ABC’s The Gates script holds secrets and promise

Throughout the relatively few years I’ve been writing about television, I’ve had the opportunity to read the pilot scripts for new shows, whether they were ordered past the pilot episode or well after the first season was underway. I guess the writer in me gives me a deeper appreciation for what goes into writing for a television series, so I’m quick to jump on reading these when given the chance.

What I’ve come to understand about new shows when reading their scripts, at least before we ever see a single frame of the show, is that it’s extremely difficult to judge a show solely on its writing. What you see on paper — and, in particular, the notes writers leave as to the direction they intend the scenes to be depicted — is very often a different product from what gets put on the air. Still, I find them a fun read, and, at the very least, a window to the possibilities for the show.

Recently I was given the opportunity to read a big ol’ bunch of pilot scripts, and the first (so far) I’ve read of them is the new ABC drama called The Gates. Here’s the description of the show as mentioned in ABC’s press release earlier this month:

Nestled inside a private mountain community are The Gates. The image of perpetual suburban bliss, each street is lined with perfectly manicured homes protected by the massive iron gates, but a dark and delicious secret is buried just beneath the surface of this picturesque neighborhood. Like most families that settle inside The Gates, the Monahans are unmoored from a complicated life they abandoned in Chicago. Named the new police chief of The Gates, Nick Monahan is expecting a change of pace in this quiet suburb. Nick’s wife, Sarah, and their children, Charlie and Dana, are embarking on new adventures as well. Their house is to die for, but amidst the excitement, Sarah is still burdened with the revelation that her husband may not be the man she thought he was. Charlie and Dana will also face some challenges of their own: Along with navigating the trials and tribulations of adolescence, they’ll also face the daunting task of fitting into their new upscale school, where their new friends run in tight-knit packs. There’s something very different about this place, almost … haunting. Unions will be complicated by friends with unnatural influence, insatiable housewives will struggle with ravenous cravings, and teenagers will be cursed with keeping their beastly instincts in check. The Monahans are facing an uncertain fate. Nick is about to be tangled up in a mystery where he will begin to piece together the dark truth about their new home, and the supernatural elements that lurk behind the shadows of The Gates.

My first impression — and possibly yours, as well — is that this stinks of Desperate Housewives; the key phrases “suburban bliss” and “insatiable housewives” are just a couple of hints there. However, in reading the script, you should instead be concentrating on some other key phrases that make this series stand out: “unnatural influence,” “ravenous cravings,” and “beastly instincts” in particular. Already I’m betting that, by my making those phrases stand out from the others, you can guess where this series is headed.

I’m hesitant to give the old “SPOILER ALERT” here because, though I was a bit surprised when reading the script by what these “secrets” were in the show, I’m nearly certain that any promos ABC decides to run for The Gates will outright spoil any chance at all for the viewer to be surprised when they tune in for the first time. It’s possible they will keep it very vague before the premiere, but if history serves (for any network, for that matter), there will be no surprises.

So, with that said, if you have faith that ABC will keep the sorta-secret safe before the premiere, feel free to stop reading if you want to remain unspoiled. If not, read on … it’s not all that spoilery really, anyway.

The basic premise of The Gates is that this walled town is resident to a bunch of what we consider to be mythical monsters, all disguised quite nicely as regular human beings. So far, in the pilot script, we’re introduced to vampires, werewolves, witches, and some sort of lizard creature, a-la V‘s aliens. However, The Gates’ residents aren’t only monsters. Or at least it doesn’t appear that way.

Throughout the episode, there’s evidence that everyone who is a creature knows that there are other monsters within the confines of the walls. They take precautions to hide their true identities from everyone else, and other creatures help their own kind in keeping hidden, reminding them “what could happen” if they were found out. What appears to be different about these creatures is that they truly want to lead normal lives — when one of them missteps, they feel terrible about it and are overly paranoid about what they did or might do.

Enter the Monahans, moving to The Gates and being introduced to the seemingly normal society around them. At least throughout the pilot, they appear to truly be normal human beings, with nothing mystical about them. Nick Monahan (Frank Grillo) is hired to be the police chief for The Gates, and right away he’s off investigating odd happenings in the town. Though — as I said — it appears the Monahans are normal humans, I’m convinced there’s something more to why they’ve been brought to The Gates, and it’s more than them becoming someone’s meal.

So far the story behind The Gates community is pretty shrouded in mystery, though it appears this is considered a safe haven for mystical creatures and people. Clearly it will take episodes or seasons to come to get a clearer picture of what’s going on, and why the Monahans (or any other seemingly normal humans) live in The Gates.

The question of whether or not this show will succeed lies in how the dramatic elements are played out. So far the show seems to take itself rather seriously, so there’s really no room for comedic elements here. At least that’s one way in which it severely differs from Desperate Housewives, other than the, y’know, monsters and stuff. So far it seems to play out more like a Vampire Diaries (though not quite as serious or geared toward younger crowds) than a Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though I really do think a show like this could benefit from a good dose of tongue-in-cheek.

As I started out saying, it’s extremely difficult to rate a show’s success based merely on written work. Right away, I can tell that this show will appeal to fans of vampire-type shows or shows with mystical forces at play, which is why I don’t think ABC will hide this “secret” from its promos — they need to rope those viewers in right away, or the show’s toast. The question is whether its seriousness will keep viewers enthralled, coming back for more and telling their friends and Twitter that they just HAVE to watch this show.

There’s a lot of mystery in and around The Gates, and the script has definitely piqued my interest in wanting to find out more. Check it out some time this summer, Sunday nights on ABC.

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Apr 19, 2010 @ 15:00 EST5EDT