Writers: Kim Clements & Courtney Kemp
Director: Fred Keller
A pall falls over this episode, with news that NBC have cancelled My Own Worst Enemy. It's easy to see why: the show is too hamstrung by its nonsensical and convoluted premise. There's the seed of a great idea in this show (and I felt a sense of improvement in episode 3), but it's still difficult to get swept along without a hundred nitpicks scratching your mind to distraction…
News of cancellation brings it own problems when writing reviews, as it's now redundant and pointless to critique anything, in some ways. Audiences clearly found the show annoying and difficult to understand (never underestimate the beauty of a simple premise, folks) and enough abandoned the show to provoke its premature axing.
In episode 4, last week's interesting developments are all chewed up and solved lickety split (pardon the pun.) Fellow "split" Raymond (Mike O'Malley) has Janus' resident geek implant his alter-ego Tom with fake memories of having an affair, to prevent his wife Mary (Missy Yager) hiring a private investigator to snoop on her husband Tom. He'll simply confess, bare the brunt of her anger, and hopefully they'll move on.
Henry's (Christian Slater) psychiatrist Dr. Skinner (Saffron Burrows) reveals that the FBI agent he trusted was actually a Watcher (a Janus operative tasked to spy on splits and ensure they're not "broken".) Again, the sheer magnitude of Janus' efforts in keeping their split-personalities functioning and policed seems ludicrous: creating the divergent personalities, managing their lives, implanting fake memories, keeping tabs on them 24/7? Why not pour these resources into hiring regular people?
Sure, it's a cool-sounding idea to have a building full of meek desk-jockeys who transform into trained killers at the flick of a switch, but it just makes no sense when you consider the reality of what that set-up would entail. I spent this entire episode wondering (yes, again!) why Mavis (Alfre Woodard) doesn't just tell her boss Trumbull (James Cromwell) that Henry/Edward is "broken" and needs retiring. It's not like he's a unique agent -- there are dozens of other splits like him, as we've seen -- or that Mavis has any personal investment in Edward's survival. It might help if she loved Edward, or something.
The problem is made worse when we discover that broken splits are wiped of the agent's personality, and assume their civilian identity permanently. If that's true, then why doesn't Henry tell Trumbull he's broken and get back to his normal life at home? Oh, yes, a last-minute coda gives us the answer: Edward's injected a handy poison into their body, so if he's ever wiped, both personalities will die. Hmm, o-kay. This is clearly a case of the writers trying to patch-up a swiss cheese premise. Or is plugging the holes in a sinking ship a better analogy?
The title "That Is Not My Son" comes from Henry's realization that his kids must share Edward's genetic make-up, and he's later shocked to see his son Jack (Taylor Lautner) showing impressive aptitude at martial arts in school. Like fathers, like son? It's a mildly fun psychological irritation for Henry, although given the fact Lautner looks nothing like his screen parents Bale and Mädchen Amick (unless olive skin skips a generation?) gives the whole storyline a slightly comic feel to begin with. Not to mention the fact the Spivey's were somehow unaware their son has become that proficient in fighting? They must take no interest in his after-school activities whatsoever!
The episode's central espionage plot had a split called Paula (Michelle Krusiec) replacing the captured Raymond in an operation with Edward/Henry. Of course, she's unaware that her partner is broken, but later reports that Edward referred to himself as Henry to her superiors, and an internal enquiry is launched.
Overall, anything half-decent in this episode is overwhelmed by the irritating holes in the premise, which make it a difficult and awkward experience to sit through it. At times, the Jekyll & Hyde dynamic works well, and there's are occasionally clever moments and flourishes, but this is clearly a show that didn't invest the time in getting its premise straight, consistent and logical.
