Review : New A&E Series LONGMIRE

L to R: Katee Sackhoff and Robert Taylor star in A &E’s new original drama series, “Longmire,” Credit: Ursula Coyote

A&E's new drama series, LONGMIRE, premiered last night. The series centers around Walt Longmire, a sheriff who has been mourning the death of his wife for a year. As the "Pilot" begins, Walt is slowly starting to put things back together, realizing he has been neglecting his job. A dead body and a missing girl helps with the process. He may not be able to bring his wife back, but he can certainly try to save someone else's girl. Which, of course, he does by the end of the hour.

LONGMIRE is based on a series of novels by Craig Johnson. Funny, then, that it feels like it's a remake of an old television show. Actually, make that a number of old television shows. Part western, part crime procedural, LONGMIRE evokes a sense of nostalgia as the type of program one's dad used to watch incessantly. Decades ago, there were many series like this on TV. Today, it stands alone. The fact remains: LONGMIRE owes its roots to a great many other projects which have come before it, with similar tones and mission statements.

While personal drama has never been lacking from the screen, LONGMIRE does show its modern pinnings when allowing the story to dwell on the titular character's emotional depth. Other shows of this sort do allow some peek into the soul, but not to the degree that LONGMIRE does right out of the gate. Will LONGMIRE be a standard case-of-the-week deal, taking just a little time each week to explore the serial story and character development? Or will it be a character study, that just happens to solve crimes along the way? In the "Pilot," it's too early to tell, as the series seems unable to make up its mind. Given the television landscape, and the (lack of) quality of the network's other projects, though, the smart money is on the former.

Robert Taylor (Satisfaction, MDA) enjoys playing Walt Longmire. Or if not, he certainly has this reviewer fooled. He chews through the scenes with aplomb. Which does not mean that he is the next Emmy-winning leading man. He is doing a fine job, to be sure, but not one that stands out; at least not yet. In fact, his character seems as much a throwback and tribute to past works as the main story itself, sadly. But, he is the driving force of each episode, so the series lives and dies based on the job that he does. In the "Pilot," that effort is satisfactory, not superb. This leaves his room to grow, as there is the potential here to really shine, in time.

Unfortunately, because of the gigantic role Taylor plays, there isn't much left for anyone else. Bailey Chase (Damages, Saving Grace) has the most to do as the young upstart who would like to replace Longmire as sheriff. He won't succeed, of course, and Longmire is too classy to fire him. So he will probably remain an annoying distraction, likely not providing a real threat. However, this gives him more to do than any other supporting player, so Chase shouldn't complain.

The rest of the others certainly have some heft to them, having all had successful runs in sci-fi series. Lou Diamond Phillips (SGU Stargate Universe) plays the local bartender and friend of Longmire's for nearly four decades, which doesn't stop Longmire from accusing him of wrongdoing when some kid implies that the barkeep might be guilty. Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) is the young deputy who seems to have her boss's back. Cassidy Freeman (Smallville) is Longmire's daughter, who wishes she could fix her dad.

None of the three get to do anything of significance, which begs the question, why accept the roles at all? Is it to show a range, moving into a far different genre than the one they are famous for? If so, this is a failed experiment. They will probably not be given all that much range to show, merely serving as a distant second fiddle to the central character. There is much talent here that is so obviously being squandered in brief scenes and small bits of dialogue, that it makes LONGMIRE supremely frustrating to watch. LONGMIRE needs to become an ensemble piece to serve these people, and that just doesn't seem like a probable scenario.

Overall, that makes LONGMIRE a mixed bag that has not found its path yet. After one episode, few shows do. Some retooling, and it could be a delicious, fulfilling drama that takes the best parts of classic television and gives them a much-needed update. But as it currently stands, it will fade into the background as something most people don't even know exists. A shame, to be sure.

LONGMIRE airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on A&E.

Article first published on Seat42F

Alcatraz is a mysterious island

     FOX's Alcatraz begins with over three hundred prisoners and prison employees disappearing inexplicably in 1963. In the present day, Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones, Sons of Anarchy, Big Love), who lost her partner three months ago, encounters one of those prisoners, who hasn't aged a day. With the help of Alcatraz expert Doctor Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia, Lost, Becker), Rebecca uncovers a secret federal investigation led by one of the guards who found the empty prison fifty years ago, Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill, The Tudors, Jurassic Park). Emerson won't give the unlikely duo hardly any information, but does allow them to work for him, hunting down these reappearing baddies. 

     Alcatraz brings to mind two other series J.J. Abrams had a hand in: Lost and Fringe. Look at the facts. There is a mysterious island. Characters show up with no idea what is going on. Portions of every episode are flashbacks to prior events. It's a procedural where a small team investigates things the public at large can't know about to protect the greater good. Plus, the tone and music match up pretty well with both of those other shows.

