What I’m Watching: The Finder (Series Finale)

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 13 “The Boy with the Bucket” (B+)

I knew that this was going to happen, but that didn’t make it any less difficult. FOX dropped the axe on this show on Wednesday, meaning that is the last we’ll ever see of Walter Sherman and his crew of characters. And what a way to leave them, with Willa hitchhicking out of town, Isabel stripped of her badge, and Walter in police custody for killing three men. This was as good a makeshift finale as any, reuniting Walter with his entire family, including his brother Langston, played by Geoff Stults’ real-life brother George, his father Franklin, played by John Ashton, and his mother Elaine, played by Annette O’Toole of “Smallville” motherhood fame. Walter’s aggressive search for and staunch defense of his mother allowed his partners in search to contribute in their own ways, utilizing their abilities to the maximum to find the delusional man so good at forgeries because he thought he was the painter. I enjoyed seeing Patrick Fischler as the man whose business was harmed by Walter, and he’s so great in every seedy role he takes. Willa standing up to Shadrack was bold but ultimately will just get Timo in trouble since he didn’t seem to care, and now she’s on the run. When your own parole officer won’t send you back to jail even when you admit to stealing, it’s time to think of a new solution, and that’s just what Willa did. I’m so sad to see this show go, but I suppose it was a great first season, and I’ll remember the show very fondly, especially for the roles it gave its actors.

Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Geoff Stults

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 12 “Voodoo Undo” (B)

I’m really not so keen on shows like this and like “Psych,” which creatively position their protagonists to possess seemingly superhuman abilities that are really just enhanced cleverness tackling actual supernatural phenomena since the results tend to be less than conclusive, since there’s really no magic going on at all. Fortunately, this show’s characters are entertaining enough that even a subpar hour is an enjoyable one, and it’s fun to see how they deal with the notion of voodoo, something entirely off-putting to me, mainly because its implications are often creepy and never good. Isabel killing someone was a good jumping-off point for the question of the lesser of multiple evils, which pervaded the entire episode. Willa’s participation was useful since she knew which witches to talk to and is capable of thinking in a simpler way than Walter and his supercomputer-inclined brain. Isabel, Leo, and Willa showing up each time Walter got shot or started bleeding to unenthusiastically greet him was fun, and these dynamics are truly terrific. Walter stepping in to be the masseur for Xavier’s ex-wife resulted in a great invocation of Walter’s nickname, able to find all the right spots. Nestor Serrano was quite over-the-top as Xavier the voodooed gangster, and his crew was rather hapless. One associate, however, was decently intimidating, and Leo managed to make an enemy of him by showing him up and knocking him out. Something tells me that the Ice Pick will be back again soon to wreak havoc on the peace and tranquility at the Ends of the Earth.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 11 “The Inheritance” (B+)

I really love that Walter is so obsessed with finding something that intrigues him, to the point that he wouldn’t look for Joyce’s father’s murderer but instead opted to search for her inheritance. Mageina Tovah, who was so disturbingly creepy in the second installment of “American Horror Story” last year, was delightful as the cheerful and always optimistic Joyce, brought up by her father to always look on the bright side, something that managed to annoy everyone with whom she interacted in this hour save for her mature friend Isabel. Walter’s usage of rats to simulate the horses was entertaining, and I like how Timo got involved in it all because of his interests. Willa applying to college is a twist, and it was nice that Leo stepped in to try to help her, and even more meaningful that she insisted that she wanted to do it herself without his help. Identifying the villains as the tall man, the short man, ad the fat man proved extremely entertaining, particularly when it came to the question of being able to write it down in a report. Walter and his crew seem to have a whole lot of close calls with the bad guys coming to the Ends of the Earth to directly threaten their lives and the lives of the clients. Fortunately, Walter is able to talk himself out of just about any situation, and therefore he’s never in any real danger. Hands down the most hilarious part of this episode, pictured above, was Walter’s horse whispering.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 10 “The Conversation” (B+)

