Take a Boat to HIGHTOWN

Article first published as TV Review: HIGHTOWN on Seat42F.

Starz’s most recent drama is HIGHTOWN. Jackie Quiñones is a National Marine Fisheries Service agent, loves to party hard and hook up, both things easy to come by in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a gay-friendly tourist town. But when she finds a dead body, and lets her vices take a little too much control, she ends up battling demons both inside and out.

Monica Raymund (Chicago Fire) stars as Jackie, and could not be a more compelling lead. Jackie’s behavior is abhorrent, but Monica finds the humanity and sympathy, as well as the driving motivations. It’s easy to see why Jackie’s partner, Ed Murphy (Mike Pniewski, Madam Secretary), likes her, and viewers will, too. Despite her substance abuse and womanizing ways, she seems to be a good person who cares about people and isn’t too strict on the rules, seeing the humanity in others. Though, she doesn’t seem to see it in her sexual conquests. The murder victim forces Monica to examine herself, and the audience gets the privilege of watching that introspective character arc.

Obviously, an antihero is nothing new. But there are many types of them, and Jackie feels fresh. It’s not just the fact that she’s not white, straight, or male, though that’s certainly welcome. It’s that her outlook feels a little different than most of the others I’ve seen, her attitudes being realistic and relatable as present. Aside from one big action-related thing, Jackie seems pretty darn authentic. Her pain seems real.

There is a great supporting cast that fills out Jackie’s world and plays varying roles, all of which will surely come together, even if it’s not obvious how right away. Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) is a kingpin behind bars who is still pulling the strings outside. Riley Voelkel (The Originals) is his exotic dancing girlfriend who is much more capable than she first appears. James Badge Dale (The Pacific) is a police detective who takes his job a little too personally. The three of them are introduced in the same thread in the pilot, but I’m eager to see Jackie interact with them.

The setting is great, with the beauty of Cape Cod and the ocean grounded in grimy reality, a place both lovely and dirty. Much of the series was filmed on location, and it shows. It helps to move a show away from Hollywood and to somewhere more visually interesting, or at least diverse in its look, and HIGHTOWN looks great. I hope more productions keep up this trend of getting away from Southern California, a vista we’ve seen enough of for awhile.

HIGHTOWN is also well-written. I don’t want to give too high praise to a series just getting started, and I’ve only seen the first episode. But immediately, I drew comparisons in tone and style to The Wire Season 2 (which I also happen to be finally watching right now). I’m not going claim HIGHTOWN is as good as The Wire, but the fact that it didn’t suffer for the comparison says something.

The murder and drug plots are far from novel, making up a large percentage of television programming today. I review a lot of these cable or streaming pilots with similar goals and themes, and haven’t been taken in by very many of them. However, there’s a magnetism to HIGHTOWN greater than the sum of its laudable parts, and I found I had a hard time resisting its call. I hadn’t planned to renew my Starz subscription again until Outlander returns for another season, but I’m curious enough about the rest of this one to go ahead and give it a binge.

Check out HIGHTOWN on Starz now.

Dyin' La VIDA Loca

Article first published as TV Review: VIDA on Seat42F.

Starz premiered a pair of two new half hour shows this week. While traditionally half hour programs are comedies, Starz has broken that mold more than once, and VIDA, one of the newbies, is certainly a drama. When the titular character dies, unseen by viewers, sisters Emma (Mishel Prada, Fear the Walking Dead: Passage) and Lyn (Melissa Barrera, Siempre Tuya Acapulco) return home for the funeral and to take care of her affairs. But secrets come out and circumstances conspire to keep the two tied to the Eastside of Los Angeles, the heavily Mexican-American neighborhood they grew up in.

Prada and Barrera are excellent as the two siblings at the center of VIDA. Their interactions reveal gobs of backstory. While much of their rocky relationship seems familiar and relatable, they are fully formed individuals, not stock characters. This allows us to both quickly understand the dynamic between them, but also not to give away a predictable story. The best scenes of the pilot are any time the two of them are talking to one another. Thankfully the premise sets this up to be a big part of the series.

