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Despite a slightly choppy pilot episode, Life paced itself through a very impressive first season. Even those who outright disliked the pilot and subsequent first few episodes were pleasantly surprised at just how GOOD this show became with each episode. The season, unfortunately shortened a good deal by the fallout from the writer's strike, reached a fever pitch at the fourth episode and hit every note perfectly from that episode until the truly classic and excellent last two episodes of the season. I can't remember a season finale as tense and truly interesting in a long, long time.
MILD SPOILERS Much of the show is carried by Damian Lewis, as Det. Charlie Crews. Crews, wrongfully sent down via conspiracy for the murder of his best friend's family, emerges from 12 years (most of which is spent in solitary) in the super-max Pelican Bay Prison. Nearly killed several times inside, the only thing that kept Crews going is a small, tattered book of Zen teachings that he seems to have read over and over again in an attempt to keep himself from losing his mind.
Constance Griffiths, a kind-hearted and tenacious lawyer manages to get Crews's conviction overturned. She also gets him his job back at the LAPD, and at the Detective rank he'd have been if he'd not been sent down for 12 years. She also managed to secure him a nice settlement...anywhere from 5 to 50 million dollars, depending on which beat cop you ask.
Crews settles in to his Home Sweet McMansion with Ted Early (Adam Arkin) a smart but crooked inside trader whom he met and protected in prison.
Meanwhile, Dani Reese (Sarah Shai), an attractive, smart but troubled young detective is also emerging from serious troubles in her past. Demoted, she ends up with Crews as her partner as a punishment, but also quickly picks up on the fact that her commanding officer may have more sinister reasons for pairing the duo up; she wants to keep an eye on Crews, who she feels is back for one thing only....revenge on those who may have set him up. A second generation cop (her father was with the LAPD, too), she seems to exist for work, which props her up when her battles with addiction and self-loathing kick in the worst.
The show revolves around Crews's search for the family's real killer and those who set him up, but in the meantime, he's got work to do. LA is a big city, crimes happen and he and Reese have to solve them. This is where the procedural element, and possibly the show's weakest element, come into play. Each weekly mystery, especially in the first few episodes, has been done to death (no pun intended) and solving the murder mysteries can seem tedious and a distraction from the sub-plot of the conspiracy. However, by the episode Farthingale, even these procedural plots become much more interesting and original.
Comparisons have been made, especially in the beginning, between this show and House. While I understand that both lead characters are quirky (Crews with the Zen and House with the.....well, House) and the procedural element of both shows lend similarities, they really are nothing alike. I find the endless comparisons not only inaccurate, but lacking in imagination.
Season 1 sets up the conspiracy story arc well, and despite the shortened season, we DO get some answers towards the end of the season, so there is some satisfaction.
The season finale, which is really kind of a two parter, if you include the second to last episode as part of the finale, is tense and pitch perfect. When was the last time you saw a film, let alone a television show, where you TRULY did not know what was going to happen, which path a borderline character would choose? The writing in this series is commendable, but the entire show belongs to Lewis, and to an only slightly lesser extent, Shahi.
Best known from the mini-series Band of Brothers and films like Keane and Dreamcatcher, Lewis is a British actor who employs possibly the single best American accent on US television. His mannerisms and intensity are not only completely three dimensional, his repressed anger and depth are palpable. Lewis makes Crews a brilliant combination between a sixth grader and a serious, old school bad ass. The character is cool, smart, sexy and humorous.
For her part, Shahi is nobody's fiddle or banana in this show. Stoic and, at the same time, brimming with quiet and serious charm, Shahi's Reese is instantly likable.
Together, Crews and Reese make one of the best on screen partnerships in recent history.
One can't help feel Adam Arkin is slightly under-utilized and the second season should feature more of his character.
Overall, this show is not only original, smart and funny, it has the layers of depth that set it apart from similar shows. Definitely worth watching, check it out on NBC.com or Hulu.com (or order the Season 1 DVD on Amazon) before the second season begins in October. You'll be glad you did.
score 10/10
madamebrad 30 May 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1883404/ |
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10-10-2020 03:07:09