AMERICAN ODYSSEY Too 'Merican

Article originally published AMERICAN ODYSSEY Review on Seat42F.


If you like semi-political thrillers, thought Homeland was just a little too complex and conspiracy-driven for you, but 24 is too action-packed and flat, then NBC has you covered with AMERICAN ODYSSEY. Set in the Middle East, Africa, and the United States, it has shady government agencies, murdering terrorists, and secrets that must be exposed for the good of the public, chock full of dangerous villains and noble heroes. Is it all too on the nose, though?

Were AMERICAN ODYSSEY the first program of its kind to the table, it might stand a chance at being something worth watching. The problem is, not only are there already a plethora of choices out there, but this one doesn’t rank near the top in quality. If you want a show like this that will keep you guessing, watch Homeland. If you like spy games, check out The Americans on FX. If you want to see a government that keeps secrets, well, The X-Files should be back on the air in the fall. All of this makes American Odyssey pretty unnecessary.

The plot is extremely formulaic. As we are introduced to the various stars, there are several scenes early in the pilot to introduce the factions and get things moving. Multiple bits in a row basically feature one of the leads running into someone they know but haven’t seen for awhile and learning something vital from said acquaintance. The first time this happens seems hokey; by the third instance in less than ten minutes, I was completely out of the story and marveling at how American Odyssey may know what pieces to play, but no sense of style in playing them.

The cast is great, but how many new dramas out there can’t boast that these days? Sadly, it takes more than familiar, talented faces to make a show like this worth watching right now, and this one just doesn’t make the cut.

In case you’re still curious, though, there are really three leads in AMERICAN ODYSSEY. The first, Odelle Ballard (Anna Friel, Pushing Daises), is the lone American survivor of a security force massacre conducted by military contractors, trapped far, far from home. Her husband, Rob (Jim True-Frost, Treme), and daughter, Suzanne (Sadie Sink), are told she is dead. Luckily, Odelle finds some assistance in the form of young Aslam (Omar Ghazaoui), who helps her evade the man who just missed killing her, Frank Majors (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Lost).

Activist Harrison Walters (Jake Robinson, The Carrie Diaries) won’t let the public go on believing Odelle has been lost because he knows those no-good officials are up to their wicked schemes and is determined to stop them. Getting a tip from hacker Bob Offer (Nate Mooney, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and assistance from reporter Ruby Simms (Daniella Pineda, The Originals), Harrison is soon hot on the trail of Colonel Stephen Glen (Treat Williams, Everwood) and the others.

Thirdly, Peter Decker (Peter Facinelli, Nurse Jackie) is a lawyer who realizes something is up when a firm he is working for makes some strange moves. While Peter’s wife entreats him not to do anything rash, comfortable with the life they live, Peter is just too noble to look the other way, soon getting himself involved in the plot. He’d better be careful, though, because he has a daughter, Maya (Elena Kampouris, Labor Day), to look out for.

If all of that sounds a little too melodramatic, that’s because AMERICAN ODYSSEY is a little too melodramatic. It takes itself a hair too seriously, and tries too hard to sell its product. The fact that the show was retitled AMERICAN ODYSSEY when it was originally just called ODYSSEY basically tells you what you need to know about the direction the production is going in.

Which is too bad. NBC could use a good, strong political thriller with a sprawling cast like this, just one that is written and developed at a little higher quality. AMERICAN ODYSSEY isn’t bad, but it’s not great either, and with plenty of superior options, it doesn’t make enough of a blip on the television landscape.

AMERICAN ODYSSEY premieres this Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

It's Always Sunny plays out nightmares

This week, FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which recently began its eighth season, celebrates Halloween with "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre." Maureen (Catherine Reitman) is getting married, and Dennis (Glenn Howerton) crashes the ceremony to make sure that she goes through with it, so that he won't have to continue paying her alimony. The rest of the gang comes, too, some to support Dennis, others who want to ruin things so that he will stay miserable. But what they don't count on is encountering the McPoyle clan, who soon begin acting like a hoarde of zombies.

I am not a fan of the McPoyles. I love It's Always Sunny greatly, but sometimes it ventures into a territory a little too gross for me. This includes pretty much every instance in which the incestuous clan shows up. Thankfully, they've done only a few episodes in the past eight seasons, but as I believe I am in a minority opinion here, it's inevitable that they return.

This time, however, I feel like the McPoyles are used correctly. It's hard to watch them being sweaty and gross, but considering the point of "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre" is to be creeppy and scary, it works well. Who wouldn't be terrified trapped at a wedding in the woods with a bunch of inbred hillbillies? No one would want to be eaten, or have sex with, any of this group.

And the fake-out blowjob bit between Liam (Jimmi Simpson) and Ryan (Nate Mooney) is funny.

As things go from bad to worse, told in a series of flashbacks at the police station, Dennis not only ends up fleeing after ill-advised sexual relations, but Dee (Kaitlin Olson) attacks Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney), and Frank (Danny DeVito) is sort of behind all the trouble. They all get away with their terrible actions, consequence free, as always, because they don't do anything illegal. But one has to admit that, even when they stay within the confines of the law, what they're doing isn't right. This will surely catch up with them some day, a la the Seinfeld finale, only hopefully better executed.

The Mac / Charlie / Dee sequence is my favorite part of the episode, especially when the truth behind Dee's attack is revealed. Mac and Charlie are pure bozos, and it's hard to believe how believable it is that they would wreck her car and think they could lie their way out of it. Priceless comedy gold!

The only thing that really rings hollow in "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre" is why Liam is marrying Maureen in the first place. She has fixed the dead tooth and gotten new, big boobs, so she's way too attractive for the very gross Liam. Liam is definitely still in love with Ryan, so it makes little sense that he would want to marry her. And while I won't say that Maureen can do better, as she is still as weird as ever, and improving her look can't fix that, why would she want Liam? There is no chemistry and no reasonable explanation for the union. This would have been an easy fix if only Maureen had invited Dennis to the wedding, going through with the whole thing just to make him jealous, which he does become on his own, temporarily.

Overall, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia remains a great series. This is a serviceable episode with some fantastic moments, though perhaps overall falls a little short of some other installments. But week in and week out, It's Always Sunny makes me laugh, and any series that can do that is worth watching.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

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