Lone Star: Season 1, Episode 2 “One in Every Family” (C)
I figured it was worth covering the second episode of this show since the prognosis on its life expectancy is very grim, and wouldn’t you know it, before I even got a chance to write the review, the show has been officially cancelled. I would like to note, before addressing the show’s quality, that axing a show after only two airings is hardly ever justified. It happened to the CW’s “The Beautiful Life” last year, which sort of deserved it, and a few years back, ABC cancelled the Heather Graham starrer “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” after only one airing, taking “Jake in Progress,” which had aired just the premiere of its second season, with it. I disagree with this practice simply because it’s (usually) impossible to know how well a show will be able to develop if such a slim chance is given to test it out. In the case of “Lone Star,” its death is mainly due to the fact that no one watched it, and I would posit that “The Event” will soon lose favor and viewers, and then FOX will have lost one of its programs for nothing. Now, I’m not the biggest proponent of this show, and therefore its defense would better be left to G1000 or most critics who loved the show. I think the series was deeply flawed, and it’s a premise that never could have really worked that well (again, see the comments; I’m sure G1000 can muster a strong argument for its validity). Episode two showed signs of trying to move too fast by threatening Bob’s plan in so many ways, by having him run into someone he conned, having his sister-in-law find his phone, having his new wife call his high school to check up on him, and having his dad hatch a plan to bring down his operation. Though I imagine a DVD release will eventually happen, I’m having a hard time believing that this show could have managed for an entire season, let alone longer than that. If you believe otherwise, please, take to the comments!
Showing posts with label Lone Star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lone Star. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Pilot Review: Lone Star
Lone Star (FOX)
Premiered September 20 at 9pm
A TV show about a man who lives two lives. Reader Charlie pointed out to me that some that this might be reminiscent of the short-lived Christian Slater series from fall 2008, “My Own Worst Enemy.” In that case, there was technology to make it so that regular guy Henry wasn’t even aware that spy Edward existed. On FOX’s new drama, however, Robert Allen is a con man who lives two lives without any technological or supernatural existence. He is literally dating more than one person and possesses multiple wallets, cell phones, and whatever else he needs to ensure that his covers are intact. As a premise, it’s a cool idea, though actually buying its sustainability is a bit more of a stretch. It’s clear from the premiere that an inequitable emphasis is going to be put on one of Bob’s lives (partially due to the casting of heavyweight Jon Voight as his father-in-law), which makes the other one seem trivial and like a distraction. The show is clever enough about revealing its ruse, taking the very gregarious and smiley Bob from one of his homes to the other, showing just how easily and seamlessly he does it. Once the jig is up (for viewers, at least), the show seems to settle into a sort of normalcy that has people in both communities putting way too much trust in Bob, while others are curious enough to start digging but don’t seem to hit anything even though they really should based on the extent of his duplicity. I don’t like James Wolk as Bob since he seems way too genuinely likeable to actually pull off a con like this, and casting hard hat David Keith as his speech-spewing father doesn’t help matters much. Voight has seen much better days, and there isn’t really a standout in the cast. The show seems like a difficult idea to sustain week-to-week, and this pilot didn’t wow me at all. It wasn’t overly boring, but if the new season provides more enticing shows, I could drop this one just as quickly as Bob might run from danger in the middle of a con gone sour.
How will it work as a series? This is an entirely week-to-week series rather than a show where one episode isn’t overly significant, and, as mentioned above, it seems to be that more than one person would be on to Bob by now, especially his wife’s brothers who seem so intent on taking him down and reclaiming what’s rightfully theirs. The presence of his father should prove nothing more than a distraction, and I fear that this show will quickly lose its footing.
How long will it last? It’s been touted as one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall, and the concept is appealing to many, so I assume it should be a good series for FOX to get started on now that some of its other serialized shows like “24” have gone off the air. Unfortunately, going up against NBC’s “The Event” and “Two and a Half Men” proved to be a bad idea in week one, so this show’s future may be bleak unless strong reviews can help it proceed along. I think it should be okay for the rest of the season, though not much longer, I’d estimate.
Pilot grade: C+
Premiered September 20 at 9pm
A TV show about a man who lives two lives. Reader Charlie pointed out to me that some that this might be reminiscent of the short-lived Christian Slater series from fall 2008, “My Own Worst Enemy.” In that case, there was technology to make it so that regular guy Henry wasn’t even aware that spy Edward existed. On FOX’s new drama, however, Robert Allen is a con man who lives two lives without any technological or supernatural existence. He is literally dating more than one person and possesses multiple wallets, cell phones, and whatever else he needs to ensure that his covers are intact. As a premise, it’s a cool idea, though actually buying its sustainability is a bit more of a stretch. It’s clear from the premiere that an inequitable emphasis is going to be put on one of Bob’s lives (partially due to the casting of heavyweight Jon Voight as his father-in-law), which makes the other one seem trivial and like a distraction. The show is clever enough about revealing its ruse, taking the very gregarious and smiley Bob from one of his homes to the other, showing just how easily and seamlessly he does it. Once the jig is up (for viewers, at least), the show seems to settle into a sort of normalcy that has people in both communities putting way too much trust in Bob, while others are curious enough to start digging but don’t seem to hit anything even though they really should based on the extent of his duplicity. I don’t like James Wolk as Bob since he seems way too genuinely likeable to actually pull off a con like this, and casting hard hat David Keith as his speech-spewing father doesn’t help matters much. Voight has seen much better days, and there isn’t really a standout in the cast. The show seems like a difficult idea to sustain week-to-week, and this pilot didn’t wow me at all. It wasn’t overly boring, but if the new season provides more enticing shows, I could drop this one just as quickly as Bob might run from danger in the middle of a con gone sour.
How will it work as a series? This is an entirely week-to-week series rather than a show where one episode isn’t overly significant, and, as mentioned above, it seems to be that more than one person would be on to Bob by now, especially his wife’s brothers who seem so intent on taking him down and reclaiming what’s rightfully theirs. The presence of his father should prove nothing more than a distraction, and I fear that this show will quickly lose its footing.
How long will it last? It’s been touted as one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall, and the concept is appealing to many, so I assume it should be a good series for FOX to get started on now that some of its other serialized shows like “24” have gone off the air. Unfortunately, going up against NBC’s “The Event” and “Two and a Half Men” proved to be a bad idea in week one, so this show’s future may be bleak unless strong reviews can help it proceed along. I think it should be okay for the rest of the season, though not much longer, I’d estimate.
Pilot grade: C+
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