Straighter ARROW This Season

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

After a heck of a cliffhanger, which left fans anxiously on edge all summer, the CW’s ARROW returns tonight with ”City of Heroes.” It’s been months since half of The Glades was leveled, and the city desperately needs new leadership, especially with a couple of its top CEOs dead or behind bars. Sadly, Oliver (Stephen Amell) and The Hood have been MIA, and no one knows where to find them.

As “City of Heroes” begins, one may be forgiven for thinking it’s a flashback, which are so typical in ARROW, and do occur in this hour. However, Oliver’s first scenes on the island are not in the past, but in the present. It makes sense for Oliver to retreat back to the place he was marooned, as that is where he last had purpose and motivation, away from the life he didn’t quite adapt back into. Losing Tommy and failing to stop the bomb, Oliver has a lot of guilt, and doesn’t have it in him to continue at this moment.

Every hero needs a support team if they are to get through these trying times, which inevitably occur. Oliver has Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey), probably the only two people capable and willing to track him down and try to convince him to get back on the job. Their mission is not easy.

“City of Heroes” is a personal crisis point for Oliver. It takes a lot to convince him to come home, and his reasons for doing so have nothing to do with The Hood. The mission of The Hood, crossing names off his father’s list and stopping corruption, has failed. The Undertaking has come and gone. This chapter is over, and considering Oliver put everything of himself into it, he’s lost without it. Now, he wants to build a new Oliver Queen that doesn’t skulk about at night.

But that doesn’t mean The Hood isn’t still needed. Four hooded vigilantes have risen to take his place, and their methods and missions are not the same as the ones Oliver undertook, in a bad way. Not to mention, his family’s company is in danger of being taken over and destroyed by Isabel Rochev (Summer Glau, Serenity), his friends need his support, his mother, Moria (Susanna Thompson), is facing trial for her role in The Undertaking, and things in general just suck in the hometown.

If season one of ARROW was a personal revenge story, season two moves the titular character into the superhero realm, beginning to build him into a more recognizable crusader. I liked the first arcs, but they were limited in scope, and certainly not always in keeping with what most people are looking for in a protector. Now, the series is allowing Oliver to grow. He can’t be The Hood any longer, but he can become something else. ARROW was always an origin story; now we’re moving past origin and into the meat of the tale.

Honestly, it is pretty brave to extend the origin over the course of an entire year, and it’s not over yet. “City of Heroes” is still getting through Oliver’s original tenure on the island, and while I look forward to moving past that time, as honestly those sequences drag the episodes down, it’s also exciting that, unlike Smallville, ARROW won’t only be building its lead up to the precipice of greatness. After ten years, Smallville felt plodding, not getting to the parts of Superman’s legend that we really wanted to see, Superman himself. ARROW seems poised to make it to the Green Arrow sooner, perhaps even in the next few weeks, rather than later.

One element that ARROW does really well is build family dynamics. Olivier’s relationship with Moira is different than his sister, Thea’s (Willa Holland), relationship with her. And the bond between Oliver and Thea, while strong, isn’t always top priority for either of them. There’s also Walter Steele (Colin Salmon) to keep in mind, who, while getting divorced from Moira, still cares about her kids. He plays a surprising and satisfying part in this premiere.

The supporting characters are defined enough that the entire hour doesn’t have to fall on Oliver’s shoulders, even if he is the most important character. Thea has moved on professionally and personally, both involving Roy Harper (Colton Haynes), in Oliver’s absence. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is handling herself just fine, and we see how fine pretty early on. Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) has the biggest challenges to work past, facing consequences for his past actions. These threads continue with or without Oliver.

In short, ARROW is a complex series that features characters who develop and change based on circumstance, and stories that move with them, not always a given on television. It’s well-written, nicely acted, and highly entertaining. “City of Heroes” has a lot to offer, and will certainly please those who wondered how ARROW could move past the big climax last year. I think season two should be just as good as the first, while in some ways being completely different.

