"Checking In" to AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL

Article first published as AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL Review on Seat42F.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY -- "Checking In" Episode 501 (Airs Wednesday, October 7, 10:00 pm/ep) Pictured: Kathy Bates as Iris. CR: Suzanne Tenner/FX

The acclaimed AMERICAN HORROR STORY is back for its new series, HOTEL. As fans have come to expect, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL keeps much of the familiar cast, including Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, and Denis O’Hare, with some other Murphy favorites, like Wes Bentley, Cheyenne Jackson, and Matt Bomer, thrown in. This time, the setting is an old hotel in modern-day Los Angeles, and the scary begins right away.

To help viewers ease into the world, the premiere, “Checking In,” starts with a couple of ‘normal’ people (Kamilla Alnes and 666 Park Avenue’s Helena Mattsson) arriving at the Hotel Cortez on vacation. This is nice because it gives viewers an ‘in’ to experience the world of the hotel, without needing any prior knowledge. We find out what the girls find out, and the disturbing, weird bits happen slowly at first, but not too slowly, to give the audience time to adjust.

We need the time to adjust because AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL is probably the weirdest of the five seasons thus far. It’s less clear who the characters are and what is going on than in the first four years, “Checking In” keeping plenty of secrets. This is not a complaint, but it certainly feels like a bit of a different approach, as past seasons generally gave us at least a few main people whom we could understand right off the bat.

The closest we get to that in episode one is Iris (Kathy Bates), who works the reception desk. The reason she is at the Hotel Cortez is explored in the first hour, helped along by a flashback to the mid-1990s. I believe we’ll get others as time goes on, but most of the main cast, including The Countess (singer Lady Gaga), are much more shrouded in secrecy, and it will take some weeks before viewers will begin to understand them.

As usual, the entire main contingent does not show up right away. But those that are present are, without fail, very interesting. Wes Bentley makes a great hero (presumably) as police detective John Lowe. Sarah Paulson finds yet another completely different personality as Hypodermic Sally. Matt Bomer is magnetic as The Countess’s lover. Chloe Sevigny makes Alex Lowe anything but the typical housewife, and is already showing a lot of complexity. Denis O’Hare is particularly marvelous as Liz Taylor. And we get a disturbing scene with guest star Max Greenfield, who departs quite far from his role of Schmidt on New Girl.

Those people are the reasons viewers will want to tune in weekly for AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL. Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have become experts at taking a bunch of very, very talented actors and letting them play parts that showcase their range and stretch their skills. It’s an absolute pleasure just to see the roles that these actors create, and even the most villainous of them find a way to make us care about them. “Checking In” only teases what this season has in store, but even with it being light on the mythology of the miniseries, it finds a way to hook the audience.

Will AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL be as great as Freak Show or the first season, my two favorites? My gut instinct tells me no, but it’s pretty early to make that judgment. I already like it a bit better than the worst of the bunch Asylum, which was still a very good batch of television installments. The important thing is that it is worthy of the franchise and kicks off the season in an intriguing manner.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

THOSE WHO KILL Are Featured Too Heavily on Television

Article first published as THOSE WHO KILL Review on Seat42F.

Following Bates Motel tonight on A&E is the new drama THOSE WHO KILL. Other reviewers seem to be mixed on whether this show succeeds or not, but most take one position or the other. I’m torn in the middle, seeing both the positive and negative points made. This is yet another crime drama with a few very formulaic elements and some, at-times, shoddy writing. But it’s also a heck of a character study for its lead, whom is brilliantly acted, and it does veer away from the rote procedural.

As the “Pilot” begins, Detective Catherine Jensen (Chloe Sevigny, Big Love, Portlandia) is examining a mummified corpse. Her fellow officer, Lieutenant Mike Dunn (Christopher Michael Holley, Smokin’ Aces), a seasoned veteran, doesn’t want to expend much effort on what he feels is an open-and-shut unsolvable case. The thing is, even the viewer can tell at a glance by the corpse’s painted fingernails that Dunn’s theory is wrong. Jensen, of course, bulks, finds some more clues, some with the help of her medical examiner friend, Mia (Kerry O’Malley, Shameless), and quickly gets on the trail of a serial killer.

