THE YOUNG POPE Review

Article first published as THE YOUNG POPE Review on Seat42F.

HBO presents the highly anticipated series THE YOUNG POPE beginning this evening. An international joint production that already aired in Italy, the UK, and Ireland to high ratings and much acclaim, it tells the story of Lenny Belardo, a young American man elevated to the highest office in the Catholic Church by people who think they’ll be able to manipulate him. They turn out to be vastly mistaken.

Jude Law (the Sherlock Holmes movies) is terrific in the title role. Lenny is a supremely pious man, perhaps the reason he chooses the title Pope Pius XIII, who is free of scandal and sin. What he isn’t free of is arrogance and judgment, which he carries in spades. Unpredictable in the office, Lenny alternately turns to a few trusted mentors for advice, and also does his own thing entirely. He wants to make the church more conservative, while caring little for personal glory. He’s a zealot, and a potentially dangerous one at that.

THE YOUNG POPE does have you rooting for Lenny, though, because many of those around him are worse. Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando, The Caiman) is corrupt and manipulative, and serves as the main villain of the program. Sister Mary (Diane Keaton, The Godfather, Annie Hall) is loving, but acts a bit above her station. Cardinal Michael Spencer (James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum, Six Feet Under) is a petty man who sees betrayal where none exists. These are the only people shown with any power that could possibly bring Lenny down, but because of who they are, you won’t want them to.

On the other hand, there are also some very kind, very good people in the Vatican, such as Cardinal Gutierrez (Javier Camara, 7 vidas), and they want to help Lenny. This means, despite Lenny’s flaws, which are numerous, viewers are likely to have sympathy for him, as Gutierrez does, and see him, if not as a hero or a saint, then at least as a protagonist to cheer for.

The production is fantastic, with beautiful vistas and sets. It feels like it really is at the Vatican, and we get to peek at some areas that not many are permitted to see, so we don’t know if they are authentic or not. It feels like the it’s done right, setting a certain tone that mixes opulence and humility in the strangest of ways. THE YOUNG POPE really captures the dichotomy of that institution.

The pilot begins with a couple of sequences that will leave you wondering about the reality of the series. There is a surreal quality to many scenes, including one involving a large animal, that constantly has you wondering if we’re in Lenny’s dream. This is kind of cool for this particular series, as it gives it a hyper-real style that is needed for the story being told. I have no complaints about the presentation or the look and feel of the show.

The plot is more confusing. Two episodes in, I get who most of the primary faces are and am starting to understand certain dynamics, but it’s also hard to follow. I couldn’t easily explain the plot of what I just watched. Usually, that’s a strike against it. Here, it seems purposeful and part of the total package, in line with what the series creators are going for. The actors are terrific enough to draw you in, and the ride you’re taken on is engaging and fun, though certainly is not how I hope things are actually run in the real church.

In short, while THE YOUNG POPE is not without its flaws, and it extremely enjoyable to watch, and I’m excited to see where it’s going. THE YOUNG POPE premieres tonight at 9/8c on HBO.

MURDER IN THE FIRST Running Last in My Book

Article first published as TV Review: 'Murder in the First' - 'Pilot' on Blogcritics.

Murder in the First is a new crime drama that premiered on TNT this week. It follows Detectives Terry English (Taye Diggs, Private Practice) and Hildy Mulligan (Kathleen Robertson, Boss) as they investigate a couple of murders that seem to both be connected to young, rich tech genius, Erich Blunt (Tom Felton, the Harry Potter films). Can they find the truth and bring the murder or murderers to justice?

I have to give TNT credit for trying to tackle a higher-concept series. On a channel that has plenty of case-of-the-week procedurals, including Rizzoli & Isles, Franklin & Bash, Perception, and Major Crimes, it’s refreshing to see a series that is actually going to have the story running for multiple weeks, not a quickly tie up at the end of the hour. Admittedly, TNT has done serials before, such as Falling Skies and Dallas, but this is the first time I can think of them doing a show like this in the crime genre. Are they finally ready to enter the fray of high-concept investigation programs, competing against True Detective and its ilk?

