I Scream For SCREAM

Article first published as SCREAM Review on Seat42F.

MTV’s SCREAM is a SCREAM for a new generation. If you’re not aware of the classic film that spawned three sequels, SCREAM is a slasher flick that plays with the genre using meta humor and cleverness and an actual, fleshed out story with characters one cares about. SCREAM somehow follows the rules of horror movies while simultaneously defying them, which is why it’s proved such a popular franchise, and ranks among the extremely few horror movies I actually like.

MTV seems the perfect platform from which to launch this latest incarnation. Meta humor has never been more in, and the slasher flick demo is the network’s strongest audience. By casting a bunch of young, fresh, attractive faces, MTV introduces kids to the franchise, while giving them something that fits with what they’re looking for today, the Scream property being highly adaptable to the times. It should pair nicely with the popular Teen Wolf show, also adapted from movies, albeit that one had to take a bigger leap from the source material.

I only recently saw 2011’s Scream 4 for the first time, and it provides a nice framework for the series. Since the time of the original trilogy, young people have adapted all-new technology, with web videos and texting now front and center, and the culture has started to recognize and be inclusive with homosexuality. Scream 4 uses those trick to its advantage, updating its image while keeping the essential story intact, and Scream does the same, while also somewhat recycling story points from the earlier installments.

No worries if you haven’t seen the movies, though. While the quartet of films are an ongoing saga, SCREAM starts over. It does not involve the same characters, nor the same town, nor even quite the same mask, but much of the structure is the same, from the deadly opening, to cheating boyfriends, to dangerous garage doors, to a character telling everyone else the rules of the genre.

Our hero this time around is Emma Duvall (Willa Fitzgerald, Alpha House, Royal Pains), who has recently joined the popular clique. This includes rich b*tch Brooke Maddox (Carlson Young, As the Bell Rings) and Emma’s boyfriend, Will Belmond (Connor Weil, Sharknado). This means Emma has grown apart from her former bestie, Aubrey Jensen (Bex Taylor-Klaus, The Killing, Arrow), and when Brooke et. al. out Aubrey’s lesbian tendencies, Emma begins to question her choices. Enter loner Kieran Wilcox (Amadeus Serafini, Oh La La, Hollywood Speak French!) to tempt Emma’s heart, and toss in horror fan Noah Foster (John Karna, Premature) to provide the meta angle, and we have our cast.

Now, Noah is quick to point out that, despite the litany of great horror television shows on the airwaves right now, slasher flicks have not been a subset yet adapted because, by the nature of the thing, the cast is quickly whittled down throughout the movie. How could that possibly work for an ongoing television show, which needs a somewhat stable cast for the audience to invest in?

SCREAM can work, though. I think The Walking Dead has a good model for the show to follow. It has a basic core group, which has been slowly eaten away at by death after death, while constantly adding new members to, some of which stick and some of which don’t. SCREAM already has supporting characters ready to participate in the merry-go-round. I like the starting sextet, but you just know they can’t all possibly make it to season two, or if they do, definitely not season three. The question is, who will go first? The Scream movies have a trio that always survive, and the show can’t possibly have more than that, though I’d be willing to bet they won’t choose the same three archetypes.

Part of SCREAM’s draw, and this includes both the movies and the show, is the unpredictable nature of the plot. Because characters tell viewers what the rules are, audience members begin to feel comfortable in expecting what’s coming. Yet, the production does or doesn’t follow those same rules in an erratic fashion, keeping people on their toes. The pilot seems to indicate this is the way the show will operate, too, and that sets itself up nicely.

I was quite skeptical about a SCREAM television series. Thankfully, at least in the pilot, this one does honor to its roots, while at the same time feeling like something new. It is worthy of the name and will likely earn a season pass on my TiVo.

SCREAM premieres Tuesday, June 30^th on MTV.

The "Uprising" Of ARROW

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 12 Uprising on Seat42F.

Bex Taylor-Klaus as Sin, Katie Cassidy as Black Canary and Colton Haynes as Arsenal | ARROW

 

This week’s installment of the CW’s ARROW is called “Uprising,” though I would certainly contend that the series has been raising its game for more than just this single hour. With the police having given up The Glades to Brick (Vinnie Jones), Team Arrow is left defending the lawless neighborhood on its own, which they are not quite up to. Looking for options, they receive an offer they are very tempted to refuse.

“Uprising” is an excellent episode. It pits our heroes in a losing situation, testing their mettle and their moral compass as they seek to find a way out of it. Malcolm’s (John Barrowman) offer of assistance could end the fight with Brick, but it will also cost them a bit of their soul, teaming up with the man who killed their friend and almost destroyed the city. Yet, they are divided on whether to accept. Even when compromising their code appears to be the only solution, some of the team want to take the higher ground, and those people win out.

Roy’s (Colton Haynes) reasons for wanting to work with Malcolm do not stem from desperation. After a talk with Thea (Willa Holland), Roy sees that Malcolm may be redeemable. Malcolm is misguided, but at least he cares. This highlights Roy’s sensitive side, and also makes Malcolm far more interesting, enhanced by flashbacks that show how he becomes a murderer in the first place. These flashbacks are way more interesting than the ones we usually get with Oliver (Stephen Amell). Roy could also just be championing Malcolm because of his feelings for Thea, though.

