Walk THE PATH

Article first published as THE PATH Review on Seat42F.

This week, Hulu presents THE PATH. The producers insist it does not depict scientology, but what it does show is a new-ish belief system that brings people in through a cult-like manner and encourages them to climb the rungs of a ladder for salvation. So yeah, at least, superficially, it does present another take on scientology.

It has become popular to dis on scientology lately, but really, what THE PATH shows could apply to basically all religions, at least when they first start, before they are changed by millions of people getting little bits of power and influence over time. It’s fresh and exciting, and the early adopters buy in whole-heartedly. There are skeptics, of course, and even for those within the faith, there are varying levels of faith.

The protagonist to root for in THE PATH is Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad). After a retreat, Eddie’s eyes are opened, or so he thinks, and he starts to doubt the legitimacy of THE PATH. He doesn’t know what to do about it, though. His wife, Sarah Lane (Michelle Monaghan, True Detective), was born into the group and embraces their doxology fully, so he can’t talk to her about it. And because of Sarah’s closeness to Cal Robertson (Hugh Dancy, Hannibal), the face of the leadership, Eddie’s place becomes tenuous. Eddie wants to question things, but can he without losing his family, whom he cares about, and the life that they have?

The question is, how dangerous is THE PATH? Were it a harmless group whose members could join or leave at will, then Eddie’s lack of faith wouldn’t matter. This applies mainly to old religions, though, that have been around for centuries or millennia (with some exception). Instead, Eddie even wavering presents a threat to the group that must be stopped, lest the fragile, fledging structure fall apart, hence where the drama picks up. Eddie senses this, and while he does deny infidelity when the notion is raised, he doesn’t exactly come clean, either, which tells us something.

It’s hard to tell what kind of leader Cal is. He doesn’t set forth the rules, but he enforces them. There is a moment in the pilot where Cal’s morality is tested, and he must choose between the high ground and betraying his stance, which he sort of does correctly. Even within the hour, though, there is some question as to whether he is as pious as he claims to be. And his actions in this situation, while different than Eddie’s, are probably the best indicator of how he will treat the wandering member of the flock.

Plus, Cal has a thing for Eddie’s wife, who chose Eddie over Cal, so that will surely play into how Cal handles the situation.

THE PATH is inherently creepy, but again, I’d say that most looks at newer religions are. It takes a certain type of personality to believe that someone in our lifetime has figured out the secrets of life, and to follow them. Religion needs followers to grow, and so it must protect itself fiercely when it hasn’t yet achieved the reach and viability to survive past the first couple of generations. The older religions have really bizarre beliefs, too, but over time, we’re grown immune to the oddities. Not so with the new.

Despite the themes being old, it makes for compelling television to look at it from a modern perspective, which most people don’t do unless it’s pointed out to them explicitly, as has been done in a handful or shows and movies recently. This series accomplishes that, and with some really terrific lead actors, I look forward to seeing if this is just an action show that tells a story, which would be fine, or if it asks the audience to hold a mirror up to their own beliefs, which would be better.

THE PATH premieres tomorrow on Hulu.

HANNIBAL Season Finale Review

Article first published as TV Review: 'Hannibal' - 'Mizumono' on Blogcritics.

NBC’s Hannibal ended its second season last night with “Mizumono.” It’s hard to find a direct translation for the word in English, but various sources I checked on Google call it a matter of chance, a final sweet dish of a meal, a liquid, and a fruit. All of these seem apt to the episode, which presents a final showdown between all of the main players, the last hour in which the familiar, fragile chemistry of the show’s leads is maintained as it has been thus far, signaling major changes for next season. It’s a simultaneously delicious and frustrating ending, with much left up in the air, literally and figuratively.

Viewers have known since the season two premiere that Jack (Laurence Fishburne) had been heading for a bloody run-in with Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen), though we don’t yet know how this war will end, even with the end of season two.