ARROW premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

The Alphas go to "Alphaville"

SyFy's Alphas continues to get marginally better in season two. There are recurring characters and larger themes, rather than just a case of the week. While each episode still feels like its own story, the stories do impact each other, each one a piece in a larger puzzle. How it all comes together will be the deciding factor on whether the show has improved enough from its lackluster first season to earn continued patronage, and we are still quite a ways off from that point. But this week's installment, "Alphaville," does give us a few things to ponder.

Summer Glau returns as Skylar Adams! Glau is fantastic actress. Her first guest spot on Alphas, back in season one, was the type of role that she is known for in sci-fi series. But "Alphaville" exposes a whole other side of the actress, which is a credit to the show. Glau plays a mother now, more concerned with her daughter, Zoe (Skyler Wexler, a very talented child performer), than political battles or espionage. Faced with a project that could benefit many, she still puts her child first, and even though she is struggling with being a parent, she is sure trying hard. Very cool.

The problem is, if individuals just concentrate on making their own lives work, the bigger picture is ignored. As neat as it is to see Glau's Skylar domesticated, it ignores the larger threat posed by Stanton Parish (John Pyper-Ferguson). Dr. Rosen (David Strathairn) fails to recruit her to their cause, which is a huge blow for the good guys, especially when it appears that Stanton Parish may succeed where Rosen failed.

How much do charismatic leaders shape world events? We all know that Hitler would not have made it as far as he did without winning a lot of people over. Rosen seems to lack this ability to draw others to him. He has his supporters, individuals he has worked with and helped. But overall, most people don't like him, including the government agents he works with. His going public about people with powers sours even more Alphas on him, as we learn when the team visits Skylar in "Alphaville." By contrast, Parish seems to be gaining more and more followers, making him a very dangerous enemy, indeed.

I do feel sorry for poor Cameron (Warren Christie), who doesn't know how to pick the right gal. First, Nina (Laura Mennell) used her ability on him, and now it looks like Rosen's daughter,  Danielle (Kathleen Munroe), may be playing him for information on the team's activities. When is he going to catch a break? The show had better not screw over Rachel (Azita Ghanizada) in a similar manner in her own budding romance.

The issue I have with Alphas is that, many times, the characters are not that compelling. Dr. Rosen isn't the only one who lacks natural drawing power. And while this may be a conscious choice for the characters, I'm glad to see that it has been acknowledged as a plot point and begun to change a bit in season two. Obviously, I am a fan of Skylar, and wish she appeared more often. I also like Kat (Erin Way), though it's hard to believe she isn't working against the rest, even if unintentionally.

The one main character who delivers week after week is Gary (Ryan Cartwright). He's entertaining, interesting, shows growth, makes you care about him, despite an abrasive personality. His interactions with Bill (Malik Yoba), are some of my favorite moments.

Alphas airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on SyFy.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Grimm's outlook quite grim

NBC's Grimm continues its freshman run with "Tarantella." A mummified body is found, organs liquefied with acid and sucked out through the abdomen. The police suspect a ritualistic serial killer, but Nick (David Giuntoli) knows better. He researches the spiders of the supernatural world, and learns of a deadly kind that must kill three people every five years to stave off rapid aging. This explains the real killer's (Amy Acker, Angel, Dollhouse) motivation, and allows Nick to find her before she can take a third victim.

Amy Acker's presence is a must on sci-fi fantasy shows, second only to Summer Glau. It is not surprising that Grimm recruits her, too. Though it is too bad that she is stopped so quickly and tossed in jail, doomed to never be seen again. Even should the show find some reason to bring the character back, an older actress will likely be called upon to play her, given the encounter that Nick and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) have with another of her species, who doesn't kill. It's a waste, then, to use such a talented actress in the genre in such a bit role.

However, there should be little regret on Acker's part to being regulated to a single episode. After all, Grimm is not exactly at the top of its game. The focus of the series so far has been police procedural with a slight twist. While this formula does appeal to some viewers, it does not do so, on its own, for many of Acker's fans, who are used to much more intelligent television. Acker is better used in stories that take more than an hour to play out, and by not repeating on Grimm, it leaves her open to better jobs.

