Go Below With STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS

 Article first published as TV Review: STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS on Seat42F.

A new kind of STAR TREK has arrived, with STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS premiering today on CBS Access. It follows the ensigns who work on the lower decks of the starship U.S.S. Cerritos and do the grunt work of the vessel, not getting the credit and glory the senior staff enjoy. Oh, and it’s a cartoon.

Believe it or not, this is not the first animated Star Trek series. There was a show in the early 1970s called Star Trek: The Animated Series that starred the same cast as the original show, voicing their characters on continuing missions. That series took the liberties of a few big aliens and worlds that the live action budget could never have achieved, but was basically the same type of story the original had already told, albeit shorter. And also, speaking as someone who has seen all twenty-two episodes because I’m that kind of Star Trek fan, it was pretty bad.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS doesn’t need to go bigger on aliens, as Star Trek now has the budget and technology to do some pretty incredible stuff. It does, though, because why not? If you can do show races or shots you want, go for it.

My only complaint of this aspect is that it feels just a bit too cartoon-y. I’m not saying it should be as grounded as the its processor because, why even bother to make it animated then? But it’s just a tad too zany for the Star Trek universe, in my opinion. A cross between The Orville and Rick and Morty, I wish it been more of a cross between The Orville and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

TNG is the series that STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS owes the most to. It is set shortly after Star Trek: Nemesis, before disaster rocked the Federation and shook Starfleet to its core, as shown in Star Trek: Picard. This is from those post-Dominion War lighter times, with uniforms and starship design to match. The references are many and varied, and pull plenty of original series in, too, with Spock and Kirk getting shout-outs in the pilot. The visuals are full of Easter eggs, especially in the theme song, so it does feel set in the Trek universe, even if a few things get a little too wild.

The idea of focusing on the non-bridge crew has been around for awhile on Star Trek. It was the plot of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, also called “Lower Decks,” and is the subject of much fan speculation. So it makes sense in a time where we’re getting so much Trek, we’d eventually get around to that idea.

A great cast has been assembled. Tawny Newsome (Space Force) steals the show as Ensign Mariner, a very capable young woman who has problems with authority and a huge chip on her shoulder. She has the most interesting story, to be sure, but even if she didn’t, Newsome would shine. Her sidekick is Ens. Boimler (Jack Quaid, The Boys), who is much more predictable, but hopefully will grow over time. Secondary to the pair are Ens. Tendi (Noel Wells, Saturday Night Live) and Ens. Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, The Good Place), who are obsessed with their work in the most delightful way, and are surely destined to be a romantic couple.

But unfortunately, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS doesn’t commit to this conceit of just portraying the junior staff. Instead, we see Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis, A Different World), Commander Random (Jerry O’Connell, Billions), Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman, Suburgatory), and other senior staff pretty regularly. And of course these characters are great. But they aren’t needed, and I think the show would be far more interesting if we saw them only fleetingly if at all, like the president in the early seasons of Veep. I could excuse the captain, given her role in relation to one of the core group, and even the doctor popping up makes sense when Tendi is on duty. But the others are in the show too much.

In short, I like the show. Quite a lot, actually. But I think it misses the mark in a few areas that would elevate it to something really special. It’s good, but it could be great, and the squandered potential is a bit sad. Even if I still want it to run for years while I obsessively watch every episode. After all, it is easily the best animated Star Trek series ever made.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS streams new episodes every Thursday on CBS All Access, beginning today.

WE ARE MEN Pilot Review

Article first published as WE ARE MEN Review on Seat42F.

CBS’s WE ARE MEN is sort of like Sex and the City with guys. Four buddies meet in an apartment complex inhabited by divorced men and wannabe actresses, stick together, and offer emotional support through a tough time. They still act like boys, not girls, but the camaraderie and their various romantic partners certainly evoke the comparison.

As the show begins, Carter (Chris Smith, Paranormal Activity 3) is at the altar with his bride, Sara (Fiona Gubelmann, Wilfred). A man runs in before they say “I do,” and Sara runs off with him, leaving Carter broken and sad. That’s when Carter moves into the apartment and meets the others.

It’s not the most original start. After all, Rachel ran away from her wedding at the start of Friends, and Alex left Dave at the altar in the Happy Endings premiere. But it serves its purpose, putting Carter in the right situation to get the premise rolling, and the way that WE ARE MEN’s “Pilot” comes back around at the end of the half hour makes the whole thing mostly worth it, even if it does seem familiar. Plus, a small guest appearance by Alan Ruck (Spin City) is a great feather in one’s cap in any installment, let alone at the beginning, and as a priest to boot!

