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.

Last Resort a haven for TV

Grade: 98%

For a few years now, networks have searched for the next Lost, a television show popular and unique that will engage audiences in ways big and small. Nothing can ever truly replace Lost, and it’s going to take another groundbreaking, original series to reach those heights again. Recent attempts have fallen far short. In ABC’s new drama, LAST RESORT, we may finally have found something that comes close.

As the “Pilot” begins, Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age) is in command of the U.S. Navy submarine, Colorado. He receives orders to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan on a secondary channel that is only supposed to be used if the primary communication system is taken out. Not seeing any problems with Plan A, Chaplin questions the order. The White House immediately relieves him of command and tells the first officer, Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman, Felicity), to obey the directive. When Kendal hesitates, another sub fires on the Colorado, nearly sinking it.

What an auspicious start for a series! There is already mystery, political intrigue, a band of heroes who must bring a crooked government to light, and some very exciting action sequences. These early scenes are done incredibly well, both visually, and in how the actors do their jobs.

The implications of the Colorado being struck are swiftly brought to light. The U.S. government blames Pakistan for striking the submarine and bombs the Middle Eastern country. What would have been the excuse for starting a war if the Colorado had just done what they had been told to do? Why do Americans need to get dragged into another conflict of this nature? Who is really behind the plan? Will Chaplin and crew be able to expose what’s happening to the naive public?

Viewers are treated to some of the going-ons in Washington, even if we don’t see the president. The Colorado has an experimental system on board, and the creator of this technology, Kylie Sinclair (Autumn Reeser, No Ordinary Family), is not about to just sit by and let her work be lost. She immediately runs to her contact, Admiral Arthur Shepard (Bruce Davison, X-Men), to find out what has occurred. Shepard has his own reasons to be concerned, unaware until now that his daughter, Lieutenant Grace Shepard (Daisy Betts, Persons Unknown), is on the Colorado.

Adding this D.C. layer to the show is nice because we actually get to see what is being done outside the isolated world of the Colorado. While the crewmen on the sub are a large focus of the episode, they would not by privy to much that is happening between their leaders, which would make the mystery pretty obtuse. Through Sinclair, viewers can understand who is making a move, and perhaps even find out why.

Not that Sinclair gets many answers. She is shut down quickly, as is anyone else who might expose the government’s actions. Even crewmen’s families, like Kendal’s wife, Christine (Jessy Schram, Falling Skies), have official agents in their homes, watching their every move. Clearly, a lid is being kept on things, which does limit what anyone can do to help the stranded crew.

Thankfully, we live in 2012, so there’s a little invention called the Internet. Chaplin drags his sub to a nearby island. The military tries to bomb them again, and Chaplin shoots a missile at D.C. to show he means business. The missile is allowed to miss the capital once the bombers turn away from the island. But Chaplin isn’t done. He shoots a video laying out what he knows and posts it for all to see. Will anyone believe him? Does his cache of weapons protect him against further strikes, meaning he can do whatever he wants? How much will be allowed to upload online before the government decides taking Chaplin out is worth some collateral damage? And will his video be enough to stop a war, or just incite more violence?

What Chaplin wants to do is take over the island and start a new society, away from the United States politics that have brought them to this point. He fancies himself a founding father, but has a number of challenges to this goal. His crew have friends and family back home they’d like to see again. Locals already inhabit the island, and it is run by a thug named Julian Serrat (Sahr Ngaujah, The Signal). A SEAL team is present among the sub’s crew, and they may or may not have further orders from high command.

Braugher delivers a masterful performance. He is a man on the edge, pushed too far by the people he trusted. He is somewhat loyal to his crew, but he also has selfish motivations, and probably a messiah / dictator complex. The glint in his eyes could be something heroic, standing up for ideals and principals. Or it could just be insanity. This makes him unpredictable and dangerous, sometimes surprising (not necessarily in a good way) his own men.

Speedman is the everyman whom we are going to root for. Even when Chaplin goes off the hook, Kendal seems grounded enough to know what the right thing to do is. He will have to weigh the faith he has in his commanding officer with keeping everyone else below him safe. He balances out the leader, which should make for a tenuous, interesting dynamic.

LAST RESORT has a sprawling cast. Among those not mentioned in this review so far are Daniel Lissing (Crownies) as the leader of the SEALs, Camille De Pazzis (La vie est a nous) as a French NATO worker on the island, Robert Patrick (The Unit) as the sub’s Master Chief, and Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse) as a local bar owner. This makes for quite the large world to play in, and leaves the story a lot of directions to go.

