No One Likes A STALKER

Article first published as STALKER Review on Seat42F.

Soon, CBS will premiere their new drama STALKER. The title is pretty apt, as it follows two (OK, four, but two main) detectives who investigate stalker cases. Both of the leads have a dark edge to them, which makes them well suited for the work, but also maybe a little too close in personality to the people they track and assist. Presumably, they will go after fresh suspects every week.

Maggie Q (Nikita) plays Lieutenant Beth Davis, the boss of the department. She’s experienced, smart, and gets the job done. It’s appropriate casting for Q, in her wheelhouse of tough and moral women. Beth is also probably a victim, like Nikita was, that sees her career as a chance to avenge the wrongs committed against her and protect others from suffering the same fate. She sometimes gets a little violent in doing so. It may be a very similar role to the one the actress just played, albeit one more inhibited by the law, which should make for fewer leather-suited martial arts displays, but at least it’s clear she knows how to inhabit it well.

Beth’s new partner (well, underling that acts as a partner) as STALKER begins is Detective Jack Larsen (Dylan McDermott, The Practice, American Horror Story). Jack has recently moved to the city, and we soon find out he has a very good reason for choosing this place. Jack is even less prone to following the rules than Beth, and has a creepy edge about him I at first thought was just carry over impressions from his recent role on Hostages, but definitely pertains to the current part, too. He is in no position to reign Beth in, and may discover they are polar opposites playing the same game.

STALKER is likely to develop Beth and Jack only minimally as the weeks go on, preferring growth to occur on an extended timetable. There is a really interesting way things could go with the pair, but more likely, character development will take a back seat to a rote procedural, where the crime is more important than what happens in the detectives’ lives. Jack could conceivably change his position dramatically later on, but I think CBS is unlikely to allow this to happen, as their drama series such as this one tend to firmly avoid blowing up the basic premise.

I have spent plenty of time in my reviews moaning about the numerous crime shows already on the air, and STALKER has little to set it apart from the others. True, no one else is specifically investigating stalker cases, but that’s where the originality ends, the story as formulaic and repetitive as many, many others. Don’t expect it to become a groundbreaking, critically-acclaimed, or award-winning program.

That being said, for what it is, STALKER has plenty of quality. The two main actors are wonderfully cast, and have more than enough acting chops to handle their characters. The first case-of-the-week is well thought out and engaging, the writing being pretty solid, lacking the plot holes that other new premieres are facing. There are two supporting players, Mariana Klaveno (True Blood) and Victor Rasuk (How to Make It in America), who also portray detectives in the unit and who can pick up the slack when our leads are busy with other things. There’s also an arc that surely will be downplayed and simple enough that occasional viewers won’t mind it, but will provide something of a reward for those that tune in weekly.

I don’t think STALKER will make it onto my TiVo just because it, like its peers, is likely to get boring and predictable to those of us that arguably watch way too much television. But if you’re looking for turn-off-the-brain escapism that is exciting and fun, popcorn entertainment, than STALKER is a respectable entry in the genre.

STALKER premieres Wednesday, October 1^st at 10 p.m. ET.

"I'm Good" with How to Make It in America

     After a nearly year and a half hiatus, HBO's How to Make It in America kicks off its second season with "I'm Good." Apparently the 'I' in the title refers to Ben (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam (Victor Rasuk), who begin the episode in Japan, selling their t-shirts and working on expanding to hoodies. However, returning to New York City is a disappointment. They attempt to throw a party to build brand recognition, and all manner of things go wrong. Meanwhile, Rachel (Lake Bell) returns to NYC, too, and Rene (Luis Guzman) tries to make things right with his girl.

      The Japan sequence is nice, if a tad more optimistic than usual for the series. It would be far too easy, of course, if Ben and Cam already have things together by the beginning of season two. So they only succeed in a limited way, and for a short time. Makes sense. In order for their type of business to work, it needs to keep innovating. They have ideas, but their execution still has many bugs to work out. As such, while they beg and plead to get their hoodies featured in a store window, to no avail, they still lag behind someone else's brand new craze, which makes them feel like they haven't made it. And they are right.

     Normally, when a television series ruins the plans of its lead characters, and screws up an event so royally as happens in "I'm Good," it is a huge setback. Drama is tossed in the way just to make life harder. On How to Make It in America, the opposite may be trie. Ben and Cam miss their own party after Ben gets high and they get stuck in the subway. One of Rene's employees shoots himself, and the cops come. This should only give them more story and appeal, though, not to mention the fact that their event still delivered, selling quite a bit of product. It may take awhile for them to 'make it,' but they are well on their way.

