DAMIEN Rises?

Article first published as DAMIEN Review on Seat42F.

A&E has had decent success with its horror movie prequel, Bates Motel, so it’s no surprise that it is doing another show spun-off from a film in the genre, even if it’s taken awhile to do so. This week, DAMIEN premieres on the cable network, a sequel to Richard Donner’s The Omen (1976). Set thirty years later, young Damien has now come of age, just as the end of the world is upon us.

It’s very early in this show so I could be wrong, but I think the central conflict of DAMIEN is flawed. We are introduced to Damien (Bradley James, iZombie, Merlin) as a compassionate war photographer, with none of the baggage of his past or origin. Gone are the creepy things surrounding him from the movie, seemingly having stopped just after the events of the film. He doesn’t know who he is or what his purpose is supposed to be.

Obviously, that must change, so DAMIEN introduces a number of startling, creepy things to begin popping up around Damien, bringing back his memories of the past, and sending characters to tell him who he is. Damien is expected to fulfill his role as the anti-Christ, even if it’s not clear what that means yet to him or to the viewer.

I just don’t understand. Are we supposed to root for Damien to descend into darkness? Or do we want to see him heroically deny his heritage and be a force of good? Would that even be possible?

With Bates Motel, we know the lead character will go bad, but it remains entertaining to watch his growth arc. In DAMIEN, Damien seems completely resistant to his fate and at odds with what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s not showing signs of changing based on events, at least not yet, so if he does go dark, it will be against his will, making his character’s journey meaningless. Unless Damien is supposed to save the world, but again, that doesn’t seem likely.

All of this adds up to nothing captivating, as near as I can tell. If the story is destined to be a tragic one, and not in a natural, progressive way, but because of supernatural forces so powerful they cannot be stopped, why do we want to watch? To see some faceless power destroy a character we’ve been made to care about? Who wants to see that?

It also makes no sense to me the huge gap in Damien’s life. People he loved were harmed or killed early on and now, but nothing in between? Why not? It seems to me either nothing would occur around him until this time, or it would occur constantly throughout his life. Am I right?

(Yes, I realize The Bible has a similar gap in the life of Jesus Christ, but he was the catalyst for much of what happened in that tale, not just the non-participant center of the storm.)

This is unfortunate because the roster behind DAMIEN is a promising one. Glen Mazzara, a former showrunner for The Walking Dead, is the creator leading the charge. The cast includes the terrific Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), the intriguing Barbara Hershey (Once Upon a Time), and reliable players David Meunier (Justified), Omid Abtahi (Argo), and Megalyn Echikunwoke (The 4400). Those names made me hopeful, even though The Omen is a move I’d never watch all the way through (I find it more disturbing than scary). But despite a decent looking production, it just doesn’t do what it needs to do as a story, lacking cohesion and clear direction.

As such, I sadly cannot recommend DAMIEN, as I likely won’t ever give it another chance.

DAMIEN airs Mondays at 10/9c on A&E.

The Kept Or THE RETURNED

Article originally written for Seat42F.

A&E’s new series THE RETURNED is based on the French series Les Revenants, which re-aired on Sundance and Netflix with subtitles under the name The Returned. I haven’t seen the original yet, though I keep meaning to watch, so when viewing this pilot, I was instead comparing it to last year’s Resurrection on ABC, which in turn was based on an unrelated book called The Return. Is that confusing enough for you?

All of these stories may be similar, but if you haven’t seen any of them, the premise of THE RETURNED is this: A girl named Camille (India Ennenga, Treme) dies when her bus runs off a cliff. Four years later, she returns home to her parents, Claire (Tandi Wright, Nothing Trivial) and Jack (Mark Pellegrino, Lost, The Tomorrow People), and twin sister, Lena (Sophie Lowe, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland), unaged and with no memory of the past four years. She’s not a zombie or a ghost; the first things she does are to fix herself a sandwich and take a bath. But she has no memory of the crash nor explanation as to where she’s been, nor any sign on injury, healed or otherwise.

