(S01E02) I'm trying to figure out Officer Bobby Starks, former partner to Charlie Crews. We know from the snippets of documentary that are interspersed throughout an episode of Life that Starks was one of the people who turned Charlie in for the triple-murder he didn't commit. Now that Crews is out of prison I'm not sure how Bobby feels about that.
I'm sure that he's feeling guilty about turning in his former partner, and he's doing his damnedest to make Charlie feel like nothing has changed between them. Hence, the reason he invited Crews to a barbecue under the premise that his wife wanted him there (Turns out, Stark's wife wanted nothing to do with the man who left his husband without a partner for four years). But, somewhere down deep inside, I have a feeling that Starks is really unsure of Crews' innocence and is rightfully pissed that he got away with it.
You could see that potential when he invited Charlie into his garage. He turned out the outside lights and locked the door so prying eyes wouldn't see anything. With the ominous soundtrack in the background you could just feel that a confrontation between the two former friends was about to take place. Instead, all that happened was the return of Crews' badge and gun by Bobby; he stored them in his garage after Crews' conviction. A little messing with our minds by the producers? Perhaps. Personally, I think that Starks is hiding something very big from Charlie.
Then again, in Life it seems that everyone is hiding something from Charlie. So, Bobby is in good company.
This week's episode felt stronger to me than the pilot, which suffered from too much data packed into 43 minutes of show. Much of the previous episode's introductions were out of the way, which gave the viewer a bit more time to explore the personal lives of Crews and Reese. Oh, and there was a crime to investigate as well. However, if you've seen one criminal investigation on <insert your favorite procedural drama here> you've seen them all. It wasn't the crime we were concerned about, however . . . it was how the crime was solved.
As I mentioned in previous reviews of this show Charlie reminds me a bit of Shawn Spencer from Psych. Because of his Zen disciplines he has a fine-tuned sense of what is askew in life. He displayed this in detail during this week's investigation, which focused on a very new bride who was murdered in her honeymoon suite. The discovery of keys and wallet in the very new husband's shoes intrigued me: I saw Charlie looking at the shoes, but I just didn't know what he was looking at. What got me was the way he found out that the murder suspect was not the husband. He noticed the tiniest detail and was able to pounce on it by viewing all of the disposable camera photos.
Besides the murder investigation, this is a criminal procedural after all, there were other things going on. So as to keep the viewers interested in Charlie's back story, there were a few moments featuring Charlie's own investigation on who framed him for the triple murder. Through flashbacks we got to see the bloodied victims throughout the house that Charlie was visiting in present time. We also saw one of the first pieces of the puzzle put into place: the fourth member of the family that was murdered was able to escape the actual killer. This means that there is someone out there who saw what really happened. Now, all Charlie has to do is find this girl.
We also got a better glimpse into the life of Detective Dani Reese. I'm still undecided on how I feel about this character. I like how she stands up to her lieutenant (whom I've decided I don't like) when it comes to Charlie, and the way she handles the uncooperative suspects (nothing like a high-voltage taser dipped into a swimming pool to calm a crazed person down), but I'm not particularly interested in her after-work hobbies. It seems to me that she has replaced her drug addiction for a sexual one. And, not just sex with any old guy off the street, but with married guys. This is leading her down a bad path.
Another event taking place was the introduction of the young lady who was going to marry Charlie's father. This is a bone of contention for Crews, who feels that his mother's death was due to his father's insistence that she never visit him in prison. Now, he feels a bit uncomfortable meeting the woman who is going to take his father's place. This brings me to Ted, who brings Charlie's future stepmom to the bus stop for their first meet-and-greet. What is his role on this show? Give this character more meat or send him on his way, please.
So, with two episodes out of the way I want to know if you feel that this show still has promise or has already fallen off the tracks. Let me know in the comments and I'll see you here next week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-03-2007 @ 11:35PM
Aberdeen said...
I think this might be my favorite new show. I just like it. All of it, and I like not knowing who the heck has done what and where it's all going. Above all, I love love love the darkness of the characters, which comes out despite the supposed lighthearted moments.
Ah, does a fan good when the writers put their thinkin' caps on.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:34AM
DMD said...
I love this show, the story is set out well and I found myself looking forward to it after 'Bionic Woman'.
Terrific to see Christina Hendricks from 'Mad Men' playing Charlie's future stepmom.
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10-06-2007 @ 5:42PM
Cari said...
Who is the actress that played Stark's wife Leslie?
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10-04-2007 @ 1:28AM
BC said...
I think we're not supposed to just dislike the lieutenant, but be suspicious of her. From the glimpses shown of Charlie's secret murder board last week, I believe she was one of the uniformed officers involved in his wrongful conviction, and she really seems to want him gone from the police force--presumably so he doesn't have convenient access to police resources and stored evidence to augment his curiosity.
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10-04-2007 @ 7:21AM
radwimp said...
