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.

"Canaries" Sing on ARROW

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 13 Canaries on Seat42F.

This week’s Arrow on the CW is appropriately named “Canaries” because it features scenes with the two Canaries, Sara (Caity Lotz) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) throwing down. But the excellent episode is so much more than that. It also finds Oliver (Stephen Amell) trying to rejoin a group that has moved on without him, sees the return of an old foe, and exposes a couple of key secrets to important characters that have been kept in the dark too long. In short, it’s heavy on the serial storytelling and has some very dramatic moments.

Without Oliver, Diggle (David Ramsey) assumes a mantle of leadership that allows Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), Roy (Colton Haynes), and even Laurel to make their own decisions. Oliver’s non-democratic reign is over, and that’s how it must be because no one can adequately replace him. After this taste of a new way, though, no one wants to go back into the box Oliver tries to place them in, and that throws Oliver off, who assumes he can just come back in and pick up without missing a step. The dynamic of Team Arrow is off in “Canaries” and a new one must be forged.

It’s gratifying to see Oliver quickly relent to what the others are doing. A year or two ago, he would not have done so. This was his mission, and the others were simply supporting him. Now, they are on their mission, and he is only one of many components, not the component that the others revolve around. Oliver could easily get angry at having lost what he dedicated himself to, but instead sees the value of the others and doing things their way for a change, and so (mostly) readjusts. He’s a little slow to switch from protector to teammate with Laurel and Thea (Willa Holland), but at least he’s trying.

Oliver’s reaction may not be expected, but even more surprising is how Thea takes the news that Oliver is the Arrow. Oliver long expects her to be mad that he’s keeping secrets, and Diggle firmly advises Oliver not to tell Thea, lest he lose his sister. But Thea is more mature than she once was, and she sees that this particular secret, unlike the others in the past, is for a good reason. She is grateful to Oliver for protecting her and the city, and happy to know the truth.

Both of these things are happy, easy resolutions to conflict, which is not what hour-long television shows usually do. Most programs will seek to draw out the fights between characters because dramas need drama, and that’s fair. Watching ARROW make the opposite choice throws me off a bit, in a good way. It shows this series isn’t stuck in entrenched paths and will find its own way. Plus, ARROW has plenty of stuff for the characters to fight against and fight about without making everything a chore. Our heroes have been through enough, and they deserve this break, as do the emotionally drained viewers.

A consequence of Thea learning about Oliver is that her eyes are opened concerning Malcolm (John Barrowman). Knowing Malcolm has long been aware of Oliver’s secret persona casts new light on his motivations, and helps Thea see Malcolm as the others do. He is no longer someone she is loyal to, which is a relief. Thea will work with him reluctantly because Oliver convinces her they need Malcolm, and because she is almost killed. But the daddy / daughter days are done.

One reveal that does not go so smoothly is Laurel finally coming clean to Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) about Sara’s death. Her father isn’t angry, as she imagines in a terrific scenes under the influence of Count Vertigo’s (Peter Stormare) drugs. Instead, he’s broken, Blackthorne wonderfully conveying the pain of a man who has lost his child twice. Even better is when Quentin gives Laurel an out to the truth, letting her know he knows she’s taken up the Canary mantle, but she bravely pushes on to the full story, as she should have done months ago. This is the natural ending to the arc, and it is incredibly moving.

Lots about “Canaries” goes right. While the fights between Laurel and Sara are a little tame because they are so one-sided, I find it hard to find fault with the rest of the hour. ARROW clearly knows what it is and the writers get these characters’ voices. The story is consistently interesting and surprising, and where there are plot holes, they tend to be small ones. Now, if only they would ditch Oliver’s persistent flashbacks, which dare I say seem close to the end, this series would really jump near the top of my favorites list.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

ARROW Anything But "Calm"

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 1 The Calm on Seat42F.

The third season premiere of the CW’s ARROW certainly starts in, as the episode title suggests, “The Calm” before the storm. But that storm picks up in no time, ripping apart the worlds of a number of main characters, and leading to some huge developments. This first installment of season three cannot be called boring, and it sucks viewers right back into the superhero world in moments.

