You might have noticed that I didn't review last night's episode of Standoff. It's not because of election coverage. I'm just super bored with the show. Here's why.
1. It's like Mad Libs. Seriously, all you have to do is fill in the blanks with each episode's set up, confrontaion, and resolution. The two hostage negotiators are called in, Matt gets on the phone, Emily figures out what's going on in the hostage-taker's life that would make him do this, Frank wants to shoot them instead of talk to them, Matt and Emily banter about their relationship, their boss stands around and looks concerned, and then Matt or Emily talks the person out of doing anything else. Noun-adjective-adverb. Yawn.
2. I don't see the characters changing or growing. I hate this feeling in a TV show. Standoff just seems like a show that will bop along week after week after week with a different storyline, and even though certain episodes might be a little better than others, you don't get the feeling that anything else real is going to happen to these characters. They're just a device to get to the plot.
3. I keep thinking that this show would actually be better if they got rid of the Emily character and just focused on Matt being a daring, smart, rebel hostage negotiator. The whole relationship thing just seems forced now (though in earlier eps it was novel). But that's never going to happen.
4. I really wanted to love this show, and it just sorta bums me out that it isn't much better. Every week when the show is over I get this, "well, there goes another hour, and now I have to write this damn review." And then I sigh heavily.
5. Tuesday is usually the night when I do my laundry.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-08-2006 @ 1:22PM
Televinita said...
Re: #3. Really? I think Matt-n-Emily are a cute couple. That's enough of a reason for me to watch the show. Of course, that could just be me being stereotypically girly.
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11-08-2006 @ 1:30PM
Jim Kosmicki said...
I liked the first few episodes -- I really like both lead actors -- but like you, I found myself feeling like "been there, done that over and over again." I ended up TiNoing most of the saved episodes -- I just couldn't get enough caring to watch them. I finally just took it off the automatic save list.
but I still really like both lead actors.
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11-08-2006 @ 1:36PM
marymi said...
maybe FOX should have pre-empted their shows for continous election night coverage :P
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11-08-2006 @ 3:00PM
Walt said...
There was enough crying being done on FOX NEWS Channel -- no need for crybabys on TWO Fox channels
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11-08-2006 @ 3:10PM
buzmeg said...
This show is absolutely totally unbelievable. I tried it, gave it chance, and now it's sayonara for me.
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11-08-2006 @ 3:41PM
Myron said...
Agreed. Please let this show die. I have to suffer it because of a significant other.
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11-08-2006 @ 4:27PM
mamadoo!! said...
everything you said EXACTLY sums up how i felt about this show within the first 20mins of ep 1. serious yawnfest!!! i'm surprised it took you this long to come around ;)
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11-08-2006 @ 8:59PM
lovelain said...
i agree as well. i couldn't even make it through the entire last episode i watched (the one in the hospital). i started watching for ron livingston, but the show is just so predictable. cancelled the season pass over the weekend.
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11-09-2006 @ 3:06AM
Shrike said...
I think It'd work a lot better if the relationship was between a hostage negotiator and the SWAT team leader. Now it's just plain boring - no matter how much I want to like this show.
And also, Gina Torres is going to waste as the stereotypical boss.
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11-09-2006 @ 4:12AM
Steve said...
I became bored with this show in about two episodes, but I keep it on my tivo just in case something amazing happens. That said, I usually erase it within 20 minutes.
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11-09-2006 @ 4:31AM
JT said...
Stadoff has this "Hunter" touch of crapiness that make great sunday afternoon TV here in Europe. It's a real shame, because the cast is quite fine and has a nice chemistry.
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11-26-2006 @ 11:01PM
Nicole said...
I love Standoff and am not bored with it at all. In fact I am excited for each new episode and I seriously hope it is picked up for another season. I think it's amazing. The chemistry between Matt and Emily is WOW(!hot!) and each hostage scenario is intense... I would ask for nothing more.
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