Under the Dome Season 1 (2 Viewers)

[Nelson Au]

One thing I was afraid of it getting good ratings...Extra seasons. Some stories just don't need to be multiple seasons. One season arc telling the story would be good enough.

Yes, that's why I thought it made sense when King said its on for 13 episodes.

 

[Stan]

I enjoyed the first episode. Maybe it's better to go in with an open mind and no opinions having not read the book.

Psycho boy has got to go, the only drawback I see, although it has only been one episode. Then of course there are a zillion questions. What do they do for food, water, air (burning all the fires, running their vehicles and just plain breathing)? I'm guessing we'll get answers in the future, but one episode and they've got me for the summer.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I enjoyed the first episode. Maybe it's better to go in with an open mind and no opinions having not read the book.

I feel the same way. I haven't read the book, so I have nothing to compare the show to, and I'm happier that way. I'm holding off on reading the A Song of Ice and Fire books until Game of Thrones is done for the same reason.

Then of course there are a zillion questions. What do they do for food, water, air (burning all the fires, running their vehicles and just plain breathing)? I'm guessing we'll get answers in the future, but one episode and they've got me for the summer.

My guess is that the dome is permeable for air as it obviously is for light, but I definitely think all of the other questions you brought up need to be (and will be) answered. Another one: if the town leaders didn't know about the dome, and Dean Norris's character's comments implied that they didn't, then why was the town stockpiling all of that propane? What were they expecting?

 

[Walter Kittel]

I'm probably over-analyzing this, and perhaps the book does set the rules for the operation of the Dome (I have not read the King Book), but considering the properties of the Dome...

It is permeable to light since inside and outside are visible.

I suspect it is not permeable to air since the two sides could not communicate vocally. After all, air is the medium for sound that we most commonly employ.

It appears to be blocking a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum since all radio communications are out.

Based upon what we have seen so far, it may be selectively blocking the low frequency components of the electromagnetic spectrum. A really, really big band-pass filter, if you will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EM_Spectrum_Properties_edit.svg

- Walter.

 

[Stan]

I'm probably over-analyzing this, and perhaps the book does set the rules for the operation of the Dome (I have not read the King Book), but considering the properties of the Dome...

I suspect we're all over-analyzing this, after all it is fiction, a lot of things you just accept as fact and overlook the reality of the situation.

Look at Dr. Who, The Walking Dead and so many others we don't question. I just plan on enjoying this. As long as the fictional side is somewhat believable I'll have fun with it.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

I suspect we're all over-analyzing this, after all it is fiction, a lot of things you just accept as fact and overlook the reality of the situation.

Look at Dr. Who, The Walking Dead and so many others we don't question. I just plan on enjoying this. As long as the fictional side is somewhat believable I'll have fun with it.

Not to mention (but I'm mentioning) King's past works -- Pet Sematary, Christine, Carrie, etc. Some supernatural things just appear at the beginning of the story and place the characters into the setting. I think he's always been more interesting in writing about how they react, rather than with explaining how the situation came to be.

 

[Malcolm R]

Not to mention (but I'm mentioning) King's past works -- Pet Sematary, Christine, Carrie, etc. Some supernatural things just appear at the beginning of the story and place the characters into the setting. I think he's always been more interesting in writing about how they react, rather than with explaining how the situation came to be.

Yep. Lots of readers were unsatisfied with the explanation for the appearance of the dome in the book, but it was just a device. King's main interest seemed to be in writing about events that followed inside the dome. The source of the dome was was just a minor point in the grand scheme of the story, and was basically just a throw-away chapter near the end.

 

[Nelson Au]

I thought the shifty priest was pretty stupid! But his action served to further protect the secrets of Big Jim. I couldn't make out what it was the priest burned, what those documents were. He did have a pretty smart answer to Deputy Linda about why he was in the Sheriff's house.I don't like Big Jim! He is in on this of course! I kept wondering why Barbie looked so familiar and then I realized he was the 707 pilot in Pan Am. I also didn't understand what it was Barbie was trying to get from Peter before they fought and Peter was shot. I was watching it too, but got distracted! It sounded like he was trying to collect a debt.I stupidly read the wiki entry for this series and accidentally read the spoiler of how long in the book, the dome is there.

 

[Sam Posten]

I forgot to DVR this, am I out of luck?

 

[Nelson Au]

CBS.com? If its there, then I can catch the parts I missed!Edit: how stupid of me to think CBS might let you see whole episodes on their mobile app. There was a commercial during the broadcast about streaming the episodes off Amazon.

 

[Malcolm R]

I stupidly read the wiki entry for this series and accidentally read the spoiler of how long in the book, the dome is there.

I'm not sure that's really much of a spoiler, since it appears they intend for the timeline of the series to be quite different. Especially if it goes on for several seasons.

