Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

Sanctuary has not elevated itself above middle-of-the-road status yet.

By John J. Joex

SyFy, Fridays 10 PM EST

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 Stars (after four episodes)

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS)

SyFy’s Sanctuary came to television last year (after a brief stint as a web-series) and tells the story of a network of “Sanctuaries” headed up by the 150+ year old Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping). These institutions act as a refuge for “abnormals”, evolutionary offshoots that possess extraordinary powers. Some of these creatures come to the Sanctuaries willingly, while other, more violent abnormals are imprisoned there because of their dangerous nature.

The series got off to a okay start in its first year following a fairly formulaic “freak of the week” sequence of episodes that introduced us to several of the abnormals running about the planet. As Season 1 progressed, though, they injected a rather tired story arc following an evil cabal intent on gaining control of the abnormals in their ultimate quest for world domination. Season 2 picked up with the conclusion of that arc as Magnus and her allies faced off with the cabal which now included a genetically altered version of her daughter Ashley. They of course managed to defeat the cabal and in the process apparently killed Ashley (though they left open the possibility that she could still be alive).

Sanctuary comes from the same creative team that worked on Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis and the series moves me about as much as those shows did. I liked the first two Stargate shows, but they never engaged me enough to want to follow them on a weekly basis. Sanctuary is much like that. The show has an interesting premise, but much like the Stargate shows, it never really delves into the possibilities of the storylines it presents. These shows offer some intriguing ideas, but usually just scratch the surface instead of delivering on the promise.

The most interesting aspect of the premise of Sanctuary is the abnormals and the fact that they have inspired many of our legends of mythical and supernatural creatures. I really wish the stories would go further down that path, but instead they give us worn out plotlines of evil cabals seeking to rule the world. This series could really soar if it tried, but it just has not unlocked its potential thus far.

The show has an interesting assortment of characters, with adept actors, led by Amanda Tapping portraying Helen Magnus as a very different role from her familiar Stargate presence. Robin Dunne, as the boyish Dr. Will Zimmerman, more than holds his own as the straight man to all of the eccentric characters that pass through each episode. And if Ashley Magnus really is dead, then Emilie Ullerup’s presence will be missed, but it appears they are grooming Agam Darshi to take her place as Kate Freelander. And I love the fact that they turned last season’s villain John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl) into a good guy (of sorts) and the fact that they have used his character judiciously so far because a little bit of Druitt goes a long way.

Ratings-wise, the series has done okay through its first four episodes of Season 2. It’s down a bit from last year, but not so much that it is in danger. We can only hope at this point that the series will start to expand its reach and start to dig deeper into the potential storylines it has available. As it stands, Sanctuary is fairly derivative and middle-of-the-road. But if the show could take a step to the next level, it could really stand out among the current crop of Science Fiction and Fantasy entries.

Watch Full Episodes of Sanctuary Online at Hulu.com

Go to TV.com for more info on Sanctuary including Episode guides and Cast bios

Buy Season 1 of Sanctuary on DVD at Amazon.com: