Thursday, March 18, 2010

NCIS - Jurisdiction

Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll

Summary: The team investigates the murder of a Navy diver, and they work with their Coast Guard equivalent (CGIS), with whom they find some striking similarities.

Review: I have mixed feelings about this episode of NCIS.  On the one hand, it was funny and engaging in a way that the last few episodes haven't been.  On the other hand, it was an old gag and, overall, not a particularly strong episode.

This season has hit both the highs and lows of NCIS.  The first few episodes were amazing, even if they lacked the witty banter that has become a staple of the show.  But recently it seems to be struggling a little.  The cases, which were never the strongest part of an episode, are lackluster, and even the characters seem to be off just enough to leave me wanting more from each episodes.

On the positive side of this episode, Gibbs' character seemed to settle back a little closer to the way he used to be (pre-season 6 finale).  He's still a man of few words, but the wicked sense of humor he had in the first couple seasons was back (throwing the keys into the middle of the bullpen to let the agents fight over them, his little verbal sparring session with Tony, etc.). Even his possibly-romantically-charged interaction with CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin (played by Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal) was reminiscent of the Gibbs of old (and could it mean that he's done fooling around with Rena Sofer?  Please?).

Other positives: a frustrated Abby = a funny Abby.  Abby, for all her eccentricities, is usually confident, capable and completely in control (to be unnecessarily alliterative).  When she breaks, it always makes for a good laugh.  On the slight negative, however, where was Mortimer?  You don't train a seeing eye dog in a week.  And he was so cute!  I know it's expensive (and troublesome) to have a puppy on the set, but I was kind of hoping he'd be back.

Positive (mostly): Tony and Ziva.  Aside from a completely really blatant "oh, we might be in a relationship, but if not, we're just going lay on the sexual tension extra thick" moments, it was fun to watch the two of them together again.  The scene where they checked out Lt. Jensen's storage locker was my favorite of the episode, and the last scene had a sweet feeling that's been seriously lacking since Jeanne showed up a few seasons ago.

Negative: Ducky.  The bow ties were back, and with them was a melancholy attitude that only serves to reinforce my theory that something big is going to happen to Ducky (like potentially a retirement) by the end of the season.  Now, Ducky fans, don't get all excited yet.  I have absolutely no proof to back this up, just a Gibbs-style gut feeling.  So we'll see.

Positive: Palmer.  This little dude has been growing on me since he came on the show, and now he's pretty much cemented a place as one of my favorite characters.  Especially now that he's got a hot new girlfriend, he's gained so much confidence.  He can hold his own in a verbal battle against Tony.  Plus he makes completely inappropriate comments at completely inappropriate times.  He's really kind of wonderful.
Slight positive: The case.  It was actually pretty good for once, even if it was a little predictable. 

Negative: The gag.  This is the second NCIS episode in a row that I feel like I've seen before.  In this case, there was an episode in season 1 or 2 where they met a local PD that seemed to basically be their clones.  In this episode, it's just the CGIS agent in charge who's a Gibbs-clone.  It had some funny moments, but it felt tired.  (For those who are curious, the other episode was the guy with two wives, which I'm pretty sure they did before, but I can't remember which episode.)

Overall, not a bad episode, but not an amazing one either.  I feel like I'm watching so many crime shows that have the same gimmick (the cowboy-ish lead agent and his witty band of absurdly loyal followers) that NCIS needs to do something to stand out from a crowd that includes The Mentalist, White Collar and Lie to Me.  The season's starting to wind down now, so I'm eagerly anticipating the next few episode, and I hope they don't disappoint.


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

White Collar - Out of the Box

Network: USA
Time: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Natalie Morales, Willie Garson, Tiffani Thiessen, Sharif Atkins

Summary: Neal and Alex pair up to go after the elusive music box at the Italian consulate. Meanwhile, Peter asks Diana to help him get rid of Fowler.

Review: Wow.  That's the only word I had left after the first season finale of White Collar.  Just wow.
There have been a few rocky episodes since White Collar returned after the winter hiatus.  The story has focused so much on Neal finding Kate and rescuing her and, as a result, there's been a ton of tension between Neal and Peter.  At no point did the show ever get bad per se, just rocky.

But not anymore.

While this episode obviously focused on Neal and Kate, it no longer creates the same kind of tension between Neal and Peter.  Neal clearly trusts Peter again, so much so that he lets him in on his plan to steal the music box.  And Peter seems to finally understand why Neal is doing what he's doing.  There's a really nice moment where you see the pieces finally click into place for Peter, when he realizes Neal really loves Kate.

