Invasion 1.2: "Lights Out"

Written by Shaun Cassidy
Directed by Lawrence Trilling

In which an Air Force diver is found badly injured with mysterious wounds, and while Mariel finds something unexpected in his wounds, Larkin tries to uncover what seems like a cover-up…


One thing that a lot of critics mentioned about “Invasion”, in the months prior to the premiere, was the pacing. They all noticed that the pacing made “Lost” seem hasty in comparison. This second episode certainly seems to bear that out, as a number of plot threads continue forward from the pilot as the story transitions into series.

Shaun Cassidy always noted that this wasn’t so much about the alien invasion concept as it was about the family dynamic. The alien invasion is an extreme outside pressure on the family, placing them in situations where their true strengths and weaknesses are revealed. It’s the same formula that has worked so well for “Lost”, but the unique spin here is that most of the characters know a lot more about each other going into the situation. It’s not strangers learning about each other and all the intrigue that comes with it; it’s about learning the truth about someone you think you already know.

However, I do have some concerns. For one thing, I saw the pilot twice and felt that I understood the characters and circumstances fairly well. Some things in this episode blurred the picture a bit, and I hope that it’s more a question of layering the mystery than adjusting characterizations. Mariel, for instance, seemed to be gaining an understanding of how she’s been changed at the end of the pilot. In this episode, she’s in the dark, and actually providing evidence regarding the alien incursion.

If this is about the mystery, then it suggests that if a person is “possessed” by the aliens, then the process of conversion is largely unknown to the host. Sometimes the alien influence is apparent, and sometimes it’s dormant. But then in the case of the priest and the sheriff (or so it seems), the alien influence seems completely dominant. This will need to be explained in the near future.

It also seems as though Paxton’s fate reveals one aspect of the alien’s nature. They seem to be feeding off of humans in some cases, while “possessing” those in positions of authority that can help them continue their spread unabated. The fact that Paxton was on a classified mission in the area suggests that the military is aware of something unusual in the area. How this connects to Sheriff Underlay and his previous time in the military is unclear and ought to be interesting to explore.

Regardless, the tone of the series has been well established. Whenever anyone is near the water or on their own, it gets a little disturbing. I’m also intrigued by how the conspiracy angle will play out. Larkin is likely to keep pushing (while still taking the time to look incredibly hot in very little clothing), but someone knows that Dave and Russell have seen something they shouldn’t. And against my usual nature, I was really creeped out by the fact that Underlay knows that Rose saw something.

For all that, I’m still not sure about where things are going and how well they will play out. To be honest, I wasn’t all that interested in the family politics, beyond the fact that some people aren’t who they seem to be. That’s not how I feel about the characters on “Lost”, so if this series is going to continue to keep my interest, the characters are going to have to get a little more compelling. Admittedly, that’s all my subjective reaction thus far, so it might be that this will change as the story moves forward.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10