HAND OF GOD Not Involved In This Drama

Article originally published as HAND OF GOD Review on Seat42F.

Amazon has released a new drama called HAND OF GOD, the first season of which is available to stream on Amazon’s website now, free for Prime members. It revolves around Judge Pernell Harris (Ron Perlman, Sons of Anarchy), who undergoes a traumatic experience. Pernell begins believing God is speaking to him, asking him to carry out vigilante justice. Is he right, or is he crazy?

HAND OF GOD sets up a relatively complex story. We have Pernell, of course, along with his wife, Crystal (Dana Delany, Body of Proof), who is at the end of her rope, too, but doesn’t speak to a higher power. The catalyst that has brought them to this point is the rape of their daughter-in-law, Jocelyn (Alona Tal, Burn Notice), and the attempted suicide of their son, PJ (Johnny Ferro, Children of God). The second occurs seven months after the first, but is likely related, given that he was forced to watch the assault of his wife.

That would be enough for any couple to endure, and the Harris family is suffering mightily. With PJ in a coma, it’s no wonder Pernell snaps. Or does he?

HAND OF GOD doesn’t tell us for sure if Pernell is insane or righteous, at least not in the pilot. On one hand, he seems to know things that only God could tell him. Or might he be processing clues he doesn’t consciously realize? Or is he a lucky guesser and his luck will run out? The show keeps us guessing, too, taking us from one event to the next in rapid fire.

Besides the central family, there are a number of other people involved in the chaos, wittingly or not. Reverend Paul Curtis (Julian Morris, Pretty Little Liars), formerly a soap opera star, baptizes Pernell, and may be taking advantage of the judge alongside his morally-challenged partner, Alicia Hopkins (Elizabeth McLaughlin, Betrayal). KD (Garret Dillahunt, Raising Hope) is a violent criminal whom the judge decides to free and use for his own purpose. Mayor Robert Boston (Andre Royo, The Wire) is Pernell’s friend and business partner, confused and concerned about the changes Pernell is going through.

Now, how much each of these people know and how pure their motives are is anyone’s guess. None seem innocent, and a couple may be downright evil. But the writers prefer to keep a twisty, dark story going than lay things out for us, so it may take some time before intentions are truly revealed.

I like HAND OF GOD mainly because of the cast. It’s an excellent group, especially Dillahunt and Perlman, and even if the circumstances aren’t great for their characters, alienating the audience with hideous behavior, the performances are worth watching and admiring.

The story, I’m less into. Perhaps because it’s so hard to figure out what’s going on, combined with mainly unlikeable players in the drama, it doesn’t draw one in as other programs do. It’s hard to care if the man that raped Jocelyn will get justice because it doesn’t feel like that will fix anything for the family, not even a little bit. And the religious angle is played pretty cynically. I’m not religious myself, but I’d like to see doubt sewn into the story that god might actually be involved. Considering what happens, Satan may be a better suspect.

Still, it’s quality stuff, well-made, well-acted, and lacking any glaring flaws or plot holes. I think it’s likely worth giving it a few more hours in order to figure out if the show is for me or not. It’s certainly for someone, and not a program I would dismiss for inferior quality, which gives it a leg up on most fare, especially on the broadcast networks. This is better than that stuff, even if it fails to be as compelling as, say, House of Cards or The Walking Dead, in my opinion.

HAND OF GOD’s entire first season is available now at Amazon.com.

ONCE UPON A TIME "Serenade"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 3 Episode 12 New York City Serenade on Seat42F.

*WARNING: The following contains light spoilers for the mid-season premiere of ONCE UPON A TIME. I tease a number of scenes and plots, necessary because this episode is so different from where we last left the tale, but I refrain from giving away any big twists or surprises.

ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME is doing things a little differently this year, presenting two mini-seasons instead of a full year’s worth of episodes in a single arc. The fall run took our heroes to Neverland as they sought to defeat the cruel Peter Pan. Now, this weekend, the second half begins with “New York Serenade,” bringing with it a new villain, a new curse, and a new mystery.

“New York City Serenade” jumps back and forth between two settings. One year ago, the residents of Storybrooke returned to the Enchanted Forest. There they encounter Aurora (Sarah Bolger) and Phillip (Julian Morris), then set off to find their castle. Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Regina (Lana Parrilla) have decided to team up for the good of the realm, but an unexpected attack and a powerful shield spell present challenges they didn’t expect.

