What is the Mystery Behind Fringe’s Peter Bishop?

On the outside Fringe’s Peter Bishop seems like a nice guy pitching in to help solve the mystery behind The Pattern.  But there’s a lot about him that we don’t know and I think he’s hiding a mystery of his own – or maybe two.

 

Let’s start with what we know about Peter.

 

He didn’t have the best of childhoods.  When his father Walter was playing “mad scientist” his moods were erratic at best and after Walter was institutionalize, Peter severed all ties with his father.

 

In fact, he wanted to separate himself from his father so much that he dropped out of school.  But with an IQ as high as Peter’s, picking up skills is pretty easy.  He even posed as a college chemistry professor once.

 

Peter is a jack of all trades with a healthy dose of common sense too.  He’s the only one who “speaks Walter.”  And after last night’s episode, we know that Peter can play the piano and can read people (a skill acquired at the poker table).

 

When Olivia finds Peter, he’s in Bagdad setting up another temporary job and hiding from the gambling debts he’s acquired.

 

It takes blackmail to get him to help at first, but Peter willingly stays to babysit his father and help Olivia pursue The Pattern.  Is Peter really all that altruistic or does he have another motivation?

 

In “The Ghost Network” we saw Peter confront a guy in the diner that had been following Peter and Walter and taking pictures.  The man tells Peter “You were supposed to check in when you got home.”

 

Check in?  With whom?  Why?

 

Peter asks if the others know he’s there and threatens the guy.

 

Just who is Peter hiding from?  Is it the mob over his gambling debts or is it someone else?  Speaking of his gambling debts, just how did a street-wise math wiz lose that badly at the casinos?  And didn’t he just tell us in this episode how well he could read people?

 

I think Peter is hiding something and it has absolutely nothing to do with poker.  I don’t know what Peter’s gotten himself into, but I’m wondering if it is somehow (probably unbeknownst to him) going to turn out to be connected to The Pattern.

 

Then there’s Peter’s other mystery – the one I’m not even sure he knows about himself.

 

In the pilot, when Olivia first came to see Walter he knew that Peter had come with her and requested to see him.  Walter immediately inquired about Peter’s health and how he was doing.  I had originally chalked these questions up to some deeply buried fatherly concerned.  Now I’m not so sure.

 

Maybe it is fatherly concern, but not in the way you think.  In “The Same Old Story,” an episode about human cloning, Walter corners Olivia, asks her about Peter’s health and then asks her to keep what she read in Peter’s file about his medical history a secret.  A very confused Olivia tells Walter that the only thing in Peter’s file is his birth date.  Walter is relieved and then refuses to tell her anymore.

 

While I think that part of this scene is misdirection to let us think that maybe Peter is a clone, I think it does have some key clues.  I do not think Peter is a clone.  But once again, Walter is concerned about Peter’s health.  And there is something about that birth date that is going to come back again.  I wish they had given us the date.

 

Also, notice that we know absolutely nothing about Peter’s mom – not even her name.  And when Olivia asks Peter about her in “The Ghost Network” he tells Olivia “that’s a story for a different time” and quickly redirects the conversation.  It makes you really wonder who she is.

 

While I don’t think Peter is a clone, I do think that in some way Walter has experimented on him.  I’m just not sure how and why yet.  But I’m very sure it’s going to come into play at some time.

 

Also I can’t figure out if Walter’s inquiries are genuine concern about Peter because of his experiments or if it’s curiosity about the success/progress of the experiment.

 

So what do you think?  Is Peter hiding from someone?  Who?  Why is Walter so concerned about Peter’s health?  What did Walter think was in Peter’s file?

 

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Related Articles

 

What Drives Fringe’s Agent Olivia Dunham in ‘The Cure’? 

 

John Scott Returns to Guide Fringe’s Olivia in ‘Power Hungry’

 

‘The Arrival’ of the Observer Brings New Mysteries on Fringe

 

Is Nina Fringe’s Cigarette Smoking Man?

 

Fringe Premiere Promises New Hit, Lots of Intrigue

Fall TV Premiere Schedule

I remember a time when the fall premieres last a week, maybe two.  Nowadays, the premieres go on for a couple months.  If you are like me it’s very hard to keep track of when your favorite shows return, let alone when the new shows start airing.

So in an effort to make your TV viewing pleasure easier, I’ve compiled a list of the premiere dates from various sources including TVGuide.com and TV Guide Magazine.  Hope this helps you find your favorites – new and old.

