Director: Alex Zakrzewski
The fourth episode of this US remake is a carbon-copy of the UK's fourth episode, meaning you can't argue too much about the broad structure of Ashley Pharoah's original plot, even if David Wilcox's edits and additions don't really improve anything. Again, it's easy to pick at the irritations of this remake, but above all I just want LOM:US to focus on original content that plays better with its Americanized characters…That said, while he's no John Simm, Jason O'Mara is proving to be congenial and engaging as Sam Tyler. It's a terrible shame there's no chemistry between him and Harvey Keitel's crabby Gene Hunt, but the show undoubtedly flows much better when O'Mara's on-screen as the befuddled time-traveller. Gretchen Mol also continues to impress as Annie; less downtrodden and simpering than her British counterpart, and seeing her affection grow for Sam is the only recurring plot-thread that's actually working.
This week, Sam investigates a woman (Jennifer Ferrin) he notices being assault by a local gangster -- quickly realizing she is, in fact, his young mother Rose Tyler (the Anglophile execs like Doctor Who, it seems.) Sam's naturally drawn to Rose and eager to ease her financial difficulties, particularly when he discovers her connection to club-owning mob boss Eliott Casso (Robert Klein) -- a man suspected of killing two prostitutes that worked at his nightclub. Maybe helping his mom is the reason Sam's been sent back to 1973? Adding further complication is Sam's discovery that some of the 125's officers have been accepting bribes from Casso...
For long stretches, " Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadows?" follows the British episode's lead very faithfully, with the inevitable Americanisms thrown in (Sam's pseudonym in front of his mother is Luke Skywalker), Sam spots Jim Croce instead of T-Rex's Marc Bolan in the club, and the remake's zanier attitude returns with a few bizarre nightmares for Sam (a moustachioed Gene dancing with his mother, the return of the Mars land rover robot in miniaturized form.)
Overall, this episode is rather tiresome if you've seen the BBC original, but will otherwise provide some entertainment. The storyline isn't quite as compelling as the premise would have you believe (especially regarding the idea of Sam meeting his own mother), but things built to an effective climax and there's a neat denouement. Like the UK original, it's more an episode of memorable little moments -- like Sam being tricked by prostitute Adrienne (Odette Yustman) and tied naked to his bed, awaiting discovery by Ray (Michael Imperioli) and Annie the next morning. Incidentally, Yustman is the second actress from Cloverfield to appear naked on television recently, following Lizzy Caplan in True Blood. For those keeping count. Not that I'm complaining, you understand.
So, not a particularly brilliant episode in the cold light of day, but I enjoyed the scenes between Sam and Rose, and I found this more entertaining that last week's faltering effort. But is that a good sign? The US remake has yet to deliver a decent, original story on its own terms, utilizing its own characters in a way that plays to their strengths. If they're incapable of making the Sam/Gene partnership work, maybe this series is doomed -- no matter how many crazy visuals they sometimes throw at the screen, in an effort to make a humdrum '70s cop show seem like something deeper.
As an aside: I think I know why Sam's been sent back to 1973. It's to learn to how dance. Seriously, every episode has included a scene where Sam's awkwardly persuaded to strut his stuff to some '70s tunes. Admit it, that makes more sense than the mouthful of Mars rover insects.
30 October 2008
ABC, 10/9c
Cast: Gretchen Mol (Annie), Jonathan Murphy (Chris), Michael Imperioli (Ray), Harvey Keitel (Gene), Jason O'Mara (Sam), Tanya Fischer (Windy), John Cenatiempo (Sizable Ted), Christian Wallace (Young Sammy), Odette Yustman (Adrienne), Lenny Venito (Nick Profaci), Jennifer Ferrin (Rose Tyler), Robert Klein (Elliott Casso), Emerald Young (Lullaby Girl), Don Puglisi (Jim Croce), Matthew Cowles (Cowboy Dan) & Ken Marks (Newscaster)
