Be Gone, THE EXORCIST!

Article first published as THE EXORCIST Review on Seat42F.

FOX continues its trend of adapting films into television (Lethal Weapon premiered earlier this week) with THE EXORCIST. Based on the film and book of the same name, though with fresh characters, THE EXORCIST follows Fathers Tomas Ortega and Marcus Keane as they investigate evil in the home of the Rance family. Can they repel the demons and bring light back into the house? Or will they become victims of a dark power?

The two priests, presumably our heroes, are very different people. Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera, Sense8, El Equipo) is young and earnest and eager to help, but may lack the skills to do so. He’s also haunted by nightmares that could mean his soul is in danger. On the other hand, Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels, Flesh and Bone, House of Cards) is gruff with lots of life experience that has made him to want to withdraw from others. Which is too bad, because he’s probably the one the Rances need to defeat the demon.

The Rances have been through quite a lot already as THE EXORCIST begins. The father, Henry (Alan Ruck, Spin City), was in an accident that has left him pretty mentally gone and unable to really care for himself very well. Daughters Katherine (Brianne Howey, Horrible Bosses 2) and Cassey (Hannah Kasulka, The Fosters) deal with this at varying levels, one acting out, one being more understanding. This leaves matriarch Angela (Geena Davis, Grey’s Anatomy, Commander in Chief) to try to hold them all together, which she is struggling to do.

The series is a bit scary, but not overly so; this is broadcast television, you know. The gore is kept to a bare minimum, and swearing is pretty much nonexistent. What’s left is a drama that goes for something more underlying creepy than knock-your-socks off scary (by necessity), while trying to build a serial story with deeper mythology. Thank goodness this isn’t a case of the week, with the priests casting out new monsters every episode.

To be honest, I’ve had a very hard time critiquing this pilot. I hate The Exorcist movie, really hate it, and have never been able to get all the way through it. I did not enjoy the show at all for many of the same reasons, and despite my best efforts, kept allowing myself to be distracted and tuning out. This particular brand of horror does not appeal to be in the slightest, and while other programs in the genre have stood out and won me over, this one doesn’t. This makes it far from easy to pinpoint specific details that are good or bad, having managed to somehow mentally block out most of the hour already, and having no desire to ever see it again.

The general impression that I got was that it was decently made, but confusing. It wasn’t gripping or artistic like Hannibal (which is a movie I hated turned into a TV series I love), or full of rich characters like Bates Motel (loved both the movie and the show; see, I have some horror cred). It did look fairly well put together, with beautiful sets and the appropriate tone and style. But there also wasn’t anything that stood out as overly impressive or unique. The cast is fine. I’m not sure the writing was all that cohesive, given my inability to really identify the arcs other than the main one of the demon possession and the story of Henry.

I do think whatever is going on with Henry must be related to the demon. It has to be, right? And I’m sure the demon is actually there, as skeptical as everyone around Angela is of its existence, since that’s the basis of the story. I also imagine that future seasons will have to deal with future families, as surely that plot can’t be stretched out any further than a year.

I’m sorry, that’s about all I can tell you. If you like the movie and want to see the show, THE EXORCIST airs Friday, September 23^rd on FOX.

Don't Listen to THE WHISPERS

Article first published as THE WHISPERS Review on Seat42F.

A broadcast television series is either a procedural, where the story follows a repetitive, mostly self-contained structure every week (think NCIS, CSI, Law & Order, etc.), or a serial, an ongoing narrative where things change. Procedurals tends to get more viewers in the short-term, but serials have longer shelf lives and more passionate followers. A program can’t be both, right? Well, ABC’s new drama THE WHISPERS tries to be.

THE WHISPERS begins with a little girl, Harper (Abby Ryder Fortson, Transparent), and her mother, Amanda (Autumn Reeser, No Ordinary Family). Harper has a new imaginary friend, which Amanda thinks is cute. But viewers quickly learn that this unseen being may not quite be as imaginary as Amanda believes, and the game the ‘whisperer,’ Drill, is playing is a dark one. It’s a suspenseful, interesting opening with some ripe possibilities.

