Worship These AMERICAN GODS

Article first published as TV Review: AMERICAN GODS on Seat42F.

Anticipation is high for Starz’s newest drama, AMERICAN GODS, premiering tonight. Based on the popular book by British geek-god Neil Gaiman, and developed by the great Bryan Fuller (along with Logan’s Michael Green), it tells the story of a mortal man caught in the middle of a war between gods, old and new, as things come to a head between the factions. It’s unknown if our hero is working for the right team or not, but the danger is real, and the urgency is immediate.

AMERICAN GODS has a lot going for it, both behind and in front of the camera. While it is not as highly stylized as other Fuller projects (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies), he is able to make the fantasy sequences amazing, vivid, and imaginative. Lead Ricky Whittle (The 100) and lesser known performers like Bruce Langley (Deadly Waters) and Yetide Badaki (Sequestered) quickly establish themselves as people to watch, terrific in their roles. The bench is deep with familiar faces, too, including the likes of Cloris Leachman (Young Frankenstein, Raising Hope), Peter Stormare (Fargo), Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Crispin Glover (Back to the Future), Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is the New Black), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked), Orlando Jones (Sleep Hollow), Betty Gilpin (Nurse Jackie), Jeremy Davies (Lost), Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom), Joel Murray (Mad Men), Beth Grant (The Mindy Project), and, of course, Ian McShane (Deadwood).

If a long list of talented names doesn’t impress you, though it should in this case, I’d like to stress how well cast each of them are. Stormare brings a certain likability to his chillingly creepy Czernobog. Anderson IS Lucy Ricardo, talking out of the screen of the television. Schreiber will seriously make you think twice about teasing a leprechaun. Browning is haunting as the deceased wife who doesn’t seem deserving of our protagonist’s love, and yet has it deeply. McShane watches over it all with a bemused charm that doesn’t allow audiences to question for a moment why Shadow Moon (Whittle) does what Mr. Wednesday (McShane) tells him to.

It’s been a few years since I read the book, but the two hours of AMERICAN GODS I’ve seen feel very faithful to it. This show finds a way to be episodic while maintaining the important through-line of the novel. The format of a road trip is helpful, as there are built in stops and sequences along the way. But there are also the threats of Technical Boy (Langley) and the erotic side trips with Bilquis (Badaki) that prove there’s something more to look forward to than just the next god to encounter.

AMERICAN GODS is sure to work both because of its quality, and because it shares similarities with another network hit, Outlander. Outlander is also based on a novel, and strings along a narrative that stays tight on a couple of characters, with most of the cast only appearing in a small number of episodes. That can be frustrating for those who want more Mr. Nancy (Jones) immediately, and you will. But at the same time, it keeps the plot purer in that Shadow and Mr. Wednesday are the people that count most, and the rest of the cast is truly there to support them.

I knew I would be blown away going into AMERICAN GODS, and it did not disappoint my high expectations. It’s gripping, has terrific pacing, feels very authentic, even in the elements that completely lack realism, and has a strong point of view. Fantasy won’t be for everyone, and this is definitely fantasy, but it also contains social commentary that’s worth paying attention to, along with some stellar performances. I’ll be shocked if this doesn’t help Starz get on the Emmy stage.

AMERICAN GODS premieres tonight at 9/8c on Starz.

SLEEPY HOLLOW Resides in the Past

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s SLEEPY HOLLOW season (series?) finale on FOX, “Tempus Fugit,” finds Abbie (Nicole Beharie) in 1781. She must convince Ichabod (Tom Mison) to help her take down his evil witch wife, Katrina (Katia Winter), who has come back in time to kill Ichabod, and thus save their son’s life. Ichabod is hesitant to believe Abbie, as one might expect, but Abbie is nothing if not smart and resourceful, so she gets the job done.

“Tempus Fugit” is a very fun episode. Fun is the best word I can use to describe it, as story continuity has been lacking, but we’ll get to that in a moment. This finale, really a stand-alone-ish adventure, basically mirrors the pilot, with Abbie now the one out of time who must seek help from her partner in his element. This role reversal is satisfying for the fans, played well by the two actors with excellent chemistry. Toss in an appearance by Benjamin Franklin (Timothy Busfield), who of course believes everything Abbie says, and have Abbie encounter her ancestor, Grace Dixon (Onira Tares), and one gets almost everything one wants from this episode.

