GRAVES Humor

Article first published as GRAVES Review on Seat42F.

Premium movie service Epix joins the original scripted world this weekend with two new shows. One, a comedy, is called GRAVES, and is about a fictional former Republican president named Richard Graves. Twenty-five years after he served as the leader of the free world, Graves’ policies and decisions from the Oval Office come back to haunt him. Realizing he has let his country down, and facing a legacy as the possible worst president ever, Graves wakes up and decides to start fighting for the American people once more.

President Richard Graves is a conglomeration of a number of different Republican presidents. He held office around the same time as George H.W. Bush, considered failed at the time, though Bush’s reputation has improved in the interim, while Graves has gone down. He is a gold standard for certain members of his party, like H.W. has become, and like Reagan always has been. He also shares the failed assassination attempt backstory with Reagan. President Graves had the disastrous polices of George W. Bush, getting us into unpopular wars and slashing spending on important research, while ridiculously beefing up the military and tanking the economy. So he isn’t any one of these real POTUSes (POTUSi?), but rather, a bunch of them put together.

This is probably a wise move. It allows Graves to be fictional and make decisions without worrying about what the real men are and did, and also takes a realistic look at both the positives and negatives of GOP administrations over the past few decades. It’s an intriguing concept, especially when coupled with the desire to make up for past mistakes that Graves now exhibits, and I think Graves probably ends up being the ideal representative of the traditional Grand Old Party by the end of episode one.

The title role is wonderfully portrayed by Nick Nolte (Warrior, Luck, Gracepoint), who captures a layered, authentic man. Graves is a total asshole to those around him, hazing his new assistant, Isaiah Miller (Skylar Astin, Pitch Perfect, Ground Floor), ignoring the political aspirations of his wife, Margaret (Sela Ward, CSI: NY, Gone Girl), and destroying property that is only sort of his. But even in the pilot, Nolte is allowed a few moments to show the raw vulnerability, the compassionate side of the man, and exhibit that he does care about more than just himself, even when he lets down his loved ones. It’s a very interesting performance, and I liked it a lot.

To more fully flesh out the story, and also likely to add subplot drama, we are introduced to Graves’ daughter, Olivia (Helene Yorke, Masters of Sex), who shares many of her father’s negative qualities, and is going through something devastating herself. I really don’t know how Margaret will balance two break-downs at once while furthering her own agenda, but Olivia is more an obstacle than anything else right now.

Also in the cast are a number of enjoyable actors like Roger Bart (Episodes, The Producers), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Tania Gunadi (Enlisted), Khotan Fernandez (Royal Pains, El Sexo Debil), Angelica Maria (Que bonito amor), Callie Hernandez (Alien: Covenant), and Chris Lowell (Veronica Mars) as the as-of-yet-unseen son of President Graves.

All of these actors and the promising story are enough to get past my early distaste. GRAVES makes the grave (pun intended) error of beginning with some real political cameos, chief among them that of Rudy Giuliani. True, Graves isn’t thrilled with these guys, but he treats Giuliani nicer than most, and after recent polarizing press appearances, seeing Giuliani in this comedy context is likely to turn off many potential viewers. Hopefully, most will chalk it up to a decision made some time ago and look past it, because the rest of the pilot was worth watching. There are others that appear, but none nearly as offensive as the former mayor.

GRAVES premieres tonight on Epix, and viewers can check out the first two episodes free now on Epix’s website.

"Poor" ONCE UPON A TIME

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 16 Poor Unfortunate Soul on Seat42F.

ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME focuses on yet another “Poor Unfortunate Soul” in this week’s episode. This time, it’s Ursula (Merrin Dungey) who is getting a bad rap based on past wrongs. Can our heroes use that to their advantage and peel her away from the other villains? Hopefully before Regina (Lana Parilla) and / or August (Eion Bailey) are lost to them forever?

The backstory between Ursula and Hook finally comes out. When Ursula is young (and played by The Following’s Tiffany Boone), she is promised help from Hook (Colin O’Donoghue). When her father, King Poseidon (Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters, Oz), interferes in their deal, though, Hook also fails to hold up his end of the bargain. In a fit of rage, Ursula trades tail for tentacles and becomes the familiar evil monster. Of course, Hook makes up for his bad decision in the present, helping Ursula get her voice back, and the sea witch gives up her dastardly quest to return home with her dad.

I don’t know that I really buy this. This is the trade deal Hook is so ashamed of he can’t tell Emma (Jennifer Morrison)? Seems he is at least sort of in the right, even if he’s not noble. Ursula, while plagued by grief, gives up everything because her singing voice is gone, rather than fighting to get it back? Then, a long, long time later, she switches sides again just because she gets the voice back?

And how does Ursula get a happy ending with her father? She’s a villain, right? The rules that ONCE UPON A TIME establishes are that villains cannot have their happy endings. Yet, Ursula gets one, and Hook is having one with Emma right now. Regina would be near one had Robin (Sean Maguire) not been forced to leave, which had nothing to do with the story. This is all quite flimsy and doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

That is, unless we find out all of Rumple’s (Robert Carlyle) character development, including his redemption arc from the first two and a half seasons, is magically taken away by the book because of the story rules, and the same happens for Ursula and Hook. That would fix a large number of the problems I and others have had with the last year, and help get ONCE UPON A TIME back on track. Though, there’s no evidence of that happening in “Poor Unfortunate Soul.”

