SEVEN SECONDS Too Long

Article first published as TV Review: SEVEN SECONDS on Seat42F.

Netflix’s newest drama is SEVEN SECONDS. Created by Veena Sud, it shares a fair amount of DNA with her previous television series, The Killing. SEVEN SECONDS begins with a car accident involving a young boy on a bicycle, and then tells the story of the investigation and familiar reactions to the incident. Unlike The Killing, however, viewers get to see exactly what happened in the opening, so the mystery is more about what will happen next, rather than what has already happened. Plus, the boy survives, at least the first hour.

The cast, as in most modern shows, is excellent. Regina King (American Crime) and Russell Hornsby (Grimm) play Latrice and Isaiah Butler, the grieving parents who don’t know the truth about what happened, and are not thrilled with the legal system in place. Clare-Hope Ashitey (Suspects) is KJ Harper, the alcoholic prosecutor who looks into the boy’s case. She is assisted by cop Joe Rinaldi (Michael Mosley, Sirens). Though this won’t be an easy one to solve, since it’s another cop, Mike Diangelo (David Lyons, Revolution), doing the covering up.

Why would a cop do such a thing? Well, the offender is another on the force, Peter Jablonski (Beau Knapp, Shots Fired), Mike’s friend who is expecting a child soon. Even Peter thinks he should confess, so the whole force isn’t villainized in SEVEN SECONDS. But the societal pressures of previous violent assaults by white cops on black kids, which the victim is, are all the reason Mike needs to think Peter would be in much deeper trouble than he deserves, and prompt him to frame someone else for the crime. Though by the end of hour one, Peter and Mike now both deserve pretty bad.

This makes for a timely, complex tale, which all the best shows are these days. Like a lot of other television programs, this one is about crime and police officers. And like most others, the cast is good. So SEVEN SECONDS is great, right? Well, not exactly.

The biggest problem SEVEN SECONDS has going for it is that it is boring and slow. I like slow when the characters and tone are super compelling and the camera lingers to really delve into emotion. In this case, nothing much happens, but it’s not because the running time is dwelling on the characters. For instance, a portion of the first hour finds KJ and Joe filing some paperwork and visiting the hospital and impound lot. None of this furthers anything, nor are there long, insightful moments between them. They’re just there.

I think it also probably hurts that we know who the guilty party is. I mean, mystery can be overdone or melodramatic, but at least there’s a strong hook as viewers try to figure out what happened and the implications of it. Instead, here it’s pretty safe to assume the truth will come to light, so the only suspense is how. We already know the fallout will be bad, we just don’t know how bad. So there’re not enough stakes, nothing to truly wonder about. There is a fake-out about the victim’s identity early on, but it doesn’t go anywhere.

And, bottom line, none of the characters are compelling enough. I get Peter’s conflict, but it’s hard to root for him when he did something so heinous, even as he considers stepping forward. Of course, it’s easy to sympathize with the parents, but at least in the first hour, we don’t learn all that much about them. The cops are even less interesting.

SEVEN SECONDS seems to prove, as a few other shows have recently, that sometimes a series just isn’t as good as the sum of its parts.

The first season of SEVEN SECONDS is available now on Netflix.

Keep Quiet About GAME OF SILENCE

Article first published as GAME OF SILENCE Review on Seat42F.

NBC’s latest drama, GAME OF SILENCE, is based on a Turkish show. Four best friends went through a traumatic experience in their childhood that changed everything for them. Now, as adults, they remain scarred by their experience, and at least one of them would like to do something about it. Are they getting in over their heads?

Honestly, I don’t like GAME OF SILENCE very much. The story is somewhat interesting and seems constructed well enough. They cast is fine. Events are over the top to the point where they don’t seem believable, but one could say the same about most television shows. Superficially, it seems like a good premise. So what is it that doesn’t sit right with me?

Well, for one, the characters are a little flat. The central protagonist is Jackson Brooks (David Lyons, Revolution), who has left the old neighborhood behind to become a lawyer. Everything is going right in his life before the others come back, engaged to an intelligent, beautiful woman (Claire van der Boom, Hawaii Five-O) and about to make partner, a very tired set up. Yet, while Jackson resists giving that up when his buddies ask for his help, he doesn’t exactly stay out of things. Why did he try so hard to leave in the first place if he wasn’t going to stay out?