Agree with #1, this is my favourite new show. Everything just... fits. So far at least. I wonder why it wasn't promoted more, I only watched it last week out of chance.
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10-04-2007 @ 9:29AM
Cyantre said...
I look forward to this show more than Bionic Woman. I was also so happy to see Christina Hendricks, or as I know her Yo-Saf-Bridge from "Firefly". =D
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10-04-2007 @ 9:31AM
Michael said...
Agreed, this show is the bomb. I wasn't really expecting much since, as you pointed out, if you've seen one police procedural, you've just about seen them all. That said, this show definitely has the "twist" that makes it appointment television for me. I basically just added this to my DVR list (mostly because it followed The Bionic Woman) because it looked sort of interesting but I was hooked immediately last week. If I were to try to describe this show to someone who hadn't seen it yet, I would probably first ask them if they have seen or if they liked watching another of my fave shows, "The Closer". It's the characters that drive both of these shows while the weekly crimes are more secondary to the show. The methods both leads use to solve these crimes is far more interesting than the cases themselves. Additionally, I've got more interest and more questions about the flawed characters (meaning they are more "real") and their stories than who shot/robbed/etc who else in the show.
So far, I've told everyone I know who watches TV about this show. I'm hoping it really builds a following because I agree, its one of the best new shows on television this fall.
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10-04-2007 @ 9:59AM
kevjohn said...
I agree, along with Reaper this is among my favorite new shows. Although I must admit the cases they've had in the first two episodes weren't all that great. But I guess it's kind of hard coming up with interesting crimes when you're got 17 Law & Orders and CSI's polluting the airwaves with their outlandish tales.
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10-04-2007 @ 10:03AM
kevjohn said...
Oh, I forgot that Drew Carey show, Power of 10. I don't usually go for those, but his personality, and those wacky polls, makes that show stand out from the Howie Mandel and You-might-be-a-redneck Guy's crapola.
So Life, Reaper, and Power of 10. That's all I need. But if you want to bring back Firefly that'd be nice too.
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10-04-2007 @ 4:16PM
SmiteySwifty said...
Good lord! I am reminded once again that Christina Hendricks is so fine. I also kept thinking about her role in Firefly and thought she was going to stab someone. She still seems really ominous. But EVERYONE that isn't Charlie seems to be trouble.
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10-04-2007 @ 11:23AM
tiffany said...
Yea, this is the best new show of the season, but I don't see anyone talking about it. Is this going to become this years FNL?
Last episode I was sure of Crews innocence, but I like the way they are playing with the characters and interspersing the documentary. What if he actually was guilty?
I like Adam Arkin's character, because I don't think Charlie has any other friends. It's good to know he at least has one person who is really on his side.
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10-04-2007 @ 11:46AM
Bas said...
I was thinking along the same lines as Tiffany (#9) when they were interviewing the retired detective - what if he really did do it? I really like the documentary-style inserts to explain the past.
I hope Adam Arkin has more to do in each episode - I love him.
This and "Reaper" - only 2 new shows I'll continue to watch so far.
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10-04-2007 @ 11:59AM
Gilbert0 said...
Glad I'm not alone here. I by chance watched this because it was after BW. I really like Charlie, and his obsession with fruit cracks me up. The mystery is interesting, and the show has some good lines. His sexy partner is also keeping my interest.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:21PM
Jeff N. said...
Wasn't that actress Leigh Taylor Young in the small role of the victims mom? I remember her from the old movie Soylent Green. What a knock out she was.
I like this show. It's just different enough to capture your interest. The leads are also well casted. In fact I like the whole cast. I hope the ratings are good enough for it to stay on the air. Something I always worry about when I get invested in a new show.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:20PM
Jeff N. said...
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men, that's where I had seen her before. And Charlie's dad is going to marry her on the show. Interesting!
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10-04-2007 @ 12:20PM
Odessa said...
Haven't watched this episode yet. (still on DVR) But I have to say from last week's episode I knew it was a keeper. Just hope we aren't the only ones. The Network doesn't seem to have promoted it much.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:27PM
Kevinc said...
I don't know where you see Psych, he is more Monk than Spencer. The one shoe was sunk deeper into the carpet than the other one??
I think his ex-partner is off. There is something wrong there. Why would he tell Crews that his wife wanted him over, and not think he wouldn't actually talk to her and find out he lied?
I think they are trying a bit to hard to make him "quirky".
I disagree with hating the lieutenant. I think she is just watching over her division.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:39PM
Rob said...
Yeah,.. way better than Bionic Woman, but Journeyman still tops my list of favorite new shows. Then Life, followed by Reaper.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:49PM
Vivek said...
The best new show of the new season. This and cane are the only two shows i care about. I refuse to watch any of the ten thousand CSI's, so this is a nice break.
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10-04-2007 @ 4:13PM
Jeff N. said...
How is it doing in the ratings?
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