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Reviews
The Rookie (2018)
2 Episodes in and loving it !! Minor Spoilers Ahead !!
This show offers a realistic view of how rookie police officers deal with their daily routine. As a child raised in a family of law enforcement professionals, this show is the closest representation of how the characters deal with work, colleagues and relationships. The characters in the show seem real and have issues of their own.
Nathan Fillion as the lead is tremendous in his role of Rookie Officer Nolan. He brings his innate charm to the role of a downtrodden man that seeks to find meaning in his life by joining the police force. There is heart in his performances and that becomes the conduit through which the audience can empathize and sympathize with him and the more jaded police officers of the show. His signature brazen attitude is toned down compared to his role in Castle or his Captain Mal from Firefly. In the more somber moments of the show you can see that Officer Nolan has pain in his heart and has been through rough times, but he champions through it. That's where Fillion does his best work.
The rest of the cast also does a great job, but there are the unavoidable stereotypes. The three main actors orbiting Fillion are Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Grey, the sergeant that doesn't like Nolan because he's too old to be a cop, trying to crush his morale in hopes that he will either quit or be a better officer for it. His performance is solid and the chemistry between him and Fillion is palpable. The little side-eyes and moments of silence are awkward but fun to watch as you root for Nolan but also understand Sergeant Grey's viewpoint.
His trainer, officer Bishop played by Afton Williamson, is a tough officer that's overly ambitious and sees Nolan as an opportunity to get to the detective seat faster. She is his anchor in the show, pulling Nolan down to reality. There are glances in the show that are done very expertly and subtly by Williamson, where you as the audience realize that she actually begins to admire and respect Nolan. That humanizes her character and makes her likable.
Melissa O'Neil portrays rookie Lucy Chen, who is romantically involved with Nolan. She is initially presented as a badass rookie that has a take charge attitude. O'Neil is very believable as that character and her chemistry with Fillion is great. However, her chemistry with Eric Winter's character as her trainer, Officer Bradford, is what helps the character stand on her own and not just as the romantic interest. She is constantly challenged and belittled by Bradford who is jaded but sincere in his desire to make her the best officer she can be. I liken his character to that of John C. McGinley's Dr. Cox from Scrubs.
So far this shows sets itself apart from the current "cop dramas" on tv. Shows like Magnum PI, Lethal Weapon and NCIS tend to sensationalize how crime fighting is done. The Rookie doesn't shy away from law enforcement lingo and spouting regulations, but it is not done to glamorize how roguish or cool the lead characters are. In fact, Officer Nolan and his fellow rookies learn from each episode what it means to be a better officer.
Episodes (2011)
People don't get it...
This show is very clever doing what it does. The only reason some people don't like it is because their sense of humor is skewed. I never expected the humor to be like friends because of Matt or David Crane. I expected the same commitment from Matt though. He pours his self in the character, since he is playing an extravagant fictional version of himself and creates excellent scenes between the two British writers. Sure it is dark and very hard to get into in the first episode, but after episode 2 I was sold. Episode 3 was even better as there was more Matt to go around!! His interactions with Beverly, their sniping at each other and fighting felt genuine and was extremely funny! Give the show a chance and try to expand your comical vocabulary!
Stargate Universe (2009)
Don't complain if it's not the Stargate you remember...
I loved the first 8 episodes... They may not remind you of the SG-1 or the Atlantis series, but that's the beauty of SGU! Atlantis was nothing like SG-1, so why should SGU be the same. The concept of the show is alienation, which is brilliant! Even when we are together, on a ship traveling the universe, we still stick to ourselves, fearing each other, not trusting the ones around us. The first episode caught me by surprise for many reasons! The directing was brilliant I believe, using the concept of the Kino to give the Reality Show feel to the camera, thus bringing us the viewers closer to the characters.
*****!!!SPOILERS!!!**** Even though the show was slow at first, no terrifying aliens to fight off, no space battles to show, unlike the Wraith and the Goul'd (think that's the correct spelling) to pump up the action. However, have in mind that the people are on a ship traveling on FTL, stopping only at a handful of planets, without the ability to navigate. The ship is in bad condition it has been traveling for millennia, so the crew barely has access to engineering, the helm, or the weapons systems. All they can do is monitor the ship's direction and condition from a remote console... *****!!!End of SPOILERS!!!*****
The acting is very good. I have no problem with the cast. It is well balanced. They give a pretty good performance. I especially like Alaina Huffman's character TJ because she feels more genuine that the rest... Also David Blue's character, Eli, is very good. I think he is this show's McKay....
All in all, this show is great! I love it and I hope they manage to keep it as original and as fresh as it is now...
Scrubs (2001)
It saddens me that it saw no Emmys...
This show has managed time and time again to put a bright smile on my face. I would discuss it to my friends who know it and recommend it to those that were unfamiliar with it... Therefore I recommend it to those who have yet to sit down and enjoy this delightful comedy! The main plot focuses around the character John "J.D." Dorian (Zach Braff) who starts as an intern at the Sacred Heart Hospital along with his best friend Christopher "Turk" Turk (Donald Faison) or Turkleton as Dr. Kelso later calls him. J.D. is later joined by a wonderful cast of actors such as Sarah Chalke (Becky Conner-Healy, Roseanne; Stella, How I Met Your Mother) and Neil Flyn as the colorful and slightly insane Janitor... From the beginning of Season 1 to the end of Season 8, I haven't had a moment that I wouldn't laugh. And I am not afraid to admit that I cried at the final episode of Season 8... If you haven't seen it, buy it as I have or rent it and then BUY IT!!
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
most comments say the show is bad, but there's a 9.1 rating on IMDb... What's the real score?
I am not saying my score is more accurate as beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Even so, BSG is an above average show for sure. The actors are more than capable to play their characters and there are some excellent performances between Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnel throughout the show, as well as Katee Sackhoff and the men of the series. Some may think the story is fool of holes and is vague, however, i found it very close to reality and human. Never liked the concept of Cylons in the show since they appear out of nowhere just to fill an empty scene. However, the fact that they look and feel, or even think they are human adds a creepiness to them, even though sometimes the real villains are the humans. This show examines the concept of humanity in a way that seems natural and not Science-Fiction. Ron Moore's view of humanity is made clear and most of the time its accuracy seems almost cruel.