Walter’s one wacky guy, to be sure, signing on only to find a conversation rather than to find a missing man. Of course, he appears to have a heart, seeing out the case because it means something to Leo, though a well-timed explosion that could have made it more interesting for him as well. We learn more about Leo’s daughter Ellie in this hour, that she died at age twelve of an e coli outbreak that could have been prevented but was not due to corporate greed. It also explains Michael Clarke Duncan’s massive weight loss by saying that Leo went on a huge health kick after the death of his wife and daughter. Leo having Timo read his future means that he’s seriously struggling, but the successful location of the honest, whistle-blowing father and his subsequent threatening of the CEO will likely put him back on track. Willa had a fun part in this hour, using her facial recognition and lip-reading abilities to assemble the entire conversation, with the help of a whole lot of coffee. Her accents were particularly amusing, and her getting slapped was another entertaining moment that even made her smile. Agent McHottie was a great part of the episode, flirting with Walter and then revealing herself to be an agent not of the law but of the company, looking to hurt Carlos instead of help him. Walter made excellent use of his hula hoop tennis ball fence-cutting device to electrocute him and allow him to get out of yet another slippery situation.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 9 “The Last Meal” (B+)

This episode was cleverly constructed, starting with the client as he and his wife attempted to celebrate their anniversary with their favorite meal at their favorite restaurant but were interrupted by an unexpected closure and some scary shooting. Walter’s immediate excitement at taking on the assignment of finding a meal was fun, though his lack of consideration for Joe’s feelings and for hearing his story, a quality shared by Willa, wasn’t terribly kind. Walter asking Leo for a legal disclaimer before breaking in and then purposely ignoring it unsurprisingly led to Walter getting thrown in jail, and it’s entertaining to see him so casually accept his fate. He did a great job of connecting Willa’s parole officer to Isabel to solve multiple problems at once. Waving to Willa as she was being booked was, as usual, extremely goofy, but that’s always what seems to happen here. The dinner party at gunpoint was a blast, especially since Walter ruined Isabel’s attempt to call for help, though he does get credit for organizing the big meal in the first place. It turns out that Leo was the one who managed to save the day by drawing up a (questionably) legally-binding agreement that made all parties happy, managing to reestablish the restaurant and give the cook his old job back while, most importantly, sparing the lives of all present at the fateful meal. I liked the ending of the episode, showing Walter and Isabel discuss, in their own veiled manner, their relationship and just what they mean to each other.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 8 “Life After Death” (B+)

It’s a delight to have this show back on a new night after a month-long hiatus. Walter’s firm belief that deceased artist J Strike was in fact still alive was wholeheartedly entertaining, especially because he stood so alone in that conviction. Glade was a decent character, but his viper lawyer Athena was far more interesting, mainly due to her prior romance with Leo, which led to some fantastic romance between the two. Walter’s investigation into the source of the new recording was certainly innovative, as he utilized the lights to determine that the pirate was using a voice changer and to signal what he was saying. Athena getting Walter out of jail almost immediately following Kareem being thrown off the roof was impressive, and I enjoyed the fact that Isabel wasn’t eager to be released since she didn’t want to slander fellow law enforcement agencies. The case proved to have two big surprises in store, the first being that J Strike was killed by his own brother during an accidental shooting and the second being that Athena, not Glade, was responsible for both that act and the intimidation of Kareem. Walter introducing Kareem and Trey was nice, and it’s always good to see long-suffering people find a happy ending. I very much appreciated Willa’s extensive involvement in the investigation, talking Walter through tracing a location without using words, accompanying him to the South Beach University campus, and running around like a maniac while he was signifying specific words while listening to the recording.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 7 “Eye of the Storm” (B+)

