First broadcast in
2007
Produced by
NBC, USA
Language
English as in American English
Seasons released
Season 1 with 11 episodes. Season 2 is filming and will premiere in October 2008.
Cast-Character
The following are recurring characters.
Damian Lewis ... Charlie Crews
Sarah Shahi ... Dani Reese
Adam Arkin ... Ted Earley
Robin Weigert ... Lt. Karen Davis
Brooke Langton ... Constance Griffiths
Brent Sexton ... Robert Stark
Jennifer Siebel ... Jennifer Conover
Victor Rivers ... Jack Reese
Roger Aaron Brown ... Det. Carl Ames Ret.
Summary
Taken from Global TV
Offbeat Detective Charlie Crews is given a second chance when he returns to the force after 12 years in prison. Thanks to close friend and attorney, Constance Griffiths, Crews comes back from serving time for a crime he didn't commit with a decidedly different philosophy on life, not to mention unique insights into crime solving and a love of fruit. As he re-enters a world that's moved on without him, Crews must walk through the painful cobwebs of his past.
For more info
Check out IMDB and either of these 2 Damian Lewis fansite, Damian-Lewis.com or The Bakery, both as excellent as Damian Lewis resource center.
Comments
Not since Band Of Brothers have I written a review of an American TV series. Technically Band Of Brothers is a 10 part mini-series, so my review has a beginning, a middle and an end. Life is a TV series by NBC and although Season 1 just ended on ASTRO (to be more precise abruptly ended due to the writers' strike some time ago), news is Season 2 has been picked up by NBC and is filming right at this moment, premiering in October 2008. A long and agonising wait for fans of this series, and a longer and more agonising wait for fans in Malaysia since ASTRO isn't exactly practising "now premiere now broadcast" policy. Look how long it took for Season 1 to reach us. From what I read Season 1 ended after only half of the 1st season shown but there was an end, with some more questions of course to tempt the fans to tune in on Season 2. Why I am writing about this series is because although it is a cop series, it is nevertheless refreshingly unlike any cop series. The performances count of course, which is in fact the main reason to tune in anyway. A pity I read when it was first broadcast it wasn't that popular, but picked up fans when it was repeated and shown globally and come Season 2, the time slot has been changed to the rather unpopular Friday nights. For me in Malaysia that is not a problem since there are repeats and even if on Friday, I still tape or watch it. But apparently in America on Fridays nobody is at home I suppose so that is a dead slot. I think it would be worse if this series goes against other more established series like the nonsensical CSI (if it is not on the same network-I know House MD and Law & Order are both NBC productions, so thank God for that) & such. So when that time slot however dead, if there is nothing to watch, believe me, people will tune in. The fear is NBC may choose to cancel a perfectly good series, which is why I am writing a bit about Life, because I feel more publicity by fans would generate more favourable reaction that the executives at NBC may be bothered to at least take notice of. I think that was what happened to the series Friday Night Lights, which I have never seen by the way.
So what makes Life so different?
On the surface not much. You may say the structure is formulaic; one guy cop, ever the believer and one female cop, ever the cynic. Doesn't that sound like X-Files to you? Then there's one new crime to solve in each episode (and solve they will so no worries about cliffhanger) with the real cliffhanger in the form of the mystery sorrounding Charlie Crews' incarceration for 12 years as the main backdrop. The questions like who, why, how, all are still unanswered at the point of writing this review. It may never be solved until the series ends or in my humble opinion, it should be solved as it goes along because this series has the potential to be a standalone cop series without the mystery of Charlie Crews' incarceration as a backdrop. His incarceration will prove to be the uniqueness of this series which makes him different but the story of his incarceration should not be the main focus because at some point, I am sure the fans will be quite frustrated by the never ending story.
2007
Produced by
NBC, USA
Language
English as in American English
Seasons released
Season 1 with 11 episodes. Season 2 is filming and will premiere in October 2008.
Cast-Character
The following are recurring characters.
Damian Lewis ... Charlie Crews
Sarah Shahi ... Dani Reese
Adam Arkin ... Ted Earley
Robin Weigert ... Lt. Karen Davis
Brooke Langton ... Constance Griffiths
Brent Sexton ... Robert Stark
Jennifer Siebel ... Jennifer Conover
Victor Rivers ... Jack Reese
Roger Aaron Brown ... Det. Carl Ames Ret.
Summary
Taken from Global TV
Offbeat Detective Charlie Crews is given a second chance when he returns to the force after 12 years in prison. Thanks to close friend and attorney, Constance Griffiths, Crews comes back from serving time for a crime he didn't commit with a decidedly different philosophy on life, not to mention unique insights into crime solving and a love of fruit. As he re-enters a world that's moved on without him, Crews must walk through the painful cobwebs of his past.
For more info
Check out IMDB and either of these 2 Damian Lewis fansite, Damian-Lewis.com or The Bakery, both as excellent as Damian Lewis resource center.
