BLINDSPOT in Production

Article originally published as BLINDSPOT Review on Seat42F.

NBC’s BLINDSPOT has an intriguing opening. A naked woman, covered in tattoos, is found in a bag in Times Square. She has no memory of who she is, what happened to her, or how she got all the tattoos, which were done recently. But some of the ink on her body holds clues, both to her past, and to future crimes.

Unfortunately, BLINDSPOT is not nearly as cool as its premise. The muck ups start early in the pilot when agent Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton, Strike Back) is called on the scene. His name is on the girl’s back, and yet he is placed in charge of the case. I understand why Mayfair (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Without a Trace), the boss, would want him involved, given his connection, even if no one can explain why his name is there yet. But surely it presents a conflict of interest to have him running the investigation?

Then, Kurt brings the woman (Jaimie Alexander, Thor, Kyle XY), whom he suddenly begins calling Jane (as in Jane Doe) mid-episode, with him into the field. Not only that, she gets to go into dangerous buildings and be near bombs. That she ends up being capable of handling herself and lending the team support is of no consequence. She is an unknown quantity and not an agent, so should not be allowed out.

I admit, the central mystery is intriguing. There are lots of tidbits sprinkled into the episode to hint at Jane’s story without giving too much away. A flashback or two is quite illuminating, and I am left wanting to know more about her and what is going on.

However, the approach BLINDSPOT makes feels forced and false. It is trying too hard to craft a puzzle, merely tossing up the façade of a deep, serial drama. It resembles high quality programming, but fails to live up to the high bar itself. A showdown in a familiar setting seems completely artificial, favoring style above substance.

There are many good things going on with BLINDSPOT. Alexander is terrific, and while it takes a bit of time to warm up to Stapleton, I get what he’s doing and appreciate it. The supporting cast, which includes the delightful Ashley Johnson (The Killing) and Rob Brown (Treme), is enjoyable. The production builds suspense appropriately, and manages to toss in a few unexpected surprised.

But at the end of the day, BLINDSPOT has plot holes and some weak elements, as mentioned above, that bring it down. It also seems very likely to be a procedural, with the core mystery only being brought out in little bits, most of the hours being devoted to tracking down individual criminals who will see justice before the ending credits roll.

What’s more, because of the obvious weaknesses in setting up the main plot, I have little confidence that things will be concluded in a satisfactory manner. The first tattoo on Jane leads to an immediate danger, but how can the others possibly be laid out to take her from one event to the next? That would require a TON of knowledge of the future, and this show lacks the supernatural bend necessary to make that work. So I’m left assuming that the writers don’t have a clear idea of where they are going, or even if they do, they’ll take short cuts that don’t make sense, as they did in getting Jane and Kurt out into the field together so quickly.

If the total sum of programming in the world were still confined to the broadcast networks, there is no question that I would consider BLINDSPOT one of this fall’s series to look forward to; even with its flaws, it is far more creative and interesting than most of the fare on the Big Four. But living in the age of a multitude of choices on cable and streaming outlets, this one fails to make the cut, outshined by many, many higher quality choices.

BLINDSPOT premieres next Monday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Ain't Afraid of No SPOOKED

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Spooked' - Series Premiere on Blogcritics.

Felicia Day (The Guild) and Bryan Singer (X-Men) have a brand new series on Hulu called Spooked, premiering next week. The half-hour comedy, which will post four episodes in its freshman run, follows a group of five wanna-be ghost hunters, spoofing paranormal “reality” shows in a live-action, modern-day Scooby-Doo. The Paranormal Investigation Team (or P.I.T. for short) tackles a new case each week, and through bumbling luck and raw talent, they manage to touch the other side of reality.

The P.I.T. crew isn’t just a bundle of stereotypes, as there are clearly layers for each visible in the very first episode. Piper (Shyloh Oostwald, In Time), who is merely a child, is deeply scarred by parental tragedy and shuts down, communing more easily with spirits than with people. She’s creepy, but the real deal. Her older brother, Connor (Julian Curtis, Dance Academy), is doing the best he can for her, trying to hone her talents, rather than shut her away in a mental institution. They find Lindsey (Neil Grayston, Eureka), a stated skeptic, but who is willing to fund their venture just in case actual evidence is discovered to be documented. And then there’s Elliot (Derek Mio, Greek), the goofy nerd, and Morgan (Ashley Johnson, The Killing, Growing Pains), the spiritual type who fancies herself in touch with the earth, both of whom we’ll likely learn more about in future installments, given the development of the first three in the pilot.

Spooked doesn’t take the time in the first episode to establish either an origin story or a foundation, but that’s a good thing. Instead, it drops the characters (and viewers) head-first into a case, which will likely be the weekly story structure, and then drips details of the past in when it makes sense to do so. In this way, there’s no boring exposition, and I came away still feeling satisfied that the writers had a solid grasp on what’s going on and that will be revealed in pieces, rather than all at once. This adds mystery when done right, which it is here.

While the series does feature the supernatural, and yes, ghosts and paranormal activities are real in Spooked, it’s not very scary. It’s definitely going to deliver more laughs than frights. The humor doesn’t come from clever one-liners (well, there are a few of those), but rather its inherent in the personalities that make up the scenarios and the cast. There’s a witty, dry tone underlying the production, and it throbs through every scene, giving an overall feeling of amusement to those who watch.

