Jerome Wetzel (Olivia Dailey) used to do TV Reviews all the time. Now, she posts short versions on the Facebook and Instagram account Jim's Daily by Jerome Wetzel, as well as serving as creator, producer, and head writer for It's All Been Done Radio Hour and iabdpresents.com
The CW continues television’s reboot / adaptation trend with FREQUENCY. Based on the 2000 film of the same name, FREQUENCY finds a police officer, Raimy Sullivan, communicating with her long-dead father through a ham radio. When Raimy tries to change the past and save his life, the consequences spin out in a butterfly effect, and she soon has a litany of other problems to deal with.
If one wasn’t aware of the plot of the film, one might think, based on the beginning of the pilot, that this is going to be your typical cop show. Being a TV reviewer and having to watch hundreds of shows every year, I have gotten very tired of the repetitive formula that pervades so much of broadcast network programming. Thus, I was already well on my way to tuning it out when the twists started to occur. If you’re like me and pretty much done with that genre, hang in there, because FREQUENCY doesn’t stay in it too long.
Instead, we’re getting a relatively straight-forward mystery that soon becomes convoluted through changes in the timeline. It won’t surprise you to learn (and this is spoiled on Wikipedia and in press materials) that Raimy (Peyton List, Mad Men, The Tomorrow People) manages to stop daddy Frank (Riley Smith, Nashville, The Messengers) from dying. Which Raimy barely has time to be glad about before her mother, Julie (Devin Kelley, Resurrection), disappears, having been taken out by a serial killer in the new narrative. How is the serial killer connected to Frank’s death? Assuming Frank isn’t the killer, which seems unlikely, we don’t yet know.
This is an intriguing question, to be sure, and one that promises to get more tricky as time goes on. The format of FREQUENCY looks to be that Raimy and Frank will have to work together across time to keep making their lives and their loved ones’ lives better, but every time they achieve that in some way, there will be a backslide. Thus, things will continue to get messy, and a happy ending will be a long way off.
There are a few interesting decisions FREQUENCY makes that I’m not sure every version of this story would choose. Frank is still dead in 2016, albeit from a different cause quite a bit later in life, so they can’t be side by side, nor, given the second cause of his passing, is this likely to change over the course of the show (at least not until the end), keeping Frank and Raimy ever separate. Raimy gets to retain her memories of both timelines, though no one else does. And adult characters, including Frank’s pal Satch (Mekhi Phifer, ER) and co-worker Stan (Anthony Ruivivar, Banshee), are played by the same actors in both time frames, set twenty years apart. (Raimy, being an eight-year-old child in 1996, obviously isn’t List in the past, nor is her pal, Gordo, likely to be Nurse Jackie’s Lenny Jacobson in both.)
This last element is something I’m in favor of in general; twenty years is a long time, but also not super long in the scheme of things, and the looks of two different individuals were likely to be too far apart. The problem with it here is that the CW doesn’t exactly give a huge budget to their shows, so the aging makeup and hair coloring isn’t all that great. It is easy to spot early on that Julie is played by a much younger actress than the character’s 2016 age. Which I guess makes sense, given it would be easier to add years than take them away. But it doesn’t quite look authentic.
What will probably keep me from being a total fan of FREQUENCY is that it does seem to rely a little too heavily on the cop show format, despite the great sci-fi elements, and it has a little bit of cheesy shallowness about it that goes beyond just the makeup issues. But it’s pretty good, and I’m sure it will quickly gain a loyal following.
FREQUENCY premieres Wednesday, October 5 at 9/8c on the CW.
ABC’s latest high-concept sci-fi series
is called RESURRECTION. Like so many failed shows before it, such as
FlashForward, The Event, and The River, RESURRECTION tries to tell an
intriguing mystery with a large cast, each drawn into the mythology in
different ways. An unexplained phenomenon is at the heart of the show,
and viewers are asked to ponder who is behind it and what it means.
