SHADOW AND BONE A Bit Hazy

 Article first published as SHADOW AND BONE Review on Seat42F.

Netflix released the much-anticipated SHADOW AND BONE this past Friday, based on the best-selling Grishverse books by Leigh Bardugo. The eight-episode first season combines elements of multiple books set in the universe, primarily Shadow and Bone, following a young woman with hidden magical abilities, and characters from Six of Crows, about a gang of thieves. I have not read any of the books in the series, so my review comes from a perspective of just evaluating the show on its own, rather than how it does or does not follow the novels.

SHADOW AND BONE is a young adult fantasy series, a popular genre. Its darkness is more Game of Thrones than Harry Potter. Its world is harsh and deadly, and its villains are everywhere, holding lots of power and influence. In this society where wealth talks, it makes sense that the hero, Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li, All About Eve), is an orphan foreigner, outside the spheres that control things. Thus, it’s a classic tale of an outsider rising up and threatening the balance, a state that would be cheered by many a commoner, but the elite will stop at nothing to prevent.

Alina thinks she’s an ordinary cartographer, and her only concern in life is to stay near her best friend, Malyen “Mal” Oretsev (Archie Renaux, Voyagers). Thus, when Mal is assigned to go through The Fold, a dark, deadly, magical realm that divides their country in two, Alina is determined to go with them. Though her machinations mean her whole unit must endure the danger. Good thing she doesn’t seem to care about them much, because they are soon torn asunder, which is when Alina’s superpowers reveal themselves, saving much of the group in unexpected fashion.

The events described above trouble me for several reasons. Alina is supposed to be the hero of SHADOW AND BONE, yet she shows non consideration for the lives of almost anyone else. Yes, a hero’s journey often finds them overcoming their failings, but to have a hero who is so self-involved to the point where many of her comrades are just canon fodder is pretty bad upon any examination. Also, the problems in The Fold start when a young man lights a lantern, drawing attack. Which begs the question, given the obviousness of the mistake and its big implications for the crew, why even carry a lantern? And if there’s a good reason to do so, why was it not drilled firmly into the heads of the travelers not to light it? It was mentioned once, and given the disaster that follows, that wasn’t nearly enough.

Alina’s display of light, outing her as a mythological Sun Summoner, draws the attention of General Kirigan (Ben Barnes,Westworld), who wants to use her for his own purposes. It also propels a gang of thieves, Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter, Free Rein), Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman, The Outpost), and Jesper Fahey (Kit Young, National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar). Initially these three are on their own plot thread, but soon enough seem destined to be drawn into the central one. This rounds out the central cast.

The world portrayed in SHADOW AND BONE seems both relatively small and not explained enough in the first couple of episodes. We know the country is divided in half by a magical realm which hasn’t always been there, and they can’t go around it because of enemies in the north and mountains in the south. Other than that, it’s not completely clear what other nations play a part and how, though there are definitely others. The series could have benefitted with a prologue better explaining the locations in which this story is set.

Other than that, I found it a bit bland. It looks fantastic, to be sure, but I wasn’t excited or drawn in. Some of the characters are charming, but not enough of them to make the series compelling. They lack the complexity of GoT or other similar offerings. I find myself struggling to care what happens, or even understand the implications of everything going on. It’s confusing and doesn’t have the magnetism required to motivate figuring it out. I have a feeling readers of the series, who already know the universe, will enjoy this a lot more, but for the newbie who isn’t already familiar, it’s confusing and a bit boring. I don’t think I’ll be finishing the season.

SHADOW AND BONE is streaming now on Netflix.

Meet MARE OF EASTTOWN

 Article first published as MARE OF EASTTOWN Review on Seat42F.

HBO premiered the new seven-part miniseries MARE OF EASTTOWN this week. Set in a fictional small Pennsylvanian town, the show follows a young grandmother who is the local detective. Unfortunately, she’s made no progress on a missing girl’s case for a year, and the residents are losing faith in her abilities to keep them safe. When a body is found, the protagonist faces angry neighbors, an unappreciative family, and a thankless job with her usual cynicism and rugged determination.

Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce, Revolutionary Road) stars in MARE OF EASTTOWN as Mare Sheehan, the aforementioned detective. Mare is no-nonsense and no-fluff, barely taking time to eat something, forget healthy, and with questionable hygiene. She has a difficult life, housing four generations under her roof, including her mother, Helen (Jean Smart, Watchmen, Legion), who seems to prefer Mare’s ex-husband, Frank (David Denman, The Office), to her daughter. Mare’s teen offspring, Siobhan (Angourie Rice, Spider-Man: Far From Home), is typically moody, and Mare also has her dead son’s baby. So even without the failed investigation hanging over her head, Mare has plenty on her plate.

