There are some series that manage to wrap their arms around you and never let go, making you laugh and cry in equal measure.
British comedy Gavin & Stacey, which returns to BBC America for its third and final season after way too long of a break, is just one of those series, the sort that makes you laugh and cry in equal measure, filled with characters that you can't get enough of and whom it will be very hard to say goodbye to forever in just a few weeks' time.
Revolving around the titular star-crossed lovers, the series--created and written by co-stars James Corden and Ruth Jones--has charted their courtship and marriage over the course of three bittersweet seasons and the reactions of their friends and family to such an unexpected match: Gavin (Mathew Horne) is, after all, an Essex lad while Stacey (Joanna Page) hails from Barry, Wales, making their marriage a union of two nations, cultures, and life philosophies.
Season Three finds the pair struggling to adapt once more after Gavin has taken a six-month transfer to the Welsh office of his employer, moving him and wife Stacey in with Stacey's omelette-mad mum Gwen (Melanie Walters)... and promptly booting unwed mother Nessa (Jones) out of her bedroom and into the caravan her boyfriend Dave (Steffan Rhodri) lives in.
Back in Essex, Gavin's parents--the sensible Mick (Larry Lamb) and blousy Pamela (Alison Steadman)--attempt to adjust to life without their little prince, as does Gavin's best mate, Smithy (Corden), who just happens to be the father of Nessa's baby Neil. (Still with me?) Stacey's uncle, the amazing Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) is only too thrilled to have the couple in Barry, especially as it means fixing up his place into a bachelor's paradise so that Gavin's mates can stay over. Ahem.
This season, Gavin and Stacey have to contend with new living arrangements and the possibility that (spoiler alert!) they may not be able to conceive a child. It's a blow to Stacey, particularly in light of the fact that Nessa and Smithy--whose relationship has been constrained to a few one-night stands--were able to have a baby together. It's this tartness that's actually one of the more refreshing things about Gavin & Stacey, even as it tackles real-life relationship (and familial) problems, they never feel like force-fed "issues," but rather just layers to touching and often tender comedy. (Tidy.)
It's the rare comedy that actually reshuffles the deck with each season, reacting to and adapting from the plot twists that the writers have introduced. The fact that these characters evolve and their situations change, sometimes on an episodic basis, is what makes Gavin & Stacey such a joy to watch: there's real emotion and revolution in the DNA of the series. It's episodic and yet we're treated to a fly-on-the-wall perspective of living, breathing characters who are lovable because they're often so inherently flawed.
The ebb and flow of the series makes it feel absolutely real, as the comedy often comes from the history between these characters. While the third season marks the end of Gavin & Stacey, it's not impossible to think that life will go on for each of these characters. We, rather sadly, will just not be privy to them.
The result is an relationship comedy at the very top of its game, filled with eccentric characters and laugh-out-loud moments, a bittersweet symphony that will play on long after the final credits have rolled. You'd do well to head over to Barry before they do.
Season Three of Gavin & Stacey premieres tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.
Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.
Good news for Chuck fans: Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Chuck has been renewed for a fourth season of thirteen episodes, though NBC declined to comment on the report. While I had hoped for a full-season order, any Chuck is better than no Chuck, right? (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Good news as well for fans of the Visitors: ABC has reportedly given a thirteen-episode renewal to freshman sci-fi drama V. "V was likely a no-brainer, as ABC wants to bring back at least one frosh drama, and the alien thriller is showing signs of life," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Its fellow frosh sci-fi drama, FlashForward, is not." (Variety)
Yep, it's not looking good for FlashForward, which Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting has already been cancelled, along with Better Off Ted, Scrubs, and Romantically Challenged. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
After a day of back-and-forth about the fate of Law & Order, NBC is reportedly in talks to renew the legal procedural for a record-breaking 21st season. "The network has long intended to bring back the Dick Wolf-produced drama for one final season, allowing the show to top Gunsmoke as the longest-running drama in TV history," writes The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "But NBC's testy relationship with Wolf came to head Thursday when the producer rejected the network's offer to continue the show at a reduced license fee. Wolf's office told producers and some cast members that the drama had been canceled, triggering online reports that the show was finished." Apparently, those reports were premature, though it's possible that the eleventh hour talks could result in no deal, at which time Wolf could shop the series to cablers. TNT, meanwhile, denied reports that they are in talks with Wolf. (Hollywood Reporter)
The New York Times' Lorne Manley has a brand-new Q&A with Lost showrunner/executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse just ahead of the series finale of Lost, airing Sunday, May 23rd. "If there’s one word that we keep coming back to, it’s redemption," said Lindelof. "It is that idea of everybody has something to be redeemed for and the idea that that redemption doesn’t necessarily come from anywhere else other than internally. But in order to redeem yourself, you can only do it through a community. So the redemption theme started to kind of connect into 'live together, die alone,' which is that these people were all lone wolves who were complete strangers on an aircraft, even the ones who were flying together like Sun and Jin. Then let’s bring them together and through their experiences together allow themselves to be redeemed. When the show is firing on all pistons, that’s the kind of storytelling that we’re doing. I think we’ve always said that the characters of Lost are deeply flawed, but when you look at their flashback stories, they’re all victims. Kate was a victim before she killed her stepfather. Sawyer’s parents killed themselves as he was hiding under the bed. Jack’s dad was a drunk who berated him as a child. Sayid was manipulated by the American government into torturing somebody else. John Locke had his kidney stolen. This idea of saying this bad thing happened to me and I’m a victim and it created some bad behavior and now I’m going to take responsibility for that and allow myself to be redeemed by community with other people, that seems to be the theme that we keep coming back to." (The New York Times)
ABC has picked up six new series for the 2010-11 season: comedies Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, and Better Together and dramas My Generation (formerly known as Generation Y), The Whole Truth, and Detroit 187. Variety's Michael Schneider is also reporting that Wright vs. Wrong could still be in contention. (Variety)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC drama pilot Rockford Files is now dead, despite it being a major frontrunner just a few weeks ago. [Editor: I can't say that I'm surprised as I wasn't all that chuffed with the script or the casting of Dermot Mulroney.] (Deadline)
CBS has ordered a pilot for Chuck Lorre's comedy Mike & Molly and is said to be high on Bleep My Dad Says, Team Spitz, Livin' On a Prayer, Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, Chaos, and the untitled John Wells/Hannah Shakespeare medical drama. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is also reporting that CBS is in talks to renew Ghost Whisperer and Old Christine but that, if talks go South, ABC would step in to pick them up should CBS pass. (Deadline)
Over at NBC, it's looking certain that Kindreds, Garza, and The Cape will all receive series orders before Sunday afternoon rolls around. Sadly, Rex Is Not Your Lawyer is said to be dead at NBC. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed, Deadline)
Sony Pictures Television has signed a new two-year overall deal with Damages creators Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, and Glenn Kessler. There is still no word on the fate of Damages, which wrapped its third season last month. "We originally planned out five or six seasons between Patty (Close) and Ellen (Rose Byrne), about the relationship between mentor and protege," Kessler told Variety. (Variety)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that producers of 20th Century Fox Television-produced drama pilot Breakout Kings, which FOX passed on after it renewed Lie to Me and Human Target, are shopping the project and have been talking to USA, A&E, and Spike. (Deadline)
Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that TNT has picked up legal dramedy Franklin and Bash, which was originally developed at sister cabler TBS. Series, from creators Kevin Falls and Bill Chais, stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
TBS, meanwhile, has ordered eight episodes of hour-long period comedy Glory Daze, which stars Kelly Blatz, Callard Harris, Matt Bush, Drew Seeley, Hartley Sawyer, Julianna Guill, and Tim Meadows. Series revolves around a group of college friends in 1980s Wisconsin. Glory Daze was created by Walt Becker and Michael LeSieur; it will likely premiere later this year. (Deadline, Variety)
Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year production deal with Todd Holland and Karey Burke's new shingle, which remains as yet unnamed. "Together we really make one perfect creative person," Holland told Variety. "She has all the skills I don't have: all the network experience, the general awareness of the writer community and the memory of so much TV development. I'm always thinking like a director -- 'What are we doing right now?'" (Variety)
I know that a lot of people were turned off my this week's Elimination Challenge on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, given its use of some out of the ordinary (okay, extreme) ingredients, such as geoduck, black chicken, duck's tongue, kangaroo, sea cucumber, and monkfish liver.
While I haven't eaten a single item that was on offer here, I like to be open-minded. I'm somewhat culinarily adventurous and, if one of these master chefs cooked something, I would eat whatever they put down in front of me, if I had the chance. Even if that was something as unpalatable as the Pacific Northwest's phallic-looking bivalve the geoduck or the sea cucumber, which Susan Feniger described as "a slug."
So while it didn't exactly stir my appetite, I was fascinated to see how each of the chefs would adapt and use these ingredients on this week's episode of Top Chef Masters ("Scary Surf and Turf").
Tasked with using two unusual proteins--a land-based one and a sea element--the seven remaining master chefs would have to construct a masterful dish that would satisfy the critics and the extreme cuisine experts assembled. But before that, a lighthearted Quickfire Challenge that rewarded the chefs creativity and their knowledge of The Simpsons.
So how did the chefs do? Let's discuss.
I thought that the Quickfire Challenge was really quite a lot of fun. I especially loved the idea that the chefs would have to conceptualize their dish around a specific Simpsons character and everyone there--save Susur Lee--seemed to be intimately familiar with The Simpsons or at least had enough of a surface knowledge to fake it, as they'd be cooking for creator Matt Groening, producer Matt Selman, and actor Hank Azaria... as well as Chief Wiggum, Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, Moe, and Apu.
Here's what they made:
Jody Adams (Lisa): cracked wheat salad with goat's milk ricotta, barbecue beets, and baked kale chips
Susur Lee (Marge): purple potatoes, pan roasted pork chop, glazed grapes with mustard sauce
Tony Mantuano (Chief Wiggum): fried bacon-honey pizza dough with boozy coffee
Rick Moonen (Homer): shrimp "sloppy D'Oh!" with truffle potato chps and beer
Susan Feniger (Moe): millet crispy treats with peanut butter chips, donus, and Mexican hot chocolate
Marcus Samuelsson (Apu): Indian-style tomato soup with condiments of rice, chickpeas, chutney, melon, and nuts
Jonathan Waxman (Bart): spaghetti bambino with grilled tomato, ham, and cheese sandwich
While Lee managed to pull off a convincing portrait of Marge, I didn't really think that it quite met the brief here; yes, Marge may have found it fun to encourage some levity and fun with the food (chocolate chip faces on pancakes and all that), the items that made up the portrait seemed odd and thrown in to make the look rather than the taste work (olives, pretzels, etc.)... and Mantuano would have done better here had he been able to use more bacon fat to infuse the saline porkiness into the pizza dough. But he was unable to as Lee used his pan of rendered fan as a trash receptacle. (Grr.) I thought that Samuelsson delivered an amazing traditional Indian repast but it wasn't quite in fitting with Apu's need to assimilate. Waxman nailed Bart precisely with a beautifully rendered, delicious, and simple meal of spaghetti and grilled cheese. I love Feniger's millet treats (she serves them at Street) but didn't quite get what she was going for here with Moe; everything should have slid down a notch to more of a sleazy/cheap quotient. I thought that Adams nailed Lisa's entire culinary ethos with a beautifully rendered vegetarian dish that played with unexpected texture and juxtaposition... But it was Moonen's seafood take on the sloppy Joe that earned him the win here, transforming the humble dish into something elegant and refined, thanks to some shrimp and truffle oil. Well played, sir.