After viewing the pilot, “The Returned,”
I just can’t decide if I like RESURRECTION or not. Tonally and
stylistically, it feels a lot like those quickly canceled shows I just
mentioned, so maybe there’s an emotional resistance against getting too
attached to a show that won’t last. Or maybe the cast, as capable as
they seem, just aren’t compelling enough to really hook fans. Or it
could be the writing, so vague that the mystery begins to feel like it’s
laid out just for the sake of mystery, not with any real, complex plan
behind it. Whatever the reason, I’m not sold.
RESURRECTION begins with a young boy
named Jacob (Landon Gimenez) waking up in a rice patty in China. He is
brought back to the United States, clearly being American, and placed in
the custody of Agent J. Martin Bellamy (Omar Epps, House). Instead of
turning Jacob over to child services, though, his description not
matching any missing persons reported, Marty decides to take Jacob to
where he claims home is – Arcadia, Missouri.
Arriving at the house Jacob directs
Marty to, they meet Henry (Kurtwood Smith, That ‘70s Show) and Lucille
Langston (Frances Fisher, Touch), whom Jacob calls ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy.’
The catch? Henry and Lucille’s eight-year-old son Jacob died more than
three decades ago. How can this be him?
Thus, we’re launched into the story. A
town still haunted by the death of Jacob and his aunt come face to face
with the boy they thought lost, a miracle. All are affected by Jacob’s
appearance including his uncle, Sherriff Fred Langston (Matt Craven,
Justified), widower of the woman who died with Jacob, Jacob’s cousin,
Maggie (Devin Kelley, Covert Affairs), a medical professional, and his
childhood best friend, Pastor Tom Hale (Mark Hildreth, V). Another local
woman, Elaine Richards (Samaire Armstrong, Dirty Sexy Money), is also
part of the cast, but isn’t tied into things until the end of the hour.
The themes explored in “The Returned”
include religion and belief, asking viewers to suspend reality in favor
of a higher power. Since this is a TV show, the faith is likely only a
cover for something more sinister, as other secrets, such as an affair,
begin to be exposed, too. So I don’t think RESURRECTION is really going
to commit to a god angle for their story.
The problem is, this all feels just a
little forced, and motivations aren’t explored fully enough. Why does
Marty go against the law and his job description to take Jacob home?
It’s easy to see why Marty gets obsessed with the situation after
arrival, but hard to understand why his boss might let him continue down
this path. Some twists, such as the aforementioned affair, don’t really
fit well enough to seem needed, bringing unnecessary drama to the
proceedings.
How much of RESURRECTION will come
across as phony and how much will follow the rules of the world they
establish remains to be seen, “The Returned” being too murky in plot and
characters to give us a clear understanding. Yet, the fact that the
series does hesitate to explain itself in even the simplest terms makes
it feel like there might be no explanation mapped out, meaning the show
will meander and play with concepts it doesn’t have a goal of getting
deep into. This is just a first impression, and few pilots are
outstanding right out of the gate, so I will give it more than one
chance.
The challenge RESURRECTION faces,
though, is shows like this just don’t seem to work on the broadcast
networks. Lost was a fluke and every new effort to recapture its magic
falls flat. What’s to stop RESURRECTION from joining that junk heap? I
haven’t seen many positive signs yet.
RESURRECTION premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
While on a recent visit to the set of USA's Suits, we got a surprise visit from Christopher Gorham! The series he stars in for the same network, Covert Affairs, houses its stages in the same building as Suits, and taking a break from filming some webisodes, Christopher is generous enough to stop by and speak with us.
For those who don't know, Covert Affairs follows several CIA agents on various missions. Gorham's character's name is Auggie, a veteran who is blind from a war injury. Learning braille and being set up with his own, customized computer station, Auggie is a master at monitoring events and helping out the central character, Annie (Piper Perabo), with just about whatever she needs it.
Today, Chris's visit feels a bit odd. After all, he's in his CIA wardrobe, complete with name badge, and he's sitting in the Pearson Hardman conference room. Admittedly, plenty of people with suits occupy the same space on a regular basis, but perhaps because Auggie is such a familiar character, it's a little surreal. Which is probably why the Suits guys won't let Gorham cameo in the background of their show, no matter how much he begs. That, and his dress clothes, paid for on a government salary budget, aren't quite up to the standard the high-paid lawyers at Pearson Hardman set.
