[Gary Wassner]

At the request of NBC's publicity department, my son Cole, who is also a staff member at sffworld, and I just previewed the first episode of the NBC televison series, Revelations which will air in the US on April 13. They have begun to advertise the show on sffWorld as well, as I am sure many of you have already noticed. We were asked to review it for sffworld. They also invited us to interview the stars, Bill Pullman and Natascha McElhone as well as the writer/creator David Seltzer (the Omen), and the executive producer Gavin Polone (Panic Room). They are all in Europe now filming the final episodes, so the answers to our questions will have to be posted when they return. In addition, we were given access to a series of interviews that were conducted on March 15 with the same individuals.

Interestingly, the show deals with many of the issues that we have been actively discussing in this forum, so as soon as Dag posts the two reviews on the site, I will post a copy of them here too.

The show pushes the boundaries of network television and raises many provocative questions. NBC has taken a chance in supporting this series. In David Seltzer's own words, television has dealt with sex and violence frequently, but never with religion in this manner before. Part of his intention is to draw a relevance to the bible today. It may be disturbing for many and it may offend some. I recommend that you watch it for a variety of different reasons, both positive and negative.

I am anxious to hear your opinions and to have an opportunity to discuss your reactions to the show.

[Gary Wassner]

Many people of faith may believe that the signs of The End of Days appear to be in place in this crazy world of ours, but the subject matter of the first episode of the NBC mini-series Revelations airing on April 13 is still shrouded in Hollywood sensationalism and surely not derived from empirical evidence. We don’t have incontrovertible, documented experiences of children in comas speaking Latin, credible scientists having discussions with their dead children, or the Devil’s surrogate knowing things about people that are impossible to know without supernatural intervention. Yet, these are exactly the types of things we are exposed to during the first hour of this show. So what is this series all about? Is it intended to be fantasy or a lesson in scripture? Are we meant to take it seriously or is its purpose simply to entertain?

Stress can lead us to believe many different things, and our world is most certainly a stressful place. It seems to be more dangerous today than ever before. We here at Science Fiction and Fantasy World, who are authors and avid readers of science fiction and fantasy, have explored the issues that Revelations deals with over and over again. Why do we read and why do we write fantasy? If you examine some of the threads on SFFWorld relating to this subject you will find so many different answers to these questions, but you will also find that often the quest for personal meaning in an increasingly impersonal world is frequently one of them. So, fantasy readers should easily relate to the ostensible motives that inspired the show Revelations. Though it is set in our world, not a fantasy world, the elements are fantastical. Reason is not what rules, and from the very beginning of the show, the scientific perspective is clearly not going to be the one to shed light on the evolving circumstances. It is quite clear though that the director and the writer would like us to believe that Bill Pullman’s character is a scientist through and through, a non-believer in that sense. Nevertheless, early on in the first episode he begins to have visions, and despite his obvious desire to remain cold and impartial, they are so personal and compelling that they pull him inexorably down the path of faith. From the very beginning of the show as well, the devil’s role is manifest. But unfortunately, it is not as subtle as it should be. It seems too obvious and too blatant, making the show seem less realistic and more fantastic than I would have preferred. The limits of reason are tested early on and the perspective that you must assume if you are going be moved by this series is one of faith. You cannot be a scientist and a skeptic and watch a show that begins with a serial killer snapping his fingers and stopping a plane from shaking, and then asking you whether you believe it to be coincidence or not, without smiling to yourself. Yet make no mistake, it is chilling nonetheless.

Watching Revelations made me wonder whether the writer is a deeply religious person who truly does believe in a literal interpretation of the bible, or rather a person who has another agenda with regard to the nature of the real political and environmental dangers that face us today. We know what damage we have done to the environment. We know how difficult peace is to attain and to maintain. We are all worried about nuclear proliferation and terrorism and war. It is not hard to exploit this situation and incite the person who is already a believer, who has forsaken reason and science for faith, into a frenzy. Fear is a great motivator, and people need to believe in something larger than themselves. Science does not often fulfill the longing that belief in God does. It is not meant to. Science can often isolate us and strip us of meaning in its cold and detached analysis of cause and effect. Religion provides us with answers beyond the scope of science, ready made answers that are unassailable, incontrovertible and not subject to reasonable critiques. But can’t we still be moral people with a deep concern for the earth, and yet not believe in miracles? Is it productive to frighten us with apocryphal pronouncements so that we might recognize the peril of our ways? If there is a message in the first episode of Revelations, it most definitely requires a suspension of reason and a leap of faith. That would not bother me quite so much if this was meant to be a fantasy. But since the most sacred western book of all time is being invoked as reference throughout, the water becomes quite murky. How are we supposed to reconcile this storyline with our lives, if not as a call to faith? Is faith being taken advantage of here in order to foster a socio-political perspective? Are we being emotionally and spiritually manipulated by the constant references to scripture?

