Chaos gives a fun pilot that doesn't feel like CBS

     The first thing that struck me about CBS's Chaos is that it does not feel like a CBS show. I say that as a compliment. CBS is known for its crime procedurals, which tend to follow the same formula most weeks. While the network has some truly excellent series that break the mold (for example, The Good Wife and The Big Bang Theory), Chaos is not what I expect from them. It feels more like a FOX offering, or perhaps NBC. As such, I applaud CBS for delivering a fun, highly enjoyable pilot.

     In the beginning, Rick Martinez (Freddy Rodriguez, Six Feet Under, Ugly Betty) arrives to work at the CIA, only to find that his job no longer exists due to budget cuts, a timely twist that I'm sure many viewers can relate to. Because his dream employer has always been the Agency, Rick begs Director Higgins (Kurtwood Smith, That '70s Show, Worst Week) for any position, listing his various skills, many self-taught. Higgins relents, placing him within a rogue-ish department known as ODS as a mole, assigned to report back to Higgins on any rules the other men break. Hesitantly, Rick agrees to accept the odd job.

     The colorful group of men that make up ODS, led by Michael (Eric Close), operate outside of direct oversight, having high connections that allow them to break the rules. They are onto Rick from the moment he walks in the door, and have him blackmailed inside of an hour. Most of the rest of the episode involves a real mission, where Rick struggles to earn their trust, and ends up siding with them against Higgins before the end of the pilot. Because the ODS guys are likable, while Higgins is almost villain-like, Rick must be with them in the scheme of things to make a valid central character. However, in the eyes of legality, Higgins is a hero trying to clean up a department of misfits.

     There is action and a little suspense, but the strongest element of this spy series is the humor. Rick swallows a live scorpion at one point. A team member, Casey (Tim Blake Nelson, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) is known as the Human Weapon. Another, Billy (James Murray, Primeval), speaks with a thick Scottish brogue after leaving his native country under suspicious circumstances. A CIA man with no office wanders the halls and tries to befriend others in hopes of landing a more stable assignment. I welcome very much these gags because we already have more serious series in the genre, and its nice to see a network show that holds fun in high regard.

     While every single main character shines and has distinctive characteristics right after the bat, I find Fay (Carmen Ejogo, Kidnapped, Away We Go) the most interesting. That's because her attraction to Rick seems genuine, but she works for Higgins, and was once married to Michael. As such, her loyalties are surely pulled in several different directions, and it's hard to know if she can be trusted or not. I hope the series goes on for quite a while before we find out Fay's true motivations.

     If you'd like to check out Chaos, it airs Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Covert Affairs a different direction for USA

     USA's latest drama, which premiered last Tuesday, and continues tonight, is Covert Affairs.  It stars Piper Perabo (Cheaper By the Dozen, Coyote Ugly) as Annie Walker, a new CIA trainee that got to skip her last month at The Farm and get directly to work in the D.C. area.  Annie is wanted for more than her skills, although she doesn't seem to know it yet.  Two years ago she had a passionate three-week affair with Ben Mercer (Eion Bailey, Band of Brothers), whom her bosses want to track down, and who resurfaced to save her life near the end of the pilot.  What he is up to, or why the CIA is interested in him, seems to be a mystery that will string out for awhile.  It's a series that doesn't feel very-USA like, driven by plot as much as by characters, while their usual series mostly just rely on the latter.  That is not a complaint.  It's nice to see something fresh from the network.

     The pilot was pretty good, though there was a lot going on.  It's kind of like a not-quite-as-good remake of Alias, with a star that resembles that of Alias, but without the wonderful villains.  Believability isn't too bad, which is often a problem for shows like this.  Annie's family wasn't too involved or too annoying, another element that sets it apart from other USA dramas, that often bring family members front and center to the story.  Annie's sister, Danielle (Anne Dudek, House, Big Love, Mad Men) is a starring player, but her role in the pilot was limited to trying to send Annie up on a date.

     The cast is brimming with other television veterans, as well.  Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty) is Auggie, an intelligence officer blinded in Iraq, but already well adjusted to his loss of vision.  He will make a fantastic best friend, and I would hope that eventually he might rank as a love interest.  He is much less geeky than he was in Betty, despite his job, and already seemed a good fit for Annie.  Annie's obvious suitor, Conrad (Eric Lively, 24: Redemption, The L Word), has not been slated to continue in the series, and will soon be replaced by Jai (Sendhil Ramamurthy, Heroes).  Lastly, Annie's bosses, husband and wife Joan (Kari Matchett, 24, ER, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) and Arthur Campbell (Peter Gallagher, Californication, The OC), seem to be as concerned with martial problems as they are bringing in Ben.  I couldn't tell from the pilot how they ranked in relation to each other, but Joan seems to be Annie's direct superior in her little group, while Arthur heads a department including Annie's workgroup.

