Person undecided

I am nothing if not a glutton for punishment in my quest for science fiction/fantasy-tinged serialized television dramas. I stayed loyal and patient throughout the uneven runs of Dollhouse and Carnivale; I forced myself through to the end of Harper’s Island; I suspended all disbelief and have kept up with Happy Town, gawdhelpme. And so bravely, resolutely, I steeled myself and set the DVR to record ABC’s new summer mystery series, Persons Unknown. It ain’t no Lost or S1 of Heroes (poor, pathetic, wasted-potential Heroes), but it didn’t make me want to gouge out my eyes or, worse, immediately delete the series recording.

The cast is pretty much unknown, the characters stock and the storyline derivative, and the pilot episode was heavy on set-up … and yet there were enough tantalizing whispers to make me wonder. Who is watching on the other end of those cameras? What’s with the Chinese restaurant? Is Maura (Moira?) really a counselor or actually a patient at some facility? Will that intrepid reporter ever wash/comb his hair? Was I alone in thinking that grandmother was WAY creepy? No, I don’t think that Persons Unknown will be the next big thing, the next Lost, the next BSG. But already the acting is better than the appalling Harper’s Island (which really only had the kills going for it anyway) and I have clearly set the bar low. Come on, Persons Unknown, surprise me.  Convince me that you're worth my time.