One year later, in New York, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) arrives to convince Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) that the life she is living, happy with her son, Henry (Jared Gilmore), and doting boyfriend of eight months, Walsh (Christopher Gorham, Covert Affairs), isn’t real. Emma is resistant at first, having no memories of her time in Storybrooke or among the fairy tale people, but a trip to Neal’s (Michael Raymond-James) apartment and a blue potion are Hook’s plan to fix that.

It seems like every episode of ONCE UPON A TIME named after a place just happens to be good. “Tallahassee” and “Manhattan” certainly delivered, as does this newest installment. Coincidence? Perhaps.

ONCE UPON A TIME often divides itself between flashbacks and the present day. Given the structure of “New York City Serenade,” it seems like the flashbacks in the back half of this third season may only go back a few months at a time. We are left pretty much clueless as to what transpires between the events shown in this hour and Emma’s current situation, even though whatever transpired seems to be very important.

Now, I don’t think that means ONCE UPON A TIME will abandon the longer-ago timeframes completely. But like the series Lost, which shares some writers, showing the past prior to the beginning of the series only works for so long before it needs supplemented with something else. “New York City Serenade” is ONCE UPON A TIME’s Oceanic Six moment, and like those plane wreck survivors, Emma and Henry have to go back. Or, at least, Hook will try to convince them to.

I’m not saying “New York City Serenade” copies Lost, though. The story may even be considered the opposite, with some of the Lost obstacles removed in a single hour, and other, different challenges facing the characters. But I digress.

We do get some really great moments in both realms this week. In the Enchanted Forest, Regina and Snow have a really cool scene in which Regina is considering her path, whether to try to cope with the pain of loss, as most people do, or follow her mother’s evil path. There’s another terrific, similar bit involving Hook and Charming (Josh Dallas). Belle (Emilie de Ravin) and Neal share their thoughts about the departed Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle, who does not appear this week, but remains on the cast list). And, what may be best of all, is the part in which Regina, Snow, and the others encounter Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) and his Merry Men, a sequence sparking with chemistry and fantastic dialogue.

There are equally memorable moments in New York between Henry and Emma and between Emma and Walsh. Emma and Henry in their current state, thinking they’ve always been together, have an enhanced relationship based on what was already established for them, making for a neat bond. Walsh, on the other hand, is easily accepted by Henry and he knows and loves Emma, despite her flaws. Emma is fond of him, too. If you’re wondering what kind of guy Emma and Henry could let into their family in such a short time, Walsh is exactly who you’d pick.

Of course, this being ONCE UPON A TIME, there are some really surprising developments, especially late in the hour. All is not as it seems in either setting, and viewers will be left with far more questions than answers. Suffice it to say, the writers have taken advantage of the two-story season and have cooked up something really cool and different for this second arc, serving the characters we love, but not repeating themselves in any way.

This episode is not perfect. Jiminy Cricket has resorted to chirping, presumably because Raphael Sbarge, the actor who plays him, wasn’t available. I also wonder how Emma and Henry can have such a fully furnished and decorated apartment one year after they “lost everything in a fire.” But these are minor gripes, and no glaring missteps stick out.

In short, “New York City Serenade” is an enjoyable, exciting episode that makes a fine return for ONCE UPON A TIME. The series airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

ONCE UPON A TIME Has "Heart"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Recap Season 3 Episode 1 The Heart of the Truest Believer on Seat42F.

ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME returns for a third go-round with “The Heart of the Truest Believer.” Six people are on the Jolly Roger, come to Neverland to find the missing Henry (Jared Gilmore). But when they get there, they discover Neverland is not quite what they expect. This goes double for the duo that kidnapped Henry, soon learning the Home Office hasn’t been entirely truthful with them.

The Home Office is, apparently, Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) and the Lost Boys. Pan needs “The Heart of the Truest Believer” for some unknown purpose, and for anyone who has ever watched even a little bit ONCE UPON A TIME, you will know immediately that said heart belongs to Henry. Henry has always held the faith that fairy tales are true and good win will, even when others falter. Now the question is, can Henry keep his heart in his chest, and what does Pan want with it?

