EMPIRE Crumbles Under Scrutiny

Article first published as EMPIRE Review on Seat42F.

Do you like the idea of ABC’s Nashville, but aren’t a fan of country music? If so, FOX’s EMPIRE, premiering this week, might just be for you. A similar structure, a soap opera-style drama set in the music scene, with natural performances interspersed but no spontaneous bursting into song, is the format. EMPIRE goes for the hip-hop world, though, and keeps the plot more concentrated with a five-member family at its heart.

Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard, Law & Order: LA, Iron Man) is a former criminal, now the head of a major record label that he plans to take public. He’s also secretly dying, so he begins looking to his three sons to figure out who to groom as his successor. There’s Andre (Trai Byers, Selma), the businessman married to a white woman, who seems the natural choice, but Lucious thinks the company might need a more artistic figurehead. Hakeem (newcomer Bryshere Gray) is going to be a big music star, so he might give Andre some competition. The dark horse in the race is Jamal (Jussie Smollett, On Our Own, The Mighty Ducks), who is musically talented, but uninterested in the spotlight, and, much to his father’s disappointment, gay.

Of course, EMPIRE needs plenty of drama, not just a singular through-line, so enter Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson, Person of Interest, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). Ex-wife of Lucious, she helped found the company before spending the past decade-plus behind bars, likely for something they were both connected to. She re-enters the scene determined to win her rightful place in the EMPIRE (sic), and thinks Jamal is the way to do it, positioning the middle child against his younger brother, Hakeem.

There are multiple layers to every character, albeit not necessarily interesting ones. We see much of Lucious’s shame concerning Jamal in flashback, but Cookie may not be as accepting as she pretends to be, with selfish motives only for now in line with her motherly instincts. The boys don’t want to fight amongst themselves, but it’s easy to pick at old battles and reignite them. Andre’s wife, Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday, Catch Me If You Can), smells money and power and wants both. Cookie feels jilted since Lucious has moved on with Anika Gibbons (Grace Gealey). An old business partner (Malik Yoba, Alphas) may find his loyalty shifting.

It’s convoluted and cheesy. EMPIRE presents the glitz and glamor of the record industry as it once was (before its current downslide), while also keeping the thug life alive, and allowing the grittiness of the characters’ pasts to come to the forefront. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do any of this all that well, feeling like a repeat of so many other efforts, paling by comparison, and even sticking the always-wonderful Gabourey Sidibe (Precious, The Big C) in a recurring role doesn’t save it.

For me, part of the turn-off is this particular style of music, which isn’t my favorite (yes, I know that’s going to earn me some mean-spirited comments, but it’s true). However, a bigger disappointment is the lack of character development and thin story, which are also the reasons I stopped watching Nashville.

There is an argument to be made that African Americans deserve more representation on television, and that’s a valid point. But they also deserve better fare than EMPIRE, very much a black copy of an existing white show. If one wants to delve into subject matter like this, I wish a stronger voice shone through. Or you can just watch Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse, which contains many of the same themes and is a far superior program, smartly written. For music in this genre, well, this is your only real option on the small screen right now, so maybe you’ll want to watch this.

EMPIRE premieres Wednesday, January 7th on FOX.

"Everything Is Ending" Or Just Getting Started for THE GOOD WIFE

Article first published as "Everything Is Ending" Or Just Getting Started for THE GOOD WIFE on TheTVKing.

CBS's The Good Wife, arguably the best drama on that network, returns tonight with "Everything Is Ending." The pressure mounts for the fourth years to tell the partners they are leaving the firm and striking out on their own. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) is caught in the middle of the two worlds, and tries to appease both sides, while still keeping her secrets. A case involving an inmate on death row gives her pause about her own decision.

Alicia likes working for Will (Josh Charles) and Diane (Christine Baranski), and who can blame her? They've been good to her, promoting her when appropriate, giving her opportunities, and assigning her to cases she feels passionate about, such as the pro bono work in "Everything Is Ending," saving a man named Eddie (Malik Yoba, Alphas) from execution. She is comfortable there.

