Last updated: March 5, 2000. Posted to rec.arts.tv on December 31, 1999.
NOTES on the GRADING: Unlike my "Buffy" reviews, the 'Series Grades' shown here are *not* the average grade of each episode. The 'Series Grade' in these reviews are more a way for me to make a 'sense of the show' grade, both in how I feel the show is doing versus its own expectations and against the other shows I watch. If I were to do the 'Series Grades' based on the average of the episode grades, the average grade in many cases would likely be lower...
Essentially, the grades break down roughly this way:
The shows are listed by day, Sunday shows first and Saturday shows last, with the exception of syndicated shows which are listed first.
| Overall Grade for Season: | B- |
"Less Filling!" "Tastes Great!"
That pretty much sums up the syndicated Pamela Anderson-fest, "V.I.P", now in its second season. This show sure ain't deep. But it is endearingly goofy, and (in an age when far too many TV shows take themselves far *too* seriously) is refreshingly self-deprecating (making it a throwback to some of the P.I. shows of the 80's that I used to like so much).
Sure, no one on this show is a great actor (an ex-Playboy centerfold, an ex-model, and an ex-aerobics instructor being among the cast), but both the actors and the crew know this, and wisely play it for laughs. Thus, even those episodes that pass as "deep" character studies are not very serious.
Bottom line: "V.I.P" is a hoot. If you've reached your quota of 'high' drama on "The Practice", "ER" or "Once & Again", and you're in the mood for a funny-silly diversion, I'd urge you to check out "V.I.P". Just don't expect "Hamlet". Or much in the way of clothing.
(And, to give you an idea of how bad the syndicated drama market has gotten, "V.I.P" is nowadays the only syndicated drama show I watch (usually unmuted!) each and every week.)
| Overall Grade for Season: | C- |
Boy, has this show been dumbed down!
This season, I haven't seen as much of "Pac. Blue" as I have in past seasons, due to its scheduling showdown with "Felicity". But when I have tuned in, even I've been alarmed by the idiocy of this show now. Plots don't make sense. Main characters have been reduced from 2-dimensions to 1! And most of the fun has gone out of it.
Which is too bad, because, before the cast was purged in favor of younger, "sexier" stars, "Pac. Blue" was actually amiably diverting entertainment in the vein of its fellow USA alum, "Silk Stalkings".
However, I'm afraid those days of "Pac. Blue" appear to be long gone. View this show at your own caution...
| Overall Grade for Season: | A |
It's a bit of a cheat to include "Nikita" in this review as most shows have only aired half of their episodes by this point of the season, while "Nikita" finishes its season in August. So, unlike the other shows in this review, I'm actually reviewing the full season of "Nikita". (I guess this is only fair as I don't get to do this in my Season-End Reviews.)
And it's a good thing I can appraise this entire third season of "Nikita" too. While "Nikita's" second season was punctuated by a couple of really great episodes ("New Regime" and "First Mission" leap immediately to mind), overall it wasn't as outstanding as I might have liked (and included a couple of episodes that were pretty much dogs).
The third season, conversely, lacked any truly great episodes (I suppose I might name "Imitation of Death", "Slipping into Darkness", "Before I Sleep" and "All Good Things" as candidates for the best of the bunch), but season #3 was, overall, the most *solid* season of "Nikita" yet. In fact, there wasn't even *one* episode that I wasn't at least fully satisfied with!
Filled with numerous twists and turns, complex storyarcs, and numerous betrayals and paybacks among Nikita (Peta Wilson, making Xena look like a cream-puff), Michael (Roy Dupuis, subtly effective as a man seemingly trying to become a robot), Operations (Eugene Robert Glazer, my vote for the definition of sociopathic malevolence on TV), Madeline (Alberta Watson, so snakey that she makes lawyers look good), Walter (Don Francks, I want him on *my* team!) and Birkoff (Matthew Ferguson, the most sympathetic of the bunch), "Nikita" really hit its stride this season. In short, the mindgames on "Nikita" finally came into their own this past year, providing for a great dose of paranoia and suspense.
