Yeah, writing and acting seemed underwhelming to me too. Maybe a few to many obvious tropes (overworked marriage partner losing their spouse) and missed details that hacked at the believablity of the world (why was the coffin not quarantined too? Why was the medical examiner not in a hazmat suit? How did that one part of the warehouse get so empty and the CDC guy find the vamp monster all alone?) It all left me feeling like there was a better show there than what they gave us.
Dunno what it is about these FX shows but they have unique ideas and interesting premises and then just miss in the delivery. The Americans was like that for me, and also The Bridge (though that kept my interest for a bit longer). Just cant quite put my finger on it.
Good to see vamps being done as horror again. For the record I don't mind seeing them as sexy tortured beings, but it can be a tough line to hold and there's been far too much of it lately. True Blood going from having character in its vamps and show, to just being a trash soap opera, and of course Twilight just being a teenaged girls princess fantasy and completely screwing up the genre.
For me the idea/symbolism of the vampire is someone wrestling with their animal side and their lusts. You need to show human and monster in constant battle. Like so many other classic literary figures (Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, etc.) Sorta what Rice was able to accomplish with her first books.
That said, it will be nice visiting the pure monster aspect. And Mr. Toro can certainly make great monsters. I just hope everything else about the show doesn't become too much to bear. The horror aspects of the show were the best parts. The vamp monster, the worms, the final medical examiner scene were all great. Even the bit with the daughter returning was good even though it was obvious and a little cliched.
And yeah, recognized Sam and Walder Frey immediately.