It turns out that even a hurricane can’t stop Walter from finding someone he starts looking. Some over-exaggerated stumbling aside, this was a rather compelling episode in which Walter used quite a bit of creativity to solve his latest case thanks to his human search engine team. Having Cristina, Willa’s probation officer, get stranded at the Ends of the Earth during the storm made things all the more entertaining, particularly because she revealed an awful lot about herself and her temper-driven past. While she’ll now let Willa use the Internet and Willa recommended Cristina as a probation officer, I’m sure the two won’t get along forever, and that should still remain an amusing component of the show. Leo’s expertise in fast food establishments proved quite useful, and while it was certainly a ragtag band of people with various unexpected skills, they made for a great team. It’s uncanny how well Isabel and Walter communicate remotely, and I would enjoy seeing them face-to-face more often. Isabel carried herself well opposite the rather intimidating and generally creepy M.C. Gainey, here playing the plumber with an unexpected connection to Melissa, the missing girl. I like how this episode only revealed what situation Melissa had gotten herself into as soon as Walter figured it out, and it was actually quite an immediate cut from him piecing it together to the shot of her in a car with her bleeding friend. This show is much more about the search than what actually happened. I’m very worried about this show’s chances for renewal, though at least we still have six episodes to look forward to once the show returns on Friday nights on April 6th.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 6 “Little Green Men” (B+)

An alien episode this early into the show could have been a bad idea, but, like everything else this show has to offer, it’s oddly appealing and fully entertaining. Despite the fact that he kept his clothes on for the entirety of the episode, I immediately recognized Jason Beghe, currently starring as Bates on “Californication,” as disgraced astronaut Colonel Bradshaw, the man that hired Walter to find the UFO. T.J. Thyne playing the same role he plays on “Bones” wasn’t a problem, seamlessly incorporated into this show to the point that I didn’t make the connection until after I finished the episode. His style of speech and personality are just right for this show’s unique tone. Hector from Kansas with the glasses and the zapping was a strange but formidable guest character, and I’m glad the show didn’t fully explain the science of everything. Walter’s meeting with Pope was enlightening, and I liked how he called her his opposite before things took a serious turn when she threatened to ruin the lives of everyone he cares about, save for Leo, whom she was trying to make him think worked for them. Leo is a dedicated father figure for Willa, and hopefully his run-in with Uncle Chad, played appropriately evilly by Eric Roberts, won’t cause her any undue harm. Her web skills proved to be truly impressive, as she dug deep and uncovered the first-generation video. She can definitely do better than leaving the Ends of the Earth and marrying Timo.

What I'm Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Great Escape” (B+)

This show is proving to be quite reliable in terms of guest characters and the actors cast to play them, in addition to balancing the exposition in terms of the regular players. I was delighted to see Jonathan Slavin, most familiar as scientist Phil on “Better Off Ted,” as Preston, the magician seeking his missing beautiful assistant. The invocation of Walter having found Houdini’s straightjacket was fun, and I enjoyed how Walter repeatedly referred to both Leo and Isabel as his beautiful assistant. Walter’s attitude toward magic is rather childish, and it’s nice to see him mature a bit by episode’s end and explain to poor Preston how his Phoenix trick could work perfectly with a few small modifications. The return of Johnny the shoe salesman was amusing, and I’m glad to see this show already utilizing recurring characters. I liked Ever Carradine’s Agent Green, particularly for how upset she got Isabel by refusing to share information with her, and for her reaction to Walter putting his shirt over her head to distract her while he grabbed the paper from the printer. Isabel was definitely not the right choice to talk to Willa, as evidenced by the way she turned the situation around and criticized Isabel’s romantic choices. She does seem to have helped her and Timo out, though I’m not certain that either of them is telling the truth. Willa not taking any money from Walter’s safe does say something, so maybe the bad girl does have good intentions after all.