But here’s the thing: the set up of “Tempus Fugit” is lacking. Abbie knows Franklin is much more likely to believe her than Ichabod, so why not go to him in the first place? She may need Ichabod’s help and time is short, but surely it would be easier and quicker to get Ichabod to do what she wants with Franklin’s intervention. That she eventually succeeds in proving herself doesn’t take away from the fact that she wastes valuable time doing so.

This lack of thinking things through extends to the characters, who sometimes act without sufficient motivation. Katrina’s descent into villain is swift and complete. She doesn’t hesitate to kill innocents, such as Colonel Sutton (Marc Menchaca, Homeland). She’s acting without any regard for who she was in the first place. I know she wants to save Henry’s life, but doesn’t she feel bad at all for trying to wipe out the man she supposedly loved? She’s reduced to a very two-dimensional persona, and I don’t like it.

The biggest problem “Tempus Fugit” has by far is the lack of any stakes to care about, making the events of the hour, while entertaining, meaningless. It’s true that if Abbie and Ichabod do not manage to reverse Katrina’s spell, much would have been damaged in the world of SLEEPY HOLLOW. But there can’t be any viewers who seriously believe that’s a possibility, given how the story is presented. From early on in the episode, even before the Headless Horseman (Jeremy Owens) decapitates Ben Franklin, it’s very obvious that whatever happens in this 1781 doesn’t count, and it will all be erased. That basically ruins any tension the installment might build up, providing much simmering frustration as I watch scenes that would otherwise be very good.

Don’t get me wrong; I mostly enjoy “Tempus Fugit.” If nothing else, the pain Ichabod feels when he stabs Katrina to death is real, and Henry (John Noble) returning to escort his mother into the afterlife is very moving. As I’ve said before, the chemistry between Beharie and Mison is absolutely fantastic, and it is well used in this hour. But that’s not enough if the story can’t play out in a cohesive, logical manner. I’d say SLEEPY HOLLOW has Glee syndrome, doing the emotion well, but frequently dropping the ball on its larger arcs, not taking the time to make each new week match up with what has already been established.

If SLEEPY HOLLOW gets a third season, and that’s a big if at this point, we’re in major need of a reset. That is sort of telegraphed when Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) shows up with a “cured” Irving (Orlando Jones) at the end. In this reset, real care needs to be taken to craft a structure for a new serial story that pays homage to the past, but basically begins a new adventure for the Witnesses. If the writers can do this, I’d be happy to see it renewed. If not, “Tempus Fugit” feels like a good place to put the show out of its misery, a decent enough episode capping a very uneven, inconsistent season.

SLEEPY HOLLOW Needs An "Awakening"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Last night’s SLEEPY HOLLOW on FOX is titled “Awakening,” and if anyone in the audience is falling asleep, this hour is sure to correct that. Henry (John Noble) and Katrina (Katia Winter) team up to revive those with witchy powers in the area, intent of setting themselves in the middle of a powerful new coven. Ichabod (Tom Mison) and Abbie (Nicole Beharie) are freshly committed to their mission above everything else, but that is sorely tested in this particular situation.

If taken on its own, “Awakening” is pretty great. The drama of a family torn asunder is compelling, Ichabod prepared to stop his wife and son by any means necessary. The stakes are high, and the pacing is quick. For quite a bit of time, the outcome is murky, those with the upper hand shifting back and forth. By the time Henry is killed, a major event for the series, viewers are sure to be emotionally invested and on the edge of their seats. Tossing Abbie and Katrina back in time at the end is icing on the cake, a heck of a cliffhanger for next week’s season finale.

But I can’t take this episode all on its own, and that’s where the problems lie. Having Henry die in the penultimate episode of the season and posturing Katrina as the Big Bad is fine, and certainly fulfills the wishes of many a fan. But starting an all-new, time-traveling adventure with only an hour left is regrettable. Even more than exploring Purgatory at the close of season one, the past in SLEEPY HOLLOW begs for further examination. Abbie should spend some serious time there, and by not allowing her to do so, as I can’t imagine the season finale will end without her getting home, the series is squandering a heck of a third season premise.

Far worse, though, are the inconsistencies in character motivations. Katrina is a big offender, having hinted at changing sides during her captivity with Henry, but then seemingly recommitting to Ichabod and Abbie’s team later. Standing by Henry’s side makes sense, since she is his mother, but we need to see her wrestle with the decision more and understand why she is changing her mind again. Similarly, Henry has almost nothing but distain for both of his parents (Katrina far more deservedly than Ichabod) right up until the moment he decides to work with his mom. I assume he’s only using her, as it makes no sense for him to forgive her, but we don’t see that.

