So. Premiere, an' all that. Being late as I am, about everything's already been covered several times over
.
Nice to see it pulled decent numbers in its new Friday night slot too. Hope it continues. I hope Blue Bloods prompts NY to ups its game too, & toss a little more grit back into the glitz.
Anyways. Teh 34th Floor. I liked it. But.
I thought it was a little clunky, rather analog in progression, & that mallets were still the vehicle of choice, especially with regards to the characters, though I also understood why. They were essentially reintroducing the show to a potential new audience, & a new character to everybody. At the very last possible minute. (That, and they still often don't seem to wish to give any credit to those familiar with the show, that they might have the ability to retain information about the series, or indeed possess much cognitive function at all
). I think the resolution of the cliffhanger and the set-up of the case were hammered firmly into a format and sequence of events that ensured the hour worked.
My hope is that, once the show is confident that they've beat into us who the characters are, while presumably leaving enough grey matter intact to track and get the gist of their oh so terribly complicated cases, that they'll ease up just a bit, and that self-commentary will become less prevalent. ...Wot. Too unreasonable and unlikely to hope for, do ya think? :lol:
On the production side.
I really liked the use of the observation/interrogation sequences. I also very much liked the gargoyle on the pseudo rooftop at the end. The show continues to use only slightly tweaked (if at all) sdfx on cuts etc., and so a residual twitch remains for me on that front
. The show also packed in certain bells and whistles into the premiere, perhaps to additionally wow their new audience and enthrall their regulars; ie. Virtual Autopsy, I'm lookin at you. Or is that thru you?
. It read as if the show were trying to be nonchalant, saying, "...this here, this is oh, just the usual, nuthin special, it's just how we roll, kinda cool ain't it? Murder weapon determined in mere seconds?" but was underscored by a whiff of "...LOOKIT TEH SHINEH!!!!" Kudos, however, for "it'd be easier just to show you" (than to tell you). Use that revelation for the right reasons, and I'm all for it, PTB.
It had the usual recap sequence, montage sequences, bits that are prototypical NY in close ups, bullet shots, etc. Less engaging were some of the slo-mo bits to bookend the ep's respective shootings, and the likes of moody piano music accompanying in the intro. A tad overdone.
About the only thing I liked of the medal scene, were the contrasting images of Lindsay's gun clattering on to the floor and the medal dangling around her neck, and the hollow sound underscoring both moments. I'd like to think that the show meant to imply a certain hollowness in the medal being awarded and the ceremony itself as a photo op/media frenzy, in contrast to what the stakes truly were, and what could have resulted in a darker resolution. I am not, however, convinced enough to give such credit; I rather think there was an earnest sincerity in giving Monroe a medal, especially given how others were further enlisted to promote her worthiness. More on that inna bit.
As far as the credits go. I was late in sitting down while they were on. So far as I can tell, they were exactly the same, minus MK and SW? I'm sure someone will correct me of what I may have missed. With what I did catch, I suppose they were waiting to introduce Jo before inserting SW into the opening sequence? I'll hafta pay more attention next week.
Case-wise.
They had one. Which straight away made it an improvement on the cliff hanger
. Somewhat predictable, but the path one was led along was still mostly entertaining.
Events were constructed so as to have Jo arriving while the labs were empty, discovering the victim while no one else was home, and we later also found out that Mac was just in the process of leaving the building when it all went down. Sort of added a human element, especially for Mac: so close and yet so far, type thing. Cutely arranged more than a Genius Twist (if that's what it referred to).
I must here also admit that the case and forensic mandate of the show provided me with a Learning Moment
. Which was, "don't hold up large, fuzzy arachnids at eye level to coo at them or undertake like absurdities, for prevention of spider barbs being spewed forth into one's eyes." I'm just gonna write that down. Apparently I've gotten off lucky so far... :lol:
There were a great many mallet sequences of exposition and summarization to ensure we were following along. Just about everybody got one. I suspect a great many viewers were probably multitasking with other things while watching, if only cos they already had things sussed.
