TV Warrior

Breaking Bad

2011-07-18T05:55:00.000-04:00

Remember that show "Malcolm in the Middle," that was funny for about five minutes? The kids were okay, but what ruined it for me were the parents. I hated the mom Lois, who seemed like a third-rate Roseanne knockoff, and did nothing but yell and henpeck her husband, Hal. I wasn't so much angry at Hal, as disgusted. All he ever seemed to do was sport a cheesy mustache, cower in fear of Lois, and for some reason he was always in his underwear.

I first heard about Breaking Bad from promos while watching Mad Men. All I really knew was that it was about Meth and starred Bryan Cranston, the very same tighty-whitey-wearing Hal who used to make me go, "Dude, not to be a chauvinist dick, but can't you control your woman?"

Hal and Meth - how fast could I say no?

At the time Mad Men was all anything critics could talk about, and deservedly so. (Here's my glowing review of Season 1, if you're interested.) Since that time AMC has produced Rubicon and The Killing and The Walking Dead, all super-high quality programs. But at the time, AMC was still mostly known for editing the tar out of '80s movies, and many people were thinking Mad Men might be more of a fluke than the beginning of a trend, so Breaking Bad sort of flew under the radar.

(Also complicating matters: the Writers' Strike happened around then, which burned up a lot of different shows.)

After a while I started hearing that Breaking Bad was actually pretty good, which seemed skeptical (seeing that it didn't have the "buzz" of Mad Men), and then shockingly, Bryan Cranston won the Emmy for Best Actor, and this was in the age of Don Draper, Dexter Morgan and Greg House!

Then Cranston won the Emmy a second time, then three in a row, and you started hearing from critics that Breaking Bad wasn't just good, but really really good, like maybe "best show on television" good.

I still had my doubts - okay, EXTREME doubts - but it seemed only fair to give the show a shot. I got the Season 1 DVD set for my brother for Christmas, and it finally worked out that we were both in the same place at the same time and had an opportunity to try Breaking Bad.

That was a few weeks ago. Since then we have moved Heaven and Earth to rip through Seasons One, Two and Three before Season Four started. (The first episode of Season Four was last night.)

Breaking Bad is utterly fantastic. If you have read my reviews before and you trust my word, make it the very next thing you watch. Go out and rent Season One (it's only seven episodes, because of that stupid Writers' Strike I mentioned); get both discs, because I guarantee you that once you start it you won't be content to stop after the first three episodes.

You will TEAR through this like a man in the desert would take down a Big Gulp.

THIS NEXT SECTION GIVES THE SET-UP, AND DOESN'T "SPOIL" ANYTHING YOU WON'T FIND ON THE BACK OF THE DVD BOX, BUT IF YOU'RE ANAL ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING JUST SKIP IT.

*****************************************************

Here's the set-up: Bryan Cranston plays Walter White, a genius who somehow wound up a high school chemistry teacher (with a second humiliating job at a car wash), a 15-year old son with Cerebral Palsy and a 7-month pregnant wife who's more than a little controlling. Walt shoulda-coulda-woulda done something great, but here he is, smack-dab in the middle of a life going nowhere.

Some routine tests reveal a shock: despite a lifetime of clean living Walt has Stage-3 Lung Cancer - which is "get your affairs in order" time. Devastated, Walt is reeling, not sure what to do. The idea of leaving his wife Skyler with a special needs teenager and a new baby sickens him. The next day, while on a ride-along with his much more successful DEA agent brother-in-law Hank, Walter sees Jesse Pinkman, a former student of his. Jesse is the DEA's target that day - a local meth cook, a total screwup - but Jesse gets away with only Walt noticing because he'd been left in the car for safety.

A crazy plan begins to form in Walt's mind, a way to leave his family some money when he dies, which Walt knows is coming very soon. With seemingly nothing left to lose, the milquetoast Walt, the man least likely to ever step a hair out of line, has decided to "break bad."

*****************************************************

Even if you read the quick outline, I promise I haven't begun to tell you anything about this series. Everything I wrote is already upside-down before the end of the pilot, and from there it just gets....complicated. That's just the story, which is awesome - but lots of shows have awesome stories.

Breaking Bad is also exquisitely written and acted - the two other hallmarks of TV greatness, and the filming techniques are playful and sometimes surprising. The soundtrack at times is laugh-out-loud funny in the irony, and the camera-work is, not always, but every once in awhile, like nothing you've ever seen.

Breaking Bad is also awash in metaphor - self-consciously so, but they tend to treat the metaphor as some sort of in-joke more than anything so profound that a college freshman could write a term paper. (Although I guarantee that will happen.) Whether it's a pink teddy bear floating in a pool, "la Tortuga," or the use of Heisenberg (which seems to not only be a joke by the producers, but Walt's own private joke as well), everywhere you look there is symbolism, but it's almost as if the producers are saying, "It's like the Matrix, dude. Don't over-think it. Just enjoy."

But the real reason I'm SO enthusiastic is how the show progresses - the tone, if you will, and thematically; that is to say, how the show deals with morality. What Breaking Bad is and does might make the thoughtful viewer at first think of noir - good man caught up in a bad situation - and the dark humor might even invite comparisons to the Coen Brothers. But neither of those things comes close to an analog. What's going in Breaking Bad isn't a raw look at how Fate sometimes intervenes to set our path, and it isn't an examination of the absurdity of modern Life and the Criminal class who's "just trying to get by" like the rest of us.

No, what's happening is harder to define. Breaking Bad is a meditation on what it means to choose how you face the things that happen to you. Walter White reminds me a little bit of Lester Burnham in AMERICAN BEAUTY, in the sense of a man learning he can always surprise himself. In a weird way it also reminds me of the Harry Potter series, in that at first it seems simple and almost naive, but gets darker - relentlessly darker - as it goes on, but subtly, in a way that pulls you in further without realizing it.

Breaking Bad isn't going to be for everybody. While the AMC location means there isn't nearly the level of violence or language of an HBO or Showtime (or heck, even the awesome dramas of FX), there is some violence, a lot of tense situations, and of course the aforementioned meth. Some people probably can't go for that.

But a few weeks ago I would have thought I was one of them. I really didn't expect to like Breaking Bad. I didn't know what to expect, but all my preconceived notions were wrong. What I found was a character study so complex that it rivals the very best literature.

And yes, Bryan Cranston still INSISTS on being in his underwear way too often (my brother and I joked it must be in his contract that he gets one scene per episode), but that is easily forgiven. I don't always like Walter White - I don't approve of what he does hardly ever - but I root for him more than almost any character I've seen. Breaking Bad is the real deal, and don't be surprised if you find yourself semi-obsessed, tweaking for the next episode.

Just don't start your own meth lab. Trust me; there's no way that breaks good.

Move Hype has more of my Great TV on DVD series

See TV Warrior for all the TV reviews

Return to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

Alphas (SyFy)

2011-07-12T08:30:00.003-04:00

Alphas

Mondays @10 (SyFy, Space Channel)

Okay, here’s the sitchy:

There are people in this world with naturally developed extraordinary abilities called Alphas. Several of them (an eclectic, multi-racial and beautiful bunch) along with kindly Dr. Rosen work “off grid” for an unnamed super-secret government agency to solve crimes that normal law enforcement would be unable to handle, using their aforementioned abilities, or “powers,” if you will.

I know what you’re thinking: CSI: Mutant.

I suppose that’s sort of the idea, and you’d be right to say this is well-trod ground. However, instead of mythologizing these powers through the lens of “radical evolution” like Heroes or X-Men, Alphas takes a different path. The abilities of the Alphas are grounded in physiological behavior that seems more normal. For example, we have all heard of the mother who lifts a car to rescue a trapped child, or mathematical and music savants. Alphas takes these ideas and extends them, so while the end result isn’t all that much different from others in this genre, the feel of it is more like Jason Bourne (or the movie WANTED from a couple of years ago) than it is fire-fighting cheerleaders or blue scaled skin.

The other stupendous idea the Alphas creators had was to frame their story not in how great these people are, but how dramatically isolated and alienated from Society they feel. Far from the omniscient tactician of Charles Xavier, Dr. Rosen reminds me more of the Psychiatrist in that ‘80s classic DREAM TEAM, trying to get his group of misfits to see that they can make it in the world if they stick together.

More pointedly - each extraordinary ability comes at great cost to the Alpha. Let’s meet the team and you’ll see what I mean.

Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie)

Alpha Ability - Hyperkinesis: Cameron is capable of perfect coordination between mind and body, which results in super awesome balance, dead-aim and other superior motor skills. Cameron can do things like throw two perfect games in a row or make an impossible ricochet shot from half a mile away.

The Cost: When Cameron’s ability doesn’t work (which is most of the time) it really messes him up. The result is that he often seems strung out, addicted to stimulants and generally unable to function beyond a menial level. Cameron’s travails cost him his wife and kid and top-level military career.

Sidebar Character Note: The show starts with the team already established and Cameron ends up joining them, so in a way he’s the outsider of the group. Also it’s worth noting that he looks uncannily like a lot of different actors. I got everything from Oliver Martinez to a young Tom Cruise to a buff Chris O’Donnell in just one episode.

Nina Theroux (Laura Mennell)

Alpha Ability - Influencing: You know how hot women get men to do what they want, almost by magic? Think of Nina’s ability as an extension of that. She is able to able to focus her charms and actually cause a mini-seizure in the person she’s talking to, resulting in de facto mind control. (I told you this show was more realistic than others. Don’t even pretend you haven’t done something jarringly idiotic because a woman asked you to.)

The Cost: They really didn’t get into this in the Pilot. The website Character-Bio mentions how Nina can never be sure that the affection she receives is genuine or false, but they also hinted that sometimes it spins out of control on the person, perhaps fatally....(dun Dun DUN!)

Sidebar Character Note: Nina is the Veronica Lodge/Karen Walker/Cordelia Chase (circa Buffy, not Angel)/Daffy Duck character. I predict people will split hard on her - love or hate, with no in-between.

