CBS
When a mysterious invisible dome materialises and traps everyone inside a small town you can imagine that the responses will run a wide gamut. In Chester’s Mill in Under the Dome the townsfolk reactions are as varied as the varieties of tedium on show when listening to nonsports fans discuss Wimbledung or the Olympics. Take Army veteran Dale “Barbie” Barbara (Mike Vogel). He only came to Chesturd’s Mill to kill and bury a dude – a mission he completed successfully only to find his escape route blocked by some magical geometry. His reaction is to cosy up to local reporter Julia Shumway (Rachelle Lefevre) who, he will soon find out, is married to the guy he just plugged. Way to avoid complications, Barbie. You clearly didn’t bargain on magic geometrical shapes when you made your killy plan.
Ah I shouldn’t judge. The only oppressive semi-spherical object I’ve been held under was the Millennium Dome and to be fair I felt like murdering and burying someone there. Young wackjob Junior Rennie (Alexander Koch) can relate. He’s so bummed by the Dome of doom and the possibility of Barbie banging his on-off fuckbuddy Angie (Britt Robertson) that he kidnaps her and imprisons her in the family underground bunker. Angie wasn’t crazy about Chester’s Mill before the Dome and the abduction so she’s currently a startling state of puce with her fury.
In Chester’s Mill in Under the Dome the townsfolk reactions are as varied as the varieties of tedium on show when listening to nonsports fans discuss Wimbledung or the Olympics.
Down among the older inhabitants Junior’s dad Big Jim Rennie (Dean Norris) is a local politician who had something to do with a mysterious stockpiling of propane before the Dome came down – what’s his game? He seems as nonplussed as anyone by the development and the military don’t have a Scooby either. Aliens? Witchcraft? Beadle?
Fuctifino. It’s an enjoyable opening couple of episodes though. Steven King TV adaptations have a pretty shitty track record but Dean Norris is a powerful menacing focus which alone could make it one of the better ones. And if you’re all out of propane conspiracy theories I can tell you this – it’s great for barbecues. Makes you think, eh? And why did you have to kill that guy, Barbie? It’s beyond my Ken.
The verdict: Giving dome is a slang for fellatio in some circles so it’s good to see this one come out ahead.
Marks out of 10: 7