If you go to NBC's official website and look up their upcoming primetime series The Event, you will get the following synopsis:

"A suspense-filled journey where the answers only lead to bigger questions."

If that sounds incredibly vague, that's because it is. It's also intentional. Go ahead and watch the trailer. Go on. Did you watch it? Can you tell me what this show is about? No. You can't. NBC has released a four-minute trailer that doesn't explain the story, never touches on character motivations, only drops cryptic hints at the nature of the plot and playfully dances around what the titular "event" actually is.

Well NBC, if your goal was to get me to tune in, you've succeeded.



Does NBC have the "next big thing" on its hands? Shows built on mysteries have permeated popular culture and developed hardcore, obsessive fanbases before. Look at Lost, The X-Files or Twin Peaks. Or is this going to be another ambitious show that will bite off more than it can chew and quickly implode? Take a gander at Flashforward, Heroes and V.

Of course, quality judgments will have to come after the show hits our televisions. In the meantime, let's talk about what we're all thinking about: mainly, what the heck is The Event? Hitfix has a few new preview clips but even these lack any detail about what's actually going on here.

I'm already assuming from the serious level of secrecy involved that it's a science fiction show and if it's not, I'm going to feel pretty stupid for writing about it on a sci-fi website. But assuming it is...

What do we know?

We know that our hero's girlfriend has gone missing. We know there's some sort of powerful cover-up behind it. We know this somehow puts him in a desperate position on board a plane that may or may not be in the process of being used to assassinate the president.

We know that the president is in danger. We know that the president has recently learned of a top secret facility with 97 prisoners. We know that he's concerned about what's going on there. We know that these prisoners are not Americans. We know that he shouldn't trust the character played by Željko Ivanek, mainly because he's played by Željko Ivanek.

What do we NOT know?

Just about everything else, really. We definitely don't know what's going on at this facility or who the prisoners are, so we don't know why the president is so concerned and why someone wants to drive a plane into his face. We don't know who this presidential assassin is or why he/she/they want him dead. How does the missing girlfriend tie into this? Is the boyfriend a federal agent of some sort? He sure acts like one. What's he doing on the plane? Why/how are the pilots involved? I need to know!

Damn you, NBC!

This is the point where we throw caution to the wind and make some random predictions. Here are my guesses:

1. The 97 prisoners are aliens who were captured many years ago when their UFO crashed on American soil. They have been subjected to various brutal tests and experiments. Now someone is coming to their rescue. The Event is an alien invasion of Earth, a rescue attempt for their captured brethren.

2. The 97 prisoners are dangerous terrorists and criminals captured from around the world, given fake executions and locked away to be the subjects of incredibly dangerous and illegal experimentation. Now, these 97 prisoners have developed powers beyond normal human beings, including telekinesis and mind control. The Event is their prison break, which will culminate with a bloody overthrow of the United States government and eventual world domination.

What do you think The Event is? Will you watch it? Do you care? Let me know in the comments!