The Blacklist (NBC)

[Brian in Mesa]

The Blacklist (NBC)

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Premieres tonight.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm really looking forward to this one. I don't like the fact they put it up against Castle. Granted, Castle went way downhill this past season (from great writing to some of the worst I've seen) but I love the characters and have hope that the show will bounce back. But I want to see both shows thrive and I don't know if that can happen if they go head to head.

Steve

 

[O]

Great first episode!
I'm totally in.

 

[AZZenny]

HOLEEE $#/+ !

I'm in.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Best pilot I've seen in a while.

Steve

 

[Stout]

I stuck with Castle.

 

[AZZenny]

May be one of the best pilot episodes I've ever seen -- I can't recall a show startling me so completely and compellingly since Justified. It'll be a tough promise to keep.

I've always sort of liked James Spader, and he's going to be perfect: A deceptively doughy, sane, but ruthless and self-amused guy who has been playing all sides with great success for quite awhile.
I wasn't sure about the female lead at first -- she looked like another indistinguishable earnest rookie brunette -- but by the end of the pilot, we clearly begin to see just why he finds her interesting.

Spoiler

He seemed so pleased -- content, almost -- when she stabbed him in the neck.

This may just keep me happy until The Americans and Justified are back.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I stuck with Castle.

As a die-hard Castle fan all I can say it, BIG MISTAKE. I hope you at least were able to DVR this Stout.

Steve

 

[DemsMyBoys]

I've always sort of liked James Spader, and he's going to be perfect:

I love him. He could read the phone book and I'd listen.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I love him. He could read the phone book and I'd listen.

Denmore, Carolyn D. My favorite line the first time I read the phone book. It was a little boring. BTW, it's not just a chick thing, I love Spader too.

Steve

 

[cardncubfan]

I liked it but it seemed like sort of a rip off of Silence of the Lambs. Especially at the beginning with Spader in the cage.

 

[HoodieBets]

I dig it favorite new show.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I liked it but it seemed like sort of a rip off of Silence of the Lambs. Especially at the beginning with Spader in the cage.

Such a minor detail of an episode to bring on the "rip off" accusation. Besides, if anything it was a ripoff from Jurassic Park.

Steve

 

[az240zz]

I liked it but thought the kidnapping scene was a bit stale.

 

[cardncubfan]

Such a minor detail of an episode to bring on the "rip off" accusation. Besides, if anything it was a ripoff from Jurassic Park.

Steve

Spader(evil criminal mastermind) = Hopkins(evil criminal mastermind), Megan Boone(new female profiler) = Foster(new female profiler). Criminal mastermind helps newbie find other criminals. Pretty much identical. Just substitute terrorists for serial killers.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Spader(evil criminal mastermind) = Hopkins(evil criminal mastermind), Toni Collette(new female profiler) = Foster(new female profiler). Criminal mastermind helps newbie find other criminals. Pretty much identical. Just substitute terrorists for serial killers.

Sorry, I just don't see it. First off, we really don't know what Spader is. Secondly, as far as we know, he's not a serial killer nor does he skin his victims. I think you can take just about any two shows in the history of TV and movies and find similarities such as the ones you've mentioned. Although I'm starting to think I don't know as much about Silence of the Lambs as I thought I did. For instance, I can't seem to remember Toni Collette being in it.

Steve

 

[Chaplin]

Spader(evil criminal mastermind) = Hopkins(evil criminal mastermind), Toni Collette(new female profiler) = Foster(new female profiler). Criminal mastermind helps newbie find other criminals. Pretty much identical. Just substitute terrorists for serial killers.

Toni Collette? Are you sure you're not confusing this with Hostages? Toni Collette stars in that show.

 

[cardncubfan]

Toni Collette? Are you sure you're not confusing this with Hostages? Toni Collette stars in that show.

You're right. Its Megan Boone.

 

[AZZenny]

Oh, the core premise is clearly a direct lift from Silence of the Lambs -- a devious, whimsical genius bad guy who plays both side, selects a bright new female FBI profiler as his 'protege,' by means and for reasons not made clear. He will play cat with mouse with her, will mentor and in odd ways father her, and will dangle her in the flames just to see if she can survive.

A lot of movies and shows use the ambiguous mentor/bright rookie whatever, but the parallels here are quite strong, and frankly, that cage-like cell -- even if it's a real thing -- almost had to be deliberately used just to pay homage.

Anyhow, it's a good jumping-off point. Spader's Reddington is obviously no Hannibal Lecter* . I'd say that Megan Boone's character is already more developed and has a much more promising and tantalizing backstory than Foster's character, who was just a naive, earnest cipher, in terms of a life.


* (speaking of which, the guy who plays Hannibal in the TV show 'Hannibal' won me over gradually but totally. I like that show a lot in spite of some initial resistance.)

 

[cardncubfan]

Oh, the core premise is clearly a direct lift from Silence of the Lambs -- a devious, whimsical genius bad guy who plays both side, selects a bright new female FBI profiler as his 'protege,' by means and for reasons not made clear. He will play cat with mouse with her, will mentor and in odd ways father her, and will dangle her in the flames just to see if she can survive.

A lot of movies and shows use the ambiguous mentor/bright rookie whatever, but the parallels here are quite strong, and frankly, that cage-like cell -- even if it's a real thing -- almost had to be deliberately used just to pay homage.

Anyhow, it's a good jumping-off point. Spader's Reddington is obviously no Hannibal Lecter* . I'd say that Megan Boone's character is already more developed and has a much more promising and tantalizing backstory than Foster's character, who was just a naive, earnest cipher, in terms of a life.


* (speaking of which, the guy who plays Hannibal in the TV show 'Hannibal' won me over gradually but totally. I like that show a lot in spite of some initial resistance.)

 

[AZZenny]

OK 2nd week kept me intrigued: by the slow evolution of the characters/relationships (i.e., the obligatory by-the-book jerk white-guy FBI agent showed hints of real compassion for victims and the ending where Lizzie was figuring out what to do about her husband), by the underlying mystery of Reddington and Lizzie, and the actual episode plot was well done. It didn't seem predictable until shortly before they revealed it, which is about all you can hope for these days.

I really like that they aren't showing all their cards on a jumbotron, but will apparently take some time and pull us along. I recall reading about a series -- I think it was Game of Thrones, may have been Homeland -- when it was first being pitched, the network exec said something like, 'Slow down. Take the time you really need to let it open up and develop naturally -- we trust the story, and trust our viewers to get it and to want to explore it with you.' Unspoken was 'if it doesn't work done really well, it sure won't work done badly.'

 

[O]

I'm really liking this show.

By far the best new network drama of the fall, IMHO.

 

[HoodieBets]

I'm really liking this show.

By far the best new network drama of the fall, IMHO.

+1

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[cardncubfan]

Monday nights show was pretty good.