TV Rants And Raves 01.25.12: Slave To The Grind

Posted by Ben Piper on 01.25.2012

Rants and raves about the returns of Justified and White Collar, the presumed end of Prime Suspect's run, a new major storyline arc on Bones and more!


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Hey there. Once again follow me into the breach of my personal TV viewing habits, and by the way, my name is Ben Piper. Hey how about those conference championship games this past weekend, huh? When you don't have a dog in the fight, all you can hope for is good entertaining games, which we got in both instances.

Well, that and a New England loss, but we can't have everything we want apparently.

But enough with backhanded introductory filler, let's do this thing.

TV Rants and Raves



I love this show: Since it had been several months since the last time a new episode of FX's Justified aired, I had started to slightly forget just how excellent and enjoyable a show it has turned out to be. I say slightly seeing as I did in fact vote to nominate the show for Best TV drama, Best Male TV Performance, and Best Female TV Performance for the 2011 411 TV Awards recently. (And two-thirds managed to cop a nomination)

But I was reminded once again when it was revealed that three weeks after the events of the previous season finale, Raylan Givens was not back on active duty due to his being shot in that particular episode. His childhood friend and oftentimes enemy Boyd Crowder paid him a visit at his office. It all started off all amiable enough, exchanging pleasantries and what have you. Raylan asked about Mags Bennett's pot stash getting pilfered, which of course Boyd had an easy answer for, (And everybody involved including the viewing audience knew he was lying) and all that was well and good. But then things turned to the fact that not only Boyd saved Raylan's ass ("He had you strung up like it was his birthday, and you were his Pinada") as well as the notion that Boyd held that once Raylan was done with Dickie he'd be delivered back to him to suffer the downhome brand of justice for shooting Ava. It ended with fisticuffs that shattered a plate glass window and landed Boyd back behind bars once again. (Assault on a Federal Agent, in his office no less)

Great scene, great dialogue, and again, a reminder that this is Elmore Leonard's fictional world, and that we should all be thankful to be given such a rich window into it. Gloriously fantastic all the way around.

But again, that was just the first extended scene, as so much started the ball rolling for the rest of the season. Raylan and Winona are both slowly getting used to bringing a wee one into the world together, (The whole baby name "jiffypop/Palmolive" scene was an understated gem) to the point that he's thinking of settling in and getting an actual place together, other than a hotel room, of course.

With Boyd now in the clink a recuperating Ava has his crew (an incompetent Devil & Raylan's past his prime father Arlo) to contend with as they try to make money without him rather ineptly. After receiving his orders she asserts herself in the pecking order by abruptly beaning Devil upside his melon freakin' skull when he continues to disrespect and dismiss her. For such an annoying character to take this hard a turn is actually welcomed, as it gives her another facet of her personality to play off of.

But then of course we have our great big new big bad for this season, a cold, calculating, murderous mobster from Detroit by the name of Robert Quarles (an enthusiastic and appearing like he's eager to have fun with the role Neal McDonough) that is looking to take over the Dixie Mafia. The fact that he keeps a gun tucked in a device up his sleeve is just another piece of Elmore Leonard's world enough that you kind of take it for granted that he will prove to be a great villain moving forward.

All of this given to us through a narrative that finds Raylan on limited desk duty as he recuperates from his gunshot wound, but nonetheless pulls him into a case of the week that again finds him front and center due his various local contacts in the area and the mere fact that he's the one minutely poking and prodding around is a great big cause of concern for all those involved in the local criminal element. (Most notably Winn Duffy, played by the underrated character actor Jere Burns, who looks to be a big part this season, to my gratification) The fact that Quarles is set about coming in and taking over things and has no clue about the adversaries (yes, I'm counting Boyd as well) he's about to encounter is a fun notion to explore.

Not to mention we've yet to experience Mykelti Williaimson's secondary big bad, Limehouse. I have read that he's also going to be a point of contention that both Raylan and Quarles will have to deal with moving forward, and that both the actor and the character he's portraying is quite fantastic.

And you have to wonder just what the hell Boyd has in store now that he's in the same prison facility as Dickie Bennett.

So absolutely no complaints from this end, as I was quickly reminded of why and how this show manages to creatively fire on all cylinders pretty much consistently.

Truly one of the best shows currently on the airwaves. Ecstatic to have it back.



What's Next?:. Also returning to our TV screens this past Tuesday was USA Network's hit series White Collar. After a long hiatus, the show returned to address the cliffhanger they left us with; Neal's nemesis Kellar has kidnapped Peter's wife Elizabeth, wanting in exchange the Nazi treasure that Neal and Mozzie had been sitting on this entire past season while waiting for the right time to take it and skip out. Only, Caffrey had decided that he didn't want to leave, but Mozzie held no such notions.

And so when confronted with the situation Neal came clean to Peter and explained everything and was willing to do whatever it took to help get "Mrs. Suit" back. Only problem was that Mozzie had already moved it and gone underground and completely off the grid. Thankfully, Neal was able to get a message to him (via carrier pigeon no less) which brought Mozzie running back, completely apologetic and ready to do anything to help the situation.