Bill Harken (Malik Yoba)

Alpha Ability - Hyperadrenaline: Bill is a former FBI agent with an ability to ramp up his “Fight or Flight” response to Hulk-like levels. The result is a short burst of near super-strength while impervious to harm.

The Cost - You know what happens to you when your body is flooded with adrenaline. Afterwards you feel shaky, sick, exhausted. Now imagine having Bill’s level coursing through your body. Additionally, all those hurts he can ignore during his rampage are felt doubly once it’s over.

Sidebar Character Note: Bill has by far the most crime-fighting experience and professional know-how, but he seems to think he’s in charge of his “unit,” and in a way he’s the most deluded about his new reality (seeing it as a temporary assignment rather than what cost him his job). He reminds me of Christopher Lloyd in THE DREAM TEAM who kept thinking HE was the doctor instead of another mental patient. (By the way, this is the second time I’ve mentioned THE DREAM TEAM. If you have never seen it, put it in your Nexflix queue or just buy it on Amazon. It’s hilarious.)

Rachel Pirzad (Azita Ghanizada)

Alpha Ability - Extreme Synesthesia: What Rachel is able to do is to enhance any of her senses exponentially. Thus Rachel can see microscopic details or detect aromas to make a police dog jealous. l

The Cost: Any time Rachel takes one of her senses to an empathic level she loses cognition of the others; sort of the “Tunnel Vision” effect to the extreme. This puts her in constant jeopardy.

Sidebar Character Note: Rachel is of Persian descent, with hints that her Old-World traditional family laments her condition because it makes her damaged goods toward finding a husband. I’m hopeful this dynamic will be explored more.

Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright)

Alpha Ability - Electromagnetic Transduction: Gary may have (at first blush) the most gee-whiz-cool ability - he can read electromagnetic waves in the air (and in some cases control them). This includes television radio and cell phones (except Nokia, Gary felt obliged to tell us). Every crime-fighting group has a nerdy-genius tech guy, but this ups the ante, yet might be the most plausible, because of what else Gary is.

The Cost: Gary is Autistic; he seems a cross of Aspberger’s and Rain Man-esque Savant. Most Autistics are not super-geniuses, but of the ones who are, it’s debatable whether their affliction causes their abilities or is an response to the overwhelming stimulation OF their abilities. In other words, some experts theorize that Autistics have trouble with emotions not because they feel so much less than most people but because they feel so much more. This would fit Gary’s profile: Imagine being able to see and read TV, Radio and Cell phone waves. It sounds useful, but now imagine not being able to turn that off. You don’t have to be Anna Paquin to know that would suck.

Sidebar Character Note: Autism is the cause célèbre of the next decade: you can bet the baby-shoe money on it. Expect plenty more Autistic characters from Hollywood, and while the necessities of Television’s “short-hand characterization” means a greater likelihood of reinforced stereotypes, in the long run more exposure means more humanization and complex understanding by people, not less. (If you don’t believe me, ask African American actors how they feel about roles available to them in the ‘50s up through even the ‘80s versus now, or on a smaller scale, how far Indian roles have come in just a decade.)

Doctor Lee Rosen (David Strathairn)

Ability: Dr. Rosen is a neurologist and a psychiatrist, and while not an Alpha himself, is fascinated by what makes them special and also the problems that arise from their abilities. Rosen comes across as eccentric, a little Dumbledorish and perhaps a tad paternal, but also deeply caring about his people.

The Cost: For reasons we don’t yet know, Rosen is tied to the shadowy government agency and appears obliged to solve crimes when asked, though he’s fiercely protective of putting his “patients” in harm’s way. Rosen seems to carry a heavy burden of knowing it is his responsibility if any of his vulnerable Alphas were to suffer calamity, and there is nothing he can do about it.

Sidebar Character Note: You probably know David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow in GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK or the bad guy in the THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, but he’s been doing outstanding character work for years. He is the emotional center of his team and the cast, and the best chance Alphas has of rising out of “genre” and into simply great television.

Whether Alphas makes that leap is an open question. The budgetary and writing limitations of a network like SyFy are potential roadblocks, but in a way it might be the saving grace as well. If Alphas continues to focus on the frailties and failings of their characters rather than the super powers or non-stop action they have a chance to carve out a nice corner in what was seemingly an overcrowded niche market. SyFy already proved you don’t need big budgets or names to humanize “misfits” with this year’s excellent Being Human.

The familiar plot set-up doesn’t bother me so much. There is always room on Hyperion’s TV for a story well told.

The 90-minute pilot of Alphas airs six more times before next Monday’s new episode if you want to set your DVR, or it is also available On Demand at at SyFy.com

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

Franklin & Bash

2011-06-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

I try to avoid commercials, but when I do watch them, my general theory is that if you can’t even create a good ad, it doesn’t bode well for your product. This is especially true for promos and Trailers. Of course, a good commercial is no guarantee the material is any good (GODZILLA, I’m looking in your direction), but at the very least a promo should intrigue the audience, make us wonder what it’s all about.

This brings us to TNT. If you’ve been watching the channel at all the last two months (as I have way more than normal, because of the NBA playoffs), you’ve seen commercials for Franklin & Bash, a new show about a couple of “Regular Guys” lawyers who break all the rules and have fun doing it. They have to be some of the worst Promos in the history of Television. Here, take a look at one of the spots:

PROMO #1

If that wasn’t bad enough, the geniuses in TNT’s Marketing Department came up with the idea of having the actors make cheesy lawyer commercials that you see on TV. The ads are purposely amateurish (at least, I sure as hell hope they are), in an attempt to capture that fey charm we all know and love from our good friends at Montlick and Associates (and their assorted brethren). Here are three of them:

COMMERCIALS

I’m horrified, but I can’t look away.

It’s not that I necessarily object to the concept of a smarmy frat-house “anything goes” lawyer show, a place where the Denny Crane and Dan Fielding could try to talk Vonda Shepherd into tickling more than the Ivories,1 it’s just that the commercials feel so damn derivative and uninspired that I felt compelled to watch the first episode simply to see if anything could possibly be that bad. Maybe that was their plan!

| 1 That was three jokes for the price of one, you’re welcome very much. I doubt one in one-thousand would get it, but if you’re one of them than F&B is definitely in your wheelhouse. |

Okay, enough with my clever holier-than-thou “meta” opening: let’s talk about the show itself.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar is Peter Bash, and you don’t know who M-PG is I don’t know what to tell you. He held his own against Dennis Franz in NYPD Blue, he’s done many good guest-spots on various quality Dramas, and thanks to him, every college kid now knows what a suicidal roommate can do for your GPA.2

| 2 The other main character in DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS is Tom Everett Scott, a very likable actor who’s been in a bunch of stuff but just can’t seem to ever find the right role (or show) that would make him the star he deserves to be. And since I feel you need to know these things, here is who else is in DMOC, people you didn’t know then but would now “retro-spot” if you watched the film again: Poppy Montgomery, Alyson Hannigan, and Jason Segel. (I know, right?) |

But, c’mon....we ALL know who we think of when we see Mark-Paul Gosselaar - one of the most immortal characters in TV history - Zach Morris.

For years I’ve had the notion that after a certain number of episodes (and a requisite amount of brilliance), actors should own the rights to the characters that they make memorable, and be allowed to take those characters to another show. We we could set up some sort of royalties system like with songs for a movie soundtrack, right?3 Why should I be denied the Awesome Evil of Newman the Postman just because Seinfeld is no more? Surely we all could have handled seeing Cliff Claven or Cancer Man or Cousin Oliver a few more times. (Just kidding on Cousin Oliver, but now that I think about it, Alice could have effortlessly blended into most any family in the ‘80s. How great would it have been if she’d worked for the Huxtables!)

| 3 It absolutely sickens me that the gutless spineless cowards at FOX canceled The Good Guys - thus depriving us forevermore of Dan Stark’s ‘Stache - and Human Target. All the characters on that were great, but in particular was Jackie Earle Haley’s Guerrero. Simply mesmerizing. There is no good reason whatsoever why they couldn’t find another show for Haley to continue the part. Come the Revolution, kids - things are changing |

If anyone deserves to live on, it’s Zach Morris, and Peter Bash is about as close as we’re going to get. He’s smart and cocky about it, doesn’t mind bending the rules and can’t seem to keep his eyes -- or charm -- off the ladies. If you miss Saved By the Bell at all (and don’t deny that you do), you’re going to have a tug of nostalgia when you see Peter Bash.

The other half, that of Jared Franklin, is brought to us by Breckin Meyer, whom you may remember from all the way back to CLUELESS (he was the one who fell for Brittany Murphy) or as Jon in the GARFIELD movies, or the cuckolded college dude in ROAD TRIP, or as Meg Ryan’s brother in KATE AND LEOPOLD, or any of a number of other things you can look up yourself because I’m done listing them.

Franklin is the Wild Card of the duo; he knows a lot less law and takes more chances, but he has a pure heart.....etc. (And before you accuse me of being glib, you will recall that 1139 words ago I established how pedestrian the character-setups are.

In the initial episode we also meet eccentric billionaire owner Stanton Infeld (Malcom McDowell, in a character so close to his creepy gardener dude on Heroes that I won’t be a bit surprised if it turns out he has powers), who hires the boys to come “shake things up” at his prestigious but (presumably) stodgy Establishment Law firm.

Let the futha-muckin’4 highjinx ensue, bitch!

Let me ask you something. How cornball did that last sentence seem? It was unnecessary, maybe trying too hard, right? I’ve just explained Franklin & Bash to you. My Metaphor Efficiency Powers are off the futha-muckin’ charts, yo.

| 4 I’ve been saying “Futha-Muckin’” for years, part of my long-held fascination with Spoonerism and its related wordplay. Just now, not 3 minutes ago, I made a goal to get Futha-Muckin’ trending on Twitter. Yes We Can! |

The first one two three5 episodes of Franklin and Bash were....not as bad as I feared (or perhaps hoped, since I thoroughly would loved to have written a huge rant). There’s a couple of side-characters have some potential including an agoraphobic Indian researcher who lives in Franklin and Bash'’s swinging bachelor pad and never leaves because of the whole agoraphobia thing.6 Another assistant is an ex-con, a detail I know because she’s managed to mention it in each episode so far.

| 5 I initially wrote this review after episode #1, but certain events in my life have conspired to keep me from being as industrious as I would like, namely sadness and crippledom.

