Well crap. Intelligence was cancelled in favor of another season of The Mentalist. That makes yet another show down the drain. My Current SciFi category is going to be significantly smaller next season. Let’s look at the count.
Well yes, you could just look at the post below to see the final tally of which freshman sci fi shows should get a second season, but since I’ve been neglecting this site for a week or two, I thought it might good to report on something, anything.
The winners are Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Intelligence. Whether ABC or CBS will take our recommendations to heart is unclear. With a total of 25 votes (i.e., 13 voters, since one of you only voted for 1 show), we probably don’t make up a majority of the viewing (and sponsor-buying) public.
Goodbye Karl Urban and Michael Ealy.
Personally, I voted for Intelligence and Almost Human, but news came this week that Fox didn’t renew the latter. There is a rather clever conversation about the cancellation on Previously.tv (the defacto replacement for Television Without Pity, which thankfully died earlier this spring). Like Natalie and me, the reviewers faithfully watched the show while complaining how it could be better. Or was that just me?
I admit I have been ignoring my favorite sci fi shows. I didn’t watch last week’s Supernatural (Alex Annie Alexis Ann) until yesterday, and have yet to watch “Bloodlines.” (Although I plan to later today.) I just finished this week’s Agents of SHIELD and I have to say, it was pretty darned good. We’ll see where the end of the season takes us. Look for Agents and Supernatural reviews later this weekend.
My sci fi watching schedule has been derailed by my new obsession for love of interest in Charlie White on Dancing With the Stars. Along with the rest of America, I’ve been smitten with the charming, adorable mop-topped Olympic ice-dancing champion; and have been spending entirely too much time rewatching his dances and stalking him on the internet. As someone somewhere on the internet said, “”If you threw the essence of sunshine, puppies, and rainbows into a jug and shook them up, you’d pour out Charlie White.” Aww.
Hello Charlie White (and Meryl Davis and Sharna Burgess)!
The cable guide said “Straw Man” was Almost Human’s season finale, but could it be the series finale? It was one of the series’ better episodes, but in what really matters (the ratings), it was down.
“Straw Man” was surprising (somewhat), tight (by Almost Human standards), and satisfying (more or less).
Detective Paul, back and undercover. Again.
Surprising: Detective Paul returned, after a 2-3 episode absence, and wasn’t obnoxious. In fact, while undercover, he was downright nice and considerate to a young homeless man.
Surprising: A wheelchair-bound man named Glen who saved a homeless girl from unwanted advances, turned out to be not only ambulatory, but also the real Bad Guy. Oh, and he was turning himself into a cyborg. That was an unexpected turn, too.
The episode gave us our best view into the more vulnerable and human side of John Kennex. A series of killings from 10 years earlier, which had been investigated and solved by Edward Kennex, John’s father, resurfaces.
It’s true! After complaining about the show’s sameness last week, “Beholder” (112) broke a few of the rules. It also gave us a few surprises and something serious to think about along the way.
John Kennex gets beat up. This never gets old!
The initial sparring between John Kennex and Dorian is actually funny. I laughed out loud—several times. Dorian answers John’s phone, plays oblivious, and tells the caller John is gesturing that he doesn’t want to talk to her. Dorian coins the term “holo-block.” When John contemplates “Whatever happened to two people sharing a meal and connecting, you know?” Dorian responds “I do.” “You wouldn’t know!” (See, this is funny because Dorian doesn’t eat. ) The exchange plays on the great chemistry and timing between Karl Urban and Michael Ealy. Even Capt. Maldonado gets in on the quips, telling Detective Stahl she keeps John around because “I lost a bet.”
A couple weeks ago, we learned Valerie Stahl is a “chrome,” a woman genetically engineered for beauty, intelligence, and any other desirable trait. Police work is deemed beneath the dignity of chromes and Valerie hasn’t moved in chrome circles in a while. She says cryptically hers is “a long story.” I think I’m supposed to care, but I don’t.
[Ha! After spending the afternoon writing this post, I forgot to publish it. So, should it be retitled “Thursday is the New Monday Night”? Nah.]
The SciFi Chicks need a cap like this!
Golly jeepers, where have the past four weeks gone? In fairness, I’ve tried writing several posts, but they never quite convey what I want. Fortunately, only a few new Supernatural episodes have aired since, and Suzanne has picked up my slack. She always has some great insights. Check out her post.