Ichabod is much better handled, as he has been struggling with putting down Henry, and in “Awakening,” finally agrees that it must be done. With the fate of the world at stake, Ichabod would like to save Henry’s soul but realizes he doesn’t have the means or the time to do so. Being OK with Henry dying, yet still running to his side as he slips away, is the perfect way to end Ichabod’s indecision, completely consistent for the role.

After Henry dies, Irving (Orlando Jones) seems to become good again. Sadly, Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) accepts this far too easily. It’s likely Irving really is cured of Henry’s control over him now that Henry is dead, but Jenny has no way of knowing that. Why does she give in so easily?

Finally, as Abbie is arrested in the past, quite appropriate for the time and circumstances, she asks for Ichabod Crane. This makes absolutely no sense. Abbie is there prior to Ichabod’s hibernation and he would have no knowledge of her, nor his role as a witness. Why not ask for Thomas Jefferson instead, whom is part of the group guiding Ichabod to his destiny? It seems much easier to get someone already mostly in the know to believe her story than a man who has never met her, no matter how close they end up being in the future.

Which brings us to next week’s season, possibly series, finale. What do I want from it? Well, I want Katrina to succeed in saving Henry, at least partially, so John Noble doesn’t have to leave the cast. I also want a reset, possibly with a changed set of circumstances in our present day because of what happens in the past. This will allow the writers to play with the familiar, bring back beloved characters who’ve died, and hopefully clear out a lot of the missteps they’ve made this year in story and character. Above all, I want consistency next year, something SLEEPY HOLLOW sorely lacks in its sophomore run, with a mythology-heavy plot, not case-of-the-week crap. But those are simply my wishes, so we’ll see.

At this time, as a fan, and not a fair-weather one, as I’ve stuck it out and rooted for the best, I almost think the show deserves to be canceled, even if it ends without tying anything up, as it likely will next week. If season three is going to be like season two, I’d rather it not go on. However, if they can get back to what made the end of season one so special, then I’d like to see that.

SLEEPY HOLLOW airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

"Beneath" SLEEPY HOLLOW

Article originally written for Seat42F.

SLEEPY HOLLOW giveth, SLEEPY HOLLOW taketh away. In this week’s episode on FOX, “What Lies Beneath,” Abby (Nicole Beharie) and Ichabod (Tom Milson) venture underground to save some trapped workers and stumble upon secrets buried for hundreds of years. Before they can explore the treasure trove too far, though, they are forced to blow it up to protect others from the monsters guarding it.

“What Lies Beneath” is hella frustrating. First, Ichabod and Abbie find a mystical hologram of Thomas Jefferson (Steven Weber, Wings, Helix, many other things), who tells them that not only did the Founding Fathers know Ichabod was a witness, but their journey has been guided by protectors. There are also unresolved personal issues between Ichabod and Tommy J. But before any of this can be explored, SLEEPY HOLLOW destroys it all, burning interesting plot lines in the process.

Why is it necessary to destroy the lair? Given the choice between human lives and some information, of course Abbie and Ichabod are going to choose lives; it’s a no-stakes, stupid game. But this trove is extremely valuable. This is everything needed to save the world, compiled by what is apparently a well-funded, large organization. There’s no exploration of other ways to protect people from the reavers? Our heroes just give up? Really?

Look, I know it would be hard to realistically keep this library safe and secret. Even if the witnesses and company slayed all of the undead soldiers guarding it, workers have been down in the tunnel, and presumably would need to be down there again since their job is not complete. Someone else would want to know why Ichabod and Abbie are keeping people out, and the duo don’t have the authority to set up road blocks. Were Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) still in charge of the police force, things would be different, but he’s not.

That being said, surely they could figure something out. They could seal the entrance temporarily until they do. They could let their current chief in on their secrets and prove things to her. They could have Katrina (Katia Winter) cast some witchy spell that keeps people away. There are options, people, and blowing everything up is not only inconsistent with the characters, but damn lazy storytelling.

I think part of the reason “What Lies Beneath” rains down such fire is because the writing staff don’t know what to do with all the revelations they toss out this week. How can one adequately explain what the Founding Fathers were thinking and how they kept things secret for multiple centuries. Is the group they created still around? If not, how did they set everything up to unfold so long after their demise? If so, who belongs to it and where have they been this season? What is in the room, exactly, that would benefit them? These are all questions that don’t have clear answers, nor seem poised to get them, and so the show instead looks for an easy out.

