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I have watched television series on Syfy in the past. Some were okay and others were terrible but this is the first series that I have seen on Syfy that I would rate as truly excellent. The pilot was a little slow at first (as is often the case with pilots) but by the middle of the second episode my interest was peaked. And by the third episode I was completely hooked! The storyline is engaging with enough of an arc that I want to continue watching. I have not found a television series that I have enjoyed this much since The X-Files series ended. The cinematography is creative and visually pleasing without calling attention away from the plot. The performances delivered by the cast are superb. There are too many TV series and movies that cast actors who seem to be "emotionally flat-lined". It is extremely refreshing to see actors like Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne who actually REACT to emotional situations (in much the same way that people do in real life) rather than just looking like a wooden doll. I am looking forward to the next season of Sanctuary and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

The storyline of this television series seems to be a composite rip off of several other movies and TV series that are doing well. It seems to be a rather poor approximation of the movie Twilight combined with an overly melodramatic version of the SyFy network's Sanctuary series. The creators of The Gates appear to be trying to cash in on the popularity of two very different genres: dramas (ie: Desperate Housewives) and scifi/fantasy/thrillers (ie: Sanctuary and Supernatural). The editing and cinematography are even less creative than the storyline. Additionally, the poor quality of acting, the somber lighting, and the director's over use of soft focus lenses make this series difficult to watch.