DARK MATTER Lightweight

Article originally published as DARK MATTER Review on Seat42F.

SyFy’s DARK MATTER, based on the graphic novel, begins this week feeling very much like a stand-alone episode of a science fiction anthology series. Six people wake up on a generic damaged spaceship with no memory of who they are and what they are doing. Working together, somewhat, they attempt to piece together their identities and mission, which may not be as good an idea as that sounds.

As we first meet the cast, self-named for the order in which they woke up, they seem pretty easy to pigeonhole. There’s One (Marc Bendavid, Hard Rock Medical), the pretty-boy peacemaker. Two (Canadian theatre star Melissa O’Neil) is a natural, fair-minded leader. Three (Anthony Lemke, Good Witch) is the angry one. Four (Alex Mallari Jr., True Justice) has some mad martial arts skills. Five (Jodelle Ferland, The Cabin in the Woods) is a weird, super-intelligent kid. Six (Roger R. Cross, Continuum, 24) is a gentle-leaning giant.

As they begin to figure out their personalities, if not their backstories, muscle memory taking over where they lack, they end up being a pretty bland group. Cross is the only very recognizable member of the ensemble, but in this case, going with unknowns does not pay off. It feels like a cast of second-stringers making a low-budget program that isn’t likely to garner a sizeable American audience.

The most impressive face on screen is that of Zoie Palmer (Lost Girl), who plays The Android that can connect directly with the ship. Aside from a few juicy bits for Ferland, Palmer is the only one who gets to show range and prove why she deserves to be a main player in this show. She brings a mix of coldness and sly humor that make her stand out in an otherwise mediocre group.

The story at the heart of the DARK MATTER pilot doesn’t help matters much. As I mentioned at the start, this feels like an anthology installment, basically a short story with not much momentum to keep it going. The ‘twist’ at the end of the episode could have been tweaked only slightly and this would have been a vaguely interesting, not very memorable, stand-alone hour. To keep this plot going for any length of time, the mystery at the heart of the piece needs to be grand and meaningful. Neither of those adjectives seem to apply here.

The best thing that DARK MATTER has going for it is that it’s on the SyFy channel. While low-quality shows don’t last long on the network (though high-quality ones don’t fare too much better), it is in the right place to find the small segment of the viewership that this will appeal to. Those attracted by the simple narrative, one familiar to the genre, may be interested in this example of it. Plus, given all the cheesy-on-purpose TV movies that will air around this, DARK MATTER may look good by comparison because at least it has a story that seems to make sense and there are no awful, gory effects.

Could DARK MATTER have been better? Absolutely. If it boasted a cast on the level of, say, Firefly, with its magnetic personalities and a deep mythology behind the story, the construct could remain the same and it would improve it a lot. What that means to me is that DARK MATTER itself is not an inherently bad idea, since I see a way it could be really good, but just comes across as poorly executed. That’s a shame, because no one involved seems to be doing a bad job; there’s just an overall blandness to most aspects of the production that cannot be overcome.

DARK MATTER premieres Friday, June 12^th at 10 p.m. ET.

"The Return" Of ARROW

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 14 The Return on Seat42F.



This week’s ARROW, “The Return,” flips the setting a bit, with the present day story taking place on Lian Yu, the island Oliver (Stephen Amell) was once marooned on, and the flashbacks happening in Starling City. Oliver and Thea (Willa Holland) are training to take on a villain, but they have no choice in their method when Malcolm (John Barrowman) unleashes a former foe on them. Meanwhile, it turns out Oliver did check in on his loved ones during his “dead” period, even if they didn’t know it.

Doing “The Return” this way greatly limits the screen time of a couple of the main characters, but almost everyone is worked into the hour in some way or another. Better, a number of long-missing players, such as Robert Queen (Jamey Sheridan), Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), and Detective Lucas Hilton (Roger R. Cross), get a chance to pop up. By letting these returning guest stars take screen time away from the main players who logically wouldn’t have a large role in this time and place, “The Return” manages to tell a strong, cohesive story, rather than delivering the flimsy stunt it could have been. Sure, cameos by Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) are unnecessary, but they’re small enough not to distract from the main piece, which is a very good installment.