This is part of a larger trend SLEEPY HOLLOW is succumbing to. Weak stories that are glossed over in favor of quick narratives that can be wrapped up in an hour constantly drag down what used to be a quality series. I can’t express enough how disappointed I am in this episode and the season in general.

There are some mythology-type events in “What Lies Beneath.” We get a little bit of a peek into how Irving keeps switching sides, though this isn’t really explained in a satisfactory way, to neither Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) nor the audience. Katrina seems to be going to the dark side, having creepy semi-dreams about Henry (John Noble) and it looks like she may switch to her son’s side, which doesn’t exactly line up with everything she’s done before. So these larger arcs are there, but not well developed.

“What Lies Beneath” also introduces us to Calvin Riggs (Sharif Atkins, White Collar), a journalist who is concerned about his brother, one of the men trapped below ground. For some reason, Abbie decides freedom of the press must be upheld, even as she continues to ignore many laws, so he gets involved. But beside that point, Calvin is also under-developed, virtually ignored most of the episode instead of being made part of the hour.

SLEEPY HOLLOW, please get yourself back on track. You’re in danger of cancellation. I hate to see you go out on such a sour note.

SLEEPY HOLLOW airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

TV Review: SLEEPY HOLLOW - "Spellcaster"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

So SLEEPY HOLLOW is definitely doing what FOX promised it would during a recent press engagement and dialing back on its serial nature. This week’s episode, “Spellcaster,” is another in a string of recent installments whose main running time is concentrated on a singular case. Solomon Kent (Jonathan Schaech, Ray Donovan), who is responsible for the Salem witch trials, has escaped from Purgatory. Can Abbie (Nicole Beharie) and Ichabod (Tom Mison) stop his selfish mission before destruction is wrought upon the world at large? Of course they can.

If you’re a regular reader of mine, you’ll know I’m extremely disappointed that the show has become so procedural. In fact, I recently posted a Jerome-ing column on Blogcritics.org about this trend on the Big Four broadcast networks. Look, I enjoy Abbie and Ichabod working a case as much as the next guy because of their terrific chemistry, but it’s better when that dynamic is used while serving a greater purpose. So for now, I’ll just say yet again that it’s lazy writing and far less compelling storytelling when SLEEPY HOLLOW sticks to a case-of-the-week format.

Bringing Solomon Kent into the story also seems repetitive because of his place in history. Kent is not based on a real person, like recently seen Abigail Adams and Ben Franklin are, but in the SLEEPY HOLLOW mythology, he is responsible for a major historical event. I’m really getting tired of Ichabod and Katrina (Katia Winter) apparently knowing every person of importance in early American history. It just doesn’t make sense, especially here, where Kent’s story is set before the revolutionary times and in a place where the founding fathers didn’t frequently tread.

Another complaint I have is that the show allows Winter to play Katrina’s grandmother. This trope has been extremely overdone on television. I’ve never met anyone who looks nearly identical to a relative, unless it’s a twin. Certainly looking at pictures of my ancestors, the resemblance is obvious, but far from 100%, which makes sense, given the varying families’ genes that make up each new member. I’m sure doing this saves money for the production and gives the actor a chance to play someone else, but it just makes the story seem less grounded.

Lest you think all of my comments on “Spellcaster” are negative, there are some good parts to the hour. We finally catch back up with Henry (John Noble), who is living in a cheap motel. For much of the episode, it appears this may be a kinder, gentler version of the villain, up to the point where he is going to defend the motel’s owner and her son. Then, though, his true nature is revealed. He is mourning the death of his demon “father,” and any pain he inflicts is to reclaim his own position of power, not to protect weaklings. It’s an awesome reveal, played fantastically by the talented Noble.

It’s cool that SLEEPY HOLLOW seems poised to declare Henry the new Big Bad. The first season and a half, when the witnesses battle Moloch, is fine, but having Ichabod and Katrina’s son be more than a puppet opens up lots of possibilities and drama. Not everyone can be redeemed, and it’s satisfying that “Spellcaster” doesn’t go that route with Henry.

