Tag Archives: season

Season premiere: Sleepy Hollow

The PolyBlog
October 3 2015

When we last saw Sleepy Hollow, Molloch was vanquished, and with him went Ichabod’s love of his life, Katrina. Sure, her soul had been corrupted, but nevertheless, they were ill-fated lovers across time and space, without the TARDIS to help. The portal was closed, the danger had passed, so what now, brown cow?

Well, apparently the writers were looking for some change. So, they dumped the Sheriff’s Office, sent Abby to Quantico, made her a field agent, and now she works for the FBI, albeit still in Sleepy Hollow. Better digs, some kick ass science to back them up, some federal resources to access, a better badge. Cool. Of course, Abby did all this because it was time to get on with her life and back on the path she was on before she became one of the two witnesses from the Bible prophecies. And it was easy to do, because Ichabod went on a walkabout.

He went to England, and Scotland, in search of his ancestral roots. For nine months. With nary a postcard. Abby’s a bit like the lost high school sweetheart who got left behind while the hero went off to see the bright lights of the big city. Well, good old Ichabod is back and anticipating demons. He thinks their role as witnesses is not yet complete — rather, they have seen just the first of the seven tribulations.

As a viewer, you know already that he is right. A woman appeared out of a lightning strike, and basically singlehandedly turned the horseman of war / Abraham into mist, dissipated him into a box, and released a demon of fear instead. She’s obviously a very beautiful and powerful witch. And it isn’t until the very end of the episode that you find out who she is. I have a suspicion there will be another twist along the way about her identity and who she was in the past as well, but for now, her identity is known to the viewers, but not really to the witnesses.

Jenny was in the episode too, but everyone and everything else is changed. The archives have to be relocated, they have a new office for Abby to work in, and most of the non-demon stuff seems brighter, shinier even. The demon solution was rather simple and easy, followed by a ridiculous reunion scene for the witnesses while they comfort each other, totally ignoring the fact that moments earlier, JENNY WAS STRUCK DOWN BY THE DEMON and they have no idea if she’s lying dead or dying, but yes, indeed, let’s hug it out before we check on her.

But I’m glad the show is back, I’ve missed it. Mostly because the network has screwed around with the number of episodes (18 last year instead of standard 22-26) and timing (the show wrapped pretty early, February or March?), not to mention a long hiatus over Xmas. You’d swear they were trying to kill the show. I hope not, I’ve missed you too, Ichabod and Abby. Jenny? Not so much.

Series premiere: Benders

The PolyBlog
October 3 2015

I gave the new show called Benders a try tonight. The premise is four guys on a recreational hockey team, and what happens in their lives around it. The initial premise of this show, at least according to the description, is that the four are really devoted to their team and playing hockey, and it messes with the rest of their life. More or less. It sounded like it could be interesting, not sure it’s a strong enough premise for a full series, but hey, I thought I would give it a go. For those reading this blog, you probably already know I don’t watch many comedies (basically only one at this point, The Big Bang Theory).

And I have to confess two things for this show. First, it is really well done. It reminds me a lot of the original series from the UK called Couples (not the US remake version). Take the show, take a premise for the episode and just run with it. It feels in part like a giant improv sketch as the main character is thinking the rest will think it is all nuts, but they go with the premise leaving the main guy completely discombobulated. So, this show does that, and does it in spades. In the opener, Paul goes to visit his grandfather. Grandpa says, “Life sucks, I’m old, please kill me.” Except it isn’t a metaphor, he’s really asking him to kill him. Which his three friends think he should totally do, so the rest of the episode is him visiting some mobsters, etc. It’s really well done, and if you like that surreal type of WTF moments as they negotiate whether or not to shove grenades up Grandpa’s butt, this show’s for you.

My second confession? It didn’t work for me. I know, I know, I just said it was really well done. And it is. But it is just a bridge too far for me to go with the suspension of disbelief. I lasted a whole two thirds of the first episode, and that was as far as I could go. Maybe it’s amazing, maybe it picks up, but the personal spark wasn’t there. I don’t think it will win any awards or anything, but it’s unique.

Series premiere: Grinder

The PolyBlog
October 1 2015

I wanted to like The Grinder. First of all, it stars Rob Lowe. Some of the best moments in West Wing’s run were with Lowe in the episode, tilting at windmills. Second, he’s playing a lawyer. I like law shows, I like when Lowe plays a lawyer. Perfect. Third, he’s not really a lawyer, he’s pretending to be a lawyer without going to law school. Hey, I like Suits, could be good. Fourth, it’s a comedy. Umm, wait…what?

Well, not exactly a comedy, more like a dramatic comedy or a comedic drama, or something it just can’t figure out what it is. It’s not satire, it’s not really a comedy, but it is self-aware comedy. With Ben Savage as the brother. He had the Wonder Years, they’re over. The first episode had so many bad cliches, it felt like a spoof. The whole episode felt like I was watching an Airplane-inspired remake of A Few Good Men, without the military. Okay, bad image. But better than anything in the show.

William Devane plays the father, and I thought, hmm, he is okay in cameos and on Stargate. Kind of enjoyed him back on Early Edition. And they gave him such inspiring lines as “I like where this is going.” Really? That’s it? There is no reason for him to be excited about any of what’s going on, but he is. Totally undeveloped.

Now, it IS a comedy. It’s only 22 minutes. How much character development can there be, and still have a plot to deliver? That’s basically why I don’t watch many comedies. And this will be another one that I am not watching. Pass.