"Nikita" now can honestly make a claim as the "Best Paranoia Drama (Ever)" on TV, along side "The Prisoner" and "Nowhere Man". In fact, I'd make the case that "Nikita" may be the Best Drama on the Air *right now*. If you haven't checked this show out, and you like suspense, intrigue and Machievellian mindgames, "Nikita" is the show for you.
It's my pick for the Best Show of the Season, so far (though see the caveat in the 1st paragraph...).
| Overall Grade for Season: | B- |
Much has been made about the "decline" of "The X-Files" over the last several seasons. Much has also been made about how this season of "The X-Files" (season #7) is at least an improvement over last season (season #6). Well, I'm not sure I agree.
Let me state right off the bat that I am fan of the so-called "Monster of the Week" (MofW) episodes of "The X-Files". Every time I am subjected to one of those somber, convoluted "arc" episodes (you know, the episodes actually *penned* by Chris Carter), my eyes glaze over and roll up inside my head. For my money, the only time "The X-Files" is decent is when they are going up against some kind of monster. If it's an "arc" episode, I just prefer to ignore its existence.
With this in mind, it's clearer to see why I'm not so down on "The X-Files" as many fans are. You see, I just don't take the show that seriously!
I have never viewed "The X-Files" as anything more than slightly better than 'mindless' television. So it doesn't upset me nearly as much when the show's writers play around with its conventions or screw up the leads characterizations. Sure, this would bug me if it were "ER" or "Buffy". But this is "The X-Files" for Cripe's sake! This ain't "high art"!
Pretty much every season of "The X-Files" has had at least a couple of decent MotW episodes. So far, season #7 is no different. The best of the MotW bunch was probably the recent episode ("Hungry") told from the point-of-view of the brain devouring monster.
However, even I have a hard time ignoring some of this season's clunkers. Unlike many, I found the season premiere "arc" episodes, especially "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" which was reported to be an homage to "The Last Temptation of Christ", to be real dogs. I also found the episode (titled, appropriately, "Millennium") that was to 'tie-up' the "Millennium" TV series (and to the character of Frank Black) to be a huge disappointment.
Still, while last season wasn't great either, patience did eventually lead to some decent MotW episodes. I'm still hoping that this season will go the same way.
| Grade for 1st 3 Episodes: | B+ | |
| Overall Grade for Season: | C+ |
Ironically, "Felicity" was a show that I had almost utter contempt for in its first season. Overly serious and self-important, and filled with overly stark lighting that was so annoying it was distracting, I just didn't have much use for first season "Felicity". (About the only exception to this was the first season X-Mas Finals episode, which actually lightened things up significantly.)
So imagine my surprise when I decided to check back into the second season premiere of "Felicity" to see if the show had gotten any better. (OK, so I was also hooked in like a sucker by the "Ben or Noel?" question! All right?! Satisfied?! So sue me!) Apparently, I wasn't the only one who found that much of the first season of "Felicity" left much to be desired. The WB must not have been happy either, because the second season premiere indicated that "Felicity" was being taken in a new (and more agreeable) direction.
Gone was the use of overly stark lighting. Gone was any pretense that the character of Felicity (Keri Russell, still suffering that "Malibu Shores" hang-over) was anything but a neurotic, self-absorbed bitch. Gone was the solemn seriousness, in favor of humor much more in the vein of the X-Mas Finals episode from season #1 that I liked before. And 'in' was the vitriolic resentment and conflict that I love so much!