But Gorham likes working near the Suits guys. While their schedules are typically different, they do get to cross paths from time to time, and the actor even recently enjoyed a dinner with Patrick J. Adams. It gives them a chance to talk about "lame actor stuff," which only other actors can really appreciate. It also might make the remoteness of Toronto, far removed from most television productions, seem a little less remote.
The first topic has to be the websidoes, as they are what brings Groham into work today. They are set a year prior to the first episode of Covert Affairs, following Auggie as he first becomes a handler, and only a little more than a year after he has gone blind, which means that he's still learning how to operate without sight. It will be a five episode serial, which a choose-your-own-adventure
element. That's kind of brilliant, really, providing ample opportunity
for repeat viewings, just to see the different ways the story could go.
Of course, that will require a lot more filming than a standard series. Once the whole experiment is complete, a linear version will be made available for those not wishing to play the game.
The webisodes are just the dessert, though, and there's plenty of main course to talk about! Groham promises that season three will get much more serial, with an arc that takes ten installments to play out! Things will begin to get deeper for the characters, especially taking the time to explore the emotional stuff. There will also be a sense of urgency, coming after a huge, game-changing premiere that really kicks the story into high gear and sets a new tone! Being evasive, Gorham does say that things are not always what they seem, and there should be quite a few surprises. And pirates.
Speaking of the pirates, Auggie will encounter them in Africa. Fans might remember that last season ends with Auggie heading off to the far-away continent. Gorham promises that he is back before the start of season three, but will be making another trip there in the third episode. Auggie isn't leaving the series by any means; he's just expanding his world a bit.
Covert Affairs takes place all over the world, and this year is no different. Among the locales features in upcoming episodes, besides Africa, are Puerto Rico, Barcelona, Russia, and Cuba. Well, a stand-in for Cuba, at least, but the characters will be in the isolated island country. Even better, there was time while shooting in Barcelona to film some stuff for the webisodes, which increases their production value quite a bit over the typical internet fare!
Romance will certainly not be in short supply in the third season of Covert Affairs, especially where Auggie is concerned. Season two ended with Annie and Auggie finally realizing their feelings for one another. This will be explored quite a bit this season. In fact, episode three features the pair in bathing suits on the beach, while episode two sees them on a field mission pretending to be a married couple. Episode four has the two of them in Auggie's apartment, so you do the math on where this is going.
Auggie will have to balance Annie, though, with Parker (Devin Kelley), who he is not through with. So he should be getting quite a bit of action! Through Gorham vehemently denies that Auggie fakes his blindness just to get the girls.
The male relationships in Auggie's life aren't any easier. After the stunt Jai pulls on him in season two, they no longer like or trust each other, even if there still is some respect between them. Their rivalry will be explored further in season three, with some fallout coming for Jai's actions. Gorham says he has heard rumblings of an "interesting resolution," but declines to speculate on the specifics.
Chris is very grateful for the acceptance he feels from the blind community, he himself not being blind, but portraying a blind man. He gets plenty of interaction at Characters Unite events, and spends time with veterans, another category Auggie falls into. Because of the part, Gorham is a lot more tuned in to the needs of those various populations, even (jokingly) giving co-star Piper crap for not having braille menus in her New York restaurant. That has since been corrected!
Gorham was very relaxed and natural during the interview. He did seem to want to keep saying things he
wasn’t allowed, but producer Gene Klein was (sadly) there to keep him in check. It was a fun and informative conversation. Thank you, Christopher, for your time!
In the season finale of USA's Covert Affairs, "Letter Never Sent," Annie (Piper Perabo) takes a much needed vacation to Stockholm. Danielle (Anne Dudek) finds out that her husband has been cheating on her, and Annie allows her to come, too, only to learn once they get there that Danielle has been communicating with an old flame in the area. But then Joan (Kari Matchett) asks Annie to complete a simple mission, which soon goes horribly wrong, and Annie and Danielle are running for their lives. Meanwhile, Auggie (Christopher Gorham) looks into a cure for his blindness, and Jai (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is called in for questioning.
