ASCENSION Rises As Miniseries Goes On

Article first published as ASCENSION Review on Seat42F.

SyFy will soon present ASCENSION, a six-part miniseries that will air over three nights, and if the ratings are good enough, be picked up as a full-blown show, a la Battlestar Galactica. I’ve watched the first two parts, and while it is nowhere nearly as well written and acted as BG, it is an intriguing premise with some really gripping stakes.

The story begins with a murder, which is soon revealed to have taken place aboard the USS Ascension, a massive ship on its way to a new planet. See, in 1963 President Kennedy secretly ordered the launch of several hundred human begins into the unknown, set to colonize a new planet and ensure the survival of the human race. These people are nearly halfway through their mission, setting it approximately in the present day, and while it’s presented as a twist on the show, marketing materials have made it clear that’s what’s going on, so I don’t feel bad about spoiling it.

The ship is captained by William Denninger (Brian Van Holt, Cougar Town), who is coming to grips with the fact that he is the “middle captain,” who neither launched the ship nor will lead it to its final destination, so will likely not have a memorable legacy. His wife, Viondra (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactcia) is a sneaky manipulator, who wields her own power, separate from her husband. These two are in charge of many things, sometimes benevolently, sometimes not so kindly.

The Ascension itself is interesting because it obviously has very advanced technology, as developed in the 1960s, meaning monitors are black and white and most control panels are knobs and lights, not interactive computers as we think of them today. I’m not sure that I buy that our country was capable of constructing such a thing in the 1960s, and the way the place is presented may not completely make sense.

If this has you wavering in your enjoyment, as it did me, stick through the first night and your patience will be rewarded. This would be a very different article if I was writing to viewers who’d seen the full two hours, and while it isn’t the best series on television, with many flaws, I am completely hooked and on board after night one. Trust me and watch. ASCENSION deserves a pick-up. That’s all I’ll say about that.

Oh, yeah, back to the murder, since that’s the driving story, even though I’m much more interested in the logistics of the ship itself. This small community has virtually no crime, and this is the first murder committed since the launch. That means there really isn’t a structure in place to investigate and punish the wrong-doer. Enter Oren Gault (Brandon P. Bell, Hollywood Heights), the noble executive officer who steps up to the task.

Rounding out the cast are: Dr. Juliet Bryce (Andrea Roth, Rescue Me), who isn’t getting along too well with her daughter, Nora (Jacqueline Byers, Blizzard), a strong-willed individual deeply affected by the murder; Chief Astronomer Emily Vanderhaus (Tiffany Lonsdale, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), the elder sister of the victim; Chief Safety Officer Duke Vanderhaus (Ryan Robbins, Falling Skies), Emily’s husband, who doesn’t like that Gault is heading up the case; James Toback (P.J. Boudousque, Coldwater), a maintenance worker and love interest for Nora; and Harris Enzmann (Gil Bellows, Ally McBeal), the son of the man who headed up the Ascension mission, who is back on Earth.

Yep, we get to see what’s happening on our own planet, too. What does Harris know? What will he do with that knowledge? This is another subplot that draws me in.

My biggest complaint that I currently have about ASCENSION is, where are the old people? The ship launched fifty years ago, roughly, so there should be lots of senior citizens on board who made up the original crew. We don’t glimpse this, with the focus on those who weren’t born yet when the mission started. This is a nagging query not addressed in these two hours that has to be satisfactorily explained for the series to be any good.

There are weaknesses in ASCENSION. I feel like some of the actors are woefully miscast. For example, I adore Brian Van Holt on the sitcom he’s been starring in, but his take on Captain Denninger doesn’t have the weight it should, at least in my opinion. Some of the happenstances are a little hokey and formulaic, and far too many people are cheating on their significant others. But there is a very strong mythology here that could override those problems, and given the nature of the show, the beginning cast doesn’t necessarily need to stay front and center over multiple seasons. The best parts of the miniseries beg for further exploration, and that’s why I ask you to please tune in, at least for the entire first night, and then make your decision about whether or not to continue watching.