Murder in the First reminds me of The Killing, in that it sets up a complicated case with many different players and moving parts. There’s definitely an effort made to build something complex and engaging, with a number of different personalities in different roles participating, including lawyers and a judge, as well as the cops and those connected with the central tycoon. The case will be carried out over the course of a season, at least, to allow greater depth in the story. We will get snippets of the larger picture, which will only culminate after much time is spent following the clues.

The problem is, Murder in the First immediately establishes itself as far less interesting than those shows it directly competes with. The characters are mostly from stock, with children and a dying wife thrust upon the lead detectives, scenarios that are designed purely to create more drama, not because it furthers the story or enriches the roles, at least, that’s how it comes across in the “Pilot,” given the predictable way in which they’re handled. While there may be ‘twists’ coming up, there is no shades of grey in the way Blunt is introduced, very clearly telegraphing himself as a person of interest. And the pacing is far more concerned with action and developments than allowing the actors to dwell on their emotions.

This is a shame because Murder in the First has lined up an excellent roster. Besides Diggs, Robertson, and Felton, the cast is loaded with James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum), Steven Weber (Wings), Richard Schiff (The West Wing), Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time), Ian Anthony Dale (Hawaii Five-O), Nicole Ari Parker (Revolution), Currie Graham (Raising the Bar), and others. This is great ensemble and they could handle much more advanced material than they are being given. It seems downright cruel to tease them with a show that should be good, and then deliver another mediocre installment.

Can Murder in the First rise above these weak roots and grow into a strong tree, an oak anchoring the network? Probably not. In a world where AMC, HBO, FX, Netflix, and so many other strong competitors are breaking fresh ground, really stretching the art of storytelling and exploring new corners of familiar worlds, Murder in the First is too little, too late, a pale copy of other series. I suggest if TNT wants to play with the big boys it return to the drawing board and come up with something totally original, rather than copying other works. It shouldn’t compete in a formula that it cannot possibly win, hurting itself in the inevitable comparisons.

Murder in the First airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.

Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season’ on Blogcritics.

Calling this release American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season is a little confusing. FX’s American Horror Story is not a continuing series, but several stand-alone, 13-episode miniseries, a new one of which is presented each fall. Thus, while Asylum is, indeed, The Complete Second Season of American Horror Story, the installments on this disc tell a complete tale, featuring characters and plot that are not connected to the first or third seasons, even if some of the cast is the same.

Asylum begins in the present day, with a sex-crazed couple (Maroon 5′s Adam Levine and Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Witches of East End) exploring the run-down and abandoned Briarcliff. It’ll be quite awhile before Asylum really delves into the present again, fully explaining what happens to the pair, as well as moving past those events, but it does eventually get around to it.

Most of Asylum takes place in 1964 and 1965. Briarcliff is a mental hospital for the criminally insane, run by strict, judgmental Sister Jude (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven). Jude lusts over Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes, Camelot) and bullies the younger, meek Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story). She also hates the twisted Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell, Six Feet Under), and is cruel to her charges.

Into this environment, brave Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson), a closet lesbian and daring journalist, marches forth to expose Jude’s wrongdoings. It doesn’t take long for her to realize just how out of her depth she actually is, and Dr. Thredson (Zachary Qunito, Star Trek: Into Darkness) proves both friend and foe. But Lana does find some friends within Briarcliff’s walls.

Chief among them is Kit Walker (Evan Peters, American Horror Story), a man framed for killing his wife, Alma (Britne Oldford, Skins), who soon takes up with murderess Grace (Lizzie Brochere, R.I.S. Police scientifique). Kit and Lana’s lives are not completely intertwined, with the two traveling very different paths for awhile, but they interact quite a bit over the run.

Asylum is full of twists and turns, with plenty of surprises popping up when they are least expected. Among the more strange developments are human experiment subjects, alien abductions, artwork made from dead people, a truly creepy patient named Pepper (Naomi Grossman), and a son violently reunited with his mother. It’s not as overtly scary as the first season, but its dark tone and sick minds definitely make it disturbing, with a very unexpected last couple of hours, which take the show far beyond the walls of the hospital.

Why the miniseries works so well, though, is mainly the character development. It’s hard to think of one character who ends up anything like the person they started as. I won’t get into specifics, because you really should watch these episodes for yourself, but bad guys can be good and good guys can be soured into villains. There’s a lot of grey area in the middle, and it can be argued whether a few of the main players ended up on the side of right or wrong. What is certain is that each is changed by the experiences we bear witness to, which makes the story that much deeper and richer. And, as in the first season, guest stars pop in and out in memorable turns.