The first episodes of this second season dealt with Felicity's choice to run off during the summer with hunky Ben (Scott Speedman, the 'new' Matthew McConnahey) instead of solid (and nerdy) Noel (Scott Foley; am I the only one liked him better when he was the jock d*ck in season #1 "Dawson's Creek"?!). Not only did this all lead to Noel finally despising Felicity (it took him this *long* to figure out that Felicity was a nut-case?!), but it also got former best bud Julie (Amy Jo Johnson, still liking her better as the Pink Power Ranger than as yet another in an exhaustively long line of "earnest" chick folk singers) hating Felicity too. Meanwhile, poor pre-med Elena (Tangi Miller, playing the only sane person on the entire show) is stuck in the middle. In these early season #2 episodes, we get scads of conflict, and even a fair amount of character development, save for freaky Goth-chick Meghan (Amanda Forman, still playing a woefully underdeveloped character who hasn't evolved beyond blunt comedy relief). In short, these first 3 episodes of season #2 "Felicity" were cooking with gas!
And then Felicity dumped Ben, cut her hair, and the whole exercise went to crap.
There have been a number of problems with "Felicity" since the early parts of this season, among them:
Suffice it to say that "Felicity" has settled into a much steadier, if much less inspired, pattern since those early episodes. I do like some of the developments, especially the addition of Ruby (Amy Smart, so sweet she's virtually saintly). But did we need the subplot of Ben's affair with the married woman (Teri Polo, still deserving a decent show of her own after all these years..)?! Or the continuing saga of "smoothaise"?! In short, "Felicity" has (once again) gotten stale.
Bottom line: Is "Felicity" still watchable? Yep. Is it anywhere near as good as those first 3 episodes? Not even close.
| Overall Grade for Season: | B |
"King of Queens" is probably my favorite sitcom on the air right now. (It must be! as it's the only sitcom I watch regularly.)
Before I go on, I should probably explain something: namely, why it is I watch "King..." and not "Raymond...". I think it has something to do with the "accessibility" of the star. There is just something about Ray Romano that makes him seem remote and inaccessible to me (I think this was also a complaint leveled against Jerry Seinfeld). By contrast, Kevin James is not only cuddly looking, but he is also very reminiscent of people I (and probably everybody else) have known.
And I think it's Kevin James' TV show persona, as well as the excellent chemistry between James and his co-star Leah Remini (finally landing a decent gig after all these years), that accounts for the success of "King of Queens". Sure, Romano and Patricia Heaton have that too. But in their case, their appeal (to me, anyway) tends to come (primarily) from the writing on their show, while James and Remini can get me to sit through even marginally funny episodes of "King..." and still leave me pleased.
I suppose I should also mention Jerry Stiller's contribution to this show. Personally, I tend to find his character more of a comedic hindrance than a help. But Stiller can mine gold when given the chance (for example, the episode where he was riding around on a motorcycle with James' character did have me in stitches).
Having said all this, I am finding this season of "King..." a slight disappointment. In its first season, "King..." could often leave me laughing so hard by stomach would hurt afterward. This season, I haven't gotten nearly as many of these falling-on-the-floor laughing episodes as I'd like. (The motorcycle episode mentioned above, as well as the episode where James and Remini are put off by their friends' active sex life, were probably the only two episodes that had me rolling on the floor.) Still, I'm hopeful this is just a temporary rut.Overall, "King..." is the only sitcom I watch regularly. And I think that appeal speaks for itself.
| Overall Grade for Season: | C+ |
There are many out there proclaiming "Veronica's Closet" the worst TV show on the air. Obviously, they've never seen "Time of Your Life" (or "Jessie", "Two Guys and a Girl", or "Suddenly Susan", etc.).
Call me a radical, but I actually *like* this 3rd season of "Veronica's Closet". Yeah, sure it's stupid, and silly, and crude, and not as funny as often as it should be. But it is better than 2nd season "Veronica's Closet", and its certainly better than the shows I mentioned above. Why do I like it?
Again, call me stupid, but I actually get a great big kick out of ex-"Victoria's Secret" model Lorri Bagley's June character (is it a rip-off of Marilyn Monroe? an homage? I don't care!). And I still love Darryl "Chill" Mitchell (in theaters *now*, in "Galaxy Quest"!), and, even after all these years, I still like Dan Cortese. These guys can even get me to sit through Kirstie Alley's increasingly shill, annoying and over-the-top Veronica.