In the scenes leading up to the final confrontation, Jack and Hannibal each expect Will’s (Hugh Dancy) loyalty, but wonder whether he will fulfill those expectations, as the Will becomes the wild card in the outcome between the two mostly evenly matched opponents. There may even be a doubt in the minds the viewers, observing Will talking to both Jack and Hannibal, knowing he’s lied to both in the past, and wondering where Will’s inner intentions lie. Will is emotionally unstable, and although Jack and Hannibal both hold sway over him, he also has a will of his own that can’t exactly be controlled. Has Hannibal awakened in Will something dark that may win out over his nobility and morals?

The key to figuring out where Will’s heart lies is Freddie Lounds (Lara Jean Chorostecki). Keep in mind that Hannibal thinks Will has killed Freddie, leading Hannibal to see Will as more vicious and bloodthirsty than he is. Jack is in on this secret. And, with this important clue, the audience should have confidence in predicting Will’s true path. And when Hannibal catches a whiff of Freddie’s scent on Will, it signals to him that Freddie is still alive, giving him just the warning he needs.

Hannibal is not omnipotent, an undefeatable villain, but he is very, very intelligent, and the slightest mistake on the part of our heroes can cost them their lives. One former main character, Beverly Katz (Hettienne Park), figures that out earlier in the season, and she dies for it. Which means it’s not surprising when Hannibal surprises those who might take him down, removing the bullets from Alana’s (Caroline Dhavernas) gun, knowing she could come to Will and Jack’s aid, and having Abigail Hobbs (Kacey Rohl), whom everyone believes dead, waiting in the house as Hannibal’s backup. Hannibal has them all set up perfectly, taking their predictable actions into account, and by doing so, he is able to not only (possible mortally on all counts) wound Alana, Will, and Jack, he is also able to hop a plane with the one woman who understands him, Dr. Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson), and escape.

Why does Hannibal leave the trio alive? Abigail seems destined to die, but if the authorities get there soon, Will, Jack, and Alana could live. They could also perish, and things are not looking good for any of them, but there’s a chance (a very good one since they really are the stars of the show and need to hunt Hannibal down) that they will live. Does Hannibal possess so much confidence in himself that he doesn’t worry about them coming after him? Or does he still harbor soft spots for all three, people he really does seem to like and has cared about over these past two years? Could these feelings be his undoing? Because Hannibal is so smart, I’m inclined to chalk his mercy up to emotion.

Jack and company will have a hard time beginning their search, even assuming they all survive. Jack is suspended as Kade (Cynthia Nixon) investigates misconduct in “entrapping” Hannibal. The fact that Jack, Will, and Alana are injured following through on the plan Kade ordered Jack not to pursue will not help Jack’s case, even if it sort of proves him right. This could also be the reason law enforcement is slow slow to respond, even after both Alana and Will call for backup and ambulances. Will higher powers help our protagonists get back in the good graces of the feds, or will they be rebels, only working for themselves? The source material (Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon, etc.), not always followed faithfully by the show’s creators, points to the former.

What if “Mizumono” had been the series finale, a possibility when it was filmed, since, at the time, Hannibal teetered on the edge of cancellation? It certainly would have been a highly disappointing end to the series. Yes, there is some sort of beauty in Hannibal defeating his enemies and getting away with it, and it’s cool that it would fly in the face of a fundamental television trope by allowing evil conquering good. But it would also suck that we wouldn’t even know if the main players lived. I guess we’d assume they’d died, losers in the dangerous game they play. The blue sky credits with the tag are cool, but ultimately not be satisfying as the end of the story, even if I grudgingly admit how unique and complete the episode would have seemed.

Hannibal is incredibly well crafted. I absolutely loathe that the Jack / Hannibal fight is revealed in the season premiere, the one glaring misstep the series has made in two seasons, but the way this hour unfolds is truly excellent. It maintains its artistic cred with slow shots of rain falling and a split Will, while still delivering action in the battles to the death. There are moving moments, such as Jack interacting with Bella (Gina Torres) and Bella talking about Jack, and there are shocking twists, such as learning Abigail is still alive, only to see her killed quickly after.

There isn’t a single wasted or boring moment, the dark motif bringing the characters more sharply into focus and letting the show rest on the talent of the actors and the rich dialogue. It’s definitely the best series on network television, and not just because it also pushes into both more bloody and more sophisticated territory than any predecessor, though that helps.

Hannibal, thank goodness, has been picked up, and will return in 2015 to NBC.