Thursday, September 11

8 p.m.
Hole in the Wall on Fox

9 p.m.
Kitchen Nightmares on Fox

Friday, September 12

9 p.m.
Don’t Forget the Lyrics! on Fox

Saturday, September 13

11 p.m.
Mad TV on Fox

11:35 p.m.
Saturday Night Live on NBC

Tuesday, September 14

9 p.m.
House on Fox

Thursday, September 18

8 p.m.
Survivor: Gabon on CBS
Smallville on CW

9 p.m.
Supernatural on CW

Sunday, September 21

7 p.m.
In Harm’s Way on CW

8 p.m.
Valentine on CW

9 p.m.
Easy Money on CW

Monday, September 22

8 p.m.
Dancing with the Stars on ABC
The Big Bang Theory on CBS

8:30 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother on CBS

9 p.m.
Heroes on NBC
Two and a Half Men on CBS

9:30 p.m.
Worst Week on CBS

10 p.m.
Boston Legal on ABC
CSI: Miami on CBS

Tuesday, September 23

8 p.m.
Opportunity Knocks on ABC
NCIS on CBS

9 p.m.
The Mentalist on CBS

10 p.m.
Without a Trace on CBS
Law & Order:SVU on NBC

Wednesday, September 24

8 p.m.
New Adventures of Old Christine on CBS
Knight Rider on NBC

8:30 p.m.
Gary Unmarried on CBS

9 p.m.
Criminal Minds on CBS

10 p.m.
CSI: New York on CBS
Lipstick Jungle on NBC

Thursday, September 25

8 p.m.
Ugly Betty on ABC
My Name is Earl on NBC

9 p.m.
Grey’s Anatomy on ABC
The Office on NBC

10 p.m.
ER on NBC

Sunday, September 28

7 p.m.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC

8 p.m.
Amazing Race 13 on CBS
The Simpsons on FOX

8:30 p.m.
King of Hill on Fox

9 p.m.
Desperate Housewives on ABC
Cold Case on CBS
Family Guy on Fox
Dexter on Showtime

9:30 p.m.
American Dad on Fox

10 p.m.
Brothers & Sisters on ABC
The Unit on CBS
Californication on Showtime

Monday, September 29

8 p.m.
Chuck on NBC

10 p.m.
Life on NBC (airs Monday and Fridays through Oct. 10 and moves to Fridays)

Wednesday, October 1

8 p.m.
Pushing Daisies on ABC
Friday Night Lights on DirecTV (doesn’t return to NBC on Fridays until midseason)

9 p.m.
Private Practice on ABC

10 p.m.
Dirty Sexy Money on ABC

Friday, October 3

8 p.m.
Wife Swap on ABC
Ghost Whisperer on CBS
Everybody Hates Chris on CW

8:30 p.m.
The Game on CW

9 p.m.
Supernanny on ABC
The Ex List on CBS

10 p.m.
Numbers on CBS

Monday, October 6

9:30 p.m.
Samantha Who? on ABC

Thursday, October 9

8:30 p.m.
Kath & Kim on NBC

9 p.m.
CSI on CBS

9:30 p.m.
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday on NBC

10 p.m.
Life on Mars on ABC
Eleventh Hour on CBS

Friday, October 10

10 p.m.
The Starter Wife on USA

Monday, October 13

10 p.m.
My Own Worst Enemy on NBC

Tuesday, October 14

10 p.m.
Eli Stone on ABC

Friday, October 17

8 p.m.
Crusoe on NBC

Wednesday, October 29

9 p.m.
Stylista on CW

Thursday, October 30

9:30 p.m.
30 Rock on NBC

Sunday, November 2

7:30 p.m.
Surviving Suburbia on CW

Already Premiered

Sunday
True Blood on HBO at 9 p.m.
Entourage on HBO at 10 p.m.

Monday
Gossip Girl on CW at 8 p.m.
Prison Break on Fox at 9 p.m.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Fox at 8 p.m.
One Tree Hill on CW at 9 p.m.
Raising the Bar on TNT at10 p.m.

Tuesdays
90210 on CW at 8 p.m.
The Biggest Loser: Families on NBC at 8 p.m.
Fringe on Fox at 9 p.m.
Greek on ABC Family at 9 p.m.
Privileged on CW at 9 p.m.
The Shield on FX at 10 p.m.

Wednesday
Bones on Fox at 8 p.m.
America’s Next Top Model on CW at 8 p.m.
Deal or No Deal on NBC at 9 p.m.
 ‘Til Death on Fox at 9 p.m.
Do Not Disturb on Fox at 9:30 p.m.

