And like an extra fun size chocolate at the bottom of your bag, FOX has an interesting little show for us to try out this October. And the name is wickedly fitting.
Ghosted.
(I do want to apologize, as I wanted to have this out the day the 2nd episode premieres, but I got the date wrong in my head.)
The ads from the show have leaned heavily on 80's music, which does feel like a cheat to get on people's nostalgic side/ But then you see the main cast consists of Craig Robinson and Adam Scott, two very enjoyable comedic actors, and you have to give the show a chance. And then you see Ally Walker is in the cast and you HAVE TO try it out. Have. To.
The show is a half hour sitcom. So I am interested to see how the show will be structured. It looks to be a serial series with some heavy use of effects. A show like People of Earth takes time with 2 or 3 characters every episode and moves slowly. And, really, it's clear these days that shorter run time shows can cover interesting and complicated stories, even ongoing stories. So I will like to see the show balances it's elements.
And speaking of effects, the look of the show is lovely. The bright distinct color use in the "energy fields" feels distinct. Also the choice of fonts is interesting in the show. And, really, I'm not against the 80's. (But, who knows, maybe it disappears after the pilot, or slowly integrates into the shows structures. As always let's wait and see how the season unfolds.)
The show follows to men, down on their luck. Leroy Wright (Craig Robinson), a LAPD detective (Missing Persons) whose brashness got his partner killed. Max Jennifer (Adam Scott), a formerly respected scientist, who's wife was abducted by aliens.
Following these events in their lives, both men had a decline. Leroy is a mall security officer. Max now works as a stocker in a book store.
As the show opens an operative of the Bureau Underground is breaking a case, but is discovered. As he tries to escape he is captured.
His superior, Captain Ava Lafrey (Ally Walker), receives a video from the agent telling her that if he is missing to find Leroy and Max.
So both of them are abducted by the Bureau. (The Bureau Underground was formed decades back to pursue and contain the unexplained.)
On their way in they meet Barry (Adeel Akhtar), a scientist for the Bureau, and Annie (Amber West), the team tech.
Lafrey explains the situation and asks for their help, with the promise of restoring them to their former jobs. The Bureau doesn't know why these 2 were requested, and neither do the guys. But Max is keen to find out, while Leroy wants to leave.
Max also learns that his research area, the concept of a Multiverse, is actually real/
Finally Leroy relents. He quickly has them look at his phone records and credit card uses. It points to a storage unit. It looks like a good space for the agent to have left some evidence, and Leroy and Max head out.
The two of them clash. Leroy is more of a direct tough guy. Max is more of a awkward excitable type. Max is trying to engage Leroy, but, with his history, Leroy is uncomfortable with a partner.
The storage unit does give them a clue. There is some device installed at a nearby nuclear reactor. They need to investigate it to figure out what is being done.
To get in, the Bureau gives them a cover as printer/fax repairers. After getting past the office at the nuclear plant, they begin their search.
They quickly find the device.
And then a strange man with weird eyes gives chase. When a security alert starts, they have to flee the plant.
But now they have an idea of what is happening. Max determines that the device is siphoning power. But it must be transferring the power to a second device. They look for the right sort of field disturbance to see where it is located. It stands to reason this is where the people who are holding the missing agent are.
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| "...Anyway, that's how Cones of Dunshire works." |
They find a matching disturbance and head out. But Leroy leaves Max in the car, to be safe. Then something attacks the car, lifting it in the air, and then dropping it.
He gets out of the car, freaked out. Leroy checks on him, and they chase the light that attacked him into the building.
Inside, they peek into a room and see their attacker from the plant, and the missing agent, who is strapped down. And then the attacker pops his head off...The hell?
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| Don't make a giving head joke. Don't make a giving head joke. |
Sneaking in, they try to steal the head to figure out how to take out the attacker. It starts screaming, and the headless body begins chasing them.
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| "Marco!" |
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| *hmph* |
The body suddenly punches through the wall and grabs Max. In the struggle it gets the head back and disappears.
Max catches us with it on the roof. The missing agent is there as well,being pulled into a flying saucer
And a blast of light flies out of the alien attacker into the ship.
With another blast, the ship disappears, knocking the alien attacker and Max down. When Leroy arrives, Max is annoyed he didn't see the ship. But when they question their alien attacker, he is quite human again and confused about where he is.
At the Bureau, Max theorizes on what the aliens, or transdimensional beings, are. The pair are thanked for their help, and told they can leave now.
But both don't want to leave now. They want to figure out what is going on, and keep working with the Bureau.
Lafrey agrees, and they are in.
While talking with Barry and Annie, Max notices a monitor with video feeds of a number of people. Barry explains that they are all alien abductees, like the man used to infiltrate the nuclear plant.
Max recognizes one of them. His wife.
This episode makes for and fun and light introduction to the show and this world. Both leads are likeable and sympathetic. On the whole it is not heavy or dark, and overall kind of goofy.
With so many sitcoms that are like fingernails on my brain, this is just fun. Particularly with their alien and paranormal stories, it is a great addition to Halloween viewing. Hope you have a chance to check it out.
And next weeks episode is a Halloween one! Come one! I may just have to add that to my list of reviews for this month. Stay tuned?
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