The Hollywood Outsider – Film and Television Podcast | Reviews An award-winning film and television podcast for the fan in all of us
Fun fact: I wanted to see Gotham so bad, I sat through this pilot again just to watch Gotham even though I had literally just watched it 2 days before. It held up. Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) falls victim to one of those giant Smallville industry accidents. You know, the kind where other people get caught in them springing forth super villains aplenty? Yea, one of those. Thankfully, Barry has a heart of gold and now he has the power to go really, REALLY fast. The pilot is the normal setup for a superhero show and separates itself from the CW’s Arrow by painting this hero as not a shadow in the darkness, but a beacon of light. It is a refreshingly upbeat tempo and Gustin fills the role with gusto (yea, I said it). Toss in one of the better cameos in recent memory and you have another win for The CW. Speaking of Arrow, Amell confirmed that Ra’s al Ghul will be dropping by for Season 3 of the hit show. Also, he showed us all his fantastic abs. There are women still swooning over that one. Ok, I am too. The Flash airs this fall on CW.
Yep, even M. Night Shyamalan brings us a new series, this one in the vein of Twin Peaks. Matt Dillon plays Secret Service agent Ethan Burke, a man searching high and low for two missing agents. His search unwittingly brings him to the town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. This is no ordinary town. Once you’re here, it seems impossible to leave. They have a fondness for piss-poor medical care and serving their guests green beans and gravy. This is one of those ‘quirky’ shows. Does it work? Mostly. There are a few instances where the pilot seems to be trying a bit too hard, but overall this is a strong enough setup with an amazing cast (Melissa Leo, Toby Jones, Carla Gugino) to entice me to tune back in for the 10-episode run of the series. M. Night assured those in attendance that the series will explain exactly what is going on in Wayward Pines early in the series’ run. If that holds, this could be a very fun watch this fall. Just remember it’s from M. Night. He made After Earth. Wayward Pines will air this fall on FOX.
On the other side of the coin is iZombie. Brought to us from the creator of Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas, iZombie is about a zombie working for a coroner’s office to gain access to the brains she needs to retain her humanity. She stops eating, she becomes more of a monster. OHHHHHH yea, and when she ingests said brains, she gains the victims memories and therefore assists the local popo with crime-solving. This sounds about as good as it is. Though lead Rose McIver does everything possible to liven up the proceedings, the premise is simply too ridiculous to digest. Perhaps the series will find its footing as it progresses, but as of now this is a poor man’s combination of Veronica Mars and The Walking Dead. That isn’t nearly as good as it sounds. iZombie airs this fall on CW.
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Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider