Checking Out QUIBI

Article first published as TV Review: QUIBI on Seat42F.

In the crowded world of streaming, QUIBI, a new project from Dreamworks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, and led by former HP CEO Meg Whitman, stands out as different. Available only for smart phones, the app boasts episodes under ten minutes in length, with new installments released daily. It’s configured for short attention spans or the busy person on the go, allowing a bit of drama, comedy, or reality in bite-size form.

I admit, in my mid-thirties, I am not the target demographic for QUIBI. I dislike having to view content on my tiny screen, and wish it was available to cast to my television set. I don’t like how the picture adjusts to both portrait and landscape mode, cutting off a portion of the image no matter which way you hold it. I also don’t like watching programs in such short chunks, although it helps that new episodes are coming daily instead of weekly, with new shows weekly.

Looking over the content in QUIBI, again, I’m not the target. Most programs are reality shows, while I prefer to stick to scripted fare. However, there are a handful of scripted series in the initial batch launched this week, so I reviewed the first six episodes of all four of them. There will be spoilers.

We’ll start with the best of the bunch, and the sole comedy in the offerings, FLIPPED. Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Will Forte (Last Man on Earth) star as Cricket and Jann Melfi, an eccentric, artsy couple who use a drug dealer’s cash to renovate their home. Obviously, dangerous hilarity ensues as they are forced to makeover the bad guy’s abode. From Funny or Die, it’s smart and weird and pretty darn funny, headlined by a couple of seasoned pros. It’s the least jarring when the episodes end after just a few minutes.

I also enjoyed MOST DANGEROUS GAME in which the mysterious Miles Sellers (Christoph Waltz, Spectre) hires the terminally ill and broke Dodge Maynard (Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games) to run and avoid five assassins for twenty-four hours. It’s a pretty familiar concept, but it succeeds in being suspenseful. Its fast pace is relentless, and even the setup is compelling. This is the one I am most likely to see through, and I really need episode seven right now.

WHEN THE STREETLIGHTS GO ON is typical young adult fare. A teacher (Mark Duplass, The Morning Show) and student (Kristine Froseth, Looking for Alaska) are romantically involved. When they’re murdered, the town reels. Young Charlie Chambers (Chosen Jacobs, It) investigates their deaths for the school newspaper, while others find love. Or probably just teenage crushes. It’s interesting enough, and fits in well with other programming in its genre, so that it will likely work for QUIBI’s core viewership.

Lastly, SURVIVE seems like it’s going to be a drama about mental health. But when protagonist Jane (Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones) crash lands in an airplane, things get a lot more intense. The fact that the man (Corey Hawkins, The Walking Dead) she talks to in the airport, and then just happens to sit next to on the plane, turns out to be the only other survivor, is preposterous. Almost as much so as Jane surviving the wreck unsecured in a bathroom. Their trek down the snowy mountain only gets more ridiculous from there.

While the quality of story telling is uneven among these offerings, there are some commonalities. All star terrific performers and have high production value. They all also feel pretty familiar, without getting too risky in originality. It’s like they’re a shortened, broken up version of shows ans movies people already watch, which may be why they were chosen. QUIBI’s platform itself is the risk, not what it puts on it.

The short format is hard to get used to. Three of these four are as good as any other short-form series I’ve watched. And despite my general distaste, I’ve watched quite a few. It always feels odd to get jarred out of the story so quickly. Web series have been around for awhile, but none have ever really taken off in the public consciousness. Some have gained decent followings, but none hit truly mainstream status. I can’t imagine any of  these will, either, but it’s an interesting experiment that I’ll keep an eye on. My prediction is this service will be a blip, over relatively quickly, and without any true competitors. But who knows? Maybe there’s finally a generation ready for such a thing. We’ll see.

QUIBI is available now on Android and iPhone devices, and offers a 90-day free trial. The trial is free with or without ads, so there’s no reason to choose the ad version at this juncture. More than a dozen shows are currently running with additional ones on the way, including new Reno 9-1-1 episodes.

24's LEGACY Intact

Article first published as 24 LEGACY Review on Seat42F.

24 is back tonight! OK, so it’s not classic 24, as our hero, Jack Bauer, is nowhere in sight. But other than missing Jack, this version is pretty much the same thing. There are terrorists and sleeper cells, betrayals and moles, CTU agents and politicians, people who just won’t listen even though their deafness gets in the way of saving the day, and, of course, the ticking clock as events unfold in real time.