As far as working mention of Stella into the ep; I was disappointed. I didn't miss her in the episode, or even within the team. But I found it distasteful that they used her narratively to boost Lindsay, as opposed to having anything truly addressed to her departure.
While I don't necessarily wish to see much time devoted to a character who is no longer there, and I understand the urge to integrate any material addressing the transition into the story, it may have worked better to have had a separate moment. *shrug*. AB's letter/narration didn't feel the strongest strategy. I suppose I also prefer to think of Stella's relationship with quotations to be along the likes of "some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant"
and not whatever the sugar coated schpiel was there. Was that embroidery? Framed embroidery? What was that? :lol:. I don't recall, I think I was either blinking in dismay or laughing too much to catch. Suffice to say. Using Stella's moment to hawk Lindsay's awesomeosity was not to my particular taste. Again, more to say later on.
Other case points. I was rather surprised at a full SWAT roll out to go after Westwick, but, eh, I suppose I guy who runs wif scissors is clearly someone to be wary of :lol:.
Edward Furlong was able to turn some of his lines into chilling moments, "...imagine, I've got all that's most important to you, right here, in my arms..." and yet I can't help thinking Shane woulda been better off being left in prison. He would have been spared a horrific arc
. Surviving a drop from the lighthouse of doom only to be shot by someone in pyjamas :lol:
. Poor bastard. At least he had his malevolent origami for a brief while. Flippancy aside. That is all to say, I'll call Shane Casey the greatest villain absolutely wasted in a multi-ep return arc as NY has ever had.
I'll basically call the plot of the 34th Floor on par with Running Wif Scissors. Take that how you will
.
Character wise.
Lots to say here. NY continues to prove it needs it's roster of characters to set the show apart. The virtual autopsies, tarantulas, scummy perps and analog cases illustrated within a procedural format playing to a forensics mandate don't seem to be enough to do so.
I'll start with AB, Lindsay & teh cliffhanger, if only cos the show did.
Lindsay.
Shot Shane. Surprise :lol:. But a nice set up using the baby monitor. I read how it played out not so much that Lindsay calculated and consciously made a decision, but rather that she had reached her personal brink and snapped, and in that moment took a shot at Casey. And of course it was a kill shot, in slo mo, with Lucy none the worse for wear. I personally found AB believable in the first sequence. (At least as I read it. Tell me she was trying to play something else, and I'd hafta differ
).
AB and the pshrink in the second of her dramatic sequences? ...Horrible. Both of 'em. Cardboard, and utterly predictable. Partly dialogue, partly how it was played. And I still don't get one bringing a medal to counseling, especially if you're not into it. Only done to be able to bolt from the premises and throw it in the trash, so far as I could see.
AB in the scene where Lindsay opens up Stella's package, meets Jo, and bolts (again)? (Gee, the drama, cos Lindsay never bolts, not from crime scenes nor autopsies, counseling, or the like :lol
. For me, another step backwards. No matter how many times they try it, her getting upset and fleeing has not been done in a manner that has generated any feeling for her from me. That Stella's note proved the tipping point was equally mystifying at the time for me. I might need another viewing. It
was better than the pshrink's office, but still meh.
Back briefly to Stella. I suppose that in my head I've already given Stella a decent send off and moved on. What was more than a tad irksome here was less that Stella got so brief a word, but that it was to service teh Mighty Montana. Using Stella in her absence in that fashion was less palatable than the brevity of her mention. About on par with using Mac and God to sanction DL.
With Lindsay also narrating the letter (as opposed to having her refer to it conversationally, or having someone else read it as she took off on her heels), it verged on coming across like Lindsay's alternate self was telling her how great she is. I'm sorry, but AB neither sold me that such was Stella's writing, nor moved me in presenting confliction in how she felt about herself or the shooting and resulting medal in contrast to such words, and how everyone else supposedly views her too. Partly writing, partly performance. I recognize the intent was there but it was not matched by what came across.
I was further irritated that part of her apparent path to recovery would be found if only she realized how freakin awesome and deserving she is. Were I were a tarantula I'd have been hurling barbed hairs and whatever else I could lay my eight legs onto at the teevee and the offices of TPTB and calling it self-defense
.