ASCENSION begins Monday, December 15^th on SyFy.

KILLER WOMEN Typical Genre Series

Article first published as KILLER WOMEN Review at Seat42F.

ABC’s new series, KILLER WOMEN, adapted from an Argentina drama, follows Molly Parker (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica), the daughter of a sheriff who has managed to make it as a Texas Ranger, despite the organization being male-dominated. She’s tough as nails, having survived a horrible marriage to a senator (Jeffrey Nordling, Body of Proof), but still has sympathy for her fellow women, and relaxes while playing the trumpet.

If that sounds like a perfectly crafted television character, you’d be right. She’s a bit too perfectly crafted, to be honest, verging on a stereotype. While it’s true that most law enforcement procedurals star men, Molly is exactly what we’d expect a girl to be in this situation. Tough, but vulnerable, fair and dedicated to justice.

Which makes her a bit boring. It’s likely a good vehicle for Helfer, because she plays the part to a tee, but the show itself cannot be sustained in an interesting way on this character’s shoulders. She’s too pure and easy to root for, without the unexpected layers and unpredictability that would make her a fascinating study. Basically, Molly is bland.

Those in her life don’t do her many favors in that regard, either. Molly has been living with her brother, Billy (Michael Trucco, Battlestar Galactica), his wife, Becca (Marta Milans, Valientes), and their daughter, Lulu (Siena Agudong, Second Chances). They are plain old, what-you-see-is-what-you-get ranchers. The only scene involving them that made any impact being the brief one in which Molly gets mad at her sibling for talking to her niece about the divorce.

Molly also has a love interest in fellow law enforcement officer Dan Winston (Marc Blucas, Necessary Roughness), but like her, Dan lacks edge. Sure, they step over the line together, but only in the noblest of causes, and it all works out. They also lack the heated chemistry that most viewers will be looking for, seeming far too tame a pair, unsurprising for Blucas, but disappointing all the same.

In the “Pilot,” a woman (Nadine Velazquez, My Name Is Earl) shots a bride at her wedding point blank. It takes only a little bit of the episode’s running time to catch her, but that isn’t the end of the story. While the regular cops want to put the case to bed, Molly takes it upon herself to not only see something else going on, but to pursue it without support. Which, no surprise, leads to a happy ending.

I believe this plot is meant to illustrate exactly who Molly will be. Everything from the initial car chase, an action-packed scene in which Molly is somehow the only one who can stop the vehicle, to a touching moment behind bars, shows us what Molly is like, how she will stand up for her ideals, and how her colleagues will seek to stand in her way.

Again, this is pretty basic crime drama stuff. Molly’s experience is nothing new, woman or not, as many a cop faces the exact same circumstances. The fact that she is a girl is not nearly fresh enough to save the series itself.

What’s more, KILLER WOMAN will very clearly be a case-of-the-week program. I understand that there are a number of such shows that get high ratings, and perhaps that’s why networks keep making more and more of them. At the same time, it’s frustrating when a cookie cutter is used over and over again, rather than straying from the worn path to deliver something fresh and new. Since this show doesn’t have anything unique to offer, it will not be added to my TiVo’s Season Pass list. I’ll probably never watch it again.

As far as the genre goes, KILLER WOMAN is a decent effort. But the genre is bloated and tired. It’s time to put it to the rest. KILLER WOMEN premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome on Blogcritics.

Now on Blu-ray and DVD, and downloadable, is Universal's Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. Set 10 years into the First Cylon War, after the events of Caprica, and several decades before the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, Blood & Chrome follows young William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, The Borgias, Skins) on his very first mission, which goes horribly wrong.

For those BG fans who complain that Caprica isn't action-packed enough (I am definitely not one of them), Blood & Chrome swings to the opposite extreme, a high-octane thrill ride with simulated battles filling in the gaps where "not enough" is happening in the real world. It's a dark, at times scary, war story, taken to the front line and behind enemy lines.

