TV REVIEW: "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." -- Premiered: September 24, 2013

Well, it's here, whether we needed it or not.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is hands down the most anticipated and closely guarded pilot of the new fall season. It's also hands down the pilot with the most obnoxious and ridiculously crafted title, too. I love Marvel and I love superhero movies but I was never fully onboard with this idea. Even with the auspices attached, I couldn't bring myself to believe this show was going to be any more than a rote procedural with enough references to popular things to make it interesting. Come to find out, I think that's exactly what S.H.I.E.L.D. is and is going to be.

The opening of tonight's pilot, after a weirdly written intro, which of course shamelessly uses footage from The Avengers to make it feel more appropriately epic, is supposedly set in Eastern Los Angeles. If by Eastern Los Angeles, they mean the most stark (no pun intended), and half set-dressed backlot available for use in LA then they are correct. The scene feels empty and anemic, hardly the setting you want to hit your audience, who have come to expect $250 million dollar production value, with right out of the gate. The scene introduces the us to its first "superhero," or the first person in the series who is on his way to realizing he might want to be or has the potential to be a superhero. There's an explosion and he scales a wall and it looks OK. Look, I understand that this is a TV show and there are limits, you can't knock a show too much for it's audacity and courage, but this is the pilot, the very first thing you are showing your audience, you shouldn't have any "oh, that could have looked better" moments. Leave those for the episodes that will surely come later down the line.

After the brief prologue, we cut back to S.H.I.E.L.D. business and the re-introduction of Clark Gregg's Special Agent Coulson. Of course, he died in The Avengers and his return here is no surprise, thanks to the nature of needing the star of a TV show to promote said show, and also ABC's relentless marketing campaign. Sadly, fans hoping for some incredible reasoning as to WHY he is alive and well will be disappointed, as the logistics of it all are kind of tossed in a "we'll talk about it later" basket. I happen to love Clark Gregg and Agent Coulson. He's a nerdy, average looking bad ass that I think a lot of Marvel fans relate to. Oh god, that sounded so sad. Whatever, it's true. His introduction is handled with a perfectly calculated Joss Whedon-y scene – two characters are talking and the time for a dramatic entrance arrives so Coulson steps from the shadows between them: "Sorry," he explains. "That corner was really dark and I couldn't help myself." Good stuff.

One of my main concerns is how this pilot works for someone who isn't knowledgable about anything related to the Marvel universe. For instance, I spoke with my Mom on the phone this morning and she mentioned the show. So yes, ABC has done their job making people AWARE that this thing exists, but I can't imagine her understanding any of this nonsense if she decided to tune in. Yeah, they try and explain stuff. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission is to survey the population for superheroes, supervillains, and monsters and decide if they are a threat to humanity or if they could use them for the greater good. I'm sure eventually someone corrupt will invade S.H.I.E.L.D. and want to use them for evil but I'll give them a few episodes before those shenanigans begin. "We're the line between the world and the much weirder world," Coulson explains. When you boil it down, it's actually pretty simple, but I imagine the non-initiated to be a tad confused by the end of the hour. I'm sure this question is one of the biggest things plaguing ABC and Marvel and I'm positive it has been brought up in many an executive meeting. If Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is too broad, it will turn off the Marvel-obsessed fanboy contingent and if it's too detailed it will turn away the majority of the wide-audience and become a cult-"hit" with 4 million weekly viewers by February.

Most of tonight's premiere is exposition and scene-setting and character introduction. Sadly, mostly everyone fades into the surroundings a little too much. Outside of Coulson, the S.H.I.E.L.D. crew is just your generic group of nerdy, BUT ATTRACTIVE, misfits who talk in exposition A LOT. They have accents and are basically just story engines at this point. We do get to learn a bit more about a hacker (Chloe Bennet) who joins the agency in the pilot and is the only one to assert some spunk and sass into the proceedings. I'm sure we will get to know more about them as things develop but for now I wasn't particularly invested in any of their stories or who they are outside of S.H.I.E.L.D.

After tonight's premiere, I'm mixed on where I end up with my overall opinion. I didn't really like the show I just watched. It was kind boring and kind of forced but there were also a few moments that ignited a little bit of a spark. A spark that leads me to think the show might find a way to be more than your average procedural with popular references. Within the Marvel universe, the possiblities are pretty endless and the show can have a lot of fun blowing some minds with clever correlations between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the expansive Marvel timeline. For our sake, I hope it does! I hope they find a way to make it work and have it be more exciting than the pilot was. But based on these initial 45 minutes, it looks like all this fanfare might just become a bridge to close the gap between the release of the next Marvel blockbuster. I mean, you did see that 2-minute trailer for Thor: The Dark World in one of the ad breaks, right?

GRADE: C  (for #CoulsonLives and ya know, being average.)

Stray observations:

• Typing out Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a level of torture I never thought existed. Seriously, the worst.
• I think the show is going to do HUGE business in the ratings tomorrow morning. Like, probably one of the biggest premieres in recent history. I also think that the situation will be very different in a few months. This could easily be the next Revolution.
• Can you name another show that is premiering on ABC this fall? Nope? Me neither.
• How weird was it when the ABC promo guy said "You don't want to miss the end of every episode!" Umm, okay? I'll miss the first half then?

How "The Killing" Returned From Being Cancelled And Blew My (Our) Minds

The addition of Peter Sarsgaard and a gripping, emotionally-devastating central mystery has revived the series in a way no one expected, including me.