If that paragraph made the show seem predictable, well, that part of it is. Dunn is a ridiculous cop, but one television viewers will be familiar with, and Jensen is a brilliant hero, again, another oft-used type. If there wasn’t more to this story, then THOSE WHO KILL would end pretty quickly. But that’s just the start of things.

Knowing she’ll get little support from Dunn, Jensen enlists an academic, Thomas Schaeffer (James D’Arcy, Secret Diary of a Call Girl), for assistance. He turns out to be just as weird and eccentric as she is, and together, the two come face to face with the bad guy relatively early in the episode. That doesn’t mean the case is over and everything is solved. That just means these guys are good. Very good.

Throughout this first installment, we learn little bits about both Jensen and Schaeffer that are disturbing, more so for the former, but surely more will come about the latter. Jensen cuts herself and keeps pictures of serial killers’ homes on her wall. She is obsessed with a missing brother and a mysterious father (Bruce Davison, X-Men). Schaeffer’s wife (Anne Dudek, Covert Affairs) does not approve of him getting involved in an active case, and her opinion is justified when Schaeffer gets a little too creepy putting himself in the mind of the killer, a la Will Graham in Hannibal, to a much lesser extent. His rocky, but unrevealed, past with Jensen’s boss, Frank Bisgaard (James Morrison, 24), also counts against him.

The parts of THOSE WHO KILL that work best are when the series dwells on the darker nature of its players. Yes, Dexter has already given us just about all the psychopath anyone could want, and Luther and others have played for the more complex version of the part, so it’s not really anything new. But Sevigny is just so darned good that one can’t look away from her performance, even when the script falters.

And falter it does. Besides Dunn’s unrealistic dismissiveness, there is a terribly botched capture attempt, a run-in that should have ended the episode, a few leaps of logic to move the plot along, and the setting itself of run-down Pittsburgh. Bisgaard tells Jensen she should feel responsible for every death until they capture their man, bad advice that no ordinary cop could take to heart and stay sane. But at least the main cops actually call for backup when going into a dangerous situation, and said backup arrives in a timely manner, a situation almost unheard of in the television crime body of work.

The hardest thing THOSE WHO KILL has going for it is that it’s another crime show. The genre is tragically bloated, so it’s almost impossible to add anything new to it. Networks need to stop trying, immediately and almost permanently. The good thing is that it’s paired with a show that has a similar tone and sensibilities, albeit with a bit more originality and teen angst, and the cast, especially Sevigny, is amazing. Her contribution cannot be overstated. So it has a chance. It’s certainly the second best series A&E has made, a bit above Longmire, and miles over The Glades.

THOSE WHO KILLS airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on A&E.

THE MINDY PROJECT Has "All My Problems Solved Forever..."

THE MINDY PROJECT, one of only two new broadcast sitcoms last year to garner a second season, returns with “All My Problems Solved Forever…,” now available on Hulu. In the episode, Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is flown home from Haiti to have emergency gallbladder surgery. Once back in NYC, though, she questions whether she should marry Pastor Casey (Anders Holm) and return to the island.

Mindy is a girl who just doesn’t know what she wants yet. She has been taught to think life is like a romantic comedy, and thus tries to follow the plot she thinks is laid out for her. She did so when she started dating the holy man, and when she followed him to a poor, third-world country, believing it would lead to her happy ending. After all, Casey is the key to “All My Problems Solved Forever…” for Mindy, right?

Then, Mindy continues along the path with him when she accepts his marriage proposal early in the episode and agrees to give up her dreams of a big wedding in favor of an intimate ceremony in her apartment, even though it doesn’t feel right to her, no more right than waking up for jungle sunrises. She just gets carried away. Mindy puts her whole heart into everything she does, and even when things start to turn wrong, she carries on.

