Tag: Fox

Lethal Weapon: As Good As It Getz – Leo (Review)

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Perhaps the biggest complaint about Lethal Weapon and “As Good As It Getz” is that they changed Leo’s occupation from CPA (certified public accountant) to a variation of Saul Goodman “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad.” Needless to say, it changed the flavour of the comedic interchange and while this Leo is still nebbish, he was not “Leo Getz.”

“Okay. Okay. They always f**k you at the drive-in…”

The episode was not just about Leo and his brush with death from a cartel eager to kill Karen Palmer (Riggs’ “sort of” romantic attachment) it was also about Palmer and Riggs (natch) and the Murtaugh family’s latest issue.

Trish quits her job at the law firm when, after being led to believe otherwise, someone else gets the promotion she thought was hers. Feeling under appreciated and undervalued, she leaves.

Roger is less than pleased at this development and it causes some friction. Not the same sort of friction that builds up between Karen Palmer, the grim and unflappable DEA agent and Martin Riggs. Their chemistry could have resulted in a lot of heat had Riggs done more than put on a new shirt.

Granted, the two make an excellent pair; each one with a separate agenda. Palmer finally noticing what Riggs has to offer and his sudden awareness of her kept things interesting and resulted in one of the best lines in the series thus far.

After leaping out of a crashing helicopter, both Palmer and Riggs fall through roof and land in a king, or queen, sized bed. As the two lay in the falling dust and rubble, Karen looks at Riggs and says:

“Well, I always figured you’d end up in bed with me.”

This after a great sequence that shows both the DEA agent and the homicide detective are on the same page. “Um, I’ve got a plan,” shouts Riggs. “No, I’ve got a plan,” Karen shouts back. Then in unison both reveal that they have the same plan, “We jump.”

Riggs is delighted. Moments later, the pair dive out of the falling chopper as Roger and Leo watch, mouths agape, at the crashing bird and the couple as they crash through the derelict hotel roof.

Just brilliant.

Despite the career change for Leo Getz (and it has to be said, major points off for lack of originality here chaps) and that Karen Palmer has taken the place of Lorna Cole (played by Rene Russo in the films) as a possible romantic interest for the grieving cop, this was a cracking episode.

There was machine-gun toting, and firing, villains, some comedy from Leo Getz, great interaction between Palmer and Riggs and Roger got to show Trish just how much he really supports his wife.

At the start Leo finalizes his deal with the DEA for his client and heads to the men’s room. The donut shop where they meet (he just arranged to have an amount of crullers as part payment) is suddenly filled with automatic weapon fire and the snitch, along with the DEA agent are shot to rag doll ribbons.

Leo escapes with his life, and his briefcase, and is later hunted down by Riggs, Murtaugh and Palmer. Throughout the episode the presumption is that the cartel want Getz dead. They do, in fact, take a few shots at him but it turns out that they are really after Palmer. She should have been at the donut shop meeting at the start of the episode.

The episode ends on a “Better Call Saul” type gag where Leo has put Trish’s image on his bus advertisement and neither she nor Roger are pleased about it.

Clearly Palmer is going to be a running storyline here. This is the second, or third time the DEA agent has shown up on the series. She and Riggs are “cute” together and it was touching how he suddenly regressed emotionally and hid rather than talking to his new “interest” before she left.

Roger congratulates his partner on being sane for once, compared to his usual modus operandi.

FOX and show creator Matthew Miller are killing it with this series. The small screen version of Lethal Weapon feels cinematic in its execution and look. The chemistry is spot on between all the players and this is one that should run and run and run. 

The only complaint was the move to make Leo Getz a lawyer, keeping outside the legal arena would have left that Saul Goodman vibe where it belongs; over on AMC.

Lethal Weapon airs Wednesdays on FOX.

Cast:

Guest starring Thomas Lennon as Leo Getz and Hilarie Burton as Karen Palmer

APB: Personal Matters – Something New, Something Old (Review)

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APB “Personal Matters”moves ahead with the new augmenting the old. In other words, as much as Gideon likes to introduce new technology for his officers of District 13 Murphy spends a lot of time educating her new boss.