I remember when I first watched the pilot for The Killing. It was a dreary, dark Monday afternoon, one day after the show premiered. I hit play as the rain hit the windows of my apartment relentlessly and I was mesmerized. The pilot oozed with fantastic performances, a shocking mystery, and beautiful cinematography that captured rainy Seattle at its darkest and emptiest moments. The season followed the mystery of "Who Killed Rosie Larson?," which also happened to be the tagline on the key art for the show's first season. The early episodes were insanely strong but as the season progressed, a shift in public and critical opinion quickly leaned towards frustration. Red herrings were frequent and the show spent a good amount of time following dead end trails that ended up being just a bunch of filler. Then, the season finale came and instead of solving the season's mystery the show left the audience with a cliffhanger that didn't only NOT solve the case but opened up a whole other can of worms with a twist that left us pondering the motives behind one the main characters. Fans were livid and an epic backlash was ignited, mainly on Twitter, because that's where backlashes happen these days. Loyal viewers vowed never to return to the show and expressed deep disgust for show creator, Veena Sud, who appeared to have permanently placed herself on some sort of showrunner blacklist. Surprisingly, I wasn't upset. I thought the first season was strong albeit not perfect, but I wasn't against spending more time in the world of the Rose Larson mystery like most were.

Season 2 came and the backlash showed its strength. Ratings dropped and general interest in the show had decreased significantly but I held onto the hope that the writers knew what they were doing. Season 2 had its moments and I found the ending to be generally satisfying but by the end of the season it was clear The Killing would need a massive overhaul to climb out of the hole it had gotten itself in. On July 27, 2012, AMC announced it would not be renewing the show for a third season. It was a move that came as quite a shock to some but was completely expected by others. I however, was pretty upset. The show was still averaging a healthy-ish number in the ratings and the cancelation felt more decided upon the public and critical backlash as opposed to the fact the show was no longer benefiting the network financially. The show that supposedly "lied to their audience" was gone for good. There was some mild discussion over AMC's decision but then everyone kind of moved on.

In January, out of nowhere, AMC announced the show would be returning for a third season. In a complicated, Hollywood deal, Fox Television Studios and Netflix worked with AMC to help lower the cost to produce the show and aided in making the return a possibility. Also returning was show creator, Veena Sud who released a statement that the third season would be a much improved The Killing and she promised to close the case by the finale. People shrugged their shoulders.

The series returned from the dead on June 2, 2013. The advertising was heavy on the fact that the season would focus on a brand new case, a move surely made to help restore goodwill towards viewers who had turned their backs on the series long ago. Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman returned as Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder respectively, and in an interesting casting move, Peter Sarsgaard signed on for season-long arc in what everyone assumed would be the "big bad" of the season.

After the two-hour premiere, I was kind of miffed. Was that just The Killing?! The new season bursted out of the gate, not with the limping self-pity most expected, but with an electric new storyline and a renewed energy that was sorely missing from the show's second season. The central plot focused on a serial killer picking off street kids one at a time, and Ray Seward (Sarsgaard), a man Linden put away sometime for the murder of his wife, who's now on death-row.

The show felt alive again. Enos and Kinnaman returned strong as ever. Seriously, the bond these two characters have is incredible to watch and the scenes of them sparring back and forth are some of the most enjoyable on television. They feel so lived in, nothing artificial. In the premiere, we are introduced to young Bex Taylor-Klaus as a smart, brave, yet terrified homeless kid, Bullet. Her closest street friend disappears in the first episode which drives the action going forward. Taylor-Klaus is a revelation. She plays Bullet with a fierce cockiness that walks a fine line between endearing and annoying. As the case deepens, Bullet and Holder form a special bond, a bond that Bullet fights at first but succumbs to eventually because deep down she know she needs him. Her only true friend has disappeared and the girl she has a crush on, and would do anything for, has fallen in "love" with another homeless kid with selfish ambitions that Bullet sees right through. She's alone, and so is Holder. The pair's relationship, and the performances by Kinnaman and Taylor-Klaus are magnetic. Seriously.

In the previous two seasons, characters were added to distract and stall time from the central mystery. In season three, Holder and Linden are surrounded by a strong cast of suspects and supporting players that all add to the story and don't detract from it. The gritty underworld of Seattle is explored in fascinating realism. It's a subject many choose to ignore or admit exists but the show handles the subject with grace and panache while simultaneously revealing just how desperate of a situation it is for these kids.  One scene set in a homeless shelter focuses on the nightly "bed lottery," which assigns available beds for the night to those in need. Those leftover are told sorry and excused back to the streets. Rather heartbreaking, right?

While the serial killer of street kids was the central focus this season, the side mystery was that of Ray Seward. Arguably, my favorite television character to come along in quite sometime. Ray enters death-row on account of the murder of his wife, a case Linden had a rather large hand in. Opposed to the lethal injection, Seward demands to be hung for his actions, making life difficult for his future executioners. Ray is a fascinating character played masterfully by Peter Sarsgaard. Throughout the season, you're never quite certain if this is a bad man guilty of his actions or an innocent man who is so defeated over how his life has turned out that he doesn't have the energy to fight it. His scenes, and Sarsgaard's performance, are filled with a darkly-grim wit that, despite the seriousness and misery of his situation, made for some wickedly entertaining moments.

This past Sunday, the penultimate episode of the season, "Six Minutes" aired. It was penned by Veena Sud and was one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen. SPOILERS AHEAD. Throughout the season, Linden uncovers a shift in evidence and realizes Ray Seward isn't the guilty man everyone thought he was. The claustrophobic episode focuses on Linden's last ditch effort to save Ray from his inevitable fate. To add tension to proceedings, the episode begins with an eerie fake out of the execution. After the executioners raise the  test dummy from gallows they pronounce, "twelve hours, the clock starts now..." It takes what easily could have become a meandering mess and provides the urgency the episode needs to feel real. Set entirely within the confines of the prison, "Six Minutes" was a showcase for the power of Sarsgaard and Eno's performances this season. Ray reminisces with fascinating stories of his past and Linden laughs and cries along with him as they both try to cope with what his future holds.