From there we meet the real stars of THE WHISPERS, Claire Bennigan (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story) and Jessup Rollins (Derek Webster, Harry’s Law), federal agents tasked with investigating strange cases involving kids by their boss (Alan Ruck, Spin City, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). This is the component that feels much more procedural. Some of what Claire and Jessup look into is very case-of-the-week type stuff, and while there is definitely a larger mystery at play, it feels like much of the screen time will be taken up by crime solving.

This is a disappointment because there many, many crime shows on television. I don’t know if it’s just easier to justify any plot that involves putting together pieces of a puzzle when there are law enforcement agencies on the scene, but television cannot seem to get enough of cops, the CIA, and the FBI. It’s frustrating because THE WHISPERS seems likely a very compelling program if it would fully commit to its conceit, but holds itself back by giving into these too-familiar scenarios.

Which is not to say that the whole first hour is disappointing. There’s definitely something going on with Claire’s family, which includes her deaf son Henry (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Being Human), as well as Lena Lawrence (Kristen Connolly, House of Cards), her husband, Wes (Barry Sloane, Revenge), who is on a mission across the world, and their daughter, Minx (Kylie Rogers, Shooter). These people will contribute to the more interesting part of THE WHISPERS. The question is how much screen time will be sent with them, versus Claire and Jessup working cases. Hopefully, a lot.

There’s one more main character whom I haven’t mentioned and that’s because his name is not revealed for much of the pilot (though it is on the show’s website, which I would not recommend checking because it spoils a twist I probably should have seen coming but didn’t). Played by Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, Gilmore Girls), he is likely the key that will clue the other leads in on what is actually happening, and I’m curious to see where the show is going with him.

The tone of the show isn’t one of super high quality. It definitely feels like a broadcast show, albeit one that would normally air during the regular season, not the summer months. The creepy tension underlying the initial hour is a bit forced and a bit tame, with death even being downplayed a bit to make it more suitable for general audiences. I wouldn’t let me young children stay up and watch it, but this doesn’t come anywhere close to as scary as what cable can do. That, like the procedural part, neuters it a bit.

Still, as far as broadcast network summer fare, THE WHISPERS is the best we’re likely to get this year. It’s not a bad show, but that’s still a little regrettable when there are so many better offerings off of the Big Four, highlighting how far the old guard has fallen in the modern era. The likes of Rabe and Connolly can and should be doing better.

Oh, and Reeser is regrettably wasted here, a travesty that bothers me for the first few acts.

THE WHISPERS premieres Monday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

PSYCH "Remake" Not Improvement

Article first published as PSYCH "Remake" Not Improvement on TheTVKing.

USA's Psych feels like its taking a victory lap as the series wraps up. I say this because, rather than delivering typical episodes, the writers are getting more creative more often and doing some zany things, from musicals to a European excursion. This week's latest installment, "Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement" is actually a redo of a season one episode, working off what is a very similar script and storyline, albeit with a different killer.

The original episode (which I re-watched this week) was the twelfth one that aired, "Cloudy... With a Chance of Murder," way back in February of 2007. It is a relatively normal entry in which Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) help a bumbling defense attorney named Adam Hornstock (Michael Weston, House M.D.) clear his client of having murdered her lover, a newscaster. In the original version, the victim's jealous assistant (Keegan Connor Tracy, Once Upon a Time), is the culprit.

This time around, the defense attorney is still played by Weston, but now the suspects are a plethora of recognizable faces, rather than the relative unknowns used last time. The guest cast includes Ralph Macchio (Ugly Betty, Eight is Enough), Janet Varney (Burning Love), Katharine Isabelle (Being Human), Carlos Jacott (Big Love), Lindsay Sloane (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch), Alan Ruck (Spin City, Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, and a previous Psych guest star twice over), and Dana Ashbrook (also Twin Peaks and Psych). This roster lends the whiff of a stunt episode to the mix.