IMO, AB's best scenes and moments were up on the roof, with Mac and Danny, even if their dialogue components were among the most nauseating. I really do not know how Gary and Carmine pulled that off :lol:. The mark of true professionals. Here I believed AB and actually
felt something for her when Lindsay said it was the moment the medal was placed around her neck that crystallized and cracked the previous five months of denial, and that she now worried what the path forward was, and if she could handle it. For me, AB's best moments in the ep. Paired also against great cheeze. "You're a warrior" and "You're
my hero" - 'Scuse meh? Srsly? :wtf::guffaw: I'm sorry again, but no :lol:. Between Stella's "admiration" and the Warrior Hero, this tarantula was fast over the side and rappelling down to safer environs, and was not least looking for a lactose aid and a f*cking toothbrush
.
Dear TPTB. Lindsay will be palatable and perhaps even awesome if and when you consistently show me she is, not because Stella, in absentia, Mac, and Danny, the long-service core of the show, tell me so. Just to clue you in. No manner of mallets will sway that. Better material and related performances might. One step forward/two steps back have not advanced the cause as much as I was honestly hoping to see in rare Lindsay material onscreen.
The next step back came in Lindsay's montage sequence. Where it was her awesomeosity, of course, of all the team, to decipher the grand link between the fingerprint and dna to identify the perp, (who might be the murderer, if it weren't obvious that he was just the burglar, who was chased and stabbed by the murderer, who was *gasp* running wif scissors). Got your groove back just in time to keep the case moving, Lindsay, just in time :lol:.
I'm far from won back over by AB yet :lol: but here's hoping the season sees an improvement for her & Lindsay too, beyond the Casey drek & DL. If the season wants to write in a freezing moment in the face of her next occasion to draw her weapon, so be it. Just keep teh Awesome in reserve instead of draping it around all our necks.
The other character who was handed malleted script, and who was buoyed nearly as fervently as Lindsay, was Jo. For me, she still pulled out a win here.
Jo
SW got a nice mix of material which she played consistently, warmly, & well, had a few more subtle moments, and even in the more awkward moments written, I still very much believed SW's performances. I think she did hit all the notes asked of her, tech speak, humor, banter, tough cop, peer, new colleague, mom. I think the script was packed with stuff for her, and stuff to support her, and it was great to see such efforts made, but it felt a little disjointed in certain elements asked. Here's hoping it smooths out as eps go.
I was massively disappointed to see that Jo's "I didn't do it" line was cut :lol:. As for her general introduction. I'm glad that the show
did just have her right in the thick of a case. (There'll be plenty of time for her to be hit on while hailing cabs in future eps
).
The gist of the opening was to establish various character posturing. She's unflappable and calm, gottit, Mac's all business, Messer's a joker and welcomes banter and attention, Sheldon's not quite so extroverted and while appreciating humor, retains a great deal of focus. Flack is confident and easygoing, Jo's also intuitive, intelligent and observes details. Mac'll give ya rope enough to run while working things out. I like the dynamic between them, and though the first few moments were clunky, they picked up pace and refinement as the ep progressed. I think the snappiest Mac/Jo moments at the top of the show were both the "you gonna tell me her mother's maiden name?" and "I had to go thru a pat-down and practically give up my first born to be let in here" / "we're gonna snip a lock of your hair before we give you a desk too."
About the only thing that would improve upon the practical joke stuff mentioned will be if they actually manage to pull any of it off on her, all the more since she's now been fully briefed
.
Next to play with Jo, or rather, who Jo decided to toy with, was Adam. I think it was smart of the show not to have everyone immediately enamored with her. This was a more uncomfortable scene, knowing what the intention was, but feeling it was a little heavy handed. It was about demonstrating her fondness for pushing buttons, or at least in finding out who is willing to generally play
. We also know that Adam has the greatest personal insecurities to play off of. He's also among the most genial, guileless, and least guarded of the team; the end result of the meeting between them made it seem like he was an easy mark because he didn't understand there was a game going on.
