So Many Questions

There were a lot of questions to ask this summer. For me, there was the, how will I spend my free time? How many reruns of Friends can I watch until my brain rots? And, will there be a new drama this summer that can capture my attention? The new CBS drama Under the Dome was able to answer my third question with a big whopping “yes”. After watching the very first episode, which was filled with an intriguing plot, well-developed characters and breathtaking special effects, I was hooked. Based off the novel written by Stephen King, the show follows a small Northeastern town of Chester’s Mill that is sent into a panic when an invisible dome falls from the sky and cuts the town off from the rest of the world. The first episode is full of heart-wrenching scenes including a cow being split in half by the dome, birds falling from the sky, a truck slamming into the dome, an airplane crashing from the sky and so much more.

The residents of Chester’s Mill have their own questions to ask. The characters include a former solider who has recently committed murder, a young teen looking to get away from her boyfriend, a young teen seemingly obsessed with his girlfriend, a journalist (played by an actress from Twilight), the town’s councilor (played by Dean Norris of Breaking Bad), a lesbian couple and their daughter, the town’s priest, the town’s sheriff (played by an old Lost star), his deputy and two radio DJs. Their questions are pretty obvious. Where did this dome come from? Why did the dome fall in their town? What secrets of theirs will be revealed? And, what dangerous secrets do other people in the dome have?

The audience members have started to form their own questions. In fact, as soon as I finished watching the first episode I knew already that this show would be one full of surprising twists. The show is produced by Stephen King and Steven Spielberg and is receiving help from Brian K. Vaughan, the writer of Lost. In fact, many individuals on the crew and cast are formally from Lost. Likewise, the show has seemed to embark on a similar theme as Lost had. The show considers the possibility that the dome is more than just a random supernatural occurrence. Rather, the show suggests that every character has a purpose for being stuck under this dome. Like Lost and many other series based off of Stephen King novels, this series does not seem to have a concrete ending in the near future. When CBS had first announced Under the Dome as a summer mini series, it was exciting to know that we wouldn’t have to sit around for nine or so seasons trying to figure out who the mother was in a story about meeting the mother. However, CBS recently announced that the show is no longer a mini series, but due to high ratings, will be picked up for a second season. This shocking and bittersweet announcement has viewers question, will we really ever know how this dome got here?

CBS have a lot riding on the answers to their own questions. They were unsure if a summer series would really get any attention at all. Much to their excitement, we just couldn’t help but to get sucked into yet another Stephen King production. I’m sure now they are questioning, “how long can they keep this going before answering our many questions?”

Although Under the Dome may have given us what we needed, an entertaining summer television series, it has come at a high price. It has caused us to be addicted to yet another confusing, surprising drama, which we may really never stop asking questions about.