Wow. This is what Human Target has become, a melodramatic mess. Sigh... What began as a promising action drama is now a laughably sad waste of television, with little plot, horrible character development, and painful scene after painful scene. At least in the first season, you'd just groan at how the plot was the same. Now, everyone is bad.
"Marshall Pucci" is plain stupid. There are ways two characters can get together, and there's the Human Target way, basically worst route ever. The relationship between Chance and Pucci isn't meaningful, playful, deep, or anything good. The writers put them near each other, sprinkle in sexual tension dust and just like that, they're in love. Then, put some on cheesy music, do a couple slow-mos, and there's Chance and Pucci in a nutshell.
Score: 0/10
Showing posts with label Human Target. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Human Target. Show all posts
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 12 The Trouble with Harry
When Human Target has to stoop to framing an episode around a guy no one cares about talking to Chance, it's not even surprising anymore. "The Trouble with Harry" has the usual action scenes, which are the primary reason for watching these day, a basic plot for the characters to be painfully unfunny, and more forced romance between Ilsa and Chance to the point where they kiss. Luckily, what began as a epic action drama and became a random blob of stuff will likely come to an end next week when the season finale airs.
Score: 7.7/10
Score: 7.7/10
Monday, January 31, 2011
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 11 Kill Bob
With Fox's latest move to take a post-Idol slot away from Human Target and assign it a Monday burn off along with Lie to Me, it's clear Human Target will have a short lifespan beyond the 13 episodes this season. There's really not more to say at this point. The first season had plenty of awesome and epicness, but the plots were the exact same each week. The second season, retooled to attract female viewers, has had more diversity between episodes but is still mediocre at best.
Despite its many, many faults, "Kill Bob" is an enjoyable episode with some cool actions scenes, especially Chance and Angie shooting at each other while in cars. That alone is enough to make me happy considering how low my expectations are. Yeah, the plot was a perfect cliche, but I don't care at this point.
The rest of the episode has a shallow message about love which only touches the surface, and has a bizarre subplot in which Ames randomly gets married before the annulment.
Score: 8.3/10
Despite its many, many faults, "Kill Bob" is an enjoyable episode with some cool actions scenes, especially Chance and Angie shooting at each other while in cars. That alone is enough to make me happy considering how low my expectations are. Yeah, the plot was a perfect cliche, but I don't care at this point.
The rest of the episode has a shallow message about love which only touches the surface, and has a bizarre subplot in which Ames randomly gets married before the annulment.
Score: 8.3/10
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Preview of Week 1/30/10 - 2/5/10
Human Target- Fox, Monday, January 31, 8:00pm ET
As Fox continues to burn off Human Target, it airs on a special Monday night.
Lie to Me - Fox, Monday, January 31, 8:00pm ET
Lie to Me had a huge ratings bump last week, which may indicate part of a greater trend. However, the season finale is here, so we won't know more. Unfortunately, it also means Fox will decide its fate one of these days.
Supernatural - CW, Friday, February 4, 9:00pm ET
For unknown reasons, the CW pushed back the return of Smallville and Supernatural a week.
As Fox continues to burn off Human Target, it airs on a special Monday night.
Lie to Me - Fox, Monday, January 31, 8:00pm ET
Lie to Me had a huge ratings bump last week, which may indicate part of a greater trend. However, the season finale is here, so we won't know more. Unfortunately, it also means Fox will decide its fate one of these days.
Supernatural - CW, Friday, February 4, 9:00pm ET
For unknown reasons, the CW pushed back the return of Smallville and Supernatural a week.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 9 Imbroglio / 10 Cool Hand Guerrero
We're near the end of Human Target's second season, and if one thing is perfectly evident, it's that Ilsa Pucci is a horrible character. Indira Varma is fine in the role given what little the writers give her. When Ilsa opens her mouth, you can pretty much guess that she's asking why Chance is doing x, y, and z. And the viewers still don't get it, the writers think, so we'll reinforce the point that she wants to keep an eye on things but is clueless how these operations work. Maybe it was necessary in the first few episodes, but she still asking when she knows the obvious answer--Chance has a plan that'll work out in the end. It's not that complicated.
