The Cape Archives - Page 2 of 2

Burn Notice – Eye for an Eye

This week’s episode of Burn Notice was chock full of extraordinary guest stars. To start off, there was Patrick Bauchau (pictured above), probably best known as Sydney on The Pretender (Jeffrey Donovan also was on several episodes of The Pretender, as Jared’s brother, Kyle). I watched about two seasons of that show with my family, until I started a full-time job and fell behind. I’d still like to finish it someday.

Spoilers ahead!

Though they showed a picture of Lucien Dobos, the watchmaker/bomb maker/war criminal Bauchau plays, last week, it wasn’t until Michael and Sam met him in person that I recognized the actor. That’s probably because his most distinctive quality is his accent. I love his accent! He should really do some voice work. At times in this episode, I was almost rooting for him as he matched wits against Michael. Too bad he was killed off at the end of the episode – I would have loved him as a reoccurring character. At least he and Michael ended up on the same side for the last few seconds of his life, just long enough for Michael to get another leave on Max’s killer.

James Frain, who I’ve seen on The Count of Monte Cristo and more recently on the short-lived superhero drama, The Cape, shows up as one of Jesse’s clients. And yes, he’s a villain in all of them. In a fun twist, his background seems ripped right from The Count of Monte Cristo, with Frain playing Fernand Mondego’s role. He left his business partner to rot in a Cuban jail, then stole his work and his wife. When the wife suspects someone is breaking into the house, Jesse and Fiona come in, only to discover the partner is simply trying to get his work back. They agree to help him, and what following includes a bunch of elaborate ruses, including Michael playing a crazy stalker.

The wife, Sadie, is played by the third guest star, Darby Stanchfield. She took me a bit longer to place, but she plays Shannon Gibbs on NCIS.

With all that going on in one episode, it’s not surprising that Madeline doesn’t make an appearance, nor Agent Pearce, Michael’s CIA handler. And is it just me, or is Fiona getting annoying in this season? Yes, we get it that preoccupied ex-spies typically don’t make good boyfriends. We know Michael would die for Fiona in a heartbeat, but must we stress in every episode how bad he is at the little stuff? It just makes Fiona seem whiny and selfish. But at least their being couple doesn’t ruin the awesome chemistry the team has together.

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NBC’s Fall 2011 Lineup

So after the grim news of last week’s cancellations, NBC looks toward the future by announcing its fall lineup. Out of the new shows, The Playboy Club, Whitney, and Up All Night don’t interest me at all based on just the descriptions. I watch so many crime dramas a show needs to offer something unique to catch my attention, and Prime Suspects’ hook about a woman trying to break into the boys’ club of a police precinct makes me yawn.

Grimm, on the other hand, offers a storybook twist – bringing fairy tale villains to the world of crime scenes and witness statements. Does this plug sound at all familiar: “The last of a long line of chosen ones must fight legendary creatures few others know exist while maintaining a normal life and keeping the presence of the creatures a secret”? My mind instantly drew parallels to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it’s not surprising that two of the show’s creators helped produce Buffy and Angel. The cast doesn’t have any big names to draw viewers, but hopefully they will bring in some geekdom guest stars. It’s also in the Friday night death slot, but has a decent lead-in show with Chuck. This year’s cancelled supernatural show meets cop drama, The Cape, also followed Chuck. Here’s hoping Grimm will do far better than The Cape (though I’m trying not to get my hopes up, since The Cape had Summer Glau and Monday nights, while Grimm does not). I also would love it if Grimm got a taste of Buffy-inspired humor.

NBC’s other new show, Free Agents, didn’t catch my attention with its premise as a comedy about two coworkers, one recently divorced and the other who lost her fiance, and their fumbling attempts to get back into dating. But their boss is Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and King Uther from Merlin)! The previews confirmed that he keeps his accent, and there was even a brief mention of Sarah Michelle Gellar in one, which tipped the show into “definitely watch the pilot” territory. And since I lost one NBC workplace comedy with the cancellation of Outsourced, it seems only fitting that NBC should provide another.

The unscheduled pickup, Awake, also looks good. Jason Isaacs plays a man caught between two alternate realities. In one, his wife died in a car accident. In the other, it was his son who died in the accident.

In addition to dumping Chuck and Grimm onto Friday nights, NBC made another schedule error by keeping Thursday nights annoying and choppy. They kept Community at 8, which will conflict with The Big Bang Theory if CBS keeps it at the same time, and then plunked Parks and Recreation between it and The Office. I hate half-hour gaps of shows I don’t like between shows I like. But at least they’re providing some worthy substitutes for the shows they axed.

