Now that season 1 of Alphas is finally done, let’s take a look back at the premiere season and see what was good and what was not so good. Overall I’m happy because it was a decent show AND it was renewed. But I think there is still a lot of room to improve. So, what happened on the show and what does the future look like? Spoilers ahead, so watch the full season before reviewing.

For the most part, the show stuck with an Alpha of the week format with the team trying to solve a mystery or capture an Alpha each week. There were a some attempts at longer term stories, some successful and some not so much. Some of them pop up and stick around in the background without much payoff (such as Bill’s health issues or Gary’s issues with his Mom worrying about him). These stores don’t do a lot plot-wise, but do help add texture to the series. I like the way they are mostly handled seriously, but with Bill collapsing at the end of episode 10 and back mostly fine at the beginning of episode 11, there are concerns that they are all talk without any impact.

The two big long term stories were Red Flag (the bad Alphas) and the Binghamton facility. At the end of the season, Dr. Strathairn pleads to Congress to see that they are related and the government should not only open up Binghamton, but also open up the entire Alphas issue to the people. He does this by transmitting his speech around the country (world?) until the panel realizes what he is doing.

The characters were the main draw for the season. The writers did a wonderful job drawing out these characters and making sure the viewers understood and empathized with them. There were several relationships that were handled extremely well, including Bill and his wife as well as Gary and Anna. In fact Gary was handled overall so well that I was surprised. Gary, a high-functioning autistic, is shown warts and all, but is never shown to be an idiot or a problem. He has his quirks and his limitations, but the character is written so well (and played wonderfully by Ryan Cartwright). Bill is the other character that stands out. He is shown acting bravely, selfishly and handled the physical parts well (both strength and weaknesses).

Going forward, I’d love to see more ongoing storylines (since the Alpha of the week premise will get old very quickly) while not losing any of the character foibles that made the show so interesting. Recommended and looking forward to season 2.