Our new protagonist is Eric Carter (Corey Hawkins, The Walking Dead, Straight Outta Compton), the leader of an elite CTU squad that took out a major terrorist six months ago (think SEAL Team Six and bin Laden). Back in the states, Eric is trying to move on with his wife, Nicole (Anna Diop, The Messengers). But he isn’t doing a good job of it, Nicole even hypothesizing that Eric misses the killing and the danger. Can he settle into suburbia?

24: LEGACY quickly proves he doesn’t have to. The son of the assassinated terrorist is in town with a squad, and begins picking off Eric’s team one by one. With only Eric and mentally unstable Ben Grimes (Charlie Hofheimer, Mad Men, Black Hawk Down) left, Eric has to go on the offensive, trying to stay alive and stop the son from recovering his dad’s sleeper cell list. This means Eric is like later-seasons Jack, already violent and willing to do what needs to be done, even if it’s against the law, so yeah, I’m sure he can do it.

Of course he can. That is never in doubt. This is 24, so the bad guys will get to kill some people along the way, but not as many as they’d like. In fact, the blood starts flowing (in a not-particularly-gory way) only moments into the first hour. There are always casualties in war, but 24, taking its queue from the superhero genre, always makes sure that our hero wins the day, albeit with some cost. 24: LEGACY looks to follow that same format.

Also, as in other seasons of 24, high-level politicians enter into the story. This time we have Rebecca Ingram (Miranda Otto, Homeland, The Lord of the Rings), the former head of CTU, whose husband, Senator John Donovan (Jimmy Smits, Sons of Anarchy, The West Wing), is running for president. This dynamic allows for the in-agency stuff to tie in to election drama in a satisfying way.

Having watched two hours so far, 24: LEGACY almost makes me forget about Jack Bauer. They wisely have brought in a heavy cast, which also includes Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal), Teddy Sears (The Flash), and Gerald McRaney (This Is Us), who along with those above, make the story gripping and well-acted enough that, even with the popcorn-style, unrealistic plot, it’s a lot of fun. So much going on with so many fine performers, and family drama tossed in, too, keeps us from dwelling on what we don’t get.

Which isn’t to say that 24: LEGACY isn’t without its ties to past seasons. One of the new CTU staff members is Mariana Stiles (Coral Pena), the cousin of Edgar Stiles, whom this new version reminds us was one of the best the organization had to offer. But it also stands enough on its own that new viewers could jump right in without missing a beat.

Like the last Jack-led season, 24: LEGACY will only present twelve of the twenty-four hours in this all-important day. This is a wise move, as most seasons of 24 suffered from dragging or vamping in the middle, and the twelve hour format (with hours skipped to still cover an entire day) is a tighter, more enjoyable one. 24 banks on intensity, and the shorter season makes it easier to keep up the adrenaline.

My overall impression of 24: LEGACY is that the franchise is resilient and will fare just fine without its lead. As much as I hope Jack does return for future installments, the rest of the 24 ensemble has always been rotating, and the format works as long as the cast stays strong, which it does here. 24 isn’t the best show on TV, not by a long-shot, but it’s action-packed entertainment that gets your blood pumping, and as a fan or the original, I’m not disappointed at all by the latest incarnation.

24: LEGACY premieres tonight after the Super Bowl, then moves to its regular timeslot tomorrow at 8/7c.

No "Thank You," THE WALKING DEAD

Article originally published as THE WALKING DEAD Review "Thank You" on Seat42F.

No one will be saying “Thank You” to THE WALKING DEAD after last night’s episode on AMC. With much of zombie herd closing in on Alexandria, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) works on a plan to redirect the walkers, while tasking Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) with getting some of their new neighbors home safe. Walkers may be slow, but they are persistent, and as Rick predicts, not everyone makes it home.

Early in the episode, Rick tells Michonne and Glenn that not everyone is going to make it and they have to understand that. This is kind of a running theme in THE WALKING DEAD. You may want to save everyone, but you just can’t. The world is too dangerous, and if you don’t know when to cut and run, you’ll end up dead, too.

Rick isn’t being heartless when he says this; he’s being realistic. I understand why Heath (Corey Hawkins) takes offense when he overhears these words, though. While Heath has left Alexandria to go on supply runs and recruit new citizens, he hasn’t faced anyone like the Governor, nor tried to protect a community of dependents under attack, so he doesn’t have full understanding. Heath’s arc in “Thank You” is an introduction to the harsh world he now lives in, which he only scratches the surface of prior to this.