It isn't surprising Psych would finally get around to a tribute to itself. It has, after all, paid homage to many other shows and movies in the past. With its offbeat sense of humor, it makes total sense to go in this direction, especially if the end is nigh.

That being said, "Remake A.J.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement" adds little to the series portfolio, and it would be hard to argue it's even a bit better than the first, no matter what the title suggests. I believe part of this is because it picks a very run-of-the-mill entry to play off of, and the other part is that it doesn't do much to change things. The one thing the new one has over the old is that in the original, it's very clear the team hasn't figure out what the show is yet, exactly, whereas here, there's a welcome level of comfort and confidence.

In fact, the character dynamics are much closer to the current relationships that the original chemistry, despite the insistence of text on screen that this takes place years ago. While Jules (Maggie Lawson) says she isn't amused by Shawn, we know it's not true. Lawson doesn't do enough to convince us of that, which, as funny as it is when Shawn insists they will be together, something that can be added to the story in hindsight, is too bad. Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) also goes too soft on the boys.

A couple of things that are nice additions is that Henry (Corbin Bernsen) talks to a baby at the beginning, rather than a child, and Woody (Kurt Fuller), now an important part of the ensemble, is a witness in the case. But even in this, they waste Woody, not even setting him up to be a pal or have his current job.

Overall, "Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement" is a disappointment. Not because it's not entertaining; it's about as much so as a mediocre, typical Psych episode. Instead, it's the missed opportunities like the jokes that weren't done (such as using an old theme song) that keep it from being memorable. It's a good idea, not executed as well as it could have been, though it does have some good references.

Psych airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on USA.

WE ARE MEN Pilot Review

Article first published as WE ARE MEN Review on Seat42F.

CBS’s WE ARE MEN is sort of like Sex and the City with guys. Four buddies meet in an apartment complex inhabited by divorced men and wannabe actresses, stick together, and offer emotional support through a tough time. They still act like boys, not girls, but the camaraderie and their various romantic partners certainly evoke the comparison.

As the show begins, Carter (Chris Smith, Paranormal Activity 3) is at the altar with his bride, Sara (Fiona Gubelmann, Wilfred). A man runs in before they say “I do,” and Sara runs off with him, leaving Carter broken and sad. That’s when Carter moves into the apartment and meets the others.

It’s not the most original start. After all, Rachel ran away from her wedding at the start of Friends, and Alex left Dave at the altar in the Happy Endings premiere. But it serves its purpose, putting Carter in the right situation to get the premise rolling, and the way that WE ARE MEN’s “Pilot” comes back around at the end of the half hour makes the whole thing mostly worth it, even if it does seem familiar. Plus, a small guest appearance by Alan Ruck (Spin City) is a great feather in one’s cap in any installment, let alone at the beginning, and as a priest to boot!

Carter soon meets three neighbors who have also not been able to make marriage work for them. There’s Gil (Kal Penn, House), a guy who picked the worst mistress ever, Stuart (Jerry O’Connell, Jerry Maguire), whose first wife is now his second wife’s divorce attorney, and Frank (Tony Shaloub, Monk), whose many brides tend to stay the same age, even as he grows older, and is currently into Asians. They instantly take Carter under their wing, and their little club is born.

Smith may not be well known, but Penn, O’Connell, and Shaloub are. Their names alone are enough to garner at least two episode watches, and the chemistry they have here is fantastic. They really do feel like a bunch of buddies, regular guys, each selfish in their own wants and needs, but willing to offer a helping hand when they aren’t too focused on their next lay. They razz one another, but they care, which is proven by the end of the “Pilot.”

Now, yes, the dynamic comes together a little too fast. Two months pass during the “Pilot,” but it doesn’t feel like that, with everything moving so quickly. Even though the other three guys’ friendship with each other feels authentic, it does seem a little too soon for Carter to be part of the group in any meaningful way.

