STARGIRL Flies a Little Lower Than Peers

Article first published as TV Review: STARGIRL on Seat42F.

The CW has yet another series based on DC Comics characters running right now and this one’s called STARGIRL. It’s a show about a teenage girl who discovers the father she never knew may have been a superhero, and she may have inherited his powers. But the group that killed her maybe-father is still around, and she’s not strong enough to handle them on her own. So she decides to revive the Justice Society of America and staff it with youngsters, intent on stopping the much older baddies.

Brec Bassinger (Bella and the Bulldogs) stars as Courtney Whitmore. As the series begins, her mother, Barbara (Amy Smart, Justified), has just married Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson, Enlightened), who has a son of his own, Mike (Trae Romano, 555). The four move back to Barbara’s hometown, where she has gotten a job. But when Courtney finds Starman’s staff among Pat’s things and the staff responds to her, she decides Starman (Joel McHale, Community) must be her father and decides to follow in his footsteps. This is much to the chagrin of Pat, Starman’s former sidekick.

The premise doesn’t feel too coincidental, though Barbara’s employer verges on that trope. Pat and Barbara found each other in a sweet, simple story. Teaming Courtney up with her step-father is relatively novel for a television series, leaving Barbara to bond with Mike in more mundane plot threads. Though the separation can’t possibly last long.

A lot of the running time of the first six episodes doesn’t dwell on much character development. Instead, it sets up all the heroes and villains, as Courtney quickly recruits a diverse team to help her out. Pat, of course, isn’t pleased, but gets dragged along for the ride as Courtney ignores his instruction again and again. At the same time, we see the villains come back together and further nefarious plots, conveniently not having made much progress in the past ten years. Small skirmishes abound, but the season seems poised for a large battle at the end.

STARGIRL is unique in CW’s superhero lineup in that it isn’t directly tied to the Arrowverse. Made for the DC streaming app (which premieres episodes a day before the CW, and at least for the first two installments, longer versions of those episodes), Stargirl made a cameo in last fall’s big event, but is said to currently exist on a new Earth-2. But has the Arrowverse even established that there is a second Earth again?

Those logistics aside, STARGIRL is its own thing. A teenage drama with superheroes isn’t a new concept, nor is an origin story. The fact that the kids involved are assuming identities once held by adults makes it a bit of a ‘junior’ type situation. Kids battling adults also makes it seem like a made-for-kids show. At least, that’s what similar properties have been geared towards in the past.

Honestly, a lot about STARGIRL feels made for a younger audience in a way that the rest of the CW’s DC lineup does not. While there is death and destruction, the emotional implications of them aren’t dwelled upon, rushing onto the next big thing. Part of this can be attributed to Courtney and her mindset at present, but overall, it makes the series feel weaker than it could be. Romance doesn’t even really play in much, either, the focus more on butt kicking than crushing. McHale is wasted in a cameo, and thus far, Wilson and especially Smart haven’t been given much more than typical television parent stories in a kid show, either. Which, when taken all together, makes STARGIRL the least developed in the lineup.

Of course, kids grow, and a show can mature. So perhaps STARGIRL will move beyond its childish beginning as it continues. For now, though, I recommend taking it at face value. If you don’t mind a heavy teenage bend on your dramas, then this one’s for you.

At the time of this writing, STARGIRL is six episodes into a thirteen-episode run. New episodes run on the DC app Mondays and air on the CW Tuesdays at 8PM.

Enlightened may not be the "Agent of Change" it hopes

Article first published as Enlightened may not be the "Agent of Change" it hopes on TheTVKing.

HBO's Enlightened brings its second season (and possibly series) to an end this week with "Agent of Change." The proverbial crap hits the fan as Jeff's (Dermot Mulroney) article about Abaddon becomes public knowledge. Amy's (Laura Dern) part in it is fully exposed, costing her her job. Before she goes quietly or triumphantly off into the night though, she burns a few more bridges.

Amy is a polarizing character you tend to either love or hate. Despite enjoying the show, I don't like the lead very much. I don't know if this is a testament to Dern for creating such a specific persona, one who is realistic and recognizable, even if not very likeable, or if they series' writers misjudge just how far Amy can be taken. I feel like this is why the show struggles to build a following.

That being said, I do still want Amy to have a happy ending. She is the protagonist, and we've spent enough time watching her. She is a pain and her self-righteousness causes more harm than good. But, at the end of the day, she should still find her niche. "Agent of Change" doesn't get her there, but it does leave her in a place of success, at least on certain fronts.

