Reverie Series Premiere Plot Summary:
Former hostage negotiator Mara Kint (Sarah Shahi) agrees to help a tech company rescue people stuck in a virtual reality program called Reverie.
Philosophical musings on the nature of reality appear throughout literature and pop culture. Two of the most popular movies of all time, The Matrix and Inception, contain such musings. And Steven Spielberg’s virtual reality adventure film Ready Player One hit theaters not that long ago. It’s certainly not a topic audiences are tired of. With advances in CGI never stopping, the line between fake and real continues to blur. Reverie is here to pick up where those movies left off.
However, Reverie, for all its talk of revisiting memories, is ironically quite forgettable. We’ve seen this story before. A protagonist with a troubled past helps other people and by extension helps him or herself. Mara was a gifted hostage negotiator, but she couldn’t prevent a tragedy in her own family.
As is the problem many series face, I’m unsure about this show’s viability long-term. It’s a procedural where the heroine helps a new person come to terms with some emotional problem each week. It strikes me as a concept that most people would quickly tire of. Reverie is just unique enough to set itself apart from other procedurals, but not compelling enough to bring viewers back each week. I also see the concept scaring away older viewers that typically watch procedurals. They might appreciate the criticism of social media dependence as it relates to their kids, though.
Reverie sort of reminds me of Ghost Whisperer. I am by no means an avid fan of that show. I’ve maybe seen it a couple of times, but the basic premise isn’t all that different. It’s all about helping other characters move on.
While Ghost Whisperer lasted five seasons, I highly doubt Reverie will make it to a second. Virtual reality is cool in movies, but if you normalize it in a weekly show, it probably won’t work. Other procedurals like NCIS, despite most of their episodes being the same, at least have charming characters the viewers are invested in. The acting in Reverie is pretty good, but none of its characters stand out.
It makes me sad to think this show will get cancelled, because I know how good an actor Dennis Haysbert, who plays Mara’s old boss Charlie, can be. But I also don’t feel all that guilty in having no desire to watch Reverie again.
The promos tease a promising disconnect from reality for Mara in the weeks to come, but I have to judge the Reverie premiere on its own merits. And when it comes to this episode, I was bored. Maybe the stories will be better as the season progresses, but Mara’s inaugural mission failed to wow me. A couple displays of good acting couldn’t fix that.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (Acceptable Entertainment)
REVERIE AIRS WEDNESDAYS AT 10 ON NBC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVTBQbyMvGY
