Does Nikita have a second chance?

I had no clue that the Nikita series were up for a re-boot, until I saw the poster with the one and only chair. In all honesty, I was not a big fan of the original series. TV in my country at the time I was shaping up as a child had not much to offer, so I watched La Femme Nikita for perhaps two or maybe three seasons, but without really caring about it. As you can feel, I wasn't entirely thrilled about the follow-up series. Idea regurgitation in television [and in cinema for that matter] isn't pretty [as I advocate for originality or at least more books to be ordered for serialization], but in the case with Nikita it may be a good thing.

Technically, the new Nikita is a continuation of the series. The same characters are brought in, but the game has changed substantially. While La Femme Nikita focused on the realistic portrayal and de-romanticization of the spy myth [suspenseful work environment, paranoia and Nikita's desperate plans to escape], Nikita presents what happens after Nikita manages to escape from Division. It's early to tell, but the show has oriented towards dynamic action scenes with descent choreography and a complicated cat-and-mouse-game series arc. What I saw from the pilot is satisfying [for a superb, but filled with spoilers coverage, read Ove's post], because while it does not do something entirely original from the get-go, the show is sleek and reminiscent of a Bond movie.

Also, I think CW picked the most welcoming moment to launch a spy show with a strong female lead. Alias and 24 proved that government agents and spies are solid small screen goldmine. Burn Notice, Chuck and White Collar make up the second generation of such TV shows, but their lead is male [though Chuck is more of a male-female duo]. I think there is a strong demand for a spy show with the spotlight on a strong female character, which right now as a type is represented by Covert Affairs. Even so, Covert Affairs [starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham] is on the light-hearted spectrum, whereas Nikita will definitely flirt with danger, suspense and aggression. Annie Walker is one kick-ass heroine during missions, but at the same I couldn’t ignore obvious elements of comedic relief through social awkwardness and dialogue.

The two shows have touching points. Nikita’s been betrayed by Division, which had promised a second chance. Annie, on the other hand, has been recruited by the CIA as bait for Ben Mercer, a former CIA agent and Annie’s lover. Both characters have a rather complicated relationship with the men in their lives, which seem to affect the series’ story arc. Annie relies on computer geek Auggie [Gorham] for support, while Nikita relies on her smartass mole inside Division. Action is featured on both shows. At this point seems that Nikita is indistinguishable from Covert Affairs, which means that a battle for ratings is not far away.

However, I think Nikita will get a second chance as a franchise, because Covert Affairs is family friendly material, suitable for a younger audience and for those who want a little joke here and there. Nikita, on the other hand, is trigger-happy and a lot darker. The high-class Bond espionage vibe, the heavy sexual undertones and the near sci-fi appearance of Division will be highly valued by teenagers and college students, which coupled with the shootings and beautifully choreographed fights [with their specific fan base] will attract a wide and varied audience. Unless the show turns out to be a flunk.

Game of Thrones: 'Raven' Trailer and Teaser

Just before True Blood's season three finale aired HBO decided to surprise George R. R. Martin fans [who I am positive cannot wait for Spring 2011] with a brand new trailer and a teaser from the upcoming Game of Thrones TV series. Get them while they are hot, boys and girls. I will convert by reading the first novel in the Song of Fire and Ice, when season one launches. 

 

Gimme Some Good Old TV

Apart from being a notorious reader and a self-proclaimed movie fanatic*, I indulge myself in a wide plethora of TV shows. I watch pretty much everything from pointless comedy shows [I had a thing for Samantha Who?] to medical dramas [Private Practice anyone?], but what I am utterly in love with are the wicked, in-between and daring shows, which flip the bird to rules and morals and just go with it.

I start with United States of Tara. Multiple Personality Disorder is an attractive psychological disorder** and it was high time, someone did something memorable with it. Spielberg spotted the sheer brilliance in this disorder and now we have Toni Collette as an artist-mom off her meds, altering between the personalities of a horny teen party girl, a 50s model housewife and white trash redneck***. Written by Diablo Cody, United States of Tara is about the modern dysfunctional family, the meaning of having MPD and how it affects the lives around you. It is endearing, funny, dramatic and intense. The cast is strong and the second season picks up the ante and quality of the storytelling.