Grimm's biggest mistake is going for the procedural path. Many other shows on the air currently do the same, only better. Instead, Grimm should be focusing on its characters. Why hasn't Nick told Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) his secret yet? Why drag it out over so many episodes? What are Captain Renard's (Sasha Roiz) goals? Why hasn't Renard revealed to Nick that he knows what's really going on? Wouldn't that make their police work more effective? These are the interesting plots that should be explored, rather than spend such a major focus on the case of the week junk.

Nick's character is poorly fleshed out. He wants to hold on to his normal life, or so he says, yet he fully delves into this new line of work as a Grimm, too. It's a flawed attempt at compartmentalization. Yet, it would be so much easier to manage his time if he told Juliette about his activities. It would be understandable if Nick was afraid to tell her, for fear of losing her, or her having a very negative reaction. But these things are mentioned, at best, with almost no time spent looking at the feelings of the characters involved. There is much wasted opportunity here.

Even worse, in "Tarantella," Nick threatens some peaceful creatures that have been watching his house. Their curiosity is understandable, given that they have never encountered a Grimm before. But rather than help them to know him, so they aren't scared, and stop bothering him, Nick threatens and intimidates. Perhaps he is worried for Juliette's safety and wants to keep those types away from her, but again, this isn't really explored. And Nick should know better than to run off people who could be helpful. Surely, through his interactions with Monroe, Nick has learned it is good to make friends with the supernatural? Not only that, but what is these peaceful types have less peaceful friends, and, feeling scared, send those baddies to deal with Nick?

All of that aside, "Tarantella" is mostly a fine, stand alone story. Acker is great as the suburban mom who kills because she has to. The clues are laid out fairly realistically, other than the stretch involving the watch, and how it ends up in police hands. Nick's hunt for the killer plays out with excitement.

The only serious complaint about this particular case-of-the-week plot is that Nick totally ignores the fact that the killer's daughter is also a spider creature, and will soon be killing, too. There is no conversation to deal with the girl, nor is any attempt made to stop her before she acts. In this ending, it kind of ruins a lot of what "Tarantella" does right, spoiling the one story in the episode that works.

Perhaps Grimm will get its act together, perhaps not. Grimm airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Alphas pulls a "Catch and Release"

     This week's episode of SyFy's Alphas is called "Catch and Release." An Alpha named Skylar (Summer Glau, Serenity, Dollhouse, The Cape, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is hunted down. She is a past acquaintance of Nina's (Laura Mennell), so naturally, Nina feels the need to help her. This is fine with Dr. Rosen (David Strathaim). But Skylar doesn't want the team's help, calling them puppets of the corrupt government. She is soon proven correct as Agent Sullivan (Valerie Cruz, Off the Map, True Blood) demands they keep Skylar in custody, at the behest of Cley (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Treme, The 4400).

     Summer Glau is a perfect fit for Alphas for the simple reason that Alphas is a science fiction show, and it seems that no modern sci-fit hit is complete without at least a visit from Glau. This is not a bad thing, as Glau is terrific, and Alphas explores yet another new character for her, rather than retreading the same ground. Skylar is highly intelligent and one step ahead of her pursuers, but she also has a solid reason to run, and to not cooperate with the team. That is, she has a child, whom the government will not hesitate to take away and experiment on if they learn of her existence. So Skylar can be forgiven for being less than cooperative with her rescuers.

     It's hard to figure out exactly where Alphas is going. When the series begins, Dr. Rosen's group just seeks to help humans with abnormal abilities. Then they are co-opted by the government, and each week it seems they bend more to the will of their bosses. "Catch and Release" is the perfect pause button for Dr. Rosen to remind him where he has been, and what path he is now on. Both Nina (pictured below) and Rosen realize they have to use their own judgment, rather than just let the man with the money dictate their actions. How much longer can status quo be maintained if the Alphas team begins working against the people with the purse strings? From a storytelling standpoint, hopefully not long.

