THE FAMILY Drama

Article first published as THE FAMILY Review on Seat42F.

God love the broadcast networks. Some of them are trying to step up their game in the face of rapidly declining ratings. While many of the programs coming down the pipeline on the Big Four are still crime procedurals and tame sitcoms, the things that are killing them, sometimes you get an attempt at a decent complex mystery drama.

The latest stab at quality is ABC’s THE FAMILY, which premiered last night. Told in two time periods, the present and ten years ago, this show is about a family rocked by the abduction of their son, Adam (Maxwell James), whom they assume to be dead, and rocked again when he seemingly shows back up a decade later (now played by Liam James, The Killing). What went wrong with the initial investigation? Or is the new boy not the son they believe him to be?

The unanswered questions are definitely the draw of THE FAMILY, and the reason to keep coming back. A show usually either thrives on story or on character, and this one has chosen the former. Packed with twists and clues, both real and false, to keep the viewer guessing, audiences will want to know what happens, and it does a decent job of hooking you in that manner.

The characters are a bit less compelling, though the actors are all pretty good. Matriarch Claire (Joan Allen, The Killing, Luck) is the mayor, and she actually uses her son returning as a way to help launch her campaign for governor. Father John (Rupter Graves, Sherlock) doesn’t seem much better, on tour with grief books he’s written and sleeping with the detective, Nina (Margot Bingham, Boardwalk Empire), who may or may not have screwed up his son’s case. Older son Danny (Friday Night Lights’ Zach Gilford in the present, Rarmian Newton in flashback) is a drunk, so of course no one believes his suspicions about ‘Adam.’ Daughter Willa (Alison Pill, The Newsroom and Madeleine Arthur, The Tomorrow People) embraces religion, but perhaps not as fully as people think, being calculating like her mother. Creepy neighbor Hank (Andrew McCarthy, Weekend at Bernie’s) is released from jail, but did he do what he was arrested for after all? And even if he didn’t, would he have, given the opportunity?

None of these are people you can get behind or want to support much, despite the terrible situation. It’s soapy, and that’s fine, but in the best soaps there are usually some redeemable qualities for the core cast. Instead, these are all players in a dangerous game, and one gets the impression they deserve whatever happens to them, at least in the later timeline.

That is probably why THE FAMILY doesn’t connect as well as cable entries in the genre do. Broadchurch is excellent because of its mystery, but also because of the fantastic characters, who struggle with real problems and are sympathetic as people. THE FAMILY is closer to Revenge, which limped along on ABC for a few years before cancellation, where you just want to see what happens to jerks, rather than rooting for a protagonist to win the day.

As such, THE FAMILY is good, but not as good as it could be. It is a great example of what is wrong with the Big Four networks, not willing to fully commit to something new, still mired in what has worked for them in the past. ‘Soapy drama for the sake of drama? Yeah, that’s been a hit before, so let’s add it to a currently winning formula from a cable channel to satisfy both our old audience and win new viewers.’ Unfortunately, that doesn’t work, ending up with a product unsatisfying to some from both camps, and not helping the viewer erosion at all.

However, if ABC and its kin would really give something like THE FAMILY a go, building a slower-paced show on the bedrock of strong characters, they might actually have something. They could even do it with these same actors if they wanted to.

THE FAMILY settles into its regular night and time this Sunday at 9/8c.

Fix up The Mob Doctor

Grade: 80%

FOX has a new drama called THE MOB DOCTOR. Starring Jordana Spiro (My Boys) as Grace Devlin, a promising young surgeon who agrees to do work for the mob to pay off her brother, Danny’s (Jesse Lee Soffer, As the World Turns), debt, the series finds the protagonist bouncing between two worlds. In one, she has a bright career ahead of her and a wonderful boyfriend, Dr. Brett Robinson (Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights, Off the Map). In the other, she pulls screwdrivers out of heads in the back room at a veterinary clinic.

As the “Pilot” begins, it almost looks like Grace enjoys the double life. She handles a thug with ease, not cruel, but not flappable, either. We learn that she grew up around criminals, and one of her earliest memories is finding a dead body. This sets the stage for a main character of questionable morals, something that does very well on cable, but is rarely seen successfully done on broadcast TV.