Despite the new toys, drones – one of which looks like a four rotor helicopter – motorcycles, new cars, and uniforms that enforce the officers’ safety, she reminds the engineer, and the audience that it all boils down to old fashioned police work as to whether or not a suspect is hauled in.

It is this focus that makes the show more enjoyable as a crime series with a foot firmly in reality rather than as a sci-fi oddity. Gideon pouring money into the police district where his good friend was murdered is interesting and entertaining.

The story line shows the billionaire engineer (a Tony Stark clone or wannabe, if you will) using cutting edge science to assist his officers which slowly wins them over to his way of doing things. (Using algorithms, for instance, to narrow searches down instead of the old fashioned methods helps. Although as new Detective Murphy points out, these may well aid investigations but it is the officers themselves and their contacts on the streets who flesh out any work done.)

“Personal Matters” in APB this week features a pharmacy thief who cares little about who he harms in the actual robberies and in his rushed get aways. He also likes leading the police on a not-so-merry chase where he runs down a little girl and later blows up his get away vehicle and injures Zing, Officer Brandt’s dog.

As in the first episode, the bad guy is caught by the district using a combination of Gideon’s new gadgets and solid police work.  APB also saw the introduction of a new character this week, Pete McCann. A former pro wrestler turned electrical engineer who works for Gideon, it is McCann who produced the helicopter drone that Reeve’s pilots in the second chase of their suspect.

In the first episode “Hard Reset” a cop is shot and Reese is blamed. “Personal Matters” sees another cop wounded, this time it is a police dog named Zing who loses a leg as a result. Brandt is furious and wildly upset at the injury of his dog and the pursuit of the thief becomes personal.

In some ways this episode was a tad predictable. We know immediately that Gideon will provide some sort of uber sophisticated prosthetic limb so Zing can walk normally. Just as we also know that the billionaire’s new toys will help to bring the villain down.

(The burgeoning signs of interest between Murphy and Reeves is also predictable to a huge extent.)

However, the obviousness of certain plot devices can be excused when the series works so hard to point out that the reason Gideon Reeves’ experiment is working so well is because of the perfect marriage of proper police work and the new technology he brings to the table.

Like a  wedding ceremony, the show offers up a combination of something old and something new (It even utilizes something blue…) This new series is entertaining and, so far, a great deal of fun.

Martinez is the new police department pin up girl but one who provides a certain amount of reality to her role. Kirk plays the geeky billionaire engineer who cares brilliantly and the rest of the main players are all down gather bit.

APB airs Mondays on FOX. Tune in and catch a cop show that is that little bit different.

Cast:

Guest starring Abraham Benrubi as Pete McCann and Nathaniel Buescher as Mateo.

The Mick: The Mess – Tough Love a’la Michael Myers (Review)

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This week’s episode of The Mick “The Mess” sees things come to a head between Mickey and her sister’s kids. The house is a tip, aka a mess, and no one is cleaning anything up, including Alba who is the family’s housekeeper.

Mickey attempts to take control and lay down the law but she is thwarted by a concerted effort by all three kids. When she forces them to clean the house, they put all the rubbish in Mickey’s bedroom and lock her, and Alba, in the crowded room.

Mickey retaliates with some tough love, a’la Michale Myers (in Halloween) and flings herself out of the bedroom window. She lands on the roof of the car, which Jimmy – who sells Mickey out to party hardy at the Malone’s – is driving.

This act of horror-film superhuman power freaks everyone inside the car out but not enough to keep them from going to the “party of the year.”

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Thomas Barbusca as Chip.

Mickey is flung off the car and after coming to a rolling stop, sits up. Chip is more than impressed as the car full of fleeing family members all agree that the woman is indestructible. Later, at the Malone’s party, Mickey shows up.

With blood on her face and torn clothes, she coldly goes through the party to find the insubordinate kids. First, however, she stomps on Jimmy’s hands after she kicks the chair out from under him. She then grabs Chip, Sabrina and Ben.

