Russell and I are watching Persons Unknown, the show where a bunch of strangers are kidnapped and stuck together in a semi-deserted town and treated to Chinese food for every meal. We are watching it mostly because the previews looked intriguing it comes on right after the show Last Comic Standing, which I watch for the sole purpose of disagreeing with the choices of the judges, and because I love it when Russell laughs.
Persons Unknown seems like a ripoff of Lost, and I can't decide if I even like it. I just can't find myself identifying with any of the characters and I constantly feel like they are off-brand versions of characters from Lost. And let's face it, no one can compare to the cast in Lost. I just can't garner sympathy for any of them. The plot is trying to be intricate, but the characters are flat, and the acting is sub par. The only emotion they have played is "aah, I am confused and upset so I am going to do something really stupid and yell a lot at the people trying to help me." and when that doesn't work they yell at the cameras (or flash them.)
Maybe I just am not giving the show a real chance by constantly comparing it to Lost. However, I don't think Russell is very enthused by it either: He fell asleep halfway through last week's episode and this time he is multitasking by working on his thesis .
I am hoping that this show simply is a slow starter and that by the end of the miniseries I will be wowed by some surprise ingenuity on the part of the writers, but for now I am not impressed.