But as the hour plays out, it soon becomes apparent that Grace is not a common criminal. She is helping out her family, making her the kind of bright and shiny hero that populates many a series. This actually makes her a bit less interesting, as now we assume that she will always do the right thing. After all, her involvement in this mess of a situation is just stemming from loyal to her family, not out of a desire to do wrong or protect guys that should be behind bars. Should the writing stray from such a predictable formula, it would be neat and fresh. As it stands, Grace may quickly become rote and boring.

What gives me hope is Spiro herself. Her excellent work on her previous sitcom starring role over several years proved and honed her comedy chops. She dipped her toe into light drama with a recurring role on Harry’s Law more recently. Now, with THE MOB DOCTOR, she is given more to work with than ever, and the entire hour seems to hang on her, since she is in every scene. Spiro doesn’t flinch, and stays compelling through it all.

Another positive element is the writing. It’s hard to tell in which direction the series intends to go from just the “Pilot” because it is mostly setting things up. But there is no obvious patient of the week, with Grace treating several people throughout. And because the show is on FOX, not CBS, it may very well be allowed to explore large arcs, rather than being stuck in a formula. Or, if it does follow a weekly pattern, it may get to depart from that more than many other shows.

Spiro is surrounded by a talented, proven cast. Besides Gilford, there’s Zeljko Ivanek (The Event, Damages) as the hospital boss, William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire, The Rock) playing the counterpart man in charge, James Carpinello (Rock of Ages), Floriana Lima (Poor Paul), Wendy Makkena (Sister Act, Listen Up), and Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy). This means that, if the writers decide not to make Spiro carry the show by herself, which they should, despite her talent, there is an already-built support system in place to sustain a quality series.

I don’t want to give away the ending of episode one, but suffice it to say, the balance of power is not established until the very last minutes of the episode. It makes it a little hard to talk about what to expect, going forward. A lot of the “Pilot” does a fine job establishing the characters and the setting, but it’s hard to say what kind of series THE MOB DOCTOR wants to be until we see how things play out past this first installment.

Another thing that happens very late is telling about Grace herself, painting some of her attitudes and actions in a different light. As a character, she does a handful of things that didn’t quite add up to me until that revelation. Had the twist been missing, it’s likely this would be a very different review.

THE MOB DOCTOR premieres Monday, September 17th on FOX.

Off the Map: The Complete Series now on DVD!

     ABC's Off the Map had a lot going for it when it premiered in January. For one thing, Jenna Bans, who worked on Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, created it. Shonda Rhimes, the brain trust behind Grey's, produced it. The cast was excellent. Set in a South American jungle, it was a unique medical show about some very strange cases, and American doctors trying to escape their past having, while to adapt to the local culture. Think Grey's meets Star Trek: Deep Space 9 in a setting that looks like Lost. Yes, those are all intended to be serious compliments.

     The series begins as Lily Brenner (Caroline Dhavernas, Wonderfalls) comes to the clinic, haunted by the memory of her dead fiance. She is accompanied by two other new, young doctors, Tommy Fuller (Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights) and Mina Minard (Mamie Gummer, The Good Wife). Fuller is a plastic surgeon who has a family who doesn't like or respect him, as he spent his college days drinking. Minard let a patient die while exhausted, thinking he simply had a case of the flu, instead of the zebra of a case that it actually was. So she was kicked out of her residency program. All three hope this will be a nice change of pace, allowing them to re-evaluate their lives. Of course, they soon realize they are biting off more than they can chew.

     Then there's the older doctors, who have been there long enough to know the lay of the land. Dr. Ben Keeton (Martin Henderson, Big Sky) is the strong, male lead. Mentor to all, he is the subject of Lily's initial crush, but he already has someone. Kind of. That's Ryan Clark (Rachelle Lefevre, Twilight), who is struggling with her own severe medical problems. Otis Cole (Jason George, Grey's Anatomy) is said to be a jerk, but he's pretty likeable, and has a thing for Zita Alvarez (Valerie Cruz, True Blood). Zita is actually from the region, so unlike the others, she isn't trying to forget anything.

     It's a motley crew, to be sure, but one that's good in a crisis, and can get things done effectively. Which they do, over and over again, for the thirteen episodes of Off the Map's too-short run. Each character actually shows not only some depth in personality and back story, but growth. For instance, Lily only really drools over Keeton for a short time before switching to a guy that is actually available. Otis figures out his feelings for Zita, instead of continuing to stew over them. New relationships bloom where they may not be exactly expected. And there isn't a weak actor in the cast.