There are a quartet of featurettes and some deleted scenes on this three-disc set. One of the extras is called “What is American Horror Story: Asylum?” which will hopefully clear up the confusion I mentioned in the introductory paragraph. “The Creatures” is fascinating because the makeup and effects of AHS:A really are top notch, though it could remove a little of the fear factor if viewed before the series.

Blu-ray is definitely recommended for Asylum. There are lots of blacks and shadows, Briarcliff being a dreary place. You’ll want to catch those layers and detail as much as you can, though some are obscured purposely for effect. The score is also excellent, with undertones that reinforce the style of the piece, and a certain song played repeatedly will start to make you feel a  bit like the inmates. The blu-ray experience here adds a lot, both visual and auditory, and the result is beautiful, in a macabre manner.

You may have noticed a lack of complaints in this review. That’s because, while I do consider Asylum weaker than the first go ’round, it’s still a very strong presentation, with remarkable acting and production, and they did a pretty good job on this release. American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season is available now.

BETRAYAL a Betrayal of Viewers With Taste

Article first published as BETRAYAL Review on Seat42F.

ABC continues its run of soapy dramas with one-word titles, the newest, following in the footsteps of Scandal, Revenge, and Deception, is BETRAYAL. The tale of cheating spouses, murderous sons, and backstabbing business deals, BETRAYAL attempts to cash in on what has become an ABC brand, developing a serial story of intrigue and salaciousness. Sadly, it seems destined to be among the lesser efforts, soon canceled.

The “Pilot” begins by showing us Sara Hanley (Hannah Ware, Boss) bleeding on the floor and being loaded into an ambulance. It’s the same trick Revenge likes to use, revealing a later disaster early in the year, and Sara is one of the two most primary characters, so this sequence not only feels stale, but without tension. Sure, we want to know how Sara has been hurt and who did it, but there’s little danger that she’s going to die.

After dispensing with that bit of nonsense, which the plot won’t catch up to until at least mid-season, the real episode begins. At a party, Sara meets Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend, XIII: The Series) and falls in love. These two are definitely soul mates, as every bit of their electric chemistry hints at, and even though Jack professes not to be interested in art, he even buys one of Sara’s works. Yes, Sara is an artist, and one who has kept her last name, perpetuating the idea that this is a common lifestyle one can aspire to, and that she’s not one of the lucky few.

There is just one little snag with Jack and Sara being together: both are married with a kid or two at home.

Sara’s husband, Drew Stafford (Chris Johnson, Against the Wall), is a bit preoccupied with work, trying to turn a legal career into political office. But he’s not a bad guy. He loves his wife, is supportive of her work, and seeks to celebrate his victories with her. Still, for some reason, Sara isn’t satisfied.

Jack is in a similar situation, happily working for Thatcher Karsten (James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum), his father-in-law. His wife, Elaine (Wendy Moniz, Damages), is shown to be less joyful, not really approving of her daddy, and seemingly a bit jealous of Jack’s relationship with their twin teenagers (Men of a Certain Age’s Braeden Lemasters and First Day’s Elizabeth McLaughlin). But again, no obvious tension that would lead either spouse to stray.

Which is why Sara and Jack’s tryst doesn’t make any sense. Maybe they do have a magnetism that they can’t ignore. But they know it’s wrong, both saying so out loud, and both have a lot to lose. Why would they risk the entire lives they’ve built for themselves on a bit of sex with a near-stranger?

Of course, BETRAYAL isn’t satisfied with just infidelity. Tossing all realism out the window, the death of Thatcher’s brother-in-law not only has this family scrambling to protect Thatcher’s mentally challenged son T.J. (Henry Thomas, Gangs of New York), who is suspected, but also ends up putting Sara in a compromising position. I won’t get into the details, in case you plan on watching the show and don’t want spoiled, but it all feels extremely staged and forced.

Now, it’s true that a show such as this can’t just have a single arc, and with a limited number of characters, lots of drama must be built in to give it legs. However, other series have managed to balance a lot of twists, developments, and players with ease, so when it’s done this clumsily, it doesn’t feel right. Plus, there’s not a single character that really resonates and makes viewers want to get behind them. BETRAYAL may not be the worst show out there, but it puts itself up automatically against its peers on the same network, and it falters by comparison.