6 Funny Indian-sidekick (the Dairy-Queen kind, not the ones we horribly mistreat and pretend we don’t which is bizarre because so many people “claim” to have American-Indian ancestry that if they were all telling the truth the American Indian population would be 500 million, making them the Woodstock of ethnicities and...where was I going with this? Oh yeah: sidekicks. Anyway, Indian sidekicks are getting to be a veritable cottage industry in Hollywood. Where Kal Penn is, we salute you, and if Obama ever lets you quit working on your secret career-killing project, please come back! |

I’ve taken so many weeks to write this review that I can’t remember what else I was going to say, but I know it was brilliant, so....I don’t really know how to end this sentence.

In conclusion, I learned a few things from Franklin & Bash. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I may (shockingly) keep watching it. Mark-Paul Gosselaar has a great ass.7

| 7 I KNEW there was something I forgot to mention. Zach totally gets naked. Worth watching just for that, and I say this as a 96% heterosexual dude. Well, 86%. Ah, who’s counting? |

I should also probably post my reviews in a more timely manner. But I didn’t. so sue me. I know where you can get a couple of lawyers.....

Hyperion
June 2-16, 2011

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

Covert Affairs Season 2

2011-06-08T07:23:00.000-04:00

When USA started making TV shows they came up with a catchy slogan - “Characters Welcome.” This was actually their second choice, the first being, “Very little real danger will happen to anyone so relax, ladies.”

Do I sound cynical? I don’t mean to be. Why shouldn’t there be a place for stress-free TV, where you don’t have to worry about characters suffering irreversible trauma at every turn? Are USA shows going to be impactful dramas like The Sopranos or The Wire? But sometimes I just want something on in the background while I do five things at once. Sometimes I want a show where I won’t be disappointed if I don’t catch an episode or three.

Covert Affairs fills that bill perfectly for me. When last I wrote about Covert Affairs, I’d just seen the Season Finale and was singing the praises of a fun carefree show. Watching the first episode of Season 2, not much has changed. Annie (Piper Perabo, still very lovely) is running around trusting her instinct, caring too much and getting into trouble. Auggie is still running around being all blind and cool. There’s some danger sure (wouldn’t be a spy show without it), but you know everything is going to work out okay.

Covert Affairs fills in as nice summer fare for USA. It’s fun, breezy, easy on the eyes and stress-free.

Everything Summer should be.

Tuesday at 10 on USA

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

The Killing

2011-04-04T15:33:00.033-04:00

The Killing

Starring Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Michelle Forbes, Billy Campbell,
(Sundays @ 10 on AMC)

It’s hard to argue that the title of AMC’s new drama The Killing is, at best ill-conceived. Raise your hands if you thought that it was some sort of Horror show, perhaps a sequel to The Walking Dead.

But if the title is an errant step, it’s the only one. I watched the Premiere Sunday night (the first two episodes, which serve as the Pilot) and was utterly blown away. This is Drama the way it’s supposed to happen. AMC has recently become the “it” place for serious TV shows. Think Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Rubicon and The Walking Dead.

They may have outdone themselves.

The Killing starts off rather conventionally, as if to remind us how (sadly) mundane murder feels these days, if only because we’re so used to it as a staple of our TV viewing. We open on Rosie Larsen, clearly in peril, running for her life. We’ve all seen CSI or Law and Order or any of the dozens of other crime procedurals, so it feels very familiar, right up to the point where we don’t actually see the murder. (It should also be noted that, belying the title, this opening scene will likely be the only violence in the entire series, as the whole Season focuses on this one murder.)

Next we meet a Detective on her very last day with the Seattle Police Department. She’s supposed to show a new guy just in from Vice the ropes. He’s all street-cred and zero tact, or for that matter, manners, but he has instincts and....

It all seems so familiar. We’ve seen these plot-lines how many times? Would you be surprised to know that the victim seemed like the perfect 16 year old girl but was actually hiding many secrets? Or that a youthful teacher at her high school might know more than he should? What’s her best friend hiding? And try not to be shocked when you learn there’s a connection to a politician running for mayor and (wait for it), the election is less than a month away.

If I seem like I’m mocking The Killing, I’m absolutely not. What I am doing is backhandedly giving the biggest compliment I know. The Killing doesn’t tread any new ground that I could see in the first two episodes. We have the murder, we have the family who will be devastated by this, with their various reactions of grief.

We have lots of other people who are hiding things who may or may not be connected to the murder, and we have two cops forced to work together, one on her way out the door (repeated throughout the first episode: “don’t you have a plane to catch?”) and another not yet with his toe in the water.

I cannot stress this enough: no matter how conventional the plot sounds. I promise promise promise you the execution was anything but boring. I was riveted to watch the cops go through their routines. I was deeply moved by the family, and suspicious and engaged with every side character.

This is drama at its absolute best.

The main character is Detective Sarah Linden, and the producers go in the exact opposite direction than normal TV fare. The actress (Mireille Enos) is a beautiful woman, but here she is plain plain plain. There are scenes where you could SWEAR she wasn’t waring any make up, and her hair never deviates from a functional but decidedly horsey-like ponytail.

When we meet Linden we find out she’s leaving police work. We quickly discover there is a fiance, a planned move to San Diego (leaving that night!) and one sullen pissed-off fifteen year old son who does NOT want to go. Linden seems young, mid-thirties at most, so it’s strange she’d be burnt out so quickly. Most homicide cops can’t ever let go.

And it may be in Linden’s blood too. Throughout her last day we see her instincts, her drive, her professionalism kick in. She has a way of talking to “civilians” that doesn’t push and shows empathy but without ever being weak. On the other hand, this isn’t Columbo. We’re not going to see Detective Clouseau or Goren or Andy Sipowicz or any of the other nearly super-cops we’ve come to expect from police on TV. She’s quiet and effective, but human. The pacing of the police part feels like The Wire in the sense of realism. A lot of cop work is boring, methodical. Checking stuff over. Checking again. Linden gets the only stage-y line of the show when she tells her ersatz new partner (who wants to give up a seemingly-fruitless search and get in out of the rain): “This is Homicide. There is no clock.”

Speaking of that partner, he’s Stephen Holder (played by Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman), and if Sarah Linden is the personification of tough, quiet professionalism, Holder is the exact opposite. It’s not just that he’d bend the rules, he doesn’t seem to know the rules are there.

I read what I’ve written and it sounds like I’m describing Dirty Harry or Jack Cates. I am so not. Holder comes across like a mixture of geeky actor D.J. Qualls with the street-edge of Eminem. He seems exactly like a guy who just spend six years in vice working as an Under-Cover, and is still soaking in Street.

If Sarah Linden is the lynch-pin character that makes a show like The Killing work, Stephen Holder is the one everyone will be talking about. You can’t take your eyes off of him. He’s always up to something, and not always in a good way.

I’ve talked a lot about the main characters, but the threshold of a drama like this is how well it’s cast, and again the producers hit it out of the park. Rosie’s mom and dad are played by Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton, whose names may not be familiar but I bet you’ve seen them in supporting work for years. In particular I’m a fan of Forbes for her work on Battlestar Galactica, 24, Homicide, In Treatment, True Blood and even all the way back to Kalifornia.

When we meet the Larsens we know more (or think we do) about what has happened to their family than they do. Watching the dawning tragedy take hold in the family is at times chilling, at times incredibly sad and always very moving. This is Tony and Carmella Soprano-caliber work we’re seeing. I look forward to learning more about the family in the episodes to come, as well as watching them deal with a blow I cannot even imagine, let alone relate to.

I’m skipping so many quality supporting characters for time but one other subplot I have to mention is Mayoral candidate and his staff. Councilman Richmond is played by Billy Campbell, whom you may remember as Jennifer Lopez’s husband in Enough. Campbell has that perfect genial face that makes him totally believable as a politician who cares, but could easily have been mixed up in a murder.

If I seem like I’m gushing maybe it’s because i get so tired of the crap we’re generally forced to watch. Great actors are important but great casting is more important - the right person for the right part. High-quality production is always a plus but it’s like special effects - it cannot augment an already weak story. It can add to a great story; otherwise it just sits there showing off.

Most importantly - and no matter how many times you hear it, it’s worth saying again - the greatness of a story, whether in book, television, play or movie - is not WHAT the story is, but HOW. In the case of The Killing we have a plot motif seen hundreds of times before, and familiar-sounding characters. We even have a dumb-ass name. But none of that matters.

The Killing is effective, gripping, first-rate drama that you shouldn’t miss.

(There’s an Encore presentation of the two-hour pilot on Thursday, or you can watch it online any time at http://www.amctv.com/. Regular episodes are Sunday at 10:00 on AMC.)

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

The Borgias

2011-04-04T14:28:00.042-04:00

The Borgias

Starring: Jeremy Irons, François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Joanne Whalley, Colm Feore
(Sundays @ 9 on Showtime)

The advertisements for Showtime’s new historical Drama The Borgias describe the titular group as “The Original Crime Family.” That sounds promising, especially when added to their reputation of being accused of adultery, theft, incest, rape and murder. Now we’re talking! I mean, as fellow PTA members, maybe not so much, but as a subject for a TV drama, on Showtime no less (with their liberal views on boobies).....?

Let’s do this thing!

In case you weren’t aware, the Borgias were an actual family back during the Italian Renaissance. They were accused of (and quite probably guilty of) everything written above. They were also prominent members of the Church, including Cardinals and even Pope, which is what adds even extra flavor. As the show begins the Pope is dying, which triggers a Conclave (to elect a new Pope). Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons) is determined to ascend from Vice-Chancellor to Pope, and has his illegitimate son Cesare buy off the Cardinals he needs.

(This process is known as Simony, and was apparently a pretty big deal at the time, although compared to everything else the family is accused of seems almost laughable today. It’s also worth pointing out that the very same Cardinals who are bought off are later outraged by the whole thing, shades of “shocked to find gambling in this establishment!” One suspects that Renaissance Church is going to take quite a beating for its hypocrisy and well....read a history book: they earned it.)

