By Chris Saccaro
Via CBS
For most of it’s run, “Under the Dome” has felt like it was building up to something big. It always felt like it was on the cusp of setting up a big storyline, or prepping the audience for a huge earth-shattering reveal. This week’s episode, “Speak of the Devil,” was mediocre at best, but if this episode is to be praised on anything, it would be that by its close, things are finally being set up to match the level of chaos that is a staple of the novel. But even then, it just scratches the surface of what made the novel great, forcing us to come back another week to see if it even delivers.
This episode is split between the supernatural elements surrounding the four teens, and the drama occurring between the adults. It’s only starting to blend together by the end of the episode, but there are still two completely separate things going on—and it’s very palpable. Both feel underdeveloped, to the point that it would be much more advantageous if the writers focused on one or the other, because they clearly can’t do both of them to their fullest potential.
The teenager’s storyline of trying to discover the secret dome is cringe-worthy and reeks of bad acting/writing. Everything between Angie and Junior has been destroyed beyond repair, yet it’s constantly thrown back at the audience. Hell the entire “crisis of the week” happened because Junior turned his back on the group, only to come back when Angie confesses her need for him. All of the characters are so poorly motivated. I half expected Angie to start quoting Taylor Swift as she tells Junior she is never getting back together with him. Like, ever.
And if the rest of the episode didn’t already clue you in on Big Jim’s rise to villainy, the episode ends with the teenagers seeing that Big Jim must be killed by them for the dome to come down (the vision is up to interpretation, though I don’t think anyone watching cares enough to think about it more than they need to.)
As predicted, Maxine is killed. However, her death (and the death of many other townies) is pinned on Barbie. This plot point is lifted from the novel (with some changes), but it’s too early to see if it will provide the same suspense that the novel had. Chances are, it will last half of next episode, until Julia wakes up and reveals that it was Maxine who shot her. Because if there’s one thing this show does well, it’s ruining source material.
The end of the episode promises some action that will finally provide answers, but the past 11 episodes have proven that any momentum from the previous episode is lost before the next one. “Under the Dome” continuously teases the audience into thinking that the next episode will be better, but by now, we’re forced to accept the fact that this show is never going to be better than mediocre.
Chris Saccaro is a staff writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.
