What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 13 “The Road Not Taken” (C+)

Presenting – a completely random episode of a show you probably forgot was even on the air! Mysteriously, this installment, technically the finale to season one, was aired this past Friday night, and season two doesn’t even premiere until the end of October. In a way, this was a more fitting finale than the two-part saga that aired back in June, but it also didn’t relate closely at all to numbers, and didn’t feature any of Maria Bello’s Lucy or any of the familiar faces from earlier in season one that popped up in that two-hour installment. Coincidence was the word of the day, however, as Martin ended up stranded in the town where he used to live and report just as a major story was breaking. After an unfriendly greeting from Wade Williams’ body shop worker, Martin started his detective work, like always, running around like he’s doing the most important work in the world. This episode was somewhat short on supporting plotlines, featuring only an overenthusiastic kid making a friend in the wilderness and a British couple dealing with moving past the death of their child, connected really only by the Asian girls and their ever-traveling cell phone. While this drama is technically more creative and innovative in its construction than most other shows currently on the air, its specific plotting and characters are considerably more dense, which makes it hard to get into or get excited about this show. I’ll probably be watching season two in October, but it’s going to have to hook me a bit more to keep me around.

What I’m Watching: Touch (Season Finale)

Touch: Season 1, Episodes 11 & 12 “Gyre, Parts 1 & 2” (B)

This show’s double-decker season ender comes a bit later than most other broadcast network spring finales, but this show has always proceeded along at its own pace, so that’s not much of a surprise. These two installments were full of familiar faces from early episodes, including Jude Ciccolella’s pawn shop owner, Rob Benedict’s Invisible Prince, and Titus Welliver’s lottery winner. All three played important supporting roles in Martin’s successful escape with Jake following his near-loss after Clea’s alleged betrayal. Clea and Avram proved that they were extremely trustworthy, but I’m not sure that Martin should really open himself up to anyone else. His sister-in-law continues to be shady in her motivations, and Sheri has demonstrated that she is only interested in the research Jake can help to provide. Martin came quite close to death twice in the course of the finale, indicating that Jake is much more instrumental than he could ever have expected. Heading off to Los Angeles because the numbers indicated so was cool, and I was most impressed with Martin, who, when met with a mother looking for her child, knows to ask the child’s name since it could well be Amelia. Jake was clearly proud of his father as well, rewarding him by holding his hand. Maria Bello’s Lucy has been doing similar work to Martin, as she helped her friend on the beach to find the woman he nearly drowned with, to connect them to give them both a sense of satisfaction and completion. She’ll likely have an interesting role to play in season two, when the show returns this fall on Friday nights. It hasn’t been a superb season, but this show definitely has potential, and I’d be intrigued to see more of it.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Kiefer Sutherland

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 10 “Tessellations” (C+)

Watching this episode, I was convinced it was the season finale, and its ending seemed like a decent point to end on from which to pick up next season. Afterwards, however, I learned that the show’s two-hour finale airs on May 31st after a week off, meaning that there’s still more time left in which to discover something monumental about Jake’s capabilities and how his mind works. This hour milked the Jewish connection to present an extraordinarily dumbed-down version of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, presenting two people in love and simplifying a situation down to promise rings and kissing out on the street in public. This was the first time that someone explicitly called to explain that the numbers had been changed, as Martin received a call from Avram’s Israeli cousin stating as much. I didn’t realize that Avram is played by Bohdi Elfman, the Scientologist husband of Jenna Elfman. We’ve already been told to accept Kabbalah and the 36 righteous people, and I feel like the way Jake communicates is a secret better kept than explained. It seemed that Abigail was inclined to help Martin ensure that Jake wouldn’t be institutionalized, but Clea’s determined detective work revealed a far more malicious interest in her nephew, one Martin is sure to be furious about. Despite once again having to utter his “This is going to sound crazy…” catchphrase, Martin did an excellent job of rectifying things by helping more than one person and reinstating his new friend’s insurance so that his wife’s cancer treatment would once again be covered.

