Friday, March 4, 2011

What I’m Watching: No Ordinary Family

No Ordinary Family: Season 1, Episode 17 “No Ordinary Love” (C-)

I wrote about this earlier this week when reviewing the most recent episode of “Smallville” – having an episode centered on magic is never a recipe for success. I am absolutely thrilled about the idea of not one but two “Battlestar Galactica” alumnae in one episode, and I just wish they had been given better roles. Tricia Helfer is the perfect person to play a seductress, and it’s a shame that her part had to be so one-note. Lucy Lawless as a recurring high-up villain is appealing, but Dr. King hasn’t lived up to anywhere near his potential yet. With continuous memory loss present in this episode, there isn’t much moving forward of the plot, save for the further confounding of the villainy hierarchy. The fact that Stephanie is able to break the love spell put on Jim by asserting her own love for him is sentimental enough, yet this show doesn’t have quite the heart it thinks it does. I feel the same way about Daphne’s continued erasure of Chris’ memory and then her acceptance of his thankful reaction to her trusting him with the truth about her family. This show has always struggled with overcoming awkwardness when it comes to negotiating the drama and the comedy, and this episode epitomizes its problems in that arena. Stephanie’s immediate dismissal of Jim after he announces he’s leaving her for his new love doesn’t track. These not-so-ordinary people need to start realizing that they live in a world filled with superpowers and potentially suspicious scenarios, and they need to start questioning things.

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