Their first obstacle, and probably the biggest they face, is that their mother’s property is to be split three ways, not two. The reveal that Vida’s roommate, Eddy (Ser Anzoategui, East Los High), is actually her widow is far from a surprise, obvious from the moment the character is introduced. But despite the stereotype the character visually appears to be, she quickly reveals herself to be a more rounded personality, sympathetic and warm. Eddy is much more than a side player, and her existence plays into a lot of possibilities moving forward. Hopefully, VIDA will give her as much prominence as the other two.

More of a trope is Johnny (Carlos Miranda, The Bling Ring), Lyn’s ex who is engaged to the mother of his soon-to-be-born child, but who of course falls right back into sexual relations with Lyn. This is a very overdone type, and not one I’ve ever encountered in real life. He is there to add tension, but unless they develop him beyond the superficial, and they may, there’s not much point in having him around beyond how he informs on Lyn’s character.

The wild card is Johnny’s sister, Mari (Chelsea Rendon, Bright), who is a rebel with some causes, seemingly. She is fighting back against the gentrification of the neighborhood, though she is doing so in such an extreme way that it’s clear she won’t succeed. Not that one would expect any single person to be able to stop a trend like this, but she is going about it in probably the least productive way. After episode one, it’s not clear exactly how she will figure into the sisters’ tale, though given their desire to sell the bar and apartment building their mother owned, there will likely be a bit of overlap.

I liked VIDA, but I didn’t love it. The characters and world are very specific, in a good way, with a well-defined universe to exist in. There is representation in the cast and story that don’t often show up on television, and the social issues raised are timely and important. There pacing is fine, and the direction is interesting. It feels like an indie drama film about a family, stretched out a bit.

Yet, it lacked a strong hook. I’m curious about what will happen next, but there’s not a character that stands out or a part that really draws focus to latch onto. The evenness of the quality is generally a good thing as a show goes on, but the pilot needs something special to really make a broader audience take notice. I can’t say I really saw that in the first episode of VIDA. Though, at only six episodes in the first season, and the apparent quality of the production, it’s probably worth giving it a chance.

VIDA airs Sundays on Starz.

Part / COUNTERPART

Article first published as TV Review: COUNTERPART on Seat42F.

COUNTERPART is a new drama premiering on Starz tonight (though fans of Outlander might have already seen the pilot, which aired ‘sneak preview’ style after the recent series finale). The story follows a mild-mannered man who has spent his career in an unsatisfyingly low-level job within a secretive part of the UN. Said man, Howard Silk, has his life suddenly disrupted when he finds out that his employer is actually guarding a gateway to a parallel reality. And he learns this because a tough, commanding version of himself crosses over to defect and help them stop a serial killer.

J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Spiderman) is brilliant as both versions of Silk, the leading role he deserves. Simmons is one of those performers who got the supporting player and character roles for far too long, but can totally handle headlining. It almost seems like COUNTERPART is making it up to him by giving him two such roles at once, and complex ones at that. For Simmons alone, I would like to watch this show.

He is joined by a brilliant supporting cast. Harry Lloyd (Manhattan) plays his boss, Peter Quayle. Olivia Williams (Manhattan) is Silk’s wife, Emily, who seems to have quite a different relationship with the protagonist on each side. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) is Emily’s tool of a brother. Sara Serraiocco (Worldly Girl) is the enigmatic, gender-fluid assassin. There are quite a few more characters, too, but these are the ones that stand out the most in the pilot.

In terms of genre, COUNTERPART crosses a couple of them. Its narrative structure is that of a spy thriller. There’s a cat-and-mouse aspect to the espionage, and real danger. Violence is a tool, not the point of it all, and there is plenty of mystery. There is a Cold War feel to the hunt, two sides who could cause great damage to one another, staring across the abyss, full-fledged conflict threatening to erupt. And, of course, one cannot deny the strong science fiction aspect.

Speaking to the sci-fi, there is a promising premise here to be explored. It’s interesting that they establish these two realities used to be one, splitting off at a defined point. Given how different things have gone on each side, one really wonders about specific events and their importance. I think it would behoove the show to explore the past as well as the present as the tale unfolds, as viewers will be curious at how some of the divergences happened. Plus, we don’t yet know all the rules of the separation and what might be done, nor much about the code work Silk was doing, which definitely seems to have larger meaning than we see in episode one.