For their Elimination Challenge, the chefs had to select two unusual proteins from a rather gruesome table display and then combine them into a single dish that showcased both proteins to their fullest. I will admit to being unfamiliar with the taste of all of these ingredients (I'm no Andrew Zimmern) but I was intrigued by how the chefs would deal with not one, but two, extreme cuisine items on a single plate, a delicate balancing act that would require some serious conceptualizing and precise execution for it to really work here.
Here's what they made:
Moonen: poached black chicken mousse and roulade, monkfish liver torchon, butter leeks
Mantuano: crostino with calamari in zimino, goat cheese ravioli with braised goat sauce
Lee: poached monkfish liver, black chicken veloute, black chiken with monkfish liver, beggar's purse with vegetables
Adams: Sicilian-spiced roast goat, geoduck and chickpea chowder, homemade harissa
Samuelsson: geoduck and kangaroo sausage, geoduck with couscous, geoduck and kangaroo tartareFeniger: marinated sea cucumber, fried sea cucumber, kangaroo with juniper sauce
No surprise here that Susur Lee came out ahead. Given his familiarity with the ingredients, I do think that the judges were hoping to be wowed by his creativity and Lee did not disappoint. When the critics' only real complaint is that something tiny and minuscule seems superfluous on the plate, you know that you've won them over completely. I thought that his use of classic techniques and modern presentation were elegant and refined. The way that he boned the chicken leg and stuffed it, mirroring its image with the monkfish liver and chicken was brilliant. No surprise that he walked away with a near perfect showing here.
Working with same ingredients, Moonen also nearly walked away with the top spot, transforming his black chicken and monkfish liver selections into a classic French preparation that pushed him away from his reputation as "the seafood guy" and showed his range and his classical training. A beautiful dish that I would have eaten in a heartbeat, even with the addition of the leeks, which some critics seemed to think gilding the lily a bit.
I think Mantuano had a fantastic idea with his dish and only wish that he had been able to braise the goat for longer to create more of a rich and goat-laden sauce for his velvety pasta here. The critics seemed split on the seasoning of his crostino but that was more a quibble than anything. Not a winning dish but a very well done one that would have been better received had there been more than just ribbony pieces of tender goat atop those pasta pillows.
Feniger needed some editing, though I thought that her ideas were spot-on. She marinated the sea cucumber and served it raw with some tofu... and also deep-fried it for another preparation, which she served with some soba noodles, the latter of which made the critics sing with happiness. But the profundity of elements on the plate: various salads and garnishes overcrowded the presentation, resulting in a confusion of ideas, tastes, and textures. Overload, really.
Poor Jody. She too had problems with the goat and attempted to cook the goat rare by roasting it, which didn't quite result in the texture necessary to enjoy the protein: it was far too chewy and needed to have been cooked longer... and it made me very nervous about her chances here. The critics did love her geoduck and chickpea chowder which they raved about, and thought an absolutely perfect use of the geoduck. Alas...
Likewise, poor Jonathan Waxman was in a fog this week and I was concerned that either he or Adams would be the one to get the boot this week. His plate seemed schizophrenic at best: a messy hodgepodge of elements: fritto misto, fideo, fried duck tongues, of which threatened to spill off the plate. Waxman was clearly out of his element here; gone was the cheery, optimistic, and magical alchemist and, in his stead, remained a bewildered chef who had no idea what he was putting together.
I thought Samuelsson would excel at this challenge but, after seeing his dish, I knew that he too would wind up in the bottom three with Adams and Waxman. I wasn't sure what to make of his over the top plate: there was sausage, way overcooked geoduck with couscous, a tartate, and an oversaucing that looked more like a broth on the plate. Too much and in need of rethinking here.
Ultimately, it came down to Waxman and Adams and the undercooked goat was what did Jody Adams in, unfortunately. I'm really sad to see her go and was hoping that both she and Waxman would stick around to the final rounds. (I'd have been far happier to see Samuelsson go home this week.)
What did you think of this week's episode? Would you have send Jody Adams home? Would you have awarded the top spot to Susur Lee or Rick Moonen? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Next week on Top Chef Masters ("Tailgating"), the chefs are tasked with a Quickfire with a very specific focus: the leg; later they turn their skills to an even bigger challenge, preparing a tailgate feast for college football fans.
Top Chef Masters Preview: Leg Up on the Competition
Top Chef Masters Preview: An Important American Tradition
Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.
Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall has a fantastic (and lengthy) interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about this week's divisive "Across the Sea" episode and the end of the series. "We told the story the way we wanted to. Like David Chase, we tried to make the show to entertain the audience. That was our primary goal," said Cuse about making the sixth and final season of Lost. "We kind of planned this episode to come at this period of time because we actually wanted to take a break after the deaths of these major characters. It felt like this was the perfect time to take a time out from the main narrative. And since this was the final big mythological episode that we were going to do, we felt like it was a good placement for it, and now we'll roll into the finale. We make no apologies. We planned this to be the way it is. Again, it is funny, because there are a lot of people who are very happy with the show, there's going to be a very vocal group of people who are not happy, and that just kind of comes with the territory. We're making the show the best way we know how to make it, and we stand by it, and we're excited about how it ends and how the journey's unfolded." (Hitfix)
Over at Los Angeles Times, Maria Elena Fernandez has a fantastic piece on Lost's composer Michael Giacchino, who will be conducting a full symphony orchestra at tonight's Lost Live event here in Los Angeles (I'll be attending, of course) and speaks to Lindelof and Cuse about Giacchino's impact on the series. "We've always talked about the central aspect of Lost being character, character, character, and his music is so evocative of a certain moment or person in the show," Lindelof told Fernandez. "If you close your eyes and play 30 seconds of one of Michael's themes, you'd know which character's theme that is." (Los Angeles Times)
Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that Heroes is very unlikely to earn a spot on NBC's fall schedule and that all indications are currently pointing towards the superhero drama being deader than a dodo. Previous reports had indicated that the Peacock was considering ordering a final chapter of thirteen episodes but that appears not to be the case any more for the Tim Kring-overseen drama after screening the pilots that they had ordered. "NBC (which declined to comment for this story) is nothing if not appreciative of the few Heroes fans who still care about the saga and doesn't want to leave them hanging," writes Adalian. "While a half-season appears to be out of the question, we hear there's a good chance the network will at least try to find a way to fund a two- or four-hour movie event in order to give some finality to the franchise." (Vulture)
Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice has an interview with 24's Cherry Jones about the "trippy story arc" this season for President Allison Taylor. "By the end of the season, these guys are just this side of brain dead," said Cherry about Howard Gordon and 24's writers. "They have been trying so hard. They don’t have an arc. Most TV shows would have an arc and they would figure out how to nudge everybody in the direction they wanted to go in. These guys look at the performances, look at who they’ve got and try to follow things they think will be the most shocking. The fact that my character has suddenly taken this turn was never anticipated by anyone, but they have to figure out a way to justify it. They and I have managed to do that. I’ve got to hand it to them, they live right on the edge. They don’t take the easy road." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
E! Online's Megan Masters takes an early look at Part One of season finale of FOX's Fringe (airing tonight), offering up side-by-side photos of Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and Walter Bishop and their alternate reality counterparts. [Editor: I think that Olivia looks amazing in either reality but her "over there" counterpart has got a smoldering look.] (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
And here's the promo for the two-part Fringe season finale:
[Editor: FOX and NBC ordered a whole slew of series yesterday afternoon, which you can read about here.]
Former Sopranos star James Gandolfini has been cast opposite Diane Lane and Tim Robbins in HBO's telepic Cinema Verite, a dramatization of the seminal 1970s reality series An American Family, where he will play the series' producer Craig Gilbert. (Robbins and Lane will play Bill and Pat Loud, the married couple at the center of the series.) Project, written by David Seltzer and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, will begin production this summer. (Variety)
BBC One has unveiled the cast of its upcoming eight-part sci-fi drama series Outcasts (created by Ben Richards), which will include Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber, Ashes to Ashes's Daniel Mays, Clash of the Titans' Liam Cunningham, Spooks' Hermione Norris, Being Human's Amy Manson, Small Island's Ashley Walters, Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius, Shameless'Michael Legge, Generation Kill's Langley Kirkwood, Invictus' Patrik Lyster, and Jeanne Kietzmann. Series revolves around a group of human colonists who are attempting to build a new society on a distant planet. Here's how BBC describes the series: "They are a diverse group of individuals who left their old lives behind in extraordinary circumstances; promised a second chance at life they created a society, far away from their home, friends, family... and their pasts. Settled in the town of Forthaven on Carpathia, they are passionate about their jobs, confident of their ideals and optimistic about the future. They work hard to preserve what they've built on this planet they now call home, having embraced all the challenges that come with forging a new beginning.The planet offers the possibility for both corruption and redemption; while they try to avoid the mistakes made on Earth, inevitably our heroes cannot escape the human pitfalls of love, greed, lust, loss, and a longing for those they've left behind. As they continue to work and live together they come to realise this is no ordinary planet... is there a bigger purpose at work? Mystery lurks around them and threatens to risk the fragile peace of Forthaven." (BBC)
Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Steven Spielberg has pre-taped a "special introductory message" that will be played to advertisers at FOX's upfront presentation next week," signifying that his project--the prehistoric drama Terra Nova (which revolves around a family from the future who travels back in time)--has secured a thirteen-episode commitment and will be presented to advertisers even though a single frame of film has yet to be shot. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
Entourage's executive producers Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson are developing a female-oriented comedy for HBO which will be written by Leah Rachel (with an assist by Emily Montague) that will revolve around a group of female friends in Los Angeles. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Warner Bros. Television is in the final negotiations of a deal with Angus T. Jones that will keep him on CBS' Two and a Half Men for two additional seasons. Still no progress, meanwhile, in the ongoing renegotiation talks between WBTV and series lead Charlie Sheen... (Deadline)
Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall has an interview with Cougar Town co-creator Bill Lawrence about how the series got beyond a thin concept and rickety title... which Lawrence would love to change. "I'd like to (change it), and the studio has been talking about it for three reasons: One, partly as a result of common sense and partly from their research, they find too many instances of testing of people saying they would never watch a show called Cougar Town - 'I don't want to see some show about a 40-year-old woman nailing younger guys' - and then they screen an episode, and people go, 'Oh, I would watch this show,'" said Lawrence. "Second point is simply what you already said, which is you would be hard-pressed to watch the last three episodes of the show and asked anyone for titles - I doubt anyone would say Cougar Town. Third, in a world where ABC and Steve are looking to promote Modern Family and capitalize on it to promote all their new shows next fall, anything you can do to create some kind of dialogue about your existing show is smart and savvy. The reasons not to do it I think solely come down to business reasons." (Hitfix)
Community's Joel McHale and Modern Family's Sofia Vergara will be announcing the primetime Emmy Award nominations on July 8th. (Hollywood Reporter)
Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that FOX has passed on the following projects: Breakout Kings, Breaking In, Tax Men, Strange Brew, Most Likely to Succeed and The Station, while NBC has passed on Matthew Broderick-led comedy Beach Lane. In other pilot news, FX has passed on comedy project Sweat Shop, after filming a pilot. (Deadline)
Lionsgate has acquired international distribution rights to Comedy Central's upcoming series Big Lake, from executive producers Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy. Cabler has given the comedy, which stars Chris Gethard, Chris Parnell, and Horatio Sanz, a ten-episode commitment, with an option to order an additional 90 episodes. (Broadcasting & Cable)
Not content to be left out of today's announcements, ABC has made its first series pickup for the 2010-11 season, ordering superhero drama No Ordinary Family to series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Project, from ABC Studios and Berlanti Television, is written by Jon Feldman, directed by David Semel, and executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Michael Chiklis, Morgan Wandeell, and David Semel.