Comments
Not since Band Of Brothers have I written a review of an American TV series. Technically Band Of Brothers is a 10 part mini-series, so my review has a beginning, a middle and an end. Life is a TV series by NBC and although Season 1 just ended on ASTRO (to be more precise abruptly ended due to the writers' strike some time ago), news is Season 2 has been picked up by NBC and is filming right at this moment, premiering in October 2008. A long and agonising wait for fans of this series, and a longer and more agonising wait for fans in Malaysia since ASTRO isn't exactly practising "now premiere now broadcast" policy. Look how long it took for Season 1 to reach us. From what I read Season 1 ended after only half of the 1st season shown but there was an end, with some more questions of course to tempt the fans to tune in on Season 2. Why I am writing about this series is because although it is a cop series, it is nevertheless refreshingly unlike any cop series. The performances count of course, which is in fact the main reason to tune in anyway. A pity I read when it was first broadcast it wasn't that popular, but picked up fans when it was repeated and shown globally and come Season 2, the time slot has been changed to the rather unpopular Friday nights. For me in Malaysia that is not a problem since there are repeats and even if on Friday, I still tape or watch it. But apparently in America on Fridays nobody is at home I suppose so that is a dead slot. I think it would be worse if this series goes against other more established series like the nonsensical CSI (if it is not on the same network-I know House MD and Law & Order are both NBC productions, so thank God for that) & such. So when that time slot however dead, if there is nothing to watch, believe me, people will tune in. The fear is NBC may choose to cancel a perfectly good series, which is why I am writing a bit about Life, because I feel more publicity by fans would generate more favourable reaction that the executives at NBC may be bothered to at least take notice of. I think that was what happened to the series Friday Night Lights, which I have never seen by the way.
So what makes Life so different?
On the surface not much. You may say the structure is formulaic; one guy cop, ever the believer and one female cop, ever the cynic. Doesn't that sound like X-Files to you? Then there's one new crime to solve in each episode (and solve they will so no worries about cliffhanger) with the real cliffhanger in the form of the mystery sorrounding Charlie Crews' incarceration for 12 years as the main backdrop. The questions like who, why, how, all are still unanswered at the point of writing this review. It may never be solved until the series ends or in my humble opinion, it should be solved as it goes along because this series has the potential to be a standalone cop series without the mystery of Charlie Crews' incarceration as a backdrop. His incarceration will prove to be the uniqueness of this series which makes him different but the story of his incarceration should not be the main focus because at some point, I am sure the fans will be quite frustrated by the never ending story.
Why then is Charlie Crews incarceration so unique? Well in most usual circumstances a man incarcerated for 12 years for a crime he didn't commit, in the process losing the trust of his colleagues, his wife and also his ability to trust who is true to him can be pretty good viewing don't you think? More so when usually such character may be portrayed as someone angry, someone hurt and someone vengeful. Now that is why Crews depart from the usual norm. On the surface he was in fact very calm and like he himself may approve of, very zen-like. He gained a different perspective to solving crimes and understanding why criminals do crime since he was in jail for so long. He could look at the other side instead of just being one sided whilst looking for the truth and giving closure to each case with its own unique bland of justice. Not those vigilante types but in the end justice is served satisfyingly. He connects with the criminals and yet could show empathy for the victims and their families. More importantly each case is like a window to his soul, there's a little bit of Crews in each case and we know more and more about him and yet not much. In later episodes in Season 1, this character became even more human by showing him having flashes of anger, of rage, of violent behaviour, just flashes but enough to show the whole zen like thing takes effort, a whole lot of effort. What is interesting is that Crews choose to be calm and cool and zen-ish, it is a concious choice as he investigates his own crime and more than once he asked himself what would he do if he found out the truth? To seek revenge is of course conceivable for a man being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, to seek justice is of course the norm in such cases, more so those murdered were his friends and the murderers may be amongst his so called colleagues and to seek redress for his own emotional turmoil is in fact what every human being would do. It is either go head on or retreat from the face of adversity. He was often discouraged to investigate further but he plowed on because innately he has this question, and that question may have rage and hatred attached to it. Crews is not just zen, he chose to be zen but there is anger somewhere in that zen and he uses zen to control this anger. This makes for a very interesting character and also makes Crews a character that is very difficult to understand. This is why this series is unique. It is not a series about an angry vengeful cop. It is a cop who is angry but has a question he wants answer to. Whether revenge is in his agenda is not clear. It is not a series about a happy zen like cop with some irritating quirky characteristics like Monk (I can't stand Monk, tried watching it but within 10 minutes had to switch to another channel because I find him more annoying than House). His zen is his way to calm himself, his way of giving a reason why he had suffered what he suffered and also a cover for his inner rage that he conciously wants to control. It is not a series about cool cop, bad cop, good cop, corrupt cop like NYPD Blue. Nothing is what it seems. There were many suspects, but as the series went on, somehow these people don't seem so bad and Crews could see it for himself. What is certain is Crews as his partner, Dani Reese remarked pointedly in one episode, is a good man. A good cop too but essentially a good man who is trying to find his way to the right path that he was pushed away from. Anyway whilst the series is serious, it does have its lighthearted moments earlier on, like how Crews had to deal with technologies he didn't know, like camera phone, instant messaging and how to talk the net lingo.
The entire series seems to be about Crews alone but it is not House MD. It is not his alone and he meets his match and perhaps a friend in his partner, the more complicated Dani Reese who herself has issues. She has addiction problems, she seems to have been through a tough period of time and whilst she is a compassionate cop who cares about the cases she investigates and she also is loyal eventhough she hardly knew Crews when she first worked with him, thus relying solely on her instinct, she is also dependent on Crews as Crews is dependent on her. They work well together, each supporting one another even if she behaved like she didn't want to. And in most episodes, Crews seem to be the better interagator, because he sees things differently, he solves crimes because he thinks like a criminal I suppose instead of like a cop. Reese is a good cop, competent, tough and compassionate even if she has issues but somehow I get this feeling she can be quite rigid at times in the way she investigates things and so with Crews she gains new perspective as well as Crews gain a partner he could trust. After all his old partner arrested him so trust may be an issue here.
