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Eddie (Silas Weir Mitchell) is about to Rip. That Dude's. Arm. Off! |
I don't think anybody, even the most wildly optimistic producer, or the most loopy executive, could have predicted this. But against all odds, the fairytale procedural is holding its own on Friday nights, outdrawing even my beloved Fringe in the time slot (which, granted, isn't saying much).
Week 2 is a week of surprises for the show. This rating news is the big one, but the other, more show-related surprise, is this - I think I could actually see myself watching and really enjoying this every week. Read on and I promise to explain why...
Now, I know what you're all thinking, and you're absolutely right. The show is drunk on its own moodiness. The lead actor is a veteran of freaking Road Rules. Every. Line. Is. So. Important.
But dammit if the show isn't actually pretty clever sometimes. Last week's Little Red case may have been a little on-the-nose, but this week's Goldilocks-inspired story was actually surprisingly complex and well-handled. Essentially, Goldilocks (here named Gilda) and her boy toy break into a seemingly abandoned house for some hanky-panky*. But someone is home, and the guy gets kidnapped. Along the way, we learn the family is actually a group of jager bar, or, I guess, Bear People.
*-In true Goldilocks fashion, several beds were tried before one was "just right".
First of all, I give credit for the show laying in some nuance this early, as the family's differing religious views gave that story a nice wrinkle, and Gilda's own guilt of trespassing was actually acknowledged.
Also, I'll just admit it: there is just something entertaining about watching people secretly turn into bears. For God's sake, the son's name is Barry. I couldn't decide whether to roll my eyes or chuckle, so I did both. And I think the show actually wanted me to.** Silas Weir Mitchell, meanwhile, continues to entertain as conflicted Bad-Wolf-Gone-Good Eddie, including a hilariously grotesque scene where he gets in a scuffle with some bad guys and accidentally tears the guy's arm off.
**- Is it just me, or has Stephen Colbert made "bear menace" innately funny now?
Again, I laughed. In a strange way, the grim atmosphere makes a fertile playground for dark comedy and witty reinterpretation.
It's not perfect, of course. But if every episode is going to leave me as entertained as I was by this one, I may just have to keep checking this one out.
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