No Ordinary Family stars Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Jimmy Bennett, Christina Chang, Romany Malco, Autumn Reeser, and Kay Panabaker. The pilot episode featured guest star Tate Donovan. [Editor: having read the pilot script, I dare say that Donovan, who plays doomed pilot Mitch McCutcheon, will be back.]
Here's how ABC describes the project: "The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie’s relationship lacked the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children; leaving little time for family bonding. During a family vacation set up by Jim in an attempt to reconnect, their plane crashes into the Amazon River. But this is where the fun starts for the Powells as they soon discover that something’s not quite right. Each of them now possesses unique and distinct super powers. But saving and savoring their family life will be equally important as they try to find purpose for their new power and embark on a journey to find out what defines and unifies them. The Powells are a totally relatable family that happens to be a little bit amazing."
As the march to the next week's upfronts continues, two more projects have gotten the greenlight to series this afternoon.
NBC has officially announced that it has given a series order to comedy Perfect Couples, marking the sixth series pickup so far as the Universal Media Studios-produced comedy joins the previously announced Chase, Undercovers, The Event, Love Bites, and Outsourced.
Project is written by Jon Pollack and Scott Silveri, who executive produce with Andy Ackerman, who directed the pilot episode. The cast includes Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Kyle Howard, Hayes MacArthur, Olivia Munn, David Walton, and Christine Woods.
“Jon and Scott are hugely talented writer-producers and they’ve really delivered with Perfect Couples,” said President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement. “The comedy includes a cast of three distinctive couples who share the same issues and will draw viewers in with their relatable stories.”
Here's how NBC describes the series: "Perfect Couples depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship -- and how to maintain it through humorous trial-and-error. The series explores their heroic journey in search of the perfect relationship without destroying each other in the process."
Meanwhile, FOX announced that it had ordered Mitch Hurwitz, Will Arnett, and Jim Valelly's single-camera comedy Running Wilde (formerly known as Wilde Kingdom) has been given a greenlight.
Project, from Lionsgate Television, stars Arnett, Keri Russell, Joe Nunez, Jayne Houdyshell, and Stefania Owen, revolves around a arrogant oil company scion who is madly in love with a socially conscious woman (Russell) from his past. (There's a whole lot more involving an indigenous tribe, a pony, and a terrifying nanny/security expert but I'll leave that on the QT.)
Just a few days ahead of its upfront presentation to advertisers, FOX announced that it had ordered four pilots to series, adding two new dramas and two comedies, and has reportedly issued renewal notices to dramas Lie to Me and Human Target.
Shawn Ryan's cop drama Ridealong and bigamist con man drama Lone Star (formerly known as Midland) and comedies Traffic Light and Keep Hope Alive (from My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia) have all been given greenlights and will be part of the scheduled unveiled officially on Monday by FOX brass at their upfront presentation, according to The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd.
Move marks the first official orders for the fall season from FOX. No word as of yet on some of the other buzz-worthy projects awaiting greenlights such as Terra Nova and Breakout Kings.
Meanwhile, the network surprised some by issuing reprieves for Lie to Me and Human Target, the former of which will continue without showrunner Shawn Ryan, departing to oversee his new Jennifer Beals-led cop drama Ridealong. Variety's Michael Schneider reports that both Lie to Me and Human Target will receive episodic orders of at least thirteen installments next season.
Elsewhere, FX has ordered a pilot for a US adaptation of Australian live-action comedy Wilfred, which will be adapted by Family Guy's David Zuckerman and will star Jason Gann, who co-created and starred in the original Aussie version. Zuckerman will executive produce with Rich Frank, Paul Frank, Jeff Kwatinetz, Joe Connor, and Ken Conner
“Wilfred is about a guy, the girl next door, and mixed-breed dog, Wilfred, who is part Labrador retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender,” said Zuckerman in a statement. “Jason Gann is one of the funniest, most twisted minds I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, despite being a foreigner and therefore untrustworthy. And I’m thrilled to be part of the FX family -- their support and enthusiasm has been extraordinary.”
It's a fact of life that all things must come to an end, even Lost itself. We've entered the final act of one of television's most ambitious and serpentine series and anticipation is running high for just how showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will wrap up six seasons of storylines and a plethora of mythology-based mysteries while also remaining true to the characters we started this journey with back in 2004.
We certainly got some answers this week. However, I don't know that they were quite the answers that we wanted or needed... or that they were offered in the timeframe they needed to be in.
After a staggering episode that ramped up the tension last week and set the stage for a climactic final few episodes, this week's episode of Lost ("Across the Sea"), written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by Tucker Gates, felt like it squandered the taut momentum of the last few episodes, pushing aside the central characters for the backstory of the island's dueling deities, Jacob (Mark Pellegrino) and his Nemesis, the Nameless One (Titus Welliver), and their mother (Allison Janney).
So what did I think of this week's episode of Lost? Grab your Senet board, finish your tapestry, gaze into the light, and let's discuss "Across the Sea."
While Jacob and his Nemesis have provided much theorizing among Lost's devoted audience, I don't think that they are the driving force behind the overarching narrative, at least not in an emotional context. We've come back week after week to follow the adventures of our beloved band of castaways, caught in a timeless battle between good and evil, but it's been those characters--Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, and Jin (and the rest)--who have provided the emotional spine of the series.
Casting them aside this late in the game to focus on the mysterious past of two characters we know precious little about seemed doomed to failure, with so few episodes remaining in the series. For an episode that was intended to provide answers--and perhaps closure to some mysteries--it ultimately felt increasingly frustrating and obtuse. Were these stories that needed to be told? Or at least told in this fashion? With so few hours remaining in this grand tapestry, wasn't it a bit of a waste of yarn at this point?
Part of that frustration could stem from the fact that none of our main characters featured at all in this week's installment (other than a frustrating "flashback" to Season One, where Jack and Kate found the skeletons in the cave and Locke dubbed them "Adam and Eve," which we all remember already) and the three characters that this episode revolved around--Jacob, his brother, and their murderous mother, the island's previous guardian--aren't fully formed characters in any sense of the word: they're archetypes meant to represent various images that have repeated themselves endlessly through stories: the child, the hero, the mother, the trickster, the devil.
Here, we're meant to see the beginnings of the grand rivalry, the endless push and pull between good and evil that exemplifies the balance of the island, but instead we got a domestic drama about a woman who steals children, lies to them about the nature of the world, and then sets them against one another after showing them the truth behind their island home: a glowy, watery cave that is the source of the light within every man.
Wait, say what? After six seasons and countless theories about the nature of the island and its energy source--which had been explored already through the Dharma Stations, the Orientation films, and the groovy 1970s sojourn--the war comes down to who controls this badly rendered special effect?
Back in Season One, John Locke claimed to have seen the heart of the island (or specifically the "eye of the island") and that it was a beautiful and transcendent experience, made all the more so because we didn't see it. Instead, we saw a bright shining light that was reflected in his face and an expression that was akin to divine communion. Here, that energy source--that ephemeral spirit that exists within all of us--is transformed into something tangible and therefore loses something in the translation. What's unseen is typically more psychologically powerful to the viewer than what is seen and, by giving the Source a form, the writers have essentially removed its aura of mystery and therefore its narrative strength.
Yes, as Allison Janney's unnamed mother (henceforth called just "Mother") tells us, "everything dies." But so too does a little bit of my faith in Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse here. From start to finish, this episode was a huge misstep at the end of a marathon, sending the narrative tumbling to the ground amid a hazy fog. I've been anxiously awaiting the series finale but the way with which Team Darlton provided answers here might not bode well for an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
Personally, I don't need every answer served up on a silver tray (or even an ancient Senet board); I'll be content to continue theorizing and turning these mysteries over in my head for some time to come after the final credits have rolled if the writers opt to offer an ambiguous ending. But what happened with "Across the Sea" is that the episode functioned more or less as an information dump, a way for Team Darlton to say, "Here you go: You wanted answers, here are answers."
We learned just what the relationship was between Jacob and his Nemesis (they're twin brothers!); we learned where they came from (their pregnant, Latin-speaking mother was shipwrecked on the island); we learned who raised them (a solemn woman prone to keeping secrets and weaving things into her hair); we learned who originally constructed the frozen donkey wheel (the Man in Black!); we learned who the skeletons in the cave belonged to (Mother and Man in Black!); and we learned how the Nameless One became the smoke monster (his unconscious body went into the Source and his soul was stripped from his body).
So, yes, we got answers. A whole heap of them. So why did I find "Across the Sea" to be so disappointing? Because it was a narrative mess that failed to extract any emotional core to what was going on, rendering this familial struggle to nothing more than millennial-old sibling rivalry, glowy caves, and questions within questions.
Mother says that questions just lead to more questions and that's true. The fact that this woman appeared to be living on her own made me wonder: where did she come from? Had she been brought to the island? Did she grow up there and replace the former guardian? How did she learn about the island's nature? Why did she have such a cut-and-dry view of human morality? How did she have the power to implement rules, such as the fact that Jacob and his brother couldn't ever die and couldn't hurt one another? Why were she and Claudia speaking Latin? How did she kill an entire village and fill in a huge well by herself? If the statue of Taweret wasn't there then, when was it built? When was all of this taking place?
For all of the answers that Cuse and Lindelof provided, it kicked up a whole slew of others, over-shrouding the episode's story, adding to the frustration that we're being fed these singular answers this late in the narrative because the writers felt that these were the answers that needed to be given.
I would have been happy not to have seen Young Jacob and Young Nemesis (though both actors--Kenton Duty and Ryan Bradford--have to be commended for their powerful and nuanced performances) because I had already formed a more compelling vision in my mind. And we've already known for some time that the teenage boy that the Man in Black was seeing was a Young Jacob. Additionally, I didn't feel as though Allison Janey really provided the sort of presence required to pull off that role and it was distracting, in fact, to have her there as her Allison Janney-ness kept pulling me away from the character she was meant to be portraying.
Also distracting: the blatantly awful and cheap set when Claudia gave birth to the twins, which is still making me laugh a day later. It seemed to set the tone for an episode that was unnecessarily cheesy on a series that had previously excelled at dealing with the profound and powerful. Makes me sad, really.
Twins. We learned this week that, while Jacob and his unnamed brother, were born on the island, they came from across the sea and were brought to the island, unborn, by their Latin-speaking mother, Claudia. She is found wandering the island by Mother, who helps her give birth. Both Claudia and Mother are overjoyed to see that she has given birth to a beautiful baby boy, who is quickly named Jacob and swaddled in light colored cloths. But Mother seems visibly shaken when she realizes that Claudia is going to give birth to another baby, a dark-haired son, who is not given a name as Claudia had only picked one and who is swaddled in dark cloths. (One side is light and one side is dark, of course.)
The appearance of the twin is significant. I believe that Mother had already chosen Claudia's offspring as her successor as guardian of the Source and was chagrined to learn that there would be a second child. The existence of two children (and later two men) will inevitably lead to conflict. Only one can follow in her footsteps, only one can be the candidate to replace her, and everything else that follows points towards an inexorable conflict between the two.
Light and Dark. Being twins, they seem to embody the literal duality of light and dark. Besides for their obvious looks, the twins seem to be polar opposites: Jacob is quiet, loyal to a fault, and cannot tell a lie; the Other is shifty, crafty, and manipulative. Jacob would never dream of leaving his mother or the island; his brother wants nothing to do with her after learning the truth and wants to use the Source to leave.