I wanted to get that out of the way first, because "Imbroglio" and "Cool Hand Guerrero" aren't bad at all, welcome changes to the season two current. The nifty first episode puts everyone on the opposite sides of the equation they're used to being in, with Chance, Ilsa, Guerrero, and Ilsa's sister-in-law trapped with gunmen. There's nothing spectacular about the episode, but it gets the job done. The second episode, however, sheds a lot of light on Guerrero outside of the usual "guy in the trunk" dialogue. We see that Guerrero is very loyal to friends other than Winston and Chance, and that he has a son, indicated by the tricycle at the front of the house at the end of the episode.
Score: 8.6/10
I wanted to get that out of the way first, because "Imbroglio" and "Cool Hand Guerrero" aren't bad at all, welcome changes to the season two current. The nifty first episode puts everyone on the opposite sides of the equation they're used to being in, with Chance, Ilsa, Guerrero, and Ilsa's sister-in-law trapped with gunmen. There's nothing spectacular about the episode, but it gets the job done. The second episode, however, sheds a lot of light on Guerrero outside of the usual "guy in the trunk" dialogue. We see that Guerrero is very loyal to friends other than Winston and Chance, and that he has a son, indicated by the tricycle at the front of the house at the end of the episode.
Score: 8.6/10
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Review - Human Target Season 1 Episode 7 A Problem Like Maria / 8 Communication Breakdown
The good thing about tonight's two episodes is that they move fairly fast and the characters are always doing something. Unfortunately, neither episode was particularly interesting with regards to plot or characterization.
"A Problem Like Maria" brings back Maria, who I vaguely remember from the first season (I believe it was the episode that ended in the net picking up Chance), and as the title suggests, Maria is a problem. Winston knows it, Guerrero knows it, but Chance doesn't. So she it's revealed that she lied, but has a cause, so Chance eventually helps her and saves her husband, declining Maria's offer to runaway together at the end of the episode. Oh no--Chance turned away love! The angst! Only problem: Chance and Maria don't have that spark, so I could care less.
Speaking of love, "Communication Breakdown" tries to play around with Chance and Ilsa, reforming their professional relationship and moving towards a romantic relationship. Since Ilsa is sticking around (too bad Hector, who I suspect is an indestructible robot, couldn't finish her off), I guess we'll have to deal with the eventuality.
The defense of the headquarters in the second episode, while lacking any plot other than the stated goal, was very fun. I liked Ames in the episode because she wasn't making a concerted effort to be funny, so maybe I'll her character as a whole by the end of the season.
Score: 8.5/10
"A Problem Like Maria" brings back Maria, who I vaguely remember from the first season (I believe it was the episode that ended in the net picking up Chance), and as the title suggests, Maria is a problem. Winston knows it, Guerrero knows it, but Chance doesn't. So she it's revealed that she lied, but has a cause, so Chance eventually helps her and saves her husband, declining Maria's offer to runaway together at the end of the episode. Oh no--Chance turned away love! The angst! Only problem: Chance and Maria don't have that spark, so I could care less.
Speaking of love, "Communication Breakdown" tries to play around with Chance and Ilsa, reforming their professional relationship and moving towards a romantic relationship. Since Ilsa is sticking around (too bad Hector, who I suspect is an indestructible robot, couldn't finish her off), I guess we'll have to deal with the eventuality.
The defense of the headquarters in the second episode, while lacking any plot other than the stated goal, was very fun. I liked Ames in the episode because she wasn't making a concerted effort to be funny, so maybe I'll her character as a whole by the end of the season.
Score: 8.5/10
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 6 The Other Side Of The Mall
Newsflash: Chance doesn't belong in the suburbs with normal folks. No, that couldn't be inferred by the fact that Chance's job is to maim people--the writers need an entire episode to spell it out piece by piece.
"The Other Side Of The Mall," in true spirit of the retooled Human Target, is supposed to be funny. It's not. The obvious setups, transparency of the situations, and genericness of the characters just aren't conducive to laughter or even amusement. A further drawback is that attempts for humor take up time, leaving a mere hint of a plot and nothing more.
Score: 6.5/10
"The Other Side Of The Mall," in true spirit of the retooled Human Target, is supposed to be funny. It's not. The obvious setups, transparency of the situations, and genericness of the characters just aren't conducive to laughter or even amusement. A further drawback is that attempts for humor take up time, leaving a mere hint of a plot and nothing more.
Score: 6.5/10
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 5 Dead Head
While the first season was overly predictable to a T, at least it was epic at times. The retooled Human Target, although more less predictable, lacks character. If asked by someone about the show, I really wouldn't know how to describe it. There's action, bland banter, and not much else.
