You know the episode is in trouble when you catch yourself thinking fairly early on that you really hope Tinny shows up. Because if she shows up, perhaps there will be less screen time with Garrison Steele, the aggravating crime write from last season back to bedevil Jake and bore the crap out of the rest of us.
In fact, I'm pretty sure the only redeeming moment in the entire episode is when the Johnny Cash kicked in during the last 45 seconds of the episode. Generally speaking, you can't go wrong by throwing some Johnny Cash ("God's gonna cut you down" Awesome song) into the mix, however it was much too little and far too late. The streak of good Doyle episodes curls up and dies with a whimper this week.
To be fair, I knew that going in. The worst episode of last season featured Garrison Steele so why they felt the urge to bring him back again this season is beyond me. Here's the thing about Steele - he's a smug bastard who uses people. He thinks he's charming and so do others, although it's blatantly clear to anyone with half a brain that he's an asshole.
He's a character that makes everyone on the show look stupid because he's so clearly an asshole and except for Jake no one gets it. And to make the worst of it, he's an asshole who in his two appearances never gets his comeuppance.
All in all, it's a pretty aggravating way to waste an hour of your life. Even the mystery of the week is dumb. A fighter is put away for murder. But did he do it? Did he take money to do the hit? And is there a crooked cop involved? If you can't see where it's going, if you're not rolling your eyes at some of the stuff (sure, a cop is going to kick the crap out of Doyle on George Street in the middle of the day with no one way boo. Absolutely) then you're a little too easily amused.
On top of that we have the return of ditsy Leslie and they begin the process of writing the Crown out of the show with the absolutely dreadful idea of her having an abusive husband that she's just having a hard time leaving. After showing her all season as being a tough, in control woman we now see her dealing with an abusive husband.
And yes, I know this happens in real life. I've had friends go through similar things. But really? Could they have not gone down this path? It feels....cheap.
Just dreadful all the way around. This is one where you take all traces of its existence, burn them and hope that people forgot you ever aired it.
By the way, in a Doyle related thing not directly related to this episode, I read somewhere that Russel Crowe is a fan of the show. Might be because his buddy Alan Doyle starred in an episode or because the show is popular in Australia (it airs there).
Honestly, if you're not writing a script for Crowe right now then you're mad. I have two plots right off the top of my head.
1. Crowe and (Alan) Doyle are brothers. Crowe is a successful musician who gets dragged into trouble when his stunned younger brother gets him involved in something. Jake to the rescue. Hook for Crowe, he gets to sing on the show.
2. Crowe and (Alan) Doyle are still brothers. Both were successful rugby players back in the day until they both discovered they enjoyed smacking people around a little too much. They have to be kept in separate prisons because together they were too much trouble. But they're both out now and mixed up an a game throwing scandal involving the local rugby team. Hook - Crowe can play rugby, which he apparently likes.
Pity they already used Mary Walsh as a bar owner. She would have been good as their mother.
There you go. I have given you your plots. Write them up and get him on the show next season. It's entirely on the condition that Garrison Steele never comes back, though.
Best Quotes
"You wouldn't know your arse from a hole in the ground." - Jake
(Smack) "Not in the face!" (Smack) "Not in the gut either." - Jake
Last Five
1. Four seasons in one day (live) - Crowded House
2. Damn liar - Cherly Wright
3. Double life - Matthew Good*
4. Old Polina - Great Big Sea
5. Shitloads of money - Liz Phair
In fact, I'm pretty sure the only redeeming moment in the entire episode is when the Johnny Cash kicked in during the last 45 seconds of the episode. Generally speaking, you can't go wrong by throwing some Johnny Cash ("God's gonna cut you down" Awesome song) into the mix, however it was much too little and far too late. The streak of good Doyle episodes curls up and dies with a whimper this week.
To be fair, I knew that going in. The worst episode of last season featured Garrison Steele so why they felt the urge to bring him back again this season is beyond me. Here's the thing about Steele - he's a smug bastard who uses people. He thinks he's charming and so do others, although it's blatantly clear to anyone with half a brain that he's an asshole.
He's a character that makes everyone on the show look stupid because he's so clearly an asshole and except for Jake no one gets it. And to make the worst of it, he's an asshole who in his two appearances never gets his comeuppance.
All in all, it's a pretty aggravating way to waste an hour of your life. Even the mystery of the week is dumb. A fighter is put away for murder. But did he do it? Did he take money to do the hit? And is there a crooked cop involved? If you can't see where it's going, if you're not rolling your eyes at some of the stuff (sure, a cop is going to kick the crap out of Doyle on George Street in the middle of the day with no one way boo. Absolutely) then you're a little too easily amused.
On top of that we have the return of ditsy Leslie and they begin the process of writing the Crown out of the show with the absolutely dreadful idea of her having an abusive husband that she's just having a hard time leaving. After showing her all season as being a tough, in control woman we now see her dealing with an abusive husband.
And yes, I know this happens in real life. I've had friends go through similar things. But really? Could they have not gone down this path? It feels....cheap.
Just dreadful all the way around. This is one where you take all traces of its existence, burn them and hope that people forgot you ever aired it.
By the way, in a Doyle related thing not directly related to this episode, I read somewhere that Russel Crowe is a fan of the show. Might be because his buddy Alan Doyle starred in an episode or because the show is popular in Australia (it airs there).
Honestly, if you're not writing a script for Crowe right now then you're mad. I have two plots right off the top of my head.
1. Crowe and (Alan) Doyle are brothers. Crowe is a successful musician who gets dragged into trouble when his stunned younger brother gets him involved in something. Jake to the rescue. Hook for Crowe, he gets to sing on the show.
2. Crowe and (Alan) Doyle are still brothers. Both were successful rugby players back in the day until they both discovered they enjoyed smacking people around a little too much. They have to be kept in separate prisons because together they were too much trouble. But they're both out now and mixed up an a game throwing scandal involving the local rugby team. Hook - Crowe can play rugby, which he apparently likes.
Pity they already used Mary Walsh as a bar owner. She would have been good as their mother.
There you go. I have given you your plots. Write them up and get him on the show next season. It's entirely on the condition that Garrison Steele never comes back, though.
Best Quotes
"You wouldn't know your arse from a hole in the ground." - Jake
(Smack) "Not in the face!" (Smack) "Not in the gut either." - Jake
Last Five
1. Four seasons in one day (live) - Crowded House
2. Damn liar - Cherly Wright
3. Double life - Matthew Good*
4. Old Polina - Great Big Sea
5. Shitloads of money - Liz Phair
1 comment:
You know, I actually found Garrison Steele kind of amusing this time around (unlike last time). Although, I think it's a touch unreal that no one seems to realize how much of a tool he is and that people actually recognize him on the street (sorry, but I would likely not recognize any of my favourite authors if I bumped into them on the street, despite having seen their pictures on dozens of book jackets).
The ending---with the whole "abusive husband" thing---did seem rather contrived. Like you said, it's not an unrealistic situation, necessarily, but it feels like lazy writing thrown in for the sole purpose of further complicating Jake's little love triangle.
Post a Comment