"Boston" Beginning of the End for THE NEWSROOM

Article first published as THE NEWSROOM Review Season 3 Episode 1 Boston at Seat42F.

HBO’s stellar series THE NEWSROOM begins a six-episode third and final season this week with “Boston.” I know THE NEWSROOM polarizes people, and many viewers either strongly love or hate it. You can probably tell from the first sentence of this review that I am in the former category, seeing it as a brilliant piece of television that has been killed too early and will be sorely missed. But if you fall into the latter, stick with me briefly, if you would, and I’ll tell you why “Boston” and this show are fantastic.

As some may have already guessed from the episode title, the premiere takes place in the days immediately following the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Explosions go off, killing and injuring many innocents, and the country goes into panic mode. Our team struggles to balance expediency with rebuilding a sterling reputation, refusing to jump the gun in reporting rumors and tweets.

If you watched season two and stay up on current events, you can probably put the pieces together about where “Boston” is going. CNN gets out in front of a story, reporting misinformation, and it causes waves. Remembering the Genoa incident last year, in with ACN made a similar blunder, the staff takes pride in not falling into the trap again. However, with everyone else rushing to cover the latest Twitter and Reddit items, ACN begins losing their ratings share.

This presents a possible end-game for the series. The whole premise of News Night With Will McAvoy is to return to TV journalism’s roots, only reporting well-sourced, fact-based, non-biased information. This goes against the current trend in cable news, and without the immediate feedback that other networks practice, involving the public in the story, News Night risks being a dinosaur. That could kill it.

The depressing thing is, News Night is doing the right thing and everyone else is doing the wrong thing. We need a show like News Night, which currently only exists in this fictional world that Aaron Sorkin has created. It’s commentary on our current system, and those watching it should take note and demand better news. We deserve as much.

There’s another threat looming, too, but I feel like I can’t go into it here without spoiling one of the episode’s beautiful twists, several of which come together at the end of this initial hour to set the stage for the season and provide a driving force.

One thing not hampering the show any more is Reese Lansing (Chris Messina). He remains committed to his people with the newfound respect he develops for them last season. “Boston” very much represents a coming together of the cast with an us-against-the-world attitude. It may end in their version of The Alamo, but it’s one that is inspiring, nonetheless.

Besides Boston, THE NEWSROOM begins an Edward Snowden-esque plot when Neal (Dev Patel) receives thousands of leaked government documents, many of them classified. Another important debate of our time is how much the public has a right to know and if whistle-blowers should be protected. Since the Snowden saga hasn’t finished up in real life yet, Sorkin will have to bring us his version of how this story should end. I look forward to his take on such a complicated issue.

There are tons of moments and touches that make “Boston” a fine example of THE NEWSROOM’s proud run. MacKenzie (Emily Mortimer) and Will (Jeff Daniels) are planning their wedding and not understanding twitter, Sloan (Olivia Munn) uses her considerable genius to solve a puzzle no one even knows needs solving yet, and one of the primary players, who has only worked from the sidelines, finds themselves unexpectedly in front of a camera, with surprising results. And, of course, Will makes an impassioned, blood-pumping speech. These and more get me super excited about the coming season.

I’ve pounded out this review in ten minutes flat mainly because I am so excited that I cannot wait to get back to the other two episodes HBO was kind enough to send with this one. I hope the above illustrates how THE NEWSROOM is maintaining its gripping style, and gets you as anxious for this final run as it has me. There really is no better show on television.

THE NEWSROOM airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

ONCE UPON A TIME Reveals the Secrets of "The Snow Queen"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 7 The Snow Queen on Seat42F.

In this week’s installment of ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME, we see the origin story of “The Snow Queen,” including her relationship with her sisters and their falling out. At the same time, her plans for Storybrooke move forward as she manipulates a vital piece of the puzzle to fall into place.

Once, The Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell), Ingrid, had a strong relationship with her two sisters, Helga (Sally Pressman, Army Wives) and Gerda (Pascale Hutton, Canada’s Arctic Air). They shared a very special bond, looking out for one another and protecting each other. Ingrid had to hide from the world, but not from her family, who loved her as she was. We even get a glimpse of them quite young, with The Walking Dead’s Brighton Sharbino easily sliding into the episode’s titular role.