Their cross-purposes put them on a collision course thirty years later as the Nameless One, now a grown man, prepares to use the untapped energy of the Source to leave the island. It is exactly what Mother feared: that the greediness of mankind would corrupt the source, a magical energy whose sparks lie within all of us, a Well of Souls.
The Nameless One. Did Mother always know that the Nameless One would eventually betray her and the island? Is that why she showed the children the Source, knowing full well that the Nameless One's need to explore the boundaries of his universe would lead him to that moment? Did she hope that he would be the one eventually to kill her and release her from her duty to the island? Everything must die, after all. Even Mother. Her words of thanks as the Nameless One pulls out the knife which he used to stab her seem to indicate that she is pleased that he fulfilled his purpose and the cycle can start anew. (She also says that she wouldn't let him leave because she loved him.)
Mother, after all, did tell the Nameless One that he was "special," beginning a pattern of kidnapping and island brainwashing that continued with Rousseau/Alex and Claire/Aaron. Not so special that he warranted a name even as an adult, but that was another effort of Mother to distinguish between the two men. Jacob was the selfless one, caring for his mother and the island, while the other brother wanted escape, to see life across the sea. Is he corrupted by his three decades among men? Or was his fate decided the moment he sprang from his mother's womb, a shadow following the brightness of his brother?
After all, he knows that the Senet board came from "across the sea," just as he inherently knows the rules of the game. He seems to have knowledge that Mother's stories are nothing more than falsehoods intended to ensnare them, to continue her purpose of protecting the island, to eventually force Jacob into his role as the island's guardian. She loved them in different ways and each served their purpose. From the moment that the ghost of Claudia appeared to the Nameless One, his fate seemed all but sealed as he became attuned to the island's dark side, to the death that surrounds it, the souls contained within its grasp.
The Source. Then there's the matter of the Source itself. The villagers whom the Nameless One makes his people have begun to conduct crude experiments into the island's natural energy, discovering the existence of the electromagnetic properties that intrigued the Dharma Initiative so much thousands of years later.
It's significant that Mother tells the boys that they cannot ever enter the cave or they will face a threat worse than death. A fragment of the light that exists within the cave is inside all of us but that man inherently wants more... and that if they try to take the light, it might go out... and if it goes out at the Source, then it will go out everywhere. (Which made me wonder about the island being at the bottom of the ocean in the Lost-X timeline. Has the light gone out? Or is it still flickering away from beneath the water?)
So what is the source? Is it the Well of Souls? A place where all souls are born or return to after death? Is it the mystical energy that animates the world? A nexus of power and possibility? Is it the source of all stories, all lives? The ever-turning wheel of life, death, and rebirth?
The Wheel. I'm not sure how the behavior of metal at certain electromagnetically-charged sites across the island lead to the Nameless One's theories about a means of departure, nor how tapping into the Source can result in an exit route or how he knows this. (Though the Nameless One does know many other inexplicable things as well.)
It's he who designs the frozen donkey wheel in a cave that it later the site of the Orchid Station (though why it's frozen down there years later is a mystery) and, given that we know that it is an escape route, the Nameless One was correct with his theory: it does act as a gateway to the world across the sea. Mother can't let him access the source, can't let him leave, so she wounds him and uses her considerable powers to cover up the well and kill the Nameless One's people.
Jacob and the Smoke Monster. Mother tells Jacob that the next guardian will be him. "It has to be you," she says, echoing Sayid's words to Jack in last week's installment. The virginal and pious Jacob is the only one pure enough to keep watch over the Source without being tempted by it. The Nameless One is tempted by the Source and wants to use it rather than protect it. He questions whereas Jacob accepts, providing a skeptic to Jacob's believer, a man of science to Jacob's man of faith.
Mother inducts him to the order of guardians by whispering a benediction and having him drink from a cask of wine from a silver cup. I couldn't help but wonder which part of this ceremony was the most important: the chalice, the wine, or the words? Or all three? Or was it a more a case of Mother willing it to be so as she elects Jacob to replace her? And is this the same bottle of wine that Jacob has Richard Alpert drink from as he makes him immortal?
I can't help but wonder what would have happened to Jacob if he had been he who had touched the Source rather than his nameless brother, whether he too would have had his soul stripped away from his body and been trapped in the form of a black smoke, a formless thing befitting his own lack of form, lack of name.
Striking his brother until he is unconscious, Jacob throws him into the cave containing the Source, knowing that he cannot kill his brother. When the Nameless One--already corrupted by his interaction with the men and his own greed and need to harness the Source to his own ends--comes in contact with the Source, his soul is transformed into the creature we know as the Smoke Monster. (Clearly, he later takes as his first corporeal form his human body.)
What happened, happened. Actions cannot be undone. As much as the Nameless One is chained to the island, so too is Jacob, doomed to protect the island until a successor can be found, forced to act as jailer to his brother, suffering from the knowledge that the monster unleashed that day was created by his own hand in an act of vengeance.
Adam and Eve. It's Jacob who takes his brother and mother's bodies to the cave and lays them down, their hands clasped together, in final rest. And places the white and black stones of the Senet board game in a pouch with them, where they remain undisturbed until 2004, when Jack and Kate find them in the cave.
As I mentioned earlier, seeing this scene unfold again really rubbed me the wrong way. Given that we're at the very end of Lost, I think it's safe to say that we all recall that scene--perhaps not with pitch-perfect accuracy--but with general message and import remains abundantly clear. It seemed to indicate that the audience wasn't clever enough to piece this together on their own and needed their hands held.
Additionally, I still think the season would have been better off had this episode aired earlier in the rotation as it could have provided some answers earlier on without falsely building up to this point and then pulling the rug out from beneath us. "The Incident" managed to juxtapose both the plight of the survivors with the revelations about Jacob and the Man in Black and I almost wish that they had done the same here, splitting up this episode into segments that were intertwined with the main storyline. Would that have made me feel differently about this episode? Perhaps, but left as it was, I felt like it was a disjointed and frustrating note at a time when the entire series should be singing.
Ultimately, while there were several interesting ideas cast up by this episode, I felt really frustrated by the way with which they were handled here, resulting in an episode that did not connect with me on any emotional level. Lindelof and Cuse have been vocal about the fact that mysteries are often more exciting than their solutions and they're absolutely right. I just wish that with "Under the Sea," they had followed their own advice and left some things in the darkness, rather than bringing them into the harsh light of day.
Next week on Lost ("What They Died For"), Locke devises a new strategy while Jack's group searches for Desmond.
I'm curious to know what you thought of the episode. Head to the comments section to discuss.
Next week on the season finale of V ("Red Sky"), the V soldiers hunt for Val, whose water has just broken; Erica, tired of being on the defensive, decides to go on the offensive and gets herself and Tyler invited up to the Mothership for a get-to-know-everyone-better dinner; Chad discovers the awful truth that Anna's been using him, after Father Jack asks him to help get a message on the ship to Joshua.
Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.
Starz is heading back to Spartacus, ordering six episodes of a prequel series that will be set before Season One of the gladiator drama series, which wrapped its run last month. The six-episode prequel, as yet untitled, will revolve around the House of Batiatus and its champions and will star John Hannah and Lucy Lawless, as well as Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Antonio Te Maihoha, Nick E. Tarabay, and Lesley-Ann Brandt, and feature a brief appearance by Andy Whitfield, who is currently undergoing treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Production will begin this summer, with the pay cabler eying a January 2011 launch, clearly an effort to keep the franchise humming until a second season can be produced. "The prequel story maintains the excitement and entertainment value of the first season of Spartacus, giving audiences the engaging experience they've come to expect," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement. "We look forward to continuing the Spartacus story." (via press release)
Bad news for Happy Town: ABC has opted to pull the supernatural drama series from its schedule beginning next week. The series, produced by ABC Studios, will return on Wednesday, June 2nd at 10 pm ET/PT to begin burning off its remaining five installments, wrapping up its run on Wednesday, June 30th. Happy Town's current timeslot will be filled by an episode of Primetime: What Would You Do? next week and the network broadcast premiere of Transformers on May 26th. (TVGuide.com)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Burt Reynolds will guest star on an upcoming episode of USA's Burn Notice, where he will play Paul Anderson, described as "a legendary operative, now retired and cast out of the CIA, who serves as somewhat of a cautionary tale for Michael (Jeffrey Donovan)." Reynolds is slated to appear in the fourth season of Burn Notice, which launches June 3rd. "Things have not gone well for him since he left the spy service," creator Matt Nix told Ausiello. "He’s now working as a bartender under an assumed name, and he gets into trouble with some very nasty Russian guys... He’s not precisely like Michael. He’s Michael should Michael succumb to some of the demons that haunt ex-spies." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Comedy Central has cancelled The Sarah Silverman Program after three seasons after it failed to earn a renewal, despite a Twitter campaign to save the series, which had in its last season been bumped to a midnight timeslot. (Deadline.com)
Alan Ball and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films have pacted to produce an HBO original telepic based on Rebecca Skloot's book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," about a Baltimore mother of five children who died of cervical cancer at age 31 in 1951. However, the cancerous cells removed from her body led to major breakthroughs in medical research, including leading to the cure for polio and AIDS treatments. No screenwriter is currently attached to the project, which will be produced by Ball, Winfrey, Kate Forte, and Peter Macoissi. (Variety)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC is preparing to give comedy Perfect Couples a series order and the network has authorized writers Scott Silveri and Jon Pollack to begin staffing the writing team for the series. Meanwhile, NBC is said to still be high as well on comedy Friends with Benefits and is said to be looking for a showrunner for the series. Drama Garza--which stars Jimmy Smitts--will likely be retooled for midseason. (Deadline.com)
Sir Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) has been cast in a multiple episode story arc on Showtime's upcoming period drama The Borgias, where he will play Cardinal Orsini, described as "a nemesis to Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons)" in several episodes. Elsewhere, Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter, History Boys) has been cast in the pay cabler's comedy series Episodes, where he will play a version of himself, "a brilliant British actor deemed 'too sophisticated' by an American TV network to star in a fictional comedy pilot who instead is replaced by Matt LeBlanc." (Hollywood Reporter)
Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) and Mackenzie Crook (Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Office) will star in BBC One's six-part drama Accused, created by Jimmy McGovern (The Street), each episode of which will follow an individual man accused of a crime and lead to court to hear his fate. "In the time it takes to climb the steps to the court we tell the story of how the accused came to be here," said McGovern in a statement. "We see the crime and we see the punishment. Nothing else. No police procedure, thanks very much, no coppers striding along corridors with coats flapping. Just crime and punishment – the two things that matter most in any crime drama. It's great to work with Chris again and I've often tried in the past to get Mackenzie into something of mine. And needless to say, it's wonderful to reunite the team that made The Street." (BBC)
E! Online's Drusilla Moorhouse has an interview with The Amazing Race's Jet and Cord McCoy, who sadly failed to come in first place this season. "I don't know if it was that one single act that cost us the race," said Jet about Jordan's queue-jumping move at the Shanghai airport. "It was more about the principle than it was anything. We were standing in a marked line of three people, and [Jordan] thinks that's where he wants to play his ace or whatever. Me and Cord were just kinda blown away. My goodness." And those of you wondering whether we'll see the cowboys on television again should take note of the fact that Cord's fiancee wants him to do Dancing with the Stars. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
Universal Media Studios has signed a new two-year overall deal with Friday Night Lights executive producer David Hudgins, under which he will remain aboard the drama series as co-showrunner (a title he shares with Jason Katims) until the series' end and will develop new projects for the studio. (Variety)
Spike has promoted Sharon Levy to EVP of original series and animation. She will continue to report to Kevin Kay. (Variety)
It's entirely possible to love Chuck but not love a particular episode, even as that episode is a cog in the larger construction of the season... and is clearly building towards something momentous and game-changing.