So, I like, all right? So sue me!
| Overall Grade for Season: | A- |
Oh, let's just get into this. Is this the worst season of "Buffy" ever? Nope, not so far, not in my book. In fact, I like it a lot. Is this the best season of "Buffy" ever? Not hardly.
There have been a number of detractors of this season of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", and for obvious reasons. Due to the passage of time, this season #4 of "Buffy" necessitated "Buffy's" move from High School to College. And herein lies what are, no doubt, some people's problems with this season. Afterall, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" was originally conceived as a sort of allegory of how the problems of High Schoolers can seem to be (or may actually be!) of almost metaphysical portent. In other words, in the "Buffy" scheme of things, High School didn't just seem like Hell: it *was* Hell! This base premise was nothing short of a stroke of genius, and is a large factor in accounting for "Buffy's" success in its first three seasons. It is, then, understandable that many people would have a hard time letting go of this premise.
But, all good things must evolve and change, and so it is with "Buffy". Luckily for us (or at least to me), Joss Whedon and company have more than adequately adapted in changing "Buffy" from a show about how "High School is Hell" to a show about how "College and 'leaving the nest' (and, more generally, life) is Hell". However, one result of that change is the necessity of resetting up the whole structure of the show from virtually scratch. Thus, season #4 of "Buffy" actually plays a fair bit like season #1 of "Buffy" (a season that I liked BTW, but which is not as treasured by most fans as much as "Buffy's" season #2 or season #3).
So, a lot of "Buffy's" season #4 episodes have been what you might call 'premise set-ups', episodes more about exposition and background than about character interaction (or character development, unfortunately). And even I'll admit, that can be a little tiring after a while.
But, gosh darn it, I can't find even one real dog in "Buffy's" first 10 season #4 episodes. Sure, the premise of the season premiere episode, "The Freshman's", was hard to swallow (a 4th rate vamp kicks Buffy's ass?! I don't think so!). Sure, there have been more than a couple of 'throwaway'/'funny' episodes (but I don't care what anyone says! "Living Conditions", "Beer Bad" and "Something Blue" *were* funny!). Sure, I wasn't all that thrilled with the two "Angel" crossover episodes ("The Harsh Light of Day" being somewhat weaker than "Pangs"). And, sure, there have been a couple of somewhat overrated episodes ("Hush", "Fear, Itself" and "The Initiative" weren't *that* good, OK?!). Well... all right, so I wasn't that thrilled with "Wild at Heart" (me not liking a Willow-Oz episode? Who knew?! ;> ), but that's the only semi-bad one in the bunch. So, I'm pretty happy with "Buffy's" season #4 episodes so far.
If I have any complaints (and I always do!), it has to do with longer-term character and 'storyarc' issues.
Firstly, IMO, it's time to move The Initiative to the fore. I think the writers are getting there, but they need to move it along. In addition, as others have pointed out, every season of "Buffy" has always had one or two main villains (e.g. The Master, Spike & Dru, Angelus, The Mayor & Faith) to be the focal point of the conflict... until now. I don't know why no main villain has appeared before now, but bringing one into season #4 certainly wouldn't hurt.
As to the characters?... Well, IMO, season #4 has done a very good job in further developing the characters of Buffy (Sarah-Michelle Gellar, blowing every other under-25 actor and actress *away*!) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan, doing a good job of taking Willow from a meek geek to a neurotic, slightly resentful hag). However, "Buffy's" writers have severely miscalculated vis a vis the development of the other characters:
Still, all in all, these aren't killer problems, and "Buffy" has left me far more satisfied than not this season.
Bottom line: The couple of naysayers out there who are declaring "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" dead are all wrong.
