Scientists are not all Misfits!

TVGeek Army has a review of a new TV show called Alpha, which they term "Misfits of Science redux". That's because scientists are typically portrayed in TV shows (except SF shows) as nerds, weaklings, etc. The Big Bang Theory comes to mind. I admit it is funny, I like Sheldon, but the girl is a typical...well, girl. The engine light in her car is on - she ignores it. (Indeed, this is a running joke over at least two eps, and it is funny - but stereotypical.)

Anyway:

Alphas: Misfits of Science redux

The opening scene of the new series Alphas opens pretty ominously with an elderly shopper telling Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie) that it's "time to kill." What happens after that is not too hard to guess. However, the rest of the episode is pretty unpredictable.

The series follows a group of people with special abilities known as Alphas. The group is led by Dr. Leigh Rosen (David Straithairn) a scientist who specializes in studying people who are more than normal. Like many of these groups on TV, they are funded by some secret government organization who also uses them to investigate things that have them stumped.

Without giving too much away, the group is made up of an eclectic collection of folks: a hottie, a big black guy, an ex-jock, a teenage girl and even an autistic kid who is the funniest character on the show. The second funniest character has to be the group's government handler, Wilson (Callum Keith Rennie), who sees conspiracies in every doughnut shop in the city.

As I referenced in the story title, the show reminds me quite a lot of Misfits of Science in that the Alphas' abilities have considerable limitations. This is a good thing. Nothing ruins a superhero show faster than making the characters invulnerable. Also, the perpetrator in the pilot has considerable power himself, setting up a nice storyline to sustain the series beyond baddie of the week story lines.

Overall, I enjoyed the pilot and will continue to watch Alphas. While it's not as good as Eureka, it's certainly better than Haven, but then again, what isn't?

Alphas premieres on SyFy Monday night at 10pm.