Invasion - The Complete Series

Rating NR Formats DVD Genre television series Starring William Fichtner, Eddie Cibrian, Kari Matchett, Lisa Sheridan, Tyler Labine Directed by Shaun Cassidy Publisher Warner Home Video External Links Official Warner Bros Website

Much like Fox's canceling of Joss Whedon's "Firefly", ABC's revoking of "Invasion" created a massive outcry from its fanbase, causing some to rally and petition for the show's return. As of late, there has been a rumor going about that the new CW will be picking the show up but nothing factual has surfaced. While the reasons for ABC to pull the plug are mainly in part due to a massive ratings drop (going from 17 million viewers for its premiere to 10 million by episode 10. Fans blame the fact that two hiatuses and one three-week break in the middle of the season led to a loss of interest. Having never seen an episode, I had to come to my own conclusion. Did ABC do the right thing? Or did we have a diamond in the rough that was highly overlooked?

Drawing an influence from the "invasion" films of the 60's, "Invasion" is a science fiction tale set in Homestead, Florida. In the aftermath of Hurricane Eve, the town is infiltrated by water-based extraterrestrials that take over the bodies of the town inhabitants. The town Sheriff (William Fichtner) and several others notice strange occurrences and investigate for some answers.

Anyone who has missed this show during its initial run will have to rely on this DVD set. The biggest mishap of the show is the pace of the first few episodes. Trust me, if you start on the second disc, you will not have missed much. Its actually in the middle of the season where things start to pick up and from there, the show gets much better. The mystery begins to build, the conflicts are established, and you actually begin to care about the characters! Sadly, the final episode hangs on a cliffhanger, leaving you angry and flustered in knowing that there will probably not be any sense of closure with this series. However, don't blame the execs for its cancellation. Blame the creators! They have to understand that 98% of all Americans suffer from ADD and when they take too long trying to slowly build things up, these people get bored. You have to remember, we live in the "American Idol" age. Very few people (such as myself) care about story depth.

What also makes "Invasion" work is its creepy atmosphere. When things start looking bad for our poor Floridian citizens, the show takes a setting and tone akin to other great shows like "X-Files" and "Millennium". Also, while most of the performances come off as sub-standard, William Fichtner, a long-time character actor, gives off great screen presence. Sure, he is a staple in Michael Bay films but if the shoe fits, wear it!

Like most TV boxed sets, the extras on "Invasion" are kinda limited. We get some pointless deleted scenes, an amusing gag reel and a mini featurette focused on the show's creator and producer, Shaun Cassidy. Yes, the same Shaun Cassidy who spent the 70's as a member of the Hardy Boys (the brotherly detectives, not the wrestling tag team). No commentaries or such. But then again, this does not come as a surprise.

"Invasion" is a good show that starts off with a sedated pace and begins to spread out. Unless the CW rumor is true, we will never realize its true potential. With that, this DVD set of its first and only season serves as a testament to something that could've been great.