I mentioned Jeremy Irons is the main character, and he’s reliably great, although a small part of me wished to see someone unfamiliar in the role. It’s not that Irons can’t delivery the complex performance of a power-hungry man who nonetheless is capable of feeling a divine spirit with God, it’s just that I’ve seen Irons give complex “bad guys who are still very human” performances many times, so there is some feel of deja-vu.

More interesting (to me) is the role of Cesare, played by François Arnaud. He’s the most dynamic character in the first two episodes (which serve as the Pilot - there are seven additional episodes planned for Season 1), a man who wishes nothing more than to be a soldier and protect his family, but forced to watch his younger brother fill that role while he is a Cardinal. Many Cardinals of that time were (by our standards) gross hypocrites, but Cesare feels the yoke particularly harshly. He doesn’t want to be in the Church, and only does so to please his father.

I’ve mentioned hypocrisy twice, but in reality it’s a little more complex than that. This review isn’t the proper place to go into it, but in short: at the time the Church was greatest avenue for a family to acquire and gain wealth and power, much like Politics or Business today, so noble families would have at least one son enter the priesthood. Current scandals about priests aside, no one thinks of becoming a priest today as a way to get rich, but that was definitely par for the course then.

At the same time, the Church came up with the brilliant idea of not letting priests marry, not for service to God, but because as unmarried men they would have no legitimate heirs and so at death all their titles and lands would revert to the Church. Sort of a symbiosis of corruption, if you will. Yet these men were still, you know men, and many routinely had mistresses and children, etc. Rodrigo Borgia (who became Pope Alexander VI) was not atypical of the period, but he does symbolize the worst of it.

One of the reasons is because he was the first Pope to have a mistress - or at least be known somewhat openly to have one. That would be Giulia Farnese (played in The Borgias by Lotte Verbeek), and Rodrigo Borgia had her installed in a castle next to the Vatican complete with underground passageway so they could visit each other for “spiritual comfort” in the night.

(I’m not making up the “spiritual comfort” line. When Rodrigo’s mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei (played by “still bringing the heat at forty-six” Joanne Whalley) finds out about Giula Farnese, Vannozza storms the Vatican screaming at the Pope about “his new whore” and he tries to explain that he had no choice - the woman needed spiritual comfort! Any dudes out there - let me know if that works.)

Of all the women surrounding the Borgias, however, the one history is most fascinated with is daughter Lucrezia (played in the Showtime series by the impossibly-named Holliday Grainger), one of the most infamous names of all time. Maybe it was because she was suspected of plotting to kill a few husbands. Maybe it was her “close” relationship to brother Cesare, or maybe it was just her general awesomeness. Here’s a small excerpt from her Wikipedia article:

She is described as having heavy blonde hair which fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes which constantly changed colour, a full, high bosom, and a natural grace which made her appear to "walk on air"; these were the physical attributes that were highly appreciated in Italy during that period. Another description said that "her mouth is rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her neck is slender and fair, and the bust is admirably proportioned."

(Leave it to the Italians to “highly appreciate” those wacky features, eh? Flashing eyes, long hair, large sweet mouth, moved well and had a nice rack. Way to go out on a limb, guys!)

The other supporting roles that make up the rest of the cast are excellent, as one would expect, populated with your venerable character actors from stage and screen, such as Derek Jacobi and Colm Feore. One guy I did want to specifically point out, though, was Sean Harris as Michelotto Corella, the Borgia’s private assassin. The dude is mesmerizing to watch, and I couldn’t take my eyes from him when he was on screen.

The Borgias was created (and apparently completely written) by Neil Jordan, one of the most underrated directors of the last 20 years. You probably know him from THE CRYING GAME and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, but he also helmed great work like THE BUTCHER BOY, IN DREAMS and THE GOOD THIEF.

Knowing Jordan was involved raised my expectations greatly, and there was a sweeping grandeur in the opening, giving us a sense of how immense the Pope (and the Church) were in those times. Yet - and forgive me for going all horny teenager on you here - this is Showtime! Where was all the sex and nudity? I counted maybe 3 naked women, maybe 5 boobies and a couple of cheeks. (There wasn’t much beefy flavor, either. I play fair, Ladies: what’s good to get goosed is also good to get gandered, or however that goes.)

The first episode of The Tudors has more naked women than you could shake a....well, you get my point. They front-loaded the nudity there egregiously (no other episode had that much sex) in order to get people to watch. And Hyperion supported that plan. Maybe this is Pop-Chair psychology (pop pscyhology + armchair psychology) but I felt like Neil Jordan held back on the venal sinning of the time period a bit in part because he was trying to make a weighty drama, you know, full of literary worth and all that. Hey, I’m all for that, but how can you truly represent the Renaissance Church without whores and full-fontal nudity, and lots of it?

Well anyway, hopefully they step that up. Overall The Borgias got off to a good - if not spectacular - start. They have a great cast, they’re in capable hands, and if they will unleash the hounds, so the speak, the material will take care of itself.

(There are repeated encore airings all week or you can catch up On-Demand. Regular episodes are on Sunday at 9.)

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

Breaking In

2011-04-04T09:22:00.010-04:00

Breaking In

Starring: Christian Slater, Bret Harrison, Odette Annable
Wednesdays @ 9:30 on FOX

Remember the main character from Reaper (Bret Harrison), the guy forced to work in a job he didn't sign up for, who was in over his head working for the Devil, always had a "why me?" expression? He plays Cameron Price, forced to work in a job he didn't sign up for.

He has a thing for Melanie Garcia (the luscious if oddly-named Odette Annable), but God forbid he ever tell her how he feels and I bet you're just going to fall over in shock when you find out that she is a really great girl but has this jack-ass boyfriend and she can't seem to realize it.

Then there's Cassius "Cash" Sparks, who's a black guy so we know he's cool but he likes Star Wars and Star Trek so we know he's a nerd but he's a black guy so we know he's cool and....how can both be true, TV????

All of these people, quite dysfunctional in their own way, are also (of course) super-geniuses who work at a high-tech firm that specializes in helping companies improve security by "breaking in" to find their weak spots. So the group does a lot of thievery, but it's all kosher, see? (You know, like Wall Street or when your girl asks you to tie her up.)

This company was founded by the mercurial, enigmatic and possibly crazy Oz, played by Christian Slater, who at this point needs a lifetime achievement award for not breaking his Jack Nicholson character once in 22 years.

If I sound a bit dismissive maybe I am, but it's only because I feel so overwhelmingly like I've seen the show before. In my review of The Killing I point out how familiar concepts and story-lines can seem fresh and vital when presented the right way, but in Comedy people are (more or less) playing themselves, and the Writing and execution has to be spot-on.

I've only seen one episode, and it wasn't bad or anything. I just feel like it would have been awesome in 1999. Or 2003. Or even 2007. But here it is 2011. I've seen Bret Harrison be a reluctant lead. I've seen the hot brunette who's so great but can't seem to realize she's dating a loser. I've seen the cool black guy who's also a nerd. And gods help me, not only has Christian Slater played the same character in every movie since HEATHERS, but we've already seen him as a possibly-crazy worry-about-nothing spy-esque dude just a couple of years ago!

Comedies always take time to gel, so I have no doubt that Cast can flesh out. The writers may find their footing too. I just hope it won't look like so much else out there.

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

Chaos

2011-04-04T08:48:00.005-04:00

Chaos

Starring Eric Close, Tim Blake Nelson, Freddy Rodriguez, Kurtwood Smith
Fridays @ 8:00; CBS

Freddy Rodriguez goes to work at the CIA to be a spy (and if this is the level of operative the Agency is hiring these days then suddenly America’s Foreign Policy begins to make sense). Anyway, Kurtwood Smith (forever now “Foreman’s Dad”) sends Rodriguez to spy on an intractible group he has had no success in removing. A thorn in his side. Al Qaeda? No. KGB? Nope. FARC? Not even close. No, this enemy is a group within the CIA, called (wait for it) the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services, or C.A.O.S.

If you’re already kind of bored with this review then I have done my job, because it didn’t take me long to already be kinda bored with Chaos. As soon as it ended II wrote on Twitter:

(Yes, Camelot was way way way better, but that review isn’t until later in the week, so you’ll just have to wait.)

When I was trying to come up with a way to describe Chaos in terms of another CBS show the best I could do is “The Goonit” - They basically want the action of the Unit but without any of the drama. Essentially this is going to be a workplace comedy with explosions.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Heck, arguably the best show on TV right now (or at least the funniest) is a work-place comedy about spies. (Archer on FX, in case you’re slow.) My problem with Chaos isn’t the concept, it’s the Network. CBS runs things a certain way. It’s usually very well done. Good-looking production, telegenic cast....safe safe safe safe. The LAST thing a comedy mixing spies and office politics should be is safe. That’s partly what makes Archer so outrageously hysterical. And it’s what (I think) dooms Chaos from ever being anything other than “there.” CBS is so powerful they may make a hit. But if the real CIA is that boring no wonder we can’t get the right people in there. (I’m always available)

See more Reviews on TV Warrior

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

Body of Proof

2011-03-30T06:59:00.002-04:00

I generally like serialized Dramas (the story builds from week-to-week) over Procedurals (where the story generally resets each week), but one big exception for me is House M.D., maybe my favorite show on TV right now. The stories are interesting and there is more character development than normal Procedurals. Also I over-identify with House - a frustrated genius who’s incredibly lonely, in constant pain, can’t relate to anyone or maintain a relationship. (He even uses a cane just like me! True, House is probably more handsome, but I can sing the 50 states in alphabetical order in under ten seconds. Beat that!)

In the end, though, my love of House the show comes down to my love of House the character. I’m riveted by Hugh Laurie’s depiction, and I am constantly trying to figure out what House is thinking, what’s he’s feeling, and what he will do next.

This brings us to Body of Proof, which you could sort of describe as House with boobs. And really great legs.