What I’m Watching: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 4 “Swing and a Miss” (B+)

This was a fun themed episode, with Isabel’s new boyfriend presenting himself as the client and Walter taking on the case as a favor to Isabel. Their relationship between Isabel and Walter is highly undefined, and I enjoyed the voicemail invocation of Paragraph C, in which “friends with benefits” status is cancelled due to the potential for real romance with someone else. I’d love to see what happens with them next, since Walter clearly wants more with her, but she doesn’t seem nearly as committal, mainly because she knows just how quirky and peculiar he is. Frankie didn’t seem all that into Walter, and the finder did a good job of deducing that it was about more than just a trophy as he put the pieces together and started hunting down the socks. I enjoyed the introduction of the Twins, who seemed entirely offended that Walter and Leo didn’t understand why they went by that particular moniker. It also worked well when Leo noted that everyone would claim that it was a white guy and a black guy that stormed the casino. Willa did an exceptional job of standing up for herself against the Twins and playing to her strengths in infiltrating the casino. For all of her attempted thievery and rudeness, she did perhaps the sweetest thing of all, which was to use the money she won at the casino to buy Leo a new jukebox, giving him possibly the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. Now that’s true friendship.

Take Three: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 3 “A Cinderella Story” (B+)

This show continues to be a blast, featuring genuinely intriguing and complex cases, with Walter using his token peculiar methodologies to uncover a surprising villain in this shoe-centric serial killing spree. I’m thrilled to report that this show is improving steadily in the ratings, and I do hope that FOX deems it worthy of staying on the air since I’m definitely enjoying it immensely. I was pleased to see Ian Reed Kesler, usually cast as a womanizing slimeball, as numbers geek Ira, and I didn’t even recognize Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, seen in the later seasons of “Prison Break” as bad girl Lisa. This episode was functioning on multiple levels, which made the search for Cinderella hardly the most interesting part of the hour. Leo is a great comic character, especially as played by the deep-voiced Michael Clarke Duncan, evident in the reenactment of what happened on the boat, but I like the fact that he also has some depth to him. His chance encounter with the man responsible for the death of his wife and daughter led to some real rage on his part and an elaboration of his relationship with Willa. Her literal “going to bat” for him was endearing in its own violent way, and I like that Walter is fully aware that she’s only sticking around until she figures out how to get into his safe. If I’ve learned anything from this episode, it’s that saying your password out loud while typing it isn’t a terribly good way of preserving security.

Round Two: The Finder

The Finder: Season 1, Episode 2 “Bullets” (B+)

Despite my enthusiasm for last week’s series premiere, I didn’t find myself anticipating this second installment, yet my expectations were once again surpassed with another entertaining hour. With Thursday nights not nearly as crowded as I feel like they used to be, or at least as the earlier half of the week, I might well stick with this show for a while. I recognized John Francis Daley’s Sweets from “Bones,” and I feel like bringing him in this early wasn’t a problem, mainly because Walter’s tricky answers to each and every one of his questions were easily the highlight of the episode. His semi-effective hypnosis was also amusing, and he ultimately got what he came for: an explanation of why Walter feels compelled to find, in all its dramatic glory. Mitch Pileggi’s innocent death row cop provided an excellent impetus for Leo to make a character-defining comment, threatening to bring him back to life and electrocute him again if he was lying. The complicated case led to a superb and surprising revelation that inspired Walter to shoot the internal affairs agent in the rear end to expose the bullet already lodged in there. This show embraces Walter’s motto – that he doesn’t care about murder mysteries, he just likes to find things. In her entirely unrelated subplot, Willa managed to cause plenty of trouble, not making friends on the volleyball court and then framing the jerk that crashed the stolen car she was in to take the fall for the theft and crash. What a cast of personalities this show has.

