08:00 Flying Blind
11:00 The Sentinel
12:00 Honey West
Flying Blind. Episode 2. "Smiles of a Summer Night" Day Two of the Neil-Alicia relationship. The first few scenes (of Neil at work, and being tortured by his family) are mildly funny. The episode kicks into high gear when Téa Leoni comes on, admonishing an off-camera suitor to "Stop following me, and go back to Congress!" Lines like that sparkle. Leoni sparkles, and so does Corey Parker when he shares scenes with Leoni. The first half of the episode follows Neil and Alicia on their day together. Neil wants to rush into having sex, Alicia wants to wait. Diedrich Bader pretty much steals the whole show with a hilarious cameo as another of Alicia's suitors who carries a napkin from a previous encounter. His delivery of his few lines is so good it's worth re-watching a few times.
Later that night, while Neil is in bed (and the house is full of various visiting family members) Alicia shows up and explains that she has changed her mind: she wants to have sex. There and then. What follows is a comedy of errors as the amorous couple are interrupted on several occasions. The best part, however, is Alicia's reaction to Neil's messy bedroom and the various childhood artifacts located therein: "Most Improved Camper" trophy, etc. She is fascinated, she teases him about it, but she's not turned off.
So, in this episode we see that Alicia is just as crazy about Neil as he is about her. Which is vital to making the series work. We might not understand why she would fall for this guy, but - thanks to this episode - we can see that she has. And this too feeds into the male fantasy part of the series: a beautiful woman coming into your bedroom and not being put off by all the geeky stuff she finds in there.
The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 11. "Breaking Ground" Yet another superb episode. The story is a bit more silly than we usually get on this show, but the interaction between Jim, Blair and - new character - Cassie makes the episode something special. Cassie is wonderful. I'm completely smitten with Lisa Akey!! She's gorgeous and her character is great fun. Not only great fun in her own right, but great fun because she makes Jim and Blair even more interesting than usual in the way they both respond to her. Virtually every scene between Cassie and the regulars is hilarious/insightful/sweet. Jim is being a jerk to her (typical Jim!) but he has really grown to like her. Blair openly fancies her (typical Blair!) and his attempts to woo her are equal parts funny and easy to identify with. The episode's best scene is probably the one where the captain warns Blair not to try anything in the station house, because of the video cameras!! I laughed hard at that one.
The addition of Cassie fascinates me. I'm currently watching second season Supernatural, where an attempt to mess with the formula has failed to impress me, yet here is another show about two men who form a close-knit team (and who obviously love one another a great deal) and the show tempts fate by changing the dynamic of the show, and introducing a brand new female character who takes the lead in the cases and impacts on the way the show works.
They revamp Supernatural and I hate it. They revamp The Sentinel and I love it. Go figure!
Maybe it's just that I like Cassie (Lisa Akey). She is absolutely gorgeous and I love Cassie's raw enthusiasm and intelligence. Plus, since I have asthma, it's cool to see a TV character with asthma. The scene in this episode where she needed to use her inhaler was perfectly done. Showing that asthma is part of her life, impacts to a degree but doesn't intrude very much.
So maybe I identify with her. And maybe it's just that she's crazy hot.
Honey West. Episode 1. "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" Before the credits have rolled on this opening episode, Honey West, private eye, has been outwitted by the bad guys, beaten up in an alley way and lost all of her client's money in the process. Hmm. Not the best first impression I've ever seen on TV. Never mind, once the credits have rolled Honey (with bland partner in tow) is hot on the tail of the evil doers. What follows is by-the-numbers private eye fare. It is lifted somewhat by the presence of Anne Francis and the heroine's use of gadgets to trail/trap the baddies. Hidden microphones and exploding ear-rings (yes, exploding ear-rings) give the whole enterprise a great sense of fun and pizazz. But the selling point is Anne Francis. She is beautiful, very sexy and tough. Could have been on The Avengers, basically.
Highlight? The Sentinel (Lisa Akey)
Yet Another TV Review Podcast
Wed, Jul 30, 08 - Flying Blind, The Sentinel, Honey West