Adam's poke at the pace of the FBI also didn't seem a jibe at Jo, but the notion of secret files did establish a fun running gag thru the ep. Jo's mention of "a lame attempt at a come on" seemed to hit a bit close due Adam & Stella's brief hook up
, FBI files had me trigger to AJ's X-Files appearances :lol:, & the poke about the websites Adam frequents seemed to allude both to his general quirkiness and knowledge of subculture type things, & also to the upcoming Chatroulette storyline. Jo went so far as to leave her fingerprints on his face after a cheek squeeze; I suppose this was meant to indicate that Jo completely pwned him and left her mark :lol:; for certain it was meant to have us conclude that Jo has a sense of humor and is not to be trifled with. It's duly noted, PTB, honest. Please put the mallets away.
I also liked how Jo could switch it on to pure cop mode, and that they had her as a lead in an interrogation straightaway. It was both a confidence and a challenge to their newest investigator. The bet of a steak dinner on a box of tissues as a technique while Flack & Mac were observing was additionally fun, and was among the better moments of establishing a dynamic between each of the three, while still kicking the case forward.
I liked Jo's clumsy moment. At first I didn't, but I rather like that for all her insights and smarts, she's human on some very basic levels :lol:. Her response to it was also on par with her more mellow personality, and proving her sense of humor includes herself. Key point, that. One last bit on Jo; I liked the brief moment where she was on the phone with her son, partaking of "because I said so," and Mac's discreetly bemused expression at the exchange and inadvertently being an witness to it. For all the challenges and button pushing she was undertaking with her new team members and the first case, her home front is also challenging and pushing hers. Enough foibles and laid back presence to make her inherently likeable, and also make ya think she wouldn't always have the edge over you as a default. I think SW played all that was asked of her well.
Teh Others
All had their fun, establishing intros with Jo. Except Sid. Hope we get a first, as opposed to the implication since that they've now met. Oh well.
Too brief, Sid.
Danny & Adam had a fun follow up regarding Secret Files, and I actually didn't think Messer was gonna be convinced to stay and help Adam out. Adam is irresistable tho
Flack/Messer. It's like ya expect a soundtrack to kick in whenever these two get to undertake a buddy-cop sequence :lol:. I liked their club chase and interrogation scenes. They always have a fun dynamic. It felt more easy-going and natural in this ep than some eps last season. One bit I particularly enjoyed was Flack's "your turn" and Messer's "...are you kidding me??" :lol: Of course he jumps anyway, but it was a nod to his past injuries for those who know, and for those who don't, a nod to being human and not a supercop, faced with a guy desparate to get away and taking stupid risks in the process.
Jo, Sheldon, and Adam got to play in a sequence that was likely titled, Jo Is Challenging People, and We're Obtaining Evidence Thru Science. Once the show relaxes a bit, and lets the dynamic play, I think these types of scenes will be all the more entertaining. They were each wholly believable, even if the function they were carrying out for the ep was malleted.
Mac was not overly front and centre, and GS played supporting elements well. I liked the humor he got to play, and it did seem that Jo's demeanor rubbed off on Mac a bit. Once he stopped barking at his lab staff to get back to work. ...Steak dinner on a box of tissues, huh?
...not exactly what I'd expected of a "friendly rivalry," but I'm liking this so far :lol:.
-
I was tempted to grade the ep a C. Already a demi-step up from the status quo achieved over the past few seasons. If I could recall last year's premiere more clearly, I suppose I could say that this year's was an improvement. Perhaps, because I can't recall last year's premiere, I still could. It was definitely better than Vacation Getaway. Another demi-step up. But.
I wasn't fond of the medal, mallets, cheeze, nor the saccharine sweet tooth the show seems to have taken a shine to in recent seasons; I suppose I simply prefer wryer, drier, and even saltier dispositions :lol:. I also do have the expectation it will take a handful of eps to shake a few things out.
I like the potential I see in Jo and what she brings to the team. I like SW and how she seems to be fitting in. I hope the show keeps pushing and taking advantage of the kick in the arse received in the off season.
I think it remains the Potential that has finally bumped up my grade to a B-. That's better than many eps fared in my books in the past few seasons. Hope they keep it up.