This week's episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Tooth"), written by Zev Borow and Max Denby and directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer (yes, the writer/director of Party Girl!) found Chuck's mental health impacted by the Intersect as he began to suffer vivid dreams filled with symbols and intelligence database markers and found himself in the land of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest when he created an international incident because of his dream-related hunch.
That Chuck's own worst enemy could be himself was a nice twist that will have lasting repercussions on the series as we ramp up to the season finale in a few weeks' time. We've seen the benefits of having a super-computer downloaded into your head--both in terms of intelligence-gathering as well as physical skills--so I'm glad to see that the writers are recognizing that there has to be a physical or psychological cost to being the Intersect.
With great power comes great responsibility, but great power should also bring great headaches. And now that Chuck has gotten everything he's always wanted--the spy life, the beautiful girl of his dreams--the other shoe has got to drop.
So what did I think of "Chuck Versus the Tooth"? Let's discuss.
I felt that this episode was at times the sort of fun and frothy installment that has marked the majority of Chuck Season 3.5, building on the sort of loopy antics employed by both "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners" and "Chuck Versus the Role Models," particularly in the scenes where Chuck teamed up with Morgan to go to the symphony or when Morgan faced off with former girlfriend Anna, returned from Hawaii to drop off some stuff he left behind, or Chuck's therapy sessions with Doc (Christopher Lloyd).
I though that the opening sequence where Chuck and Sarah settle into domestic bliss was nicely played but the moment where Chuck tells Sarah that he loves her and she doesn't reciprocate was oddly glossed over. Given that the two are now living together, I thought it was a given that these two loved each other. Why would Sarah move in with Chuck if she didn't love him? If it was more a case of her having problems actually saying the words aloud, then I wish that that would have been more clearly dealt with within the narrative confines of the episode. Sarah hasn't had a "normal" life and she claims that this is the first time she's felt that way, but I've always felt that she's loved Chuck, in a different way than she loved Bryce Larkin. (While she may be a kick-ass super-spy, I've always felt that, more than Casey, Sarah has been attuned to her own emotions and capable of processing them in a healthy way.)
Saying those three words is a big step in any relationship and Chuck had previously put himself on the line by telling Sarah he loved her earlier this season. But the disconnect there between them feels more than a little forced here, when the two are already living together and cuddling on the sofa, a portrait of comfortable domesticity. Likewise, those three words aren't the source of tension between the two throughout the episode; that role goes to whether Sarah can believe Chuck's claims about the Zambibian president's imminent assassination or whether Chuck is losing his grip on reality.
As I said earlier, I'm glad to see that we're dealing head-on with the dark side to Chuck's abilities, with the Intersect slowly eating away at his mind and invading his subconscious while he sleeps. It's an important part of the hero's journey to see the results of his action and his Intersect-derived abilities are really a Faustian bargain that now threaten his long-term health and sanity, even if he's in denial about telling Sarah (or anyone else) the truth.
Chuck's therapist (the always fantastic Christopher Lloyd) warns him about his condition and he sees first-hand just what the spy business can do to an agent's sanity after being placed in a CIA facility after he assaults a member of the Zambibian president's entourage at the symphony, knocking out his tooth in the process. I loved the notion of Chuck going to get therapy and being able to unload his often complicated thoughts and emotions on someone who was fully aware of his identity and yet not directly involved with him in a personal context. (His decision to keep the therapist's prognosis from Sarah speaks volumes about this.)
Likewise, it was great to see Anna again, returning to the Buy More with a fantastic wind machine-assisted entrance that was later inverted with Morgan's own tuxedo-walk through the aisles of the Buy More. (Nicely played.) I've missed Anna this season; she gave the Buy More a much-needed injection of estrogen and her tart attitude balanced some of the off-kilter madness of Jeff and Lester. Here, she returns to find a very different Morgan than she last saw and decides that she wants him back... giving Morgan the opportunity to turn her down. It's been encouraging to see Morgan himself getting some much needed maturity in the last few weeks, really since he discovered the truth about Chuck. I don't think we would have ever seen Morgan Grimes turn down the advances of any woman--even one who had broken his heart--at the start of the season.
But there was also some oddly disjointed darkness lurking within the episode as well as some major narrative leaps as well. After arriving in Africa just last week, Ellie and Awesome had already returned home at the start of this week's episode as Devon recovers from his bout of "malaria" and convalesces at their apartment (already beautifully fixed up after it got trashed last week by a Bengal tiger). It felt odd to see them back already and to have their African excursion curtailed so sharply. Given The Ring involvement, I can see why Justin wanted them back in Los Angeles after he had gained Ellie's trust so that he could move her into position and reveal his true mission: tracking down Stephen Bartowski.
While that makes sense if it had all played out over the course of, say, three episodes, it felt really rushed here with Ellie deciding that she couldn't confide in Devon, couldn't trust Casey, and would assist a guy claiming to be a CIA agent help to find their father--who specifically does not want to be found--before even attempting to discuss it with her brother. Yes, Devon acted like Ellie was crazy but her behavior is erratic. She doesn't know Justin AT ALL and isn't suspicious about the fact that he claims that they didn't meet by chance in Africa and are now meeting again in LA.
(Personally, I also felt like Chuck's foray into the mental institution was cut short and wasn't used to drive the narrative stakes as it should have been. I would have actually had the episode end with him stuck in the CIA facility and then introduced Merlin and the rest in the following week's episode. But that's just me.)
Likewise, I was finally hoping that we'd put the Daniel Shaw storyline to rest but Chuck's sudden realization--spurred by a series of dreams--that Shaw is alive sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I was really hoping that Shaw was dead, that Chuck had in fact saved the day by killing Shaw in order to save Sarah's life. But the prophetic dream he has at the very end of the episode, following the ones where he seems to be processing his own guilt over Shaw's demise, points towards a reversal of this. So is Shaw alive? Is he still working for The Ring? Is he still out for revenge against Chuck and Sarah?
All in all, I liked "Chuck Versus the Tooth" but I didn't love it. Chuck was right in the end about the Zambibian scientist, about his dreams, and likely about Daniel Shaw being alive. Which took some of the tension out of the episode as everyone came around to his way of thinking pretty quickly, even after the tooth he knocked out at the symphony turned out to be nothing more than an ordinary human tooth.
Instead, the episode seemed constructed from two very different elements: one that was light and frothy with a Spies Like Us-vibe to it and the other that was really dark and surreal. Chuck has been able to balance out these tones quite effectively in the past, but I felt like they missed the mark here, resulting in an episode that was at times fun but somewhat toothless.
What did you think of this week's episode? Agree or disagree with the above assessment? Glad to see Anna return? Did you believe that the Daniel Shaw storyline was over for good? Or did you always know Shaw would be back to cause trouble for Chuck and Sarah? And is it a given that Ellie will discover the truth about Chuck before the season is out? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Living Dead"), Chuck asks Morgan to help him on a side mission after his latest dream but their investigation becomes complicated when Stephen Bartowski (Scott Bakula) returns and learns that Chuck downloaded the Intersect 2.0... but Chuck's father may be able to help him.
BBC America was originally meant to air Season Two of genre-busting drama series Ashes to Ashes last May, following their run of the first season of the Life on Mars sequel series starring Keely Hawes, Philip Glenister, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster, and Montserrat Lombard.
Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way. A year later, BBC America is finally bringing Season Two of Ashes to Ashes to American shores, with the first episode slated to air tonight at 10 pm ET/PT. (It's also the perfect jumping-on point for viewers who may not have seen the first season.)
Thanks to a region-free DVD player and a friend in the UK, I've been writing up episodes of Ashes's phenomenally mind-bending third season on a weekly basis over the last few weeks (the series is set to end its three-season run next week in the UK), but I wanted to resurrect my review of the first two episodes of Season Two of Ashes to Ashes, which I wrote last May and which I heaped much praise upon, calling it "darkly seductive."
You can read the full review here (beware: it contains spoilers for the first two episodes), or you can read my wrap-up thoughts on the first two episodes of Ashes to Ashes's brilliant second season below:
"...the first two episodes of Ashes to Ashes' second season kick the Quattro into top gear, presenting a series of tantalizing new possibilities for Alex Drake, new enemies for Drake and Hunt, and an intriguing overarching plot that increases the tension and danger for our New Wave heroes. I just can't wait to see what happens next."
Having seen the entirety of Season Two (and most of Season Three now), I can honestly this is one series that's well worth your time as it only gets better and better with each subsequent episode. You'll soon fall in love with Alex, Gene, Ray, Chris, and Shaz... and marvel at the slick production, mind-altering plot twists, and metaphysical implications that the series kicks up. So set your DVRs and break open the Bolly...
Season Two of Ashes to Ashes begins tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on BBC America.
I offer a tease of four things you can look forward to from tonight's installment: Anna and Erica face off, alliances are tested, threats are made, and an unexpected twist rears its head. Hmmm...
Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that multiple sources have confirmed to him that NBC will be renewing action-comedy Chuck for a fourth season and that "the show has thus far figured into all of the network’s preliminary plans for its May 17 upfront presentation," with Chuck likely to get a thirteen-episode initial order with the possibility of a full season order still in the cards as well. However, co-creator Josh Schwartz hadn't heard anything regarding a renewal as of yet. "That’s news to me," said Schwartz. "I would urge fans to take nothing for granted..." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
NBC's Angela Bromstad also cautioned fans about reading too much into rumors about Chuck's future and wouldn't confirm that it had been picked up when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "It's our highest performing Monday night show," said Bromstad about Chuck. "We look at it as a very strong player and it's a show that matches up with our new shows. It's too early for me to say for certain as it's a conversation we're going to have next week." (Hollywood Reporter)
MTV has ordered ten episodes of a US version of British teen drama Skins, which is being considered for a January launch at the cabler. Co-creator Bryan Elsley is writing the pilot script and will executive produce with Charlie Pattinson and George Faber. Like its predecessor, this version will feature a cast of mostly unknowns but will be set in Baltimore (rather than the original's Bristol). (Deadline.com, Variety)
New York Magazine's Vulture has an interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about the end of Lost, now less than two weeks away. "I think we've been prepared for a long time for the ending of the show," said Cuse. "I think that we feel certain that it was the right decision. We're prepared for it. I think that there will certainly be a mourning period when it's all said and done. It's funny: There's this special feature for the DVDs in which some other show-runners discuss what it's like ending a show. There's an interview with Stephen Cannell [The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, Wiseguy] who said that he's produced something like 42 television series, for network television, and he never ended any of them on his own terms. We're far more grateful for the fact we're able to do this on our own terms. I think that's the emotion, at least at this moment, that outweighs the other ones." (New York Magazine's Vulture)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that British actress Lara Pulver (Robin Hood) has been cast in HBO's True Blood, where she will play Claudine, a pivotal character that has been likened to Sookie's "guardian angel" or "fairy godmother." She'll recur throughout the third season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Ausiello also reports that Michael Steger (90210) is headed to HBO's True Blood, where he will guest star as Tony, described as "a gay prostitute who gets picked up by King of Mississippi Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare) because of his resemblance to his current steady, Talbot (Theo Alexander)." He's expected to appear in one episode of True Blood's third season, which launches next month, and may recur in Season Four. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to True Blood's Theo Alexander, who plays gay Greek vampire Talbot, the boyfriend of the 3000-year-old King of Mississippi Russell Endgington (Denis O'Hare), who happens to cheat on his BF with a certain straight male character we've seen so far on the series. "Talbot loves Russell immensely because he’s [his] maker, but like any marriage, it has its ups and downs," said Alexander. "One thing we have a huge fight over is that I always have to stay home. Sometimes I have to straighten him out and take drastic measures to save the marriage." (TV Guide Magazine)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva has her latest roundup of pilot-related buzz. FOX seems high on Terra Nova and Midland, with either Breakout Kings or Ridealong getting the second drama slot; on the comedy front, they're keen on Keep Hope Alive and Wilde Kingdom, with Traffic Light, Breaking In, and Most Likely to Succeed still in the running. Over at NBC, the Peacock is still considering The Cape, Rockford Files, and Kindreds (also possibly Garza), while they're said to be circling comedies Perfect Couples, Friends with Benefits, Next, Beach Lane, and maybe This Little Piggy, which has cooled off recently. At CBS, Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, Chaos and possibly the untitled John Wells/Hannah Shakespeare medical drama are frontrunners. (Criminal Minds spinoff seems mixed, with a possible midseason launch being bandied about.) On the comedy side, the network is high on Mike & Molly, Team Spitz, Bleep My Dad Said, Mad Love and Livin' on a Prayer. Over at ABC, dramas No Ordinary Family, Detroit 187, The Whole Truth, Body of Proof, Off The Map, and Generation Y are all said to be in the running, along with comedies Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, Wright Vs. Wrong, Awkward Situations For Men, Who Gets the Parents, It Takes a Village, and the untitled couples comedy. CW is high on Nikita as well as Hellcats, while HMS and Betwixt remain possibilities. (Deadline.com)
Fancast's Matt Webb Mitovich has an interview with Elizabeth Mitchell about the final two episodes of ABC's V. "It could be icy as hell," said Mitchell about the season finale's family dinner between the Evans and the Visitors' Anna and Lisa. "You’ve got Anna, who is this fantastic politician/religious leader, and then you have Erica, who’s in the process of becoming exactly that. So you have two people who are pretty good at the games they’re playing coming face to face. They’re looking for any little chink in the armor, any sign of vulnerability on the other’s part. I thought it was fun to play. I enjoyed working with Morena [Baccarin] tremendously." She also teases two major jaw-droppers in the episode, which is scheduled to air next week on ABC. (Fancast)
TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck speaks to Daniel Dae Kim about this three favorite Sun-and-Jin moments from Lost. (TV Guide Magazine)
Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that CBS may order Chuck Lorre's comedy Mike & Molly to series as early as this week, rather than wait until announcing at their upfront presentation, scheduled for next week. "CBS is said to have a very short window to pick up the comedy or release it so producer Warner Bros. can shop it elsewhere," writes Andreeva. "It’s safe to say the latter won’t happen." (Deadline.com)
E! Online's Drusilla Moorhouse takes a look at whether the winners of this season of CBS' The Amazing Race cheated by taking a look at the official rule book for the reality adventure series... and determined that brothers Dan and Jordan won fair and square. "As long as Amazing Race teams purchase a coach ticket, a network representative confirmed to us today, they are absolutely allowed to upgrade to first or business class," writes Moorhouse. "The Pious brothers' pretty persuasion is not unprecedented, either: Plenty of other teams in previous seasons have talked their way into fancier seats at the front of the plane—something Race superfan Jordan probably knew." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
TBS' hour-long comedy pilot Franklin & Bash now appears poised to move to sister network TNT, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, while Glory Daze is expected to get a series order at TBS. (Deadline.com)
The Peacock today announced that it had given an early series order to new drama Chase from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Series, created by Jennifer Johnson (Cold Case) has landed a spot on the schedule for the 2010-11 season, the fifth series order handed out by NBC thus far.
News comes on the heels of last week's orders for Undercovers, The Event, Love Bites, and Outsourced. Additional pickups will be announced before NBC unveils their fall schedule to advertisers a week from today.
"Chase has all the undeniable elements of a thrill ride that you would expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer action series,” said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement. "Equally important, it also features a great cast. Kelli Giddish is a breakout star as the lead.”
Here's how NBC is pitching the procedural drama series:
Chase is a fast-paced drama that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish (Past Life) stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run. Cole Hauser (K-Ville), Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break), Rose Rollins (The L Word) and Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) also star as members of Frost’s elite team."
The full press release from NBC can be found below.
NBC PICKS UP NEW DRAMA SERIES ‘CHASE,’ FROM JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, FOR 2010-11 SEASON
Drama Becomes NBC’s Fifth New Scripted Series Announced for New Season
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – May 10, 2010 – NBC has picked up its fifth scripted series pilot for the 2010-11 season in “Chase,” a new drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” films) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”).
The announcement was made by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
“Chase” joins previously announced "Undercovers," "The Event," "Love Bites," and "Outsourced" as the fifth new scripted series currently announced for NBC’s new season with additional pickups yet to be announced.
“'Chase’ has all the undeniable elements of a thrill ride that you would expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer action series,” said Bromstad. “Equally important, it also features a great cast. Kelli Giddish is a breakout star as the lead.”
“Chase” is a fast-paced drama that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish (“Past Life”) stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run.
Cole Hauser (“K-Ville”), Amaury Nolasco (“Prison Break”), Rose Rollins ("The L Word”) and Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives”) also star as members of Frost’s elite team.
“Chase” is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” "Cold Case”) and Johnson serve as executive producers, while KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. David Nutter (“The Mentalist,” “Without a Trace” “The X-Files”) directed and is executive producer of the pilot which was written by Johnson.
When it came time for Steven Moffat to revisit the Weeping Angels, I didn't know how he'd be able to top their jaw-droppingly creepy debut in Season Four's "Blink."
Yet, in this week's episode of Doctor Who ("The Time of Angels"), written by Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith, Moffat manages to not only make the terrifying "Blink" seem like child's play in comparison, but he creates a whole new level of dread and suspense involving these otherworldly creatures, taking Doctor Who's fairy tale ethos into a very dark place indeed.
Since their introduction in "Blink," The Weeping Angels have remained my favorite Who villains to date as their very horror stems from the fact that they're quantum locked: we can't see them move or about to pounce until it's too late for us. Look away, or even blink, and they'll consume the full potential of your life. While that was already a particularly unnerving proposition, Moffat has done himself proud with "The Time of Angels," an episode that finds the Doctor and Amy Pond joining up with a figure from the Doctor's future: River Song (Alex Kingston), who appears to be hiding a rather crucial secret from the man who could one day be her husband. Or will he be? Hmmm...
What did I think of "The Time of Angels"? Let's discuss.
Talk about an entrance: I thought that the reunion between the Doctor and River was handled with a mix of excitement, drama, and heart-stopping visuals as River not only carves a message in Old High Gallifreyan to the Doctor (so he'll find it at some point in the future) but then jettisons herself through a spaceship airlock knowing that he'll rescue her in the TARDIS. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, River Song is amazing.
Just who is she? She knows the ancient Gallifreyan language (enough at least to inscribe "Hello, Sweetie!" on the Byzantium's Home Box), she can pilot the TARDIS better than the Doctor himself, and she knows details about the Doctor that point to some future relationship between the two. (In her last appearance, Season Four's "The Forest of the Dead," also written by Moffat, River appears to know the Doctor's true name.)
But there's also something else going on here as well, something that River is keeping concealed from the Doctor. Octavian whispers something to River about the Doctor perhaps not helping her if he knew the truth... and the fact that she appears to be a released prisoner helping the church on this mission. What crime could she have committed? Hmmm...
And then there are the Angels themselves. While their appearance in "Blink" was haunting, here the Weeping Angels are even more powerful, able to transform themselves from an image of an Angel into an actual Angel, as poor Amy Pond discovers when she's trapped inside the surveillance center and is watching the Angel move, even though it's been filmed on a four-second timeloop. I thought that sequence was brilliantly shot and acted as Amy becomes aware of her predicament and is able to save herself without the Doctor's help. However, her belief that she has something in her eye makes me think that she's not out of the woods by a longshot. If an image of an Angel can become an Angel and the creature imprinted itself on her eye then it may have transmitted itself to her brain... where it begins to manifest inside Amy Pond.
This theory would seem to bare some weight given Amy's later belief that she's turning to stone as the Angel begins to control her mind and perception capabilities. Which would be bad enough if the team wasn't already surrounded by an army of Weeping Angels, the statues within the maze of the dead, and who had already killed off the majority of their military cleric team. The crash of the Byzantium wasn't an accident: it was a rescue mission. The Angel aboard that ship was looking to free its brethren trapped in the maze of the dead on Alfava Metraxis.
And now they've lured the Doctor, Amy, and River into a deadly trap. But, as the Doctor says, there's one thing you don't want to put in a trap: him. As he fires a gun (which must be a first for the Doctor), we're left to ponder just how they'll escape and seeming inescapable trap laid out for them by the army of Weeping Angels surrounding surrounding them and draining their lights...
Well, there is that matter of the gravity globe, after all. And, while they might be at the top of the maze, they're right underneath the Byzantium.
All in all, Moffat has delivered a fantastic episode that put the tenuous partnership between the Doctor and Amy in jeopardy, reintroduced both the Weeping Angels and River Song in sensational style, and left me anxious to see just what happens next. Full of atmosphere, tension, and gripping suspense, "The Time of Angels" ranks up there with the very best of Doctor Who, a consummate ghost story of terror, rage, and fear that I can't shake from my mind, days later.
What did you think of this week's episode? Is River Song who she claims to be? What did Octavian mean by his off-hand comment towards River? What's going on with Amy? Head to the comments section to discuss.
On the next episode of Doctor Who ("Flesh and Stone"), trapped among an army of Weeping Angels, the Doctor and his friends must try to escape through the wreckage of a crashed space liner, but in the forest vault, Amy Pond finds herself under a yet more deadly attack.
"My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home."
Those were the words spoken by John Simm's Sam Tyler at the start of every episode of Life on Mars, summing up the series' central conceit: the investigation of what had happened to Sam Tyler. His anachronistic presence in 1973 might have been the result of madness, coma, or time-travel... or something altogether different.
While Life on Mars wrapped up after two seasons, the mystery surrounding Sam Tyler--and Philip Glenister's DCI Gent Hunt--has continued to swirl tantalizingly around Mars' sequel, Ashes to Ashes, which delivered another knock out installment as it continues to head towards its own conclusion as DI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes) looks for a way to return to her own world while looking to solve the mystery of Sam Tyler himself. Did he die that day when his car crashed into the ravine? Was Gene Hunt responsible in some way? And just what is Hunt hiding?
All of these questions seemed to forcibly collide this week as Alex came face to face with a man claiming to be none other than Sam Tyler himself. But it wasn't Sam, not really, though escaped prisoner Paul Thordy (Steven Robertson) did speak Sam's intoxicating words from the opening of Life on Mars. But if he's not Sam Tyler, then who is Thordy? And how did he know about Sam's predicament?
Warning: spoilers abound for US viewers who haven't seen Season Two of Ashes to Ashes.
This week's episode, written by James Payne and directed by Jamie Payne, saw the tension among the members of Fenchurch East CID continue to fracture the group, assisted ably by the machinations of the seemingly malevolent Jim Keats (Daniel Mays), who continues to be one of the most terrifying characters on Ashes to Ashes, while maintaining an inexplicable aura of boyishness at the same time.