     There are such drastic improvements on most of the characters' outlooks, it's with bittersweetness that one begins to wonder where the series would have gone, had it continued. Surely, new, fresh faces would have joined the ranks, and life would have gone on. Not everyone can stay in the jungle long-term, but Off the Map already established a core group that could brave the dangers of the jungle and come through with flying colors.

     The principal cast is not the only reason to watch. A slew of fantastic guest stars, from Michael McKean to Aimee Garcia to Cheech Marin to Judy Reyes cross the threshold of the small, poor clinic. Each brings their own intriguing twist with them. Plus, the staff often deals with strange medical conditions and has to rescue patients from dangerous conditions. Tourists aren't easily prepared for such a risky environment, and many end up in the make shift hospital. As such, there is a lot going on in each and every episode. Plus, no subtitles for when the locals speak Spanish, making viewers feel as lost as the doctors!

     The DVD release's special features reflect the strange setting in which the story takes place. Clocking in at around five minutes, "Jungle Medicine" examines some of the strange medical mysteries the characters encounter, and promises that each is based on a real-life story. The eight-minute "On Set At Off the Map" interviews cast members and producers about what it was like to film in Hawaii, as well as how they made things look like South America. There are also eleven deleted scenes and a standard two-minute blooper reel. Not too shabby for a series that only last thirteen episodes!

     In short, it's a real shame Off the Map won't be back this fall, and despite the cliffhanger of an ending, I do recommend purchasing this three disc set. It's a wonderful adventure with rich characters in interesting scenarios, and not at all a waste of time to watch. It's a unique show with some brave choices that set it apart from standard fare.

     Off the Map: The Complete Series boasts Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, Spanish and French subtitles, and 1.78:1 Widescreen picture. Which means it looks and sounds fantastic.

     Buy Off the Map: The Complete Series today.

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Article first published as DVD Review: Off the Map: The Complete Series on Blogcritics.

"Always" Friday Night Lights

     It may be July in the real world, but it's Christmas time in Dillon, Texas on Friday Night Lights, as the five-year series comes to a permanent end with "Always." Knowing the Lions will soon be no more, the team still faces one final game - the state championship. Eric (Kyle Chandler) is pressured to sign a contract to coach the Panthers "super team" next year before leaving for the game, but wife Tami (Connie Britton) goes cold every time he brings it up. Matt (Zach Gilford) finds it easy enough to propose to Julie (Aimee Teegarden), however, getting a blessing from her parents proves far more tricky. Tim (Taylor Kitsch) ponders his future. And eight months later, life goes on.


     Friday Night Lights spends most of the series only covering football seasons, so it is not unusual for fans to have to imagine what happens during huge gaps in the characters' lives. Yet, the final scenes, set eight months later, or what would have been the beginning of a sixth season, should there have been one, are the last glimpses viewers will ever get. It's bittersweet, seeing how things continue, but already missing those people so many have grown to love. Even with only a few brief cameos by some long departed series stars, seeing the current crop's stories come to an end, along with the Taylors', is a moving finish.

     The transition is brilliant. Just before the skip ahead, the Lions are playing in their final game. Little ambient sound is heard, but a series of plays are shown over trademark music. The faces of the Lions' fans as they cheer are panned over. In stereotypical sports drama fashion, the favorite team is down by a touchdown, and there is only one play left to win the game. But between the musical strains and the camera constantly switching perspectives, the minutes spent on the field are anything but typical. Even more surprising, as the final pass goes for the player's hands, no resolution is shown. Sure, soon enough there are indicators that the Lions won, seeing the championship rings on their hands in the future. But choosing not to air the game winning catch is a bold choice that really pays off.

     Happy endings do come true. The interesting thing about Friday Night Lights is that the happy ending is merely a temporarily stop as lives continue on. Only five brief seasons play out, and despite learning all of the characters' back stories, little of their futures are shown. Many of the principal players are just graduating high school, or early into college. There is no completion. The only thing that ends is the Lions football team, and the Taylor's residence in Texas. So to sum up the entire show, Friday Night Lights, it's about when the Taylors briefly move to Texas and change many kids' paths for the better.

     And they really do. Whatever else can be said about Eric and Tami, they help children. None of Tami's connections are shown in "Always," though there are many. But Eric gets a scene each with Jess (Jurnee Smollett) and Vince (Michael B. Jordan), letting his two latest projects know that he loves and respects them, and will do anything for them, anytime they need it. He leaves them both in great places, much better than when he met them. Jess moves to Dallas and helps coach a high school football team, and Vince switches to the Panthers. But both owe much of their future careers and accomplishments to Eric Taylor. Vince also owes Eric for helping begin a healing between him and his father (Cress Williams).

