What If TV Networks Could Trade Shows?
Showing posts with label cbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cbs. Show all posts
United States of Al, Season 2 Episode 13 Review - Hunter
Meanwhile, Al, determined to impress Ariana at an Afghan refugee fund-raiser spin cycle-a-thon, gets down right petulant when he competes against the hunky spin class instructor.
And with the house to themselves, Art and Lois enjoy privacy at home and then out in the city as vigilante anti-graffitists.
With USofAL's audience numbers steadily climbing, the show must be doing something right. But this is an example of the uneven writing that keeps the show from being heads above any other must-see TV.
It's funny and touching to see Riley interact with his daughter, especially when he realizes how much he's missed in his daughter's life - Parker Young and Farrah Mackenzie have great chemistry.
But the show's biggest challenge is how to develop Al as a multi-dimensional comic character. Is he the stranger in a strange land? Are we laughing at his conservative values? It certainly comes across that way with Al's immature bravado competing with the spin instructor. Ariana is too Westernized for Al and she's already condemned him for being an interpreter, but the show insists that they could be a couple even though Ariana shows no interest in Al. Combined with the show's unique situation of being the only show about an Afghan refugee, and you can almost feel the tug of war in the writers' room as they steer Al from serious issues to a memorable funny character that will keep a growing audience coming back every week.
United States of Al, Season 2 Episode 11 Review
When Hazel (Farrah Mackenzie) decides to do a report on Al (Adhir Kalyan) for school, a classmate insults her and Hazel punches him in the face. She's expelled from school. Riley (Parker Young) and Vanessa (Kelli Goss) disagree about how to punish Hazel. In fact, the two argue about whether Hazel was justified in punching out the other kid. The argument leads to an Al-led "intervention" where the entire family discusses the role of parenting, especially when the parents are separated.
This episode of USofAL fires on all cylinders. We are reminded of Al's history and refugee status. We get a taste of ignorance thanks to the classmate's insults. And we get the warm and fuzzies thanks to a sitcom returning to familiar territory - a disfunctional family comedy. The intervention was a great way to get the entire family cast members together, especially as past episodes had separate A and B storylines where the entire family rarely interacted.
There are times when episodes of USofAL still feel like it's getting its legs, but this particular episode was smart, insightful and, most importantly, funny.
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Harrison Cheung is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.
@harrisonic (Twitter)
NCIS: Los Angeles S13E07 Review: Lost Soldier Down
Lost Soldier Down is NCISLA star Daniela Ruah (Kensi's) second outing as director and she was teamed up with another woman, episode writer Indira Wilson, to bring this week's offering to life. In Lost Soldier Down, the team investigate the apparent suicide of a Navy intelligence officer and uncover the mystery of why he had taken LSD before he jumped to his death, and why the USS Allegiance had an LCD problem.
United States of Al Season 2 Episode 10 Review
Back from the holiday break, USofAL takes an interesting turn. Al (Adhir Kalyan) invites his psychology professor (John Ross Bowie) over for dinner while Riley (Parker Young) finds he can't "perform" with his new girlfriend, Holly (Amanda Payton). This is the first episode of the season that doesn't mention Afghan refugees at all.
NCIS: Los Angeles S13E06: Sundown (Review)
How far would a father go to seek justice for his child? That is the ultimate question posed in Sundown, written by one of the newer writers, Lee A. Carlisle, when a father takes a busload of hostages, threatening to blow it up unless his daughter's war crimes are posthumously cleared and her death by suicide investigated. The father, Gary DeMayo gives the team until sundown to discover the truth, or he carries out his threat. His daughter, Corporal Kyra DeMayo was asleep on guard duty during an incursion which saw a cache of weapons stolen. Opioids were found in her system and she was other than honourably discharged. Kyra suffered a brain injury during the attack and committed suicide, shooting herself in a park.