Don’t call me sexist - I’m just describing Dr. Megan Hunt, who never met a super-tight skirt and a pair of scalpel-me heels she didn’t love. I’m NOT hating, not as a man or even as a concept. I love me some Dana Delany, and have since way back to TOMBSTONE. It’s always been about her sparky eyes, but I wouldn’t kick her out of bed unless she liked the floor (if you follow me), and anyone who looks that good at 55 years old has every right to Brockovich it up.

Besides being delectable (I’m really not making too much about this: if she looked this good at 25 you’d drool. At 55 it’s practically a Congressional investigation), Megan Hunt is an interesting character study. I mentioned her House-like qualities of figuring stuff out, but this extends far beyond the hospital. Megan tags along with the cops much like Nathan Fillion’s Castle and finds all manner of hidden clues.

(The more I think about it, Megan really is a hybrid of House and Castle. They should have made her last name Manor and named the show “Megan’s Manor.” Well, maybe that’s dumb. Let’s move on.)

The deal with Megan is that was was once a renowned neurosurgeon, so driven that it cost her a husband and daughter. Then came a car accident, leaving nerve damage in her hand, and, well, now she’s a snarky know-it-all medical examiner dressed for a cameo in SATC 3. Were that we all could be so lucky.

Dana Delany IS the show, and she’s plenty interesting, but the rest of the cast is solid and gives me hope for future episodes. Nicholas Bishop plays her partner Peter Dunlap (former Police Officer now Medical Investigator), and in the pilot he did his best “Wilson” impression while also looking a heckuva lot like the Mentalist guy. John Carrol Lynch and Sonja Sohn are the actual cops who will inevitably be assigned to all her autopsies and be outshone by her brilliance. Both are fantastic actors from HBO (he was awesome in Carnivale and she was Kima in The Wire), so I have hopes they will get the chance to flesh out the characters beyond type. Jeri Ryan had the “Cuddy” role of Chief Medical Examiner. I never have thought much of her but at least she’s a hot blonde, and we can always more of them on screen. I didn’t recognize the dad or the daughter, but you can bloody-well look up something for yourself!

Body of Proof is set in Philadelphia, which means lots of Philadelphia scenery shots to “prove” where they are (think how CSI does it). That’s fine with me; I get a bit tired of New York and LA, so it’s always nice to see the skyline of a different place.

It’s not exactly fair to judge a new show by one episode, but I will say that way way way too much was explained in the first episode. Maybe I notice it more because I’m trying to write screenplays, but I felt like there were a list of questions about Megan Hunt and one by one the answers were checked off. I could do with a lot more messiness, and I’m more than willing to not understand the “why” or even the “what” of something I’m watching as long as I’m engaged and interested.

For that matter, we got a couple of preachy monologues about speaking for the victims, and that was a couple too many. Murder victims are important, we get it, but at the same time, the show exploits lurid crimes for story-lines, and we lap it up to watch, so enough with the high-handed speeches, eh? (At least there wasn’t a voice-over paired with a tie-it-together song a la Grey’s Anatomy. No amount of great legs and tight skirts are worth that torture.)

It will take about five episodes before we know if the show can find the right blend of the talented supporting cast and Delany’s star power, and show us something interesting and new. After all, we’ve all seen the police solve murders, and we’ve all seen medicine and surgery and diagnosing. Just because we have seen it all before doesn’t mean Body of Proof can’t be entertaining, but to be “fresh” they will have to step up. Otherwise it will just be the Dana Delany Hour, and she’d need to be much more naked to make that work. (Seriously: why not try that? It’s ABC, for Light’s sake. They gave us Dennis Franz’s bare ass! Can’t we get a little reciprocation here? I’m just sayin....)

I don’t know if I will hang around to see if Body of Proof gets it right, but I wasn’t bored, so that’s something. I knew from word Go that House was spectacular, and I didn’t have that feeling here. But I do love Dana Delany’s sparkly eyes, and I do love the rest of her, and that might carry me for awhile.

(There’s a new episode Sunday at 10 and then Tuesdays at 10 will be the regular time, on ABC)

See more TV Reviews at TV Warrior Home Page

Go to the Hyperion Empire

Mr. Sunshine

2011-03-30T06:43:00.003-04:00

Mr. Sunshine (Wednesdays at 9:30 on ABC)

I have gotten into Modern Family (which is on Wednesdays at 9), and I like Matthew Perry a lot, as well as Allison Janney, so I had some hope that Mr. Sunshine would be good, or at a least decent diversion while I waited for FX’s totally awesome Justified at 10.

How do I put this? Mr. Sunshine, in a word: Sucks Giant Donkey Balls, and everyone who made it should have their urethrae scraped with a rusty carrot peeler as punishment.

I watched three episodes: I feel like I did my time and now I’m out of prison and I ain’t going back. You’re on your own, and God help you.

Scratch that TV Itch

2011-02-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

I have managed to catch a bunch of new shows, and I wanted to review them for you. To make it easier, I broke down the categories to “things that rhyme with itch.” (I’m nothing if not helpful.)

Here’s the list:

the Pitch - (the Concept)
the Which - (the Actors involved, and if relevant, the writers and Creators)
the Sitch - (the Situation; what’s going on)
the Hitch - (how they “hook” you in, hitching you to their wagon (don’t hate on my forced rhyme))
the Glitch - (the potential problem)
the Niche - (who it might appeal to)
the Kitsch - (goofy offbeat story-lines or characters)
the Rich - (what they do best)
the Bitch - (my major complaint)
the Ditch - (when/if I might bail)
Scratch that Itch? - Does Hyperion Recommend?

Today I have the Monday Shows, which has become the hottest night on TV, and I will try to get the rest posted later this week. Hope you enjoy!

Being Human (Mondays @ 9 on SyFy; repeats during the week and On Demand)

the Pitch - A werewolf, a Vampire and a Ghost try to live in the same house and be normal...more or less.

the Which - A remake of a popular BBC show. A couple of the stars might seem vaguely familiar (from various small TV stints), but no one that you really recognize.

the Sitch - Vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer) and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) both work in a hospital and try to hide the “monster” within them. They decide to get a house together, which turns out to be haunted by Sally (Meaghan Rath), a ghost who has some issues to work out.

the Hitch - I don’t know if you heard: monsters are kind of “in” right now

the Glitch - Monsters have been “in” for awhile. How long can it last? Also the production values are low, which most genre fans are used to and understand, but might turn some people off.

the Niche - the Buffyverse, and anyone who joined Team Edward or Team Jacob

the Kitsch - Monsters trying to “pass” as human - the jokes pretty much write themselves

the Rich - They do not shy away from darkness. This might turn away some, but both Josh and Aidan have killed innocent people in their past, and just because they are trying to control it doesn’t mean they always do. I have a feeling that the Fantasy Community will be impressed that Being Human isn’t PG in its sensibilities. They also got rid of the sunlight=death thing (Vampires have evolved to just be photosensitive now), which I like.

the Bitch - a minor beef, but the ridiculous assertion that the show takes place in Boston when it so clearly feels like Canada. Why even name a city? Also, this is just personal, but the Josh character drives me friggin’ bananas. I don’t see how he’s a werewolf, ‘cause I gotta tell you, I’ve never seen a bigger pussy.

the Ditch - only if Aidan ever starts to sparkle

Scratch that Itch? - I’m in, dude. I’ve LOVED the three episodes I’ve seen and can’t wait for tonight.

The Cape (Mondays @ 9:00 on NBC)

the Pitch - A disgraced cop, believed dead, takes on the Corrupt Police Force as a Super Hero - with a Cape!

the Which - The only actor you really know is Summer Glau (River on Firefly).

the Sitch - Vince Farraday (David Lyons) comes from a long tine of cops (200 years in California if you can somehow believe that), framed for murder and now presumed dead after everyone - including his wife and son - saw him “sploded” in a fire. Determined to regain his boy’s trust (but for some reason unable to tell his wife and child he’s still alive), Farraday hooks up with a troupe of Circus Freak bank robbers, gets a near-magical cape, and now is taking on the new “privatized” police force that is more corrupt than the criminals they were brought in to stop. The mysterious Orwell (Summer Glau) helps him out and generally looks hot and pensive.

the Hitch - Summer Glau, Circus Midgets, and capes!

the Glitch - did we mention there’s a cape?

the Niche - Die-hard Fantasy fans and people who miss “The Shadow” on Radio

the Kitsch - Everything involving the Circus-folk.

the Rich - Can’t get enough Circus tricks. Occasionally the cape has a neat trick or two.

the Bitch - All the melodrama involving the family. The story-line is awful and the kid is awful too. Somewhere Jaden Pinkett-Smith is feeling the competition

the Ditch - I quit two and a half episodes in

Scratch that Itch? - If this is your thing I wish you the best.

Harry’s Law (Mondays @ 10:00 on NBC)

the Pitch - A tough-as-nails icon litigator opens a criminal practice in a “poor” neighborhood along with other castoff lawyers. Quirkiness ensues.

the Which - Created by David Kelley, the force behind The Practice, Boston Legal & Ally McBeal. Starring Kathy Bates

the Sitch - Kathy Bates is Harriet Korn, a legend, but who sometimes rubs people the wrong way. She has decided to start a legal practice in the Inner City, but can’t afford the rent so it’s also a women’s shoe store. Other young lawyers work with her as they help the oppressed.

the Hitch - Kathy Bates, every step of the way

the Glitch - We’ve seen these tricks from Kelley before. There’s potential for Ally McBates.

the Niche - People who like the zany legal dramedy of David Kelley; people who like the deadpan comic timing of Kathy Bates)

the Kitsch - Virtually everything, from the shoes to the clients to the endearingly wacky legal team.

the Rich - that Patina of West Wing-esque Liberal Fantasy Escapism. Think Michael Douglas’s defense of the ACLU at the end of THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

the Bitch - A little quirky goes a long way

the Ditch - I bailed after one episode, although this was partly because it co-stars Nate Corddry. It never stops bothering me that he (and brother Rob) have too many D’s in their last name.

Scratch that Itch? - You know what you’re getting. Bates is always great and if you like that sort of thing, you could do a lot worse.

