2013 Fall Pilot Battles

I was hoping to write another post about the fall TV season earlier, but it has been difficult to keep up with all of my shows. So I decided to wait until I watched all of the pilots that I wanted to watch and briefly review them all in a single post. I only watched the pilots whose trailers interested me, so keep in mind that there are several other new shows this season that I will not discuss. Also, some of these shows are a few episodes in because the pilots aired at different times. Therefore, I will try to limit my reviews to the pilot episodes. Finally, since there are six pilots that I watched, I decided it would be fun to pair them up by genre and say which one in each pair I liked better. That's about all I have to say as an introduction, so let's get to it.

The Sitcoms: The Millers (CBS) vs Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

The Millers: The only reason I watched this pilot is because it stars Will Arnett. Arnett plays a recently divorced man whose mother (Margo Martindale) moves in with him after separating from his father (Beau Bridges). The pilot was very predictable and many of the jokes fell flat. However, I did think Arnett was very good as the straight man, and his reactions to his irreverent parents were pretty funny. That said, this show will have to hook me in the next couple of episodes for me to continue watching it.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Andy Samberg leads the cast of this workplace comedy as goofball detective Jake Peralta whose NYC precinct comes under new command when hard-ass Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher) takes over. I thought Samberg was hilarious as the childish-yet-effective detective, and Braugher was great as the stoic, seasoned captain. I look forward to seeing their relationship take shape. The rest of the characters each have their quirks and were only mediocre in the pilot, but I think that with time and character development, this show can be great.

Winner: Brooklyn Nine-Nine wins by a long shot, but I do hope that The Millers can find its footing, if only for Will Arnett.

The Monday Night Thrillers: The Blacklist (NBC) vs Hostages (CBS)
The Blacklist: James Spader stars as elusive criminal Raymond "Red" Reddington who turns himself into the FBI and offers to help them catch other terrorists and criminals under the condition that he speaks only to new recruit Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). I enjoyed this pilot and thought Spader was great as the cryptic fugitive. Something about Spader's delivery makes me question everything that Reddington says, which I'm sure is the point. I'm not sold on Boone quite yet, but I think she'll grow on me in time. The episode had several twists and set up multiple plot points, so I am interested to see where this show goes.

Hostages: Dr. Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette) is a day away from operating on the president when her family is taken hostage by a group led by FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott). The acting in this pilot was solid all around, and the plot is new and exciting. The twist at the end sets up for an interesting dynamic between Ellen and Duncan, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out. My only problem with the show is that Ellen's husband, son, and daughter each have a secret that is very predictable, so I hope the show doesn't dwell too much on those subplots.

Winner: I have to give a slight edge to Hostages because of the plot and acting. Even though The Blacklist had better twists, there may have been too many. Also, Hostages seems to be more of a serial, which I prefer to procedurals.

The "Superhero" Dramas: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) vs The Tomorrow People (The CW)
S.H.I.E.L.D.: Marvel's TV spinoff of its movie franchise, S.H.I.E.L.D. takes place after the events of The Avengers and Iron Man 3 and sees a revived Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) lead a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they deal with extra-normal situations. This was easily one of the most hyped shows of the season, and sadly, the pilot didn't live up to the hype. However, I still enjoyed it and I think the show has potential. Gregg gives a good performance, but the rest of the cast needs to find some chemistry. The best part of the pilot was Fitz-Simmons, a pair of scientists, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, who deliver some of the funniest lines of the episode. Given some character development and strong storylines, I think this show could be a hit.

The Tomorrow People: Strange things have been happening to high school student Stephen Jameson (Robbie Amell, cousin of Arrow's Stephen Amell), who finds out that he is a member of a superhuman race called "Tomorrow People." These people have the powers of teleportation, telekinesis, and telepathy, and they are being hunted by an organization called Ultra, led by Dr. Jedekiah Price (Mark Pelligrino). I originally wasn't planning on watching this pilot because it is on The CW and the only CW shows I've liked are Smallville and Arrow, both based on DC Comics characters, but I decided at the last minute to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While not a great show, the plot kept me interested and the action sequences, though not Arrow quality, were pretty good. Also, the ending surprised me, and it seems that the show is going in a direction that I had not expected for this type of show. I'm intrigued, so I will keep watching for now.