     Rachel's return to the city is not covered in detail, not unusual for the show. She comes back, but no one really knows the circumstances surrounding the return. Perhaps she was just out of money and tired of traveling, as she seems to indicate? Yet, she doesn't tell anyone she is back at first, which seems like odd behavior. What is she afraid of? She did leave Ben awkwardly, but he has moved on, not something that likely makes her feel better. It doesn't help that Ben's new girl, Julie (Margarita Levieva), responds in kind when Rachel postures to her. It's a weird, but wholly realistic, sequence.

     Poor Rene seems to be making a real go as a legitimate business man, but gets into trouble with his girl when she models for him, and he uses a shot of her backside in advertising. Rene's efforts to win her back prove that he cares about her, but he also just doesn't seem to know how to treat a good girl. He's trying, and that should count. That he chooses to date a security guard is odd, considering his criminal history. Unless this whole thing, including apology, is a sham so he can gain her trust, and then access to something she is guarding. Let's sincerely hope this is not the case.

     How to Make It in America also stars Eddie Kaye Thomas, Shannyn Sossamon, and Scott Mescudi. Watch it Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

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How to Make It in America makes it

    HBO's freshman series How to Make It in America finished an eight episode first season with the finale "Never Say Die" this past Sunday.  I wasn't impressed with the show when it first premiered, but I watched most of the season marathon-style in one afternoon, and quickly became quite hooked.  The major complaints I had about the pilot, that it didn't explore side characters, and that the point of the series wasn't cohesive, were addressed quite well early on, and though it did still border on the art world, fashion, of a sort, did take center stage.

     Ben (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam (Victor Rasuk) remain the main characters that the audience will root for.  Going into the finale, I became incredibly discouraged on their behalf, thinking that they had lost forever their shipment of t-shirts, the first sale of their fledgling company.  Had that been the case, I don't think I would have been as happy as I turned out being, and it was just one hit too many for the struggling pair.  Sure, they are going to have plenty of bumps in starting a company, but to take away that may have killed their dream before it even really began.

     Rachel (Lake Bell), Ben's ex, also ended up with almost as much plot as they did, although she was left in kind of the opposite situation, leaving a successful job to strike out on her own.  I don't really believe Ben and Rachel belong together, and it didn't feel like that's where they were going, even though they slept together again.  I hope that I'm not wrong.

     Perhaps the most interesting character, though, turned out to be Cam's cousin Rene (Luis Guzman).  An ex-con, turned CEO of an energy drink supplier, he was introduced as a villain loan-shark, and he was the source of several of Ben and Cam's troubles.  However, Rene had a code of honor, and he was trying to go (mostly) straight.  His conversations with the local priest, which appeared very sincere, were confusing, awkward, and comical, all in a good way.  When the series continues, as it has already been picked up for a second season, he is the one I most want to see developed further.

    HBO will surely rerun the series, so if you missed it, I highly recommend catching it.

How to Make It in America doesn't quite make it

     HBO has a new show out called How to Make It in America.  It is about friends Ben (Bryan Greenberg, October Road) and Cam (Victor Rasuk, ER) trying to make money while living in New York City, apparently in the fashion scene, though after watching, I thought it was more the art world.  It is attempting to be gritty and realistic, or at least it comes across that way.  The theme song may be confusing, but it resembles the photographs shown at an artist showcase later in the pilot episode.

     This series has plenty going for it.  Besides Greenberg, it boasts other notable stars such as Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie, 'Til Death), Lake Bell (Boston Legal), Shannyn Sossamon (Moonlight), Martha Plimpton, and Luis Guzman.  Unfortunately, it didn't land in the premiere.  There was plenty of the two main guys, but very little of anyone else.  They are charming and interesting, but there wasn't enough plot to adequately set up what the series is going to be about.  Not only that, unlike other recent HBO shows, I didn't get invested in the characters right away.  At this point, I could never watch another episode and never wonder what happened.

     However, I am going to watch next week's episode.  It does intrigue me that I don't what it's about.  I've always thought that pilots are often a poor representation of the series, and I hope this one is as well.  Because I can't predict what else is coming, I will watch at least another half hour or two until I decide whether or not it is worth my time.

     If you'd like to check it out, How to Make It in America will rerun throughout the week, and new episodes will be presented Sundays at 10pm on HBO.