As you might know, all new shows need time to grow. In my years of watching and studying television I've determined that the time it takes to decide if a show is worth your time of not is 3 episodes. After that, you can leave it, or add it to you TiFaux. But, you've gotta give it 3.
"The Deep End"- Sure, there have been so many "quirky lawyer," "newbie lawyer," and "sexy lawyer" shows over the years that the ground is well-trod. It's not like ABC's new drama "The Deep End" is aiming to break new ground. The characters all fit into wonderful little boxes and the plots are so far all nice and pat. But, what is setting it apart, at least at this early juncture, is the actors inhabiting these could-be-cliche roles. Take Addy Fisher (Tina Majorino) the fresh-faced idealist doormat: in the first 3 she's shown growth, humor and the beginnings of a spine. Easily my favorite character. Then there's Mechad Brooks' Malcolm Bennett, a far cry from Brooks' last role (as mentally controlled sex pot Eggs on "True Blood"), the sole guardian of his younger brother and completely out of his element in that role but with a clear command of the law. Even the requisite man whore Liam Priory (Ben Lawson) has a sensitive twist to him that was pretty unexpected.
What works:
- Unexpected characterizations in expected archetypes
- Easy chemistry between the cast
- Ridiculously bright, open set.
- A sense of history in that the established lawyer characters clearly have a history
- Clancy Brown's return to TV (after HBO's "Carnivalé")
- Daddy issues personified in Tom Amandes' Don Branford
What needs work:
- Two idealists too many (Addy Fisher and Dylan Hewitt (Matt Long)
- Billy Zane
- The improbably named Norbert Leo Butz plays a character improbably named Rowdy Kaiser
- The bar they go to A) looks like a set from "Melrose Place" B) has a pool?
Fully worth a look. Brighter than "The Practice" less quirky than "Ally McBeal."
"Caprica"- How do you tell a story that's a prequel to one of the greatest modern Sci-Fi shows that itself begins with humanity's destruction? Why with a rave of course! "Caprica" is the story of religion, family, and technology but for fans of "Battlestar Galactica" it's also the story of how humanity got to where they were when we saw them exterminated by the cybernetic Cylons. 58 years prior to the start of "Galactica" Esai Morales stars as Joseph Adama (father of "Galactica's Commander William Adama) a less-than-upstanding lawyer originally from the colony of Tauron reeling from the loss of his wife and daughter in a terrorist attack. He meets ultra-rich scientist Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) who's daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) was lost in the same attack. Or was she? Incidentally, Graystone is the inventor of the Cylons.
What works:
- Torresani's Zoe is amazing
- Polly Walker's Sister Clarice Willow
- robobutler Serge
- The glimpse into the life of the Colonies. Especially the interaction between them (racism against Taurons for example)
- Alessandra Torresani
- The opening title sequence is beautiful, and tells you everything you need to know about the show (embedded below)
- Total free openness of gays exemplified in Sasha Roiz's Sam Adama, part psychokiller for the mob and part loving Uncle and husband (his husband is pretty cute too)
- Did I mention Alessandra Torresani? 'Cause she's so good
What needs work:
- "Galactica" was famed for their slow-burn plots which is still fine, but "Caprica"'s pacing is somewhat glacial
- Magda Apanowicz's Lacey needs to get with the program a little (in episode 3 "Reigns of a Waterfall" she begins but isn't quite there)
- Mob plots are...problematic at best. But one steeped in a different (fake) language with little full exploration so far is grating.
- Didn't Apollo and Adama refer to Joseph Adama as...a good, idealistic and moral man? or did I imagine that?
The sci-fi aspect is sort of lacking so don't let that scare you away, and non-"Galactica" fans will find something to grasp. Very, very cool show with loads of potentential