Amazing HANNIBAL and the "Kaiseki" Misstep

Article first published as HANNIBAL Review "Kaiseki" at Seat42F.

NBC’s HANNIBAL began its second season last night with “Kaiseki.” The word refers to a multi-course Japanese meal, as well as the skill it takes to prepare such a repast. This seems appropriate, as the hour gives us dish after dish of tasty, chewy drama, all; delivered with the beautifully artistry of a television master. It remains not only one of the best written and acted series on the air, but also one of the best visual and auditory productions overall.

Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) is right where we left him – sitting in a jail cell, about to be tried for the murder of several people, more concerned with exposing the truth about Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) than defending himself. To be fair, if Hannibal’s nature is brought to light, Will will get off scot free. But given the care and attention to detail Hannibal puts into covering his tracks and framing Will, that isn’t an easy task.

Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) humors Will, having Beverly (Hettienne Park) swab Hannibal’s DNA and go over his clothing with a fine-toothed comb. But Hannibal is cooperative and seemingly open, making sure Jack never for a moment suspects Will’s accusations are more than the ravings of a mad man.

In fact, everyone seems convinced that Will is crazy. Beverly will consult with him, continuing to recognize his genius, but she’s wary. Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas) is concerned for Will and shows it by visiting him, taking custody of his dogs, and looking for a plausible defense, but even she thinks he murdered. Her position is that he’s mentally ill and that’s what’s responsible for the horror, not Will himself, but she still doubts him, even though fans know that Will is innocent. Probably.

All of this would make for some really suspenseful drama, waiting for the other show to drop, if “Kaiseki” didn’t screw up the very first scene in the episode. When the premiere opens, Hannibal is slicing some meat and we catch Jack’s reflection in the knife. Then, the two engage in a fight to the death, both slashing and tumbling, before the screen flashes ‘Twelve Weeks Earlier.’ Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful moment, as most of HANNIBAL is, but it’s poorly timed in the narrative arc.

Practically anyone who watches HANNIBAL is already at least vaguely familiar with The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal films or books, which will (renewal gods willing) make up seasons five and six of this show. As such, we know Hannibal’s misdeeds will be exposed, and we also know that all five of the main characters will survive for quite some time, none being killed off before those seasons. However, this has never detracted from the enjoyment of the show because no one but Bryan Fuller, the brilliant mind behind it, can predict when those revelations will unfold.

“Kaiseki” spoils that. Assuming time in the story matches time in the real world, twelve weeks spells twelve episodes, taking us up to the season two finale. We now can see exactly how the confrontation will play out, and will be able to see it coming. A large part of the pacing is screwed up.

Now, it’s likely this is done for practical reasons. HANNINBAL is a low-rated show, and even with the international partners that help fund it, there’s no guarantee NBC will keep it going. An opener like that will hook those who might complain of slowness, and showing us the end at the start has become a common TV staple. The problem is, it’s now a detestable, predictable trope, and HANNIBAL is way better than that. As someone who doesn’t even watch previews at the end of episodes any more to avoid being spoiled, it really makes me angry they would do this. The only thing that would salvage it a little is if the twelve weeks unexpectedly pass by mid-season, or halfway through season three, rather than leading to the conclusion of this year.

The rest of “Kaiseki” is brilliant. I love the tension between Hannibal and Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson) when he asks her to lie to Jack for him, though the extent of her falsehood is unclear, since how much she knows isn’t revealed. The scene in which Dr. Bloom files a complaint about Jack’s lack of judgment, which the CIA investigator (Cynthia Nixon, Alpha House, The Big C) just wants to make go away, is stellar. Hannibal ‘jokingly’ confessing to Will’s doctor, Frederick Chilton (Raul Esparza), is fun. The moment between Jack and Alana in Will’s house is touching. Finding out Hannibal still considers Will a friend is intriguing. Will’s visions are beautiful, and him recovering a memory is a triumph. Plus, there’s a really cool new killer obsessed with color palettes introduced, which Jack will investigate with the help of Hannibal, who has taken over Will’s job.

The characters are so well defined, and each have moving scenes with others. The cast is fragmented, to be sure, but most people get the chance to interact with most others one on one, pulling us into their dark, twisted world in the best of ways, the subtext as interesting as the dialogue.