     All in all, it's not a bad attempt, though not a great one, either.  It has plenty of potential, so we'll see how USA develops it before I decide if it's a show to invest in or not.  But as the network did dare to take a chance, they have me for now.  Covert Affairs airs Tuesdays at 10pm on USA.

Desperate Housewives stays calm, but delivers plenty of new mysteries

 
     A far cry from the plane crash from last year, the biggest (physical) thing to happen on this season's Desperate Housewives finale, "I Guess This Is Goodbye", was when Patrick (John Barrowman) blew himself up.  What a triumphant moment for Angie (Drea de Matteo)!  It showed just how tough and smart she is, and it really made me wish the show had found a way for her to stick around longer.  Her heartfelt goodbye to Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) was even more moving, and I was sad to see her leave.

     But there will be some new neighbors when Housewives returns to ABC next fall.  For one, though it was spoiled in online news reports, Paul Young (Mark Moses) is back, and back to stay, at least for a season.  It's hard to believe that his stint in jail for murder is already help.  Even better, it was recently announced that Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) has signed on full-time next season, to help fill the void left by all the departing and already departed women, and she will not be connected to the big mystery of the season.  Don't be too disappointed about that.  Keeping her out of the immediate drama may allow her to stay longer, and she will surely stir plenty of waves.

     Back to the season finale, thank goodness Lynette (Felicity Huffman) was able to keep calm, and show her true compassion.  That ended as well as it possibly could have.  The show even had me feeling saw for Eddie (Josh Zuckerman), despite the atrocities he committed.  Any chance he'll get off on an insanity plea, and that, after a reasonable stay in a mental hospital, he could return to Wisteria Lane?  Call me crazy, but that could work, and be quite interesting.  He and Lynette had a really neat bond that was real, proved by her letting him hold the baby he just delivered while she called the cops.

     The secrets have already began swirling for next season.  Who took home a baby from the hospital that wasn't theirs?  What will Gaby do now that Bree (Marcia Cross) has confessed who killed Gaby's mother-in-law all those years ago?  Why would Paul even want to come back?

     Desperate Housewives will return to ABC in the fall.

Betty comes to an end, sans the Ugly

    Last night marked the series finale of a fantastic four year story.  ABC's Ugly Betty, after scoring high enough ratings to move off of Friday nights, was abruptly and unfortunately canceled shortly thereafter.  What makes the cancellation seem criminal was that Betty's current season was shortened by two hours, giving the show's team even less time to tie everything up.  They managed to, but only by rushing and packing plot thickly into the last few hours.

     True to Betty style, everyone got a happy ending in "Hello Goodbye".  Amanda (Becki Newton), in the course of a mere three episodes, got to know a man she realized was her father, and he was glad to be in her life.  Marc (Michael Urie) didn't officially get a promotion, but it seems like he'll be a major creative drive for Mode magazine from now on.  Speaking of Mode, Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams), the show's resident villainess, not only turned over a new leaf, but got her heart's desire in both her career and her personal life.  Hilda (Ana Ortiz) was married to a man who treated her right and bought her a home in Manhattan, much to her son Justin's (Mark Indelicato) delight.  Justin found acceptance of himself.  And even Ignacio (Tony Plana) being left alone seemed happy about it, glad to see his daughters do something with their lives.

     Of course, the title character daughter, Betty (America Ferrera, who turns 26 on Sunday, what a crappy birthday present!) got her dream job and moved across the Atlantic to London.  And new more stylish glasses, to match her better wardrobe and braces-less smile, as she has slowly been transformed away from ugly duckling by the time they filmed her swan song.  Though she revisited a couple of the men who stirred her heart over the years, in the end she was left single.  Sort of.  Although it had to be quick, Daniel (Eric Mabius), her boss of the last four years, came to realize his feelings for her, quit his job, and moved to London, too.  He didn't try to stop her from fulfilling her potential, the sole man who only ever wanted her to bloom.  It was perfect, and thankfully the writers didn't rush that, merely teasing at the beginning of the relationship without getting into it yet.

     Sadly, there were some glaring loose ends that just couldn't be tied up.  Most involved the Meade family.  Alexis's (Rebecca Romijn) absence was glaring, nor did Claire (Judith Light) have time to figure out her new family situation to my satisfaction.  I hesitate to hope for a feature film, chances seeming slim, but surely there could easily be happenstance enough to get the entire cast over to Britain and do a fitting follow up?

     As the picture faded out, the title appeared on the screen, and then the Ugly faded away, leaving only Betty.  That would be the name of the dream movie in my mind.  Given the constraints, it was the best finale fans could have hoped to have seen.  The sadness comes with the knowledge of such unfulfilled potential.  The show, not Betty herself.  She got hers.