Thankfully, Heath learns his lesson in time to make it home, but the whole group is not so lucky, some of his friends falling in order to teach him the truth. I am impressed with several of these new people. Annie (Beth Kenner, Battle Los Angeles) and Scott (Kenric Green, Let Me Go) ask to be left behind when they’re slowing the others down. David (Jay Huguley, Treme) knows he’s doomed, but just wants to get back to say goodbye to his wife. These guys may not be prepared for what they’re facing, but at least they’re trying and dying with dignity, not tearing others down along the way. And one of them, Scott, actually makes it.

Of course, not everyone is so heroic. Sturgess (Jonathan Kleitman, +1) takes off running, abandoning the group and getting himself killed for it. But the real detestable weakling in “Thank You” is Nicholas (Michael Traynor).

Throughout “Thank You,” I keep looking for Nicholas to step up. Glenn rescues him and gives him a second chance, and Nicholas has become a loyal student of Glenn’s. Yet, Nicholas keeps faltering over and over again in this hour, never acting quickly to do what needs to be done. My biggest worry as events play out is that Nicholas will die before he gets a hold of himself, as I’ve come to like him.

But then Nicholas kills himself in a moment of desperation and takes Glenn out with him, the ultimate act of betrayal and cowardice. Not only does Nicholas remove himself from the fight, but he robs our group of a good man who doesn’t deserve to go. It’s one thing to act stupidly or come to grips with your own limitations; it’s quite another if you hurt someone else while doing so. For this, Nicholas has ruined any chance he ever had of being remembered fondly.

Glenn’s death isn’t a huge surprise. He’s become the moral center of the show, and THE WALKING DEAD always kills its moral center. Always. Glenn is too good and gives people too many chances. I didn’t expect him to go at this point, in the penultimate act of the third episode of the season, but it just reinforces once again that anyone can die at any time on THE WALKING DEAD.

Now, in the Talking Dead after show, host Chris Hardwick didn’t confirm his death and a theory or two are batted around about how Glenn might miraculously survive. But I think the best thing we can hope for at this point is that someone finds a trace of him to confirm his fate. Glenn is gone, and as hard as that is, losing one of the original crew, we have to live with it.

Daryl (Norman Reedus) has his own crisis of conscience in “Thank You,” not sure what to do when Rick asks him to keep leading a portion of the herd away. Daryl’s instinct is to turn around and help his friends, protecting the town that gives him, as the sign says, a fresh start. This is a noble feeling, and one completely understandable. But it’s the wrong move, and when Daryl hears Rick possibly sacrifice himself for the greater good, he decides to stay on his mission. It’s the right call, one hard-earned, and may keep him alive longer than Glenn.

Speaking of Rick, our hero tries to make it to an RV to help redirect the walkers. After the longest mile anyone has ever run, or so it seems, he finds the vehicle, but is attacked by Wolves and he can’t finish the job. Rick won’t die here; he’s on the very short list of characters I think THE WALKING DEAD cannot kill, which currently includes only himself, Daryl, Michonne, and Carl (Chandler Riggs). Seeing him single-handedly fight off five Wolves proves Rick’s worth again. I don’t know how he’ll get out of this situation, especially feeling helpless when he realizes his attackers have come from Alexandria (the only place around with baby food), but he will.

And then the preview for next week’s episode shows us that it will be the long-awaited Morgan (Lennie James) flashback. I can’t help but feel this is an awful time to air this. Three weeks spent building up a giant herd, we need to see the resolution of that before taking a moment to catch our breaths. The only reason I can think of to do the Morgan flashback now, aside from artificially drawing out anticipation, which THE WALKING DEAD doesn’t tend to do (it draws it out, but authentically), is that Morgan will die in the upcoming battle and they need to get this in first. Considering Morgan’s pacifism and morality, that feels the most likely explanation. But I hope I’m wrong.

While I don’t want to say “Thank You” for an hour that killed off Glenn, this is yet another awesome installment of the best show currently on television. It has lots of action and death, but it all plays out around the complex character studies one has come to expect. Each development means something; nothing is gratuitous. That’s why this show is so, so good.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC. For those who DVR it, make sure you set for 90 minutes next week (does anyone actually still manually set the time?), as that installment will be extra long.

THE WALKING DEAD Ups the Game "Again"

Article originally published as THE WALKING DEAD Review "First Time Again" on Seat42F.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes - The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 1 - Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

The long wait is finally over, and THE WALKING DEAD has returned to AMC! In last night’s sixth season premiere, “First Time Again,” Rick (Andrew Lincoln) leads the people of Alexandria, including his own group, in corralling a giant herd of walkers. In flashback, the aftermath of last year’s finale is explored interspersed with the current crisis. There are tons of zombies, more than the show has ever shown before, there is death, and of course, things go horribly wrong.