Let's talk for a minute about some familiar faces that reappeared in this episode.  I, for one, would like to give Marsha Thomason a hearty welcome back to the show.  She's changed a bit since she was Peter's underling.  For one thing, she has her own identity, which she really hadn't developed in episode one.  Also, she's tough as nails and really, really cool.  And with the White Collar producers promising that she'll be a full cast member next season, I'm looking forward to seeing how she'll mesh with Jones and Cruz (particularly Cruz, since Natalie Morales basically replaces Thomason in the series).

Also back was Gloria Votsis, reprising her role as Neal's con-artist buddy Alex.  She's another character I'd like to see have more screen time next season.  She's another spunky, strong female character, and her sometimes-friend-sometimes-adversary relationship with Neal is always fun to watch.

So this whole episode basically centers around Neal and Alex (and Mozzie) plotting and attempting to steal the music box from the Italian consulate.  The scheme they come up with is amazing (to those of us who have absolutely no conning abilities whatsoever).  It was possibly my favorite scene of the entire season to watch.

Except, perhaps, the scene where Neal is shirtless and forging a statue.  But we won't go there.

Everything clicked in this episode.  Everyone's timing was good, the bad guys were bad in all the right ways, the plot was well-developed, and the ending was jaw-dropping.  Literally. 

I cannot wait for next season.

Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad

Comments?  Leave them here.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Modern Family - Fears

Network: ABC
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30pm
Cast: Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Rico Rodriguez, Sarah Hyland, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter

Summary: Each of the families discuss and confront some of their fears.

Review: For a half hour show, Modern Family really packs a lot into each episode, yet does it in a way that makes sense and doesn't overwhelm the viewer (unlike, say, Parenthood's first episode).  This episode had stories involving Jay and Manny facing their fears of roller coasters, Haley going for her driver's license test (for the third time), Alex going to a school dance, Luke and Phil exploring under the house, and Mitch and Cam's fear that Lily's first word was "Mommy."  All that in 30 minutes, and still enough time to delve into a side story about Lily's pediatrician (played by the awesome Suzy Nakamura, who was Sam's original assistant Cathy on The West Wing).

And each story was not only well-rounded (beginning, middle, end), but coherent, funny and sweet all at the same time.  I love the sweet side of Modern Family.  Most sitcoms, even the family ones, focus so much on being funny that they don't have the same heart-warming effect Modern Family has.  And I'm not sure this kind of sweetness has a place in every sitcom.  After all, could you imagine The Big Bang Theory if Sheldon and Leonard sat down and talked out their feelings at the end of each episode?  Or Seinfeld if Jerry had a voice over at the end talking about what he'd learned from that episode?  It wouldn't work at all.

But Modern Family makes it work, which is why I think it's one of the (if not the) best sitcoms in at least the past two decades.

Plus it's funny.  Even the characters that aren't particularly likable (Phil) are still funny to watch.  And it manages to encompass several different types of humor.  Phil is the master of the awkward humor that I don't particularly enjoy but everyone else seems to like.  Mitch and Cam do the gay humor really well, but find the right balance between flamboyant homosexuality and an honest, wholesome couple.  And Jay relies more on a dry wit and sarcasm, especially when dealing with his precocious stepson.

This episode was just another in a long line of solid episodes from this show.  Ultimately, I don't think this one will stand out in my head the way the one with Luke's birthday party does, but it still deserves a high rating for generally being excellent.  This show has been nothing but consistent so far, and I look forward to it every week to see what they'll do this time.

Favorite lines:
Jay: I'm not afraid of anything.
Gloria: What about pigeons?
Jay: Oh, yeah, I don't like them.  They're shifty.

Jay: (about Manny) I could have guessed he'd have trouble with roller coasters.  That kid gets woozy at barbershops when they spin his chair towards the mirror.

Phil: We're like Ponce de Leon and his son... little Ponce.

Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Parenthood - Pilot

Network: NBC
Time: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Erika Christensen, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Sam Jaeger, Joy Bryant, Mae Whitman, Sarah Ramos, Miles Heizer, Max Burkholder, Savannah Paige Rae

Summary: A divorced mother of two moves back in with her parents, while her siblings deal with family issues of their own.

Review:  I like pilot episodes.  You go in so unprepared.  I mean, sure, you've seen commercials, but they never tell you exactly what to expect.  In the case of Parenthood, those commercials go in two different ways: the funny and the sweet.  So you're a completely blank slate going into the first episode to enthrall or disappoint.

This was a bit of a disappointment.  My expectations were high due to the writing/directing team (Ron Howard and Thomas Schlamme) and the wonderful cast (see above), and they didn't exactly fail to live up to them.  It's just that I expected the show to be funnier than it was.  I'd been watching those commercials all through the Olympics, and a large percentage of them made the show out to be a comedy.  In reality, it was a slightly predictable family drama.

