Parents' Guide to The Event

The show's premise certainly sounds like an interesting starting point for a high-stakes thriller, but THE EVENT needs more than that to become a fully-baked series. The story jumps back and forth in time: A week ago, Walker is snorkeling in the ocean; a few minutes ago, he's trying to hijack a plane; a year ago, the president of the United States (Blair Underwood) learns that a government official has been hiding secrets even from him (they don't say what those secrets are, but the official is played by Zeljko Ivanek, so you know it's gotta be something shady).

But there's nothing to connect all these dots. We jump right into Walker's hijacking attempt but don't know why he's doing it, so why should we care? With whom should we sympathize? The best conspiracy shows start with something familiar to viewers and then diverge into unfamiliar territory, inviting us along. Lost began with a plane crash, something viewers could understand, before it all went screwy. But The Event jumps right into the craziness with no explanation and then gets even less comprehensible. Yes, the show seems intriguing, but it also asks a lot from viewers, and many won't be willing to wait for things to start making sense.