SENSE8 Insane

Article originally published as SENSE8 Review on Seat42F.

Netflix has a new drama by The Wachowskis (The Matrix) premiering this week. Entitled SENSE8, the story is truly global, following eight individuals in seven countries who are connected to one another somehow, being able to feel what the others feel and experience what they experience. There is a violent act that seems to somehow figure into forging their connection, and presumably there is a villain out there who will endanger them.

If that sounds murky, that is appropriate because SENSE8 is not clear in its intentions right out of the gate. Throughout the first hour, a LOT of characters are introduced, and each have their own plot lines threading the pilot, so there’s much to keep track of. This is not the type of show one can casually watch while cooking dinner; it takes total concentration and engagement to even begin to sort out who everyone is and what the settings are.

The central eight are: Will Gorski (Brian J. Smith, SGU Stargate Universe), a police officer in Chicago; Jamie Clayton (Nomi Marks, Transform Me), a transgender political blogger living in San Francisco with her girlfriend, Amanita (Freema Agyeman, Doctor Who); Riley (Tuppence Middleton, Spies of Warsaw), an Icelandic, drug-enjoying DJ who has immigrated to London; Wolfgang (Max Riemelt, In Face of the Crime), a locksmith-turned-safecracker in Berlin; Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre, Velvet), a closeted gay actor in Mexico City; Sun (Bae Doona, Cloud Atlas), a businesswoman who has gotten herself into professional trouble in Seoul; Kala (Tina Desai, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), a woman considering marrying a man she doesn’t love in Mumbai; and Capheus (Aml Ameen, Harry’s Law), a failing bus driver in Nairobi.

As you can see, it is quite an international cast, much more so than most “international” ensembles that are at least half American. Each of these individuals very much inhabits a different part of the world and exists within a different culture, which should make their connection even more jarring than it already is. Though, for some reason, the show chooses to use English instead of subtitling, which might make it slightly more accessible, but feels a little weird.

SENSE8 doesn’t try to bring the group together geographically. In fact, the pilot barely brings them together in the story at all, with a few flashes of what will become their new state, but mostly focusing on their lives as they are now. What this means is, SENSE8 is telling many different stories at once, and how they will eventually all be brought into the same orbit remains quite a mystery.

The catalyst for the series involves a woman named Angel (Daryl Hannah, Kill Bill, Steel Magnolias), trapped between her love, Jonas (Naveen Andrews, Lost), and the villainous Mr. Whispers (Terrence Mann, The Dresden Files), but this thread seems just as unconnected as the others at the start, so it’s hard to tell exactly how Angel will play a part in the other eight’s lives, with the end of hour one finally giving us a little info in that regard, but not much.

I can’t say that I enjoyed the first episode of SENSE8 all that much. It took me a good forty-five minutes of confusion and stress to even start to get a handle on what is happening. Generally, that’s not how I like to begin a series. I see that what is going on here is very complicated and I’m not sure there’s an easier way to introduce so much, but at the same time, so few of the characters start out with a compelling narrative that the barrier to entry is great. There are scenes later in the episode, especially for Jamie and Wolfgang, that get one interested and invested. But SENSE8 would work better if it began in that manner and then showed us more of their average lives, providing a more immediate way in.

Because of this, I’m not sure if I’m going to keep watching or not. The production is obviously very high-value, with a variety of interesting places (those with 4K televisions should appreciate this even more), and the acting seems sincere and solid. I certainly would not not recommend it. The question is, will the investment required, much more than your average TV show, be worth the payoff? That, I cannot tell you at this time.

SENSE8’s twelve-episode first season will be available on Netflix this Friday.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND's Happily Ever After

Article first published as TV Review: 'Once Upon a Time in Wonderland' - Series Finale on Blogcritics.

It seems a little strange that the series finale of ABC’s Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is called “And They Lived…” Do the writers mean to imply that the characters merely survived the final showdown? Because that’s not the case. They triumph and basically get everything they want, just like any true fairy tale (though not necessarily any television show) should close. So why not finish “…Happily Ever After”?

“And They Lived…” is a good conclusion to the 13-episode miniseries. It has action and adventure, a couple of twists, the deaths of some minor players, and a wedding at the end. Those who have romantic partners find them again. The villain is defeated, the heroes go home, and it all wraps up pretty neatly. This from a series with a very rocky start.