In short, I really, really dig COUNTERPART. While it shares some familiar elements with other series, it also appears to have its own, strong identity, and a rich world to explore. I have no idea where things are going, which is a big plus on a show like this, but I can’t wait to see them play out. With the stellar cast, especially Simmons, it seems likely that even weaker moments will play well. Though, the pilot seemingly lacked those weak moments, which hopefully keeps up as the show goes on (always an iffy prospect for high-concept sci-fi, which often stumbles when forced to explain everything).

Starz has a great series here. I only wonder why they didn’t keep it paired with Outlander. I feel like there is enough common DNA, though the two shows are very different, that it could keep some of the same audience. True, Starz might want to maintain the viewers when Outlander isn’t on, but they seem like such a natural pairing, it looks to be a missed opportunity to air them in different seasons.

COUNTERPART premieres tonight at 9/8c on Starz.

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.

Experience THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

Article originally published as THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE Review on Seat42F.

In 2009, Steven Soderbergh released an interesting little film called THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. It followed a high-class escort named Christine (porn star Sasha Grey) who worked under the name Chelsea, providing the illusion of a relationship for men who could pay (a lot) for it. Now Starz, with Soderbergh producing, is bringing that world to the small screen in a weekly half-hour (non-comedy) show, premiering this week.

This time around, Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) plays Christine / Chelsea. Instead of glimpsing a few select days, this version of THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE delves into why Christine would get involved in prostitution in the first place, as well as how she balances a “normal” life with her nighttime work. It’s a fascinating character study of a ripe, but little-seen, subject, begging for a series such as this.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE rises and falls on Keough. Only spending a small amount of the running time with her clothes off, she has to have acting talent to remain captivating, something less of a concern in a film. Keough is Elvis’ granddaughter, and has a sex appeal like the King, but in a more reserved way, which left me unsure if she was any good or not through at least the first episode. Yet, the more I watched, the more I was captivated by her performance, which mixes an almost cold woman in her personal relationships with someone who craves the attention and power one gets from selling one’s body. She’s very interesting.

Christine becomes aware of this career option through her friendship with Avery (Kate Lyn Sheil, House of Cards), who already has a steady man financing her life. At first, Avery seems to want to show off and maybe shock Christine a little. But once Avery introduces Christine to her version of a pimp, Jacqueline (Alexandra Castillo, The 6^th Day), Avery becomes uncomfortable with how successful Christine becomes, almost overnight, knocking their pairing out of alignment.

This friendship is a lynchpin in the early episodes, but seems like it probably won’t be in the near future, despite Sheil being listed as a main player. The dynamic between Avery and Christine is a strange one, as much about competition as it is affection, and with no other friends shown, the more we see of Avery, the more she seems to reflect something about Christine. I’ll let others debate if this says something about female bonds in modern society, simply stating it makes for good TV.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE doesn’t stay confined to the sex trade. We follow Christine to her internship at a prestigious law firm, where she works for partner David Tellis (Paul Sparks, Boardwalk Empire). Christine’s relationship with David is a strange one, too, Christine not seeming to fit into the normal framework of human interaction, and I can’t help but wonder how soon it will be before David gets pulled into her after-hours work. It seems an inevitability to me.

What is compelling about that, though, is the inclusion of Erin Roberts (Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24) as a core cast member. Erin works with David, and is nice enough to Christine. But I can’t see Erin approving of any personal relationship between David and his underling, and that seems like fertile ground for THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE to move to once it gets through the Avery arc.

And this is just skimming the tip of what this show could be. Delving into the mind of a smart, driven woman who makes some choices outside of the social norm (and hangs with creepy older gentlemen) is fascinating stuff, and this show is a lot more than just a titillating tease. Sure, I assume we’ll get some juicy kink eventually, but that’s not what the main draw is, and I would recommend it to anyone, male or female, who likes original quality entertainment. It’s a very well made show, with atmosphere and pacing that set it apart.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE premieres this Sunday on Starz, which , for those who have abandoned cable (like myself), is now available as a subscription through Amazon.

FLESH AND BONE Goes Into Brilliant Drama

Article originally published as FLESH AND BONE Review on Seat42F.

