Friday, April 11, 2008
Fox
Canterbury’s Law – Season 1, Episode 5 – “Trade-Off”
“The seriousness of the indictment as well as her probable disbarment and imprisonment finally hits Elizabeth, who tries to cut a deal and get her affairs in order. Russell, Chester and Molly have a different plan, and behind Elizabeth's back, begin mounting a surprising defense, one that involves Deputy Attorney General Zach Williams, Elizabeth's prosecutor. Will Canterbury & Associates be able to save their most important client yet?”
Marmot: What the hell happened in this episode?
Manatee: I was going to ask you the same thing! It was a confusing story line. It almost seems like the editor cut out an important scene; not that I want to blame the editor... but could the writers really forget entire scenes.
Marmot: Maybe it didn't get copied when the scripts were distributed. Somewhere in a production office there's a scene which ties together the entire Canterbury's Law mythology.
Manatee: There were lots of little points I'd like to discuss, but looking at the overall big picture, the story was just too dull and boring. None of the secondary story lines held my attention, but then again neither did the main story. It seemed to be all these scenes that they wanted to write throughout the season thrown into one episode haphazardly. It answered some questions, but left others unanswered. It was not a though provoking hour of TV or even an entertaining and enjoyable one.
Marmot: No, it was more just obnoxious than anything else. It did feel like a whole season's worth of storylines were thrown into this one episode. I guess there was so much paper flying around, that would explain why they lost that scene.
Manatee: I thought it was a little crunched dealing with getting Liz off, her potential divorce or just general disolving of her marriage, and a new client (which in the long run would get her her deal). It was too much for the second to last episode.
Marmot: I'm still a little unclear on what happened at the end with Fedora.
Manatee: Me too. Are the charges against Liz dropped? Did she get the deal she asked for (with 2 years of jail time)? Are they going to charge the real guy that burned down the building or just let the incident go? And why would Russell take a bullet for Liz? Why would he sacrifice himself when he is a partner in the firm and Liz made a decision part way thru to close the office without discussing with him? Why do her underlings want to work for her? Personally I have not seen anything great come out of her. She's no "The Practice" Lawyer.
Marmot: I agree. I thought it was interesting that she decided to sell her house and move and close her firm, both without telling her partner in them, respectively. They reacted in two very different ways as well.
Manatee: I just don't like her character. And I don't like the characters around her. I don't understand why anyone does anything they do. There is no emotion for me attach to. I don't feel bad for her that she might go to jail - I'm not rooting for her, but neither am I rooting against her. For a main character, I should be doing one or the other. And rooting against her would not be the worst thing to happen to TV.
Marmot: I am rooting against her. This is what I want to happen. Her husband leaves, and she goes to jail. Russell also goes to jail. The two flunkies start their own detective agency. That leaves no one but Martin, and he now runs the firm, and then fights Fedora in court, winning the fedora.
Manatee: I just want to see her get hit by a car. Is that mean to say? Fedora creeps me out. He slaps his asst on the ass (which prompts the question, did he do that with Russell too, hence Russell's hasty exit from the AG's office). Then he has the authority to strike someone off the sex offender's list?! Now that is scary.
Marmot: It's ok to say you want her to get hit by a car, because she doesn't exist. Just don't wish it upon real people. Maybe Fedora took his own name off of the sex offender list, and that's why he can just go around slapping the ass of his assistants. He goes on the list, comes off the list, goes on the list, comes off. It's a vicious cycle.
Manatee: What do you think about two main characters (Fedora and Liz) who are both unlikeable? Is there anyone to like on the show? I don't like Aidan Quinn's character, nor Russell, not Martin for sure, not even Fedora's asst!
Marmot: I actually like Martin. I wish this was his show, and the flunkies worked for him. But to answer your question: no. There are no likeable characters on this show, New Amsterdam, or in any other live action FOX show that I can think of.
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