Touch now touching on DVD

FOX presented a very strange show last year called Touch, the complete first season of which is now available on  DVD. It is mostly a procedural, with each episode finding Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) following clues left by his autistic son, Jake (David Mazouz, Amish Grace), who doesn't talk, to help someone in need. But it is also an anthology series, with several plots going on around the world every week, oftentimes connected to one another in unexpected ways. And it is also a mystery, as we don't know why Jake sees the numbers, or who may be trying to stop him from seeing the numbers.

The premise of Touch is that there is a connectedness to the world that can be explained with mathematics. Jake can see this, while almost everyone else cannot. Somehow, it isn't really explained how, these patterns track the movements of people. Jake wants Martin to help preserve the patterns, tying together two pieces of string that may have become disconnected. What happens if he doesn't? Will the entire tapestry fall apart? That seems unlikely. More probable is that Martin can use the pattern to make others' lives better, and that's what Jake wants.

This can all be very confusing, and understandably so. What starts off as a highly intriguing "Pilot," full of magic and wonder, soon settles into a head spinning series. Viewers may want more of the answers, but instead, all we get are small pieces to a puzzle we don't have a finished picture of to guide us. If creator Tim Kring can be trusted, a risk to be sure after the disappointing Heroes, there should be some major payoffs down the road. But for now, little is explained. We just know that life is great, and coincidences are supposedly predetermined, if you know how to see them.

While Jake and Martin are the central characters, a few others play a role in their lives. In season, Jake is placed in a home under the care of social worker Clea Hopkins (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Undercovers, Doctor Who). She slowly starts to see what Martin sees, and is torn between her superiors, who appear to have a hand in preventing anyone from following these numbers, and wanting to help Martin help people. There is also professor Arthur DeWitt (Danny Glover, Lethal Weapon, Brothers & Sisters), who has worked with children like Jake before, and offers his assistance to Martin.

What is going on among these four is definitely the meat of Touch, and the most engaging of the many elements. While other tales may be neat and inspiring, they don't mean as much, since we don't know the characters. Whenever one of them enters into Martin's direct arc, it gives a greater weight to the plot, while those less obviously connected seem less important. Touch is still struggling to find the balance of these elements throughout this freshman run.

In the season finale, the two part "Gyre," the game changes significantly, providing a tangent that should move season two in bigger directions, giving more attention to the mythology and the larger arcs. I won't go into much detail, because I hope you might check out these episodes and see how it plays out for yourself, but "Gyre" opens the door for a notably different second season. Should the series whole-heartedly go with this turn, Touch might become one of the best shows on television. For now, it's just an interesting curiosity, which may or may not pay off down the road.

Whether this happens or not, Touch isn't quite like anything else on television, which when combined with a truly terrific cast, makes it worth watching. The eleven episodes of season one are clearly just an appetizer for what is planned, and if there is a plan, I look forward to a delicious multi-course meal in the coming years.

On this three disc DVD set, there are a handful of special features. The "Pilot" is presented in an extended version, and some deleted scenes are included. Two featurettes, "Touch the World" and "Fate's Equation," get into the mechanics of the series a bit, but do not really provide more understanding than what is contained in the episodes. Like the show, they are interesting, but murky in their significance.

Touch The Complete First Season is available now on DVD.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Touching on the Touch season finale

FOX's Touch ended its freshman run this week with the two part episode, "Gyre." Things come to a head as Sheri (Roxana Brusso, Southland) and the company make a play to take over full custody of Jake (David Mazouz). Knowing that the shady organization killed Arthur (Danny Glover) and made a little girl named Amelia disappear, Clea (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) helps Martin (Kiefer Sutherland) sneak Jake away. With pursuers hot on their heels, Martin and Jake flee New York.

Touch is all about patterns in the world, and how things are fated to come together. For many weeks, this is simply something hinted at, seen in brief glimpses, or at the ends of episodes. But "Gyre" really pulls things together. A number of guest stars, such as Arnie (Jude Ciccolella, 24), return, making the world appear a little smaller. As first Abraham (Bodhi Elfman), and then Randall (Titus Welliver, Lost, The Good Wife), help Jake and Martin escape, it seems like their team, which includes Clea and Abigail (Catherine Dent, The Shield), has gotten a little bigger.