Nurse Jackie. Where do I start with Nurse Jackie? Jackie is a drug addict. Jackie cheats on her husband. She hides that she has a family from her medical staff. Jackie loves messing up the life of Doctor Cooper, a freshly baked doctor from university. All in all, Jackie is not saintly and most of what she does is appalling, but damn, Edie Falco is mind-blowing. Nurse Jackie is not a good person, but I continue to root for her, feel for her, hope she doesn’t get caught as she snuffs her dose. And I am completely against addiction and infidelity. Yeah, Falco is that good in her role. But the full experience comes after meeting Brit chick and fashion victim Dr. O’Hara, mean faced head nurse Eucalyptus, fidgeting and goofy Dr. Cooper and the weird nurses. It’s superb.

Ugly Americans comes last, because this is a fresh show from Comedy Central with only four episodes so far, but has proven to be much entertaining. It’s an alternative NYC with monsters and other creepy crawlies all living along. Hell is an easily reached destination, an escalator away, and NYC needs social workers to help ‘others’ integrate into society. Enter Mark Lilly, the very human social worker, trying his best, though futile, to help. Social workers in general have a tough life, but Mark has to watch out from becoming a snack for his zombie roommate Randall, mind his behavior around his aggressive demon girlfriend and immediate boss Callie and help unfortunate ‘others’ along with his always drunk wizard Leonard. This is bizarre to the point of addiction.

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* Minus the excessive trivia, which I sometimes envy in individuals.
** And for the love of god, this is not schizophrenia. Get your act together, people.
*** You know, the truck driving, beer drinking variety.

Dead Set: Some Brit Horror

In my opinion you can almost never go wrong with zombies. Even the weakest movies with these gruesome creatures as critter feature are entertaining to me. Comedies go well with them as well as horror movies. Comic books thrive in this niche and even literature picks up on the zombie myth. It was a matter of time before a mini-series were to be made and with this overture coming to an end I present to you “Dead Set”, a five episode series about a zombie outbreak hitting Britain. The focus falls on the Big Brother house, where the sole survivors are actually the housemates inside and some of the TV shows’s personnel.

As per with most good survival horror adventures much about the outbreak’s origin and nature is not known and even if people wanted to know that wouldn’t help them stay any more alive and out of danger. The best part of the whole mini series is that it didn’t hold back in the gore section. Blood, organs and body parts grace the silver screen with great deal of realism. The zombie species featured is the runner, which is not as ominous as its shuffling and moaning cousin, since to me the slow zombie is the symbol for inevitable death, from which you can run, but you can’t really escape. However the fast zombie delivers a great number of scare moments, popping out from nothing with glazed over eyes and a predatory shriek. I found it most enjoyable to see actors abandon their characters and then go completely animalistic. It’s the commitment that makes it believable and exciting, because the cast managed to make me believe in their metamorphosis into undead.

The main protagonist as far as I can tell is Kelly, a runner for the show, who before the outbreak tries everything to excel in the television business, but ultimately gets bossed around by Patrick the producer. After the outbreak she is lucky enough to survive and hides in the Big Brother house, where her bloodied appearance and her story of hungry dead were met by the housemates as another mission. Once however one zombie breaks in and infects two of the survivors, things change and from here on starts the battle to outsmart the predators, fortify the house and manage provisions. It all goes well until Patrick the producer manages to get in the house and drag everybody in a messed up escape plan, which ultimately leads to the loss of every advantage the survivors had.

Perhaps it’s because I am partial to the bulked out tension and the question “Will a zombie attack them now?”, but I found this mini-series quite refreshing. Considering the fact it got nominated for the BAFTA award. To hardcore Romero fans it will be also a scavenger hunt for references to the ‘Living Dead’ series. Apart from that I can’t help but spin some theories to why the writers chose to place this story in the Big Brother house and tie it with live TV. I view this as a grotesque representation of our current culture at the time being. With reality TV being intelligence’s current sworn nemesis the zombie outbreak can be interpreted as society’s collective drop of IQ. The fact that the only channel on TV still functioning is not CNN or anything watch-worthy but the Big Brother Live Feed, speaks that much to me. Of course I can be wrong and nevertheless it’s cool to se the Big Brother house used as a bunker.

Supernatural: Season 4

For an inexplicable reason I receive impulses to pen down reviews for pretty much everything of any cultural and entertainment value. There is something quite satisfying to simply have a say on a subject that may have something to do with literature or not. This is being really hard to resist, since I enjoy numerous TV shows and series. However the latest season of “Supernatural” made me feel like a Twilight fan and I need to resolve this bundle of emotions.

As far as I know, the upcoming fifth season will be the closing one for the series, wrapping up all arcs and it’s natural since it marks the start of the apocalypse. I personally perceive this tidbit of news with mixed feelings. On one hand it’s a killjoy to see one of the few better TV shows right now in the paranormal subgenre go, but on the other it will go with style. It shows that producers and writers have taken into account the natural progression of the story rather than stretching the concept needlessly like it happened with Charmed, a series that after eight seasons of not going anywhere in a definitive direction had to be quickly wrapped up.

