SHADES OF BLUE Make Me Blue

Article first published as SHADES OF BLUE Review on Seat42F.

With broadcast networks dying rapidly, NBC (like FOX, ABC, and CBS) doubles down on crime shows, the latest being SHADES OF BLUE, premiering this week. Set in a close-knit unit in Brooklyn, the series finds Harlee Santos (Jennifer Lopez, American Idol) entrapped by the FBI and forced to rat on the people she loves so that she can continue to be present as the sole parent for her daughter (Sarah Jeffery, Rogue).

The cast is quite a good ensemble. Lopez is joined by Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) as boss Matt “Woz” Wozniak, Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos) as fellow detective Tess Nazario, Warren Kole (The Following) as FBI handler Robert Stahl, and others.

They are not as well used as they should be, though. True, the characters end up being pretty believable, for the most part, and there are few glaring missteps that pull viewers out of the moment. But neither is there any chance for a single one of them to shine all that much. Lopez gets the meatiest stuff, but either she isn’t up to showing the necessary layers, or has purposely made the choice to not allow Harlee to express as much as one expects from this type of role. This is usually the type of Emmy bait a performer loves, but Lopez pulls back. Liotta does better when he gets the opportunity, but that doesn’t come until quite late, and I have doubts about how much he’ll be allowed similar moments in the future.

My doubts mainly stem from my opinion that the writing is mediocre. The pilot starts off with some very cheesy dialogue and ridiculous exchanges, which admittedly get better as the hour progresses, but never rises to any level that impresses. There is a compelling narrative within, the cop forced to become a double agent, which starts to come out as the installment goes on. But it’s not examined enough, nor are the implications really dwelt on. I know this is a single episode I’m judging the show on, but the pacing seems to want to rocket ahead instead of linger on the juicy bits.

SHADES OF BLUE is not a typical procedural. At least from the pilot, it doesn’t appear that it will be a case-of-the-week, paint-by-numbers series. Instead, it follows the path of the network’s Chicago Fire and its spin-offs by making it more about personal drama than a crime that needs solved. This switch has worked pretty well for USA, which used to specialize in the procedural format, but has since deepened to more complex dramas.

However, is that a path that will work for parent company NBC, or is this just hastening the decline of the company? I tend to think it’s the latter. Shows that have staying power tend to be those that offer something new to the landscape. SHADES OF BLUE, despite being a step up from the trite, repetitive junk that has been bogging down the non-cable networks of late, is staying too close to those same boundaries to make much of an impact on a broad audience.

SHADES OF BLUE is about par for the network, if not a little bit on the higher end, but at a far lower quality than the same premise would be treated to on FX, AMC, or HBO, the gold standards of networks today, or Netfix or Amazon, the streaming rulers. This means it’s probably a mistake for NBC. It may not be bad; it may even be some of the network’s best fare. But it is not the step in a new direction that the network needs to save itself.

SHADES OF BLUE premieres Thursday, January 7^th on NBC.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Fan Is "One of Us"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC is called “One of Us.” Whether or not Skye (Chloe Bennet) remains “one of us,” meaning part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team, is an open question. Coulson (Clark Gregg) is certainly treating her as such, getting May (Ming-Na Wen) to bring in her ex-husband, Dr. Andrew Garner (Blair Underwood, The Event), to treat Skye. But are Skye’s powers beyond what she or they currently comprehend, and as understanding deepens, will that change opinions?

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. has a tough situation on display. Skye is a dear friend to many and she is May’s protégé so she should be protected and treated normally. But how can her friends not pretend she’s different? If she loses her concentration, she can shake apart buildings, if not larger areas. She is dangerous because she isn’t experienced in controlling her powers, and until she gets a handle on them, if she can get a handle on them permanently, she can’t fully rejoin the team, no matter how anyone feels about her. But not using them, mostly controlling them as she has done so far, is actually hurting her, so that can’t continue either.

“One of Us” talks about a registry of powered people that S.H.I.E.L.D. maintains. Skye is added to the registry, of course, but that hasn’t always been a good thing for those on it. Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) picks up a few folks who have been imprisoned or controlled because of the registry, including Karla Gaye Gideon (Drea de Matteo, The Sopranos), and sets them on a revenge course against S.H.I.E.L.D. One presumes Cal is doing this because the organization has his daughter, Skye, whom he may misguidedly believe would return to him if given free will. But it’s pretty easy to convince the others to help him, as they feel wronged by the organization.