Friday
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader on Fox at 8 p.m.

What show are you most looking forward to returning?  Supernatural and Chuck tops my list.

Fringe Premiere Promises New Hit, Lots of Intrigue

If I only watch one new show this fall, it’ll have to be J.J. Abram’s Fringe.  Last night’s premiere just happened to be my first glimpse into the new fall season and judging from Fringe‘s debut this season should be a good one.

FRINGE: An unlikely trio uncovers a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events and realizes they may be part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between the possible and the impossible on FRINGE premiering Tuesday, Sept. 9 (8:00-9:35 PM ET/PT) this fall on FOX. Pictured L-R: John Noble, Anna Torv, Jasika Nicole and Joshua Jackson ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mark Ben Holzberg/FOX

Fox’s new series reminded me of an updated X-Files with a dash of Alias‘ science, Lost‘s intrigue and 24‘s terrorists.  And like the X-files, fans will find that the “truth is out there” and I for one am looking for to the adventure to find it.

But unlike our friends Scully and Mulder, this team isn’t looking for aliens.  Instead they are looking for those behind “The Pattern” – a series of mysterious events that are a result of experiments by ethically challenged scientists dabbling in “fringe” science – science dealing with topics on the fringe of science like genetic mutation, reanimation, mind control, invisibility teleportation and astral projection.

In the opening episode, we see just one of these events when all the passengers and flight crew of Glatterflug Flight 627 (so glad they didn’t use Oceanic, but what is it that Abrams has against planes) mysteriously die after a bioterrorism agent is released leaving nothing more than skeletons and piles of body fluids and tissues.  (yes, it was a little gruesome to watch.)

In the search for the scientist responsible for releasing the toxin, FBI agent Olivia Dunham’s partner and lover John Scott (Mark Valley) is exposed to the raw ingredients of the toxin in an explosion leaving him to a slowed version of the same fate dealt to the Flight 627 passengers.

Now Olivia (Anna Torv) must not only solve the mystery behind Flight 627, she must find a cure for John.  Her research leads her to Walter Bishop (John Noble), a brilliant scientist who did research in fringe science for the government in the 70s and 80s.  In fact, his work turns out to be the basis for the contagion used in Flight 627.

But Walter isn’t a suspect.  For the last 17 years he has been incarcerated in a mental hospital following the death of one of his lab assistants and speculation that he was conducting tests on humans.  Now he is allowed no visitors outside of family.

Since Walter might hold the key to not only Flight 627, but treatment for John, Olivia seeks out Walter’s only son, Peter (Joshua Jackson), to gain access to Walter.  A genius in his own right, Peter has refused to follow in the footsteps of the “mad scientist” father he’s separated himself from for so many years, choosing instead to wander from job to job and place to place getting himself into his own trouble in the process.

Together the trio – Olivia, Walter and Peter – work to solve the case and save John from the toxin.  But what they discover changes their perspectives forever.  The threesome then signs up to work for Homeland Security Agent Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick, The Wire and Lost) to investigate The Pattern.

I originally tuned in because I like J.J. Abrams and I’m a big Pacey – I mean Joshua Jackson – fan, but I’ll be returning for the intrigue.  There were a few predictable moments like how the team came to work for Broyles, but for the most part, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the show.

The show is also laced with a nice blend of humor.  The cow in the first episode was my favorite especially when they are all eating lunch with it. 

Joshua Jackson does a great job of showing his character’s conflict between his interest (and knack) for the science with his distrust of his father.  Peter acts as Walter’s conscious preventing him from becoming Dr. Frankenstein.  As Olivia says, Peter is the only one who can “speak Walter.”

It’s also easy to see that there will be some chemistry between Peter and Olivia in future episodes.  For being such a loner, Peter really seems to care about people.

I’m also very intrigued by the mysterious Massive Dynamics and the yet-unseen William Bell, who just happened to be Walter’s former lab partner.  It’ll be no mystery to learn that Massive Dynamics is behind The Pattern.  What will be surprising is to learn why and how far Bell and company have gone with the technology.

Nina Sharp (Blair Brown) – and her robotic arm – is very creepy as the Massive Dynamics Chief Operating Officer who warns Olivia that science has already gone too far to be controlled.

I, for one, am looking forward to the next episode.  This show has definitely earned a spot on the DVR this season.  Let’s just hope Fox doesn’t screw it up.

