I don't have time to do an extended review of Human Target this week, and "The Wife's Tale" wasn't an episode that stretched the show anywhere very interesting. Chance (Mark Valley) was tasked with protecting the widow (Molly Parker) of a man he killed seven years ago, without her being aware of his past, to try and absolve himself of some guilt. The show again demonstrated its renowned skill with action sequences (the parkour multi-storey car park pursuit was phenomenal, a bruising poolside fist-fight had you wincing), and we got our first look at how the show's new five-sided dynamic is going to work. I wasn't that convinced.
Thief Ames (Janet Montgomery) is being written as the spunky protégé of laid-back Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley), trying to prove her worth to her idol; while Ilsa (Indira Varma) appears to be the show's moral compass, questioning Winston (Chi McBride) and the operation back at their HQ. Or, rather, testing everyone's patience with her interjections. Obviously, it's still early days. The new setup is bound to develop as we go along, with Ilsa becomes more accepting of the business she's bankrolling, and Ames getting on better with Guerrero. But still, there were times when it was noticeable how straightforward the storyline was, and how it therefore didn't really justify five people's input.
Creatively, I'm beginning to dislike Tim Hunter's plinky-plonk music score (which is a hair's breadth away from mimicking his work on Chuck), but at least it's often swallowed by pop songs. I also remain in two-minds about the casting of Mark Valley on this show, as you could probably put an Easter Island statue in a suit and get a comparable performance most weeks. Valley's good when you need stern reassurance and a plausible action-man, but there doesn't seem to be many strings to his bow. He plays a few notes well, but you'll never get a symphony from him.
Are you watching Human Target now it's back on-air? What did you think of "The Wife's Tale"? Is it too early to tell if showrunner Matt Miller's changes are for the best, or do you likewise suspect that four characters is overkill for such a simple show's requirements. Maybe they should alternate the involvement of Ames, Isla and Guerrero on cases?
WRITERS: Andrea Newman & Zev Borow
DIRECTOR: Mimi Leder
TRANSMISSION: 24 November 2010, Fox, 9/8c
I don't have time to do an extended review of Human Target this week, and "The Wife's Tale" wasn't an episode that stretched the show anywhere very interesting. Chance (Mark Valley) was tasked with protecting the widow (Molly Parker) of a man he killed seven years ago, without her being aware of his past, to try and absolve himself of some guilt. The show again demonstrated its renowned skill with action sequences (the parkour multi-storey car park pursuit was phenomenal, a bruising poolside fist-fight had you wincing), and we got our first look at how the show's new five-sided dynamic is going to work. I wasn't that convinced.
