Network: ABC
Time: Mondays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Jon Huertas, Seamus Dever, Susan Sullivan, Molly C. Quinn, Penny Jerald Johnson, Tamala Jones
Summary (from imdb.com): Castle & Beckett confront the possibility of paranormal foul play when a world renown ghost hunter is mysteriously murdered while investigating a haunting at a legendary New York mansion.
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE EPISODE
Review: I really have enjoyed this season of Castle. I don't hate the new captain as much as I expected to, and I'm fairly amused by the love/hate (Okay, mostly hate) relationship she has with Castle. Sure, I'd like to give Beckett a stern shake and force her to tell Castle she remembers everything and she loves him too, but the waiting only occasionally makes me nuts (like when they try to draw parallels between whatever case they're working on and Castle and Beckett's relationship). Even Alexis' new, semi-bratty stage hasn't annoyed me as much as I thought it would.
But this episode was far and away the best episode of the season to date.
I don't normally like Halloween episodes, especially in dramas. I don't really like scary stuff (shh, I only write about crime television). And I know Castle has done a Halloween episode at least once before, but I couldn't really call up the plot.
I needn't have worried though. Sure, the whole episode was about ghosts and demons, but it was also Castle, the way this show was meant to be written. I'd had an inkling that something was off in the beginning of the season, but I couldn't really put a finger on it until now. While there has been some decent banter between Castle and Beckett (and Ryan and Esposito), it wasn't really clicking until this week. I didn't realize that until I saw how much smoother they were in this episode. Every line, every facial tick, every movement was perfectly in sync, and that made all the difference.
If I had to pick one thing that didn't quite work, it was the Ryan/Esposito B story. The guys took their women (Ryan's fiancee Jenny (played by his real-life wife Juliana Dever) and Esposito's girlfriend Lanie) out to dinner for a double-date. I'd heard about this story, and I was looking forward to it. Ryan and Esposito's bromance is one of the greatest currently on television, and I've liked the small snippets we've been given between Ryan and Jenny and Esposito and Lanie. Combining the couples into an awesome foursome seemed inevitable.
But apparently the Powers That Be didn't agree with my idea. Instead of fun, light-hearted affair, we were treated to an incredibly cheesy and awkward toast by Ryan (sorry, man, I love you, but that can't be explained away with, "Well, I'm me") and then the World's Worst Question by Jenny. "So when are you two getting married?" she asks Esposito and Lanie. Okay, first of all, who asks that to a woman she's just met? That's something your blue-haired great-aunt asks you because she's hoping she'll live to see it or your mean-spirited older brother asks because he wants to make trouble. Am I crazy, or do you not ask that if you're trying to make someone your friend? Or keep someone as your friend, for that matter?
After that, obviously Esposito and Lanie decided they needed to break up, since Esposito's not ready to get married and Lanie... isn't either. Hmmm. I can only think of two reasons for the abrupt ending given to this relationship that we never really got to see much anyway: 1) the writers realized they didn't have much they wanted to do with Esposito and Lanie (and the chemistry, while present, was weak at best), or 2) the writers have something planned for Esposito and Lanie in the future. Either way, nothing about that story really worked for me.
But that was a very tiny fly in the ointment for this episode. The ghost story was perfect. I actually didn't identify the killer from the first minute he walked on-screen, which is unusual for Castle. I loved the intricate setup of the "haunted house," and that, while the demon was explained away, it doesn't completely remove the idea that there might supernatural forces. But most of all, I loved that Castle and Beckett seemed to be back on equal footing. Maybe we're starting to move away from the shooting aftermath, and we can get back to the Castle of previous seasons that we all loved so much.
Rating: 5/5
Favorite line:
Castle: So... if Barry's not our guy, I think it's time we revisit the possibility that our killer's a...
Beckett: If you say ghost, I'm sending you home.
Castle: Apparition-American.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
How to Be a Gentleman - Pilot
Network: CBS
Time: Thursdays, 8:30-9:00pm
Cast: David Hornsby, Kevin Dillon, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Rhys Darby, Dave Foley, Nancy Lenehan
Summary (from imdb.com): When etiquette columnist Andrew Carlson is told he must adapt to the new, sexier style of his magazine, he hires his old high school bully Bert Lansing to help him become a modern man.
Review: I had mixed feelings about this pilot. Overall, I finished with optimism, but there are definitely some areas where it could use some work. It's premiere ratings were low, but I'm hoping CBS will give it a shot to build its audience (though with 2 Broke Girls doing so well, that could be a problem for Gentleman in the future).
This introductory episode focused on Andrew, a columnist whose magazine was just sold and restyled. Their new boss wants the magazine to have a "sexier" style and appeal more to middle aged men who "think they're 15." Meanwhile, his sister, in her attempt to butch him up, gives him a gift certificate to a gym which, it turns out, is owned by one of Andrew's (many) former tormentors, Burt.
