Graceland – 1.02 ‘Guadalajara Dog’ – Preview

So, today were going to talk about Graceland’s second episode, 1x02: Guadalajara Dog. It was again written by Jeff Eastin and directed by Russell Lee Fine, just like the pilot was. I have to say that I liked the pilot well enough despite that feeling of déjà vu (but hey nothing is original just repackaged, am I right?). I am curious to but see how they will expound upon the typical tropes and archetypes of what is basically a procedural to keep my attention and make me fall in love. While I’m not in love just yet, I might be in lust.

The title was a little strange (and by looks of the Wikipedia page there are a few more of those where that came from). However, it does get explained in a rather amusing way. This episode has a strange obsession with food, not that I minded. Let’s just say that I’m hoping that pancakes are to Graceland what yogurt is to Burn Notice.

In case you were upset that Serinda Swan aka Paige Arkin was not featured in the pilot let me tell you they gave her a very nice character entrance in this episode. I’ll go ahead be that fan that says her favorite character never gets enough screen time. While Serinda Swan is my girl crush, the female character that I’m like the most right now is Catherine ‘Charlie’ Lopez. I get the feeling there is a lot going on in that pretty little head of hers and she and Mike might become not only fast friends but allies.Then there is Lauren, she didn’t get much screen time either, which doesn’t bother me because it seems like her only purpose for now is to pine for Danny. Speaking of Danny, it’s official he’s not coming back to Graceland, by the way, in case you were wondering.

As for the male characters, besides Mike and Briggs, not much was going on with Jakes and Johnny. Johnny was working on cultivating his cover with a Malaysian syndicate of some kind in a very interesting manner and Jakes bird bust went sideways but wasn’t a total lost is actually the catalyst for the episode's tidy resolution. Mike had to go in for a psychological evaluation that revealed some cool backstory about his character. It was a little too sticky sweet for my taste but it might become important later on.

Briggs doesn’t want Mike on any of his cases because Mike still has that ‘new car smell’. But of course Mike finds an angle and gets on one of the biggest cases that Briggs has with a little advice from Charlie and some bartering with Jakes. While the good guys get the win it doesn’t go down as Mike expected and he nearly blows the case to smithereens.

The episode ends on a bit a ‘cliffhanger’, that I’m sure will be resolved in the first three minutes of episode 1x03: Heat Run.

Things to be on the look for:
• An awesome and relevant law enforcement reference
• Teddy Bears
• A red dress
• An agent singing karaoke

My Two Cent
This show definitely has the quintessential feel of a USA Network show. I really love the cinematography and the scoring. The pacing is really great too. The dialog is a little stiff but I’m sure that will all get worked sooner rather than later. The plot is tight. There is a rhyme and reason to it all. But the cast really is the best thing about this show. I mean I have like three of my all-time favorite people (Serinda Swan, Brandon Jay McLaren and Danny Sanjata) in one show. The chemistry is there now all I need is for them to all be on a case together. I do hope that they decide to focus on the agents and their lives as oppose to a case of the week formula because this is only the second episode and already the resolution of the cases came off as a bit unbelievable.

Grade: B+

I hope this preview has piqued your interest and you decide to tune this Thursday, to USA at 10 pm to watch Graceland’s second episode: Guadalajara Dog. I do live tweet with the show so, if you want to join me, feel free @lilithhellfire.

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Feel free to sound off in the comments below!