This Justin Cronin adaptation is easier to stomach than “The Walking Dead,” and introduces a name you’ll remember: Amy Bellafonte.
From executive producer Ridley Scott and “Friday Night Lights” writer Liz Heldens, Fox’s vampire thriller “The Passage” lacks edge — and that may give it the edge over other fantasy-horror series. As traditional networks lose viewers and their own library content to streaming sites, shows like “The Passage” demonstrate what broadcast television can offer: Likable characters in a serialized story just engaging enough to retain viewers without the pressure of having to binge every single episode right now. This is apocalypse for the mainstream.
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Justin Cronin, “The Passage” takes a relatable and heartfelt approach with the introduction to an orphaned 10-year-old Amy Bellafonte (relative newcomer Saniyya Sidney, in her first major TV role). An utterly charming, smart, and tough tomboy, she becomes “the most important girl in the world” as the key to the cure for a fast-approaching global pandemic.