Many would-be viewers gave up on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, including fans of the mother ship Once Upon a Time early in its run. It’s a shame, given how the story continued to get better and better as the weeks went on, but it’s not a surprise. Mostly filmed on green screen, with very little reality to latch on to, the characters seem to have an alien frame of reference, and are slow to add depth to the players.

Part of this is because Once Upon a Time in Wonderland begins very mission-focused, rather than character-driven. We know Alice (Sophie Lowe) wants to rescue the love her life, genie Cyrus (Peter Gadiot), but rather than going through personal growth to get to Cyrus, she instead must overcome external challenges tossed in her way by a couple of bad guys.

A few episodes in, though, this begins to shift. True, Alice stays pretty single-minded, but The Red Queen’s (Emma Rigby) back story is one of broken hearts and missed opportunities (which is a little like the Evil Queen in OUAT, but it feels different enough to be OK). Her arc is all about getting back with The Knave (Michael Socha), which becomes more complicated when he takes Cyrus’ place in the bottle, thus shifting the thrust of the story entirely.

Which brings us to “And They Lived…” Jafar (Naveen Andrews) resurrects the dead Red Queen, then forces her to love him, as he has broken the rules of magic. This is not only the most interesting thing going on as Alice, Cyrus, his mother, Amara (Zuleikha Robinson), The White Rabbit (John Lithgow), and their friends try to save everyone, but also where the most tension lies. After all, even if Jafar is stopped, The Knave cannot have his happy ending without The Red Queen. Would she stay in the land of the living if Jafar’s powers, which resurrect her, are stripped away?

It’s great that Jafar’s own hubris is what brings him down. He thinks he has the situation under control, so gets rids of his henchwoman, the Jabberwocky (Peta Sergeant). But then, he’s being hit from too many sides, and his own spell over The Red Queen fails when true love’s kiss proves to be too powerful. He is soundly defeated by the very woman he forced into the mix.

My one real complaint about “And They Lived…” is the specific way in which Jafar loses. Couldn’t Jafar just give the water back to the well, freeing himself fro the genie curse? And are we supposed to believe that the water witch is more powerful than Jafar, even after he has broken all the rules of magic? I feel like this climax needed to be a little smarter than it is. Ditto how the water witch decided to let the Red Queen live, just because.

Still, between the terrific character moment in which Jafar kills his own father (Brian George), and an Alice / Cyrus wedding that residents from both worlds attend, courtesy of The White Rabbit’s portal skills, there is much to praise. There are dramatic moments, earned and well-wrought, as well as a general a feeling of satisfaction as the protagonists get their happy ending.

News of The Knave’s imminent transfer to Once Upon a Time next fall does raise some questions, though. Will he get to take The Red Queen with him back to Storybrooke? If not, how can the writers separate them without ruining their lovely story? Might others be included? Alice and Cyrus surely will not, but there are plenty of other good candidates, including The White Rabbit, who would be most useful.

I do hope Once Upon a Time in Wonderland‘s ratings failure doesn’t ruin any other OUAT spin-off opportunities. It may have taken a little bit of time to make it work, but in the end, it does. More stand-alone, short-form tales like this would be most welcome indeed. Oz, in particular, seems a ripe vein to mine.

"Down the Rabbit Hole" We Go

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND Review on Seat42F.

With the success of Once Upon a Time, ABC decided it was a time for a spin-off. Called ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND, said show premieres this week with the episode “Down the Rabbit Hole.” Picking up many years after the classic Alice in Wonderland story took place (and admittedly, the tale probably plays out quite differently for show purposes than the book remembers it), Alice (Sophie Lowe, Beautiful Kate) heads back to the magic realm after learning that the man she loves, Cyrus (Peter Gadiot, Hot Mess), whom she thought dead, might still be alive.

Fans of the mothership know that these writers like to mix fairy tales up, pulling one world into another. ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND is no different. While the main structure and cast do hark back to Alice’s familiar story, her love is the Genie of the Lamp, recognizable from Aladdin. Similarly, although The Red Queen (Emma Rigby, Hollyoaks) is a malevolent presence in this world, so, too, is Jafar (Naveen Andrews, Lost).

And, because this is ONCE UPON A TIME, who is good and who is bad is not so clear. One of Alice’s friends, well, someone she is friendly with, is helping The Red Queen. It may be under duress, but this character is still leading Alice into danger.