There is something to be said for this quality of follow. It takes a lot of honor and determination. However, Mindy also needs to find herself and what she really wants. Sacrificing her own dreams isn’t right, and won’t get her the guy she should be with. Emotionally, Mindy is still a teenager, and she needs to work on herself before she is ready to figure out life with someone else.

Once one realizes that, THE MINDY PROJECT’s title and premise makes sense. And it’s a funny show, well worth one’s time. Without spoiling what happens at the end of “All My Problems Solved Forever…,” I will say that fans of both the show and the character should be at least partially satisfied.

The other major relationship in the show right now is that which is between Danny (Chris Messina) and his ex-wife, Christina (Chloe Sevigny). In the season premiere, Christina wants a lot more sex than Danny is willing to give her (though that is merely a symptom of their larger problems) so they begin seeing sex therapist Doctor Paul Leotard (recent Comedy Central Roast subject James Franco).

I really like Franco in this role, which works well in the established chemistry. Not only is Leotard replacing Mindy in the office, even taking her nickname of “Dr. L.,” but he also integrates himself into the dynamics between various characters. He isn’t sticking around long-term, but while he lasts, Leotard will be a great source of conflict and humor for the series.

Danny is a lot like Mindy in his tenacity and drive to do the right thing. However, he is a bit wiser and should know better. He being with Christina is just as wrong as Mindy and Casey, not finding what he needs from a relationship in Christina. Some may call it stubbornness, but Danny tries to make it work anyway.

Now, I’m not saying that Mindy and Danny should be together anytime soon. There are plenty of shippers for the pair who are fans of THE MINDY PROJECT, and this segment will get a scene to tickle their fancy in this episode. However, as I’ve said, Mindy must grow before she’s ready for a long-term, stable relationship that works, and Danny is the end-up-with type of man, not the experiment-on-the-way guy. So, for now, they should remain apart.

I do think there will be more opportunity for Mindy and Danny to bond this year, though, with Mindy’s gal pals reduced to recurring status, and completely absent from the season premiere. She has her co-workers, Jeremy Reed (Ed Weeks), Morgan (Ike Barinholtz), Besty (Zoe Jarman), Beverly (Beth Grant), and, very minimally, Tamra (Xosha Roquemore), to talk to, but none of them really fill that friend gap for Mindy. Danny may be masculine in some ways, but in others he’s a total fem. Plus, a strong friendship for them could set the stage for something more later.

Now, there is a little bit more to THE MINDY PROJECT besides relationship woes. But those are mainly just the funny gags and lines about relationship woes. After undergoing many changes in season one, the show should know what it is now and serve their audience better. “All My Problems Solved Forever…” is a good step in the right direction.

THE MINDY PROJECT returns Tuesday, September 17^th at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

"Take Me With You," THE MINDY PROJECT!

Article first published as "Take Me With You," THE MINDY PROJECT! on TheTVKing.

"Take Me With You" brings FOX's The Mindy Project to a close for the year in an interesting way, after a pretty enjoyable run. The mission of Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is to find love, and perhaps not knowing if the show would return, the writers decided to make sure that she accomplished this goal by the end of the first season.

It's kind of weird that Mindy is ready to commit so fully to Casey (Anders Holm, Workaholics), agreeing to move to Haiti with him for a year. We've seen her date lots of different guys this season, and she's only been with Casey for a month or so. Yes, they seem to click pretty well, and she's not getting any younger, but that doesn't mean she should give up her life and move countries away on what amounts to a whim, no matter how much that may be in line with the romantic comedies she adores so much.

I do predict that they won't last. With season two already ordered, Mindy can't be far away from the practice, which has established some wonderful major characters, even as the more minor players have rotated in and out over the various installments. The Mindy Project simply can't retool itself to move the setting to Haiti and ditch the cast at this point. It would be a brave, bold decision, but not one I can imagine network TV ever making, and it would greatly upset the fans. Plus, Holm already stars in another popular show on Comedy Central.

So Mindy should be home again and single before we know it. Which means she'll be fair game for Danny (Chris Messina) to pursue, now that he has dumped his ex-wife, Christina (Chloe Sevigny, Portlandia, Big Love, American Horror Story). It seems like Danny wants to confess his feelings, which have very obviously been bubbling just under the surface since the character is introduced, to Mindy in "Take Me With You," but then Mindy tells him about moving, and knocks the wind from his sails.

