Tolman's EMERGENCE

Article first published as TV Review: EMERGENCE on Seat42F.

One of ABC’s newest shows is EMERGENCE. A not-so-slow burn mystery drama that is far less soapy than most of the network’s fare (not that there’s anything wrong with soap), it finds a smart sheriff risking everything, including her family, to save a little girl with no memory and strange powers. Or so she claims. Why did she show up on a beach where a plane had just crashed, and who is the secretive (possibly) government agency who cleaned up the site and want her?

Allison Tolman (Fargo) leads the cast as Jo Evans, the sheriff who finds young Piper (Alexa Swinton, Billions). Instantly drawn to the girl, Jo takes Piper, whom she names because Piper doesn’t even recall her moniker, home to meet Jo’s daughter, Mia (Ashley Aufderheide, The Slap), and father, Ed (Clancy Brown, Thor: Ragnarok and a long list of voice acting roles). As the authorities close in around them, Jo seeks help from recent ex and father of her daughter, Alex (Donald Faison, Scrubs), investigator Benny (Owain Yeoman, The Mentalist), and Officer Chris Minetto (Robert Bailey Jr., The Night Shift).

Tolman is fantastic, as one would expect if they’ve seen her in other shows. She has an ability to express complex emotions in ways that few can that feels totally naturally. She balances the duties and power of her job with her familial bonds and noble qualities very well. She alone is worth watching, even in a lesser show. Swinton is also impressive, and the rest hold their own alongside them.

As for the mystery, it’s intriguing. It feels a bit familiar, as with so many sci-fi attempts on broadcast television, most of which unfortunately fail quickly, often not due to a lack of quality. But it also feels fresh, with a specific story that hasn’t quite been told before, at least not in this exact way. As I like to say, it’s all been done, but it hasn’t necessarily been done the way you want to do it.

With fine actors and a decent concept, it falls to the execution to be the deciding factor. EMERGENCE is compelling and mostly well made. It’s easy to get hooked into it, and little about it feels cheesy. The tone and style are engrossing and done competently, and I enjoyed my viewing of it. I am very interested in tuning in for further installments.

One thing I do hope has a larger explanation in EMERGENCE is why Jo and her clan feel such immediate protectiveness of Piper. I totally get taking care of a helpless kid, but Jo is risking her own loved ones to save Piper, and no one seems to mind. It’s not a decision just anyone could make, with most putting their own family above the welfare of a stranger. Heroic, sure, but with grounded characters, it feels a little off. Unless one of Piper’s abilities is to inspire such devotion.

My other issue with the pilot is why is Jo so confident she can keep Piper hidden when the bad guys tracked her down so easily? Even with Piper removing the mysterious electronic ball from her head at the end of the episode, one would think the agency could still find her, especially with the family staying put. Shouldn’t Jo be on the run, not returning to her home?

I’m not saying the above are minor gripes, because I don’t think they are, but the rest of the hour is solid enough that I’m willing to overlook them or suspend belief for now. The first is easily corrected, and the second, while a glaring plot hole, is necessary for the premise set up. As long as EMERGENCE doesn’t make a habit of such things, one can somewhat forgive this one for now.

EMERGENCE airs Tuesdays on ABC.

SLEEPY HOLLOW Full Of "Indispensable" "Blood"

Article first published as SLEEPY HOLLOW Full Of "Indispensable" "Blood" on TheTVKing.

FOX's Sleepy Hollow has been an action-packed drama full of twists and turns throughout the course of its thirteen-episode freshman run. Abandoning the police procedural concept entirely, which is a surprise considering the set up of the pilot, instead it focuses on mythology and belief, bringing witches, Revolutionary soldiers, George Washington, the Masons, the Bible, including the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and Revelations, and more together in a thrilling messy war.

The two-part season finale, "Indispensable Man" and "Bad Blood," tie a lot of the threads from past episodes into a neat bow. Little elements that didn't seem related suddenly are, and both of the main characters, also known as the Witnesses, are forced to confront their pasts. It's terrific character development, but also really cool storytelling that proves the writers had a plan going in for this tale.

Abbie (Nichole Beharie) realizes she's forgotten some of her past with the demon, Moloch (Derek Mears). Trapped in Purgatory, a fulfillment of a prophecy she tried to avoid, she wanders into a dollhouse, a safe haven where she finds her missing childhood experiences. It's clear why Moloch stole that part of Abbie, as it would have ruined one of Moloch's plots. But it's also a lot about Abbie, who turned her back on her sister, Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood), in the woods, and now faces her sins.

Abbie is a hero, one who is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. "Bad Blood" is the culmination of this, at least in regards to serving as redemption for the mistakes she has struggled with throughout this freshman year. Abbie will surely survive and emerge back into the real world, but this should make her a much more confident, tough person, helping to erase the self-doubt and regret that plagues her. Which is not to say she hasn't shown strength, but she does have vulnerabilities that this should help heal.

