The Others: 1112 (1.4)

So far The Others has been clever with its use of tone. Last week was a chaotic monster episode full of gore, FX gargoyles and eyeballs. This week we have an entirely human-driven episode all about the afterlife and emotions crossing over from the great beyond. With that in mind, it's probably one of my least favorite from the season, if only because so much of the script veers perilously close to melodrama and corn. But it's an interesting experiment, radically different to regular Morgan/ Wong work and given real life by the two guest stars at the heart of the episode.

1112 is all about the love between a husband and wife, the former left in a coma and unable to cross over until he reassures his devastated wife, who has already lost her baby in the pre-credits disaster that opens the episode. Enter the Others, who are able to get the message across to the mourning widow and help her move on. There are some neat touches here and there, including the butterfly motif and the repeated use of the number '1112', the couples' way of expressing 'I love you'. But the script sometimes slides into movie-of-the-week sentimentality, without some kind of darkness that could have sparked my total interest.

The strongest moments are derived from the main cast. Elmer is an elderly man, and with that comes the constant fear that he'll one day cross over to the other side and never come back again. Bill Cobbs is wonderful in these scenes, portraying so much wisdom as well as a real understanding of death and its different forms. While the Allen's experience death as a destructive force that tears apart their family, Elmer views it as something that he'll soon embrace with open arms.

1112 is well-intentioned, but certain areas didn't entirely work for me. But that's simply because I'm not the type of person to naturally enjoy this kind of sentimentality. To be a little more complimentary, Bill Condon's direction is gorgeous, and there's a real tragic warmth to the Allen's as a couple, torn apart by fate. C+

Credits
Guest stars Christina Haag (Kathy Allen); Ted Marcoux (Greg Allen); John Aylward (Albert McGonagle)
Writers Glen Morgan, James Wong Director Bill Condon