Critic Reviews

The audience is left with more questions than answers after the one-hour premiere. ... These multiple mysteries are exactly what will get people hooked on “Emergence.” ... "Emergence" is fascinating.

Investing in ABC’s Emergence looks like it could be a winning proposition. And even if the suspense and premise begin to sag, there’s always Allison Tolman to keep hope alive. ... Tolman’s performance is thoroughly grounded.

While it’s impossible to tell whether this series will catch on in a way that others haven’t, the cast is wonderful. ... “Emergence” is encouraging enough to recommend giving it a few episodes.

It deserves a shot, at least on the basis of its first hour. With real tension, uncommon curiosity, and a knockout, chilling final shot, it’s a network pilot whose strength on its own merits is compounded by how unlike the rest of network TV right now it seems.

I’d say the early choices are encouraging, though, and the last time Allison Tolman donned a badge, things turned out pretty well. This isn’t “Fargo,” it’s not “Lost,” but better than ripping off either of those shows, “Emergence” might just be good.

Quite promising. ... [Allison Tolman] can fill the screen with thought. If it’s not quite fair to say that she single-handedly transforms “Emergence” from a decent genre show into something richer, it’s not far off, either.

Paul McGuigan (“Lucky Number Slevin”) directs the well-paced pilot of “Emergence,” but it suffers from that lingering mystery issue that plagues a lot of high concept shows like NBC’s “Manifest.” ... However, Tolman finds emotional, subtle beats that lesser actresses would miss, and Clancy Brown is an always-welcome presence (as are Donald Faison as Jo’s ex and Owain Yeoman as a reporter). Let’s hope they don’t get bogged down in a spiraling mystery.

It's with tempered pleasure that I can report the pilot for Emergence is well above average by Lost spawn standards. It sets a mood well, doesn't abuse its mysterious trappings and is carried by a thoroughly charming cast.

Emergence's pilot is a pleasantly spooky hour, with some not-all-that-faint echoes of Netflix's Stranger Things. It's aided immeasurably by the casting of Tolman as a size-16 protagonist who is neither a vixen or a superhero, just a good cop with decent human instincts.

The concept isn’t overly complicated — no heavy mythology in the pilot — and the cast, including Clancy Brown and Donald Faison, has strong appeal.