     Which is not to say that Alcatraz is a copy cat, because it's far from it. It brings it's own story completely, with a talented cast and some superb writing. It does harken back to early Fringe somewhat in its setup, but is likely to branch out in various ways as it goes on. The concept of some unseen evil putting things into motion isn't unique, and yet, it manages to feel fresh when the questions are laid out in such a neat, intriguing way. Some reviewers have panned it, but that seems odd, because this one has really no beef with the first two hours, which thrill. Even a couple of things that seem odd, like characters not questioning plot points, start to appear more than surface, and so a set up for back story or depth.

     The cast is terrific. One cannot possibly get enough of Sam Neill or Jorge Garcia in one's lifetime. Neill goes for a level of malice he honed in The Tudors, but seems to have a vulnerable, friendly side he is trying to hide. Garcia isn't as much the comic relief that he was in Lost, since he needs to carry this series more squarely. He gets serious, but is still the relatable one, viewers' entry into this world. Jones is good, make no mistake about it, though the role does scream for Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff, and since there is a physical resemblance, it's hard not to be disappointed that Alcatraz goes for a lesser known thespian. That being said, given how comfortable the actress seems in the part, it likely won't be long before Jones firmly takes Rebecca as her own, and any comparisons drop away.

     Setting part of the series in the past is an interesting choice, made all the more so by the decision of the writers to have the flashback scenes in both the "Pilot" and the second hour, "Ernest Cobb," take place in 1960, three years prior to the disappearance. What is the significance with allowing for a three year build up? Does that mean this trope will be used for three seasons, like in Lost, with a major mystery concluding at that point? Or will it progress more quickly, as a specific story needs to be told in that era, and it will play out in one season.

     Alcatraz is unlikely to stay in the present anytime soon, given the inclusion of two series regulars that only appear in the 1960's timeframe. Jonny Coyne (The Bill) plays Chief Warden Edwin James, a somewhat sadistic, tough man seemingly totally in charge of the island. Jason Butler Harner (Next) is Deputy Warden E.B. Tiller, a character murdered in present day by the first escaped convict in the "Pilot." James is dead before the series begins. So, yeah, they need to stay in the past.

     Part of the mystique of the show centers around Rebecca, obviously a focal point. Not only is she raised by former Alcatraz guard Ray Archer (Robert Forster, Heroes), but the man she is chasing when her partner dies is none other the her grandfather, Tommy Madsen (David Hoflin, Neighbours), whom she is startled to learn was a prisoner on The Rock! What is Tommy doing there, and why is he sneaking around? What's more, Tommy is definitely aware of who Rebecca is, given the way that he looks at her.

     The biggest impact so far, though, is the surprise sniping of Hauser's assistant (whom may be a bit more than that), Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra, ER). Even more shocking, she shows up in 1960's Alcatraz! Which means she could be the key to what Hauser knows, and why the whole investigation is set up. She may know almost nothing, like the two prisoners caught so far, who do things that they cannot explain their motivation for, or she may have already figured it out. Or maybe she is partly responsible for what happened. There is no telling at this point, but it's a hell of a set up for what's to come.

     The only fear with Alcatraz is that broadcast networks tend to prefer procedurals. Fringe flirts with that format from time to time, but mostly stays its own thing. But Fringe also suffers from low ratings, despite how wonderfully creative it is. Alcatraz has the potential to be a heck of a serial, one that draws people in week after week, if FOX will allow it to be such. Unfortunately, many viewers, and thus advertisers, prefer mindless crap. Some behind the scenes drama worries that this will be the case, and episodes will start to fall into a familiar formula. If it can avoid that pitfall, Alcatraz will soar. If not, it won't be worth watching for long.

     Watch Alcatraz Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

The Cleveland Show presents "Hot Cocoa Bang Bang"

     On the second season finale of FOX's The Cleveland Show, Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry) and family travel to San Diego Comic Con to premiere Cleveland's comic book he has labored on for years, Waderman. The story is inspired by an incident in high school where Donna (Sanaa Lathan) fell in a fountain, and while Cleveland was removing his shoes and socks, someone else rescued her. At the event, Donna is disturbed to learn that an old Blaxploitation movie she made entitled Hot Cocoa Bang Bang, also the name of this episode, in which she bares her breasts, is screening. Speaking to director Robert Rodriguez (of Sin City and Grindhouse fame, voicing himself), she tries to get the film to go away, but he refuses, so Waderman and Cocoa take Rodriguez on.