Carter soon meets three neighbors who have also not been able to make marriage work for them. There’s Gil (Kal Penn, House), a guy who picked the worst mistress ever, Stuart (Jerry O’Connell, Jerry Maguire), whose first wife is now his second wife’s divorce attorney, and Frank (Tony Shaloub, Monk), whose many brides tend to stay the same age, even as he grows older, and is currently into Asians. They instantly take Carter under their wing, and their little club is born.

Smith may not be well known, but Penn, O’Connell, and Shaloub are. Their names alone are enough to garner at least two episode watches, and the chemistry they have here is fantastic. They really do feel like a bunch of buddies, regular guys, each selfish in their own wants and needs, but willing to offer a helping hand when they aren’t too focused on their next lay. They razz one another, but they care, which is proven by the end of the “Pilot.”

Now, yes, the dynamic comes together a little too fast. Two months pass during the “Pilot,” but it doesn’t feel like that, with everything moving so quickly. Even though the other three guys’ friendship with each other feels authentic, it does seem a little too soon for Carter to be part of the group in any meaningful way.

However, the show is funny, and it has charm. I really enjoyed watching the men hang out and get into trouble, and there’s a certain bit of fantasy in four guys with their own closely-located apartments, doing whatever they want without anyone bringing them down or trying to control them. There’s also a “glad that’s not me” component, sure to add emotion into characters, who clearly are not well-skilled at showing their feelings, especially when negative ones threaten to overwhelm them. It should be a good combination.

The list of recurring actors already involved is impressive. Besides Gubelmann, whom we’ll surely see again, and Ruck, which I certainly hope for a repeat visit from, Romy Rosemont (Glee) and Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) show up as Carter’s parents. If this is the kind of talent that wants to be involved in WE ARE MEN, than it is a promising sitcom indeed.

This “Pilot” does have its issues. The plot seems a little like fluff, there isn’t a clear direction for the story, and Carter’s inevitable romance sometime this season with Frank’s daughter, Abby (Rebecca Breeds, Home and Away), is predictable and groan-inducing. But there are some genuinely funny bits and the central quartet is strong, so it definitely has the potential to be pretty decent. It at least ranks in the middle of the pack of this year’s freshman comedies.

WE ARE MEN premieres Monday, September 30^th at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Don't really want to move to Mockingbird Lane

Considering the cast and crew of NBC's Mockingbird Lane, created by Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), I was super psyched for the series this fall. When it was held back, and decided that the "Pilot" would be aired as a stand alone Halloween special, without producing more episodes, disappointment set in. That is, until it actually aired. Then disappointment of a whole other kind appeared.

It's not that Mockingbird Lane is bad; it's just that the first episode doesn't live up to its potential. The set and effects (save for the werewolf in the opening sequence) are spectacular, and glimpsing the Golden Gate bridge behind the infamous house is a stroke of brilliance, providing a stark contrast every time it's seen. This links the show to the real world, even as it feels like fantasy. Lily's (Portia de Rossi, Arrested Development, Better Off Ted) introduction is even more cool, spiders flowing gracefully around her to make her garb.

But the rest of the episode is just too tame. Whereas The Munsters, the goofy sitcom Mockingbird Lane seeks to update, relies on gags and schlock, Mockingbird Lane treats itself like a serious drama. This doesn't work. Sure, these actors are capable of deepening the characters, and making this new show mean a lot more than the old one. But they don't get the chance, skipping over much of what should be an introduction-based episode, and jumping right into a boring story. Combining the comedy with the drama is what it needed here, and the mix is almost absent in this premiere, which skews more towards the drama side.

The crux of the first episode is how Eddie's (Mason Cook) parents are going to tell him that he is a werewolf, a monster, or Munster, like them. One would think that this is exactly what Mockingbird Lane should be doing, since it is taking an element of the classic series, and putting it into context people can relate to, providing a moral dilemma. Instead, the implications of what this means are glossed over, replaced with an empty "be yourself" type of mantra.

Herman (Jerry O'Connell, The Defenders, Crossing Jordan) is the only one of the Munsters that comes across as fully realized. He knows he is dying, but refuses to let Grandpa (Eddie Izzard, The Riches, United States of Tara) kill Eddie's new scout leader, Steve (Cheyenne Jackson, 30 Rock, Glee), to obtain him a new heart, thus saving his life. He also wrestles with what to do about Eddie. As a man who is made into a Munster by Grandpa, Herman straddles the two worlds, and is a compelling lead.

