Monsters of Television

“No. I never thought our friends were criminals until we made friends with criminals.”

Ok. This must be discussed before diving into the meat of the episode. I feel cheated, No Ordinary Family. Daphne’s amnesia, a super exciting possible plot development, was just an outlet for introducing potential new viewers to the concept and to the character’s powers. It’s resolved in the first 2 minutes of the episode by touching her family members and relearning everything. All of the emotional weight from the brilliant ending to “No Ordinary Sidekick” was just wasted. Cheap, No Ordinary Family. Cheap.

Now that that’s off my chest let’s talk this week. “No Ordinary Friends” introduced us to the Cotton Family. The patriarch, Dave, was saved by Jim and so a friendship between the two families was born. Jim and Steph loved the possibility of having people they could talk and relate to. Apparently they forgot about George and Katie.

Read more »

“What are sidekicks for?”

It’s hard to be a sidekick. You’re often times over-utilized and under-appreciated. You get next to none of the glory but you’re always the one to take the blame when things go wrong. Most of the time your parents are dead too so life just sucks. George and Katie both got fed up with playing second string to the Super Powells and staged a walkout.

This was only a matter of time. George getting caught picking up after Jim. But rather than being carted off to jail like any other black man would have been, he‘s praised as a hero, something that will increase the size of his nearly bald head 10 fold. And it does. Jim is not liking that George has the credit. He has to hide while George gets the glory, under the pretense of protecting Jim’s identity of course.

Read more »

“I can operate a motor vehicle. I am perfectly capable of operating a JJ.”

The team-ups continue.

Jim and Steph spend their anniversary tracking down a super-powered arsonist while JJ and Daphne have to get out of a few sticky situations reminiscent of the shenanigans the Seaver kids used to get into. The important thing to take away from this, once again, is teamwork. Dynamic Duo plus Dynamic Duo equals Fantastic Four. Steph’s involvement in this episode’s crime fighting is a significant move in that direction.

So Jim (and apparently his clothing as well) is flame retardant. Good thing since this week’s villain is a fire starter. The obvious bad guy (whom I shall henceforth refer to as “Pyro” for many obvious reasons) who started the fire looks a little…off when first we meet him. Kind of reminded me of the guy from the Fringe episode “The Plateau”.

Read more »

“Challenges WHAT?”

These week on the podcast, we mull over the implications of the NBC and Fox midseason shakeups as well as some of the shows we wish weren’t on the brink of cancellation (real or imagined), a recap of some recent food television, and, of course, discussions of the shows we’re watching. Hit us with a comment if you have something to tag on (and you should) and enjoy the sweet sounds of our lovely voices.

Notes: • During the food television segments, Matt and Nick tried out the mute function on Skype. It didn’t work. Sorry. • Nick makes references to multiple properties throughout the podcast that are not only telling of his age but also are sometimes so esoteric some readers/listeners might not quite get how hilarious he is. To that point, submitted for your education is a hint of (Family) Double Dare and a dash of Hello Again with a smidge of Emily Quartermaine (from last week’s podcast).

Running Time: 77 minutes

Topics: Place in the Podcast

• Walking Dead: 0:00:39
• Terriers: 0:09:23
  • The Good Wife: 0:16:13
  • Rubicon: 0:18:18
• NBC Midseason Shakeup: 0:21:01
• Fox Midseason Shakeup: 0:35:24
• Fringe: 0:40:38
• Top Chef: Just Desserts: 0:49:04
• Top Chef: All-Stars: 0:57:17
• Private Practice: 1:00:40
• No Ordinary Family: 1:07:23
• The Cape: 1:11:40
• In Treatment: 1:12:23

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

“Everyone says that internet dating is, like, for geeky, socially awkward types, but I meet a lot of people just like me.”

Yes this was a fairly George centric episode. Yes this dealt with a great story in which he had to decide against putting away a mob lieutenant and protecting Jim’s secret. Yes he was given a love interest. But the crowning moments of this episode had to deal with JJ and Katie, both as individuals and in stories with one another.

I’ve said it before and I’m sure this won’t be the last time I say it: Katie is the best character on the show. She fills the role of audience informant very well with her explanations of things, she fills the nerd quota with her constant (and amazing) comic book references and she fills the “lust” role as Daphne is too young and Stephanie is in a committed relationship (even though both are still admittedly beautiful). “No Ordinary Mobster” shows Katie getting more involved in the show not only with the Powells but with the seasonal arc as well.

Read more »

“It’s ok, you can say it. Best sidekick ever”

The thing that’s going to keep No Ordinary Family afloat is something that the show has, in only two episodes, has proven it does extremely well: ground everything into relatable, realistic terms. Even on a show about people who can read minds and run at super speeds, the core of the conflicts and resolutions are rooted in real people.

Jim and Steph have a very believable marriage despite the fact that many of their recent arguments are somehow centered around the use of their powers. Jim has always been overzealous about the use of his abilities while Steph has remained more cautious. But a role reversal brings to light many issues average marriages face everyday: hypocrisy, lies and the need for validation.

Read more »

As part of the new fall season coverage, we’re doing what we call audition reviews for new shows. An audition review doesn’t necessarily mean the show will enter the normal rotation, but it will provide an initial reaction to a new series. Especially in light of time shifting practices, we think this is a valuable way to read brief reviews on new series to help you decide if you want to watch the show. For those who watch it live, it’s a good way to begin a conversation about a new series. These reviews will typically be shorter than our regular reviews, and may include thoughts from more than one of our writers.

Matt’s Take

You’ve all heard the pitch before: No Ordinary Family is a live action version of The Incredibles. There are similarities to be sure, but it quickly (a little too quickly) establishes its world and characters and dives into creating its own mythology.

Through the first act I was not too impressed. For starters, the 3 minute long trailer we were given over the summer made the show come across as cheesy and boring so of course that is what I was expecting going in. The exposition flies by at supersonic speeds, introducing us to the four members of the Powell family, their problems, and crashing their plane in the Amazon River all in about 5 minutes. I understand getting all of that out of the way quick and early but it felt rushed. To top off my early discontent: interview style narration.

Read more »