Are Andrew and Burt both fairly stereotypical characters? Yes. Burt is the high-school-dropout meathead who bought his father's gym, and Andrew is the effeminate metrosexual who is still getting the crap beat out of him. And the unlikely friendship isn't really so unlikely... at least, not if you've ever watched a television sitcom before.
But is the stereotype necessarily a bad thing? I think it's too soon to tell. Now that we've established the baseline for our characters, where will they develop from here? A few throwaway lines from Burt indicated he has a tempestuous relationship with his father. Can the writers expand on that without turning it into a cliche? Is there a reason Andrew is so obsessed with being a gentleman? Will we find that out, and will it satisfy us as viewers?
There's plenty of potential for this show. The writing wasn't stellar, but it wasn't horrible either. I've found that pilot writing isn't necessarily indicative of how the show will be anyway. Writers come and go between development of the pilot and a pickup. And even if they don't, as the show continues, the writing becomes tailored more towards the actors and the characters they're developing, making it feel more natural. Some shows click right away (like Criminal Minds), but others take a little longer (like Castle).
The supporting characters were a little overdramatic, but they also have the potential to turn out pretty funny. Andrew's sister and brother-in-law, Janet and Mike, are almost as oddly matched as Andrew and Burt. In fact, Mike may have been my favorite character of the show so far. Rhys Darby's matter-of-fact delivery of even the most farfetched lines had me cracking up, and the chemistry between him and Mary Lynn Rajskub's Janet was really very good.
Long story short, I'm not in love with it yet. But I'm also not quite ready to write it off. Hopefully last night's numbers will hold or be a little better than last week's, and maybe Gentleman will have a chance to develop some of its potential.
Rating: 3/5
Favorite line:
Janet: You're doing it again.
Mike: What?
Janet: Talking.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.
Time: Thursdays, 8:30-9:00pm
Cast: David Hornsby, Kevin Dillon, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Rhys Darby, Dave Foley, Nancy Lenehan
Summary (from imdb.com): When etiquette columnist Andrew Carlson is told he must adapt to the new, sexier style of his magazine, he hires his old high school bully Bert Lansing to help him become a modern man.
Review: I had mixed feelings about this pilot. Overall, I finished with optimism, but there are definitely some areas where it could use some work. It's premiere ratings were low, but I'm hoping CBS will give it a shot to build its audience (though with 2 Broke Girls doing so well, that could be a problem for Gentleman in the future).
This introductory episode focused on Andrew, a columnist whose magazine was just sold and restyled. Their new boss wants the magazine to have a "sexier" style and appeal more to middle aged men who "think they're 15." Meanwhile, his sister, in her attempt to butch him up, gives him a gift certificate to a gym which, it turns out, is owned by one of Andrew's (many) former tormentors, Burt.
Are Andrew and Burt both fairly stereotypical characters? Yes. Burt is the high-school-dropout meathead who bought his father's gym, and Andrew is the effeminate metrosexual who is still getting the crap beat out of him. And the unlikely friendship isn't really so unlikely... at least, not if you've ever watched a television sitcom before.
But is the stereotype necessarily a bad thing? I think it's too soon to tell. Now that we've established the baseline for our characters, where will they develop from here? A few throwaway lines from Burt indicated he has a tempestuous relationship with his father. Can the writers expand on that without turning it into a cliche? Is there a reason Andrew is so obsessed with being a gentleman? Will we find that out, and will it satisfy us as viewers?
There's plenty of potential for this show. The writing wasn't stellar, but it wasn't horrible either. I've found that pilot writing isn't necessarily indicative of how the show will be anyway. Writers come and go between development of the pilot and a pickup. And even if they don't, as the show continues, the writing becomes tailored more towards the actors and the characters they're developing, making it feel more natural. Some shows click right away (like Criminal Minds), but others take a little longer (like Castle).
The supporting characters were a little overdramatic, but they also have the potential to turn out pretty funny. Andrew's sister and brother-in-law, Janet and Mike, are almost as oddly matched as Andrew and Burt. In fact, Mike may have been my favorite character of the show so far. Rhys Darby's matter-of-fact delivery of even the most farfetched lines had me cracking up, and the chemistry between him and Mary Lynn Rajskub's Janet was really very good.
Long story short, I'm not in love with it yet. But I'm also not quite ready to write it off. Hopefully last night's numbers will hold or be a little better than last week's, and maybe Gentleman will have a chance to develop some of its potential.
Rating: 3/5
Favorite line:
Janet: You're doing it again.
Mike: What?
Janet: Talking.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
New Girl - Kryptonite
Network: Fox
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-9:30pm
Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Jake M. Johnson, Lamorne Morris
Summary (from imdb.com): Nick and Schmidt convince Jess to get her stuff out of her ex-boyfriend Spencer's apartment; Jess meets new roommate Winston.