     Sullivan, who is still a new character, and not in every episode, is clearly in a very difficult position. Cley and the government have their desires, and Rosen and company have theirs. But Sullivan is the liaison, and tasked with keeping both groups happy. She does the best that she can. Sullivan definitely has a bond with Rosen, and while chiding him for letting Skylar escape, and leaving things out of his report, doesn't exactly fully support Cley either. When the chips are down, it is possible Sullivan will side with Rosen. But it is also possible she will not. Her motivations are just too murky at this point to know for sure. Which makes her interesting.

     A great subplot of "Catch and Release" focuses on my personal favorite character, Gary (Ryan Cartwright, Bones, Mad Men). Gary tells his mother, Sandra (Jane Moffat, Queer as Folk), about the classified and dangerous nature of his work. As a guy with autism, who needs lots of help, Gary can be forgiven for leaking state secrets to his mother. But Sandra's reaction is to pull Gary off the team, something Gary refuses to let happen. It's an interesting balance of needy and independent that Cartwright walks with his genius character, and he nails the subtleties brilliantly. Gary ends up staying with the Alphas, of course, but he also gets to remind viewers that people with physical and mental challenges are still people, with their own wants and needs.

     Another wonderful character is Bill (Malik Yoba), who is forming quite a partnership with Gary. Sort of a really, really odd couple, it is a true joy to watch them together. Bill considers having children in "Catch and Release" with wife Jeannie (Rachael Crawford, Show Me Yours, Traders). Jeannie isn't privy to all of Bill's secrets, and so is understandably upset when he shows hesitance with something they both agreed long ago that they want. But Bill's position is also sympathetic, worried about what kind of offspring an Alpha might produce. In the end, seeing Skylar's precious daughter, who has incredible abilities beyond anything Bill imagines, sways him towards the idea. It's a sweet moment for a man who isn't the focus of many sweet moments.

     Alphas also stars Azita Ghanizada and Warren Christie. Catch it Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on SyFy. You especially won't want to miss next week's episode, which features Raising Hope and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Garret Dillahunt!

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Article first published as TV Review: Alphas - "Catch and Release" on Blogcritics.

Does Chuck belong on the A-Team?

      We didn't have to wait very long to see what Jane Bentley (Robin Givens) is up to: she is heading up a new Intersect program! I was wondering what the rest of this season of NBC's Chuck is going to be about, and now I have my answer. Bentley is turning other agents into new Chucks, tweaking and downloading the computer program into more heads. Anyone else see a creepy parallel to Dollhouse and its series finale, where brains could be taken over remotely? Scary stuff!

     Bentley's operations are revealed when Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Chuck (Zachary Levi), bored at not getting any missions, spy on their own teammate, Casey (Adam Baldwin), steal his hand print, and break into the new super-secret lair within Castle. They are as surprised as viewers may have been to discover Chuck's father's laptop and two new Intersects. It seems the Greta program has a deeper purpose, as two Gretas (Stacy Keibler and Isaiah Mustafa) have already been loaded with a tweaked version of the program. Sarah and Chuck are reduced to B-Team status, picking up a puppy, while Casey and his new co-workers do the dangerous stuff. Until Casey gets both teams together, the Gretas screw things up, and Chuck has to save the day.

     Keibler and Mustafa were welcome to see again, though I wish the other Gretas, Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart) and Summer Glau (Firefly, The Cape), had been included. I know both of the latter ladies have busier schedules than the ones used, but I still want to see more of them. I was disappointed that the Greta conceit seemed to be abandoned last fall after only four Gretas, so it's nice to know there is a larger plan, and the possibility for returns.

     Even better, I like when the Gretas are relieved to get the computer taken out of their heads. It gives a small insight into what Chuck deals with, having been the Intersect for four years now. Early in the series, we used to see Chuck struggle with what was going on, and for awhile, he was even experiencing pain from the cpmputer. I'm glad the show took time to remind us that, as easy as Chuck makes things look, being the Intersect is no walk in the park.