If you missed the premiere episode, Fox is re-airing it on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. or you can watch it online at Fox.com.

Anyone else catch this premiere? What did you think? Does the show have potential? What was your favorite part?

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Related Posts

What Drives Fringe’s Agent Olivia Dunham in ‘The Cure’?

John Scott Returns to Guide Fringe’s Olivia in ‘Power Hungry’

‘The Arrival’ of the Observer Brings New Mysteries on Fringe

What is the Mystery Behind Fringe’s Peter Bishop?

Is Nina Fringe’s Cigarette Smoking Man?

Could Sam be the Devil’s Spawn in ‘Reaper’?

Last night the CW freshman series Reaper returned with its first of five post-strike episodes to close out the season.  But the fate of the show still hangs in the balance.  But it’s the status of Sam’s soul that I’m curious about – or actually more specifically, his lineage of his soul.

The premise of the show is that run-the-mill slacker Sam Oliver (Brett Harrison) has his life turned upside down when he turns 21.  On his birthday he finds out that his parents (Andrew Airlie and Allison Hossack) sold his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise).  The Devil decides instead of taking Sam’s soul to Hell, he’d rather employ him as a bounty hunter for escaped souls, telling Sam:

“That’s a problem we’ve been having lately, what with overcrowding and so forth.  Honestly, we were underprepared for the influx.  I blame myself.  But that’s not your problem.  All you have to do is track down fugitives and haul their asses over to a portal to Hell.  Easy.”

The story sounds pretty simple and straight forward; and as you can imagine hilarity ensue when Sam tries to take down souls mean enough and bad enough to escape from Hell with nothing more than the help of his two best slacker pals – Ben (Rick Gonzalez) and Sock (Tyler Labine) – and a vessel given to him by the Devil:

“This will help.  A vessel.  Handcrafted in the bowels of Perdition, by the iniquitous and the vile.”  (Sam looks blank)  ”Oh, I forgot, you got 600 on the SATs, didn’t you?”

And while on the surface the story sounds simple, the episodes are littered with clues that suggest there’s more to the tale.

First there’s the parents reluctance to tell Sam about the deal.  He’s dad stumbled through:

“There’s something I… I have to tell you. I, uh, I probably should have told you this a long time ago. I, uh… Before you were born, your Mom and I… sold your soul to the Devil.”

The parents tell Sam that his father was dying so they bartered the soul of their first child (because they didn’t they could have any) for the return of his health.

Then there’s the contract.  When Sam ask his parents to see it, they stall, coming up with vague places it might be before admitting they don’t have it.  An outraged Sam replied:

“You put the contract for my soul with my third grade report card, and Mr Huggles?”

And when he asks the Devil for a copy of it, the Devil claims inefficiencies in his administration:

“You know who works for me in my central office? White collar criminals. They hate me. They hate their jobs. I’m lucky if I get coffee in the morning.”

Eventually Sam gets it, but it’s so thick (think War & Peace) and written in legalese that Sam doesn’t understand it.

And finally, there is the unusual relationship between the Devil and Sam.  The Devil has taken Sam under his wing – acting like a mentor – helping him to succeed with his reaper duties and “interfering” with the rest of his life.  An example of the Devil’s guidance:

“Get the girl. Get the soul. I don’t care which, man, just pull that trigger. I’m tired of coddling you.”

It might not sound like much, but it’s clear that the Devil doesn’t dote on all his employees like this.  In fact, Sam’s demon neighbors – Steve (Michael Ian Black) and Tony (Ken Marino) – mention how rare it is for the Devil to talk to one of his charges, let alone confide in them in this latest episode, “Rebellion” in which the Devil invited Sam out for ice cream.

These clues make me believe that Sam could actually be the Devil’s son.

Think about it.  The Devil fears his enemies might harm his infant son (or worse, corrupt him into challenging his father), so he sends him to be raised in secret by humans.  Maybe the Devil traded his son’s safety for Mr. Oliver’s health or for the Olivers to have a child of their own (Sam has a little brother that we haven’t seen since the pilot). 

This explanation could clarify why the Olivers were so uncomfortable with revealing the deal and why nobody wanted Sam to see the contract.

And now that Sam has come of age, the Devil is teaching him the family business and getting to know Sam, thereby explaining the Devil’s particular interest in Sam.

Furthermore, in “Unseen” when Sam candidly asks the Devil if Cady (Jessica Stroup) is his daughter.  The Devil openly admits that she is not.  But it’s the way the Devil says it that makes you think that Cady might not be his offspring, but someone Sam knows (like maybe himself) is.

