TRUE DETECTIVE Still True

Article originally written for Seat42F.

HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE wowed audiences in its inaugural season last year, so as season two premieres this week with a different cast and story, it has a lot to live up to, and will surely evoke comparisons (as happens in this article). In order to do the title proud, the new run doesn’t seek to copy its predecessor, but instead uses a different structure and approach, while keeping the same dark, gritty, authentic, complex types of characters. Even early in the premiere, “The Western Book of the Dead,” I feel that it is succeeding.

In “The Western Book of the Dead,” we are introduced to three officials in law enforcement. Detective Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell, Total Recall) went off the rails after the rape of his wife, and now is a dirty cop who gets violent to protect the son (Trevor Larcom, Fresh Off the Boat) he raised but may not have fathered, biologically speaking. Knife-wielding Ani Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams, Midnight in Paris) is a cop who doesn’t agree with the lifestyle choices of her family, sister, Athena (Leven Rambin, Grey’s Anatomy), being a solo porn actor, and her father (Treme’s David Morse) being a free-spirited hippie lecturer. Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights) loves riding his motorcycle with a death wish, and is unhappy to be suspended (with pay) after an improper behavior accusation is lobbied against him.

None of these are heroes, at least not yet. Like last year’s Rust, they are deeply flawed. Except, unlike last year’s Rust, there’s no Marty to balance them out. Sure, Ani has a partner, Elvis (Michael Irby, Almost Human), but the scenes we see of the trio in the premiere are focused on showing us their bad behavior and it doesn’t look like any of them have anyone in their lives to pull them back from the brinks they are all rocketing towards.

In fact, the most stable character in this year’s TRUE DETECTIVE is not a cop, but a criminal, Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn, The Internship), who, along with his wife, Jordan (Kelly Reilly, Black Box), join the three above in the main cast. Frank is trying to go legit, having found a scheme that will make him lots of money above-board. Unlike the other leads, Frank seems to behave logically, not emotionally, and is trying to better himself, not self-destruct. Ironic, no?

Of course, there is a story that brings all five of these people (Jordan to a lesser extent, but definitely the other four) together. This isn’t done at the start of the hour, as happened last year, but is the ending climax of “The Western Book of the Dead,” and will surely lead to a lot more interaction, of which there is barely any between the leads here, over the next seven weeks (this season being another eight-installment run).

I like this delayed beginning, though. Because there are more characters, it takes a little longer to get to know them. Without the partner dynamic, it’s not as easy for TRUE DETECTIVE to let viewers be introduced through a single relationship. Since the entire make up has more complexity, meaning more moving parts, taking time with each individually in “The Western Book of the Dead” does much to prepare us for the rest of the season.

I really enjoyed this premiere. Is it as good as season one? I think it’s too early to make that call, as season one was a twisty, slow burn that started great and continued to be so week after week. This first episode back seems to have the same qualities as its predecessor, and it is easy to be fully engaged in this new story with these new characters, which is a hopeful sign. The next couple of months will show us whether that can be maintained or not.

TRUE DETECTIVE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Blaring SIRENS

Article first published as SIRENS Review on Seat42F.

USA is trying its hand with sitcoms when the new series SIRENS premieres Thursday evening. The episode sent to critics, and that is currently streaming free on the network’s website, is listed as #1.04 “Rachel McAdams Topless.” I’m not sure that’s going to be the first episode that airs, but it should give us a taste of not only the tone of the series, but who the characters are as well.

At the center of SIRENS are three EMTs. Johnny (Michael Mosley, Pan Am, The Proposal) is having trouble defining his relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend Theresa (Jessica McNamee, Packed to the Rafters). Or are they dating? It’s not clear. Hank (Kevin Daniels, Modern Family, Ladder 49), Johnny’s best friend, is gay and black, though neither is really played up as a character element in the first episode, with Hank’s role being to deliver the best lines and support Johnny. They are joined by nervous, naïve newbie Brian (Kevin Bigley, Game Change).

Now, that doesn’t sound like a recipe for a particularly original show, and I admit, Brian, especially, is a familiar type. But Sirens doesn’t try for anything fancy. It’s about a group of guys hanging out together, getting into absurd situations, and having way too personal conversations. They have good chemistry, and are enjoyable.

For instance, in “Rachel McAdams Topless,” they try to erase a patient’s computer, only to be scarred by disturbing porn. Then they end up talking about porn and sex for the most of the half hour, as other things they stumble upon also hinge on that topic. So it’s a lot of raunchy, honest talking between buddies.