Then there were other characters. Like Ted Earley, Crews' former prison mate (frankly I am not sure they were in same prison cell or just simply same prison) and now his housemate who lives above the garage and handles his compensation money given by the states to the tune of millions. Basically Crews is very very rich and at one point Reese asked why he bothered to come back to the force if he had so much money. To Reese to deal with the incarceration is to go away and move on but for Crews the way to move on is to be back in the force and search for an answer. How he got the documents I am not sure, but one episode showed a young personnel in the force handing him a confidential file and she kissed him. Sex is a good way. Having been incarcerated for so long, this series shows Crews having an empty beautiful mansion, frequent one night stands as well as threesomes, never quite in a settled relationship. The empty house is an indication to his restlessness perhaps, his fear of being in prison again. Some scenes shows how the prison has affected him, that even if there were no bars and locks, sometimes one can be in prison even in mind. You sense his fear of going back there and when the cops arrived at his mansion to check his house after the murder of Ames, the retired detective who investigated his death, he ran back, afraid they will discover this secret room where he would post the connections of the triple murder and his arrest on the wall, so called conspiracy wall. He panicked and yet he still wanted to investigate. His overwhelming desire to know the answer to his question, whatever it may be clearly outweighs his fear. Perhaps this is what is so zen about him. His quest for knowledge of the root of his incarceration will in the end free him from his emotional turmoil caused by his mental prison. Alas the wall was missing since then. Kinda missed it.
There is also his attorney in the form of a very beautiful Constance Griffiths who unfortunately is probably the main irritating character in this series because
1. she doesn't look like an attorney that can get a man incarcerated for 12 years out of a prison
2. all those sexual or whatever tension between Crews and this woman is just so asexual in effect
3. I am pretty bored with her flirting with him even when discussing their case
4. I am even more bored with Crews avoiding her flirtation and yet you know, want to flirt with her; and
5. I am simply tired of all the flirtation.
I thought she disappeared for good in the middle of Season 1 when she supposedly moved to NY only to return a few episodes later as a DA! WHAT?! But I suspect she becomes a DA for Crews. To assist him perhaps. Not sure and don't care.
Back to Ted. A former high powered really rich businessman who got himself involved in a white collar crime that he and his partner committed (or was it his partner alone?) but he got caught. No one would employ him, except Crews and Ted proved to be a loyal sidekick, a term Ted despises. Frankly so far Ted had little to do than to provide some light hearted moments and of course as Crews' assistant, listening to Crews' theory, as a friend. I find Ted funny, earnest, a bit shifty eyes but nevertheless a good guy, thus far. And nothing to do. He should have more stuff to do in Season 2. Maybe he is a special guest star perhaps?
There was also Crews' ex wife whose name I can't remember. Why all the women look alike in this series? Even if she ias blonde, she looks like the lawyer who looks like his partner. Anyway his ex-wife left him, divorced him whilst he was in prison, didn't believe his innocence and married another. Interesting. What convinced her that he was guilty? Early in the series it was suggested Crews was a by the book young cop. Maybe a 9 to 5 cop? What concinved her he was capable of a triple murder? What convinced her of his propensity and ability for violence? I am confused and hopefully Season 2 will shed some light. Maybe, just maybe life in prison is too much for a young pretty wife to wait out so she looked for and found the best excuse; that she didn't believe his innocence. Maybe out of convenience.
1. she doesn't look like an attorney that can get a man incarcerated for 12 years out of a prison
2. all those sexual or whatever tension between Crews and this woman is just so asexual in effect
3. I am pretty bored with her flirting with him even when discussing their case
4. I am even more bored with Crews avoiding her flirtation and yet you know, want to flirt with her; and
5. I am simply tired of all the flirtation.
I thought she disappeared for good in the middle of Season 1 when she supposedly moved to NY only to return a few episodes later as a DA! WHAT?! But I suspect she becomes a DA for Crews. To assist him perhaps. Not sure and don't care.
Back to Ted. A former high powered really rich businessman who got himself involved in a white collar crime that he and his partner committed (or was it his partner alone?) but he got caught. No one would employ him, except Crews and Ted proved to be a loyal sidekick, a term Ted despises. Frankly so far Ted had little to do than to provide some light hearted moments and of course as Crews' assistant, listening to Crews' theory, as a friend. I find Ted funny, earnest, a bit shifty eyes but nevertheless a good guy, thus far. And nothing to do. He should have more stuff to do in Season 2. Maybe he is a special guest star perhaps?
There was also Crews' ex wife whose name I can't remember. Why all the women look alike in this series? Even if she ias blonde, she looks like the lawyer who looks like his partner. Anyway his ex-wife left him, divorced him whilst he was in prison, didn't believe his innocence and married another. Interesting. What convinced her that he was guilty? Early in the series it was suggested Crews was a by the book young cop. Maybe a 9 to 5 cop? What concinved her he was capable of a triple murder? What convinced her of his propensity and ability for violence? I am confused and hopefully Season 2 will shed some light. Maybe, just maybe life in prison is too much for a young pretty wife to wait out so she looked for and found the best excuse; that she didn't believe his innocence. Maybe out of convenience.