Winner: Based solely on the pilots, this one is a draw. S.H.I.E.L.D. was over-hyped and fell short, while The Tomorrow People didn't seem too interesting but was a surprise. If I could only watch one, I would probably choose S.H.I.E.L.D. simply because of the Marvel brand, but quality-wise, these pilots were pretty even.

That's it for now. There are more pilots that I'm looking forward to this season, but they don't air for a while. In the meantime, I'll be trying to catch up on these shows and all of the returning shows that I watch. If anything strikes me as exceptionally noteworthy, I'll write about it, but since I'm very behind, don't expect another post any time soon. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts on these or any other pilots in the comments.

'The Bridge' Pilot Review: Culture Clash

On Wednesday FX aired the pilot of its newest drama, The Bridge. The show begins with a mysterious figure strategically placing a body on the border between El Paso, TX, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. This forces two detectives, Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger) from El Paso and Marco Ruiz (Demián Bichir) from Juarez, to work together on the case, which seems to be the work of a serial killer.

The most interesting thing about The Bridge is its depiction of the culture clash between the U.S. and Mexico. Immigration is a hot topic today, so it's about time a TV show takes a look at the differences between Mexican and American cultures. The Bridge handles this well by not focusing on either culture but rather providing a balanced and (so far) unbiased look at both. It is very interesting to see how police work is conducted on either side of the border. Sonya does everything by-the-book and puts a lot of effort into her work, while Ruiz is more laid back because in Juarez, the police are often bribed by drug cartels, so many cases are not looked into thoroughly.

The differences between the two detectives are also seen in their personalities, which are portrayed well by the two leads. I quickly grew fond of Ruiz thanks to Bichir's acting. Bichir seems to lose himself in the role, making Ruiz a very real and likable character. He is a family man and seems to be one of the few uncorrupted cops in the Juarez police force. I couldn't help but smile during many of his interactions with Sonya, who is almost completely opposite Ruiz.

Kruger, however, did not grab my attention as much as Bichir. At first her acting seemed rather stiff, but then I realized that it was the character who is stiff. Sonya is a professional, but she lacks personality, which seems to be the point of her character. Whether it is because of a mental illness or something from her past is unclear, but Sonya buries herself in her work and lacks empathy, as seen (and directly stated) when she must tell the victim's husband the bad news. Kruger portrays this lack of emotion well, but it is kind of a turn-off. Hopefully her character will be developed and provide Kruger with some more room to act.

The episode was rather slow-paced, but for some reason I didn't mind that.  Pilot episodes are usually fast-paced to draw in viewers, but this one was slower yet still managed to keep my attention. The pacing allowed me to get to know the characters, but not through heavy exposition. It was their interactions with each other that showed me who they are.

There are many lingering questions other than the main case that make this show very intriguing and will keep me watching. The biggest question is how the two subplots connect to the main case. In one, a woman named Charlotte (Annabeth Gish) has just been widowed and discovers a second phone among her late husband's pocket, leading her to snoop around their property. In the other, a shady American kidnaps a young Mexican woman. Whether he is the killer remains to be seen, but he is certainly suspicious.

The Bridge definitely seems to be a show to stick with. The two main characters are interesting, and I am excited to learn more about their pasts. The acting overall is very good. Two other great performances to point out are Ted Levine as Sonya's boss and Matthew Lillard as a jerk journalist. Finally, the writers did an excellent job with raising both questions about the plot and about culture and morality. Not only does this show make you wonder what will happen next, but it also makes you think about the differences between the U.S. and Mexico.

