I did enjoy the first episode, but I think the main thing that has me a little worried about Before the Storm going forward (and hopefully this will wind up being unfounded by the end) is that we don't really have an idea of what its main narrative arc is going to be, which is kind of surprising with only two episodes remaining. I guess I'm not entirely against the idea of simply spending some slice-of-lifey time with these characters getting to know each other, but I really hope it's going to have its own story to tell, something that amounts to more than tragedy based on the audience's knowledge of
. Which I guess is the standard issue with prequels. (Edit: And to be clear, by 'narrative' I'm not taking about supernatural shit or lives being in danger, I'm actively hoping it keeps that kind of thing to a minimum. I just want some character arcs that we're not already aware of.)
For what it's worth, I've always been kind of mixed on Fire Walk With Me for similar reasons, though that was anchored by awesome directing and that fantastic frigging performance.
It's interesting to see the series handled by another team. The dialogue is improved (though the original got more shit than it deserved) and the character&facial animation is roughly 500 times better than before, but I do think it lacks the indescribable feel that made the original special to me, some kind of nostalgic melancholy drifting through the spaces between other moments.