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 9 “Music of the Spheres” (B-)

As has been the case with the last few episodes, this show is developing nicely, but it’s continually held back by this need for Jake and Martin to be kept apart. Sheri is determined to keep a close eye on the two of them, and since they’re going to do what they’re going to do and see each connection through anyway, having her there nagging and threatening isn’t necessary. Calling Clea to presume that she too knows, which of course she does, is the kind of bureaucratic plotlines that should not be present on a show like this. Instead, having Martin play father figure to a 12-year-old running around with a gun is much more what makes this show unique, and bringing their aunt home with her new musician boyfriend to take care of him and his disabled brother was a sweet ending that, unlike last week’s installment, took some time to be revealed rather than making itself obvious at the very beginning. Making Arthur’s roommate a Hasidic Jew working with diamonds is strange, and having him purport a connection to Kabbalah in terms of Jake’s abilities threatens to change the nature of this show to something entirely different, less magical and more mystic. Jake refusing to use the tablet application to communicate words but training Elliott’s brother to do so was nice, and what was most memorable and monumental in this hour was Martin’s acceptance of the fact that Jake doesn’t want to talk, and that they’re going to need to find another way to communicate with each other. This show was renewed last week for a second season, and I’m curious to see if its format or structure changes for its sophomore run.

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 8 “Zone of Exclusion” (B-)

It’s interesting to see this show developing and becoming more comfortable with its own format, revealing its connections earlier on in the hour and emphasizing one grander thread encompassing all of its subplots. That works well to an extent, but it also reduces the novelty of each piece coming together at a different point in the episode. What’s also continually disappointing is the emphasis on who gets custody of Jake, which has now extended beyond Martin’s involvement being in jeopardy to Clea no longer being assigned to Jake’s case. I’ve never been impressed with Sheri as a character, and I think that Martin’s increased ability to connect with his son is far more compelling than the drama about the threat of impending separation. Twin sisters separated at birth finding each other after not knowing the other existed while their father sat in the front of a taxi with the man that forced their separation in the back of the cab made for a great storyline, and I liked how proud Martin was of himself when he managed to catch Dr. Knox and tell him that he was going to prison. Dr. Knox did rank as one of the more despicable characters yet to appear on this show, so he fully deserved what’s coming to him. It was fun to see Anne Dudek of “House” and “Covert Affairs” pop up as an astronaut clever enough to think of using a ham radio to communicate with her partner in space with the help of an extremely excited cabbie radio host.

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 7 “Noosphere Rising” (B)

With Clea’s family life forgotten, this episode managed to take the focus away from anyone’s family in particular, despite the appearance of Martin’s sister-in-law, and instead turn to an investigation into Arthur’s death and what he left behind for Martin to find. Martin definitely isn’t a strong poker player, calling out his hands and trying to be too conversational, and Logan’s signaling was extraordinarily obvious. Still, Martin managed to win on his dead man’s hand, and I liked the invocation of the Wild Bill Hickok story to explain its name and recurrence. It seems that he’s unlocked the keys to a mysterious and plentiful wealth of information with that key, and it’s unclear just what he’ll be able to piece together from it. The trip to the Australian outback was completely unnecessary, as the farm should have been left to its eventual owner in the first place rather than to a horse, and watching a mathematician try to mount a horse is hardly exciting. Natalie, on the other hand, was a great figure for the show to spotlight, gleefully working to unite two star-crossed lovers, only to find a romantic Italian man for herself in the process. It might have been hokey, but it was effective as a storyline. It’s good to see Catherine Dent from “The Shield” getting parts, and it sure seems like Jake’s aunt Abigail isn’t going anywhere, as she’s set on getting custody of Jake and isn’t against using her influence or money to take him away from Martin.

