Network: NBC
Episodes: 22 (hour)
Seasons: One
TV show dates: September 20, 2010 — May 23, 2011
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Jason Ritter, Blair Underwood, Ian Anthony Dale, Laura Innes, Sarah Roemer, Scott Patterson, Taylor Cole, and Zeljko Ivanek.
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TV show description:
This conspiracy thriller series follows a man who discovers the biggest cover-up in US history while investigating the strange disappearance of his girlfriend. The cover-up has implications that are life-changing and could shape the very core of mankind.
Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) is the typical boy next-door as well as a somewhat geeky Computer Science graduate of MIT. A reformed hacker, he now freelances as a video game programmer. Sean grew up in a poorer suburb of Chicago. With a realized gift for computer programming, he spent his time in the school’s computer lab because his family couldn’t afford a computer of their own. He only got through college because of three jobs and financial aid. He’s now in a relationship with Lelia Buchanan and is confident she’s the woman for him. He was ready to propose when she disappeared.
Leila (Sarah Roemer) studied Biochemistry after growing up a science geek and bookworm. She and Sean met in the swimming pool at MIT in their senior year. She fell for his nerdy ways and was impressed when he hacked her name into getting good tickets for a concert. A nature lover, she and Sean like to go rock climbing and hiking. Leila is very close with her family after her mother, Val, put her own modeling career aside to raise Leila and her adopted sister, Samantha.
Michael Buchanan (Scott Patterson), Leila’s father, is a ruggedly handsome man who prefers the peace and quiet rather than hustle and bustle of the city. All his vacations have been spent in national parks, jungles, and rain forests, having taken multiple survival classes. He enjoys taking photos of the beauty that surrounds him. He was initially protective of Leila when she started dating Sean, but eventually, Michael welcomed him into the family.
The President of the United States, Elias Martinez (Blake Underwood), is idealistic and hugely popular with the American people and the rest of the world. He is very proud of his heritage, being born in Miami to Cuban refugees. He met his wife, Christina (Lisa Vidal), while both were attending Yale, and were set up by her mother. They support a charity program for education reform for refugee children, and she has now put her own law career on hold. They have a 7-year-old son named David.
President Martinez is in charge of the first completely bipartisan administration in recent years and recently was handed a top secret file that will change the entire course of his presidency.
President Martinez’s Vice President, Raymond “Ray” Jarvis (Bill Smitrovich), learned to argue effectively as the youngest of four sons, and later as a member of the Debate team in high school. He used all that to guide him through politics, eventually getting elected to the Louisiana State House of Representatives, then later as a senator, and later yet as the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He and Blake Sterling are working together on a classified project.
Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek), the Director of National Intelligence, is often at odds with President Martinez. Sterling is astute and very well-connected within the intelligence community after spending most of his career rising through the ranks of the CIA. President Martinez nominated him for the new position of Director of National Intelligence because of his immense experience. Sterling’s not above political manipulation or covert force when needed and has been criticized for supporting the CIA’s detention program. To deal with all this stress, he jogs around the CIA headquarters at 4:30am every morning.
Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale) is a CIA operative who is working with a division handling the security issues related to the detainees at Mount Inostranka in Alaska. He’s another one to rise through the ranks to where he now has access to the President and reports to Sterling. He originally hails from Fort Yates, North Dakota, and it’s because of that upbringing that he can handle the weather there in Alaska. Like Sterling, he’s another runner, having completed several marathons.
Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes) is the leader/spokesperson of the Mount Inostranka facility for detainees. They have endured the very interrogation and torture that Sterling has been so supportive of. Sophia is still hoping that if she continues to work with them calmly, she’ll be rewarded. With the sympathetic President Martinez, it seems like it may be about to pay off after his press conference announcing the closing of Inostranka.
Vicky Roberts (Taylor Cole) is a single socialite from Manhattan who enjoys her partying lifestyle. The niece of the late Ralph Clement Quinn, she was only 10 when he died in a car crash and inherited half of the Quinn fortune when she turned 18. Vicky was initially accepted into the Joffrey Ballet School, but had to turn them down because of a foot injury from eight-inch stilettos during Fashion Week. Fashion is a passion of hers, and she’d like to craft her own clothing called Sassy.