Before this is revealed in Ops, getting shot is discussed by Fatima and Rountree in the bullpen. In a call out to the last episode, Fatima is still on crutches after being shot in the leg. She reveals it's not like the movies and wonders how Callen came back after being shot five times in one go. Rountree suggests it might be why he is sometimes cranky. Making light of such injuries and events is a coping mechanism, and Callen's shooting (in the backdoor pilot via NCIS 'Legend - part 2' S06E23) is hauled out every so often for black humour.
The theme of parenthood is frequently explored in NCIS: Los Angeles, often through the main characters in relation to their personal experiences and how they interact with guest characters and the case in question. In Sundown, this is brought to the fore, not only through DeMayo but also through Kensi and Deeks. At the start, the pair are waiting in the car apparently on a stakeout. Kensi is observing a couple entering a building, describing them as 'trouble' and 'over-achievers'. It quickly becomes apparent they are not on an NCIS mission; Kensi is plucking up the courage to attend an information meeting with Deeks to understand more about the journey to adoption. Of course an alert comes through from Ops, causing the couple to 'divide and conquer', with Kensi left to the meeting and Deeks to work the case. This circles back to questions originally raised by Deeks a number of seasons ago about how they would cope with parenthood if they were both working. Kensi continues to receive text updates from Ops which distract her and lead her to tell little white lies about a sick aunt who takes a turn for the worse. In the end she has to excuse herself to assist the team in the final showdown. Even at the end when Kensi and Deeks are together in the bull pen, they still have no answers of how they will cope. There is no discussion of one or the other giving up their career. Deeks simply says they'll figure it out, as that's what parents do. Once again though, Kensi changes the parameters by suggesting fostering, something Deeks had also been considering. There is a very 'matter of fact' scene between Callen and Deeks (who partner up to interview Corporal DeMayo's mother). They are driving to find a suspect and Callen asks Deeks how the adoption process is going. Deeks is also finding it tough. Callen's response is: 'Talking as a foster kid, I'll say one thing. I'd have killed to have parents like you and Kens.' It's the highest compliment Callen could pay the couple and his choice of the word 'kill' reveals the pain and depth of feeling associated with growing up in the system. There would have been minimal impact if he'd said that he'd loved to have had parents like Deeks and Kensi.
When the tasks are allocated at the start, Sam volunteers to go to the scene, citing his experience with grieving military families. Rountree is selected to accompany him, due to having taken a hostage negotiating course with the FBI. This sets up expectations that Rountree would take a leading role, however it is Sam who predictably takes the lead. There is slight tension between the pair and LAPD SWAT on the scene and of course the NCIS calls all turn out to be the right moves. Sam also has direct experience of parenthood, yet his attempts to connect with Gary DeMayo fail as the man is on a one track mission to clear his daughter's name. Their conversations via walkie talkie reveal more about DeMayo and his daughter. These are interspersed with Callen and Deeks talking with Mrs DeMayo. She touches on how therapy proved too expensive and comments on the VA backlogs. Yet it is the notebook suggested by her therapist which provides the clue which leads to the team exonerating her, even if it was not conducive to saving her life.
Fatima has currently assumed the role of both Nell and Eric in ops, and helps move the narrative along. For example she has concrete information that Corporal DeMayo's death was in fact suicide and talks this through with Kilbride who has to tease the information out of her. There is an inference that he is familiar with suicides, citing she most likely shot herself in the park to spare her parents dealing with finding her and the clear-up. She was first introduced as a specialist analyst and is most suited to Ops.
There are limited guest characters in Sundown even though there are several hostages on the bus. This lack of focus means no empathy is built with them. Their fear of being shot or blown up is not shown. Instead the focus remains solely on Gary and to a lesser extent, his wife. Rountree may not be called on for his FBI negotiating skills (a slight on the FBI?) but Sam does give him the chance to shine as a journalist sent onto the bus to hear Gary's side. For a former FBI undercover agent he is rather nervous yet listens to Gary, giving him false hope that his story will be revealed to the world. There are also interactions between husband and wife when Mrs DeMayo is brought to the scene. The bottom line is of such conversations underlines that Gary is not a bad man, the failings of the military and judicial systems has triggered this extreme reaction. He eventually lets the prisoners go, and is willing to only take his own life when it seems time has run out.