I don't know if season two will be the right time for Danny and Mindy. Danny would be ready for a committed relationship, but as much as Mindy thinks she is, her waffling over Haiti and her string of not-right men proves otherwise. While other shows have been going for putting their romantic leads together earlier, including The Mindy Project's lead in on FOX, New Girl, it also has to feel right for it to work. It doesn't feel right for these two yet.

Besides Mindy and Danny, no one else really has much story in "Take Me With You." The show spends so much time focusing on the title character, there isn't a lot of room for the rest of the cast. Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) has story this season, and to a lesser extent, so do Jeremy (Ed Weeks) and Betsy (Zoe Jarman), but only when time permits.

This isn't a complaint, but it is interesting. There are so many shows currently focused on the ensemble-approach, that it seems a bit odd when a series comes along that makes everyone else so fully second-string to the main character. I love not only Mindy's co-workers, but their competitors upstairs, too. Plus, Mindy's exes frequently return, meaning we get several familiar faces in "Take Me With You" that aren't full-time cast members.

I do predict that, as the years go on, should The Mindy Project be fortunate enough to continue, it will likely grow into a true ensemble show. But for now, it's fun just to watch the antics of Mindy and the amusing bits the others around her contribute. I'm glad it will be back.

The Mindy Project will return next fall on FOX.

Back to Portlandia

After a December winter special, IFC's Portlandia officially kicked off their third season this past Friday night. While it's hard to review a sketch series in general, Portlandia has enough recurring characters and very specific situations to garner something to say about it. It also manages to be funny to a great number of people, despite it's very narrow subject matter, namely, that all bits revolve around the strange residents of the city of Portland, Oregon.

In the premiere hour, the Mayor (Kyle MacLachlan) has a mission for Fred (Fred Armisen) and Carrie (Carrie Brownstein). He would like them to go to Seattle, which has been poaching citizens, and recruit some of their people to move to Portland. The catch? He thinks a personal touch is needed, so Fred and Carrie should go door to door in their effort.

I've always loved MacLachlan's take on the Mayor, even when he isn't accompanied by his assistant (Sam Adams, the real life mayor), as he isn't in this episode. He seems the perfect mix of liberal hibbie and actual idea man to sort of keep Portland going, but never to push it beyond the elements that make it such a distinct place, and into the world at large. This newest project is fantastic in keeping with the themes of the series, and Fred and Carrie's willingness to take it on is perfect.

As the bit plays out in several scenes, Fred and Carrie take on the personas of Mormon missionaries. I like this because nothing in Portland ever seems entirely original, just an odd take on a thing that exists elsewhere, taking it to the extreme. Also, living in Portland and embracing the town is like a religion, so the concept works very well. It's also funny in plenty of places, such as where Fred introduces some young housemates to the "Portland invention" of the chore wheel.

I don't know why it's so enjoyable to watch Fred and Carrie play a version of themselves, but the times that they do, stripped of the utter goofiness of the other characters, are always fun.

Having never been to Portland myself, Portlandia makes me feel like I have been. It's not just a humorous series of sketches, but also a love letter to a town where the odd, lovable people are earnest and living the way they want to, uncaring about what others may think. Maybe it's not for everyone, and maybe we shouldn't be laughing at them. But there's no mean spirit present, so it's easy, rather than uncomfortable, to chuckle at.

Portlandia has some truly memorable personalities, so it's wonderful when they are brought back over and over again. In the first two half hours of this season, we revisit Peter and Nance, Malcolm and Kris, Kath and Dave, Spyke and Iris, and Toni and Candace. Each of these duos manage to stay completely unique, even when played by the same two, very talented, actors. There's also a level of comfort to find new situations for beloved favorites.

Not that Portlandia isn't accessible to newbies; it is. The structure of the show invites anyone to jump in at any point, and still laugh. But for those loyal viewers who watch week after week, the recurring people are a treat.

