On Sunday PBS aired the second episode of Sherlock's third season, "The Sign of Three." Although not the most exciting or action-packed, it was quite possibly the funniest and most heartwarming episode to date. Spoilers follow, so if you have not seen the episode, you may not want to continue reading.
We open with a series of scenes spanning several months in which DI Lestrade (Rupert Graves) repeatedly fails to catch a group of bank robbers. When they are finally caught and Lestrade is about to arrest them, he gets a text from Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) saying "Help me." Lestrade leaves, calling for maximum backup on the way. He arrives a Baker St. to find Sherlock at his desk trying to write a best man speech while sirens and a helicopter are heard. This scene, though predictable, captures the nature of Sherlock Holmes and sets up the rest of the episode, which takes place at the wedding reception of John Watson (Martin Freeman) and Mary Morstan (Amanda Abbington).
Almost the entire episode takes place during Sherlock's speech and includes several flashbacks to events that he discusses in the speech. These flashbacks provide the funniest moments in the episode, and some of them even provide some of the funniest moments in the series to date. The best of these comes as Sherlock recalls John's bachelor party, in which Sherlock and John had a drink at every street on which they had a case. Sherlock monitored their alcohol intake, but John secretly took a shot and slipped one in Sherlock's beer, resulting in a very drunk, very funny duo. After only two hours out, they ended up back at Baker St., where they were visited by a client who believed she had dinner with a ghost because her date never contacted her again. This entire sequence, especially Sherlock's drunken inspection of the crime scene, were hilarious, mainly because we have never seen this side of the pair before.
Cumberbatch and Freeman were both great in their drunken scenes, but they especially shined in the more emotional part of Sherlock's speech. After upsetting everyone at the reception by insulting both weddings and religion, Sherlock delivered the most heartwarming words he has ever spoken:
"The point I am trying to make is that I am the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant, and all-around obnoxious asshole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet. I am dismissive of the virtuous, unaware of the beautiful, and uncomprehending in the face of the happy. So if I didn't understand I was being asked to be best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody's best friend. And certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing. John, I am a ridiculous man, redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship."
There is much more worth quoting, but these, I believe, are the best lines because they show that Sherlock is, in fact, aware of his flaws and that he both recognizes and appreciates John's friendship. This was a rare beautiful moment from Sherlock, and it was great to see a more friendly side to him.
The sentimentality and humor coincided at the end of the episode when Sherlock makes his "first and last vow" to John and Mary:
"Whatever it takes, whatever happens, from now on I swear I will always be there, always, for all three of you.... I'm sorry. I mean two of you. All two of you. Both of you in fact. I just miscounted. Anyway, it's time for dancing."
This accidental deduction of Mary's pregnancy and quick retraction was a nice final touch to an already humorous episode. The episode was riddled with great quotes, both funny and sentimental, but this last one is my favorite because it combines both elements.
The mystery itself in this episode was nothing too exciting, but it was handled interestingly. After reminiscing about two of his cases, an unsolved murder and the "ghost date," he realizes that someone at the reception is going to be murdered. He prolongs his speech in order to stall while he works out who is the target. He finally realizes that the two cases, though seemingly unrelated, involved the same person, a person at the reception. The killer turns out to be the photographer, while the target is John's former commanding officer. While this solution was not very shocking, it was a clever way to tie the two cases together and also allow for a focus on the John and Mary's wedding.
While I won't go so far as to say that this is my favorite episode to date (that honor goes to "The Great Game," season 1, episode 3), I will say that no other episode has made me laugh so hard or feel so touched by Sherlock Holmes. It's always nice to see Sherlock's humanity shine through his sociopathic exterior, and what better way to show that off than in a best man speech?
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Thursday, October 17, 2013
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.
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 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.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
'How I Met Your Mother' Premiere Review: This Is It
The fall TV season has arrived. And with it comes a whole slew of TV shows to look forward to. Unfortunately I didn't get around to writing a "most anticipated" list this year, so I will just be writing reviews as the shows premiere. First up is the final season of How I Met Your Mother. If you haven't seen the premiere yet, I recommend watching it before reading this post.
In last season's finale, the gang was getting ready to go to Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin's (Cobie Smulders) wedding (we also got our first look at The Mother, but I'll get to that). Last night's hour-long premiere picked up right where we left off, 55 hours before the wedding. This season will take place entirely within the wedding weekend and will culminate (I assume) in Ted (Josh Radnor) meeting The Mother. This is definitely an interesting choice because 24 episodes worth of story will only take up two and a half days, but based on the premiere, I think it will turn out alright.