While in Purgatory, Abbie also runs into Andy (John Cho) and Sheriff Corbin (Clancy Brown). For two characters who died in the first part, they sure have been well-used in the past few months, returning again and again. It seems fitting that Abbie confronts them again now, probably the last time we'll see them (assuming Andy is crushed completely in Washington's tomb), at least for awhile. They are likely part of the first chapter, not the whole epic journey.

Ichabod (Tom Milson) also stares down his past in Purgatory when reunited with his father (the amazing Victor Garber, Alias). This is someone that Ichabod is estranged from, but someone whose approval the soldier desperately craves. Ichabod made some tough choices in his life, and when offered the chance to change things, even if it's not real, Ichabod reaffirms his stance, proving his mettle.

It is a tad too easy how Ichabod and Abbie overcome their various obstacles. They are quickly tricked, and just as quickly break the spell. But there's a lot to get through in these two hours, and it's more important that they are shown grappling with a crucial element of their past than exploring a full story on how to escape said element. So it works for the story structure laid out, and it's a minor complaint in an otherwise stellar ending.

Abbie stays stuck in Purgatory, but this allows Ichabod to bring Katrina (Katia Winter) home. The lovers are reunited, and it seems like a happy ending for Ichabod, at least in the romantic department. After all, once Katrina's out, surely they can find some way to keep her out, even while saving Abbie.

There is a scene between Ichabod and Abbie in Purgatory that makes me think Katrina may not be long for this world, despite appearing in the show's opening credits. After all, she's always been a side part. Abbie and Ichabod have a bond that could easily be developed into something more, and even Katrina looks uncomfortable at their long goodbye hug. Might Sleepy Hollow be heading for a hook-up between the unlikely partners? I can't say I saw it coming until now, but it might be a good idea, given their excellent chemistry and total opposites attract mojo.

Ichabod and Katrina's bliss is cut short when Henry Parish (Fringe's John Noble) is revealed to be their lost son, Jeremy, and a servant of Moloch and the second Horseman. It's a deep betrayal, both from Henry, who has become a fast friend and assistant to the Witnesses, and from Jeremy, who will not hear his parents' explanations. It seems especially unfair that Jeremy buried Ichabod in the ground, since Ichabod never even knew of his existence, though it makes total sense when Jeremy hands Katrina over to the Headless Horseman (Richard Cetrone), whom loved her.

Leaving all of these players in a cliffhanger in not exactly welcome, but certainly makes for a tense, exciting ending. Ichabod is buried, Abbie is trapped, Katrina is captive, and Moloch and Jeremy / Henry are free to do their evil, a seal broken. Oh, and supporting player Jenny appears like she might be dead and Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) is arrested protecting his daughter, so there is really no one left to save the day. How will they come back from this?

There aren't really any hints in "Bad Blood" at a resolution, but that's OK. It feels like everything was poured into this finale, playing all the cards they still held at once, all while seamlessly tying it back to what came before. Now, the writers have months to figure out where to go next, and given the skill they've demonstrated thus far, they leave us with confidence that they can solve the puzzle by the time filming resumes.

Sleepy Hollow has been renewed and will return to FOX next fall.

SLEEPY HOLLOW A Scary Place

Article first published as SLEEPY HOLLOW Review on Seat42F.

As fairy tales have never been a hotter genre for network television, FOX jumps into the game with its take on an American classic, SLEEPY HOLLOW, premiering Monday, September 16^th at 9 p.m. ET. SLEEPY HOLLOW takes the short story by Washington Irving, brings the characters into the modern age, and combines them with biblical mythology and the occult. It’s a fascinating idea, somewhat well executed, with the makings of an intriguing series.

The “Pilot” begins with Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison, Parade’s End) fighting for George Washington in the late eighteenth century. Ichabod chops the head off a soldier, then wakes up in a cave in 2013. Unsure what is going on, he stumbles into Deputy Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie, Shame), whose boss, Sheriff August Corbin (Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption), has recently been slain by Ichabod’s old foe, the solider he killed, the Headless Horseman (Richard Cetrone).

The Headless Horseman is not a lone figure come to haunt us from the past, though. He is one of the Four Horseman of the Apacolypse, which, as foretold in the Bible’s Book of Revelations, seek to end the world. They are said to come during a time of reckoning, when two witnesses will stand against the forces of hell, culminating in much death and destruction. Considering Ichabod’s journey and Abbie’s childhood experiences, they must just be the two.

But why has the time come now? Well, that is up to two factions of occult members, one side good and one side evil. They have been fighting each other for a long time in the inappropriately-named town of Sleepy Hollow, and their battle has come to a turning point. Now is the time to act, and only Ichabod can help Abbie win the war. At least, he can help if he remembers his past and why he was sent, which is fuzzy for the time being.