There is a girl the group looked out for, Jessie (Bre Blair, Last Vegas), whom Jackson used to have a thing for. Now, Jessie is with someone else, but that feels false, too. It seems like TV programs always have to force a love triangle, and this one feels particularly strained, given who her current partner is. How many folks in real life break up with one person and then start dating their friend? It doesn’t seem such a common occurrence, and I struggle to comprehend why the characters in GAME OF SILENCE felt this would be OK. The formula is sometimes acceptable when the story justifies it enough or there are fitting distractions from it, but that is not the case this time.

The other players are even more underdeveloped, at least at the start. Jackson’s gang, which includes Gil (Michael Raymond-James, True Blood), Boots (Derek Phillips, Friday Night Lights), and Shawn (Larenz Tate, House of Lies), all appear to be one-note, despite the fact that they are all played by recognizable faces from quality shows. Viewers are shown what the guys want, but not why exactly, and while to some degree that is being saved for frequent flashbacks, more could easily be done to differentiate their personalities and motivations than is present.

GAME OF SILENCE feels a lot like a number of films and miniseries from the past few decades. Some kids got into trouble, and then it comes back to bite them. From It to Mystic River, the main premise has been done before at a higher quality level. Why make something that so obviously invites comparisons if it’s not going to stand up to the level of what’s come before it?

That’s probably my biggest problem with GAME OF SILENCE. It just doesn’t feel fresh and exciting. It’s almost like I’ve already seen it before, even though I know I haven’t. It relies far too much on the familiar and the cliché, rather than building a world that viewers can get lost in. With the steep competition on the airwaves today, it’s got to do better than this to stand out. I applaud NBC for making something that’s not just another crime drama, but am disappointed by the lack of creativity that went into something like this.

GAME OF SILENCE premieres Tuesday, April 12 at 10/9c on NBC.

"Love" REVOLUTION, Finally

Article first published as "Love" REVOLUTION, Finally on TheTVKing.

NBC's Revolution is finally finding its legs in the second season, which paused with the mid-season finale "Everyone Says I Love You" last night. In the installment, there are many people missing, and some doubting their sanity when they see things they don't expect to see. It's not much of an episode for closure, but it does further a number of arcs in a satisfying manner.

Aaron (Zak Orth) is front and center at present, suddenly having the power to heal even more wounds, and not just for himself, which he discovers when Cynthia's (Jessica Collins, Rubicon) knife wound disappears. But it's not actually Aaron doing any of this. The nanotech that saturates the world recognizes Aaron as the man who woke him up and is bending to his will, as well as appearing to him (and only him) in the form of a childhood friend.

Revolution has barely begun to scratch the surface of what the nanotech means for the characters or the planet. It definitely doesn't understand human emotions, letting Cynthia die again later in the episode, after Aaron has been screaming at it to go away. Yet, they understand preservation, killing Dr. Horn (Zeljko Ivanek, Damages) and the other Patriots who threaten Aaron. Have they already outgrown the human they've been helping now, and what drives them? These are interesting questions that the show will hopefully delve into down the line.

This series must strike a balance between character development and mythology, something the entire first season struggled with (not to mention plot holes and bad acting from the younger cast members, which seems to have mostly fixed itself over the summer break). There are plenty of viewers who are watching to unlock the mystery of this dystopian America and find out what political faction can seize control, but there are others who just want to see what will happen to the people they've become attached to.

"Everyone Says I Love You" mainly serves the characters, letting Miles (Billy Burke) fess up to long-hidden feelings for Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) after a very revealing flashback, Rachel tells her daughter, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), just how much she is loved, and Rachel is worried about her MIA dad (Stephen Collins, 7th Heaven). Yet, this also ties into the larger arc. For instance, Miles is looking for Aaron to heal him from an infection. But will the nanos abandoning Aaron mean that Miles is out of luck?

I feel like this is a good way to handle things. Rather than keeping the elements separate, the series is starting to really weave an interconnected story and use all of its very talented adult cast appropriately, allowing them more layers and history. Thus, it's improved markedly.

Monroe (David Lyons) is one who has benefited from this shift. Once a pretty flat villain, he's now a broken man, having lost his nation, and is only getting by because of the hope that he might find his long-lost son. Miles is the key to the boy's location, tying Monroe and Miles together once more, and along the way Monroe has to do some things to protect our heroes, something we don't expect from him prior to this. Very interesting, and dynamic.