The Starling City of the past is one we’re aware of, but there’s a new twist tossed in by Oliver’s presence. We get to witness, through his eyes, just how bad some of the people in his life were doing, and see how Tommy tries to pull them out. We also get to see Oliver as a murderer again, and while he does so for a noble purpose, it’s more disturbing than I remember it being, highlighting his growth in the present.

Malcolm wishes Oliver would return to his killing form, which is why he unleashes Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) on the island. Trapped with Thea to protect, Malcolm believes Oliver will have no choice but to kill his old enemy. Not only does Oliver not give in to the temptation, Thea also passes up the kill shot when she has the chance. Slade doesn’t deserve their mercy, but they are too moral to kill him if they don’t have to, which is a good thing for their journey towards being heroes.

Thea faces a major setback when, much to Malcolm’s chagrin, Oliver tells her she is the one that killed Sara. It’s a hard thing for Oliver to say, but Thea knows he’s keeping something from her, and he eventually decides she deserves to know. I get why Oliver makes that decision, because he doesn’t want his sister to distance herself again due to his secrets. But he hasn’t told her everything, including, I’m assuming, murdering her drug dealer, as we see him do in the flashbacks of “The Return.” Secrets have always been a sticking point between the siblings, and even as Oliver makes progress in being open with her, his growth isn’t complete.

It is really nice to see Thea and Oliver together, though. Whatever obstacles lie ahead, they get this time to be brother and sister, working together. Malcolm does many bad things, but helping Thea get to a place where she can be on Oliver’s level is not completely one of them, his methods of doing so aside. Thea justifiably hates Malcolm now, telling him he will never be her father, but that doesn’t erase what he did for her.

Are Oliver, Thea, and Malcolm ready to face Ra’s al Ghul yet? I don’t know. Oliver and Thea manage to take down Slade, but it’s quite a struggle for them to do so. Ra’s is arguably harder to beat than Slade, but they will have Malcolm helping, too. I kind of wish Oliver would ask Team Arrow for help, which would not only give him a better shot at winning, but show how he is developing into a team player, moving further and further away from the lone wolf he begins Arrow as.

The other subplot in “The Return” finds Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) mourning Sara’s death and considering drinking. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) tries to help her dad, but now that the news has set in, he has found anger at Laurel for keeping Sara’s death a secret. Worse, he feels betrayed by the daughter he has always shared a bond with. Their relationship needs much work, and even if most viewers saw it coming, it’s no less painful.

“The Return” is one of my favorite episodes of the season so far, and that’s saying something since ARROW is having a stellar year. The character development is strong and story is surprising. The producers have promised season three will only get crazier from here, and I can’t wait.

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

CONTINUUM Leaves Us Hanging "Second Time"

Article first published as CONTINUUM Leaves Us Hanging "Second Time" on TheTVKing.

The Canadian import Continuum, which U.S. viewers get to watch on SyFy, recently brought its second season to a close with "Second Time." It's an episode of big reveals, major developments, heartbreak, and cliffhangers. Thankfully, the show has been picked up for a third year, or it would be a really bad place to stop.

Right off the bat, we learn something new in the future scene at the beginning: Kiera's husband Greg (John Reardon) is involved in old Alec's (William B. Davis) plot to send Liber8 back in time. This is huge! It means Kiera's family isn't just wondering what happened to her. Why did Greg go along with this, and what has he done since to get Kiera back? This is now a plot I want to see.

I understand why Kiera (Rachel Nichols) doesn't suspect Greg is involved in sending her back, though, even though the panic in his face is what tips her off about the time travel device. She turns and sees Kagame (Tony Amendola) pull something from his pocket, and may think Greg has only witnessed the same thing. As such, this new reveal adds to the story, but does still fit in the continuity.

