The Messengers: TV Review

From its first teaser trailer, The CW's new supernaturally slanted show, The Messengers, looked like something worth checking out. Beyond its connection to Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's The Bible miniseries, by way of lead actor Diogo Morgado, this new show about angels, was spiritually appealing with the logline: "When evil rises, good awakens."

Ironically, Morgado, who's known for his turn as Jesus in The Bible, switches sides in The Messengers. In the pilot episode, titled "The Awakening", Morgado plays The Man, a not-from-this-world, shadowy being who comes with a dark purpose.

Written by series creator Eoghan O'Donnell, the pilot gives us a glimpse into the show's future. The first scene alone is a sign that the show will not be afraid to get its hands dirty in telling this good vs. evil story.

Jumping to seven years later, we're introduced to five strangers: a curious scientist named Vera (Shantel VanSanten), young, single mom Erin (Sofia Black-D'Elia), a troubled, bullied teen named Peter (Joel Courtney), an undercover FBI agent (JD Pardo) and Joshua Silburn, Jr., a second-generation televangelist (Jon Fletcher). (SPOILER...) Unconnected, each one experiences the same reaction to The Man's arrival on earth--they all die.

What the series will do with this apocalyptic storyline and how it will portray God is unclear at this point. The CW's website interestingly does tout scripture as part of its introduction to the new show.

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. Revelation 9:1CloseRevelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.* OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)

Parents should know that the pilot contains violent moments. The first minute shows a young woman being brutally shot at close range. A drug cartel related shooting leaves four men dead. Scenes later, a teenager gets beaten to a bloody pulp.

Unfortunately, it's a bit predictable. One big revelation isn't really that big of a surprise by the time it's revealed. Most of the main characters seem two-dimensional as each is quickly introduced in the episode. The most beguiling of the main cast is Morgado as The Man. He does well playing the mysterious figure.

For its interesting plot alone, The Messengers is worth a second shot.

The Messengers airs on Fridays at 9 p.m. on The CW, beginning April 17, 2015.