The twist in “The Heart of the Truest Believer” is a pretty predictable one. Given the nature of the Neverland jungle and the ease at which the boys move around in it, I assumed immediately that the “turned” lost boy was none other than Pan. I wasn’t sure about his motives, but it makes sense that Pan would want to confirm Henry really is whom Pan is seeking before doing anything more to the boy.

I’m surprised to see Greg (Ethan Embry) and Tamara (Sonequa Martin-Green) meet their fates so swiftly. True, Martin-Green has a full-time gig on The Walking Dead, but considering that the pair were the villains for much of season two, one expects there to be more to their tale than being cut down by boys in the woods. However, ONCE UPON A TIME is moving into a new chapter, so I suppose it’s appropriate that the bad guys are new, too. Plus, I like the way this episode ties into last year and makes the viewer rethink things seen previously.

Actually, the Lost Boys don’t straight up kill Tamara; she hangs around just long enough for Rumple (Robert Carlyle), who has magically left the Jolly Roger, to find her and extract a little information. This is the cruel side of Rumple, returned in full force. We see that Rumple is determined to save Henry at the end of last season, willing to sacrifice himself, but apparently he doesn’t mind dipping back into his old bag of tricks to do, as reformed as her might have seemed.

Neverland seems the perfect place for Rumple, extremely well versed as he is in all things magic. Neverland is bursting at the seams with magic, much more so than the Enchanted Forrest, so it makes sense that the character who flourished with the element should have better command of it than the others. This prompts Rumple to ditch them, whether that’s because he thinks they’ll slow him down or he just doesn’t care about them, he’s at home here.

But Rumple has a weakness, too, and that’s his family. An old straw doll is enough to stop him in his tracks and bring him to tears. We don’t know why, as “The Heart of the Truest Believer” breaks format and abstains from doing a full flashback story, but assumedly we’ll get to that soon enough, and Rumple has been to Neverland before.

Of course, this weakness leads Rumple to dabble in blood magic, which provides a way for Neal (Michael Raymond-James), stuck in the Enchanted Forrest with Mulan (Jamie Chung) and Robin Hood (Sean Maguire, recast from Robin’s previous appearance), to locate Emma. He’ll need more help than just them, and Aurora (Sarah Bloger) and Phillip (Julian Morris), to reunite with his loved ones.

I like very much that Neal’s assistance comes in the form of familiar faces. These characters were seen quite a bit early last season, then disappeared. ONCE UPON A TIME does have quite a few people to serve, but it’s satisfying that it’s beginning to reuse those that haven’t been fully explored, rather than just continuing to add new ones all the time. The quartet Neal gets involved with deserve the screen time, and I look forward to seeing how they can help him next, as well as to how long they will stick around this time.

The more help Neal can bring with the better, as Neverland is full of dangers, a reflection of the erratic children who run the land, left to their own devices without guidance or structure, which Emma, Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin), Charming (Josh Dallas), Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), and Regina (Lana Parrilla) soon find out. They are beset by mermaids and drive them off, only to be further threatened by their hostage (Natasha Wilson) with a rough storm. It’s too bad Rumple leaves them, as they could sure use his help!

It’s really cool how the storm is mirroring the discord within this group, feeding off of them and ramping up their hostility at the same time. It may be an obvious metaphor, but it’s an effective one, making for a tense scene.

Emma is the one that saves the day. In all of this, Emma has remained the most neutral, and she is able to do that because she exits outside of the Enchanted Forrest web of relationships, not having lived in that place. Emma and Charming want to be her parents, and so love her as mothers and fathers do, but not having grown up with them, Emma is hesitant to let them in, still holding onto anger towards them. Emma saves Regina so Regina respects her, but they feud over Henry, so they won’t be buddies anytime soon. And Hook takes a fancy to Emma, even giving her Neal’s sword, but Emma isn’t about to hop into bed with a known scalawag.

When Emma jumps in the ocean, though, they all work together to save her. I think they realize that Emma is their best chance at getting what they want, whether it’s family or sex or a way to get back to one’s world. Emma is a powerful force, as is Henry, and they are driving factors in this show.

The one flashback we do see is Emma (Jennifer Morrison) giving birth to Henry. It’s telling that this moment is chosen, as the episode is not about Emma’s relationship with Henry. I believe this means Henry’s origin story and how he came to Storybrooke, as well as what his destiny is, it vital to the plot this fall.

