KEVIN (PROBABLY Might) SAVE THE WORLD

Article first published as TV Review: KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD on Seat42F.

This week, ABC presents the new program KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD. Kevin Finn is an awful human being who has valued material things and having money above the feelings of others, including his own family. This obviously isn’t a strategy that is going well for him because, shortly before the series begins, he tries to kill himself. With nowhere else to go, he returns to his hometown while he figures things out. While there, he meets a messenger from God (don’t call her an angel) who tells Kevin he is the last of the righteous, and must improve himself and anoint others to save the Earth.

This premise feels familiar because it borrows from a few others in the past. Touched By An Angel and Eli Stone spring readily to mind, and KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD goes for a middle ground of the two. It’s less sentimental and preachy than Touched, but not nearly as whimsical or fun as Eli.

It’s a relatively heavily religious series, though it avoids getting into specific scripture, at least in the pilot. This is a good thing for a time when atheism is on the rise. You may say, “but this show isn’t for those that don’t believe in God.” I think that would be a naïve position for a mainstream network to take, and hopefully the series will continue be as vague as it has been on the deity Kevin is expected to serve.

Like most programs these days, KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD has a decent cast. Jason Ritter (Parenthood) is Kevin and JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Better With You) is his sister, Amy. Both performers have done well in ensemble and guest roles, and I think they can probably carry a show as its leads. Kimberly Herbert Gregory (Vice Principals), who is the messenger, Yvette, is not someone I am familiar with, but she immediately stands out. J. August Richards (Angel) has a small part as a local deputy, and India de Beaufort (Jane by Design), Chloe East (Liv and Maddie), and Dustin Ybarra (We Bought a Zoo) round out the group. These aren’t generally household names, but most will at least look familiar, and none seem out of place in the show.

The show itself does seem designed to emotionally manipulate. It may not necessarily be trying to get you to go to church on Sunday, but it definitely is pushing a certain philosophy in a very strong way. And while being good to others is laudable, I’m not sure it will achieve its goal if it comes on too strong. The pilot fluctuates on either side of that hard-to-define line, and it’ll be interesting to see where it lands.

The best parts of the episode are Yvette trying to coach Kevin, especially when she messes up, and the budding relationship between Kevin and his niece, Reese (East). Honorable mention goes to the one real conversation between Amy and Kevin on the porch. Some of this works because it finds humor in the situation, and others because they demonstrate real human connection. Kevin’s interactions with the other main characters are less effective because they don’t feel as natural. So those dynamics will need to be figured out before the show goes on too long.

I am torn on this one. There is some solid potential in KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD, and I am curious enough to give it a little time to grow into itself. Especially if what we’re told is happening at the start isn’t what the actual story is. The 10PM time slot means it doesn’t have to stay as tame as it starts out, and it might be a good thing to mix edgy with the source material, as they dabble in sci-fi at the start (more of that please). But if it gets too heavy into evangelism or too cheesy in its emotional moments, that’s where it’s likely to lose some, myself included.

KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD premieres this Tuesday at 10 ET on ABC.

NOTORIOUS Bad?

Article first published as NOTORIOUS Review on Seat42F.

While we impatiently await the return of Scandal, ABC has another show on deck that is along the same lines called NOTORIOUS. It follows a lawyer, a TV producer, and the people around them as they manufacture news stories and deal with real drama, lying to pretty much everybody, and contributing to the public’s false perceptions of reality. It’s very soapy, and is certainly trying to be sexy in an over-the-top way.

Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs) stars as Julia George, the aforementioned producer, while Daniel Sunjata (Graceland) is the second lead, a lawyer named Jake Gregorian. The two of them don’t have a relationship, since Julia dating a judge (Marc Blucas, Necessary Roughness) and Jake is interested in his client’s wife (Dilshad Vadsaria, Greek). But because of the type of show this is, and because of the easy, immediate chemistry between the two, you just know they’re going to be dating, or at least screwing, before long.

Julia seems to be the colder of the pair, having no problem lying to and scolding her on-air talent, Louise Herrick (Kate Jennings Grant, Frost/Nixon), not that Julia has any room to talk. She also treats her new intern, Ryan Mills (Ryan Guzman, Heroes Reborn), poorly, although considering Ryan is thrust upon her through nepotism, I guess that’s understandable. My point is, we shouldn’t like Julia because of how she acts towards those around her, and yet Perabo just can’t play unlikeable so we end up behind her anyway (which is surely the intention of casting the actress in this role).