Then, other dead people start showing up around town, too, not her classmates from the bus, but others that have passed in various years past. A man finds his fiancé getting remarried after a long mourning period. A wife who appears to have died decades ago goes home to her now-elderly husband. And there’s a little kid that no one seems to know, but may just hold the key to the mystery.

I have seen reviews for THE RETURNED that say this new series is to Les Revenants as Gracepoint is to Broadchurch. If you don’t get that reference, Gracepoint is a decent FOX series that aired this fall that is extremely similar to a superior show called Broadchurch, which was made in England. Without that knowledge of the source material, I like THE RETURNED, but those who have viewed the original may think this is a pale imitation. I cannot comment on that.

I can say THE RETURNED is about ten notches better than Resurrection. The story is far more cohesive, and the characters are compelling. There is a definite, big unanswered question in the pilot that I doubt the show will solve soon, but while I want to find out the answer, I’m also happy to enjoy the ride getting there.

The cast is phenomenal. Besides those mentioned above, the ensemble includes Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory), Michelle Forbes (The Killing), Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards), Kevin Alejandro (True Blood), Leah Gibson (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Agnes Bruckner (Private Practice), Dylan Kingwell (Big Eyes), Mat Vairo (Revolution), and Rhys Ward (Heartland). Not all of these people are well known, but most are, and have been in some of the best shows on television in the past decade. There aren’t any huge movie stars present to distract from the others, but these are some strong small screen performers.

The cast is super important to THE RETURNED because the program will hang on the characters. With the mystery of the show being so strange and obtuse, there aren’t likely to be any major clues anytime soon. Instead, the drama will live in the interaction of the players, and how the various people deal with coming home having lost years or welcoming back someone they believed gone forever. Not everyone handles it the same way, one person tragically unprepared, but this what viewers are going to want to see.

THE RETURNED is also a little creepy. The living dead do not appear to be monsters or killers, but who has brought them back and why? One of the main characters (not one of the returned) is exposed as having done something really horrible to another. Human nature can be dark, and pairing THE RETURNED with Bates Motel likely signals that this more negative side of personality will be explored, at least in conjunction with the positive.

I don’t know what THE RETURNED has in store, and I’m likely to still watch Les Revenants in the meantime, which could change my opinion. But for now, I’m very interested to see where the series is going.

THE RETURNED airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on A&E.

"Death" Comes Again to BATES MOTEL

Article originally published as BATES MOTEL Review on Seat42F.

This article contains light spoilers from the season premiere.

BATES MOTEL begins its third season on A&E with “A Death in the Family.” Don’t worry, it’s not one of the main characters who has passed. But the death is important because it affects one of the players deeply, and helps shape a likely season-long or longer arc, providing some rich acting opportunities.

I liked Bates Motel from the beginning, but it’s really taken awhile to find its legs. By necessity, Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) can’t start out being a total psychopath, yet there are many hints, some very blatant, about who he is becoming, and he’s more than hinting at his tendencies. The series will have to end with all the other main characters dead or having abandoned Norman, so there is no happy ending to be had. This is a madmen’s descent into total craziness.

“A Death in the Family” lets us feel that very strongly. When a new guest (Revolution’s Tracy Spiridakos) comes to stay at the motel, Norman is very odd around her. When a new school year starts, he resists it the way a small child would. When his mother sets a boundary, he is indignant and petty, but eventually gets what he wants. This is a boy no one is helping escape his destiny, and he’s becoming more and more comfortable with his oddities. It’s a wonder the townspeople, especially those who would remember him from high school, aren’t more leery of the small business owner during the movie this series is a prequel to, as his antics get quite public.

There is one scene in particular that illustrates who Norman currently is. He makes a decision that would seem quite natural for any other teen, but that feels creepy or worse from him. Based on the dialogue uttered by the other character in the scene, it seems like Norman may be seeking control. His actions are definitely much, much more selfish, rather than those a normal person would have in this situation. He’s manipulative and not attuned to others’ feelings. This is brought out even more when he then does something that runs counter to this decision later and he doesn’t notice. This is a pivotal moment for BATES MOTEL, likely signaling the impending doom of someone because Norman won’t be able to get out of them what he seeks, and this person probably won’t realize the true extent of the danger they are in until it’s too late.

