In case the medium shots, file folders and scenes that take place at a table weren’t a big enough hint for you, Sarah Shahi, who plays Dani Reese, is hugely pregnant. The writers smartly decided not to make Dani pregnant with Tidwell’s child, so instead they shipped her off to Quantico to join an FBI task force.
I’ve really enjoyed this storyline, because it’s given Crews the opportunity to shake things up a bit, while getting Dani more involved in the over-arching mystery. Even though she’s often stuck behind various props, it’s nice to see Dani separate from Crews. It’s easy to get overshadowed by Damian Lewis, so putting them in two different locations allows Dani to be a little more than just the straight man to Crews’s quirks.
This week, the situation gets further complicated when a new woman comes into the mix. Not just any new woman either: a lawyer/Olympian/detective/future Mayor of Los Angeles. Gabrielle Union joins the cast as Crews’s new partner; the woman with a fifteen year plan.
Jane Seever’s entrance was kind of ridiculous: what cop would see her potential partner and a man engaged in a knife fight and flippantly say, “Is one of you Charlie Crews?” Come on. They’ve also laid it on a bit thick with the whole, “Oh, I got sidetracked by competing in the Olympics” thing, but overall, I like the character. Her over-eager goody two-shoes attitude is a nice contrast to the cool-as-a-cucumber Crews, plus Gabrielle Union is a great actress.
As fun as it was to have Stark as Crews’s partner, I have a feeling that bringing Jane in is going to stir up some interesting feelings of jealousy on Dani’s part. No one likes to feel like they’re getting replaced, especially not by a gorgeous, brilliant Olympic athelete — even if it was just the relay.
Further complicating matters is the fact that Dani seems to be a bit more involved in Charlie’s other life than anybody realized. Right now, Charlie is playing it cool while he tries to figure out exactly what’s going on, but there’s a good chance that whatever the story is, it’s going to put a strain on his relationship with Dani. Eventually, and it’s probably going to be sooner rather than later, Shahi is going to have her baby. If they haven’t finished filming the season, the writers are going to have to figure out a reason for Dani to disappear completely — at least for a while.
Usually, a pregnancy is an awkward situation that the writers of a TV show have to find a way around. Very rarely is it used to such effect. According to IMDb, Gabrielle Union is scheduled to be in at least two more episodes. I look forward to seeing her relationship with Crews grow, and to see what’s going on beneath her robot-like exterior.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Mar 19, 2009 @ 18:30 EST5EDT
Agreed that Seever is a bit ridiculous, but I think that’s a conscious choice. Inevitably viewers are going to compare her to Reese, so I think the writers made her so over-the-top perfect and overqualified as Crews’ partner that she became a parody. It’s still an enjoyable character, we get the “robots don’t blink” joke, and we don’t have to feel that she’s replacing Reese.
Since the FBI Task Force was looking for local cops, I don’t think Reese is all the way over at Quantico. More likely the Federal building in Los Angeles. Maybe she works right down the hall from Bodner.
I just hope they get to wrap everything up before it gets the can. From what I have been reading, this and Medium are on NBC’s proverbial bubble for renewal. Of course that always figures with NBC–all the good shows get canned with them and we, the dedicated viewers, get the shaft.
I hope all the talk is wrong, as Life is one of the best scripted shows on tv now, let alone on NBC. Like all of it’s others they bounce it around never giving it a solid home or foundation. Have since it first came on last season.
Go Charlie Crews!
I love the contrast between the two female characters of Reese and Seever.
NBC has a poor track record for supporting any shows other than the 30 minutes sit-com. They change the day and time slots of the prime time dramas until fans just give up trying to find them. If they want to specialize as the all sit-com network. I wish they would just do it already.
I will be so angry if NBC drops “Life”, like they have with so many good shows. Remember, they have to reserve the 10 o-clock hour every weekday for J Lino, make me want to quit watching NBC shows all together. You just set yourself up for disappointment when they can any show you like.
Seriously, if Life is cancelled I’ll be so disappointed. It’s the best thing left now that Life On Mars is getting the axe.
Is Dani kidnapped? When she got in that van last episode, I got the feeling she was being whisked away somewhere that had nothing to do with the Feds. Maybe Crews will have to save her. Just don’t let her get killed.
I’m choosing to stay positive about Life’s chances. Though, the last time I did exactly that was with my other favorite premier from last year, Journeyman.
The show is great and i’am a huge fan of Gabrielle Union…if she doesn’t say on the show i hope they don’t decide to kill her off:(