Dann Michalski

Hillary Swank stars in the Netflix sci-fi family drama Away. Season 1 follows a group of astronauts on an international space mission to Mars, and the struggles that they and their families face as the mission’s perilous journey unfolds. Swank gives a fairly strong performance and is backed by a solid supporting cast. And the writers do a good job at developing the characters and at balancing the mission drama with the family drama. However, the plots get a little repetitive; with several episodes revolving around some problem that could derail the mission (but obviously won’t). Still, there are some tense and suspenseful moments as major decisions have to be made and repairs are attempted. Also the special effects and sets designs are especially well-done, and the soundtrack enhances the tone. Yet despite delivering an impressive first season, Away was cancelled.

From ABC comes the exciting space drama Defying Gravity. The series follows a group of astronauts as they train for a special mission and begin to experience strange phenomenon as the shuttle gets closer to its destination. Starring Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, and Ty Olsson, the show has a pretty good cast that delivers strong performances. And the writers do an impressive job at telling parallel stories, one in the present during the mission and one in the past during training, and interconnecting them. They also do a good job at creating tension and suspense as problems with the mission arise and secrets are revealed. Additionally, the costumes, sets, and music are all really well-done. Yet while Defying Gravity delivered a strong first season, it wasn’t able to find an audience and was cancelled.

Only 14 episodes (not all of which aired), Joss Whedon’s sci-fi/western series Firefly became an instant cult sensation, and deservedly so. Set in the distant future where humans have ventured out into the universe, the series follows the ragtag crew of a mercenary spaceship as they travel from planet to planet picking up odd jobs. Starring Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, and Summer Glau, the show has a strong cast that delivers some impressive performances. Additionally, Mark Sheppard and Christina Hendricks guest star as recurring characters throughout the season. And while there’s plenty of interesting hi-tech gadgetry, for the most part the sci-fi stays fairly grounded; keeping the focus on the characters. Yet there’s plenty of action too; with fight scenes and chases. Unfortunately though, Firefly was ahead of its time and a victim of a network that didn’t understand it.

Bruce Campbell stars in the sci-fi western The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., the “coming thing” from television producer Carlton Cuse. A throwback to old movie serials, the series follows bounty hunter Brisco County Jr., who’s hired by a group of robber barons to hunt down the notorious outlaw John Bly and his gang; which murdered Brisco’s father during their escape from custody. Set in the 1890s, a lot of the comedy is based on anachronistic humor (with Brisco coming across things like a tank, motorcycles, a machine gun, and a Zeppelin airship), but after a while the gimmicks get a little ridiculous and lose some of their charm. Also, the show’s inclusion of strong minority characters (in the Old West) sets a rather odd tone. Yet overall the eccentricities and campiness end up making for a fun and wildly entertaining ride. But sadly the ride didn’t last long, as The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. was abruptly cancelled after one season, however it quickly gained a cult status and continues to find audiences.

From Netflix comes the dark comedy miniseries The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window. Kristen Bell stars as Anna, a woman who witnesses her neighbor kill his girlfriend, but when no one believes her she attempt to prove it herself. The tone is rather strange, as it plays the drama pretty straight most of the time, but then slips in a sight gag or a bit of comedy that takes the audience off guard. Bell gives a strong performance and is supported by a solid supporting cast that includes Michael Ealy and Shelley Hennig. And the writers do a good job building mystery and suspense, and at slowly revealing Anna’s tragic backstory. A fun noir parody, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is full of intrigue and delivers a few laughs too (macabre as they may be).

From Kevin Williamson comes the procedural crime drama Stalker starring Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott. The series follows a specialized LAPD unit that investigates stalking cases; but unknown to them the unit’s leader has a secret past as a former stalking victim, and as Season 1 progresses her past comes back to haunt her. It takes a while for the show to find a formula that works, but after a few episodes the writing gets better and the character stories become more compelling. Additionally, the list of guest stars that appear throughout the season is quite strong, and includes Mira Sorvino, David Anders, Caity Lotz, and Phoebe Tonkin. Also, the soundtrack is used extraordinary well; featuring unusual covers and arrangements of popular songs that highlight the theme of obsession. Dealing with some dark and provocation issues, Stalker delivers a daring first season that would unfortunately be its last.