This led to the three of them teaming together while Burke kept his FBI cronies out of the loop and looking for his wife. They managed to manufacture a stalling tactic at first before they ultimately had to throw in with Kellar temporarily in order to re-steal the treasure out from under the NYPD's noses (yes, things got complicated, to say the least) and that was before the double-crosses started.

The climax of which was Neal and Kellar battling with artifacts from the treasure as weapons, only for Peter to swoop in last second and save Caffrey and throw down with this adversary before Neal was able to shoot him in the leg and end the skirmish finally.

All along the way was great character moments peppered throughout. From Mozzie admitting that he cares about Mr. And Mrs. Suit (but stopping just short of implicitly saying it with regards to the latter) to Elizabeth acting anything but the damsel in distress as she outwitted her captor and managed to escape, just as the feds pinned down her approximate location, enabling Peter to go and throw down with the baddie.

But then, there was the twist at the end. Caffrey knew that the only way to ensure that Kellar went down was to give a full confession in regards to his complicitness in the situation, and go back to prison for a very long time as a result. Peter was gratified to hear Neal ready to do the right thing, but as it turned out, it wasn't necessary. Kellar confessed fully to ‘recovering' the treasure under the auspices of returning it to whom it was initially stolen from during WWII; The Russians. Seeing as the Russian mob had a price on his head, he covered his ass, and pretty much saved it in one fell swoop.

Peter asked Neal if he had any problem with Kellar claiming credit. He didn't. (And why should he? It was Mozzie that filched it after it was thought destroyed in the first place) And then the shoe dropped as word was forwarded that Caffrey's sentence may be commuted due to his help in the case and the ‘recovery' of the treasure.

Which is a brilliant choice to take things as it moves forward for the rest of this season, as it may very well change the entire fundamental dynamic of the show. Which wouldn't exactly be a bad thing, in this case.

Good show.



Too bad, so sad, bye-bye: NBC burned off the final two episodes of Prime Suspect Sunday night, and for all intents and purposes will be all we'll get from this ratings challenged endeavor. Which is really a shame considering over the course of its short run it had become quite the entertaining and enjoyable cop show. Again, in hindsight it would have probably been a good idea not to rename it after the show it was modeled after (which starred Helen Mirren) as once it got out of the gate it really became it's own entity with its own singular storytelling voice.

When I originally wrote about it back in the fall, I liked the lead performance by Oscar nominee Maria Bello, but not much else in that first episode, as it was rather heavy-handed in the way that her fellow detectives were over the top misogynistic and dismissive of her in the workplace. However once things moved past that the misogyny was greatly toned down (and changed to just one of her fellow detectives greatly disliking her for his own personal reasons) and as she did the job well, she slowly earned the respect of her co-workers and vice versa. Hell, even the guy that couldn't stand her got to where he had to admit to himself that not only was she a good cop, but a great detective.

And on top of Bello's consistently good work, the supporting cast evolved from a bunch of knuckle draggers to fully realized characters in their own right, each with their own personalities and quirks, and the ensemble as a whole had a great chemistry with one another. From working the cases of the week to busting each others balls in the down time, there was a lot of good stuff to be found. With quality characters actors such as Aiden Quinn, Brian F. O'Byrne, Kirk Acevedo, Tim Griffin & Damon Gupton, what more can one hope for?

Another thing that I dig/dug about the show was the fact that it didn't try to limit itself in terms of the character interactions. Usually in cop series such as this, the main cop has a partner and that's it. Sure, they may be a part of a bigger team that they work with, but the partnership is usually a sacred cow trope in that one cop can only work closely with another cop, they're partners, and that's it. In this instance, each week saw the characters rotate as they partnered up, so each week Bello's character wound up teamed with a different detective, allowing the whole mutual respect thing to happen more organically and quickly.

The series that took over Prime Suspect's place in the NBC line-up, The Firm (which I'll attempt to speak about next week) hasn't been faring much better ratings wise, So I'm holding out on the slim hopes that this show may be brought back for another go at it. Yes, it's highly unlikely, but it has turned out to be a damned sight better than what I first took it for. And I personally wouldn't be opposed to seeing more.



Don't mess it up: Much like the previous show I wrote about, this will be the last chance I'll have to comment on a current favorite that will be off the airwaves until early Spring to accommodate the lead actress' maternity leave, Bones. The last new episode had a subplot of the two main characters that are preparing to bring a baby into the world together struggling to find a suitable place to cohabitate with their offspring. (which has been a subject of strife and unrest early on this season) Booth ultimately bought a Government seized home fixer-upper without Brennen's knowledge that, to his surprise, she was more than satisfied with as it met all their previously agreed upon needs.

But this isn't why I bring it up.