Highmore continues to bring something special to this part, and I hope it doesn’t keep him from getting other work after Bates Motel. At this point, I can’t imagine anyone else in the role Anthony Perkins made famous. Highmore has that mix of terrifying monster and naïve innocence that make his character so compelling, even if one wants to stay far away.

It’s interesting that Norman goes so dark at a time when his home life is going so well. Norman, Norma (Vera Farmiga), and Dylan (Max Thieriot) are living in relative harmony, the latter two being respectful of one another and even offering assistance and advice. Of course, they both also have their own things that they focus on, which is how Norman slips through the cracks, but really, how much attention does a normal eighteen year old need? It’s only because Norman is so different, and his family can’t see it through their affection for him, that he is further lost to them.

There’s also development on the local drug plot, which involves Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) and Dylan. I am relieved that this is a comparably small portion of the hour, though, with it certainly not being Dylan’s primary plot. For any serial drama to make a certain number of episodes a year, there are usually some subplots less interesting than others. The drug trade is one of the lesser ones, but as long as it’s not focused on too much, it doesn’t really hurt the show.

Like I said, I like BATES MOTEL, but “A Death in the Family” may be the most interesting episode of the show aired since the pilot. It does some really neat things with some of the characters, and feels like it’s moving the story into the next, more murderous stage. I think there is a very limited lifespan this show should go, maybe four or five seasons max, but season three looks to be a very good one to watch.

BATES MOTEL airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.

The "Truth" About BATES MOTEL

Article first published as TV Review: 'Bates Motel' - Season Finale on Blogcritics.

A&E’s Bates Motel wraps its second season this week in “The Immutable Truth.” Dylan (Max Thieriot) races to find his brother, Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore). To do this, Dylan must enlist Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) to help, a choice Dylan makes even though he just murdered a man and must admit it to the officer. However, the two men locating Norman is only the beginning of the trouble, and it seems certain someone in the family will end up in jail.

“The Immutable Truth” is probably the most intense episode of Bates Motel yet. Things have slowly been building to a head, and they reach it here. The show often has murder and suspense, but never so much at stake and so close to the edge as this week. It’s a gripping hour, sure to satisfy viewers who have been waiting for just such an installment.

It also features Norman at his craziest. This week, he is coldly making a list and planning on killing himself, hallucinating his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), and passing a lie detector test by convincing himself the truth is something it’s not. This is a portrait of a psychopath, drawn out much more obviously than ever before on Bates Motel, putting together all the strange pieces of Norman.

The direction of “The Immutable Truth” deserves much of the credit. From a shot of the stuffed owl Norman hangs in the house, to scary glimpses through the dark, to Norman’s creepy face, each camera angle is chosen deliberately for maximum effect. This is a horror staple, of course, but when done right, can convey scariness even when there’s nothing inherently scary happening, and Bates Motel makes good use of this.

There is now a sense of dread hanging over Norma and Dylan not quite clear before. Norma wants to flee the country to protect Norman, as she has been trying to cover up his misdeeds for awhile, explaining her own irrational actions. Dylan wants to get Norman help, knowing that Norman is not mentally stable. Both are united in their desire to be there for Norman, but this just puts them squarely in danger, as no one can save Norman, which we know. Will Norman kill one or both of them himself?

At least Norma and Dylan have each other, comforting for the moment. There is a real turning point when Dylan saves Norman, which prompts Norma to express her love for her estranged son, even buying Dylan a plane ticket so he can leave with them. They end up staying put, but that bond, ever fragile, has been strengthened in “The Immutable Truth,” growth earned through trial and tribulation.

