My brain's starting to pay the price from staying up til the middle of the night to write last night's "Lost" review, so I don't have much candle power left to write about tonight's "Human Target," which was a fun mash-up of "Die Hard," Indiana Jones and six other pop culture influences, and gets extra credit just for Chance's use of a censer. Top that with some good Chi McBride comedy and some very interesting shadings for Guererro and it was arguably the strongest episode so far - albeit of a show that seems content to operate on a fairly lightweight, but well-executed, level. Plus, after all my comic book nerditry on today's podcast, I had to appreciate a good "Crisis on Infinite Earths" gag.
What did everybody else think?
I think this episode showed me that Human Target could be a viable show - maybe Fox's answer to Burn Notice? Good action, enough mythology to keep repeat viewers compelled, and a great sidekick character. That, and it's on at a workable time for me (glad to get my Chi McBride fix back at 8/7pm Wednesdays) makes it even better. I had one follower on Twitter remark that they were meaning to get into the show but never caught it at its regular time. Maybe the show picks up its momentum with more quality episodes occurring regularly like this.
ReplyDeleteI was happy when I heard a Wilhelm when one of the bad guys fell from the gondola.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm wondering if they've had Wilhelms in every ep and I've missed them, or was this the first time...
Yeah, the Wilhelm sold me on the show too.
ReplyDeleteI spent the entire hour having absolutely no clue what Guerrero's play was going to be. None whatsoever. I love the fact that Jackie Earle Haley continues to make him an interesting character, given that so far he's been the odd man out more often than not.
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic in me was cringing at all the violence in the monastery, though. Especially Chance using the censer as a weapon. Blasphemy, I tells ya!
I like the fact that they kill a fair amount of people on this show, because its 80s action show vibe wouldn't ordinarily permit such a high body count. Stephen Cannell and/or Donald Bellisario, the Shawn Ryan and Kurt Sutter of their day, would always toss in shots of henchmen crawling from the wreckage of the blown-up van groaning like they had migraines on The A-Team or Airwolf or whatever. On Human Target, people get shot, tossed out of bullet trains, or kicked out of gondolas. It's one of the few aspects of the show that would never have been permitted in 1985.
ReplyDeleteThe narration through me off. I don't remember it from previous episodes. Not sure I cared for it.
ReplyDeleteLike the show and will continue watching, but there seems to be a plethora of A-Team derivatives lately. Bad guys reform "secret" group to avenge wrongs. Leverage, Human Target, even Burn Notice to an extent.
Fortran:
ReplyDeleteI think there was a Wilhelm in the pilot when he kicked the assassin out the train window. It's just before the 30:00 mark on Hulu, if anyone wants to confirm.
Hmm. So another Wilhelm, perhaps. I can see this show being one with liberally sprinkled Wilhelms.
ReplyDeleteGuess I know what I might be doing this weekend while I'm stuck inside during Snowpocalypse 2: Electric Boogaloo!
(Captcha: biessed. So close to blessed...and this ep featured a monastery!)
@Phil
ReplyDeleteI had the exact same thought last night -- that this show is fundamentally a 21st century version of the A-Team. The major difference being the bad guys get actually shot rather than just thrown through the air courtesy of exploding oil drums.
I almost wish the show was about Guerrero's character because his back story and skill set hint at a very intriguing past (and present for that matter judging from his actions in last night's ep). Mark Valley is working for me too, but Earle Haley just has a unique presence on screen that is hard to come by. This character is right in his wheelhouse as a very toned-down version of the psychological headcase rorschach and I could easily see him as the star of this show in an alternate universe. Anyone agree?
ReplyDeleteI was barely even interested when I heard about this, but four episodes in and I'm completely sold. The hints of backstory and especially the entire Guererro storyline were awesome, and I really liked the head monk. I feel like Chance is gonna have to lose or at least not completely triumph soon, but for now it's fun to watch how he and Winston win. More, please!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Guerrero's plot was done well. Totally didn't see it coming and it was awesome when it did.
ReplyDeleteA-plot's have been so-so mainly so far.
I am completely shallow. I admit it. I will try to do better. In the meantime, I must confess that Haley's Guerrero is so unattractive that I can barely bring myself to pay attention to what he does, much less appreciate it I repeat, shallow. In my defense, may I say that I think Chi McBride is hot and the late Martin Balsam was my idea of physical perfection.
ReplyDeleteI was about to give up on the show and they made this episode far more entertaining, with fabulous aerial shots in a "James Bond" like fashion, action and best of all, for me...more Chi McBride.
ReplyDeleteDamn..he's wonderful. Let him do something. (Like Sam, on Burn Notice, but with more to do.)
And my idea of sexy was Claude Rains. So there you go.
I'm sold. What a good vehicle for Valley. I was not a fan of his on BL, but I was probably confusing him with his character.
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice the narration before either. Could be this is the first episode with it, brought in by the plotpoint of Guerrero and the file.