     That being said, I am completely enthusiastic about Chuck taking control of the program. Next week, Chuck will be training a number of other possible Intersect candidates. We've gotten to see Chuck as a spy, and now a new side will be revealed as he becomes a leader and a teacher. I have no problem with new Intersects coming into the equation, as long as Chuck remains the best. After all, this reminds Chuck's bosses just how valuable he is.

     As to what Bentley will do next, that is anyone's guess. She steals the laptop and takes it to Ellie (Sarah Lancaster), hoping that a Bartowski will be able to figure out the programming, as Bentley cannot. I assume, based on what we've seen of Ellie's interaction with the device so far, Chuck's sister will be able to help Bentley, albeit without knowing what Bentley is really wanting. Is this Ellie's reintroduction to the spy world? And how will Bentley use what she finds? I think Bentley is bent on taking back the Intersect training program, and she is willing to cross some lines to do it.

     Ellie and her husband, Devon a.k.a. Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin), flirted with the spy world earlier in the series, but have been away from it for awhile. Their main interest has been in raising their baby daughter, and that provides some comedic moments. Even put together, successful doctors like the two of them have trouble taking care of an infant. It is sweet, sweet justice that the only sounds that will keep their baby quiet are those of Jeffster, the amateur band formed by Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester (Vik Sahay), two almost subhuman Buy More employees. They played baby Claire into the world, and now she is drawn to them. Best. Development. Ever. How soon til they babysit?

     I like that Casey gets some focus this week, as he sometimes doesn't get enough plot for my taste. There is never any doubt in my mind that the Colonel is still loyal to his old partners, as we had seen a couple of week's ago Casey's refusal to leave Burbank. I understand why he feels like a third wheel and wants a new, independent assignment. Bentley is right about Casey's talents being wasted. However, Casey is happy with this group, and happiness sometimes means more than career aspirations. Casey has always put career first, but he's never had such strong reasons not to. I predict even more drama, as I think Casey will soon be revealed to his daughter's mother, whether he wants to be or not. Will that give him another reason to stay, or push him away?

 

     Morgan (Joshua Gomez), too, is showing more of a striking out on his own individualism streak, allowing much personal development. While his screen time may have been limited this week, the last few episodes have found him finding a new apartment and getting pretty serious with his girlfriend, Casey's daughter, Alex (Mekenna Melvin). And this week, Morgan stands up to Chuck and Sarah, showing off the spine he has been slowly growing. They are unable to get any information from him about Casey's activities, which they assumed would be easy enough. Our little Morgan has become a man!

 

     One of the current best shows on television, Chuck airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Article first published as TV Review: Chuck - "Chuck Versus the A-Team" on Blogcritics.

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The Cape - "Pilot" and "Tarot"

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     Super heroes have been tried on the small screen over the years with varying degrees of success. Recent attempts include Smallville, which started off as a monster-of-the-week procedural that was not at all good, then evolved into an often pretty cool original story of Superman's early life. Heroes was a slow, large casted serial, that began with a lot of steam, and then tapered off. No Ordinary Family went for the lighter approach, combining family drama with the powers, sort of like a Fantastic Four. Now we have NBC's The Cape, which feels like a modern Marvel movie, with elements of Christopher Nolan's Batman films. In short, should the show maintain what it showed us in the first two hours last night, we could finally have a movie-quality hero on the small screen, with movie-quality adventures every week.

     While there were two episodes aired together last night, with one opening credit sequence, they were separate stories. The first hour, "Pilot", felt like an origin movie, rushed and gutted to fit into one hour. The second, "Tarot", would have made a great sequel, though the family stuff, as well as the arc with Patrick Portman (Richard Schiff, The West Wing) could easily have padded the middle of the pilot. If the two hours didn't contain three separate villains, different editing would have delivered one solid movie. Yes, super hero movies have done three villains in one film before, but rarely very well. I kind of wish this approach had been taken, as that would have created a product superior to what aired. But what did make it on screen was still pretty good.