A lot happened in this episode, so I will break it down by each character's storyline. First I'll talk about Marshall (Jason Segel). At the end of last season, Marshall was in Minnesota visiting his mother with Marvin before the planned move to Italy. However, he ends up taking a judgeship position without telling Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Now on the plane, Marshall sees an online post from his mother congratulating him. He then tries to get her to delete it before Lily sees it. This leads to an altercation with the passenger next to him, Daphne (Sherri Shepherd), which gets them both kicked off the plane, and there are no open flights to New York left. They eventually end up renting a car together to drive to New York. While this is one of the weakest Marshall subplots I've seen, Segel and Shepherd seemed to have some chemistry, so I am looking forward to their interactions on the road.
Next up is Barney and Robin. The first half of the premiere saw the couple in the back of the limo discussing "wild cards," people who could possibly ruin the wedding. They then realize that they share a crazy Cousin Mitch, and they are afraid they might be related. Although it turned out to be a false-alarm, it allowed for an awesome Game of Thrones reference and led to this exchange:
Barney: Our wedding is going to be legendary
Robin: No waitforit?
Barney: I’ve got you. I don’t have to wait for it anymore.
As cheesy as this line is, this new side of Barney is nice to see. He has matured a lot in the last couple of seasons. This maturation is also seen in his reaction to finding out that his brother James (Wayne Brady), whose marriage made Barney believe in true love, is getting a divorce. Instead of freaking out like Robin expected, Barney takes it very well. I'm sure there will be hurdles to overcome in Barney and Robin's story this season, but for now, it's good to see them happy.
Speaking of being happy, let's go on to Ted, who repeatedly has to insist to the hotel clerk (Roger Bart) that he is happy after he asks for a single key to his room. (Sidebar: I loved this gag. I thought Bart was hilarious as the clerk, who was really concerned for Ted.) Ted didn't have much to do in this episode, but future Ted reveals that he will be the wild card at the wedding. That may or may not have something to do with the locket that Robin was looking for last season and that ended up in Ted's pencil box. In a flashback, we find out that the pencil box ended up with Stella, who has since moved to Los Angeles. Although Ted promised Lily that he wouldn't go after it, another flashback shows Ted buying a ticket to L.A. four days ago. I don't know where this storyline is going, but I'm excited to find out how Ted becomes the wild card. The episode ended with a flashforward to one year later, when Ted brings The Mother, played very well by Cristin Milioti, back to the hotel. This is the first scene with both Ted and The Mother, and even though it wasn't present-day Ted, it was still an amazing, heartwarming scene. Radnor and Milioti have great chemistry, and hopefully we will see more scenes with them together this season.
Finally we get to Lily. Like I said earlier, we got our first look at The Mother last season. In the first half hour, we get to see more of her when Lily meets her on the train. Lily is the first of the gang to meet The Mother, and they hit it off right away. We also learn through future Ted's narration some great things about The Mother, like her nickname for slow-driving Ted, Tedwina Slowsby, and her love for some of the same nerdy things that Ted loves. Lily's interactions with The Mother provided the beginning of a picture of Ted's future wife. So far Milioti is great in this high-pressure role, and I'm really excited to see how The Mother gets along with the rest of the gang. The rest of Lily's storyline was nothing special, but I'm sure she'll have more to do once Marshall gets there and tells her about the judgeship.
Overall, I really liked this episode. It wasn't perfect, but it was a solid start to what promises to be an eventful final season. It got the ball rolling for some interesting storylines, and gave us a look into who Ted is going to spend the rest of his life with. How exactly he meets her is still uncertain, but I look forward to seeing how he gets from the lonely single guy at his best friends' wedding to the happy, lovestruck guy we saw in the flashforward.
In last season's finale, the gang was getting ready to go to Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin's (Cobie Smulders) wedding (we also got our first look at The Mother, but I'll get to that). Last night's hour-long premiere picked up right where we left off, 55 hours before the wedding. This season will take place entirely within the wedding weekend and will culminate (I assume) in Ted (Josh Radnor) meeting The Mother. This is definitely an interesting choice because 24 episodes worth of story will only take up two and a half days, but based on the premiere, I think it will turn out alright.
A lot happened in this episode, so I will break it down by each character's storyline. First I'll talk about Marshall (Jason Segel). At the end of last season, Marshall was in Minnesota visiting his mother with Marvin before the planned move to Italy. However, he ends up taking a judgeship position without telling Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Now on the plane, Marshall sees an online post from his mother congratulating him. He then tries to get her to delete it before Lily sees it. This leads to an altercation with the passenger next to him, Daphne (Sherri Shepherd), which gets them both kicked off the plane, and there are no open flights to New York left. They eventually end up renting a car together to drive to New York. While this is one of the weakest Marshall subplots I've seen, Segel and Shepherd seemed to have some chemistry, so I am looking forward to their interactions on the road.
