666 PARK AVENUE: THEY TOLD YOU EVERYTHING FROM THE START (EPISODE 1 RECAP)

I had highest hopes on this one this season. Though I can't say that the first episode of 666 Park Avenue (ABC) was completely disappointing, it definitely did not get me hooked up on this series.

The main characters of the show are Gavin Doran (Terry O'Quinn), the owner of the building, his wife Olivia, the doorman Tony DeMeo (Eric Palladino) and of course, the new resident managers, an unmarried, but deeply in love (that we learn from all the sex they're having) couple Henry Martin (Dave Annable) and Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor). Other residents of the building seem disposable as they die at an incredible pace, so no reason to get attached.

Gavin and Olivia

So it starts with a concert where one particular violinist gets blood on his hands while performing in the presence of the Dorans, he later runs to the apartment building he lives in to pack his things (a very stupid move) but as he approaches the exit, the door slams. An old-style phone rings and as the violinist picks it up and talks to Gavin, we understand that the musician had some sort of deal with the building owner according to which he was ready to give up everything to be a famous violinist for a finite period of time. The period has now ended and it was time for the violinist to pay. Poor guy tries to break out and actually seems to succeed, but only to be sucked right back into the building.

The next morning a young couple, Jane and Henry arrives at the building to be interviewed by Gavin for the position of resident managers. We learn that they recently moved to NY, Henry is working as a lawyer for the mayor and Jane, though currently unemployed, is passionate about architecture she has a degree in. Gavin almost turn them down, but then a question from Jane about the building make him change his mind.

The doorman, who says he applied for the resident manager as well, shows the couple their new apartment. The former manager, he says, moved some place warmer and by the premises I believe he meant "hell", so I now wonder if there was some sarcastic meaning in what he afterwards added that the place was Arizona.   

The new managers meet Brian, a playwright, who has the most annoying wife ever, Louise. She's constantly on the phone and yet she has time to treat her husband like shit. Brian, however, turn out to be a pervert: he likes to watch a girl in the building across the street, who's probably too poor to afford the drapes or is just an exhibitionist.  

Beware of perverts!

As Jane and Henry move their stuff, Jane, who got behind, meets another resident, John, with hands covered in blood. Gavin later said that John's wife, Mary, died.

Then Jane, looking for things to fix, gets to the laundry room and finds the mosaic with an image of a dragon on it. The building is called the Drake, so the connection is obvious and Jane decides to visit a library to dig up some facts about her new place of residence. She also gets an invitation for Henry and herself from Dorans to attend a black tie event with yet another symphony concert, obviously Jane has nothing to wear and Olivia takes her for dress shopping.Olivia insists on a red dress, but as Jane sees the price tag of 4000$ on that, she says she can't accept that. I guess, the creators wanted to paint Jane as a modest, unspoiled person, but I see her greed as she tries to grab the redecoration project for the Drake. Anyway, eventually Olivia sends Jane the red dress.

Jane wearing the dress

Henry is playing golf with Gavin and accidentally gets introduced to Daniel Stone, a person he can't have any communication with as the City Council has dispute over this man's property. Gavin is interested in buying this property but he is refused.

In the library Jane finds out that the Drake belonged to some sort of a dragon cult and that John's wife committed a suicide by jumping off the building.

Brian suddenly gets close to his subject of lust as she becomes his wife's assistant. After that Louise is nearly eaten by the elevator and here I hesitate to say if it was her time to pay her debt or if Brian secretly wished her death (I wouldn't blame him).

We find out that John made a deal with Gavin to kill a judge in return for Mary be brought back to life. And she is back, alright, but later it turned out that to keep her alive John has to kill more people, all of them I presume are obstacles to Gavin's business. Now he's given the task to eliminate Stone.

Because John can't kill Stone, his wife's face rots and John himself, in the presence of Gavin, is eaten by the wallpaper. Jane hears the noise and there we have the first "Hello, anybody there?" scene in the series. Jane gets to the terrace to see Mary jumping off again, but before that she says that Jane should not have come to the building and that "they" will not let her go. Well, it's too late now for this, so thanks for nothing, Mary! After that Jane wakes up as if it all was a dream but her feet are dirty from all the walking around in the building.

Jane and Henry sign their contracts so it's pretty much over for them.

The episode ends with the building's little thief having disturbing visions of Jane in a red dress and an axe in somebody else's hands.