Fallen is a suspenseful and mysterious fantasy series. It mostly takes place in an isolated rehabilitation facility called Sword and Cross that sits atop a mountain. It’s not your usual rehab, but more of a place that seems to defy time and death while keeping away a swarm of malevolent beings referred to as outcasts.
Fallen is an 8 episode fantasy based on a series of novels by Lauren Kate. The story follows Luce (Jessica Alexander) who is sent to Sword and Cross after a mysterious fire and death are blamed on her. What she finds there is unusual, but she herself is unusual. She frequently sees smokey, swirling images containing a dark figure that seems to be beckoning to her.
As soon as Luce arrives she spots a man who she thinks she knows, Daniel (Gijs Blom). But she remembers none of her past and isn’t sure if she really knows him. It is slowly revealed – like everything in this series – how she knows him and what it means.
The facility is guarded and surrounded by a force field. There’s no escaping, although people try regularly. Nobody remembers their past life before entering this place, but they are all trying. Flashbacks are used a lot to piece past lives together.
The facility is run by twin sisters Ms. Miriam and Ms. Sophia, both played by Sarah Niles. They quote “the book” and “the prophecy” as events unfold. Dr. Howson (Alexander Siddig) is the therapist for all the folks undergoing rehab, but he also does some other kinds of things behind the scenes.
Penn (Esmé Kingdom) lives there but isn’t a resident and isn’t part of the management. She grew up on the grounds with her father who is now dead, and has been allowed to stay on there.
In addition to Luce and Daniel, who are the key characters, there are a number of important people as residents in the facility who both help and hinder Luce as she tries to remember who she is and what her strange visions mean.
Adriane (Josefine Koenig) lives in a room adjoining Luce and becomes her first friend. Cam (Timothy Innes), who was supposed to be dead but suddenly shows up, is the first clue that somehow death can be cheated in this place. Gabbe (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) is a resident who has privileges to work in the medical bay. Nobody likes her, but she has a chance to redeem herself. Roland (Lawrence Walker) can get things from outside. Luce immediately asks him for a phone, but he brings in some other very important items, too. Molly (Maura Bird) is in this friend group.
Cassie (Laura Majid) is famous for having escaped Sword and Cross. She’s secretly in communication with Daniel and helps him from afar.
Finally, there are the outcasts – a race of aliens painted with zebra stripes who are very interested in Luce. Everything about Sword and Cross is designed to keep them out.
To work, a fantasy series has to stick to it’s own internal rules. This series does that right up until the last second, when the rules seemed to change. It was possibly done that way to set the stage for a second season, but it is a distracting annoyance when a fantasy or science fiction story doesn’t stick with its own world building.
Other than the annoying finale for season one, I enjoyed the series. It was fast paced, mysterious, and full of action. The chemistry between Daniel and Luce was excellent and made their love story believable.
There was only one woman director, Claudia Bluemhuber, who directed two of the episodes. Fallen is a Sundance Now series, which you can also see on AMC+.
Discover more from Old Ain't Dead
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.