By the way, I don’t think Thomas does a convincing performance of a character with his condition. I know there is a spectrum, and not every person with mental disabilities acts the same, but this one just doesn’t feel authentic to me.

Overall, I could be wrong, and BETRAYAL may find a way to capture viewers. But I don’t see anything worth championing from it in the “Pilot.”

BETRAYAL premieres Sunday, September 29^th at 10 p.m. ET.

"Dark Cousin" visits American Horror Story: Asylum

Overall, I have been disappointed with season two of FX's American Horror Story, subtitled Aslyum. Season one had awesome characters that I really cared about, the Harmon family. They were what drove the plot, and kept me returning week after week, even as all the craziness went on around them, constantly adding new players to the story, much as this season is doing. They were decent people (for the most part), who didn't deserve what happened to them.

By contrast, the characters that populate season two make much of their own trouble. I'm not saying that Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) deserves to be kept in the basement by Dr. Thredson (Zachary Qunito), or that Kit (Evan Peters) should be in Briarcliff at all. But, the characters this year are more flawed, do not always do the smartest thing, and put themselves in danger. They are also less relateble than the Harmons.

That being said, the deeper we go into the season, the more I begin to appreciate them. Sister Jude (Jessica Lange), who started out the season looking like a villain, almost cruel in the way that she ran the "hospital," is now almost as much a victim as the others. Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) has become so much more intriguing when possessed by the devil.

This past week's installment, "Dark Cousin," was fantastic! A lot of the credit should go to Frances Conroy as the Angel of Death. Here is this character dressed in black that can kiss you and take away your life. And yet, she is kind, non-judgmental, and is here to bring relief, not cause suffering, a stark contrast to the others around who have power over people. As Briarcliff dissolves more and more into chaos, and there doesn't appear to be a happy ending possible for any of the characters, death may be the best release. Coming at the midpoint of the season, "Dark Cousin" offers a desperately needed ray of hope, even if the result is permanent sleep.

It is also cool to see Death clash with Satan, as he lives inside Sister Mary Eunice. Clearly, Dr. Arden (James Cromwell) doesn't realize what he is dealing with in Mary Eunice, and Sister Jude is in no position to save anyone. This has made Briarcliff a sort of playground for Satan, and Death may just be the only one who can stop her.

This is good, because Lana's plot is pretty depressing in "Dark Cousin." She escapes from Briarcliff, ends up somewhere worse, and then escaps back to the asylum. Even should she get out completely, her lover is dead, and her secret homosexuality, a major scandal in the 1960s, could hurt her professionally. While she is the one I most want to see get out, and I would hope that she gets to publish an article blowing the lid off of the facility, I could also see her dying instead, and that might actually be a blessing.

Grace (Lizzie Brochere) actually did die this week, and I'm conflicted as to how I feel about this. On one hand, I don't know where else her character should have gone, and she was the most expendable, in my opinion, of the series leads. On the other, I was somehow rooting for her, even once she has been revealed to actually be a murderer, and she has sex with Kit after telling him that his wife, Alma (Britne Oldford), is still alive. This kind of makes her despicable.

What will be more interesting than Grace's death is what the effect of it will be on Kit. I honestly can't predict this.

So, despite a rocky start, American Horror Story: Aslyum is finally picking up the pace, and making itself worthy of the title. It's not that the first part of the season wasn't good; it was still better than most shows. It just didn't live up to season one. With a third outing already ordered, hopefully season two will only grow from here, continuing the trend of improvement.

American Horror Story: Asylum airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

This article first posted on TheTVKing

American Horror Story checks into an Asylum

Grade: 94%

Some who have heard the premise of AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASYLUM might be surprised when the story begins in present day. Leo (Maroon 5′s Adam Levine) and Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum, The Playboy Club) are a fear-addicted couple on their honey moon, intent on having sex in the scariest of places. Their travels bring them to Briarcliff, a former mental hospital. While there, something attacks Leo, making their good times turn to bad.