However, the show is funny, and it has charm. I really enjoyed watching the men hang out and get into trouble, and there’s a certain bit of fantasy in four guys with their own closely-located apartments, doing whatever they want without anyone bringing them down or trying to control them. There’s also a “glad that’s not me” component, sure to add emotion into characters, who clearly are not well-skilled at showing their feelings, especially when negative ones threaten to overwhelm them. It should be a good combination.

The list of recurring actors already involved is impressive. Besides Gubelmann, whom we’ll surely see again, and Ruck, which I certainly hope for a repeat visit from, Romy Rosemont (Glee) and Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) show up as Carter’s parents. If this is the kind of talent that wants to be involved in WE ARE MEN, than it is a promising sitcom indeed.

This “Pilot” does have its issues. The plot seems a little like fluff, there isn’t a clear direction for the story, and Carter’s inevitable romance sometime this season with Frank’s daughter, Abby (Rebecca Breeds, Home and Away), is predictable and groan-inducing. But there are some genuinely funny bits and the central quartet is strong, so it definitely has the potential to be pretty decent. It at least ranks in the middle of the pack of this year’s freshman comedies.

WE ARE MEN premieres Monday, September 30^th at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

BURN NOTICE Gets Its "Reckoning"

Article first published as BURN NOTICE Gets Its "Reckoning" on TheTVKing.

*WARNING: If you have not yet watched this episode, there are major spoilers within this review.

USA's Burn Notice came to an end after seven season this week with "Reckoning." The original premise, former spy Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) looks for those who burned him so he can try to get his life back, is long gone. In the final year, Weston discovers the CIA a cold, unforgiving place, and emotionally messed up, considers leaving the agency on his own terms. This comes to a head in the series finale.

Because of the plot arcs going into the year, Burn Notice chooses to mainly end the recent tale told, rather than culminate the entire show's run. I guess the writers feel like they've already tied up most of that, and there's no sense in revisiting it. This is a bit of a let down, since Burn Notice has such larger swings in earlier years, and the ending just comes across as a little anti-climatic.

And, for some reason, the great Alan Ruck shows up in a small role in this episode, a guest part that comes out of nowhere and seems wasted.

A central theme of Burn Notice has always been relying on one's friends. Michael has never been alone, much as he frequently tries to be, with Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar), his mother, Maddie (Sharon Gless), and, in later seasons, Jesse Porter (Coby Bell) helping him out. In the end, it's these people that save him and stand with him against the Big Bad, James Kendrick (John Pyper-Ferguson).

Early on, the story sets up a major turning point. Michael chooses to hang onto his love for Fiona, burning his bridge with Kendrick. Because Kendrick is now mad at Michael, Michael can't finish his mission to bring Kendick in, infuriating his CIA boss,  Andrew Strong (Jack Coleman), so everyone is against Michael and crew. Sort of just how it should be, since no organization has ever really embraced them, brave rebels on the frontier.

I was disappointed when Jesse splits off to protect Maddie and her orphaned grandson, Charlie (Wilson Pennell). After all, Maddie is frequently on the outside, but Jesse is not. We get some great Jesse / Sam moments early and late in the episode, but for awhile, it's just the original trio fighting the bad guys, which has a poetic justice, but doesn't quite serve Jesse's character, making him unjustly feel he has not earned him place with them.

Story-wise, Jesse must be with Charlie and Maddie because that leaves Maddie to sacrifice herself. It's a triumphant moment for Gless, even if it is a frustrating one for the viewers, not feeling right to lose Maddie. It would be much easier to accept one of the gang going down than the mostly-innocent mother of Michael. Jesse gets a touching moment with Maddie, Michael has a teary goodbye call, and Maddie herself gets to go down in a very cool way. Yet, one cant help but feel that there weren't that many soldiers nearby, and Maddie and Jesse could have dispatched them easily enough without having to kill off the beloved matriarch of the series.