Checking in with CBS

Last fall I reviewed Mike and Molly, while Skittles reviewed Hawaii Five-O. I don’t watch the shows but figured I’d give each of them another shot.

Hawaii Five-O is too much like every other CBS Crime-Procedural for me to matter. I’m not saying I’d set my sack on fire if I had to watch an episode, but there’s too much good on to be bothered with such pedestrian fare for my tastes.

Mike and Molly is a different story. I initially panned the show, while acknowledging that it simply wasn’t made for me. It still isn’t my kind of show (either the format, tone, or even the way it’s shot), but I do readily admit that the cast has gelled (this often happens with a sitcom, since so much of humor is timing), and the writing, while still too bawdy for the Family Show they want, can be funny. If you don’t have my high standards (or perhaps “snobbish” is a better word), you’ll probably love it.

and this brings us to the last show of the night.....

Skins (Mondays @ 10 on MTV, repeated viewings during the week)

the Pitch - A no-holds barred look at the lives of teens

the Which - All unknowns, though the show is based on the immensely popular British show of the same name (more on that in a minute)

the Sitch - Chances are you’ve heard of Skins, if only because of the controversy. Advertisers have pulled out, there have been calls (by the execrable Parents Television Council) for Child Pornography investigations, and Fox News has beat the drum. Moreover, MTV certainly does not shy away from a fight, and seem to be courting the swirl. Anyway, the show - about the lives of 7 teenagers - is heavy on sex, drug use and other ill-advised behaviors (cutting! lesbianism! anorexia!), but definitely not in the "very special episode" way we're used to seeing on Teen shows. This is NOT your grandfather's sock hop.

the Hitch - Did I mention the sex and drugs and lesbian teens?

the Glitch - I’ll reserve my comments until the “bitch” section

the Niche - Most people under 30. ANYONE under 20.

the Kitsch - The acting so far has been pretty strong for these newbies. The story-lines are generally serious but do carry their own offbeat humor.

the Rich - When they hit the note correctly, they nail what it feels like. Also, parents who think this stuff is over the top are waaaaaay deluded about what’s happening out there.

the Bitch - Okay, I can’t believe I made it this far without mentioning it, but did you know that I wrote a breathless 3,000 word review about Season 1 of the British series? It’s the best Television review I’ve ever written, and if you have any feeling at all for me you will GO READ IT NOW!!!! Are you back? Okay, the biggest problem between the two series is that the American one is an imitation, and we all know that it’s really hard (nigh on impossible) to duplicate genius. I don’t hate on the effort - Skins was too good not to try, but the first few episodes have kept the story lines almost identical, so I can’t help but make comparisons, of which the American one suffers.

Also, if you read my review of the British Skins, you’ll see that I was/am over the moon about the Tony character. It’s impossible to capture that same charisma, although the American Tony tries. A couple of other characters are more successful translations, but there are (so far) a few misfires that make it tough.

Perhaps the biggest problem, though, is that the American version sometimes loses the point of view that makes the British show so revolutionary. When I watched the British show I felt like I was not only watching actual teenagers, but I was inside their heads. Often that meant ridiculous points of view, but, let’s be honest, teenagers are quite often total idiots. This contrasts with American shows that try to “get” teenagers, but feel like adults pretending to get them; either cliche or parody. However, I will say that it seems like the American version is getting better. Through 3 episodes I have noticed more of the that point-of-view thing coming through, which is good.

Also, the British show has actual nudity. Sigh.

the Ditch - Even a simulacrum of British Skins is better than most stuff.

Scratch that Itch? - I guess what I’m saying is, after you read my review, if you're interested, I would advise getting the original Skins from Netflix or Blockbuster or just buying it and watching it. But if you’re not up for that, I actually am liking this American version, and you probably will too, especially if you don’t have anything to compare it to.

Finally, let me just say: I’m a big believer in protecting kids from content, but this one time I’d make an exception. The controversy about this show isn’t how racy it is (and it is VERY racy), but rather, it’s about how freaked out some people are that this might be happening. I said the same thing about KIDS in the ‘90s: if you don’t this stuff is going on, you’re dreaming. I think parents should not only let their 16 year-olds watch it, I think parents should watch it. Yes, they will be absolutely appalled. Yes, the bad behavior is concentrated for dramatic effect. But it’s real, baby. More importantly, the way kids think about parents - that’s real. You need to know this stuff mom and dad, or else just give up.

Tonight there’s a new show I’m going to try to catch (Chicago Code: 9:00 on FOX), and in the coming days I hope to have reviews for Archer, Lights Out, Hot In Cleveland, Retired At 35, Perfect Couples, Traffic Lights, Mr. Sunshine.

See more TV reviews by going to the TV Warrior Home Page.

Go to the Hyperion Empire Home Page

New Shows for 2010

2010-10-05T18:43:00.000-04:00

As is a TV Warrior Tradition, we are determined to bring you reviews to every single new show for the Fall Season. Below is the list of shows and links to all the reviews. (Most of the shows haven't premiered yet, but check back often to find out what's happening.)

Better With You (Review by Teresa)

Blue Bloods (Review by Jadriana)

Chase (Review by Hyperion)

Detroit 1-8-7 (Review by Skittles)

Hawaii Five-O (Review by Skittles)

Hellcats (Review by Hyperion)

Law and Order: Los Angeles (Review by Hyperion)

Lone Star (Review by Hyperion)

Mike and Molly (Review by Hyperion)

My Generation (Review by Jadriana)

Nikita (Review by Hyperion)

No Ordinary Family (Review by Skittles)

Outlaw (Review by Hyperion)

Outsourced (Review by Hyperion)

Raising Hope (Review by Skittles)

Running Wild (Review by Skittles)

S#*! My Dad Says (Review by Hyperion)

Terriers (Review by Hyperion)

The Defenders (Review by Skittles)

The Event (Review by Hyperion)

The Whole Truth (Review by Teresa)

Undercovers (Review by Skittles)

New Show - Law & Order: Los Angeles

2010-10-05T01:48:00.031-04:00

Law and Order: Los Angeles - Wednesdays at 10:00 (NBC)

My dad and I have been watching Law and Order since it first began, the early days of Ben Stone, Paul Robinette and Max Creevy. Watching those early episodes now is almost comical; they totally didn't know what they were doing, but at the time it was new, exciting and invigorating.

Over the years my dad stayed more of a fan than I did. It took me a long while to warm up to Criminal Intent, and I come and go with my appreciation for SVU. As for the original, I've long since seen it as appointment viewing, but still liked to watch from time to time with my dad.

When the Flagship show was canceled and plans for a Los Angeles edition were announced my dad was skeptical. "They'll have to go a long way to top the original." he pronounced more than once this summer. (More than a dozen times, but don't tell him I said that.)

We finally watched the premiere episode the other night, a slick case about Hollywood starlets getting robbed, and what was for sure a virtual Roman a Clef of Lindsay Lohan's life and times.

The lead detective was played by Skeet Ulrich, who I guess was introduced in the SVU episode just beforehand. I've never been a fan of Skeet from all the way back to the SCREAM and TOUCH days, but my brother was a big fan of Jericho, so maybe TV is Skeet's milieu.

The other detective was more interesting to me, played by Corey Stoll, one of those guys who's just been around in a lot of stuff but never really got a chance to shine. Ulrich is the lead and the headlining name, but this guy seemed to have more going on.

They got three famous names for the D.A. half, Peter Coyote (above), one of those guys who's just been in everything as the District Attorney (think: the Fred Thompson part), and two movie stars, Alfred Molina (Doc Ocks in Spider-Man 2) and Terrence Howard (Oscar-nominated for Hustle and Flow) who will split time as the Assistant D.A.'s who actually try the cases.

I haven't seen a Howard episode yet, but Molina's episode seemed devoid of much passion, though he brings a lot of "presence" to any role, so I can only assume that was the toned-down writing of the first episode.

Speaking of which, as the first episode ended my father proclaimed, "I know it's early, and things could change, but I don't see this show beating the original."

I tried to stifle a laugh. "Let's be honest, dad." I said. "The Lord could come back in this episode, you were always going to say that." I pointed out that the other three Law and Orders took a while, sometimes more than a season, to find their footing.

Dad disagreed. "They've been doing this for 20 years, you'd think they'd have it down by now!" He went on. "What's missing is the tension. This was so laid-back, which is an L.A. kind of thing, but I don't think that works for Law and Order."

We argued goodnaturedly about it for a few more minutes and I went back to work. The thing is, though (and NOBODY tell him this), I pretty much agree with my dad across the board. They have had 20 years to figure it out; they should have come out of the blocks a little better. This episode started without any introduction to anyone - they acted like we'd been watching these characters for 3 seasons.

Maybe a sense of familiarity was their goal, but if so, why did they get rid of the cool theme-music? Every show has riffed on the original theme, but all we get here is 2 seconds' worth. And the opening voice ("In the Criminal Justice system....") was gone! Now how am I supposed to know who represents the People? Most galling, there was no BONG-BONG sound effect! Sacrilege. I know Skeet Ulrich is behind this. You're not too cool for the BONG-BONG, Skeet!

(The case of the missing BONG-BONG)

As I said above, when the original Law and Order started, they didn't know what they were doing, and looking back now, it often seems amateurish. But I still love those episodes. There was a crackle of tension in every scene. You weren't sure what was going to happen. They were making it up as they went, establishing one of the greatest police shows ever, and making the one-hour procedural a staple of modern TV viewing.

Law and Order Los Angeles is too smooth for that. Maybe it's not a fair criticism, since just a few sentences ago I griped that they should know what they're doing earlier on. Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe they do know what they doing, and it's just not that exciting any more.

[Check out my Mt. Rushmore of Law and Order characters]

See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute

New Show - Lone Star (already Canceled!)

2010-10-04T10:44:00.034-04:00

Lone Star - (FOX): Canceled at No O'clock

Of all the new Network shows for Fall 2010, by far the best Pilot belonged to Lone Star, a slick yet very human tale about a Texas con-man trying to juggle a double-life and find something real.  