A little over a year ago, I was about ready to give up on Starz, the original programming coming from that premium cable not being my cup of tea. Then came the excellent Outlander, and as of last night, it is joined by the equally fantastic, yet wholly different, FLESH AND BONE.

FLESH AND BONE tells the story of Claire (Sarah Hay, Black Swan), a scared, nervous, talented young ballerina that runs away to the big city and lands a plumb role with a professional company. Claire has a lot of personal and emotional issues going on, so this is probably not the ideal time for her to make such big changes. Yet, she’s clearly running from something and trying to find happiness, or at least purpose and peace. She has the type of rare ability and dedication that can help her to succeed in this competitive arena, and so she just might make it. But it won’t be easy.

The ballet world portrayed in FLESH AND BONE is anything but welcoming. The director, Paul (Ben Daniels, House of Cards), is demanding and erratic. He may also be brilliant, but Claire will have to survive working for him awhile to benefit from that. The company already has a lead dancer in Kiira (Irina Dvorovenko, Power), who isn’t likely to step aside for a new ingénue. Claire is placed in an apartment with Mia (Emily Tyra, Boardwalk Empire), a promiscuous, bitchy girl. And she is hit on by Ross (Sascha Radetsky, Center Stage), who wants more than just to be nice to her. In short, Claire is surrounded by those who might wear her down.

But she has some experience in dealing with hostile people. As we find out in the pilot, her brother, Bryan (Josh Helman, The Pacific), is creepy and probably abusive. So Claire can likely handle those who don’t touch her and are just mean.

Plus, it’s not like Claire doesn’t make any friends. Blunt, rich Daphne (Raychel Diane Weiner, Hickey) may seem abrasive, but she offers assistance to the newbie. And Romeo (Damon Herriman, Justified) may look like a homeless criminal, but he’s actually sweet. So Claire is slowly building a support system.

The main players in FLESH AND BONE, which, besides those listed above, also includes ambitious Trey (Karell Williams), have very small resumes. I managed to find an IMDB listing for each, except Williams, but in many cases, those credits number fewer than five. This is a group of mostly inexperienced unknowns.

Yet, that doesn’t detract from the show at all. If anything, it works in the production’s favor, feeling like the program is bursting with deserving, undiscovered talent. It helps that many have actual dancing backgrounds and possess the skills to back up their characters. It also helps that they deliver compelling, fresh performances. I have no complaints at all about this group.

The show itself feels a lot like Black Swan. It’s not as artistically offbeat, perhaps, but it’s a very specific tone and style that fits very well into this world, but is not repeated in most other shows. It is a specific product, like Mozat in the Jungle. I can’t tell if the budget is big or small, but it seems appropriate for FLESH AND BONE, with the settings, props, and costumes, perfectly suited to the story. Overall, it just exudes high quality, with great attention to detail and design.

I have to say, FLESH AND BONE is one of the best pilots I’ve watched in some time. It’s original, it’s gripping, it’s grounded, and I’m already completely hooked on the story and the characters. I will definitely be tuning in every week.

FLESH AND BONE airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Starz.

ASH VS EVIL DEAD is Storytelling Vs Gore

Article first published as ASH VS EVIL DEAD Review on Seat42F.

Starz’s newest series, which premiered last night, is sure to make fans of one horror franchise happy. In ASH VS EVIL DEAD, viewers catch up with Ashley “Ash” J. Williams (Bruce Campbell) thirty years after the events of the original movies. The Evil Dead have left him alone for a long time, but now they’re coming back for him and for others. Is Ash the ‘El Jefe’ foretold to stop this wicked force?

I have to admit up front that I don’t like the Evil Dead films. They are way too gory for me. I’m not a fan of the horror genre in general, but can handle those with a very good story and not too many body insides on display. The Walking Dead is my favorite show, but I watch it because of the truly excellent character development, not because of the zombies. In anticipation of this show premiering, I attempted to watch the movies in the series, but could not get very far in them, the effects of the violence far too outrageous for me to handle.

That being said, I enjoyed the pilot of ASH VS EVIL DEAD a lot. Not enough to get past the exploding heads and spurting necks (how does a little bullet explode a head?), so I won’t be giving it a second try, but the parts of the hour without that stuff, I found very entertaining. So for those of you not bothered by the gross element, or who may even celebrate the campiness of it, I think this will be a show worth watching.