Next up is Barney and Robin. The first half of the premiere saw the couple in the back of the limo discussing "wild cards," people who could possibly ruin the wedding. They then realize that they share a crazy Cousin Mitch, and they are afraid they might be related. Although it turned out to be a false-alarm, it allowed for an awesome Game of Thrones reference and led to this exchange:
Barney: Our wedding is going to be legendary
Robin: No waitforit?
Barney: I’ve got you. I don’t have to wait for it anymore.
As cheesy as this line is, this new side of Barney is nice to see. He has matured a lot in the last couple of seasons. This maturation is also seen in his reaction to finding out that his brother James (Wayne Brady), whose marriage made Barney believe in true love, is getting a divorce. Instead of freaking out like Robin expected, Barney takes it very well. I'm sure there will be hurdles to overcome in Barney and Robin's story this season, but for now, it's good to see them happy.
Speaking of being happy, let's go on to Ted, who repeatedly has to insist to the hotel clerk (Roger Bart) that he is happy after he asks for a single key to his room. (Sidebar: I loved this gag. I thought Bart was hilarious as the clerk, who was really concerned for Ted.) Ted didn't have much to do in this episode, but future Ted reveals that he will be the wild card at the wedding. That may or may not have something to do with the locket that Robin was looking for last season and that ended up in Ted's pencil box. In a flashback, we find out that the pencil box ended up with Stella, who has since moved to Los Angeles. Although Ted promised Lily that he wouldn't go after it, another flashback shows Ted buying a ticket to L.A. four days ago. I don't know where this storyline is going, but I'm excited to find out how Ted becomes the wild card. The episode ended with a flashforward to one year later, when Ted brings The Mother, played very well by Cristin Milioti, back to the hotel. This is the first scene with both Ted and The Mother, and even though it wasn't present-day Ted, it was still an amazing, heartwarming scene. Radnor and Milioti have great chemistry, and hopefully we will see more scenes with them together this season.
Finally we get to Lily. Like I said earlier, we got our first look at The Mother last season. In the first half hour, we get to see more of her when Lily meets her on the train. Lily is the first of the gang to meet The Mother, and they hit it off right away. We also learn through future Ted's narration some great things about The Mother, like her nickname for slow-driving Ted, Tedwina Slowsby, and her love for some of the same nerdy things that Ted loves. Lily's interactions with The Mother provided the beginning of a picture of Ted's future wife. So far Milioti is great in this high-pressure role, and I'm really excited to see how The Mother gets along with the rest of the gang. The rest of Lily's storyline was nothing special, but I'm sure she'll have more to do once Marshall gets there and tells her about the judgeship.
Overall, I really liked this episode. It wasn't perfect, but it was a solid start to what promises to be an eventful final season. It got the ball rolling for some interesting storylines, and gave us a look into who Ted is going to spend the rest of his life with. How exactly he meets her is still uncertain, but I look forward to seeing how he gets from the lonely single guy at his best friends' wedding to the happy, lovestruck guy we saw in the flashforward.
Friday, July 12, 2013
'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 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.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Freshman Show Roundup Part 2: 'Go On,' 'The Following,' and 'Nashville'
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 Part 2 I will discuss NBC's Go On, FOX's The Following, and ABC's Nashville. You can read Part 1 here.
Go On
Summary: After his wife passes away, cocky radio sportscaster Ryan King (Matthew Perry) is ordered by his boss Steven (John Cho) to attend group therapy sessions. With the help of group leader Lauren (Laura Benanti) and the group's odd members, Ryan tries to cope with his loss as well as become a better person.
Assessment: Although not the funniest sitcom on TV, I really enjoyed Go On. Unfortunately, despite its good ratings early on, NBC canceled it after the 22-episode season ended. However, the show did have some closure in its final episode, which is always nice. While Perry was great in this role, I especially liked all of the supporting characters. Every member of the group was funny in his or her own way, and there was a good variety of personalities. My favorite character was easily the wonderfully odd and creepy Mr. K (Brett Gelman). Cho was underused in the show's early episodes, but in the second half he had a bigger role. The diverse cast is what made this show, but it was probably hurt by its writing, which wasn't always the best it could have been. That being said, had it been given a second season, I think Go On could have become a hit. This one will be missed.
Rating: 4/5
The Following
Summary: Serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) escapes from prison, and former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) must consult on the case to track him down. The FBI soon learns that Carroll has gathered a cult following during his time in prison.