Meanwhile, Michael, Sam, and Fiona have a confrontation with Kendrick. For some reason, Sam escapes, leaving Michael and Fiona alone. This is sets up the ending of the episode fine, but again, feels false and doesn't quite fit with the bond between the three. Why doesn't Sam stick by Michael the way Fiona does? It doesn't seem like he really has a vital purpose to get away to.

"Reckoning" seems to kill off Michael, Fiona, and Kendrick, but this triple death never felt real to me. Even as the story proceeded as if Michael and Fiona were dead, I knew it had to be a trick. In this, the show failed to build the appropriate tension and grief. Sure enough, a few minutes later, they are revealed to have escaped. Ick.

Months later, we first get Sam and Jesse's ending. I love that the two pals end up together, doing what they do. Sam gets a cheesy, fan-pleasing line, and they get to honor Michael's sacrifice. It's not clear if they know Mike and Fiona made it out alive, but they better have. Otherwise, Michael is a total douche. But for them, this finale is right.

Lastly, we glimpse Michael and Fiona, snug in a cabin with Charlie. Look, I know this is the emotional conclusion everyone wants, and the dialogue calls back the opening sequence in a satisfying way, but it just doesn't make sense. I can't imagine Michael and Fiona would ever settle down, under any circumstances, maybe being together comfortably, but not getting out of all dangerous games. And where does everyone think Charlie is? Surely, the CIA would have kept tabs and noticed the orphan, who was presumably in foster care, gone missing? Maybe it was a reward by the CIA to give them this set up, but then, why would they also honor Michael's "heroic death"? It doesn't gel.

At the end of the too-quick hour, one is left with a disappointing, hollow feeling. Burn Notice has never been high-quality entertainment, frequently falling short of its potential, too neatly resolving stories, stretching out others too long, forcing case-of-the-weeks for years, and introducing great characters, only to kill them off long before they should have been. The last couple of years have shown improvement, but apparently not enough. In a way, it is fitting the series finale should echo flaws of the previous years. But on the other hand, Burn Notice could have redeemed itself in this final hour, something I held out enough hope for to stick around all those times I considered giving up on it. It did not. It was somewhat entertaining popcorn action, but not much else, lacking the true depth and consistency many discerning viewers wish for. Burn Notice died how it lived.

"You Wanna See Something?" Watch Bunheads

Grade: 88%
 
ABC Family's Gilmore Girls 2: Bunheads returns to complete its freshman season this week with "You Wanna See Something?" It's the end of the summer, many months after the Nutcracker disaster, and no one is having a good time. Michelle (Sutton Foster) is hiding out in Henderson, Nevada, dancing for a ridiculous magician (yet another Gilmore Girls alum, Michael De Luise). Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles) is hiding out to avoid going home. Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins) is caring for her pregnant, bed-ridden mother (Jennifer Hasty), while Melanie (Emma Dumont) cares for her very old, sick grandfather. Ginny (Bailey Butain) tries to sell a run down house, and Fanny (Kelly Bishop) lets her own home become rundown. It's a miserable way to start a (mid-)season.

What's more, this isn't a situation easily resolved. Things have been allowed to deteriorate to the point where they cannot be repaired in an early-episode montage. Instead, the suffering drags out for almost the entire hour, with each character forced to take stock in themselves. Well, some do, others just accept their depression, assuming they can do nothing about it. This is what sets the main players, like Boo and Fanny, apart from the supporting ones, like Melanie and Ginny.

The key to everyone's happiness is bringing Michelle back. She may have only lived in Paradise a short time, but she brings a brilliant, chaotic energy with her that enthuses everyone else. It may seem like she is rubbing them the wrong way, but keeps things interesting, and provides drive to move forward. Take away such a spark where it has already been burning, and it leaves a smoldering ruin behind.

