After THE AFTER

Article first published as After THE AFTER on TheTVKing.

Nearly a year after releasing its first batch of comedy pilots, Amazon.com finally posted two dramas free to stream on their website. One of these pilots is The After, which is from Chris Carter (The X-Files), a suspenseful series send after a post-apocalyptic event. Eight strangers, bound by fate, not coincidence, must come together to survive, fleeing from the rest of the world.

The X-Files was a seminal show for science fiction television, and some of the creepy mystery that seeped through that program is repeated here. There is a creature (Sam Littlefield) with weird tattoos in the woods, and no one can explain to our protagonists what is happening. Even after viewing the entire "Pilot," the long-term plot still seems murky.

But the mistake comes by making The After about a "random" group of strangers thrust together by circumstance. This concept has been done to death, and with much better ensembles. Those that make up the cast are mostly familiar faces, and none of them are bad actors. But neither is this the next Lost, and the layers that begin to peel away in the "Pilot" are predictable and formulaic.

Our central heroine is Gigi Generau (Louise Monot, The Avignon Prophecy), an aspiring actress with a thick French accent, currently stuck far away from her beloved (Jason Lewis, Sex and the City) and their child. She is joined by an 'innocent' ex-con (Aldis Hodge, Leverage), an asshole lawyer (Adrian Pasdar, Heroes), a likely prostitute (Arielle Kebbel, The Vampire Diaries), a gay clown (Jamie Kennedy, Ghost Whisperer), a senile millionaire (Sharon Lawrence, NYPD Blue), a foul-mouthed drunk (Andrew Howard, Hatfields & McCoys), and a cop (Jaina Lee Ortiz, The Shop).

This grouping is a lot like that assembled by broadcast network series with a similar format, such as The Nine and Lucky Seven. There isn't any single actor who stands out as amazing, and though they play their parts well enough, we're taught not to take the characters at face value, which makes it hard to trust any of the players. None of these other shows lasted, so why should The After?

What will set it apart from that category is the gratuitous nudity and frequent dropping of the F-bomb. But don't mistake The After as being HBO or Showtime level quality, as the writing is far less smart. There are some intriguing elements, to be sure, but it's not looking like the next must-see serial drama.

This is evidenced by the other people we see. While the cast is escaping from a parking garage to a mansion to the forest, the general public riots, tries to flip their vehicle, offers no assistance, even from law-enforcement, and tries to rob Lawrence's character's home with guns. The rest of the world's population is shown as a two-dimensional menace, with only the main players getting any development at all. This doesn't bode well for sustainability.

While I do have very mixed feelings on The After, enjoying it but not really respecting it, I probably will watch if it goes to series. After all, at least it's not another police procedural, and it's trying a few new things. Plus Carter's involvement gives me hope there are some bigger, well-thought out arcs that could be brought into the fold down the road. But as a "Pilot," it lacked authenticity and any real, lasting draw. Very disappointing, considering Amazon has only ordered two drama offerings versus eleven comedies so far.

The After is available now on Amazon.com.

Hatfields & McCoys bring History alive

Premiering to record breaking numbers for cable, it is clear that the History Channel has a hit on its hands with the new miniseries Hatfields & McCoys. It's not too late to catch the six hour saga, as it continues to repeat. And catch it, you should. This is what the History Channel should do more of! Bring the stories of the past alive in well scripted, well produced drama. In this goal, Hatfields & McCoys succeeds admirably.

That's not to say the series is perfect. At times the dialogue seems hokey, though it could be authentic to the time. And sure, dramatic license is taken to spice up historical events. But the core here is a true story, and watching a series such as this will not only entertain, but enlighten the viewer to an important chapter of America's tale. That is a laudable feat.

Hatfields & McCoys stars Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves, Swing Vote) as Devil Anse Hatfield and Bill Paxton (Big Love, Twister) as Randall McCoy. Starting out as friends during the Civil War, tensions begin when Devil deserts to return to his family. This is an act Randall, a god-loving loyalist, cannot wrap his head around. It may be a minor incident, with no death involved, but it's the start of a deep misunderstanding between two honorable men, as each holds different priorities the other cannot comprehend, both of which are just.