Pilot Review: The Finder

The Finder (FOX)
Premiered January 12 at 9pm

I have to admit that I didn’t expect much from this show at all, having given up quickly on “Bones” after finding it decent enough but hardly worth watching on a regular basis. While I’m not sure that I’d be ready to commit to this series every week, I did thoroughly enjoy the pilot. This was my first introduction to these characters since I didn’t view the “Bones” episode that introduced them, and they’re one entertaining bunch. Geoff Stults, fortunately, is infinitely better than he was on ABC’s awful “Happy Town,” and he reminds me somewhat of Mark Valley, who before “Human Target” never impressed me and then delivered exactly in the right way when called upon for a role like this. Lying down in the middle of the road and spreading his arms to deduce clues was a standout moment that indicated that he is not your normal investigator. This is a superb role for Michael Clarke Duncan, hilarious as his brawny sidekick Leo, and I also love both of the women featured in the main cast: Mercedes Masohn as U.S. Marshal Isabel, and Maddie Hasson as the feisty Willa. At first, it seemed to be that Cooper could well be a regular character as well, but I think he’s gone after this first installment. This show definitely has its own tone, separate from “Bones” and altogether weirder and more relaxed, if the penciled names in the opening credits are any indication. This is just the kind of show that FOX should be producing, funny and enthralling, with a bit of crime and crime-solving mixed in. It definitely surprised me in a good way.

How will it work as a series? Each week, Walter is going to have someone new to find, and that would make this your average procedural with a wacky protagonist. Yet Willa’s gypsy ties and the complex relationship among the other three main characters might make this one stand out and necessitate watching each and every week.
How long will it last? Unfortunately, this premiere was not a hit in any way, shape, or form for FOX, which leads me to believe that the network won’t want to keep it around for long. Thursdays at 9pm has always been one of the most competitive time slots, and perhaps this would have been better off elsewhere. I wouldn’t give up hope just yet, but it’s not looking good right now.

Pilot grade: B+

What Drew’s Watching: Bones

Guest blogger Drew catches up on the last few episodes of his beloved series in this mega-post. Enjoy!.

Bones: Season 6, Episode 18 “The Truth in the Myth”

This one starts out hilarious -- the dialogue is to die for. "I'm just a woman, looking for a man." I'm having a problem with Nigel Murray being allowed to continue his internship, considering his sundry addiction program memberships (and apparently drunkenness on the job?!). In fact, I'm getting rather tired of the interns in general. Oh my goodness -- Bones's laugh is one of the most horrible sounds I have ever heard. Has it always been like this? I'm getting bad vibes from this episode in general; it seems rather thrown together, and the dialogue is stilted. Of course, the dialogue was stilted in the introduction, but that's why it was funny. I didn't expect that to bleed into the actual episode. Money line from Angela today: "Of course you're going to belittle astrology. You're a Virgo." (Guess who else is a Virgo!) To sum up, this episode encapsulates everything that's bad about Bones: the humor is juvenile and eye-roll-worthy, and the "sentimental" parts are overdone and hokey. I got the mystery instantly. And the fact that the episode shut down 35 minutes in and forced me to waste a quarter of an hour jump-starting it just to confirm my ironclad prediction? Not helping.

Plot: 2/10
Action: 0/10
Characters: 5/10
Comedy: 3/10
Bones's Makeup: 9/10

Overall Grade: D


Bones: Season 6, Episode 19 “The Finder”

We've got a very "CSI: Miami"-type thing going on here. I wonder if Booth will bust out one of the Caruso quips that I so love. And the footage of the deceased pre-mortem strongly reminds me of Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park. These are two very good ways to ameliorate my tough-crowd-itis from the last episode. Oh man -- I'm getting so many impressions here. These kooks in the bar are calling up Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Trouble (the newer one, with Johnny Knoxville), and The Whole Nine Yards simultaneously. So far, we're in great shape. And next up is Boondock Saints, when the finder employs his peculiar method of finding (also an obvious sequence for the ladies, accompanied by your official MONTAGE WARNING). I can say right now that this episode is utterly ridiculous, and I am profoundly suspicious that a spin-off is in the works. But that's okay; "Bones" has gotten so stale of late that I don't mind the change of pace. This one's like having a day of clear skies after a lot of gloom. In fact, I'm going to forego the ratings system this time because the episode's so far outside the mainstream. I mean, I could try, but something's off. I just...*sunglasses*...can't put my finger on it.

YEEEEAAAAAAAH!