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Renewals, Cancellations, and Finales

Wow – tons of shows are getting renewed or cancelled this week, and many are airing season finales. I keep checking for news and getting a rush of joy or sadness, and sometimes both. This year I dived headfirst into many new shows, and quite a few of them got cancelled.

Before this year, only two shows I watched as they aired had been cancelled with only one season – Fox’s 2009 summer medical drama, Mental (I had only started watching it at the urging of my sister) and another summer show, NBC’s excellent modern retelling of the story of David, Kings. (I watched the best-known one-season show, Firefly, years after it was off the air.) I picked up 3 new shows in 2009-2010 regular season: Community, NCIS: Los Angeles, and V – all got a second season. Even the two new shows I started watching in summer 2010, Covert Affairs and Rizzoli & Isles, will be back this summer.

This year I watched 6 new shows: The Cape, Detroit 1-8-7, Blue Bloods, No Ordinary Family, Outsourced, and Nikita. As of this moment, four have been cancelled, and the other two haven’t been renewed yet.

A quick recap of the verdicts on this season’s shows, by network:

ABC

They kept Castle, one of my favorite shows, but cancelled the three other shows I watch on the channel – Detroit 1-8-7, No Ordinary Family, and V. Of the three, I was most surprised by V’s cancellation. The show was intriguing, with an excellent cast, and the short seasons helped keep the integrated storylines comprehensive. I started watching it for the sole reason that it starred Morena Baccarin, aka Inara from Firefly (Alan Tudyk, aka Wash, was also in a few episodes). With this season’s finale ending the life of one of the most annoying characters on the show, I had high hopes for season 3. Too bad.

CBS

They seem to be waiting to see what the other networks do, as they haven’t revealed many verdicts. But I’m confident they’ll bring back the two not-yet-renewed shows I watch on the channel: Blue Bloods and NCIS: Los Angeles. NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory have already been renewed.

Fox

I’m only current with one show on the channel, House, and its renewal is hardly a surprise (it will likely be the final season, however). I’m glad they renewed Bones (on season two now and loving it!) and Fringe (hoping to try it soon), though.

NBC

I was shocked to find out less than a day after watching the season finale of Outsourced that they’d cancelled the show. I was really looking forward to season two. The Cape was dead as soon as they shortened the episode count from 13 to 10, but I plan to get Bear McCreary’s soundtrack to the show. The other Firefly alumni show, Chuck, has been picked up for a 13-episode final season (I love Chuck, but as more and more of the show’s characters move toward domestic bliss, I can see why they’re deciding to end it.) And of course, Community and The Office got renewed. Community’s finale does raise the question of whether they’ll bring back one of the main characters for season 3. And does the show have a 4 season limit due to the college setting?

The CW

I only watch one show on the channel, Nikita, and there’s no word yet on whether it’s been picked up for season two. I really hope so. My lineup needs more shows that focus on the overarching story instead of individual episodes, and the last few episodes of Nikita really kicked things up a notch.

In conclusion: Networks really seem to be abandoning rookie shows this year. I hope that space goes to other high-quality scripted shows and not endless rehashed versions of reality and competition shows.

And my other wish for the 2011-2012 season – don’t air The Big Bang Theory and Community in the same time slot!

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The Big Bang Theory – A Year of Laughter

I was looking through my journal, and I was surprised to realize that it was exactly one year ago today that I began watching The Big Bang Theory. The mixture of intelligent insults, social awkwardness, and geeky pop culture references, combined with a huge helping of humor, made me fall in love with the show almost immediately.

The show did have two drawbacks typical of half-hour comedies – a laugh track and crass humor at times. I also wasn’t familiar with any of the main actors (I realized later that Howard also played Moist on Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog). But I loved the band of misfit guys, and how Penny gradually became an indispensable part of their group.

Out of all the comedies I watch, The Big Bang Theory makes me laugh the most. From Koothrappali’s facial expressions to Sheldon’s take on social norms, the show keeps me in stitches constantly. It’s also very quotable:

Wolowitz: This is the worst cobbler I’ve ever eaten. It tastes like it’s made of actual ground-up shoemaker.

The relationships between the characters are also awesome. Sheldon and Penny’s parent-child dynamic is always humorous, and Raj and Howard are hilarious when they’re acting like an old married couple. And you know Leonard and Penny will eventually end up together, despite all the bumps in their relationship.

