More Accurate Rating: [6.5 out of 10]
"October Faction" follows Fred & Deloris Allen and their two children, Geoff and Vivian. Other than the couple's interracial status (yes, that becomes an important plot point later on) everything else about the couple seems utterly average. Fred and Deloris move around the world doing "risk assessment" for their large insurance company while their kids Geoff and Viv, do their best to find ways to make friends as they bounce around from school to school due to frequent moves they must make because of their parent's work. (The Navy brat in me feels that struggle).
The thing is the "Risk Assessment" biz is a bit more lively than it seems as the risk Fred and Deloris are assessing is the risk of brutal attacks by all manner of monsters that are still thought by the world at large to just be myths and fairytales. Vampires (who actually seem more reminiscent of insects than Dracula), Werewolves, Lizard People, Trolls... you name it. And they do more than just "assess" threats, they also eliminate them as highly skilled, experienced Monster Hunters. Meanwhile Geoff and Viv are none the wiser.
The show, which is based on a series of graphic novels by the same name, has a solid premise with the type of themes and subtext that always speak to me. Bigotry, scapegoating, fanaticism and the questioning of perspective and dogma. In many ways it seems fitting that the s how is based on a comic because so any of the themes in the story remind me of "The X-Men" comic books.
Just like mutants are viewed with, at best suspicion and, at worst, violence and contempt, in The X-Men the "monsters" in October Faction are treated much the same way. Just like in The X-Men comics mutants are sometimes rounded up and imprisoned regardless of whether they've proven to be dangerous, "monsters" are hunted and wiped out on sight regardless of whether they've actually hurt anyone in "October Faction".
The stakes of the story grow when Geoff and Viv inadvertently find out what Fred and Deloris actually do for a living. And when Geoff and Viv's begin to develop abilities they can't explain (seeing the future, speaking to the dead, etc.) calling their own heritage into question the stakes get higher still.
A very solid set up which is what makes it somewhat disappointing to see it executed in a fairly lackluster manner.
First is how rushed the the episodes feel. Except for the first 2 most of the episodes barely break the 40 minute mark, about the length of a show on broadcast or cable tv that is designed to leave space for advertising. When you have so much more time to play with when you're streaming online why use so little space to tell your story?
Second, while I don't necessarily agree with the criticism I've seen online about the show lacking action, I can say that what action it does have is often underwhelming with rather simple and sometimes even repetitive choreography.
But, perhaps most importantly, it often struggles to set a believable, consistent emotional tone at some pivotal moments. Namely when Alice, a Warlock (magic user), is recounting the part Fred & Deloris played in an atrocity that left many people she loved dead. The whole time she's telling the story it's a bit flat, but I was thinking she was working her way up to an emotional high as she reveals what should have been an Earth shattering secret that blow apart the whole Allen family. Instead it was such a distant, unemotional reveal I wound up questioning Alice's motives and sincerity. It seemed like it was being revealed as simple manipulation rather than an emotional catharsis.
While that moment was undersold another moment where Fred, who is quite deadpan and understate for most of the show, has this emotional breakdown recounting the death of a loved one. I get what they were going for, but it seemed out of place for a character that works so hard not to show emotion. They could have found a more subtle, understated way to sell that moment that better matched the character they'd already established.
To be clear "October Faction" isn't a bad show by any means. It has a far bigger upside than downside. A refreshing amount of representation and diversity that's about more than tokenism and a unique set up to explore bigotry and bias. Solid potential for storytelling and solid action going forward. Hopefully the producers take better advantage of the time they have to tell as story, using it to feel less rushed and as epic as it has the potential to be in a second season.
