That Betty

The premise is compelling. The performances excellent. Special effects are stunning (at a rumored $200 million I should hope so). Especially appreciate the design of the alien. And it manages to hold four storylines on equal footing. SO why two stars? Writing and direction. Pacing way too slow. Scenes too long, takes too long. Characters given motives and obstacles and don't act in a believable way. Woman doctor should be a tough, driving force, yet she stumbles through most of this just numb until she finally decides to run back to save her family at the end? She pulls an obviously living organism from a patient and DROPS IT IN A PAN. No comment about it. No, ohmigod what is that thing? At least put it in a specimen jar with a lid?? Nah, it'll be fine... And please, I'm so tired of the kid dealing with the class bully /lord of the flies trope, all the other classmates standing by doing nothing while he gets beat up? More than once. (Don't even get me started about how the heck did they all survive, no broken bones-except the driver dead, of course -the bus going over a 200 foot cliff??) The American GI in Afghanistan searching for his missing men threatening to SHOOT EVERYONE HE SEES. But unforgivable is the last episode, so dark you can barely see anything for 45 minutes! Long drawn out jump scares, and running. Alien at the end was pretty awesome, but at this point I just wanted it to eat all of them and save us from the prospect of season 2.