Of all the new Network shows for Fall 2010, the biggest ratings disappointment (when comparing lead-in audience, expectations, etc.) and the very first show canceled was Lone Star. 

I can't help but feel that the last two sentences are linked, which is why I am so glum about the state of Television in the foreseeable future.  

Orwellian paranoia aside, Television doesn't exist to control the masses.  Neither (as most people seem to think) was it invented to entertain them.  Television was invented for advertisers to show you about their products, that you might go out and buy them.  From this idea sprang Networks, initially side-projects of Radio Stations, eventually their own mini-nation-state companies.  

We all know what the purpose of companies is.  These companies, these Networks seek to make money, and as such they put programs on their airwaves - free of charge - with and then make their money by charging confiscatory prices (which means "as much as they can") to advertisers, which brings us back to the inception of Television mentioned above. 

Another time I will write at length about how Remote Controls and Tivo spell the end of free Television as we know it, but for the moment, let's concentrate on the most basic of TV transactions. Advertisers pay money - a lot of money - to air commercials (an in some cases "sponsor" programs) with the idea that we will watch.  Advertisers are looking for certain segments of the population (the oh-so-coveted 18-49 Demo, as well as others), but as a general proposition, the more viewers a Television show has, the more successful it is, as the Networks can charge more money, etc. 

So far I think you're all with me, as none of this is rocket science.  But here's the rub: while some of the "creative" types at the Networks care about Emmys and Peabody awards and "art," they all take a back seat to the almighty dollar.  There's no simpler way to put this: the Networks serve only one real master: Ratings. If you could guarantee 30 million viewers by putting a baby  up on screen who sat there for an hour (minus 17 minutes of commercials) doing nothing other than picking his nose, the Networks would air it in a heartbeat.  I'm not kidding. Even if all the baby ever did was sit there and root around with a stubby little index finger in each nostril, 30 million viewers would guarantee Thursday night at 9:00.

What does all this have to do with my Lone Star review? 

I created TV Warrior to praise great Television (and lambaste the Awful), for two noble purposes.  One - I do care about sharing great art, and if there is something great out there, I want you, my readers, to hear about it, and get the chance to watch.  I've often been criticized how useless TV is, but that's malarkey.  If I lived in the age of Shakespeare I would exhort you to the Globe Theater, and when Sherlock  Holmes was being serialized I'd have been out on the street corner barking newspapers.  Great art is great art - and there has been TV the last decade to rival anything in human history.  

The problem is - I can't get enough people to pay attention!  If people watched - in flocks, in droves - the good stuff, and actively, aggressively, sneeringly ignored the bad, guess what would happen?  The Networks would be viciously competitive to get great programming. Every night would be show after show with transcendent laughs, life-changing drama and quality up, down and to the sideways.  

As it is, the quality of a Television show is so seemingly unrelated to its ratings that one suspects the two things often have nothing to do with each other.  

This brings me back to Lone Star. 

Would Lone Star work in the long run?  I don' t know.  The kind of show it was (a night-time soap) chews through plot in a hurry, and the tension of a man with two lives - well just how long can that high-wire act stay up?  I don' t know the answer, and it's a legitimate question.  

But I bet everything I have that it's not why the audience didn't watch.  The American audience couldn't be bothered, didn't want to take the time to engage, and instead stayed with something safe and un-thinking.  

It's not the end of the world.  Lone Star wasn't the greatest pilot ever, and there will be other great shows, some of which will actually find enough people who say "Wow!" and go and tell others.  But, it's part of an all-too common trend, and it doesn't bode well for any of us who care about quality.  

One more "what could have been" goes down the drain, as we click over to something else.

{My assistant Jadriana found me a bunch of great pictures in anticipation for my Review, but before I could write it the show got canceled, which left little reason to work the pictures into an informative review. Maybe the filmed episodes will come out on DVD or something. In the meantime, look at the pictures and think of what might have been.....}









See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute

New Show - Blue Bloods (CBS)

2010-10-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

Blue Bloods - CBS: Fridays at 10:00

Blue Bloods is pretty much what you would expect from a drama with that name. It's about family of cops in New York out to catch the bad guys. I went into watching this with my usual disdain for yet another law-enforcement program - seen one, you've seen them all - and for the first 15 or 20 minutes or so it fulfilled my dismal expectation.

But then something happened. In a word: Violence. I actually sat up from my prone position on the couch and smiled. Finally. This Just. Got. Interesting. And not just any Violence, nay, nay... the kind of violence that's JUSTIFIED. In my opinion, the best kind. (Yes, there are other good kinds...but I digress.)

I am impressed with the cast: Tom Selleck is the Chief and his kids all follow the family legacy of law. Donnie Wahlberg is a detective and Iraq War vet, Bridget Moynahan is the Assistant D.A., and Will Estes is the youngest, having just been newly sworn in as one of New York's Finest.

The pilot episode dealt with a kidnapping case and Donnie Wahlberg getting his hands on the bad guy - who wasn't about to give it up on the whereabouts of the missing girl- when the magical moment of Violence presented itself.

I don't know about you, but seeing Bad Guy get his head slammed and shoved into a toilet makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, it wouldn't be Hollywood without a happy ending.... but then a twist I was not expecting. Will is approached by special agents and asked to assist in an undercover investigation of a secret society within the Department known as the Blue Templar.

The group informs Will that his older brother (Not seen in the show, but we are made aware he was a cop as well, killed in the line of duty), was undercover too and Will is now faced with making a decision that will impact his family in some way.

I thought Blue Bloods started out a little flat and typical but redeemed itself quickly. I like the balancing act it portrays with the police getting their man and the frustration they deal with when the courts throw the scum back out into society. As I mentioned, there's gratuitous violence and it doesn't hurt the story line to include a little intrigue. If they keep up with good writing, I am optimistic Blue Bloods will catch it's viewers and keep them interested.

♥Jadriana ♥

See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute

New Show - Outlaw (NBC)

2010-10-01T16:26:00.002-04:00

Outlaw - NBC: Fridays at 10:00

I was not having a very good week. I had not laughed - or virtually spoken - in several days, a fact possibly reflected in my TV reviews - though I maintain Networks took care of most of that by holding a giant "Who can be the Unfunniest?" contest.

Anyway, my first laugh in days came while listening to Alan Sepinwall describe the premise of NBC's new legal drama Outlaw. I will summarize using one sentence, one of the awesomest sentences you will eve read:

Super-conservative Supreme Court Justice Cyrus Garza (Jimmy Smits), who has a gambling addiction and will nail anything in a skirt, is the sole-survivor of a tragic car-crash that kills his Rights Liberal Lion hero father, and this experience causes Garza to realize that his whole life has been misspent, that his conservative views are wrong, and now he must become a Liberal Lion too, helping the little guy, and the best way to help people is of course to QUIT THE SUPREME COURT, become a lawyer, hire young hot promiscuous (and possibly bi-sexual) clerks, and oh yeah WANTONLY BREAK THE LAW TO GET WHAT HE WANTS, in the best tradition of an ex-Supreme Court Justice current-trial lawyer with a heart of gold.

I'm not proud of this, but I will admit - I actually giggled like a little girl when I heard this. It sounded impossibly bad, and I was intrigued. I thought to myself, somewhere, Aaron Sorkin is making Christine O'Donnell very upset. (That's the best joke I've written in two weeks, so get your fill.)

The first episode is appallingly bad. It's the best comedy of the year...except it's not meant to be funny. If you're bored, I encourage you to check it out on NBC.com. I haven't even begun to describe the Awful, the sleaze, the ick-factor, so much that it almost comes back full-circle to watchable, if only for that train-wreck capacity.

I told my family about it last Friday, trying to make them laugh. A little bit later I returned from the store to find they had it on, my mom explaining, "Hey it's that show you wanted us to watch."

I dropped my face in my hands. Never have I so badly explained something. However, not wanting to be a poor sport, I sat down to watch with them, at least hoping there'd be some MST3K potential.

The pilot episode involved a Death Penalty case (a black defendant convicted of killing a white lady cop, and it turned out the real murderer was her widowed husband, also a cop), while the one I watched with my family involved the new Arizona Immigration law (a white cop accused of shooting a Latino man who turned out to be a citizen, a construction foreman checking out some property at night). Both cases were utterly ridiculous, though points on the second one for at least being prescient to recent national news.

After it was over both my parents and my brother Achmed all said they liked the show. My exact words were, "I hate all of you."

To be fair, the episode we watched (the third one overall) was much more conventional than the absurd pilot. This isn't completely unexpected. Pilots are often shot months before regular shooting, and the Networks often order substantial changes. The biggest surprise was that, unlike the T&A first episode, there was no real sex in this one. (A heartbroken Achmed on this development: "Don't abandon your concept!")

If you were Jimmy Smits, who would you want first?

I suppose Outlaw might find its footing, taking a "ripped from the headlines" approach and trying to balance the political waters - and end up being a hybrid of Law and Order + West Wing. It might even be watchable to me, and as my threshold is apparently quite high, you might like it already.

But I'll be honest - I would be more willing to watch if they went all in on that crazy first episode. In fact, I would be MORE interested in Cyrus Garza if he stayed a bad-ass womanizer with gambling debts to the mob AND stayed on the court. That would be an utter train wreck - but something worth seeing.

As for this show.....I've seen young attractive women and I've seen Jimmy Smits's best moves. I've seen Headline shows and political shows, and I've seen American icons break the rules when it suits them. Any of these things can be done well, but I think I'll wait for something else to come down the tracks.

See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute

The Whole Truth

2010-09-30T21:55:00.004-04:00

The Whole Truth is a new courtroom drama presented by ABC. I know what you're thinking, but this isn't like the other courtroom dramas that you've seen before. It's no Law & Order (insert city.) The difference about this show is it's three points of view.

Maura Tierney plays Kathryn Peale, Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney. Rob Morrow plays Jimmy Brogan, Senior partner at James Brogan and Associates, they are the defense attorneys.

During each episode, we are introduced to a scenario in which someone dies and there is a suspect in their murder. Kathryn Peale and the D.A's office are assigned to prosecute and James Brogan and Associates are usually (well so far) the defense.