On the surface, "Letter Never Sent" is a rip-roaring good time, and a hell of a finale. There is plenty of action, and plots for every single main character, which is not the status quo. However, there is something very strange brewing under the surface of the Stockholm arc. Annie just happens to be heading to the one place Danielle has an ex she's been talking to? Or does Danielle have these exes all over the world? And, of course, Annie can't go anywhere without getting drawn back into the spy business, because she's aparently the old capable field agent the CIA has. Also, Annie and Danielle make a great escape from her would-be-beau's home, and leave him a dead body in the yard to clean up and explain. Thanks, girls!
That, aside, though, it really is a fantastic episode. Dudek is a fine actress, who is often way underused on Covert Affairs, so it's gratifying that she is drawn into the action this week, no matter how big a stretch it takes. It's also unfortunate that she looks into the cheating-for-revenge route, but it's not unrealistic, and allows for some good sisterly chemistry, including a judgy Annie who does not approve of Danielle's behavior. Danielle now gets to see just what her sister does, and is unlikely to continue to give her much trouble about the job, as evidenced by her invitation for Annie to move back in.
Jai is an enigma for awhile. He comes to Langley to do a job, but is shoved into the background, and soon disappointed by his lot. A little scheming gets him a Special Projects job, but it doesn't seem to mean much, and few have any respect for him. Then he fails a lie detector test and comes under suspicion. Rather than redeem himself by doing the right thing in "Letter Never Sent," as viewers would expect, he goes the alternate route. Jai grows even more manipulative, turning in his father, Henry (Gregory Itzin) for illegal activities, and protecting Arthur (Peter Gallagher). This protection is not out of the goodness of his heart, but rather, a set up so he can go after Joan's job. It's wicked, and depressing, and some really, really great writing.
Poor Auggie. Upset over Parker's (Devin Kelley, The Chicago Code) move, he tries to better his own life by having his blindness healed. But he isn't a candidate for any of the procedures that might work. It seems he feels life is passing him by, his handicap rendering him unable to do many of the things he wants to do. He can't even drive his dream car, the '67 Corvette he keeps in his garage. At the end of the episode, he gifts the vehicle to Annie. This seems to be a sign that he has given up in a lot of ways, and will no longer be trying or hoping for a cure. It's a sad moment, made even worse when he comments on how he can "literally see" the smile on Annie's face, which isn't smiling at all. Again, poor Auggie.
On the bright side, the chemistry between Annie and Auggie has never been better than in "Letter Never Sent." Which means, after a suitable time to get over Parker, perhaps Auggie will have a new love that could brighten his world. Whether he ever gets to see again or not, Auggie has a lot going for him, and he can be happy, though it may not seem like it at this time.
Covert Affairs will return in 2012 on USA.
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FOX's The Chicago Code had a great pilot, but to my surprise, it continues to deliver extremely well-made episodes every week. Those expecting just another cop show are mistaken, as this series is certainly much, much better than most of its peers on television. The series gets into some real human drama, the heart of the people that make up the city of Chicago. The main characters struggle with moral compromises and how far to go for justice. There are cases of the week, but there are also much larger plots that consistently get plenty of screen time, too. It is expertly written and acted. I cannot recommend this series enough.
This week, Jarek (Jason Clarke) and Caleb (Matt Lauria) bust a drug dealer named Romero, only to find the situation is much more complicated than they have assumed. Romero's son has been kidnapped by a rival gang, and while Jarek is fine with using Romero to save his son, federal agents show up and demand Romero be handed over to testify in another case, after which they intend to stick him into witness protection. Jarek is not one to give up easily, and is not about to let Romero's seven year old pay for his father's mistakes, so he has his niece, Vonda (Devin Kelley), and her partner, Isaac (Todd Williams), distract the F.B.I. men long enough to allow him to save the kid.
Jarek often crosses the line, but doesn't get into trouble because of his results. While this may not be entirely realistic, it is easy enough to explain away, as Police Superintendent Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals) has given him a long leash in an attempt to go after a very big fish. As such, even when the case is not connected to Jarek's main target, he is allowed to defy orders more than other cops. Which, of course, makes for extremely good action sequences. If you are missing Jack Bauer, Jarek Wysocki should help ease the pain.