     Obviously, there is a hero. In this case it's Vince Faraday (David Lyons, ER, Eat Pray Love), a good cop who stumbles onto some bad machinations he wasn't supposed to know about. The main villain of the show, Peter Fleming (James Frain, True Blood, The Tudors), promptly has Vince killed, and pins all the bad stuff on him, ruining his good name. Peter is slowly taking over the town of Palm City, which is so full of corruption that it seems a lost cause. Think Gothic City in The Dark Knight. To make matters worse, Vince's best friend, Marty (Dorian Missick, Lucky Number Slevin), is one of Peter's minions. Vince realizes that revealing he survived puts his family at risk, so instead, he works on taking down Peter and clearing his name in the shadows, taking on the guise of The Cape.

     Peter is not content to battle The Cape alone. Sure, it's likely only a matter of time before Peter, also known as the super villain Chess, discovers The Cape's secret identity and can go after Vince's loved ones. But until then, it seems he will be bringing in a slew of lesser bad guys to tackle our hero. He already had two different ones in the first two hours, though the first one wasn't killed in the pilot. Why did he need another new one? I hope that these other baddies with super powers end up being more than henchman to Chess. Imagine how good the show could be if Chess teamed up with some of his equals?

     Now, Vince is far from alone in his endeavors. He is first found by the Carnival of Crime. Only, the carnival people commit crimes against Peter and his company, not the citizens. Or so they say. That part was a little confusing. The carnival is run by Max Malini (Keith David, Gargoyles, Platoon), who is assisted by the small but tough Rollo (Martin Klebba, Scrubs, Pirates of the Caribbean). There are others in the gang, but those are the only two main characters, so I assume they're the most important. For some reason, Max has a cape just sitting around that, when used properly, makes Vince into his favorite super hero. Yes, The Cape already exists in comic book form, and Vince read it to his kid. Again, not explained. See why I wanted a two hour origin?

     Vince is brought into the mess, and soon partners with, the mysterious Orwell (Summer Glau, Dollhouse, Firely, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). Orwell won't reveal herself to anyone but Vince. She is a technical whiz, and provides tactical and technological support, though she can also kick butt when needed. Quick note, Glau is amazing, and always participates in awesome projects, giving me much optimism about The Cape. However, said projects are always canceled in two seasons or less, so let's hope that the pattern breaks this time.

     Lastly, there is Vince's family. Poisoned by the media and Marty, his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, As the World Turns), drops his last name to seek work. But his son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, FlashForward), who has been visited and reassured by The Cape, still believes in his father's innocence. Trip doesn't take Dana's decision well, and guilts her into reversing it. The family is the unknown quantity in this show, as until Vince reveals himself to them, I don't understand how they would really figure into the larger arcs. Dana taking a job with the DA (at least, I think it was the DA) helps, but it's not good enough. I'd think Vince will have to tell them the truth early in the series.

     The dark tone of the show jells nicely with recent profitable superhero movies, so I can see this show doing well. The quality of work is pretty high, and the acting is better than decent. There are some plot holes, especially in the origin, but hopefully they will be plugged in subsequent episodes. And if not, there is always a leap of faith that has to be taken with any series involving supernatural powers and mutated villains. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the first two hours, and I think the show is better than any of the recent fall premieres.

     The Cape isn't all dreary and depressing. Trip's hope is supposed to be an identifiable quality for the audience; the boy's real purpose in the cast. Some of the dialogue is pretty funny, too. For instance, in "Tarot", Vince goes to rescue Portman, but Max has taken away his cape. Vince identifies himself to Portman as 'The Cape', to which Portman responds, "But you're not wearing a cape." You can sense the grumbling behind Vince's "I'm aware of that." The whole exchange was probably my favorite part of the episode. Also, any scene with Summer Glau eventually ends up providing some kind of snarky, amusing line.

     I'm also very gratified to see a super hero with a cape that is actually useful. In the past, I, along with plenty of others, have wondered why any hero even bothers with a cape. Surely it just gets in the way. However, Vince's cape has CGI-enabled powers, allowing it to snag things, choke people, and break his fall (somewhat) from a great height. Used as a tool, and super strong, the title of the show is appropriate. Even if it sounds a little hokey, which the writers even poked fun at in the pilot.