In the past, we recently see Kiera go selfish, abandoning Emily (Magda Apanowicz), who dies, while chasing her chance to get home. Up til now, Kiera is the hero of Continuum, and she makes sacrifices to save others. In a moment of weakness, and it really is just a moment, Kiera puts herself first and tragedy strikes. It's depressing because one cannot really blame Kiera for her actions, and yet we are shown there is a cost of not acting the hero.

Actually, one person may blame Kiera, and that's Alec (Erik Knudsen). It's hard to pinpoint Alec's shifting loyalties in "Second Time," as he seems to be manipulating multiple players in the game. In the end, though, he gets what he ultimately wants, which is the chance to go back in time and save his love, Emily, even though that leaves Kiera abandoned in the present. Alec is not an unselfish hero.

Many stories take their protagonists to a dark place during the journey, a time when they will make the wrong choice and do the wrong thing. Kiera and Alec both go through this at the end of season two, which is OK, because there will be a third season in which they can redeem themselves. Ultimately, they must live up to the unrealistically high standards fans of this type of drama expect them to be, but they can stumble along the way. Which is why "Second Time" doesn't feel like an ending.

That being said, I do hope Alec saves Emily. I absolutely adore Apanowicz in everything I've seen her in, and her passing is predictable and sad. If Alec can reverse this, Continuum will have a chance to bring her back and do something special with the actress, using her as she deserves to be used, rather than wasted in a small arc.

The thing that may end up saving Alec and put him back on the right path, besides Emily, is his family. We now know that Jason (Ian Tracey) is Alec's son, sent back by old Alec, though present-day Alec doesn't know this, believing Jason to be his father. Jason kind of hangs back, observing, but should step in when the time arises to fix things.

I am undecided about Escher (Hugh Dillon), who claims to be Alec's father. We have seen no proof of this, and it's not clear whether Alec believes Escher or just uses Escher to get back in time. As such, Escher remains a wild card, one that cannot be figured out yet.

Kiera's family may be in the future, but she has somebody in this time that cares about her, too, and that's Carlos (Victor Webster). Carlos gives up his life and his career to help Kiera, and then has to go on the run. This exposes a depth to Carlos's feelings about Kiera that was not obvious before. Might Carlos be a real love interest if Kiera decides she is never getting home? Or if she learns of Greg's hand in what befell her?

Carlos is on the run now, and instead of going to Kiera, whom he thinks is going home, he hides out at Julian's (Richard Harmon) house. This is brilliant, with no one ever suspecting Carlos would reach out to the person who has caused him so much trouble professionally. And Julian gets the chance to prove he isn't evil and stands by his peaceful posture by turning the other cheek. This is a really interesting twist, one that should have cool ramifications for both roles.

When season three begins, the most immediate issue will be for Kiera, Jason, and the other time travelers to escape. They are captured and locked up by the freelancers, taken to a secret prison. No one knows where they are, and unless Alec returns, no one may even know they are missing.

This gives all of the people from the future a commonality, which could be beneficial. Kiera has battled with Travis (Roger Cross), who has no love for Kellog (Stephen Lobo). Now, all three (if Travis is alive), along with the other members of Liber8 and Jason, may have to work together, or may just find time to bond in captivity. This could absolutely change the dynamics of the show.

And what of Dillon (Brian Markinson)? He appears to be one of the good guys for so long, but "Second Time" shows him using a new play book. Is he connected to some sinister people? Is he being manipulated? I don't know, but he's on the wrong side of the conflict for now, and looks to be in a position to cause some serious trouble.

Continuum is exactly the type of science fiction show I love. It has an intriguing premise, wonderful characters, fantastic actors, and plot developments that are hard to see coming. It isn't afraid to switch up the rules, or completely change a character's trajectory. There are also multiple time lines and time periods, which makes the story more complex, and thus more rich. Plus, it takes time for awesome fight scenes, such as the one between Kiera and Travis. It has become a must-watch program.

"Second Time" is a pivotal, exciting installment. I look forward to Continuum's return in 2014.