If only that were the end of things. But then a pig is possibly stolen, and the hotter heads in both clans stir trouble. Not seeing the harm in minor clashes, Randall and Devil do not act to bring order to the families they head until it's too late. Then, as the body count rises, and the offenses continue, both are caught up in the battle themselves. Each insult must be answered with another. Not every cousin and brother can be kept in line. It's easy to see, without demonizing either party, how things spiral out of control, until it becomes nearly impossible to stop the feud. Of course, there is an end point, but for those who aren't history buffs, you'll have to watch to find out what the final straw is.

To keep Hatfields & McCoys interesting for six hours is no small chore. To accomplish this, an entire host of supporting characters are introduced in the two clans. It's hard to keep track of who belongs with who at times, making one long for the simple two-color system modern sports teams utilize in creating jerseys. They are all from a similar area of the country, and live similar lives, so by sight, there is no difference. And some of these players are taken out before they get the chance to do anything truly notable. But each adds to fleshing out the world, and keeping things moving, as well as providing a felt cost as the body count rises.

Among those who make an impression, in no particular order: Uncle Jim Vance (Tom Berenger, Inception, October Road), the war-loving Hatfield; Perry Cline (Ronan Vibert, The Borgias) as the McCoy's sleazy lawyer cousin; 'Bad' Frank Phillips (Andrew Howard, Limitless, Burn Notice), who serves as a mercenary for the McCoys to avenge a personal grudge against Uncle Jim; Levicy Hatfield (Sarah Parish, Mistresses), Devil's supportive wife; Judge Wall Hatfield (Powers Boothe, 24, Deadwood), who thinks the legal system will sort things out; Cap Hatfield (Boyd Holbrook, Milk, The Big C), a half blind sharpshooter; Cotton Top (Noel Fisher, Shameless, The Riches), a Hatfield who is mentally stunted; and Sally McCoy (Mare Winningham, Mildred Pierce, Grey's Anatomy), Randall's slightly insane wife. Each of these actors do a wonderful job, and deserve as much credit as the two leads for selling the miniseries so well.

Of course, there is a love story. How can there not be? Johnse Hatfield (Matt Barr, Hellcats, Harper's Island) is a player, who falls for Roseanna McCoy (Lindsay Pulsipher, True Blood, The Beast), a sweet girl. Their families refuse to let them be together, even though the young ones argue a marriage will help prevent an all out war between the clans. Surprisingly, love does not win.

As compelling as the story may be on the surface, it's a little hard to reconcile the presented soulful, truly good Johnse with the one who is eventually seduced by wicked cousin Nancy McCoy (Jena Malone, Sucker Punch, Life as a House), and then has four more wives later in life, as the ending scroll tells us. This feels like it might be the most twisted away from reality plot, done to further the television expectations.

Luckily, any weak points in the script, besides being overlooked because of the fantastic acting, are overshadowed be spectacular production value. Settings and costumes look great, and the music, when it doesn't veer into melodramatic territory, really helps set the tone. There is a lot to praise here, and the overall impression is very impressive. Look for some Emmy nods later this summer, and perhaps even a few wins.

If you missed it the first time, check out Hatfields & McCoys, currently running on the History Channel.


If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as  Hatfields & McCoys bring History alive on TheTVKing.com.

Burn Notice is not "Dead to Rights"

     USA's Burn Notice summer finale, "Dead to Rights," finds Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) clearing his name in the murder of Max (Grant Show). But that's just the beginning of the episode. Then the real murderer (Andrew Howard) jumps to his death, and criminally insane Larry (Tim Matheson) returns to wreck havoc once more. Before the smoke clears, Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) makes a tragic mistake, and Michael is under the thumb of Anson Fullerton (Jere Burns, Justified, Breaking Bad), one of the men behind the company that burned him.