Laurel’s (Katie Cassidy) reasons for wanting to join with Malcolm have to stem more from desperation, right? After all, Malcolm is responsible for Laurel’s sister’s death, and Laurel knows this. It’s surprising she’s willing to set that aside and work with the monster, a sign of just how dire things are.

Diggle (David Ramsey) is the one who makes the final decision, backing up Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) objections. Diggle is trying to fill Oliver’s shoes, taking on the mantle of leadership. Being in charge is not easy, and that person must make some tough calls. Diggle does what he thinks Oliver would do, and what is the more noble thing, and that’s refuse Malcolm. It may make Team Arrow’s job tougher, but it makes sense.

Diggle also comes up with another idea, and that’s to get the citizens, including Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez) and Sin (Bex Taylor-Klaus), to rally and stand with the costumed heroes. It’s a genius plan, really. The superheroes work on behalf of the population, so it makes sense to ask the population to repay that protection. Their battle seems epic as the sides clash, like a blockbuster film, though obviously with fewer extras and less impressive sets than, say, Lord of the Rings.

There is one problem that stems from this war, though, which ends with victory for the good guys. The more people let in on a secret, the harder it is to keep it. Sin immediately recognizes that Laurel is not the same Black Canary that she’s used to. In turn, she mentions this to Quentin (Paul Blackthorne), whom Team Arrow has been lying to. This will not end well, though “Uprising” does not reveal what happens.

“Uprising” also features the return of Oliver, a.k.a. the titular Arrow. I think this comes a bit too early. Arrow-less Team Arrow has been through many challenges, but they have not gotten anywhere near boring nor played out everything they could. I wish this story would have been stretched out just a few more weeks. If the writers didn’t know what else to do with Oliver in the cabin, he didn’t have to appear in those episodes at all.

As Oliver comes back, he strikes up a deal with Malcolm. He can be forgiven for doing so because he has a very different perspective on things than his team, with additional knowledge about who Malcolm is and was. But it’s also easy to see why Felicity and Diggle would feel betrayed, thinking they were upholding Oliver’s righteousness and being disappointed that Oliver himself will not do the same. Felicity, in particular, doesn’t give him a chance to explain, which again, is understandable because she’s experiencing very strong emotions upon learning Oliver is not dead, as she thought he was. All in all, it’s a messy return.

“Uprising” presents an exciting, engaging story, challenging our heroes and expanding our minds about who some of the characters are. Something ARROW has been doing extremely right this season is deepening the mythology and the players, and I’m happy to see that trend continue.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

DVD Review: ‘The Killing – The Complete Third Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: 'The Killing - The Complete Third Season' on Blogcritics.

After initially being cancelled at the conclusion of season two, AMC brought The Killing back for a third season last year. The Killing‘s first two runs, each spanned a single murder case and its effect on the victim’s family and community. The third season, now out as a three-disc DVD set, The Killing: The Complete Third Season, follows a string of serial killings, keeping the focus more on the detectives working the case, with fewer side characters than either of the first two seasons.

At first, it’s a bit startling to get into The Killing‘s third outing. Many of the characters regular viewers have come to know quite well, such as Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell), Mitch Larsen (Michelle Forbes), Stan Larsen (Brent Sexton), Gwen Eaton (Kristin Lehman), and more are gone. This shrinks the world considerably, and I do find myself wondering from time to time, what are they up to? A mention here or there perhaps (which barely happens for a couple of characters) isn’t enough, and no one from the first case returns.

However, the linchpins of The Killing are and always have been Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman). Although the investigation plot explores other avenues, the narrative always returns to the pair of detectives and how they handle the pressures of the case. Both are back, and while Linden is not working for law enforcement when year three begins, it doesn’t take long for the duo to return to form, chemistry intact.

Which is not to say there’s no one else in the mix this time around. A convicted killer on Death Row, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard, Jarhead), someone Linden had put away, figures prominently when the bodies piling up cast doubt on his guilt. A tough orphan living on the streets named Bullet (Bex Taylor-Klaus, Arrow) tugs our heart strings as we see the depressing world she and her friends inhabit. 

The Complete Third Season feels tighter, which it has to be, by necessity. I am one of the few who didn’t get angry when Rosie Larsen’s murderer wasn’t brought to justice in the first season, thinking The Killing brilliant for bucking expectations. In season three, the story is just as good and the mystery equally compelling, but the writers bend to the will of the people by neatly resolving the plot at the conclusion of the twelve installments. This speeds up the pacing a bit, which should satisfy those ‘fans’ who drifted away.

I like the way in which season three reaches into the backgrounds of the characters, Linden in particular. Even though the case at hand is new, it brings up things referenced in the first two years, and events that happened before the series begins. This gives the arcs a sense of continuity, and allows the show to draw a bigger picture than a simple, self-contained season would produce.

If you’re hesitant to jump in, knowing AMC canceled the show again after viewer numbers stayed low for the revival, know that Netflix ordered an additional six episodes, available now, so that The Killing can complete its tale and end on its own terms. What that means is we now have a complete, four-season saga to enjoy.