Then, Ingrid makes a mistake. In trying to punish the Duke (Jonathan Runyon, Miami Medical), a sleazy suitor trying to gain power from the sisters, she accidentally kills Helga. It’s a mistake, but an extremely costly one, which ruins the bond between Ingrid and Gerda, too. In retaliation or self-defense Gerda locks Ingrid in a bottle and wipes her memory from all the land.

“The Snow Queen” is a tragic tale of love gone sour after an unspeakable sin is committed. Ingrid is surely as upset with herself as Gerda is, even if she resists going into her prison, but in the intervening years, her pain turns to evilness. Ingrid is not only out to recreate that once perfect happiness she had, thinking she just needs two sisters with powers (to allow greater understanding between them), but she also has stopped caring about others. She feels wronged, an understandable emotion, and a fitting backstory for this season’s ONCE UPON A TIME villain.

In order to fulfill her desires, Ingrid needs two new sisters. Elsa (Georgina Haig), her niece, is an obvious choice because they share the same lineage and exact talents. Emma (Jennifer Morrison) may be a little different, but Emma’s feelings of abandonment and alienation are close enough to Ingrid’s experiences for easy manipulation. It takes almost no effort for Ingrid to get Emma in the mindset she wants, and while Emma won’t betray her loved ones, she is feeling separate from them. Though Ingrid may already have tried and failed with Emma, Emma’s memory of their previous time together being missing. Elsa will be a tougher nut to crack, unless wiped memories can assist.

Ingrid’s plan is not fully exposed, but “The Snow Queen” is on the right track there. Ingrid still needs three ribbons she and her sisters gave to Rumpelstiltskin, and he’s amiable when she gives him what he wants. The upcoming weeks should reveal all, and this installment puts us well on the path to an acceptable end game.

Rumple’s sourness is less digestible. He seems positively gleeful at whatever dark task Ingrid tells him he must do. As I’ve mentioned before, this twist negates Rumple’s entire character arc in ONCE UPON A TIME before this subplot, and it’s hard to imagine he really wants to go out and control the larger world. It just doesn’t make sense, given what we’ve seen of him before.

The other side story serviced in “The Snow Queen” finds Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) unable to fall back in love with his wife, so he kisses Regina (Lana Parrilla) once more. To do so, he must break his code, which doesn’t bode well for his continued heroics. Yet, Regina has tried to do the right thing and get over him many times. While their love may be less than pure, it’s hard not to root for the two to find a happy ending together, which may be where ONCE UPON A TIME is taking them. I just hope service is paid to why this isn’t completely a good idea. Since Regina is the cast member being best handled this year, that seems likely-ish.

One complaint I have about “The Snow Queen” is the way-too-brief appearance of Aurora (Sarah Bolger) and Ashley (Jessy Schram) in Mary Margaret’s (Ginnifer Goodwin) mommy class. It’s a fun scene, if a bit corny, and it contributes nicely to Emma’s arc, but why bring back these familiar faces only to waste them in such a quick moment? Will they be recurring in this capacity, or will Ashley disappear for another three years with no explanation?

“The Snow Queen” is one of the better episodes ONCE UPON A TIME has delivered this fall, a huge step back from the pit of last week. The characters are consistent within the hour and the season even if some of them, mainly Rumple, don’t match their series journey. I was very worried about what came after “Family Business,” but this has calmed much of that.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

"Fight" the Formula, GRIMM

Article first published as GRIMM Review Season 4 Episode 3 The Last Fight on Seat42F.

NBC’s GRIMM goes back towards being a standard procedural this week in “The Last Fight.” A murder leads Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) to investigate a boxing establishment that they think is run by Wesen. Of course, since Nick no longer has his Grimm powers, they can’t know for sure without bringing Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) along to help. That isn’t the best idea, since she’s not a cop. But the ‘mystery’ of the hour is pretty normal fare and is easily solved by the end.

I don’t like procedurals. The format is tired and stale at this point, presenting the same boring story week after week. Some shows, like GRIMM, have taken the genre and turned it on its head a little bit, but refuse to leave it behind completely. What’s disappointing about GRIMM is that it hews so closely to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a brilliant series that ditched the monster-of-the-week formula in season one. GRIMM sometimes follows this example, but not always, and by comparison, it is definitely inferior.

The reason “The Last Fight” is not as annoying as most instances of this repetition is because the case serves to highlight a number of things. Most importantly, the status quo is not working. Nick has to rely too much on Trubel when dealing with the Wesen, and she’s not reliable, neither experienced nor reasoned enough to follow instructions. He is endangering her and that’s frustrating for him and the viewer, and probably to Trubel, too, to a lesser extent.

Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) are working on a cure for Nick. This week, they team up with Renard’s mother, Elizabeth (Louise Lombard, CSI), to retrace Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) footsteps and recreate the potion. It’s an uneasy alliance, but I think we can trust Elizabeth. After all, Renard (Sasha Roiz) trusts her, and he has proven himself to us time and again. He doesn’t trust her enough to tell her exactly where the baby is, but the fewer people that know that, the better.

Speaking of trust, it’s time to trust Wu (Reggie Lee) with the secrets that the rest of the main cast already know about. Nick begs off of explaining things this week, claiming that, since he’s not a Grimm any more, he doesn’t have anything to tell Wu. This is bull crap. Nick could still show Wu the trailer and Monroe and fill him in on what’s been happening. There will obviously be a big adjustment period for Wu once he does find out, but the sooner Nick starts talking to him, the sooner Wu can be useful. Right now, with his powers gone, Nick needs all the help he can get.

The other thing Nick is dealing with is his body switch with Adalind. We don’t know what causes it and it seems to be very temporary, but apparently there is some connection between the two that isn’t yet broken. I honestly have no idea what it means.

Adalind is still over in Europe, but at least she’s not locked up anymore. She makes a friend in the dungeon who escorts her out through a secret passage way. If I were Adalind, I’d be suspicious of this deus ex machina. For one thing, the man seems completely insane. For another, would Viktor (Alexis Denisof) really lock her up somewhere that was so easy to escape? I smell a trap here. The question is, what is Viktor hoping Adalind leads him to? The baby? Because he knows Adalind has no idea where the infant is.

For what “The Last Fight” is, a standard procedural installment, it does manage to be pretty darn good. By keeping lots of the mythology and on-going arcs in the episode, it helps ease the annoyance of the very predictable case included, too. I hope most GRIMM episodes are better than this, but this one isn’t bad.

GRIMM airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

DOCTOR WHO Finale Good, Not Great

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - Series Eight Finale on Blogcritics.

The BBC’s Doctor Who has been building to a big finale all season, as per usual. That ending is finally here in the two-part episode “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven.” As expected, this adventure pays off much of the story from not just season eight, but ties itself into past mythology as well, and it almost makes up for the overall-mediocre year. Almost.

In “Dark Water,” The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) takes a devastated Clara (Jenna Coleman) to find her recently deceased boyfriend, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson). What they stumble into is Missy’s (Michelle Gomez) plot, which involves turning all of the deceased of Earth into Cyberman which she can then use to conquer the planet, or multiple planets. Or just give them to The Doctor, as she does in “Death in Heaven,” to try to repair their friendship, as she’s actually old frenemy The Master reincarnated as a woman.

“Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven” are good episodes because they hit a lot of excellent notes. Any chance to see UNIT is delightful. Clara’s grief over losing Danny is palpable. Danny’s love overcoming the Cyberman programming is very moving. The Doctor finally giving a salute to old friend Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (played for many years by Nicholas Courtney, but seen here only as a Cyberman) is nothing short of amazing, giving long-time fans a much-deserved reward.

The goodbye between The Doctor and Clara is equally good. Neither gets what they want, and they each lie to the other to make it seem like things turned out OK. That’s a hanging thread begging to be explored, and it will be in the upcoming Christmas special. But for now, the scene in which Clara quits her travels, never really saying what she means to say to The Doctor, is terrific enough.

An unresolved mystery, that of where Galifrey is and how The Master found it, or if he/she really did, remains, tantalizing, sure to be picked up in season nine. We know The Master is a liar, of course, but since Galifrey is out there, somewhere, The Doctor needs to find it.

This finale explores the question posed earlier this year as to if The Doctor is a good man. He decides he’s not, but he’s not a bad man either. In doing so, he’s able to let go of some of his hangups and trust Danny Pink, a solider, something The Doctor detests. This is a beautiful, solid conclusion to the subplot, though The Doctor is far from done in his evolution as an individual, nor has he addressed why he now looks the way he does, surely connected to his internal turmoil.

Lastly, it’s no small thing that The Doctor is made President of Earth in “Death in Heaven.” He may not stay in the position full-time, but it means something, and since Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) survived, it will have to be dealt with again. It’s a post The Doctor doesn’t want, but it might be useful to him at some point. How much will he invest in the power and is his term finite?