Speaking of the bad guys, the witches and Rumple torture August for information, which they don’t get. However, Regina manages to get a message off to the good guys, who then come and rescue August. Because Rumple doesn’t trust Regina, this actually works in her favor, making sure she’s not around to blame for August’s escape. This is a clever twist.

Will August stay in the show? I don’t think Once Upon A Time will toss in a true Emma / Hook / August love triangle because Emma and Hook are already quite far down the romantic path, so what would August’s purpose be? Honestly, I don’t care; I’d just like to keep him around.

August reveals that the author is trapped inside the book, which makes him much harder for the villains to get to. I don’t know why Regina tells Rumple that Henry (Jared Gilmore) has the missing page, as she should do everything possible to keep from endangering her son, especially after seeing Rumple torture August. But for now, as long as Henry holds onto the page, the author will be safe and the villains won’t get their happy ending.

Yet, going directly for the author isn’t Rumple’s plan, anyway. He wants to turn Emma’s heart dark, since the bad guys can’t win as long as the Savior exists. Wouldn’t the Savior, by definition, have to be a Savior? How can she be swayed to the other side? Does that negate what she’s done? I don’t get this bit of logic, or lack thereof, either.

“Poor Unfortunate Soul” isn’t totally bad. A dream sequence Regina has involving Robin and the Evil Queen is cool, even if the writers then have Regina over-explain it to the audience. There are also some good lines and touching moments, including when Ariel (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) returns and saves Hook. The problem is, the story is so disjointed and poorly planned out that it’s hard to see how the show will twist itself into something even resembling a satisfying resolution. Not to mention, when did Elsa get the power to shrink ships and store them in bottles? ONCE UPON A TIME has been driving on the edge of a cliff, frequently teetering, but I think it’s finally gone off completely.

Once Upon A Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

FRANKLIN & BASH Season 2 Premiere Review

Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Breckin Meyer and Garcelle Beauvais : Photo : Trae Patton/TNT

TNT's FRANKLIN & BASH returns tonight with the season two premiere, "Strange Brew." Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell) would like to make Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselar) full partners at his law firm, where they have been working. To do so, the duo must earn the votes of two thirds of the existing senior partners. Infeld sends them to meet with a beverage company head (Kevin Nealon, Weeds), who, if they woo as a client, will help their chances. Unfortunately for them, keeping the client happy may mean abandoning their values.

FRANKLIN & BASH is about two lawyers who care about more than just the law, or their careers. They care about people. Their bold, outlandish stunts are part of their draw, but the real reason Infeld is so in awe of the boys is because they bring something to the firm that it's lacking. Infeld is ingrained in his ways, though, and so he doesn't always give them a leash of unlimited length. "Strange Brew" tests the resolve of all three, as Infeld insist they keep the client happy, and Franklin and Bash think about how much they might want a spot at the big table.

The series is pretty light-hearted. As such, while FRANKLIN & BASH may flirt with heavy drama, it stops short of committing to it altogether. Things work out in the end because the core fan base doesn't want the story to end on a downer. The characters can face tough situations and question themselves, but at the end of the day, the good guy must win, and justice has to prevail. It's not a new formula, but it's certainly one that regular viewers of this particular show count on. In this, "Strange Brew" may take the path of least resistance, but that's what the people are looking for them to do.

This does not make FRANKLIN & BASH a bad show. While it will never sweep the Emmys or any other awards ceremony, it is still very entertaining. That is why, even when the ending might seem a little too neat, it is still a good episode.

Besides, Franklin and Bash are not the only ones affected by their promotion. They have friends to consider, too. Their new position allows them to hire Carmen (Dana Davis) and Pindar (Kumail Nanjiani) full-time. This is good, because as a subplot of the episode reveals, Pindar is in need of the mental health care that will come with being a permanent employee. Some of his social problems can now be traced back to his ex-roommate's girlfriend, whom Pindar clearly had an attraction towards. Though, how Pindar deals with the woman speaks to a previously existing condition.

Becoming senior partners is not without risk. Hannah (Garcelle Beauvais) tells Damien (Reed Diamond) she supports the change because of a moral clause that might help them get Franklin and Bash fired for good. Is Infeld aware of this clause, and does he already have a plan to get around it, like he negated the five year waiting period that would have delayed partnership for some time to come? Or is he just not considering the implications, as he sometimes doesn't. Franklin and Bash's behavior will not change, and to keep the show going, they will not be fired, no matter how much Hannah and Damien scheme against them. So where is this plot going? Perhaps it's just a new source of ongoing, low-stakes conflict for the coming season.

Another great thing about "Strange Brew" it the wealth of guest stars. Besides, Nealon, Martin Mull (Clue, Sabrina The Teenage Witch) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Oz) both play judges for various trials that Franklin and Bash bring to court. Kat Foster ('Til Death) is an attractive cop that Bash hits on while fighting a case against. Eddie Jemison (Hung) is an old friend of Franklin and Bash's, who was arrested by the hot cop. Is this a sign that good comedy actors are now lining up to appear on FRANKLIN & BASH?

Basically, "Strange Brew" is a return to same zany-hijinks-in-a-legal-setting recipe that attracted viewers last year. The quality of the stories and acting remains about the same. In short, it's mindless summer fun. FRANKLIN & BASH airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.

Article originally published at Seat42F.com