And, of course, Revolution is still going to try to shock fans with the Big Reveal from time to time. Among the many happenstances in "Everyone Says I Love You," the most surprising may be when Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) finds Julia (Kim Raver) alive and remarried. This not only throws Tom for a total loop, making his grief a waste of time, but also destroys the reason behind the mission he is on. There's no telling how he may proceed now, especially because it seems Julia isn't willing to just come home with Tom and their son, Jason (JD Pardo), but also asks that Tom abandon his quest.

Practically everything Revolution has done in its sophomore year has been a step up over the freshman run. If it continues this in the second half of the season, it just may crack into must-see, recommended TV. It's certainly got some great elements!

Revolution will return soon to NBC.

REVOLUTION Still Same Old, Same Old

Article first published as REVOLUTION Still Same Old, Same Old on TheTVKing.

NBC's Revolution begins its second season tonight with "Born in the U.S.A." It's been six months since the bombs decimated Atlanta and Philadelphia, and the survivors of the Tower have spread out. Some are settled in a small town, others have taken off to find missing relations, and still others are out on their own, heading down a self-destructive path.

First things first: the power is back off. Turns out, it only stayed on for a few minutes. Why? Well, no one knows, or at least no one viewers are familiar with knows. There are hints that this is still an ongoing thread, though, and I look forward both to further exploration of the topic, and movement on the getting-it-back-on front. This central storyline often takes a backseat to personal issues, but it's really what drives some of the most exciting episodes, and should be paid more attention to.

The most likely to be involved in this arc is Aaron (Zak Orth). Though he has moved into a house with a woman (Jessica Collins, Rubicon) and teaches elementary school, he still worries about what is going on in the world at large, and is curious about strange behavior by fireflies and other insects. He's got to be the one to figure things out, or at least spur the others to go somewhere they can find more information.

I have to admit, "Born in the U.S.A." really upset me by killing off Aaron. He ranks at the top of the list of favorite characters, and it would be a shame to lose him so early in what could be a long run. I was furious at the show and ready to rail against it had there not been that final scene of him opening his eyes again. Without it, this review would likely be colored by strong emotion and be much less positive.

Aaron dies when the small town where he, Miles (Billy Burke), and  Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) are living are attacked by raiders. This is an interesting turn and definitely one that people in their situation would have to deal with, but I can't help comparing Revolution to The Walking Dead here. The town is surrounded by a wall, like Woodbury, though it keeps out living humans, not zombies. And the leader of the raiders (Matt Ross, Big Love) does have shades of The Governor in the way he runs his camp and the falsely pleasant demeanor he tries to exude.

Unfortunately, while we know fans of good TV like this sort of development based on The Walking Dead's ratings, Revolution is much more poorly written than that show, meaning it suffers when it invites comparison. I'd rather they try to differentiate themselves more. It may be that this similarity was not purposefully conceived, but now that it's obviously happened, it's best to abandon it quickly and move on.

Miles is still playing the hero in "Born in the U.S.A." He tries to leave the town, but comes back when he rightly fears they will be attacked, leading to he and the sheriff getting captured. I guess this means the sheriff is probably expendable and will die soon. Miles could end up getting his job, and then he'd have a real reason to stay, even though that would be out of character for him. Though it wouldn't be the first time Revolution let someone veer out of character, and Miles always walks a thin line between believability and stereotype.

The gripping drama of this setting goes to Rachel who is deeply damaged by the events at the Tower. She is haunted and feels guilty, looking like a hollow shell of a person. Mitchell handles this beautifully, really making us understand her pain. Sure, she'll have to come out of it sooner rather than later, but I'm in no hurry to see that happen if only because I like that Mitchell has meaty material to mine, as the scripts aren't always worthy of her.

Rachel is staying with her father (Stephen Collins, 7th Heaven) during her time of healing. It's nice that she gets to go home to a caring parent who can take care of her, as that seems like just what she needs in her sorry state, even if he doesn't seem to be really helping much. Of course, I like Collins and I like this part, especially because it expands what we know of Rachel, so he joining the cast as a new main character is a welcome development.

