DEBRIS continues to be a show I hope enough people discover to earn it a second season. Episode 6 was one of the strongest to date, with an excellent combination the overarching mythology and a great debris of the week. If you haven’t seen the show yet, I use the term debris of the week to refer to each episode’s standalone mystery, which always revolve around a piece of alien debris that has crashed on earth. Each has its own powers/effect that forms the center of the episode’s mystery.
Coming out of the last episode, Finola and Bryan (DEBRIS’ version of Mulder and Scully) struggle to work together. This week builds on last week by amping up the moves and countermoves of the handlers representing (supposed) allies America and England. Each move of the chess piece puts a further strain on Bryan and Finola’s relationship and you can almost feel the pressure building on both of them. Both Bryan and Finola effectively convey their discomfort, while giving believable performances. Riann Steele’s portrayal of Finola in particular is vastly improved over last week’s installment. Jonathan Tucker continues to be one of my favorite parts of the show. His nuanced performance makes you root for Bryan, while giving a hint of something (potentially sinister) below the surface. This episode gives yet another tease that there’s something interesting to be revealed about his past.
Photo by: James Dittiger/NBC 
Photo by: James Dittiger/NBC
The debris of the week story is also entertaining, returning to the sense of loss that has been a hallmark of most of the episodes. I have to give kudos to my wife for figuring out the twist early, but even though she guessed the reveal, she enjoyed the episode (sometimes figuring out what is going on ruins the show, but that wasn’t the case here). DEBRIS consistently uses special effects in creative ways, often to give a really creepy, mysterious vibe. This episode is no exception – with a creative way to charge a phone that is an understated, but cool special effect.
At this point, I’ve come to like DEBRIS so much I’m actively rooting for people to watch it so it gets a chance at a second season. While there is an ongoing conspiracy plot, it is effectively woven into each episode’s debris of the week plot. As a result you can pretty much pick up the series at any time. If you like science fiction shows like X-FILES and FRINGE (another underrated classic), consider giving the show a try.
DEBRIS airs Mondays on NBC at 10pm Eastern and Pacific.
Check back soon for my thoughts on the next episode of the show.
Have you been watching the show? Are you a fan? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