I happen to find this very funny. I know it’s certainly not everyone’s type of humor, but it’s far better than gross vomit and poop gags. SIRENS rises or falls on how real each of these three men seem and whether viewers will care about them or not. Half an hour in, I do care. They seem nice and are trying their best, never mean-spirited or cruel.

The relationship between Johnny and Theresa is good, too. He swears to her that he’s given up porn for her, a lie of course, which she quickly discovers. But not knowing she knows, he and his buddies try to prevent her from finding out, stumbling on her own embarrassing secrets in the process. Theresa and Johnny learn a little about one another, and it helps them appreciate their partner more.

First and foremost, this makes “Rachel McAdams Topless” a comedy of errors, with one-liners smartly tying into later twists in the story, running gags rather than just a series of punchlines. At times, the situations feel staged, of course, and in this style of narrative, that’s unavoidable. But the energy put off by the cast is infectious, and it keeps moving forward at a pleasing pace.

I’m not sure Theresa is all that authentic a character, possibly more of a guy’s dream of what a woman should be than real. Or maybe she’s someone who just bucks trends and doesn’t conform to what’s currently publicly acceptable to say, a liberated, modern woman. At times, she’s more masculine than Johnny, a relatively new arrangement in society that can still seem novel on television when done right, as it is here.

But SIRENS doesn’t ask us to overthink this stuff. It’s just a goofy comedy designed to make us laugh. I wish it aired on HBO or Showtime so it could actually back up the topics of conversation with visuals; hearing and hinting at things that are never shown make it tamer than it should be. But its sensibilities do seem appropriate to a TBS or basic cable format, so it should work for USA, known mostly for fluffy dramas.

SIRENS premieres this Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on USA.

Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection hits DVD

     Do you like Shakespeare? Do you like to laugh? Then the Canadian sitcom Slings & Arrows is for you. Winner of many top Gemini awards, Canada's prestigious prize for English language television, Slings & Arrows follows a theatre troupe as they perform some of the Bard's greatest works at the New Burbage Festival, a fictional event similar to the Stratford Festival. Over three seasons, Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear are all dealt with in humorous fashion. The series focuses mainly on backstage antics, a la The West Wing, but with a much darker humor that should tickle any funny bone.

     Geoffrey (Paul Gross, Due South, Men With Brooms) is the director at the center of the chaos, not that he isn't responsible for much of it. His passion mixes with an unpredictable eccentricity that will keep viewers engaged. Gross does a fantastic job with the central role. Geoffrey's behavior is not made any more stable by the haunting of his predecessor and mentor, Oliver (voice talent Stephen Ouimette), who is killed very early in the series, spurring the theatre to hire Geoffrey as his replacement. Not many shows are brave enough to have a ghost in the cast, but this one does, and it works splendidly.

     Geoffrey has a real vision for what he'd like to see on stage. Unfortunately, not everyone shares his exact dream. General manager Richard Smith-Jones (Mark McKinney, The Kids in the Hall, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip) is an obstacle, as he would rather listen to the allure of advertising money in the form of first Holly (Jennifer Irwin, Eastbound & Down), then Sanjay (Colm Feore, The Borgias, 24), than maintain quality, at least sometimes. It also doesn't help Geoffrey that his first lead is an American movie star (Luke Kirby, Cra$h & Burn), rather than a trained stage thespian. Both are signs of a declining theatre world, but an industry that will Geoffrey will be lost without.

     Making the mix even more convoluted is that actress, and former lover of Geoffrey, Ellen (Martha Burns, Screening), is part of the company, and dating a younger man. So not only are there the technical aspects to worry about, but poor Geoffrey is plagued by pesky emotions as well. Their story begins well before Sling & Arrows, when they were co-stars in Hamlet. Ellen slept with Oliver, who is gay, and Geoffrey went off the deep end, upset over the betrayal. Brought back together by circumstance, they make it work. The chemistry between Burns and Gross make every interaction engaging.

     The principal cast are all wonderful, and their ability to actually perform Shakespeare, as well as sitcom comedy, is astounding. They are supported by guest stars like Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes, The Notebook), Sarah Polley (John Adams), and William Hutt, an actual respected Shakespearean actor who died shortly after this performance.

     The special features on the seven disc complete collection, which contains all three seasons, include bloopers, deleted scenes, productions notes, photo galleries, cast interviews, trailers, and song lyrics. There is also a featurette going behind the scenes, and plenty of on-set footage. It's really quite a nice package of extras for such a short-lived series.

     Slings & Arrows is also available on Blu-ray, though I have not had the opportunity to check out that collection. I suggest buying Slings & Arrows immediately, available from Acorn Media.

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Article first published as DVD Review: Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection on Blogcritics.