Rachel's dad talks about how she has always gone for the wrong guys until she met her now-deceased husband, Ben (Tim Guinee). I can definitely see some truth in that, coming through in the way Mitchell plays Rachel. However, her dad is totally wrong that Miles is one of those "wrong" guys. Miles certainly has been selfish and careless from time to time, but bringing Rachel home at a critical junction should have earned him points, and defending the town ought to, too. And Rachel isn't exactly a perfect girl, either, making her share of mistakes. Really, Miles is a great combination of the bad boy and the noble man, at least in the episodes that serve him well, so perhaps he's the right mix for Rachel to end up with, even if he is her brother-in-law, since that seems to be where Revolution is heading.

In season one, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) is initially painted as the main character. This is unfortunate, because while she works OK as a member an ensemble, her role isn't strong enough to hold the show. Considering this, I was hoping she'd stay with the group for awhile and not get played up. No such luck.

In "Born in the U.S.A.," Charlie strikes out on her own in search of Monroe (David Lyons). We don't know why she does this because the episode doesn't tell us explicitly, so we must assume it's holdover anger from last year. Maybe she still wants revenge for her brother's death? And her father's? She certainly doesn't want to be Monroe's friend, aiming an arrow at him. But it's hard to find anything compelling about her story. Plus, she was settled for a couple of months in the town with the others before she went hunting, so it would be nice if Revolution explained why she decided to depart when she did, what is so urgent about her quest.

In fact, we only get a couple of small glimpses at the intervening six months. This is fine, letting the story reset itself, and there's always the possibility of seeing more down the road.

Before Charlie has the chance to kill Monroe, he is nabbed by some bad guys. I'm much more interested in his story than Charlie's. His nation fallen, Monroe is hiding in New Las Vegas, getting into fights for money, gambling away his earnings, and generally acting like he doesn't care about his life. This makes sense, given the circumstances, and while we don't know why he is kidnapped specifically, there are plenty who'd like to get their hands on Monroe after everything he's done. Yes, we'll have to deal with Charlie intruding in the arc, but this still should be pretty interesting over the next few weeks.

One group that may want Monroe is the United States government. Sailing in from Cuba, rebuilding the White House, the unseen President wants to be back in charge. I assume this is the same President from when the power went out, so his term is long expired and he failed to hold the country together, which doesn't give me a lot of confidence that people will fall in line for him. But he could either publicly hang Monroe as a traitor to score some points, or use him to make Monroe's former subjects fall in line. Either way, the government seems the most likely organization with the ability to catch Monroe.

That being said, though the government is the most obvious choice, it could also be someone with a personal vendetta, like Charlie. There's got to be plenty of those out there. What I'm saying is, take my theory with a grain of salt, though it seems reasonable to me.

The reason we know the government is on the move, besides a brief, unexplained glimpse of activity at the White House, is that a representative sails to shore near Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) and Jason (JD Pardo), who are looking in Atlanta refugee camps for the missing Julia (Kim Raver). The pair haven't decided whether to approach the boat yet, but they likely will be involved in whatever is going on here.

Now, this could pull them away from their current mission. They can't exactly keep asking about Julia if the government is rounding folks up and moving them or assigning them some task. However, in this post-apocalyptic world, it makes sense few would have time to indulge in such hopeless pursuits as looking for someone who quite likely will not be found.

It must be said that the balance between Tom and Jason has definitely shifted, and that is to be appreciated. Both have been through a lot, and it has shaped them in different ways. Though they're not at odds as much as they once were, there is still thick tension between them. I wonder how long they can remain a pair alone.

I like the approach Revolution has of tying their characters into the larger arcs, approaching the big issues from the small scale. There's many things the show does wrong, including being cheesy and under developing its stories and players, but this is not one of them. It is far more interesting to have Tom and Jason, two familiar, main characters, get caught up in something and experience it from their viewpoint than to introduce a bunch of new people or take the situation broadly in an army vs. army scenario.

"Born in the U.S.A." has some good beginnings and a few really nice scenes for the a couple of the most excellent actors in the cast to show some range. It does still suffer some of the flaws of season one, being predictable and inconsistent, but for now I think it's worth keeping tabs on, as it still could eventually reach its potential, evident by several elements already present, and that would make for an amazing show.

Revolution airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

REVOLUTION Out of the "Dark"

Article first published as REVOLUTION Out of the "Dark" on TheTVKing.

With this week's "The Dark Tower," NBC's Revolution completes its freshman run. Inside The Tower, the race is on to turn the power back on, while outside, allegiances both personal and on a larger scale are rocked by new developments.