I just wish “Kaiseki” hadn’t played to popular bends, and then it would have been perfect.

HANNIBAL airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

HANNIBAL "Savoureux" Fine Dining

Article first published as HANNIBAL "Savoureux" Fine Dining on TheTVKing.

It's immediately apparent from the start that NBC's Hannibal isn't the typical network series. With artistic, sweeping visuals, courtesy of creator Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls), it is also very edgy with layered, compelling characters and neat twists. While the gruesome subject matter takes a little while to grow on some, the storytelling is top notch from episode one, and it's clear there is an amazing epic tale to be told, should the series get the seven seasons Fuller has in mind.

Season one ends this week with "Savoureux." All the evidence says that Will (Hugh Dancy) has killed Abigail Hobbs (Kacey Rohl, The Killing), and even he believes it himself, though he can't remember it, assuming it is a natural extension of his psychosis. However, when additional clues point to Will having killed four others, two of which died before he started experiencing black outs, Will begins to suspect he's being set up.

A hallmark of a hero is one who continues to fight when all of the odds are against him, even when those closest to him have turned their backs on him. Will's friends all have different ideas about what exactly he has done and why or how he did it, but no one believes his paranoia, save himself and the man who framed him. With Will ending the year sitting in a jail cell, there is still much of his journey ahead of him.

We all know that Will will beat this rap and clear his name, but we don't know when or how this might happen. Stacking the odds so completely against him at this point is wonderful, and it leaves the show at a very good place for the second run. With Fuller not planning on reaching the events of the book Red Dragon until season four, Will still has two more years before he can expose who Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) really is.

I do worry that Hannibal won't get to play out the whole course. While critically respected, it's not hugely watched, much like Fuller's previous efforts, which didn't survive long. Hopefully, with word of mouth and binge viewing of repeats, it will gain a larger following by next year. Feeling very much like a dark, award-worthy, boundary-pushing cable show, even without the nudity and vulgarity, which for some reason aren't much missed, it deserves the chance.

The problem with already knowing the events of seasons four through six (which are set to adapt the three books these characters come from) is that most of the major players are not in any real peril. Will can't die in season two, nor can Jack; the central cast is safe. Yet, that doesn't take away at all from the enjoyment of the show because the characters are so well crafted, and we don't know how they are going to get to those points. If the show is smart, it will make some departures from the source material and rewrite the rules. But for now, it's completely great without having to make many changes, aside from switching genders on a couple of players.

As much as it might seem so right now, Will is not the center of Hannibal. That belongs to the titular character. However, it will take multiple seasons to get Hannibal into a position where he can carry the show himself. Currently, his inaccessibility to viewers, the way he hides most of himself from others, and because we don't see much of what he does, prevents him from being front and center. Yet, there are already signs that the show is well-structured enough to move that way eventually, which should be gratifying if it comes to pass.

In "Savoureux," we get to see the emotional side of Hannibal for pretty much the first time. He actually openly weeps in front of his psychiatrist, Dr. Bedelia De Maurier (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files). It could be a front, as we know Hannibal hides things from Bedelia and puts on a face for her, but it doesn't seem so. Hannibal cares about both Will and Abigail, so it's understandable he would grieve for losing the dynamic with the two of them that he has, especially if he plays a hand in destroying those relationships, which "Savoureux" strongly hints at, leaving just enough doubt to know for sure.

Is Hannibal more upset about Will or Abigail? He professes the latter, and that makes sense, since he sees her as someone to nurture and protect. Yet, he also admits in an earlier episode that Will is the first person in awhile he sees as a friend. This seems to indicate that his feelings extend to both, not just one or the other.

Of course, Abigail may not even be dead. Until the body is seen, a little blood and a severed ear don't prove anything conclusively. In fact, the absence of her cadaver seems to indicate the opposite.

I am extremely interested in Bedelia, whom we don't know much about. Dialogue in this finale seem to indicate that she knows that Hannibal is both a killer and a cannibal (the veal he serves her is likely young Abigail, if she's dead) and worries about his activities staying a secret, not wanting him to get caught. Yet, she refuses to have a personal relationship or dine at his house. Also, there's the still-untold story of a patient Hannibal refers to her attacking Bedelia. What exactly is the interplay between them? What is in their past? What are her secrets?

