Here's a late midseason show from The CW that will scare the spit out of you.
It did me, and I'm fairly jaded when it comes to TV dramas. Containment debuts at 8 p.m. today, and despite the flaws that come from the exposition establishing a new series, it only took a couple of episodes to get me hooked.
What's so scary? For me, zombies (e.g. iZombie) don't do it. The CW's stable of vampires (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals) and the monsters on Supernatural make me yawn. American Horror Story in all its incarnations isn't so horrible, with or without Lady Gaga. But it's the horrific plausibility that the events depicted in Containment could really happen that make it so gripping.
Plausible? Given the frustration of today's global war on terrorism and the increasing threats from those who seek to do us harm, Containment certainly strikes a nerve.
I don't want to reveal too much, so I'll just emphasize what has been in the ads. Containment involves bioterrorism on a particularly virulent scale. It deals with those who are victims, those who are attempting to combat it, and those struggling to survive as chaos overwhelms society.
The setting is Atlanta and the series opens on Day 13 of a disaster of biblical proportions. Viewers are immediately immersed in heavily armed National Guard soldiers, a rioting mob, screams and panic.
Flashbacks to Day 1 then set us up for this disturbing opening scene.
It's quickly evident that an unknown deadly virus has hit Atlanta and the government's emergency response is to establish a cordon around the infected midtown zone and hope to wait it out. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to find out what the virus is so that a cure can be attempted.
We see the growing effects of the epidemic from several points of view.
First, we get to know several officers of the Atlanta Police Department and a few key government officials. Then we meet some of those trapped within the electrified fences, as well as those battling ignorance and fear on the outside.
Containment is fast-paced and switches quickly between five ongoing story lines. Sometimes the actors chew the scenery in an attempt to convey the drama. It's not necessary. The plot is dramatic enough as society begins to disintegrate and the bloody body count rises.
Here's a cheat sheet for the eight major characters in the large ensemble.
Major Lex Carnahan (David Gyasi, Interstellar). The highly respected spokesman for the police department, Carnahan has his hands full keeping the peace as Atlanta grows increasingly unruly.
Jana Mayfield (Christina Moses, Starship: Apocalypse). Carnahan's longtime girlfriend (with commitment issues) is a data recovery specialist trapped in her high-rise office inside the cordon.
Officer Jake Riley (Chris Wood, The Vampire Diaries). Carnahan's best friend is also trapped in the ground zero hospital lockdown and blames Carnahan for sending him in harm's way.
Teresa Keaton (Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Spartacus: War of the Damned). Eight months pregnant, 17-year-old Teresa was planning on running away with her boyfriend when she got swept up inside the cordon.
Katie Frank (Kristen Gutoskie, Beaver Falls). The single mother and sixth-grade teacher was escorting a busload of 14 pupils (including her son) on a hospital tour when the outbreak occurred. Now she's stuck in the hospital along with Riley and her rambunctious kids.
Dr. Victor Cannerts (George Young, Casualty). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher made the call to isolate a large portion of Atlanta. Now he's desperately trying to find a cure for the virus.
Dr. Sabine Lommers (Claudia Black, The Originals). The Health and Human Services senior official is called in only when a situation turns deadly. She heads up the government's efforts to contain the outbreak -- an effort that's growing increasingly difficult with each passing day.
Leo Greene (Trevor St. John, One Life to Live). A discredited investigative journalist trying to get back into the game, Greene begins to suspect a conspiracy after the quarantine is in place.
Containment is rated TV-14 for language and violence. The 13-episode series replaces iZombie, which finished its second season last week. Warning: The depiction of the virus' effects are particularly graphic and disturbing.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
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Style on 04/19/2016