Series premiere: Heroes: Reborn

The PolyBlog
September 29 2015

So about a month ago, I reviewed what I thought was a leaked copy of the series premiere of Heroes: Reborn (Six 2015-16 TV premieres: Supergirl, Minority Report, Blindspot, Public Morals, Heroes: Reborn, Hand of God). It turned out however that what I was actually reviewing was a prequel of webisodes online to give a bit of transitional backstory between the old show and the new. Oops, my bad.

But that experience lowered my expectations too. It was pretty far from the mystery of Season 1 of the original Heroes, where the “Save the cheerleader, save the world” mantra kept me tuning in each week. No, the webisodes were slightly better than season 2 or 3 of the old show as it tanked, but not a slam dunk.

The actual series premiere, however? Over the top, slam dunk, no word of a lie, absolutely awesome. I am hooked big time. I rarely gush about a show, perhaps jaded by the number of times I’ve seen a strong premise totally tank a few episodes later, but I have to gush about this one. Like the original, there are multiple storylines running concurrently, weaving, bobbing, and intersecting.

Noah Bennett is back, having learned that something big and bad is coming and he wants to find out what he has forgotten. And his daughter Clare-bear? She might not have died in Odessa during the terrorist attack. She might still be alive. Noah has teamed up with the nutjob truther from the webisodes,

There’s a Mexican wrestler superhero with super strength who is helping Evos (evolved humans) with an underground railway, and his brother might have to take his place.

There’s a kid, young, compelling, with a naive innocent girlfriend, who is a teleporter. With an evo named Casper Abraham following him around (remember Laroche from The Mentalist? Pruitt Taylor Vince is his real name, doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but yeah, that guy).

There’s a girl in Japan, who can enter into video games, and is searching for her father (also trapped in a game), with a young gamer helping her.

And finally, there’s a husband and wife out for revenge against all Evos because their son was killed.

At least four of those stories are completely compelling.

I am so in for the duration, it is ridiculous.

Series premiere: Quantico

The PolyBlog
September 29 2015

I don’t know who was watching How To Get Away With Murder last year, but they took pretty solid notes. Freshman class. Check. Female authority figure in charge of class telling them it is not like anywhere else. Check. Some big criminal event in the future, class members involved, flashing back to tell the story of how they got there. Check.

Except instead of it being law school leading to murder, it’s enrolment in the fresh class at the FBI’s Quantico Academy leading to a terrorist attack in NYC. Yet, where I found HTGAWM boring, I find Quantico strangely compelling. Let’s look at the class and see if I can figure out why. All of them have secrets, some we’ll find out sooner rather than later. Warning, definite spoilers ahead.

The main agent-in-training Alex Parrish is played by Priyanka Chopra, an Indian bombshell. Exotic, sexy, presence. Her big secret is that her mother shot her father; her bigger secret is that SHE shot her father, and then found his Special Agent credentials. Fast forward to the terrorist attack, and she is the only one on scene, unhurt, and the prime suspect with lots of evidence to tie her to the plot.

Next up we have Ryan Booth. He seems to be just another agent, but he’s actually undercover to get close to Alex. Decent character, decent actor.

Next is Nimah, the Muslim who should be the prime suspect, right? Except she has an interesting secret. She’s one half of a twin, and they’re both hiding in the same room doing the work.

Shelby Wyatt is the blonde bimbo who came from money. Her first secret is that her parents were killed in a plane on 9/11. I’m sure there are more secrets to come, but that is where she starts. She’s played pretty well by Johanna Brady — I don’t know any of her work, but with 48 credits in 10 years, she’s been working. A lot.

Simon Asher is the resident gay character. Except he’s a virgin, all his ex-bfs say so. And his “current” boyfriend is imaginary — he got a stranger to take a picture with him, smooch included. So is he really gay? And if not, why is he pretending to be? His other secret is some sort of ties to Palestine, but the FBI already knows about that.

Moving on, we have Graham Rogers as Caleb Haas. Caleb is the worst recruit ever — fails just about everything. But his parents are agents, so he has squeaked his way in. Not sure what his secret is yet, but it’s building.

Last we have the most disappointing development of all — Brian J. Smith as trainee Eric Packer. I loved Smith in Stargate: Universe. So why am I disappointed he’s in this? Because — SPOILER ALERT — he dies in the first episode. What a waste of an opportunity, he would have been awesome.

So there are two other characters running around, the academy staff — the woman in charge, Aunjanue Ellis playing Deputy administrator Miranda Shaw, and Josh Hopkins as head instructor Liam O’Connor. Both of them have their secrets and could be easily involved more so than a recruit. Ellis has been good on NCIS: LA, and I even liked her back in the day on The Mentalist. She even gave a good performance way back in a one-season show called E-ring. But she is good in support, not sure she’ll be able to handle running some of the plot. Hopkins is a good short-term character actor, and I’ve liked him in those roles ever since I first saw him way back on Cold Case when he was romancing Lilly. But like Ellis, he doesn’t have the gravitas to drive the plot forward. Almost every scene with him was lightweight.

But the show looks like it will rise or fall based on Chopra’s talents, and while she is awesome at the Academy, her time as FBI agent/lead suspect seemed false, too much like bad play-acting. I think the show has a lot of buzz and budget behind it, so it will play out for the season. Only the ratings will tell if it comes back for Round 2 next year, although rumour is that next year it would be a new batch of recruits and a new storyline, not the same ones continuing. I’ll stick around for a while.