character has been eliminated at this point? How can Adam, a supposedly “smart” character, justify telling Wiley there’s a way out when he knows the impact the virus can have? Sound off below.

Between has now completed its first season. It has yet to be renewed by City TV or Netflix