The closing scene takes place in the boatshed, which apparently has wide doors which open to reveal a balcony overlooking the marina. Kilbride aptly voices viewers thoughts that he didn't even know this (balcony) was out there. He ties up the case by confirming Corporal DeMayo has been cleared, posthumously promoted, awarded a medal, given a funeral with full honours with backpay reinstated. Sam, Callen and Kilbride reflect on the question of how far a parent would go if someone hurt their child. Sam admits he can't stop thinking about that dilemma, although past experience (Talion, S7E24) shows restraint when he had the chance to kill Tahir Kaled after taking his son Aiden hostage. Sam is an honourable man and also eventually saw reason when he hunted down Kaled after he murdered his wife. Sam is a trained SEAL with high morals and self control. Gary is an ordinary man who admitted if he had to, he would do it all over again.
United States of Al: Season 2, Episode 9 Review - Christmas
Ah, the great American tradition - the sitcom Christmas special! USofAL takes a novel twist on the 'meaning of Christmas' theme that usually hits the airwaves with an episode that pokes at materialism, love, and, yes, the true meaning of Christmas.
Al (Adhir Kalyan) celebrates his first American Christmas and fortunately the writers resist too much immigrant humor because, let's face it, as an interpreter with the U.S. Marines, the holidays and all its revelry can't be completely strange to him.
Instead the episode focuses on Riley (Parker Young) who finally asks out Holly (Amanda Payton), the bartender who gave him her number a few episodes ago. As a veteran herself, Holly and Riley immediately connect and have a fun raunchy week together so he decides to invite her to his father's Christmas party.
At the party, Riley's ex Vanessa (Kelli Goss) immediately gets jealous of his happiness. It's one thing for her to enjoy the first season and a half of Riley's alcoholic misery but it's another thing to see him glowing in Holly's presence. Vanessa gets into a drunken fit before getting warned off by Riley's sister, Lizzie (Elizabeth Alderfer). (Small point here - why the need to go to booze all the time? It's an overused crutch in this show!)
Meanwhile, Riley's dad Art (Dean Norris) gets a sweater from his girlfriend Lois (Rachel Bay Jones) but freaks when Lizzie tells him the sweater is worth more than their house. As the only loner here, is Lizzie being vindictive?
Art ends up with a heart-to-heart with Lois about gift-giving while Riley and Vanessa have their own conversation that obviously shows the two still have feelings for each other. It's a holiday episode that ends up more reflective than joyous, all in keeping with the difficult balancing act USofAL has juggled with this season.
**
Harrison Cheung is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.
@harrisonic (Twitter)
United States of Al: Season 2 Episode 8 Review
While heavily medicated from having his wisdom teeth removed, Al mistakenly insults Art, which forces Riley to choose sides; Lizzie tries to help Art, Riley and Al make peace.
This is one of those episodes where the writing could have transcended sitcom norms. We've seen the "drugged post-dentist" gag, but when Al tells Art he's a bad father for letting his kids walk all over him, the next morning of regret escalates quickly into an argument about American versus Afghanistan culture.
Things get serious fast when Al snaps at Art that Afghanistan is tired of being the U.S., China and Pakistan's game board. It's a sharp political zinger - I imagined the show writers rubbing their hands in glee - that makes you wonder if the post-dental surgery truth serum has scratched the surface of what Afghanis really think about behind closed doors and polite conversation.
To escape Art's wrath, Riley and Al end up camping in the back of Riley's truth, reminiscing about their time together in Afghanistan during night patrols. It's a nice moment but as if the writers ran out of gas or lost their nerve, they toss in a convenient MacGuffin that reunites the family.
What a disappointing ending. This episode had a lot of potential to explore Al and Art's truths and perception of each other and their countries.
Harrison Cheung is the author of the award-winning biography of Christian Bale (BenBella Books) and a contributor to Brave New Hollywood and The TV Ratings Guide.
@harrisonic (Twitter)
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