Unfortunately, that means there isn't a lot of time for character development. BG works because of the actors, and the nuance with which they play their dealings with one another. It is as much about politics and religion as interpersonal relationships, and the fights with the Cylons come as secondary. Blood & Chrome moves the latter to center stage, making it fun when you're watching, but a bit hollow in retrospect. This works well for a web series, which one can tell Blood & Chrome is, edited together now into a not-quite-seamless television movie.

I'll be honest, I'm torn on Pasqualino as Adama. He is the fourth actor to tackle the role in the official franchise, and I see a bit of the Caprica take in some of his dialogue and mannerisms, when he isn't being way too cocky. I don't, however, see the grown up Adama at all. Perhaps that is intended to come later, in the unlikely event this project is pushed forward as a series, but it's missing here.

Blood & Chrome is sold to us as a potential pilot, but it's not clear what the series would feel like from this first episode. Rather than setting up the full cast or what the characters will be doing, it follows only three people for a large part of the movie: Adama, his co-pilot Coker (Ben Cotton, Hellcats), who is near the end of his tour of duty, and just wants a calm last few weeks, having lost the fighting spirit, and Dr. Becca Kelly (Lili Bordan, Cherry.), who has a secret mission for them, and claims she can turn the tide of the war. One of those three, I won't reveal which, wouldn't even get to continue if the story went on.

For the most part, I enjoy the hour and a half, even if it doesn't make me miss Battlestar Galactica less. But there are enough hokey missteps, like Adama hooking up with Becca, the creepy half-machine cave worms, and yet another new Cylon soldier, as well as a glimpse at an early attempt of a human-model Cylon (interestingly voiced by Six herself, Tricia Helfer), that prevent this from being quality entertainment. Adama is close enough to events in Caprica to understand what the Cylons actually are. Why doesn't that play a role here?

What really kills Blood & Chrome for me is the reuse of BG and Caprica alum as new characters. Cotton only has a bit part in BG: Razor, so that's not too bad, but most of the rest of the cast, including Adrian Holes, Leo Li Chiang, Mike Dopud, Carmen Moore, Allison Warnyca, Sebastian Spence, Zak Santiago, Colin Corrigan, Jill Teed, Ty Olsson, Brian Markinson, and John Pyper-Ferguson are already present in other stories as different characters, and still recognizable from their previous roles. This really destroys any believability, and is definitely the absolute worst thing about Blood & Chrome.

On the positive side of the chart, for those keeping score, are the special effects. One would swear previous BG sets have just been upgraded, but pretty much this entire movie is green screen, so they've actually been digitally re-created. It's OK that the hanger bay and control room are busier and fuller than in the previous series, because this is Galactica at the height of her service, fully manned and equipped. It all looks so real, if they hadn't included an intriguing twenty-two minute featurette as an extra, showing how they created the sets, I wouldn't believe it. I can't think of another series that has done effects this good.

Which means that Blood & Chrome looks and sounds spectacular in high definition. Much care goes into every detail of the design, and with all the computer work, they are able to make everything super sharp. The colors are mostly of a dark palate, but there is such a broad spectrum represented that one could easily forget that, seeing how rich it looks. The soundtrack is not as sweeping as its predecessors, but again, is flawless.

Blood & Chrome is made by design and programming nerds, and it shows. Story takes a back seat to effects, and the visuals are mind-blowing. It's an example of what a new BG could look like, and is definitely an argument to bring some incarnation of the show back. Just not this one, because we need the story part of it, too.

Besides the aforementioned featurette, there are about ten or so deleted scenes. That's it on the extras, sadly.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is available as a Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy / Ultraviolet combo pack now.

Community at a Convention

Article first published as Community at a Convention on TheTVKing.

Grade: 82%

In this week's episode of NBC's Community, "Conventions of Space and Time," Troy (Donald Glover), Britta (Gillian Jacobs), and Abed (Danny Pudi) attend a science fiction convention celebrating the guys' favorite television series, Inspector Spacetime. (If you don't know what Inspector Spacetime is, it's Community's take on Doctor Who, without having to worry about copyright issues). But, rather than just having a fun weekend, they are plagued by a test of their friendship and the tag-along of the rest of the study group.