But back to the actual Season 4... Perhaps there is one word that best defines the season as a whole: build-up. The drift between the Winchester brothers becomes more evident as both siblings find themselves on the opposing camps. Sam is on his way to abandoning humanity in the name of the greater good. With his character the show’s writers take a great spin of the general concept that the way to hell is paved with good intentions. Sam Winchester really just annihilates the line between what is acceptable and the forbidden taboos. Being willing to sacrifice your human soul by drinking demon blood in order to assassinate Lilith is admirable, though nauseating, seeing his struggles with morale. Dean Winchester’s situation is as grim as his brother’s. For better or for worse he has been forced into an allegiance with the angels, who in this series are unlike most stereotypes with little nobility and more strategy in their heads. As a character he has been written to be a selfless protector of his little brother and being into a position, where he has to stand up against him, especially in the wake of the apocalypse, is a slow death for Dean.

The clock is ticking, seals are being brocken and Lilith has to be stopped. The angels don't act accordingly or timely at all, which will arouse suspicions towards their agenda and whether a greater and sinister scheme is in place. Once the strategy for the whole apocalypse is revealed the viewer will get a sense that the kingdom of heaven is full of winged warriors with the greater good in mind rather than humanity’s current need of salvation. Collateral damage is acceptable and millions dead is nothing to be concerned with. This paired with the amazing acting provided by Misha Collins as Castiel and then Kurt Fuller as Zachariah, both written to grab attention as reinvented images of high stature angels and performed at the needed level. My compliments go to Christopher Heyerdahl, who makes a chilling Alastair, and Genevieve Cortese, who does a good enough job filling in the shoes of Ruby’s character.

Compliments go to the writers of the show that fisrt of all made Biblical mythology as cool as vampires on their media pedestals and interpreting all the myths and figures as well as lacing them with popular folklore from around the globe and local urban legends. I really felt that the inclusion of an actual prophet to be quite entertaining as well as his unstandard portrayal. There hasn't been a TV series with a tighter story frame that progressed from single episodes that feature more or less monster or the week and then move on to episodes chaining in with backstory and plot arcs. Ending with a very big cliff hanger and a ton load of questions but satisfyingly organic and expected, Season 4 opened the doors to the arena and Season 5 will be the final massacre.

The TV Special: Slight Bend in Rules

This is the final day of my group reviews and this time I will cover the silver screen, which is not exactly fitting the MOVIE week experience, but there are some worthy of mention cases that I deem interesting. Mind you I am not backing down with the spoilers.

I heard a couple of friends, the ones, who love demented anything, talk about the new mystery drama “Harper’s Island” as if it is the greatest thing ever. So, wherever the peeps go I follow and I must say I am not disappointed. First I got a surprise and saw the guy from Betty and was “Are you serious?”, but then I saw Ruby and Bobby from Supernatural, so I relaxed. The brutal murder in the very beginning, gone unnoticed by everybody also helped along the way. As far as I get it, every episode a person out of these 26 that had gone on a wedding party on Harper’s Island will die without mercy. I am surprised that the pilot treated you two a decapitation and a slicing in two. The eerie music had me placing morgue tags on people all the time. If only all murder mysteries could be more like “Harper’s Island”.

Now let’s get down to business with the world of comedy. It’s a first, since I am not that well equipped to review comedy as a genre, but I believe in spreading the word, when there is a reason to. This is the case with “Important Things with Demetri Martin”, the brand new Comedy Central TV show, which started this February. Demetri is an ambidextrous skater dude/folk singer/one man band with complete mastery of slant expression and zombie one tone voice. Standup comedy has never been as strange as this and the guy gives his everything to make us laugh. Every episode is centered on an important thing such as power, chairs, timing and coolness to name a few and the fun starts. Large pads, sketches, jokes and creepy musical numbers are his tools of trade, presented in the minimum of complexity. You should watch this.

Third stop is obvious, but I am so thrilled that “Mythbusters” will continue to make me envious that I don’t understand science at all and that I don’t get to know Keri, but alas real life is a cruel mistress. I usually don’t follow the series schedules to see when or whether a new season will popping up anytime soon, so an all time favorite with a new set of episodes is always a surprise and the “Demolition Derby Special” made squeal at the carnage. Personally I am not into car myths, but when physics magically turns cars into metal Play Doh I am all ears and eyes and whatever you need. This time they started as small as possible and crash cars into fruit stands, fences, trailers and after that dropped a car from 4000 feet, while another raced with gravity on who would be first. Then there were trucks colliding into one another and after that rockets thrown in the mix. Everything seems bigger and more destructive and it’s essential that the Mythbusters continue to outdo themselves, though I am not sure how they do it.