While Hannibal cries, showing humanity, Jack (Laurence Fishburne) turns cold, eschewing it. The signs are there previously in the way that Jack pushes Will to keep working, despite the negative affects that work is having on him, and acts very coldly towards Abigail when he believes her to be a killer. We know Hannibal is the villain and Jack is a hero, but Hannibal is painting the opposite pictures of both. It will be delicious to see how that reverses down the road.

I feel most sorry for Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas). She blames herself for not fighting Jack harder on protecting Will and keeping him safe. She worries more about healing Will than what he has done. While she may be right, there likely isn't much more she could have done for Will, anyway, so hopefully those are emotions she can come to terms with and move past.

Also, if I may plead for one change from the books, please make Alana Will's eventual wife! Their chemistry is fantastic, and I want so badly to see them together. We know Will is married in Red Dragon, so how about get them together in the next year or two? If nothing else, it saves the budget of hiring another main character.

The ending of this episode is perfect, with Hannibal striding through the halls to majestic music and seeing Will in his cell, evoking images from other adaptations of the story, where Hannibal is usually the one behind bars. What a great way to tie this to its fore bearers, and yet, also serve the characters as they have been created here!

"Savoureux" is a masterful pause point, with praise-worthy performances from Dhavernas, Anderson, Fishburne, Mikkelsen, and, as always, Dancy. Some things are concluded, and other plot threads are just getting started. The batch of guest stars in season one is stellar, and it's hard to imagine next year's group will be as good, but one can hope, as excellent talent is definitely drawn to this project. I can't wait to see where Fuller takes us next!

Hannibal will return to NBC sometime in 2014.

Hannibal Bites Into NBC

Article first posted as HANNIBAL Series Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 85%

NBC jumps on the serial killer bandwagon with its new drama series, HANNIBAL. The first episode, premiering tonight at 10 p.m., is called “Apetrif,” which, for those not familiar with the term, is an alcoholic drink served before a meal, sort of the liquid version of an appetizer. It’s appropriate in a series about cannibalism that we’ll get to see a little bit of the characters and story before the gory stuff starts. And there is gory stuff, even though this is a basic broadcast network, in the first hour.

HANNIBAL, surprisingly, is not about the infamous killer from Silence of the Lambs. He’s there, and we’ll get to him in a minute, but the main character is Special Agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy, The Big C), a brilliant but unstable investigator and professor. Will is tasked by the FBI with figuring out who commits murders, and he’s brilliant at it, being able to envision himself at the scene at the time of the crime.

Bryan Fuller, creator of Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls, has a lot of fun with Will’s character. Fuller doesn’t take things into the cartoonish or fantasy world settings here, like he done in his previous shows. Instead, he focuses on the artistry, with Will’s visions beautifully illustrated in creative and intriguing ways. Bodies will float and blood will spatter, but this definitely has a darker tone, more grounded in reality, than his other work.

Will gets to have such vibrant musings because he’s mentally unstable, sort of like the main character in TNT’s Perception. The reason the FBI can’t use him full-time is because he can’t handle the full-time work. His boss, Agent Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne, CSI, The Matrix), knows this, but decides to risk Will’s sanity in order to make use of his brilliance.

Does this make Jack a monster? In a series about bad people, one has to wonder if the good guys also deserve some of the blame. After all, if Jack never puts Will in the field, Will won’t suffer as he does. Jack is playing a dangerous game.

Jack first approaches Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas, Off the Map, Wonderfalls) to be Will’s partner and handler, but after she refuses, likely of the same opinion I just expressed in the previous paragraph, he approaches Alana’s mentor, the genius profiler Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen, Unit 1, Casino Royale). Lecter is an odd duck, but seems to have it much more together than Will, and so is an appropriate balance. Seems being the operative word.

We all know who Hannibal really is, and while no one in authority yet suspects the good doctor of any wrong doing, Hannibal tempts fate right out of the gate by secretly impeding the investigation, giving their query warning that they are coming. It may be professional courtesy between serial killers, but it certainly doesn’t make Hannibal good at his new job.