     The Cape, despite its Sunday premiere, will air regularly on Monday nights at 9 p.m. beginning next week on NBC.

Article first published as TV Review: The Cape - "Pilot" and "Tarot" on Blogcritics.

Chuck is one not to miss, so stop missing it

     NBC's Chuck is one of the smartest, most action-packed, most enjoyable shows on television.  Yet, since day one it has struggled to stay on the air.  Season four began two weeks ago, and 'Save Chuck' campaigns are already in the works.  After the third season, when viewers had to wait until winter for the premiere, and only thirteen episodes were ordered, I was thrilled when Chuck got six additional episodes made last spring, and an early pick up for this year.  Finally, the fight was over!  But clearly, it's not.

     If you've never seen Chuck, then here are some things you need to know.  The central character is name Chuck Bartowski (played by Zachary Levi).  At the start of the series, a computer known as the Intersect was downloaded into Chuck's brain, making him super smart.  The NSA and CIA quickly sent agents to protect him, and use him for their own purposes.  Those agents were John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), the latter soon providing romantic chemistry for Chuck.  This connection was resisted, because Sarah couldn't date someone who was not a spy, and though Chuck longer for that life, his training was slow and awkward.

     At the end of season two, the Intersect was removed by Chuck's father, Steve (Scott Bakula), who had disappeared on his children years ago, but Chuck discovered was also a spy.  Sadly, later that same episode, a new version of the Intersect was downloaded, and Chuck now possess abilities as well as knowledge.  Chuck became a full-fledged spy.  Steve was killed.  Chuck and Sarah finally got into a serious relationship.  And Chuck discovered that his mother, Mary (Linda Hamilton), who had also disappeared long ago, was still alive, and was also a spy.

     Over the years, slowly members of Chuck's regular life have found their way into the spy game, as well.  Chuck's best friend, Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez), who is more bumbling and nerdy than Chuck ever was, found out and joined the team in season three.  In season two, Chuck's soon-to-be brother-in-law, Devon Woodcomb, better known as Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) found out, but managed to keep the secret from Chuck's sister, Ellie (Sarah Lancaster).  Devon, however, surprisingly could not handle any spy work at all, and so asked to stay in the dark about Chuck's activities.  Ellie eventually found out, but Chuck promised her that he would quit the business, which he did, briefly, though she doesn't know that he has now resumed his dangerous work.

     The show stays light by surrounding Chuck at his cover job with a bevy of very odd characters.  Chuck (and Morgan and Casey) works at the Buy More, an electronics superstore.  The weirdest of the weirdo co-workers are Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester (Vik Sahay).  The place is run by Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence), who has yet to show up in season four, but remains in the theme song with the principal cast.

     At the end of season three, the Buy More was blown up, but it was rebuilt by the time season four began.  There was one big change, however: The CIA and NSA had taken over the store, staffing it with an elite team of undercover agents.  General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy, finally upgraded to full-time cast member), Chuck, Sarah, and Casey's supervisor, wanted Chuck to rejoin the team, and so sabotaged every new job interview he had until he agreed to come back.  She also allowed Morgan to return to the Buy More.

     Morgan quickly realized that the store was running far too well, and it's efficiency was attracting attention.  When Captain Awesome came in, he immediately knew that something was up.  Morgan convinced General Beckman to allow Jeff, Lester, and the other weirdos to come back, replacing the agents.  Beckman made Morgan the new manager for his great catch, which leaves how Big Mike will return to the series up in the air.

     If the above seems like a lot to you to pack into such a short-running show, it is.  And most of what I have written occurred in just the last few episodes.  The show started more like a procedural drama, with a different mission for Chuck to go on each week.  But by season two, with renewal far from certain, show runner and co-creator Josh Schwartz (best known for, funnily enough, creating The OC and Gossip Girl, which are totally different than Chuck) decided to lay all of his cards on the table.  He packed all of the twists and turns he had envisioned for the rest of the series into less than a season.  It's made season three and four unpredictable and fast-paced, deftly keeping up with the excellence of the end of season two.  It's also let Chuck do the unexpected, which not something a lot of shows get to do.  How many series can you think of that let their leading couple settle into a long-term, serious relationship by season four?