While she searches for the missing kids, Alba heads in the other direction to help. She stumbles into a room full of kids and a blue bong. After a hit or more, Alba then shows off her amazing musical pipes by singing “The Lion Sleeps tonight.”

This was an episode highlight, watch this clip and see if you agree:

Throughout the episode Mickey fights for control and even loses Ben, her little buddy, to the “dark side.”  Alba tells her that all the kids went from sweet to evil around the same age. She recommends that Mickey punish them all but especially Ben as he has not changed completely.

Sadly, the youngest child’s older siblings bully him into attending the party and turn him against Mickey. Later, at the party, she and Ben get into a shouting match with the youngster yelling out “Screw you!”

The result is an impromptu spanking in front of everyone. The party goers and the rest of the family, including the injured Jimmy, are aghast.

After everyone returns home, Mickey apologizes and offers to take them all out for a meal. Instead she leaves the lot in the middle of nowhere, takes their mobile phones and tells them to make their own way home.

When the kids return, they grab cleaning utensils and Ben gives Mickey a hug before grabbing a mop and joining Sabrina and Chip in cleaning the house.

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Jack Stanton and Kaitlin Olson “Screw you!”

The Mick just gets better and better. The horror film look of a bloody and determined Mickey stalking the kids at the party was just brilliant. Once again the humor was very un-pc – the spanking would have given most new parents palpitations – but it followed the storyline.

Earlier, when Alba mentions punishment to Aunt Mickey, she is against the idea. “There is no punishment in this house,” Mickey declares stoutly. Later, when she loses to the three brats who have locked her into the room with all the clutter, she flips her lid and goes after them like Michael Myers sans the James T. Kirk Halloween mask.

After a huge open, where the pilot received over 8.5 million views, the series has settled down to a nice 3.6 million average. While not packing them in, the show is doing well enough against the competition to at least garner half a nod to a second season.

Thomas Barbusca and Carla Jimenez continue to tie for the MVP award on this show although Kaitlin Olson earns major kudos for her performance in this episode.  It should also be pointed out that this ensemble cast is working like a well oiled comedy machine with everyone bringing something to the table.

The Mick airs Tuesdays on FOX and it the funniest non-pc comedy on television. Stop by and check it out on the night or later on VOD or Hulu. It is well worth the trip.

Cast:

Son of Zorn: The Quest for Craig – Road Trip (Review)

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Son of Zorn “The Quest for Craig” picks up where last week’s episode ended. Linda, Edie and Zorn decide to search for Craig. The Zephyrian hero is now, apparently, living with Linda and Edie appears to still have some feelings for Zorn. Meanwhile, Alangulon shows of his Zephyrian legs and becomes instantly popular, sort of like “Teen Wolf” without the hair and fangs.

Alan shows off remarkable sports skills with those legs and is recruited by the school’s football coach. Layla is somewhat bemused by all this and later, when Alan gets a bit too carried away with his newfound popularity, leaves her new boyfriend.

On the road trip, Edie and Zorn re-live some old times, some of which does not go over well with Linda. In the car it is clear that there is still some chemistry between the two. They share memories and even work together to get Linda out of a “rolling stop” violation.

Zorn pulls out his Zorn road trip mix tape while he and Edie talk about old experiences. “No one runs faster than a naked Edie,” Zorn boasts and Linda seems less than pleased at his and Edie’s memories.

Later, when they have to share a hotel room with one bed, things fall apart. Zorn goes to get a roll-a-way bed and Linda asks if Edie still has feelings for her ex. She hesitates that bit too long and Linda leaves.

Zorn returns to find Linda gone and he and Edie have a talk.

Meanwhile, Craig has been staying with his brother Robert and his wife Diana.  We learn that Craig has always been about other people’s happiness. He even left Diana, who was his girlfriend, when Robert asked her to dance.

