"Person of Interest" began two years ago as the television show to watch. Then, it became too predictable. John Reese got his gluteus maximus kicked almost as often as he prevailed. That was not good for the show. "Covert Affairs" experienced that same phenomenon: When a character is supposed to be a highly-trained, expert martial artist, she or he must be resourceful, adaptable, tough, determined, and creative enough to defeat all but the very best. "Booked Solid" reverted to some of the best of the previous shows.
The pace is brisk, no lags, no lulls, no slack. Harold Finch, the genius software, cybernetic mastermind, is on top of all contingencies and exigencies. He looks like a doofus, which is a great mask, especially the long dagger sideburns, but he's as sharp as Sherlock Holmes with his digital clockwork encyclopedic knowledge and ability to think forwards or backwards. Finch is somehow always one step ahead of the thugs, the creeps, the smarmy scam artists; he and Reese work together like a hand in a silk glove. The fact that not infrequently, he, too, is seriously challenged by especially nefarious, highly-skilled miscreants, plumbs the depths of his character nicely.
Detective Joss Carter projects just enough world-weariness to portray a convincing real detective who is juggling desperately too many cases for any human being to handle. Despite that, she displays a professional demeanor, and she's always able to dig down deep in her reserves and prove valuable at crucial junctures in the plot. Her role is a plus for single women, single mothers, wordly-wise women not only surviving in a deadly world, and not only prevailing, but possessing a very good heart. She can be tough or tender, as protective as a mother badger or very generous and giving. She is what E.M. Forster called a round character, multi-faceted and resisting stereotyping.
Detective Lionel Fusco is kind of an old shoe, but he reminds me of many professionals who, when called upon, rise to any challenge, perhaps someone who had been typecast and dismissed as overweight, over-the-hill and other clichés. As Shakespeare might have said, he's much more than his out-wall.
"Booked Solid" orchestrates all of the essential elements: glamor, assassination, assassination prevention, justice, vigilantism, effective tilting at windmills that do turn out to be ugly ogres, and charm.
Guest characters in the show add zest, sparkle, and an electric tingle of danger, seduction, sadistic glee, or unexpected good Samaritanism.
I've been an avid television show watcher for nearly 70 years, and I know how difficult it is to maintain vibrant, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills, high quality writing, week after week. Even "Have Gun Will Travel," "Bonanza," and "Gunsmoke," had great shows, very good ones, good ones, worth-a-lot shows and some that were just tired or even forgettable. Television burns through an incredible amount of writing and writers. Directors, producers and writers; actors, too, get burned out. Amanda Blake retired one year prior to the final year of "Gunsmoke." She never found another role with the memorability of Miss Kitty. The fact that she and the show succeeded in portraying a madame in the old west, on television from the mid-1950's through the mid-70's never fails to amaze me. It was tantamount to the controversial (for the time) material Rod Serling got away with; Gene Roddenberry also manipulated the suits in implementing serious social issues into his "wagon train to the stars," "Star Trek."
"Booked Solid," like the very best of Person of Interest has given itself a histrionic shot of vitamin B complex again. Good performances must continually re-evaluate themselves, see the truth in the mirrored gaze of the audience, and then continually re-invent themselves.
The challenge of good acting, good art, is to see ourselves as others see us, which the Scottish poet Robert Burns opined was the gift the gods give us.
At a subtle but deep level, Person of Interest is an existential examination of how people create themselves every moment: by what they say or do not say, by what they do or do not. As Yoda insisted, "Is no 'try.'" Economists talk about opportunity cost. For police officers, detectives and ex-officio problem fixers like Finch and Reese, this is an important concept, because they could be relaxing and enjoying a placid non-treacherous existence. They've chosen to thrust their entire beings into the jackal's mouth. Television audiences are also subject to opportunity cost as well as substitutes and alternatives for consumption. Only top notch storytelling, stellar writing, and exemplary acting and special effects will do the job. They must flow in that order. Good acting won't make up for ho-hum stories or shoddy writing. "Booked Solid" met all three of my demands.
The pace is brisk, no lags, no lulls, no slack. Harold Finch, the genius software, cybernetic mastermind, is on top of all contingencies and exigencies. He looks like a doofus, which is a great mask, especially the long dagger sideburns, but he's as sharp as Sherlock Holmes with his digital clockwork encyclopedic knowledge and ability to think forwards or backwards. Finch is somehow always one step ahead of the thugs, the creeps, the smarmy scam artists; he and Reese work together like a hand in a silk glove. The fact that not infrequently, he, too, is seriously challenged by especially nefarious, highly-skilled miscreants, plumbs the depths of his character nicely.
Detective Joss Carter projects just enough world-weariness to portray a convincing real detective who is juggling desperately too many cases for any human being to handle. Despite that, she displays a professional demeanor, and she's always able to dig down deep in her reserves and prove valuable at crucial junctures in the plot. Her role is a plus for single women, single mothers, wordly-wise women not only surviving in a deadly world, and not only prevailing, but possessing a very good heart. She can be tough or tender, as protective as a mother badger or very generous and giving. She is what E.M. Forster called a round character, multi-faceted and resisting stereotyping.
Detective Lionel Fusco is kind of an old shoe, but he reminds me of many professionals who, when called upon, rise to any challenge, perhaps someone who had been typecast and dismissed as overweight, over-the-hill and other clichés. As Shakespeare might have said, he's much more than his out-wall.
"Booked Solid" orchestrates all of the essential elements: glamor, assassination, assassination prevention, justice, vigilantism, effective tilting at windmills that do turn out to be ugly ogres, and charm.
Guest characters in the show add zest, sparkle, and an electric tingle of danger, seduction, sadistic glee, or unexpected good Samaritanism.
I've been an avid television show watcher for nearly 70 years, and I know how difficult it is to maintain vibrant, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills, high quality writing, week after week. Even "Have Gun Will Travel," "Bonanza," and "Gunsmoke," had great shows, very good ones, good ones, worth-a-lot shows and some that were just tired or even forgettable. Television burns through an incredible amount of writing and writers. Directors, producers and writers; actors, too, get burned out. Amanda Blake retired one year prior to the final year of "Gunsmoke." She never found another role with the memorability of Miss Kitty. The fact that she and the show succeeded in portraying a madame in the old west, on television from the mid-1950's through the mid-70's never fails to amaze me. It was tantamount to the controversial (for the time) material Rod Serling got away with; Gene Roddenberry also manipulated the suits in implementing serious social issues into his "wagon train to the stars," "Star Trek."
"Booked Solid," like the very best of Person of Interest has given itself a histrionic shot of vitamin B complex again. Good performances must continually re-evaluate themselves, see the truth in the mirrored gaze of the audience, and then continually re-invent themselves.
The challenge of good acting, good art, is to see ourselves as others see us, which the Scottish poet Robert Burns opined was the gift the gods give us.
At a subtle but deep level, Person of Interest is an existential examination of how people create themselves every moment: by what they say or do not say, by what they do or do not. As Yoda insisted, "Is no 'try.'" Economists talk about opportunity cost. For police officers, detectives and ex-officio problem fixers like Finch and Reese, this is an important concept, because they could be relaxing and enjoying a placid non-treacherous existence. They've chosen to thrust their entire beings into the jackal's mouth. Television audiences are also subject to opportunity cost as well as substitutes and alternatives for consumption. Only top notch storytelling, stellar writing, and exemplary acting and special effects will do the job. They must flow in that order. Good acting won't make up for ho-hum stories or shoddy writing. "Booked Solid" met all three of my demands.