A riot underway at Fenchurch East prison turns into a hostage situation when Viv James (Geff Francis) is himself taken prisoner by Jason Sachs (Stanley Townsend) but not everything is as it appears to be here: Viv was in on the riot, itself a smokescreen to deflect attention away from what's really going on: a breakout. Finding himself between a rock and a hard place, Viv brings a gun into the prison in exchange for Sachs assisting in the breakout of his incarcerated relative. And if that wasn't bad enough, Gene sends Chris and Ray in undercover as journalists in an effort to get Viv out.
Just what did Viv want to tell Gene before the assault on the prison? Was he going to confess that he had done something wrong? Was he looking to backpedal and alert the team that not everything was what it seemed? We'll never know as poor Viv dies at the hands of Jason Sachs during the ultimate incursion to free Ray and Chris. He never gets to come clean to Gene, nor is he given a chance to redeem himself. (Though Ray, even after saying that Viv was dead to him, did attempt to intervene on his behalf to save him earlier, proving that some bonds can't so easily be broken.)
And then there was the manner of his death. Not just is he shot and left to die in a dank corridor of the prison but the first person to reach him isn't Alex or Gene, or even Ray: it's Jim Keats. And Viv doesn't so much as go quietly into that good night but is dragged there, kicking and screaming, by Keats.
Keats removes one of his black gloves and holds Viv's head in place as his body breathes its final, wracked breaths, staring into the eyes of Jim Keats. It's not particularly pleasant to watch and it seems as though Viv's soul is being sucked out of his body by Keats.
Which is interesting because we've seen this scene play out before. A few episodes ago, someone else died in Keats' arms and it didn't seem altogether pleasant either, reflecting some sort of weird connection between the victim and Keats that bound them together in their final moments. That person was Louise Gardiner (Zoe Telford), an undercover copper who was killed when she was struck by a lorry. She died staring into Keats' eyes too.
But that's not all that Viv and Louise had in common: both had betrayed the Metropolitan Police Force. Viv had sold out his team for his family, choosing personal responsibility over professional duty, though it was clear that he hadn't made the decision lightly (in fact, it seemed to be eating away at him). Louise had gotten her mission so confused that she became the villain she was trying to bring to justice. Both of them died and Keats was there when they did.
Could it be that he was sending their souls someplace? Not out into the floating stars of heaven but somewhere else? Somewhere, not above, but below? And if that's the case, just who is Jim Keats? Is he the Devil? Or Death himself? (After all, the title of Ashes to Ashes refers not only to David Bowie's 1981 song but to the Anglican burial service--"ashes to ashes, dust to dust"--itself derived from Genesis 3:19. If that's the case, the titles of both series together comprise an equation of Life and Death, really.)
If each of the characters are in fact dead--or nearly dead--could it be that this world and the alliances they forge and the actions they take there decide just where they go in the next world? Those who side with Gene get their glimpse at the celestial kingdom, the stars in the sky. "Good coppers stick together," Hunt said this week and that could be a clue to the ultimate identities of Gene Hunt and Jim Keats, one on the side of the angels, the other on the side of evil, each ferrying souls to their final destinations. The cops who have chosen to stick together, to remain with Gene, have been promised their reward: to float among the stars after being given the one thing that they've been searching for all along. Those who haven't, who have betrayed their fellow coppers, don't get that.
They also don't get their Life on Mars moment, either. All of which makes me extremely concerned about the fate of Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster), given that he betrayed the team in the second season and seems to be slipping further and further away from Gene as the third season goes on. Can he be saved? Is he doomed to fall at the hands of Jim Keats? And if Keats is able to pull away Gene's followers, would this entire world cease to exist? It's certainly food for thought.
And then there's Paul Thordy, the escaped prisoner who claims to be Sam Tyler himself. Thordy was Sam Tyler's last collar before his car crashed into a ravine and he disappeared like smoke. But Thordy knows things, things that only Sam Tyler could know: that he came from the future and pondered his presence in this world. How are these two men connected?
Likewise, Alex manages to trick Thordy into helping them save Viv and the others in the prison. He tells her that the answers are in a tin box... and leaves her the personal possessions he had brought with him into Fenchurch, which includes none other than a tin box, with a map of the prison and an illumination into Jason Sach's plan: to have Chris and Ray electrocuted by the good guys as they storm the prison.
But that's not the only box that contains answers. Alex has a vision of Shaz, Ray, and Chris seated around a table, unwrapping a box that contains... Well, we're not sure yet. And she's visited once more by the Officer 6620 ghost, who seems to be pointing her towards solving the mystery of Sam Tyler, a mystery whose answer lays just inside Gene's office.
In his desk is another tin box, one that contains a roll of film (likely the missing images from Sam's accident) and a small black and white photograph... of Officer 6620 with his face intact. Just who is he? Is he, as I've wondered for a few weeks now, Gene Hunt himself in an earlier time? And if so, why would Gene keep a photograph of himself hidden away in a box in his desk drawer? Thordy claimed, speaking as Sam Tyler, that the longer they stay in this world, the more they forget. (Alex herself once claimed that she couldn't remember what color eyes Molly had and said that she was forgetting what her daughter looked like.) Is Gene trying to remember where he came from? Was he the first cop to cross over into this world? Is he attempting to keep this world together? And will the future discovery of this body, near the house with that recurring weathervane, end everything?
What did you think of this week's episode? Do you agree that Officer 6620 is a young Gene Hunt? How did Sam Tyler die? Why is Gene being so secretive? Who is Jim Keats> And what do you think the ultimate resolution of the series will be? Head to the comments section to discuss.
On the next episode of Ashes to Ashes, the team raids an illegal drinking den used by members of the ANC, where Ray discovers a dead body; Gene soon extracts a confession from the group's leader, though he appears to be lying, as the team's investigation uncovers evidence of both illegal immigration and terrorism; DCI Keats presses Alex into continuing her investigation into Sam Tyler's fate.
Looking to discuss the frustrating season finale of CBS' fantastic reality series The Amazing Race?
Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker to read my latest Amazing Race piece, entitled "The Amazing Race: I Left My Integrity in San Francisco," where you can read my take on the season finale, airport ticket counter shenanigans, first class seating snafus, and why I'm frustrated by the fact that the final leg of many seasons is usually the most boring.
Sound off in the comments section about whether you think the right team won, whether Caite reached her goal of proving the world that she's an intelligent person, and whether you're happy or disappointed with the ultimate winners of this season.
Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.
Don't expect Mr. Eko to turn up among the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 this season on Lost. Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje will not be returning to ABC's drama series Lost before it wraps up its epic run on May 23rd. "Though the producers wanted to find a reason to bring back the former tailie, EW has learned that a deal could not be reached in time," writes Rice. Akinnoye-Agbaje, who played Nigerian warlord-turned-pious-fake-priest Mr. Eko, had previously made it clear that he would be more than happy to return to Lost, which he departed during the series' third season. "I’m here for [the producers]," Akinnuoye-Agbaje said in an August 2009 interview. "Adewale is open for business. We have had talks about some things they might do for the final season and there are other dead folks coming back allegedly but at the moment it is still a maybe. A strong maybe but I have not shot anything yet or signed any contracts. But I’m hoping." It does appear than time was not on the side of Mr. Eko. Or the smoke monster managed to intervene once more. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
Variety's Cynthia Littleton has details about Thursday evening's Lost Live: The Final Celebration event here in Los Angeles, during which Michael Giacchino will conduct a full live orchestral performance of the music from Lost for 1800 lucky fans (myself included), which will be followed by a screening of the following week's episode, the series' penultimate. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Colburn School of Performing Arts. We thought it was a great way to connect working musicians with students who are looking to make a living playing music," Giacchino told Variety. "And we want it to be fun -- not all academic and serious. We're celebrating what is quite an amazing ending to a long run." Executive producer Carlton Cuse, meanwhile, wanted a way to pay tribute to Giacchino's enormous contributions to the series and the fans. "Lost is so much about the community that has grown up around the show. It seemed like it would be a great culmination for all of us to watch the (penultimate) episode together and have that shared experience," said Cuse. "I think it's going to be a powerful and emotional evening." (Variety)
Fans of FOX's 24, also set to wrap its run this month, shouldn't expect a happy ending for Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer, according to executive producer Howard Gordon. "[It] leaves him in a compromised place morally, ethically and emotionally," said Gordon. "This show is a tragedy, and to give Jack a happy ending didn't feel authentic..." Meanwhile, a first draft of the script has been written for the big screen version of 24, with a second draft currently being worked on. "We're honoring the series and the creative integrity of (Bauer) and then possibly bringing in a whole new group [of characters]," Gordon said. "What I do think is important is that we do not retread." (Hollywood Reporter)
Shawn Ryan, who took over as showrunner/executive producer of FOX's Lie to Me, has said that he's looking to depart the procedural drama, which is currently on the bubble for a third season renewal. "I had a great year working on the show and helped develop a team that’s ready for more responsibility," wrote Ryan on Twitter. "Time for me to go …When I took gig, I had things in development, nothing in production. Now with Terriers and possibly Ride-Along, too much work... As for timing, this allows studio time to give network succession plan to increase odds of pickup. Still very excited to show you 12 episodes we have in the can. The great Howard Hessman guest stars in one of them." Lie to Me is set to return to the schedule on June 7th. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
Lifetime is developing a drama spinoff of its series Army Wives, which will revolve around Brigid Brannagh's Pamela, described as "a former police officer whose husband was a Delta Force soldier" who "is now divorced and back in her old job as a Charleston, S.C., cop," according to Variety's Michael Schneider. The potential new series, which will follow Pamela back to Charleston, will be written by Bruce Zimmerman and T.D. Mitchell and executive produced by Mark Gordon and Deb Spera. (Variety)
USA has announced an official launch date for Season Five of dramedy Psych, which will return to the schedule on Wednesday, July 21st at 10 pm ET/PT. (Hollywood Reporter)
In other USA news, Emmanuelle Vaugier (Human Target) has been cast in USA's upcoming espionage drama Covert Affairs, where she will star opposite Piper Perabo and play a "fearless journalist/blogger." Series is set to launch on July 13th. (Hollywood Reporter)
Variety's Rick Kissell is reporting that venerable crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation could be headed to a new timeslot when CBS unveils their new fall schedule network. "All three [CSI] shows remain fairly popular -- and on most weeks they win their hours in total viewers -- but there's no guarantee they will all be on the fall sked. And keeping all three in the same timeslot for a sixth straight fall seems even more unlikely," writes Kissell. "As currently scheduled, each CSI is the beneficiary of some of the Eye's strongest lead-ins, and CBS may feel the time is right to get more production out of those slots." He believes that CBS will leave CSI: Miami on Monday nights, possibly rest CSI: New York during the fall or shift it to Fridays, and either flip CSI and The Mentalist on Thursdays or move it to Fridays as a lead into another drama, such as The Good Wife. (Variety)
A new Facebook campaign has sprung up, perhaps in response to the success of the Betty White/Saturday Night Live grassroots effort, around Modern Family. The group, "Let Cam & Mitchell kiss on Modern Family," is look for just that: an on-screen smooch between Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson: "Cam & Mitchell, the adorable gay couple on ABC's Modern Family, have not been shown sharing even a brief kiss throughout the series' first hit season. ABC isn't afraid of gay characters, so why won't they let them show some love?" (New York Magazine's Vulture)
Classic detective drama Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is getting another remake, this time for American television as Syfy has handed out a pilot order to an updated version of the project, which revolves around a pair of mismatched detectives, one of whom is a ghost who was killed in the line of duty. Josh Bycel and Jonathan Fener will write the script and executive produce along with Howard Braunstein; project hails from ITV Studios. (Variety)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Mary Lynn Rajskub will guest star in the June 10th episode of USA's Royal Pains, where she will play the stepdaughter of Christine Ebersole's Mrs. Newberg. "I play a girl who does yoga on diet pills," Rajskub wrote on Twitter. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
20th Century Fox Television drama development czar Patrick Moran has departed the studio and will be replaced by Michael Thorn, the former NBC executive who was most recently the president of Marty Adelstein's 20th Century Fox-based shingle, Lost Marbles Television. He'll move into the position of SVP of drama development in June, and report to Jennifer Nicholson Salke. "Marty has been a great friend and mentor, but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Thorn told Variety. "Twentieth has a legacy of developing and producing some of the most creative drama series in TV. To get to be a part of that, and make my own mark, and be able to sell to Fox and the other networks, it was something I couldn't say no to." (Variety)
Welcome to this week's second look at Lost, which only has four and a half hours left before it fades to black. (Or white.)