Jake is a little more sympathetic. Yes, he’s into a married woman, but he really does care about her and he’s at least hesitant about acting on those feelings. Through Jake’s interactions with his brother and legal partner, Bradley (J. August Richards, Angel), we see that Jake is a decent human being, even if his client, Oscar Keaton (Kevin Zegers, Gossip Girl), probably isn’t. So Jake is probably too good for Julia, but that won’t stop the show from pairing them anyway.

None of this in of itself is a bad thing. I’ve enjoyed many shows with similar ensembles and dynamics on broadcast network TV. In fact, most of the best primetime soapy dramas happen to be on ABC, including Scandal, so it seems like NOTORIOUS should fit right in.

But it doesn’t. The level of quality just isn’t there on this one. It isn’t the cast, who is across-the-board good looking and charming; it is the writing. So many things happen in the first hour alone to unnecessarily cause conflict that it stops feeling real and you’re taken out of the moment repeatedly. How unlucky can Julia be? Why must Jake have a young employee, Ella Benjamin (Aimee Teegarden, Friday Night Lights), who is so perfectly matched to Julia’s Ryan? Why does Louise have to be so lecherous, other than to get in the middle of couples and potential couples?

It’s also really hard to trust what we’re seeing when not once, but twice early in the first hour of the series characters reveal how far their lying goes to the audience. Suddenly, I’m not going to believe anything I see in a scene until it’s proven and backed up in multiple other scenes, and maybe not even then. NOTORIOUS shoots itself in the foot by making the characters so dishonest and then somehow expecting us to still like and trust them.

This type of show is something I’d be totally into, and in the past, I may even have looked past the mess and the flaws to give it a chance to grow into itself (cough, Revenge). But there are too many good things on right now to waste your time with a mediocre one that may never be that great (cough, Revenge), and NOTORIOUS, despite having a great ensemble, just isn’t ready for primetime.

NOTORIOUS premieres Thursday, September 22^nd at 9/8c.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Get "Dirty"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

“The Dirty Half Dozen” embark on a dangerous mission in this week’s MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. Coulson (Clark Gregg) turns himself in to Gonzales (Edward James Olmos), but instead of locking Coulson up, Gonzales agrees to let Coulson and his people infiltrate a Hydra base in the Arctic to rescue their friends. The question remains, though: what will happen when Coulson gets back?

“The Dirty Half Dozen” who go on this mission are the original six members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. cast, Coulson’s hand-picked team: Coulson himself, May (Ming-Na Wen), Skye (Chloe Bennet), Ward (Brett Dalton), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). There is a beautiful symmetry to see this group come back together after more than a year apart, their gang so short-lived, yet meaningful to them all (as well as viewers). They will never truly be a team again, but at least fans get this one hour to remember the great chemistry they share.

The main reason for the break up, as he admits, is Ward. Exposed as a secret Hyrda agent last spring, Ward has been an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since, and this time is no different. He helps them get into the base, using Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) as his inside man, but he won’t be rejoining them full-time. At the close of the mission, he slips away, back on the run from the people he once considered friends.

Ward is appropriately apologetic, but I don’t know why he expects any amount of forgiveness. What he did, especially dropping FitzSimmons to the bottom of the ocean, is unforgiveable. His attempts to lighten the mood or buddy up to his comrades meet deaf ears. If Ward can ever earn some measure of respect or affection from any of them again, that is in the far, far distant future, and despite his olive branch-words, he just doesn’t seem to feel bad enough to dedicate himself to making up for his actions. He’s pretty much a psychopath.

The one bright sign for Ward is that he leaves Agent 33 (Maya Stojan) in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s care, asking Coulson to help her get her life back on track. He must actually have some sort of affection for her to put her interests first. That, or he doesn’t want her hanging around him and sees a convenient way to offload her, which is a cynical view, but again, he’s a psychopath.

What did surprise me in “The Dirty Half Dozen” is that it isn’t Fitz, who is still suffering lasting injuries because of Ward, or Skye, who recently shot him, that makes an attempt on Ward’s life. Instead, it’s Simmons, who takes her turn to try to murder the traitor. She has every reason to do so, but she is probably the least violent member of the team. She may also be the most emotionally weak, the others keeping their anger in check, but she has grown a lot in her ability to handle herself in a crisis.

Speaking of growing, it is awesome to watch Skye in action. She uses her powers sparingly, as she should because they can really hurt someone. Still, when necessary, she calls upon them, and also relies on the terrific martial arts skills that May taught her. If there was any doubt going into this episode of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. that Skye was qualified to be a full-fledged agent, it is erased when we see her in action rescuing Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) and Mike (J. August Richards).