10 November 2008
NBC, 9/8c
Cast: Christian Slater (Henry Spivey/Edward Albright), Bella Thorne (Ruthy Spivey), Alfre Woodard (Mavis Heller), Saffron Burrows (Dr. Norah Skinner), Mike O'Malley (Tom Grady/Raymond), Mädchen Amick (Angie Spivey), Taylor Lautner (Jack Spivey), Missy Yager (Mary Grady), James Cromwell (Alistair Trumbull) & Michelle Krusiec (Paula/Ellen)
Director: Fred Keller
A pall falls over this episode, with news that NBC have cancelled My Own Worst Enemy. It's easy to see why: the show is too hamstrung by its nonsensical and convoluted premise. There's the seed of a great idea in this show (and I felt a sense of improvement in episode 3), but it's still difficult to get swept along without a hundred nitpicks scratching your mind to distraction…News of cancellation brings it own problems when writing reviews, as it's now redundant and pointless to critique anything, in some ways. Audiences clearly found the show annoying and difficult to understand (never underestimate the beauty of a simple premise, folks) and enough abandoned the show to provoke its premature axing.
In episode 4, last week's interesting developments are all chewed up and solved lickety split (pardon the pun.) Fellow "split" Raymond (Mike O'Malley) has Janus' resident geek implant his alter-ego Tom with fake memories of having an affair, to prevent his wife Mary (Missy Yager) hiring a private investigator to snoop on her husband Tom. He'll simply confess, bare the brunt of her anger, and hopefully they'll move on.
Henry's (Christian Slater) psychiatrist Dr. Skinner (Saffron Burrows) reveals that the FBI agent he trusted was actually a Watcher (a Janus operative tasked to spy on splits and ensure they're not "broken".) Again, the sheer magnitude of Janus' efforts in keeping their split-personalities functioning and policed seems ludicrous: creating the divergent personalities, managing their lives, implanting fake memories, keeping tabs on them 24/7? Why not pour these resources into hiring regular people?
Sure, it's a cool-sounding idea to have a building full of meek desk-jockeys who transform into trained killers at the flick of a switch, but it just makes no sense when you consider the reality of what that set-up would entail. I spent this entire episode wondering (yes, again!) why Mavis (Alfre Woodard) doesn't just tell her boss Trumbull (James Cromwell) that Henry/Edward is "broken" and needs retiring. It's not like he's a unique agent -- there are dozens of other splits like him, as we've seen -- or that Mavis has any personal investment in Edward's survival. It might help if she loved Edward, or something.
The problem is made worse when we discover that broken splits are wiped of the agent's personality, and assume their civilian identity permanently. If that's true, then why doesn't Henry tell Trumbull he's broken and get back to his normal life at home? Oh, yes, a last-minute coda gives us the answer: Edward's injected a handy poison into their body, so if he's ever wiped, both personalities will die. Hmm, o-kay. This is clearly a case of the writers trying to patch-up a swiss cheese premise. Or is plugging the holes in a sinking ship a better analogy?
The title "That Is Not My Son" comes from Henry's realization that his kids must share Edward's genetic make-up, and he's later shocked to see his son Jack (Taylor Lautner) showing impressive aptitude at martial arts in school. Like fathers, like son? It's a mildly fun psychological irritation for Henry, although given the fact Lautner looks nothing like his screen parents Bale and Mädchen Amick (unless olive skin skips a generation?) gives the whole storyline a slightly comic feel to begin with. Not to mention the fact the Spivey's were somehow unaware their son has become that proficient in fighting? They must take no interest in his after-school activities whatsoever!
The episode's central espionage plot had a split called Paula (Michelle Krusiec) replacing the captured Raymond in an operation with Edward/Henry. Of course, she's unaware that her partner is broken, but later reports that Edward referred to himself as Henry to her superiors, and an internal enquiry is launched.
Overall, anything half-decent in this episode is overwhelmed by the irritating holes in the premise, which make it a difficult and awkward experience to sit through it. At times, the Jekyll & Hyde dynamic works well, and there's are occasionally clever moments and flourishes, but this is clearly a show that didn't invest the time in getting its premise straight, consistent and logical.
10 November 2008
NBC, 9/8c
Cast: Christian Slater (Henry Spivey/Edward Albright), Bella Thorne (Ruthy Spivey), Alfre Woodard (Mavis Heller), Saffron Burrows (Dr. Norah Skinner), Mike O'Malley (Tom Grady/Raymond), Mädchen Amick (Angie Spivey), Taylor Lautner (Jack Spivey), Missy Yager (Mary Grady), James Cromwell (Alistair Trumbull) & Michelle Krusiec (Paula/Ellen)