“The Heart of the Truest Believer” isn’t just an exciting story and the beginning of fresh plots in a new world; it’s also reestablishing the role both Emma and Henry play in the show, as leads. It reorders the relationships, Emma taking command over the other four on the ship. It reminds us of what the show is about and why it works in the first place. In short, it’s pretty much the best season premiere one could ask for from the show.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Once Upon a Time anything but "Broken

Grade: 92%

The fairy tale is nowhere close to being over as ABC”s ONCE UPON A TIME returns last night with “Broken.” The curse has been broken, indeed, and magic has returned, in limited form, to Storybrooke. Yet, their land is destroyed, according to Regina (Lana Parrilla), so they remain stuck in the real world. How can they get their home back, or will they try to build a new one here?

“Broken” shows us many familiar faces to remind us of who all is in Storybrooke, but mostly sticks to the core group of characters for the central story (This, somewhat regrettably, though it won’t likely affect the size of his role,  as he never did make it into the inner circle, no longer includes Jiminy (Raphael Sbarge). It’s hard to complain about getting a glimpse of these beloved characters, and, considering their small part, they could easily have been dropped from this episode, which would make the world feel sadly smaller.

Most are out for Regina’s head, of course, since she is the face of their misery. But Henry (Jared Gilmore) maintains a little sympathy for the woman that raised him and convinces Emma (Jennifer Morrison) to protect Regina. It’s kind of hard to fathom why a kid who believes his mother is secretly an evil queen for so long doesn’t want to see her hurt. But the relationship between parents and children can be complicated. And although Henry does provide a possible salvation for Regina, she is really going to have to work hard to regain his affection after the events of “Broken.” Not that they are her fault.

See, Rumple (Robert Carlyle) promises Belle (Emilie de Ravin, upgraded to series regular), that he won’t kill Regina, so to get around this, he unleashes a wraith on her. Emma springs to the rescue, aided by her parents, Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas). They save Regina, but Snow and Emma fall through a portal after the wraith, leaving Charming alone to care for Henry.

Besides Regina, Rumple is another soul that must be saved. While Regina has Henry as a motivation, Rumple has his Belle back. Initially, that is not enough to get him to change his ways. But her continued presence can only be beneficial to him. Will she help him find a way to not be the Dark One anymore? That may or may not happen. She will, however, likely to influence his actions to be a little less evil.

Not that ONCE UPON A TIME is going to make its villains all warm and cuddly. Both Regina and Rumple still have a sharp edge to them, and it will not be rounded out anytime soon. Plus, with creatures like the wraith, new dangers will be introduced. Have no fear; ONCE UPON A TIME will not fall into a “happy ever after” anytime soon which, will satisfying, would also be boring.

The relationships between Snow, Charming, Emma, and Henry are very awkward in “Broken.” Technically, Snow and Charming are Emma’s parents, even though they appear to be the same age, and it feels odd for Henry to think of a couple so young as his grandparents. Also, Emma feels abandoned, as anyone would, by her parents, since they left her alone all these years. Yes, it was to save everyone, but there are still those emotional issues that would come from being set adrift, no matter what the intentions behind it. This makes all of these interactions seem odd.

Oddness is not a complaint, however. Given the very strange circumstances, it would be far worse if the characters quickly hugged and all was right in the world. There are a lot of unresolved feelings, and even if the feelings may not be completely logical, emotions seldom are. This uneasiness is natural and right, lending an authenticity to the characters.

As mentioned, magic is back in the real world, but it’s unclear exactly what that means. Rumple has some, certainly, but Regina is unhappy to discover that she does not. That is, until Emma touches her. All of the sudden, Regina can do things again. Is Emma the key? Will each person she touches get some power? Yet, not every storybook character had powers. The rules of this are completely murky at this point, but at least it feels like the writers have a handle on it, even if they aren’t going to share that with us yet. Bottom line, Emma remains the key, her importance no less after breaking the curse.

