We watched the new, 3 part mini series Lost Room of the Sci-Fi channel, because it looked intriguing. That it certainly was. It was a rather enjoyable show, with engaging story line, characters, cinematography, but with the usual non-closure that allows allowing potential sequels if the show does well. I hate this trend of film/tv making. Why can’t they just have a solid ending?
The central gateway to the story is a door, opening to a motel room of an alternative, yet connected universe. The room used to have lots of ordinary looking objects that, taken out of the room hold special powers. Different cabals of people have different ideas about what this means and what should be done with them, while they are all fighting to have more of the objects. Into this network of conspiracy drops in a detective whose daughter disappeared through the room. The rest is his struggle to find and rescue his daughter.
This is sooooooo materialistic. Objects having special powers? Isn’t that what consumerism is about? In this fictional world objects have extraordinary powers that enable the users to do things that physics would otherwise prevent. In the real world technological innovations (supposed to) enable us to accomplish things we couldn’t imagine a few years or decades ago. The problem with this is that technology often does not live up to its promise. I spent yesterday 12 hours rebuilding my computer, because it was not working as it should have. I could have spent that time with my wife or reading or hiking, but I became the slave of the machine. But now I am writing this blog on that computer and in a few minutes anybody with a net connection can read. That’s the promise that keeps me going in this case. Other people can become too easily slaves of other objects, the bigger-better house, car, diamond … Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming the victim; capitalism as a whole has this built in tendency to value objects more than they should be in my opinion.
Now that you are over my little anti-capitalism tirade may I remind you that I grew up under the doctrine of “dialectic materialism.” Materialism was defined in a different way, as the opposite of religion or belief system in a divine being. “Sermons” were regular against western imperialism, which “they”, the Party, denounced as too materialistic, not focusing enough on the welfare of the people. The definition of welfare, in terms of materialistic goods, did not extend beyond the basic necessities. Ironically and sadly there were barely any other terms of welfare to think of (e.g. spiritual, freedom…) However most people’s basic necessities were covered. But at what expense? I won’t go into that now. My point is that both kind of materialism leads to crisis. This TV series is the epitome of paranormal materialism. The protagonist decidedly agnostic as he often sad he doesn’t know what to believe. But his crisis is the biggest of all.
I cannot resist sharing on a lighter note how immersed I am in pop culture. The main character was played by Peter Krause, whose face I became very familiar during the five year run of Six Feet Under. His little daughter rightfully reminded me of Dakota Fanning, because she was played by Elle Fanning, her four year younger sister. And I had a feeling I should have been able to place the female, hero, but because I rarely watch ER, I could did not recognize Julianna Margulies. In short the actors were professional.