Is this Skye’s fate? Is she destined to be locked up, or not allowed to use her powers? That’s certainly Dr. Garner’s worry, and it’s the reason he refuses to stick around when he’s asked to. Even under Coulson’s new command, not everyone has happy feelings about the agency. Skye didn’t start out believing in them, but she believes in Coulson and May, and so S.H.I.E.L.D. by extension. “One of Us” provides some pretty valid reasons as to why that opinion is not universal, moving the titular body into a greyer area than we’ve seen thus far.

Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) and Mack (Henry Simmons) go even further than just distrusting S.H.I.E.L.D., secretly working for a group they refer to as the “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. We barely catch a glimpse of the place when they take Hunter (Nick Blood) there against his will, so we don’t yet know who’s running the place or why. Yet, they are nice enough to Hunter in the interim, meaning they aren’t villains. Since Coulson is Fury’s hand-picked successor, these are likely people who disagreed with S.H.I.E.L.D. previously and now, believing the organization has a chance to change for the better and has not, are trying to circumvent the inheritance. I’m very curious to learn more about them.

So with two groups of good guys set on conflicting paths, what will happen to MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.? Last year at this time, S.H.I.E.L.D. as we know it collapsed. This season has been about rebuilding. Is the organization about to undergo another monumental shift, just as it’s getting back on its feet?

If that weren’t enough, Cal escapes when the agents capture his minions. Admittedly, Cal is grabbed by Gordon (Jamie Harris), who does not seem a fan and is determined to rein Cal in, lest he expose others with powers. But because Cal is still out there and he proves himself quite capable in the past, Cal still seems like a threat worth worrying about. Plus, we’ve seen no sign of Ward (Brett Dalton) lately, so that’s the other show that can drop at any time.

I really dig this move into darkness that MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is going through. I’m all for the heroes winning the day, but things get much more interesting when we’re not sure who the heroes are, or when a big difference of opinion splinters them. “One of Us” is certainly a good sign the series is on track.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Desperate Housewives stays calm, but delivers plenty of new mysteries

 
     A far cry from the plane crash from last year, the biggest (physical) thing to happen on this season's Desperate Housewives finale, "I Guess This Is Goodbye", was when Patrick (John Barrowman) blew himself up.  What a triumphant moment for Angie (Drea de Matteo)!  It showed just how tough and smart she is, and it really made me wish the show had found a way for her to stick around longer.  Her heartfelt goodbye to Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) was even more moving, and I was sad to see her leave.

     But there will be some new neighbors when Housewives returns to ABC next fall.  For one, though it was spoiled in online news reports, Paul Young (Mark Moses) is back, and back to stay, at least for a season.  It's hard to believe that his stint in jail for murder is already help.  Even better, it was recently announced that Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) has signed on full-time next season, to help fill the void left by all the departing and already departed women, and she will not be connected to the big mystery of the season.  Don't be too disappointed about that.  Keeping her out of the immediate drama may allow her to stay longer, and she will surely stir plenty of waves.

     Back to the season finale, thank goodness Lynette (Felicity Huffman) was able to keep calm, and show her true compassion.  That ended as well as it possibly could have.  The show even had me feeling saw for Eddie (Josh Zuckerman), despite the atrocities he committed.  Any chance he'll get off on an insanity plea, and that, after a reasonable stay in a mental hospital, he could return to Wisteria Lane?  Call me crazy, but that could work, and be quite interesting.  He and Lynette had a really neat bond that was real, proved by her letting him hold the baby he just delivered while she called the cops.

     The secrets have already began swirling for next season.  Who took home a baby from the hospital that wasn't theirs?  What will Gaby do now that Bree (Marcia Cross) has confessed who killed Gaby's mother-in-law all those years ago?  Why would Paul even want to come back?

     Desperate Housewives will return to ABC in the fall.

Desperate Housewives's mystery a little anti-climatic

      Last night, ABC's Desperate Housewives solved a major mystery, possibly.  Julie (Andrea Bowen) was strangled and almost died last fall, but the person who attacked her was never caught.  While most theories went towards the familiar, or the new family in town, the revelation of a strangler last night may have been the answer to the long-running mystery.  Next week's preview promises a serial killer on the lane.  But if the same guy who killed Irina (Helena Mattsson) did attack Julie, the question is, why?  There was motivation for Irina, but we haven't seen Julie talk to the boy.  Besides, I couldn't even find the actor's name that played him.  He wasn't yet added to imdb, tv.com, or other sources that I checked.  So who really cares?