Plot: X/10
Action: X/10
Characters: X/10
Comedy: X/10
Bones's Makeup: X/10

Overall Grade: :-D


Bones: Season 6, Episode 20 “The Pinocchio in the Planter”

Every new wrinkle between Angela and Hodgins seems forced to me. We can't just be happy with their circumstances, so bam! Blind baby. Bam! Hodgins is clingy. Bam! Angela is a lesbian. (Actually that happened a while ago.) That hookworms crawl a foot a day comes off as a poor indicator of time of death, as I'm pretty sure worms can change direction. I take great exception to Wendell taking exception to Hodgins's use of the word "couth," but it is in keeping with Wendell's character, so I can't throw big a fit. This episode veers toward ridiculous once they enter the honesty meeting, but I can forgive it because the belligerent clown is doing such a good job. To Angelodgins' credit, the mush factor is becoming much easier to bear. There are two hilarious give-and-takes around 31:00; make sure you don't miss them. It occurred to me immediately that traces of titanium don't require a solid titanium murder weapon, and here I am, vindicated. Seems like there are a lot of eyebrow-knitters in this one, like all these brilliant scientists discovering for the first time the detrimental effects of scalding honesty. And again! How on earth did the lawyer figure that he could get away with a fake x-ray? So really, this episode doesn't pass the smell-test plot-wise; it seems like the characters had to be uncharacteristically stupid in order to keep the gears turning. But it's a funny episode with some heartwarming moments, so I can't be too hard on it.

Plot: 3/10
Action: 2/10
Characters: 6/10
Comedy: 7/10
Bones's Makeup: 9/10 (Bones's makeup has been a lot better lately!)

Overall Grade: C+

Bones: Season 6, Episode 21 “The Signs in the Silence”

Okay, so we've got a deaf mute here who might have murdered someone with a huge knife -- and they have her unrestrained in the middle of the lab for questioning? Aaaaand there she goes, trying to escape. Looks like we're off to a bad start here. Fortunately there's some plot interest to make up for these scientists' stupid decisions. It only just occurred to me that Cam looks like an alien with that short hair. The concept of dialects in sign language is cool, and it's smart writing to get the girl to cooperate via explaining the infallibility of bones (although I'm not sure exactly how true that is). In spite of its rough start, this is actually a very good episode -- moving in all the right places, with credible performances by all the characters (including Bones, amazingly enough). Even the montage is well-placed and artfully done. (Postscript: Angela's "I'm fat because I'm pregnant" jokes at the end of the episode are fully responsible for the sorely lacking comedy score.)

Plot: 10/10
Action: 6/10
Characters: 9/10
Comedy: 5/10
Bones's Makeup: 9/10

Overall Grade: A-


Bones: Season 6, Episode 22 "The Hole in the Heart"

The good news: any reference to Tyrannosaurus Rex is awesome. The bad news: Bones is a true-blue psycho when she laughs. My face starts contorting in a grotesque mix of shock and disgust every time I hear it. Unless I'm sorely mistaken, Hodgins calls our species (yours, dear reader, and mine) homo sapien, which is unsettling indeed -- especially considering he's reading Bones's and Nigel Murray's abstract. I have to issue an official MONTAGE WARNING complete with a less official weird-sounding lyrics warning (where do they find these people?) early on. It's nice to finally see some concrete action in a Bones episode again, but at what a cost! On the other hand, I really don't like this goofy neophyte FBI agent. She's flat and monotonous, and I'm not really sure why she's being introduced now. Best line today comes from Hodgins on the phone: "You hung up, didn't you? Yeah? Okay." Very natural delivery! Sniper fights ("dueling snipers," as Hodgins calls it) always seem awkward to me -- the last one I saw was between Snake and The End -- but they do a good job of making this one compelling. It's tough to review this episode without spoilers, so I'll do what I can to make a good case to watch it: one of the good guys dies.

Plot: 9/10
Action: 10/10
Characters: 8/10
Comedy: 3/10
Bones's Makeup: 7/10

Overall Grade: A