Fanny is the first to realize this, but it is not something she comes to on her own. Annoyed with Truly (Stacey Oristano), whose attempts to cheer Fanny take "quirky" to the extreme (which is very amusing for television viewers), she turns to DVDs lying around. Some reveal Michelle at her best, teaching the young dancers in Fanny's school. One is Michelle's wedding, with Hubell (Alan Ruck) explaining to the camera exactly what he sees in his bride.

Bunheads benefits from as much Hubell as it can manage to realistically include. For a man who died in the very first episode, he has appeared quite a few times, and each number among the best moments of the show. This is one of those times. I don't know whether Fanny goes to get Michelle because she sees Michelle's worth, or out of affection for Hubell, or both (probably both), but the end result is the same: Fanny gives Michelle the kick in the pants she needs to get out of her funk.

And funk is the right word for what Michelle is in. Crashing at Talia's (Angelina McCoy), drinking her wine, eating her food, and generally getting in the way for Talia's senior citizen lover. Her job is the absolute worst, where they won't even give her the dignity of firing her. Instead, her attitude loses her the "perk" of holding a bird. This is probably the worst we have ever seen Michelle.

Yet, Michelle hesitates to go back. Why? Yes, the town might be an uncomfortable place to be after she maces a bunch of children, but surely putting up with some mutterings can't be any worse than where she is now. At least she has her own place in Paradise, and a job that she enjoys. Her hesitation is purely a pride thing. Thank goodness she manages to get over that.

I did not care for the viral video itself in this episode, but what a great way to use it, making light of a situation that needed to be made light of, and giving Fanny an outlet to show off her sense of humor!

"You Wanna See Something" is a good episode. It takes most of the main people far enough out of their comfort zone to be interesting, but gives enough teases of normalcy to not only show that life goes on, but reminds us of the Bunheads of last summer. On a series like this, it's hard to ever have a status quo, as the serialized story telling keeps people changing and moving. However, this will stand out as an episode apart, and a good way to bridge the disaster of the previous episode onto the future of the season.

Bunheads airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on ABCFamily.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first posted on TheTVKing

Bunheads takes a bow

ABC Family's Bunheads completes its summer run with "A Nutcracker in Paradise." While things were looking up for most of the characters going into the week, this episode ends in disaster. Michelle (Sutton Foster) not only manages to run off Fanny's (Kelly Bishop) beau, but also mace the entire dance company in the middle of a performance of The Nutcracker. Not even a stunt straight out of Dead Poets Society can save her job now!

By the way, are we expected to believe a bunch of teenage girls, especially ones obsessed with dance who have little time for films, are familiar with that movie?

Michelle and Fanny's relationship is the best part of the show. Despite everything that has happened, there is no way that these ladies are done with each other. There might need to be a cooling off period, for sure. But Fanny likes having Michelle around, no matter how grumpy she may act towards the younger woman. And Michelle likes having purpose in the small town, and seems drawn to the dance studio. While she resists settling down, considering returning to performance, this is where she belongs. It won't be easy, but they will make up.

Bunheads does something extremely interesting near the end of "A Nutcracker in Paradise." Hubbell (Alan Ruck) appears to Michelle in a dream, and they talk about her life, and ruminate on if she would have stayed had he not died. Hubbell tells her that this is where she belongs. Michelle resists. It's an inner war that she's been struggling with all season, and while viewers already knew this, it's cool to see it brought to life in such a way. Plus, any return of Ruck is welcome.

Each of the teen dancers featured on Bunheads have come into their own as the season unfolds. Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins) gets over her shyness and insecurity and lands herself a boyfriend. Ginny (Bailey Buntain) breaks out of her own comfort zone with her long-time steady, realizing that she needs to experience life and try dating other boys. And Melanie (Emma Dumont) accepts her friends for who they are, even as they move on with their interests in guys, which she doesn't seem to quite share yet. These are all normal teenage things.

But Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles) has the biggest journey. Frustrated with a terrible home life, she acts out in self-destructive ways. It isn't until Michelle sits her down and helps her get her head on straight that Sasha can return to her friends and the dancing she is so good at. Her life isn't solved now, and her problems won't get any easier. But she's in a good place as the season comes to an end.

It's understandable that Sasha stands up for Michelle in "A Nutcracker in Paradise," given how Michelle directly helps her, but why do the rest of the girls go along with it? Michelle has drifted into their scenes from time to time and solved a few problems. However, Bunheads has not shown her get too involved in the kids' lives, nor demonstrate a real passion for teaching them. Are they loyal to her because kids tend to be loyal to the adults that just happen to be around? Or should there have been more scenes with Michelle earning this kind of response? Or maybe they were all just following Sasha's lead? That is a debatable question, and the only semi-weak point in the episode.

Bunheads is charming, and with the music and dialogue, as well as the colorful townspeople and quirky jokes (like the unnamed 'ringer' in this episode), it really does feel like a somewhat continuation of Gilmore Girls. For this reason, it would be a crying shame to see it go away. A second half of the season has recently been picked up for winter, rumored to be about eight additional episodes. This isn't a terrible, but it's not a great sign, either, and the show probably needs more viewers if it's going to continue long-term. If you know a Gilmore Girls fan that isn't watching it, please let them know about Bunheads! I know it's on ABC Family, not a popular network among women past the age of eighteen, but they could expand the fan base enough to keep it running. It's very enjoyable, and it deserves to go on.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published on TheTVKing

Bunheads, a.k.a. Gilmore Girls 2

Did you ever have a really bad day, and then doing something reckless out of exhaustion, frustration, and possibly under the influence of alcohol? That is exactly the premise that Bunheads begins with. Michelle Simms (Broadway star Sutton Foster) is a Vegas showgirl who has given up on her more ambitious dreams. Failing yet another audition, she accepts the kindness of a dorky man who has long admired her (Alan Ruck, Spin City, Persons Unknown). Which leads to her marrying the guy, and moving in with him and his mother in a sleepy town. Yes, this sounds like the mistake to end all mistakes. But from the mind of Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls, it is simply the beginning of another quirky, fun series.

It's a bold move to kill off the husband at the end of episode one. It would have been nice to see Michelle with her groom for a bit, and Ruck is a wonderful actor. On the other hand, Michelle didn't love him, and even if they were both OK with that for now, that is a status quo that would not have lingered very long. If Ruck's character hadn't died, Michelle would be back on her way to Vegas soon, or would have had to fall in love with him, which didn't seem a likely scenario, especially not in the short term.

So, instead, Bunheads will be about two women brought together by their connection to a man, and how they move on without him, helping each other in unexpected ways. The second woman in this duo is Fanny Flowers (Kelly Bishop, Gilmore Girls), who is Michelle's mother-in-law. Michelle and Fanny quickly discover that, despite a rocky introduction, they have a lot in common. Their bickering is reminiscent of Bishop's previous character's mother-daughter relationship, and remembering that, it's hard not to see warmness present under the surface. These two gals will find their way, probably learning to rely more on each other than either would like to believe right now.

Michelle and Funny have a mission: to turn a young group of girls into fine dancers. This group is less developed in the first episode than the older women, but the basics are there, and surely they will be a large part of the show going forward. Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles) has all of the talent, but none of the desire. Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins) is the exact opposite, desperately wanting her dream, but lacking in coordination. Melanie (Emma Dumont) just wants to have fun, while Ginny (Bailey Buntain) worries she doesn't have the right build to be a ballerina. Surely, they will all grow and become fantastic. The fun isn't in knowing the outcome, but instead, enjoying their witty dialogue and slow growth. With a cast this good, it should be thoroughly entertaining.

