From famed writer/producer Shaun Cassidy comes a suspenseful tale of a blended family trying to recover from a devastating hurricane and its mysterious aftermath For park ranger Russell Varon (Eddie Cibrian), a divorced father of two who is expecting a third child with his new wife, the hurricane proves to be merely the beginning of a long journey into the unknown. As the tiny town of Homestead, F Invasion: The Complete Series (DVD) (FS) Following the success of Lost, Invasion was one of numerous sci-fi-themed shows that debuted in the fall of 2005. But unlike Threshold and Surface, Invasion had the distinct advantage of airing in ABC's slot right after Lost, at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays. Created and produced by Shaun Cassidy (yes, the former teen idol who also produced American Gothic), the series starts in a flurry with a devastating hurricane threatening a Florida city and a 21st-century family happens to be in the middle of it. There's park ranger Russell Groves (Eddie Cibrian) and his wife, Larkin (Lisa Sheridan), who's an inquisitive television reporter. Living with them is Larkin's no-account brother, Dave (Tyler Labine), who blogs about conspiracy theories and aliens while between jobs. Also living with them some of the time are Russell's kids, Rose (Ariel Gade) and Jesse (Evan Peters), who also spend time with their mother, doctor Mariel Underlay (Kari Matchett), who has also remarried, to the town's sinister sheriff, Tom (William Fichtner). Tom also has a child from a previous marriage, sexy teen Kira (Alexis Dziena). Amid the chaos of the hurricane, little Rose is the only one to notice a group of strange lights dropping from the sky into the water, then Mariel disappears only to turn up in a swamp the next morning, seemingly unharmed but now with a strange affinity for water. Not so lucky is Dave, whose investigation of Rose's colored lights leads to the discovery that those lights have a pretty fierce set of teeth. And what does the sheriff have to hide? Parts of Invasion feel like The X-Files or 24, and obviously the central concept isn't new, but it has enough revelations and spooky chills to keep the viewer coming back for more. Unfortunately, even the plum slot following Lost wasn't enough to keep Invasion from being canceled after its first season. The problem is that the season--and the series--ends in a whopping cliffhanger, which may never be resolved. So before you invest yourself into a full season of Invasion, be warned. --David Horiuchi