The premise is a very cool one. It seems natural to tie the biblical story into the American fairy tale in this manner, and adding in witches and the occult are other nice elements. This automatically creates a rich world with many layers and players, giving us historical and fictional context, and promising many seasons before the storytelling grows stale, as well as an expected end point.

I really like the cast, too. Mison is interesting as Crane, a hero who has embraced his destiny, even if he doesn’t quite understand it, and Beharie holds her own against him. Brown’s role is memorable, though small, and others in the “Pilot,” including John Cho (Go On) as a fellow cop and Patrick Gorman (Gettysburg) as a possibly sinister reverend, stand out. Orlando Jones (MADtv) plays wonderfully against type as Captain Irving, the police chief with a homage for a name.

The special effects are great, and the scenery is appropriate. Putting Sleepy Hollow in the traditional New England setting, with dark tones and creepy style works. SLEEPY HOLLOW is akin a bit to NBC’s Grim, but with its own flavor, and it definitely will not be a case-of-the-week procedural, a hole that Grim took awhile to climb out of.

What the show lacks is consistency. This is most glaring in Ichabod himself. He is surprised at a couple of things when awaking in the future, but those are perfunctory. He comments on Abbie’s trousers, but not her dark skin and position of authority. He wonders about things he sees from the moving car, but doesn’t obsess over the computers, electricity, and gadgets around him. Yes, SLEEPY HOLLOW cannot allow itself to get bogged down in such trivial manner for the first ten episodes, but they deserve a little more exploration than what they get, and one wishes the first installment had been designed as a two-parter so it could take its time with the pacing.

The police chief and officers also don’t act as they should, and laws and rules are ignored without consequence. This may be eventually explained away be deeper involvement by certain people in the strange happenings, but it doesn’t satisfy why Abbie doesn’t comment on or worry about it.

There are also holes in how SLEEPY HOLLOW lines up with the source material. I like the appearances of Ichabod’s wife, Katrina Van Tassel Crane (Katia Winter, Dexter), as a connection to the past, and think the SLEEP HOLLOW tale is given its due, mostly, given the set up. But what is said about Revelations only minimally lines up with what is in the Bible, and the prophecies that are supposed to lead up the seven years of trials and tribulations have not come to pass and are not mentioned. This is a sort of disappointing failure.

Despite the plot holes, though, my overall impression is favorable. Who wouldn’t like to see an out-of-his-time Revolutionary War soldier team up with a tough, African-American woman cop as they spend seven years fighting demons near the Hellmouth in a legendary town, especially when it’s not cheesy? This is the recipe for a good show whose flaws will likely seem meaningless half a season in, as long as the writing and acting stays consistently good compared to itself.

Dark Minions

Article first posted as Amazon Originals Dark Minions Review on TheTVKing.

Amazon made a ballsy move by releasing one of their new pilots, Dark Minions, in an unfinished state. Intended to be stop-motion animation, only a handful of scenes are complete, with the rest presented as sketches and sound effects.

I do not know the costs associated with stop motion, so don't know if that was the reason for the incomplete look, but I got the gist of the program decently enough. The story is easy to follow, the characters are relatable and likeable, and the voice work is cartoonish enough to mostly overcome the lack of visual product.

Still, I do think Dark Minions would have benefited by being complete. It's hard to imagine some of the bigger scenes in their current form, and the look is not at all impressive. If the series was able to wow us with what it wants to do, I think that would have helped. At the end of the day, though, I hope that this presentation doesn't hurt its chances of being picked up.

Of all the Amazon comedy pilots, Dark Minions is the most family-friendly. Sure, there is an evil empire with a planet-destroying weapon. But the blustery leader is goofy and amusing. I can't recall, though I could be wrong, any cursing, and a couple of pot jokes, while not ideal viewing for children, might just go over their heads. Content-wise, it's the tamest of the releases.

Which doesn't mean that it's not enjoyable. Mel (John Ross Bowie, The Big Bang Theory) and Andy (Kevin Sussman, also The Big Bang Theory) are slackers, more or less, who go to work for the galactic conquerors because they need a paycheck. They are the lesser storm troopers, working deep within the bowels of the starship, with no power or influence over policy. Thus, they are harmless, and their sweet dispositions make us forgive their choice in jobs, which at least one of them has a good reason for taking.

While on assignment to a planet, they meet Carly (Jamie Denbo, Terriers) and Lance (Andrew Daly, Eastbound & Down), rebels who would like to overthrow their overlords. Mel and Andy manage to pass themselves off as antique dealers, rather than soldiers, and a bond forms between the foursome.

Which is why when Drebnor (Clancy Brown, SpongeBob SquarePants) decides to blow up their world, Mel and Andy risk life, limb, and employment to save their new friends. They succeed, and Carly, believing them to be prisoners, rather than liars, drags Lance along to save them.