Either way, the addition of the demon neighbors has added a new dimension to an already great show.  I know some people might not have given Reaper a chance because it’s on the CW or because they fear it’s some dark sci fi show dealing with the supernatural like Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the CW hit Supernatural. 

In reality, Reaper is a comedy that relies on witty dialogue, pop cultural references and comical storylines for the slacker in all of us.  I particularly like the dialogue as you can tell from the many quotes I used above.  Unfortunately, reading them in print is not the same as when Ray Wise delivers them.  The Devil has the best lines in the show.

Reaper airs on the CW at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays.  You can watch full episodes on cwtv.com.

The Verdict on ‘Canterbury’s Law’

While other networks are scrambling to get their shows back into production after the writers’ strike, Fox is taking advantage of the lull to debut some new series.  Last week it was New Amsterdam.  This week it’s Canterbury’s Law.  But will this advantage be enough to secure a hit for the new Julianna Margulies series?

On one hand, any new scripted series in the wake of the strike is a welcome treat to those that have been inundated with reality shows as of late.  On the other, Canterbury’s Law is airing on Fox, a network that is not known to be nice to series that aren’t instant hits.

But in the end, I think it’s the characters that’ll be the downfall of the series.

Firstly, I’m not entirely sure that Margulies is believable as Elizabeth Canterbury, a hard core lawyer willing to do anything to get her clients off.  It’s going to take more to shake the Florence Nightingale image of Carol Hathaway that I have in my head of Margulies from her ER days.

Secondly, I don’t like Canterbury’s character.  She’s not only immoral (she’s cheating on her husband), but she’s unethical (she’s sleeping with a client and she coaches a client to lie). 

Now I’ve watched and am a fan of some shows (House, for example) where the lead is less that upstanding, but for some reason it doesn’t work for Elizabeth. 

I wondered if it was because she was a woman.  For some reason, when women play dirty, people are more offended.  Do we hold our female characters to higher standards?

Flawed heroes are not a new thing. But maybe the fact that Elizabeth uses the very clients she’s supposed to be protecting to get at the bad guys is what doesn’t sit well.  Most people don’t have high standards for lawyers in general (no offense to any lawyers reading), but I think that at least on TV we hope that the “good” guys have some principles. 

At least twice, Elizabeth belittles witnesses on the stand – once with a cop who couldn’t see his own shoes because of his belly, but testified he saw a class ring at his feet and once when she pronounced the prosecution’s doctor’s name as Hack instead of the appropriate Hawk (the name was spelled Hak).  The jabs were funny.  But they made me question her litigation skills if she has to resort to such gimmicks.

But Elizabeth seems to sink to even lower levels.  In the opening episode, Elizabeth coaches her client to lie all so she can get the real guilty party on the stand and prove he did it.  The plan works, but she sacrificed our faith in the justice system to do it.

And speaking of her client, it was very hard to feel sympathetic for him.  I think it was clear from the beginning he wasn’t guilty, but he still had such a creepy vibe that you kind of wanted him locked up for his own well being.

Then, let’s look at Canterbury’s team.  It looks like Fox tried to bank on House’s formula for success with a similar three-member team – one girl, two guys (one white and one black).  But I have news for them; the combination didn’t work for me.

Molly (Tireste Kelly Dunn) doesn’t even seem to have what it takes to be a defense attorney.  Not only does she side with the family against her boss, but she gets all weepy over pictures of the missing boy.  In House, Cameron’s compassion makes her a better doctor, it doesn’t inhibit her.

Russell (Ben Shenkman) seems to have loyalty issues.  He’s working for Elizabeth because she was the only one that would hire him.  But when he doubts her, he leaks critical information to the prosecution.  It’s only after the Deputy Attorney General (Terry Kinney) crosses him (apparently again) that Russell even bothers to stick up for Elizabeth.  And he seems to care less about the client. 

And we didn’t get to see enough of Chester Grant (Keith Robinson) to get a read on his character.  But from what I’ve read he’s trying to escape his Congressman father’s shadow.

In House, the team seems to complement House, even making up for his bad attributes.  In Canterbury’s Law the team seems to be working against each other.

And in attempt to humanize Elizabeth, we find out at the end of the episode her relationship with husband Matt Furey (Aiden Quinn) is strained by the unsolved disappearance of their son.  We aren’t given enough information to form an opinion on this situation, but from upcoming previews it appears that her husband blames her.