For those waiting for a good Abed / Troy / Britta relationship story, this is the episode for you. Britta is shown to be very supportive of Troy and Abed, and even does her best to get them back together, not caring at all about spending alone time with Troy. She does remain herself, pushing Abed's buttons by championing the one female Inspector, even though she hasn't seen any episodes with said character, and the fans all agree she's horrible, Britta does put Troy's needs first, and is shown to be a loving girlfriend. This dynamic works.

Plus, the opening sequence where Britta does gymnastics outside the apartment so that she can try to fool Abed into thinking she's not sleeping over, is fantastic.

Abed, on the other hand, is ready to distance himself from Troy. I'm not sure this totally makes sense for his character, but we have seen some tension between the two lately as everyone prepares for graduation and moving on with their lives, and Troy finds regular sex. So, Abed befriends a foreigner named Toby (Matt Lucas, Bridesmaids, Little Britain), who shares his obsession with the show, and is far too obviously rude towards Troy. Though I like the e-mail-Nigeria scam joke.

I like that "Conventions of Space and Time" proves to Abed that he needs a Reggie for a companion, not another Inspector, and so Troy comes to Abed's rescue, and Toby is displaced. However, I can't help but thinking the parallels between the Abed/Troy story and the Inspector Spacetime show should be more pronounced. What happens to them at the convention could fit in with an episode of their fictional show, so why not make it feel like one? In the past, I think Community would have tried a little harder to do so.

Jeff (Joel McHale) and Annie (Alison Brie) road trip with the others, intending to ski while the nerds do their thing. But the slopes are shut down, so Jeff immediately wants to go home. Until he meets an attractive woman (Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer) who thinks he is the actor who plays Inspector Spacetime's foe.

Annie, on the other hand, is thrilled when the hotel staff mistakenly call her Mrs. Winger, and takes pleasure in building up a fake marriage between her and Jeff. When the staff sees Jeff flirting with someone else in the lobby, though, it interrupts Jeff's fun.

The fact that Annie's actions do not thoroughly creep Jeff out is a good sign for a relationship between them. He knows who she is, in all of her weirdness, and doesn't judge her for it. Jeff doesn't end up being very upset about losing his chance with the other girl, though I do question why he is flirting with someone else when he and Annie clearly intended to share a hotel room on this trip. Are they dating or not? Casually sleeping together? If it's the latter, why isn't Jeff allowing things to go to the next level, since "Conventions of Space and Time" make it seem that he cares deeply for her, and really likes her in spite of everything.

Last week, I voiced my opinion that Jeff should end up with Britta. This week makes me question that, and now I'm undecided. At least the chemistry between Jeff and Annie is handled well, even if their story isn't.

I give the production team credit for making the Inspector Spacetime foe look just enough like Joel McHale for it to be believable that Jeff is mistaken for him, but not so much so much so that it just looks like a picture of Joel McHale. There's a delicate balance here, and they strike just the right note.

Meanwhile, Pierce (Chevy Chase) is mad at being left out (again), so he drives Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), who is also not invited, up to the convention. Once there, they are pulled into a focus group deciding how an American remake of Inspector Spacetime should be, and while Shirley tries, for the sake of her friends, to preserve what makes the show beloved, Pierce butts in with lots of series-destroying ideas.

It seems a bit of a stretch to give Pierce and Shirley this subplot. It's fine that they get up to the convention, but after doing so, they should be integrated into the main story, rather than being so separated. Or at least whatever they are doing should tie into the rest, which it doesn't really do. The fact that the tag at the end shows that Pierce's ideas have been taken to heart is terrible, and takes a focus group criticism to the extreme. Not at all realistic.

Once more, this episode is a great idea for Community, with some terrific one-liners, just not executed well enough overall. The individual bits are fine and amusing, and the two guest stars are wonderful, but there is a lack of cohesion that makes the installment fall a little flat. Some tweaks, and this would be fantastic. Instead, it's entertaining on the surface, and hollow underneath. It has been this way for three episodes in a row, which makes me pessimistic about the outlook for the rest of the season.