"Dead Head" plays out like a Leverage episode with less energy, less charm, and lack of anything that stands out. The team figures out why an amnesiac was blown up, resolving one of Winston's long-standing problems, a group of corrupt cops, at the same time. We get to meet Winston's ex-wife, but it's more of formality. Yeah, cool fight scenes and a bit of clever trickey--par for the course.
Ames really isn't as funny as the writers think she is, but she's unobtrusive, so at least she's got that over Ilsa. Five episodes into the new season and the changes seem to superfluous, exchanging one boring idea for another.
Score: 8.2/10
"Dead Head" plays out like a Leverage episode with less energy, less charm, and lack of anything that stands out. The team figures out why an amnesiac was blown up, resolving one of Winston's long-standing problems, a group of corrupt cops, at the same time. We get to meet Winston's ex-wife, but it's more of formality. Yeah, cool fight scenes and a bit of clever trickey--par for the course.
Ames really isn't as funny as the writers think she is, but she's unobtrusive, so at least she's got that over Ilsa. Five episodes into the new season and the changes seem to superfluous, exchanging one boring idea for another.
Score: 8.2/10
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 4 The Return of Baptiste
I'm confused about the direction of the second season. The season premiere made clear that the cliffhanger at the end of the first season, directly involving the Old Man, was to be dealt with quickly before heading off to new ventures. However, with "The Return of Baptiste," the Old Man is mentioned several times. So is he a key figure or not? It seems like the writers are backtracking on the Old Man after seemingly tossing him away.
"The Return of Baptiste" is bolstered by the fact that Baptiste is back. Together, he and Chance venture to Paraguay to save Ilsa's friend, and it's the usual banter and action both in Paraguay and at home base with Ilsa taking a more active role. There's really not more to the episode, with Baptiste headed by to prison after Chance feigns offering him a job. We don't learn more about the Old Man other than that he doesn't need/want Baptiste anymore.
Score: 8.3/10
"The Return of Baptiste" is bolstered by the fact that Baptiste is back. Together, he and Chance venture to Paraguay to save Ilsa's friend, and it's the usual banter and action both in Paraguay and at home base with Ilsa taking a more active role. There's really not more to the episode, with Baptiste headed by to prison after Chance feigns offering him a job. We don't learn more about the Old Man other than that he doesn't need/want Baptiste anymore.
Score: 8.3/10
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 3 Taking Ames
"Taking Ames" is the invariant "let's show how loyal the new character is" episode. The new character in questions is Ames. Every character on the show, at heart, is a good person and Ames is no exception. Like Chance, she was drawn into the criminal world out of obligation. Obviously she's prove her loyalty and become a productive member of the team.
So the episode basically goes through the motions with a jewel heist followed by the capturing of the criminal--without any serious twists in there. There are some pleasant moments in there, but nothing that made me really care about the characters.
Ilsa is there to hover around and be a general downer, making sure the team doesn't get out of line. In other words, she's a direct barrier to the team doing awesome things, and considering she's on a show which is only watchable because it can be fun and exciting, she's generally dislikable.
Score: 7.8/10
So the episode basically goes through the motions with a jewel heist followed by the capturing of the criminal--without any serious twists in there. There are some pleasant moments in there, but nothing that made me really care about the characters.
Ilsa is there to hover around and be a general downer, making sure the team doesn't get out of line. In other words, she's a direct barrier to the team doing awesome things, and considering she's on a show which is only watchable because it can be fun and exciting, she's generally dislikable.
Score: 7.8/10
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 2 The Wife's Tale
Human Target could be a very fun show that doesn't requires much thinking. The action and stunts are some of the best on television, and the character quirks are good most of the time. However, Human Target makes you think--and not in a positive "let's analyze Mad Men" sort of way; it makes you think about exactly how blunt the writing is. Is it waffle iron blunt or baseball bat blunt?
From the first season to now, almost every episode has had one guideline: it has to be related to Chance's past. It's a message so blatantly obvious I was bored midway through the first season. While the second season premiere seemed to reset the table, "The Wife's Tale" proves otherwise. Human Target will continue down the tired path of showing just how dark Chance's past was in comparison to where it is now.
This week, Chance protects a woman who's husband was killed by Chance years ago. And look, Chance is putting himself at great personal risk to protect her. The dynamic between the characters is thrown for a loop once everyone learns of Chance's involvement. In the end, the woman is safe, although she hasn't forgiven Chance, and Ilsa is mostly fine with the situation.