Dollhouse: Joss Whedon’s return to Godhood?

To answer my question: inconclusive...

Perhaps I judge too harshly, when I compare “Dollhouse” pilot episode to the ill fated and well forgotten “Bionic Woman”, which failed to complete a season. The latter had the misfortune to be caught between the punches during the writers’ strike, but still had it been something worth watching “Bionic Woman” would have triumphed. I hope Dollhouse” vastly improve with further episodes.

But I have a good reason for comparison or should I say reasons only after this first taste. First, both shows are more on the sci-fi side with the modified human being trope in the middle. Second, both have a premise, which can arouse interest and perhaps make a decent watch. Third, so far no convincing execution that screams ‘Watch Me’.

For the people with tendency to miss things, such as myself usually, Joss Whedon takes the old “corporation/government [your pick] has super modified units fit to perform any daring task in a kind of mindless way” for a spin. So you get to play Barbie with people, which is like a fetish for so many control freaks. The twist here is that you don’t just slap the clothes for a certain role, but also matching personality and physical attributes. Fun, huh? But of course your secretly created super agents need a super hideout, which is a human dollhouse with all the luxury in the world from yoga/Pilates classes and masseuses.

I like this concept, because it is well founded in society. Nowadays people don’t trust each other. You never know who somebody really is. Identity can be easily faked and every action harbors and ulterior motive. I am positive that “Dollhouse” can make a good comic book series, if it fails as a TV shows and here are the things that make me look with the critical eye.

1. I never thought I would see Eliza Dushku in high heels, a skirt that practically says “I mark the line between the ass and thighs” and dancing to Lady Gaga. This was a joke. However I dare to hypothesize that Echo’s character will be harder to connect or relate to, because in every episode she will be playing a different person. I know Dusku to be an expert on mentally unstable characters way back in Buffy, but playing practically schizophrenic will be a tough role. So far although her face a great sight for me, her performance is not as engaging.

2. Joss Whedon falls into a cliché. For Echo to start and remember her life she needs to witness something unsettling and stumbling in during a brainwashing procedure on a new girl. So she just happens to see the dazzling lights from an all glass room and follows and simply goes in through an unlocked door. Now not to argue with Whedon, but during an incriminating brainwashing procedure doors ought to be locked to prevent something like that or at least the high tech house show that someone is coming. Duh!

3. I am not really sure where this will go… With “Buffy” you knew apocalypses were on the menu. With “Battlestar Gallactica” you also had an idea what was going to be the main vibe. With “Supernatural” you figured two dudes would be killing stuff. So far I have never seen a series that is as ambiguous as this one apart from “Lost”, whose purpose was to make you feel lost.

I am going to keep watching and see whether I will just figure my time is better spent somewhere else or not. So far watchable.

True Blood: The TV Series with Fangs

Website: True Blood
Seasons/Episodes: Season 1, episodes 12
Season Finale: November 23rd

Everybody in the urban fantasy community have been hyped out about the series release of “True Blood” by HBO on the silver screen, so I finally decided to see what the commotion was all about. Any serious Internet surfer has come across adds for “TruBlood”, bottled synthetic blood for vampires.

The approach used to promote the TV series is original as the producers take the world written by Charlaine Harris, an icon in urban fantasy, and throw a lot of money to make it believable with world reports about the vampire situation and their civil right, interviews with the main characters and TV speeches from both human and vampire sides on the matter of integrating vampires in human society. The result is definite since True Blood is a hit on HBO and if people think that urban fantasy is repeating itself to boredom in novels, then on TV the effect is addictive. Right from the starting scenes to the title sequence with a smoldering Southern song “I wanna do Bad Things to You” by Jace Everett and a very precisely crafted montage of scenes to show the many faces of the South, the show grabbed me. Just to note the series takes place in the fictional small town Bon Temp, Louisiana

I personally haven’t had the pleasure of reading the Sookie Stackhouse Series, so I cannot say whether the show does any justice to the novels, which is the normal outcome or vice versa. But having watched the first nine episodes, I might as well read them. The casting for the series is interesting and judging by the characters involved I would say that the producers have struck gold. Anna Paquin is more known for her role in the X-Men trilogy as the super heroine Rogue and the transformation from a self conscious mutant to a very perky and too optimistic, even tad naïve telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse is an amazing one indeed. My first impression of Anna’s character is that Sookie is with no self preservation instinct and kind of dumb to go out in the middle of the night chasing vampires out of curiosity. She just goes there like a moth bathed in gasoline to a torch, waiting to set herself on fire, but thankfully in nine episodes we see depth that explains most of her behavior. Being a telepath not introduced to a means to active her gift when she wishes, Sookie has to deal with the very unflattering thoughts of the people that visit the bar, where she waits.

