Its endless searching can prove frustrating at times, particularly when the sci-fi drama stumbles over basic flaws in its storytelling. But those with enough curiosity and patience to wait out its rough patches — and those with a taste for cerebral sci-fi — may find themselves falling under its plaintive spell.

The heady slow burn of its first few episodes is a balm compared to the hectic, expository-heavy ones that follow and get bogged down in the kind of messianic plotting that’s sure to give Battlestar Galactica fans a bit of painful deja vu.

Ultimately, Beacon 23 is unmoored in a way that is scattered as opposed to truly mysterious, a series without a shining beacon of its own to head toward.

Following a promising first few episodes that demonstrated compelling tensions between its cast and was elevated by a great performance from Lena Headey, Beacon 23 fell apart at the seams.