RESURRECTION Maybe Should Have Stayed Dead

Article first published as RESURRECTION Review on Seat42F.

ABC’s latest high-concept sci-fi series is called RESURRECTION. Like so many failed shows before it, such as FlashForward, The Event, and The River, RESURRECTION tries to tell an intriguing mystery with a large cast, each drawn into the mythology in different ways. An unexplained phenomenon is at the heart of the show, and viewers are asked to ponder who is behind it and what it means.

After viewing the pilot, “The Returned,” I just can’t decide if I like RESURRECTION or not. Tonally and stylistically, it feels a lot like those quickly canceled shows I just mentioned, so maybe there’s an emotional resistance against getting too attached to a show that won’t last. Or maybe the cast, as capable as they seem, just aren’t compelling enough to really hook fans. Or it could be the writing, so vague that the mystery begins to feel like it’s laid out just for the sake of mystery, not with any real, complex plan behind it. Whatever the reason, I’m not sold.

RESURRECTION begins with a young boy named Jacob (Landon Gimenez) waking up in a rice patty in China. He is brought back to the United States, clearly being American, and placed in the custody of Agent J. Martin Bellamy (Omar Epps, House). Instead of turning Jacob over to child services, though, his description not matching any missing persons reported, Marty decides to take Jacob to where he claims home is – Arcadia, Missouri.

Arriving at the house Jacob directs Marty to, they meet Henry (Kurtwood Smith, That ‘70s Show) and Lucille Langston (Frances Fisher, Touch), whom Jacob calls ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy.’ The catch? Henry and Lucille’s eight-year-old son Jacob died more than three decades ago. How can this be him?

Thus, we’re launched into the story. A town still haunted by the death of Jacob and his aunt come face to face with the boy they thought lost, a miracle. All are affected by Jacob’s appearance including his uncle, Sherriff Fred Langston (Matt Craven, Justified), widower of the woman who died with Jacob, Jacob’s cousin, Maggie (Devin Kelley, Covert Affairs), a medical professional, and his childhood best friend, Pastor Tom Hale (Mark Hildreth, V). Another local woman, Elaine Richards (Samaire Armstrong, Dirty Sexy Money), is also part of the cast, but isn’t tied into things until the end of the hour.

The themes explored in “The Returned” include religion and belief, asking viewers to suspend reality in favor of a higher power. Since this is a TV show, the faith is likely only a cover for something more sinister, as other secrets, such as an affair, begin to be exposed, too. So I don’t think RESURRECTION is really going to commit to a god angle for their story.

The problem is, this all feels just a little forced, and motivations aren’t explored fully enough. Why does Marty go against the law and his job description to take Jacob home? It’s easy to see why Marty gets obsessed with the situation after arrival, but hard to understand why his boss might let him continue down this path. Some twists, such as the aforementioned affair, don’t really fit well enough to seem needed, bringing unnecessary drama to the proceedings.

How much of RESURRECTION will come across as phony and how much will follow the rules of the world they establish remains to be seen, “The Returned” being too murky in plot and characters to give us a clear understanding. Yet, the fact that the series does hesitate to explain itself in even the simplest terms makes it feel like there might be no explanation mapped out, meaning the show will meander and play with concepts it doesn’t have a goal of getting deep into. This is just a first impression, and few pilots are outstanding right out of the gate, so I will give it more than one chance.

The challenge RESURRECTION faces, though, is shows like this just don’t seem to work on the broadcast networks. Lost was a fluke and every new effort to recapture its magic falls flat. What’s to stop RESURRECTION from joining that junk heap? I haven’t seen many positive signs yet.

RESURRECTION premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Chaos gives a fun pilot that doesn't feel like CBS

     The first thing that struck me about CBS's Chaos is that it does not feel like a CBS show. I say that as a compliment. CBS is known for its crime procedurals, which tend to follow the same formula most weeks. While the network has some truly excellent series that break the mold (for example, The Good Wife and The Big Bang Theory), Chaos is not what I expect from them. It feels more like a FOX offering, or perhaps NBC. As such, I applaud CBS for delivering a fun, highly enjoyable pilot.

     In the beginning, Rick Martinez (Freddy Rodriguez, Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty) arrives to work at the CIA, only to find that his job no longer exists due to budget cuts, a timely twist that I'm sure many viewers can relate to. Because his dream employer has always been the Agency, Rick begs Director Higgins (Kurtwood Smith, That '70s Show, Worst Week) for any position, listing his various skills, many self-taught. Higgins relents, placing him within a rogue-ish department known as ODS as a mole, assigned to report back to Higgins on any rules the other men break. Hesitantly, Rick agrees to accept the odd job.

     The colorful group of men that make up ODS, led by Michael (Eric Close), operate outside of direct oversight, having high connections that allow them to break the rules. They are onto Rick from the moment he walks in the door, and have him blackmailed inside of an hour. Most of the rest of the episode involves a real mission, where Rick struggles to earn their trust, and ends up siding with them against Higgins before the end of the pilot. Because the ODS guys are likable, while Higgins is almost villain-like, Rick must be with them in the scheme of things to make a valid central character. However, in the eyes of legality, Higgins is a hero trying to clean up a department of misfits.

     There is action and a little suspense, but the strongest element of this spy series is the humor. Rick swallows a live scorpion at one point. A team member, Casey (Tim Blake Nelson, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) is known as the Human Weapon. Another, Billy (James Murray, Primeval), speaks with a thick Scottish brogue after leaving his native country under suspicious circumstances. A CIA man with no office wanders the halls and tries to befriend others in hopes of landing a more stable assignment. I welcome very much these gags because we already have more serious series in the genre, and its nice to see a network show that holds fun in high regard.

     While every single main character shines and has distinctive characteristics right after the bat, I find Fay (Carmen Ejogo, Kidnapped, Away We Go) the most interesting. That's because her attraction to Rick seems genuine, but she works for Higgins, and was once married to Michael. As such, her loyalties are surely pulled in several different directions, and it's hard to know if she can be trusted or not. I hope the series goes on for quite a while before we find out Fay's true motivations.

     If you'd like to check out Chaos, it airs Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Neighbors From Hell is hell to watch

     I hate to bash two new TBS show's within one week, especially because with Neighbors From Hell they really seem to be trying something news.  The problem is, it sucks.  I had a hard time getting through the first episode, which premieres tonight at 10pm.  I don't plan on giving it a second try.  None of the jokes landed, the animation was unpleasant, the voices were annoying, and some of the sight gags were pretty sick.

     This disappoints me because this was a show I was looking forward to.  It's got talent behind it, including producers from South Park, one of the best animated shows on television.  The voice cast includes such greats as Kurtwood Smith (That 70's Show), Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live), and Patton Oswalt (The United States of Tara), although the last is unrecognizable.  Unfortunately, these ingredients do not gel into something watchable.

     The premise is simple enough:  Balthazar (Will Sasso) is sent to earth with his family to stop a drill from boring into hell.  Balthazar was chosen because he watches a lot of television, so it is assumed he will be able to blend in.  Unfortunately for Satan, Balthazar likes humans too much to really hurt them.  One wonders what the charm is, though, when the humans in the show act at least as rude and hate-filled as the demons, often more so.  Are we supposed to be amused that we're stupid and mean?

     If you want to check it out, tune in tonight at 10pm on TBS.