The Right FREQUENCY

Article first published as FREQUENCY Review on Seat42F.

The CW continues television’s reboot / adaptation trend with FREQUENCY. Based on the 2000 film of the same name, FREQUENCY finds a police officer, Raimy Sullivan, communicating with her long-dead father through a ham radio. When Raimy tries to change the past and save his life, the consequences spin out in a butterfly effect, and she soon has a litany of other problems to deal with.

If one wasn’t aware of the plot of the film, one might think, based on the beginning of the pilot, that this is going to be your typical cop show. Being a TV reviewer and having to watch hundreds of shows every year, I have gotten very tired of the repetitive formula that pervades so much of broadcast network programming. Thus, I was already well on my way to tuning it out when the twists started to occur. If you’re like me and pretty much done with that genre, hang in there, because FREQUENCY doesn’t stay in it too long.

Instead, we’re getting a relatively straight-forward mystery that soon becomes convoluted through changes in the timeline. It won’t surprise you to learn (and this is spoiled on Wikipedia and in press materials) that Raimy (Peyton List, Mad Men, The Tomorrow People) manages to stop daddy Frank (Riley Smith, Nashville, The Messengers) from dying. Which Raimy barely has time to be glad about before her mother, Julie (Devin Kelley, Resurrection), disappears, having been taken out by a serial killer in the new narrative. How is the serial killer connected to Frank’s death? Assuming Frank isn’t the killer, which seems unlikely, we don’t yet know.

This is an intriguing question, to be sure, and one that promises to get more tricky as time goes on. The format of FREQUENCY looks to be that Raimy and Frank will have to work together across time to keep making their lives and their loved ones’ lives better, but every time they achieve that in some way, there will be a backslide. Thus, things will continue to get messy, and a happy ending will be a long way off.

There are a few interesting decisions FREQUENCY makes that I’m not sure every version of this story would choose. Frank is still dead in 2016, albeit from a different cause quite a bit later in life, so they can’t be side by side, nor, given the second cause of his passing, is this likely to change over the course of the show (at least not until the end), keeping Frank and Raimy ever separate. Raimy gets to retain her memories of both timelines, though no one else does. And adult characters, including Frank’s pal Satch (Mekhi Phifer, ER) and co-worker Stan (Anthony Ruivivar, Banshee), are played by the same actors in both time frames, set twenty years apart. (Raimy, being an eight-year-old child in 1996, obviously isn’t List in the past, nor is her pal, Gordo, likely to be Nurse Jackie’s Lenny Jacobson in both.)

This last element is something I’m in favor of in general; twenty years is a long time, but also not super long in the scheme of things, and the looks of two different individuals were likely to be too far apart. The problem with it here is that the CW doesn’t exactly give a huge budget to their shows, so the aging makeup and hair coloring isn’t all that great. It is easy to spot early on that Julie is played by a much younger actress than the character’s 2016 age. Which I guess makes sense, given it would be easier to add years than take them away. But it doesn’t quite look authentic.

What will probably keep me from being a total fan of FREQUENCY is that it does seem to rely a little too heavily on the cop show format, despite the great sci-fi elements, and it has a little bit of cheesy shallowness about it that goes beyond just the makeup issues. But it’s pretty good, and I’m sure it will quickly gain a loyal following.

FREQUENCY premieres Wednesday, October 5 at 9/8c on the CW.

Nurse Jackie can "Handle Your Scandal"

Showtime's Nurse Jackie has had a rough year. Jackie (Edie Falco ) is going through a divorce which might cost her custody of her kids, all while struggling to stay sober after a too-brief stint in rehab. But things go from bad to worse in "Handle Your Scandal," the fourth season finale, as Jackie finally has the showdown with Dr. Cruz (Bobby Cannavale) that has been brewing.

Dr. Cruz is cruel. Wonderfully balanced between total jerk and compassionate person by Cannavale, Cruz spends most of the year teetering a very fine line. But as the season wraps up, he shows just how vindictive he can be by firing Eddie (Paul Schulze), Akalitus (Anna Deavere Smith), and ultimately, Jackie. It's one thing to run the hospital like a business. It's another to take out one's personal disappointments in the office. What Cruz does has just as much to do with his son's screw ups as his own power trips. Because of this, let us hope that Cruz does not return next season, at least not the version of him shown in "Handle Your Scandal."

That being said, it's been great to have a villain like Cruz around. It's tested Jackie in ways that she never has been before, made all the more difficult by her new-found lack of substance abuse to cope with it. Jackie learns to play things cool and hold her tongue, until she cannot take it anymore. And by that point, everyone, both characters and viewers, are one Jackie's side. Her cursing match is earned because of her restraint, and means all the more when it finally does occur.

