Hmmmmmm … an extremely ho-hum episode of No Ordinary Family this week. It was about as boring and lifeless as the photo to the right.
Steph’s meddling parents (and who doesn’t have meddling parents?) showed up for an unexpected visit. The result was a lot of awkward in-fighting within the Powell household and a goofy storyline that didn’t make sense. Stephanie’s mother (Cybill Shepherd) is a piece of work who feels the need to continually undermine her daughter’s efforts for some sort of self-gratification. Her father (Bruce McGill) is a sad, sad man who throws out sarcastic verbal shots every chance he gets to make his points clear.
Yeesh. Had I had parents like these two, I would have run out of the house in a heartbeat and wouldn’t have looked back.
The problem I had with this episode was its overall limp blandness. Nothing really gelled. The pool game between JJ and Stephanie’s father was predictable. (You just knew JJ would win out in the end, sticking it to his grandfather in a jaw-dropping bravado.) Being the feel-good family fare No Ordinary Family is, you had an inkling the obligatory super powers moments would turn out well in the end. (They did.) And was there any doubt the final outcome of Stephanie’s parent’s visit would culminate in a huggy-kissy meh-fest, everyone going their separate ways complete with smiles on their faces? Because, that’s exactly what happened.
The home invasion case in this episode was schlocky. Romany Malco continues to be an aggravation to me with his over-the-top delivery and forced comical air. One of the few bright spots in the show was the exchange between Jim and Detective Cordero (Guillermo Diaz) wherein the detective lost his scowl for a moment and became cooperative with Jim for a change. But even that was fleeting.
I’m done with the cotton candy fluff. I want this show to be more than it has been to date. There have been bright spots, but they’ve been few and far between.
Come on! Bring on the bad guys! Let’s get into some dangerous, convoluted, messy, soul-searching situations that require more than just 43 minute’s worth of air time! Let’s get a good story arc moving!
Who’s with me … ?!?
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Nov 11, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
*crickets*
;-)
By the way, “Angst” means “fear”.
It tends to have a more specific meaning in English use, leaning toward philosophical worrying about one’s place in the universe. An “existential dread” if you will. Also, it’s very often associated with teenagers. Shows like Dawson’s Creek, My So Called Life, or even 90210 will often be classified as “teen angst” shows.
I know I just wanted to hand over the literal translation once :-)
I do own DC and Freaks and Geeks as well as Buffy on DVD you know :-)
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
Yes, Sebastian. Yes it does.
But … it is also a feeling of dread, anxiousness and anguish.
And let me tell you: I’m fearful the writers may be trigger-shy in launching into stories or story arcs that make sense to us and not just twittering about with some of the throw-away product they’ve sold us thus far. Nay, I’m anxious about it, hoping they’ll figure it out soon for the betterment of all.
And anguish is what I will feel if they let this series slip away under such pretense.
Thus, my angst … my fear …
See that’s what I meant. I also think they fear they use up all their material and budget in a few episodes unable to top it later on.
I would really love for the US networks to get it into their thick skulls that if you only have a certain story to tell – tell it and be done with it. Of course they are using this shy approach because like any good superhero movie you have maybe two bossfights and then it’ll get boring.
So why not have that fight and forget a second season. God beware we have an awesome experience.
This makes me wish for Defying Gravity back on the screen. I know. Weird. But there they actually knew where they were going. This here is just so… Well it’s wasted material. If I want to see Angst I’ll watch Kyle XY again. And even that show didn’t know when to stop.
It’s always the same. “I need a bigger boat”
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
Not completely true.
That’s why I take care when using my “always”s and “never”s.
Part of it, I’m sure Sebastian, is the need for family fare on television. There’s a need for family (adults and kids alike) programming where everyone can sit down and enjoy a show. In many ways, this is that show. And maybe that’s who the writers are catering to right now.
But I’m hedging my bets we’ll get some crash boom bang and head-scratching “What the … ?!?”s before all is said and done.