Now, there are still quite a few holes, though, and that’s why “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven” continue the trends of this season, rather than making up for them and fixing the series entirely. For one, Missy’s ability to capture the souls of deceased people and then transform their corpses into Cybermen is never adequately explained, nor is how she can control Cybermen in the first place dealt with. I do not understand her plot to win back The Doctor, either. She’s crazy, sure, but there has to be some reason she thinks her plan will work. We don’t know why she puts Clara and The Doctor together, not really. I doubt we’ve seen the last of The Master / Mistress, as Time Lords regenerate, and hopefully future glimpses will explain these things, but this two-parter doesn’t do a good job making itself cohesive here.

I also feel like Osgood’s (Ingrid Oliver) death is quick and cheap. Her presence is a memorable one, and I love how she references older versions of The Doctor in her wardrobe. Killing her should have affected someone and meant something, and instead, it’s just a throw-away moment, scary, but not worth it.

Doctor Who‘s season eight is, overall, the weakest since the show’s reincarnation in 2005. Yet, the season finale has enough wonderful tidbits to prove the magic is not dead, even if it skips over them too quickly instead of giving them the exploration they deserve. A refocus is in order, hopefully without Clara, playing on the strengths still running through the show and minimizing the inconsistencies and stand-alone tales that just don’t work. I’m cautiously optimistic season nine and a new companion can get the show back on track.

Doctor Who will next see a Christmas special on that holiday, and then (reportedly) return to the BBC and BBC America sometime in 2015 for season nine.

ARROW Reveals "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak"

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 5 The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak on Seat42F.

This week’s installment of the CW’s ARROW, “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak,” finally reveals a bit of Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) backstory as a mistake from her past threatens the city. We also meet her mom, Donna (Charlotte Ross, NYPD Blue), who is visiting town in the present day, shedding light on why Felicity is the way she is. It’s an enjoyable look at a character finally getting her due.

I often find ARROW spends too much time on its lead. Oliver (Stephen Amell) may be the title character, but the frequent glimpses of him during his missing five years have become stale and forced. It is an essential part of the series’ structure, but it doesn’t have to be. Giving others, such as Felicity, a turn with the focus makes for something fresh and welcome. I wish ARROW would do more episodes like this one, which, while not serving the greater mythology all that much, is one of the most enjoyable of the season so far.

The hour begins with three training montages of various combat techniques, then flips over to Felicity, doing a few sit-ups in her apartment. This is designed to display the contrast between the show’s many warriors and its ‘normal’ person, an effective way to highlight how different Felicity is. She’s part of the team, yes, but she’s not a part the same way as anyone else, giving her unique value that cannot be overlooked.

That commentary would be enough, but her morning quickly morphs into laugh-out-loud comedy as her boss, Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), bursts in to find her in a rather embarrassing state of early-morning-mess. Then, Felicity’s mother shows up out of the blue, meeting Ray and generally adding to the chaos. It’s hilarious and a good way to use Felicity, who is much more than comic relief, but can clearly be that, too.

From there, “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak” takes a turn into a more dramatic arena. We see Felicity during her goth / hacktavist phase in college, hanging out with her boyfriend, Cooper (Nolan Gerard Funk, Glee), and his roommate, Myron (Matthew McLellan, Tied). This is a rather tragic tale, Cooper ending up in jail and presumably killing himself, which leads Felicity to clean up and go straight, becoming who she is. Which is a kickass, strong woman who can take care of herself when captured by the not-dead Cooper, who is using Felicity’s custom-made virus against the city.

It’s hard to imagine the Felicity of season one disarming Cooper and knocking him on the ground, indicating there has continued to be transformation past the college days, Felicity’s personality not fully decided in the flashbacks. She has benefitted from working for Team Arrow as much as Team Arrow has benefitted from her skills. She has really come into her own, and while I don’t see her going superhero anytime soon, she’s an independent lady who deserves attention and respect.

Bringing Donna into the episode further deepens our understanding of Felicity. Donna can’t see herself in her daughter, and it’s true, there are many differences. But Felicity loves her mother and does get something from her, a revelation Felicity relays to Donna in an emotional scene. All around, excellent episode for the character of Felicity.

