TV Review - Emergence (2019)

Ever since the ABC series Lost (2004), the network and other broadcast networks have been looking for a series like it, which is a mystery series with fantastical or science-fiction elements. Several shows like Lost have come and gone in the 15 years since. Last year, NBC found a show like Lost that became a hit. NBC's Manifest is like Lost not only because it's a mystery series with fantastical or science-fiction elements but also because it involves people surviving an incident with a plane. That series is trying to be just as ambitious through its wielding of a large cast. This series is similarly like Lost in that it also involves people surviving an incident with a plane, or specifically one person surviving an incident with a plane. I would say though that this series is more effective, even in its initial episodes, than Manifest for one main reason and that's casting. It's not that the casting of Manifest is bad, but it doesn't have the really engaging and charming characters that this series has.

Allison Tolman (Good Girls and Fargo) stars as Joanne Evans, the police chief of Southold, a town in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. She's a single mom who lives with her father. Her daughter is biracial. Her daughter's father is loving and a consistent presence in her life. One night, Joanne or Jo is called to the beach where there has been a plane crash, similarly to Lost. Yet, there is only one survivor, but, there's no evidence the survivor was even on the plane. Jo is then tasked to discover why the plane crashed and who the survivor is, given that the survivor has no memory of what happened. Unfortunately, the mystery comes with danger of someone or even a group of people trying to cover up the accident. Tolman is great. She's strong and tough when she needs to be. She's also sweet and charming in general all the time. She's the perfect anchor for a series like this.

In several ways, this series reminds me of Kyle XY (2006). That series was about a boy who had no memory who is found by a government official and then essentially adopted by a family who help to protect him from a group or people trying to cover up his existence. The boy also exhibited special or supernatural powers. This series, created by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, takes that same concept but gender-swaps it. Instead of a boy with no memory who's taken in by a nuclear family and the boy has powers, here it's a girl with no memory who's taken in by a family and she has special powers.

Alexa Swinton (Billions) co-stars as Piper, the aforementioned, little girl who is probably around the age of 10 or so. She was on the beach near the plane crash. Presumably, she was on the plane, but she has no injuries and not even a scratch on her. It's inexplicable. She has no memory of who she is or where she comes from. She is exhibiting powers, strong magnetic powers. She's like a little Magneto from X-Men (2000). If this were Kyle XY, Piper would be Kyle, but, unlike Kyle, this series doesn't give Piper an internal monologue or voice-over that provides insight into her. She comes across more as a MacGuffin.

Kyle XY was more a teenage, coming-of-age story that was about the awkwardness of growing up and fitting in for young people. This series more follows Jo and is tapping more on issues of parenthood, specifically motherhood. It's reaching for those themes therein like nurturing, comforting and protection. It's warm and endearing in that regard. Jo's interactions with other characters in her social circle are touching and genuine.

Donald Faison (Scrubs and Clueless) also co-stars as Alex, the ex-husband to Jo and the father to her teenage daughter. He shares custody and despite them being divorced, there is a warmth between them. They get along and seemed to have parted on amicable terms. Yet, they still care about each other and appear to still be friends. He has a good job that pays him well. He comes off as a simple man otherwise, down-to-Earth and likes fishing. Yet, he becomes worried when Jo basically adopts Piper and the danger comes. Faison is a perfect match, opposite Tolman, because he's equally charming an actor.

Clancy Brown (Billions and Carnivàle) plays Ed, the father to Jo. He's retired, a former firefighter who's also a cancer survivor. He's more a handyman now but only around his daughter's house. He also helps to care for the children. Again, he's absolutely warm and just a strong, lovely presence here. Robert Bailey Jr. (The Night Shift) plays Chris, a deputy or police officer who works for Jo. He's sweet and loyal, again another warm presence that counter-balances the thrills in this series with a kind of cooziness that makes this satisfying to watch.

Rated TV-PG-VL.
Running Time: 1 hr.
Tuesdays at 10PM on ABC.