Campbell is terrific as Ash, arguably the defining character of his career. He’s a lazy, manipulative moocher who is too full of himself. Yet, Campbell still makes him sympathetic and likeable, and not just when he goes into heroic action. Ash is a character fans will want to see stay alive, and root for him as he does the bad ass stuff that he does.

Ash’s missing hand, an event that occurred in a big screen installment, is a minor issue for the production. The Walking Dead (SPOILER ALERT) television series purposely chose not to have The Governor cut off Rick’s hand as he does in the comics because it provided a significant challenge to impart on their show’s lead. ASH VS EVIL DEAD uses the stump mostly effectively, giving Ash a way to lock a weapon on it and pick up girls by lying about it, but there are still times where it kind of gets in the way. I swear I saw the fingers move when Ash closes a car door with it in the opening sequence.

Of course, as charming as Campbell is, he can’t carry a whole TV show himself. Others have to get involved, too, if for no other reason than to provide cannon fodder. I doubt they will kill off Ash’s friends quite as quickly in this new incarnation, given that TV shows typically have at least a few main players, but eventually, some or all of them will have to die and Ash will have to replace them.

His initial team includes Pablo Simon Bolivar (Ray Santiago, Touch, Raising Hope) and Kelly Maxwell (Dana DeLorenzo, Impress Me, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson), co-workers of Ash’s at the retail store in which he works. Both are considerably younger, which makes sense, given the audience Starz is hoping to attract. Pablo is comic relief and Kelly is a possible love interest. A triangle between the three could make things messy later, but I have the feeling ASH VS EVIL DEAD thrives on messiness. Neither sidekick is much more than a typical archetype, but that could change over time, if they live long enough.

Elsewhere, we are introduced to two other women. Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones, Sleepy Hollow, Girlfriends) is a cop who has her own run-in with the evilness. Ruby (Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess, Battlestar Galactica, Parks & Recreation) is a mysterious lady who seems to know something about what’s going on, but who is barely glimpsed in the first installment. Amanda is a relatively familiar type of personality, but Ruby is intriguing, especially in the hands of Lawless, a brilliant performer. I look forward to seeing how the two tie into Ash’s journey, the latter more than the former. It occurs to me, though nothing in the pilot supports this, that Ruby could make a more age appropriate love interest for Ash, freeing up Kelly for Pablo.

Overall, while I don’t appreciate the gore, I think most of the target audience will. ASH VS EVIL DEAD seems more fun than the bits of the movies I glimpsed, and should make for an enjoyable romp, giving the television landscape something it doesn’t quite have currently.

ASH VS EVIL DEAD airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.

OUTLANDER Fights for a "Man's Soul"

Article originally published as OUTLANDER Review Season 1 Episode 16 To Ransom a Man's Soul on Seat42F.

OUTLANDER wonders how much it costs “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” in its first season finale, airing tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Starz and already available on StarzPlay and On Demand. (If you have not watched the finale yet, go watch it before continuing on in this article).

“To Ransom a Man’s Soul” begins with Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), Rupert (Grant O’Rourke), and Angus (Stephen Walters) rescuing Jamie (Sam Heughan) from prison. They are in time to save his body from execution, but not in time to save his psyche, as the man they find lying naked in the dungeon is broken in mind as well as body. With Claire (Caitriona Balfe), they rush him to a monk’s retreat, where the true depth of his shame slowly reveals itself.

This week’s hour is easier to watch than last week’s. While what Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) is seen doing to Jamie in the finale is rough and scenes of rape are never fun, at least there isn’t the blood and gore of last week’s outing. Instead, most of the torture this time around is psychological, with Black Jack determined to break Jamie and “make love” to him. Black Jack sadly succeeds at his wicked mission.

None blame Jamie for what happens to him save Jamie himself. Everyone else understands that Jamie was in a very bad position, worried about Claire, delusional and beaten. No one tries to make him feel bad or want anything more than to protect him, not one of the men questioning his manhood. This is a rare glimpse of the depth of affection these clansmen have, both MacKenzies and Frasers, and how understanding they can be in the right circumstances, as caring as they are stubborn.