One wonders how Romero will now act towards the family. He is convinced Norman is innocent, but he knows Dylan is guilty. He does help Dylan cover up the deaths, believing Dylan to be the right person to have in charge of the city’s illegal drug trade, vital to the area’s survival. But will Romero be keeping closer tabs, trying to exert influence? Or will he be a staunch ally, determined to keep their secrets safe as long as they don’t bring more trouble? He’s not a bully, he’s a compassionate man, but his moral code is hazy.

My one complaint about this season finale is the way bodies drop to the floor as if checking off a list of the year two recurring players. The show doesn’t need Nick Ford (Michael O’Neill), Jodi (Kathleen Robertson), and Zane (Michael Eklund) to come back, so it just kills them off. I’m almost surprised Christine (Rebecca Creskoff) doesn’t wind up dead just so the series can start fresh again in 2015.

Still, “The Immutable Truth” is a pretty darn good way to end the season, both for the emotional levels taken in the character dynamics, and the way Norman is rapidly becoming the monster film fans know him to be. I don’t know how many more years Bates Motel has left in it, but at this point, it could build to a natural ending any time A&E is ready for it to do so. No rush.

Bates Motel has been renewed and will air its third season next year.

THOSE WHO KILL Are Featured Too Heavily on Television

Article first published as THOSE WHO KILL Review on Seat42F.

Following Bates Motel tonight on A&E is the new drama THOSE WHO KILL. Other reviewers seem to be mixed on whether this show succeeds or not, but most take one position or the other. I’m torn in the middle, seeing both the positive and negative points made. This is yet another crime drama with a few very formulaic elements and some, at-times, shoddy writing. But it’s also a heck of a character study for its lead, whom is brilliantly acted, and it does veer away from the rote procedural.

As the “Pilot” begins, Detective Catherine Jensen (Chloe Sevigny, Big Love, Portlandia) is examining a mummified corpse. Her fellow officer, Lieutenant Mike Dunn (Christopher Michael Holley, Smokin’ Aces), a seasoned veteran, doesn’t want to expend much effort on what he feels is an open-and-shut unsolvable case. The thing is, even the viewer can tell at a glance by the corpse’s painted fingernails that Dunn’s theory is wrong. Jensen, of course, bulks, finds some more clues, some with the help of her medical examiner friend, Mia (Kerry O’Malley, Shameless), and quickly gets on the trail of a serial killer.

If that paragraph made the show seem predictable, well, that part of it is. Dunn is a ridiculous cop, but one television viewers will be familiar with, and Jensen is a brilliant hero, again, another oft-used type. If there wasn’t more to this story, then THOSE WHO KILL would end pretty quickly. But that’s just the start of things.

Knowing she’ll get little support from Dunn, Jensen enlists an academic, Thomas Schaeffer (James D’Arcy, Secret Diary of a Call Girl), for assistance. He turns out to be just as weird and eccentric as she is, and together, the two come face to face with the bad guy relatively early in the episode. That doesn’t mean the case is over and everything is solved. That just means these guys are good. Very good.

Throughout this first installment, we learn little bits about both Jensen and Schaeffer that are disturbing, more so for the former, but surely more will come about the latter. Jensen cuts herself and keeps pictures of serial killers’ homes on her wall. She is obsessed with a missing brother and a mysterious father (Bruce Davison, X-Men). Schaeffer’s wife (Anne Dudek, Covert Affairs) does not approve of him getting involved in an active case, and her opinion is justified when Schaeffer gets a little too creepy putting himself in the mind of the killer, a la Will Graham in Hannibal, to a much lesser extent. His rocky, but unrevealed, past with Jensen’s boss, Frank Bisgaard (James Morrison, 24), also counts against him.

The parts of THOSE WHO KILL that work best are when the series dwells on the darker nature of its players. Yes, Dexter has already given us just about all the psychopath anyone could want, and Luther and others have played for the more complex version of the part, so it’s not really anything new. But Sevigny is just so darned good that one can’t look away from her performance, even when the script falters.