Diana brings up this character flaw after Robert has fleeced Craig out of $10 thousand. Realizing that his sister-in-law is right, Craig leaves to get Edie back. He finds the two of them in the hotel room in the middle of a hug.

He demands Edie return and she does. Zorn is pleased at the turn of events even though Linda has left him. Later, at Alan’s first football game, Linda turns up, Edie pleaded Zorn’s case and she has returned.

Zorn gives her a pair of cursed earrings and Alan’s first punt as a team member puts another player in the hospital.

This penultimate episode managed to set things up nicely for the upcoming season finale and the next season, if the network Gods give the show the go ahead. Craig and Edie are now past their “Zorn obstacle,” Linda and Zorn are now an item and all that remains is for Alan to patch things up with Layla.

Son of Zorn has managed to allow its characters to have some satisfactory arcs. Zorn has become less Zephyrian, Craig more demanding, Alan less nebbish and Edie more interesting as more of her Zorn backstory is tantalizingly revealed in each episode.

This mix of animation and live action is proving to be very entertaining. The show is dropping in popularity although it has averaged 3.127 million viewers throughout its first season. It suffered significant drops in numbers over the last two Sundays. The latest drop, of over 30 percent, was no doubt caused by it going up against the Grammys.

Son of Zorn airs Sundays on FOX. Tune in for the season finale next week.

CAST:

Guest starring Pete Gardner as football coach, Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Robert and Tymberlee Hill as Diana

Rosewood: Clavicle Trauma & Closure – Feels Great (Review)

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Rosewood “Clavicle Trauma & Closure” finishes the story of the treacherous con artist Tawnya and continues the concerns about Rosie’s health. An entrepreneur ends up dead after some investors back out and his demise looks like a suicide. Rosie and his team take a closer look at the body after Tawnya shows up pleading with the man she took to the cleaners to prove her innocence.

Rosie takes the case on but only after getting Joo Joo to fit his thieving ex with an ankle bracelet that will track her every move.  Donna Rosewood is not pleased and later removes Larson’s corpse to the EMPD.

In actuality no one is pleased with Rosie’s mission to clear Tawnya of murder, even though he does have an ulterior motive. In the meantime, Villa and Adrian go through a rocky patch when the pathologist for the EMPD gets a mysterious text.

Toward the end of the episode Villa learns that Adrian’s mother has Alzheimer’s and it has gotten worse. Initially, however, Annalise finds out that Adrian has applied to resign from the EMPD. Things work out for the couple though and it is smiles all around for the pair.

Rosie and Adrian work out how the entrepreneur was murdered and by who.  Team Rosie pull out the stops of lift prints from a silk bathrobe belt, the murder weapon, and Villa, along with Rosie, arrest the “hanger-on” and later bring in his accomplice, the killer’s sister.

This murder case was back on par with the older Rosewood mysteries. The killer was not obvious from the start and the episode managed to bring some closure to everyone. Rosie faces the woman who broke his heart and cleaned out his bank account.

His final line to Tawnya (that watching her take the fall for her crime was great) was spot on. The pathologist with the big billboard advertisement was put through the wringer, as well as having all his money stolen, and our heart went out to him.

Captain Slade and Ira Hornstock were missing this week but it was confirmed that TMI and Pippy are now back together. While this may be temporary it was still nice to see and these two made a great couple.

It is also interesting to see  Adrian once again step up and help out Annalise’s partner. Donna Rosewood confronting her son about the dialysis was moving.

This storyline seems to be moving toward a slowing down of Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. Will the health issues be an excuse to wind things down? The series has been moved from its Thursday airing to Friday.

Rosewood is now the lead-in to Sleepy Hollow and could have been moved to bolster the latter show’s ratings. Although Rosewood itself has been a bit of a let down this season. This latest offering however seems to be a move in the right direction.

Cast:

Guest starring Kamal Angelo Bolden as Julius “Joo Joo” Zeeman, Phillip Rhys as Raymond Larson, Eric Ladin as Ivan Keller, Chen Tang as Bradley Morgan and Cameron Kelly as Sarah Anders.