No Ordinary Family – Some bumbling about, but we’re getting there

The awkwardness happening in this week’s No Ordinary Family is meant to set up plot, but it’s just not quite working. It just seems … well … awkward. That, and the fact there’s a lot of deceit running around the hour’s worth of program, adds up to a decent hour of escape, but nothing earth-shattering.

The focus in this episode involves a group of thieves staking out weddings and swiping guests’ valuables in a garish display of gunfire and drama. The Powells, of course, are at one such wedding. During the heist, Stephanie’s wedding ring becomes part of the loot. Unfortunately, Jim can’t nab the bad guys this time around; save the day and retrieve her ring. Same goes for the second wedding he and his friend George stake out. But, during a third wedding, stuff happens and, ultimately, the bad guys are nabbed … despite Jim’s bumbling attempts of the previous two incidents. The bad? The brazen robbers get off on technicalities. (And weak technicalities at that. The story rather fails at this point, but you go with it. It’s not a critical piece of the puzzle where the episode is involved.) The good? Stephanie’s ring is retrieved and presented to her at show’s end. (Of course it is – it’s the “feel good moment” of the show.)

The usual subplots are in evidence: JJ’s dealing with a crush on a girl in his math class who he would like to get to know better. He calls on his mathematical prowess (and yiddish, oy!) to woo her, and enlists Daphne’s telepathic abilities to get information on the girl. Daphne’s abilities, however, get her in hot water with one of her friends. These throw-away, dopey asides are sometimes tedious. It’s my opinion we need to get some juicy story lines going with the kids. Maybe that’s coming soon with the hint of bad guy-ness being subtly injected here and there over the course of these first three weeks.

Meanwhile, Stephanie’s research grant at her place of employment appears to be moving forward. One small problem: her boss, Dr. King, wants to take out an insurance policy on her. Translation: she needs to submit to a physical … and that means blood work. Not good. A blood sample will reveal her super-duperness, manifesting itself as weirdness … and that’s going to raise red flags. The plan? Stephanie, with her super speed and her assistant, replaces her blood sample with one acquired previously to her new power-infused body. Try as they did to pull off the switch without anyone noticing (and they did pretty well), the snoopy Dr. King may have gotten wise to their efforts. We’ll find out soon enough.

The show is still feel-good fare for the early evening set. And The Powers That Be at No Ordinary Family are slowly plotting events which I believe will yield some spiffy drama, other than the candy-coated offerings they’ve tossed our way thus far. But I’m still on board with the show; no plans to abandon ship. (But they can abandon Romany Malco and his dumb dialog anytime they wish; I can’t stand the guy.)

Michael Episode Squawk: There was a continuity problem right from the beginning of this episode. Did anyone catch it? When Jim leaps away after a brief conversation with George, after muscling baseballs a mile and more into the ocean, he’s only wearing a T-shirt. A few moments later, landing atop a building downtown, he’s in that same T-shirt … but wearing an open-buttoned shirt as well. Obvious fail. (ABC: Call me. I have a pretty good eye when it comes to continuity.)

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Oct 13, 2010 @ 16:00 EST5EDT