Review: I have to admit, I wasn't overly won over by the premiere episode of New Girl. My love for Zooey Deschanel was tempered by too many awkward moments, her overly annoying quirks, and minimal redeeming characteristics for the guys. But there were a handful of good moments that made me believe this show had potential. Enough so that I was willing to give it a few more episodes before passing any judgment. And I'm glad I did.
The second episode was much more cohesive and much less... annoying than the first. Sure, Jess's quirks are still there, but audiences were treated to the much more human side of her. At her core, she's a heartbroken girl who thought she'd found the love of her life, only to find out he was cheating on her. While the first episode illustrated this by having her sob hysterically while watching Dirty Dancing, the second episode dealt with the much more realistic side of a breakup. After accidentally throwing a basketball into the guys' TV, Jess had to get her stuff back from her ex-boyfriend Spencer. The sincerity in her desire to avoid the issue forever didn't seem overdramatic the way the first episode's crying jags were, but the much more honest response that people have when confronted with uncomfortable situations, which, as a viewer, I appreciated more
I also love the friendship that's forming between Nick and Jess. I was worried they were going to dive too quickly into the will-they-won't-they, but they seem to have fallen into an ordinary friendship, without those awkward romantic moments. Watching them gang up on Schmidt in the beginning was honestly funny and seemed like a very natural exchange. If that relationship continues to develop this way, I think I'll really enjoy it.
That's not to say this show isn't still without its issues. While I like the new roommate Winston, I wasn't crazy about the B story to this episode. Maybe it's because I find Schmidt to be completely unlikable. There's a point where douchebag-ness is tolerable, but I think Schmidt crosses the line a little too often. It's not that he comes across completely as a jerk, but he's so obnoxious at times that I have no desire to listen to him. There needs to be more of a balance between that side of him and the side that explains why someone would want to be friends with him.
I'm looking forward to a time, ironically, when Jess isn't so much the New Girl and has ingrained herself more with the guys. That was starting to show in this episode, especially when they went with her to get her stuff back from Spencer (the goofy headwear really made that scene... or maybe it was Schmidt slapping Spencer while wearing a thumb ring). That scene made the episode for me, and I hope that future episodes have a lot more of whatever it was that made that really great.
Rating: 3/5
Favorite line:
Jess: No! I can't call Spencer I haven't talked to him since he cheated on me with that ho! Actually, that's not fair. She might be a really nice ho.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-9:30pm
Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Jake M. Johnson, Lamorne Morris
Summary (from imdb.com): Nick and Schmidt convince Jess to get her stuff out of her ex-boyfriend Spencer's apartment; Jess meets new roommate Winston.
Review: I have to admit, I wasn't overly won over by the premiere episode of New Girl. My love for Zooey Deschanel was tempered by too many awkward moments, her overly annoying quirks, and minimal redeeming characteristics for the guys. But there were a handful of good moments that made me believe this show had potential. Enough so that I was willing to give it a few more episodes before passing any judgment. And I'm glad I did.
The second episode was much more cohesive and much less... annoying than the first. Sure, Jess's quirks are still there, but audiences were treated to the much more human side of her. At her core, she's a heartbroken girl who thought she'd found the love of her life, only to find out he was cheating on her. While the first episode illustrated this by having her sob hysterically while watching Dirty Dancing, the second episode dealt with the much more realistic side of a breakup. After accidentally throwing a basketball into the guys' TV, Jess had to get her stuff back from her ex-boyfriend Spencer. The sincerity in her desire to avoid the issue forever didn't seem overdramatic the way the first episode's crying jags were, but the much more honest response that people have when confronted with uncomfortable situations, which, as a viewer, I appreciated more
I also love the friendship that's forming between Nick and Jess. I was worried they were going to dive too quickly into the will-they-won't-they, but they seem to have fallen into an ordinary friendship, without those awkward romantic moments. Watching them gang up on Schmidt in the beginning was honestly funny and seemed like a very natural exchange. If that relationship continues to develop this way, I think I'll really enjoy it.
That's not to say this show isn't still without its issues. While I like the new roommate Winston, I wasn't crazy about the B story to this episode. Maybe it's because I find Schmidt to be completely unlikable. There's a point where douchebag-ness is tolerable, but I think Schmidt crosses the line a little too often. It's not that he comes across completely as a jerk, but he's so obnoxious at times that I have no desire to listen to him. There needs to be more of a balance between that side of him and the side that explains why someone would want to be friends with him.
I'm looking forward to a time, ironically, when Jess isn't so much the New Girl and has ingrained herself more with the guys. That was starting to show in this episode, especially when they went with her to get her stuff back from Spencer (the goofy headwear really made that scene... or maybe it was Schmidt slapping Spencer while wearing a thumb ring). That scene made the episode for me, and I hope that future episodes have a lot more of whatever it was that made that really great.
Rating: 3/5
Favorite line:
Jess: No! I can't call Spencer I haven't talked to him since he cheated on me with that ho! Actually, that's not fair. She might be a really nice ho.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