It's funny when Amy gets a meeting with the head of Abaddon, Charles Szidon (James Rebhorn, White Collar, Homeland). It takes no time at all for Szidon to convince Amy that he's a good guy who's trying his best. His earnestness and apparent sincerity could sway fans of the show, too. Yet, Amy should not be moved, given the evidence she's seen. She should be able to look past his words and remember his crimes, figuring he only offers her the dream job because it makes him look good. The fact that she doesn't, changing her mind at the drop of a hat, exposes the flimsiness and weakness of her personality, a lack of utter conviction about anything.

This wishy-washiness extends to Amy's romantic life, too. She is plenty willing to blow off Levi (Luke Wilson), a man who has gone to great lengths to get his life together for her, and whom she has strung along for awhile, when she is sleeping with Jeff. Yet, when Jeff asks for a break, whose house does she go to for comfort? Yep, Levi's. Her actions are not fair to either man.

I don't believe that Jeff doesn't care for Amy. I'm not convinced he's in love with her, but it does seem like he's asking for the time apart for professional reasons, not because he is using her for information. The glowing way in which he writes about her in his article, as well as his query as to whether she is OK after everything blows up, shows us this. If Enlightened does get a third season, it could be interesting to watch Jeff and Levi fight over Amy, especially when the "winner" who gets her could, in actuality, end up the loser.

The most uncomfortable thing Amy does in "Agent of Change" doesn't come from her guy troubles, or her final showdown with Szidon, where she grows a backbone at last. No, the worst scene is when Amy ruins her fragile relationship with Krista (Sarah Burns). Just when they rebuild a friendship, Amy storms into Krista's hospital room, not long after Krista gives birth, and lobbies angry accusations and profanity against an innocent woman. It's totally in character, but it's exactly why Krista has distanced herself from Amy in the first place. There is most likely no coming back from this for Amy.

The best moment of the episode, in my opinion, is when Dougie (Timm Sharp) tries to help Amy get out of the building with her evidence against Abaddon. He tells her that she's been a terrible employee, but he still wants to hang out with her, and he supports her mission. Friends can be found in the most unlikely of places, and to see them come together is heartwarming.

It's also nice that Amy salvages Tyler's (Mike White) budding arrangement with Eileen (Molly Shannon, Saturday Night Live), and, after kicking her daughter out of her home, Helen (Diane Ladd) finds something to be proud of Amy for. These are the touches that makes Enlightened worth watching, even at its most uncomfortable moments.

What would a third season of Enlightened look like? Obviously, Amy would not be at her job any longer, and that would make it hard to keep all of her co-workers in the cast. Tyler and Dougie, at least, lost their jobs, too, so maybe they would latch on to whatever Amy does next. But Krista would likely be gone, which, while I liked her, would not be a big loss, since her arc comes to a close so neatly this week. And obviously Amy would have another cause to go after in some half-thought out way.

"Agent of Change" is nice because it really brings things to a close in a way that makes sense. There may be some things that end uncomfortably, and plenty of balls left up in the air, but if Enlightened should be done, there is enough finished to not be too disappointing.

Still not Enlightened

This season, HBO's Enlightened is going dark, with Amy (Laura Dern) seeking revenge on her company, hoping to bring them down. Well, she claims in this week's premiere, "The Key," that she is not motivated by any need to get even, but I think that the lady doth protest too much. The question is, will her stated noble reasons to hurt her employer win out, or will her emotional state ruin the mission before it even gets started?

As Amy approaches reporter Jeff Flender (Dermot Mulroney, New Girl, My Best Friend's Wedding) with information she obtained from hacking executive e-mail accounts, she appears confident that she has enough dirt to bring the whole corporation crashing down. While watching, though, there is little suspense. Viewers know that she can't possibly have what she thinks she has, because that's just not the type of person Amy is. She doesn't succeed like this.

The choices Dern makes in playing the character are interesting. She overreacts, and forces drama where there need not be, at least, not as much as she makes present. She has a holier-that-thou attitude, but her flaws are obvious, and constantly on display. She gets completely ahead of herself, such as in "The Key," where she is printing a few e-mails, and already imagining herself as Time's person of the year for being such a great whistle-blower. She thinks she is clever in fooling her boss, but she's not.

We all know someone like her, but they are the person one avoids. Centering an entire series around her is a bold choice.

I admit, it has taken awhile for Enlightened to grow on me, likely for just such reasons. There's plenty of television programs that serve up a delicious anti-hero, but Amy is an annoying and whiny girl, who doesn't easily get audiences to root for her. I feel like this year's mission to actually turn her causes into something worthwhile may be an attempt to connect and build a fan base. It remains to be seen if that will work.

