The fall TV season is upon us and so far it has been a pretty weird ride. Shows have come back and premiered all over the place ratings wise and it is shaping up to be a very interesting season. With that said, I'm excited because this Minority Report preview happens to be my first post of the 2015-2016 TV season! So, to all you reading out there, make sure you drop a hello in comments and such. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I can't start talking about episode 2 of Minority Report without at least touching on my reaction to the pilot. I happened to watch it quite a few days after it premiered so I had already glimpsed the low-ratings and not so positive feedback on the show. It really dampened my expectations to day the least. All I could think was, if Minority Report did a least one thing right last week, it was prove that moving Sleepy Hollow to Thursday to place this show post Gotham really wasn't the smartest of Fox's fall moves. After watching the pilot though, I am glad that I did at least wait until I saw the pilot to make any judgement calls. Sure, there are a few kinks to work out, especially when it comes to the forced chemistry and clunky dialogue, but there was a lot of potential in the otherwise so-so hour. There were two things that stood out to me particularly; the really nuanced performance of Stark Sands as Dash and the really awesome future setting and all the the things that came with. In fact, I would go far as to say that so far, Stands' Dash is probably my most liked new character this fall. I think that if people are willing to give this show a chance, (which ratings-wise will be an uphill battle) it could find itself on its way to being a solid sci-fi entry to the television landscape. Of course, at times I did feel I was just watching a sci-fi rendition of network sister series Sleepy Hollow, I finished the hour thinking it was still enjoyable for a pilot. I've never sat down and paid my full intention to the film that is the predecessor of the series, which I think really helped me see this show as its own thing. I don't care what anyone says there is no such thing as a perfect pilot(Though I am willing to hear your thoughts on the matter, and if you feel there is such a thing, leave a note in the comment thread below!). There will always be something about a show's first entry that feels like it just was too rushed or didn't work, because understandably the pilot is merely the introduction to the journey and most introductions are not without their fair share of awkwardness. What's important about a show is the relationship that is formed after the pilot and how that show grows as the journey continues. That's why I try to give most shows at least five episodes to keep me coming back. So the question now is, does Minority Report have what it takes to do that, not just for me, but for the small yet crucial eyeballs that watched its premiere as well. Does episode 2, Mr. Nice Guy deliver the goods?
I would say the answer is yes. However, you should just watch and form your own opinion. Since this is just a preview and not an official review, I'm going to try and touch on things without giving away a bit too much. First, I want to say that after the pilot, I had major doubts about Meagan Good's casting in the lead role. It wasn't that she was bad, it just felt a bit like she was going through the motions. I will say that this week it seems that maybe she was more a victim of pilot awkwardness last week. Her portrayal of Vega this go round seems a bit more solid, now whether it's because she's playing off the fantastic Sands or because she simply just found her groove, I don't know. With that part out of the way, let's get to the obvious, Minority Report is a futuristic buddy-cop procedural at its core which means we can expect there to be a case of the week. The good thing here is that unlike Gotham last year, Minority Report has seemed to find a way to balance its serialized arc with the procedural one. Both the opening and closing scenes provide good bookends for the serialized arc about the Trio of Precogs and their past and present fate. I like the subtle traces of the story arc thus far, it is not too much, but just enough to whet the appetite.
The case of the week in Mr. Nice Guy is pretty predictable, and it wasn't that hard to figure out who the killer was a little ways into it. What made the episode so enjoyable though was watching how the chemistry between the characters has evolved already. Dash and Vega seem to have a genuine connection thanks to the horrors of their past prompting them to want a better future and it plays out on the screen in the performances but there is also something beyond that with these two this week. They seem to play off each other a bit better this week, especially while they are out investigating into the possible death of a young woman that has them looking into a sleazeball who helps guys get laid. It's their reactions to one another that prompt me to think that in the end it is not the catching of the killer that's the intention of the episode. The true purpose of the case here is to help our viewers find out more about the motivations of the characters and have the characters learn more about each other. There's a really poignant scene in Mr. Nice Guy between Dash and Vega that explores the feelings Dash has after having to kill someone to save Vega's life in the pilot, and part of why it really stands out is thanks to Sands portrayal of the character. The scene itself really helps to give us insight as to just how broken these two are. What I am coming to love is that Dash as character is just really captivating to watch, and his quirks as he is trying to make a difference in a world he doesn't quite understand while investigating with Vega just make me wanna hug him forever and ever. Most procedurals struggle to find the humanity in their characters without simply just reducing them to stock types and silly traits and they find it hard to find time to make them unique and that is why I love Dash, he proved to me on several occasions this week just how human he is thanks to the little moments. What helps resonate his humanity is how Dash wants to help others, while his brother Arthur wants to help himself...and sort of his brother and sister. Arthur's selfishness and motives are scratched at this week but only time will tell more of his story and whose side he is really on. Thus far, he makes a good foil for Dash which really evident in how Nick Zano plays of of Good in their scenes together.
Moment to look out for: While Vega and Dash go undercover we get a glimpse of what dating is like in the future and it is like Tinder to the extreme. Bio-metric bracelets that basically tell people when they clink them together whether they should move on or get a room. What happens when Vega and Dash link their bracelets up?....Who Knows.....
So, what do you think? Are you ready to give Minority Report another go or is the show dead to you? Sound off below!