 

The only thing that really bugs me in “Broken” is that the storybook names and real world names are used interchangeable. Presumably, the characters remember both lives now, so they see each other both ways. But it’s weird to here Mary Margaret called Snow in Storybrooke, and then called Mary Margaret again a few minutes later. Are they forever stuck with two identities now? Can we not settle on one moniker per person? Even if they get to decide which it is, and some pick names from each world, it would be preferable to the current situation.

We still don’t know who Dr. Whale (David Anders) is in the fantasy world, a mystery alluded to in “Broken,” but not explored. This tease only makes me want to know more.

And what of the mysterious man (Michael Raymond-James, Terriers, True Blood) who lives in the big city, but gets a note from a pigeon? Is he Rumple’s son? If so, did he know about the curse, and was he working to break it? Or is he the March Hare, since he has a Hatter sign in his apartment? Is it possible that some of the storybook characters did not dwell in Storybrooke? How did the curse and its breaking affect them? Is this man on his way to Maine? Who sent the note? A wonderful mystery to kick off the new season.

Viewers also get another storybook story. Sleeping Beauty (Sarah Bolger, The Tudors) is awoken by Prince Phillip (Julian Morris, Pretty Little Liars). But before they can ride off together, a wraith attacks Phillip. Even with Mulan (Jamie Chung, Samurai Girl) there for support, the women can’t save Phillip from losing his soul.

Far more interesting, though, is the revelation that a small corner of the fantasy world survived Regina’s destruction, and time stopped for twenty-eight years then restarted, same as the clock in Maine, they are aware of this, and have banded together to…, well, who knows? Snow and Emma are thrust into this place, so through them, viewers will get a chance to see what the other consequences of Regina’s spell are. How cool!

“Broken” is a terrific return for ONCE UPON A TIME, furthering the arcs beautifully, while providing enough new mystery to keep the story magical. New episodes air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

24 delivers best hour of season

    This has been a big week for Fox's 24.  Besides airing the best episode of the season, nay, one of the best of the series, last week, it also became known that the show is officially canceled, and will not be picked up by NBC, as previously rumored.  That's not to say that there are only eleven hours left in Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) story.  In fact, the series finale is designed to set up Jack for a feature film, which is already in the works.  The head honchos always wanted a definitive end for Jack, and it looks like he will get one.  By their statements, it appears there will be only 24 movie, but perhaps that's a good thing.  Go out while it still works.  Speaking of working, last week...

      I always look forward to that awesome Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) episode.  It comes after Chloe has been beaten down, not listened to, and generally, dumped on.  Then she wows us all and makes her bosses listen to her.  This week was that shining moment, as Chloe pulled a gun on the jerky NSA agents and fixed CTU's EMP-blasted computer system all by herself.  Chloe, you rock my world!

     The CTU mole was revealed.  Of course there was a CTU mole.  There always is.  However, even before the mole was exposed, I stopped rooting for the character.  Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff) has been one annoyance after another, and as she strangled the poor parole officer (Stephen Root), I stopped wanting her to get away with anything.  When, moments later, she was shown on the phone with the terrorist, it all fell into place.  The writers can be forgiven for making us hate Dana so much, because we needed to hate her eventually anyway.  And the twist gives hopes that Sackhoff's talents will not be wasted on the role.

     A side character died.  24 has not killed off anyone important yet this year, and so I have begun to get tense, knowing that it's just a matter of time.  True, Agent Owen (Julian Morris) with his six episode stint was not vital, but I still felt emotion as Jack lied to him, lying dying on the pavement.  His death is surely a harbinger of the bloodbath that will ensure.  There aren't many majorly important characters left in the series to kill off, but as long as it's not Chloe, I'm cool with it.

     Speaking of important characters, I still need to see the return of three of them.  Chloe's husband, Morris, (Carlo Rota) should make an appearance, as should secret service hero Aaron (Glenn Morshower).  I am really disappointed to have not seen Karen Hayes (Jayne Atkinson) since 2007, especially after her husband's heroic sacrifice last year.  And Jack's love story with Renee (Annie Wersching) cannot ever play out to satisfaction without bringing back Audrey Raines (Kim Raver).  I don't care if I have to wait for the big screen to see any of the four, but for me to be happy about the end of the story, I need to see what happened to the four of them.  And if they want to toss me a little Martha Logan (Jean Smart), I'll gladly take it.

     24 continues it's final season Monday nights, including tonight, at 9pm on Fox.