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.
They better come back with an actual series finale, instead of season finale! They can’t just leave it like that!!
All cancelled, the Gates, Fast Forward, Happy Town, The Event, Heroes. These were pretty good, some really good, the Event was right up there with my all time Favs. I don’t get it.
It is time that TV and Networks updates their antiquated system of determining viewership and ratings. the Nielsen ratings systems just don’t work in our modern age of view anywhere, anytime. Networks still haven’t adapted to the way in which people view shows and they do a horrible job of tracking actual viewership. Until this changes, shows are destined to be cancelled before they begin.
The Event was a good show, interesting, intriguing and full of potential. Unfortunate it wasn’t renewed. It seems that shows that require a bit of thinking don’t get the support from the networks who cannot seem to market to an intelligent audience. Is there a particular standards requirement, educational, experiential or developmental to become a network executive? Seems as if judgment and intelligence don’t make it into the job description. Disappointed to see this show hit the skids. There are so many other deserving mindless boring choices.
The Event is one of the best shows on the tube right now it is a shame its over so quickly when there are alot of other shows that need to cancelled but they get renewed .Whos making these decisions?
Of course the show was cancelled. God forbid someone has to use their brain to follow a storyline. It’s soooooo much easier to watch a bunch of no talet A holes who can’t sing or dance. Who care if so and so can dance. Boy, that takes a lot of brain power. Does everyone have ADHD, or are they too busy texting other idiots that are also watching the low cost shows that save the networks a fortune because they don’t have to pay writers and actors???????
AMEN. It is a shame. This series was really getting interesting. I fear that the TV Execs are creating a culture of disdain which discourages viewers from investing in any new series, thus dooming it before it begins. They have only themselves to blame.
Syfy channel has all these cheap movie with hybred creature (i.e. sharktapus). Why can’t they class up their channel and bring “The Event on board if NBC is cancelling it?
Hey, does anybody know if the show is returning? Was Episode 19 the series finale? They can’t end it like this – I’m getting really annoyed of watching shows to have them cancelled on a cliffhanger…Kyle XY, Persons Unknown, Jericho (the best show ever by the way!). It really is frustrating!
The show has been cancelled. Series finale is May 23.
Man if you’re going to cancel as least have an ending…. I get tire of watching new shows and never having an end “Flash Forward!!!!!”
The show got a bit dull before the long break, but now The Event has become something to look forward to with an increase in the intensity and urgency. A couple flaws in the plot, yet consider that there a few shows worth watching these days.
What happened to Leila’s sister?
when is the event coming back – the last episode i have seen was episode 10
@wes: Next Monday, 3/7.
I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and am unable to watch The Event tv series online, on NBC’s website. Is there another option?
Thanks.
You can watch them on citytv.com
Is The Event done or is it coming back in the spring?
@Dick Totino: Coming back next month.
We like the event. It is one on the handful of things we actually watch. I refuse to watch the so called reality TV so it really narrows our options. This show is decent, even though Jason Ritter and and Sarah Roemer are the main actors we don’t care for their acting abilities. The rest of the shows actors are good though.