After watching "The Dark Tower," I am disappointed that Revolution has still not corrected the issues that have plagued it all year. The plot holes are still numerous, and while the focus has (thankfully) shifted to the adult actors, away from annoying kids, the characters continue to act in ways that don't feel right.

For instance, Jason (JD Pardo) falls in line behind his father, Tom (Giancarlo Esposito), as the new leader of the Monroe Republic (which will presumably get a name change). Yet, they've been fighting all year, lacking trust and affection between them. Granted, they are father and son, so there could definitely still be a level of love there, but nothing in the writing or acting really shows this to us, skipping over the nuances that would have been the clues, and just showing quickly changing minds.

The Nevilles are far from the only relationship like this. Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) spontaneously evolves a mother-like bond for Nora (Daniella Alonso), while hating her own mom, whom she is warm to not long ago. Miles (Billy Burke) chooses Nora over Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell), even though his mind has been on the latter a lot more lately. Rachel coldly murders Dan (Glenn Morshower) when he disagrees with her. Grace (Maria Howell) betrays her friends. Randall (Colm Feore) kills himself.

Now, all of these can be explained through plot developments, but not really by internal motivation. It's not the facts that are wrong, but the emotion. Circumstances seem to dictate how the characters act, rather than personality, values, or beliefs. The characters switch sides without much warning, and while perhaps it's believable that they do so, the writers don't take the time to show the evolution, nor do the actors play to the tiny bits that would give us warning that something is coming.

People die far too often, too. I'm not just speaking of main characters, who we've lost several of already. We are frequently introduced to a new player, and before we even get to know them, they're killed. This has happened with a number of parts played by very good actors who it would have been nice to see stick around. Death is obviously a large factor in the world they live in, but that doesn't mean we need to see someone bite the bullet every week. Let us have time to care about them, so when they do die, it means more.

I wonder if the problem is the pacing. Things happen rapidly and in very quick succession on Revolution. Fast movement can be good, but it also needs to balance itself with natural attitudes and actions. Maybe Revolution is just trying to go too fast.

Though that doesn't excuse the hokey shadow-Lincoln president-in-exile living in Guantanamo Bay. Coming on the heels of Randall's Civil War-esque preaching, this "surprise" ending feels forced and silly.

There are also two questions left at the end I'm not so happy with. One, is Julia Neville (Kim Raver) dead? We see her in Atlanta as the missiles launch, but that would be a crappy, uninspired ending to her, again coming too early. Two, why do we see Aaron's (Zak Orth) wife, Priscilla (Maureen Sebastian) again? She hasn't been much of a part of the story, so her cameo here in unearned. Will she be blown up, too? Is there something else planned for her next year?

Which is not to say that "The Dark Tower" is without merit. I absolutely love seeing Miles and Monroe (David Lyons) have it out with one another, removed from the battle field and distractions of others. We finally hear Miles's explanation as to why he couldn't kill Monroe, and we learn why Monroe hates Miles so much. There is a true brother bond between them, no matter what happens. These words make sense, and if more of this occurred, there would be less to complain about.

I also like seeing Miles mourn over Nora. They didn't quite work as a couple, but this acknowledges the real feelings between them. It also removes Miles and Rachel's obstacle towards being together, which means we won't have the pining and conflict that the predictable love triangle brings.

Thirdly, it's nice that the power comes back on. This dystopian future is cool, but given the way the story has been moving, it would have been very disappointing if it didn't happen in this episode. We still don't know if it's back everywhere, or what this will mean for the U.S. and the world, but it does move the plot along in a direction that it needs to go.

Revolution is full of so many good ideas, and the premise is fascinating. There are some really terrific stars in the ensemble, too. If it would only be allowed to truly breathe and live, rather than being forced to check off a predetermined 'to do' list, it could be really great.

Revolution will return next fall to NBC.

Revolution is "Nobody's Fault"

NBC's Revolution brought its fall run to a close this week with "Nobody's Fault But Mine." Miles (Billy Burke), Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), Aaron (Zak Orth), and Nora (Daniella Alonso) finally make it to Philadelphia. It doesn't take long for them to be found out by Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) and his men, though, which in turn leads them to discover that Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) is still alive. As expected, this installment ends with a big showdown against Monroe (David Lyons).

