The American version of Life on Mars is getting no such grace period. (more…)

No Sign of Intelligent Life on Mars

I’ve long since given up expecting the show to actually be good. Now, the best I can hope for is a bit of enjoyable escapism, and the premiere delivered that, so long as one can overlook all the things that just don’t make any freaking sense. Let’s consider a few of these things.

(more…)

Breaking Free of Logic, Prison Break Returns

With the new television season about to start, the buzz about some high profile shows is kicking into high gear, and few shows are buzzing quite as loudly as Fringe, the new sci-fi drama by J.J. Abrams. It was the only new show screened at last weekend’s Edinburgh TV festival, a screening that came complete with its own six-page prequel comic book. The show was heavily promoted at Comic Con, and fan sites have popped up before the first episode has even aired. Does Fringe have a hope of living up to the hype?

I’m happy to report that it is, in fact, a good show, though it suffers from the rough edges so often seen in pilot episodes. For the moment, let’s call it 75% good, with the potential for higher marks down the road.

Since you can’t have a J.J. Abrams show without some sort of conspiracy, the basic premise of the show involves government-backed hyper-intelligent pseudo-scientists who specialize in fringe science – astral projection, telepathy, etc. – who are pitted against a corporation run by another hyper-intelligent pseudo-scientist who appears to have malevolent intentions, up to and including experimenting on the human race for kicks. You know, that old story.

Of course it’s a silly premise, but where the show succeeds is the way it embraces the silliness while still telling a dramatic story, The real stars of the show are the two good guy scientists, the father and son team of Walter and Peter Bishop (played by John Noble and Joshua Jackson, respectively). Their incessant bickering allows the show to poke a bit of fun at the preposterous “science” (when they take a cue from The Princess Bride by including a “mostly dead” corpse, you know we’re not dealing with anything approximating facts). The viewer can laugh along with them instead of rolling their eyes. Noble is an absolute delight as the mostly crazy Walter, and Jackson is a big old walking pile of charisma. I have no idea why his career stalled a bit in the last few years, but it’s good to have him back on weekly television. He is able to deliver some truly bad dialogue with honesty and style, a skill he likely picked up after several seasons on Dawson’s Creek. If it was the Walter & Peter Show, I’d happily give it a 95% mark.

However, the other characters need to step it up a bit if they want to hang with the Bishops. The ostensible lead, Olivia Dunham (played by Anna Torv) basically spends the pilot rushing around, trying to save her lover. She’s also a government do-gooder determined to bring down the bad guys. Still, desperate and determined do not a three-dimensional character make, and she’s got a long ways to go before I actually start to care about her. Lance Reddick (The Wire) is also on board as Olivia’s superior, and though we see very little of him, he brings a strong sense of authority and gravitas to the role. Hopefully, the character will be given more to do in future episodes than argue with Olivia.

The overall look of the show is sleek and stylish, of course, with the saturated hues of Alias or Lost, Abrams’ previous shows, replaced with the dark, washed out look of a city in winter. It works, in this case, by grounding the unreal plots in a grubby, believable setting. Although the first episode does little more than gather the key characters together and establish the show’s premise, the stylized editing moves the plot swiftly along. Fringe grabs the viewer and whisks them along, rarely giving them time to dwell on the show’s weaknesses. The show may look dark, but it feels like a really fun ride — one I plan to take again.

Notes from the Fringe

I have been reveling in the purely fun nature of summer as much as anyone. In fact, since that I just wrapped up my last teaching contract and moved to a new, fabulous city, I’ve been having a whole lot of fun. Like, IV of tequila in one arm, ibuprofen in the other arm fun. In my few lucid moments, I am, of course, watching television. Still, even my television set knows it’s summer, and thoughtfully wrapped up all series that require deep thought weeks ago. Instead, we get joyously empty-headed programming to see us through the summer months, the televisual equivalent of drinks on the patio or a visit to a theme park.

My favorite of these shiny, happy shows is easily Burn Notice, which returned Thursday night on USA. Burn Notice embodies everything a summer series should be. It’s bright and colorful, full of pretty people wearing little clothing, and stuffed full of ridiculous plots that only make one demand of the viewers: go along for the ride, and you’ll have a good time.

And that’s exactly what this show is, a fun theme park ride, full of twists and turns and adrenaline. After watching the first season, I only wondered why every summer schedule hasn’t contained a lightweight spy drama, as it’s the perfect filler for the warmer months. A show that might seem like a bit of mindless fluff in November is absolutely perfect for the warm days of July.

The show’s success hinges in large part on its lead, played by Jeffrey Donovan. His spy is the bastard love child of MacGyver and Sydney Bristow, one who was raised in foster care long enough to develop some serious trust issues. Like any great fictional spy, the audience knows he can handle himself in any situation, and the joy comes from watching exactly how he finds his way out of the various scrapes. He’s probably the coolest guy on television, one whose clever, cynical voice-overs juxtapose neatly with the way he’ll go running as soon as his chain-smoking mother needs him. His character has just enough layers to keep him interesting in the midst of all the shiny fluff. His flaws — emotional distance, paranoia — are mostly internal, but since he never discusses his issues at any length, they merely add a quiet depth to his character, rather than serve as a platform for angst-filled conversations. He does have a truly terrible Cockney accent, but does it with so much style that I can forgive even that.

If that wasn’t enough, I’d have to support the show purely for the fact that it keeps Bruce Campbell working on a regular basis. The man can do no wrong in my eyes (hey, he even did his best in Bubba Ho-Tep). Here he adds consistent comic relief as the ex-Navy Seal who assists on the various cases. Gabrielle Anwar, as the gun-loving ex-girlfriend, is a bit less reliable — I really wish she would just pick an accent and stick with it — but she seems to be settling a bit more into her character’s strange mix of gleeful violence and emotional angst. This season’s addition of guest star Tricia Helfer manages to increase both the talent and the eye-candy quotient of the supporting cast, as well.

The show itself embraces its summery nature, with lots of loving shots of sunny Miami and more bikini-clad extras than you’ve seen since the beach episodes of 90210. At no point does it take itself too seriously, and its stylized production always manages to fall on the correct side of the “cleverly self aware or annoyingly quirky” boundary.

In the end, the show is a plain old good time, and I’m quite happy to have it back for a second season. Plus, I hear it goes even better with a margarita or two. Someone, pass the tequila.

Burn Notice airs Thursdays at 10pm on USA.

Burn Notice Brings the Summer Heat

Remember the days when The Terminator was just an action movie starring the future governor of California? Now, it’s an entire mythology based on the original film, two sequels (with a third in development), and — starting Sunday — a television series.

I never saw Terminator 3. At the end of the second film, Arnie himself promised that it was over, and, silly me, I believed him. I decided to pretty much ignore the story from that point on but, much like the robots on which the story is based, the damn thing will not stop coming. Denial obviously isn’t working, so perhaps it’s time to check back in and see how the tale of robots and future dystopia is coming along.

After watching the pilot for the new The Sarah Connor Chronicles, I can at least say that the idea has a bit of life left in it. Whether or not it has enough juice to power an entire television series is another matter.

(more…)

The Terminator Lives On in The Sarah Connor Chronicles