The beginning is quite interesting, with Alice being locked up in a mental institution under the “care” of Dr. Lydgate (Jonny Coyne, Alcatraz). This makes sense for a little girl that is missing for quite some time, then returns with tales of talking rabbits and Mad Hatters. What else would a parent such as her father (Fringe’s Shaun Smyth) do with such a child than seek psychiatric treatment for her? And from the dialogue in “Down the Rabbit Hole,” it’s clear that Alice didn’t make the journey only once, leaving her not only crazy in the eyes of the people around her, but also worldly-wise and prepared to handle herself in dangerous situations. She is not a meek, malleable patient.

Efforts are also made to tie ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND into the previous series. We see the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha, Being Human) in Storybrooke at the start of the episode, interacting with a great guest star hasn’t been seen in awhile! Plus, Granny’s diner figures in, so there are definitely connections.

Which doesn’t mean that one must know much about Once Upon a Time to jump into this, or that the plots are tied closely together. I believe the purpose of that Storybrooke sequence was to solidify that these shows are set in the same universe, though not necessarily that they have anything much to do with one another. Alice’s mission is her own, and she herself does not encounter any familiar faces in the premiere.

I do wonder if each episode of this new venture will be partially flashback, as Once Upon a Time is. There are scenes set in the past throughout “Down the Rabbit Hole,” but these seem for a specific purpose, setting up the story. It is unknown if there will be more in future hours.

The animation and special effects in ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND are excellent for a television budget, perhaps even a step up from Once Upon a Time. The White Rabbit (voiced by Dexter’s John Lithgow), for instance, is fully realized as an individual, with mannerisms and expressions that make him feel authentic. He may not be realistic looking, by the standards of a rabbit you might find in your garden, but he interacts well with the actors, and definitely fits into the setting and tone established for the program.

The story is also well constructed. A Wonderland favorite ends up being a deadly attacker. There are twists and betrayals in the first episode alone. Alice, in particular, is a carefully thought-out role, and while her journey may be easy enough to figure out, there will definitely be fun surprises along the way, such as a marshmallow marsh.

While initially skeptical that Once Upon a Time needed a spin-off, this is definitely a completely separate tale, and an enjoyable one at that. The two can co-exist without being dependent or taking away from one another. ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

SINBAD Kinda Bad

Article first published as SINBAD Kinda Bad on TheTVKing.

SyFy is airing the British series SINBAD, beginning this week. With a similar feel as the recently-concluded Merlin, SINBAD seeks to retell the story of a legend with young, sexy actors, lots of special effects, a mix of magic and science, and enough mythology to keep a series going for awhile.

When first we meet Sinbad (newcomer Elliot Knight), he is a street rat, rigging fights and picking pockets to make ends meet and support his family. With brother Jamil (Devon Anderson, EastEnders) in tow, Sinbad runs through the town, making lots of enemies, but without many worries or stresses. He assumes his charm and wit will get him out of any tough situation. Up until this "Pilot," it does.

Then things go horribly wrong, with Sinbad and Jamil arrested not only for thievery, but also for the death of the heir to the city, Lord Akbari's son. Lord Akbari (Naveen Andrews, Lost) is furious, intent on making Sinbad feel as bad as he does. Akbari takes some revenge, which I won't spoil because it is quite pivotal, but it's not enough to satisfy the lord, who intends to keep hunting Sinbad down, though he doesn't get a second shot at the boy in the premiere.

We all know that Sinbad won't be put to death in the "Pilot" of a series that bear his name, so there is little risk of spoiling things to reveal that he escapes Akbari's prison. But the stakes do seem pretty real anyway, a credit to the writing. SINBAD starts off making us care about the characters, and after introducing us to Sinbad's life for half an episode, dramatically changes it, which is the kick start of the story.

I think it's a good decision to hold off on the main plot until halfway through the hour so that viewers get a sense of who Sinbad is. After all, if he is going to change and become a hero, he has to have a starting point, a pit from which to climb out of, if his journey is to mean anything. This "Pilot" sets that up nicely.

Unfortunately, the follow through leaves something to be desired. After being cursed by his own grandmother (Janet Suzman, Tinga Tinga Tales) to always roam the seas, seldom ever setting foot on land (spurred another plot point I won't spoil), Sinbad wastes no time in making up for his bad deeds. The boat he sets out on encounters some scary water demons, and he pretty much single-handedly saves the day, rescuing almost everyone, and earning himself some new friends.