That being said, Crews isn't always nice. He seems very petty when it comes to his ex-wife's husband, continously harrassing them but yet in one episode being rather romantic at a rather inappropriate time, he gave his wife a white horse. The fact that his ex-wife remembered his promise to give her a white horse 12 years before is perhaps a testament that his ex-wife still loves him? Certainly earlier on when he forced a passionate kiss on his ex-wife, she did reciprocated. All very complex isn't it? This series plays on your emotion and makes you wonder, wonder, wonder.
There are other characters. Crews' former partner, Robert Stark who betrayed him by arresting him. I think as the series went along, we discovered that his former partner became too friendly with Crews, not because of some hanky panky stuff but because he was trying to compensate for what he didn't do; stand by his partner. In fact sometimes he seems to overcompensate for his mistake. His ex-partner suffered too for this betrayal because cops are close group of people and partners look out for one another. When Crews was arrested by him, his ex-partner too was being shown the cold shoulder by other cops, as the wife of the partner revealed earlier on in the series. So Crews tend to feel for his ex-partner rather than simply target him for blame. In fact what is refreshing is Crews didn't seem to put blame on anyone at all. Oh so very zen like.
Yes, zen. I have been using that term far too often and so too this series. The catch line I suppose is Zen cop in an unzen world?
There was also Crews' super tough superior, Lt. Karen Davis, a woman by the way. I suspect she was once same level as he was, but over 12 years she got the promotion and he got incarcerated. Makes me wonder if he had not been in prison, would he have been where she is now or would he have been a mediocre cop? Hypothetical but still interesting stuff.
This series seems to have an overdose of women in power. The attorney for one, as much as I dislike her, assumption is she must be one hell of a lawyer to get him off and handed him such high compensation. That's power to me. Then there's Dani, technically higher ranked than Crews. Tough also, can take care of herself. There is obviously the female superior, Lt. Karen Davis who looks and sounds tough. In fact this is one series where women are higher ranked than the main protaganist but is somehow stumped as to how to deal with him. Who could when Crews seem to take a criticism as a compliment and a compliment a blessing?
One character that showed from the way he walked and looked was so SWAT team leader-ish was Dani's father, Jack Reese. Looks powerful, walks with a macho stride and could see how intimidated Dani was when she was with him. Even Dani said she wasn't sure if her father was a good guy or the bad guy.
As for the episodic cases themselves, I didn't quite find them as interesting or memorable as the story of Crews and the gang but one episode that I find was well done was the one where a teenager discovered his father was actually a stranger who kidnapped him when he was a child. The interaction between Crews and the boy at the end was very touching and they seem to have this kinship. Crews sees himself as the boy, having been "kidnapped" from his life for 12 years. But I must note that the writing as in the script is top notch although some cases may seem rather illogical.
Performance wise, simply top notch.
I never quite like Adam Arkin who seems to pout and talk lazily in his other series but in this series he showed a comedic spark that I enjoyed watching. Probably because he wasn't in most of the scenes.
Sarah Shahi was the surprise in this series. Never knew of her existence and she is a very petite but beautiful woman. Mixed I believe. What I love about her character is that her shirts are always buttoned up. But I am ready and prepared for the inevitable in Season 2, the top 2 buttons will come off and by Season 3, she will be wearing a camisole inside her jacket instead of a shirt. She has the goods to show of course but I'd rather she's covered up. She looks like a real cop. Remember CSI:NY? That lady cop with the curly hair who had the same look? By season 2 for ratings sake, she was wearing low cut spaggethi strapped body hugging top, often without the jacket. She looked traumatised in the 1st episode of Season 2, and I feel traumatised. I don't want that. The same thing happened to Criminal Minds and especially Without A Trace. I pray please not to Life. Sarah Shahi showed she can still be sexy covered up sensibly rather than showing in your face cleavage. Cops don't dress like that. Dani seems real, her wardrobe seems authentic although bit bland but has her own distictive style of a tough cop. What I don't like though is her messy hair but what I do like is her minimal make up. And even then she looked very beautiful. Anyway sensible clothing = credibility. Let's not traumatise us by shaking up the wardrobe so to speak.
Robin Weigert as Lt. Karen Davis was also very good too. She talks with a very deep tone, hence giving an impression a very macho woman. Very tough and she seems believable as the chief, as the leader also shady enough to have her own agenda. A fine performance indeed.
I don't really like the rest of the women, because of the character and also because of the actresses who portray them.
There are other characters. Crews' former partner, Robert Stark who betrayed him by arresting him. I think as the series went along, we discovered that his former partner became too friendly with Crews, not because of some hanky panky stuff but because he was trying to compensate for what he didn't do; stand by his partner. In fact sometimes he seems to overcompensate for his mistake. His ex-partner suffered too for this betrayal because cops are close group of people and partners look out for one another. When Crews was arrested by him, his ex-partner too was being shown the cold shoulder by other cops, as the wife of the partner revealed earlier on in the series. So Crews tend to feel for his ex-partner rather than simply target him for blame. In fact what is refreshing is Crews didn't seem to put blame on anyone at all. Oh so very zen like.