As the hour nears its conclusion, Ray's son who is now under adopted care has come to see him. The son is nervous and very confused of the entire situation and Ray is hesitant to see him at all. Linden talks to him and says he needs to have a proper goodbye to his son, for both of them to move on. When Ray decides this is the best decision, he nervously fidgets with his clothes, making sure his shirt is properly tucked in and is as presentable as possible. Then, the unthinkable happens – his time is up and the guards come to collect Ray just as his son is standing outside to see him. It's devastating  As he is whisked away, Linden screams repeatedly "look outside your windows, Ray!" As the prison guards drag Ray down the hall towards the noose, he resists, not out of protest but of genuine fear, they pause in front of a window where Linden is standing outside with his son. His son gives him a gentle wave that calms him, and gives him the strength to go on. It was incredibly moving and was the moment the episode cemented its place in my list of TV's  all-time greatest. In the end, Ray was hanged but not before spitting out this gem – the executioner calls for his last words, Ray responds: "Salisbury steak's not steak; it's ground beef. Now, let's get this show on the road, Warden." Genius. It made me smile, a lot. Seriously, Sarsgaard's performance was magnificent and in a better world he would be walking away with an Emmy this fall for supporting actor.

Tonight, The Killing airs its two-hour season finale and I really hope that it isn't its last. This season the show has delivered on all the promises it made back in April 2011. A complex, intriguing central mystery, supporting characters that actually support, don't detract, from the story and the continuing story of two fucked up detectives, who are still afraid to admit that they need each other as they navigate the endless despair in their personal and professional lives. It's not a happy show. It can make you feel pretty awful but as opposed to the first two seasons, where the misery seemed to be thrown in just because, this season it means more. The world has gone mad and these characters, specifically Linden and Holder, seek desperately for any possible way to do some good for society and the people who surround them. They stumble, they lose their way but in the end they are two people fighting against a justice and social system gone horribly awry It's these types of moments that give the world of the The Killing light. Even in its darkest times, even when the rain refuses to stop, there is hope.


The two-hour season finale of The Killing airs tonight at 9/8c on AMC.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Pacific Rim" -- Released: July 12, 2013

OH. MY. GOD. You know those people who don't see "the point" in seeing movies in theaters? Well, if you do, please take them to see Pacific Rim in IMAX 3D before it ends its run in a few weeks. Never has a film captured the "big screen" experience like this one. For two-full hours, it punches you in the face with an insane, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping experiment in pulse-pounding action and I couldn't help but smile from ear-to-ear throughout the entire thing.

With Pacific Rim, Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) has entered the world of the bona-fide blockbuster. Luckily, even with the additional budget at his disposal, his intricate attention to detail remains intact and is a constant reminder that amidst the relentless action, this is indeed a Del Toro production. The film glistens with special f/x glamour, not just during its epic robot on monster battles, but also adding incredible detail to the film's near-future, apocalyptic scenery.

Rim kicks off in a surprisingly whip-lash fashion. Foregoing a prolonged first act, it rips right into the meat of the piece. It's very evident Del Toro knows exactly what the audience came for and he refuses to pander to anyone's pre-concieved expectations. Look, it's the near future and an inter-dimensional shift in the Pacific ocean's floor has caused giant godzilla-like monsters (Kaijus) to be released from their depths waging war on Earth. In turn, our military force has commissioned the creation of giant robots (Jaegers) to fight them off and restore peace to our land. To operate these Jaegers, two pilots are paired together and "drift" into each other's minds to work together and operate these highly technical machines. That's basically it.

Beyond that, Del Toro keeps the plot machinations light. We're introduced to Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam), a mourning pilot who lost his brother in a past Kaiju vs. Jaeger battle. After his loss, Raleigh "retires" from the Jaeger missions and begins work at Pacific Rim's equivalent to a power plant. It isn't long before the Kaiju's attacks increase in frequency and intensity and Raleigh, known as one of the best fighters around, is asked to return to the force. After some initial hesitation, he's paired with Mako (Rinko Kikuchi), a newcomer to piloting Jaeger's, and who he feels a strong connection. The hierarchy of the force lies under the supervision of the commanding officer, Stacker (Idris Elba). Stacker is badass because Idris Elba is badass.

Charlie Hunnam & Rinko Kikuchi in Pacific Rim
Photo Courtesy:  Warner Bros. Pictures

This all might sound rather heavy and unnecessarily complicated for a monster movie, but Del Toro lets it all unfold quickly and without too much self-seriousness taking precedent.  The stakes are real, but he isn't afraid to find light bits of comedy throughout. Charlie Day, in particular, executes his usual Charlie Day-ness in an entertaining turn as a scientist who gets a little too close to a Kaiju. Whenever the film starts  to get a little too worn down in its "serious moments," Day pops back up and reminds us to laugh.

Movies don't get more "fanboy-ish" than this but Pacific Rim owns it in every sense of the phrase. It's one of the few times while seeing a film in IMAX that I felt the format's tagline of "an experience" actually meant something. Pacific Rim WAS an experience. The film surrounds you in its dark, murky, neon-hued world of monsters and robots, battling for the destruction or protection of Earth, crashing amongst the waves of the Pacific. It's an epic, epic movie that wears a geeky heart on its sleeve. While sitting in the theater, I felt like a young kid again, in awe of the magic I was seeing on the screen. Days after seeing the movie, I was still reenacting the action-figure "type" movements the pilots would execute while in battle. If that doesn't take you back to your childhood adventures, I'm not sure what will.

GRADE: A-

PACIFIC RIM
Directed By: Guillermo Del Toro 
PG-13, 132 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW: "The Way, Way Back" -- Released: July 5, 2013

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was one of my favorite films – if not my favorite – of 2012. A lot of people would be shocked to hear that and I think a good few would agree with me. I was in awe of the film's sense of time and place, its raw performances, and completely honest story of a young kid who wasn't sure who he ought to be in the world, until he found a group of friends who accepted him for what he was, a "wallflower," with a lot to offer. I found The Way, Way Back to be similar in a lot of ways to Perks, but for me, its story and characters weren't executed as gracefully or as honestly as the former. Still, it's an extremely refreshing summer film in a time where one is hard-pressed to find a movie playing sans a superhero or robot.

The film begins with Duncan (Liam James) sitting in "the way way back" of one of those old-school station wagons where you face backwards at the cars behind you. His mom (Toni Collette) is passed out in the front seat and her new boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), is passing the time by making uncomfortable small talk with a visibly annoyed Duncan. Trent asks Duncan to rank himself on a scale of one-to-10 in regards to his looks, personality, basically his whole "package." Duncan responds, after some annoyed hesitation,  with "a six," Trent scoffs and labels him "a three." It's brutal, uncomfortable, and kind of hilarious. This short scene encapsulates who Duncan is and who he's surrounded by – an awkward kid in his awkward stage with not a friend in site. Sadly, this scene is probably the most surprising of the entire film. 

The car ride ends at Trent's beach house where the new "family" plans to spend the summer. Pam (Collette) is visibly a little nervous over her leap of faith in spending the summer with her boyfriend and Duncan is practically miserable over the whole situation. As they settle in, Nat Faxon and Jim Rashs' screenplay settles into checking things off its pre-determined list of clichéd story elements.

Duncan mopes about the first few days, has a few embarrassing moments, gets kind-of upset at some things and when it all becomes too much to take, he escapes Trent's beach house and happens upon the local town's water park, Water Wizz. The water park is run by Owen (Sam Rockwell), a screwball general manager who cares more about retelling the "grand" history behind the park – it was built in 1983 and not a single thing has changed since – then actually carrying out manager-like duties. Owen takes a liking to young Duncan and it's rather easy to tell where it all goes from here – Duncan discovers himself amongst the friendships he builds in the fantastical world of Water Wizz. Here he learns who he is, where he belongs, and what kind of person he wants to be.

The scenes at Water Wizz sizzle with summer fun all led by Rockwell who turns in an award-worthy performance here. He lights the screen on fire with his wacky, over-the-top, and earnest portrayal of Owen. He's so good that the rest of the film suffers when he isn't on screen. Duncan looks up to Owen as the father figure he never quite had and Owen relishes the opportunity to take Duncan under his wing. These scenes also feature a colorful array of wonderful cameos including Faxon and Rash, with Rash being particularly hilarious in his usual brand of quirky comedy, additionally the always great Maya Rudolph gets in on the fun as Owen's love interest. It's here where the film's simplistic intentions work to the film's advantage and not against it.

Outside Water Wizz, the plot gets a tad bogged down in the machinations of everyone else's stories as it's obvious the writers really only care about getting back to the fun waiting at the water park. We're treated to some adult side-stories with ho-hum results that I won't really get into here. There is one scene featuring some fantastic domestic drama played out over a game of "Candy Land." It's the second time this summer I've seen great conflict arise from a children's board game. The first being scenes in The Kings of Summer, featuring angrier than normal games of "Monopoly."

Towards the end of the film, Owen and Duncan are standing on top of one of Water Wizz's tallest water slides and Owen tells of the great world of opportunities and adventure awaiting Duncan. In that moment, you can see a shade of regret in Owen's eyes. Maybe he was meant for more in life than owning a few acres of land with some water slides? Maybe Owen isn't as happy as he seems, maybe this simplistic life isn't everything he wanted. Then again, maybe it is.

This scene stuck with me the most as the credits rolled as I believe it spoke to what The Way, Way Back's central objective was – to remind its audience how hopeless and lonely childhood is/was, and how when you grow up, those problems don't just magically disappear. Happiness isn't something that just happens but it comes from what you make of yourself and who you surround yourself with. For Duncan, it took a summer spent working at a water park and meeting an unlikely friend who shed some light on this important lesson before it was too late.

GRADE: B

ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: Allison Janney was hilariously over-the-top throughout the entire movie and it was amazing.


THE WAY, WAY BACK
Directed By: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
PG-13, 103 minutes

TV REVIEW: "Under The Dome" -- Premiered: June 24, 2013

Let me begin by saying I wasn't particularly looking forward to this premiere with much (or any) anticipation. To be honest,  I'm not sure anyone was looking forward to it aside from some casual interest or the few who thought the idea could actually make for a gripping summer series. Well, Under The Dome has arrived and its premiere felt mostly like a whole bunch of nothing.

Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, Under The Dome tells the story of Chester's Mill, an idyllic small town in Maine with a lot of BIG SECRETS. If you didn't already know, if you live in a small town, it's actually impossible for there NOT to be dark secrets lurking behind every closed door –  especially if your small town is the focal point of a new "event" TV series on CBS. 

The pilot begins with a predictable glimpse of everyday life in Chester's Mill. We're introduced to Dale "Barbie" Barbara (Mike Vogel, fresh off his weird stint on A&E's Bates Motel), an Army vet who's just passing through town but also happens to be burying a body deep within the town limits of CM. We also meet "Big Jim" Rennie (DEAN NORRIS!), a used car salesman who holds a confident swagger, as only Dean Norris could, and a prominent political role in the town. We learn later, Big Jim also seems to be one of the central characters in a larger mystery involving mysterious propane deliveries. Yes, a central mystery in Under The Dome revolves around propane deliveries. I don't know, I guess we'll see where this goes?! I GUESS? We also meet the new editor of the local paper, Julia Shumway (Rachelle Lefevre); and young kind-of couple, Junior Rennie (Alexander Koch) and Angie McAlister (Britt Robertson). Junior and Angie had a little summer fling, but you see, summer is over and in the early minutes of last night's premiere Junior tells Angie he loves her. She doesn't return the favor and by the end of the episode, she's locked up in the Rennie's storm cellar. Junior is a very troubled young teen with ANGST.