On to Monday nights. Now that Sleepy Hollow is over for the season, we still have two shows of sci fi interest, Almost Human and Intelligence. I’m more I’m interested in Intelligence, but its ratings are very poor and will likely be cancelled, or at least not renewed beyond its first 13 episodes. So why write about it? Probably because I have at least two posts in my drafts queue.
Both shows are at the heart a “cop buddy” procedural, yet in both cases, the lead is rather unlikable. (I disagree, but more on that later.) They also feature women in strong positions, the requisite scientific nerd support, and ultra-cool 3-D renderings.
The gang’s all here—except Rudy.
With most of the sci fi shows back, why haven’t there been any new posts? Perhaps my winter ennui has set in. I watch the shows, and enjoy them (to varying degrees), but haven’t felt a great urge to discuss them. I will likely stop covering some of the shows, but haven’t decided which ones yet. In the meantime, let’s catch up with the A shows. That is, the shows which begin with the letter A, not the A-rated shows.
Dear Fox,
If you want suspense in your drama, don’t make the penultimate climax the (potential) demise of your main character. Like that’s going to happen. *sheesh*
Thank you,
Me.
I have a hard time writing about Almost Human. I like the show, but find I don’t have much to say about it. It has humor, but it’s not laugh-out-loud funny. It has interesting mid-21st century technology, but it’s kind of hit-or-miss. It also tends to have a few plot holes.
Rudy undercover (in more ways than one)
When an undercover cop killed is killed in a drug deal, he’s assumed to be dirty. There’s no record of the cop having been on an undercover assignment, but he’s an old friend of John Kennex, so he must be ok. Right? Recordings of the meeting/murder tell Kennex and Dorian (we already know) a particularly nasty drug lord known as The Bishop is looking for a “cook” to make the latest highly-addictive designer drug. (See episode title for its name.) Kennex has the brilliant idea of using science nerd Rudy to go undercover for a “job interview.”
There’s the requisite fish-out-of-water “humor,” but it’s not particularly funny. Well, except when the cops go through a great deal of trouble making an alter-identity for Rudy, who immediately blows it by telling the drug minions his real name. I guess Richard Paul’s warning of “Nothing’s perfect under cover,” is true.
Ok, the Doctor Who-athon is over. Now I’m just waiting for the Christmas special. What with that and getting ready for the holidays, I’ve neglected the site and the shows. What have I missed?
Almost Human: Only two episodes, “The Bends,” and “Blood Brothers.” And one contained full-frontal nudity! (Funny how that’s the main thing I remember.)
Sleepy Hollow: Oh good, just “The Golem.” That’s not too bad.
Agents of SHIELD: Again, only one, “The Bridge.” It’s nice when a series gets a week off. Thank you, ABC.
Supernatural: I’m up to date! But then, “Holy Terror” was so incredible, it had to be discussed immediately.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Whoa! I’ve really been neglectful here. “Heart of Stone” received only a small Quick Take. I still have “Who’s Alice,” “Bad Blood,” and “Home” to go.
And let’s not forget Defenders of Berk! I’m even further behind with it than with Once … in Wonderland. But then, I kind of planned that.
Guess I better get crackin’! The winter hiatus doesn’t last forever.
Here’s a recap of this week’s episodes. A special Thank You goes out to Suzanne at Damsel Undistressed who’s written some GREAT recaps herself. She’s lessened my workload. by nearly half. Thanks, Suzanne!
There are certain kinds of shows I really dislike. One is when hostages are taken at the beginning of the episode. The minute they showed the office scene, I knew the whole episode would be about rescuing them.
Mending a robot—one of those times times when gum (or duct tape) comes in handy.
Given that, the show moved along quickly enough. Yes, there were tropes along the way. Cops disregarding orders from the boss, secret communication with one of the hostages, and possibly the hostages being a diversion from the “real” crime. (Even though kidnapping is a far worse crime than robbery.) But the episodes had original moments, too. Dorian answering the “telephone” with different voices, getting shot in the head and patched up with gum. I was certain the ice fishing story was made up, but its veracity was never answered. The fact that Dorian could hear John’s confession of his middle name while “out” might have been expected, but the pay-off of Dorian singing along to “Benny and the Jets” was priceless.
And Rudy saved the day! Sort of.
SciFi Chick (s) 