If you didn't watch The Bridge, I highly recommend it. If you did, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

'The Following' Pilot Review: Death with a Side of Bacon

On Monday FOX premiered its newest midseason show, The Following, which stars Kevin Bacon as former FBI agent Ryan Hardy, who is called back into action when serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) breaks out of prison. Hardy had previously caught Carroll, preventing the murder of Sarah Fuller (Maggie Grace). Carroll, a university literature professor whose hero is Edgar Allen Poe, escapes so that he can try to finish what he started, that is, kill Sarah Fuller. Along the way, Hardy discovers that Carroll had gathered a following through the internet, effectively creating a cult of serial killers.

Creator Kevin Williamson has successfully created an enthralling crime drama that seems to have a big serialized aspect to it. Unlike most crime dramas, The Following focuses on a single killer through his cult of followers. Also, Carroll's murders are related to Poe's writings, which provides a common theme in what will surely be a case-of-the-week format. This common theme, along with the serialized aspect, make this show much more interesting than most crime dramas that I have seen.

Both Bacon and Purefoy were fantastic. Bacon portrays Hardy well, even if the character could use some work. In this episode, Hardy was written too one-dimensionally. He is a typical stoic ex-cop with a drinking problem. However, Bacon was able to show some emotion in his interactions with Carroll's ex-wife Claire Matthews (Natalie Zea). Bacon was also great in the final scene with Purefoy. All things considered, Bacon did well with what he was given. Carroll, however, was written perfectly, and Purefoy was outstanding as the professor-turned-killer. He gave Carroll all the creepiness and derangement that one would expect in a serial killer. I look forward to seeing more of Joe Carroll this season and find out what turned him into a killer.

That brings me to the flashbacks. I am always a fan of flashbacks that give insight into the characters' pasts, but some of the flashbacks in this episode distracted me from the main plot. If the writers continue to use flashbacks in the show, they need to integrate them better. Well-placed flashbacks will be able to show how Carroll became a killer or how he drew people in and turned them into killers. They can also show Hardy's relationship with Claire, with whom he seems to have a history.

Overall, I was intrigued by The Following and look forward to the rest of the season. As long as the writers make better use of the flashbacks and develop Hardy into a fully fleshed-out character, The Following will be a successful interpretation of the crime drama genre. If you haven't seen this pilot, I recommend giving it a try. But be warned: it is very violent and is not for the faint of heart.

'Arrow' Pilot Review: Meet the Emerald Archer

Last night The CW aired the pilot of its new show Arrow. The show follows the life of DC Comics superhero Green Arrow (although here he simply goes by Arrow) in his early years. This is The CW's second superhero show, the first being Smallville, which finished its run in 2010.

In the pilot, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a rich twentysomething who had spent most of his time partying, is finally rescued after spending five years on an island after a shipwreck that killed his father and the sister of Oliver's (now ex-) girlfriend Dinah "Laurel" Lance (Katie Cassidy). Oliver returns to find Starling City corrupted, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He dons a green hood and a bow and arrow to save the city from corruption. Meanwhile, he is hunted by Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne).

One aspect that was created for the show is Oliver's family. In the comics, both of Oliver's parents are dead, and he has no siblings. In the show, however, Oliver's mother Moira (Susanna Thompson) is alive, and Oliver has a younger sister Thea (Willa Holland), whom Oliver has nicknamed Speedy. (If you're familiar with the Green Arrow comics, you know how important this nickname is. If not, and you want a peek at what may happen later in the series, look up Speedy on Wikipedia.) Also in the picture is Moira's new husband Walter Steele (Colin Salmon), Oliver's best friend Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), and Oliver's new bodyguard John Diggle (David Ramsey). As you can see, there are many supporting characters, each, I'm sure, with their own role in the overarching story. Some roles are hinted at by the end of the episode, some may be guessed by those who know the comics, and some have yet to be revealed. Hopefully the writers can make good use of all of these characters.

