Storyline Direction: There seemed to be a purpose and
direction, a laser-like focus that permeated the surrounding storylines. The
flash forward effectively set up the season and the mystery it evoked,
allowed the audience to weave the pieces together. The new interlopers, Patrick
and Margaux (Karine Vanasse) were introduced well and moved the story along by becoming
part of it, not spinning off into a distracting other tale.
Victoria and Conrad were in full force this season with
their signature banter, vibrant as ever. Nolan (Gabriel Mann) was unfortunately cast aside to
more or less placate, Emily. Patrick remained quite mysterious and vague.
The only known detail about him was his relationship with Nolan and his attempt to kill Conrad. Hopefully, he will get fleshed out more as the season progresses. Daniel vacillated between being a devoted lover to a straying star-crossed, lothario. There is still no distinct direction for his character.
The only known detail about him was his relationship with Nolan and his attempt to kill Conrad. Hopefully, he will get fleshed out more as the season progresses. Daniel vacillated between being a devoted lover to a straying star-crossed, lothario. There is still no distinct direction for his character.
The character that has continued to grow increasingly
frustrating is Emily. She has been whining about her father’s false imprisonment
for 2 seasons and given what we now know, I could personally, care less. Her father
is far from the saint, she makes him out to be.
He had an affair with his friend’s wife and then conceived a child with her. He brought a lot of what happened to him, on himself. The pain that Emily has inflicted in the name of this man is quite frankly, getting ridiculous
He had an affair with his friend’s wife and then conceived a child with her. He brought a lot of what happened to him, on himself. The pain that Emily has inflicted in the name of this man is quite frankly, getting ridiculous
Nolan’s character seemed to be
getting the picture this season. The writers' hints of her being unmasked as a
psychopath are promising. The crux of Emily’s revenge now makes her seem petty. The
ultimately irony would be for her to suffer the fate, she has so righteously handed
down to others.
As previously mentioned, the character of Aiden Mathis (Barry Sloane)
continues to be pointless and his presence ruins the foundation of the freshman
season’s romantic entanglements. He simply needs to go. The finale’s big reveal had grown quite
obvious, after the perpetrator had been seething sinisterly throughout the
episode.
Production Caliber: The set design continued to be chic and
modern. Nolan’s new mansion was perfectly cast to his personality.
Performance Quality: Madeleine Stowe and Henry Czerny
continue to steal the show. They are one of the most entertaining pairings on
TV, right now. Stowe’s vigorous portrayal of Victoria continued to be one of
the series’ greatest assets; blurring the lines of straight-up villainess and
determined survivor.
Czerny continues to build Conrad into one of the more fascinating, scion antagonists on the air, maintaining his indomitable charm, as his character arc veered Conrad into all sorts of directions.
Czerny continues to build Conrad into one of the more fascinating, scion antagonists on the air, maintaining his indomitable charm, as his character arc veered Conrad into all sorts of directions.
Joshua Bowman was given more to play this season and he
handled Daniel’s inner conflict with aplomb. Emily VanCamp’s characterization of
Emily lost a bit of its veiled precision. She let Emily’s emotional mask slip, too
much and too often. As a result, Emily’s feelings were painfully obvious, her
hatred towards her nemeses pouring off of her in waves and yet they remained
blissfully clueless. It made the characters around her appear rather foolish.
Musical Score: Foreboding as ever.
Overall Grade: B-,
new Showrunner Sunil Nayar pointed the series in the right direction from last
season’s disastrous run. Thus far, it’s failed to make its case for going much further
than this season. The end of the series seems to be coming into view. It should
use its last burst of energy to conjure a compelling finale. To Read Eclectic Pop's TV Report Card for Season 1, click here
[Image by ABC]
[Image by ABC]
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