It’s hard to find any fault at all with the first episode of LAST RESORT. It sets up a compelling plot, with lots of moving pieces, visually enticing settings, engrossing characters with some very different personalities that will clash terrifically, and many mysteries to explore. If the rest of the installments do as good a job as the first one in playing out this adventure, it should be the next must-see series.

LAST RESORT premieres Thursday, September 27th on ABC.

No Ordinary Family Fall 2010

     It's hard to keep up with all of the television on now, especially with so much worthy of review. So with none of the new pilots this falling knocking my socks off, I decided to just let them all build up on my TiVo until I got around to them, and so I wouldn't waste my time with those canceled quickly. As such, today was the first day I began tackling those new series, and did all ten episodes (including a rewatch of the pilot) of ABC's No Ordinary Family in one day. Here's my overall impression, having given myself about one hour to digest and reflect on all of the TV.

     This show is pretty cheesy. So often there are things we are just supposed to overlook. For instance, in the third episode, we're really supposed to believe that Stephanie's (Julie Benz) engagement ring was just found at the scene of another crime, days later? Really? Or that the guys that J.J. (Jimmy Bennett) invited over for poker would just give up all that money to a kid they're not friends with and who claimed to have never played the game so easily? Or in the same episode, two teenagers could so elegantly break into a high school to fix a sculpture? Or that Jim's (Michael Chiklis) fire proof-ness extends to his clothing? Or that the family can afford the suddenly huge increase in budget for food and sneakers that Stephanie requires, not to mention household repairs, without hardship? There's a lot the writers (or maybe editors) are asking us to overlook here and take for granted.

     That being said, there is so much potential in this show, it drives me crazy. Here is a well defined family, with normal family issues, along with the host of new things cropping up because of their super powers. Each of the Powells is handled by a capable actor, and their family chemistry is solid. Not only that, but George (Romany Malco) and Katie (Autumn Reeser), the parents' best friends, are also so incredibly likable, that they have become my favorite characters. This is a very talented cast put together, and they know exactly who they are playing. Whatever level of cheesiness makes it through, I still want to watch these six people, and what they are going through.

     Equally impressive is Will / Joshua / The Watcher (Josh Stewart, Dirt). His creepy mystery has held my attention beautifully through ten episodes, and the more I find out about him, the more I want to know. His motivations are obviously murky, with some allegiance to his boss, Dr. King (Stephen Collins), but some also to unknown feelings. He has not revealed all he has learned about the Powells, and I do believe he may have genuine feelings for Katie, at least, I hope he does. However, I predict a King / Watcher showdown as a centerpiece in the second half of the season, if not the season finale. It's something I greatly look forward to. And if the Watcher survives it, perhaps an upgrade to full time cast member in season two?

     As far as the major arcs and plot twists, there have been some pretty good ones. J.J.'s nemesis slash math teacher, Mr. Litchfield (Jason Antoon) had an excellent run at trying to prove J.J. was a bad kid. I totally believed he would drop the issue when he did, because as much as he watched J.J., I think he knew that something extraordinary was going on, and knew who saved his life. I've also been really into Stephanie and Katie's research of Dr. Volson, as well as everything that goes with that. I dig the whole back story with Dr. King and Dr. Volson, much of which has yet to be revealed. Could Dr. King be Dr. Volson? Only time will tell. Also, why is Dr. King holding on to the body of the Powell's pilot (Tate Donovan, Damages)? The fact that the pilot was played by such a wonderful actor makes me think there are plans for him. There's no need to waste Donovan.

     I also give the show credit for a heck of a fall cliffhanger. Shortly before the closing credits, the Watcher wiped Daphne's (Kay Panabaker) memory, going all the way back to just before she acquired her powers. The Watcher has been shown killing a number of people before this, and not all (any?) of them deserved it. But here, instead of killing, he simply wiped away some memories. Sure, it's cruel, but it's also a bit merciful, for him. Why did he do it, and what will the consequences of his action be? I am fully intrigued.

     This series will not make any Top Television Shows list at this point, because there are still a number of bugs to work out. However, building blocks have been laid that could really prop the series into something awesome, given the right growth. I'm hoping it gets that. Soon, if it wants a second season. No Ordinary Family will return on January 4th.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.


Article first published as TV Review: No Ordinary Family Fall 2010 on Blogcritics.