Despite a subpar canvas of actors/actresses to bring it to life, Containment boasts nice expositional characterization & some of the small-screen’s ghastliest bioterror juxtaposing an aptly-CDC based ATL-backdrop. A passable TV-contagion. 6.7/10.

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Plot Synopsis: When a mysterious epidemic breaks out in Atlanta, an urban quarantine is enforced, leaving those inside to fight for their lives as local and federal officials search for a cure. Police officer Lex Carnahan works to keep the peace, but the situation becomes personal when he learns his girlfriend Jana and his best friend Jake are both stuck in the cordoned area. Also trapped with the infected are 17-year-old Teresa, who is very pregnant and separated from her boyfriend, elementary teacher Katie Frank, who is on lockdown with her entire class, and CDC researcher Dr. Victor Cannerts. Public trust deteriorates as a journalist, Leo, begins chasing down a conspiracy that unravels the official story.

*Possible Spoilers Ahead*

Review

Despite a subpar canvas of resources and actors/actresses to bring the premise to life outside of star Chris Wood, George Young, & Elyse Levesque’s nightmarish patient-zero, CW’s viral-outbreak TV series ‘Containment’ boasts nice expositional characterization, weighty race-heavy themes that challenge our conventional biases, & some of the small-screen’s ghastliest bioterror – juxtaposed with an aptly-CDC based ATL backdrop and thrilling development of the pandemic. A passable TV-contagion & fine addition to their competitive collection of originals.

Pros: fantastic opening establishing scene right to the heat of the action mid pandemic apocalypse chaos riot squad deployed into pandemonium fast-cuts creates urgency what happened to spawn this outrage? literally contained by framings opening and closing of riot squad police car doors, atlanta great setting being home of CDC on the campus of one of the best universities in the nation: Emory (of course, I’m a bit biased having gone there for college), startling make-up and sickness exposition phenomenal some of the best bioterror i’ve ever seen in a viral outbreak film or tv series, strong scripting and character dev. – just a shame not better acting to bring it to life, themes of race and commitment and normal canvas interrupted by horrific pandemic, some actors are fine like Chris Wood who steals the show as masculine police lead and Dr. Sara who plays a sensational patient zero – perhaps the best I’ve seen at even a Paltrow-comparable level from Contagion!, bioterror an interesting angle that has been rarely exposed in outbreak films/tv opening up a whole slew of thematic possibility from race to biological mutagenesis and experimental pathogenicity-increase – all smartly scripted,

Cons: lazy opening credits (or lack thereof – looks cheap and haphazardly-thrown together), some problematic profiling of the middle-eastern patient zero (of course, middle-eastern..), a pedestrian canvas of subpar acting overall – the biggest vice of the show because the script, bioterror, and pandemic exposition are all GREAT but are brought to life weakly and tragically

Official CLC Score: 6.7/10