It's too bad this plot is cut short, though, when Steve accidentally dies. His death is funny, but there is definitely more that could have been milked from the situation, considering Herman's internal struggle is the best part of the episode. Once Steve is dead, not murdered, Herman doesn't mind taking his organ. Which kind of ruins what is built up til that point. How much darker and deeper would it go if Grandpa killed Steve, and then forced Herman to take the heart against his will? How would that affect family dynamics, as well as how Herman feels about himself? And why not let Steve stick around for a few episodes first, so the family can get to know him, and his death would mean more? After all, Jackson is terrific in the part.

Grandpa can be excused for being how he is, because it seems logical that he would think the way that he does. I just wish he was played more over the top, or commit to the scary, rather than doing neither at one hundred percent, either of which Izzard would shine in. Lily doesn't get much to do in the first episode, so it's hard to see where she fits in, though she is clearly torn between Herman's want for the family to be good, and Grandpa's longing to return to the traditional ways of feeding on humans freely. De Rossi has the chops to make this work, given screen time to do so, which she is not in the "Pilot."

The real problem is with the kids in the cast. Eddie is too flat, not up to the task of the real emotion his situation calls for. Marilyn (Charity Wakefield) is no better, though her fault lies in the writing. We know that she wants to stay with the family, even though Grandpa despises her for being born normal. This needs to be explored, especially in the opening of the series, but is pushed off for another day, if ever.

Should Mockingbird Lane be allowed to continue, there is plenty of potential here for a fantastic show. I just fear that the luck luster plot of the "Pilot" combined with the lack of faith the network has put into it has killed a bold experiment before it even begins.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Legal Drama 4 Pack: Chase, Detroit 1-8-7, The Defenders, and The Whole Truth

     Every year there are a slew of cop and legal themed procedurals, but this year, it felt like more than usual.  To save myself some time, I'm combining four of the shows into one review.  This works, because the basic premise of each is the same.  A team of people investigate or defend or prosecute crimes in the name of justice.  The viewer is supposed to root for them.  As a general rule, I have no patience for this type of show.  It tends to be the same thing every week.  If the show title contains Law & Order or CSI, I stay clear of it.  But occasionally a Bones or The Good Wife will slip through, so I try to give them all a chance.  Hawaii Five-0 last week was amazing, and it got it's own full review, which you can read here.  Blue Bloods was also pretty good, and here's my review for that.  Finally, Outlaw, because it aired first, got it's own review.  The rest of these weren't nearly as special.  All right, here we go:



Chase (Mondays, 10pm, NBC): Typical cop drama.  I only made it through ten minutes.  I really have nothing more to say about this totally unoriginal snooze fest.

Detroit 1-8-7 (Tuesdays, 10pm, ABC): This reminded me a lot of the quickly-canceled-by-network-and-rescued-by-cable Southland, but with lighting that is easier on the eyes (I can't stand the harsh southwest colors).  It had the documentary feel, which was originally more pronounced, but as backed off a bit when it was re-edited.  It seemed to have smart writing and layered characters.  I acknowledge that this is probably a pretty good show.  It is not my cup of tea, though, so I didn't even make it through the first episode.

The Defenders (Wednesdays, 10pm, CBS): Starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as the owners of a small firm, this entry is set in Las Vegas.  It is a bit wilder than most lawyer dramas, with the characters stepping a toe over the line occasionally.  As a big fan of Boston Legal, The Defenders does seem tame by comparison, but there may be a glimmer of something here.  Enough to earn a second watch, as I already set my TiVo to catch it again this week.  It is helped along by Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights) as a new member of the legal team.

The Whole Truth (Wednesdays, 10pm, ABC): This was my favorite of the four.  It reminded me of old school episdoes of The Practice, but with a new formula.  Maura Tierney (ER, NewsRadio) is the prosecutor and Rob Morrow (Numb3rs) is the defense.  The show alternates viewpoints between the two, up through the trail.  After the verdict has been given, the truth comes out.  As both main characters seem to be good, interesting people who really care about what they do, no matter how the courtroom drama shakes out, the audience is left satisfied.  Plus Tierney and Morrow's characters have a history, and a possible romantic connection, so there's plenty going on.  This is the one that I am rooting for, and will continue watching for the time being.  Unless it gets stale.