Alphas

It's official: Alphas is on my must-watch list. Thank you, "Rosetta."

The mythology finally came together this week. Gary earned some much deserved screen time. And, on top of that, the cast began to gel, as characters were used in the right manner.

Now that the backstory has finally been fully set up, it’s much easier to get behind Alphas. Much like the beginning episodes of Heroes centered on saving the cheerleader/to save the world, "Rosetta” put a name to why our Alphas are doing what they’re doing, while also setting up a number of obstacles.

The enemy, Red Flag, is an organization that's determined to make sure Alphas aren’t seen as a genetic condition that needs to be cured because they’re not normal. Think homosexuality, atheism, depression. It's the same idea to Red Flag.

If the X-Men themes weren’t apparent before, they are now. On one side, you have Rosen’s Alphas, who are working hard within society’s constraints and prejudices to change minds and find acceptance. On the other? Red Flag, who has the same goals, but wants to accomplish them in a violent way.

I was glad to see the characters playing to their strengths in a much bigger way this week. Cameron and Bill aren’t suited to be stuck behind desks or in corners all the time. It’s much better for them to be out in the field while the “analyst” members of the team feed them information.

But tonight’s episode was really about Gary. I’m sure some don’t view Gary as an integral member of the unit, but he proved his worth. Not only was he able to figure out that Anna was speaking to them, he determined she was playing him, slyly sending the Alphas on wild goose chases.

Gary’s best qualities, though, are his faith in people. He still believed in Anna, even after she attacked him. He’s an innocent person and believes the best in people. And he can always learn something new from folks about himself.

The investment in Alphas finally paid off. I love watching people pursue the same goals through different lenses. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Anna, the one who society considers “deficient," is the mastermind behind Red Flag.

Other thoughts:

• Ugh! The dreaded van is back! I thought we finally lost it.
• I can never get enough of Cameron’s perfect mind-to-body ability.
• I was a little disappointed Nina and Rachel weren’t used as much, but not everyone can be in the spotlight every week.