Dancy is amazing. He plays the part with such nuance and detail! Granted, this is a role any actor would kill (pun intended) to play, with such a rich, vibrant patchwork of elements. It’s the type of part the Emmys were created for, and Dancy masterfully unfurls the layers of the damaged psyche. He will surely be on the short list come award season.

Mikkelsen, on the other hand, plays his cards very close to his vest, so we’re slow to get the full picture of who he is. If one can put what one already knows about the character from other sources out of their mind, it’s easy to agree with Will when he says Hannibal is not interesting. But Hannibal immediately promises that he will be, and by the end of the first episode, we get the early hints that he is right. Plus, one does have to wonder what kind of sausage Hannibal serves Will for breakfast…

Obviously, HANNIBAL will have elements of a standard crime drama, but the focus is much more character-driven than other shows. Like Dexter or Bates Motel, HANNIBAL promises to get inside the mind of what makes a psychopath, and explore paths both taken and avoided. Will and Hannibal are two sides of the same coin, and watching them interact and face off will be quite entertaining.

I do wonder how long HANNIBAL can realistically stretch out the two of them working together, though. Right off the bat, Hannibal is mucking things up for Will. Will is not stupid, and the two have plenty of FBI agents keeping tabs on them. Hannibal may be highly intelligent, but sooner or later he’s bound to get caught. If he doesn’t, it’s going to start making the other characters look like dolts, incapable of doing the jobs they’re supposedly great at, especially where Will is concerned.

Making Hannibal fully go to the other side would be the right move for the series to make eventually, not necessarily at the end of the run, even as it would completely change the show. Because of this, I doubt NBC will rush into anything. In the short-term, that means we are going to have to deal with plot holes and leaps of logic to make it work.

I really like the execution of HANNIBAL. It’s production looks fantastic, and the cast is terrific. I just worry that the scenario is not quite as well thought out as it needs to be. The show walks a very fine line of believability, and if it’s not careful, it will slip off too often.

At least it can’t be accused of being a copycat. Despite being one of only several serial killer dramas out right now, HANNIBAL does its own thing, and doesn’t feel like any of the others. That is a credit to its creator.

The rest of the cast includes Lara Jean Chorostecki (Camelot) as a blogger who will be on Hannibal’s scent, and Aaron Abrams (The LA. Complex, Rookie Blue), Hettienne Park (Young Adult), and Scott Thompson (The Kids in the Hall) as FBI agents. None of them gets any development to speak of in ” Apetrif,” though hopefully they will as the series goes on.

Overall, HANNIBAL is not a bad effort, and definitely worth checking out. There are just some things that need fixing if its going to be a long-running drama with the big fan base it seeks.

'The Big C' second season finale

With the premiere of season three of The Big C only a day away, it seems appropriate to look back at the season two finale. "Crossing the Line" aired in the middle of the fall network TV premiere season, meaning that it may have been overlooked amid the many other offerings, and this particular reviewer sadly did not watch it until this morning. This also means that The Big C has one of the shortest hiatuses between seasons in premium cable history, as usually HBO and Showtime shows air for two or three months, then take the next nine to twelve months off.

In "Crossing the Line," Cathy (Laura Linney) decides she will run a marathon, inspired by Lee (Hugh Dancy), who recently died. Her son, Adam (Gabriel Basso), and brother, Sean (John Benjamin Hickey), are supportive and cheer her on. Even Dr. Todd (Reid Scott) gets on board, though he thinks it's a bad idea, given Cathy's ill health. But Paul (Oliver Platt), struggling with a cocaine addiction and frustration at life in general, is late. And when he appears to her at the finish lane with the ghosts of Lee and Marlene (Phyllis Somerville), Cathy collapses, fearing the worst.

Though The Big C is a dramedy, meaning that humor is a major element, dark themes of death pervade the series. The passing of Marlene in season one and Lee in season two reinforce that everyone dies, and one's time can come at any age. The message is to live on, inspired by the memories of those who have gone, and make the best of the time one has left.