About 10 minutes into the pilot, "the dome" crash lands over Chester's Mill and in the process, literally slices a cow in half. It's arguably the most campy moment of the premiere, and the special effects do a good enough job at retaining the seriousness of it all, but I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably and rewind the moment to watch again and again. What's strange is that after a few more big set pieces, revealing how the dome has affected the town while simultaneously establishing how far its encasing reaches, the residents reactions range from minor panic to simply mildly annoyed. In one scene, after an airplane crashes into the dome and almost kills Joe McAlister, Angie's brother, with its debris, Joe simply walks it off. Seconds later, he asks Barbie if his cell phone is working – super casual. Like, it's weird enough that two of these strangers are dealing with this chaos together, let's not make it stranger by brushing off these catastrophic events with a minor wipe of the brow. A certain sense of urgency and maybe some forward thinking would help? Maybe? Yes, I think it would! Moments like this continue throughout the pilot which makes for some very interesting tonal shifts and all the more confusing for the audience as we contemplate whether or not we should be taking any of it seriously. I think that's a problem.

Now my lukewarm reaction could easily be chalked up to the fact that I just finished Season 3 of Game of Thrones over the weekend thus amplifying all of Under The Dome's network drama silliness. Who knows, I may have warmed to it a tad more if I was coming off, say, a weekend marathoning FlashForward (R.I.P.). I definitely think there's some intrigue and fun to be had here. The pilot does a decent job of giving us enough of a taste of these characters, and this town, to make us interested in seeing what happens to them but I just hope in further episodes, the writers don't take the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach that seemed to be the motto for the pilot.

The show needs to build interesting conflicts and create some internal and external struggles for these characters amongst these fantastical events. If they create a good enough mix, I think it will be worth sticking around for the remainder of its 13-episode run. If not, at least I can savor the cow being sliced in half.

MOST HORRIBLE / AMAZING THING SAID:

Joe McAlister: What if the government built this thing? 

Barbie: I doubt it.

Joe McAlister: Why?!

Barbie: 'Cause it works.

OUCH!

GRADE: C+

MOVIE REVIEW: "Man of Steel" -- Released: June 14, 2013

In July of 2012, The Dark Knight Trilogy, one of the most successful (and widely-acclaimed) superhero franchises of all time, came to an end. Christopher Nolan's gritty, realistic, and emotionally draining trilogy raised the bar for what audiences expect from superhero films, and many were skeptic something as raw and "real" would ever come along again. Fast forward about a year later and that answer is still unclear for some but absolutely certain for many – Man of Steel has arrived and it's about as emotionally-raw and mind-blowingly epic as superhero films get.

Director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead) has created a 2 1/2 hour exercise in relentless action and striking emotion all anchored by a new, cooler, more conflicted Superman. The added angst and human touch come with the help of Nolan himself who served as co-writer/producer on the film. Though at times too bombastic for it's own good, the film explores the struggle of one boy's journey to accept the differences that made him an outcast and use those differences to change the world – for the better.

The film begins with an extended prologue on Krypton – something I was not expecting – where we meet Superman's father, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and mother, Lara (Ayelet Zurer) who is heaving in pain giving birth to young Kal-El (our hero). The whole scene plays out with the impending doom of General Zod (Michael Shannon) looming over the proceedings all while Krypton slowly burns to ashes. Jor-El's prophecy is that young Kal-El will become an "ideal" for mankind and that the people of Earth will look to him for guidance and light. As Krypton explodes, the two parents ship their child in a vessel, intact with a codex to preserve the Kryptonian race,  straight to Earth as General Zod threatens his plot of revenge. (i.e. "I WILL FIND HIM!")

Years later, we meet grown up Kal-El (Henry Cavill) as a burly fisherman, who within 60 seconds of screen time shows off his insane strength, when he rescues an entire fishing crew after a disaster on an oil rig breaks out. After the rescue, he sinks into the ocean lifeless as we flashback to young Kal. Ya know, the one who crash landed in Smallville, Kansas and is being raised by The Kents (Diane Lane as Martha and Kevin Costner as Jonathan) who have renamed him, Clark. It is here where we first get a glimpse of his childhood, which of course is filled with the usual struggles like bullies, being an outcast, and the strange tendency to lose focus and control when too much information is being thrown at him, like in a classroom. But all of this pales in comparison to when Clark saves a handful of classmates by literally dragging a school bus out of a lake after it careens off a bridge into the icy water below, forever ruining the notion he would prefer everyone accept – that he is a normal kid.

The first hour of the film continues to explore these moments, as we jump in time between old and young Clark. The choice to employ non-linerar storytelling for a superhero tale was a wise one by screenwriter David S. Goyer and co-writer Nolan. I'm surprised a previous hero tale hasn't made similar use of the technique. In Man of Steel, it allows those who are too familiar with Superman's origin to be surprised and informs those who need a brush up on the motivations behind the important decisions Clark makes along the way. The scenes between Clark and his adopted parents are without a doubt the emotional core of the film. Aided by a brilliant, emotionally charged score by Hans Zimmer, these scenes ache with pain and hurt but they also flawlessly remind us that this is where Clark learns who he is and who he would become, and that no matter what, family, any family, is important.

Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is introduced as a no-nonsense, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist sent to the Arctic to investigate a mysterious vehicle under the ice. Of course, this is where Lois and Clark have there first run in. (Many have said that Henry Cavill and Amy Adams lacked romantic chemistry and I don't disagree. But, I also think it's something the script doesn't full develop and we can't place the blame entirely on the performances.) It's also at this location that Clark discovers a sort-of hologram of his real father, Jor-El who appears from the dead to brief Clark on the history of Krypton and unveil to him the infamous cape and suit branded with an "S," that doesn't stand for Superman, but for hope. Jor-El reminds him yet again, Earth is counting on him to defy evil and bring light to the world in the dark times that lie ahead.

This leads to arguably one of the films finest moments – Superman learning to fly. It's thrilling and joyful and gives the audience the sense that even we could accomplish such amazing feats if we put our minds to it.

And of course, just as Clark is mastering his flight and strength, General Zod returns from his limbo, in his frozen prison, hellbent on forcing the inhabitants of Earth to capture and release Superman into his clutches. Zod is after a that codex that was sent with Kal when he made his journey from Krypton. Ya see, Zod's main objective is to rebuild the Kryptonian race and the codex is the only way he will be able to do it.

The final hour, that's right, HOUR is devoted to the battle of Superman vs. General Zod as well as Superman's ultimate choice – does he return to Zod and help rebuild his first home (and his race), or does he defend his real home on Earth. Now, I'll be the first to admit this final sequence is as awe-inspiring as it is tedious. Its relentless, at sometimes repetitive, action verges on over-indulgent and it goes on for far too long. The nagging thing about the popularity of these superhero franchises is every "final battle" needs to top the previous one. It seems like Snyder was focused on destroying the record The Avengers set last summer in terms of length and insanity – and even though that battle had issues, at least it had a clearer sense of what was going on. Don't get me wrong, it's still very exciting and entertaining but I'm in the mindset that there definitely can be too much action in a film and Man of Steel comes dangerously close to crossing the line.

In the end, Metropolis is basically in ashes and Superman defeats Zod, albeit in a somewhat controversial execution. After a series of fights featuring non-stop punching (seriously, the amount of punching was insane), Superman, rather violently, snaps Zod's neck. Now, I don't consider myself an expert on every aspect of the character, but I believe it's widely known that Superman is one of the kinder superheroes who would never personally kill a villain, so it did come as a shock when the sound of a neck snapping spread throughout the theater sending a chill up the audiences collective spine. It was a dark moment and one of the biggest decisions Clark makes throughout the film. In my opinion, it works because of just how un-defeatable Zod had proven. THIS was Clark's moment to listen to what both of his fathers had been telling him throughout the years, it was HIS time to live up to their beliefs and defeat evil and restore hope to the people. I think it works because of the pain Henry Cavill expresses after Clark decides to end Zod for good. Clark was not expecting to make that decision or for it to come to that, but he did what he thought was right in the moment and he will deal with whatever consequences arise because of it.

Controversy aside, the film ends in a sequence that (rather obviously) sets up some story threads for the inevitable sequel – the film has made $141.3 million to-date. Superman has a face-to-face meeting with a leading general requesting the military forces trust in him, to protect earth and work together to defeat any future threats, as he's sure there will be many. Then, of course, Clark dons his classic, bespectaled "disguise" and begins work as a journalist at "The Daily Planet," working next to Lois Lane, and giving the film an iconic image to cut to its end titles.

The critical reception of Man of Steel has been so divisive, I'm finding it hard to think of another time opinion has been so split on a blockbuster. I don't understand those who simply HATED it. Sure, it's not perfect but what impressed me the most about Man of Steel was its sense of wonder and the heart at its core. Once the credits rolled, I felt like I really had been taken on a journey. I was wiped – emotionally and kind-of physically (remember, the punching). It felt different than any other superhero film I've ever seen. It took risks in its storytelling and packed an emotional wallop that really resonated with me. In the closing minutes of the film, there's a moment where a young Clark Kent is playing in the yard with a homemade red cape on, as his father watches on. Clark strikes the infamous hands-on-hip pose as the sun glistens across the striking red cape and in that moment, his father knows exactly what his adopted son will become – a beacon of hope for a world gone dark. He doesn't know when it will happen and maybe he won't be around to see it happen, but in his eyes you can tell he will rest peacefully knowing his son, Superman, will be there to protect him and everyone else. After all, the world needs hope but maybe next time, we could do with a little less punching.


GRADE: A-

MAN OF STEEL
Directed By: Zack Snyder
PG-13, 144 minutes

SMASH: A Retrospective -- Feb. 6, 2012 - May 26, 2013

It's been one week since the series finale of Smash. It came and went without too much fanfare and only 2.4 million people tuned in to see the final episode. Heck, even NBC barely realized it was on. Wasn't this supposed to be the show that saved NBC?! What the hell happened?!

Let's take a minute and rewind to Super Bowl 2012, we were all there, weren't we? Aside from the onslaught of ads previewing the new season of The Voice, which was kicking off right after the big game, NBC's main concern was promoting the hell out of their new, buzzy, critically-acclaimed project, Smash. Initially, it looked like they were onto something. The promos were slick, exciting and promised an upscale, beautifully shot (and performed) glimpse into the world of the Broadway musical. A world that many knew little about but certainly something many would be interested in. Simply put, it looked like NBC had a big, huge hit on their hands.