(Note: Episode titles obtained from http://www.epguides.com/)
| Overall Grade for Season: | C+ |
"Dawson's Creek" is the equivalent of TV cotton candy: it's OK at the time, but it's really not very filling (or satisfying).
My main issue with "Dawson" (as always!) is the writing. If the writing on "7th Heaven" is superficial to point of being almost braindead, "Dawson" is only one step ahead of that. For instance, "Dawson's" writers were never able to handle things adequately when they had only *4* characters. Remember season #1? Jen (Michelle Williams, a solid little actress if you ask me) and Pacey (Joshua Jackson, years of acting paying off for him) were always mere afterthoughts. Season #2 improved the situation slightly by giving Pacey his own storyline (though Jen was nearly forgotten about for large stretches of season #2). So, what do the writers do? They add more characters? UGH!
And what a poor job they've done too! Not only is Jen still criminally underwritten, the writers now have two more characters to write for, one of whom they don't know what to do with (Jack (Kerr Smith, still listless)) and another they seem to have completely destroyed through inconsistent writing (Andie (Meredith Monroe, looking shell-shocked by what's been handed to her this year)). Do the writers even *remember* what Andie was like in season #2 or what her mental/emotional conditions were?! Because, whoever they've got this year, it sure as heck is *not* Andie! (The only worse case of inconsistent characterization that I can think of is what they've done to Sarah Reeves/Marin on FOX's "Time of Your Life", but that's another story...)
And let's no forget the disastrous 'Eve arc'! What was that?! What *was* the deal with Eve (Brittany Daniels, deserving better writing, as she gave much more solid slut/bitch performances on "Sweet Valley High")?! Has a more unbelievable character ever appeared on TV?!!
It hasn't all been bad, of course. As always, the wildly inconsistent "Dawson" did manage a couple of good episodes this season, namely "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (where Jen's Mom shows up for Thanksgiving) and "Four to Tango" (the dancing episode) (both episode centered around Jen... coincidence? I think not!) And the brewing attraction between Pacey and Joey (Katie Homes, taking perky too far!) is *far* more interesting than the leaden, interminable Joey/Dawson (James van der Beek, looking better in "Varsity Blues" than here) 'endless love' storyline.
Oh well, what more can be said? I'm still watching "Dawson". Why? So I have something to complain about every week, that's why!
| Overall Grade for Season: | D |
There's no point in belaboring this: Hey! Aaron Spelling?! It's *over*! Please, end this farce! PLEASE!
I haven't seen all that much "90210" this season (yeah, even "Dawson's Creek" is better than this mess). But I've seen enough to know that, as it has been for years now (certainly since Jason Priestley and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen left), this show is doing nothing more than going through the motions. With the possible exception of Ian Ziering, *nobody* on this show looks like they're having fun anymore.
And why should they? "90210" has already done it all, and done it all better. Look, I loved Vanessa Marcil as much as the next guy when she was "General Hospital's" Brenda (neat coincidence, huh?). But she is simply *not* working on "90210". Marcil's Gina is a pale, *pale* shadow of Thiessen's much more entertaining Valerie Malone. And does anyone actually think that Luke Perry looks happy to be back? And does anyone care about the various recent additions to this show?
Not I, said the Fly, not I.
| Overall Grade for Season: | B |
"Charmed" is still going strong. Still, I have this continuing, nagging feeling that "Charmed" is just not as enjoyable as it was in season #1. (I think season #1 "Charmed" would have gotten a "B+" out of me.) But "Charmed" is still solid, if not as inspired (so far), this year.
One thing I do like about season #2 is that the undeniable focus of attention is my favorite Halliwell sister, Piper (Holly Marie Combs, the undeniable winner is "America's Favorite Girl Next Door" Contest (sorry Shiri Appleby!)), whereas season #1's focus was much more on oldest sister, Prue (Shannen Doherty, who EW's Ken Tucker once insightfully described as "... delivering every line of dialogue as if she has utter contempt for it"; just the way I like it!). Rounding out the sisters is wacky Phoebe (Alyssa Milano, who, along with Brittney Spears, is the object of desire of 20-something men all over America). Strangely, Phoebe has still not been given as much to do on "Charmed", for reasons that aren't entirely clear to me.