Teresa herself pushes boundaries, but as she has to play politics, she isn't able to go as far as Jarek. Which may explain why she goes so easy on Jarek. He gets to do the things she cannot. He is her tool to get done what needs to be done. Last week, it went so far as to Teresa staging a suspension for Jarek, a real suspension, but pre-planned between the two of them, so that she can maintain a public image, but the job can still get tackled. This week, Teresa uses her more diplomatic talents, convincing the F.B.I. chief (Adam Arkin, Sons of Anarchy, Chicago Hope) that both they and she can get what they want. She is tough, but fair, and doing a heck of a job cleaning up quite a mess.
I absolutely love the dynamic between Jarek and his partner, Caleb. Caleb is a goody two-shoes, who is well educated and wants to go far in law enforcement. It's Caleb's unique combination of reminding Jarek not to stray too far from the right path, but also not to get in his way, that has allowed Caleb to stay Jarek's partner, despite the high turnover rate that position holds. Caleb recognizes the value in Jarek's methods in a way others have not, and seems to have a good moral compass and wisdom. He doesn't always agree with Jarek, but he knows how to pick his battles. For instance, he is now harping on Jarek's large consumption of energy drinks, but doesn't try to talk Jarek out of fooling the feds to save a little boy.
Caleb also gives Jarek crap for cheating on his fiance with his ex-wife, a plot that sees some serious development this week. Jarek's son catches Jarek and Dina (Amy Price-Francis, Life Unexpected, The Cleaner) together in the middle of the night. Dina wants Jarek to leave his very young fiance and come back to her, but knows him well enough to not force a choice. However, once Jarek affirms to his son that he has no intention of getting back with Dina on a more permanent basis, Dina accepts a date with another man, annoying Jarek.
Perhaps it is cliche in TV that the man who is super good at law enforcement has a screwed up personal life. But that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. Jarek is a deeply flawed man, but that may be why he is able to understand the bad guys well enough to take them down. He knows flaws better than most. Jarek doesn't seem particularly enamored with his fiance, so I do find it strange he doesn't just dump her for Dina, whom he seems to value more. However, not knowing their back story all that well, it's hard to know exactly what is informing Jarek's decision making process in this case.
Speaking of back story, this series has a cool element where one of the major, not necessarily main, characters narrates some history, often times with brief flashback scenes, informing on what has brought them to the point they are currently at. It's not like Lost where the flashbacks take over the narrative, or are extremely important to the ongoing plot. But I do like to know how past decisions influence present ones, and it is accomplished in an unobtrusive way. Very neat.
Finally, in an ongoing arc, Liam (Billy Lush) continues his undercover investigation into Gibbons (Delroy Lindo). Last week, to keep his cover, Liam committed arson, later finding out his deed led to a man's death. Thankfully, rather than just forgetting this twist, Liam is really struggling with guilt over what happened. Gibbons, who orchestrated the arson and murder so that Liam is under his thumb, asks Liam to be his driver for a day. But it's a ruse. He takes Liam to visit grieving families, including that of Liam's victim, basically letting Liam know he is now owned.
I am not convinced that the man died in the fire. His body may have been dumped there to blackmail Liam. Even if he did die in the fire, he was certainly placed there on purpose. I don't see Liam facing long-term consequences for the man's death, other than the personal demons he must wrestle with.
Of course, Liam isn't owned, because he's a cop, and was ordered to participate in the fire. Gibbons doesn't know this. It is done cleverly, with Gibbons never actually saying anything threatening to Liam, actually smiling and acting like a mentor. Yet, there is a cruel ruthlessness underlying Gibbon's friendly disposition. What Gibbons doesn't know is that Liam is about ready to quit the operation, until Gibbons's strategy backfires, renewing Liam's commitment to the take down. Had Liam quit, it likely would have taken a long time to get a new undercover office in as deep as Liam is. Gibbons is causing his own downfall.
Which makes me wonder what the long-term story will be for this series. Gibbons, obviously, is the first big target, and a main character. But I don't see Gibbons staying in power more than another year, at most. Any longer, and the show risks growing stale. Chicago is know for corruption, so surely there are many paths that can be taken after Gibbons goes down, though hopefully the next will be in a different direction. Rather than getting ahead of myself, though, I'm going to force myself to slow down and enjoy the ride. Because it is extremely entertaining.