Michelle Monaghan stars in the psychological thriller Echoes, a 7-part miniseries from Netflix. When Gina learns that her twin sister Leni has gone missing, she returns to her hometown to help find her and discovers that Leni’s been living a secret life that she didn’t know about. Unfortunately the main character is incredibly dislikable, and it only gets worse the more that is reveled about Leni and Gina and their relationship. Still, the mystery is intriguing and eventually leads to a “who is who” game between the twins when there are revelations about their past. Yet it doesn’t lead to a very satisfying conclusion, and a lot of plot threats are left open. Echoes is entertaining at times and is full of mystery, but it also has a lot of problems.

From Marvel comes the entertaining and imaginative limited series WandaVision. Avengers Wanda Maximoff and Vision find themselves living in a TV sitcom that progresses from the 1950s to modern day, and slowly become aware that something is wrong and that they’re living in a false reality. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and Kathryn Hahn, the show has a solid cast that delivers strong performances. And it does an exceptional job at mimicking classic sitcoms, such as I Love Lucy, Family Ties, and The Office; and not only in their aesthetics, but also in their types of humor and acting styles. The storytelling is also quite impressive; slowly building within the TV world that Wanda and Vision are is, with hints of mystery, and then bringing in the larger context of what is happening. Additionally, there are some fun guest appearances by a couple of other MCU characters, as well as some introductions to new ones. A smart and entertaining extension of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, WandaVision is an extraordinarily well-made and captivating miniseries.

Another spin-off of Agents of SHIELD, Inhumans is a lackluster X-Men rip-off. When the prince of Attilan (a colony of genetic mutants on the Moon) orchestrates a coup, the royal family escapes to Earth and attempts to marshal their forces and gain allies to help them get back to Attilan and retake the throne. Unfortunately the show never really gives the audience a reason to care about this power struggle. And, most of the Inhumans’ powers are pretty unimaginative and aren’t used to much effect. Also, the sets look cheap and reveal the limitations of the budget. There are no connects to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, which only further reinforces how unimportant this show is. Still, there are some exciting action scenes and the cast is pretty good. Inhumans had potential but no purpose, and was cancelled by ABC after eight short episodes.

Though it’s a little cheesy, Birds of Prey is an impressive superhero series that was caged too soon. The show follows Batman’s daughter, Huntress, as she teams up with Barbara Gordon (formerly Batgirl) and Diana Lance (Black Canary’s daughter) to fight crime in New Gotham; meanwhile Harley Quinn attempts to rebuild the Joker’s criminal empire and cause chaos. Unfortunately, the special effects and sets look a little cheap, and show the budget limitations of the series. And, the writing is inconsistent; being exciting and original in one episode, and clichéd and trite in the next. However, the casting is rather good, featuring Ashley Scott, Dina Meyer, and Mia Sara; who all bring a lot of charisma to their performances. Additionally, the soundtrack adds an extra amount of energy to the show. A fascinating series, Birds of Prey delivers an entertaining 13 episode adventure.

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz bastardize the beloved Steven Spielberg anthology series Amazing Stories for Apple TV. Season 1 consists of five episodes involving time travel, aliens, and super powers. However, only one or two are any good; the rest are predictable, uninspired tripe. And the show is pretty heavy handed in pushing its liberal politics. Also, the casts are rather lackluster, putting forth middling performances at best. Failing to capture the magic and wonder of the original series, Apple TV’s Amazing Stories was quickly cancelled and forgotten.

Testament: The Story of Moses is a compelling biographical docudrama from Netflix. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim scholars discuss the story of Moses; from his prophetic birth to his exile in the desert to his calling to free the Hebrews from Pharaoh. Interviews with the scholars are mixed with dramatic recreations and narration. The quality of the acting varies but is pretty good overall, and the production values, costumes, sets, score, etc., are quite well-done. Additionally, the scholars do an impressive job at articulating their points; although it gets a little confusing at times as the Muslim scriptures differ from the Judeo-Christian ones. And unlike other documentaries, the focus is less on historical proofs and more on the intent of the scripture writers in presenting Moses’ story the way that they did. Well-crafted and insightful, Testament: The Story of Moses is a comprehensive look at one of history’s most important religious figures.