The current obstacle, Priya, would be really annoying if you couldn’t see the blaring signs that her relationship with Leonard is only temporary. The one nice thing she’s brought to the show is the creation of the “Hate Priya group” – aka Penny, Bernadette, and Amy. The three of them hanging out together is hilarious. It was made even more fun when Sheldon joined the group in last night’s episode, “The Agreement Dissection.”

Another awesome aspect of the show are the geeky guest stars. From Sheldon’s nemesis Wil Wheaton to Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dollhouse), and Summer Glau (Firefly and The Cape), their appearances only heighten the geek subculture of which The Big Bang Theory is a proud member.

And it was this show that caused me to fully embrace my inner geek. To prove it, whenever I get a text message, my cell phone now chimes with Sheldon’s signature “gotcha” phrase: “Bazinga!”

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Bones vs. Smallville – Initial Thoughts

I know two episodes isn’t always enough to find out whether you’ll like a show, but since pilots often differ from typical episodes, I think most shows should be given at least two chances to hook a viewer’s interest (of course, some shows are so terrible they don’t deserve even one full episode, but I’m more talking about a “meh” reaction to a pilot). I know I wish I’d given Buffy more episodes to grow on me, though the fact that I sought out other Joss Whedon shows right afterward hints that it simply was vampires creeping me out.

With my supernaturally-inclined shows all over for good or for the season (The Cape, Merlin, V, No Ordinary Family, and Being Human), and having finished my Buffy/Angel marathon, it seemed like a good time to try out Smallville. So I watched the first two episodes. And yawned.

To be fair, it probably wasn’t a good idea to watch Smallville so soon after falling in love with the Buffyverse. Smallville had big shoes to fill, and true to its name, it didn’t measure up. It didn’t have humor. Or suspense. The dialog was stilted and predictable. Good characters had no flaws and bad ones, no virtues. The country setting didn’t appeal to me either.

Since I’d watched one Superman movie, I was able to pick up on the hints of mythic origin, and thought they were rather well done – until they decided to paint them bolder as if screaming “Get it?” at me. And since I didn’t really care about the elements that would make up Superman’s future (unlike the elements in the Star Wars prequels that made me enjoy them – R2D2, C-3PO, Palpatine’s rise to power, meeting Lars and Beru), I lacked a sense of wonder at their arrival.

I liked the music. Lex and Chloe seemed like they could become interesting characters. But that was it. I may try to make it to a third episode, if only for the fact that James Marsters (aka Spike) will eventually show up on the show. But considering that won’t happen until season 5, and he’s only in there for 14 episodes, I doubt it. Maybe if I’m really, really bored.

To make up for the disappointment of Smallville, I decided to try watching Bones instead. Yes, I already was watching eight other crime dramas, but only one of them focused on the FBI. I’d heard Bones was good several times. It starred David Boreanaz (aka Angel). And Netflix had every past season on watch instantly.

A few minutes into the pilot, I knew I had found a gem. The chemistry and arguments between Brennan and Booth reminded me of Castle and Beckett. The humor and camaraderie of Brennan’s team made me think of NCIS. (And Castle and NCIS just happen to be my two favorite crime dramas.) I watched the second episode just to make sure this show wasn’t too good to be true.

Already, with her brilliance, beauty, and social awkwardness, Dr. Temperance Brennan seems to have so many layers waiting to be uncovered. I love her “I don’t know what that means” line. And she’s a writer!

Seeing David Boreanaz in a different role is nice (since as Angel he tended to live in a perpetual state of angst, with brief periods of dorkiness and pure evil). Many shows tend to paint FBI agents as “by the book,” so it’s refreshing to have the cop being the one who goes by gut instinct.

Four episodes. Two shows. One clear winner.

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TV Trends – Online Fandom

This post about online TV show fandom caught my attention – mostly because of how many shows I love are on the list! A university student surveyed more than 3,000 people to determine which shows have the most ardent fans, as far as online activity goes. The survey was only for shows currently on the air (if they did ones that have been canceled, I’d wager Firefly as #1), and the results were:

1. Supernatural
2. Castle
3. Smallville
4. Community
5. Hawaii Five-0
6. Chuck
7. Bones
8. Leverage
9. The Vampire Diaries
10. Fringe
11. Burn Notice
12. Glee
13. Mad Men

I thought I’d take a look at each of them in turn.

1. Supernatural

I really don’t know much about this show at all, other than it stars Dean from Gilmore Girls, and I’m guessing it fits into the speculative genre. I’m kind of curious now.

2. Castle

One of my favorite shows ever – consistently good in every way. I love that it’s about a writer. I love that it stars Nathan Fillion and that Firefly references pop up all the time. I feel that if someone took all the TV shows I love and found one that encompassed them all, Castle would be it.