Yes, zen. I have been using that term far too often and so too this series. The catch line I suppose is Zen cop in an unzen world?
There was also Crews' super tough superior, Lt. Karen Davis, a woman by the way. I suspect she was once same level as he was, but over 12 years she got the promotion and he got incarcerated. Makes me wonder if he had not been in prison, would he have been where she is now or would he have been a mediocre cop? Hypothetical but still interesting stuff.
This series seems to have an overdose of women in power. The attorney for one, as much as I dislike her, assumption is she must be one hell of a lawyer to get him off and handed him such high compensation. That's power to me. Then there's Dani, technically higher ranked than Crews. Tough also, can take care of herself. There is obviously the female superior, Lt. Karen Davis who looks and sounds tough. In fact this is one series where women are higher ranked than the main protaganist but is somehow stumped as to how to deal with him. Who could when Crews seem to take a criticism as a compliment and a compliment a blessing?
One character that showed from the way he walked and looked was so SWAT team leader-ish was Dani's father, Jack Reese. Looks powerful, walks with a macho stride and could see how intimidated Dani was when she was with him. Even Dani said she wasn't sure if her father was a good guy or the bad guy.
As for the episodic cases themselves, I didn't quite find them as interesting or memorable as the story of Crews and the gang but one episode that I find was well done was the one where a teenager discovered his father was actually a stranger who kidnapped him when he was a child. The interaction between Crews and the boy at the end was very touching and they seem to have this kinship. Crews sees himself as the boy, having been "kidnapped" from his life for 12 years. But I must note that the writing as in the script is top notch although some cases may seem rather illogical.
Performance wise, simply top notch.
I never quite like Adam Arkin who seems to pout and talk lazily in his other series but in this series he showed a comedic spark that I enjoyed watching. Probably because he wasn't in most of the scenes.
Sarah Shahi was the surprise in this series. Never knew of her existence and she is a very petite but beautiful woman. Mixed I believe. What I love about her character is that her shirts are always buttoned up. But I am ready and prepared for the inevitable in Season 2, the top 2 buttons will come off and by Season 3, she will be wearing a camisole inside her jacket instead of a shirt. She has the goods to show of course but I'd rather she's covered up. She looks like a real cop. Remember CSI:NY? That lady cop with the curly hair who had the same look? By season 2 for ratings sake, she was wearing low cut spaggethi strapped body hugging top, often without the jacket. She looked traumatised in the 1st episode of Season 2, and I feel traumatised. I don't want that. The same thing happened to Criminal Minds and especially Without A Trace. I pray please not to Life. Sarah Shahi showed she can still be sexy covered up sensibly rather than showing in your face cleavage. Cops don't dress like that. Dani seems real, her wardrobe seems authentic although bit bland but has her own distictive style of a tough cop. What I don't like though is her messy hair but what I do like is her minimal make up. And even then she looked very beautiful. Anyway sensible clothing = credibility. Let's not traumatise us by shaking up the wardrobe so to speak.
Robin Weigert as Lt. Karen Davis was also very good too. She talks with a very deep tone, hence giving an impression a very macho woman. Very tough and she seems believable as the chief, as the leader also shady enough to have her own agenda. A fine performance indeed.
I don't really like the rest of the women, because of the character and also because of the actresses who portray them.
The real star of this series has to be Damian Lewis. I almost forgot about him but after watching a few episodes of Life, I watched Band Of Brothers again, perhaps his most famous work and again, became his fan all over again. I read he got offered this role without any auditon. Great taste! First of all, I am not an American so I don't know much about American accents and such but to me he seems pretty authentic. In his usual voice, his voice is higher pitched and he talks like a typical Englishmen educated at Eton and would probably have gone to Oxford if he had chosen that path. Yes, very English English, not Daniel Craig working class English but those upper class English which gives an impression he is snotty but somehow I believe that he is a friendly guy. He does sign autograph and at least he smiles at the cameras. His hair colour is his uniqueness, very very very red, as in bright red, almost as if he coloured it but in actual truth his real colour, very small lips, long face, tall and oh dear, so very pale. He looks good in red hair of course, but I also like auburn and brown type of colour because in Band Of Brothers, because of the dirt, his hair looked a darker shade of red or dark brown. He has a face you can remember even if you can't remember his name which is impossible since there aren't many Damians in Hollywood and he looks like a Damian by the way. When he gives a good performance it is usually excellent. He can play a very tensed person to a very relaxed person, this progression itself you can see in Life but he has also the rare quality of being able to play an honourable man, like Kong Wah. He has played soldiers many times and when he is dressed like one, he does look like a soldier. I mean I believe he can run up the hill and back. His face is not easily categorised. You can't say modern because he looks believable in period dramas, like Forstye Saga, but maybe not Shakespearean time I suppose. No man looks good in puffy short trousers with puffy sleeves. You can't say classical because in modern series he looks... well... believably of this time. So I suppose it speaks of his versatility in his ability to be believable in any period. And even if he plays a soldier, he looks like a brave honourable soldier who is the leader. Say for example Christian Bale; he seems like a manic suicidal soldier you know what I mean? Even as Batman he looks quite manic in some scenes. Anyway back to Life, Damian Lewis proved his versatility again. I am not sure if he can be a comedien actor but he can play comedic moments, such as in The Baker. In Life, his character is layered, complex. You see the fun side, you see the angry side. You see many many sides of him and I believe Life gives him an opportunity to display his acting chops but one that many of his fans would be familiar with is his ability to portray a moment of quiet dignity. The way he stares at someone, the way he tilts his head one side, the way his face seems to determined due to his small mouth that gives an impression of a perpetually pursed lips. Just the way he stands there, hands by the side, intently looking at someone, that moment of quiet peace, that questioning eyes and the sheer commanding presence by simply.. how should I put it.. standing there? I suppose I still and will always remember him as Winters from Band Of Brothers where he hardly showed much emotion as in overacting but yet you know, you feel and you sense his inner turmoil inside him. Is that a hallmark of a great actor? In fact is he a great actor? I am not sure I can give a straight answer to that but he certainly has the qualities of a very charismatic actor. I do think he is handsome in his own way, like I do think Daniel Craig is handsome in his craggy kind of way. I suppose my taste in men is a man who looks like he has a personality and who has character etched on his entire being. Being good looking in the pretty boy way is of course a bonus but for me, if you're Damian Lewis, that is enough.