Yet, she has given her word to Cary (Matt Czuchry) that she will help him start a new firm. Part of that decision might have been prompted by wanting to get away from Will, avoiding old feelings, but her word has been given. It's too late to back out. Or is it?

It's a real conundrum for Alicia. She has already made plans with Cary, and further digs her grave by lying to the partners when questioned about what she knows. Even if she wanted to stay, the only way to be forgiven would be to rat out her co-conspirators, but then Diane and Will still probably wouldn't trust her. And if she does the right thing, coming clean to the partners, she would not be welcome at the new firm, her co-workers feeling betrayed. Whatever she does now, after the lie, someone will feel like she stabbed them in the back. There is no good way out.

The problem may have been who Alicia got into bed with. It's one thing for her to want to work with Cary. They have a relationship, and similar sensibilities. He can be reasoned with. It's another to go with a democratic rule with a bunch of rash, greedy people, who don't want to leave Lockhart Gardner until after they get their bonuses. It's a short-sighted move on their part, and Alicia may end up being the one to pay the price for it. It's too bad she and Cary aren't really the new Will and Diane, as Cary is fond of calling them, because wise leadership is needed to right the course.

I do wonder if Alicia might change her mind. She seems to waver because, if she goes to a start up firm, she won't be able to help people like Eddie for quite some time. It seems Alicia didn't fully think out her choice, and now it contributes to her being stuck. But I don't want her to stay at Lockhart Gardner because Cary has felt screwed over enough and it took awhile to rebuild their trust the last time. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what she decides.

Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) may pay the price, too, also trying to cover for the associates when David Lee (Zach Grenier) starts digging. She tries to put him off, and even denies knowledge that she possesses. This is clearly done out of loyalty to Cary, and maybe Alicia. It's noble, to be sure, but when everything goes down, David Lee will surely bring Kalinda's evasiveness to the senior partners' attention.

Peter (Chris Noth) may be getting himself into much the same circumstances as Alicia in "Everything Is Ending," not thinking things through completely. To protect his image, at the behest of Eli (Alan Cumming), he promotes Marilyn (Melissa George, Alias) out of his office. Eli is correct in saying that pictures taken of Peter and Marilyn might spark bad rumors. But Marilyn is smart enough to know exactly what Peter is doing, and doesn't seem happy about it. Will she return to cause trouble, making Peter regret his decision?

It is touching when Peter suggests that Eli be his chief of staff. Eli and Peter have been through a lot together, and it's a little surprising the idea hasn't been floated before. Eli, for all his ego, actually seems surprised to be considered, and certainly appreciates the offer. While it's not completely clear Eli will accept, that's the assumption I've made, and I'm glad to solidify their partnership on the show, hopefully seeing Eli in new roles now.

Grace (Makenzie Vega) is cast in a new role, as a sex symbol. Zach's (Graham Phillips) buddies alert him to the website objectifying his sister, and he isn't pleased, though he soon realizes there's nothing he can do about it. Given Grace's religion and personality, it's unlikely she'll take advantage of the situation, and it will likely cause her more embarrassment than pride. I wonder where The Good Wife intends to go with this thread.

"Everything Is Ending" is a fantastic episode. Besides the various plots covered above, we get Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) as a judge, a classic Lockhart Gardner Hail Mary, and see a softer side of Geneva Pine (Renée Elise Goldsberry). The tension is high, the pacing is fast, and the show still takes time for character development. If only other CBS shows, stuck in the procedural formulas, could take some notes, the network would quickly rise in quality.

The Good Wife airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Alphas go to "Alphaville"

SyFy's Alphas continues to get marginally better in season two. There are recurring characters and larger themes, rather than just a case of the week. While each episode still feels like its own story, the stories do impact each other, each one a piece in a larger puzzle. How it all comes together will be the deciding factor on whether the show has improved enough from its lackluster first season to earn continued patronage, and we are still quite a ways off from that point. But this week's installment, "Alphaville," does give us a few things to ponder.