Speaking of the writers, the men behind the show, Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guggenheim, did a great job with this episode. The dialogue was strong, and I like that they are using flashbacks to show Oliver's time on the island. My only complaint is Oliver's voice-over that they used throughout the episode. For some reason, it didn't seem to fit in some instances. I think I can get used to it, though, provided that they use it mainly in the flashback sequences, during which it is likely that Oliver will be the only character and there will be little to no dialogue. In any case, the voice-over writing could be sharper.

The acting was solid all around. I especially liked Amell and Cassidy, and I think the two have great chemistry. Throughout the series, Amell will have to play many different versions of the same character: the Oliver on the island, fighting to survive; the Oliver who interacts with his friends and family, hiding his secret; and Arrow, fighting crime in Starling City. After seeing the pilot, I think he will do a fine job. Cassidy's Laurel is a legal aid, so she represents the legal side of the war against corruption. Cassidy successfully portrays Laurel as both a powerful woman and an emotionally conflicted girl who just found out her ex-boyfriend, who was cheating on her with her sister, just came back from the dead. Blackthorne also stood out as the head detective in the Arrow case. I have a feeling that in the foreseeable future, Det. Lance will stop at nothing to catch this vigilante, and Blackthorne hinted at this through his acting in the pilot. The rest of the supporting cast did a fine job. No one else really stood out, but I don't have any complaints either.

Arrow might be my favorite show of the new season, not only because I am a comic book fan, but also because it was executed so well. I look forward to learning about Oliver's time on the island and how these characters will interact. Also, I'm excited to see what DC characters will be incorporated into the show (one of which was clearly hinted at very early in the episode). I have high hopes for this show, so hopefully in future episodes it can deliver as well as it did last night.

'Elementary' Pilot Review: Is There Room for Another Sherlock?

It's been a pretty busy week, so I'm a little behind in my TV. But I did watch the Elementary pilot, so here's my review.

Elementary is a new drama on CBS and a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. In this adaptation Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) has been sent to New York by his father to recover from his drug problem. His father hires Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) as a live-in sober companion. Holmes spends his time as a consulting detective for the NYPD.

Miller plays Holmes with all the usual traits and eccentricities. He is able to deduce things about people just by looking at them. He also has little regard for people's feelings. Miller did a fine job portraying these traits, which are common in Holmes adaptations. What surprised me, though, was that toward the end of the episode, Holmes was, at times, a bit more sentimental, something we don't always see in a Sherlock Holmes story. Miller did a great job in these scenes, proving that he was the right choice for Holmes.

We got to know Watson fairly well in this episode, as Holmes deduced that she used to be a surgeon by looking at her hands. A background plot line involved Watson's past and led to those sentimental moments toward the end. I thought Liu did a decent job as Watson, but I found her to be a little dry at times. However, I think that as episodes go on, she will get better. I think my problem may be with the fact that they are using a female Watson. One of my favorite things about the Holmes stories is the bromance between Holmes and Watson, so it was odd seeing a female as a character who becomes Holmes's best friend. I fear that the writers may be tempted to create romantic tension between the two, and I hope they resist that temptation. I think this show will work best as long as the two characters become friends and nothing more.

Speaking of the writers, I thought the writing in this episode was very strong, especially in the dialogue between Holmes and Watson. Now I must bring up BBC's Sherlock, which has some of the best writing on any TV show that I watch. Elementary's writing was not as good as Sherlock's, but it held up pretty well. I think they can make his deductions slicker and some of the other dialogue smoother, but the Holmes-Watson dialogue is good so far. I was pleasantly surprised.

Being a CBS procedural, the plot was quite predictable. But other than that, I thought this was a strong pilot. Although I don't usually like procedurals (with a few exceptions), I will try to keep up with Elementary since I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. However, it will not be very high priority, so don't expect me to write about it a lot.