Episode 22 — The Arrival
Sean tells a weakened Leila that Sterling has called someone at the CDC who will be able to help her. Leila has given up hope, but Sean begs her to fight the virus with all her might. Meanwhile, Sterling finds a damaging report on Dr. Lu’s computer that shows the rapid spread of the deadly pathogen. After careful research, Sterling learns that the Sleepers are depositing pressurized aerosol containers carrying the virus at three distinct locations (a food processing plant, the Bureau of Engraving, and Dulles Airport).
Carlos and Sophia feel tremors as a city road shakes and street lamps topple over. Sophia tells Carlos that the portal has affected the Earth’s precession; their people will arrive soon. News of the strange earthquake reaches the White House. Before Martinez can act, Sterling calls to urge Martinez to send counterterrorist agents to the three locations the Sleepers are targeting. Martinez says any action will be delayed because he still hasn’t been able to wrest power away from Jarvis. Peel can deploy agents at the food processing plant and at the Bureau of Engraving, but shutting down the airport is beyond Martinez’s reach. Sterling, Simon, Vicky and Sean decide to go to Dulles Airport to do what they can.
Martinez begs Jarvis to step down so he can stop Sophia’s plot. When Jarvis resists, Martinez begs Jarvis to send a biocontainment team to Dulles in order to stop the spread of Sophia’s deadly virus. Jarvis refuses to believe Sophia would kill humans in order to take over the planet. Desperate, Martinez tells Jarvis he’ll let him complete his presidential term as long as he shuts down Dulles. Jarvis won’t budge. He trusts Sophia and doesn’t need Martinez’s cooperation in order to remain President. Jarvis is confident that no matter what Martinez says, the Cabinet will not reinstate him.
Secretly shaken by Martinez’s words, Jarvis calls Sophia to ask if she’s planning to unleash a virus on American soil. Sophia says it’s a total fabrication and reminds Jarvis that she wanted to join forces with him because of his unflagging strength. Concerned, Sophia decides that they should move up the virus’ release time. Meanwhile a reporter at Mt. Shasta says that lava flows from a dormant volcano are puzzling scientists. Locals are concerned that a full-blown eruption will occur any moment.
Federal agents contain the threats at the food processing plant and the Bureau of Engraving. Meanwhile, Sean, Vicky, Sterling and Simon arrive at Dulles looking for Sophia. A Sleeper disguised as a TSA employee sneaks a canister past security and into a secured area of the airport. Devon calls Sophia and tells her that the contamination attempts at the food processing plant and the Bureau of Engraving have been foiled. Infecting people at Dulles Airport becomes Sophia’s only hope. Back at the White House, Martinez’s Cabinet gives him a standing ovation. Suddenly, without warning, Martinez becomes light-headed and collapses to the floor!
Sterling and Simon try to warn an airport employee about Sophia’s plot but he disregards them when they are unable to prove that they’re federal agents. Meanwhile, Sophia bumps into a child who looks exactly like the young victim in her nightmare. For a moment, the gravity of Sophia’s terrible actions seems to sink in. Inside the secured area of the airport, Simon and Sterling shoot at the Sleeper before he gets away with the infected canister. The Sleeper manages to shoot Simon before escaping. Thankfully Simon’s wearing a bulletproof vest. Moments later, Sean and Vicky find the Sleeper handing the canister to Sophia and Carlos. Sean and Vicky shoot and kill the Sleeper, but Sophia escapes. Carlos puts up a fight but Sterling manages to ambush him and shoot him dead.
Due to Martinez’s absence, the Cabinet has no choice but to reject his plea for reinstatement. Just then, Martinez enters with Christina! Jarvis tells the Cabinet that Bethesda Hospital did not discharge Martinez; he left early against their recommendation. When it’s Martinez’s turn to defend himself, he warns the Cabinet about an imminent threat against national security. He claims that Jarvis is working with Sophia to unleash a deadly virus that will decimate mankind. The Cabinet thinks Martinez has clearly lost his mind – that is, until Martinez plays a recording of Jarvis admitting that he poisoned Martinez!