I’m not willing to give Bakshi the benefit of the doubt when he sacrifices himself for Ward. My guess is, he didn’t know he would die and is acting more for his own selfish interests than heroism. But I can’t say that I’m sorry that Simmons kills Bakshi, other than to hope there are no lasting repercussions on her psyche. Bakshi was evil and slimy and won’t be missed.

May and Coulson are still at odds, though they are both mature enough to set it aside for the mission. May doesn’t like that Coulson is keeping a bunch of secrets from her. Coulson has a point that she once spied on him for Fury and secrets are a part of their business. But since May followed Coulson into a brand-new S.H.I.E.L.D. and was his most trusted advisor, she feels he shouldn’t have continued to keep her out of the loop, which seems valid. I still don’t think May will choose Gonzales over Coulson, despite accepting a position on Gonzales’ board, but I wonder what it might take to resolve the issues between these two.

Thankfully, Fitz and Simmons’ relationship seems to be fully healed, besties again. As does Hunter (Nick Blood) and Mack’s (Henry Simmons), the former forgiving the latter because Mack was just doing what he thought was right and apologized for it. Might Mack join Hunter and Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) on the proposed spin-off?

Raina (Ruth Negga) remains the true unknown factor as, having taken out a Hydra base, a super-powered-concerned S.H.I.E.L.D. will likely turn itself towards the Inhumans next. Whose side is Raina on? What will she do with her ability to see the future? Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) tells Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) that Raina is dangerous and I have no doubt about that. Having no loyalties to either the Inhumans or S.H.I.E.L.D., look for her to be important again as the season rockets to a close.

Besides serving our heroes, “The Dirty Dozen” is chock full of hints at what’s to come in this weekend’s Avengers: Age of Ultron film. The arctic base is clearly important, mentioning that The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were there. Loki’s scepter is brought up again, and Coulson speaks of Nick Fury and to Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), talking about calling on the Avengers again. I don’t know yet which of the television characters might cross over to the big screen, but given the number of obvious references to larger events this week, it would probably behoove fans to go see the movie before tuning into the next installment.

Whew! “The Dirty Half Dozen” is an intense episode with a lot going on. It’s also very entertaining and just plain good. I can’t wait for the approximately five hours Marvel will be delivering in these next two weeks, on the big screen and small.

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

No "Enemy" of MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The action-packed threads converge in “Frenemy of My Enemy,” the latest installment of ABC’s MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and “the real” S.H.I.E.L.D. search for Skye (Chloe Bennet), but they aren’t the only ones, as Hydra enters the race, too. Too bad Skye is woefully ignorant of the danger she’s in, hanging out with her crazy dad instead.

It’s a bit surprising to see Skye sympathizing with Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) at this point. It’s obvious that she is staying by his side to protect others, not because she wants to be there, but her words of comfort to him ring a bit too honest to dismiss. She does understand what he’s lost, and while she may not approve of the way he handles things, it’s clear that she isn’t ready to completely toss him aside. Even if he gets locked up, which has to happen, it seems like Skye might continue to visit him.

This is a long way from Skye’s attitude regarding her father previously, but it makes a certain amount of sense. She has always wanted to find her family, and while she appreciates the clan Coulson (Clark Gregg) has built more than her biological relations, Cal does hold the answers to many questions Skye has about herself. Plus, whatever his faults, he loves her, and losing Skye has caused him huge amounts of pain that Skye has finally opened herself up enough to see. Whatever happens, I expect and hope for a lasting bond between these two.

Other bonds in MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. continue to grow more tenuous. Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) confides to May (Ming-Na Wen) that Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) has the toolbox. May turns right around and tells Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki). To her credit, Bobbi only asks Simmons to help her track Fitz, not sharing the news with her fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. board members. But Simmons feels betrayed by May, even when May points out how erratic Coulson has been acting. I don’t think May will turn her back on Coulson by any means, but she may see the wisdom in someone else leading the organization or making Coulson come clean with the team about his secret activities.

Because of this, “Frenemy of My Enemy” actually begins to heal the rift between the two S.H.I.E.L.D.s. Simmons may not be ready to get on board, but May understands that Bobbi and the others are not trying to destroy Coulson. That’s an important step to righting the ship, whoever ends up being in charge in the end. Coulson turning himself in at the close of the episode will be another important step, if he doesn’t do something horrible while in custody, which is a possibility.

S.H.I.E.L.D. does need to get its act together, though, because there are clearly other dangers out there. The super humans might not be one, although Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) is a bit shady in following Skye. But Hydra is presenting a real threat again when Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) is allowed to hook back up with Dr. List (Henry Goodman, Taking Woodstock). Mike (J. August Richards) and Lincoln are kidnapped and may be controlled by those with less than noble intentions. And 33, a.k.a. Kara (Maya Stojan), and Ward (Brett Dalton) remain at large, assuming Coulson didn’t follow through on wiping their memories, which we did not see him do.