If you watched the pilot, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Premiere Week Roundup

I almost did it. The only premiere that I didn't get to this week was Elementary (and the ones I put in bold, but those don't count), so once I watch it, it will probably get its own post. Also, I wanted to write this post before the end of the weekend, so I will review tonight's premiere(s) (most importantly, Homeland) within the next few days.

Now I'm going to briefly review the seven premieres that I watched this week. I will sort them by network, and I will give each of them a rating out of five.

CBS
How I Met Your Mother:
It has yet to be confirmed whether this season of HIMYM will be its last. I, for one, hope that it is because the show has lost steam the past couple of seasons. That said, the premiere was strong and brought Ted closer to the mother than ever before. I look forward to seeing how all the clues they have dropped since the beginning tie together in the end (if it is indeed the end).
Rating: 3.5

Hawaii Five-0:
This premiere was very intense. It picked up exactly where the finale left off, and it definitely delivered. I was somewhat disappointed by parts of last season, so I hope this season will remain as strong as it began. There is plenty of story to tell this season. Chin has suffered a loss, Danny is in a legal battle with his ex-wife, and Steve just found out his mother is not dead after all. Here's hoping they can maintain these story lines while delivering the intensity that they showed in the premiere.
Rating: 4

The Big Bang Theory:
Last season's finale was one of the best of the series, so I was slightly disappointed by this premiere. Howard argues with his mother, Leonard's relationship with Penny is awkward, and Raj is lonely...so nothing new (except that Howard is arguing from space). The only advancements we seem to be making are in the relationship between Sheldon and Amy. The two have a date night which is, in a word, interesting. The episode was still funny, but the plot was dry. I hope the writers can pick it up this season.
Rating: 3

Person of Interest:
Like The Big Bang Theory, last season's finale was amazing. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, this premiere did not disappoint. With Finch kidnapped, Reese must proceed on his own, which is an interesting new dynamic. My only request for this season is more flashbacks so we can delve deeper into the characters' pasts. In this episode, we see into the past of the machine, which has more or less become another character. I am very interested to see where they go with this season and how quickly Finch is rescued.
Rating: 5

FOX
New Girl:
FOX aired two episodes of New Girl on Tuesday, and they were both hilarious. I won't dwell too much on this premiere because all I need to say is that the show is hilarious and if you aren't watching it, you should be.
Rating: 5

ABC
Modern Family:
Although the story lines aren't always the most original, this show has some of the most consistently funny writing. The premiere was no exception. It was interesting how they handled this episode. It picked up right where the finale left off, where most sitcoms do a time jump to coincide with when the episodes are airing. At the end of the episode, there was a time jump to a few months later. I thought that was handled nicely. Finally, Ed O'Neill was amazing in this episode and proved that he should've won the Emmy last week.
Rating: 4

Last Resort:
I was actually quite surprised by this pilot. It was very well done, but I have some worries about it. A lot of characters were introduced, so I hope that they can develop them well. Also, it seems that this show will either be really good or will drop in quality fast since the pilot was so intense. Lastly, I hope they find a good way to use Autumn Reeser's character because I like her, but some of her scenes seemed out of place. I really look forward to the rest of this season.
Rating: 4.5

Wow. That ended up being a lot longer than I wanted it to be. I think it's safe to assume I won't be doing any more of these all-encompassing posts. I know these reviews were not very detailed, but I'll try to do detailed reviews for some future episodes. For now, excuse me while I massage my fingers.

Prelude to Premiere Week

The 2012 fall TV season is upon us. While some shows have already premiered, the vast majority of shows start this week. This means that I have a very difficult task ahead of me: watching a large number shows in the little free time that I have. That said, I would like to warn you that most of my posts from here on out will likely be at least a day or two after the shows they are about air. I will do my best to watch some shows live if I can, in which case I may write a post that night, but don't expect many of those. Also, I may end up grouping shows together to save time. Lastly, my plan for this first week is to wait until I have watched everything and do one post with short reviews for everything. Then, in the weeks that follow, I will probably do more focused posts.

