Tag Archives: season

Series premiere: Van Helsing – 2016/17

The PolyBlog
September 22 2016

I knew nothing of this show other than its name. Mainly because it is a sci-fi show that isn’t on the big five network rosters, so it didn’t get the standard pre-launch coverage by the media. But I saw it listed, the first Ep is leaked online ahead of the premiere, why not check it out?

It was a lot gorier than I expected, and I confess I am not a fan of the gore. I skipped True Blood because the first episode was blood everywhere, people were practically marinating in it. The Walking Dead never really attracted me. But a vampire slayer that isn’t named Buffy? Sure, I’m willing to give it a go.

The premise is that a volcano erupted, something went wonky somewhere, people started turning into blood drinkers so they’re called vampires. Except there’s a woman who survived an attack and has been sleeping for a while. Maybe 3 years, maybe 3 months, not entirely sure. But the military sent a squad to guard her until relieved, but the relief never came. So one soldier and a vampire doctor are all that’s been left for some time. A bunch of vamps get into the facility, make it all the way to the sleeping girl, one bites her, and then weird shows up. The vamp starts spitting blood, bile, etc., and then dies. She goes wild-ass animal on the other two.

She doesn’t know why she’s there or what’s special about her, but the soldier is committed to keeping her there. Fast-forward through a too-obvious conspiracy, and we find out she can kick butt too, along with self-healing. Or as one of the stray guys trying to survive says, “She’s got super-powers now?”. And then the truly weird happens.

The guy who bit her and died? He isn’t dead. And he isn’t a vampire anymore. Her blood cured him. Dun dun dun. Vanessa Van Helsing has the cure for being a vampire.

Given it’s status on SyFy, it’s already got its 10 episode pickup probably so nothing to predict at this point. Let’s see how the season goes. The soldier isn’t much to listen to, but Van Helsing has some gravitas. As long as they keep the blood flow down, I’m in.

Season premiere: The Blacklist – 2016/17

The PolyBlog
September 22 2016

As Season 3 started to wind down last year, there was an episode where Elizabeth died following complications after childbirth. They had a funeral, everybody said goodbye, and Tom tried to get his life together. Then, with everything in play and starting to normalize, Tom disappeared with the baby. Running from Raymond, refusing his protection. All of which was designed to get to Cuba where, voila, Liz was waiting, very much alive. She faked her death to get away from the craziness of Raymond Reddington being anywhere near Agnes.

But the running didn’t work very well, cuz her Russian “father” found her, kidnapped her, Agnes and Tom, and as the season kicks off, everyone is running around Cuba killing each other. Raymond’s working his way through local enforcers to find out where the Russian has Liz; and a bunch of Cuban locals are dealing with Tom and Agnes. The FBI throws a hand to help, for the most part anyway, and it is business as usual. Find Liz, save Liz.

The episode was relatively okay, a little too much button, button, who’s got the (baby) button, but not bad. I have no idea what they’re doing with Tom. He’s supposed to leave mid-season to go work on the Redemption spin-off, and Liz gets rekidnapped at the end, with continued separation from her baby which MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL. The “father” who is trying to bond with her keeps separating the two of them with no real reason to do so, it’s completely ridiculous.

But it’s up and running again, wondering how long it will take to “find Liz”. I seriously hope it isn’t half the season again. Can we get back to the frickin’ blacklist again????

Series premiere: Lethal Weapon – 2016/17

The PolyBlog
September 22 2016

I know there’s a familiar wind blowing through TV land where they look at old movies, old shows, old scripts, old tropes, old everything and think, “Hmm, if we rebooted THAT, maybe we would increase our chances of a hit”. This year, Lethal Weapon is one of the reboots (Rush Hour went nowhere last year, but hey, why not try again?).

When I read the premise, which isn’t much different from the movie, I thought, “Really? Who are you going to get who could replace Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as Riggs and Murtaugh?”. They were iconic in their roles.

Now, replacing Riggs should be easy…pick someone with a flair for crazy, and you got a shot. But Murtaugh has to walk a fine line between serious detective and WTF moments. Maybe they would change the ratio, but still, it’s a hard line to nail well. Glover did it expertly.