Winslet is excellent in MARE OF EASTTOWN, of course, and one would expect no less. She also makes strong acting choices, so it isn’t a surprise that the series is very well-made and specific. It’s extremely grounded, one of the more realistic cop shows I’ve seen, and the cast is all-around great. Even Winslet’s strange “Delco” accent works in context, only coming out here and there.

One wonders why Mare has such a challenging life. In high school, she was “Miss Lady Hawk Herself,” the title of episode one, a popular athlete. But she seems to have peaked then, and having stayed local, she wears the old title around her as heavily as any of her other burdens. Being reminded of the event in episode one doesn’t help her mood, which appears to be sour at the best of times, even though her chosen profession and full house indicates she cares more than she lets on.

Besides the amazing Smart, there are some other supporting players to note. It’s bittersweet to see Phyllis Somerville (The Big C, Stoker) pop up among the neighbors after her passing last year. She plays a bit different of a role than most I’m familiar with from her, and her presence is certainly a draw. Guy Pearce, Winslet’s love interest in Mildred Pierce, is also present as Mare’s sexual hookup in MARE OF EASTTOWN. Theirs is an odd chemistry, but it works. Evan Peters (WandaVision) doesn’t make an appearance in the premiere, but is set to star in the series, as well, playing a detective brought in from the outside to help Mare, which I’m sure she won’t appreciate at all.

The girl whose body is found is a focus of a lot of the first hour. We see her situation before she ends up dead, painting a picture of who she is and shining light on a few suspects. This is a good way to round out the crime, making Mare’s investigation mean something to the viewers, who already care about the deceased.

MARE OF EASTTOWN is super grounded, gritty, and slow. It is the definition of prestige drama with none of the prestige in the setting or characters’ lives, as the town and people are pretty run-down. It’s definitely awards bait, so if you want to be ready for the Emmys and Golden Globes, you’ll want to make sure you tune in. But it’s also pretty entertaining, too, if for no other reason than to watch some actors at the height of their game doing what they do best.

MARE OF EASTTOWN airs Sundays on HBO.

Such a CRUEL SUMMER

 Article first published as CRUEL SUMMER Review on Seat42F.

Tonight, Freeform presents the first two episodes of a psychological thriller series called CRUEL SUMMER. Written by Bert V. Royal Jr. (Easy A), each episode focuses on the events of a single date in three consecutive years beginning June 21, 1993, 1994, and 1995. The same characters played by the same performers are in all three timelines, which makes sense, given the brief spans between them. But the world is drastically different for almost everyone involved in each of the three. The mystery is exactly what happened to propel the changes seen in each subsequent year. And while the broad strokes are outlined pretty early on in the run, the full truth remains to be revealed.

At the start of the first episode of CRUEL SUMMER we meet nerdy Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia, Tell Me Your Secrets), who is celebrating her fifteenth birthday. All she seems to want to do is hang out with her best friends, Vince (Allius Barnes, Thumper) and Mallory (Harley Quinn Smith, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot). She is jealous of the popular girl, Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt, Cloak & Dagger), and covets Kate’s boyfriend, Jamie Henson (Froy Gutierrez, Teen Wolf.)

A year later, as Jeanette turns sixteen, she’s basically taken over Kate’s life, including her boyfriend and friends, having grown apart from Vince and Mallory. That’s strange enough, but Kate is nowhere in sight, and we’re not sure how Jeanette got here. Another year later, as Jeanette is seventeen, things have changed again, with a dark, depressed Jeanette ostracized by everyone and speaking to lawyers. What happened?

CRUEL SUMMER is in no hurry to tell us everything, as that would defeat the purpose of the show. But it is quick to start giving details. By the end of hour one, you may have a pretty good idea of the how and why of Jeanette’s trajectory. At the end of the second hour, which will air back-to-back tonight, you may question the idea you had. This is going to be a convoluted story with many twists, and what seems to be a certainty will likely be proven to be wrong repeatedly.

For instance, I’m not sure if the main character is Jeanette. The pilot is all about her, but on the poster, she shares focus with Kate. And the second half turns its attentions on the popular girl, whose life is far from the perfect Jeanette assumes it to be. It’s easy to hate Kate, until you don’t. But what ultimately ends up having happened will decide if she’s a hero or villain. Jeanette, too, for that matter. The girls are inexorably intertwined, two seemingly similar people with different circumstances starting out.

