Monday night is a prime television night for NBC. At least it is in my apartment. First is Chuck--the heir apparent to Get Smart. Next is Heroes--a show that is starting to feel a little dated. Last is My Own Worst Enemy--a very entertaining spy thriller. But, this is not too last because NBC sees fit to cancel it after nine episodes. I really don't understand this, since, from the start, this program has shown itself to be extremely well crafted.
First is the quality of the acting. Christian Slater, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, Saffron Burrows, and the guy who plays Raymond are all seasoned vets of both the big and small screen. And, in this show, they all deliver. Henry/Edward is portrayed well enough to be absolutely believable. When Alfre Woodward issues orders, she does it with such force I almost feel like I'm supposed to salute. James Cromwell oozes menace as the big boss not to be f-cked with. Saffron Burrows fits her role of a therapist/moll so very well, providing the intellectual depth and sexual energy her character needs. Even the guy who plays Raymond, who is usually cast as a working class schlomo, manages to come off as 100% bad ass. The writing probably makes this easy for them.
Some may harp on this show's overall storyline, but, as an aspiring writer, it rings true. The angst Henry Spivey feels over his other half and the disgust Edward has over his tamer counterpart rear themselves at exactly the right time to add depth and not boredom. Raymond manages to always pull Spivey's butt out of the fire without ever being made to feel like a crutch--even though that's what he's supposed to be. Mavis Heller's concern over the whole Henry/Edward debacle isn't due to some maternal obsession. Nope, it's all about covering her ass. This all rings true and is punctuated by some fairly high octane action.
Bullets are flying in some far off corner of the world and Edward is dealing with it. Then he shifts into Henry mode and doesn't know what to do. Does the action stop? Do things cease to be blown up all around him? No, we are instead treated to a CPA struggling to sty alive against the insanity his darker half swims in. It is so very enthralling to see him gather just enough of his wits to survive, but not quite enough to look stylish doing it. A lot of the action in this show is also cerebral in nature.
Henry leaving messages for Edward and vice versa should be boring as hell to watch. The thing is that they're not. I actually look forward to seeing what they have to say to each other and have not once come to look upon it as a cheap plot device. A lot of other people who watch this agree. Balancing drama, with action, with gallows humor, with a mind f-ck to beat the band is a hard thing to do and this program pulls it off nearly seamlessly.
All in all, My Own Worst Enemy has great acting by solid actors; really good writing that could be damn dumb but isn't and manages to boost the already remarkable abilities of the cast; well choreographed action scenes that never stray far from the plausible and keep things moving along; and some inner, psychological drama that fits so very well in a show about a man with a heavily pronounced DID.
So, back to my beginning point--PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL THIS SHOW, NBC! I get that these things cost money and times are definitely tight. But, this isn't the right one to yank. At the very least, give it a full season commitment. I'm willing to bet that, if you do, it will be pulling in Heroes' level Nielsens before it's all said and done because this show has substance. In the meantime, if you absolutely must clear something off your prime-time slate, make it Knight Rider. That piece of drivel has all the ear marks of a flash in the pan that is only riding high on product placement for Ford and nostalgia--neither of which can hope to last.
I understand that, across the board, your ratings are down this season, NBC. This being said, what do you really have to lose by giving this show a chance. Short term; if it is canceled prematurely, that's the end of it--plain and simple. Long term; if it is allowed to remain on just a while longer, it may very well yield the network a hell of a lot more leverage with advertisers and much sooner than later at that. Be the programming power-block you are and let this show be a major hit. It will increase your ratings and cement you as something of a rarity--a network with balls.
First is the quality of the acting. Christian Slater, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, Saffron Burrows, and the guy who plays Raymond are all seasoned vets of both the big and small screen. And, in this show, they all deliver. Henry/Edward is portrayed well enough to be absolutely believable. When Alfre Woodward issues orders, she does it with such force I almost feel like I'm supposed to salute. James Cromwell oozes menace as the big boss not to be f-cked with. Saffron Burrows fits her role of a therapist/moll so very well, providing the intellectual depth and sexual energy her character needs. Even the guy who plays Raymond, who is usually cast as a working class schlomo, manages to come off as 100% bad ass. The writing probably makes this easy for them.
Some may harp on this show's overall storyline, but, as an aspiring writer, it rings true. The angst Henry Spivey feels over his other half and the disgust Edward has over his tamer counterpart rear themselves at exactly the right time to add depth and not boredom. Raymond manages to always pull Spivey's butt out of the fire without ever being made to feel like a crutch--even though that's what he's supposed to be. Mavis Heller's concern over the whole Henry/Edward debacle isn't due to some maternal obsession. Nope, it's all about covering her ass. This all rings true and is punctuated by some fairly high octane action.
Bullets are flying in some far off corner of the world and Edward is dealing with it. Then he shifts into Henry mode and doesn't know what to do. Does the action stop? Do things cease to be blown up all around him? No, we are instead treated to a CPA struggling to sty alive against the insanity his darker half swims in. It is so very enthralling to see him gather just enough of his wits to survive, but not quite enough to look stylish doing it. A lot of the action in this show is also cerebral in nature.
Henry leaving messages for Edward and vice versa should be boring as hell to watch. The thing is that they're not. I actually look forward to seeing what they have to say to each other and have not once come to look upon it as a cheap plot device. A lot of other people who watch this agree. Balancing drama, with action, with gallows humor, with a mind f-ck to beat the band is a hard thing to do and this program pulls it off nearly seamlessly.
All in all, My Own Worst Enemy has great acting by solid actors; really good writing that could be damn dumb but isn't and manages to boost the already remarkable abilities of the cast; well choreographed action scenes that never stray far from the plausible and keep things moving along; and some inner, psychological drama that fits so very well in a show about a man with a heavily pronounced DID.
So, back to my beginning point--PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL THIS SHOW, NBC! I get that these things cost money and times are definitely tight. But, this isn't the right one to yank. At the very least, give it a full season commitment. I'm willing to bet that, if you do, it will be pulling in Heroes' level Nielsens before it's all said and done because this show has substance. In the meantime, if you absolutely must clear something off your prime-time slate, make it Knight Rider. That piece of drivel has all the ear marks of a flash in the pan that is only riding high on product placement for Ford and nostalgia--neither of which can hope to last.
I understand that, across the board, your ratings are down this season, NBC. This being said, what do you really have to lose by giving this show a chance. Short term; if it is canceled prematurely, that's the end of it--plain and simple. Long term; if it is allowed to remain on just a while longer, it may very well yield the network a hell of a lot more leverage with advertisers and much sooner than later at that. Be the programming power-block you are and let this show be a major hit. It will increase your ratings and cement you as something of a rarity--a network with balls.