The question of whether or not Rick will be accepted in Alexandria is laid to rest at the end of season five when Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) lets Rick kill Pete. But just because Rick’s authority is now established, seemingly second only to Deanna’s, and barely so, doesn’t mean the townspeople will go along with it. In fact, if anything, “First Time Again” finds many of them rebelling much more openly than anything we’ve seen so far.

The rabble-rousers are led by Carter (Ethan Embry, Once Upon a Time), but he is just the face that gives voice to others’ concerns. As noted in the first year, Alexandria has not faced what others in the post-apocalyptic world have faced. Without being cognizant of the dangers, they are resistant to Rick’s ideas of violence and putting oneself out there. Carter would prefer to continue to hide behind his walls, not realizing how lucky he’s been and that it’s not sustainable.

“First Time Again” does explain the luck Alexandria has seen so far. A large group of walkers are trapped, and their noise has drawn others in the area to them. The walls of the settlement aren’t being beaten down because there’s a convenient trap keeping the menace off of their lawn. However, the trap is full, and those captured will soon escape. Meaning, Alexandria’s luck is about to run out, unless they listen to Rick, who has a plan to resolve the crisis.

All of this sets up an interesting problem for Rick. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone in order to save the town, but if he lets the people stay soft, they will endanger everyone. Rick tries to make Carter strong by letting him face walkers, but Morgan (Lennie James, now a main character), who has become a pacifist, steps in to protect Carter, ruining the lesson. By the time Carter does screw up, it’s an almost-disaster, with Rick having to silence him before he draws the herd off-course.

Morgan’s position, one in which he protects people, is a valid one, but it’s also dangerous, given what happens with Carter. I do think it’s good to have someone like Morgan around to balance out Rick and remind Rick what they’re fighting to protect, as Rick gets too brutal at times. Yet, as fans of THE WALKING DEAD know, there isn’t always room for compassion in this new, harsh reality, and protecting a group is far removed from protecting only oneself. I don’t think Morgan will make the same mistake again soon, but neither will Rick simply execute anyone anymore, as he avoids doing in the storeroom, as that is going too far.

It will be up to Rick as to which tactics, other than execution, to use, as Deanna doesn’t seem to be making too many decisions these days. Numb after losing her husband, she listens to the lawman more than she ever has, and gives him a large amount of leeway in what he does. This is what Rick wants, and I’m sure he’s capable of handling it, but it does swiftly change the dynamic of Alexandria, and gives rise to Carter and others’ negative feelings.

Thankfully, not everyone is rebelling. Nicholas (Michael Traynor) learns his lesson after Glenn (Steven Yeun) spares him and wants to help out, probably now a loyal friend. Heath (Corey Hawkins, Straight Outta Compton) just returns home and meets our group in “First Time Again,” but having been outside the walls, he immediately sees the wisdom in what Rick stands for. Tobin (Jason Douglas) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) have already gotten on board, and so has Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), even if she can’t be close to Rick as he’d like because of her teenage son, Ron (Austin Abrams), who understandably hates the former cop for killing his dad. So it’s not all bad.

Besides showing the herd, THE WALKING DEAD has black and white flashbacks to between seasons five and six, which is stylistic, but also interesting because it gives us chances for that character development that the show does so well. We see how Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) is no longer suicidal, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Tara (Alanna Masterson) reluctantly accept Glenn’s decision to forgive Nicholas, and how Darly (Norman Reedus) disagrees with some of Rick’s decisions. This is all interesting stuff, and while not super important to the main plot, are the details that make the program so good.

The most intriguing scene to me is when Morgan calls Carol (Melissa McBride) out on who she truly is. I don’t think the Alexandrians have noticed that Carol’s timid housewife is a front, but Morgan does. Carol is kind of Rick’s secret weapon, hiding in plain side and providing intelligence on the ground. If Morgan sees through her, though, others will as well, and I wonder how Carol’s neighbors will feel about her deception.

Then, at the end of the installment, a horn blares and screws up everything. Suddenly, this giant herd of zombies is heading right for the formerly safe little settlement, and there’s no way their laws will hold up to a hoard this big. It promises the intensity the producers seemed to sell for the premiere, but I’m glad they waited to deliver it because it gives us time to get to know the people here more before they have to change forever, as Rick predicted.

“First Time Again” is an excellent mix of a lot of things. There is danger and compelling human drama and foreshadowing and moral complexity. It gives us everything one could want from THE WALKING DEAD except for those who long for big zombie attacks, but I’m sure that they’ll get more than enough of that next week.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.