Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 Review: Pilot / At Any Given Moment
Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” and Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episode 2, “At Any Given Moment,” introduce us to John Weir, and we get to witness his life falling apart.
Usually, I’m not a fan of shows opening up with one scene, and then flashing back to when everything began to go off the rails. However, Rabbit Hole manages to use this plot device correctly.
It works because we aren’t being shown some insane moment where John’s dying or in danger. He’s simply in confession trying to get someone to listen to him as he works through recent events to figure out what he’s missed.
You leave the moment not upset that you’re being pulled away from it, but curious to learn what transpired that led to that moment where John is completely frazzled and alone.
Rabbit Hole is smart to start things off by showing us a couple of routine jobs that John takes. He’s in the world of corporate espionage where fake news broadcasts are used to trick people and chance meetings look incriminating. Anything can be easily manipulated.
We needed to see all of this to be able to buy into how John’s being set up and understand why he is so paranoid. If we jumped right into him being framed, then it could’ve come across as too far-fetched to be believable.
But Rabbit Hole allows us to see John use those same tactics in his line of work when there isn’t some nefarious plot happening. It’s sadly standard operating procedure for the world he lives in.
With streaming shows, there are a lot of options for how to release new episodes.
Rabbit Hole didn’t need to release two episodes at once. There’s enough of a cliffhanger after Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episode 1 that would’ve encouraged people to come back in a week for Rabbit Hole Season 1 Episode 2.
Some shows that opt for the multiple episode premieres do so because it takes the show a bit to get going. There’s groundwork that needs to be set, and so releasing multiple episodes at once gives viewers a chance to get past that and get to the more captivating parts of the story.
However, that’s not the case here. This is a missed opportunity on Paramount+’s end to have the show run for another week, and it is another instance that makes me wonder if streaming networks really don’t understand the best release model for their shows.
As mentioned, Rabbit Hole knows how to deliver a cliffhanger and some insane twists. The main concern going forward is if it’ll be able to deliver satisfying, timely answers.
While we know that faking murders and manipulating video footage is par for the course in John’s world, we will need to be let in on things otherwise it will start feeling unbelievable. Instead of an edge-of-your-seat viewing experience, it’ll turn into a frustrating one.
Some mysteries can be left unanswered until close to the end of the season, but others — John’s father being alive, for instance — should be explained fairly quickly otherwise we’ll begin to lose trust in the show.
All in all, it’s a solid premiere. There’s enough going on to keep you eagerly awaiting the next episode, but Rabbit Hole still has some things it needs to improve on.
Stray Thoughts
- Hopefully, we’re done with the boring flashbacks.
- I like Hailey. She’s clearly hiding something, but it’s fun watching her and John partner up.
- Briefly, I thought Hailey and the intern were working together, but then she ran him over with a car… so maybe not.
What did you think of the Rabbit Hole two-episode premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
New episodes of Rabbit Hole premiere on Sundays on Paramount+.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).