Revolution continues to struggle to find its way. There are some things it does correctly. The concept behind the story - all electricity stops working, but a conspiracy could bring it back, years later - is interesting. Burke and Esposito deliver fantastic performances, and Lyons makes an intriguing villain, especially once some back story is revealed. The production team knows how to stage a thrilling fight sequence.

But Spiridakos, who seems to be the de facto lead of the series, is not nearly good enough in the role, at least not yet. The main quest to rescue Danny (Graham Rogers), completed in "Nobody's Fault But Mine," isn't half as interesting as the implications of the loss of power and the struggle for control of the world. Focus should be on the political factions, the military campaigns, and the science behind it all, but instead, we get tales about characters who just aren't developed enough.

Now, they might yet be. There have been hopeful signs, such as finally seeing Miles and Monroe as friends, and dealing with their falling out. But Revolution doesn't go far enough, fast enough. Why did Miles try to kill Monroe? Why has Monroe turned his back on his friend, and why does he continue to go down a terrible path? The show might be trying to tease a tidbit at a time, but it's no Lost, so it's unlikely that viewers will have the patience to wait for nuggets if the present storyline isn't that compelling.

One thing that is highly intriguing is seeing Flynn's (Colm Feore, The Borgias) fully electrified base. What is he doing? Will he be a friend or a foe to the Matheson clan and their friends? This is actually more interesting than anything else that concerns the central players.

Of course, as I said, Revolution does know how to deliver adrenaline, and the showdown that results in the Mathesons narrowly escaping, only to see that Monroe has a working helicopter, is an awesome cliffhanger that will hopefully draw viewers back when the show returns in March.

So, moving forward, what needs to happen are larger, sweeping arcs with big scale stories. I'm sorry, but Revolution just isn't pulling off too much of the character-driven stuff, so it should play to its strengths. Fixing the plot holes is also important, because it's a little tiring to keep making unbelievable leaps to arrive at the next set story point. And either help Spiridakos grow into a true leading lady, or shift the focus more towards characters like Miles, Tom, and Aaron, who can handle the increased scrutiny.

Revolution isn't a bad show, but it's not yet living up to its potential, and if it doesn't find it's way, it may not get a second season. We don't need yet another FlashForward or The Event, which are hurting the genre, and could prevent more brilliant fare like Fringe and Lost from even being attempted. That would be a shame, and it's the reason Revolution's failures are so frustrating.

Revolution will return to NBC in March.

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! First posted on TheTVKing

Not exactly a Revolution

Grade: 66%

NBC’s REVOLUTION is exactly the type of series that belongs on TV. It is sweeping and expansive, with a large cast of characters in an interesting and different world. All electricity has been gone for fifteen years, and people have gotten by in a variety of ways. Now, things seem to be at a tipping point, with those in charge, who are not very nice, intent to bring back the power for their own gain. A small band of heroes stands in their way. This mix of the classic story with a new twist sounds fantastic!

The execution, however, leaves a little something to be desired. First of all, why kill off two of the best members of the cast in episode one? We see Rachel Matheson (Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost, V) only in flashback, just before the electricity shuts down. Then, in the future, her husband, Ben (Tim Guinee, The Good Wife), is quickly snuffed out. Both of these are excellent performers, and I sincerely hope that at least one of them isn’t really dead, even though the old plot device is a bit overused in this genre.

Second, the heroes’ journey gets off to a rocky start in that the initial gang is a bit clumsily assembled. Viewers are introduced to Ben’s daughter, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos, Majority Rules!), who is brave, high spirited, and tasked with the fate of the world. Yet, Charlie makes a mistake right away by trusting Nate (JD Pardo, American Dreams) just because he helps her once. She has been raised in this dangerous world. Are we really supposed to believe that Charlie is that naive? And even if we believe her instincts, as Nate may end up being someone worthy of her trust, the character of Nate is extremely uneven in this “Pilot,” trying to prove Charlie’s feelings about him are both unearned, but not entirely misplaced. It doesn’t work.

The rest of Charlie’s group is also a bit odd. Aaron’s (Zak Orth, Romeo + Juliet) involvement is adequately explained because of his connection to Ben, and what he has been entrusted with, which supports that Charlie has reason to rely on him, too, even if he is given a hard time. But then there’s Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips), whom Ben had only recently started dating. Yes, Ben tasked her with taking care of his children before dying, but she doesn’t seem the type who would so operate in such a blindly loyal fashion. She is shrewd and jaded, not exactly someone who should fall in with Charlie and Aaron easily. Yet, she follows Charlie with hardly any argument. Why?