     Season four is pulling out all of the stops, with Dolph Lundgren, Lou Ferrigno, Harry Dean Stanton, Olivia Munn, Steve Austin, Summer Glau, Nicole Ritchie, Timothy Dalton and Eric Roberts are all among the signed guest stars already.

     The bottom line is, Chuck is a wonderful show, beloved by critics, but little-watched among television viewers.  It shouldn't be that way.  The show combines drama, romance, humor, and action in a way that is rarely seen, and has allowed Chuck to stand out among it's peers.  Please, please tune into Chuck before it's too late.  Only thirteen episodes have been ordered this year, but there is a nine episode pick up option, which Chuck needs ratings to earn, so please give it to them.  The series certainly doesn't deserve to be canceled now, or anytime in the near future.

     Chuck airs Monday nights at 8pm on NBC.




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Article first published as TV Review: Chuck is one not to miss, so stop missing it on Blogcritics.

Foreclosure on the Dollhouse

    Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) and Eliza Dushku's (Tru Calling) Dollhouse went off the air for good this past Friday night, proving once again what a jerk Fox can be, especially to Whedon.  After a rocky start to the first season, where the show was mostly serial, with a different mission each week, it found it's footing midway through the spring and delivered some brilliant twists.  The show had already been pegged as canceled, but a last minute miracle save earned them a second thirteen episode season this fall.  In the second round, Joss didn't attempt to tone down his plot, and went full blown into a conspiracy and technology war.  Friday night's finale was a fairly appropriate closer, that left fans somewhat satisfied.

     The final episode was called "Epitaph Two: Return", a follow up to the first season, unaired, lost episode called "Epitaph One".  Set ten years after the majority of the series, and starring Felicia Day (The Guild, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog), it showed a post-apocalyptic world.  This was a logical step, considering that the plot of the two seasons was fairly well tied up in the penultimate episode, when the Dollhouse staff discovered the man behind the curtain was their friend Boyd (Harry Lennix, 24, Commander in Chief).  It was a fantastic episode, and Boyd's comeupance was wonderfully done.  However, fans who bought the first season DVD last summer would have felt a little cheated had they not followed up "Epitaph" and Day's character.

     Rewatching "Epitaph One", there were a couple of possible plot holes with the way season two played out, however, those could have been explained away had the show been given a third season.  Instead, there is much missing that viewers would have liked to see.  For instance, how did Alpha (Alan Tudyk, Serenity, V) end up a good guy, working with the resistance?  And why was Whiskey (Amy Acker, Angel, Alias) in the abandoned house in "One", but had disappeared by "Two"?  A television movie should be made to fill in the gap.  If a feature film is eventually commissioned, a la Serenity's begot from the canceled Firefly, it would likely go to the world after the end, but could reveal some of those things through flashbacks.  Honestly, there probably just wasn't time for Alpha's story in the one hour closer, and it was unlikely Acker was available, as she now stars in a new show.  "Two" combined the main cast with the characters we had met in "One", and did it's best to wrap it all up.  There was even a surprise cameo by Summer Glau, (Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) whose character had previously been killed.

     The series was, overall, a work of genius, and a credit to each of the principal and recurring cast members, as well as the storytellers.  It was innovative and dealt with real issues of our day.  It was canceled well before it's time, and yet it presents almost a complete story, with a nifty ending.  Most characters had a cap.  Echo / Caroline (Dushku) got to (briefly) deal with pain of losing Paul (Tahmoh Penikett, Battlestar Galactica).  Victor / Tony (Enver Gjokaj) and Sierra / Priya (Dichen Lachman, Neighbours) were together with their son.  Adelle (Olivia Williams) was playing mother hen to a whole new flock.  And Topher (Fran Kranz) gave himself up in a self-sacrificial move, guilted by the knowledge he had caused the whole mess.