It’s clear that Elizabeth’s schemes, such as the one where she sent in Private Investigator Frank Angstrom (James McCaffrey) to get a read on a juror, are going to get her in trouble.  The question is: are we going to care enough about Elizabeth to watch her watch her battle to stay out of jail.

If you missed the pilot, you can watch it online at fox.com/canterburyslaw.  Canterbury’s Law airs on Fox Mondays at 8 p.m.

Knight Rider Races to a Ratings High

If you were caught up in the nostalgia of the ‘80s Sunday night when NBC aired its second-generation Knight Rider than you’ll be happy to know that it looks like we haven’t seen the last of Michael Tracer and KITT.

On Sunday night more than 12 million viewers tuned in to see the new improved KITT, giving Knight Rider a 5.0 rating, the best a TV movie has seen in nearly three years.

NBC has made it clear that the movie was doubling as a pilot.  And with numbers like these, you can expect to see this high-tech car and its new driver this fall.

We will have to wait until May when NBC announces its fall lineup for confirmation.  But if I were you and a fan of this ‘80s update, I’d reserve some time on my schedule in September for more Knight Industries adventures.

Can NBC’s ‘Knight Rider’ Live up to the Memories?

I had prepared myself to be let down when I saw NBC’s two-hour movie/pilot for Knight Rider.  However, I must say that producers Dave Bartis (The O.C.) and Doug Liman (Bourne Identity) did a fair job of bringing a second-generation KITT and story into the 21^st century.

***The following might contain spoilers, but I’ve done my best to keep them to a minimum****

I was a big fan of the original ‘80s series, Knight Rider.  Was it because I was 10 when the show first aired or that we just had lower – let’s make that different – expectations from our television shows 25 years ago?

Needless to say I haven’t seen an episode of Knight Rider is 20+ years and can just barely remember the premise of the show.  Still nobody wants memories of their favorite childhood shows to be blown to bits with a bad remake.

But NBC’s two-hour movie that doubles as a pilot should the network decide to go forth with a new Knight Rider series is more of a sequel than a remake.

The creator of KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand), the car from the ‘80s series, Charles Graiman (Bruce Davison) has continued his work as a cutting edge genius developer in solitude pushing away his wife and his daughter, Sarah (Deanna Russo).  His work includes a new improved KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) and a weapons program called Prometheus for the Pentagon.

This next generation KITT makes his predecessor look like a cheesy ‘80s special effect.  The new improved KITT doesn’t just talk; he’s connected to Internet, satellite and GPS.  Nano technology still makes the car indestructible, but now KITT can morph his appearance as well.

But the car isn’t the only one that got a generational upgrade.  Michael Tracer (Justin Bruening) is show in bed with two women and FBI agent Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier, daughter of Sydney Poitier) is a lesbian – two things you’d never seen in the ‘80s version.

For the premise of the movie, some apparently well funded thugs have broken into Charles’s secluded home in an effort to steal Prometheus.  They manage to steal the hard drives with the intel, but need someone to unlock the information.  Only three hold the key to unlocking these files – Charles, Sarah who is away at Stafford working on her doctorate and KITT. 

Detecting a threat on the Graiman house, KITT activates and follows a pre-programmed mission to ensure Sarah’s safety and procure the help of bitter ex-Ranger Michael Tracer.  Tracer, who’s been wasting his life – and money – racing cars and chasing women in Vegas, was once a neighbor and love interest of Sarah. 

The trio eventually crosses paths with Agent Rivai, who seems to have a past friendship with Charles, and Michael’s mother, Jennifer (Susan Gibney) on their quest to save Prometheus.

Given the history of Knight Rider and rumors that this movie might be turned into a series, the ending is a bit predictable, but nonetheless well told.  David Hasselhoff’s cameo as Michael Knight was well-played if expected.  My only complaint is that we didn’t find out what he’s been doing for the last 25 years.

As far as TV movies go, I ranked Knight Rider up there as a decent effort.  And maybe this next statement is a consequence of quality show withdrawal as a result of the writers strike and the continual influx of reality and game shows, but I would be willing to tune into a revived Knight Rider series.

If you didn’t catch the show, NBC is re-airing it Saturday night at 9 p.m.

What did you think of the show?  Did it do the past series justice or was it just another cheesy remake?  Where you a fan of the original ‘80s series?  Would you want NBC to go forth with a Knight Rider series?

Can Everyday Women Relate to ‘Lipstick Jungle?’