    Besides mentorship, the most important element of Friday Night Lights is the marriage between Eric and Tami Taylor. It has been discussed at length in many a review, but never has their bond been tested like it is in "Always" and the episodes leading up to the finale. Tami is offered a huge career opportunity, and after following Eric around for years, thinks she deserves the chance to have a turn dictating the family's living situation. Eric likes things as they are, and has trouble seeing any future but the one he leads in building. The couple's give and take virtually disappears over this argument, and things between them take a very dark turn, even as their love is still evident.


     It's not the problems that arise that define a marriage, but how bride and groom deal with them. The climax of this arc comes as Eric lectures Matt and Julie on successful marriage. Tami is shocked at the hypocrisy in Eric's words, and Eric realizes, for the first time, how deeply it hurts Tami that he's ignoring her career. Soon after, she gives in, not seeing a way out of the argument if Eric persists on being stubborn. Even through her grief, she chooses her man. But she shouldn't have to choose, and eventually, Eric makes the right decision, telling Tami it is her turn.

     Eric's sacrifice comes late in the game, almost too late. There is plenty of reason to be angry with him for not capitulating sooner. It isn't fair how he treats Tami. But his apology, asking her so politely to take him with her as she accepts this great honor she has worked so hard to earn, makes up for it, somehow. Maybe it's the sincerity, or the knowledge that Eric knows he screwed up royally. Still, fans are just as apt as Tami to quickly forgive Eric. He has already won the battle, but forfeits anyway, because some things are far more important than getting your way. Tami's happiness is one of them to Eric.

     It's not hard to see how Julie and Matt may end up being a similar couple to Eric and Tami. The personalities in the four do differ, but facing trials and finding undying devotion is present in both instances. Eric and Tami are better people than Julie, but she is still a kid in many ways, and still has a lot to learn. Not the best written character on the series, it's still gratifying to see the Taylor daughter find such a romantic notion as the series comes to a close. And Matt does deserve her. In time, Eric will appreciate his son-in-law in time, whom he already cares for, but stumbles upon the shifting roles.

     Besides the Taylor family, many other characters come through Friday Night Lights over the years. Most get satisfying endings, whether they happen in earlier seasons, or in "Always." Landry (Jesse Plemons) and Grandma Saracen (Louanne Stephens) are two characters that are brought back, but do not get focus, in the final episode. Both are shown in brief scenes, typical for their characters, but not particularly special. Which is OK. As mentioned above, the show only covers a period in the lives of the characters. It isn't time for something large to happen to either of them, so the writers don't force it. But they are involved with characters who do need them, so they are present. Buddy (Brad Leland) is along those same lines, but with a bit extra screen time.

      Hastings (Grey Damon) alone gets no closure. Perhaps he has the unfortunate luck of joining the cast too late in the game, and disappears into the background almost as soon as he appears on the show. It seems likely, had the series not been ending, Hastings would get more to do. With other loose ends to tie up, he gets the short end of the stick.

      The final season of Friday Night Lights develops Mindy (Stacey Oristano) far better than any previous year. Her relationship with Becky (Madison Burge) is sweet and lasting. Even though Becky's mom (Alicia Witt) returns in "Always," and Becky moves home, Mindy and Becky's relationship cannot suffer. They are family, as sure as any blood relation. Thank goodness, for Mindy's sake, the young woman comes along, so that a long-time supporting player finally gets her due.

     Luke (Matt Lauria) gets the only confusing ending. He is shown, eight months later, leaving for the army. As Friday Night Lights winds down, Luke is trying to decide between football and farming, leaning heavily towards the latter. Military service comes out of nowhere. It's a believable path for him, but one that needs some sort of set up that never happens.

     Finally, there's Tim. More than any other character, Tim has to fight to overcome who he is. For nearly four years, Tim struggles with this, and then makes a heroic sacrifice. But after that act, Friday Night Lights still follows the young man, as he tries to figure out where to go from there. Seeing Tim sit on a hill with brother Billy (Derek Phillips), sharing a beer while they build Tim's dream house, is an absolutely average life, and a huge step forward from where Tim begins. While Tim has no romantic resolution with Tyra (Adrianne Palicki), there is hope there, too. His future is so much brighter than his past, it's astonishing. Guess who Tim should be thanking, besides himself, of course? Yep. Eric Taylor.


