THE STRAIN Season 2 Preview

Article originally published as TV Preview: 'The Strain' - Season 2 on Blogcritics.

FX’s The Strain intrigued and confused audiences last summer. This weekend, it returns for a second round on FX and hopefully it will continue to do more of the former and less of the latter. The first episode back, “BK, N.Y.,” isn’t the best hour of television I’ve seen lately, but for fans of the brand of horror that the series presents, it will likely be pretty satisfying.

Events in “BK, N.Y.” pick up just after the end of season one. Abraham (David Bradley) goes looking for The Master (Robin Atkin Downes), while Vasiliy (Kevin Durand) reinforces their defenses, and Ephraim (Corey Stoll) lets alcohol interfere with choosing the right path forward. There’s action and movement on a number of subplots, a frightening encounter with the dark minions, the unexpected return of a recurring character, and a longer look at the scarred face, hooded one.

My problem with this hour, though, is that it does seem to be tossing a lot of ingredients in and they aren’t all necessary. “BK, N.Y.” follows a big encounter, so Abraham’s plot is solid, building upon past progress. Vasiliy’s makes a sort of sense if they’re digging in for the long haul, but do any of them think that’s the best course of action? Ephraim is pretty much off the rails, reminding us of his job, which seems silly to bring back up now, and without a solid hero’s thrust until the very end of the hour. It makes the whole thing feel a little meandering, rather than hitting the ground running after last season’s build up. 

The Strain is stalled further by an extended, ten-minute prologue before we even get back to the familiar. We see a young Abraham being told a story by an old woman, so there’s flashback within flashback. The tale is interesting and does inform on current events, but it’s quite long and there doesn’t seem to be an immediate need for it to be, confusing the situation even more. Perhaps it would have been better to tease this out over multiple weeks, or at least present it as fact instead of legend, telling the audience whether or not they can really trust this version of events, the way it is told calling into question its legitimacy, even as it matches up with the main plot.

Another thing The Strain has to deal with in its second season, considering there’s no time jump, and this is an issue many series have to tackle at one time or another, is the character of Zach Goodweather. Being a kid, viewers would notice a huge growth spurt over the mere hours between seasons. Whether because of this or for another reason, young actor Ben Hyland has been let go and replaced with Max Charles (The Neighbors). Max doesn’t really look that much like Ben unless you squint real hard, so perhaps the series is hoping the different look will make us forget about the quick aging. It does not.

Overall, I do enjoy The Strain. It gets one’s adrenaline pumping, and while some of the makeup is hokey, the general look and feel of the show is pretty cool. The acting isn’t bad and the story doesn’t seem like it’s been done a million times before, as many other shows do. However, there are some very, very good programs on right now (Hannibal, Humans, Mr. Robot), and by comparison, The Strain pales. As a genre series catering to a specific audience, I think it works well. But in the larger television landscape, it’s likely to fail to appeal to the masses and really take off like The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones has, lacking something vital and hard to quantify. I’ll probably keep watching it, but it won’t make my must-see-as-soon-as-it-airs list.

The Strain returns Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Invite over THE NEIGHBORS

Article first published as DVD Review: 'The Neighbors - The Complete First Season' on Blogcritics.

When Marty Weaver (Lenny Venito) found a great deal on a house in the suburbs for his family, it seemed a little too good to be true. Turns out, that’s exactly what it is, because it isn’t long before the Weavers learn that the entire neighborhood is populated by aliens! Yes, literal aliens from outer space. How do the Weavers cope with discovering other life forms in their own backyard? Well, you can find out in The Neighbors – The Complete First Season, a three-disc DVD recently released by ABC.

The Neighbors premiered last fall to critical derision. I admit, I was on that bandwagon, merely sticking a four-sentence quickie review in a list, not even granting it a full article. It was cheesy, the aliens were very goofy, and there didn’t seem to be any realism to it at all. For instance, how can the aliens, who aren’t at all schooled in Earth customs and don’t really attempt to hide, live for ten years on our planet without being discovered?

But once you get used to the very unique tone of the show, it quickly begins to grown on you. You can forget about why the police didn’t notice a whole development selling at once, and instead enjoy a dance number or confusion about dating. The holiday episodes, in particular, address whole new levels of confusion in unexpected ways. And by the end of the season, despite less-than-stellar ratings threatening cancellation, a number of fans had been made, myself among them, who couldn’t wait to see what zany trouble these characters would get into next.

A lot of the credit goes to the actors involved in the project, who created two fantastic families, the of which interactions between them are the core of the series. Toks Olagundoye is absolutely phenomenal as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the naive, earnest, compassionate, loyal extraterrestrial matriarch who likes human ways, and rebels against her husband’s strict rule. Said husband, Larry Bird (Simon Templeman), is more bumbling, resisting integration, even though he has no desire to go home either. Elder son Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo) is soon smitten with the Weaver’s daughter, Amber (Clara Mamet), which means Larry is fighting change from two sides. Thankfully, Larry has younger son, Dick Butkus (Ian Patrick), who would happily follow in his father’s footsteps.

As you may have noticed, each of these family members has the name of a famous athlete (including last names), and they are a multi-racial family, with a British father, African-American mother, Asian teenager, and fair-skinned boy. That’s what the crux of the issues, which result in much humor, are with the aliens: they know about Earth, but don’t understand how it fits together.

