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That's right kids, I'm pulling double duty this week while Fiz tries to get an education. We wouldn't want to damn him to a life of writing reviews for free, now would we?
Dina Meyer as Oracle/Barbara Gordon.
Ashley Scott as Huntress/Helena Kyle.
Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Lance
Shemar Moore as Detective Reese
Ian Abercrombie as Alfred Pennyworth
Mia Sara as Harley Quinn
Written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, based on a story by Adam Armus and Kay Foster.
Directed by Jim Charleston.
Original Airdate
Primal Scream
originally aired on Wednesday,
November 13, 2002.
Synopsis
Trying to develop a relationship with Reese, Huntress goes undercover to bust a gang of thieves. Trusting her instincts she doesn't turn them, wanting to wait and get 'The Big Fish.' This mistake nearly kills Reese's partner. In the end, Huntress, Reese, and Dinah bust some heads, but lets the big one get away.
High Point
Very cool final fight scene!
Low Point
Dinah seems a bit overwrought here. Maybe it's because I like my superheroes
a little more brooding.
The Review
Nothing struck me as overly original this time around, but not too
tired. 4 out of 6.
I'm still impressed with the cut-sequences that shoot from point to point within the city. Other than that, the effects were not much more than some simple eye effects. 4 out of 6.
It's obvious they are trying to move certain aspects of their backstory forward, but it seems rushed in some places and dragging in others. 3 out of 6.
About halfway through I wanted to strangle Dinah. What could have been a point
of great dialogue and acting turned into some crappy 90120/Dawson's Creek whine
session. The weak guest cast doesn't help. 2 out of 6.
Harley makes me giggle. The warped perversion that defines Batman villains
is really fun. It was a nice distraction from some of the more predictable behavior
along the way. 4 out of 6.
Big bang! Cool explosion with the van. Everything else seemed fairly basic. 4 out 6.
It's hard to catch this show when there's other, more worthy fare, on at the same time. This episode didn't make it too much easier. 3 out 6.
Total: 24 out of 42
by theangrymob November 14, 2002 [Bureau 42]
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Based on Characters from DC Comics Starring Ashley Scott, Dina Meyer, Rachel Skarsten, Shemar Moore, Ian Abercrombie and Mia Sara
Best line of the show: Harley: Oh, I could buy such pretty things with these! Guns, bombs, shoes...
Birds of Prey isn't nearly back on track yet to the quality displayed in the first episode, but this week's episode was a definite step in the right direction, with much of the sap that permeated last week gone, and a much better sense of development in progress for all of Gotham's finest. I'm not quite convinced yet this show will go the distance, but I'm definitely more compelled this week to stick around long enough to find out.
The big evil this episode, a group of masked bandits robbing upscale nightclubs for the gain and profit of one Dr. Harleen Quinzel, isn't so much the focus of this story as it is the catalyst for this week's main plot thread, the conflict between Helena's inner-hero and inner-outlaw.
Allowing Helena to truly sow her Catwoman oats is an opportunity this show should've taken advantage of a long time ago. It has happened at last, although it's not taken nearly as far as it could've been. It's a good start. Although the whole spunky sexpot with a bad attitude angle is getting old quickly and her character is still being hampered by poor writing, there's a much better sense of the wild woman restrained by the need to play hero.
Also, for one of the first times since the show's premiere, there's actually a sort of professional chemistry between Helena and Reese. The writers have finally come to their senses and scaled back the failing attempts at romance, and let them build the good cop/vigilante relationship, a development that the show has needed in order to make these two characters work. This week's give and take between Helena and Reese should prove sufficient fuel for further electricity in the future. Here's hoping they don't blow it.
Other goings-on this week include Barbara finally moving into the bedroom with kindly guidance counselor Wade, and Wade making a comment that makes Barbara question his interest in her. This whole turn of events is more or less a side point rather than its own story, but what is handled here is handled well, as always seems to be the case with all things Barbara Gordon on this show.
Dinah, apparently, is still mired in the crap that was last week's episode, and spends the episode going through her 12 steps of dealing with grief over the death of Black Canary. Again, it's hard to give a damn, but fortunately, this week's moments of sentimentality are nowhere near as painful to the eyes and ears as last week, although there is a strange moment at the end where Dinah apparently cries over 10 years of tears on Helena's shoulder in the space of seven seconds and then pops back up entirely emotionally healed.
Off the bench this week are Ian Abercrombie as Alfred and Mia Sara as Harley. Abercrombie is relegated to a nice bit of conversation with Barbara which, ironically, nails the entire argument about the relationship between Huntress and Reese and the one between Batman and Commissioner Gordon, and ends on the runner-up for best line of the show ("You think it runs in the blood?" "The appeal of life outside the law? Always.")
Mia Sara continues to bring a smile to my face as Harley. She doesn't have too much to do this week, aside from show up as the mastermind of the Animal gang, and give Helena some post-case cracking psychoanalysis, but handles both roles easily. I absolutely cannot wait for her to completely become the Harley Quinn we all know and love. The more often we hear the words "Mistah J" escape her lips, the better.
The spark isn't quite up to Smallville proportions just yet, but slowly but surely, BOP's uphill battle for greatness may have just started moving again if an episode like this remains a sort of bare minimum of expectations everyone involved holds themselves to. Whether there's another stumble in store or not remains to be seen.
Grade: B-
Next week: The Birds will get some help of the metahuman superhero type in tracking down a kidnapper named The Crawler in "Split"
By Justin Clark Wednesday November 13, 2002
[Test Pattern]
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"Primal Scream"