I think it’s dangerous to confuse this kind of sensationalism and appeal to fear and mankind’s emotional needs with a more productive way of confronting the problems that face us today. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the episode very much. It was exciting and interesting. The acting was superb, particularly for a network television series. For those who appreciate science fiction and fantasy, it was quite sufficiently eerie and imaginative to remain a nail-biter throughout. As entertainment, it exceeded my expectations. My real question though is what are the producers and directors trying to accomplish with Revelations? Is there a separate and distinct motive for this project or do they truly believe in God and the devil, and do they want the public to recognize the signs and believe as well? Is this meant to be more than just a television show? Are they attempting to make us concede that biblical prophecy is realistic and something we should take seriously?

In Epic Fantasy, much of what we write is metaphorical. We often use the classic tropes to create a world that is immediately identifiable and to write an interesting and commanding story, but we also use them symbolically. Epic Fantasy is often ethical in nature, in that it tries to compel the reader to think about some issues that remain below the surface of consciousness under ordinary circumstances. Since the worlds we create are imaginary, anything is possible. But, many traditional Judeo-Christian concepts such as sacrifice, honor, courage, humility and loyalty can be idealized and thus be a source of emotional inspiration. Issues of good and evil are paramount in fantasy, but we make no pretensions as authors to be writing something real. We recognize that our worlds are fantasy worlds. A television show like Revelations seems to be asking us to cross that line, to take what anyone but the most fundamental religious person would consider fantasy and science fiction, and believe it. Unquestionably, there is a wealth of wisdom in the bible and it is a source of inspiration for millions of people. But in my opinion, Revelations is using the emotional aspects of faith, combined with the references to the bible, the book that so many people in this world hold sacred, to foster a point of view regarding what mankind has done to its world. The biblical references force you to think of this as more than a television show. The blending of scripture and the fantastic results in a dangerous and toxic mixture. I am disappointed when I think that perhaps those responsible for this show are intentionally leading people to believe that they are making something more than a television show. It very savvily taps into the fears and uncertainty that threaten to consume us today, and to what purpose? Should we now start teaching Revelations in the classroom? Should we be looking for the signs all around us? What exactly should we do if the end of days is upon us; start attending church?

[hoard]

Thanks for the thorough review. I'm anxious for the premiere. I like the analysis you offer about the the quality of the show and also in regard to the motives of the network.

First, it's good to hear that the content, the acting, and the story are worthy of watching. I thought it would be a good series, but it's good to have it confirmed.

Second, I have no idea what the motives of the network are. Maybe they just thought this might be an interesting topic for a series and went with it. Do you really think they may possibly be trying to persuade people or have people look at a point of view? I have no idea. They very well could be, but I would say probably not.

what would you say is the most promising characteristic of the show?

[Gary Wassner]

I don't think the network, NBC, wants to do anything more than score in the ratings. The writer on the other hand most certainly has a strong POV that he wants to convey. I was party to a long interview wherein he answered some of the questions I raised and he clearly spoke of how important he feels that it is to bring the relevance of bible into the home. What better way to do that than prime time television? Yet, with all of the supernatural effects, it seems a bit confilicted, unless he truly believes that the bible should be take literally.

What I found so interesting about it, to answer your second question, was how they quoted the book of Revelations after each commercial break. I saw it commercial free, but it was clear where they will be when they broadcast this. They are chilling, as I said in the review. The woman who plays the nun is also very compelling. Some of the show echoes of The Exorcist though, and despite the fact that I loved both that book and that movie when it was first released, it was never meant to be a lesson of any sort. So if I were to say what I found most promising in this show, I would say that it has to be the controversial aspect of the subject matter and the ambiguity of the POV.

I asked a number of very direct questions of Bill Pullman, Natasha McElhone and David Seltzer that clarify some of these issues. I hope to post their answers before the final episode of the show.

[hoard]

I would love to see you post some answers to some of the questions you asked. That would be great.

I think the controversial aspects of the show are intriuging as well, especially since the storyline is based on a subject which can be interpretted in so many ways. Each person has their own take on how they think the bible should be interpretted and this just adds fuel to the fire. But I like it.

I'm anxious to see where it goes from here and to see which direction the writing takes.

[Gary Wassner]

i gave them a list of questions already. I am hoping that they will send me the answers soon. Originally, they offered to have me interview both of the lead actors, the writer/director and the producer before the show aired, but by the time i received the dvd and wrote my review, they had already left for Europe to film the final episodes. If they don't send me the answers soon, I will post the questions anyway.

[hoard]

Hopefully they will get back to you. That would be interesting to read. I was flipping through the channels last night around 10 and saw that they were re-running the first ep. I watched a little of it before I feel asleep.

Where all did they go to film the eps? Have they finished filming yet? I would assume so, but I guess they could be cutting it close too.

[Gary Wassner]

as of last week, they were still filming. i believe they told me that they were in poland, but i could be wrong about that. The episode that i previewed was slightly different than the one that aired last week, so they are clearly still editing as well.

[hoard]

That's cool. I read something a little while back that highlighted each of the places they went. I had no idea they were that extensive in the filming in terms of getting to so many places. Seems like they were really particular in getting what they wanted.

[Gary Wassner]

This was a pretty serious production. The producers and the writer/director invested a lot in this. I am anxious to see the next episodes though since I only saw the first one and I wrote my review based upon that. It is supposed to be realistic and clearly the world still exists right now, so the way they end this should be very interesting. Did you find it to be biased toward one POV when you watched it?