This is great! Martin and Jake need a team behind them!  They are facing one of the unseen, shadowy corporations with unlimited power and staff that makes for many an exciting story. Everyone wants to root for the little guy when he is threatened by the big guy, and Touch taps into the classic storytelling technique. Plus, how doesn't love a secretive group of traditional Jews, and prophecies of thirty-six people saving the planet?

Similarly, Touch has lots going on behind the scenes, too. Masquerading as a procedural, with Martin helping a different person each week, "Gyre" exposes the true serial story. Touch is something that will play out over years, and connections come together constantly, in the most unexpected ways. Those watching most of the first season may be forgiven for being disappointed in the lack of movement of the major arcs. "Gyre" makes up for this, and points to a less fomulaic approach moving forward. In fact, the title of the episode plays into unexpected change, and hints at things moving in different directions.

Not that the cases of the week are bad. Seeing a son and father finding understanding in Japan, or a man making up for a mistake that he thinks he made, or another guy, who is lost, but finds himself while building a church and a life in a community, is heartwarming. Unlike the slew of medical and crime dramas flooding the airwaves, Touch is more of an anthology series, with common threads typing things together. It's also inspiring and uplifting, making it unique and deserving of airtime.

Besides Martin and Jake's plot, which is the central thread of Touch, "Gyre" opens up a whole new bag of worms by introducing Lucy (Maria Bello, Prime Suspect). At first, she seems to be a crazy woman destined for a single hour, interacting with a traumatized man on the beach (Cougar Town's Ian Gomez). But then viewers learn that she is the mother of Amelia, and she is looking for her daughter, whom she does not believe is dead. With the ending of "Gyre" bringing together Martin and Lucy in California, she appears to figure more prominently into season two of Touch. As a fellow servant to the numbers? As a love interest for Martin? Who knows, but it would be nice if she is signed full-time.

Season one of Touch has been a mixed bag experiment, sometimes growing boring and confusing. But both parts of "Gyre" are shining examples of what the series could, and should be. With a finale like this, I am very much looking forward to season two! Touch will return to FOX next fall.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Catch up with streaming episodes of Touch. Article first published as Touching on the Touch season finale @TheTVKing.com

Touched by Touch

     FOX presented a very special preview episode of Touch last night, two months before it officially joins the network lineup. In the "Pilot," widower Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) is working a low paying job, struggling to make ends meet, while caring for his autistic son, Jake (David Mazouz, Amish Grace), who, by the way, doesn't talk, nor allow even his father to touch him. When Jake repeatedly runs away from his school to climb a cell tower, social worker Clea Hopkins (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Undercovers, Doctor Who) shows up to remove Jake, at least temporarily, from the home. But soon both Martin and Clea are drawn in by the mystery of Jake's numbers, which leads to some remarkable connections. Martin follows those, and when his actions result in kids' lives being saved, he becomes a true believer.

     "A believer of what?" you might ask. Well, that's complicated. Basically, the theory set forth in Touch, and explained to Martin by the series's mysterious fourth main character, Arthur DeWitt (Danny Glover, Lethal Weapon, Brothers & Sisters), is that everything in the world is connected. Not only that, Jake is part of the next stage of human evolution. Jake can see all of these connections, and it allows him to understand what is going to happen. It's not predicting the future, but rather, having a clearer understanding of how the world works. Unfortunately, being mute is a side effect that prevents Jake from acting on this knowledge, so Martin must pick up on the clues and do the hard work for his son.

     While, in terms of realism, Touch stretches things just a bit, the emotional impact of this show cannot be overstated. Sutherland is fantastic as Martin, and other than at the beginning of the episode when Martin is informed that Jake has left the school, and dad gets upset, there are few echoes of Jack Bauer. For instance, Jack Bauer would never be afraid of heights! Viewers will really feel the affection Martin that has for his son, as well as his frustration at not being able to connect with him. Add to that, Martin's wife died on September 11th, and the whole nation will remember and feel his pain. Martin is in a nearly impossible situation, and the way in which he deals with his life is nothing short of heroic. Being given this purpose, as difficult as it may pan out to be, is kind of like a reward for all of the suffering Martin has been through, tangible proof that his efforts have paid off.