Community airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Burn Notice Season Five on DVD

USA's Burn Notice recently began its sixth season. It is appropriate, then, that season five recently came out on DVD. Fans who missed the lead up to the great season six premiere will want to know that back story of how Michael (Jeffrey Donovan), Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), and the others got to the point where they are. This four disc set answers those questions quite nicely.

Season five, itself, is a wonderful story, with more ambitious arcs than earlier runs of the series. Picking up with Michael back in the CIA's good graces, hunting down the people that burned him, Michael's work is finally legitimate. He even has a new partner named Max (Grant Show, Private Practice, Melrose Place)!

But this status quo does not last long. Max is murdered, and Michael comes under suspicion for the crime, leading to the appointment of Agent Pearce (Lauren Stamile, Community, Grey's Anatomy) to oversee things. Michael struggles throughout the year to prove himself to her and to stay on the job. This is made more complicated with the arrival of Anson Fullerton (Jere Burns, Justified, Dear John), a psychiatrist who burned Michael, and now wants to blackmail him for his own purposes. Which Anson does by making it look like Fiona committed murder.


The various factions warring on this season of Burn Notice, with bad guys, CIA agents, a lover, and Michael's regular crew all competing for attention and story time, make the year not only jam packed with excitement, but one of the most complex stories on the network. Michael's focus becomes frayed, often splitting the team into two groups, simultaneously working separate missions. There are twists and turns, many with high stakes and unintended consequences. Bringing in new faces like Anson and Pearce not only mix up the dynamics, but also rejuvenate a formula that had begun to grow stale.

Besides Donovan and Anwar, original cast members Bruce Campbell, as Michael's friend Sam, and Sharon Gless, as Michael's mother Maddie, continue to shine, getting their moments in the spotlight. Coby Bell's Jesse, added to the cast the year before, also settles into the group's chemistry, and cements his status as one of the main players.

Among the highlights of the summer run of season five are: "Company Man," where Michael is first seen working as a government operative; "Mind Games," in which Fiona urges Michael to move on from his past, which he refuses to do when he realizes that there is still an active, ongoing conspiracy; "No Good Deed," which finds Michael trying to avoid blame for Max's murder, while also searching for the real killer; "Enemy of My Enemy," where Sam is abandoned by the CIA during an undercover mission for them; "Hard Out," involving the team tracking a bomb maker, as well as Maddie finding love; "Army of One," in which Maddie is taken hostage at an airport; and the fall finale "Dead to Rights," which clears Michael of Max's murder, introduces Anson, and brings back old foe Larry (Tim Matheson, Hart of Dixie, The West Wing) one finale time.

The shorter fall batch of episodes also has great moments. "Damned If You Do" finds Anson sending Michael and Fiona to Puerto Rico. In "Necessary Evil," Maddie's boyfriend is exposed as an agent of Anson's, with tragic consequences. "Acceptable Loss" features a friend of Jesse's who is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to bring down a very bad man. And the season concludes in "Fail Safe," with Michael running a very important CIA operation, which Anson screws up, and Fiona turns herself into the police to free Michael from Anson's control.

This four disc DVD set includes a number of special features. There are lots of deleted scenes spanning all the discs. "Army of One" gets the extended treatment, while "Fail Safe" has an optional audio commentary. There is also a gag reel and a featurette on the villains of Burn Notice, which profiles such memorable bad guys as Carla (Tricia Helfer), Vaughn (Robert Wisdom), Mason Gilroy (Chris Vance), Larry, and Anson.

Burn Notice Season 5 will likely be remembered as the year when the show raised its game a level. There are still clients in every installment, but the serial elements of the series finally get more attention, and the characters show real growth and development. This is a DVD set any fan should own.

Buy Burn Notice Season 5, on sale now.