     Luckily, some of the other plots are getting much more interesting.  I don't think Sam (Sam Page, Shark) is even Bree's (Marcia Cross) stepson.  His tricky ways to discredit others almost cost Bree her livelihood.  Did he do it just because he was jealous of the family he never had?  Or, like I said, is he not really related, and has other dark reasons for trying to sabotage her?

     Mike (James Denton) got himself into some big trouble, going into deep dead and having his truck repossessed.  How did that happen?  We haven't seen him do anything that cost a ton of money, but he told Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) that this had been going on for the past year.  Obviously, there is more to this subplot, and hopefully it won't be long before those answers come.

     This year's newbies on the block are close to having the lid blown off all their secrets.  Patrick (John Barrowman, Torchwood) has arrived and looks to be considering a kidnapping after deciding not to kill Angie (Drea de Matteo).  Fans of the former Sopranos star, though, don't get too relieved.  Rumor on the net is that she will bite the big one before the season closes.  It's too bad.  With the probable eminent departure of Katherine (Dana Delany), Angie would be poised to actually stick.  Seems the block just can't bring itself to permanently add a fifth desperate housewife to it's clique.

     Saddest of all may be the breakup of the gay couple, Bob (Tuc Watkins, One Life to Live) and Lee (Kevin Rahm, Judging Amy).  It was great to see the pair get more screen time and development this season.  I hope Lee comes back to Bob soon, and isn't gone from the show for good.  I was also not pleased with talk of them moving away.  That may still happen.

     Of course, all the plot twists can be witnessed by tuning in to Desperate Housewives Sunday nights at 9pm on ABC.

Housewives leaves on another cliffhanger

     ABC's Desperate Housewives bowed out for the calendar year last night with a 'big event'.  Though reports of a place crash were prevalent on the internet ahead of time, it was not a large liner (as indicated by an early false rumor that it might be an Oceanic Airlines plane that came down) that landed in the street, but a small two-seater.  This must be the most unlucky block in the country, already hit by a tornado, multiple murders, suicide, hit and runs, etc.  Predictably, it took out the woman about to cause huge issues for one of the housewives, newcomer Angie (Joey's Drea de Matteo).  It also killed at least one other in the Santa house, but of course, Mark Cherry will leave us hanging until January to find out who.  It is unlikely that Bree (Marcia Cross) died, but Orson (Kyle MacLachlan, Sex and the City), or more likely, Karl (Richard Burgi), has also bitten the dust.  After the tornado cliffhanger, its more frustrating than exciting waiting to find out for sure.

     This season has only been all right so far.  On the good side, the fued between the Scavos (Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant) and the Soliss (Eva Longoria Parker and Ricardo Chavira) has been handled in such a way where no one is demonized, but you can still see how they would have had such a falling out.  The suspense has been built, with both sides acting in reasonable manners, but still managing to make things worse.  Surely, this fight will be over post-crash, especially since Lynette (Huffman) saved the Solis daughter as the plane came down.  Also, the addition of the new neighbors (de Matteo and Jeffrey Nordling) has been interesting and mysterious.  The couple is likable, and hopefully whatever their issues are, they will be able to work them out and stay on the block.  Plus, Karen (Kathryn Joosten, The West Wing) is appearing more than ever, and even has a love interest!

     On the other hand, the return full time of Julie (Andrea Bowen) has been less than satisfactory.  The wise teenager who parented her mother has turned into a whiny adulterer.  The delightfully complex Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) is gone with almost no explanation.  And Katherine (Dana Delany), the first new housewife that could have rivaled the originals, has sunk into a dark, sad, depression-fueled mental condition.  It's sad, really.  So much wasted potential in that character.  There have also been mini-episodes during the commercials, but they have been completely uninteresting.

     Will the show pick back up in January?  It looks like many of the plots of this year are resolved or close to it, but there is plenty more to come.  Given the ratings and long term contracts, it looks like Wisteria Lane has plenty more chances to get things right, as they have done more often than not in the past.