No Ordinary Family: “No Ordinary Ring”

Sometimes I feel really sorry for comic book lovers. Due to the relative niche of their interests, superhero/action series tend to fall in to two camps: the flabby formula dreck starring generic-looking thirtysomethings-posing-as-teens (Smallville), or those that genuinely try and incorporate a mythology and fantasy tropes, but as such are resigned to low-budget writing, directing and acting (Legend of the Seeker).

Every once in a while, though, a network decides to reward these patient fans with a show that has a network-sized budget: hire some real actors! use some special effects! Unfortunately, this particular network is clearly not the right place to achieve this. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with No Ordinary Family. Just… well, there isn’t anything.

No Ordinary Family: “Pilot”

I wasn’t going to watch No Ordinary Family. The idea seemed a bit too network-perfect for me, and – even though I’m one of the few who defends Heroes season 2 (at least in concept) – we’ve been burned before. But a few people I know came out in favour of it, so I gave the show a chance. And you know what? I’m glad I did.

Dexter: “My Bad”

(This review contains spoilers for the Dexter premiere. Read on.)

As with Weeds (and, indeed, all of Showtime’s current output), I run hot and cold on Dexter. And lately, the temperature fluctuations in my house during each episode are starting to give me a headache.

The first season of the show was fascinating, allowing us to have a genuine antihero – not just a Jack Bauer whose ends were always justified, but a cold-minded man whose arrest and capture at series’ end we almost hope for. This was followed by the tense-if-contrived second season, the ill-conceived third, and last season’s bi-polar attempt, which combined a terrifying serial killer storyline with the culmination of four seasons of terribly uninteresting subplots for the terribly uninteresting secondary chraacters. And here we go again.