“The Calm” delivers something fans have being waiting a long time for, especially this past summer: Oliver (Stephen Amell) asks Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) on a date. He has resisted love before because of the danger of his position. He is with Sara (Caity Lotz) for a time, but she’s a superhero, too, so can take care of herself and is in danger with or without him. But seeing Diggle (David Ramsey) happy in a relationship, awaiting the birth of his baby, Oliver decides to take a chance and takes an eager Felicity to dinner. He asking her out and the date are probably the best scenes in the hour, with great dialogue and goofy googly eyes.

Of course, this being ARROW, there is no time for niceties. The new pair hasn’t even begun their meal yet when a new Vertigo (Peter Stormare, Prison Break, 22 Jump Street), taking up the mantle for the fallen Count, attacks, blowing up the restaurant and hurting Felicity, though thankfully not seriously.

This makes Oliver pull away. After all, his fears are confirmed now, right? He can’t be with Felicity without her getting hurt. She resists the breakup (if you can call it that). Oliver doesn’t help matters when he kisses her, insisting he loves her, and it takes Felicity’s strength to pull away, knowing if Oliver can’t fully commit, she doesn’t want him. This is a complicated romance, as they both care about each other and will still have to spend lots of time together, but Oliver is holding back, preventing them from being happy. He needs to realize that Felicity understands the risks and is a grown woman who can make her own choices. Otherwise, shippers watching at home will just keep growing more frustrated. It’s 2014. Other shows are letting their leads get together. Come on, ARROW!

The other consequence of this attack is that Oliver makes Diggle sit out a mission. At first Diggle is furious, but after seeing his baby born, his priorities change. He and Oliver remain friends, but it seems the bodyguard is leaving the team, or at least staying in the office. It’s a tad regrettable and surely temporary, but it’s also easy to see Diggle’s perspective. He’s not a superhero.

If Oliver doesn’t act to be with Felicity soon, he’s likely to lose her to another suitor. Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh, Chuck, Superman Returns) blows into town, quickly flirts with Felicity, then takes Queen Consolidated with his plan to make Starling City a ‘Star City’ that people want to live in again (the population has shrunk due to the events of the past two seasons). He is smooth and charming and smart and definitely likes the blond genius. Might he steal her heart? And if he does, will he take care of it, or will he turn out to be yet another villain with an agenda? I like that we don’t know, ARROW teasing us with a bit of mystery.

I love Routh, a magnetic performer, and this is a great role for him. It’s good to see him still getting work after his own superhero film didn’t do so well. This reminds me a bit of his part in Chuck, which is why I’m suspicious of the character. But any chance to get him on screen this way is welcome.

Oliver has other romantic options, too. Sara returns in “The Calm,” just in time to help take down the new Vertigo. But her triumph is short-lived when, after nice conversations with Oliver and Laurel (Kate Cassidy), she is killed by an unknown assailant, body falling in front of her sister’s feet. So I guess Oliver doesn’t really have other options.

Sara’s death is shocking. While not a main character, she is a staple of ARROW, and her passing will certainly rock many people, from her ailing father, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne), who is trying to support The Arrow and do his job with a condition that should make him slow down, to Laurel, who is on a crusade against crime and doing well, to Oliver, whose fears about being with someone will only be further reinforced. Plus, the rest of the characters know her, too, so there will be a variety of ways to represent that grief in next week’s installment, “Sara.”

Of course, ARROW is always flashback heavy. This week’s scenes in Hong Kong are pretty forgettable, as much of the backstory stuff is. However, toss a dead Sara back into this stuff and it will suddenly be reinvigorated. I think the writers are smart enough to make that happen, going by executive producer Marc Guggenheim’s recent comments.

There is also a Barry (Grant Gustin) cameo that is completely unnecessary, but no one will ever accuse ARROW and The Flash of not taking advantage of cross-promotion when they can, which is hard to blame them for. The Flash is definitely a show worth watching, too, with a different flavor than ARROW, but just as action-packed.

“The Calm” leaves a lot of hanging threads. Quentin has stopped the police force from hunting Arrow, but how long can he remain in charge, given his condition? Will crime make a comeback in the city after Team Arrow has stomped most of it out (spoiler: yes)? Can one ever truly kill Vertigo, or will a new baddie keep taking that name and rising up? How will Oliver support himself without a job? How long will Felicity stay at the Best Buy Buy More tech store? Who will die next? It’s a great episode, with a lot happening and much more promised.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.