Like Gilmore Girls, Bunheads is set in a sleepy little town, which will likely provide much of the show's charm, as well as a sizable supporting cast of oddballs. In the pilot, viewers are introduced to Truly Stone (Stacey Oristano, Friday Night Lights), a dressmaker and clothing store owner who is in love with Michelle's husband. If the other, soon to be introduced, players are half as interesting as she is, Bunheads has it made.

Yes, it does feel a little bit like Emily Gilmore took over Miss Patty's life on Gilmore Girls and gained a new, unwanted replacement for her daughter, who has the same smart mouth and lack of style. Fanny's dance studio even looks like Miss Patty's! When will Kurt wander in? But for fans of GG, what's so wrong with that? This will definitely fill a void for those missing the show, and it looks like Bunheads is made with the same high quality, and just as much warmth. For that, I am most grateful.

Plus, being on cable, it might get a little more love than network TV would show it. Watch Bunheads Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC Family.

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Persons Unknown makes summer a little more mysterious

     NBC's Persons Unknown has already aired five episodes, but I hesitated to do an initial review because the first episode left me confused and didn't seem like a fair representation of the series.  Seven strangers woke up in a hotel, not knowing where they were or how they got there.  Now that a few episodes have passed, the second one being the only one that really stunk and bored me, I feel I can make a better judgment.  The show struggles to imitate The Prisoner, but falls far shy of that work, at least, the classic version.  However, it's worth a watch, and as the advertisements promise that everything will be revealed by summer's end, it may unfold some intriguing mysteries in the process, without leaving viewers unsatisfied.  That would point to this being more of a miniseries than a series, which honestly, may be better.  While I have been entertained, I don't see Persons Unknown sustaining years worth of interest.

     The central character seems to be Janet Cooper (Daisy Betts, Australia's Out of the Blue).  We saw her before she was kidnapped, and the main plot outside the prison / town follows her ex-husband, Mark (Gerald Kyd, the UK's Casualty) tracking her down.  Why he left her when she was pregnant, then changed his name and became a reporter is also unexplained thus far, but I assume that it will be connected to the rest of the questions left unsolved as of yet.  Honestly, from my current standpoint, the biggest mystery is why the people were chosen for the experiment in the first place.  For Janet, it could be as simple as her mother (Lee Purcell) paid someone to get her out of the way.  The mother seems to want a second chance at raising a child, and Janet's daughter

     Obviously they weren't just taken at random, but not each prisoner is important.  Or perhaps none of them are.  Tori (Kate Lang Johnson), while one of the original group, was picked up by a taxi at the end of episode four, and then apparently her dead body was dumped in a fountain, although viewers saw nothing between the two scenes.  Tom (Reggie Lee, Prison Break) seemed ready to let Janet die in the vault this week.  At least one, Joe (Jason Wiles, Third Watch) is on at least part of the scheme, as he has confronted Tom several times in the latter's secret spying room.  But Tom says he and Joe are being watched and tested, so I don't know who is behind them, or even if the entire situation is merely a training ground for Joe and Tom.  Another one of the group, Graham (Chadwick Boseman, Lincoln Heights) is convinced it's a military training ground, so perhaps there's something to his theory.

     Although many of the actors above have few credits to their name, the show does boast some real talent as well.  Alan Ruck (Spin City, Star Trek: Generations, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) was the reason I tuned in in the first place.  Sean O'Bryan is also a familiar face.  Better yet, the newest abductee is played by Kandyse McClure, almost unrecognizable in a drastically different part than the one she perfected on the recent incarnation of Battlestar Galactica.  I think one of the more interesting and mysterious, but understated elements of the series is the night desk clerk, played by Andy Greenfield.  And the other actors hold their own against these four.

     All in all, the acting is pretty good, the production style is fresh, and the writing is decent.  As long as it fulfills it's promise of a limited-run show, I think it could be a real winner.  NBC's web site still lists the show as running Mondays at 8pm, but according to my TiVo, the next episode will air Saturday, July 17th.  I hope that isn't a sign that the series will be pulled prematurely.