     Friday Night Lights has come to an end, but it will be sorely missed. Words cannot express the gratitude owed to everyone involved in the production of one of the most memorable, highest quality television series of all time. Thank you.

     Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.

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Article first published as TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Always" on Blogcritics.

Friday Night Lights faces more than one "Fracture"

     NBC's Friday Night Lights continues its final season this week with "Fracture." This is an important episode, because a number of arcs that have been brewing threaten to fracture the delicate balance of relationships between characters. Vince (Michael B. Jordan) begins to get too big an ego, after doing an arrogant interview, and visiting a college that courts him for a verbal commitment. Luke (Matt Lauria) and Becky's (Madison Burge) budding romance faces hardship as Becky dwells on what she goes through the last time they have sexual relations. Julie (Aimee Teegarden) decides whether or not to go back to school after a visit from former TA and love Derek (Gil McKinney, ER).


     Julie's plot is a bit dumb, because sleeping with someone with authority over her does not fit her character. However, this can be forgiven, as she is just beginning college, and taking some chances, feeling her way outside of high school. She is going through a lot, and Derek is a good outlet for her to let off some steam. Or so she thinks at first. Derek showing up out of the blue, and facing off with her very hostile parents to get Julie back into his bed may seem romantic to two people in a committed relationship, but is creepy for a guy Julie only spends a bit of time with. She makes the right decision in not going back to that situation.

     What does it mean, now that she goes to visit ex-boyfriend Matt (Zach Gilford) instead? Does this mean she is considering transferring schools, or dropping out all together? Fans of the show are likely more interested in a reconnection between the long time pair, but that seems obvious and certain. More up in the air are Julie's life plans from here. She can't pin everything on a guy, no matter how great that guy is. It's fine that she goes to him, as long as she also does something with her life, too.

     Mindy (Stacey Oristano) is getting some of her best work in Friday Night Lights in being a mentor to Becky. Becky needs a positive female role model in her life, and while Mindy is hesitant at first to be that woman, becoming a mother changes her in ways both small and large. She is more big sister than mom to Becky, especially as Mindy and her friends take Becky to a beauty pageant, and celebrate with alcohol. But as long as Mindy is there for Becky, it doesn't matter in what capacity.

     Becky's abortion plot seems all but forgotten until this week, though bringing it back up certainly informs as to why Becky is resisting sleeping with Luke again. Those are traumatic memories for her, and if it happens once, it can happen again. Will Becky be able to get past those bad feelings? She sort of leans that way when leaving Luke a note at the end, and hopefully, things will only get better for her from here.

     It's hard to know what to make of Epyck (Emily Rios, Men of a Certain Age), the girl with the ridiculous name, and even worse spelling of it. Tami (Connie Britton) always needs a project student to work on, and Epyck is the latest. But she lies to Tami about her home life, while also seeming very appreciative of just being in Tami's company. Is she such an easy nut to crack? She just needs attention? If so, it seems like a wasted subplot, one that could have been much better. Though perhaps, since this is the final season, there is no time for more.

     Also uncertain is Buddy Jr.'s place in the larger stories. The character returns this season, recast to Jeff Rosick, a fairly inexperienced actor, who is doing well enough. It's hard to know if the former boy was available, or if he would be up to the task, given his previous small scenes and long absence. But other than to give Buddy (Brad Leland) one last challenge, is there some big lesson Buddy Jr. has come to teach anyone? While some characters flow in and out of shows without much purpose, it is not a common tactic used on Friday Night Lights.

     Vince's arc following his ever ballooning ego feels like a repeat. It's been done before. Vince's circumstances are slightly different than others because his motives are tied to those of his father, Ornette (Cress Williams, Grey's Anatomy), who he has just gotten back to bonding with after a long stint in prison. As such, Vince is more likely to fall into old patterns while listening to the man who raised him, and who he so desperately wants back in his life. While Vince acts tough, every boy wants their father's pride and respect. Vince has his once more, and now he's allowing it to push him off course.

     Something has got to give. Vince has come too far to just be kicked off the team and have his life ruined. Yet, should he continue valuing Ornette's advice over Coach Eric Taylor's (Kyle Chandler), he will fail. Eric believes in Vince when no one else does, and makes him who he is today. If Ornette didn't return, Vince would still be following Eric towards a bright future. The question is, what will it take for Vince to realize that? And how might that hurt his relationship with his father, who does just want what is best for his son, but is unwilling to allow another man to dictate the terms, even if the other man knows best?