In fact, Jackie has been pretty heroic all season. She has always been likable, but it's not until she begins cleaning up her messes, acting responsible, and letting people in that she becomes someone to be admired. Allowing Zoey (Merritt Wever) to become a friend and roommate, standing by Akalitus and Eddie, fighting for her kids and sobriety, Jackie is a whole different person. This growth may be too quick, pointing towards a possible backslide, but it is thrilling in the moment.

Everyone always follows Jackie's lead. Now that she participates in the social environment, instead of hiding from it, this is even more true than before. By the time that she leaves the hospital, taking it with more grace than many in her position would, the entire staff roots for her. They clap, and refuse to stop when Cruz yells his head off. They stage a candlelight vigil. Jackie has found her place, and somehow, she must get it back.

Will Jackie, Akalitus, and Eddie return next season? Well, the first two simply have to. Eddie is fun, but expendable. However the series would not be the same without Jackie or Akalitus. Obviously, the former isn't going anywhere, but the latter is vital, too. Will they come back because Cruz eats crow and gets himself in order, chalking up his really bad behavior to a reaction against the now departed Charlie (Jake Cannavale)? Even this might not be enough to redeem the administrator.

Finally, Jackie gets to play the good mom. Kevin (Dominic Fumusa) may mostly be in the right in leaving Jackie, but he's handling the divorce extremely poorly. While he should be sympathetic, he comes across as a bully, instead. It's an interesting choice to demonize him at this point, even though he sort of has to be to best serve the titular character. Still, it would be nice to see if he has the kind of moments that Jackie and Grace (Ruby Jerins) share in "Handle Your Scandal," rather than only being portrayed as taking he low road.

In other stories of romance, Zoey seems destined to get back together with Lenny (Lenny Jacobson). One can see why she decides that she must strike out on her own before settling down. But now that she's had just a taste of life without Lenny, it is clear how deep the affection between the pair is. Zoey might get to show another side of herself if she has to grovel to get him back, but that's totally appropriate in this situation.

Speaking of other sides, Cooper (Peter Facinelli) really steps up to the plate when O'Hara (Eve Best) needs someone. He is still the familiar Cooper, and will probably screw up again, revealing O'Hara's baby daddy. But for now, he is being a caring individual, nurturing what could be a real friendship with his fellow doctor.

It's these supporting characters that really raise Nurse Jackie up to the very high level it is at. Falco is absolutely fantastic, but surrounding her with the rest, which also includes Stephen Wallem as Thor, is why Nurse Jackie is the best half hour show on Showtime. Everyone is just so good at the parts they are playing, and their chemistry is spot on in every single relationship. Enough good things cannot be said about Nurse Jackie, and "Handle Your Scandal" really plays this all out to the Nth degree, banking on the show's many strengths. I can't wait to see what season five has in store!

Nurse Jackie will return to Showtime next year.

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Nurse Jackie - "...Deaf Blind Tumor Pee-Test"

     Showtime's Nurse Jackie's third season finale, named "...Deaf Blind Tumor Pee-Test," wraps up the year nicely, with a number of major developments. The biggest may be that Jackie's (Edie Falco) husband, Kevin (Dominic Fumusa) reveals he had an affair, and Jackie kicks him out of the house. But a number of other important events occur, too, such as Cooper (Peter Facinelli) getting left at the alter, and Akalitus (Anna Deavere Smith) deciding Jackie is important enough to deny HR a drug test. The statues return to the chapel at the hospital. Zoey (Merritt Wever) considers another man besides boyfriend Lenny (Lenny Jacobson).


     Jackie forcing Kevin to move out of the house has nothing to do with his affair. Sure, she might be a bit jealous, but she carries on an affair for a long time with Eddie (Paul Schulze). Instead, Jackie is feeling trapped in her life, not able to do the things she wants, and having the walls close in on all sides. As her co-workers find out about her personal life, and everyone begins to suspect, if they don't already know, that Jackie has an addiction problem, one thing she can control, to get a bit of space for herself, is getting rid of her husband. Kevin's admission is merely a convenient excuse for Jackie to pull away, something she is already doing with him anyway. Whether she will eventually fix the marriage on Nurse Jackie or not is up in the air.

     It's interesting to see so many people becoming involved in Jackie's life, and by extension, her being involved in theirs. She has always maintained separate home and professional lives, but as her mistakes get bigger and bigger, she self-destructively ties the two worlds together tighter and tighter. Or maybe it's for the best. O'Hara (Eve Best) was Jackie's sole confidant, but Zoey has forced her way in, and Kelly (Gbenga Akinnagbe) has real potential, now that they have connected over a shared interests in drugs. But Jackie's growing feelings of compassion for her co-workers, even the ones she calls annoying, is best exemplified as she quietly urges Cooper's fiance to go into the hospital and marry him, though the unheard whispers are for naught.