Based on a novel, The Haunting of Hill House is a supernatural horror series from Netflix. The story follows the Crain family who went through a traumatic experience in their youth in which their mother was killed while renovating an old mansion known as Hill House, and 26-years later another death in the family brings the Crains together again and forces them to face the ghosts from their past. Featuring Timothy Hutton, Carla Gugino, Elizabeth Reaser, and Kate Siegal, the show has a pretty solid cast and delivers some good performances. The writing however, is a little weak as most of the episodes focus on a specific character; and some characters are better developed and more interesting than others, resulting in some unevenness from episodes to episode. Yet they do an impressive job at building up the mystery and suspense of Hill House. Also, the look and style the series sets up a creepy and atmospheric tone that’s really effective. Captivating and full of intrigue, The Haunting of Hill House is a fresh a creative adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s work.

Resident Evil comes to Netflix as a short-lived 8-episode horror series. Season 1 follows Dr. Albert Wesker’s daughters Jade and Billie as teenagers as they move to New Raccoon City and begin investigating their father top secret work for the Umbrella Corporation; and in a parallel story an adult Jade searches for a cure for the T-virus that has turned most of the human population into zombies. Unfortunately Jade and Billie are angry, spiteful, mean spirited characters that are no fun to watch. In fact, most of the characters are horrid; the Umbrella managers, the survivor gangs, the zombies. And the zombie effects are pretty ghoulish and grotesque. With dislikable character and little connection to the video game series, Resident Evil was quickly cancelled.

From Netflix comes the supernatural series The Innocents. In season one teens June McDaniel and Harry Polk run away together hoping to escape their small town and start a new life, but June soon develops an ability to shapeshift into other people and becomes trapped in their bodies unable to control her power; meanwhile a genetic researcher who runs a sanctuary for shapeshifters and studies them sends his people to find June and bring her to him. The cast gives fairly good performances, but the writing is a little uneven; as the research sanctuary plot quickly loses its intrigue and becomes confusing and tedious. However, June’s plot is quite compelling; showing the terror of losing one’s self to a new body and its mental and physical toll. Season 1 of The Innocents has its problems, but is entertaining full of thrills.

From Producer J.J. Abrams comes the sci-fi cop drama Almost Human. Set in the near future where new technologies are leading to an escalation in crime, the police force begins to supplement its ranks with androids. Season 1 follows Det. John Kennex who returns to the force after suffering a trauma, and is paired with an outmoded android that has a “synthetic soul” that allows him to think and act human. Several intriguing continuing story threads are set up in the first few episodes, but after a while they’re dropped and forgotten as the series turns into a weekly crime procedural. Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, and Minka Kelly give solid performances and make for a good assemble cast, and the special effects are especially well-done, making for some fascinating future technologies. Almost Human delivers an exciting and action-packed 13-episode first season, but it’s not always sure of what type of show it wants to be.

CBS presents a new 9-part adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. When a deadly plague wipes out the majority of the world’s population, a select group of survivors, guided by visons, travel to Colorado and begin to rebuild; meanwhile, a mysterious man recruits another group of people to setup a rival community in Las Vegas. Featuring James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgård, Amber Heard, Greg Kinnear, Odessa Young, and Whoopi Goldberg, the series has a pretty impressive cast that delivers some strong performances. And the writers do a good job at developing the characters and at structuring the story arc over the 9-episodes (save for the rather weak epilogue). However, there are some problems with the depictions of the plague and the sex and violence, which don’t always feel congruent with the overall tone. Yet while it has some problems, The Stand is a compelling tale of survival and the power of good to overcome evil.

From the producers of The Bible comes the powerful and inspiring miniseries A.D. The Bible Continues. Beginning with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the series follows the disciples as they begin to spread word of Christ’s resurrection and the Jewish and Roman authorities as they attempt to squash the emerging Christian movement. The cast is pretty good and features Richard Coyle, Joanne Whalley, and James Callis. And the sets and costumes are especially well-done. However, the attempt to insert ethnic diversity in what should largely be a Jewish community is a bit distracting. And the storytelling has some trouble balancing the various character plots at times. Yet overall, A.D. The Bible Continues is remarkably compelling look at the birth of Christianity.