Throughout the episode we follow the Prosecution, how they get witnesses, evidence and other things to prove guilt. Then we switch to the Defense, and follow them to see how they interview & gather witnesses to prove their client's innocence.

We really get a chance to make up our minds, to see who has the stronger case and if we think the defendant is innocent or guilty. We've seen both sides, heard testimony for and against the defendant and know everything both sides know. Then the case is decided. After the case is decided, we find out if the verdict was right, or wrong.

In the first (pilot) episode, a young girl was found murdered outside of a building on campus. We followed both sides of the case and tried to figure out if her teacher was guilty of the murder in which he was being tried. The man on trial lost his wife during the trial because she was so sick with cancer, she couldn't take the stress of the trial. His daughter testified against him because she found out her dad was using Viagra to cheat on her mom, using prostitutes, as he confessed.

We were shown autopsy photos of Chinese characters that were marked on the victim's body with a tiny instrument. We also learned of a missing crucifix that the victim wore which was never found. At the end of the episode the defendant was found guilty. While his daughter was cleaning out his office, she found a date book or journal type book that had the victim's crucifix inside, covered with her blood.

In the second episode, a man went overboard a ferry boat and his daughter jumped in to try to save him. The next day she was considered the prime suspect and went to James Brogan for help with her defense.

Both prosecution and defense interviewed her soon to be ex husband, who had an alibi for the night in question, her sister, who's a nun, and various strippers from her place of employment. Some testified that the girl hated her dad and wanted him dead, that they fought all the time and she went to her husband to get pills to try and kill her dad. Others testified that she said nothing but nice things about her father and really loved the guy.

In the end, it was her sister, the nun's testimony and reading of a letter he wrote to her that helped the defense win their case. The girl had been abused by her father, yet stood by him to take care of him. He didn't want to be in pain any longer and just wanted it to end. One piece of evidence no one found was the mysterious man on the ferry in the Chicago Cubs hat. Well, once the girl was found not guilty, we followed her back to her home where we find one of the witnesses we had no idea she was connected to, a neighbor whom she had been having an affair with. Turns out, the neighbor guy is the one in the hat who killed her father, but she had no idea.

I think this is a pretty good show, but how many cases can you come up with that the same DA and same Defense try? Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Law and Order or other courtroom dramas, but not often do we see the same defense trying a case the same District Attorney is trying? All in all it is a good show and I recommend watching it if you don't already have a Wednesday 10pm show to watch.

See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute

New Show - MY GENERATION (ABC)

2010-09-29T18:16:00.002-04:00

My Generation - ABC: Thursdays at 8:00

First of all, I should say Hyperion asked that I watch My Generation as a favor. I agreed, but not because I actually thought the show would be good, I mean.... have you tried saying no to him?

I went into it ready to pile on the Hate. For those of you that don't know me, this is something I'm bountifully good at. What could possibly be more boring than watching other people and their victories/struggles with life? YAWN. However, I was surprised that I was drawn in and found myself relating to and caring about the characters.

My Generation is a documentary-style drama that showcases nine people from the graduating class of 2000 and catches up to them in 2010 to see where they are now. They were all friends (or at least knew each other) in high school, and it's interesting to see how they are still intertwined 10 years later.

Some of the content is gritty - real life issues are integrated with their struggles, i.e., the collapse of the Twin Towers, the Enron scandal, and Presidential blunders. I kinda think that was a gamble, but it works for this show, and makes the characters more believable.

In 2000, they had "tags" - the Beauty Queen, the Rich Kid, the Nerd, the Wallflower, the Jock, the Over-Achiever, the Punk, the Brain, and the Rock Star. Much like real life, their lives have taken very different paths.

I found it easy to forget that these were actors and for all my complaining about most of the new Fall shows put out this year, this is one of the very few that I would watch again, and not just because I have nothing better to do. The slogan for the show is "It's not where they've been, it's where they're going," and I will be there to see.

♥Jadriana ♥

See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute

Glee Britney/Brittany Recap ep2.2

2010-09-28T22:37:00.005-04:00

In this episode, the Glee club, minus Brittany, tries to convince Mr.Schuester to do a Britney Spears number, but he is reluctant to go that edgy. The reason Brittany is against it, is because her name is Brittany Sue Pears, Brittany S.Pears, and she felt that she has always been in Britney Spears shadow. Kurt is most adamant about doing the Britney number, but gets repeatedly shot down by Mr. Schue.

Meanwhile, Will is coming to terms with his own insecurities when he meets Emma's new boyfriend, dentist Dr. Carl Howell (played by John Stamos.) Wanting to find out more about Carl, Will invites him to talk to his Glee club about dental hygiene. The girls all fall in love with him because he's so hot. Brittany is in need of the most dental work because she never brushes and rinses her mouth out with Dr.Pepper after each meal.

While in the dentist office,Britney Spears music is playing while Brittany is given anesthesia. She begins to have a Britney fantasy to the tune of "Slave For You" while enacting a video montage to the song. When she wakes up, the dentist tells her she'll have to come back, as she has 64 cavities. LOL

In her next visit to the dentist, Santana comes with Brittany, and while she has no dental problems herself, she demands to be sedated so she can also experience a Britney fantasy. Bringing their own music, both are sedated at the same time and have a combined fantasy, interacting the "Me Against the Music" duet with Britney and Madonna.

Since her past two fantasies, Brittany now changes her tune and wants to do a Britney number with the Glee members. Mister Schuester still declines, insisting it's too edgy. When Kurt pleads his case, he gets sent to the principal's office.

Will is trying to deal with his jealousy of Dr. Carl, and goes to see him for a checkup. Will's only problem is grinding his teeth, which Carl claims is due to his being too uptight then offers him candy and tells him he needs to be more spontaneous and edgy. He tells Will about how he was driving to work one day, drove past a car dealership and bought a new convertible, and how he and Emma take drives in it while it messes up her hair. Almost immediately Will goes out and buys the exact same car. While taking Emma for a spin in his new ride, he almost hits his ex-wife, who is there fuming that Will is spending all her alimony money and once he realizes she's the true love of his life and wants her back, she doesn't want the savings to be all gone.

Next up to see the dentist is Rachel. She too has a Britney fantasy, only to the tune of "Baby One More Time." I didn't care for Rachel's rendition of this song. It just sounded wrong. You've got a trained Broadway singer trying to sing Britney Spears and it just sounds wrong. It was good, but it was like hearing a dog meow or a cat bark, it just didn't fit.

Due to Rachel's experience and also her reading an unauthorized biography of Britney Spears, she decides to dress less like a 12 year old girl, and more like a slutty cheerleader. The whole school likes, except her boyfriend Finn, who is cautious about her new look.

The next Glee member in the happy chair is Artie. His fantasy is of him doing a number to "Stronger" because the poor guy is in a wheelchair and his girlfriend broke up with him, but he wants her back. He thinks if he makes the football team, he can win her back. I know, it sounds like a really stupid idea, but he's got it all figured out. (Is that even allowed?)

After being told he is just way too uptight, Will finally gives in and allows the Glee club to perform a Britney number.

Witnessing the harassment of Finn by the football jocks, Coach Beiste decides to let Finn AND Artie try out and join the football team. This causes a little turmoil in Finn and Rachel's relationship, but they work through it.

At the assembly, Sue learns that Will, along with the Glee club are performing a Britney Spears number and is not happy about it at all. While performing "Toxic" the crowd goes crazy, especially an unknown girl and the Jew Fro dude. At the end of the performance, Sue pulls the fire alarm, causing a "sex riot" of everyone running for the exit doors.

Will tries to come to terms with him not being with Emma, and Rachel sings a song, "The Only Exception" for Finn because she doesn't want football to come between them and break them up.

All in all this episode was just a bunch of Britney Spears reenactments with very little story line, which was okay, because these Glee cast members can really sing and we got to see Brittany shine, for once. Though it was a bit weird to hear the guys sing a Britney song.

No Ordinary Family

2010-09-28T22:34:00.006-04:00

Recommend: This show is up there with dark chocolate, new shoes, and orgasms :-)
TiVo Worthy: Abso-freaking-lutely!!!
Tubs of Popcorn: Unlimited Refills of Popcorn and Icees!
Reminiscent of: Incredibles; Fantastic Four; X-man….

I have been waiting for this show since I first saw the ad for it…MONTHS ago! I am thrilled to report that it did not disappoint!!! This show is like Incredibles meets Fantastic Four…X-Men...maybe even with a splash of Greatest American Hero. If you like Super Hero or Comic book type plots, this is totally up your alley and a MUST watch. I hope it can go the distance. 3 seasons ago, Heroes started with a bang and then fizzled, sadly it jumped the shark after only one season, if though it aired for 3. I hope with this stellar cast, and more traditional and interesting plot, No Ordinary Family can go the distance. Especially since I have had a thing for Michael Chiklis since The Commish…Julie Benz is adorable and talented…and the kids (Kay Panabaker and Jimmy Bennett) show promise.

Cast:

Meet the Family:
• Michael Chiklis as Jim Powell – a police artist who is super-strong, nearly invulnerable, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound
• Julie Benz as Stephanie Powell – a scientist with super speed
• Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell – a teenage girl with telepathy

• Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell – a teenage boy with super intelligence

Meet Everyone else:

• Romany Malco as George St. Cloud
• Tate Donovan as Mitch McCutcheon
• Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews
• Christina Chang as Det. Yvonne Cho
• Stephen Collins as Dr. Dayton King
• Josh Stewart as Watcher

In the first episode, we are introduced to a typical, dysfunctional family…mom, dad, son, and daughter. Mom is a budding scientist. Dad is a police sketch artist. Son is trying to not be put in the remedial class. Daughter is a good girl dating your typical bad boy jerk. They go on a trip for some family bonding time…plane crash…stuff in water…special powers.

Breaking news…Hyperion found the show only so-so. However his family, like I, LOVED it. I thinks this might be due to his own super powers and feeling slightly that they cast Michael Chiklis over him.

See reviews for all the New Fall 2010 TV Shows

Return to TV Warrior Home

Go to The Hyperion Institute