The Returned
Season 1 Episode 1: “Camille”
Directed by Keith Gordon
Written by Carlton Cuse
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Alejandro, India Ennenga, Sandrine Holt, Mark Pellegrino, Mat Vairo, Tandi Wright, Dylan Kingwell, Sophie Lowe, Agnes Bruckner, and Jeremy Sisto.
A&E
Air Date: Monday, March 9, 2015, 10pm

I love a good back-from-the-dead story like any other girl, but with the wave of zombie-ish chic on now and coming soon (Resurrection, The Walking Dead, iZombie), my husband’s natural skepticism for The Returned was contagious. However, I will watch a Carlton Cuse infomercial if one was available, plus I got the advanced screener, so… I was game, keeping in mind that pilots are usually not the best a show can offer.

I was hooked on The Returned in the first 5 minutes.

And it was not because Mark Pellegrino (LOST, Being Human, Supernatural, Revolution, The Tomorrow People), Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory, Law & Order, Six Feet Under), and Kevin Alejandro (True Blood, Arrow, Southland) are three stars of the show, although that doesn’t hurt. It’s because I was riveted every minute, waiting to see what happens next.

From the very start, while not usually one to get caught up in pretty landscape scenes, the sweeping camera across the mountains and the super green forest are real pretty and worth remarking on. Four years ago a school bus with a sullen “Camille” goes off the edge of that pretty mountainside, and four years later Camille climbs back over, not a hair out of place. The show gets right to the point. Her divorced-because-their-daughter-died parents, Jack and Claire (Pellegrino and Tandi Wright), are rightfully wonderstruck. Psychologist and Claire’s new love Peter (Sisto) is right in the mix. A few other “returned” return to mixed reactions.

The show does go back and tell you what happened in that crash four years ago, and that was a surprise. There were quite a few wtf? moments. This was not a usual expository pilot.

The Returned is based on the French series, Les Revenants, and is supposed to be similar to its first season, following the same premise.

The Returned airs Mondays at 10pm on A&E, with the pilot launching March 9th right after the Season 3 premiere of Bates Motel.

Image Gallery

The Returned – Trailer

Take a look at the trailer for Lost producer Carlton Cuse’s new supernatural/mystery series.

The Returned Trailer #2

Get an exclusive new look at what to expect from the new A&E show from Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel, The Strain), based on the acclaimed French series.