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Franklin & Bash end on a high note with "Go Tell It On the Mountain"

     TNT's Franklin & Bash ends season one with "Go Tell It On the Mountain." In the episode, the body of Infeld's (Malcolm McDowell) long-missing best friend is found, and it is clear Infeld killer him. Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) try to defend their boss, even after Infeld admits to being guilty. Their job is not made easy as a senior partner from New York (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica) arrives, and tries to play Damien (Reed Diamond) and Hanna (Garcelle Beauvais) so that she can take over the office. In the meantime, the titular duo also help a Mexican wrestler (Danny Trejo, Grindhouse), who seeks to keep his character. Franklin takes an interest in the wrestler's daughter.

     Infeld is an eccentric in the tradition of Denny Crane, but killing a friend makes things a tad more serious than the series usually treads. The fact that he did so to save the rest of their party makes it an acceptable action, but still regretable. The plot thread for this final story actually begins in the penultimate episode, giving it a bit more heft and importance. Helfer's character coming in and perfectly creating chaos surrounding the Infeld trial is nearly flawless, and this makes for easily one of, if not the, best episode of the freshman season. It's why I am so happy that Franklin & Bash has already been given a second year order.

     While Franklin & Bash is a lot of fun, there is some real character development as "Go Tell It On the Mountain" brings things home. Damien and Hanna have some growth, and they have motivations outside of just winning the case of the week. It makes them seem more real and fleshed out in a way the show needs to continue. Of course the main duo have already been given their due, but they are not the only stars of the show. Using Infeld, Hanna, and Damien in wonderful episodes like this one will give the show a much longer shelf life, and keep things interesting enough for viewers to continue tuning in.

     Besides the drama unfolding, a handful of wonderfu guest stars really sell the episode. As mentioned before, Helfer is fantastic, as she usually is. Hopefully her character will return to create more headaches, as she is in a great position to do so. Trejo plays more calm than normal, and keeping his character in a mask almost the entire episode helps. It's not so easy to dismiss the man who makes cult films when some people may not even realize who it is. Plus, it lets Trejo stretch a bit more as an actor. Finally, Star Trek: The Next Generation's Gates McFadden is solid as the judge in Infeld's case. It is very nice to see her back on television, and hopefully she will also return in season two.

     Franklin & Bash will return next summer to TNT.

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Paint a target on Human Target

     Tonight on Fox, before 24 kicked off it's two night, four hour premiere, they decided to show a new action-packed show with spies, shootouts, and questionable ethics.  It's called Human Target, based on the comic book adventures by DC.  It was already turned into a failed summer television show in 1992, starring Rick Springfield, and lasting a mere seven episodes.  While I have not seen that version, it seems safe to say that this one is better, although by how much is debatable.  This time, the target himself, Christopher Chance, is played by Boston Legal's Mark Valley.  Though it has been met with favorable reaction by critics thus far, it certainly is far from original.  Exciting, yes.  Plenty of thrilling events, of course.  But staying power, I find it unlikely.

     Mark Valley does fine as the guy who makes himself a part of his client's lives to serve as part detective, part body guard.  He is appropriately tough, resourceful, suave, and smart.  He is supported by his business manager, Winston, played by Chi McBride (Boston Public), who is basically playing the same role he played on the recently canceled Pushing Daisies.  Joining the time this week, and as a series regular, is Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen), who used to be more bad than good, and seems very good at getting information.  Each are welcome character actors who fill the supporting roles admirably.

     In the first episode, Chance acts as an interpreter for guest star Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), and even after he stops the wood be assassin, they are still rocketing away on a train going two hundred miles per hour.  Then Chance and the girl save the passengers, but they are still stuck on a speeding engine.  This all went down after a bank standoff opening, totally unconnected to the rest of the episode.  There was also an unconnected scene at the end featuring Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon).  I was on the edge of my seat, and while it seems like it will likely be a procedural, it will probably be one of the better ones, if it survives.

     The problem for me is, like any procedural, character development will likely be low, if any.  Now how exciting Chance's adventures can be, keeping the adrenaline high week after week is hard to do, and it will likely produce its share of dud episodes along the way.  The show is built on a few quirky characters, and while that works for a handful of shows (Psych springs to mind), it is not a formula for a new classic.  It could easily become a show that sticks for awhile, but does not yet appear to be headed towards must-watch status.

     The show will run on Wednesday nights at 9pm on Fox.