Most Favourite Quote
Where Crews quoted Confucius where he said "I investigate things to complete my knowledge, my complete knowledge makes my thoughts sincere, my thoughts being sincere, my heart is pure." After that 2 women under one roof thing, I am not sure Confucius said this. Sounds like he did.
Most Favourite Episode
Episode 9, about the teenager kidnapped since he was a child. A very emotional episode and shows the tender sides of Crews, Reese and even Lt. Karen Davis.
Most Favourite Moment
Any banter between Crews and Reese (as in Dani Reese). Funny, teasing, lighthearted and sometimes very serious.
Most Favourite Character
Who else?
Least Favourite Character
A close fight between the attorney and the ex-wife. Because I am tired of the flirtation, I would say the attorney.
Cheated by a TV series
When Crews said war in chinese is 2 women under one roof. I was intrigued only to be told by net friend Kidd that it ain't true. Check out the real truth about this 2 women under one roof issue HERE.
Life is way better than ...
If you're looking at human drama and cop drama, I would say Criminal Minds and all the trashy CSI series combined. Much better than Without A Trace but admittedly Without A Trace has more drama in the cases.
But Life is not much better than ...
Law & Order, the original series. But then the focus is different. Law & Order hardly talks about the main characters' personal lives whilst Life is about the personal lives of the main characters.
A summary why you must watch Life
Because it is about life, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything else.
Verdict
The Season 1 DVD is coming out but I bet your TV will repeat or show this sooner or later. When it does, do catch Life from Episode 1 onwards. Missing an episode may cause you missing clues or missing out on the delicious Sarah Shahi, if you prefer girls or Damian Lewis, if you prefer guys. If you love Damian Lewis in Band Of Brothers, although this series had little similarity to Band Of Brothers, you will somehow love Life too. Make Life a regular show on TV because a memorable good cop drama series is so rare these days. Especially one where the female lead dresses like a detective actually would.
Overall by end of Season 1, there is still no answer to the question. What is the question is up to interpretation.
Zen huh?
An Addition-A Comment On The Last Episode Of Season 1
The above review was written before I saw the last episode of Season 1 entitled Fill It Up. Last night (17.06.2008) saw the last episode and I am having a serious problem; I miss this series already. Whilst last episode seems rather rushed, ok, make it very very rushed, but I suppose that is because of the writers' strike earlier this year and the producers wanted to give the viewers an answer, just in case the series, which wasn't that majorly popular when it was broadcast, got cancelled. I think that is a smart move because Season 2 can concentrate more on detective work and partnership, rather than Crews' incarceration. I love to see more of Crews AND Reese, rather than Crews against everybody else.
Anyway the last episode summed up the whole conspiracy plot, like why the murders, who did them and how. But the question who framed Crews and more importantly why him is still hanging. I want to know too why him? Convenient? At the right place at the wrong time? But this episode did show the sinister side of Reese's father, Jack Reese. He may not have been the mastermind but he certainly did a major part in the cover up and the stolen money from the Bank of Los Angeles robbery. There is a conflict in Crews when it comes to Jack Reese because he is by now very fond of Dani who has become his trusted partner, even if reluctantly. The question why Crews' former partner did nothing to help Crews when he was arrested was answered also and in a way I pity that guy. He was stuck, he was a coward but he was stuck. I also like the scenes where Crews became very angry that he wanted nothing but revenge. It was so overwhelming that at one point he went around town trying to piece together the years he have lost by killing, threatening to kill, got involed in an accident, saved an injured girl who predictably turned out to be the long lost young girl who witnessed the murder, ran away from the cops, became a fugitive of some sort and still manages to solve his own case at the end of the day. Reese and gang did mininal work but was more supportive than one would give her credit for in this episode. I love how Crews was actually hiding his years of anger and bitterness that I mentioned in the review above behind all these zen stuff but in the end, he dug a hole, in what I thought an attempt to intimidate the killer whom he had aducted but actually was his way of diverting his anger and then in the end he filled up the hole again. The entire thing was an eye opener. The music suited the story. However one scene where Crews was driving, the background was obviously fake.
And what is it with detectives and sunglasses? I just pray this does not turn into CSI:Miami eventhough this episode, the colourtone is like CSI:Miami, a bit too warm and orange/yellow for my taste.