Less solid is Frank Irving’s (Orlando Jones) motivation. Katrina says his soul is clean, but “Spellcaster” definitely has Frank working for Henry. What’s more, previously Frank is resisting Henry’s orders. Now, they seem to be friends, though Henry likely sees Irving as a pawn, as Moloch used to see Henry. There is a missing chunk of time here when Irving becomes bad. Should the show go back and explain this, it would be fine. Given the way it is presented, though, it doesn’t seem likely that’ll happen.

SLEEPY HOLLOW is a good show from the start, becomes great at the end of its freshman season, and then flounders throughout the second year. There are moments of greatness, but much of this season, like this episode, is mediocre. A genre series needs to own its mythology and concept. SLEEPY HOLLOW is sadly not doing that at present, and whether that is a choice the writers or the network is making, it’s not a wise one.

SLEEPY HOLLOW airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

SLEEPY HOLLOW - "Kali Yuga"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

“Kali Yuga,” the title of last night’s installment of FOX’s SLEEPY HOLLOW, is, according to Sanskrit scriptures, the final stage the world goes through and is associated with the demon Kali. This seems appropriate, given that in the hour Hawley’s godmother, Carmilla Pines (Jaime Murray, Defiance, Warehouse 13), shows up and tries to use a statue of Kali to turn him into the same type of demon she is. It’s yet another end-of-the-world scenario trying to force its way into the not-so-sleepy hollow.

Murray is a fantastic actress, and I’m excited to see her join the cast, hopefully in a recurring capacity. She is brilliant at playing characters that are hard to relate to, seeming alien to the average person. Carmilla Pines, a female Indiana Jones now cursed, is just such a person. She loves Hawley (Matt Barr), whom she raised after his parents died, but she’s selfish and bent on power of some sort. This makes for a villain who’s not 100% detestable and may one day be redeemed, but who still deserves to be stopped.

Stop her, they do, though this is complicated by the fact that Ichabod (Tom Mison) and Abbie (Nicole Beharie) are still at odds over the Orion fiasco. Together, the witnesses make quite a team. Separated, they leave themselves vulnerable, and it’s that much harder to save the day. They do manage to get past their troubles, while locked in a deadly vault of course, in time to save Hawley, but not before Carmilla escapes. Had they been more on their game, they likely would have at least captured Carmilla, too, as while Hawley doesn’t want her around, I’m not positive he wants her dead, either, hesitating to murder her, as anyone likely would in his situation.

SLEEPY HOLLOW’s biggest strength is in the dynamic between the two leads, and while last week’s individual romps are fun with limited interaction between them, as the show should be able to do from time to time, the scenes in “Kali Yuga” serving this duo are great. From karaoke to Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) playing couple’s counselor, there are numerous funny and sweet moments. They do resolve things perhaps a bit too easily in a vault that is entirely too simple to escape from (they have plenty of time to keep pushing buttons until they find the correct one), but it’s satisfying to see them back on the same page.

There are weaknesses in “Kali Yuga,” too, besides the vault buttons. For one, SLEEPY HOLLOW has been building an Abbie / Hawley chemistry, which is suddenly ditched this week in favor of an immediate implied Jenny / Hawley relationship. What the hell is up with that? I see Abbie isn’t OK with it, but how did it even come about when Hawley has been paying more attention to Abbie? Even if he spends time with Jenny, we don’t see the shift. Secondly, if Carmilla and her minions are super-fast, why do they tussle with our heroes at all? Why not just rip away their weapons before they can be used? The fight scene doesn’t make any sense.

A mystery is teased in “Kali Yuga” when all charges against Frank Irving (Orlando Jones) are dropped and he returns home to his wife, Cynthia (Jill Marie Jones). Cynthia is suspicious, as she should be. Who let Frank go free? A visit to Katrina (Katia Winter) assures Cynthia that Frank is no longer being controlled by Henry (too-long-missing John Noble), but that last shot showing Irving doesn’t have a reflection is weird. I wish a little more running time were devoted to this, but am excited about where it might be going.

Overall, I like, not love, “Kali Yuga.” Some glaring plot weaknesses, mentioned above, bring it down, while character chemistry and mythology is well served. Tossing in Henry Knox (Ron Rogge, Obsessed) as yet another historical figure Ichabod knows is tiresome, but at least SLEEPY HOLLOW doesn’t beat us over the head with flashbacks this time, so it seems more natural to the story. Season two hasn’t lived up to expectations set in season one yet, but there’s still time to fix that as the series builds towards its season (possibly series) finale next month.

SLEEPY HOLLOW airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.