Summer Glau returns as Skylar Adams! Glau is fantastic actress. Her first guest spot on Alphas, back in season one, was the type of role that she is known for in sci-fi series. But "Alphaville" exposes a whole other side of the actress, which is a credit to the show. Glau plays a mother now, more concerned with her daughter, Zoe (Skyler Wexler, a very talented child performer), than political battles or espionage. Faced with a project that could benefit many, she still puts her child first, and even though she is struggling with being a parent, she is sure trying hard. Very cool.

The problem is, if individuals just concentrate on making their own lives work, the bigger picture is ignored. As neat as it is to see Glau's Skylar domesticated, it ignores the larger threat posed by Stanton Parish (John Pyper-Ferguson). Dr. Rosen (David Strathairn) fails to recruit her to their cause, which is a huge blow for the good guys, especially when it appears that Stanton Parish may succeed where Rosen failed.

How much do charismatic leaders shape world events? We all know that Hitler would not have made it as far as he did without winning a lot of people over. Rosen seems to lack this ability to draw others to him. He has his supporters, individuals he has worked with and helped. But overall, most people don't like him, including the government agents he works with. His going public about people with powers sours even more Alphas on him, as we learn when the team visits Skylar in "Alphaville." By contrast, Parish seems to be gaining more and more followers, making him a very dangerous enemy, indeed.

I do feel sorry for poor Cameron (Warren Christie), who doesn't know how to pick the right gal. First, Nina (Laura Mennell) used her ability on him, and now it looks like Rosen's daughter,  Danielle (Kathleen Munroe), may be playing him for information on the team's activities. When is he going to catch a break? The show had better not screw over Rachel (Azita Ghanizada) in a similar manner in her own budding romance.

The issue I have with Alphas is that, many times, the characters are not that compelling. Dr. Rosen isn't the only one who lacks natural drawing power. And while this may be a conscious choice for the characters, I'm glad to see that it has been acknowledged as a plot point and begun to change a bit in season two. Obviously, I am a fan of Skylar, and wish she appeared more often. I also like Kat (Erin Way), though it's hard to believe she isn't working against the rest, even if unintentionally.

The one main character who delivers week after week is Gary (Ryan Cartwright). He's entertaining, interesting, shows growth, makes you care about him, despite an abrasive personality. His interactions with Bill (Malik Yoba), are some of my favorite moments.

Alphas airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on SyFy.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Wake up, Alphas!

Grade: 77%

ALPHAS returns to SyFy for a second season with “Wake Up Call,” which opens eight months after the events of the season one finale. Dr. Rosen (David Strathairn) remains locked up in an institution, making friends with his captors, while the rest of the team has scattered. But soon, as Dr. Rosen predicts will happen, an emergency forces the government to call him out of lock up and reassemble his group to fight the good fight.

Dr. Rosen is an absolutely fantastic character. The way he has such knowledge about how the world works, and his utmost confidence in that knowledge, is impressive. Even when things are not looking good for him, he has a calm, knowing that things are always changing, and they will again soon. His morality may sway a little, but he always manages to right his course and fight for justice. It’s almost like an Alpha power, and makes him a very worthy leader for the group.

Outing the Alpha phenomenon to the public is a huge gamble. Rosen knows it is the right thing to do, but he pays a price for doing so. While Rosen does get his team back, with assurances that he will have even more control over their missions and their outcomes, that isn’t an all clear to preach to a mass audience. Perhaps he thinks he won’t need to if he maintains control. Surely he has learned his lesson about lack of oversight not being a good thing, under any circumstances.

One wonders, if ALPHAS did not take place in the television world, if Dr. Rosen would have been released quite so quickly. It might have been neat to explore the team leaderless a little longer, as well as the affects of an extended captivity on Rosen. Sadly, in a television show like this, a status quo must be maintained for the procedural elements to work. The end of “Wake Up Call” doesn’t ignore what has come before it, but by fixing the major elements, it sets itself up for a bunch of stand alone stories.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a procedural. However, ALPHAS has so much potential to move beyond that. And it is doing so, sort of. Season two will be about catching all of the bad guys that Stanton Parish (John Pyper-Ferguson, Brothers & Sisters, Caprica) has let out, as well as stopping a war between humans and Alphas. But there will definitely be cases of the weeks along the way, and entire hours that are mostly spent chasing a single suspect. These are the stories that aren’t quite as compelling as the ones that cater more to the larger arcs.