I think there are the makings here for a sweet, heroic story. Carly will be mad when she learns she has been fooled, of course, but the genuine earnestness of the lead characters should be enough for them to eventually earn her forgiveness. Plus, they will likely end up helping her, so this could be a bumbling comedy about good guys trying to take down the bad ones. I see potential here.

I also found the "Pilot" quite amusing and charming. Most of the players here are everymen, people we can get behind and root for in every setting, even space, which provides a rich tapestry of trouble to get into and strange environments to visit. They screw up, thankfully, because it provides laughs, but rebound from doing so, too, without much harm done. One can enjoy the blunders when one knows there won't be any serious, dire consequences, which there won't be with Dark Minion's light tone. Side characters, such as Drebnor's blubbering assistant, Feldenbaum (Richard Kind, Luck), and the radio man, DJ Wormhole (Phil LaMarr, Futurama), help round out the world.

Overall, I wish I could have seen a completed project, but Dark Minions should have broad enough appeal to find an audience. Dark Minions is available now on Amazon.com.

SpongeBob SquarePants "Mystery With a Twistery"

     Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants is a beloved classic at this point. It has been on the air since 1999, and — though it doesn't run regular seasons — is into its eighth batch. This coming Thursday will see the eighth episode in this eighth season, entitled "Mystery With a Twistery." It is the first new episode in over a month, and should prove delightful.

     The main plot arc concerns Mr. Krabs (voiced by Clancy Brown), tired of fending off the scheming of arch-enemy, Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), sending his Krabby Patty recipe to a far-away safe deposit box for safekeeping. Of course, he needs a look at the ingredients almost as soon as it's gone, so he sends SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) to retrieve it. Plankton follows them, bent on stealing the key to the box, and the secret recipe.

     I wouldn't dream of spoiling the obvious ending, or most of the fun it takes getting there. I can, however, drop a few hints. The episode features two characters are aren't who they appear to be, a retirement home built strangely at the end of a train track, a not-so-fun way for Mr. Krabs to spend his life savings, and reveals that Patrick can repeatedly run faster than a locomotive speeding out of control.

     SpongeBob still teems with unexplainable going-ons, and I wonder how the rules of gravity and land physics can possibly apply under water. However, for a series whose ocean-dwelling sponge looks like the kitchen variety, the rest falls in as part of the charm. SpongeBob may be over a decade old, but he can still deliver the charm and humor of a much younger cleaning implement.

     Advertised as a very special mystery episode, "Mystery With a Twistery" premieres this Thursday at 8pm on Nickelodeon.


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

Article first published as TV Preview: SpongeBob SquarePants - "Mystery With a Twistery" on Blogcritics.

The Deep End fits well in ABC's Thursday

    The Deep End has been placed on ABC Thursdays nights just before Grey's Anatomy, and this is the perfect spot for it.  It resembles the other show in many ways.  It stars five attractive, young people at the bottom of the rung on a law firm, and the cast is peppered with older, established potential mentors at different tiers in the same law firm.  It's the legal version of Grey's, and the music, tone, and sensibilities are also incredibly similar.  Does that mean that this show is more of the same?  Not exactly.  It's a formula that works, with a different take.  As long as it is done correctly, and it appears from the pilot that it has been, then it should do all right, though critics aren't too impressed.  The question is, will audiences embrace it?  Based on ABC's track record, they should.

     The two young women joining the firm are Addy (Tina Majorino, Veronica Mars, Big Love, Napoleon Dynamite) and Beth (Leah Pipes).  The guys are Liam (Ben Lawson, Neighbours), Malcolm (Mehcad Brooks, True Blood, Desperate Housewives), and Dylan (Matt Long, Jack & Bobby).  Liam and Beth have already slept together, so the requisite sexual tension is already starting among the group.  Four of them already demonstrated a fun dynamic, though Malcolm showed up late in the pilot, and hasn't yet had much interaction.  They are different enough to keep the show interesting, but have enough similarities to mostly gel as a group.  They are all recently hired out of law school, the most promising candidates picked from a pool of thousands.  They will clearly be the heart and soul of the show, and the focus of the series.

     Elsewhere in the firm, Cliff a.k.a. The Prince of Darkness (Billy Zane, Samantha Who?, Titanic) has been running the place for three years, while sometimes clashing with fellow employee, and his spouse, Susan (Nicole Ari Parker, Soul Food).  However, now the old boss, Hart (Clancy Brown, Carnivale, SpongeBob SquarePants) is back, and the two have to find a way to work together.  The new recruit's marginally effective mentor is Rowdy (Norbert Leo Butz).  Each have their own concerns, but will also have to help out, or torture until they turn out right, the rookies.

     The Deep End will run Thursdays at 8pm on ABC.