I tuned into the Lipstick Jungle premiere tonight looking for a guilty pleasure.  I’m not sure I found it.  But I wouldn’t write the show off completely.

First, let me premise this review with the fact that I’ve never watch an entire an episode of Sex and the City; nor have I read any of Candace Bushnell’s books.  But I’m not above reading a trashy romance novel or watching chick flicks.

I consider myself a pretty average woman struggling to balance a career, marriage and kids.  But to be honest, I’m not sure I can relate with the high-powered lives of these women that were included in the list of New York’s 50 Most Powerful Women.  The only list I’m making is the MSNBC features of Newsvine articles. 

However, that might be the point if the show is meant as an escape.  Let’s take a look at the characters:

Up first is President of Parador Pictures Wendy Healy (Brooke Shields).  We are supposed to see her as this overscheduled mom struggling to maintain a perfect life.  She has a husband (Paul Blackthorne) that adores her, even if he struggles with his Mr. Mom role, a slew of staff to handle all the crises at work and two best friends to pour her heart out to. 

With that kind of support system, most women could rise to power, if they want it.  Her klutziness (she spills her purse in the opening segment) is really the only characteristic I related to.  And I will say that the struggle in a marriage when one partner is more successful that the other is a legitimate issue.

Then there’s Nico Reilly (Kim Raver, 24), editor of Bonfire magazine.  She’s got problems both at home and at work.  Married to a professor (Christopher Cousins) who has lost interest in her, Nico starts an affair with a 25-year-old photographer (Robert Buckley) who comes to work for her next week.

Call me a prude, but I’m not really into stories about extramarital affairs.  Successful marriage takes constant work.  I’m sure that Nico’s marriage issues have happened over time and she obviously didn’t take the affair lightly, but I just can’t relate.  I’ve been angry with husband, we’ve had our ups and downs, but an affair has never been an option.

However, I did identify with Nico’s work issues.  I’ve recently faced issues with a boss berating me about taking the “mommy track” and implying that my work might suffer.  Unfortunately, I think the show sent with a bit of a stereotype making these comments come from a man.  Female bosses, as I’ve found out, are just as guilty of making these assumptions.

And everyone has been faced with a co-worker, such as Mike Harness (David Alan Basche) trying to climb the corporate ladder over them.  Again I thought it was interesting that they cast her nemesis as a man.  I’m sure I’ll offend my fellow gender, but I’ve found that women can be extremely catty and backstabbing if they set their mind to it. 

Lastly, we have the single member of the group – fashion designer Victory Ford (Lindsay Price, Beverly Hills 90210).  Victory’s biggest dilemma is struggling with becoming a “has been.”  But she has a new man, billionaire Joe Bennett (Andrew McCarthy) in her life to ease her pain.

McCarthy was hard to picture as an aloof billionaire, but was more believable as he showed his softer, sweeter side.

The show is betting on New York life, high-powered careers and fashions that I can’t even dream of affording to bring it the same success as Sex and the City and maybe it’ll work.  Since I wasn’t drawn to that show, it’s no surprise that Lipstick Jungle isn’t an immediate hit with me.

Maybe I’m too practical or maybe I spend too much time hanging out with guys and children, but this show didn’t ring any bells for me.  And the parts I can relate to are the parts of my life I’m trying to escape when I’m watching television.

I might’ve have been interested if it was billed as a romantic comedy movie, but Lipstick Jungle is not “must see” TV for me.  I might tune into another couple of episodes to see if it grows on me.

What about you?  What did you think of the show?  Any Sex and the City fans want to do a comparison?  What about you guys, what do you think of how men are portrayed in the series?

‘Sarah Conner Chronicles’ Looks Promising

At a time when many of our favorite programs are airing the last of their original programs in the wake of the writer’s strike, mid-season replacements are a welcoming reprieve to the start of reruns.  Among the newcomers is Fox’s Terminator:  The Sarah Conner Chronicles.

After seeing the premier last night, I am cautiously optimistic.  The pilot did an excellent job of transitioning you from the Terminator 2:  Judgement Day movie to modern day.

I’ve seen the two terminator movies.  While I liked them, they aren’t movies I watch over and over again.  In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’d seen either of them.  As we sat down to watch Sarah Conner I began to wonder if I shouldn’t have broken out the DVDs of the movie and rewatched them so I’d be caught up for this series.

My fears were for nothing.  The pilot, which picks up in 1999, fills in the details of the movie.  For those who don’t remember, when another cyborg makes an attempt on her son’s life, Sarah broke out of the mental institute she was in and went in search of Miles Dyson, the inventor of the Skynet, the computer that controlled the machines that take over the world on Judgment Day, August 29, 1997.  Although Skynet was destroyed, Sarah is accused of killing Miles.