And falter it does. Besides Dunn’s unrealistic dismissiveness, there is a terribly botched capture attempt, a run-in that should have ended the episode, a few leaps of logic to move the plot along, and the setting itself of run-down Pittsburgh. Bisgaard tells Jensen she should feel responsible for every death until they capture their man, bad advice that no ordinary cop could take to heart and stay sane. But at least the main cops actually call for backup when going into a dangerous situation, and said backup arrives in a timely manner, a situation almost unheard of in the television crime body of work.

The hardest thing THOSE WHO KILL has going for it is that it’s another crime show. The genre is tragically bloated, so it’s almost impossible to add anything new to it. Networks need to stop trying, immediately and almost permanently. The good thing is that it’s paired with a show that has a similar tone and sensibilities, albeit with a bit more originality and teen angst, and the cast, especially Sevigny, is amazing. Her contribution cannot be overstated. So it has a chance. It’s certainly the second best series A&E has made, a bit above Longmire, and miles over The Glades.

THOSE WHO KILLS airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on A&E.

I've "Not Forgotten" BATES MOTEL

Article first published as BATES MOTEL Review Season 2 on Seat42F.

A&E’s BATES MOTEL has been “Gone But Not Forgotten,” but now it’s back with a second season. After a brief, dark opening, the show picks up four months after the events of last year’s finale. Miss Watson’s (Keegan Connor Tracy) murder remains unsolved, and Norma (Vera Farmiga) wonders why Norman (Freddie Highmore) seems so obsessed with his former teacher. Meanwhile, Bradley (Nicola Peltz) is being released from a mental hospital after trying to kill herself (the aforementioned prologue), and now that she’s out, she isn’t about to just return to the life she lived.

It’s kind of sad to see Bradley turn into such a different person. Surely it’s fun for Peltz to play, and she does just as convincing a job with bad Bradley as she did with good Bradley. But the sweet, popular girl that everyone liked, even those whose love interests looked at Bradley a little too long, has been replaced by someone completely self-destructive. This means that one of the two lights on the show has dimmed considerably, a regrettable thing in a dreary drama.

That being said, the hallmark of a good character is growth, and for Bradley, she’s going through quite a bit of it. Realizing she didn’t really know her father and now won’t get the chance to, she is determined to uncover his lies and get revenge for his death. This is a stronger, more determined Bradley, and if she goes a little off the rails, or even a lot, well, there’s plenty of time left for redemption.

There is still some hope for Bradley. A couple of times in “Gone But Not Forgotten,” we do see glimpses of the old Bradley. So if she survives her coming ordeals, which are kicked up quite a notch by the end of the hour, there is still some chance that she can recover herself. But that’s a real ‘if’ in a show like this.

Norman does offer to help Bradley, but is he in a position to do so? He’s got his own serious problems. We don’t know for sure if he killed Miss Watson, having only seen him in her house and then running through the rain while she lay dead. However, it seems like a solid bet since Norman has a history of blocking out the memories of killing people, such as his own father. “Gone But Not Forgotten” doesn’t clear up the mystery. It seems destined to hang around awhile, much like last season’s murder.

Norma seems relatively sure Norman did the deed, and equally determined not to let her son find out. I know she wants to be a good mother and protect Norman, but is covering up his crimes the way to do it? Shouldn’t she be trying to get her boy help so he can move past his homicidal tendencies? Or does she worry he’s a psychopath and really just not know how to deal with that, and so buries her head in the sand to get by?

Norma spends much of this premiere fighting against the bypass, now starting construction, which will draw business away from their motel, which seems to be doing OK for now. This is an important cause to her livelihood, but I’ve got a feeling that she pours herself into such things to avoid processing what Norman does. She’s selfish at times, but knowing Norman has killed has to affect her more than she lets on, and keeping active will prevent too much quiet introspection.

We get less of Dylan (Max Thieriot) and Emma (Olivia Decody) in the first episode back, but that makes sense, since Bradley, Norma, and Norman have enough important story to fill the installment. Dylan is still fighting his feelings for Bradley, out of respect for Norman, while working the pot business and Emma is still pining over Norman and being jealous of Bradley. So they’re status quo for now.

BATES MOTEL does a nice job of setting up suspense, then letting it play out in unexpected ways. Sherriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) is investigating what happened to Miss Watson and he’ll probably eventually get to the truth. But there’s no rush, other threads continue, and any breaks in the case will likely happen when we least are looking for it. It’s not as high quality as some other shows, as it does sort of stick to a formula, but the writers do know what they’re doing and it’s quite enjoyable overall.

The only question I’m left with is, as much as Norman seems to keep getting involved in shady stuff, how will he eventually be the unassuming motel proprietor? Will everyone that has reason to be suspicious of him eventually die, finally allowing him to fade into the background of the town? He does seem to keep bringing more trouble on himself, though, and as Norma won’t be around to deflect attention forever, there has to be some good tie up that makes sense at the end. Maybe, by the time Norma dies, the evidence will all point towards her and, for some reason, Norman will accept that?

BATES MOTEL airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.

Check Into BATES MOTEL

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Bates Motel - Season One' on Blogcritics.

Horror is a very popular genre on television right now, with The Walking Dead crushing in the ratings, American Horror Story earning accolades left and right, and Hannibal being just plain awesome. Earlier this year, A&E, a network not known for anything but formulaic, procedural dramas, decided to enter the ring with Bates Motel, a prequel to the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho. Imagine my surprise, then, that Bates Motel is every bit as worthy of praise as its peers.

Bates Motel is set in the modern day, and thus inspired by, rather than confined to, the film. The setting looks identical to that which viewers are familiar with, and some clothing and hairstyle choices are pulled straight from the source material. It pays homage quite clearly, though later episodes really take some license to go their own direction.

The reason to give a prequel story like this a chance, and the method through which it soars so well, is that it is made by producers of Lost and Friday Night Lights. These two amazing shows knew how to do character development and slow-burning plots, and they apply it here again. Combine this with a thoroughly creepy tone and place, you have a heck of a TV show. Plus, the cast is terrific.

As the story begins, Norman (Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland) moves with his mother, Nora (Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air, The Departed), to a run-down motel in a small town after the suspicious death of his father. Here, the seventeen-year-old boy tries to build a normal life for himself with friends (Olivia Cooke and Nicola Peltz), but is hampered by his controlling mother.

Yes, Norma is exactly what we’d expect her to be, having seen the old movie, or even just knowing she named her son after herself. She’s harsh and unfeeling, despite her assertions of love. She holds Norman a prisoner as much as a son, and even involves him in her murderous schemes, or at least covering them up. She is manipulating and shaping him into the killer that he himself will become, and making sure she sinks claws into him that will stay attached far beyond her death.

Not that Norma is the only dangerous thing in town. It’s hard to trust Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell, Lost), even after Norma worms her way into the arms of his Deputy, Zack Shelby (Mike Vogel, Under the Dome). Pot fields and sex-slave rings abound. Creepiness is everywhere.

Norman’s path isn’t completely lost yet. He’s a nice, obedient boy, most of the time, and he has an older half-brother, Dylan (Max Thieriot), to look up to. He also has a teacher, Miss Watson (Keegan Connor Tracy, Once Upon a Time), that sees untapped potential within him. There is always the slim chance he might get out of this story without being ruined, though I doubt that would satisfy the fans.

High definition is a must for this series. Given the dark tone, there are plenty of shadows and muted colors. This blu-ray release does a fantastic job of showing off the blacks and layers within in 1080p. It’s nice to get such crispness from such richly detained sets and props. The soundtrack is well mixed in DTS 5.1. If a production is going to go this much trouble to deliver a high quality release, both visual and audio, it is worth it to seek the best picture and sound available.

The special features are unfortunately few. There are deleted scenes, of course, and a really cool Paley Center Panel included. For those who buy the initial release, a few of Jiao’s (Diana Bang) neat sketches are tucked in. But that’s it, no audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes extras, sadly.