Ugly Betty ditches the metal mouth and heads to London

   Ugly Betty has almost concluded it's four year run on ABC, but an important milestone was reached last week.  Betty (America Ferrera) got her braces taken off!  Kathy Najimy (Sister Act) was the orthodontist who got to do the honors, after a falling out with Betty's previous one, played creepily by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family).  Of course, this being Betty, it was done in style, while the title character had her mouth stuck to a million dollar bra.

     I was slightly disappointed because most of this episode was fantasy, with Najimy playing a fairy godmother-type who showed Betty how her life would have been different if she had never worn the braces.  However, it was done to great effect.  Poor Justin (Mark Indelicato) was never born, Marc (Michael Urie) was the receptionist, Betty was evil, and Daniel (Eric Mabius) and Amanda (Becki Newton) were married, though they were cheating on each other.  This last bit was a little sad, as that is one couple I would kind of like to see end up together.

     That aside, the episode still managed to pack quite a bit of plot in around the dream sequences.  With the series finale looming, the plot involving Daniel and his family, as well Amanda's interaction with them, advanced quite a bit.  Betty's family also got some fun time, being there for Betty after the metal was out of her mouth.  It's a charming, quirky show, and there is nothing else like it on television, which is why it will be sorely missed when it's gone.

     In tomorrow night's episode, Betty will travel to London, England, where she will be reunited with best friend Christina (Ashley Jensen, Extras) and have a run-in with former flame Gio (Freddy Rodriguez, Six Feet Under).  As long as Betty gets one last encounter with Henry (Christopher Gorham), she will have a nice ending.  And it would be wise to bring back Daniel's brother/sister Alexis (Rebecca Romijn).

     Ugly Betty airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9pm, but only for three more weeks.

Geek Out with Jimmy #18: King of the Final Frontier

     A new Geek Out With Jimmy airs this weekend on HotZoneRadio.  It will play at 7pm Saturday and Sunday.  It’s an hour of television news and reviews by Jerome Wetzel, author for HotZoneOnline.

This week there’s plenty of news, beginning with the death of Fess Parker a.k.a. Davey Crockett.  Sad, indeed.  Also, answers to the following questions:  Which network is interested in 24?  Is Glee not doing 22 episodes next season?  Who else is joining Parks and Recreation?  Which Battlestar Galactica alum is going to be on Castle?  What crazy thing has Paula Abdul done now?  What’s in store for the big 100th episode of Bones?  Who will soon be working in The Office?  Which True Blood star is on another show at the moment, instead of filming the HBO series?  Who is the only original student cast member to appear full time in the final season of Friday Night Lights?  Where has Amy Brenneman gone?

Plenty of shows are also tackled, including Ugly Betty, American Idol, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, 24, Chuck, Family Guy, Community the return of Flash Forward and South Park, the premiere of Justified and Ugly Americans, and the likely series finale of Scrubs.

Enjoy!

Geek Out With Jimmy hits HotZoneRadio

Jerome Wetzel, er, me, is currently a contributing writer for HotZoneOnline.com, but I began my public foray into publicly covering entertainment news and reviews as a podcast host.  I co-created a podcast called The Good, The Bad, & The Geeky, and hosted it for nearly 100 episodes, most of which are still available on iTunes, though I don’t recommend any new episodes, as the podcast was continued, albeit differently, after I left, and unfortunately, retained the name, despite my request that it not.  Almost a year ago, having had a fall out with my co-creator, I launched my own podcast, Geek Out With Jimmy, as Jimmy is the name I was called by my former co-host.  Then I got married and moved from Columbus, Ohio to Lexington, Kentucky, and dropped the podcast in all the confusion.  When the dust settled, I began writing as the Lexington TV Examiner, and then for HotZone.  When HotZoneOnline announced they were creating a radio station, I was thrilled to bring back the hourly cast Geek Out With Jimmy for a new audience.
Though the episode running this week is listed as Episode 16: Why Did He Come Back?, you can jump in with no prior knowledge of me.  (I will try to put the first 15 back on iTunes in the very near future).  This week I discuss which shows have been picked up for next season and which are still up in the air.  I also cover other television news, such as upcoming guest stars and stars of new shows being made.  I talk about the shows 24, Lost, American Idol, Brothers & Sisters, Undercover Boss, The Colbert Report, Ugly Betty, and the Olympics.  There is also a song tucked in about Jack Bauer.
In the future, I plan on bringing GOWJ to HotZoneRadio every week, and hope to find a co-host for my newly revived show.  I will discuss current television news and reviews, and every once in awhile, stick in a parody song or (hopefully) funny skit.  I welcome all e-mails and suggestions for the show.  Send to me@actorsnightmare.com
Geek Out With Jimmy is currently slated to run tonight (Friday) at 7pm, Saturday at 1pm, and Sunday at 1pm.  Please tune in and tell me what you think.