     Akalitus stands up for Jackie by throwing away a pee test she is pretty sure Jackie will not pass. This is a testament to Jackie's place at the hospital. But it also confirms a speculation, for which the evidence continually strengthens, that Jackie's boss knows about the pills Jackie takes. Because they do not affect her job performance, Akalitus allows Jackie to get away with it. But that doesn't mean they go unnoticed. It also makes it likely that Akalitus knows Jackie is making progress, or trying to, on her own, or that O'Hara is helping her, and there is no sense making unnecessary waves for an issue already being handled. Somewhat.

     O'Hara crosses a few lines for Jackie in the past on Nurse Jackie, but none as big as her latest one. Seeing few other available, attractive options, O'Hara tells Jackie she will provide her with a supply of drugs. O'Hara will be trying to ween Jackie off of narcotics, and give her things that will harm her less than some other options, but O'Hara is still supplying her best friend with illegal substances. This is a huge risk, as it would cost O'Hara her career, if not her freedom, if anyone ever found out. But their friendship is incredibly strong, and O'Hara values Jackie above almost anything else in this world. It's a true sign of love, and probably the best thing O'Hara can do for Jackie under the circumstances, though it's also enabling.

     Cooper has been running from his moms' split, and going to extremes while doing so. His wedding to a girl he has been seeing only three weeks, which he began planning before their first date, is stupid and impulsive. He likely knows this, but cannot help himself, so strong is his craving for someone steady in his life. Someone that really loves him. He feels abandoned, and because Cooper tends to act out in large, childish ways, it's a move that makes sense to him. But the fact that his bride cannot go through with it is a smart decision for them both, because a marriage under these circumstances is not one that is destined to last very long.

     Zoey already has a good man, but she's about to let it fall apart if she's not careful. Even though Lenny has been nothing but faithful to her and she loves him, she is sometimes less than satisfied with what he offers. When an attractive cop shows interest, Zoey returns the flirts. It's a volatile situation, and should Lenny observe continued interaction between the two, considering how he reacts when encountering Zoey treating the man the first time, he may not stick around. Or, a better scenario would be that Lenny decides to fight for Zoey. She may not deserve him, but they do make a pretty cute couple.

     It should also be mentioned that Nurse Jackie has comedic timing and supporting characters down solid at this point. The series boasts one of the best ensembles on television. Besides the characters mentioned above, both Sam (Arjun Gupta) and Thor (Stephen Wallem) contribute to the overall tone with their one liners and reactions to various situations. Neither generally gets a whole, large story to themselves, but without their contributions, the show would be lacking that glimmer of greatness and heart that sets it above so many other series. Wonderful writing and acting, all around.

     In all the commotion going on in "...Deaf Blind Tumor Pee-Test," it may be easy to miss a really important occurrence. Jackie's younger daughter, Fiona (Mackenzie Aladjem), lights a fire at school. While it could be innocent mistake made by a curious child, it could also be a sign of deeper issues. Kevin brings up both Fiona's recent actions, as well as other daughter Grace's (Ruby Jerins) mental issues, as evidence that the couple is not doing a good job parenting. And he's right. Kids can sense things that are wrong with grownups, and their spats may be causing serious damage to their offspring. How long before Fiona has as many problems as Grace does?


     Nurse Jackie will return to Showtime next year for a fourth season.

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

     Please click here to buy DVDs and streaming episodes of Nurse Jackie.

Article first published as TV Review: Nurse Jackie - "...Deaf Blind Tumor Pee-Test" on Blogcritics.

Nurse Jackie - "When the Saints Go"

     Showtime's Nurse Jackie continues its third season with "When the Saints Go." Sadly, the day has finally arrived when the moving truck comes and empties out All-Saints's sacred room. No one is more depressed than Akalitus (Anna Deavere Smith), though several others pay homage to the quiet space. As a favor to Akalitus in her day of mourning, Jackie (Edie Falco) lets new obnoxious nurse Kelly (Gbenga Akinnagbe) walk all over her. Most of the nurses are enthralled with Kelly, especially Thor (Stephen Wallem), who seems to fall head over heels right off the bat, but it's only a matter of time now until Jackie's claws come out, and she resumes her rightful place as Top Dog.

