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Forever - Pilot - Review

Sep 23, 2014

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Forever debuted on ABC last night and will now settle in to its regular timeslot Tuesday at 10pm. The show stars Ioan Gruffudd as Dr Henry Morgan, Alana De La Garza as Detective Jo Matinez, and Judd Hirsch as Abe. The series was created by Matthew Miller, who also wrote the “Pilot” and the second episode “Look Before You Leap.” The “Pilot” was directed by Brad Anderson. Miller was a co-executive producer on Chuck and executive producer on the high concept 666 Park Avenue. He was also a consulting producer on The 100. Anderson’s many credits include Fringe, Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, and Almost Human.

Gruffudd’s earliest well known role is as Horatio Hornblower, but he may be better known for the Fantastic Four movies and most recently for Ringer. De La Garza was one of my favorite characters on Law & Order but may be familiar from CSI: Miami or Do No Harm. Hirsch’s credits are too numerous to list, but he’s probably still most recognizable from Taxi.

The show is an enjoyable procedural with a Sci Fi twist. Cop and medical examiner team up to solve the crime of the week with the medical examiner having a bit of a secret – he’s 200 years old and can’t die. The basic premise has a further twist – someone is on to Morgan’s secret. And to make that revelation even more compelling, said mystery man is also immortal. Starting off, then, this series feels a lot like Bones, Elementary or Castle, complete with on-going mystery and a parent figure. Again, of course, there’s a twist. Instead of Hirsch actually being Morgan’s father – a parallel to Castle’s mother if you will – Abe is actually closer to being Morgan’s son.

For me, what becomes make or break for such a series is a combination of writing and chemistry. I very much like all three lead actors, but there didn’t seem to be a real sizzle of electricity – yet. Part of that, I think is that Morgan is trying to keep himself aloof from those around him. He’s only just allowing himself to come back to life a bit. I very much liked how they teased out just exactly what Abe and Henry’s relationship was until the end of the episode. The scene in which Abe beats Henry at chess was very touching, and I loved the casually affectionate way Henry draped his arm over Abe and kissed his head. The scene nicely delineated their relationship without the sentimentality that both characters say they dislike.

The episode opens with the shocking crash of the subway train and a nice explanation of Henry’s “condition.” As with any pilot, there needed to be a fair bit of exposition. In this case, there needed to be quite a bit of exposition, in fact. The show does a good job with the flashbacks and balancing the on-going story with the backstory. Mackenzie Mauzy plays Abigail – Henry’s one true love. Clearly there will be more to their story, but for now we know that she found baby Abe in a Concentration camp in WWII – the same night she met Dr Morgan. Abigail is gone in the present, so this is an immediate bond Henry shares with Jo – whose lawyer husband died of a heart attack while away in Washington giving a deposition. Does that sound highly suspicious to anyone else? Seems both main characters may have an on-going mystery that needs to be solved.

Rounding out the cast is Joel David Moore as Lucas Wan – Henry’s awkward lab assistant. Wan is clearly the comic relief. There is good chemistry between Moore and Grufffudd, who is no stranger to comedy either. In fact, there’s a fair bit of dry, macabre humor throughout the episode. It’s fun to watch Henry use his vast knowledge – gained over centuries – in putting the clues together. Of course, the highlight is him killing himself to determine what the poison is faster than a toxicology lab can! The mysteries are going to have to be a bit more clever and tightly written for me, however. One big blunder that I caught was that in first examining the body, Wan states that the body has suffered from exsanguination, in addition to a number of other things. In a later scene, they are able to find the site of the poisoning and determine it was the cause of death, precisely because bodies stop bleeding after death. There didn’t appear to be any large holes in the body. But perhaps I’m being overly picky…

Over all this was a solid start for the series. Jo and Henry make a formidable team. I’m intrigued to learn more about Henry’s backstory and see how his special brand of knowledge will help him solve the crimes of the week. If the show is smart, however, they won’t have Jo “almost” see Henry die every week. I’m looking forward to watching Gruffudd and De La Garza develop their working relationship. It might be even more intriguing if it doesn’t have to develop into a romantic one. I’m also looking forward to seeing more or Gruffudd and Hirsch together. What did you think of the “Pilot”? Will you be tuning in for more? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.

15 comments:

  1. I really liked the show. the pilot was so good. i will watch this series. #ForeverABC

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  2. I'll definitely be watching too! I'm really looking forward to the second episode as it should give us a better feel for what a "regular" episode will feel like.

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  3. It's a really good show with a very good cast... The concept is good and the characters very likable.
    That said I'm afraid it's going to get lost against its competitors. I know I will always choose POI over Forever. OUAT would have been a good lead in for it... a pity

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  4. I wonder that in the last scene when the cop girl called him to see the corps with the long lost Japanese sword, was it an intentional joke to the Highlander movies? Connor McLeod's weapon was a katana.

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  5. My hope is that it will do well enough live and even better in the +3 demos that ABC will let it find its audience - and possibly offer it a better timeslot...

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  6. I'm sure it was! Great call!

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  7. The numbers weren't great but don't forget that the pilot was made available early through video on demand and online streaming media on August 26 and many people may have already seen it and given it a pass last night since there was a lot on. I know I didn't watch because I've already watched, and rewatched it. I think it's really good and I'm sure the numbers will pick up when episode 2 airs tonight.

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  8. Definitely will be watching however long it lasts.


    The Henry and Abe scenes were a highlight.

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  9. This show is exactly like New Amsterdam (2008) with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Even down to the Latina female detective and the ethnic son who is older than him. New Amsterdam was cancelled by episode 6. I am not sure that this show will last much longer.

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  10. I'll be right there with you!

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  11. I thought the numbers were actually pretty good - total number of viewers was actually higher than Gotham - though not in the target demo. My worry is putting it against two heavy hitters - Person of Interest and Chicago Fire - both with pretty loyal followings....

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  12. I'll give it another try 1 more ep for me to see if I like it or not.

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  13. I just couldn't get into it. I found my mind wandering from the show often. I'm not sure but it could've been the flashbacks that caused my disinterest. I'm not a fan of flashbacks at all. I love Judd Hirsch, but his character kept reminding me of the part he played in the movie, Independence Day for some reason. I'll give it another chance with the next episode. I hope the pace picks up though.

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  14. Good review. This has a potentiall yinteresting basic premise, but it also, as you note, has perhaps a shade too many echoe sof other shows. And I have to say I could live without the voice-over. Heck of a cast, however, as you note! I'll give it a chance to find its feet.

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  15. It was a good pilot but you are right about it being too similar to other shows. I think producers are too quick to take an idea that is working and overplay it. The Sherlock Holmes style of show is getting a lot of play of late. I just hope that is does not wear itself out like CSI did. Ultimately, a show has to pull me in with likeable characters and "Forever" does that. Thanks for the insightful review!

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