(Review) Double Helix (minor spoilers)
Mike Horne
The Outer Limits Reviews
Double Helix
"I don't have much time..."
"You're saying my brain is swelling?"
'No, Martin, I'm saying its growing."
Something of an oddity, Double Helix spends too much time trying to
convince the audience that it is about one thing, and then leaves it too
late to bring the twist into the episode. Interesting ideas are thrown
into the mix and then discarded when it suits the creators. While not
exactly an opportunity mixed, the episode left me with the strange
feeling that either I was missing something or the hour was completely
wasted.
The episode opens with Dr. Martin Nodel (Ron Rifkin) giving a
presentation to college students about genetic engineering. The last
genome has been mapped, but there are still some things that the
scientific community does not know. He believes that some of these
elements, Introns, are the key to our future evolution.
He presents proof of his theory: a fish, swimming in water one
minute and then emerging out of the water, using webbed feet to walk.
Following the revelation that he has only a short time to live,
Nodel realises that his work might never get the recognition it
deserves. When he meets his son, Paul (Ryan Reynolds), with whom he has
little or no relationship, he discovers that his entire family sees him
as a failure, doing unimportant work that no-one will care about.
Dr. Nodel decides that his work needs human experimentation, and
that the subject will be himself.
What a surprise.
Let's start with a few things a liked about the episode. And I
stress the word 'few'.
Ron Rifkin is without doubt a talented actor, if a little
quirky. Luckily, the character he is playing is equally quirky and he
gets inside Nodel to produce a spot-on performance. He gives the true
sense of a man who knows that he is intelligent, that his work is
wondrous and that he is at the top end of his profession. Egotistical,
but driven. In the later stages of the episode, Rifkin manages to
smoothly increase the amount of hyperactivity and efficiency inside the
character. He does this so well, in fact, that the viewer is only aware
of the differences peripherally, just like the other characters in the
story.
Andrew Johnston, who has a small part as the military officer in
the woods, does his usual solid job and it'd be nice to think that he is
getting more work.
I'll deal with Ryan Reynolds later on (which you should all know
is a bad sign).
The direction was... oh, what's the point. It's Azzopardi again.
There are some very nice shots dotted throughout the episode and
everything is well done. I usually give high praise to Azzopardi, and he
always deserves it. On balance, he comes out on top of the episode
because he did what he could, given what he had to work with.
Two shots I must mention. About halfway through the episode, the
two main students walk down a school hallway towards camera, stop and
talk and then continue walking. This is all done in one shot and lasts
for about three minutes. I love long one-shot scenes, it shows that the
actors are having to put some work in.
In the seminar room during and after Nodel has chosen the
students for his 'advanced study group', there is some nice swirling,
top-down camerawork. This means that we can get some idea of the small
size of the room, while at the same time seeing everything that's going
on.
Writing was by Jonathan Glassner. The script was good, the plot
interesting, but there was plenty wrong with it.
The main special effects, which appear right at the end, are
interesting and nicely done. Shinier and cleaner than they normally get,
and it shows that the amount of money available for the episode was used
in the best way possible.
The make-up for Rifkin/Nodel was particularly impressive, so it
gets a special mention for a change.
Music, just briefly in this section. Joel Goldsmith is getting
plenty of work out of the TOL offices, and he has had more hits than
misses. However, the only good thing I can say about his work in this
episode is the nicely-scored final scene which added a kind of epic
nature to an episode which could have been epic, if only it had been
about twice the length.
Let the slating begin.
Well, it's not that bad.
Ryan Reynolds was quite simply wooden in this episode. He didn't
bring anything to this episode whatsoever and, considering how important
the role was, the episode would have been better served by a different
actor. Sorry.
Nothing wrong with the directing, apart from not improving the
episode beyond what it was.
However, added to the writing, I can start to explain why I
didn't like Double Helix.
It was dull. It was predictable. I doubt there was anyone in the
audience who didn't think, as soon as Nodel said "I don't have much
time" that he was going to experiment on himself. I mean, how obvious
can you get?
What would have been more interesting would be to have had Nodel
experiment on his advanced study group, instead of himself. I know it
would have changed the emphasis of the character to a darker, more
sinister area, but it would have brought something new to the series: an
episode purely about the bad guy.
It was obvious, from the very beginning, that we were going to
get an icky horror tale. I know, I know, it changes tack at the end, but
for the most part it was just a horror story. In this respect, and in
too many others, it reminded me of the Richard Thomas starrer from
season one, The New Breed. It had a similar look-and-feel, similar set-
up and similarly gross make-up.
I didn't need to see The New Breed, I certainly didn't need a
repeat.
A few things about plot and characterisation: It goes way off the wall
in places, especially the advanced study group idea. Who the hell would
have stayed around? To quote Sliders: "Run! Run like hell!"
The map on the back. Who's been watching Waterworld? No, I'm not
suggesting he took it straight out, but it was a good, distinctive idea
and perhaps we didn't need to see the idea in another story.
The plot is very jumpy. We have the experiment bit, the advanced
study bit, the bit with Nodel's son, and then suddenly, we're off into
the woods. I don't mind twists, but this was a bit ridiculous.
One final thing: The end scene. Without telling you what
happens, did it strike anyone else as strange that the army would just
let these 8 civilians go into this object? I don't think so.
Part The New Breed and part Star Trek's The Chase, this episode
has only a few minor details going for it. A sterling performance by Ron
Rifkin and good direction by Mario Azzopardi lift it above the
attrocious, but there are so many problems that it only has it's eyes
and mouth out of the gunk marked 'Failure'.
I couldn't go out and say 'Double Helix is bloody awful'. I
wouldn't say that. What I would say is that it lacked anything which
would make it a must-see episode.
A plot that rambled, a couple of actors who let the side down
and an ending which just had me shaking my head. All these things added
up to an hour not very well spent.
Put this one in the drawer marked 'Middle to Bottom' and you'll be about
right.
Score: 5.4
--
Mike Horne
mi...@whispers.demon.co.uk * http://www.whispers.demon.co.uk
"They say life is a river..."
StoOdin101
> However, added to the writing, I can start to explain why I
>didn't like Double Helix.
> It was dull. It was predictable.
What they needed to do was focus...and this may sound absurd, but I think it
would have worked...on that FISH in the beginning. Have it go all the way up
the evolutionary ladder, into some sort of sentient creature. Not a MONSTER,
per se, but something somewhat different from homo sapiens. The story would be,
then, how we as 'humans' treat this creature that is really not so far removed
from us. At first, I guess, it would be just watched in the lab..then, as it
became more intelligent, probably treated as a kind of weird domesticated
animal....but when it evolves to the point of humanity, what then?
I thought that was where we were going to go and was surprised to see the ep
stake out New Breed territory, as well as trying to turn into The Inheritors
and not quite making the grade. It was an o.k. ep, pretty mediocre.
NECRONOMICON, all-instrumental electronic music inspired by H.P.Lovecraft, now
available on c-60 cassette. E-mail StoOd...@aol.com for details.