Like myself, most new shows of the 2012-2013 TV season have finished their freshman year. I decided that in order to save time, I will write brief assessments of all of the new shows that I watched. These include the ones that I highlighted back in September (with the exception of Elementary, whose pilot didn't hook me enough to keep watching) as well as a few that I picked up along the way. To avoid information overload (and also to give my fingers a break), I will do this in two posts, each one briefly summarizing and assessing three shows. I won't include spoilers since my hope is that you might decide to watch one or more of these shows if you haven't seen them.
For my first post I will discuss NBC's Revolution, The CW's Arrow, and ABC's Last Resort.
Revolution
Brief Summary: Fifteen years after a mysterious blackout rid the world of electricity, Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos) must rescue her brother Danny (Graham Rogers) from the militia of the Monroe Republic, one of the republics that arose to replace the United States government. Along the way, Charlie learns about her family's involvement in the blackout.
Assessment: Revolution began as one of my favorite new shows, but in the middle of the first half of the season it lost some steam. Not much happened as Charlie, Miles (Billy Burke), and the rest of their gang made their way to Philadelphia to rescue Danny. The show picked up again for the midseason finale (you can read my review for that episode here), but then the second half was the same as the first. It started out strong, was a little slow in the middle, then picked up toward the end. For the most part, I really enjoyed the last few episodes, especially the season finale. The end of the finale made me very excited for the next season. It seems like they're going in a completely different direction for the second season, which I think is a smart move.
Overall Rating for the Season: 3.5/5
Arrow
Summary: (Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow) After being stranded on an island for five years, wealthy playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) returns to Starling City to right the wrongs of his father as a masked vigilante. Flashbacks reveal what happened to Oliver during his time on the island.
Assessment: As a fan of DC Comics, I was very excited for Arrow, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it quickly became my favorite new fall show. The acting and writing were both very good, and the action sequences were excellent. What made the show even better for me was the inclusion of several minor DC characters and subtle references to the comics. The island flashbacks started out somewhat weak, but they became much better once Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) was introduced. I would recommend this show not only to fans of DC Comics but also to people who like exciting, action-packed TV shows. Because the show is on The CW, there is of course a love triangle subplot, but that is overshadowed by the rest of the show.
Rating: 5/5
Last Resort
Summary: After U.S. Navy Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) refuses an order to fire a nuclear missile from his submarine, he is attacked by another US sub. He and his crew, including his second-in-command Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman), take refuge on a small island.
Assessment: Power struggles and government conspiracies abound in this short-lived ABC drama. Last Resort was canceled about halfway through its 13-episode run, but fortunately that gave the writers time to craft an ending that gave some closure to those who stuck with the show. I was one of those people. I don't think it was good enough to deserve a second season, but I enjoyed the show while it lasted. Braugher and Speedman were both great in the lead roles, but there were too many minor characters to keep track of. The conspiracy plot was intriguing but also somewhat confusing. Overall, I liked the show, but I'm not sad to see it go.
Rating: 2.5/5
That's it for part one. Stay tuned for part two, where I will discuss Go On, The Following, and Nashville.
No comments:
Post a Comment