3. Smallville

I’ve always been more of a Spiderman rather than a Superman fan. I did enjoy the main character’s acting on movies I’ve seen him in, but I never had a chance to watch the show. However, after finishing watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, I watched a couple of James Marsters’ (Spike) Q&A sessions. He has a reoccurring role in Smallville and he talked about the story of Superman being a Christ story for an atheist world. That really interested me in watching it and with No Ordinary Family and The Cape being likely out of the picture for next fall, I’m looking for a good superhero show. I plan to start watching it soon.

4. Community

This little half-hour show is just hands-down funny. I loved it from the first episode, and while I don’t think the second season is quite as strong as the first, Abed will keep me watching for many years to come.

5. Hawaii Five-0

The main reason I don’t watch this show is that I’m watching too many crime dramas already. Since it airs in the same time slot as Castle, there was little chance I’d watch it live, and since it’s on CBS it’s harder to catch up on old episodes (I’m a big Hulu fan, especially when it lets me watch the whole current season). I did watch one episode in the middle of the season when there wasn’t a new Castle – I thought it was good, but not great.

6. Chuck

Action, humor, romance – what more can you ask for? Oh, just Jayne from Firefly. I sometimes let to-be-watched episodes of this show pile up when I’m busy (usually in a lull between several cliffhanger episodes), but I always watch them eventually. I’m a bit surprised that a show this well-liked is consistently on the bubble for renewal.

7. Bones

Thanks to Netflix having all back seasons, once I recover from my Buffy/Angel David Bornanaz deluge I plan to check out this show. Despite it being yet another crime drama, I’ve heard good things about it.

8. Leverage

Another one of those rare shows that’s “practically perfect in every way” and that I’ve loved from episode one. The concept of modern-day Robin Hoods, the tight-knit team of great actors, engaging plot, witty dialog, and explosive action. If you’re not watching Leverage you’re really missing out.

9. The Vampire Diaries

I’ve only caught half an episode while waiting for another show to start, but I wasn’t impressed. If I start to go into vampire withdrawal I’m more likely to try out True Blood instead.

10. Fringe

This is another of those “waiting for a chance to try” shows. I’ve heard it’s good, but not much else.

11. Burn Notice

Love this show, for three reasons. 1. Michael. 2. Sam. 3. Fiona. Easily one of my favorite summer shows, and more consistently good than even Psych.

12. Glee

I’ve watched 10 or so episodes. Love the music, hate the soap opera.

13. Mad Men

I’ve heard it’s good, but I haven’t heard anything that compels me to watch it.

So, out of the shows I’m not watching yet but thinking about, which do you think I should watch?

Supernatural, Smallville, Bones, or Fringe?

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The Cape – Farewell

When a show is cut from 13 episodes to 10, and then the final episode is only aired online, it’s pretty safe to say that the show will be canceled. While it’s a sad ending for The Cape, I’m glad NBC at least gave fans the opportunity to watch the last episode.

I first remember the extremely vague teasers for the show. They were frustrating. I wanted to know what kind of show it was – historical? speculative? action? Then I found out Summer Glau (best known as River from Firefly) was going to be on it, and I knew I’d at least be watching the pilot.

The pilot was engaging enough for me to keep watching. A cop is framed and presumably killed, but is rescued by a criminal carnival troupe. With their help, he becomes The Cape, a superhero without supernatural abilities, who fights crime, looks out for his wife and son, and plans to bring down the man who framed him.

The visual effects and soundtrack for the show are stunning. The cast is a mix of decent to exceptional actors, and the overall story arc was pretty good. The intrigue built with each episode, but a few plot holes and unclear motivations marred the story. And it was full of dichotomies – a dark, gritty feel with very few actual deaths, a superhero without any powers, a dad putting his family through emotional hell to avoid possible physical danger.

Like No Ordinary Family, The Cape seems to be trying to blend a family show with the superhero genre, with mixed results. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t a “must watch.” I mostly liked the fact that it fit nicely between Chuck and Castle for my Monday night Firefly trifecta (Jayne from Firefly is Casey on Chuck; Mal from Firefly is Castle on Castle). I was hoping they’d explore more of Glau’s character Orwell, but the most they gave was in dream sequences during the two-part “The Lich.”

I feel the show would have succeeded better if they’d decided to lean one way or the other – making the show darker and delve more into characters and motivations, or give it a lighter spin and inject some humor.

In all, it’s worth watching, but I don’t plan to get it on DVD. But if the soundtrack ever comes out, I’ll definitely buy it. It would make great writing music.

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