By John Keegan and Henry Tran
I will admit that "666 Park Avenue" is in the correct timeslot for what the show is. This is not a show that is going to require a ton of thinking or investment in a big mythology. So I think it's the perfect show to end the television week. Beyond that, it has a great hook for genre fans in veteran actor Terry O'Quinn, and that aspect compensates for the somewhat weak premise.
I will admit that "666 Park Avenue" is in the correct timeslot for what the show is. This is not a show that is going to require a ton of thinking or investment in a big mythology. So I think it's the perfect show to end the television week. Beyond that, it has a great hook for genre fans in veteran actor Terry O'Quinn, and that aspect compensates for the somewhat weak premise.
Living up to its stellar first season, and avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump, was already a heady challenge for “Homeland.” Sweeping the Drama Emmys one week before its return, becoming the first show both to beat out “Mad Men” and to top it by adding the acting awards to its series prize, just upped the ante. Most of the season is already in the can, but the premiere shows the accolades are deserved, as they don’t miss a beat resuming the story.
The seventh season finale was easily one of the most disappointing in the entire series run. Not only did it deliver a tepid conclusion to the Leviathan arc, which clearly was beyond the ability of the writers to implement on a budget, but it left Dean sitting in Purgatory without much rhyme or reason. Getting out of that mess was never going to be easy.
Three episodes in, and I still think the show is trying to find itself. It's still in the process of world building so we have to give it time. In the meantime, character development should come to the forefront. I just don't think it's happening that much across the entire cast. Episode by episode, one character stands out as a favorite, and while Captain Neville took that title in the first two episodes, "No Quarter" made Miles more than the cynical, disillusioned swordfighter. That was in part due to the curious decision to sideline Captain Neville in his little subplot.
The entire arc of the season has been leading to this episode, and it certainly manages to deliver on its promises. Evil Artie is just as nasty as one would expect. He has the full knowledge of the Warehouse at his disposal, and a thirst for death and destruction. And the worst part of all is the realization, early in the episode, that this is not a matter of possession; it’s just that the astrolabe brought all of the things already inside of Artie to the surface.
After the past two episodes, with their soul-crushing final moments, it’s not surprising that the writers would need to take a step back, as the season arc pivots on this moment of transition between complication and resolution. Dani’s death proves to be a pivotal moment for many of the characters, as they deal with the reality of mortality in their own specific ways.
The third season of “Haven” arrived with a head-scratcher of a premiere, so it makes sense that the writers would use the follow-up episode as an opportunity to take a step back and contemplate the new status quo. Naturally, the best way to do that is with a pack of humanized dogs with a hefty appetite, and the arrival of a lovely therapist.
It may come as no surprise to hear this, but storytelling is an art of deception. The aim of good storytelling is to sell the viewer on the believable nature of unfolding events, and also to ensnare the viewer on an emotional and intellectual level. Of course, behind the scenes, stories are planned. The extent of that planning varies, depending on the storyteller. But generally speaking, the better the planning, the better the story. But this is also where you run the risk of problems.