The pilot premiered to the tune of 12 million viewers and audience and critical reaction were favorable. And for those opening 46 minutes, they had the right to be. The pilot set up a rich world and an interesting, distinct set of characters that held a lot of promise. Debra Messing and Christian Borle played Julia and Tom, a convincingly loveable playwright duo hellbent on finding a new hit. Jack Davenport played Derek, the successful, albeit creepy, director, and Angelica Huston served as the Broadway producer, Eileen Rand, with enough martini tossing sass to put any showbiz diva to shame. The premiere also introduced us to Katherine McPhee (in her first major gig post American Idol) as Karen and Megan Hilty (an accomplished young face from Broadway) as Ivy – two young, aspiring actresses eying the coveted role of Marilyn in "Bombshell," the musical Julia and Tom dreamed up (and the show's central story engine.) The pilot ended with Karen and Ivy both belting out "Let Me Be Your Star," an original song by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who signed on to compose original music for the series. The number was one of the finer endings to a pilot I've seen. It perfectly set up the central conflict of the series while leaving the audience thrilled and excited for what's to come. For a moment, I REALLY was. Then.... the "what's to come" came.

Almost immediately, Smash went from a matured, well-performed, written and structured piece of nighttime drama to a laughable, embarrassingly scripted, piece of melodrama that essentially defined a new form of TV viewing known as "hate-watching." The promising plot threads developed in the pilot were soon tossed out the window to make room for boring subplots involving adoption, marital issues, awkward affairs and Ellis.

Jaime Cepero as Ellis; Photo Courtesy: NBC

LOOK AT HIM! This is what I imagine him looking like at the meeting with Theresa Rebek (oh yeah, she created the show) when they cheers-ed to his character ruining everything and anything potentially promising throughout the series. Originally, Ellis served as an assistant to Tom, which makes perfect sense. A well-accomplished Broadway composer WOULD have an assistant. In the pilot, Ellis is actually the one to suggest to Julia and Tom that Marilyn would "make for a great musical." Everyone should have realized it right then and there that this was a tad fishy. Would the writers really make this awkward kid the catalyst for the entire freaking premise of the show?! But at the time, I think we all shrugged it off as "eh, he's kind of irritating but he'll fade into the background once this thing gets going..." Well, he faded into the background, all right – into EVERYONE's background. He was everywhere! The show integrated him into practically every scene and storyline for no apparent reason. He was working for Tom and then for Eileen, then he had a girlfriend and then he poisoned Uma Thurman's (she guest-starred towards the end of season one) smoothie?! He never served a greater purpose as a character aside from throwing a wrench in any possible interesting story development, which stood as one the biggest issues with the show as its first season went on.

As more episodes passed and the general decline in quality continued, it became clear the original vision of the pilot had been lost somewhere at sea or in the mind of Theresa Rebek. The refreshing original music and inspired covers were tossed aside for lazy, wedged in musical numbers featuring the latest chart topping single or insane, what were they thinking, fantasy numbers. Remember "A Thousand and One Nights," the Bollywood number that happened because, actually I don't know why it happened, but it happened?! It was one of the most insane things I've ever seen on television, and I kind of loved it. It featured the entire cast, plus a number of background dancers, singing and dancing to a rather catchy Bollywood "type" song. It was SO out there and SO unnecessary that it felt like the show itself had realized it had officially lost its purpose and vision and just decided to throw its hands in the air and say – well, here's THIS. This is the moment I remember officially moving over to the dark side and joining "Team Hate-Watch." It took me until Episode 12, but it happened. The number was so bonkers, so far removed from the show I saw just a mere 11 episodes ago that it was evident that the show Smash was originally meant to be was long, long gone.

Photo Courtesy: NBC - Also, God for letting this happen

Throughout its first season, Smash tracked the feud between Ivy and Karen over who will win the role of Marilyn, the demise of Julia's marriage, and the eventual out-of-town tryout for "Bombshell." In short, it doesn't sound so bad, but the layers of muck that covered up that road were the issues. The lack of focus, the melodramatic plot twists, the back and forth of who would be playing Marilyn. It just got exhausting, very quickly. The amazing thing was even throughout all of that negative, I still held onto a glimmer of hope. SOMETHING kept me tuned in. I don't know what, but it was there and by the end of the season, when over half of the pilot's audience had sad bye for good, I was one of the 6 million 'fans' still watching.

After the insanity of season one, I only scraped the surface by the way, the show was still renewed for a second season.

Leading up to the premiere, NBC and the creative team were promising a reinvigorated, more focused and "better" Smash. Original show creator, Theresa Rebek was fired, mainly for her large part in the train-wreck of season one, and new showrunner, Joshua Safran (Gossip Girl) was brought on to help get the ship sailing again. From the early press reactions, it sounded like there was hope. In his takeover, Safran removed a lot of the problem characters and introduced some new ones. The most notable being Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls; American Idol) and Jeremy Jordan (another Broadway star; fresh from his Tony nominated role in Disney's Newsies). All of these changes seemed inspired and bold and for all the hate-watching that went on during its initial season, I was eager to see if the changes bettered the show and Smash had indeed improved.

After the two-hour premiere in early February, my thoughts were mixed. First, I HATE two-hour premieres. For returning series it's not as bad, but when NBC was treating the return as "the new Smash," why not give your audience one solid hour of programming and leave less room for missteps?! I'll never understand it. Anyway, in its return, the show had stabilized a bit. There were no insanely, ridiculous characters, the seriousness of the world had returned and there were far fewer eye rolls than in the latter episodes of season one. The premiere continued the trials and tribulations of "Bombshell," while also introducing two new aspiring talents, Jimmy Collins (Jordan) and Kyle Bishop (newcomer, Andy Mientus). Jimmy and Kyle were friends/writing partners working on a new musical together. Karen takes an interest in their endeavor and vows to help them get noticed and have their work heard. These two characters were the most important developments of the premiere (Jennifer Hudson's role ended up being a short-lived bit of stunt casting) as it set up two new conflicts for the series going forward – a show vs. show plot with Karen playing both sides, and also Karen's new romantic interest with Jimmy. I never really liked when Smash devoted too much time to relationship stuff because it was never good at drawing believable or interesting conflict from its characters that way. This time around, I thought it might work since they would be working together on the new musical and the premiere also alluded to a dark past for Jimmy which was kind of intriguing. 