CONTINUUM Doesn't Need "Second Chances"

Article first published as CONTINUUM Season 2 Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 92%

SyFy’s Candian import CONTINUUM returns tonight for a second season. The premiere, “Second Chances,” picks up a little bit after the first season ended, with several of the primary characters still dealing with what the finale revealed. But a new assassination quickly forces the good guys to pull together, and a new mission is found.

The character development in CONTINUUM is top notch. Each of these people have their own defined motivations, and sometimes that means they work together, and others times they are at odds. Even when one of them cares about someone else, such as Kiera (Rachel Nichols) feeling a kinship with Carlos (Victor Webster), Kiera may still do something Carlos wouldn’t want when the situation arises.

Now that might seem like a “duh!” move for a story to go in, but it’s found far less than one might expect on television today. The best shows know who their personalities are, and construct situations that test these people in interesting ways, putting them in context where they have to choose between realistic, imperfect options. CONTINUUM does this, raising it above many of its peers, leaving a seed of doubt that a person, in the correct situation, might not do right by another at the end of the day.

In “Second Chances,” Kiera is wrapped up in her grief about not going home, and thinking that being a vigilante is the right way to help the world, unfettered by regulation. Alec (Erik Knudsen) also splits off, isolating himself as he tries to deal with the message his future self (William B. Davis) sends him in Kiera’s programming. But both are pushed back into the team when Carlos and Dillon (Brian Markinson) need them, although their actions are not completely altruistic.

I really like the dynamic between Kiera and Kellog (Stephen Lobo). While Kellog certainly has less-than-noble tendencies, he does work more for Kiera than against her. Her falling into bed with him is as much about her loneliness and the connection she feels to him, since they’re both trapped in the past, as it is about Kellog himself. Their relationship is complicated, and while they might eventually make a go at serious romance, once Kiera accepts that she won’t see her husband, Greg (John Reardon), again, that won’t be happening anytime soon.

Of course, you just know that the episode Kiera actually commits to Kellog will be the same installment in which she is reunited with Greg.

At first, I thought CONTINUUM would be a typical crime procedural, with a few science fiction trappings. But season one proved that the series can do much better, weaving a complex tale of terrorists and police, fantastical science, and complicated story, with plots stretching from 2077 back to today. What appears to be a run-of-the-mill law breaker could actually be something much more, and he or she usually is, since this show doesn’t waste its time with stories that don’t have larger implications.

“Second Chances” picks up this sort of thread and runs with it when the Mayor is killed during a press conference. Who is behind it? Liber8? Mobsters? Jim Martin (Tahmoh Penikett), the mayor’s political rival? By the end of the hour, we know, but there is also very clearly more to it than just learning the shooter’s identity.

Liber8 is reeling after the loss of its leader. Sonya (Lexa Doig) thinks she should be in charge, but that’s not readily accepted by the others, as one might predict. If Kagame (Tony Amendola) really did name her his successor, why didn’t he tell the others and smooth the transition? Is Sonya lying? What are her plans for the group?

And there’s still Travis (Roger Cross), who cannot be counted out. I will not reveal exactly what happens with him because it would be too spoilery, but Travis has some major twists in this first hour back.

The biggest unknown factor currently in CONTINUUM remains Agent Gardner (Nicholas Lea). When last we see him, he gets a little of Kiera’s secret, though does not have the ability to understand what he is seeing yet. In this episode, he brilliantly maneuvers a couple of characters together, then just sits back and watches. Someone this cunning and intelligent could prove a real thorn in Kiera’s side, and there’s no telling what he will do when he eventually realizes what he dealing with, which he surely will.

What is most interesting in “Second Chances,” though, is Alec’s message to himself. We know he orchestrates the terrorists and Kiera’s trip to 2012, and we know he is involved in Liber8′s activities. What we don’t know is why, or how to reconcile this man who is Kiera’s friend in both time periods doing something to her that seems so cruel. This premiere doesn’t clear up those things exactly, but it does start down a path of explanation, one that will eventually lay out the entire premise of CONTINUUM.