But Paul's croaking in "Crossing the Line" comes as a total shock. He isn't exactly fit, but he's not old or inform, either. The drugs he takes aggravate his heart, and it looks like curtains for him. Coming so close on the heel's of Lee's passing, viewers are not looking for someone else to go. It's also a hell of a depressing way to end a season, where one assumes they will be uplifted by Cathy's triumphant finishing of the race, but finds they are completely wrong.

Will Paul's death stick? His appearance at the finish line implies that he is dead, but the audience is also shown medical professionals working on his body. It is not inconceivable that they will revive him, and that his demise is not permanent. This would not cheapen the moment, by any means, because Paul is integral to the show.

Plus, Cathy has suffered enough, and does not need to loose her husband, too. After everything, that might just take the will to live out of her. It would soon leave Adam an orphan, though, realistically, that probably will not happen until the series finale. His passing would provide a nice counterpoint to dealing with expected death versus the unexpected death. And season three would be about building Cathy's fighting spirit back up. If Paul does dies, which one hopes is not the case.

Because of this inspiring story, there is no point in getting into the question of how Cathy sees ghosts, even the one of someone she isn't aware is dead, yet. Nor should one wonder why it takes Cathy until well after dark to finish her run. Instead, just enjoy the emotional heart of the story.

Anticipation is high for the season three premiere, which airs tomorrow night (Sunday) at 9:30 p.m. ET on Showtime. Or, for those who like to watch TV on their computers, the episode is already streaming live on the series' website.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To catch up on The Big C with DVDs and streaming episodes, please click here. Read every review of The Big C I've ever written.

The Big C celebrates "The Last Thanksgiving"

     This week's episode of Showtime's The Big C is called "The Last Thanksgiving." Who's last Thanksgiving will it be? Cathy's (Laura Linney)? Because her cancer treatment seems to be working. Lee's (Hugh Dancy)? He isn't getting the same results as Cathy. Mykailo's (Boyd Holbrook), at least to spend with Andrea (Gabourey Sidibe)? Nah, they work out their romantic issues before the closing credits.

     Turns out there are not one, but two deaths before the end of the episode. The first is the turkey that Sean (John Benjamin Hickey) brings home, but only Cathy can bring herself to slaughter. The second is newly engaged couple Sean and Rebecca's (Cynthia Nixon) unborn child.

     For a series about death, The Big C tries to avoid getting too gloomy too often. There is a major death at the end of season one, but mostly, the series focuses on survival. Not so in "The Last Thanksgiving." This may be because Cathy and / or Lee might be dead by next year. OK, so only Lee might be dead, as Cathy is the main character. But also because of two departed souls who aren't even part of the cast, but make a real impact. The baby's effects are obvious, of course, and Adam (Gabriel Basso) humanizes the turkey by naming it. Sean claims this is why he won't kill the bird, but does anyone really believe Sean would manage to go through with it?

     "The Last Thanksgiving" is also about love. Cathy and her family are closer than ever. Mykailo and Andrea are only just blossoming romantically, but already show a lot of potential, and are quickly becoming a more important part of the cast. Rebecca and Sean deciding to tie the knot cinches the argument. But all of this love is likely fleeting. Can Rebecca and Sean stay together after losing their child? Will Andrea keep dating Mykailo when it comes out that he is a petty thief? And how happy will everyone be once Cathy passes away, which seems an inevitable move for The Big C, even if it is postponed until the series finale.

     This episode is strong compared to some of the others. Any series with a good enough cast can do a great "box" episode, one in which the major players are confined in a relatively small space, in this case the Jamison house, for almost the entire half hour. It's a popular sitcom trope, and is usually welcome when done well. The Big C proves they can handle it this week. Sure, there are a few scenes outside of the main setting, but not many.

     The only weak point of "The Last Thanksgiving" is Paul's (Oliver Platt) decision to be cut in on Mykailo's illegal scheme. With the success of Weeds and Breaking Bad, perhaps criminals have become glamorized. But The Big C has enough going for it on its own without resorting to such tactics. It's been done. Stick with what works for your show; no need to borrow from others.

     The Big C airs Monday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET on Showtime.

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Article first published as TV Review: The Big C - "The Last Thanksgiving" on Blogcritics.