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 6 “Lost and Found” (C+)

This episode wasn’t as strong as the last few, namely because it shifted the focus away from Martin and Jake’s relationship but instead brought in Clea’s family life, which dominated the entire episode and led to a sparseness of guest characters, something I never expected to be saying. Martin was occupied entirely by Clea in this hour after making his delivery to the home of the missing boy, and for the umpteenth time, he had to say “This is going to sound crazy, but…” as he introduced himself to the next person in the interconnected web of everything that drives this show. With all this talk of numbers, all I was thinking about was “Lost,” and the very next moment, Will is sitting out in the middle of a field after his plane has crashed. That moment was almost entirely ignored as Will just casually strolled back into the office and then went wailing onto the construction site, acting like a crazy person and not really accomplishing much of anything. I suppose the near-death experience that the person that was originally slated to occupy his seat went through was a compelling reason for her change of heart about having a child, but those two plotlines were considerably less meaty than what this show has provided in weeks past. It’s not clear whether Arthur is in fact dead, but he’s definitely not headed down a good path if he’s still alive, even if he’s managed to find a kindred spirit in Jake.

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 5 “Entanglement” (B)

This show is steadily improving as its main character, Martin, becomes more comfortable with the role that has been fatefully assigned to him as Jake’s father. I’m less interested, however, in Jake himself and the fact that Martin’s tasks don’t permit him to be there at the crucial moments for his son. I still wish that Gugu Mbatha-Raw would have a meatier part that isn’t simply serving as Jake’s babysitter, and I’m not sure why the mystery with her missing mother has been completely forgotten. Martin had an eventful day, managing to get his laptop stolen and then immediately sit next to a woman who rather unnecessarily held him at gunpoint, choosing to explain to him her entire story. Fortunately, the complex web of connections enabled all of the subtitles to be worthwhile, as the call from Saudi Arabia forced to bus to quickly stop, enabling Martin and the murderer to escape, leading to the girl being hit by a car, putting her in the hospital so that Martin could make the donor connection to her long-lost brother. The Montreal-based doctor turning out to be the rebellious Saudi girl’s fiancé was another cool twist, and it’s interesting to see this express such forward-thinking morals and messages. Arthur seems to be unraveling as he realizes that Jake truly is capable of seeing what he sees, yet no one seems to understand the importance of what he believes, and that’s likely going to be his undoing. I’m not sure what will happen with Jake geographically, but something tells me he won’t find himself separated from his father for long.

What I’m Watching: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 4 “Kite Strings” (B-)

My thoughts on this hour are identical to those I expressed about the three previous installments. This show’s need for subtitles is inexplicable, and pairing international events with developments in Jake’s life in New York City doesn’t always work, and creates an extremely disjointed feel for the show as a whole. The international focus also seems to be centered on kids trying to showcase their talents for some reason, which in this case involves a budding comedian and a rock band. As usual, the reveal of the many connections that tie together the threads of the episode is the episode’s strongest point, as Jake’s presence on the fire escape outside the window startles King Roadie’s girlfriend so that something falls to accidentally hit a key so that Abdul shorts the power on his block, creating sparks and showing the location of the two injured soldiers. The most notable guest star this week was Sprague Grayden, previously seen on “Jericho” and “Sons of Anarchy,” as First Lieutenant Laura Davis. I do like seeing Titus Welliver on television, but his role as depressed lottery winner Randall Meade isn’t allowing him much opportunity to demonstrate his talent. Pastor Steve was quite unimpressive as a preacher, and up and leaving his church to go be with his high school friend was a bit peculiar, even if it will permit Randall the chance to own his life again and do something good with the church. Bobby’s appearance and Jake’s antics were useful mainly in affirming that Sarah did in fact love Martin during tough times.