Bates Motel: Season One is on sale now.

Bates Motel dreams of death

Article first posted as BATES MOTEL Review on Seat42F.com

Grade: 96%

A&E is not particularly known for their dramas. They’ve had a few scripted series up to this point, like The Glades, Breakout Kings, and The Cleaner, but they are formulaic crime dramas, not a complex, serial show that deserves attention and praise. With the premiere of BATES MOTEL on March 18th, that changes.

BATES MOTEL, as one might expect, is set at the same location as the classic Hitchcock film Psycho, and looks perfectly in sync with the earlier work. This television series is a prequel to the movie, set many years earlier. As the first episode, “Fist You Dream, Then You Die” opens, Norman Bates’ (Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland) father dies, and his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air, The Departer), moves them to a small town where she has purchased a motel and the house behind it.

The elements one would expect from such a project are immediately present. Norman is eager to please and mostly obedient. Norma is controlling and manipulative. The motel itself is cursed from the beginning, it having been taken away from a family that has long owned the land by the bank, and a descendant of that family is not happy to let it go. The tone is creepy and disturbing, but not too obviously so.

The cast does a superb job. Highmore is the right mix of good son and budding psychopath. He is trying to be a normal kid, but that’s not the way his mother has raised him, nor does she let explore that option. Farmiga captures the portrait of the type of mother that would name her son after herself. The way she coldly receives the news of her husband’s death, then later handles Norman, is compelling to watch, and surely she is making a mark on the television landscape, owning the role.

Right away, death also comes to the Bates Motel. There are strong hints that Norma might have offed her own husband, and (very slight spoiler) there will be a second body by the end of the first hour. I don’t know if BATES MOTEL is a horror show, per se, and if there will continue to be serial killings throughout; after all, no one suspects Norman long after his mother passes on. But the stage is set for what must be.

Much of the purpose of the series will be to take Norman from normal child to cold-hearted murderer. We see he has a possible support system, with girls who want to be his friends and a teacher offering mentorship. But we also see how the boys don’t take a shine to him, and how Norma cuts him off from social interaction. And then, witnessing what Norma involves him in, we see the seeds of things to come.

Not that Norma is totally obvious in her machinations. To a viewer at home, sure, we can tell she’s a horrible mother because we see it all. To a character in the show, outside of the family, she may seem a little strict, but not someone to worry about. At least, not yet.

The supporting cast is just as good as the two leads, which helps with the overall effect. After all, BATES MOTEL is set in a town, so there must be townspeople. These fellow residents pleasantly round out the world in a very authentic way without distracting or mandating plots of their own. They include Nestor Carbonell (Lost) as the Sheriff, Keegan Connor Tracy (Once Upon a Time) as Miss Watson, Norman’s teacher, and Olivia Cooke as an odd classmate. Upcoming guests (according to IMDB and Wikipedia) will include Jere Burns (Justified), Mike Vogel (Pan Am), Richard Harmon (The Killing), and even Kate Winslet (Titantic, Mildred Pierce).

“First You Dream, Then You Die” is a lot of setup, especially the beginning, but manages to not feel too much like it is. We enter at a critical moment in Norman’s life, one that will put him on a certain path, and he already begins going down that path in the premiere. The start of the action is not sudden or jarring, and yet, this pilot does a good job of actually getting into the meat of the story. Credit writing, directing, and production, as well as the performers, because this is an excellent pilot in just about every way imaginable, with a definite cinematic quality.

My only slight complaint is that there is a bit of heavy handedness present. “First You Dream, Then You Die” begins with Norman listening to dialogue on a television talking about a grown man living with his mother. Norma wears the same dress and hairstyle to dinner that the corpse at the end of the film is sporting. But while it may have been better to spread out such references through multiple episodes, instead of sticking a bunch in the premiere, it does effectively tie this project to its source material, so it’s not totally unwarranted.