The first hour of the premiere ended on Jimmy singing "Broadway, Here I Come," an original song composed by Joe Iconis, who signed on to pen more current, youthful music for the show's second season. The scene (and song) is probably my favorite from the show in its entirety. It was alive with energy, expertly performed by Jeremy Jordan, and tinged with a dark, sadness that I always felt the show was capable of. In that moment, I sat up on the couch and thought, for a moment, Smash was back.

Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy; Photo Courtesy: NBC

The following morning the overnight ratings were released and the headlines roared. "SMASH CRASHED!" The show dropped 71 percent from its first season premiere and only 4.5 million viewers tuned in.

In that moment, I think everyone knew the show was a dead. Viewers who loved the insane, over-the-top circus of season one didn't care anymore now that the show took itself seriously and those who were interested in watching a show that took itself seriously had left long ago. It didn't help that after the premiere, familiar problems returned and some new problems arrived. The storylines continued their dive into banality and predictability and though, initially interesting, Jeremy Jordan's character became an annoying, miserable, entitled jerk thus making his relationship with Karen unbearable to watch. Admittedly, it was still nice to have him around for musical numbers, but THAT was another issue. Smash's scenes paled in comparison to the musical numbers that often were rather impressive. It all just started to feel rather pointless. The ludicrousy of season one was gone but it turns out not much was left after that.

Now, not everything was bad. There were some definite musical highlights and a renewed focus on the world of Broadway and the actual process of getting a show to opening night. Especially in episode 11, "The Dress Rehearsal," where the dramatic conflicts were exclusively drawn from characters creative differences and opinions about THE SHOW and not who slept with who, or the other usual soap. Unfortunately by this time, the show had moved to Saturday nights and was averaging 1.9 million viewers.

As the season continued, it devoted much of its time to the story of "Hit List," the new musical that Jimmy and Kyle co-wrote. The season long arc played out as an homage to story of Rent's road to Broadway and the untimely death of that shows creator, Jonathan Larson. Smash told the story beat-for-beat. The off-Broadway beginnings, the cult following, and yes, even the death of the show creator. In a rather surprising cliffhanger, Kyle is offed by an upcoming car after he angrily walks home after firing Jimmy from his role in "Hit List." You see, Jimmy had delved into that "mysterious past" mentioned earlier, and started using hard drugs again. Snooze. After Kyle's death, the following episode devoted the entire hour to the characters mourning/coping in different ways. It tried very hard to be about something but was so hackneyed and out of left field that it came off cheap, undeserving of the drama, and maybe a little offensive. It was the most Season 1 the show had felt in a long time and hindered the final few episodes as the season headed to it's finale.

Last Sunday, the show ended at The Tony Awards, where "Bombshell" and "Hit List" competed for what seemed like every. single. award. The two-hour finale wrapped up the series as it lived. With some highs and lows. The first hour was a bit more successful as it showed everyone's final preparation for the awards and their last ditch efforts to get the right nominations for the right people. I'm not sure if this is actually how things work in the world of Tony nominations, but it was entertaining and felt urgent and a necessary step for the show and its characters. To kick off the final hour, the entire cast performed "Under Pressure," and it was kind of awesome. It was totally over-the-top but for some reason, it resonated with me. First, it was the only scene to ever show the entire string of series regulars in a single number. It began with them all in separate locations throughout the city but as the number continued they all ended up together, in an empty theatre, standing on a dimly lit stage – united.  When you tie it directly to The Tony Awards, it was a tad on the nose but if you apply it to Smash wrapping up for good, it was oddly moving and kind of depressing. Take a look at these lyrics...

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the Night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure

I don't know what exactly any of this means for Smash or its characters or stories but I just thought it worked. Something in there worked and I loved it.

The final number of the finale and series, "Big Finish," was of course performed by Karen and Ivy, and was an ode to the series itself. It's certainly not one of the series most memorable performances but it at least allowed the finale to end with some sense of finality and acknowledgement of the dramatic ups and downs the series endured. Sadly, the number is intermixed with a few short scenes that were meant to set up the third season, but WHAT CAN YOU DO?!

Karen and Ivy performing "Big Finish"; Photo Courtesy: NBC

Even with all its problems and all my negative feelings towards it, I still look at Smash as a sad story of a brilliant premise with incredible potential that just continued to hit the wrong notes even when it was trying hard to hit the right ones. It's a shame that through 32 episodes the show couldn't get everything to click into place. And of course, by the second season, even if it had, no one was around to witness it. If it eventually clicked, I think it would have been a really special series. Instead, we are left with a lesson in what happens when just about everything goes wrong for a television series.

Even so, I had a blast keeping up with the show – whether it be hate-watching during its lowest lows or showing respect as it tried to climb out of the trenches, it was always entertaining. That's really one of the biggest things we ask from television and theater alike, right? I'll certainly miss the world of Smash, partly because I think a show like this could have worked, and worked well, but also because it had a lot of ambition. It took chances and you simply can't write off a something that strives to be bold and takes risks. It's just a shame that a lot of those risks never paid off the way they should have.

Regardless, I hope Smash isn't soon forgotten, even though its final curtain has closed. It deserves to be remembered and serve as inspiration for other networks and writers to think big and take a chance on the something different.

And for millions who look from afar.
I'm what you’ve been needing
It's all here and my heart’s pleading.
Let me be your star!