The Scream TV series dropped on MTV last week, and if you are a cord-cutter like the growing throng of us internet people, then you’re probably worried that you’ll have to wait to see it.

Not the case.

MTV has had the generosity to make the first episode available for free, and it is now available on iTunes and from the channel’s website.

The episode premiered on June 30 and was available the following day in its entirety. I was able to catch up to it on Saturday night, and while nothing special, it’s a fine first 44 minutes with a fun (though not particularly suspenseful opening) that manages to dispatch a couple of obnoxious, two-dimensional teens and give us a look at our killer.

The rest of the episode does a good job of drawing parallels to the film series’ self-awareness while playing in the classical conventions of the slasher sub-genre.

Is it award-winning television? Nope, but it’s a heck of an improvement from Scream 3 and 4.

It still has plenty of detractors, though.

For starters, Fangoria‘s Kristen Adelwerth was way under-impressed with the characters and its ability to build suspense.

“Plot point by plot point by the book, the show feels more like underdeveloped Scream fan fiction then a new entry in the long-running franchise. It’s kind of like watching nothing, but at least there’s attractive youths and a severed head.”

(Unfortunately, the third and fourth films felt a lot like bad Scream fan fiction as well.)

Keith Uhlich of The Hollywood Reporter was also thoroughly disappointed with the Scream TV pilot, stating that “it never plays as anything more than copycat cleverness” of the original film.

“If the series is going to continue as a high school drama that every so often is interrupted by a literal stab to the gut, then the stories need to be much more compelling and the performers much less central casting bland,” he adds.

In other words, the show isn’t winning over critics at this point, but it’s still too early to tell if turning a slasher movie into long-form storytelling is a good idea or ridiculous overreach.

This part of the horror genre has never been particularly deep in characterization, hanging its hat on the inventiveness of its kills and the appeal of its killer. Here’s hoping MTV can crack the code.

The next Scream TV episode will be Tuesday, July 7.

[Image via MTV]