The pilot starts out two years after judgment day.  Computers haven’t taken over the world. Sarah and John are still laying low with aliases (using the last name Reese — like John’s father).  But they are getting comfortable in their lives here.  Sarah is engaged; John is fitting in at school.  But this life is the calm before the storm.

A new cyborg has been sent after John.  The war with the machines has not been prevented, just delayed.  Skynet is built by someone else.

Sarah (Lena Headey), who has instilled the belief that ‘no one is ever safe’ into her son, must now grapple with the fact that she has not been able to stop the war from occurring.  Does she continue to run – from the cyborgs, from the FBI – or does she stand and fight?

Thomas Dekker (Heroes‘ Zach) does an excellent job of portraying John as a 15-year-old with a lot on his mind.  Not only is he dealing with the trials of youth, but he must bear the weight of being the world’s savior while living a life on the run.  And did I mention that the cute girl at his new school that he thought liked him turned out to be another terminator, one sent to protect him?

It’s nice to see Firefly’s Summer Glau back in fighting action as Cameron, an updated cyborg and John’s protector.  Not only can she kick butt, but she holds valuable information about the future.  In fact, in the final scenes of the pilot she helps Sarah and John travel to September 2007 in an effort to once again destroy Skynet.

We’ll they succeed?  Will the terminators find John now that he’s traveled eight years into the future?  What about FBI agent James Ellison (Richard T. Jones), will he still be hunting Sarah?  For that matter, is her fiancé Charlie (Rescue Me’s Dean Winters) still pining for Sarah?

I’m looking forward to finding out more.  You can read a recap of this episode at Fox.  The next episode airs tonight.  Let’s just hope that Fox gives this show a fighting chance.

‘Chuck’ Saves the Day with Porn

I watched my first premiere of a new fall series last night and I have to say if the rest of the offerings are as good as Chuck, we are in for a great season.  I mean what else can you say about a show where the hero saves the day with porn of all things.

In the premiere of Chuck, we meet the series’ namesake Chuck (Zachary Levi), a computer geek who lives with his sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and her boyfriend that Chuck refers to as Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) become he’s awesome at everything he does.  Chuck seems to have one friend, an equally geeky co-worker Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez) who has a weakness for porn.

A supportive sister Ellie is trying to help her brother get over his college sweetheart (or maybe it was just a crush) by hosting a birthday party in his honor full of women.  Unfortunately, Chuck is still hung up on this girl from college. 

Pretty smart in his own right, Chuck, however, lives in the shadow of his college roommate Bryce Larkin (Mathew Bomer, Traveler, Tru Calling), an accomplished engineering student, track star and gymnast who stole the girl of Chuck’s dreams in college and got him kicked out.

Unbeknownst to Chuck, Bryce is a rogue CIA agent who has just stolen the encrypted secrets of the CIA and NSA combined and emailed them to Chuck before being shot and killed.

Chuck then opens the email and is unknowingly inundated with images that contain the secrets of the NSA and CIA.  Here’s where the real fun begins.  Both the CIA and the NSA send operatives after Chuck, whom they think might be a spy or worse.

The CIA sends sexy Sarah Walker (newcomer Yvonne Strahovski) to retrieve the secrets while the NSA sends John Casey (Adam Baldwin, Firefly) to eliminate Chuck.  Neither succeed, but both soon discover that the secrets now reside in Chuck’s head when he tells them that somehow he knows that a general in town visiting is about to be assassinated.  Hilarity ensues as the together the trio stops the bomb using a computer virus on a porn site (discovered by Morgan earlier) to shut down the computerized bomb.

I tuned into this show mostly because of Adam Baldwin.  I loved him in Firefly as the ever gung ho mercenary Jayne.  I was a little disappointed at first to find him as a suit sent simply to eliminate Chuck.  But as the episode progressed we started to see Casey and Chuck interact.  And I think the final scene with Casey as the “new employee” at BuyMore foreshadowed many more moments where Baldwin’s rare humor ability will be showcased.

Overall, I thought it was a good pilot.  I definitely will be tuning in next week.  It makes for a nice light entertainment preceding Heroes on NBC airing at 8 p.m. on Mondays.  The pilot will be reshown on NBC Saturday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. and on Sci Fi Channel at 11 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.

(Photo courtesy of NBC)