ZeroHourS01E02 ABC, 21 Feburary 2013

Having discovered his doppelganger in a Nazi sub, magazine editor Hank Galliston travels to India in search of another new apostle and to find his kidnapped wife…

The best way to view Zero Hour is probably drunk or high on some illegal substance. It is such a preposterous idea for a series that if you’re in the right mood, it can work terribly well. If you’re not, it’ll just come across as terrible nonsense. Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring has a habit of piling weird twist on top of weird twist, and the world of historial conspiracy theories he’s got going in Zero Hour is ideal for that. Each ludicrous development trumps the last and if you’re willing to go along for the ride, it can be extremely entertaining.

Anthony Edwards is no one’s idea of an action hero, and that’s why he’s perfect for this show. He’s got two sidekicks to do the research work (peering at computer monitors and tracking down oddballs and weirdoes for the next info dump) and a traumatized cop out for revenge to do the gunplay for him. As a result he gets to look pained as he worries about his missing wife, and to look astonished by each new off-the-wall development.

The kidnapped wife thing might get tired fast, especially if more episodes turn out to be a wild chase, followed by a glimpse of her as the bad guys high tail it outta town. However, here’s hoping Zero Hour will continue to shake things up and churn out more Nazi-church-clockwork conspiracy theory madness. It’s crap, but awfully entertaining crap…

Verdict: Better enjoy this nonsense while you can, as low ratings probably mean Zero Hour won’t be long for this world. It’s a conspiracy!

Episode 2 ‘Face’: 7/10

Brian J. Robb

 

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