I don't get why Ilsa was made into a full-time character. She has money, but no apparent skills, so is she just going to hang around every episode asking questions? I can already imagine her getting in the way before inadvertently beating the criminal. Ames, on the other hand, isn't connected monetarily to the group, but she can actually do something, so we probably learn why she's sticking around.
Score: 8.4/10
From the first season to now, almost every episode has had one guideline: it has to be related to Chance's past. It's a message so blatantly obvious I was bored midway through the first season. While the second season premiere seemed to reset the table, "The Wife's Tale" proves otherwise. Human Target will continue down the tired path of showing just how dark Chance's past was in comparison to where it is now.
This week, Chance protects a woman who's husband was killed by Chance years ago. And look, Chance is putting himself at great personal risk to protect her. The dynamic between the characters is thrown for a loop once everyone learns of Chance's involvement. In the end, the woman is safe, although she hasn't forgiven Chance, and Ilsa is mostly fine with the situation.
I don't get why Ilsa was made into a full-time character. She has money, but no apparent skills, so is she just going to hang around every episode asking questions? I can already imagine her getting in the way before inadvertently beating the criminal. Ames, on the other hand, isn't connected monetarily to the group, but she can actually do something, so we probably learn why she's sticking around.
Score: 8.4/10
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 2 Episode 1 Ilsa Pucci
Despite having American Idol as a lead in a few times last season, Human Target simply couldn't keep its audience as the ratings dropped each week. I would attribute that to the general repetitiveness and predictability of the plots. Still, Fox gave the go-ahead for a second season, one retooled so much it's barely recognizable beyond the three core characters.
The biggest difference is the change from Bear McCreary to Tim Jones as composer. McCreary brought a grand sense of epicness to the show and was often the only reason to watch the show. Jones, however, who also composes for Chuck, has a much different vision of the show. Instead of a symphonic score which isn't afraid to show some muscle, he opts for the playful plucked strings, and the result is a show that seems more like Leverage than the pure action drama it was last season.
Let's talk about the other big changes this season. First of all, the cliffhanger at the end of last season is resolved almost instantly. Forget the bible and the Old Man--the first season seems to have been whitewashed. Second the cast has two new women, Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma) and Ames (Janet Montgomery), whom I assume are there to draw in a bigger female audience.
From a plot standpoint, the episode is standard. Chance, Winston, and Guerrero protect Ilsa, who decides to fund the operation at the end of the episode. Ames is a thief who is caught but is grudgingly let onto the team. While most of the changes can't draw an immediate opinion, I do like how the plot doesn't have some relation to Chance's past, a tired plot device which, if I remember correctly, annoyed me to hell last season.
Score: 8.7/10
The biggest difference is the change from Bear McCreary to Tim Jones as composer. McCreary brought a grand sense of epicness to the show and was often the only reason to watch the show. Jones, however, who also composes for Chuck, has a much different vision of the show. Instead of a symphonic score which isn't afraid to show some muscle, he opts for the playful plucked strings, and the result is a show that seems more like Leverage than the pure action drama it was last season.
Let's talk about the other big changes this season. First of all, the cliffhanger at the end of last season is resolved almost instantly. Forget the bible and the Old Man--the first season seems to have been whitewashed. Second the cast has two new women, Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma) and Ames (Janet Montgomery), whom I assume are there to draw in a bigger female audience.
From a plot standpoint, the episode is standard. Chance, Winston, and Guerrero protect Ilsa, who decides to fund the operation at the end of the episode. Ames is a thief who is caught but is grudgingly let onto the team. While most of the changes can't draw an immediate opinion, I do like how the plot doesn't have some relation to Chance's past, a tired plot device which, if I remember correctly, annoyed me to hell last season.
Score: 8.7/10
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Preview of Week 11/14/10 - 11/20/10
Chuck - NBC, Monday, October 15, 8:00pm ET
The reunification of Jayne Cobb and River Tam! Do we care about anything else?
Weeds - Showtime, Monday, October 15, 10:00pm ET
The end of the awful season of Weeds is here, and with it probably the last time I watch the show. Sorry, but all the pointless running around is too much.
The Big C - Showtime, Monday, October 15, 10:30pm ET
While Weeds has gone downhill at a constant rate, The Big C has had a resurgence as of late and the season finale is actually shaping up to
NCIS - CBS, Tuesday, October 16, 8:00pm ET
Ziva's daddy is back... I don't think he'll be too happy about his daughter's current position as NCIS agent and US citizen.