Assessment: Going in, I expected The Following to be a procedural show with each episode showcasing one of Carroll's followers. I was excited to learn that I was wrong and that it is, in fact, a serialized show. Bacon and Purefoy played off of each other well, and I thought Purefoy, for the most part, was great as the sadistic, manipulative, and brilliant serial killer. At some points he tried to be a bit too poetic, but I was able to overlook that. It seems that the writers tried to develop Bacon's character this season, but I don't think it worked the way they wanted it to. Hopefully they can flesh Ryan out some more in the second season. Also, I enjoyed Shawn Ashmore as young agent Mike Weston. He was given a good storyline in the second half of the season that I'm not convinced we've seen the end of. Finally, I appreciate the decision to keep the season to only 15 episodes instead of the usual 22. In fact, I think the season could have been shortened even more. The shorter season allows for a more fast-paced show (something that I think Revolution needs). Overall, there are definitely some kinks to work out next season, but I will continue watching.
Rating: 4/5
Nashville
Summary: Veteran country singer Rayna James (Connie Britton) and young sensation (think Taylor Swift) Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) must put aside their differences--or at least pretend to--when they are forced to go on tour together. There are about a million other characters and plots but this is the main one.
Assessment: I'll be honest. I watched this pilot for two reasons: 1) it got amazing reviews, and 2) Hayden Panettiere. It was a good pilot, but Ihate strongly dislike country music, so the only reason I continued watching was because my girlfriend wanted to keep watching. However, I will admit that despite the excessive drama, the acting and writing--and, yes, the music, if I must be objective--are pretty good overall. Although the drama was painful to sit through at times, the acting, especially by Panettiere, who excels as the bitchy and arrogant pop star, and Charles Esten, who was a surprise as Rayna's band leader and ex-boyfriend Deacon Claybourne, was enough to get me through it. That said, some of the plots--and maybe even some of the characters--should be cut out for the next season. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn't watch next season because it's not my cup of tea, but between my girlfriend and those darn cliffhangers in the finale, I'll most likely be tuning in.
Rating: 3.5/5
So there you have it. Those are the six new shows I watched this season. (I'm also watching Hannibal, but there's still two episodes left, so I will likely review that by itself.) As always, leave your thoughts in the comments. And if there are any other freshman shows you watched that you think I would like, by all means let me know.
For Part 2 I will discuss NBC's Go On, FOX's The Following, and ABC's Nashville. You can read Part 1 here.
Go On
Summary: After his wife passes away, cocky radio sportscaster Ryan King (Matthew Perry) is ordered by his boss Steven (John Cho) to attend group therapy sessions. With the help of group leader Lauren (Laura Benanti) and the group's odd members, Ryan tries to cope with his loss as well as become a better person.
Assessment: Although not the funniest sitcom on TV, I really enjoyed Go On. Unfortunately, despite its good ratings early on, NBC canceled it after the 22-episode season ended. However, the show did have some closure in its final episode, which is always nice. While Perry was great in this role, I especially liked all of the supporting characters. Every member of the group was funny in his or her own way, and there was a good variety of personalities. My favorite character was easily the wonderfully odd and creepy Mr. K (Brett Gelman). Cho was underused in the show's early episodes, but in the second half he had a bigger role. The diverse cast is what made this show, but it was probably hurt by its writing, which wasn't always the best it could have been. That being said, had it been given a second season, I think Go On could have become a hit. This one will be missed.
Rating: 4/5
The Following
Summary: Serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) escapes from prison, and former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) must consult on the case to track him down. The FBI soon learns that Carroll has gathered a cult following during his time in prison.
Assessment: Going in, I expected The Following to be a procedural show with each episode showcasing one of Carroll's followers. I was excited to learn that I was wrong and that it is, in fact, a serialized show. Bacon and Purefoy played off of each other well, and I thought Purefoy, for the most part, was great as the sadistic, manipulative, and brilliant serial killer. At some points he tried to be a bit too poetic, but I was able to overlook that. It seems that the writers tried to develop Bacon's character this season, but I don't think it worked the way they wanted it to. Hopefully they can flesh Ryan out some more in the second season. Also, I enjoyed Shawn Ashmore as young agent Mike Weston. He was given a good storyline in the second half of the season that I'm not convinced we've seen the end of. Finally, I appreciate the decision to keep the season to only 15 episodes instead of the usual 22. In fact, I think the season could have been shortened even more. The shorter season allows for a more fast-paced show (something that I think Revolution needs). Overall, there are definitely some kinks to work out next season, but I will continue watching.
Rating: 4/5
Nashville
Summary: Veteran country singer Rayna James (Connie Britton) and young sensation (think Taylor Swift) Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) must put aside their differences--or at least pretend to--when they are forced to go on tour together. There are about a million other characters and plots but this is the main one.
Assessment: I'll be honest. I watched this pilot for two reasons: 1) it got amazing reviews, and 2) Hayden Panettiere. It was a good pilot, but I
Rating: 3.5/5
So there you have it. Those are the six new shows I watched this season. (I'm also watching Hannibal, but there's still two episodes left, so I will likely review that by itself.) As always, leave your thoughts in the comments. And if there are any other freshman shows you watched that you think I would like, by all means let me know.
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