When I saw the casting and it was DAMAN WAYANS, I thought, “Seriously? This is your best catch?”. Oddly enough, Wayans wasn’t bad. Not Glover-good, but okay. More like his role in The Last Boy Scout with Bruce Willis. Good secondary characters around him too with his wife, kids, captain, a couple of other cops, and a shrink (the Rene Russo character from the movie).

But Riggs? He is terrible. If they named him something else, and tweaked the backstory, I’d take it. But not as Riggs. Pale, pale imitation.

I gave it my one episode try, and it will be the last. I’m sticking with my original prediction — 4 episodes and gone for good.

Series premiere: Designated Survivor- 2016/17

The PolyBlog
September 22 2016

ABC is hoping for some West Wing-style magic with their new show, Designated Survivor. If you are a fan of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels, you’ll remember that at one point, the Capital is attacked, all are killed, and Jack becomes President. Same premise here, except Kiefer Sutherland plays Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Kirkman, an unelected appointee. On the night of the attack, he is taken to an undisclosed location to act as the “designated survivor” in case of a hypothetical attack, and when the attack actually happens, he is sworn in as President.

When I saw the premise for the show, part of what turned me off was the producer pitching it to the press that this would be a great show for having political conversations representing both sides of the aisle, with smart people on both sides coming forward with solid commentary, arguments, etc. Tackling the issues that our current political climate can’t. In other words, verbal masturbation rather than focusing on what people tune in for…things like characters, plot, dialogue.

I even went so far as to suggest, sight-unseen, that the show would go no more than 4 episodes and get early cancellation. Having watched Ep 1, I think I grossly underestimated its potential. While pilots get tweaked within an inch of their life, and are no indication of how good of quality will follow in subsequent episodes, Kiefer Sutherland was awesome. Looking for his Presidential voice, he finds it in a meeting with the Iranian ambassador.

I’m not thrilled with the secondary characters. A general whose straight out of central casting as a buffoon stereotype “give em hell” leatherneck. A wife who may have potential but seems a bit sappy in places. Two kid characters whose storylines will no doubt be highly annoying for some time to come. Some bit players trying to support the President (his old chief of staff/policy analyst/EA, new speechwriter, acting Chief of Staff, etc.) seem okay but only one or two have any gravitas. And then there is the other “star”.

Maggie Q. I wasn’t expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised. She plays an FBI psy-ops agent investigating the explosion at the capital, and while she normally is highly physical in her roles, this one so far was more under-stated analyst-like duties. Didn’t suck.

Overall, the show has potential as long as it avoids the spin the producer was pitching to the TV press. I gave it my “1 episode” test, and while I’m not willing to commit to a long-term viewing relationship, I’m willing to go on a second watching date. As for the show’s longevity, I think it could either be gone in 10 episodes if the quality drops or run 7 seasons. If it makes it past mid-season, I’d up my bet for renewal.

Series premiere: Bull – 2016/17

The PolyBlog
September 21 2016

CBS has a new courtroom show starring Michael Weatherly post-NCIS. Unlike NCIS, Weatherly is “Dr. Bull” aka Phil McGraw, supposedly, and running Trial Analysis Corporation — “trial science” for the snobbish, jury consulting for the layperson. My original prediction would be that it would go half a season, no renewal. Having tested it with the one episode I originally gave it, I’m guessing now that it will go full season but be on the bubble to the end.

It’s basically very similar to “Lie to Me” from a few years ago, and will appeal to the same demographics. The first case involves a spoiled little rich kid accused of murder in the Bahamas (no idea why the case is being tried in the U.S.) and now on trial. The big reveal as life unfolds isn’t that big a reveal, and if you didn’t see it coming, you weren’t paying attention in pop trials 101 for TV courtroom shows. I don’t know how big of grey areas the show will tackle in future cases, but you would be an idiot to expect the first case wasn’t a slam dunk “not guilty because he didn’t actually do it” type case. I also had a pretty good idea who did do it, just wasn’t sure motive. And I suspect that the focus group watched the show, didn’t like the ambiguous ending, and so there is a wrap up scene where they reveal really who did it, just as the police show up to arrest them.

Decent show, but unless they have some decent mystery up their sleeve, I think they’ll be one season and done.