What I want to do now is provide you with a list of which premieres I plan on watching this week. The shows in bold are ones that I'm not sure if I will watch and will probably only watch if I have time. All times are Eastern.

Monday 9/24
How I Met Your Mother (CBS 8:00)
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS 10:00)

Tuesday 9/25
New Girl (FOX 8:00)
Ben and Kate (FOX 8:30)
Vegas (CBS 10:00)

Wednesday 9/26
Modern Family (ABC 9:00)
The Neighbors (ABC 9:30)*

Thursday 9/27
Last Resort (ABC 8:00)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS 8:00)
Person of Interest (CBS 9:00)
Elementary (CBS 10:00)

Sunday 9/30
Family Guy (FOX 9:00)
Homeland (Showtime)
666 Park Avenue (ABC 10:00)

*I don't really have any desire to watch The Neighbors, but I think I might watch the pilot just to see how ridiculous it is. If you haven't heard about it, you can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_iJy5auBko

So that's what I have ahead of me this week, not to mention the few other shows that have already premiered. Wish me luck, and happy viewing!

'Revolution' Pilot Review: Power Struggles

On Thursday I went to an advanced screening of the pilot of the the NBC show Revolution. I'll try not to spoil the episode for those who haven't seen it, but if you want to watch it before reading this, you can watch it at nbc.com/revolution.

Overall I was very impressed by the pilot. I had high hopes that it would be good but was unsure whether it would deliver. By now you probably know what the show is about, but I'll give a brief summary anyway. Fifteen years after a mysterious blackout, humans must survive without cars, batteries, and anything electronic. Firearms have been outlawed, which explains the sword fighting and crossbows seen in the promos, and militias have risen under the mysterious General Monroe.

The show is centered on Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos), daughter of Ben Matheson (Tim Guinee) who seems to know something about the blackout. Charlie's brother Danny (Graham Rogers) is taken by militia leader Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) after Ben is killed. With his dying breath, Ben tells Charlie to go to Chicago to find his brother Miles (Billy Burke), who will know how to find Danny. Charlie takes on this mission, accompanied by Ben's girlfriend Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips) and  his friend Aaron (Zak Orth).

Almost all of the actors gave great performances. Both Esposito, coming off of an outstanding season of Breaking Bad, and Burke were great in their respective scenes. I look forward to seeing more of them, and hopefully they will share some scenes soon because I would love to see them face off. I was especially surprised by Spiridakos's performance. I was not expecting her to convince me as the young heroine, but she did. Hopefully she can keep it up in the episodes to come. The last performance I want to mention is that of Orth, who provides the comic relief in the show. He had some good one-liners in this episode, so I hope the writers can use him well.

I have to give credit to Jon Favreau (director of the first two Iron Man movies), who directed this episode. He did a fantastic job, but I worry that he may have set the bar too high for future directors. We'll see how they do, but I hope that Favreau comes back at some point, provided that the show continues.

Which leads to my final point: the future of the show. As most hardcore TV fans know, NBC has been struggling with getting dramas off the ground, especially high-concept ones like this. The Event was a massive failure, and Awake, though a great show in my opinion, failed to find an audience. I believe that what this show needs is great character development, something that The Event lacked. The pilot did a decent job at giving us insight into what is driving the characters, but there is still room for improvement. If the writers can make us care about the characters, while simultaneously provide us with an engrossing mystery, I believe the show will succeed.

Revolution is off to a very fine start. I look forward to the rest of the season and hopefully future seasons. There is so much story to tell and so many characters to flesh out, so the people behind the show have a lot of work ahead of them. Here's hoping they can create a show that can reel in viewers and last more than one season. If you're interested, tune in Mondays at 10/9c starting on September 17.