     Eric has a big decision to make himself, and it's hard to predict which way he will go. Being offered a head coaching job at a college is a big deal, and surely it is tempting him. He has done wonders in Dillon, and while his assistant coaching gig at the university level doesn't work out the way he hopes, being the leader of a team of coaches is a whole other opportunity, and one that he deserves. Is he content to stay at the high school level all his life? He has about achieved all he can there, so his career would now consist of doing the same thing over and over again with different kids after Friday Night Lights goes off the air.

     At first, it seems Billy Riggins (Derek Phillips) is really establishing himself as a decent football coach, perhaps even a successor for Eric, should he choose to leave. But now, Billy seems to be going too far into the "showy" side of things, causing conflict with another assistant coach. Billy has always been a wild child, and he is trying to be responsible and mold himself into a great man. Sadly, it appears he is not doing as well as he hopes to. Does Eric have time to try to turn things around for Billy, too, and will there be a place for him on the team once Eric reigns in the ridiculous behavior he has been too lenient about?

     The fifth and final season of Friday Night Lights begins very strong, but is in its middle, meandering section. At the halfway point, things should start to pick up as the action moves towards its conclusion.


     Watch Friday Night Lights Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Article first published as TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Fracture" on Blogcritics.

Off the Map - "Saved By the Great White Hope"

Click here for all of Jerome's Current Season Reviews.

     With Shonda Rhimes on board as producer, and the main characters mostly doctors by profession, you can be forgiven for thinking that ABC's new Off the Map is just another Grey's Anatomy clone. Forgiven, because it sounds likely, but you would be mistaken. The show is not created by Rhimes, but rather by Jenna Bans. Bans has worked on Grey's and Desperate Housewives, so she's part of the ABC family, but also brings something slightly different to the table. That's what Off the Map is: different, but not so much so that it feels out of place among the network's popular series.

     When Lily Brenner (Caroline Dhavernas, Wonderfalls) first appeared on screen, I immediately pegged her as Meredith Grey type. Then I started thinking Christina Yang. Soon, it became apparent that she was neither, and both, with a dose of House's Cameron mixed in, as she did lose her fiance. But Brenner is more than that. She's that idealistic hero, brave and smart, that can rise to the circumstance, that every great show needs. After saving a man (the great Michael McKean guest starring) who trapped his arm in a zip line, and then making sure he got to dump his wife's ashes before he took off in a helicopter, Brenner has already made herself TV's newest leading lady. She owned the show.

      Brenner may have stood out to me, but she is not alone. Two other young docs arrived with her in the form of Tommy Fuller (Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights) and Mina Minard (Mamie Gummer, The Good Wife). Each of the three has something in their past that has driven them far away into the wilderness, as we're told each person that comes to the clinic from the U.S. has. Brenner's is the dead fiance, which caused her to take an extended leave of absence. Fuller has a family who doesn't like or respect him, as he spent his college days drinking. He has already earned the nickname 'Plastics' because his idea of a great surgery is implanting fake breasts. Minard let a patient die while exhausted, thinking he simply had a case of the flu, instead of the zebra of a case that it actually was. You know, when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras? We're told she was kicked out of her residency program for the mistake, though that seems a little harsh to me. Perhaps there is more to the story?

     Not only the young ones, but the elder doctors must have issues, too. Something has to make Otis Cole (Jason George, Grey's Anatomy, Eli Stone) the jerk that he is. At least, he's called a jerk. I found him very likable, as George's characters always are. In fact, I liked him best of the elder docs on staff. He has spirit, a sense of fun, and he doesn't put up with anything that he shouldn't, especially from snotty new arrivals.

 

     Cole isn't the only one displeased with the newbies before he even gets to know them. Zita Alvarez (Valerie Cruz, True Blood, Dexter) had an even better reaction. The barb she gave that stuck with me was about the new doctors not even bothering to learn Spanish, though clearly that's what most of the locals speak. I like this, because it reinforces the idea that this clinic is someplace to run to, not someplace anyone really wants to be. As such, it sets a different tone from other medical dramas immediately, and tells us something vital about each of the characters, even though its not an obvious characteristic of everyone... yet. Not only that, the culture barrier is emphasized nicely to the audience by not subtitling the Spanish speak. I'm as clueless as those new doctors as to what the residents are saying. Very neat.