It’s hard to review “Frenemy of My Enemy” as its own thing because it’s extremely interconnected with the rest of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. lately. What is notable is that it is very clear that the series has ramped up, giving us lots of exciting players that keep changing their combinations in new and interesting ways, and the show seems to be rocketing towards what will likely be a shocking, splashy conclusion. I’m happy to be along for the ride.

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

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. "Afterlife" Review

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s installment of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. takes us into the “Afterlife.” Specifically, Skye (Chloe Bennet) wakes up in a place called Afterlife, where she is surrounded by both those with powers and many who wish to have them. Meanwhile, everyone else searches for both Skye and a way into the toolbox as the conflict between the “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson (Clark Gregg) continues.

It’s a bit of a relief to see Skye among people who can help her. I understand her desire to go save her friends, but Skye is not much use to them in her current, unstable state, anyway. With Gordon (Jamie Harris), Lincoln (Luke Mitchell, The Tomorrow People), and the woman Skye doesn’t know is her mother and whom many believe to be dead, Jiaying (Dichen Lachman), Skye has a chance at not only controlling her abilities, but figuring out how to use them. She will come out of this experience better than ever if she just allows herself to listen to them, as they do seem to have her best interests at heart, at least for now.

A setback occurs when Skye learns that the group is treating Raina (Ruth Negga), too. It’s hard to know if Skye’s right and Raina doesn’t deserve assistance or if Jiaying is right and Raina was just Cal’s (Kyle MacLachlan) pawn who merits compassion. Seeing that Gordon and Jiaying have Cal locked up is encouraging, but Skye doesn’t know the fate of her father, so that’s of no comfort to her. Will Raina come out of this place with newfound purpose, or will she continues to do fiendish things because what she wanted didn’t turn out to be what she expected?

Coulson and Hunter (Nick Blood) go looking for Skye, believing she is more crucial to immediately retrieve than S.H.I.E.L.D. itself is, or perhaps believing that Skye is the key to taking back the organization. They have a bit of help in doing so in the form of Deathlok (J. August Richards), who has undergone some impressive upgrades. “Afterlife” is a little slow in moving this part of the story along, but it’s worth it just to see Hunter’s face when Deathlok shows up, an event Coulson doesn’t clue Hunter into for that very reason. Priceless. And by the end of the episode, the trio has a method of transportation, plus they’re heading towards Ward (Brett Dalton), which promises to be awesome, so it all plays out well.

Coulson has other assistance, too. May (Ming-Na Wen) remains completely loyal. Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) offers her a seat at the table in “Afterlife” and urges her to take it for Coulson’s sake, but she doesn’t seem to accept. This scene demonstrates both who May is, which I never doubted, but also backs up Gonzales’ claim that he is not a bad guy and just wants to help S.H.I.E.L.D. be what it should. He does want to stop Coulson, which causes conflict, but we see him treating the rest of the team with nothing but respect. That’s a good sign.

Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) take advantage of Gonzales’ leniency to smuggle the toolbox out of the base with Fitz, leaving Simmons almost exactly where she begins the season, a lone mole among enemies. By working together here, the twosome repairs their troubled relationship, though Gonzales’ people don’t see that, thankfully. Sadly, though, the bond between Mack (Henry Simmons) and Fitz seems to be destroyed. It’s uncomfortable to watch because Mack truly does think he’s doing the right thing, as does Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki), and their commitment to Gonzales isn’t that different from our main cast’s commitment to Coulson.

Is Gonzales right in thinking Coulson’s people shouldn’t put their loyalty to Coulson ahead of their loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D.? For them, Coulson is S.H.I.E.L.D. and understandably so. They’ve watched him lead the organization through its darkest time. Yet, if Gonzales is going to lead the new S.H.I.E.L.D., perhaps they’re making the wrong decision, and maybe Coulson, who has admittedly been erratic, really shouldn’t be in charge. He seems better after the temple, but they don’t all know that for sure yet. Coulson is a great guy, but he’s not a perfect leader. Nor is Gonzales, though, even if he does allow the others to overrule him on May and let democracy win.

I still keep hoping there’s a peaceful resolution to be had here, and perhaps Skye will be the tool that can make it happen, once she wields her power correctly. None of the S.H.I.E.L.D. people, on either side of the schism, deserve to die or be locked up. They just need to come to an understanding, which will be difficult, given the strong personalities and opinions involved. “Afterlife” gives me optimism if only because both sides of the fight seem to be acting reasonably rationally, putting their cause ahead of personal feelings, even if they disagree on what that cause means exactly.

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