Human Target - Fox, Wednesday, October 17, 8:00pm ET
Human Target hasn't aired since April (yeah, the length between seasons surprised me too). If you remember back to the season finale, Winston had been kidnapped, so we'll get a conclusion to that--most likely through a cliched rescue attempt.
Terriers - FX, Wednesday, October 17, 10:00pm ET
With only three episodes left and the ratings in the toilet, I though I'd give some promotion to Terriers. Watch it--you'll like it.
The reunification of Jayne Cobb and River Tam! Do we care about anything else?
Weeds - Showtime, Monday, October 15, 10:00pm ET
The end of the awful season of Weeds is here, and with it probably the last time I watch the show. Sorry, but all the pointless running around is too much.
The Big C - Showtime, Monday, October 15, 10:30pm ET
While Weeds has gone downhill at a constant rate, The Big C has had a resurgence as of late and the season finale is actually shaping up to
NCIS - CBS, Tuesday, October 16, 8:00pm ET
Ziva's daddy is back... I don't think he'll be too happy about his daughter's current position as NCIS agent and US citizen.
Human Target - Fox, Wednesday, October 17, 8:00pm ET
Human Target hasn't aired since April (yeah, the length between seasons surprised me too). If you remember back to the season finale, Winston had been kidnapped, so we'll get a conclusion to that--most likely through a cliched rescue attempt.
Terriers - FX, Wednesday, October 17, 10:00pm ET
With only three episodes left and the ratings in the toilet, I though I'd give some promotion to Terriers. Watch it--you'll like it.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Preview of Week 9/26/10 - 10/2/10
Dexter - Showtime, Sunday, September 26, 9:00pm ET
Ever since the third season, I've been pretty bored with Dexter. Dexter is a fascinating character, but the rest of the characters, with Deb as a small exception, are poorly developed and get a fair amount of screen time. And even the twists within each episode don't do much for me. Still, the huge twist at the end of the fourth season and a change in showrunner might just be enough to lure to back.
Boardwalk Empire - HBO, Sunday, September 26, 9:00pm ET
Boardwalk Empire opened huge for HBO and was quickly renewed by a second season, so hold on--the ride is just beginning.
No Ordinary Family - ABC, Tuesday, September 28, 8:00pm ET
It's cool seeing Michael Chiklis as a good guy, but the superpowers and family drama are ordinary. Seriously, marital problems, guy problems, super strength, super speed, hearing thoughts, and super intelligence aren't supposed to be ordinary? Come on!
Stargate Universe - Syfy, Tuesday, September 28, 9:00pm ET
The show I love to hate is back. Watching SGU is very frustrating. If you look at the scores I gave the show last season (and my scale has since changed to make all scores slightly lower), they weren't all bad. In fact, there were only a couple bad, bad episodes. The good stuff in each episode is overshadowed by some of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, September 28, 10:00pm ET
Last season's best new drama is back. Continuing from last season's cliffhanger, Alicia will decide between Will and Peter (although I'm guessing the matter will be unresolved).
Law & Order: Los Angeles - NBC, Wednesday, September 29, 10:00pm ET
Prepare for the onslaught of murdered starlets.
Human Target - Fox, Friday, October 1, 8:00pm ET
Human Target started with a mountain of promise and the ratings were pretty good with a few AI lead ins. But then each episode was pretty much the same, a slight variation of a theme, and the ratings dropped, including my opinion of the show. Hopefully, things will be fine this season.
Ever since the third season, I've been pretty bored with Dexter. Dexter is a fascinating character, but the rest of the characters, with Deb as a small exception, are poorly developed and get a fair amount of screen time. And even the twists within each episode don't do much for me. Still, the huge twist at the end of the fourth season and a change in showrunner might just be enough to lure to back.
Boardwalk Empire - HBO, Sunday, September 26, 9:00pm ET
Boardwalk Empire opened huge for HBO and was quickly renewed by a second season, so hold on--the ride is just beginning.
No Ordinary Family - ABC, Tuesday, September 28, 8:00pm ET
It's cool seeing Michael Chiklis as a good guy, but the superpowers and family drama are ordinary. Seriously, marital problems, guy problems, super strength, super speed, hearing thoughts, and super intelligence aren't supposed to be ordinary? Come on!