The trio of Charlie, Aaron, and Maggie head out on a quest to find Ben’s brother, Miles (Billy Burke, Twilight), who is also sought after by the evil militia. Miles has a connection to the baddies, and also to Ben, neither of which is fully explored in this episode. Instead, viewers just see that he is tough, resourceful, and can single handedly take on an entire squadron of soldiers. Miles seems to be the unrealistic superhero of the piece. Burke brings just enough mystery to the character’s face to make it mostly believable. Though his decision to join Charlie or not is also handled unevenly, with a glaring missing connection between plot points.

The villains are fleshed out a bit better. We don’t see much of the militia leader, Sebastian Monroe (David Lyons, The Cape, ER) in the first episode, be we do get quite a bit of his henchman, Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad, Once Upon a Time). Tom is hardened, but fair. He serves Monroe, but he isn’t evil himself, just doing what he needs to do to make a life in this new world. He seems genuine when he talks to his captive, Ben’s son, Danny (Graham Rodgers), whom the hero troop wants to rescue. Esposito, already proven a brilliant actor in other work, delicately shapes a fully defined character in a landscape that doesn’t naturally lend itself to such a feat, a triumph on his part.

And then there’s Grace (Maria Howell), who helps Danny, but also seems to unexpectedly have a connection to Ben. While she is just as ill-defined as the rest of the cast, she is also the mysterious stranger, which means this fits a bit better on her. She doesn’t get a lot of time in the “Pilot,” especially after we learn her secret, so she still has time to make a great initial impression. Let’s see if she can do so when much of the rest of the characters haven’t quite landed.

The pacing is a problem, quite possible the biggest one. A lot happens in the “Pilot,” and in a show like REVOLUTION, that shouldn’t necessarily be the case. Many of the issues that arise occur by forcing events along too quickly, instead of taking time. Charlie and the others could have spent several episodes making their way to Miles, really earning them their prize. Instead, it feels like the writers want to rush through the introduction so that they can get to the story they want to make. This is a mistake, as if the relationships and motivations are explored more delicately now, then the set up will be ripe when the bigger action arrives. Fixing the pacing could solve many of the other complaints.

Television is capable of making a great sci-fi show (see: Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Fringe, etc.). Yet, many of the efforts of the last few years fall a little flat (see: Terra Nova, V, FlashForward, The Event, etc.) Why is this? Do producers think that delivering a good hook absolves them from having to develop the characters completely? The draw of great genre shows has always been rich, complex people filling out the strange worlds that are presented. Viewers want to relate to the characters, not just see interesting new landscapes and special effects. REVOLUTION has the potential to be a great show, if it can fix the problems with the “Pilot,” which thankfully are not universal across every character and scene. But there is much work to be done if it’s going to be the next cult favorite.

REVOLUTION premieres September 17 on NBC, and is currently available online.

The Cape - "Pilot" and "Tarot"

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     Super heroes have been tried on the small screen over the years with varying degrees of success. Recent attempts include Smallville, which started off as a monster-of-the-week procedural that was not at all good, then evolved into an often pretty cool original story of Superman's early life. Heroes was a slow, large casted serial, that began with a lot of steam, and then tapered off. No Ordinary Family went for the lighter approach, combining family drama with the powers, sort of like a Fantastic Four. Now we have NBC's The Cape, which feels like a modern Marvel movie, with elements of Christopher Nolan's Batman films. In short, should the show maintain what it showed us in the first two hours last night, we could finally have a movie-quality hero on the small screen, with movie-quality adventures every week.

     While there were two episodes aired together last night, with one opening credit sequence, they were separate stories. The first hour, "Pilot", felt like an origin movie, rushed and gutted to fit into one hour. The second, "Tarot", would have made a great sequel, though the family stuff, as well as the arc with Patrick Portman (Richard Schiff, The West Wing) could easily have padded the middle of the pilot. If the two hours didn't contain three separate villains, different editing would have delivered one solid movie. Yes, super hero movies have done three villains in one film before, but rarely very well. I kind of wish this approach had been taken, as that would have created a product superior to what aired. But what did make it on screen was still pretty good.