Claire, the one Jamie is most afraid of disappointing, is the most compassionate. When Jamie refuses to open up and asks Willie (Finn Den Hertog) for a knife so that Jamie might kill himself, Claire goes to him and forces him to relive sensation until he spills the full story. And when he does, Claire remains unwaveringly there for him. A weaker woman would shy away in horror, or let her jealousy override the sweetness this man needs to get through what he’s been though. Claire succumbs to neither, being his rock.

That’s why their marriage must last. Claire still carries guilt about having two husbands, as we see when she spills her entire tale to Father Anselm (Ian Hanmore, Game of Thrones, The Fades). But her love for Jamie is true, as evidenced by the way she stands by her man, even fleeing the country with him for France at the close of “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” when it’s clear that no place in Scotland will be safe. Plus, they now have a wee one on the way, raising the stakes for them both.

Will Black Jack pursue the couple? He has a twisted devotion to Jamie, but “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” doesn’t give us much of him after the sex, so we don’t know if his urges have been satisfied or if he’ll always be obsessed with trying to get Jamie away from Claire. He remains one of the most demented characters on television screens, and I can’t help but admire how believable Menzies plays him, even as I’m focusing more on the pain Heughan makes us feel for Jamie.

OUTLANDER also brings up a very interesting idea in the mythology in the season finale. Claire and Jamie decide to try to change history and save the Highlanders from being wiped out. In any time travel story, leaving the timeline alone tends to be a primary concern. OUTLANDER takes the opposite tack, and it’s hard to blame Claire for her decision, given how fond she’s become of the Scots and how deserving they are of her protection. It’s unknown if she can alter the course of events, or if that might split off an alternate timeline. But for a show so far not heavy in studying the mystery at its heart, I’m deeply intrigued that these characters are going to make such a bold move.

OUTLANDER has, at times, made its viewers very uncomfortable, but it’s a good story with as high a degree of authenticity one can expect from a time traveling adventure. The music, the production, the performances, and the writing are all of top-notch quality, and I’m glad this final hour of the freshman run balances horror with a happy ending and hope. The show knows how to make us squirm and how to go dark, but it also doesn’t make the fans suffer needlessly. Let’s hope these trends continue in season two.

OUTLANDER has been renewed and will return to Starz later this year.

OUTLANDER Locked in "Wentworth Prison"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The penultimate episode of OUTLANDER season one on Starz, which aired tonight, is called “Wentworth Prison.” Jamie (Sam Heughan) awaits execution there following his capture, but an unexpected visitor gives the Highlander at least a temporary stay. Meanwhile, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and her small band of recruits tries to figure out how to penetrate the jail, find Jamie, and get him out before it’s too late.

“Wentworth Prison” is the first episode of OUTLANDER that I didn’t enjoy much overall. This is not because the series is bad, the writing is weak, or the acting is wooden. None of those are true. Instead, it’s the constant brutal torture that permeates the hour. I haven’t read the books, so can only assume that the television program is being faithful to the source material. But all of the things Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) does to Jamie turn one’s stomach, and there are oh so many of them this week that it makes the episode hard to watch, and not in a good way.

I assume Jamie will be rescued. It doesn’t happen this week, but Claire plants the seeds that Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) and the others can follow to get past the walls and get to their clansman. Jamie is too essential a character to lose, and I think we see him in the 1940s in the pilot of the show, so he has to survive to get there.

The person that cannot survive is Black Jack. I do not know when he will die (though he himself now does), but I hope it’s sooner rather than later. OUTLANDER can bring in other villains to stay interesting. It doesn’t need this man who has been so ruthless and so awful to Claire and Jamie. I am ready for him to go down, and go down hard.

What I wonder is, how can Claire ever return to Frank after this? While Frank is not Black Jack and Claire has known him long enough to know this, there is no getting past that they look exactly the same (both played by the same actor). Any time Frank would get annoyed with her in the future, she’d have to see a bit of Black Jack in him. I don’t know much of what’s to come on OUTLANDER, but I’m pretty sure Claire gets home at some point long before the series finale (given some casting news that has been publicly released), so I wonder how her experiences in the past will affect her marriage.

Despite how much I didn’t much enjoy watching “Wentworth Prison,” there are some awesome parts worth praising. When Claire tells Black Jack she’s a witch and gives him the day of his death, I cheered. When Angus (Stephen Walters) gambles in the tavern and gleans valuable info, that’s a really fun scene. OUTLANDER maintains its layered, enjoyable characters and setting, even when the plot takes a dark turn.

