After only one episode, Alphas already hit a roadblock: originality. This isn't too big of a problem right now, but it does seem a little early to have an entire episode based on very derivative themes, doesn't it? The plot this week is the team tracking a guy named Marcus who can alter a situation with his intuitive knowledge of cause and effect, basically the bad guy in the Fringe episode ""The Plateau," which aired less than a year ago.
The major theme in the episode is the idea that humans are incompatible with Alphas, that they cannot coexist. Again, the idea that super-humans and regular humans come into conflict is littered throughout fiction of any kind. But this is a popular theme because it is effective and interesting, dredging up thorny issues on a number of topics. Marcus seems to believe that Alphas are already being thrown under the bus while Rosen doesn't think that will happen. Indeed, when Nathan, intending to kill, shoots Marcus square in the chest, there is a sense that the world of Alphas has become a much different place in which the characters may have to choose a side eventually.
Score: 8.4/10