Unfortunately, there are no extras at all included on this disc. I don’t understand why the studio would choose to forgo bonus features, other than to possibly save money, and this is in line with other recent Fox DVD releases. But it’s highly disappointing, all the same, as the story of the show’s resurrection should have been told, at the bare minimum.

The Killing – The Complete Third Season is available now.

THE KILLING Returns to "The Jungle"

Article first published as THE KILLING Season 3 Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 93%

About a year after its cancellation, THE KILLING returns to AMC with the two-hour opener of season three. Titled “The Jungle; That You Fear the Most,” the story picks up a year after the events of the Rosie Larsen case, with Holder (Joel Kinnaman) seeking out a reclusive Linden (Mireille Enos) when his current murder investigation seems to tie into her former career.

As someone who loves THE KILLING, I am thrilled that it has been rescued from the TV graveyard for another year. The first two hours of the new season, despite the things that have changed in the main characters’ lives, and the absence of many familiar faces, feels like a return to form. In the same bleary, dark setting, the depressing tone of murder hangs in the air.

Similarly, Linden and Holder are able to pick up right where they leave off. The chemistry between the pair in their first meeting, having not seen each other in quite awhile, immediately reminds me of what was so good about the first two seasons. There is genuine affection there, but also a want to avoid the things that they dislike in themselves when glimpsed in each other. Even a little lie about a dropped smoking habit demonstrates this beautifully, and says a lot about the two.

Like the first two years, season three takes awhile to get started. We see a dead body early in “The Jungle; That You Fear the Most,” but I would not claim that the investigation gets off on the right track. There are plenty of details that will likely eventually be clues, and we are introduced to a great many people who will be suspects. But THE KILLING is a slow burn and will not be rushed into getting the leads to where they need to be.

Unfortunately, they won’t be able to drag their feet too long. Unlike seasons one and two, which spent twenty-six hours solving one murder in a very intriguing fashion, really dwelling on the pain and suffering and toil that goes into such a venture, season three promises to catch the killer in twelve hours. This makes sense to keep eyes glued to the screen, given the legions of so-called “fans” who abandoned ship after season one failed to wrap things up and got THE KILLING canceled in the first place, but it’s disappointing to those who would like the show to take its time and do what it does best.

Unlike the Larsen case, in which a family grieves, the victims (plural because we’re dealing with a serial killer) in season three appear to be homeless teenagers. It’s a very bleak scene, kids living on the street, and a number of them are in the central cast. This contingent includes: Bullet (Bex Taylor-Klaus), a tough, butch lesbian; Kallie (Cate Sproule), Bullet’s best friend who has been kicked out by her mother, Danette (Amy Seimetz, Family Tree); and Lyric (Julia Sarah Stone, Vampire Dog), Bullet’s crush who is with a wannabe model named Twitch (Max Fowler, Mayday), who is just using Lyric. Some of these kids may care about one another, but it’s not the same thing.

Which is good. THE KILLING doesn’t want to repeat itself, and it doesn’t. It moves forward in a new direction that continues the personal journey of the two leads of the show, and introduces another group of people living in Seattle. The homeless kids are not something that has really been explored on a weekly basis in series television before, and they raise awareness of a real-life issue, while creating a rich, fresh tapestry for the story.

But sometimes to move forward, one must go back. Linden is stuck in a low-wage job, her son, Jack (Liam James, no longer a main character), lives half a country away, and she is still haunted by a previous murder, especially when she learns that the killer she put away, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard, Jarhead), may be innocent of the crime. Jack asks Linden what she’s still doing in Seattle, and this premiere tells us: she has unresolved issues that she must deal with before she can move forward. Newlywed Regi (Annie Corley) may disagree, but from a narrative perspective, Linden needs to get back into the police game.

Holder, on the other hand, seems to be doing well. He’s close to a promotion, dressing in suits, and is definitely the more competent part of his professional partnership with Carl Reddick (Gregg Henry, Scandal). He also seems happily in a relationship. So his tale might just be to realize his calling, which he may have already found, rather than advancing solely for the sake of advancement.

On a side note, Jewel Staite (The L.A. Complex, Firefly, Stargate: Atlantis) plays Holder’s love interest, and is introduced with an instant Serenity reference. Joss Whedon fans owe THE KILLING a debt of gratitude.

Besides Holder and Linden, the most compelling character this year will probably be Ray. Sarsgaard gives us a man who may be innocent, but who sure doesn’t seem like he is, and is not making any friends on Death Row. Does this mentality stem from trauma in his past? A coping mechanism? Is he feeling guilty for something? Is he just a jerk? Sarsgaard makes me want to find out.

Two wonderful hours, and it’s like THE KILLING never left. With a great story, fantastic set up, and a group of new players every bit as interesting as those of the first two seasons, I look forward very much to watching this latest mystery unfold. Even if I’m still hoping for a Mayor Richmond (Billy Campbell) cameo at some point.

THE KILLING premieres Sunday, June 2nd at 8 p.m. ET on AMC.