There’s a bit of fun trivia that pertains to “Wentworth Prison.” The man running the place, Sir Fletcher Gordon, is played by Frazer Hines. Hines is famous for playing The Second Doctor’s (Patrick Troughton) companion in Doctor Who for several years, mostly during the late 1960s, and being the longest-running companion in the show. His character’s name was Jamie McCrimmon, and he was from 1746 Scotland. Diana Gabaldon, author of the OUTLANDER books, says her character and setting is inspired by this role. So, very cool to have him show up!

I don’t want to rag on “Wentworth Prison” too much. While I didn’t like it, it was the subject material, not the quality of the production, that sparked that opinion. I still think it sets up next week for a heck of a season finale, and I have no plans to lessen my admiration for the show as a whole.

OUTLANDER airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

No "Search" for Goodness in OUTLANDER

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s episode of OUTLANDER on Starz is all about “The Search” for Jamie (Sam Heughan). Learning he has been captured by the British, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jenny (Laura Donnelly) set out to rescue their husband and brother, respectively. But rushing off without a plan could get Jamie into more dire straits than he’s presently in.

I like the arc of “The Search.” The episode begins with Jamie captured, and ends with the same. In the middle, though we do not see him, he is free for a time. However, Claire’s efforts to find him lead to him being nabbed again, or so we hear, which has to make her feel even worse than she already does, her actions resulting in the exact opposite outcome than what she wants.

It’s not all Claire’s fault. Jenny doesn’t have a plan, either, and having just given birth, she shouldn’t be out anywhere. She ends up heading home relatively early on, after a disturbing torture session, needing to return to nurse her child. Then, Claire’s second companion, Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), comes up with the idea to make a reputation for themselves so that Jamie can find them. But Claire doesn’t just stick to his theory, introducing jazz music (highly amusing!) and trying to pay off a gypsy that is copying their shtick. That the gypsy ends up being helpful probably makes the whole thing a wash, at best.

Even with these setbacks, “The Search” is an entertaining episode of OUTLANDER. Jenny and Claire are still fairly new in their relationship, so it’s nice to see them bonding, even when it involves unwanted, painful branding. Murtagh is often around, but so little is known about him. Claire and Murtagh share one powerful scene this week that really helps flesh out his character.

In the end, though, it’s Clan MacKenzie that must help Claire rescue Jamie. First Willie (Finn Den Hertog) volunteers, then Angus (Stephen Walters), then the rest. Dougal (Graham McTavish) isn’t enthusiastic about the scheme to free Jamie from captivity, believing his nephew doomed, but he does allow his men to participate, so even if he’s not an asset, he’s not a strong detractor, either. Now we’ll just have to wait ‘til next week to see if they succeed, since “The Search” runs out of time before we actually get to the rescue.

A strange thing happens when Claire encounters Dougal in that he proposes she marry him. Dougal is obviously attracted to Claire, given that time he tried to rape her, but he never seems to like her very much. Why would he want her to be his bride? On the other hand, Dougal was in love with Geillis, who has much in common with Claire including being a time traveler, so perhaps he has a type that is not obvious to the observer. Or he just thinks he’s doing her a favor.

Claire is offended because, to her eyes, Dougal is leaving his nephew to die while trying to steal his bride, but I don’t think Dougal sees it that way. He is a practical man, and as much as he likes to fight for what he believes in, he’s not anxious to embark upon a suicide mission. I think if Dougal thought there were a decent chance to save Jamie, he would do so, and his dismissing the idea is purely because he doesn’t see a good way to make that happen.

Similarly, he seems to think he’s being noble by offering Claire protection, not trying to be an opportunist. Dougal is a man of his time, and I believe he is acting in what he thinks is a kind-hearted manner to a relation. Or, at least as kind-hearted as Dougal MacKenzie can get.

Not a lot happens in “The Search,” but it is chock full of compelling scenes, funny moments, and has great character development, especially for Murtagh and Dougal. That makes it a great episode in my book.

OUTLANDER airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

"Watch" OUTLANDER Please!