The vampire Bill Compton is portrayed by the English actor Stephen Moyer, who has been capable enough to get the Southern accent just fine. Although lacking a filmography with widely known blockbuster roles, something he and the rest of the actor staff have in common, Stephen is a perfect fit for the part. He is tall, dark, handsome and his eyes have that mysterious feel that you can’t possibly place. When it comes to credibility all the actors in the series are competent enough. Ryan Kwanten, who plays Sookie’s Brother Jason, does a fine junkie playboy stud, while Rutina Wesley, portraying Sookie’s best friend Tarra Thornton, does a fantastic job bossing people around with her loud mouth and promises quite an entertainment. I view this series as the trampoline for many of these actors.

So let’s drop the cast and move to the story. Every episode is like a shot of tequila, a concentrated dosage of the good old urban fantasy spirit. You have your buxom blond hottie with paranormal abilities, who doesn’t seem like a cliché. Then you add a charming vampire, who wants to mainstream and due to that disturbs the usual flow of the small town. This mixture can’t go without a love triangle, a good for nothing brother womanizer, who gets himself in vampire related trouble and then to top it off, you have your buxom blond make herself known to the vampire world as a telepath. Mix all of these with hot actors, add the necessary sex and blood scenes and you have nine explosive episodes. This is a cocktail I would drink any day several times.

As with everything quite as provocative as this TV series, you either love it or hate it. I am glad to say that most of the people agree with me. According to Metacritic the critics are favorable with a rating of 64 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, while the users are more generous with 8.5 out of 10. If you want a full list of opinions then here is the link to Metacritic…

All I can say is that I have a new reason not to do anything responsible and enjoy myself. To the Charlaine Harris fans this will be a re-discovery (not only Madonna is entitled to that) and to all the people, who wonder what new book genre to start, this will be a great first interaction. Also here are some videos that might interest future fans of the show:

"Blood Ties"

“Blood Ties” is another fine specimen of the new breed of TV series that are the silver screen brethren of the Urban Fantasy novels and there are many examples like Moonlight, Supernatural, Charmed (which is pretty much over with but still fits the genre) and Bionic Woman although that is a bit sci-fi.

I am personally left very good impression from this first season that aired last year I think, but me being slow with the new and incredible got to some catching up to do. The plot so far has proved to very loose. Vicki Nelson is a private eye that is in the beginning of her career, when one whacky case involves her with the vampire Henry Fitzroy as a partner and bad demonic tattoos on her hands. Anyways since the case dealt with demons Vicki starts to get more supernatural cases like voodoo zombies, demons, gorgons, incubus, dark elves and everything else you can conjure from the bags of underworld goodies.

While these storylines overlap with some of the episodes of the TV series mentioned above excluding Bionic Woman, it is really nice to see a character quite sarcastic and manly like Vicki Nelson. Probably everyone knows the spunky woman with a mind of her own, but Vicki brings something new the table. I mean the actress Christina Cox. And that something is the macho act. Personally I haven’t seen that strong willed women that I enjoy watching as characters, but Vicki is captivating that she has the behavior that goes along with the attitude. By the way she walks and shrugs, you simply know that she can go headfirst into some mess and get out alive.

The vampire Henry Fitzroy (Kyle Schmid) plays his role very well as a seductive bloodsucker as it comes quite naturally to him. He is a pretty boy and adding the vampire act certainly qualifies him for the claim of one of Anne Rice’s characters. He has the typical vampire charisma and lots of interesting acquaintances that help throughout some of the cases. His background is also very well built leading him back to the Tudors.

The plot that hangs the series together is the love triangle between Vicki Nelson, the vampire Henry and Vicki’s last partner in the police before going solo Mike Celluci (Dylan Neal). It is not the most tension and sizzling love triangle, but there is attraction, jealousy and macho butt- heading, which doesn’t impress Vicki at all. It’s amusing. However you do find a thread that ties the season together as the last episode feature the same demon Vicki fought in the first episode. Now I am all excited to watch season two.

I can’t exactly rate it, because I am left with a lot of mixed feelings, since the plot could have been woven I and not added in the last episodes. So the verdict is 7/10 for the great monster diversity.