The Returned - New Show On A&E

Kindof ironic, an assumer chastising someone for assuming!

I think this show is well-done. I especially like the buildings and locations chosen for the shots, an interesting "looking" show

 

Please, watch the French original -- the atmosphere, cinematography and music are far superior. The first episode of the American version wasn't terrible but it was a by the numbers recreation that brought nothing new to the table.

 

How about that big drain pipe/tunnel that people walk through? The first time they showed it, I thought "oh that looks perfect for a murder" and sure enough! Do things like that actually exist in towns where people walk through them all the time and they aren't filled with rats, trash, broken bottles, etc? It looks like a location perfect for a TV show or movie but not necessarily one that would actually exist.

 

I'll get around to the French version in time. I probably won't even have to read the subtitles.

In a way that makes it even more interesting, adds to the sense that this is a fantasy world that I get watching.

 

Yes they do exist. I know of one in st. Louis that has been there since I was in grade school. So that makes it about 50 years old. It goes under an interstate highway between a subdivision and a park.

 

A&E on demand is nice too, it doesn't make you watch all the commercials like the major networks do.

 

A good episode tonight. The plot thickens....in several areas.

And the preview for next week looks even better.

 

That is nice. Do the On Demand streams have all the inane pop ups telling me to "live tweet blah blah" and so on? If no, I might just start waiting for them to appear there. A&E is getting really distracting with their bugs, hashtags, and banners advertising other shows over top of the action. Really kills the atmosphere.

They're really making a point of the returned people being super hungry.

 

I've watched the first two episodes and it seems to be a pretty high quality english remake of the french one. They are following pretty close to the original although it's been awhile since I saw that so my memory might be a bit hazy. Some pretty good casting. Not as mainstream TV as Resurrection (similarly themed). A little more meat on the bones which is fine with me.

 

Holy crap. What a way to start tonight's episode. Meow.

 

Am I the only one still watching? The main reason I am staying with it is because it is on after Bates Motel.

Last night's episode seemed to drag a bit.

 

I'm still watching. I didn't watch last nights yet, as I'm staying about a week behind. I might just let them build up so I can watch a bunch in a row. I'm following too many shows an only seeing them once a week makes it harder to remember who is who.

 

I'm through the first eight episodes and I have to disagree that it is "dumbed down" or a "by the numbers recreation". I think A&E has done a great job here. There are parts of episodes that are nearly identical to the original, although the sequencing is often different. However, as the story goes on, there are significant differences from the original French version. So much so that I wonder if the A&E version is going it's own way in Season 2. I'll reserve judgment on that until I see the final two episodes. It should be noted that the original version was 8 episodes compared to 10 here.

 

I'm enjoying it as well. I haven't seen the French version, but I know that people are generally very loyal to the original version of a film or TV series if they happen to be fans of the originals. Their view of remakes may be tainted by their loyalty to the originals.

 

Glad to hear it's better than I anticipated. I'll check it out once the season is complete and I can binge watch it on Netflix or Hulu or something.

 

I've enjoyed other remakes, but I wasn't impressed by the premiere episode of The Returned. It wasn't bad or anything, but I didn't think they did anything better than or diverged in an interesting way from the French version, so I just felt like "I don't need to see this story again but not as good." However, that's the only episode of it I watched.

 

I was off on my episode count. I just now finished Ep 8. With one minor exception, it was new material and goes in a very different direction from the original series. It really looks like A&E is branching off on their own story. I think it's working. I hope enough people are watching to keep it going.

 

I have not seen the French version so have no idea what may be coming.

However I am starting to lose interest in this one. I missed the last 2-3 episodes. So I either need to watch them and get caught up or just give it up.

I admit that I am concerned this show could get canceled without a resolution to the story. This could be another Resurrection. Fool me once and all that......

 

Not on a broadcast network, that alone probably improves the renewal chances.

 

I "binged watched" the first 8 or 9 episodes a week before the finale. I probably would go back and watch the original French version, but despite this US version's hit-and-miss production values, it appears as though the US version is a relatively straight lift of the French version. In other words, if I watch the French version, it will be somewhat redundant. Should have just started there. I actually saw it on Netflix a little while back and almost started watching.

In any event, as for the US version, it's kind of a like a less cheesy, more well-produced version of "Under the Dome." There are still some questionable moments, some things that don't make sense (and seem to be more down to writing than purposeful ambiguity).

I'd also say the finale from last night was pretty lackluster. It's not even so much about "wrapping" anything up. It was just a rather limp ending. They clearly put this thing together *assuming* they were getting a second season. If they had ANY intention for this to "double" as a "series finale" or "end of a limited series", then it was a horrible ending.

 

Actually, the US version is not a straight lift of the French version at all. As of episode 8 or so, it goes in a completely different direction. If A&E lets it go another season, I do not expect it to have any connection to Season 2 of Les Revenants.

I thought the US version was really good. I liked many of the changes. However, I too thought that the season finale was disappointing. There were also a few plot discrepancies that appeared out of nowhere. Maybe those get resolved next season, if there is a next season.

 

Sorry, it's really bothering me that people are watching this Americanized version without having seen the original. Sue me.

 

I might give the French version a shot. It's on Netflix. I just happened to stumble upon the American version first.

 

Sorry to hear about that. Like the last person said, I too just happened to start watching the US version first. I have no reason to doubt the French version is better (I obviously can't assume it is since I haven't seen it). I just had/have no interest in stopping watching the US version and moving over to the French version, nor am I at this moment in time interested in watching the French version now which, while surely having plenty of differences, is similar enough in genre and plot that I'd rather watch something else.

 

It's akin to watching the 1998 Psycho-remake/reshoot by Gus Van Sant and being satisfied enough to not feel the need to watch Hitchcock's original. Just my opinion.