While Felicity is the main meat of the episode, there are other subplots. Oliver moves in with Thea (Willa Holland), making steps towards repairing their sibling bond, though Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) doesn’t seem happy about it, likely not wanting Thea to rely on anyone but him. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) struggles with her anger issues and finally talks to Ted (J.R. Ramirez) about what’s bugging her, so she may finally begin to heal as Ted helps her channel her anger into something productive. And Roy (Colton Haynes) is revealed to be Sara’s killer.

This last thing is not straight-forward. The action goes totally against the person Roy is. Was he being mind-controlled? Are these implanted, false memories, and he didn’t do it? There are a number of possibilities, but there is no way Roy knowingly murdered Sara, so that’s an enticing mystery begging to be solved.

“The Secret Original of Felicity Smoak” is far from perfect. While the main plot and subplots are solid, there are flaws in the episode, small ones, but numerous. Why does Felicity ask her mom where the baby is when she already sees her mom without the baby prior to that scene? Why is Diggle back in the field when he said he didn’t want to be? Why is he wearing a dumb ski mask? Isn’t Ray going to say anything about the number of days Felicity takes off? There are plenty more things besides these, some genuine flubs and some just strangeness, but unfortunately, combined they drag down the quality a little bit on a very entertaining series.

Still, overall, good job.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

Don't Want to Play THE GAME

Article first published as THE GAME Review on Seat42F.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SLEEPY HOLLOW Review - "Deliverance"

Article first published as SLEEPY HOLLOW Review Season 2 Episode 7 Deliverance at Seat42F.

“Deliverance” is the latest episode of FOX’s SLEEPY HOLLOW. Katrina (Katia Winter) escapes the clutches of her enemies, but her troubles are far from over. She has been implanted with Moloch’s (Derek Mears) seed and will soon give physical form in our realm to the evil demon himself. That is, unless Ichabod (Tom Mison) and Abbie (Nicole Beharie) can stop him in time.

If Moloch were to make it to Earth, that seems like an end-game point for the series. Unless the show is on the verge of cancellation, I don’t see the writers taking such a big step any time soon. Sure, there’s always the chance they may do so if they are uncertain about renewal and want to make sure they get to tell the story, and then they’d have to come up with a new game plan if they get picked back up. But all of SLEEPY HOLLOW thus far is building towards Ichabod and Abbie facing Moloch in an epic battle, and it’s too early for that.

Though, I will say the ending of the episode is unexpected and begs several questions about whether this week’s events actually count as a loss for the baddies.

Since it’s hard to believe Moloch will arrive in “Deliverance,” the plot is a little boring, low stakes stuff with a virtually certain outcome. Add to that an increased presence of Katrina, an underdeveloped character who usually comes across as annoying when on screen, and the ‘A’ plot this week is a little underwhelming, even with all the action. Ichabod and Abbie running around, racing against time is nothing new, and without the threat they could fail, it’s not as enticing.

At least Ichabod and Katrina are together again. For the entire show thus, far they are angst-ridden at their separation. Now, the fans will get the chance to see what they are like together, Katrina finally rescued and staying with her husband.

“Deliverance” does find time to explore some interesting things, though. We get more pieces of the overall puzzle. We see Henry (John Noble) is definitely subservient to Moloch, a fairly recent development. We see Abraham (Neil Jackson) put Katrina before his loyalty to Moloch, which is an interesting direction for the character.

More importantly, we see Leena Reyes (Sakina Jaffrey) begin to come around to our heroes. She takes on the job with an immediate dislike of Abbie and Ichabod, intent on reigning them in and puzzled about good recommendations of Abbie. This is a hindrance to Abbie using her time and police access to forward the supernatural mission. Reyes isn’t let in on the whole picture, but she does see Abbie’s value and smarts, and even the usefulness of Ichabod as a consultant. Provided they don’t screw up Reyes’ good will, Abbie and Ichabod should have an easier time of it from here on out.

SLEEPY HOLLOW explores the relationship between Henry and his parents this week, too. Both Ichabod and Katrina think their son may still be saved for the side of good. Ichabod has more doubts, but comes ‘round after Henry inadvertently shares some of his buried pain. I guess it takes a mom or a dad to see past Henry’s public persona, which is of an evil mastermind bent on world domination. But with both in the principle cast, the series forces the viewers to look at a different perspective, even if they can’t agree with it.