Having swayed the Cabinet, Martinez tells Peel to shut down Dulles Airport. Meanwhile, Sophia locks herself in an airport lounge and takes the infected container out of her bag. Sean begs Sophia to reconsider; after all, the planes have been grounded and all of her other contamination attempts have been foiled. If she releases the virus, it will only kill the people in the airport. It will just be senseless murder and will not benefit her people in any way. Sean is able to get through to Sophia. She puts down the container and allows federal agents to arrest her.
At the White House, Simon, Sterling, Martinez and Peel look for the location of the portal array. They discover that Jarvis had recently moved a satellite from an area near Tibet. Martinez correctly guesses that this means that the portal array must have been nearby. Moments later, Martinez looks at satellite footage of the portal array. Simon points out that since it’s emitting radiation, it’s already been activated. More of them are coming to Earth!
At the White House, Martinez watches news footage of strange earthquakes occurring around the globe. Meanwhile, at a hospital Sean parts ways with Vicky. She thanks him for including her on this transformative journey and bids him farewell. A doctor gives Sean clearance to visit Leila’s hospital room. Leila tells Sean some incredible news: she’s pregnant!
Martinez summons Sophia to his office and demands that she tell him where her people plan on landing. Sophia says she won’t reveal anything. Spreading the virus was an act of mercy. Now that her people are coming, their course of action will be “far from humane.” Then she adds cryptically, “It’s too late.” Suddenly, the ground shakes and in the sky, a strange light can be seen. Then the great mass coalesces into a great planet! A new planet and moon appear on the horizon! “What is it?” Christina’s son asks. “Home,” she replies.
First aired: May 23, 2011.
I just got thru binge watching The Event to find out we’re left hanging on what happens after their planet arrives. What the H….! Do you do this to people on a daily basis? That’s 3 days I’ll never get back. Come on. You must have more of this already shot you can put on. There’s too many of us that like it. You should do a poll before you just up and cancel something
Bring this show back please!
I just finished watching this on hula and then looked for the next year and it was canceled I so wish I had not watched it. They needed to have a second season!
It’s not fair to the people who actually liked the show for nbc to cancel it. I really enjoyed the show and wished they’ve of continued it.
event was the best show after match of prison break….y cancel an excellent show…maybe the story line boils down extraterrestrial
The TV series was good makes people think I like to think when I’m watching a movie. The majority of TV series are predictable most of them geared toward young people and they all sound the same like they’re from the valley. You should bring the television series back with the same actors and actresses “Event” was an excellent Show!
wish there were more episodes it was just getting good..
I was cruising through Netflix and came across “The Event.” I was suprised they had so many episodes. I loved the show, but couldn’t always find it. I was disappointed that it was canceled. It would have helped the show if the network had had a more consistent time for the program. I got tired of looking for it and missing episodes. Programs like “Lost,” “24,” and “The Event” depended on the viewers seeing each episode in the intended sequence. Unfortunately, CBS moved it around, so that viewers missed episodes. Sadly, they would rather create trash like the “reality shows”… Read more »
I totally agree with everything you said. We saw the entire series on Netflix and really loved it. So disappointed to hear the show was cancelled p
You can pick up the whole series at library. In one box
This was one of the shows of the season!!!! I don’t know why the network cancelled it……..get rid of some of the stupid reality shows……..you can’t beat drama as good as this show!!!! I would like to see it return to TV.
A fter they cancelled the Event, I said, “THAT’S IT. I’M DONE” I gave them a chance, due to the dropping of Freeks and Geeks, but now…………I’m done. I don’t have anything, no cable or local, I’m done with televison— dont they understand that people record shows and watch them later. I now watch all my shows on the computer, who needs TV and these stupid TV companies anymore, it’s funny, they dropped shows………………. NOW I HAVE DROPPED THEM. lol
woot, woot I agree! theyre some dumb mofos ! the bad stays as the good leave!