Doug and Claire also return. They are featured in my favorite episode of the series to date, season two's "One Moore Episode," and I love that their second appearance not only gives us more TV goodness, but also finds a way to once more, organically, stitch in the old, black Ron Moore and his wife.

Other characters not played by Fred and Carrie in the premiere include Alan (Jeff Goldblum), who now sells doilies, rather than knots, MTV video DJs, and Chloe Sevigny (Big Love, American Horror Story: Asylum) as Fred and Carrie's new roommate. This is her first appearance, but we should be seeing her quite a bit more throughout the year.

Portlandia airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on IFC.

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

American Horror Story checks into an Asylum

Grade: 94%

Some who have heard the premise of AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASYLUM might be surprised when the story begins in present day. Leo (Maroon 5′s Adam Levine) and Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum, The Playboy Club) are a fear-addicted couple on their honey moon, intent on having sex in the scariest of places. Their travels bring them to Briarcliff, a former mental hospital. While there, something attacks Leo, making their good times turn to bad.

This glimpse into the present day, while one hell of an opening scene, is not just that. Some scary movies may have a stand-alone tease before getting to the main story, but the fact that Leo and Teresa are visited later in the episode, “Welcome to Briarcliff,” points to a different agenda. Like season one, time is fluid, and what has happened influences what will happen and vice versa. The two are not main characters, but it is very likely we will see them again.

Thus, AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASLYUM establishes right off the bat that it is going to be as good and complex as the first season. The actors are fantastic, the setting is rich and detailed (and even more creepy), and the story is just as interwoven with itself as ever. Little tidbits are teased out, with many things remaining a mystery. The characters are written in such a way that feel authentic, and yet, remain unpredictable. Viewers cannot possibly see where this is going from one episode alone, but the first installment is so tantalizing, they should want to keep coming back.

The main plot, as advertised, happens in 1964, when Briarcliff is still a functioning facility. The institution is run by Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes, Camelot, FlashForward). His favorite nun, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story), is quick to judge and likes to whip people, considering sin a horrible thing, but not hypocritically above engaging in it herself. She has plans for Briarcliff, and O’Hara has plans for her. She just wishes that they included sex.

Jude is definitely the most interesting, right out of the gate. Played with a strange accent that doesn’t quite define itself, she has an iron fist, and even her compassionate acts come across as trying to force what her narrow mind thinks of as god’s will, rather than to help people. She wants to cleanse the place, making it her own. It would not be surprising if she gets her way, at least for a time, but it won’t help the patients interned there any more than playing the same cheery song on loop, which she insists happen in the common room, does now.

Jude is challenged by Dr. Arden (James Cromwell, The Artist, Six Feet Under), a man of science. Or so he says. His “advanced” techniques include removing brains from still living patients, and he doesn’t use anesthetic because it messes with his tests. As cruel as Jude can be, and make no mistake about it, Jude is cruel, Arden, with whom she clashes, does not present a better option.

And then there’s poor Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe, also AHS), who is torn between Jude and Arden. A pathetic soul, she may just turn out to be a hero of the piece. At least, that’s my initial guess. Or she may remain too weak to do anything of note.

There’s also another doctor played by Zachary Quinto, the lone main character billed who does not appear in the season premiere. I wonder what role he’ll play in this dynamic?

The hospital’s entire world is threatened by a reporter named Lana (Sarah Paulson, AHS again), who wants to know what is really going on in Briarcliff. Jude tries to shut her out, but Lana is determined, which leads her into serious trouble. Unfortunately for her, Jude is not at all above resorting to blackmail to protect her work, and Lana, being a homosexual in 1964, is ripe for the picking.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASLYUM deals with bigotry in an interesting way. Jude, the only obvious hater from the start, is, of course, a detestable character. But it’s interesting there is both a lesbian (Paulson and Clea DuVall, Carnivale) and a interracial couple in this episode, given the time period. It’s not that this sort of thing didn’t exist back then, it’s just that both are living as openly as can be expected, given the societal norms, and both are part of this story, which has only a limited view of the world. Credit Murphy and Falchuk for their continued themes of inclusion in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