For those skeptical about Henry’s chances at redemption, your concerns will be voiced by Abbie, who definitely isn’t buying into the Cranes’ hopes. She has suffered at Henry’s hands and is not the forgiving type. Abbie will make sure Henry doesn’t use his parents’ emotions against them and keep the mission on track.

“Deliverance” isn’t my favorite episode this year for the reasons mentioned above. But it does have some strong elements and is fast-paced enough to be somewhat exciting.

SLEEPY HOLLOW airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

ONCE UPON A TIME Is All About "Family"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 6 Family Business on Seat42F.

Tonight’s installment of ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME, “Family Business,” starts well enough, but quickly goes downhill by the halfway point. As everyone searches for the elusive Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell), we see some of Belle’s (Emilie de Ravin) backstory, which sparks behavior in her that is not at all in keeping with her character. The Snow Queen’s mission, too, is revealed, but again, doesn’t quite make sense.

Let’s start with Belle. Introduced as a match to the animated version, Belle is a sweet woman who believes in the goodness of people above all else. “Family Business” finds her desperate to remember her mother’s (Frances O’Connor, Mr. Selfridge) death. This mission takes her to Arendelle and an encounter with Anna (Elizabeth Lail), Oaken (Darcey Johnson), and Grand Pabbie (John Rhys-Davies). Then, the Snow Queen shows up and Belle puts her memory before Anna’s life, allowing the Snow Queen to capture Anna.

One might argue that this experience is what makes Belle so good. Maybe this one mistake is why she learned her lesson and went straight, becoming hero-like, if not a full-blown hero. That would actually make sense. Except, in present day Storybrooke Belle lies to Elsa (Georgina Haig) and Rumple (Robert Carlyle) about knowing Anna. This is not something our Belle, who holds Rumple to a very high standard, would do. Then, she compounds her sins by using the dagger to control Rumple, again, breaking character completely.

Now, bad Belle is a device that moves the story along. Because of her, we find out the Snow Queen’s purpose. But that doesn’t excuse poor storytelling. There are any number of ways the same information could be conveyed without ruining arguably the show’s purest character, and that makes “Family Business” a huge disappointment.

The Snow Queen’s end game is also not befitting the character. In this episode, we learn the Snow Queen’s desire is to have the residents of Storybrooke turn on themselves and kill each other off until only she, Elsa, and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) are left alive. She thinks Elsa and Emma could then replace her departed sisters and the three could be a family. Yet, the Snow Queen sees in the flashback story that just wanting a family doesn’t make it so. How can she possibly believe that Elsa and Emma will want to be with her after everyone else dies? Even if the three are alone together, the girls would likely turn on their elder.

The dark magic introduced in ONCE UPON A TIME, the Snow Queen’s malicious mirror and the Sorcerer’s hat, are solid parts of a good story. I like them both and think they could be well used in the narration. Instead, making them part of this ill-begotten twist, they are tainted and probably won’t end up being what they should be. They present danger, but ignore the obvious threats they possess.

I’m confused about the prophecy surrounding Emma. The Snow Queen found Emma a long time ago and is dropping hints to remind Emma of this, presumably so Emma will remember how much she liked the Snow Queen and they can be a family again. But why take the memories away at all? And why didn’t the Snow Queen keep Emma when she had her? Why come back now? It just doesn’t seem like these pieces will come together satisfactorily.

We’re also left to wonder about Anna. Is she in Storybrooke? Is she back in Arendelle, still locked in the dungeon? What happened to Elsa in the meantime? This is too many questions posed for a story that has robbed me of my confidence in a comprehensive ending.

“Family Business” is not without its good parts. Regina (Lana Parrilla) telling Robin (Sean Maguire) she may not be able to save Marian (Christie Laing) is a rich scene, full of interesting pathos. Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) joking that everyone in Storybrooke is related is funny and right on the money. But these small gems aren’t enough to save this dud of an episode. ONCE UPON A TIME is not doing well with its exposition or the structure of its arcs, and those are to very important, vital elements of the show.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

THE GOOD WIFE Delivers a "Message" of Excellence

Article first published as THE GOOD WIFE Review Season 6 Episode 7 Message Discipline on Seat42F.

“Message Discipline” is yet another fine installment of CBS’s THE GOOD WIFE. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) struggles to be a politician, something she is not accustomed to and maybe not suited for, in order to keep a new opponent out of the race. Meanwhile, Cary’s (Matt Czuchry) legal woes face several ups and downs.