     This episode is quite a bit of fun, poking the humor in a number of different genres, including comic books, sci-fi, Blaxploitation films, and others. Besides the obvious bits about Cocoa, Cleveland Junior (Kevin Michael Richardson) realizes that Comic Con is now used by broadcast networks to promote any number of shows that have no business being at the event, and so plays off of the event itself. Junior raises an army of geeks to try to take back their convention, leading them in a bloody war for control of Comic Con. Ironically, while the geeks wear costumes from Star Trek, Star Wars, Avatar, Batman, and others, it is the network execs that display actual sci-fi abilities, such as a killer alien stalk that shoots out of one man's mouth. So perhaps Comic Con is the right place for executives, after all?

     While confronting each stereotype, The Cleveland Show uses their elements to battle them. For instance, while Donna is trying to stop Cocoa from seeing the light of day, she falls back into the Cocoa character. This lets the audience in on the joke, proving no one at The Cleveland Show is actually against the conventions they go after, but rather, are fans of them. It's an ironic sort of humor, and one Seth MacFarlane, co-creator of The Cleveland Show, as well as creator of Family Guy and American Dad, does well.

     Any series that visits Comic Con would be remiss without sticking in some fun cameos, and The Cleveland Show does not miss the opportunity. A number of actors lend their voices to play versions of themselves in brief sequences, including Danny Trejo (Machete), Emily Deschanel (Bones), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), and Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse). In perhaps a coup of coups, The Simpsons's Comic Book Guy (Hank Azaria), a nerdy character from another cartoon that also airs on FOX, pops up in what he himself dubs the "Worst. Cameo. Ever."

     Although Seth MacFarlane struggles for originality with three simultaneous series on the air (on the same night on the same network, no less), each of his shows does have a unique perspective. To find out what The Cleveland Show's is, tune in next fall when the series begins a third season on FOX.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     To purchase The Cleveland Show DVDs and streaming episodes, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: The Cleveland Show - "Hot Cocoa Bang Bang" on Blogcritics.

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.

24: RIP CTU

     Wow.  I just completed a three episode mini-marathon of Fox's 24, ending with last night's, and I just have to say, wow.  An essential part of the show has always been the CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) Los Angeles, until last season.  Prior to last year's episodes, CTU had been disbanded, its practice weres under review by Congress, and the FBI picked up the slack, although in a different way.  I was very happy to see the glossy new CTU New York building in Day Eight's premiere in January, staffed with a whole new crew of agents, and of course, Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub).
     Then last night happened.  An EMP pulse effectively wiped out their entire operation.  Only halfway through Jack's (Kiefer Sutherland) eighth bad day, his support system is kaput.  Yes, he managed to save everyone last year without them, so the tension there is off, despite the startling preview for next week's hour, but that doesn't mean it isn't shocking and sad.  Chloe, Hastings (Mykelti Williamson), Arol (John Boyd), and Dana (Katee Sackhoff) are there!  What do they do now?  It would be nice if Rene (Annie Wersching) could step up and help them out, but I'm not counting on it.
     Well, surely Dana will continue her very annoying, and far too long drawn out plot of covering up her past life as Jenny.  This story, which, at the latest, should have ended two weeks ago when she disposed of the bodies, was made slightly more interesting by the appearance of another great actor on the case, Stephen Root (True Blood, Pushing Daisies, The West Wing).  However, as previously noted, Katee is a great actress, too, and that hasn't been enough to save the plot, so it is doubtful Root, despite his considerable talents, can help.
     24 does do some things right, though.  Besides the dramatic taking out of CTU, the subplot between Kayla (Nazneen Contractor) and Tarin (T.J. Ramini) was done well.  There was real emotion between the two, and I was kept guessing what Tarin would do throughout.  First he was thought to be guilty, then innocent, then guilty, then guilty but having a change of heart, and now, he's fully on the wrong side of things.  How the two of them may further affect the plot is a point of interest, although it seems unlikely that a happy-ever-after is in their future.
     24 still has twelve hours left, and will continue Monday nights at 9pm on Fox.

Don't count out Jack Bauer yet

     It has widely been noted that Fox's 24 has been slipping in the ratings and may soon face cancellation.  How far has it slipped?  Down to third for the entire network.  Yes, the show that ranks only behind American Idol and House is considered lagging.  I guess it takes more than 12 million viewers a week to still be considered good enough to keep on the air.  And yet the network continues to air 'Til Death.
     Seriously, though, after eight years, the budget has gotten pretty high, and if the downward ratings trend continues, then 24 might cease to be a valuable, marketable commodity.  That would really screw things up for Fox when they try to begin putting Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) on the big screen, and need to sell a few more than 12 million tickets to turn a profit.
     Which is why it comes as a surprise to learn that 20th Century Fox, the studio that makes 24 for the Fox television network, is talking to NBC about taking over the adventure.  Yes, this is a rumor, but multiple sources confirm that these talks are happening.  The price tag to keep the series going is, of course, a major sticking point, and may cause the deal not to happen.  Also, keeping Jack on Fox might mean a delay in the feature films, the first of which already has been given script treatment, though it's not at a final draft stage, awaiting approval, or anything.
     Should 24 continue?  It's debatable.  I still love me some Jack Bauer action, but this season has been dragged down considerably by the Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff) subplot.  The show has plenty of time this year to redeem itself, and if past performance is any indicator, it will.  Yet, as the television movie, 24: Redemption, aired in fall of 2008 showed, a fresh take on things benefits the plot.  It may be time to turn in the gun on the small screen, and take things to the next level.
     24 airs Mondays at 9pm on Fox.