Take Three: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 3 “Safety in Numbers” (B-)

As has been true with the first two installments of this show, the way everything tends to work out is extremely interesting and clever, but the ends don’t justify the means. The writing and acting are unimpressive, and the specific plotlines are rather stiff and uncreative. I was excited to see Rob Benedict from “Threshold” as the Invisible Prince, a superhero of sorts seeking to help the world in a manner quite similar to Jake. I’ll admit that that particular thread turned out to be much more engaging than it initially appeared, as Frank managed to elicit the truth from his brother and help the defendants in the class-action suit achieve victory and find peace. His search also revealed an important detail about his past, that he used to be a reporter and didn’t seem to treat his underling, who has now gone from coffee boy to full-fledged journalist. A bit of Arthur’s past was also alluded to, as his attempt to check in on Jake leads to conversation about how he shouldn’t have any patients due to what happened before, something which is sure to be elaborated on soon. Clea is now involved in a central way in events since Frank was present at the car accident that injured the woman that was reported to be her mother. The dancing competition and pot banging in Africa seemed to be somewhat unconnected to everything else, and I think this show might get lost trying to stay in subtitles that don’t relate to what’s happening in English.

Round Two: Touch

Touch: Season 1, Episode 2 “1+1=3” (B-)

Conceptually, this show is pretty cool. In practice, however, it doesn’t work nearly as well, in the tradition of other shows with innovative premises that can’t quite follow up in their execution. This show is excessively reminiscent of “Heroes,” boasting poor writing, cheesy characters and plotlines, and an inexplicable need for subtitles. It’s quite interesting to see how everything connects, with one character suddenly revealed to be related in some way to another, like the mobster’s son and the flight attendant’s father. The singers with the webcam aren’t so connected, however, and it seems strange to have them as the only recurring thread aside from Martin and Jake. The story generally seems rather stale and undeveloped, and the conversations are quite uninteresting. It’s an awfully big coincidence to see another “24” alumnus, Jude Ciccolella, appearing so early in the history of this show as the depressed pawn shop owner, and I’m always pleased to see Blake Shields, from “Sleeper Cell,” though I would have preferred that he had been given a more substantial role than that of the pawn shop thief and peanut vendor. Jake’s quite an impressive boy, and his mastery of numbers is mesmerizing, as he manages to continue to escape Clea’s custody and track down his father, who will do just about anything for him. Hitting a guy with a baseball bat after breaking and entering, even if it’s to save his child, doesn’t seem like a wise idea, and this show is missing one thing more than anything else: consequences.

Pilot Review: Touch

Touch (FOX)
Premiered January 25th at 9pm

Many expected this show to be just like one of two popular series from the past decade: “24” or “Heroes,” one with the same star, the other with the same creator. Somewhat fortunately, it’s neither of those, and instead it’s something completely different, intriguing in its own right but in need of a bit of tweaking before it becomes fully engaging. Having the silent Jake narrate his life and explain that he’s never spoken a word is a strong device, permitting some clarification of aspects that confuse his father and the rest of the world without giving too much away. Despite being unable to resist some fighting in Grand Central, Kiefer Sutherland proved quite quickly that baggage handler Martin Bohm is no Jack Bauer, describing his fear of heights and taking a punch without properly defending himself. Kiefer is great in the role, though I’m less impressed by the part that’s been given to Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who was entertaining both in her stint on “Undercovers” and in her supporting turn in the film “Larry Crowne.” This episode was all over the place in many ways, featuring guest stars such as Titus Welliver, also underused as the lottery-winning fireman, and it’s completely unclear just where this show is heading. What I do like is the energy of the show, with Kiefer’s Martin and Gugu’s Clea becoming enthralled by whatever it is that Jake’s doing in bringing people together. I’m not sure what kinds of staying power this show will have, but I’m definitely intrigued to see another installment.

How will it work as a series? There were so many unconnected threads in this episode that only partially came together that I think it’s going to be hard to follow it on a weekly basis, and I’m not sure it’s enticing enough just yet to commit on a long-term basis. It actually seemed like a supernatural type of procedural, and hopefully will have the opportunity to feature an extraordinary guest cast.
How long will it last? The pilot opened strong, and though it won’t be back until March when it assumes the post-“House” slot on Monday nights, I’m sure that FOX will want to invest in another Kiefer hit. Even if it doesn’t turn out to be the most critically-beloved show, I think that FOX will let it see out the rest of the season, and maybe even a second one depending on how it does.

Pilot grade: B