And it wasn't bad.  Like I said, the acting was wonderful, and the sweet moments really were sweet.  It was just too much sometimes.  It tried to be a dramatic version of Modern Family.  One of the great things about MF is that all the families have their own stories, and they intermingle periodically.  Parenthood tried to do the same thing, but it didn't work as well.  In a comedy, the stories are light-hearted and simple.  In a drama, they're far more complex, and it's harder to work several complex stories into the same episode, which is what Parenthood did.  The end result was that I didn't care enough about some of the stories that should have had a bigger impact.

That said, I think this show has a lot of potential, even if I still want it to be funnier (think Gilmore Girls, or even The West Wing).  If each episode focused on one or (maybe) two problems at a time, the audience could focus on and care about those issues better.  Also, further character development will aid in making the audience empathize with the characters' struggles as well (that obviously can only happen with time). 

If I hadn't had any expectations going in, I probably would have enjoyed this pilot more.  And I really did enjoy it, even if I'm coming down on it kind of hard.  It's just that I expected more from the people who put it together, because they've also been responsible for some of my favorite television throughout the years.  But I look forward to watching for awhile and seeing what will come of this highly anticipated show.

Favorite lines:
Kristina: Men feel the need to express their love through hitting balls, slapping butts and discussing meaningless statistics.

Crosby: Let's just play ping pong, so I can lose myself in sport.

Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad

Criminal Minds - Mosley Lane

Network: CBS
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, AJ Cook, Kirsten Vangsness

Summary: After a child is abducted from a carnival, the BAU determines the case may be related to many child abductions over the past ten years.

Review: I've spent the last month and change catching up on Criminal Minds episodes, so this is the first episode I actually had to wait to watch, and it didn't disappoint.  The main draw of a CM episode is a heart-stopping case, and this episode had that and then some. 

In the beginning, it's a fairly typical child abduction (if there is a such a thing as a typical one).  One kid snatched from a carnival.  It's sad, but it's unfortunately something that happens on a too-regular basis.

But then another mother shows up, claiming that her son was abducted by the same person.  The catch?  She's been saying that for every child abduction in the last ten years.  So often, in fact, that JJ recognized the woman based on what she had told Emily, without ever seeing her face.  But JJ's changed since the last time this woman showed up.  She has a kid of her own now, and maybe that's warping her perception, because now she is starting to believe this mother.  And so the hunt begins.

I like any episode that attempts to give JJ a stronger character.  Out of all the members of the BAU, she's still the least developed.  She has the weakest backstory of any character, though the writers have taken steps to try to fix that this season.  And her personality has been confined until recently to the role of a consummate professional at almost all times.  This has gradually been changing, but it's still nice to see another episode that focuses on her, to gain another glimpse into her life.  They could have done a little more in this situation (I really think the ending practically begged for a scene between her and her son), but it was nice to see her step outside her professionalism for a little while, even if it made the others question her a little bit.

I also really like the episodes with missing children.  I know that sounds kind of sick, but, in general, those episodes have at least a slightly happier ending than flat-out serial killer episodes, rapists or arsonists.  I know the writers are definitely not squeamish about doing bad things to kids in their episodes, but they seem to appreciate the need for a little bit of hope at the end, so as not to make it all bad.  This episode made me cry, but there was enough of a positive at the end to ease the pain of what had happened.

I don't think they could have cast better people to play the UnSubs if they'd had years to do it.  Guest star casting has always been a strength of Criminal Minds', and it's nice to see that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon.  The UnSubs were creepy in a way that just screamed mental disorder, which is exactly how they should have been. 

One of my favorite things about this show is that it balances the cases and characters better than any other crime show I've seen.  A lot of this season has been dominated by watching bad things happen to Hotch, but the last few episodes have returned to be largely case-based.  While character-driven episodes are my preference, there has to be a balance or the show would get soap opera-y.  And it's nice to be able to take the things you know about the characters and apply them to the case that's going on (such as apply JJ's relatively new motherhood status to a case where a mother believes her abducted son is still alive).

In just a little over a month, this went from a relatively unknown show to one of my favorites ever on TV, so I may be a little biased towards the episode (though I'm trying to view them objectively).  So what did you think?  CM has been on hiatus for a couple weeks thanks to the Olympics.  Was this episode worth the wait?  Are there other things you're hoping to see as the show begins to wind down for the season?  Leave a comment and let me know.


Rating:

[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad

Comments?  Leave them here.