Performances side, it is a pity Adam Arkin is to underused throughout but he was effective. Everybody was great but this episode clearly belongs to Damian Lewis who displayed both zen like calmness and mad chilling violence in some scenes, sometimes right after the other. He handled both sides of extreme emotions well and it is very clear that Crews, ever if such person exists, tries very hard to keep himself in check but that is why I love this series. Whilst most cop series shows cops having anger issue that somehow they fail to control or rather did nothing much to control, this series shows a cop having every reason to be angry but not just tries very hard to control it, but to be above his anger. That behind that cute benign all knowing friendly smile and the mouth that spurts out wisdom of the zen way of life is actually a very very angry man. But in that very very angry man is a desire to see past his own hurt and anger and to view everyday as an opportunity to experience life that was taken from him for awhile. And yet his house remains empty, probably of fear that this feeling of freedom is not permanent and that could be literally or I shall venture to theorise, figuratively because in his mind, despite the freedom he is still in prison and he sometimes views himself as one of the other side of the coin, and not a cop. And yet he is not evil. He is a good person but the prison has toughened him to the point that he is capable of being bad. This episode says it all. That is inspiring in some sense and Damian Lewis certainly deserves an Emmy for this performance because it is rare to see a multi faceted character with such turmoil and still be lighthearted at times and witty as well. This character is kinda like a movie character. I can even see this character on the big screen solving a big crime. Like some serialised movie version of Life.
Sarah Shahi is just fantastic in here although she had little to do. This episode requires her to be less serious, since usually she is the serious one. The case in this last episode was about a snake that swallowed a gun and she went hunting for the snake in an apartment full of the plant, not sure what it is called but those Marijuana? Cannabis? I am not a drug person so please excuse my inadequate knowledge. Anyway she was quite funny in here.
Brent Sexton the partner who failed Crews was good too, balancing funny with serious, showing his character being a bit of a show off and yet has this inner turmoil and guilt too that he had failed to protect his partner and therefore failed as a friend and as a person.
Whilst I didn't like the ending where the people in the department clapping at Crews for solving his own crime (well they were merely props, no personality at all and that is perhaps the biggest problem with this series), since they were never supportive in the first place,they even doubted his innocence. I wouldn't know they believed him or not since I see a lot of other detectives but they don't interact with one another.
All in all, the story (whilst it wraps up the whole controversy with some questions hanging) is not exactly flawless, but the performances made this episode engaging.
Like I said, I already miss Life. To think I have to wait probably 6 months to a year before I can watch Season 2 is torture but at least it is being renewed. With all those trashy junks out there, I am just glad Life got a second shot. It would be dumb to cancel a good show, more so one with such potential.
Favourite Scene
Definitely the one where Crews kidnapped the killer, threw him into the boot of the car, and then drove him around, and at one point angrily but with a chilling smile (or maybe Damian Lewis looks like he has a perpetual smile etched on his face) explained what happened to him in prison, from the 1st 6 months to the next and the next and the next. Fantastic acting,great script and scary as well because Crews looked like he was for a while quite mad.
Most Peculiar Scene
The one where he meets his ex wife, now I know her name as Jennifer and asked for her forgiveness as he was all these time angry at the wrong person. It is a scene of closure, which is good because I don't ever want to see that woman in this series again and it may pave the way for him to fall for the DA in Season 2, which I hope not because he needs another woman, not these 2. But it was also a very strange scene, to me because he said he was angry at her when he should have understood why she had to leave him, since he was supposed to be in prison for life. What should a young woman do? But I felt his understanding of her although with good intentions, was an unnecessary scene. First of all, it was all off. Is he acknowledging she left because she couldn't stand to wait for him even for life? That she didn't love him as much as he thinks she did??
But the truth was as repeated throughout this series in interviews with some documentary maker that she left because she didn't believe his innocence. That is worst that leaving him because of his prison sentence. She simply didn't believe him and like I mentioned in my review above, she actually believed he was capable of killing his friend and the family. So why should he seek her forgiveness? I thought a better scene would be after he was cleared of the charges, she should come to him and seek HIS forgiveness for not believing him but HE could now move on rather than be angry with her for the reasons he stated since 12 years have passed, whatever has happened has happened. That he was angry at her NOT for leaving him per se but for not trusting him and abandoning him when he needed her most. I thought that would be far more appropriate. Which is why now I hate the wife more than the DA because I thought giving her that affirmation of what she did was ok was simply to me not ok. And I don't think seeking her forgiveness is his way of absolution. I would think his absolution is when he didn't push that killer into the grave he dug or push Jack Reese off the building because he has risen above his anger and see enlightment. Yeah, zen eh?
Most missed prop
That conspiracy wall. Now that the conpiracy is 90% solved, the wall wouldn't be in Season 2 unless Crews creates a new wall for those unanswered question. I blame it on the writers' strike because I am sure the writers wanted to give this story the treatment it deserves, mystery an all but was cut short by at least 5 episodes so they couldn't do it. They may have even intended to extend the mystery to Season 2.
Most often used word
Zen. What is zen anyway?
Taken from :-
The key to Buddhahood in Zen is simply self-knowledge. The way to gain self-knowledge is through meditation (which is what the word "zen" means).
Interesting. Self-knowledge which perhaps leads to calmness and enlightenment of being?