In all, “Second Chances” is a fantastic return for CONTINUUM, deepening the mythology, and letting the actors really dig into some emotional heft in their characters. It should be a very satisfying sophomore season.

CONTINUUM airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on SyFy.

Little MOTIVE to Watch

Article first published as MOTIVE Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 84%

ABC’s newest drama, premiering tonight, is MOTIVE. Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman, The Killing) is a tough single mother and homicide detective with a killer instinct, so to speak. She, more than anyone else in her department, is concerned with the MOTIVE of the murderer, which helps her catch the perp when others cannot.

MOTIVE follows a simple formula. We see the victim of the crime. The police investigate said crime, as they do in any hour-long procedural, and the viewer gets to see what happens during the violent act via flashback, doled out in bits and pieces throughout the installment. What makes it slightly different from its peers, the hook if you will, is that there is a focus on why a bad guy does a thing, rather than just how they are caught.

Angie, our hero, is a lot like other leads in other crime dramas. She has an almost super-human level of perception and intelligence, able to spot small things and remember details, which allows her to complete the investigation. For instance, in the “Pilot,” it’s an offhand comment from a teenager she encounters that leads her to figure out the real villain, even though the evidence is pointing to someone else.

The problem with this formula is that it makes the rest of the department look inferior at their jobs, and it relies on coincidence to save the day. What if she had not talked to a certain person, or that person had not remarked on that topic of that one crucial piece of information? Sure, we can accept that a great detective, who is always paying attention, will eventually find that one puzzle piece, but it’s the type of stretch that frequently only comes up on TV dramas.

The success of this series will largely rest on Lehman’s shoulders, and she seems to be up to the task. Despite being in the same genre, MOTIVE is quite a departure from her previous job on The Killing, and the role she plays is a drastically different one. She does handle the part with ease, feeling comfortable in Angie’s skin, and realistically crafting the character into her own. She adequately joins the ranks other main characters in a similar job on other crime dramas.

Because Angie is so front-and-center, the rest of the cast kind of takes a back seat to her. They are around to support her, but any major breakthrough must come from Angie, not them, to preserve why she is the one we should root for the most. MOTIVE is definitely not a true ensemble piece, with the world revolving around Angie and only Angie.

No one else really stands out as super memorable in the “Pilot,” but we are introduced to a number of others, including plenty of familiar types. There’s: Dr. Betty Rogers (Lauren Holly, NCIS), the super flirty medical examiner; Detective Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira, Stargate Universe), Angie’s doubting partner who seems to care about her at least as much as a friend would; Staff Sergeant Boyd Bloom (Roger Cross, 24, Continuum), the hard-nosed boss who stays in the office; and Brian Lucas (Brendan Penny, The A-Team), the fresh-faced, naïve, enthusiastic youngster on the squad.

Over time, we will probably get to know all of these people, and every once in awhile, the spotlight will shine a little on them. For now, they are a capable group of characters, if easily interchangeable, to fill in the space around Angie a bit, without drawing attention away from her. Which means, for this type of show, they are doing their job correctly.

Of course, in keeping with the current trend, Angie isn’t just a dedicated cop. She’s also a single mother with an unruly, but good at heart, teenage son named Manny (Cameron Bright, Twilight). Sex and speeding tickets are the issues between them right off the bat, and Angie handles those situations with a kind-hearted nature that reveals her affection for her child, but also that she’s not a pushover. This also results in the most entertaining moments of the “Pilot,” especially when Angie asks Manny’s girlfriend about her boobs.

All in all, MOTIVE is an enjoyable way to kill an hour, and it’s well made enough that fans of murder-based procedurals will enjoy it. It seems like the type of series one could grab an episode every now and then, and you won’t have to watch every week to keep up on the story. This also means there isn’t a lot of depth, and the formula will likely stay pretty rote, so it could get boring pretty quick. There is definitely an audience out there for MOTIVE, as the ratings for shows such as NCIS and Castle prove, and because it’s on during the summer, provides a nice respite from reruns. But for the discerning viewer that wants a compelling narrative, you can probably skip this one.

MOTIVE premieres tonight at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.