ABC'S eerie new super-
1) It's got a lean, engrossing script that wisely hasn't yet shown much of the aliens who use a hurricane in the community of Homestead, Fla., to disguise their invasion.
Any special effects critter
2) It's blessed with a well-cast crew of actors who fit their characters to a T.
The actors are all perfectly believable in their roles, from the nice-guy, park ranger/hero Russell (Eddie Cibrian from "Third Watch") to the sneaky sheriff (William Fichtner from "The M.D.s) to the sweet 7-year-old, Rose, the only one who actually sees the alien "lights" fall from the sky and swim away.
3) And, most of all, it occupies the coveted, Wednesday 10 p.m. time slot on ABC, the one that just happens to follow "Lost," which along with "Desperate Housewives" has turned around the standing of the alphabet network.
But what's important for "Invasion" isn't just the fact that it follows "Lost."
Indeed, "Invasion" seems to be hanging on to at least a large share of the "Lost" audience because it manages to re-create some of that scary tension that its lead-in has ridden to Top 10 performances in the ratings.
The story is both simple and unfortunate in a way.
A year or two ago, when "Invasion" was probably being developed, who could have foreseen that the country would have just witnessed two hurricanes with results more devastating than most in memory.
If anyone had, maybe some other way could have been devised for the aliens who are at the center of this new show to disguise their landing in the Homestead/Everglades area of Florida.
Indeed, in that first episode, some of the special storm effects were eerily familiar, distracting a bit from the story unfolding on screen.
But soon enough, that passed, and we were left with the core story that will be played out in delightfully unsettling drama for weeks and months to come.
Unlike other fall supernatural shows, which like to show frequent footage of big sea monsters and evil ghosts, the tension and monsters here are hinted at, implied and shown only in fleeting rays of light.
What's much more scary and insidious is the fact that these aliens, who we haven't yet really seen, are able to take over the bodies and/or minds of regular folks walking around the community.
It doesn't take long to know that Russell, the park ranger/marine biologist with the hunky looks and the hot, young, pregnant wife, is the leader of the good guys.
Russell, his bum of a brother-in-law, Dave; his smart and pretty wife, Larkin; and his two kids all form a group that's curious about the storm, the aliens and people in the community who have suddenly started acting suspicious.
One of them is Russell's ex-wife, Mariel. As perfectly played by newcomer Kari Matchett, she's a cold-hearted, slightly self-centered doctor who's moved on to a marriage with the local sheriff.
Both Russell and his kids are shocked to find Mariel the morning after the hurricane stark naked out in a corner
She seems fine, but as daughter Rose soon asserts, something's different about mommy.
Russell, Dave and a host of others start also wondering what's different about Sheriff Tom Underlay, played with zest and creepy tones by Fichtner.
It's not the lines he says, but the long, strange looks he fixes on those around him as he slowly but completely asserts control on every aspect of storm recovery.
Helping to rescue the lost
It'll be months before we know the answer to that question, if the writers do their work well.
After all, do we have any clue yet about the mysterious island playing host to the gang on "Lost," or the monsters running about on it?
No. If we did, it wouldn't
The same holds true for "Invasion," which seems to be the perfect bookend to a night of eerie drama and excitement on ABC.
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