First, Alicia. Told that a popular commentator, Frank Prady (David Hyde Pierce, Frasier) is thinking about running against her and Castro (Michael Cerveris), Elfman (Steven Pasquale) encourages Alicia to get out in front of this and stop it. Alicia tries, awkwardly asking for Prady’s endorsement and screwing up a softball interview. In the end, she fails in every encounter with Prady, other than the final one, and he is now a very real threat to her candidacy.

Prady is an interesting character because he is introduced as so nice and likeable, but is actually a sleazy politician. The kind face is just a public image he puts up, and while it may not be obvious to the viewer what Prady is doing, Alicia figures it out, calling him on his crap late in “Message Discipline.” Someone who can rally legions of fans behind him but also plays the game makes for an excellent politician, at least so far as running for and winning office goes. It also makes for a dangerous foe for Alicia, though, who has so far only had to deal with the openly-despicable Castro.

Castro exposes himself for the villain he is this week. Finn (Matthew Goode) goes after Cary on behalf of Castro and the DA’s office, introducing new evidence that makes Cary look hella guilty. However, when it becomes clear in the course of the investigation that Cary is innocent, Finn wants to switch gears. Castro refuses to do so, indicating he really is after smearing Cary, and by extension, Cary’s partner Alicia, rather than fighting for justice. Castro is a weasel of the worst kind, and when confronted with undeniable proof of this, Finn quits. He has to.

Finn has been a wonderful addition to the cast of THE GOOD WIFE and his sudden unemployment frees him up to take a bigger role. He talks of opening his own firm, possibly in Alicia’s building, and that is one way to go. A better way might be to somehow get him hired on. He and Alicia have a flirtation, and if he is hired, she would be his boss, basically putting Alicia in the opposite position from where she was with Will. That, and the pathos that goes with that, I’d like to see.

Speaking of the offices, it is extremely weird to be back in the Lockhart/Gardner space. I understand the reasons for it, but as I mentioned in past reviews, it feels like a rare step backward for the series. The setting needs to undergo a major redesign quickly to avoid this.

Back to Cary, I’m gratified to see that the case against him falls apart, thanks in large part to Kalinda (Archie Panjabi). Unfortunately, the witnesses who can clear Cary’s name are murdered, not an unexpected happenstance, and Cary goes right back to square one. Now, he doesn’t have Finn, a righteous man, on the other side, though, and so Castro will likely come at Cary ever harder, completely undeserved. This is depressing because one wants to believe that our legal system works and truth will win. But it does make for some excellent drama television, constantly keeping the audience guessing what will happen as fortune shifts back and forth rapidly.

I’m not sure I completely buy the strong pull between Kalinda and Cary in “Message Discipline,” the one weakness in the hour. Last time they are dealt with as a couple, Kalinda hooks back up with an old girlfriend to help Cary. Isn’t he still mad or jealous? Has he forgiven her so easily? They do make a hot pairing so it’s something I’d like to see again. Except that would lead to Cary breaking his parole again and landing in very hot water, which he doesn’t need.

Things are chaotic in Peter’s (Chris Noth) office, too. He hires Ramona (Connie Nielsen, The Following, Boss), who quickly establishes herself as a voice opposite Eli’s (Alan Cumming). Unfortunately for Eli, Ramona is smart, not like the bimbos Peter has gone for in the past, so she won’t be easy to get rid of, especially once Peter starts sleeping with her, which seems a foregone conclusion. Who will this dynamic shift hurt more in the long-run: Peter or Eli?

I may lament Cary’s troubles, but they don’t necessarily have to be over yet. The Cary / Kalinda / Diane (Christine Baranski) side of the episode pairs nicely with Alicia struggling to stay afloat and the chaos in the governor’s office. All together, they make “Message Discipline” another great episode in the larger arcs of the season, forgoing a case-of-the-week, as the series thankfully often does.

THE GOOD WIFE airs some time on Sunday nights, depending on when CBS finally stops worshipping football above all else for the day. Yes, I’m still angry about the network’s poor treatment of an outstanding program, even if stupid sports is how they make money, and football overruns actually raise THE GOOD WIFE’s ratings.

"Slabtown" Full Of THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 4 Slabtown on Seat42F.

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD finally shows us what happened to Beth (Emily Kinney) this week in “Slabtown.” Beth wakes up in a hospital run by not-completely-altruistic people. She is told she will need to work off what she owes, payment for services rendered, before she can leave. But after just a day or two, she begins to see the dark side of the place and isn’t all that sure she’ll ever be allowed to go back to her friends.

