The Kill Point: The Devil's Zoo Parts 1 & 2

What an absolutely disappointing summer miniseries The Kill Point turned out to be. Since it began, I've suffered through stereotypes and clichés with very little excitement or drama. The series could have blown me away with one intricate storyline, but instead I was given several "mini stories" that ultimately amounted to nothing. The two-hour finale did nothing to change my opinion, and only presented further proof that this potentially unique take on the hostage/negotiator scenario was put into the wrong hands.

Much of "The Devil's Zoo" was a chaotic mess, bouncing from idea to idea with very little direction. It started with Mike's delusional speech about his "Creepy Me," then moved into Henry's breakdown and temporary control of the bank. This gave way to Wolf's triumphant return to power, complete with the worst choreographed and directed fistfight in recent memory. Then there was Cali's short time inside the bank, followed by the SWAT team storming in and the hostage takers' unoriginal Ocean's 11-like escape. And not one bit of this action was the least bit emotionally resonating.

The Kill Point never gave me a chance to connect and care about any of these characters -- bank robbers, hostages or negotiators. Instead of character development, the series gave me plot after plot after plot. So when it reached the finale and people are being killed off or set free or actually getting away with six million dollars, none of it really mattered.

The best example of this lack of connection in the finale was the wholly unemotional release of the hostages after their lengthy and excruciating ordeal. This should have been a pinnacle moment of the finale, but instead it was just lame. Watching the now free hostages running to and hugging their families (in slow motion no less) pulled zero heartstrings. Heck, I don't even see these hostages as people. The Kill Point only made them recognizable as "bank manager," "black dude," "old gay guy," and "couple who were once hiding in the closet."

With a lack of character development, I might have expected an emphasis on a complicated plot twist in this final episode. The show did make such an attempt, but like they've done all season long with an interesting idea, the twist was poorly executed. Cali, after an unseen meeting with Wolf, was suddenly working with the hostage takers to help them escape. Well, anyone even peripherally following this series could have figured out that Wolf and his men on the outside had somehow gotten their hands on Cali's pregnant wife.

This obvious fact wasn't revealed until after Cali and Wolf's men were sufficiently clear of the now empty bank. Only at that time did Cali think to question Wolf about actually having his wife in their custody and demand some form of proof of life. Are you kidding? Cali helped his nemesis escape without verifying that Wolf was actually holding his wife?! It's bonehead, idiotic, utterly stupid plot points like this that have plagued the series since episode one.

Again, there's no denying this program has left me severely disappointed. Everything that I found interesting at the beginning of this series simply petered away to nothing as the show progressed. The covert deal with Mr. Beck went nowhere. The hostages fighting back went nowhere. Wolf's men working on a plan from the outside failed to live up to its potential… twice. Throughout the series, the dialogue was clunky, the direction was poor and the ultimate payoff was incredibly weak. If Spike TV brings another original miniseries next summer, let's hope they learn from the wasteful mistakes they committed with The Kill Point.