Equal credit must be given to the performers portraying the Weavers, who are very relatable, and roll with the punches as best as one can expect them to. Marty takes Larry under his wing, whether Larry wants to actually pay attention or not. Jackie becomes fast friends with Marty’s wife, Debbie (Jami Gertz), a source of inspiration to the visitor. And the younger Weaver children, Max (Max Charles) and Abby (Isabella Cramp), quickly adapt as kids do, even if they have trouble getting Dick to engage in childish activities.

In short, The Neighbors is a surprising winner, and if you missed it the first time around, as many did, The Complete First Season may be a great way to catch up in a weekend binge. Despite the utter lack of bonus features, only a gag reel and deleted scenes, which seem the bare minimum, I enjoy the episodes quite a bit, and recommend this set as a piece of fresh, different, dare I say out-of-this-world, comedy.

The Neighbors – The Complete First Season is available now.

It Has Likely Ended for The Neighbors

Article first published as It Has Likely Ended for The Neighbors on TheTVKing.

The freshman season finale of ABC's wacky sitcom The Neighbors aired this week. Entitled "It Has Begun...," the episode takes the surprising tack of setting up a cliffhanger and plot for next season. Surprising, because the ratings have never been stellar, and the chances for renewal aren't good. Though, TVLine.com has upgraded The Neighbors from "A long shot" to "Could go either way," so I guess it has a chance.

The Neighbors seems destined to become a forgotten footnote in the annals of television history. It has an interesting concept, a middle-class New Jersey family moves into a suburb populated by aliens, and after becoming friends, help the extra-terrestrials adapt to our planet. But it's utter oddness, including the childlike behavior of the adults in the situation, the way all of the aliens always dress the same, and that they are named after sports stars, is enough to turn many off.

I actually find the series charming, in a way. All of the performers in the show completely sell the concept. It may not be an example of the highest, smartest comedy writing, but it's a feel-good series that feels authentic for what it is. The Weaver family, the humans at the center, have bonded with the Bird-Kersees, the main aliens, and it's become a tale of two different groups finding commonality and friendship against all odds.

"It Has Begun..." does what The Neighbors so often do: it sends Marty (Lenny Venito) and Debbie (Jami Gertz) Weaver off to do a thing, this time visit Atlantic City, with Larry Bird (Simon Templeman) and his wife, Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Toks Olagundoye) in toe. Marty finds out Larry can see through cards and beat the casino at its own games, so they have fun. Jackie laments that she never got a traditional wedding, so Debbie helps her throw an impromptu one.

There are plenty of funny moments, such as when Jackie thinks the Maid of Honor should be dressed as an actual maid, or when Larry asks Marty "How poor are you?" after Marty gets upset at losing $5,000. But it's really a tale of four friends, at its heart, who help each other with life's experiences, and learn from one another.

This season finale decides to get a little meta in its humor, which seems a natural adaptation, given the silly tone. Larry and Jackie acknowledge the formula the show works on out loud at the beginning, Debbie expresses the opinion that they have the kinks worked out on how they should interact, and all four express the hope to spend more seasons, er, years together. If only more people would watch, they just might have the chance...

But besides the kookiness, which is entertaining, "It Has Begun..." lends a level of heart to the proceedings. The adults have it, when they bond and express their friendship. Reggie (Tim Jo) has it when, faced with leaving Earth behind, he chooses Amber (Clara Mamet) over his girlfriend, and they finally kiss. And Dick (Ian Patrick) shows a little when questioning where his loyalties lie, as do Max (Max Charles) and Abby (Isabella Cramp) in hoping their aliens friends will stay.

That's why I like The Neighbors. Not necessarily because of the aliens, but because of the two families. The rest of the neighborhood has taken a back seat to the two main clans, and should everyone else have gone home in "It Has Begun...," I would not have been disappointed. In fact, it might have really worked, as Larry and Jackie would need to depend on the Weavers even more.

I think the reason the show doesn't do that is because the characters are currently isolated in their gated community. It's hard enough not to be found out, as careless as they are, but for it to be believable that Earthlings move into the area and don't notice the alien behavior is just stretching the show too far, further than it has already stretched. Also, for the aliens to be publicly exposed would send the show in a darker direction, and take away the specialness it currently has.

Not that The Neighbors can't handle deep emotion. The bit this week where the Commander arrives, the aliens gather to leave, Reggie chooses Amber, and the adults flee the wedding to rush home is moving and powerful. It may be the single best sequence the show has done.

But it thrives on the comedy. The ending cap where the Commander (played by Star Trek's George Takei) banters with his subordinate (played by Star Wars' Mark Hamill), and they rip on the actors' respective franchises, is very funny and most welcome. And learning that Jackie's alien name is Debbie may not make sense, but elicits a chuckle.

The only real complaint I have about "It Has Begun" is the plot hole of what the Commander is up to. He supposedly tries to reach out to Larry through toast messages, then tells Dick not to tell Larry he's coming, then is annoyed when he shows up and has to wait for Larry. Does he want Larry to know he's coming or not? And why does he bring an army if he's not going to force Larry to leave? I feel like an artificial layer of suspense is added on top of the tale they are trying to tell, and it ends up confusing things.

I will be disappointed if we don't find out what the Commander is trying to warn Larry of. This opens the door to an interesting new direction in a possible second season. For that reason, and because I want to see the actors playing aliens continue their brilliant work, I hope The Neighbors gets renewed.