In any case, while I very much liked the "time travel" episode of this season, other seasonal developments have not been as welcome. I may be alone, but the Will-Piper-choose-Leo-or-Dan? saga doesn't interest me very much, and several episodes that should have been good, such as the episode set at the camp where the Halliwell sisters' mother died, were instead only middling.
Well, "Charmed" isn't brain surgery (and isn't meant to be), it certainly remains entertaining. Still, I can't stop wishing that "Charmed's" writers would reach a little more. The results might well be worth the effort.
| Overall Grade for Season: | INCOMPLETE |
Have I mentioned that I haven't been watching "Friends" much (at all) this season? Well, am I missing anything? Because the strong impression I've gotten so far is that this present season of "Friends" isn't very good. Am I wrong?
| Overall Grade for Season: | B |
Unlike last year, when the show was tanking by this point in the season, this half-season of "ER" has been much more solid. I don't know about you, but I'm not missing George Clooney or Gloria Rueben, and I'm not going to miss Juliana Margulies either.
Sure, I still find that "ER" has gotten too soapy, spending too much time delving into the principal's personal lives. But at least this season has spent more time on office politics than bed hopping. Which brings us to the three main reasons "ER" is humming again this season: Robert "Rocket" Romano (Paul McCrane, never this snakey on "Under Suspicion"), Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes, reminding everyone why none of us wants to work with a "Kerry Weaver" type), and new addition Dr. Dave (Erik Palladino; now *this* character that I could believe is a pre-Med!). These three provide far move entertainment value than all the other characters combined. In addition, Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle are still solid in their respective roles, and Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) is a nice addition to the show. Further, I thought the storyarc with Alan Alda's Alzheimer's riddled Dr. Gabe Lawrence was riveting. Yeah, I still like Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin, still snuggly after all these years) though they are wisely using her less this season. I've even been able to tolerate Michael Michelle's Dr. Cleo Finch so far (though we'll see how long that lasts). And I look forward to Maura Tierney's addition to the show.
So, while not inspired this year, I find "ER" to be pretty darn good and solid. And it's definitely an improvement over last season (at least, so far)...
| Overall Grade for Season: | C+ |
I will say this, of the various schlocky-sappy, women-helmed and women-oriented TV shows now on the air right now, "Providence" is the 'pick of the litter'. Now, of course, that may not be saying much. Still...
Unlike "Judging Amy", whose lead character I find too grating, and "Family Law", which I find a little to womyn-centric, "Providence" has the best balance between schmaltzy sentiment and "Hear me roar!" female empowerment. Yep, "Providence" does deliver a fair number of clunkers (witness the horrific "Thanksgiving" 2-hour event which played more like a parody of "Providence's" worst impulses than as an actual episode of the show!). But, helped along by an engaging lead actress (Melina Kanakaredes, proving that all of us fans from her "Guiding Light" days were right!), and some fairly solid second leads (especially Paula Cale, who manages to walk that fine line of keeping her character just this side of annoying), "Providence" is certainly the best example of this genre.
I'm just not sure that's a good thing...
| Overall Grade for Season: | C- |
Is it my imagination, or does this show suck this season? It must, because I couldn't get into it after the start of the season (after, what? the third cast change in four years?!), and I've pretty much dropped the show.
Wow, things must be bad if even Melissa Joan Hart can't get me to tune into her show...
| Overall Grade for Season: | D+ |
All right, *enough* all ready! I've been saying the same thing for years: "Boy Meets World" stopped being a comedy, and started being a soap opera, several seasons ago. The problem? Every season it gets even more 'soapy', and every year the 'soapy' aspects of the show have gotten more intolerable. I think this show finally reached the end of its rope with the marriage of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topagna (Danielle Fishel). Does anyone still like these two characters?! What's amazing to me is that the show has even managed to make its previously best aspects, namely Rider Strong and Will Friedle as Cory's friend Shawn and Cory's brother Eric, unpalatable.