Once again this week, I'll be taking a second look at this week's episode of Lost ("The Candidate") by answering reader questions submitted via comments, Twitter, and email.
So, without further ado, let's prepare to board the submarine and head down to Davy Jones' locker.
I don't know about you but I'm still getting choked up just thinking about "The Candidate" and the number of major deaths that the episode contained. While I'm somewhat sad to see Sayid and (possibly) Lapidus go, it's the final haunting image of Sun and Jin, united one last time in death, that sends me reaching for the Kleenex every time I think about it. For a series that's had such a huge body count over the past six seasons, the fact that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse--and episode writers Elizabeth Sarnoff and Jim Galasso--managed to make the married couple's reunion-in-death so poignant and memorable is a testament to both the well-crafted writing on the series and actors Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim.
Even with only a handful of episodes left, they'll be missed... and we can cross off 42-Kwon off our own personal cave wall/lighthouse wheel.
Lots of questions to get through but make sure you stick around until the end where I discuss an interesting theory raised by reader HipHopAnonymous about the possible end of the series.
Man in Black. Frank1569 asked, "If last night, plus the preview, doesn't nearly confirm my theory that Jacob is the wolf in sheep's clothing and Smokey's the good guy, well... See how upset Smokey was when he realized the sub sank? That was not his plan..."
Oh, Frank1569, I love that you believe so much in your theory about Jacob being the evil one and the unnamed Man in Black being the good guy but this week's episode went out of its way to disprove your theory. There's no possible way that Smokey is good as it was absolutely his intention to sink the sub and kill everyone on board. Hell, after he realized that his time bomb had failed to kill all of the candidates, he picked up his rifle and set out to finish what he started. He absolutely intended for that submarine to explode and sink to the bottom of the ocean, thus killing everyone on board.
He may not have detonated the bomb itself--though he put it in Jack's bag and meant it to be found--but his intentions were clear. He shared them with the group, putting the blame on Charles Widmore: he wanted the candidates in a contained space, with no chance of escape, and then he wanted them to DIE. That's not goodness, that's pure malevolent evil to me.
Furthermore, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse went so far as to clarify any false beliefs that the Nemesis was a white hat, with Cuse telling Entertainment Weekly, "There is no ambiguity. He is evil and he has to be stopped... There will be very little debate at the end of this episode that [Fake Locke] is evil and bad and has to be stopped. The main narrative reason for him killing our main characters is to establish how much of a bad guy he is and to clearly identify him as the antagonist rolling into the end of the series."
I've never doubted that for a minute. Sorry, Frank1569!
Frank Lapidus. Tempest, wrote, "I am... still peeved about the death of Frank Lapidus. I am going to live in denial about that one until I hear otherwise. Yes, I know logic isn't really on my side. That's never stopped me before." (An anonymous commenter also wanted Frank to survive the blow to the head and likely drowning in the sub: "That silver fox was a nice side character and I have yet to believe he's dead until it is officially confirmed. Hopefully he'll either show up back on the island (who's gonna fly that plane?! maybe a Widmore lackey...) or he's seen in Lost-X.")
Ah, Frank Lapidus. A lot of readers held out hope that because Frank was killed "off-screen" it meant that there was still a chance he managed to escape the wreckage of the sub and swam to another beach somewhere. Alas, I don't think that's really the case. For one, Sayid was killed off-screen as well when the bomb blew up and there's no way he survived that and he's been a series regular since the pilot episode. Plus, Frank was cracked in the skull by a huge bulkhead in a compartment that quickly filled with water.
Is it possible for a human being to survive all of that? Theoretically, maybe there's a small, infinitesimal chance that someone could. But honestly, I think Frank's a goner. At least in this world. (I still wonder if perhaps he was flying Oceanic Flight 815 in the Lost-X timeline, rather than Seth Norris.)
The Candidate. Calfoodie.com asked, "Couldn't replacing Jacob be Sawyer or Hurley's destiny, or perhaps they will govern by committee? Live together."
Yes, the idea of living together and dying alone has been pervasive since the beginning of the series and a core thematic idea that has powered a lot of the conflict and inter-character dynamics in every installment. But I don't know that a group of people could succeed Jacob. While the rules about the island are still tantalizingly unclear, it seems as though it has to be one person's responsibility and that they have to sacrifice their own life in order to do so, promising to protect the island and act as the Nemesis' jailer until someone takes over for them, repeating the cycle.
Could the ultimate candidate be Sawyer or Hurley? In theory, sure. But it seems fairly certain that the last man standing should be Jack Shephard. The series began with him alone in the jungle, his eye opening with dawning realization, and I think it will end the same way, Jack alone, where he is meant to be.
Which isn't to say that the other two individuals aren't important or vital to the endgame of Lost, because they clearly are. If, for example, we believe in repeating patterns, the love triangle between Jack/Kate/Sawyer could shed light on the rivalry between Jacob and his Nemesis. Did they too tangle over the love of a woman?
Hurley has been acting as Jacob's mouthpiece since his death on the island and, even prior to that, Jacob placed an enormous amount of responsibility on Hurley, sending him back to the island with a list of the candidates... and continually reappearing to offer Hurley advice. Could it be that Hurley might serve as Jack's Richard Alpert? Hmmm...
The Bomb: Boom or No Boom? Patrick wrote, "It's been established that MIB can't kill the candidates but also that they can't kill themselves. If they had let the counter run down to zero after Sawyer pulled the wires, I don't think it would have blown because that would have amounted to Sawyer killing himself."
I think it all comes down to intentions. In removing the wires, Sawyer didn't intend to kill himself but to SAVE himself, an important distinction. The dynamite didn't explode when Richard lit the fuse because he wanted to die, not to live. Sawyer hoped to live, therefore it negated what I'll call the "death quotient" of the bomb. In removing those wires, he sought to protect the candidates and that provided a loophole that the Man in Black was able to use. Just as he knew that Sawyer would shut him out of the submarine, so too did he know that Jack would not be able to convince the skeptical Sawyer that the bomb wouldn't blow if they did nothing.
I think that Jack was right, however: the bomb wouldn't have gone off if they left it alone, just as the dynamite failed to explode. But tamper with the device for the RIGHT reasons and you can still get the WRONG outcome.
You might say then that Sayid killed himself. Which again, would be wrong, because Sayid didn't kill himself out of desperation or fear. Rather, he sacrificed himself in order to save the group. He achieved redemption in those moments, placing his own needs and continued existence behind those of the greater good. He served his purpose to the island and died a hero once more. He didn't kill himself but he did sacrifice himself, an important distinction that points towards the significance of self-sacrifice within the series' mythology.
Rose and Bernard. An anonymous commenter asked, "I don't think we've seen him or Rose this season, right? Where the hell are they?!"
Good question. Just where are married couple Rose and Bernard and where have they been this entire time. Last time we saw them they were living a semi-comfortable life of retirement in the jungles in the 1970s, having traveled through time with the rest of the castaways who didn't leave the island.
So where are they? I still say they are the Adam and Eve skeletons in the cave which the castaways found in Season One, buried by followers of Jacob in accordance to the beliefs of the island: with those black and white stones that indicate a balance between good and evil. Or they managed to move forward again in time to 2007 and are hanging out with Vincent somewhere.
Flight Numbers. Andy asked, "How many people really remember their flight number a week after the flight? I usually forget the flight number by the time I leave baggage claim (after having looked it up when I got there to figure out which carousel has my suitcase), and I'm a math nerd!"
Good point. It's a quibble but one that's a valid one, given the lack of surprise expressed by Jack as he begins to realize that everyone who keeps coming into his life in the Lost-X timeline was aboard Oceanic Flight 815. I never remember what flight I'm on, even when I'm flying on it but I'm going to say that this is just a writer's shorthand of getting to the point quickly and easily. These people recognize that they were on the same flight together. Having them remember the flight number just makes the point hit home more easily.
The End. Reader HipHopAnonymous sent in a very intriguing theory about the end of Lost, spurred on by my own theorizing and the fact that Lindelof and Cuse have been very vocal about not wanting to narratively allow for sequels or spinoffs:
Even if they destroy MiB-- whom I hope we can all agree now, is in fact malevolence incarnate...--if the island still remains this mysterious, magical place where miracles happen, then the story isn't really over. In a way, they already told us how the show was going to end last season when MiB says, "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt; It always ends the same." To which Jacob replies, "It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress."
Ergo, the yarn being woven here will come to an end when someone finally manages to break the above cycle of destruction and corruption on the island, perhaps by sacrificing themselves, or the island, or both. And given LOST's frequent biblical undertones, would it really be that surprising to see a finale wherein man loses paradise again?
Congratulations, HipHopAnonymous! You've managed to dazzle me by inverting my own theory about the ending. I've long believed that the Lost-X castaways needed to raise the island up and begin the cycle anew but you make a clear case about the importance of breaking repeating patterns.
You're right when you invoke Jacob's statement that it only ends once. If the island is a mythical place--call it Oz, Narnia, or Eden--than it would be fitting to see mankind lose access to the garden, be deprived of their Paradise (just call the series Paradise Lost then) and push them out of the kingdom of the magical and divine.
There has been a clear usage of religious motifs and metaphors throughout the six seasons of Lost but I also have a hard time wanting to see the series end on such a discordant note: for a series that has always asked its characters to make a leap of faith and believe in the impossible, to eliminate that possibility from their lives seems an awful downer of an ending.
Likewise, would the destruction of the island lead to the death of the Nemesis... or his release? Does there need to be a cork in the bottle, after all? Or does erasing the mystic potential of the island and the evil of the Nemesis balance the cosmic scales? By sacrificing its beauty and magic and its evil potential for destruction, do the possible actions of Jack and the surviving castaways (should there be any) allow for that balance? To allow the creation of a world where there is no "magic," but a mundane place where each of us must "let go" of our own issues and resolve them in order to achieve catharsis on our own, without the aid of a mystical island such as this?
Or would Lindelof and Cuse instead offer an ending that does allow for that possibility, for the belief that each of us can find our way back to Paradise, but that we'll each be tested along the way, by our previous actions and by our own attempts at redemption and prove ourselves worthy of both the journey and the destination?
Many questions to think about. I think that the finale will definitely see one or both islands change positions. There either needs to always be an island in the world or there can't ever be one ever again. The cycle will either start over again or be broken forever. Both of which are very, very intriguing possibilities to consider over the next few weeks. (Although I still think that island has to come up from the ocean floor.)
Come back Wednesday to discuss next week's episode and head to the comments section here to discuss any of the above thoughts, theories, or additional questions...
Next week on Lost ("Across the Sea"), the motives of the enigmatic Man in Black are revealed.
There are some series that manage to wrap their arms around you and never let go, making you laugh and cry in equal measure.
