I'm surprised there's so much feedback to this show here, since it's totally tanking in the ratings. As a network drama, it's more than a little cheesy, but enjoyable. I like it despite its faults. A little mystery and random weird happenings is always nice to see, and hopefully, we'll get some closure after its 13 episode run... unlike that OTHER show whose name I refuse to even mention anymore!

Also, it would have really been funny to see the looks on the handler's faces if she had actually shot Joe in the previous episode.

(insert image of gape-jawed security jock in front of a monitor) ... "Condition black... operative down"

Whoever wants them there wants them specifically. I'm betting that the backstory on each person will show that they somehow gained attention because they all posess a quality that this organization needs in them.

Up until now all we have know is that some group was fucking with them and may have wanted to kill them all in the end to erase all knowledge. But now it seems like they are not as expendable as we could have been led to believe. Torture and psychological shock training is common practice for spy organizations (good and bad).

Whatever the plot outcome, this show is actually pretty inventive, though none of the characters seems to show much initiative. Maybe that's a commentary on American passiivity.

Awesome that the cab driver (first one) was M. Manesh -- Ranjit from How I Met Your Mother. My hope is that it was less typecasting and more of a fun bit of casting for those of us who watch way too much TV.

am i nuts for thinking this is absolutly something to do with tori's dad? Some sort of government process that uses leverage to slowly break exceptional civilians for some reason we will eventually all agree is just stupid....and the ambassador had his out of control whore daughter thrown in just to mess with her head and teach her a lesson? So tori's father had no intention of making her stay for the entire process like everyone will have to try to, he just wanted her to break and seeing janet be selected to "leave" would be the thing that made her snap. The one person checking out was tori the whole time. The whole thing with janet and joe was to get janet to develop a deeper bond with the guy who's working on the inside. Oh yeah, and the whole allergic to bees thing was total BS. I wouldnt believe anything joe says, in fact im positive he's a yankee fan.
Though with that thought, that doesnt explain at all while whats his face was able to see chuck kill his wife. Whoever is running this process is obviously detail orientated, but i doubt they had a three camera shoot in chucks bedroom to have footage to play on that tv. The only explanation is that chuck is an insider also and they did in fact film chuck "killing" his wife to make that awesome jerk guy think he has a blackmail chip in his pocket. There has to be a second insider, right? Hotel guy doesnt count.
Last thought. I totally agree that no way in hell do i get in that cab. But even if you did get in the cab, is there anyway in hell you drink out of a coconut out of the trunk of that cab? And why coconuts? Do they do that over there? Keep coconuts in your trunk in case you need something to drink if you get a flat? Stupid idiot never heard of bottles of water? That entire sequence took me totally out of the show.
Last thing, i think we need a death watch. If this is going for the lost withdrawal group, they have to start killing people, right? Janet and joe i think are untouchable, though i would bet joe will get killed towards the end, especially if this is a one season and done show. But my money on first dead are the marine and the crazy chick, with the big bet on the marine. When people start getting killed off, the black guy is always first unless he's ll cool j.

Although I enjoy this show, the characters really irritate me just like they did in Lost. Why aren't they asking more questions and more fully exploring the town? I'd check every room, closet, and basement. They did do some of this, but I don't think they fully checked everything out as I would. Where does the hotel manager go when he's off shift? How does he get his instructions? There's so many obvious unanswered questions that I would be trying to get answers to if I were there. Some of them seem to give in too quickly.

I'd also be suspicious of everything, while also realizing that the only way to get out would be for everyone to cooperate. And after they tried to drive straight out, and somehow ended up back in the town, and the incident with the gas masks, I would question everything, and definitely not get in a cab expecting it to be a way out. Nothing is what it seems. (Half way through last nights episode, I guessed that one of them was part of the whole scheme, which turned out to be true at the end of the hour.) Finally, if they were more open with each other, maybe they could figure out why they were there. I don't believe they are there because the one woman's father is an ambassador. They must all have something in common, even if they don't know what it is.

With them talking about a "process" I'm thinking this is supposed to be some kind of rehab. Maybe that's why Tori was able to leave?

The first thing I thought when Joe and the Chinese food guy were talking about "doubting the process" was some weird cult that breaks down it's captives and relies on Stockholm Syndrome to keep the cult going. But I don't know, I do feel like there is a connection to everyone's family/past here (Janet's mom, Tori's dad, etc.). Whatever is going on, they've certainly got me hooked.

Oh, and I was also surprised that the reporter was actually Janet's ex, but it makes sense as to why he would keep pursuing the story when told not to.

So years of survailance and planning has been about Janet and the, "process"? Will a mom shoot her way out or, take a cab ride to see her kid? Um.. yes. Hope it's building to something more than that.