     In "Pilot," things get personal for Martin when Jake's numbers keep leading dad to run into a grumpy man (Titus Welliver, The Good Wife, Lost, Sons of Anarchy). At first, this strange guy seems to be an antagonist. But soon enough Martin learns he is a firefighter, and one who not only tried to save Martin's wife's life on that fateful day, but also pulls children from a bus. He is a hero, too, and Martin's actions lead to the latter outcome. It personalizes the mission in a way that future episodes likely won't often be able to, making for a hell of a "Pilot."

     It's wonderful that Clea gets on board with Martin so easily. Many shows would stretch out this friction to make drama, keeping Martin fighting with her. But in finding an ally for him and his son, Martin's job gets a little easier. And Martin has suffered enough, he doesn't need any further problems. Look for Clea to get more personally involved soon, cementing her role in Touch.

     There are other things going on in the "Pilot," though, that don't seem to have a lot of connection to the main plot, other than the central role of cell phones. A woman trying to make it as a singer sends videos of herself out on cell phones, aided by a friend. The video gets onto a father's, which he loses, and it also has pictures of his young, deceased daughter. The father desperately tries to get his phone back, and it ends up on a suicide bomber in the Middle East. Luckily, the bomber just needs an oven for his family, the father is a restaurant supplier, and they end up both connected to an operator, who happens to be the singer, during a crucial moment. How this connects to Jake and Martin is circumspect, but it's an inspiring, uplifting tale.

     In all, Touch really hooks viewers in with one of, if not the, the best pilots of the season, even with the few leaps people will have to make to enjoy it. The biggest worry here is that it is from Tim Kring, who also created the ill-fated Heroes. Fans of Heroes will remember how awesome the beginning of that show was, before devolving into something not worth watching, and getting canceled at the end of season four without resolution to a cliffhanger. Thus, watching Touch is recommend with some reservation, given that if Kring goes down the same path, an emotional investment might hurt quite a bit.

     Touch will return in March to FOX.

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Paint a target on Human Target

     Tonight on Fox, before 24 kicked off it's two night, four hour premiere, they decided to show a new action-packed show with spies, shootouts, and questionable ethics.  It's called Human Target, based on the comic book adventures by DC.  It was already turned into a failed summer television show in 1992, starring Rick Springfield, and lasting a mere seven episodes.  While I have not seen that version, it seems safe to say that this one is better, although by how much is debatable.  This time, the target himself, Christopher Chance, is played by Boston Legal's Mark Valley.  Though it has been met with favorable reaction by critics thus far, it certainly is far from original.  Exciting, yes.  Plenty of thrilling events, of course.  But staying power, I find it unlikely.

     Mark Valley does fine as the guy who makes himself a part of his client's lives to serve as part detective, part body guard.  He is appropriately tough, resourceful, suave, and smart.  He is supported by his business manager, Winston, played by Chi McBride (Boston Public), who is basically playing the same role he played on the recently canceled Pushing Daisies.  Joining the time this week, and as a series regular, is Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen), who used to be more bad than good, and seems very good at getting information.  Each are welcome character actors who fill the supporting roles admirably.

     In the first episode, Chance acts as an interpreter for guest star Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), and even after he stops the wood be assassin, they are still rocketing away on a train going two hundred miles per hour.  Then Chance and the girl save the passengers, but they are still stuck on a speeding engine.  This all went down after a bank standoff opening, totally unconnected to the rest of the episode.  There was also an unconnected scene at the end featuring Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon).  I was on the edge of my seat, and while it seems like it will likely be a procedural, it will probably be one of the better ones, if it survives.

     The problem for me is, like any procedural, character development will likely be low, if any.  Now how exciting Chance's adventures can be, keeping the adrenaline high week after week is hard to do, and it will likely produce its share of dud episodes along the way.  The show is built on a few quirky characters, and while that works for a handful of shows (Psych springs to mind), it is not a formula for a new classic.  It could easily become a show that sticks for awhile, but does not yet appear to be headed towards must-watch status.

     The show will run on Wednesday nights at 9pm on Fox.