     If there is any doubt that Jackie cares about her co-workers, and there usually isn't, despite her efforts to keep them out of her personal life, that notion is dispelled in this episode. The only reason Jackie possibly sucks it up when Kelly marks his territory all over hers is because she cares about Akalitus and doesn't wish to cause her any more headaches on an already difficult day. Kelly takes Jackie's chair, says demeaning things about her, takes over a patient, and changes a medication order. Normally, any one of those would be enough to make Jackie assert her authority, but instead, she lets his continuous challenges roll right off her back.

     What's most surprising in "When the Saints Go" is that her co-workers don't take more notice of Jackie's calm demeanor. Only Zoey (Merritt Wever) even rises to her defense. Considering how important Jackie is, everyone turns to her with her problems, and she handles all difficult the patient issues with grace, one would think her 'friends' would have a little more loyalty. Kelly may be underestimating her now, but Sam (Arjun Gupta) knows better, and should clue his new friend in. When Jackie barks at Sam to jump, he jumps. When Kelly asks why he takes it, Sam replies that that's just how it is.

     Jackie is far from a saint, as anyone who watches Nurse Jackie can tell you. Her brilliant handling of the Emergency Room is tempered by her secret pill addiction and previous, though now ended, affair. While most of the characters are clueless about the vast majority of Jackie's secrets, they don't often pry. Believe it or not, this makes the show seem more realistic. While not selfish, exactly, people have more exciting things to do than investigate an odd behavior now and then. As long as Jackie keeps her waves small, she isn't likely to raise much suspicion. Thank goodness for ineptitude.

     Except from her husband, Kevin (Dominic Fumusa), that is. Jackie plants false evidence leading him to believe she is taking her sobriety seriously, but of course, she's not. He buys it, for now. Considering that the preview for next week's episode shows him finding some pills, he probably won't forever. A major element of this show seems to be finding just how far a marriage can stretch without breaking. It is likely Jackie will lose Kevin soon enough. She must hit rock bottom before she can start to get better, and she's not even close yet. Kevin is the most probable trigger to send her careening over the edge.

     Jackie isn't just lying to Kevin. She tells her bestie, O'Hara (Eve Best), that Kevin is being a jerk towards her. He isn't, but it's all part of Jackie's game to solidify her friendship, which is still tentative after O'Hara learns about Jackie's pill addiction and lies. So Jackie is choosing to lie even more? Not a good way to fix things in the long-term. While it was painful to watch the two separated earlier this season, the next go round will be much, much worse. Not looking forward to it, but it's inevitable.

     The subject of Jackie's affair, Eddie (Paul Schulze), is trying to move on. Kevin sets Eddie up with his sister, Tunie (Jaimie Alexander, Kyle XY, Watch Over Me), and Eddie starts to fall for her. But then Jackie pulls him back, asking him not to date her. While perhaps it's conceivable Jackie would let Eddie move on if it isn't with one of her relatives, it's more possible that Jackie just doesn't want Eddie with anyone but her. She hasn't slept with him since season one, but best guess is that she wants a backup plan for if, or when, Kevin leaves her once and for all. It's not fair to Eddie for her to keep him in limbo, but he allows it. He should take Tunie out and forget about Jackie.

     Cooper (Peter Facinelli) is heading towards a bad, bad place. While his lies are much more transparent than Jackie's (he's telling people his bunion is an intense Achilles injury), he isn't handling his mothers' divorce very well. He is using a literal crutch in the figurative sense. What Cooper needs is a real friend. He had that with Sam, but lost it. Either Sam needs to forgive Cooper, or Cooper needs someone else, but without some sort of help, Cooper is not likely to recover anytime soon.

     Thankfully, there is some honest happiness in "When the Saints Go." Zoey is asked by a patient to give Lenny (Lenny Jacobson) an attractive woman's phone number. Wever kills in the comedy department, both physically and with words, hedging over whether to deliver the message or not, since she is dating Lenny. She needn't worry, as Lenny uses the number to wipe sauce from his face, and cornily tells her she's the only woman he is interested in. The two of them have wonderful chemistry, and he's a good balance for the neurotic Zoey. Their relationship is humming along, and growing stronger. And unlike in other shows, Nurse Jackie probably won't introduce false drama just for the heck of it. Wedding bells, perhaps?

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

     Many more episodes left to go, as Nurse Jackie is only about halfway through its season. Be sure to watch Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

Article first published as TV Review: Nurse Jackie - "When the Saints Go" on Blogcritics.

