(S01E04) When I got the chance to review this week's episode of Fear Itself, I was pretty excited. Firstly because I knew it starred James Roday and Maggie Lawson from Psych, and secondly because it was directed by John Landis.
While I admit that Landis' directorial offerings in the theater have been less than stellar in recent years, he still holds a special place in my heart for being the man who brought us Trading Places, The Blues Brothers and Animal House. I was also excited to see how Landis, Roday and Lawson do with a different type of script than the one they worked together on with Psych.
I was hooked almost from the beginning. I almost fell asleep during the setup about the wedding being "too soon' and all the bridesmaid junk, but once Lawson opened the note and the great theme music kicked in I was ready to go.
The only word I can use to describe the first fifteen minutes of the episode is uneven. I loved how Landis used the innate creepiness of the church and its decorations to weird me out, but seeing Roday deliver his lines the exact same way as Shawn Spencer made it hard to believe his character. Lawson, on the other hand, was emoting so little that I couldn't figure out what her character was thinking at all. I never thought I would be in such a hurry to see the cigarette smoking man.
Another nice scene was between Lawson and her bridesmaids after the wedding. The way Landis used the angled mirror was very cool to see. Unfortunately, it completely overshadowed the lackluster storytelling. Between the phoned-in performances of the stars and the thick Canadian accents of the co-stars, I wasn't sure which was making me more uninterested.
What's worse is I had figured out the twist by the half-way point, so I didn't even have that to keep me going. My only hope was that Landis had put in a "See you next Tuesday Wednesday" somewhere for me to find.
With ten minutes to go in the episode, I couldn't have been more disappointed. If I wasn't obligated to finish watching the episode, I most likely would have bailed right then and there. The whole situation is quite sad, really, because I wanted this show to be good.
In my many years of watching TV, I have noticed that anthology shows seem to be an undying staple of American television. I suppose it has something to do with the early days when it was a lot easier to get some writers and actors to work on one project for the week and then be done with it. As far as supernatural or horror anthology series go, it's clear that The Twilight Zone is the standard by which all others are judged, but since the day TZ debuted, no other show has even come close.
There have been a few series with a decent episode here and there. Amazing Stories had its moments, and there are those that have a fondness for The Outer Limits, but shows like Darkroom, Monsters, Nightmares & Dreamscapes and both of the updated Twilight Zone abominations have all been supremely sub-par.
It's clear to me that Fear Itself is no better. When the ending came and Lawson revealed that she was, in fact, the serial killer, I wasn't surprised. I was, however, angry that none of the other questions got answered. Without going through the entire list, how about we just find out why Lawson's character was so afraid of her groom when she knew all along that she was the killer and not her husband?
This episode was a failure to say the least, but the saddest part is that I will still watch next week in hopes that it gets better.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-27-2008 @ 8:51AM
Keith McDuffee said...
As a whole, I guess I'd have to answer "yes" to the poll here. I think everyone's secretly hoping something will come along to be the next Twilight Zone, but, in the end, we all walk away sad with our banners dragging behind us.
I, too, saw the "twist" early on. In fact, I think I saw it the moment the note was opened, since it said "the person" and not "the man." I thought it would make more sense if she had a split personality and had no idea she was a serial killer. Another twist I was hoping for was that the note was meant for the priest, since he is "marrying" the two people together -- the twist being that they are actually both serial killers.
And I'm with you on Roday's performance. He's going to have one hell of a time not being typecast if he keeps that up.
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6-27-2008 @ 9:35AM
SassylilB said...
I liked last weeks episode, however this week was just boring!
But like any series they have good episodes and bad episodes, so I will keep tuning in until the bad outweigh the good!
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6-27-2008 @ 9:37AM
keithnl said...
I have the last 2 episodes on PVR and just can't get motivated to watch them, I couldn't watch it when it was Masters of Horror and had none of the constraints of a Network show.
It would be so great to have a really good anthology series to tune into every week.
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6-27-2008 @ 9:41AM
Hollywood Ron said...
This week's episode was also written by pedophile Victor Salva, so that's another reason to dislike it.
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6-27-2008 @ 9:57AM
Toby OB3 said...
"See you next Wednesday" is the signature line used often by Landis, which he got from '2001: A Space Odyssey". He's used it in, among other works, "An American Werewolf In London" and "Michael Jackson's Thriller".
"See You Next Tuesday" is something else altogether! LOL! (Kids, ask your Dad....)
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6-27-2008 @ 11:11AM
anti-believer said...
I've been watching it since it debuted. Last week was real good but this week was boring. I don't remember how it ended. I hoping the article would refresh my memory but no thanks to such good writing.
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6-27-2008 @ 6:43PM
e said...
This episode was dog-doo. I'm constantly surprised that the networks execs keep on putting things like this on the air, but all they think is about money and it probably made money so fine. Some of the earlier episodes have been better but not by much. It keeps my girlfriend busy while I surf so I'll keep recording until she throws a fit or decides reading is better than watching crap on TV.
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6-27-2008 @ 7:10PM
LadyOracle said...
I agree that this week was awful and predictable, but the real kicker on the annoyance factor is the fricking commercials. There might have been some vague sense of suspense if they didn't break every five minutes and ruin it. Even when you can fast-forward through commercials all the scariness disappears.
The stories might hold up better if they presented it with limited or no commercial interruptions.
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6-27-2008 @ 8:51PM
Arc|Angel said...
I've enjoyed the show so far (though the episodes get weaker each week). What a drop in quality here though.. awful... acting.. script.. everything.
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6-27-2008 @ 11:44PM
jd said...
Canadian accents????
Really?????
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6-28-2008 @ 7:48AM
Argus said...
The Canadian accents comment is a bit off... I mean, regardless of the fact that I think you're likely just looking to complain... What the hell is wrong with Canadian accents? I imagine shows like Smallville must drive you crazy...
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6-30-2008 @ 9:02AM
Christine said...
Actually, had I known it starred the actors from Psyche...I wouldn't have watched as I find that show's acting intolerable. This episode of Fear Itself was horrible...bad acting, directing, storyline & ending. It didn't make sense at all and nothing tied together in any way. I liked (not loved) a couple of the earlier shows and will continue to watch...hoping it gets better. Then again, after this episode...I believe any upcoming one would have to be better!
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