Stargate Universe - Syfy, Tuesday, September 28, 9:00pm ET
The show I love to hate is back. Watching SGU is very frustrating. If you look at the scores I gave the show last season (and my scale has since changed to make all scores slightly lower), they weren't all bad. In fact, there were only a couple bad, bad episodes. The good stuff in each episode is overshadowed by some of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, September 28, 10:00pm ET
Last season's best new drama is back. Continuing from last season's cliffhanger, Alicia will decide between Will and Peter (although I'm guessing the matter will be unresolved).
Law & Order: Los Angeles - NBC, Wednesday, September 29, 10:00pm ET
Prepare for the onslaught of murdered starlets.
Human Target - Fox, Friday, October 1, 8:00pm ET
Human Target started with a mountain of promise and the ratings were pretty good with a few AI lead ins. But then each episode was pretty much the same, a slight variation of a theme, and the ratings dropped, including my opinion of the show. Hopefully, things will be fine this season.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 1 Episode 12 Christopher Chance
The season finale pretty much went as expected and proved, once again, that the writers ran out ideas early on in the series. Every episode has hinted at Chance's dark past. We know he was in love with Katherine Walters and she died, but somehow set him free from his course of killing people. Somewhere along the way, he met up with Winston and Guerrero.
Katherine Walters, played by Amy Acker, another big name sci-fi actress, is a woman who overheard a little too much. Chance is sent to kill her, but sees that she's is innocent and decides to throw everything away and protect her. Winston is a detective who grudging helps Chance and Guerrero is also with the Old Man, but because of his good heart, leaves Chance alone. Baptiste is still the mean guy with a funny accent we see in the future.
It turns out that everything revolved around a book inside of a briefcase. After Baptiste detonated the boat, killing Katherine, the briefcase goes missing. Finally, all these years after, for no reason, the Old Man is looking for the book and hits their base. The episode ends with Chance going to help the Old Man, because they have Winston. Other than the cool twist of meeting the previous Christopher Chance, the episode went stodgily along. If the show comes back for a second season, I likely will not be watching.
Score: 8.4/10
Katherine Walters, played by Amy Acker, another big name sci-fi actress, is a woman who overheard a little too much. Chance is sent to kill her, but sees that she's is innocent and decides to throw everything away and protect her. Winston is a detective who grudging helps Chance and Guerrero is also with the Old Man, but because of his good heart, leaves Chance alone. Baptiste is still the mean guy with a funny accent we see in the future.
It turns out that everything revolved around a book inside of a briefcase. After Baptiste detonated the boat, killing Katherine, the briefcase goes missing. Finally, all these years after, for no reason, the Old Man is looking for the book and hits their base. The episode ends with Chance going to help the Old Man, because they have Winston. Other than the cool twist of meeting the previous Christopher Chance, the episode went stodgily along. If the show comes back for a second season, I likely will not be watching.
Score: 8.4/10
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Preview of Week 04/11/10 - 04/17/10
Treme - HBO, Sunday, April 11, 10:00pm ET
David Simon has an uncanny ability for immersing viewers into a completely different world. We'll see if he can do it again with post-Katrina New Orleans.
House - Fox, Monday, April 12, 8:00pm ET
There's a lockdown which causes weird parings of characters. Also, Cameron returns...
The Big Bang Theory - CBS, Monday, April 12, 9:00pm ET
Wil Wheaton is back! That means Sheldon will get another chance to bring down his nemesis.
Damages - FX, Monday, April 12, 10:00pm ET
The penultimate episode of the season/series will have twists. That's all anyone can predict about the show. I don't understand why the ratings are so low.
Human Target - Fox, Wednesday, April 14, 8:00pm ET
I'm not interested in the show anymore, but all the hints will finally come to fruition as we see flashbacks of Chance and how he came to be where he is now.
Supernatural, CW, Thursday, April 15, 9:00pm ET
The 100th episode of Supernatural looks to be particularly explosive. At the end of the last episode, Dean ran off to the angels. It looks like the situation isn't as simple as it seems.
Not that anyone cares, but the season premieres of Army Wives and The Tudors are on Sunday, April 11.
David Simon has an uncanny ability for immersing viewers into a completely different world. We'll see if he can do it again with post-Katrina New Orleans.
House - Fox, Monday, April 12, 8:00pm ET
There's a lockdown which causes weird parings of characters. Also, Cameron returns...