It’s very interesting to see how the rest of the team has moved on before Rosen brings them back together, and like in Rosen’s case, I wish they had spent a bit more time exploring those experiences. Each goes down their own path, some back to what they were before, and others making different choices.

Bill (Malik Yoba) has assumed de facto leadership, continuing to work with Clay (Mahershala Ali), though his decisions splinter the group. Only Hicks (Warren Christie) and Gary (Ryan Cartwright) continue to work with him, having no where else to go, and dreading a return to life with no purpose. And it isn’t long before Bill’s weak leadership gets Gary taken away by the NSA, and later locked up in prison. Bill may try, but he just doesn’t have that unique personality that Rosen has to keep these individuals together.

Nina (Laura Mennell) and Rachel (Anita Ghanizada) backslide, with Rachel hiding out in her parents’ house, and Nina going back to manipulating people to get what she wants. This does expose weaknesses within them, neither enjoying these lives, but not having the strength to change them without Rosen’s help, either. Not that the others aren’t weak, too, because they are, in different ways. And it’s not a sexist choice that sidelines the girls, but rather, the plot that best serves each layered, complex part in the way that it has been written up until now.

ALPHAS isn’t perfect, and “Wake Up Call” does disappoint a bit in the quick resolutions and easy answers. However, it is still a highly entertaining show, fully realizing a particular world, and exploring it in interesting ways. If the preview can be believed, it also looks like season two is going to be pretty darn good. Watch ALPHAS Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on SyFy.

Alphas pulls a "Catch and Release"

     This week's episode of SyFy's Alphas is called "Catch and Release." An Alpha named Skylar (Summer Glau, Serenity, Dollhouse, The Cape, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is hunted down. She is a past acquaintance of Nina's (Laura Mennell), so naturally, Nina feels the need to help her. This is fine with Dr. Rosen (David Strathaim). But Skylar doesn't want the team's help, calling them puppets of the corrupt government. She is soon proven correct as Agent Sullivan (Valerie Cruz, Off the Map, True Blood) demands they keep Skylar in custody, at the behest of Cley (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Treme, The 4400).

     Summer Glau is a perfect fit for Alphas for the simple reason that Alphas is a science fiction show, and it seems that no modern sci-fit hit is complete without at least a visit from Glau. This is not a bad thing, as Glau is terrific, and Alphas explores yet another new character for her, rather than retreading the same ground. Skylar is highly intelligent and one step ahead of her pursuers, but she also has a solid reason to run, and to not cooperate with the team. That is, she has a child, whom the government will not hesitate to take away and experiment on if they learn of her existence. So Skylar can be forgiven for being less than cooperative with her rescuers.

     It's hard to figure out exactly where Alphas is going. When the series begins, Dr. Rosen's group just seeks to help humans with abnormal abilities. Then they are co-opted by the government, and each week it seems they bend more to the will of their bosses. "Catch and Release" is the perfect pause button for Dr. Rosen to remind him where he has been, and what path he is now on. Both Nina (pictured below) and Rosen realize they have to use their own judgment, rather than just let the man with the money dictate their actions. How much longer can status quo be maintained if the Alphas team begins working against the people with the purse strings? From a storytelling standpoint, hopefully not long.

     Sullivan, who is still a new character, and not in every episode, is clearly in a very difficult position. Cley and the government have their desires, and Rosen and company have theirs. But Sullivan is the liaison, and tasked with keeping both groups happy. She does the best that she can. Sullivan definitely has a bond with Rosen, and while chiding him for letting Skylar escape, and leaving things out of his report, doesn't exactly fully support Cley either. When the chips are down, it is possible Sullivan will side with Rosen. But it is also possible she will not. Her motivations are just too murky at this point to know for sure. Which makes her interesting.