     Obviously, there is a hero. In this case it's Vince Faraday (David Lyons, ER, Eat Pray Love), a good cop who stumbles onto some bad machinations he wasn't supposed to know about. The main villain of the show, Peter Fleming (James Frain, True Blood, The Tudors), promptly has Vince killed, and pins all the bad stuff on him, ruining his good name. Peter is slowly taking over the town of Palm City, which is so full of corruption that it seems a lost cause. Think Gothic City in The Dark Knight. To make matters worse, Vince's best friend, Marty (Dorian Missick, Lucky Number Slevin), is one of Peter's minions. Vince realizes that revealing he survived puts his family at risk, so instead, he works on taking down Peter and clearing his name in the shadows, taking on the guise of The Cape.

     Peter is not content to battle The Cape alone. Sure, it's likely only a matter of time before Peter, also known as the super villain Chess, discovers The Cape's secret identity and can go after Vince's loved ones. But until then, it seems he will be bringing in a slew of lesser bad guys to tackle our hero. He already had two different ones in the first two hours, though the first one wasn't killed in the pilot. Why did he need another new one? I hope that these other baddies with super powers end up being more than henchman to Chess. Imagine how good the show could be if Chess teamed up with some of his equals?

     Now, Vince is far from alone in his endeavors. He is first found by the Carnival of Crime. Only, the carnival people commit crimes against Peter and his company, not the citizens. Or so they say. That part was a little confusing. The carnival is run by Max Malini (Keith David, Gargoyles, Platoon), who is assisted by the small but tough Rollo (Martin Klebba, Scrubs, Pirates of the Caribbean). There are others in the gang, but those are the only two main characters, so I assume they're the most important. For some reason, Max has a cape just sitting around that, when used properly, makes Vince into his favorite super hero. Yes, The Cape already exists in comic book form, and Vince read it to his kid. Again, not explained. See why I wanted a two hour origin?

     Vince is brought into the mess, and soon partners with, the mysterious Orwell (Summer Glau, Dollhouse, Firely, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). Orwell won't reveal herself to anyone but Vince. She is a technical whiz, and provides tactical and technological support, though she can also kick butt when needed. Quick note, Glau is amazing, and always participates in awesome projects, giving me much optimism about The Cape. However, said projects are always canceled in two seasons or less, so let's hope that the pattern breaks this time.

     Lastly, there is Vince's family. Poisoned by the media and Marty, his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, As the World Turns), drops his last name to seek work. But his son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, FlashForward), who has been visited and reassured by The Cape, still believes in his father's innocence. Trip doesn't take Dana's decision well, and guilts her into reversing it. The family is the unknown quantity in this show, as until Vince reveals himself to them, I don't understand how they would really figure into the larger arcs. Dana taking a job with the DA (at least, I think it was the DA) helps, but it's not good enough. I'd think Vince will have to tell them the truth early in the series.

     The dark tone of the show jells nicely with recent profitable superhero movies, so I can see this show doing well. The quality of work is pretty high, and the acting is better than decent. There are some plot holes, especially in the origin, but hopefully they will be plugged in subsequent episodes. And if not, there is always a leap of faith that has to be taken with any series involving supernatural powers and mutated villains. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the first two hours, and I think the show is better than any of the recent fall premieres.

     The Cape isn't all dreary and depressing. Trip's hope is supposed to be an identifiable quality for the audience; the boy's real purpose in the cast. Some of the dialogue is pretty funny, too. For instance, in "Tarot", Vince goes to rescue Portman, but Max has taken away his cape. Vince identifies himself to Portman as 'The Cape', to which Portman responds, "But you're not wearing a cape." You can sense the grumbling behind Vince's "I'm aware of that." The whole exchange was probably my favorite part of the episode. Also, any scene with Summer Glau eventually ends up providing some kind of snarky, amusing line.

     I'm also very gratified to see a super hero with a cape that is actually useful. In the past, I, along with plenty of others, have wondered why any hero even bothers with a cape. Surely it just gets in the way. However, Vince's cape has CGI-enabled powers, allowing it to snag things, choke people, and break his fall (somewhat) from a great height. Used as a tool, and super strong, the title of the show is appropriate. Even if it sounds a little hokey, which the writers even poked fun at in the pilot.

     The Cape, despite its Sunday premiere, will air regularly on Monday nights at 9 p.m. beginning next week on NBC.

Article first published as TV Review: The Cape - "Pilot" and "Tarot" on Blogcritics.