The Big Bang Theory - CBS, Monday, April 12, 9:00pm ET
Wil Wheaton is back! That means Sheldon will get another chance to bring down his nemesis.
Damages - FX, Monday, April 12, 10:00pm ET
The penultimate episode of the season/series will have twists. That's all anyone can predict about the show. I don't understand why the ratings are so low.
Human Target - Fox, Wednesday, April 14, 8:00pm ET
I'm not interested in the show anymore, but all the hints will finally come to fruition as we see flashbacks of Chance and how he came to be where he is now.
Supernatural, CW, Thursday, April 15, 9:00pm ET
The 100th episode of Supernatural looks to be particularly explosive. At the end of the last episode, Dean ran off to the angels. It looks like the situation isn't as simple as it seems.
Not that anyone cares, but the season premieres of Army Wives and The Tudors are on Sunday, April 11.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 1 Episode 11 Victoria
Yawn... For a show that relies on action, "Victoria" was thin on story and action. The season finale is next week, so I'll finish out the season, but watching a second season (if there is one) is another question. There were several cool episodes in the beginning and I was at one time, actually excited for the next episode. Now I don't care, and looking back, should have rated the episodes lower.
This week was a generic story about a princess, Victoria, who met a nice paramedic, Tony, in New York. They can't be together due to Victoria's station, and her husband wants her dead. Chance saves her and takes her around New York to find a IRA terrorist who wanted to kill her in the past. Cliches, cliches, and more cliches later, Victoria and Tony meet up again for a cliched ending.
Score: 7.1/10
This week was a generic story about a princess, Victoria, who met a nice paramedic, Tony, in New York. They can't be together due to Victoria's station, and her husband wants her dead. Chance saves her and takes her around New York to find a IRA terrorist who wanted to kill her in the past. Cliches, cliches, and more cliches later, Victoria and Tony meet up again for a cliched ending.
Score: 7.1/10
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 1 Episode 10 Tanarak
Have the writers really run out of ideas? From the past couple episodes, I would have to say yes. The show is likely to be canceled anyways, but looking ahead, there is hardly a creative future for the show.
In many ways, Human Target is more formulaic than police procedurals. There's the hot girl Chance has to save, mysteries about his past, evil doers who outnumber Chance, Winston and Gurrero doing something illegal to back up Chance, and eventually, Chance beating the bad guys to the rousing score of Bear McCreary.
This week, the hot girl was played by Moon Bloodgood, another example of the formula at work. The guest stars need geek cred. And what's more, they come to the cliched jump-off-the-cliff-into-water-or-the-guys-will-kill-you moment, and that allows her to take off her clothes. Chance always gets to work with hot girls, and they are all enthralled by him in the end.
There's so much potential wasted in the leads and the premise of the show. With a cancelation looming, one could only wonder what the show have been if the writers were more creative.
Score: 8.5/10
In many ways, Human Target is more formulaic than police procedurals. There's the hot girl Chance has to save, mysteries about his past, evil doers who outnumber Chance, Winston and Gurrero doing something illegal to back up Chance, and eventually, Chance beating the bad guys to the rousing score of Bear McCreary.
This week, the hot girl was played by Moon Bloodgood, another example of the formula at work. The guest stars need geek cred. And what's more, they come to the cliched jump-off-the-cliff-into-water-or-the-guys-will-kill-you moment, and that allows her to take off her clothes. Chance always gets to work with hot girls, and they are all enthralled by him in the end.
There's so much potential wasted in the leads and the premise of the show. With a cancelation looming, one could only wonder what the show have been if the writers were more creative.
Score: 8.5/10
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 1 Episode 9 Corner Man
Off the top of my head, over half the episode have stopped in media res. Please. Stop. It stopped being interesting a long time ago. The plane stuff in the second episode was cool, because it was different, but "Corner Man" starts with nothing unexpected. Chance is fighting some guy in the ring and gets smacked on top of his head. There is only one conclusion to draw. Chance has been hired again, it involves MMA, and he's not doing great.
The formulaic nature of the show is being clearer as the series progresses. The producers really don't have better ideas than the usual missions which relate to Chance's past. I don't know how that can sustain the show, because the only thing keeping the show afloat is the insanely awesome fight scenes. The inability of the writers to switch things up the slightest is dragging the show down.