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s OUTLANDER on Starz continues Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) stay at Lollybroch. Their safety is threatened, though, when outsiders come to the keep, first Taran MacQuarrie (Douglas Henshall, Primeval) and his men, known as “TheWatch,” also the title of the episode, then Redcoat deserter Horrocks (Lochlainn O Mearainn, King Arthur). Will one of them turn Jamie into the British for the price on his head? Or might the cost to keep them from doing so be even worse?

The first clue that MacQuarrie isn’t as bad as he seems is that Ian (Steven Cree) genuinely seems to like him. Jenny (Laura Donnelly) tolerates him, which is probably about as much one would expect from the lass, but Ian does MacQuarrie favors not to garner praise, but out of sheer respect. This is something Jamie can’t comprehend at first, MacQuarrie and his men being mercenaries who take a “protection fee” from his sister and her husband. But over time, Ian’s impression turns out to be true, MacQuarrie making up for his men’s bad behavior and giving back to the clan generously.

MacQuarrie is an interesting type. The type of security he offers is necessary in this time and place, the British patrolling around and bullying. While it, at first glance, his group might seem like a mob leaning on local business owners, MacQuarrie has to feed and clothe his men, and riding around trying to keep people safe is a full-time job. In this, he appears to be doing honest work for what his clients feel are fair wages. He lives in a grey area, but is not evil.

That conclusion is tested in “The Watch” when MacQuarrie essentially blackmails Jamie into helping him on a raid. The reason this can be overlooked is three-fold. First, he asks Jamie only for a single favor and doesn’t appear to be intending to keep changing or stretching out their terms, even if we would welcome Jamie on his team permanently. Second, the venture seems a reasonable trade for not collecting money he could very well collect. And three, by stealing from the Brits, he can charge the Scottish customers less, and in the minds of both Jamie and MacQuarrie, the British kind of deserve it. Thus, while the situation isn’t the most pleasant, it is reasonable.

“The Watch” again reminds us that Jamie is more a part of this world than ours, as civilized as he might seem at times. He understands MacQuarrie and does develop a sort of friendship with him over the course of the hour, or at least mutual respect. He also executes Horrocks when threatened financially, not bodily, which is about protecting his family, but is certainly more than simple self-defense. That Ian is the one who actually runs Horrocks through gives me even more respect for Jamie’s brother-in-law, a fine man and worthy husband, but that matters not to this point, as Jamie would have shot Horrocks anyway had Ian not shown up.

The end of “The Watch” is yet another cliffhanger. I am glad and surprised to see that Ian survived to return home to his wife and newborn daughter. It’s not so surprising that Jamie is captured. Ambushed as Jamie, Ian, and The Watch are, captured or killed are the two most likely options, far more realistic than escaping. One can assume Ian makes it out because he’s not seen as a threat with his bad leg and he’s the least important target. Jamie is exactly the opposite, and the British already have a price on his head.

Hopefully, Jamie will be rescued. I can’t imagine Claire successfully mounting a defense on her own, and Jenny and Ian certainly aren’t equipped to do so. This seems to necessitate a return to the MacKenzies, Claire needing their assistance, and it will be welcome to see them be back on OUTLANDER. It’s only been two episodes since they were last glimpsed, but they are missed.

The other subplot in “The Watch” involves Claire helping Jenny deliver her baby. The drama over the breach birth is real, given the almost barbaric medical knowledge of the era. But Claire is not from here, and brings enough know-how to see things through to a positive outcome for both mother and child. More importantly, it raises the question as to whether Jamie and Claire will have children, as they seem like natural parents are they are certainly expected to continue the family line.

Claire’s confession to Jamie that she fears she is unable to bear children, given her failure to do so for Frank (Tobias Menzies), is met with typical acceptance and warmth by Jamie. One has to applaud a man for taking what would be, in these days at least, devastating news and seeing past it for love. It shows the depth of his affection for Claire. I can’t help but hope, and assume, that they will manage to do what Claire and Frank could not and produce a kid.

“The Watch” is another excellent installment of the series. Expanding the world with layered characters is always welcome, and it balances a very personal story with action and suspense. Each week, I find myself looking forward to the next installment, and this one is no different. If I had next week’s episode available, I would likely have already watched it.

OUTLANDER airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.