JWTV Quickie: Nurse Jackie - "Enough Rope"

     Although last night's episode of Nurse Jackie is called "Enough Rope", it could easily have had a title that had something to do with apologies, because everyone is making them. Jackie (Edie Falco) apologies to Kevin (Domic Fumusa). Jackie apologies to O'Hara (Eve Best). Cooper (Peter Facinelli) apologies to Sam (Arjun Gupta). Even Lenny (Lenny Jacobson) and Zoey (Merritt Wever) dance around an apology when she sides with Jackie against the EMTs.

     Jackie obviously has the most to apologize for. She shut out O'Hara when the doctor tried to help Jackie with her pill addiction by bringing into the loop Jackie's husband. Jackie has forgiven O'Hara for that, but O'Hara can't forgive Jackie for the way she was treated. Nor should she. Jackie has not hit rock bottom, and needs to. She is popping pills as much as ever. Even though O'Hara may not have seen Jackie taking the narcotics lately, she knows there is an issue that needs to be addressed.

     Kevin is forgiving Jackie much quicker than O'Hara, but that could be because he doesn't know the truth. Jackie is assuring him that she never had a drug problem, and she is fine. He believes her, because as Eddie (Paul Schulze) says, Jackie is a fantastic liar. Besides the pills, Kevin still doesn't know Jackie had an affair with Eddie, who is now Kevin's best friend. An interesting, well written twist got Eddie and Kevin to this point, but it's unknown where it will go next. Eddie is an honest guy and wants to come clean, so Jackie reluctantly plants the seeds that will allow Eddie to tell Kevin that he and Jackie work together. But will Kevin be so forgiving when the affair and the serious addiction come to light, as they eventually must?

     I do think it's time for Sam to forgive Cooper though. Besides multiple apologies, and despite Cooper's smug, superior attitude, that public humiliaiton should have been enough to earn Cooper some forgiveness. Cooper is a good guy, at heart, even if he is a little stupid and arrogant. I wish Sam would warm up to him.

     As per usual, Akalitus (Anna Deavere Smith) has some of the funniest moments of the episode. Her trying to jump rope is amusing, but the best is when Akalitus talks to staff about fighting child obesity. As she rants, she hands out doughnuts to various workers. Yes, she is arguing against being fat, but giving her employees junk food that will make them that way. And she seems to be completely oblivious about the irony. Priceless!

     Nurse Jackie airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

Click here for an alphabetical list of all of Jerome's Current Season Reviews.

My Other Nurse Jackie Reviews:
Nurse Jackie declares "Game On": The Comedy / The Drama
Nurse Jackie Falls Apart
Nurse Jackie is Back

Nurse Jackie falls apart

     Showtime's Nurse Jackie completed it's second season Monday night with "Years of Service", and it certainly shook things up.  Jackie's (the brilliant Edie Falco, The Sopranos) carefully constructed world has come crashing down, and her personal and professional life, kept so stringently separate, are starting to merge.

     The biggest event in the finale was Jackie's husband, Kevin (Dominic Fumusa, As the World Turns), and her best friend, Dr. O'Hara (Eve Best, doing an amazing job), finding out about Jackie's addiction to pain pills.  It started when Kevin discovered that Jackie had taken money from O'Hara, even though she promised him she wouldn't, and through a few simple queries, he found a bill listing many pharmacies.  Kevin then called O'Hara in, though they don't get along.  O'Hara had already discovered Jackie's deception about her back injury, and was suspicious.  Honestly, Kevin is disposable.  Jackie can have Eddie (Paul Schulze) back at any time, and he's a much better fit for her.  The only problem would be their daughters.  However, Jackie cannot loose O'Hara.  Sure, she has other friends, but she and O'Hara just go together so perfectly, it will be devastating if they have a falling out.

      Speaking of Jackie's friends, she has a new one.  She saved Sam's (Arjun Gupta) butt, and he has really grown on me.  Similarly, with Thor's (Stephen Wallem) expanded role this season, he has proved he can hang with the rest of the extremely talented cast.  Zoey (Merritt Wever, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip) has come into her own, and I very much like her and Lenny (Lenny Jacobson) together, as well as Zoey and O'Hara's budding friendship.  I also have to mention that Dr. Cooper (Peter Facinelli, the Twilight saga), while still and idiot, has grown on me, and I think that Akalitus (Anna Deavere Smith, The West Wing) may be my favorite person on the show.

     Each member of the cast pulls their own, and that's the best part about this show.  It's a medical show that doesn't concern itself with the case of the week.  And there was plenty more left up in the air, such as what will happen to Jackie because she stole drugs from that creepy guy?  Andill she be heading for rehab?  Divorce?  I can't wait for season three, which, according to imdb.com, will be arriving next February.

Pictured Below: Eddie, Zoey, Jackie, O'Hara, Akalitus, Cooper