Goliath: Season 1, Episode 7 “Beauty and the Beast” (B+)
The first season of this show – which will hopefully be renewed for a second year – is only eight episodes, and so this hour had a lot to cover to accelerate things from the place they were at to being all the way in the middle of the trial. I enjoyed Billy’s comment to the police about there being no law against having a dead snitch in your trunk, and I also liked that Patty opted to tell Billy a story rather than reassure him that he would be okay when he started collapsing in the parking lot. Patty’s story to the job about stabbing herself when she was trying to extract the pit of an avocado was so singularly her and great. The biggest fall from grace in this show was suffered by Lucy, who got stuck on just one word and got herself thrown off the case entirely, dumped by Donald, and fired. It’s no wonder people hate Donald – he really treats them awfully, and the cold, calculating Callie is no better, stealing Lucy’s story about her brother and then telling her that she’d never have it when she was firing her. I’m curious to see where Michelle will end up on all this, and it seems that Donald may be out on his own after Wendell took the stand and forced Billy to call him to testify. Brittany is not in great shape, and being called by Callie as the defense’s main witness is very bad news which may poke a giant hole in Billy’s whole case.
Showing posts with label Beauty and the Beast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beauty and the Beast. Show all posts
Friday, December 9, 2016
Monday, October 15, 2012
Pilot Review: Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (The CW)
Premiered October 11 at 9pm
The CW is off to a late start this year, premiering its three new fall series in October. This one, like “Arrow” the night before, revisits familiar territory. Even if its story and setting are new, its title and themes should be entirely recognizable: an attractive young woman drawn to a man with animal-like qualities and a kind heart. In this particular case, Kristin Kreuk stars as police detective Catherine Chandler, whose mother was murdered in front of her eyes and who was saved by a mysterious creature she thought was a beast, who turns out to be presumed dead former military man Dr. Vincent Keller, who was part of an experiment that turned him into something inhuman. Initially gruff and paranoid about her asking questions, Vincent seems to have reached an accord with Catherine by episode’s end, in which he’ll be her guardian angel and help her to protect innocents, though she’s quite capable of that herself, having inherited some of Lana Lang’s physical combat skills from “Smallville,” put to use in a subway station that’s clearly in Canada and not in New York. Kreuk, who was initially sheepish and then way over-the-top on “Smallville,” is positioned to be more self-assured here but reasonably irritating. From the supporting cast, the only familiar face is Brian White, who was great in early seasons of “The Shield” and is now relegated to the role of a detective here. This series is a good fit in terms of subject matter for the network, but it’s far from a good show.
How will it work as a series? Perhaps just as much as a typical police procedural, this cop-superman dynamic has been featured on television so many times before. Catherine’s pursuit of her mother’s killers will flare up occasionally but take a backseat to solving everyday crimes and taking down bad guys with the help of her new friend. Let’s call it a superpowered procedural, but nothing more.
How long will it last? Airing opposite only the vice-presidential debate, it’s hard to tell how this show will do, but a strong start equivalent to that of the now-defunct “The Secret Circle” from last year should do it favors. If viewers keep coming back, this is just the kind of show that the CW will want to be able to tout as a reason that it’s still going.
Pilot grade: C
Premiered October 11 at 9pm
The CW is off to a late start this year, premiering its three new fall series in October. This one, like “Arrow” the night before, revisits familiar territory. Even if its story and setting are new, its title and themes should be entirely recognizable: an attractive young woman drawn to a man with animal-like qualities and a kind heart. In this particular case, Kristin Kreuk stars as police detective Catherine Chandler, whose mother was murdered in front of her eyes and who was saved by a mysterious creature she thought was a beast, who turns out to be presumed dead former military man Dr. Vincent Keller, who was part of an experiment that turned him into something inhuman. Initially gruff and paranoid about her asking questions, Vincent seems to have reached an accord with Catherine by episode’s end, in which he’ll be her guardian angel and help her to protect innocents, though she’s quite capable of that herself, having inherited some of Lana Lang’s physical combat skills from “Smallville,” put to use in a subway station that’s clearly in Canada and not in New York. Kreuk, who was initially sheepish and then way over-the-top on “Smallville,” is positioned to be more self-assured here but reasonably irritating. From the supporting cast, the only familiar face is Brian White, who was great in early seasons of “The Shield” and is now relegated to the role of a detective here. This series is a good fit in terms of subject matter for the network, but it’s far from a good show.
How will it work as a series? Perhaps just as much as a typical police procedural, this cop-superman dynamic has been featured on television so many times before. Catherine’s pursuit of her mother’s killers will flare up occasionally but take a backseat to solving everyday crimes and taking down bad guys with the help of her new friend. Let’s call it a superpowered procedural, but nothing more.
How long will it last? Airing opposite only the vice-presidential debate, it’s hard to tell how this show will do, but a strong start equivalent to that of the now-defunct “The Secret Circle” from last year should do it favors. If viewers keep coming back, this is just the kind of show that the CW will want to be able to tout as a reason that it’s still going.
Pilot grade: C
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
What I'm Watching: Dexter
Dexter: Season 5, Episode 4 “Beauty and the Beast” (B+)
I'm not sure how much I've mentioned about the episodes titles on this show before, but I should make note of this particular installment's titular brilliance. It's fantastically indicative of Dexter's own perception of himself as the brutish beast and Lumen as the mysterious beauty with whom he now has a unique bond. Dexter is being infinitely more truthful than he ever has before, telling the babysitter a shocking amount of real information and then trusting Lumen with the facts about his wife and the way he operates. After an episode of dangerously close escape attempts, she finally trusts him too, and telling him that others have brutalized her the same way Boyd did too should help fill the next few episodes with some intense hunting and revenge-seeking on the part of Dexter. It's not only America's favorite serial killer who is coming in contact with some despicable people. Deb encountered a horrifying amount of violence in this episode as she had to watch a guy have his throat slit right in front of her, something which the show hasn't really done, even if its first and third seasons when the main villains were murdering people in fairly brutal ways and leaving them to be found by the police. Deb's declaration of “I don't need a good guy” to Quinn does emphasize her need to de-stress after everything she's been through, and spending time with someone who's not as angelic-seeming as Rudy, Lundy, or Antoine may be good for her. Quinn, though, is headed down a treacherous path disturbingly similar to that of Doakes back in season two, and it should be fascinating to see how that one turns out.
I'm not sure how much I've mentioned about the episodes titles on this show before, but I should make note of this particular installment's titular brilliance. It's fantastically indicative of Dexter's own perception of himself as the brutish beast and Lumen as the mysterious beauty with whom he now has a unique bond. Dexter is being infinitely more truthful than he ever has before, telling the babysitter a shocking amount of real information and then trusting Lumen with the facts about his wife and the way he operates. After an episode of dangerously close escape attempts, she finally trusts him too, and telling him that others have brutalized her the same way Boyd did too should help fill the next few episodes with some intense hunting and revenge-seeking on the part of Dexter. It's not only America's favorite serial killer who is coming in contact with some despicable people. Deb encountered a horrifying amount of violence in this episode as she had to watch a guy have his throat slit right in front of her, something which the show hasn't really done, even if its first and third seasons when the main villains were murdering people in fairly brutal ways and leaving them to be found by the police. Deb's declaration of “I don't need a good guy” to Quinn does emphasize her need to de-stress after everything she's been through, and spending time with someone who's not as angelic-seeming as Rudy, Lundy, or Antoine may be good for her. Quinn, though, is headed down a treacherous path disturbingly similar to that of Doakes back in season two, and it should be fascinating to see how that one turns out.
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