The black and white pairing are Kit (Evan Peters, AHS) and Alma (Britne Oldford, Skins). When Alma is found dead, skinned alive, Kit is assumed to be the serial killer behind it, and it placed in Briarcliff. Yet, Kit thinks he was abducted by aliens that night, an occurrence backed up when Dr. Arden examines him. So it Kit real, or crazy? And is Dr. Arden’s involvement in the story imagined, or does it actually happen? My instincts tell me that Kit is not the killer, because that was Peters’ character’s secret in the first season. And having aliens actually be a part of this story doesn’t seem likely. But you never know.

It’s this blurring of reality that is bound to make AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASYLUM great. In a mental hospital, who’s to say what is real or not? It is a place stocked with crazies (including Lizzie Brochere, R.I.S. Police scientifique, and Chloe Sevigny, Big Love), and depending on the perspective of the scene, things might be seen that don’t really happen. Add to that, visual fantasies and an actual monster, and this is a very strange, terrifying place.

Let’s be honest. What viewers really want to get out of this series is a good scare in a vivid world. Like season one, maybe even more so, the latest installment delivers this in spades, and with a large, talented cast that will provide plenty of tangents to keep the plot moving at an acceptable intensity. If you liked the first season, season two should not disappoint.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

2010 Golden Globes results

     Ricky Gervais (the British version of The Office, Extras) hosted the 67th Golden Globes, the first host in fifteen years for the ceremony, and to no one's surprise, knocked it out of the park.  He started strong with an opening monologue mocking Steve Carell, NBC, Jay Leno, and cosmetic surgery, praising actors like Hugh Laurie (House) and Kiefer Sutherland (24), and pushing his Office DVDs.  The only sad part of Gervais's performance was how short it was.  Not allowing him more screen time was what hurt the Globes the worst.  Sir Paul McCartney wins for second funniest man of the night, when he said that cartoons aren't just for kids any more, but also "drug-taking adults".

     Some of the awards went to exactly who they should have gone to.  Glee won Best Musical or Comedy series, and hands down, it was the front runner.  The brilliant freshman show proves that geeks are definitely in vogue, and winners to boot!  Drew Barrymore, while having an unnecessarily long speech, came off sweet and sincere for her win portraying Little Edie in Grey Gardens.  Having finally seen the performance a few days ago, it was well deserved.  The series itself won, as I predicted it would.  Toni Collette certainly deserved an award, though I did not recommend her in my original picks. This was because I hadn't yet seen the show, but now I have, and I was blown away. My problem was which one she was given - Best Actress in a Comedy. United States of Tara is much more drama than comedy, but she is amazing in it, so I will overlook the gaff.

     Others were mistakes, at least in this reviewer's opinion.  Why, oh why, does Mad Men keep winning best series?  I tried to watch it.  I stuck with it for seven episodes.  It was incredibly boring.  Guess it's time to give it another chance, since it even beat True Blood.  And while I dearly love Alec Baldwin's performance in 30 Rock, there are other deserving actors.  He shouldn't keep getting the awards year after year.  I haven't yet seen Big Love so I shouldn't jump all over Chloe Sevigny taking the best supporting actress awards, but Jane Lynch is just so perfect in Glee that I can't help it!  Maybe supporting actor and actress need to split into Drama and Comedy categories like the other awards.  Next year, Jane Lynch!

     Other television winners included Michael C. Hall (Dexter) for Best Actor in a Drama, Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) for Best Actress in a Drama, Kevin Bacon (Taking Chance) for Best Actor in a Miniseries, and John Lithgow (Dexter) for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries.

     On a slightly more sober note, many of the stars wore red ribbons to the event in support of the tragedy in Haiti.  People all across the country, and the world, have contributed to relief efforts.  Even in Lexington, there is something you can do.  The easiest thing is just to give money.  To donate, please visit www.redcross.org or text 'Haiti' to 90999 for ten dollars to be added to your cell phone bill.