This glimpse into the present day, while one hell of an opening scene, is not just that. Some scary movies may have a stand-alone tease before getting to the main story, but the fact that Leo and Teresa are visited later in the episode, “Welcome to Briarcliff,” points to a different agenda. Like season one, time is fluid, and what has happened influences what will happen and vice versa. The two are not main characters, but it is very likely we will see them again.

Thus, AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASLYUM establishes right off the bat that it is going to be as good and complex as the first season. The actors are fantastic, the setting is rich and detailed (and even more creepy), and the story is just as interwoven with itself as ever. Little tidbits are teased out, with many things remaining a mystery. The characters are written in such a way that feel authentic, and yet, remain unpredictable. Viewers cannot possibly see where this is going from one episode alone, but the first installment is so tantalizing, they should want to keep coming back.

The main plot, as advertised, happens in 1964, when Briarcliff is still a functioning facility. The institution is run by Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes, Camelot, FlashForward). His favorite nun, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story), is quick to judge and likes to whip people, considering sin a horrible thing, but not hypocritically above engaging in it herself. She has plans for Briarcliff, and O’Hara has plans for her. She just wishes that they included sex.

Jude is definitely the most interesting, right out of the gate. Played with a strange accent that doesn’t quite define itself, she has an iron fist, and even her compassionate acts come across as trying to force what her narrow mind thinks of as god’s will, rather than to help people. She wants to cleanse the place, making it her own. It would not be surprising if she gets her way, at least for a time, but it won’t help the patients interned there any more than playing the same cheery song on loop, which she insists happen in the common room, does now.

Jude is challenged by Dr. Arden (James Cromwell, The Artist, Six Feet Under), a man of science. Or so he says. His “advanced” techniques include removing brains from still living patients, and he doesn’t use anesthetic because it messes with his tests. As cruel as Jude can be, and make no mistake about it, Jude is cruel, Arden, with whom she clashes, does not present a better option.

And then there’s poor Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe, also AHS), who is torn between Jude and Arden. A pathetic soul, she may just turn out to be a hero of the piece. At least, that’s my initial guess. Or she may remain too weak to do anything of note.

There’s also another doctor played by Zachary Quinto, the lone main character billed who does not appear in the season premiere. I wonder what role he’ll play in this dynamic?

The hospital’s entire world is threatened by a reporter named Lana (Sarah Paulson, AHS again), who wants to know what is really going on in Briarcliff. Jude tries to shut her out, but Lana is determined, which leads her into serious trouble. Unfortunately for her, Jude is not at all above resorting to blackmail to protect her work, and Lana, being a homosexual in 1964, is ripe for the picking.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASLYUM deals with bigotry in an interesting way. Jude, the only obvious hater from the start, is, of course, a detestable character. But it’s interesting there is both a lesbian (Paulson and Clea DuVall, Carnivale) and a interracial couple in this episode, given the time period. It’s not that this sort of thing didn’t exist back then, it’s just that both are living as openly as can be expected, given the societal norms, and both are part of this story, which has only a limited view of the world. Credit Murphy and Falchuk for their continued themes of inclusion in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

The black and white pairing are Kit (Evan Peters, AHS) and Alma (Britne Oldford, Skins). When Alma is found dead, skinned alive, Kit is assumed to be the serial killer behind it, and it placed in Briarcliff. Yet, Kit thinks he was abducted by aliens that night, an occurrence backed up when Dr. Arden examines him. So it Kit real, or crazy? And is Dr. Arden’s involvement in the story imagined, or does it actually happen? My instincts tell me that Kit is not the killer, because that was Peters’ character’s secret in the first season. And having aliens actually be a part of this story doesn’t seem likely. But you never know.

It’s this blurring of reality that is bound to make AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASYLUM great. In a mental hospital, who’s to say what is real or not? It is a place stocked with crazies (including Lizzie Brochere, R.I.S. Police scientifique, and Chloe Sevigny, Big Love), and depending on the perspective of the scene, things might be seen that don’t really happen. Add to that, visual fantasies and an actual monster, and this is a very strange, terrifying place.

Let’s be honest. What viewers really want to get out of this series is a good scare in a vivid world. Like season one, maybe even more so, the latest installment delivers this in spades, and with a large, talented cast that will provide plenty of tangents to keep the plot moving at an acceptable intensity. If you liked the first season, season two should not disappoint.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.