BATES MOTEL deserves attention, and Highmore and Farmiga will hopefully get some Emmy credit. Which means you probably won’t want to miss a show this good. I certainly won’t.

Review : New A&E Series LONGMIRE

L to R: Katee Sackhoff and Robert Taylor star in A &E’s new original drama series, “Longmire,” Credit: Ursula Coyote

A&E's new drama series, LONGMIRE, premiered last night. The series centers around Walt Longmire, a sheriff who has been mourning the death of his wife for a year. As the "Pilot" begins, Walt is slowly starting to put things back together, realizing he has been neglecting his job. A dead body and a missing girl helps with the process. He may not be able to bring his wife back, but he can certainly try to save someone else's girl. Which, of course, he does by the end of the hour.

LONGMIRE is based on a series of novels by Craig Johnson. Funny, then, that it feels like it's a remake of an old television show. Actually, make that a number of old television shows. Part western, part crime procedural, LONGMIRE evokes a sense of nostalgia as the type of program one's dad used to watch incessantly. Decades ago, there were many series like this on TV. Today, it stands alone. The fact remains: LONGMIRE owes its roots to a great many other projects which have come before it, with similar tones and mission statements.

While personal drama has never been lacking from the screen, LONGMIRE does show its modern pinnings when allowing the story to dwell on the titular character's emotional depth. Other shows of this sort do allow some peek into the soul, but not to the degree that LONGMIRE does right out of the gate. Will LONGMIRE be a standard case-of-the-week deal, taking just a little time each week to explore the serial story and character development? Or will it be a character study, that just happens to solve crimes along the way? In the "Pilot," it's too early to tell, as the series seems unable to make up its mind. Given the television landscape, and the (lack of) quality of the network's other projects, though, the smart money is on the former.

Robert Taylor (Satisfaction, MDA) enjoys playing Walt Longmire. Or if not, he certainly has this reviewer fooled. He chews through the scenes with aplomb. Which does not mean that he is the next Emmy-winning leading man. He is doing a fine job, to be sure, but not one that stands out; at least not yet. In fact, his character seems as much a throwback and tribute to past works as the main story itself, sadly. But, he is the driving force of each episode, so the series lives and dies based on the job that he does. In the "Pilot," that effort is satisfactory, not superb. This leaves his room to grow, as there is the potential here to really shine, in time.

Unfortunately, because of the gigantic role Taylor plays, there isn't much left for anyone else. Bailey Chase (Damages, Saving Grace) has the most to do as the young upstart who would like to replace Longmire as sheriff. He won't succeed, of course, and Longmire is too classy to fire him. So he will probably remain an annoying distraction, likely not providing a real threat. However, this gives him more to do than any other supporting player, so Chase shouldn't complain.

The rest of the others certainly have some heft to them, having all had successful runs in sci-fi series. Lou Diamond Phillips (SGU Stargate Universe) plays the local bartender and friend of Longmire's for nearly four decades, which doesn't stop Longmire from accusing him of wrongdoing when some kid implies that the barkeep might be guilty. Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) is the young deputy who seems to have her boss's back. Cassidy Freeman (Smallville) is Longmire's daughter, who wishes she could fix her dad.

None of the three get to do anything of significance, which begs the question, why accept the roles at all? Is it to show a range, moving into a far different genre than the one they are famous for? If so, this is a failed experiment. They will probably not be given all that much range to show, merely serving as a distant second fiddle to the central character. There is much talent here that is so obviously being squandered in brief scenes and small bits of dialogue, that it makes LONGMIRE supremely frustrating to watch. LONGMIRE needs to become an ensemble piece to serve these people, and that just doesn't seem like a probable scenario.

Overall, that makes LONGMIRE a mixed bag that has not found its path yet. After one episode, few shows do. Some retooling, and it could be a delicious, fulfilling drama that takes the best parts of classic television and gives them a much-needed update. But as it currently stands, it will fade into the background as something most people don't even know exists. A shame, to be sure.

LONGMIRE airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on A&E.

Article first published on Seat42F