In "Corner Man," Chance's former boss, the one who had him kill people, was haunting Chance as he saw Ava (Grace Park) under the control of Hugh Prentiss (Peter Wingfield). It's the usual fighting stuff. There's brutal fighters, brutal fights, backstabbing, drugging, and a victorious Chance. Ava turns on Prentiss after she learns he killed her father.
The plot was again thin as the original client, Edie, was left to be comedic relief. Unlike Burn Notice which actually keeps the client somewhat relevant, Human Target takes a myopic focus on Chance which often renders the plot senseless.
Score: 8.5/10
The formulaic nature of the show is being clearer as the series progresses. The producers really don't have better ideas than the usual missions which relate to Chance's past. I don't know how that can sustain the show, because the only thing keeping the show afloat is the insanely awesome fight scenes. The inability of the writers to switch things up the slightest is dragging the show down.
In "Corner Man," Chance's former boss, the one who had him kill people, was haunting Chance as he saw Ava (Grace Park) under the control of Hugh Prentiss (Peter Wingfield). It's the usual fighting stuff. There's brutal fighters, brutal fights, backstabbing, drugging, and a victorious Chance. Ava turns on Prentiss after she learns he killed her father.
The plot was again thin as the original client, Edie, was left to be comedic relief. Unlike Burn Notice which actually keeps the client somewhat relevant, Human Target takes a myopic focus on Chance which often renders the plot senseless.
Score: 8.5/10
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Review - Human Target Season 1 Episode 8 Baptiste
The writers are trying to toe the line between the show being dark and a normal action show. As with every other aspect of the show, they can't seem to make up their mind. Is the show funny or dark? Maybe a combination of both?
The entire episode uses the frame of Change talking with Baptiste (Lennie James) to reveal his dark past which still isn't clear. They're just sitting there talking as we see the events prior. The implication is that Emma Barnes (Emmanuelle Vaugier) will die. At one point, Barnes goes running into a building, and Baptiste detonates the bomb in the building. If the show as dark, she would die, but since the writers have made the show fairly light despite the heavy violence, I never thought she would actually die. Chance has a blank look of indifference on his face while talking to Baptiste, so we don't even get to see how he would react to Barnes dying. The result is a fairly boring episode held together by the hope that the writers will do something bold and the usual cool action scenes.
I'm getting tired of the small hints being dropped every episode. Can't we get a straight adventure without some deep inquiry behind Chance's every move? It's not like we learn much anyways.
Autumn Reeser made her second appearance as Layla to help Guererro with the tech support. She learns that Guerrero does whatever the hell he wants, and that the job is stressful. Big whoop.
The usual missions aren't important, and again, the purpose was in a throwaway line. Apparently, the writers think China and Taiwan making peace is a good thing and shouldn't be disrupted. What exactly would this peace entail? Handing over sovereignty to an oppressive government that will surely crackdown on average Taiwanese citizens? Demilitarizing the Taiwan Strait? Sorry, writers, but you kind of failed big time. The fact is, China will never stop coveting Taiwan, and military force is the only thing preventing China from invading.
Score: 8.7/10
The entire episode uses the frame of Change talking with Baptiste (Lennie James) to reveal his dark past which still isn't clear. They're just sitting there talking as we see the events prior. The implication is that Emma Barnes (Emmanuelle Vaugier) will die. At one point, Barnes goes running into a building, and Baptiste detonates the bomb in the building. If the show as dark, she would die, but since the writers have made the show fairly light despite the heavy violence, I never thought she would actually die. Chance has a blank look of indifference on his face while talking to Baptiste, so we don't even get to see how he would react to Barnes dying. The result is a fairly boring episode held together by the hope that the writers will do something bold and the usual cool action scenes.
I'm getting tired of the small hints being dropped every episode. Can't we get a straight adventure without some deep inquiry behind Chance's every move? It's not like we learn much anyways.
Autumn Reeser made her second appearance as Layla to help Guererro with the tech support. She learns that Guerrero does whatever the hell he wants, and that the job is stressful. Big whoop.
The usual missions aren't important, and again, the purpose was in a throwaway line. Apparently, the writers think China and Taiwan making peace is a good thing and shouldn't be disrupted. What exactly would this peace entail? Handing over sovereignty to an oppressive government that will surely crackdown on average Taiwanese citizens? Demilitarizing the Taiwan Strait? Sorry, writers, but you kind of failed big time. The fact is, China will never stop coveting Taiwan, and military force is the only thing preventing China from invading.
Score: 8.7/10