     This season of Burn Notice is a satisfyingly slow investigation into who kills Max. Clues come together bit by bit as Michael looks into who is framing him, and tries to stay a step ahead of his new work buddy, Agent Pearce (Lauren Stamile, Community, Grey's Anatomy). Things end perfectly in the penultimate episode, as Michael is arrested by Pearce, who doesn't believe his frame claim. But that plot is dispatched with in the first few minutes of "Dead to Rights," instead of making it the tense, exciting installement that it should be. As far as long plot arcs go, this one fizzles out at the end and highly disappoints. Not the first time Burn Notice does this, but still incredibly upsetting, given the high quality of much of this season.

     That being said, a Larry episode is always welcome, especially with a powerful Fiona bend. If there hadn't been such a big let down, there would be nothing to be upset about with "Dead to Rights." Not only does Larry's return challenge Michael, it also puts Fiona in a very tough spot. Michael wants her to stay away from the situation, but she distracts their friends and takes out Larry herself. Probably. With Burn Notice, one is never quite sure if a character is dead, even though it doesn't appear as if Larry has any chance at all of surviving the explosion. But the point is, Fiona proves how much she still loves Michael, despite how tough the transition to living together seems to be.

     Now it's not Larry's fault that Fiona kills two civilians in the process. No, the new big bad, Anson, is behind that. It's a tragic turn that wrecks Fiona emotionally. While Fiona is one tough cookie, and she wouldn't blink twice at taking out those who deserve it, she also just doesn't kill for fun. She has compassion for others. Knowing that she is responsible for taking innocent lives, even if not directly, hurts her badly. Will she blame Michael, too, since rescuing him is the reason she acts? What kind of lingering effects might her guilt have? This remains to be seen.

     Besides Fiona, "Dead to Rights" also gives Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Jesse (Coby Bell) a chance to prove their loyalty to Mike. After Mike is arrested by Pearce, they decide to ram the CIA convoy in order to get her attention. It's the only way they think she will listen to them about how Michael did not kill Max, and they may be right. But they risk serious trouble themselves. There is no fleeing from their stunt. They are committing a crime and turning themselves in for it in the hope that it will give Michael a chance. That shows some real affection.

     Unfortunately, after the brief, desperate act, Jesse all but disappears from the episode. Madeline (Sharon Gless) is barely in the hour, too. This is a crying shame. While both have interesting stories this year, they are also not as involved as Fiona and Sam in Michael's activities. Considering the strongest episodes often feature all five working together, it is always sad when one or more of them are left out. Sure, there really isn't anything for them to do with the way that the plot unfolds, but surely that could have been changed.

     Pearce is a really interesting player. Like most of Michael's contacts, it is easy to assume that Pearce will disappear when her limited arc ends. Yet, even though Max's murder case is closed, Pearce says she is staying in Miami, and continuing to work with Michael. This is a wonderful move, keeping a fine actress on the series, as well as setting up a whole new dynamic, now that she no longer trusts Michael. How long Burn Notice will keep the new arrangement is circumspect, as the series usually ditches its great recurring characters. But Pearce has already lasted longer than most, so here's hoping.

     Anson is a whole new mystery. The surprise of his evil reveal is only half unexpected, because of huge telegraphing, but still works out, since the stakes are so high. Not only is he one of the two founders of the company that ruin Michael's life, but he also has connections, the extent of which are currently unknown, to Michael's father. Dad has come up many times over the years, but mostly in vague terms. Having Anson mention him in "Dead to Rights" seems to indicate that the mysteries of Michael's other parent may soon be explored. For an aging show that must constantly keep things moving, it's a predictable move, but not one that sucks. In fact, such a plot should give Madeline continued deeper involvement in future episodes, a good thing.

     And what does Anson want? With Michael under his control, and a promise that he will use Michael, anything is possible. Anson's motivations are still very murky, but it could very well be that he wants Michael to help rebuild the company Michael so recently destroys. Does that mean Michael will have to take it down all over again? Should be easier, with insider knowledge. As squirm inducing as it is that Michael will have to continue to betray and keep secrets from Pearce, the Anson factor is interesting, and Burns is a good choice to pull it off. Assuming Burn Notice lets Burns do more than a few episodes.


     Burn Notice will return next winter to USA.

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Article first published as TV Review: Burn Notice - "Dead to Rights" on Blogcritics.