This comes way too easily. The crew knows what kind of person Sinbad is the moment he steps on board, but after witnessing his somewhat selfless actions, they are won over. This doesn't present any real challenge for the character, not having to fight his way up the ladder, instantly being instantly beloved. I guess it's understandable, as the others have only Nala's (Estella Daniels, Thorne: Scaredy Cat) words to paint a different picture of the lad, she being the only one personally wronged by Sinbad.

Having Sinbad be a hero washes out the personality of the rest of the crew, at least in this "Pilot." The compassionate doctor, Anwar (Dimitri Leonidas, Grange Hill), the funny cook (Junix Inocian), the sturdy crewman, Gunnar (Elliot Cowan, Da Vinci's Demons), and Rina (Marama Corlett, The Devil's Double), a fellow stowaway, all seem like chumps, falling for Sinbad's schtick. Of course, they probably are chumps if not one, but two, stowaways managed to make it on board. But if they are to be as layered as Sinbad, it doesn't happen in this installment.

As such, despite a promising start, I am not won over by SINBAD. It looks fantastic, to be sure, and Sinbad is a legend begging for a good adaptation. But on the heels of other mediocre historical drama efforts, such as Da Vinci's Demons and The Borgias, it blends into the pack, not giving us enough to really make a name for itself.

My hope is that the magic aspect of the series will be played up as the episodes unfold. In that realm is the path for SINBAD to win loyal viewers, establishing itself as an enjoyable genre series. The characters and story just don't have enough depth for it to break into the mainstream, nor to entice me to watch the other eleven episodes.

Should you be so inclined to tune into the series, be warned that SINBAD has already been cancelled in Britain, and these twelve installments will be the only ones one made.

SINBAD airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Lost wows, saddens, as things wrap up

    Last night's episode of ABC's Lost, "The Candidate", like most this season, blew my socks off.  Or it would have, had I been wearing socks.  The story is winding down with just two more installments before the series finale, which airs on a Sunday, mind you, instead of the usual Tuesday, so don't miss it.  Also, it was announced today that the finale will be TWO AND A HALF HOURS long!!!  Gone are the single-character stories, though a large part of the flash sideways this week was Jack (Matthew Fox) attempting to help Locke (Terry O'Quinn).  But on the island, everyone is gearing up for a big showdown, and more than couple of characters left the island for good.

     The biggest, most emotionally moving death scene that Lost has delivered in years concerned that Kwons, Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim, no relation).  Hours after being reunited, the two having been separated in the world and the time line for over three years, Jin refused to leave Sun to die.  And so he stayed in the sinking submarine with her, allowing them to pass from the world together.  It was incredibly sad, a fitting ending to two of the original cast.  Sure, moments later we saw sideways Jin alive and well walking down the hall of a hospital.  But in the story of the show as we know it, he's gone.

     Which begs the question.  Is the flash sideways our happy ending?  Most of the main characters of Lost have died over the years, but almost every single one has been revealed to be alive and well, usually happier, in the sideways universe.  With only nine main characters left on the island, perhaps this odd parallel is as close to satisfying closure as we are going to get for many.

     Speaking of the nine, Jack, Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) crawled out of the watery death trap and onto the beach.  These four, along with Locke, who has been recast as the big villain, have always been the core of the series.  They seem unlikely to die, at least not until the finale.  The other four did not star in all six seasons, although Desmond appeared in all six, and only one was in this week's episode.  Ben (Michael Emerson) and Richard (Nestor Carbonell) seem likely to simply pop up and get a little icing before disappearing.  Claire (Emilie de Ravin) could go either way, as she seems to be the henchwoman of Locke.  And Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), perhaps my favorite character, surely figures very prominently into the end, but even his use will probably be up an hour or two before the curtain.  It's sad to see these important, but not quite essential, characters in their swan songs, but in a show as sweeping as Lost, it's time to lose them so we can wind it all down.

     Original cast member Sayid (Naveen Andrews) also bowed out in heroic self-sacrifice, although not much was said about it afterwards.  My biggest regret was the quick, apparent death of Frank (Jeff Fahey), who had more to do in previous seasons, when he wasn't a main character, and then all we saw of his demise was a door slam into him.  He has to be dead, or he would have attempted to help our heroes, but it was a sad, dismissive way to go.  I wish he had gone out earlier, in some better fashion.

     The final season of Lost will continue for two more Tuesdays at 9pm, and then conclude on Sunday, May 23th on ABC.