Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Hero.(es)
I watched two new shows last night. Smith and Heroes, and both of them left me wanting--a little.
Smith. Okay I missed the pilot episode, but I have to say I was a little disappointed in the angle the show chose to take. For some reason I thought the show would be kind of cool--about a master thief ala Thomas Crowne meets the Italian Job, and every episode would be the planning and execution of a heist. I think I can be forgiven based on the previews I managed to catch. Very well dressed people, going over plans and organisation and then slick execution (with some hi-tech help) of the 'job'.(At least this is what I surmized from the previews). Man was I wrong. These guys are not exactly heroes of their own story. He (and his team) are just criminals with little or no redeeming qualities and I can't see how the show can survive if they continue to botch jobs and shoot it out and give the viewer nothing to connect with. Frankly, the characterisation alone isn't enough to hold my interest enough to continue watching.
On to a show I knew even less about,
Heroes. What was I expecting? A six degrees of separation thing with ordinary people doing (not even heroic) uplifting acts that change lives/a life. A feel good show. Again, couldn't be more wrong. We got us real live super heroes. Which, okay, kinda cool. Quite enjoyed the first half of the pilot introducing the characters and an over view of their stories. I enjoyed how some of the characters were aware yet unaware that they had super powers, like web cam stripper mom seeing another her in the mirror, a reflection out of sync. Disturbing her (and me). A big, 'What's this all about' storyline. Cheerleader chick, same thing. Look I can't die! Not for a moment seeing this as a super power. Dude who paints the future and it pains him. But then on the flip side we have Hiro. A Japanese uber geek. An adorably exuberant character who not only KNOWS what his power is but embraces it and actively seeks recognition from his friend. Everything about him was likable. I also liked seeing the little connections as the show progressed. Er, web-cam stripper's kid reading a comic that later we see Japanese uber-geek reading. And then later, uber geek's friend watching web cam stripper. 'I think I can fly', guy getting into the cab driven by, way hot, (and has the accent to prove it) dude who is looking for clues as to the death/murder of his father--a brilliant geneticist who wound up in NYC looking for... what?... patient zero??? Intriguing storyline there. So I settled in to discover what the scoop was, what everyone's super power was, and how these seemingly random storylines/characters connected.
What didn't I like about the show. I did not like the bad guy storyline. I was fine with it when he was simply the guy who murdered the scientist father (for reasons as yet unknown), but when he showed up as cheerleader chicks Dad, well there were way too many X-files, cigarette smoking man, overtones for me to be comfortable with. I just felt like the show was going so well. The character conflicts, their struggle as they explore their super powers, and what their purpose is, is enough to go on with without throwing in a government (secret cult?) conspiricist already.
I'll watch this show again to see the second half of the pilot, and probably the first episode after the pilot, but if conspiracy guy is given too much foreshadowing I think I'll have to pass on this show.
X
Smith. Okay I missed the pilot episode, but I have to say I was a little disappointed in the angle the show chose to take. For some reason I thought the show would be kind of cool--about a master thief ala Thomas Crowne meets the Italian Job, and every episode would be the planning and execution of a heist. I think I can be forgiven based on the previews I managed to catch. Very well dressed people, going over plans and organisation and then slick execution (with some hi-tech help) of the 'job'.(At least this is what I surmized from the previews). Man was I wrong. These guys are not exactly heroes of their own story. He (and his team) are just criminals with little or no redeeming qualities and I can't see how the show can survive if they continue to botch jobs and shoot it out and give the viewer nothing to connect with. Frankly, the characterisation alone isn't enough to hold my interest enough to continue watching.
On to a show I knew even less about,
Heroes. What was I expecting? A six degrees of separation thing with ordinary people doing (not even heroic) uplifting acts that change lives/a life. A feel good show. Again, couldn't be more wrong. We got us real live super heroes. Which, okay, kinda cool. Quite enjoyed the first half of the pilot introducing the characters and an over view of their stories. I enjoyed how some of the characters were aware yet unaware that they had super powers, like web cam stripper mom seeing another her in the mirror, a reflection out of sync. Disturbing her (and me). A big, 'What's this all about' storyline. Cheerleader chick, same thing. Look I can't die! Not for a moment seeing this as a super power. Dude who paints the future and it pains him. But then on the flip side we have Hiro. A Japanese uber geek. An adorably exuberant character who not only KNOWS what his power is but embraces it and actively seeks recognition from his friend. Everything about him was likable. I also liked seeing the little connections as the show progressed. Er, web-cam stripper's kid reading a comic that later we see Japanese uber-geek reading. And then later, uber geek's friend watching web cam stripper. 'I think I can fly', guy getting into the cab driven by, way hot, (and has the accent to prove it) dude who is looking for clues as to the death/murder of his father--a brilliant geneticist who wound up in NYC looking for... what?... patient zero??? Intriguing storyline there. So I settled in to discover what the scoop was, what everyone's super power was, and how these seemingly random storylines/characters connected.
What didn't I like about the show. I did not like the bad guy storyline. I was fine with it when he was simply the guy who murdered the scientist father (for reasons as yet unknown), but when he showed up as cheerleader chicks Dad, well there were way too many X-files, cigarette smoking man, overtones for me to be comfortable with. I just felt like the show was going so well. The character conflicts, their struggle as they explore their super powers, and what their purpose is, is enough to go on with without throwing in a government (secret cult?) conspiricist already.
I'll watch this show again to see the second half of the pilot, and probably the first episode after the pilot, but if conspiracy guy is given too much foreshadowing I think I'll have to pass on this show.
X
