666 Park Avenue

It’s the premiere episode of the new supernatural drama,666 Park Avenue and right from the start I think they have a lot of things clicking into place. We have the nice and innocent couple, Jane and Henry, coming to take over the maintenance for a large hotel (tribute to the Shining, no?). We have the aloof and powerful Captain of Industry, Gavin Doran who owns the Drake and makes the deals. His wife Olivia is a seductress in her own right. And there are the tenants, a quirky wanna-be writer looks out the window at his neighbor too much, the high strung photographer trying to pull it all together, the unknown girl who has a penchant for stealing trinkets and the snappy, yet mouthy desk manager. Considering the locale is a hotel, the cast of characters can be anything and everything.

Jane and Henry get their big break in New York to earn a decent living and work as mangers of the hotel. Things are going really well, but there is something more to this hotel. The owner, seems a bit too mysterious, and knows perhaps knows just a bit too much about everyone. There’s more to everyone than meets the eye and clearly when deals need to be made, Gavin Doran is the man to see. However, his asking price is a little unusual. He pulls the strings and everyone knows it. Is he the devil? Is he an agent of the devil? Is he some other powerful entity? Who knows, but don’t go into debt that’s for sure.

Like the Shining, which I can only assume had some influence on this story, the show has atmosphere. Terry O’Quinn is an excellent choice with his smooth voice, calm demeanor and strong presence. Let’s not forget, he was quite a mysterious and unusual character when he played "Peter Watts" from Millennium. And he was no stranger to the supernatural as the character Locke on Lost. He’s going to bring a lot to this series.

The show builds slowly, but surely. Lots of information is revealed and Jane uncovers the history of the building as she works to help renovate it. Like American Horror Story, we’re presented with a barrage of characters who will reveal their stories as the episodes go on. We’ve already learned Gavin is powerful enough to bring people back from the dead, as well as send them to the other side.He has a great deal of power, but what is he after? Who is the target, Jane or Henry? Within this first episodes several characters are defined and plenty of questions come up. There is plenty of reason to anticipate the next episode.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next episode, but unlike American Horror Story, this is your standard broadcast television, so it will be very interesting to see how ABC builds the suspense while staying the confines of the network rules. Anyone else check out the first episode? Where do you stand? It may be able to be as suspenseful as other shows, but I think there is a ton of potential.

Other Articles of Interest:

• 666 Park Avenue
• 666 Park Avenue – Episode 3
• Forever – Interesting stories and an interesting look at life
• American Horror Story – Coven – Season 3
• What lies in store if you live Forever?
• Ghost Hunters – Live From The Stanley Hotel
• The Next Chapter of Sleepy Hollow Begins
• Ghost Adventures – The Stanley Hotel – S04E05
• Ghost Mine – Ghosts of the Geiser Grand – S02E05
• American Horror Story – Freakshow – S01E01