Also over the course of this episode a new serial killer storyline that looks to play out over the rest of the season was introduced. As I've written previously, while I greatly enjoy this show a good deal one of its shortcomings has historically been dropping the ball in this sort of long term gambit in the past. From the vastly disappointing resolution to the at first fantastic Gormagon arc, to the literally unbelievable culprit behind the Gravedigger case. Last season's sniper arc was kinda okay, in that at least this time it they didn't drop the ball, but looking back upon it, it wasn't really all that heavy an object to keep afloat in all honesty.

But now we've been introduced to a new big bad, a murderous and utterly brilliant cyber-genius with a seemingly anti-government slant, whose gameplan moving forward has yet to be fully revealed. What I thought was kind of cool was the way that the case played out as it was investigated. As the squints studied the evidence and sought answers only to find more clues there was an overwhelming sense of "this guy is not messing around and means business".

And by that I mean the whole complexity of the facets of the case. Which is a lot more than I'm willing to explain at this point in time.

And by the end of the episode, the fact that they found the culprit, but couldn't prove it was him due to his having an airtight alibi, (a court ordered ankle bracelet from a previous hacker offence that had him not leaving his home) as well as the fact he pretty much admitted it was him? Hoo, boy, this is either going to be really good, or fall really flat.

While I'm really rooting for the former, as this whole new storyline is off to a great start thus far? As I said earlier, this show doesn't exactly have the best track record in regards to this kind of thing. I'm hoping that the show keeps its focus moving forward and not pull either a last second cheat or a flat-out Gormagon.

Yeah, it's a term now. Great storyline that completely disappoints at the endgame. We shall have to wait and see.

Strange Thoughts

Really? A reality competition show about tattooing? Jeebus, they really will put anything on TV, nowadays, won't they?

Having the horrible woman at the center of Dance Moms on your show, Jimmy Fallon? I thought you were better than that.

I love Bill Cosby. Sure, he's not as sharp as he used to be, but it's still him. If anything, age has somehow made him more lovable. And yes, a lot slower at conveying the story, but still.

Just when it seems like it can't get any colder, it not only does, but then it dumps rain as well. Not that the last bit is really a complaint, seeing as we could genuinely use the precipitation in our area.

Wow, I am really getting old and boring by this point, aren't I?

My fellow 411 staffer The Goose is currently in Vegas covering the great big porn convention, with his freakin' hot redheaded fiancé in tow, no less. It's no wonder then why I take usually unjustified verbal potshots at him on Twitter. *cough*phonesitinweekly*cough*

Honest admission on my part? If my halfway decent garage metal band I had with my friends in my early twenties had gone anywhere or did anything of merit? I would have eventually become a overly controlling Dennis DeYoung. #NotGood

No matter how much it is advertised, I'm never going to eat a Turkey Burger. Sounds completely unappetizing.

I wonder if Billy Cundiff will seek counseling from Scott Norwood?

Who Tweeted What?

BastardMachineTim Goodman: After watching three episodes of Justified, I'm going to start calling enemies "oxy-smoking gutter turds." #justified

simonpegg Simon Pegg: I'll stick to talking about my dog, who I haven't seen for two weeks. I love that little bitch, unconditional love, simple and undemanding.

pattonoswalt Patton Oswalt: Here, this should cover Wikipedia for 24 hours: The Beatles, Shakespeare, Anwar Sadat, Rhode Island, & anal fistula.

GhostPanther Adam McKay: Decided to save money on a massage. Got an ambivalent ending.

canyonjim james l. brooks: It's hard to stay mad at the New York Post when their headline today concerning the Italian cruise ship Captain was, "Chicken of the Sea."

danieldaekim Daniel Dae Kim: 21st century meta moment: watching someone google me & tweet that they're at the same cafe, all the while thinking I can't see him doing it.

richardroeper Richard Roeper: When candidates are ripped in debates, they do that tight-lipped half-smile. I say take out a T-shirt launcher and pepper the crowd.

JimGaffigan Jim Gaffigan: Ok winter you've made your point: I'm a pussy. #rerun

kellyoxford kelly oxford: Someone told me if I smoked weed my neck wouldn't hurt and now I'm stoned and all I can think about is how much my neck hurts.

JuddApatow Judd Apatow: I am afraid to say people's names in case I get them wrong. As a result I can't remember names. My Phobia is making my phobia legit.

AndieBeaven Andie Beaven: Like a sort of rubbish Jesus, I've managed to turn wine into vinegar by leaving it open in the cupboard for two weeks

TheStevenWeber Steven Weber: I'm duty bound, which is to say, I haven't taken a decent crap in three days.

MJMcKean Michael McKean: "Nailed it!" - Steven Tyler, only.


***

The Non TV Segment Of The Week

Aw, cute.



In a past life, I was a band geek. And this kid is awesome.



"Yeah, you're big, but you're not that bad…"




***

What? You really expect any more from me after all of that? You clearly have no idea who it is you're dealing with.

Just kidding. Kinda. See you next week.
-BP


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