 

     Though George is certainly a hunk to many, as a show with Rhimes involved, there has to be a Mc-someone, and he is there in the form of Dr. Ben Keeton (Martin Henderson, Big Sky. From the moment Brenner and Minard ogle his abs as he takes off his shirt, you know he's going to have a Mc-nickname soon. Plus, he has an accent, so double points. Honestly, I found Keeton a little bland, the only character I thought that of. I'm sure it's simply because he didn't get enough development. We got only the barest glimpse into his issues at the end of the episode, and there will surely be more to come.

     Speaking of the end of the episode, I was incredibly disappointed that Ryan Clark (Rachelle Lefevre, Twilight, What About Brian?) had so little screen time in the pilot. She is one of my favorite TV actresses, and we still know nothing about her character. As she is listed as a principal cast member, it can't be long before more of her is revealed, but I'm impatient in that regard.

     I won't say that this show changed my world, or that it belongs at the top of the ratings. But I will say there's something pretty cool here, and it's not just another procedural clone. As such, I urge you to check out Off the Map, which airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Article first published as TV Review: Off the Map - "Saved By the Great White Hope" on Blogcritics.

 

Friday Night Lights kicks off new season

    This isn't such big news for those of you with DirecTV, because you've already had the opportunity to watch the entire fourth season on Friday Night Lights, but for the rest of us, the show premiered last night on NBC with an episode entitled "East of Dillon".

     Much has changed, now that Dillon has split into two high schools.  Mrs. Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) remains at the now renamed West Dillon High School as principal.  Many people in the town are furious to be forced into the new, lesser school, though Mrs. Taylor admirably tried to convince them that both high schools were on equal footing.  Her daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden) also goes to West, but misses her friends, and isn't helping the controversy much, so she decides on her own that she'll go to the wrong side of town.

     Landry (Jesse Plemons) is at West, now assigned to a terrible football team.  He is joined by Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and new kid Vince (Michael B. Jordan), who is on the football team to avoid legal trouble, but seems to have a lot of heart.  The team is so bad their first time out that they forfeit at half time.  They all certainly have their work cut out for them.

     The only other original cast member to return full time this year is Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), though he is past high school, and now a college drop out with no place to go, as he is no longer welcome at home.  We got a glimpse of Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), taking art classes at the local school, instead of in Chicago, as he had dreamed, but he was listed only as a guest star, and won't be sticking around the entire season.

     Friday Night Lights airs Friday nights at 9pm on NBC.

Friday Night Lights to go dark

     The drama Friday Night Lights has confirmed that it is currently working on it’s fifth and final season, as evidenced by this Entertainment Weekly article.  “What is that show?  Is it still on?”, you may ask, and millions of fans would like to slug you after you pose such queries.  Though loved by critics, the show was on shaky grounds when it premiered on NBC, and was thought to be done after it’s second season, cut to 15 episodes because of the Writer’s Strike.  However, a deal with DirecTV to share production costs kept it going, and subsequent 13 episode seasons aired on the satellite carrier first, then later on NBC.  Last year, that meant cable watchers had to wait until winter to watch.  This year, the season four premiere date is not until April 30th, pushing much of the season into the summer.  That would point to bad news for the series, if it hadn’t already announced an end date.  The show will stop filming by the middle of the summer, but it will likely by 2011 before NBC airs the final batch.

     Headlined by the amazing Connie Britton (24, Spin City) and Kyle Chandler (Grey’s Anatomy, Early Edition) as Tami and Eric Taylor, the show centered on the Dylan Panthers football team, and was based on the book and movie of the same name.  Tami eventually became principal of the school, and when the high school split in two at the end of the third season, Eric was forced to go to the other side of town and coach at the new school.

     A number of students were also part of the cast, mostly football players, and have rotated through the show’s five seasons.  Most notably were the Taylor’s daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden), bad boy who wants to be good Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), quarterback and grandmother caretaker Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), religious cheerleader Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue), struggling-to-make-something-of-herself-and-not-stay-stuck-in-Dylan girl Tyra (Adrianne Palicki), and the guy that is in love with her, Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons).  They, along with others, finished their high school days on the show, but returned at least part time for arcs to finish their stories.

     That was what was important about the show: stories, not football.  Be sure to watch it when it returns to NBC at the end of April.