Yet, there is something that has kept me watching all this time. Maybe it's the wonderment that Dern has so fully committed to and fleshed out the character of Amy. Maybe it's the side characters, who get drawn into Amy's plans, and the need to see them make it out of her influence and be OK. I'm not quite sure why, but I do end up enjoying the show.

Sadly, Amy's vendetta has got to have some casualties. Most likely, that will be in the form of Tyler (Mike White), whose password she uses to hack the e-mails, and whom drives her across down to meet with Jeff, but then Amy leaves him in the car. Tyler's a long-suffering sidekick, and while he probably won't be going anywhere on Enlightened, that doesn't mean his character's job isn't in jeopardy.

I am not worried about Jeff. He's a smart, shrewd individual who knows exactly what he is doing. He is willing to work with Amy because he can use her to get the story that he wants, and he's not going to waste time with the drivel that she initially gives him. There may even be a little spark of attraction between them, him seeing something in her that he likes in the way that she is disgusted with her company's terrible, but not illegal, practices.

The question there is, will Levi (Luke Wilson) return home and compete with Jeff for her affections? Levi doesn't appear in "The Key" because the action picks up soon after last year's finale, and he is away at the retreat. Or is he? I'm honestly not sure, because he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would benefit from Amy's favorite place in the world. However, when he does come back, and if he wants Amy again, there could potentially be some organic competition there. That Amy will most definitely blow way out of proportion.

Enlightened airs Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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Article first posted on TheTVKing

Anyone want to be Enlightened?

     In the pilot of HBO's new half hour dramedy, Enlightened, Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern, Jurassic Park), has a mental breakdown at work. This is likely due to her co-worker/lover, Damon (Chip Esten, Big Love) dumping her, and quite possibly costing Amy her job. Amy goes to Hawaii for three months and finds inner peace. Returning with a positive attitude, she goes back to her company, who, afraid of a lawsuit, finds a place for her within the building.

     It's hard to know what to make of Enlightened. Amy is in a precarious mental state. Even after her "enlightenment," she still shows signs of her previous instability. She tries to make peace with Damon, who calls her crazy, sparking her to cuss and yell again. As such, Amy's character is still an unknown. Has she really begun a new path? Or is the "inner peace" just cover for the turmoil raging within her, being kept bottled up? Or is she, like most people in reality, somewhere in the middle, still figuring out her path? Will she be happy with the crappy little position she takes over at work, or will she rebel at the demotion?

     It isn't hard to see why Amy has trouble connecting and communicating with others. Upon returning from Hawaii, Amy temporarily moves in with her mother, Helen (Diane Ladd, Kingdom Hospital, Chinatown). Amy tries to read Helen a letter she wrote at her retreat about her feelings towards her mother. Helen refuses to listen, making excuses to avoid the confrontation and authentic exchange. Yet, Helen still cares, as evidenced by Amy finding her asleep with Amy's letter. So no wonder Amy is socially awkward after being raised by such a distant woman. Maybe Amy can find a way to help her while they live together.

     Damon will not continue to be a love interest for Amy. In fact, if anything, he is an obstacle. Since he still holds a high position within the company, might he make her work life even more miserable than it's sure to be? Or might Amy crack a little further and use their affair, and the threat to tell his wife, as leverage against the slimy weasel? The latter would be most welcome, even if it costs Amy some progress.

     No, Amy's love interest is ex-husband, Levi (Luke Wilson, Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums). There is still clearly much affection between the pair, and Levi isn't, unlike Damon, hostile towards Amy. Unfortunately, Levi doesn't have his life together either, as evidenced by snorting a line of coke during polite conversation. It is no wonder two such messed up people couldn't make it work. One must take care of oneself before supporting another. But, maybe if Amy does begin to find a real stability, she can help Levi find himself Enlightened.

     Despite the confusion over what Enlightened is about, and the uncertainty whether it will be worth watching or not, there is one thing that can be said for sure: Dern and Wilson are giving amazing performances. They both knock it out of the park separately, and their chemistry together is wonderful. With this in place, it seems the series deserves a chance.

     Finally, it's hard to know what to make of Amy's co-worker friend, Krista (Sarah Burns, I Love You, Man). Five months pregnant, she's awkward when admitting such to Amy. Might Krista's baby be Damon's, rather than her (former?) steady guy's? Her evasive speech indicates that something is up, and that could explain the unease around Amy, as their affairs with Damon would overlap. This could be a serious stumbling block to Amy's readjustment.

     Enlightened airs Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

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Article first published as TV Review: Enlightened - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.