Now that Threshold and ...

Question: Now that Threshold and Invasion have both premiered, which do you prefer? What seems to be the consensus of your readers? The characters (who are pretty normal and not a collection of extraordinary geniuses) and sets (homes that look lived in and institutions that look institutional) on Invasion are easier to relate to, but I find myself more intrigued by the mystery on Threshold. But then, maybe it's the very fact that the characters are more familiar that puts me off Invasion a little bit. It's less escapist entertainment if you can see yourself too easily in a frightening situation. And nothing against the characters on Threshold — I liked them and the actors portraying them very much!
Answer: If I had been able to see the entire two-hour pilot of Threshold before it aired, and while I was writing Fall Preview, I would have put it ahead of Invasion as my favorite new drama pilot. (We didn't get the complete Threshold until the day before it premiered; very exasperating, but it was worth the wait in most regards.) The setup so far is wonderfully suspenseful, but what really sells Threshold to me is the colorful, humorous, sexy, quirky characterizations of its core team of scientists. I'd follow Carla Gugino just about anywhere, and with Brent Spiner, Peter Dinklage, Rob Benedict, et al., what a fun crew to hang with and maybe even care about. And that last overhead shot from the two-hour opener was just brilliant! But I'm also deeply drawn to Invasion, in part because it grounds its fantastic and unnerving material in a more mundane world of family and community. Both shows are awfully well done. Can't wait to see what's next. As for reader consensus: It's still too early to tell, but I figure as we get further into the season, the camps will begin to form — although I don't see any real reason to rank them. What's wrong with enjoying both?