It’s moments like those that show the lack of TV experience on the creators’ part, and viewers can only hope that future interactions will be portrayed more genuinely.
There are times when Zach Gilford’s performance comes across as if the editor used the “overbearingly intense” take instead of the normal and balanced one, and several scenes start off with trite and hackneyed moments that truly seem out of place in a futuristic setting.
But while there’s much to enjoy about Lifeline — and one of the most championable aspects is its half-hour runtime, which eliminates excess fluff — it’s far from spotless television, as that ’90s feel also brings to mind sloppy techno-thrillers like The Net and Johnny Mnemonic.