Just over three years after leaving The Walking Dead as showrunner, Glen Mazzara is back to put the fear of God and the devil in you with Damien. Debuting on March 7 on A&E, the 10-episode Omen sequel is, as I say in my video review above, not a classic like its source material. However, the mixed bag of Damien does have the makings of a good yarn – even if it’s a bit of an archeological dig to find it at first.
Picking up around 30 years after the Gregory Peck and Lee Remick horror about the son of Satan now among us, the series is filled with narrative IEDs that pockmark the drama with distractions. Starting off in the hellhole of today’s Syria, the Bible-themed series follows the evolution of war photographer Damien Thorn, played by iZombie regular Bradley James, as he struggles with discovering with who he is and what he will become. Needless to say, there is a great interest both in this world and in the divine in the outcome – especially to certain powerbrokers, a band of roaming dogs and a Catholic Church full of killer priests trying to stop Damien.
Yes, even with glimpses galore of the original Omen, which is a particular favorite of mine, it can be a bit of a mess. However, there are rays of hope in Damien, so to speak. Firstly, the Fox 21 TV Studios-produced show, which was originally set for Lifetime before moving over to A&E last spring, has outstanding performances from TWD alum Scott Wilson and, as I also say in my video review above, a show-stealing Barbara Hershey. The seasoned duo both portray power players who have been and continue to look over Damien as he learns more about his true destiny – which is a rocky road unto itself. Very simply, Wilson, who was introduced as a cast member at Comic-Con last year, and Hershey class up the joint.
The other potential salvation in the problematic and Toronto-shot Damien is Mazzara himself. A proven master of small-screen horror, the showrunner, as I say in my video review, was instrumental in making Walking Dead the blockbuster it now is. Long scream short, if Damien can pivot on its feet, the devil could truly emerge from the distractions and details.
Click on my review above and tell us will you be watching Damien on March 7?
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