Don't Want to Play THE GAME

Article first published as THE GAME Review on Seat42F.

BBC America begins airing the six-part period spy drama THE GAME this week. Set in 1970s Cold War Britain, it features a cat-and-mouse game of espionage between the KGB and MI5, racing against time to stop deep conspiracies full of hidden cells and double-agents. It is created and written by Toby Whitehouse of Being Human fame.

I used a number of tired clichés in that first paragraph, but there’s really no other way to describe this program. This genre has become quite crowded with copycats, and while Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and others might be excellent period pieces with beautiful sets and costumes and intelligent, twisty writing, the seventh time you see something in that vein, it loses its magic.

There is nothing wrong with THE GAME itself. It’s a well-made, stylistically terrific, smart drama. The characters are interesting, the pacing is slow, as it often is in these British-made programs, but moves along with enough surprises to stay interesting. The acting is wonderful and the writing is fine. The settings make it visually engaging, and the color palette sets an appropriate tone for the story being told. I’m really not finding any specific aspect to complain about.

Except, the entire time I was watching the first part, I kept feeling like I’d already seen this before. The names and faces blur together enough that I don’t know exactly what will come next, but I do know the general direction things are going in and that some characters will shift allegiances or be exposed as villains or die. Like a dozen other series and miniseries that have aired in the past few years, and even before that, THE GAME follows an extremely familiar pattern and cadence that lacks originality and freshness. Because of this, it’s more boring than it should be.

I feel like British spy dramas have become that country’s version of the American crime procedural (or the British crime procedural, for that matter). Every “new” version is just a slight variation on a relatively strict formula. It’s a formula that works extremely well or the producers wouldn’t keep making it, but those that produce this sort of thing do not do nearly enough to set their piece apart from any other. THE GAME is as guilty of this as any other recent example that springs to mind. That’s why I’m going to skip watching this one and stick to something more serial, like FX’s The Americans, and unless you haven’t seen one of these in awhile, I recommend you do the same.

For those interested, THE GAME stars Tom Hughes (Page Eight) as Joe Lambe, a young malcontent who may or may not have a soul left. Joe’s plot makes up the framework story, as viewers see glimpses of him accompanied by an attractive woman meeting with KGB agents on the coast. Obviously, this meeting goes awry. The audience won’t know where Joe’s true loyalties lie any time soon. Is he trying to defect to the Soviets? Is he tricking them for Queen and country? Does he return to his home to serve as a double agent or to stop a nefarious scheme? It’s impossible to tell yet.

Joe’s boss is Daddy (Brian Cox, Braveheart). Well respected in the department, savvy and paranoid, Daddy is the type of leader you’d expect to see in a secret group within MI5, played by an actor with the gravitas to handle the role, a definite plus for THE GAME, if not an unusual one. Will Daddy’s skills be sharp enough to figure out the secrets behind Operation Glass, or has he aged out of his usefulness? Will his pride or his suspicion be his undoing?

THE GAME airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.

Burn Notice wimpers through season premiere

     USA's Burn Notice is a great show... sometimes.  Last night was the season four premiere, "Friends and Enemies".  When last we saw Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan), he had been hauled into a tastefully decorated room, where he had been brought against his will.  Turns out, that room belongs to Vaughn (Robert Wisdom, The Wire, Prison Break), who wants Michael's help to take down some bad guys.  Michael is torn between helping people he hates and fighting the good fight, or staying out of it.  Michael and Vaughn are soon in a jungle being shot at by a predator drone.  All of that was awesome!

     And then Burn Notice went back to it's case of the week format.  I know that there are still plenty of people out there who like formula shows, where they can tune in any episode at random and find a complete story to enjoy.  I dare say most television viewers fall into that category.  Unfortunately, that's today's version of pulp fiction, and it holds back a great show, limiting it to just a good show.

     Sure, the case of the week was interesting enough.  Michael and friends had to call off a biker gang's hit order on a lawyer.  Plenty of fist fights, shoot outs, and explosions made it exciting.  But aside from Michael's brief reunion with Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), the story failed to highlight the wonderful storytelling that sometimes goes into the show.

     That's not to say that episode was without great moments.  Michael's teary conversation with his mother (Sharon Gless, who has finally become an indispensable part of the cast) at the end has proved that Donovan has grown as an actor, and Michael has grown as a character.  Three years ago, when he was just a burned spy dumped in Miami, he had few personal connections, and cared about no one all that deeply.  Now he balances deep affection for his mother, romance towards Fiona, and a best friend, Sam (Bruce Campbell).

     This season will feature a new character who was only briefly glimpsed last night, but whose name has joined the opening credits as one of the stars.  Jesse (Coby Bell, Third Watch, The Game) is a spy that Michael accidentally burned by stealing information.  Next week, he will attempt to clear Jesse's name.  Something tells me that won't work, since Jesse is slated to join their little crew and shake things up.  It has potential for an exciting, new arc.  However, it will likely only get a few minutes an episode, in between whatever victim Michael helps that week.

     Please Burn Notice stop catering to the mindless viewers just watching for entertainment at the end of a long day and give us some intricate, fascinating story telling.  Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that technique, but there are plenty of other shows that do it, and so few that really stretch their boundaries and show great story telling.  I know you're capable of being one of the latter.  Burn Notice airs Thursday nights at 9pm on USA.

Actors joining Burn Notice, leaving Desperate Housewives

   USA is not known for adding characters to its shows.  Sure, Natalie (Traylor Howard) joined the cast of Monk to replace Sharona (Bitty Schram), and there was Anne Dudek (House) playing a police detective that was not Juliet (Maggie Lawson) in the pilot of Psych, but generally, USA dramas keep the same cast year after year.  That's about to change as the four actor ensemble in Burn Notice adds a fifth next season.
     The new series regular is Jesse Garcia, played by Coby Bell (The Game, Third Watch).  Word is, the new guy in town will have many of the same talents as Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan), including playing different characters, smooth talking, and reading people.  Basically, spy stuff.  So will he just hang around for one season, or will he stick?  Only time will tell.  Just please, please don't mess up the balance that has been perfected among the regular cast.
     Over on Wisteria Lane, though new characters will surely be announced, it's the women leaving that are getting the attention.  It took several tries to get a fifth housewife that could hold her own and click with the other four, but after recent plots, it appear Katherine (Dana Delany) has fallen out of favor.  Just her character, not the actress.  ABC has a pilot called Body of Evidence that they'd like her to star in, and she has accepted.  Delany hopes to still pop up on Desperate Housewives occasionally, if her series is picked up.  If not, she may stick around.  Or if it is picked up and quickly canceled, she may come back.  Creator Marc Cherry has vowed not to kill her off, and is happy to leave the door open for her return.  Katherine's new lover, Robin (Julie Benz, Angel, Dexter) also has an ABC pilot, No Ordinary Family, so perhaps the two could leave and live happily ever after together?
      Burn Notice has just completed it's third season, but will return to USA soon.  Desperate Housewives can be found on ABC Sundays at 9pm.