Jesus of Nazareth is a powerful and groundbreaking miniseries about the life of Christ. The series begins with his immaculate conception and birth and then follows Jesus’ raise as a rabbi in Judeo, and gaining a following that the Jewish authorities soon begin to fear. Featuring Robert Powell, Olivia Hussey, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine James Earl Jones, Donald Pleasence, Ian McShane, and Christopher Plummer, the cast is just incredible. Powell’s portrayal of Jesus is iconic, and the costumes and sets are exceptionally well-done. Also, the series does a good job at adhering to the Gospel story and Christ’s message of salvation. Remarkably compelling, Jesus of Nazareth is one of the best biblical miniseries ever made.

From executive producers Len Wiseman and James Wan comes the DC superhero series Swamp Thing. While investigating a strange viral outbreak in a small-town in Louisiana, bio-researcher Alec Holland is murdered and left for dead in the swamp, but comes back as a plant creature and helps CDC doctor Abigail Arcane to continue to investigate the virus. Starring Crystal Reed, Andy Bean, Virginia Madsen, Will Patton, and Jennifer Beals, the show has a solid cast. However, the writing is rather weak, particularly in how the overall story-arc is structured. Still, the special effects and creature design are quiet impressive, and show does good job at setting a dark and foreboding tone. And there are several exciting fight sequences. Yet while Swamp Thing delivered a solid first season, behind-the-scenes turmoil led to a swift cancellation.

Emerald City is a dark and gritty re-envisioning of L. Frank Baum’s classic Oz book series. Season 1 follows a young woman named Dorothy Gale who gets swept-up in a tornado and is transported to a strange world where she gets caught in a war between a tyrannical ruler named Oz and a coven of witches lead by Glinda, who’s been secretly building an army. The episodes pull plot threats from the first couple of Oz novels, but usually with a macabre twist. However, the show bears little resemblance to Baum’s Oz, and is more of a medieval fantasy tale. For the most part the show is well-cast, particularly Vincent D’Onofrio and Joely Richardson; who both have tremendous screen-presence. And the writers do a fairly good job at developing story arcs that build over the 10-episodes (often in unexpected ways). But Emerald City’s bold and edgy take on Baum’s work tried to turn Oz into something that it’s not, and as entertaining as it was, it had trouble finding an audience; leading it inevitably to be cancelled.

Absolutely abysmal, NBC’s Dracula has no interest in adapting Bram Stoker’s work and focuses instead on condemning oil companies and promoting “green energy.” Season 1 (and thankfully the only one) follows the vampire Dracula as he poses as a rich American industrialist set on launching a geomagnetic company in London; but secretly he’s working with Dr. Abraham Van Helsing to bring down a secret society known as the Order of the Dragon. In the anti-hero tradition Dracula is made to the good guy, and the actual good guys, Harker, Van Helsing, are turning into villains. And while it’s set in the 1890s, there’s no attempt to adhere to the social mores of the times; especially those concerning women, sexuality, and race. The writing is just incredibly poor, with things just happening with little explanation or set-up. However, the costumes and sets are extraordinarily well-done and create a rich visual aesthetic. A chaotic mess that doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing half the time, Dracula was cancelled after 10 episodes.

TNT presents a modern telling of Stephen King’s classic vampire tale ‘Salem’s Lot. The story follows a small New England town that destroys itself when an ancient vampire named Barlow moves there and takes up residence in a house that carries a history of evil. Featuring a large ensemble cast that includes Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, James Cromwell, Rutger Hauer, and Samantha Mathis, there are some good performances. However, there are too many characters and subplots going on to get invested in the film. Still, the over-arcing story is rather interesting and the horror elements are effective at creating suspense. ‘Salem’s Lot is a flawed film, but it delivers an intriguing vision as well as a few chills.

Based on a bestselling novel by Stephen King, Salem’s Lot is a morbid and eerie tale of evil. The story follows a small town with a cursed house that lures a vampire, who then proceeds to sire the townspeople. The storytelling is poor and kills whatever mystery and intrigue the plot builds. Additionally, the acting is especially weak with no engaging performances. Salem’s Lot is a monotonous film that’s atmospheric and moody, but it fails to deliver any real scares.

Showtime’s limited series Dexter: New Blood is an unnecessary epilogue that attempts to fix the widely criticized finale if the original series and give the character a better sendoff. After faking his death, Dexter has settled into a quiet life in a small-town in northern New York, but when his estranged son tracks him down looking for answers Dexter grows concerned than he has inherited his Dark Passenger. Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter return to reprise their roles (with Deb taking Henry’s place as the Dark Passenger), and are joined by Julia Jones, Jamie Chung, and Clancy Brown. The writers come up with a fairly good villain for Dexter to go up against, however, there are a number of inconsistences and plot holes; as certain parts of the show canon (like Astor and Cody) are ignored. Yet, while Dexter: New Blood has its problems, it succeeds in delivering a thrilling conclusion to the character’s journey…which somewhat makes up for Season 8.

