I just finished watching episode 13 (season 1). As expected, it was the end of Act One, and there was some resolution, but there will be more to follow. Not sure I can slog through another 13. I liked the series okay--I don't generally watch anything scifi-ish, so I can't compare it to others of that genre. Here are some random comments, in no particular order:
1. I usually hate shows that have a kid as the focal point, but I gotta say that Piper was darling. Precocious, to be sure, but still enough of a kid to be endearing. Not sassy or cocky, but truly trying to figure stuff out as she went along.
2. I also appreciated that Jo's daughter Mia was polite, respectful, loving and not at all the norm for divorced female TV cops, namely, saddled with kids who are sullen, rude, withdrawn, eye-rolling PITAs. Very refreshing.
3. Also refreshing that the cute FBI guy ignored the young, skinny redhead at the office (who clearly was interested) and made out with the chubby, middle-aged, plain Jane Jo.
4. Re Jo: if she tucked her hair behind her left ear one more time, I was going to throw a rock through the TV. But she let her hair hang down in her face on the right side. WTF? Tie the whole mess back, girlfriend! And stop making those funny corkscrew movements with your mouth.
5. Even after Jo figured out that Piper had "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men (sic)," she still treated the kid like a 10-year old. "You will NOT use your superpowers, do you hear! Or I'll ground you forever!" Jo, show her some respect for Pete's sake.
6. During the last two episodes (while the crew was hiding on Plum Island), the line, "We've gotta get outta here NOW!" was uttered by someone approximately 784 times.
7. I liked Grandpa. The ham radio thing was clever. I guess Piper will cure his cancer next season.
8. Alex the ex was nice, too. I don't want him to move to DC, because I don't want Piper and Mia to be separated. But I didn't get any lingering chemistry between him and Jo.
9. Benny had been on The Mentalist, credibly playing an American in that series.
10. Something that bugs me about shows where weird stuff happens is that even after multiple examples of events that cannot be explained by (obvious) rational means, skepticism is still rampant. In the very last episode, Alex suggests something and Jo says, "Are you insane?" After EVERYTHING crazy that has happened, she still acts like it's the pilot episode. Alex correctly points out that the whole thing is insane.