Entertainment Weekly also revealed the book's timeline in an article a few weeks back when they were comparing differences between the book and the series.

 

[TravisR]

I couldn't make out what it was the priest burned, what those documents were.

It was an invoice relating to the mysterious propane shipments.

I also didn't understand what it was Barbie was trying to get from Peter before they fought and Peter was shot. I was watching it too, but got distracted! It sounded like he was trying to collect a debt.

It seems like the specifics are still unknown at this point.

 

[Stan]

I kept wondering why Barbie looked so familiar and then I realized he was the 707 pilot in Pan Am.

I felt the same way, knew I'd seen him but couldn't figure out where. Some actors blend into their parts so well, you know they look familiar but can't figure out why.

Kind of like Robert Sean Leonard from "House". I knew he was in the recent episodes of "Falling Skies", but it took me a while to realize it was him.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Malcolm, for sure it wasn't too terrible a spoiler, I might not get to reading the book anyway.Thanks Travis for clearing up both those sections in the episode.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The directing was a bit of a step down this week. I counted at least three times where there was a two shot and then the camera dramatically pulled in on the character delivering the punchline. But even though the execution is lacking at times, I'm enjoying the ride.

It is permeable to light since inside and outside are visible. I suspect it is not permeable to air since the two sides could not communicate vocally. After all, air is the medium for sound that we most commonly employ. It appears to be blocking a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum since all radio communications are out. Based upon what we have seen so far, it may be selectively blocking the low frequency components of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Since water was shown passing through the dome, albeit relatively little of what was being fired at the dome, it seems safe to say that air gets through. I wish they'd had a wide shot showing whether the smoke passed through the dome or pooled at the top. I do think it's selective though; certain gases might get through but others don't. Certainly certain liquids get through. Obviously, nothing solid appears to.

I don't like Big Jim! He is in on this of course!

I'm not so sure Big Jim is in on this. From what I've gathered, he (and the priest) were involved in something else entirely that was really shifty, apparently drug related. And now this dome has thrown their carefully laid plans into disarray.

I also didn't understand what it was Barbie was trying to get from Peter before they fought and Peter was shot. I was watching it too, but got distracted! It sounded like he was trying to collect a debt.

Yeah, my understanding is that he was working as a collector for somebody, much like Rocky at the beginning of Rocky. He didn't go into that meeting looking to kill the redhead's husband, but once the husband pulled the (apparently unloaded) gun things just took a turn.

There was a commercial during the broadcast about streaming the episodes off Amazon.

Amazon paid a lot of money to lock down the exclusive streaming rights to the show, so don't expect to see it anywhere else online for a while.

 

[Josh Dial]

I'm not sure about this show. Part of me thinks it's terrible, but part of me hopes (and believes) it will improve. I'll keep watching to see how it goes.

 

[ScottH]

I'm not sure about this show. Part of me thinks it's terrible, but part of me hopes (and believes) it will improve. I'll keep watching to see how it goes.

This week was terrible. I was mildly intrigued by the pilot, but it completely fell off a cliff with the second episode. The only story line I enjoyed were the two kids exploring the area. The psycho kid brings the show to a grinding halt. The priest causing that fire was beyond ridiculous. And can you really stop a house fire by bulldozing it? And what happened to the fence that was on fire? Not sure I can handle another episode like that.

 

[Nelson Au]

Well Adam, I was surprised to find that the desktop browser to CBS's website does allow you to view the full episode verses on a mobile device that does not.

 

[Greg.K]

This really does seem ideal for a single season series. In fact if it follows the book's plot it's hard to see how a second season could work.

 

[Malcolm R]

The directing was a bit of a step down this week. I counted at least three times where there was a two shot and then the camera dramatically pulled in on the character delivering the punchline. But even though the execution is lacking at times, I'm enjoying the ride.Since water was shown passing through the dome, albeit relatively little of what was being fired at the dome, it seems safe to say that air gets through. I wish they'd had a wide shot showing whether the smoke passed through the dome or pooled at the top. I do think it's selective though; certain gases might get through but others don't. Certainly certain liquids get through. Obviously, nothing solid appears to.

That zooming in and out seems to be a style "choice" made by more and more directors these days. I find it distracting, on par with the constant handheld camera "shake" and continuous lens flares some directors are so fond of. Few seem capable of lighting and shooting properly any more, or using a stationary camera.

Some possible small spoilers about the permeability of the dome (based on the book):

Spoiler

Only very small amounts of air and water are able to permeate the dome. The air inside the dome does become progressively warmer and more polluted the longer the dome stays in place.

But it's difficult to know if the producers of the series stick to this since, in the book, sound travels freely through the dome. Residents can communicate easily with people standing outside of the dome. Cell phones and internet access are still active for those who have charged devices (power is off inside the dome).