Extant Of The Matter - Contains SPOILERS!

I will start by saying that this is a review of the first episode of Extant (CBS and Amazon Instant Video series) that premiers in the UK on Thursday 10th July. There will be spoilers so please don't read this if you're waiting for it on Amazon.

Remember... SPOILERS!

I saw the trailer for Extant on Amazon a couple of days ago and thought, from that, and the description it had the makings of a good series. I marked it in my calendar so I wouldn't miss it! Then yesterday I saw a tweet from Amazon offering the chance to win tickets to the preview. So one retweet and a few hours later I was the proud owner of two tickets to a reception and screening at BAFTA. Super excited, plans were changed, and my friend and I were all set.

I can't just do a review of the show... It's not the same if I don't waffle... So this paragraph is about the reception. I've been to BAFTA before for the Carnegie book awards and it's a lovely venue and well organised. It was a very long reception but fantastic bar and canapés. We made the acquaintance of one of the waiters and he very kindly came to us every time he had a new tray! There was a VIP in the shape of an AI robot named Craig, bit of a blush from him and heart shaped eyes and we were best friends... and there's a photo for proof but due to issues (a very very high def camera) it's unlikely you'll see it!

So we went in to the theatre, where we managed to sit in the same seats I did all those years ago for Carnegie, I know this because the seat in front had a plaque saying it was endowed by Judi Dench. A couple of speeches, one where Craig engaged with the head honcho and informed us that the robot uprising is scheduled soon and will coincide with the bank holiday... I wouldn't worry too much, so far it's only Craig and the Amazon photocopier... but they are recruiting.

SPOILERS to follow.

So the episode started and many hopeful eyes focused on the screen. I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed. But please don't take that as a "don't watch it" endorsement... some series take a while to get going and I really do hope the next few episodes help it along. There will be another reviewed review when I've seen a few more.

I'll be a bit random, it probably won't be in the order of service.

The curse of watching too much TV: They show a picture of a man who was on a previous mission. We are told that he committed suicide after his stint in space. I have seen the man in the photo many times in other TV roles... he is too big of an actor to be a picture on a memorial wall and for that to be his only part in the show... So you know he isn't dead... and you sit waiting for him to appear. Which he does.

The art of suspense is dead: We find out Halle Berry's character (Molly), while on the space station, has a "black out" that lasts 13 hours. She reports that the power went off, communications were down, she had a 3 hour sleep, she woke up and everything was working but she accidentally deleted the footage from the security cameras. Well she didn't, and we find this out in a flashback. But here's where I have my next issue... that video footage would make for epic suspense... and as she says she doesn't remember what happens (she remembers some but then does actually black out) this is our only way to find out what went on. We can only hope she somehow regains her memories otherwise that bit of the story is going to be really hazy. If you saw someone you thought to be dead on your space station when you were on a solo mission, then you black out and wake up somewhere else, wouldn't you want to know what happened? My answer is hell yes. But Molly's doesn't. She wakes up and goes to the cameras and sees that there is no one there when she had the encounter apart from her and deletes the footage... convenientally at the point where we see her black out. Don't you want to know how on earth you ended up back in your lab Molly? You might even find out how you got pregnant... not that you'll realise the significance of this until you get the test results back... because I'm assuming the way it happened is not like the birds and the bees, or even educated fleas (yes I know I butchered those lyrics!).

The cliff isn't actually hanging that far: So I've been a little bit disappointed so far but hey, the ending should be epic so that everyone wants to watch the next episode. So the not-dead-man from the photo appears and tells Molly that she wasn't hallucinating on the space station... Ooh tell me more not-dead-man... "Don't trust anyone." Well I think she's going to be kind of guarded anyway considering she's pregnant magically and lied on her reports... but okay it's a fair warning... but what else? Have you worked out what it was? Give us a hint! Cut, end scene, roll credits. Seriously? I can't speak for everyone in that room but I can say that there was no reaction when the credits started to roll. I've been to normal movie screenings where as soon as the names start rolling people cheer... and that's when there aren't even execs in the room. It seemed like people were surprised that was the end.

The story idea is good, the actors are great and of course Spielberg is a movie gold mine. All in all the episode was well acted and shot, but to me it felt like it lacked that first ever episode vibe. I came out wondering if I'd bother to tune in for episode two. Nothing grabbed me enough to want to tune in and see where it went, I didn't feel like there was a hook. If we'd seen something on the video footage that alludes to what happened while she was blacked out it might have given it some intrigue.

I will watch episode two... I know, what tosh, I just bitched about it and now I'm saying I'm going to watch it anyway. But as I said, these actors are great, and the story line has so much potential. Some of my favourite books have stumped me in the first chapter and I've given up, but when you go back, at some point you see it turn around. So I've got my fingers crossed for that, I really do want this to be a good series.

So episode one plays on Amazon Instant Video on Thursday at 9pm in the UK... watch it with me... not literally, please don't come round as I don't think I have the room for you all. I'll be posting another review after episode two airs and hopefully we'll start to see the series take shape.