A pseudo sequel to the 1984 film, Firestarter 2: Rekindled is a fascinating new chapter of horror. Now in her twenties, Charlie McGee is pursued once again by a secret organization that's conducting psychic research, and she must face off against a new generation of telekinetics that have been bread to be weapons. Marguerite Moreau gives a good performance as Charlie, and there are some impressive supporting performances by Malcolm McDowell and Dennis Hopper. However, the special effects are rather weak, and the sets look cheap. Additionally, there are pacing issues that cause the film to drag at times. Yet despite a few production problems, Firestarter 2: Rekindled is an entertaining thriller that continues the exciting story that Stephen King began.

X-Files writer/producer Frank Spoitnitz helms ABC’s reboot of the classic supernatural thriller Night Stalker. Season 1 follows reporter Carl Kolchak as he investigates strange and unusual stories along with the mysterious murder of his wife. Starring Stuart Townsend and Gabrielle Union, the show employees the standard believer/skeptic dynamic (a la Mulder and Scully). And the guest stars featured include Susan Misner, Tony Todd, John Pyper-Ferguson, and Jane Lynch. The writers to a pretty good job at varying the different types of stories Kolchak looks into, and avoid some of the more clichéd and fantastical creatures (i.e. vampires and ghosts). But with only 10 episodes (4 of which didn’t air), the show wasn’t able to do a lot of character development and leaves a number of questions unanswered; particularly those concerning the murder of Kolchak’s wife and the mark he bears. While short lived, Night Stalker delivered a strong first season full of exciting mysteries.

From A&E comes Damien, a continuation of the classic 1970s horror film The Omen. Set 30 years after the film, Damien Thorn has grown up and become a photographic journalist, and when a series of strange occurrences and deaths start happening around him a mysterious woman tries to convince him that he’s the prophesied Antichrist. The season begins fairly strong, with a lot of mystery as to whether Damien is the Antichrist or the victim of the machinations of a satanic cult; but before long it devolves into out-and-out craziness. And Bradley James doesn’t give a strong performance, though Barbara Hershey is rather impressive as a maniacal villain. Also, the music and cinematography do a good job at setting a dark and foreboding tone. However, the writing is inconsistent; making it hard to get a handle on the characters and plots. A lackluster supernatural thriller, Damien failed to recapture the terror of The Omen and was cancelled after one season.

ABC adapts James Patterson’s best-selling book series into the short-lived crime drama Women’s Murder Club. In Season 1 a spunky newspaper report teams up with a homicide detective, a medical examiner, and a district attorney to help solve crimes together. Starring Angie Harmon, Laura Harris, Aubrey Dollar, Rob Estes, and Linda Park, the show has a pretty good cast and features some interesting guest stars, including Rooney Mara, Mark Pellegrino, Tamlyn Tomita, and John Billingsley. However, the writing’s rather poor, particularly in how the show forces in “girl talk” in the mist of the investigations; although, the murder mysteries themselves and fairly solid, with some intriguing twists and turns. Cancelled after only 13 episodes (partly due to the ‘08 Writers Strike), Women’s Murder Club is an entertaining show but failed to stand out among the myriad of other cop dramas.

NBC tries to get lightening to strike twice by having Battlestar Galactica’s David Eick reboot Bionic Woman. When Jaime Sommers is severely injured in a car accident she’s saved using experimental cybernetic implants and gains enhancers abilities that she then uses to help the Berkut Group (a private security company) combat terror threats. Starring Michelle Ryan, Lucy Hale, Miguel Ferrer, and Katee Sackhoff, the show has a pretty solid cast and features several interesting guest stars. However, the writing is uneven; setting up an ongoing story arc in the first few episodes and then completely dropping it (though this can partly be blamed on the 2008 Writers Strike). Still, the action is exciting and the special effects are used fairly well to show Jamie’s enhanced abilities. Only 8 episodes, Season 1 of Bionic Woman is entertaining, but isn’t given a chance to fully develop.