"The Returned" - Series One

[bookgazing]

"The Returned | Sunday | Channel 4" (Watch on YouTube)

Let me settle which version of "The Returned" I’m talking about right away. The piece of media I’m talking about is a French language series, named Les Revenants. A subtitled version of its first series was shown on UK TV this year. I am not talking about the planned US TV series, "Resurrection", which is an English language series that was originally going to be titled "The Returned" because it is based on the novel "The Returned" by Jason Mott. Although Les Revenants and Jason Mott’s "The Returned" are based on a similar premise (the dead return - not as decomposing, shambling zombies but as functioning human beings that look just as they did before they died) they aren’t related in any other way. Are you more confused than that time two films about Truman Capote were released in the same year? Don’t worry, it gets easier and more fun from here.

( Lots of spoilers )

Supplemental Materials

Digital Spy: The Returned - All the Unanswered Burning Questions in One Place
The Guardian: "The Returned series finale - were you disappointed?"
Den of Geek: "Does This Hold Answers to The Returned's Mysteries?"
The Metro: "The Returned finale - 7 Theories to Take Us Into Season 2

Sleepy Hollow, "Pilot": The Adventures of Abbie Mills (and Sidekick)

[renay]

Spoilers.



I don't know where I heard about Sleepy Hollow, but when I watched the trailer I remember thinking, "Oh my gosh, it's REVOLUTIONARY WAR FANFIC!" Except I was wrong. It's Revolutionary War fanfic with monsters. EVEN BETTER.

I've never been into the Sleepy Hollow story or remix culture. I did watch both the cartoon every Halloween (public schools; thank you) and the 1999 film featuring Christopher Walken as the Horseman and an extremely blonde Christina Ricci, which was passable. It didn't do a lot to stick with me. The draw to this iteration was the main character, Abbie Mills, and all the scenes in the trailer where she's being a smartass with a dude a foot taller than her, and showing off her gun.

The important thing about Sleepy Hollow is a) that this is full on shameless crossover fanfic and b) that it's fully aware of the batshit premise it has to work within. It decides, "You know what? Gun it." The first episode is chock full of dramatics, including but not limited to: mystery caves, demon horses, George Washington as a defender against dark forces, nefarious trees, badass witches, cultural retconning, long-kept secrets, sassy quips, and gunfights over pickled heads. I went in with my expectations low. I came out with the firm belief that for a pilot about the apocalypse the entire episode was perfection and that Abbie is my new hero.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

A summary of the episode, or, the Official Trailer.

( Hold on to your head. )