     A great subplot of "Catch and Release" focuses on my personal favorite character, Gary (Ryan Cartwright, Bones, Mad Men). Gary tells his mother, Sandra (Jane Moffat, Queer as Folk), about the classified and dangerous nature of his work. As a guy with autism, who needs lots of help, Gary can be forgiven for leaking state secrets to his mother. But Sandra's reaction is to pull Gary off the team, something Gary refuses to let happen. It's an interesting balance of needy and independent that Cartwright walks with his genius character, and he nails the subtleties brilliantly. Gary ends up staying with the Alphas, of course, but he also gets to remind viewers that people with physical and mental challenges are still people, with their own wants and needs.

     Another wonderful character is Bill (Malik Yoba), who is forming quite a partnership with Gary. Sort of a really, really odd couple, it is a true joy to watch them together. Bill considers having children in "Catch and Release" with wife Jeannie (Rachael Crawford, Show Me Yours, Traders). Jeannie isn't privy to all of Bill's secrets, and so is understandably upset when he shows hesitance with something they both agreed long ago that they want. But Bill's position is also sympathetic, worried about what kind of offspring an Alpha might produce. In the end, seeing Skylar's precious daughter, who has incredible abilities beyond anything Bill imagines, sways him towards the idea. It's a sweet moment for a man who isn't the focus of many sweet moments.

     Alphas also stars Azita Ghanizada and Warren Christie. Catch it Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on SyFy. You especially won't want to miss next week's episode, which features Raising Hope and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Garret Dillahunt!

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

     Click here to catch up on streaming episodes of Alphas.

Article first published as TV Review: Alphas - "Catch and Release" on Blogcritics.

Alphas pilot good, not great

     SyFy's Alphas premiered this week. In the pilot, Dr. Rosen's (David Strathaim, Temple Grandin) team track Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie, Happy Town, October Road), a man who can be superhumanly precise, for murdering a witness in custody. They discover that Cameron was brainwashed, and did not act on his own free will. Cameron agrees to help them catch the real villain, a man who make anyone do exactly what he wants with a touch for his horribly disfigured hand. The bad guy is eventually caught, and Rosen blackmails Cameron into joining the team full-time.

     The term 'alphas' in the series refers to anyone with abnormal powers. 'Mutant' or 'superhero' can be easily substituted, which is fine, because this is sort of an X-Men: The Series. Rosen is like Professor X, in that he is measured and cool, and also the team leader, helping his charges as much as the world. Besides Cameron, the team consists of: Gary (Ryan Cartwright, Bones, Mad Men), who appears to have Asperger's, and can visualize any signals moving through the air; Bill (Malik Yoba, Defying Gravity), who has super strength for a limited time when his adrenaline ratchets up; Nina (Laura Mennell, Watchmen), who can override people's will power, though she's not enough it seems unnecessary; and Rachel (Azita Ghanizada, General Hospital: Night Shift), who can enhance any one of her senses greatly, but the others don't work when she does so.

     Rachel and Bill, especially, have inherent weaknesses with their abilities. This is interesting, because generally heroes with powers have a weak spot, but the ability isn't the cause of it. The power itself is nearly unlimited. Yet, Rachel becomes very vulnerable when using hers, and Bill can't keep his up for long. There are also personality clashes between various members of the group, as each have their own issues that are barely touched on in the Alphas pilot, but the team functions well enough together to get the job done.

     Which is kind of why Alphas is a bit boring. When bringing together such complex, eccentric people, more clash is expected. The personal drama would better inform the series, instead of making the first episode sort of like a crime procedural, as the characters look for the bad guy behind the murder. Perhaps Rosen's crew has had time to work through any such disagreements, but by robbing viewers of that experience, it also robs the show of something, too. The actors are decent enough, but only Strathaim and Cartwright stand out in the first episode as doing something more than following the script.

     Special effects aren't a big issue on TV today, as it is relatively affordable to make the action look good, as Alphas does. It's hard to pin any other complaints, besides the one above, other than things are just a bit too predictable, and opportunity for greatness is squandered when using standard formulas. If Alphas wants to establish itself as a great series, which SyFy is capable of making (think Battlestar Galactica), there needs to be some retooling. Sure, there is a big, mysterious group that needs taken down. But with the focus on the weekly villain, that gets a little lost in the shuffle.

     Alphas airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on SyFy.

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

     Click here to catch up on streaming episodes of Alphas.