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Jun 24, 2013 By Alee Karim Web Exclusive

Right out of the gate, there’s no way Under the Dome, a new sci-fi drama miniseries for CBS, can miss. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Under the Dome is the story of Chester’s Mill, Maine, a familiar King-ian small town, contending with an impenetrable clear dome that suddenly and completely surrounds its city limits, leaving those on either side stuck and unable to cross. The sheer WTF-ness of the premise alone leaves one clamoring for resolution after its vanishingly short hour.

Where Under the Dome falters a bit is as a modern television drama in a hugely competitive landscape. CBS clearly did not double-down on production value the way ABC did on, say, Lost. Dome‘s adaptation was in fact spearheaded by an alum of the Lost writers’ room, veteran comics writer, Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man), in his first stint as a show runner. Story-wise, he has a lot to be proud of here. Just as in his comic books, he ties a large ensemble around the premise patiently, waiting until just the right moment to share how each is intertwined with one another. It’s a diverse cast whose personal details are perhaps better kept secret in this review to avoid spoilers.

And yet, some in the ensemble are a bit wooden (about those personal details: possible SPOILERS follow). Alexander Koch comes off a bit too nice to play a wildly jealous boyfriend with any convincing degree of menace. And Rachelle Lefevre’s reporter doesn’t seem too jilted by her potentially adulterous husband (SPOILERS end). This may seem like nit-picking but contrast that with another small-town/supernatural series, Twin Peaks, whose Eric DaRe portrayed the murderous Leo with ferocity to spare mere minutes after he hits the screen. Unlike Peaks, we may not fall in love with these characters but hopefully it’s too early to tell. Nonetheless, it’d be surprising if one is not dying to see what happens to them next by the premiere’s end. (www.cbs.com/shows/under-the-dome/)

Author rating: 7.5/10