About the only good thing in this season was seeing Marcia Cross (excellent as "Melrose Place's" wacky Kimberly Shaw) getting a semi-steady gig again as Topagna's mom. (Yeah, these two could be mother and daughter!... NOT!)
But, please, ABC, do us all a favor ABC: do *not* renew this show again.
| Overall Grade for Season: | B- |
I'll be the first to say it: "Nash" is "down" this season. I'll also be the first to admit that it probably doesn't matter. "Nash" is pretty mindless entertainment (though it was also more compelling in previous seasons), and it works well on that level.
Sure, I think the sub-plot with Evan's (Jaime P. Gomez) slide into near oblivion was an interesting (if pretty much unsuccessful) gambit. And I could probably live without Caitlin Cross (Yasmine Bleeth, likable but superfluous). But Don Johnson's "Nash Bridges" is still getting by just fine as the kind of action-oriented entertainment we've all come to expect from Carton Cuse.
I guess I just wish that we could get back to the somewhat grittier and more substantive "Nash" of a season or two ago.
| Overall Grade for Season: | B |
"The Pretender" is actually relatively hard to grade this season, as we haven't got all that many episodes yet. But I've generally liked what I have seen so far. Sure, NBC (foolishly) ordered that the show tone down its continuing Centre sub-plots, and this has certainly affected the show to its detriment. (It clearly isn't as good this season as it was in season #2 or #3. And wasn't the original premise of this show Jarod helping to "right the wrongs" perpetrated by the Centre's experiments themselves?!)
But, gosh darn it! I still just plum like this show! It ain't deep, and I don't know how many more times we viewers can watch a Jarod-centric "rescue" without becoming bored, but this show still manages to be entertaining after 3 1/2 seasons. Michael T. Weiss, Andrea Parker and cast are great, and the show is still (by and large) fresh.
I guess that makes "The Pretender" *Saturday* appointment TV!
| Overall Grade for Season: | C+ |
This show has been oft debated in rec.arts.tv, no doubt. But, in the end, you have to wonder what all the fuss is about. "Marshal Law" ain't Shakespeare, folks! It's nothing more than what it is: a martial-arts/cop action show whose primary purpose is to mindlessly entertain in a very similar manner to "Walker, Texas Ranger". Does "Marshal Law", by and large, do that? Sure. Does it do it as well as it potentially could? Of course not!
There is no doubt that problems remain in the Goldberg & Rabkin-helmed incarnation of "Martial Law". Cast changes were made, and storyarcs were dropped, between season #1 and #2, and these changes did not help as much as hurt. Dropping Costas Mandelor, though unpopular, was probably a necessity. And ignoring some of Terrell's (Arsenio Hall, trying hard not to bounce of the walls, and only partly succeeding) more silly characteristic established in season #1 was probably smart. It's the other changes that were made that bother me.
Number one of these was dropping the follow-up to the season #1 cliffhanger. CBS pulled the same crap when "JAG" moved from NBC to CBS, and it's the kind of thing that drives the original fans of these shows batty. Even a perfunctory tie-up to the cliffhanger would have been a welcome thing, and would have served to keep ML's original fans happy and on-board. In addition, dropping Julia Campbell (as has been pointed out repeatedly) was just plain dumb. Finally, the biggest error seems to be replacing Tom Wright (who was at least competent) with Gretchen Egolf (who appears to be neither compelling or competent).
By and large, ML is still passably entertaining, even despite these factors. But I'm still hoping that, in another incarnation or two, "Martial Law" might get to the point where it's more than simply "passably entertaining". In other words, I hope that, one day, "Martial Law" is a show worthy of the talents of star Sammo Hung. But we're not there yet.
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