24: The Dana Walsh Problem

     After eight years, it has become apparent that Fox’s 24, despite all of the exciting twists, turns, and torture, is a formula show.  It feels fresh every year, but there are certain elements in place.  For instance, we all know that there will be a mole in CTU, the CTU boss will clash heads and not listen to Jack at some point, and Jack will be proven right and save the day, but suffer some personal sacrifice.  The part of the formula, however, that doesn’t work, but keeps popping up, is the whiny CTU agent with some family or personal issue.

      This season that subplot is made worse by the fact that the character is Dana Walsh, who is played by the great Katee Sackhoff.  Fans of Battlestar Galactica, thrilled that Starbucks would be on the action packed series, tuned in excitedly, waiting for Dana to kick some butt.  Instead, she sits in an office and calls her ex-boyfriend, blackmailed and subservient.  It has gone on for a third of the season now, and still has not dissipated.  Surely, Dana will eventually get to do something cool once the whole mess is behind her, but when will that be?  Instead, it’s dragging down the otherwise awesome show.

      Why must 24 even go down this road, time after time?  It’s not like they can’t write better stuff.  They do.  And yet, it keeps coming back.  Perhaps it’s reasoned as a time filler, a way to bring down the adrenaline for a few minutes.  After all, audiences would have a stroke if Jack keeps running and shooting for twenty four hours straight.  But please, please, please remember next season, if there is a next season, to leave the whiny character at home, not in the action, and do not make it Starbuck.

Another 24 hours for Jack Bauer

     Last night Fox aired the first two hours of their annual 24 season premiere event, and as usual, it did not disappoint.  Opening with Grandpa Jack (Kiefer Sutherland), happy and satisfied with his family, fully recovered from the biological weapon that almost killed him last season, it took a bit longer than usual for Jack Bauer to get fully involved in the action.  In fact, Jack didn't agree to commit to stopping the latest terrorist plot until nearly the end of the two hours, even denying his best friend, Chloe, (Mary Lynn Rajskub) the favor he so seriously owed her.

     Speaking of Chloe, it is awesome to see the technical guru playing fish out of water, presumably having fallen out of practice and the latest innovations because she was spending time with her own family, and was forced back to work by her husband getting laid off.  Chloe, who started as an annoying, anti-social tech whiz at Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) back in season three, and has become the series's second most important character, after Jack.  Last year, she only appeared in about half the episodes, and she was certainly missed.  It's nice to see her back in action, with a new and fresh plot.

     The sparkling new CTU New York Chloe is working at is welcome, after CTU had been disbanded and put on trial sometime before last season.  While the FBI bureau filled in for it, it wasn't the same.  Already we are putting together all the pieces of our typical CTU formula: a hot shot new agent following in Jack's footsteps (Freddie Prinze Jr., Scooby Doo), someone with a secret that should have never been missed when they joined the group (Katee Sackhoff, Battlestar Galactica), an inept boss who won't listen when Jack tells him what is really going on (Mykelti Williamson, Forrest Gump).  The only thing missing is the inevitable mole within the unit that works for the terrorist, but surely that will show up soon as well.  Believe it or not, that formula somehow manages to never get stale, and when it was changed a bit last season, it was felt.  The best part of the FBI last year, Agent Renne Walker, (Annie Wersching, General Hospital) should be showing up in tonight's installment.

     Also nice to see back President Allison Taylor, (Cherry Jones) the woman who choose to continue to serve her country rather than let her daughter get away with murder.  This year she is working on an historic middle east peace accord with President Omar Hassan (Anil Kapoor, Slumdog Millionaire), who is the target of the assassination plot Jack is trying to stop.  Fans of 24 know that the murder is only the beginning or what will be a rapidly falling domino array that Jack must stop before he can get back to his family.  Despite the fact that Jack kept saying "I'll be done soon" last night, we know he will be in done in exactly 24 hours, not a minute more or less.

     Hours three and four of 24 will air tonight on Fox, before settling into one-hour-per-week episodes next Monday.