The Chicago Code airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET on FOX.
There are far too many cop / legal shows on the air right now. That should be apparent to anyone casually glancing at the network prime time listings. That's why I was extremely pessimistic about FOX's The Chicago Code, and wasn't looking forward to reviewing it at all. This, despite the fact that the show sponsored me on Examiner last week, so I owe them one, which has no baring on my opinion of the show, but still... I figured I would reluctantly sit through it, and then I could dash out a couple quick paragraphs about what drivel it is, copying everything else already on the air.
That opinion was dead wrong. The Chicago Code is not at all the basic procedural drama. It's a mystery about corruption in a city known for it. It's an heroic tale about those that are finally willing to stand up to that corruption. Classic David versus Goliath, in modern day law enforcement and politics. It seems equally parts reality based, and dark, crime fighting, comic book inspired. Most of the first episode dealt with those major themes, and I am very much hooked.
Alderman Gibbons (Delroy Lindo, a familiar face) has run the city for decades, relying heavily on the Irish mob, whom he seems to control, despite not being of that nationality himself. Six months after being named police superintendent, Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals, The L Word) is transferring ineffective cops to dead end beats, and is ready to tackle the source of the city's problems. Gibbons denies her request for a task force, but she doesn't let that stop her. Instead, Colvin approaches her former partner, Jarek Wysocki (Jason Clarke, Brotherhood), and asks him to do some investigating. Joined by his newest partner, Caleb (Matt Lauria, Friday Night Lights) and undercover detective, Liam, (Billy Lush, formerly of the canceled-too-soon The Black Donnellys), Jarek promises to do what he can.
The road ahead will surely not be easy. But then, the show wouldn't be worth watching if it was. Gibbons has his hands in everything, and the people around him do not hesitate to take out whoever threatens their boss, without waiting for him to ask them to. Despite the resources at her disposal, if Colvin comes at Gibbons too strongly before she gets enough evidence to fully send him away, he could likely just have her removed from her job. How do you go after a man so powerful? It's a great question, and I look forward to a weekly series that answers it.
Of course, the fight with Gibbons cannot go on indefinitely. I am thinking one, maybe two, seasons, tops. For those who may argue with me, thinking it would kill the show, Alias did it, toppling their big, bad organization a year and a half into the series, and they continued just fine for another three and a half years. A plot with such a defined villain cannot go on forever, and the series will get boring if it attempts to stretch it too long. At some point, things have to come to a head. Based on the progress made in just the first episode alone, this series is looking at a showdown sooner rather than later. Which is fine. I'm sure there are plenty of other problems the police of Chicago need to solve.
Also in the main cast, besides all of the people mentioned above, is Jarek's niece, Vonda (Devin Kelley), and her partner slash lover, Isaac (Todd Williams, In Plain Sight). They are regular beat cops, sort of filling the role of the youngest brother on Blue Bloods, without the contrived conspiracy. That's because the conspiracy is the show. They are connected with the show's main plot only on the fringe. Instead, they simply add another layer, and a family element for Jareck. I predict they may get drawn into the larger story eventually, and hope they do. Otherwise, I don't see them needing to stick around for season two.
One of the strongest elements of the show is how it can jump perspective. It did this several times, with narration alternating characters, including Jareck and Colvin. This format allows the show to add new central characters with little effort, or allow stand alone stories for single episode guests, such as they did in the pilot.
If you have not watched the pilot, do not read this paragraph. If you do, the best surprise of the episode will be ruined. Antonio (Manny Montana), who was Colvin's driver and assistant, was right in the middle of his narration when he was gunned down, soon pronounced dead. I was shocked, and impressed. The episode really had me liking Antonio, and his death hurt. I wish he had stayed around, because he seemed like such an interesting character. On the other hand, what a neat, bold twist for a pilot to take! It's been done before, but seldom as well as done here. Major kudos.
If you'd like to check out The Chicago Code, and I certainly recommend you do, it airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. on FOX.
If I could do anything I wanted to, I'd split my time between writing exciting novels and developing television programs, and reading great books and watching wonderful television shows.
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