The first case does not feel like a canned procedural, taking a simple situation and adding an authenticity to it until its fresh. D.J. (Alison Haislip, Attack of the Show!) is convinced that her deceased father-in-law, who did not approve of D.J.’s marriage to his daughter, Carol (Dichen Lachman, Dollhouse), is tormenting them. The truth is not nearly so simple, and while it may end up being a tad predictable, it’s done in a manner sure to tug the heartstrings, too. It has just enough originality in the presentation, from how the lesbian couple interacts in a way that doesn’t scream gay stereotype at all, to the events that take us to the conclusion, to set itself apart from any would-be peers.

Day, who writes as well as produces, has clearly brought her own talent, honed on a very successful web series, and combined with what she has learned from Joss Whedon, tapping into his talent pool, as well as cast members from shows Day has been involved in, to create Spooked. The result is something that will be very welcome and enjoyed by Whedon geeks and Day fans alike, of whom there are many in the world, and the style is mainstream enough to be accessible to practically anyone, even as it keeps its cred and charm. I hope to see much more from Day in the future.

My overall impression of Spooked is that it should do well. I found little to complain about in the initial half hour, and I do plan to stream the other three episodes as soon as they become available. I suggest you do the same. Spooked will be available on Hulu and YouTube’s Geek & Sundry channel beginning June 4th.

The Killing - "What You Have Left"

     AMC's The Killing is now six hours into the investigation of the murder of Rosie Larson (Katie Findlay). In the sixth episode, "What You Have Left." which chronicles the sixth day after the police opened the case, much time is spent gathering evidence for a theory found in day five, as well as dealing with the ramifications of said theory. It also appears that Detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) will be missing her nonrefundable flight to California, as she races towards a new development with scant time left before the plane takes off. Which means she is out a significant sum of money because of a bet made with her son, Jack (Liam James), but considering the unrealistic amount, it is not likely Jack will see a penny.

     Currently, the prime suspect in the murder of Rosie is Amber Ahmed (Ashley Johnson, Growing Pains, Ben 10), the young, very pregnant wife of Bennett Ahmed (Brandon Jay McLaren, Being Erica, Harper's Island). See, Bennett is Rosie's teacher, and evidence leads the police to believe he may have been romantically and / or sexually involved with her. Amber, who is a former student of Bennett's, is now thought to have been home when Rosie stopped by the Ahmed residence late the night of her disappearance, and Amber and Bennett may have carried her body out later that night.

     Notice, I only say may in the last paragraph. That's because this investigation is far from over, and as such, it is improbable that the Ahmeds are responsible. The focus on them when the season has not even reached its midpoint virtually clears them of suspicion, even though the true story of what they were doing that night has not yet been revealed. While they were obviously up to no good, that does not necessarily mean either one is guilty of murder.

     Unfortunately, Rosie's father, Stan (Brent Sexton), knows only that Bennett is the primary suspect. His information is old, as he hasn't been told about the spotlight shifting from Bennett to Amber. So Stan convinces Bennett to get into a car at Rosie's funeral and drives him away, into the dark and stormy night. As Stan has now been revealed to be an ex-mobster who likely killed some men, his intentions towards Bennett are likely dastardly, and Bennett had better hope that Sarah gets to him in time to save his life. She's on her way!

     Will Bennett die? That's hard to predict. After all, The Killing is hardly the typical American drama, not at all like what usually graces our air waves. Adapted from a foreign series, the murder investigation is slow paced, and will unfold over an entire season, rather than just the single episode most shows devote to a singular crime.

     Bennett is merely one of many suspects. Despite his ties to a number of the main characters, and the circumstances surrounding Rosie's death, the series can go on just fine without him. Or with him. Perhaps there are more twists that Bennett will bring to the table. It's hard to tell. As such, there is some real tension and suspense building, which raises The Killing far above the vast majority of its ilk.

     Also factoring into the story is a political race for mayor, with Councilman Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell), whose campaign car Rosie's body is found in, running against the incumbent. Richmond is getting lots of screen time devoted to his race, and the two subordinates working behind the scenes. Besides the vehicle, Richmond also has a connection to Bennett, who is an important part of a charity program that Richmond runs. This week, Richmond decides to continue backing Bennett, rather than distance himself as he is advised to do. Does Richmond have some special emotional connection to the teacher, or is just stiking to his principles?

     The political bend is reminiscent of 24, which always had politicians and their staff sharing the story with whichever terrorists the Counter Terrorist Unit heroes were trying to take down. While Richmond's full involvement is still a mystery, not helped by Campbell's hard-to-read, played-close-to-the-vest, highly nuanced performance, surely he is tied more tightly to Rosie than has been let on. The Killing doesn't seem to waste time on tangents, so something else has to be there. Hopefully, it will come out soon.

      A number of characters, including Richmond and Stan, are being portrayed as mostly good guys, but with some dark history, and sometimes hidden motivations. It's also hard to tell if they will stick with the squeaky clean image currently being projected, or if they are covering up something bad they recently did. At this point, not one character, save perhaps Linden, can be ruled out as a suspect. And if you've seen the original, The Killing's writers have vowed to switch the killer up to keep you guessing through to the end.

     Don't miss The Killing, airing Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on AMC. If you've missed any episodes, catch up with Amazon.com's Instant Video, from which all episodes, including this week's, are now available.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

Article first published as TV Review: The Killing - "What You Have Left" on Blogcritics.