New Shows We Are Watching: Week 2

Most TV Shows have a period during the first season where they’re working out the kinks, and they don’t always pull it off, but when they do it’s great. So, we’re going to watch some freshman shows, watch their progress, and spot that moment when they finally get awesome, or become unwatchable.

Week 2

Nikita (CW) – Episode 2, 2.0
Here is a run-through of the episode from a viewer’s reactions:
Viewer: She’s got a big rifle? Why is it in every camera shot with Nikita?
Viewer: They made Nikita’s partner into a prostitute.
Viewer: What’s with all the flashbacks? Is every episode like this? Get back to the story.
Viewer: Oh, she blew him away with the big rifle. Awesome!
Viewer: Another standoff between Michael and Nikita?! That’s how the last episode ended. How many times are they going to do that? Ridiculous!

This episode showed a miniscule improvement over the pilot episode, but that is, however, overshadowed by the very slow pacing of this series. Episode 2 focused on the protection of a former tyrant and the story of how Nikita found her inside man, told through flashbacks that took up half the episode. The problem is the episode felt redundant, a retelling of the pilot but told in much the same way. It’s a grim look at what’s to come of the series. The story won’t move forward fast enough to keep your interest, which is strange when the show is about taking down an organization. When they don’t progress with their goal, then the show is at a boring standstill.

Terriers (FX) – Episode 2, Dog and Pony

Episode Plot
Since Hank and Britt’s cheque is being held as evidence, they chase down an escaped convict to collect the bounty, but they end up helping him get the man who set him up, his brother.

Episode Thoughts
The second episode establishes what Terriers is and what these characters do in it. They take odd jobs to pay debts, they have a con man style (where they do things such as pose as thugs to lure out a fortune teller’s criminal boyfriend), and they have resources (a dry cleaner that supplies costumes and geek friends who supply wire taps). Everything explains how some poor slackers can be detectives. It’s a step up from the previous episode, but it still doesn’t have that it factor that compels us to watch it again. It had some fun scenes but it lagged in some parts. So, now that the series is set up in this episode, they have to show what they can do with that in the next episode.