There is a lot about CRUEL SUMMER that’s enticing. The multiple timelines format has become a bit of a gimmick lately, following the success of This Is Us, but the short jumps between theme her make this one seem at least somewhat fresh.. A good thriller mystery is also a draw, especially one like this that is surely a limited series. Not meaning they won’t do subsequent seasons, but if there are, they’ll need a new narrative. It’s also very squarely a young adult show, which is a popular genre. Beyond that, there are also some very interesting things to think about as the point of view shifts.

The main drawback is that it doesn’t feel compelling. With few recognizable performers, it probably won’t attract beyond those already watching the network. The acting isn’t bad, but it’s not prestige drama level, either. Many of the cast are young and they’ll likely get better in time, but I don’t think any will be awards bait for this series. So it’s hard to imagine it’ll build steam beyond the target demo. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as competing with the streaming services isn’t the goal. It’s a decent show that will serve the network’s existing audience, and seems to be airing right where it should be.

CRUEL SUMMER premieres tonight on Freeform at 9PM.

KUNG FU Kicks Butt

 Article first published as KUNG FU TV Review on Seat42F.

The CW’s newest action drama is KUNG FU. A remake of the 70s show of the same name (and 90s continuation), this series is set in the present day. A young woman bristles against the path her mother has set for her life, and instead spends three years in China learning Kung Fu. But you can’t run away from your family or your problems, so eventually the young woman goes home and finds even more trouble. Has fate set her up to save everyone? Or is she just in the right place at the right time with the right skills?

My first thought, even before I looked up the producers, which include Greg Berlanti, is that KUNG FU could easily be a spin-off of former CW series Arrow. Arrow had lots of Asian symbology to it, and of course so does KUNG FU. The formula is very similar, as well, with a hero estranged from her family for years, only to return and try to play savior in the place she grew up, as well as getting drawn into larger battles. The plot is divided between a superhero (which the protagonist definitely is) going through family and romance drama, and fights against those who would hurt people, often on a large scale.

This Arrow comparison isn’t a complaint; I liked that show quite a bit, and now that it has come to an end, there is definitely room for another show of its type on the network. KUNG FU also feels timely and important to have such an Asian-heavy cast and team in a show like this right now, especially given the racism and violence that has been exacerbated recently against Asian Americans. Familiarity breeds acceptance and diversity, so it’s vital to have representation. The fact that this is a good series relatable to anyone who grew up with or has a family may help it temper some resentments. But that aside, it’s just a good, entertaining series.

Kung Fu “Pilot” Pictured (L-R): Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen and Jon Prasida as Ryan Photo: Kailey Schwerman The CW

Olivia Liang (Legacies) stars in KUNG FU as Nikky Shen, the hero referenced above. Unlike in Arrow, Nikky’s team is made up of her biological family, with her techy sister, Althea (Shannon Dang, Sorry for Your Loss), and pre-med brother, Ryan (Jon Prasida, Tomorrow, When the War Began), assisting her almost right off the bat. She is also joined by new love interest who can handle himself in a combat situation, Henry (Eddie Liu, Silicon Valley), and former boyfriend, Assistant District Attorney Evan (Gavin Stenhouse, Allegiance), as needed.

But the best parts of the pilot, in my opinion, involve Nikky’s interactions with her parents, Mei-Li (Kheng Hau Tan, Crazy Rich Asians) and Jin (Tzi Ma, 24, Mulan). Their relationship is complicated, to be sure. But true to TV tropes, love conquers any issues. Mei-Li may be hurt by Nikky disappearing for a while, but there’s no doubt they can heal their relationship and move forward. It may be a cliché at this point to inform a parent-child relationship by the parent’s bond with their own progenitors, but it works well as a motivation explainer, and it’s effective.

I enjoyed the KUNG FU pilot quite a bit. There is a lot that is covering well-worn ground, but there’s also enough of a difference here, especially in the culture that informs, that it still feels fresh enough. It builds upon what has come before it, but it’s also the next natural evolution of some of those characteristics, in a good way. I think it’s on the right network and coming at the right time to do well. It’s been a while since I added a non-DC CW show to my TiVo season passes, but I think this one is going to make the cut, at least until I see how it develops from here.

KUNG FU premieres Wednesday, April 7th at 8PM ET on the CW.