The only main character seen in “Slabtown,” other than a brief cameo at the end which we’ll get to, is Beth. THE WALKING DEAD has presented this type of hour on many occasions, and often, they are among the best since the installment is able to dig a little deeper on a single person, rather than having to split its time. But this can also be frustrating because we want to know what is happening with everyone else. When “Slabtown” doesn’t get Beth back to the others, promising at least a little more of Beth solo, it’s not quite as expected, though still a good episode overall.

We see a growth for Beth in this one. In THE WALKING DEAD as a whole, Beth has gone from meek daughter to Walker-killer. In “Slabtown,” she has a mini-arc, from cowed patient to a woman who stands up for herself and will willingly take a beating to help others. At first, she has to get the lay of the land, so she can be forgiven for her passive behavior. But by the end of the episode, we see a Beth that has earned her place in the main group, and one that no longer seems quite so expendable in the cast.

There are a number of others who populate this episode, which makes it not completely Beth-centric, but add to the world Beth is in, making it a little different than past single-character installments. Some of these people are good and some are bad and some are in between, but they’re an interesting makeup of a group, one THE WALKING DEAD has not seen before.

The hospital is run by Officer Dawn Lerner (the great Christine Woods, Hello Ladies, Perfect Couples). She’s tough, too tough, yet we also get to see the reason behind that, a woman very much struggling to hold together a failing system. This makes Dawn a great villain, one created by circumstance and weakness, not malice. Dawn’s biggest problem is that she is in denial about the current reality, and wants to keep living life the way it used to be. To do this, she makes too many compromises to keep people playing her game. Dawn will surely be back on the show again, and I’m curious to see if there’s any hope for her; I doubt it, since she’s likely to double down on her current course, even though she knows it’s not working.

More straight-forwardly evil is Officer Gorman (Ricky Wayne, Real Steel), a creep and probable rapist. Unlike Dawn, who will never be a Big Bad but does get to stick around, Gorman dies in “Slabtown,” which is as it should be. Had he lived any longer, he definitely would have forced himself on Beth, as he is already trying to do, and while rape is expected in this world, no one wants to see a beloved character undergo it.

Beth’s one friend in the place is Noah (Tyler James Williams, Everybody Hates Chris, Go On), the janitor. He tells her the truth, unafraid of being caught and determined to get out. This is a kindred spirit for Beth, someone brave and dedicated to escaping the prison. They work together to get out and Noah manages to, even if Beth doesn’t. I hope we see him again as he’d make a fine addition to the company.

Noah’s plot gives me a theory about who Daryl (Norman Reedus) has in the woods last week. Might it be Noah? Daryl is following a car to the hospital so he’d be around that area not long after Noah escapes. Maybe Noah can tell the group what has become of Beth and how horrible the hospital is and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) will lead an assault to rescue our missing girl.

This theory also works with the end of “Slabtown,” which sees Carol (Melissa McBride) end up in the hospital, too, injured. She looks like whatever happened to her is survivable, and her presence here explains why she isn’t with Daryl. Although an alternate theory is that Carol purposefully got hurt to get inside to rescue Beth while Daryl (and possibly Noah, who’d just have time to meet them prior to this) are waiting outside to provide support.

But those are just theories. We’ll see.

The final important character in “Slabtown” is Dr. Steven Edwards (Erik Jensen, Gravity). He positions himself as an ally to Beth, protecting her from abuse, but he also plays by Dawn’s rules, content to be terrorized a bit in exchange for protection. He’s a wimp and he knows he won’t survive on his own, so he stays here, thinking it better than the alternative.

One can understand why Beth ends up not liking Dr. Edwards, who kills to keep his position, but should he himself be murdered? The end of the episode has Beth headed towards stabbing him until Carol is brought in and distracts her. I get that Beth is potentially saving other lives, should another medical professional be brought in that Dr. Edwards would kill, too, but he helps a lot more than he hurts, and Dawn would take serious revenge on Beth for the act. Shouldn’t Beth stab the cop first?

That’s really my only gripe in an interesting episode. It’s not the best single-character story, but it is one that fits well with this part of the series, which will contain other mini-arcs before the characters get to D.C., and it gives us another side of Beth, one which earns viewer respect. Plus, Noah is a welcome addition.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.