The second part of my look at some of the new shows premiering this fall. In case you haven't already figured it out, this one is about the dramas. Once again, onward.
Prime Suspect
I really liked the pilot of this adaptation of a British series. I've never seen the British original, so I can't speak to that (it is on my "want to watch" list). Here in the U.S., Mario Bello gives a great performance as Jane Timony, a female detective trying to make it in a man's world. That sentence may sound trite, but it's played well here. It probably goes over the top (the producers say they are going to tone that down), but there is an uncomfortable air of realism to the whole thing. You can imagine conversations like these actually happening. Probably not as overtly (as in right in front of her, pretending she's not there) and probably not every single guy in the squad, but happening. Laying it on thick in the pilot is a thing a lot of shows do so they can get their points across.
Jane isn't exactly loveable either. She's a tough woman who never even tries to endear herself to her colleagues (as misogynistic as they might be). After a squad-mate dies, she tries to get his case the very next day. The case was suppose to be hers in rotation anyway, but she's pretty untactful about it. There are really only two standouts in the supporting cast. One is her Captain, that knows she's a good detective, but really isn't much help when it comes to the other detective's attitudes. The other is the most sexist of the squad-mates. He has a nice little speech at the end where he tells her that he'll end up being her favorite because at least he's honest about how much he hates her being there. I'm looking forward to where this is going.
Person of Interest
J.J. Abrams and the man who played Ben Linus? And the pilot was written by Jonathan Nolan, the guy who wrote The Prestige, The Dark Night, and Memento? Sign me up! In reality, not as great as you would hope. Michael Emerson is great as Finch, but he's pretty much doing a Ben Linus who has good motives. Jim Caviezel's Reese can kick ass, but he seems to talk very low all the time, and it's strange and distracting. There are a lot of cool surveillance style shots to fit in with how Finch's machine uses that to figure out who is going to commit or be the victim of a crime. I'm not into procedurals, so something really has to catch me to keep me watching. Mario Bello's character catches me, I don't think anything in this show does.
Pan Am
Now here was a fun pilot to watch, easily my favorite new drama. Everything looks amazing for the 1963 setting, especially the airplane set. The direction is wonderful, and the performances top notch. The plot is full of good drama, but not of the depressing variety, with a number of light touches. The four female leads are fully sketched out in this first hour. Maggie is a beatnik who doesn't mid working for the man for a chance to see the world. Colette is liberated woman who uses the flights to have a man in every port. Laura became a stewardess to escape the shadow of her older sister. That same older sister, Kate, is a newly minted stewardess who was escape a marriage she never really wanted. The men are less fully formed, the nice guy pilot and the not as nice guy comic relief co-pilot.
On top of all that, Laura is also just beginning her work as a spy. Using her language skills, easy access to important passengers, and no questions asked travel to many locations to help in the Cold War. The spy plot may not really be needed, but is handled well and adds a little more sexiness to the show. The real compliment I can give the show is that they made what is seen as a menial job these day into something glamorous. The final shot of a little girl watching them board a plane made it really seem like that would be something she would aspire to one day.
Terra Nova
Since I love me some sci-fi, I've decided to take this one on as a weekly reviewed show. I didn't like the pilot as much as Pan Am, but it seems for now that there are enough interesting elements for me to write about week to week. Look for the pilot review soon.
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