Overall verdict
See Verdict. Feeling still the same. I can feel the withdrawal symptoms now. Must watch Band Of Brothers, again. And the go to youtube and find clips of Life. Then maybe get the DVD in September. Then watch the new episodes somewhere, somehow. Why? Why cut short Life when I was beginning to feel ... life?
Most Favourite Quote
Where Crews quoted Confucius where he said "I investigate things to complete my knowledge, my complete knowledge makes my thoughts sincere, my thoughts being sincere, my heart is pure." After that 2 women under one roof thing, I am not sure Confucius said this. Sounds like he did.
Most Favourite Episode
Episode 9, about the teenager kidnapped since he was a child. A very emotional episode and shows the tender sides of Crews, Reese and even Lt. Karen Davis.
Most Favourite Moment
Any banter between Crews and Reese (as in Dani Reese). Funny, teasing, lighthearted and sometimes very serious.
Most Favourite Character
Who else?
Least Favourite Character
A close fight between the attorney and the ex-wife. Because I am tired of the flirtation, I would say the attorney.
Cheated by a TV series
When Crews said war in chinese is 2 women under one roof. I was intrigued only to be told by net friend Kidd that it ain't true. Check out the real truth about this 2 women under one roof issue HERE.
Life is way better than ...
If you're looking at human drama and cop drama, I would say Criminal Minds and all the trashy CSI series combined. Much better than Without A Trace but admittedly Without A Trace has more drama in the cases.
But Life is not much better than ...
Law & Order, the original series. But then the focus is different. Law & Order hardly talks about the main characters' personal lives whilst Life is about the personal lives of the main characters.
A summary why you must watch Life
Because it is about life, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything else.
Verdict
The Season 1 DVD is coming out but I bet your TV will repeat or show this sooner or later. When it does, do catch Life from Episode 1 onwards. Missing an episode may cause you missing clues or missing out on the delicious Sarah Shahi, if you prefer girls or Damian Lewis, if you prefer guys. If you love Damian Lewis in Band Of Brothers, although this series had little similarity to Band Of Brothers, you will somehow love Life too. Make Life a regular show on TV because a memorable good cop drama series is so rare these days. Especially one where the female lead dresses like a detective actually would.
Overall by end of Season 1, there is still no answer to the question. What is the question is up to interpretation.
Zen huh?
An Addition-A Comment On The Last Episode Of Season 1
The above review was written before I saw the last episode of Season 1 entitled Fill It Up. Last night (17.06.2008) saw the last episode and I am having a serious problem; I miss this series already. Whilst last episode seems rather rushed, ok, make it very very rushed, but I suppose that is because of the writers' strike earlier this year and the producers wanted to give the viewers an answer, just in case the series, which wasn't that majorly popular when it was broadcast, got cancelled. I think that is a smart move because Season 2 can concentrate more on detective work and partnership, rather than Crews' incarceration. I love to see more of Crews AND Reese, rather than Crews against everybody else.
Anyway the last episode summed up the whole conspiracy plot, like why the murders, who did them and how. But the question who framed Crews and more importantly why him is still hanging. I want to know too why him? Convenient? At the right place at the wrong time? But this episode did show the sinister side of Reese's father, Jack Reese. He may not have been the mastermind but he certainly did a major part in the cover up and the stolen money from the Bank of Los Angeles robbery. There is a conflict in Crews when it comes to Jack Reese because he is by now very fond of Dani who has become his trusted partner, even if reluctantly. The question why Crews' former partner did nothing to help Crews when he was arrested was answered also and in a way I pity that guy. He was stuck, he was a coward but he was stuck. I also like the scenes where Crews became very angry that he wanted nothing but revenge. It was so overwhelming that at one point he went around town trying to piece together the years he have lost by killing, threatening to kill, got involed in an accident, saved an injured girl who predictably turned out to be the long lost young girl who witnessed the murder, ran away from the cops, became a fugitive of some sort and still manages to solve his own case at the end of the day. Reese and gang did mininal work but was more supportive than one would give her credit for in this episode. I love how Crews was actually hiding his years of anger and bitterness that I mentioned in the review above behind all these zen stuff but in the end, he dug a hole, in what I thought an attempt to intimidate the killer whom he had aducted but actually was his way of diverting his anger and then in the end he filled up the hole again. The entire thing was an eye opener. The music suited the story. However one scene where Crews was driving, the background was obviously fake.
And what is it with detectives and sunglasses? I just pray this does not turn into CSI:Miami eventhough this episode, the colourtone is like CSI:Miami, a bit too warm and orange/yellow for my taste.
Performances side, it is a pity Adam Arkin is to underused throughout but he was effective. Everybody was great but this episode clearly belongs to Damian Lewis who displayed both zen like calmness and mad chilling violence in some scenes, sometimes right after the other. He handled both sides of extreme emotions well and it is very clear that Crews, ever if such person exists, tries very hard to keep himself in check but that is why I love this series. Whilst most cop series shows cops having anger issue that somehow they fail to control or rather did nothing much to control, this series shows a cop having every reason to be angry but not just tries very hard to control it, but to be above his anger. That behind that cute benign all knowing friendly smile and the mouth that spurts out wisdom of the zen way of life is actually a very very angry man. But in that very very angry man is a desire to see past his own hurt and anger and to view everyday as an opportunity to experience life that was taken from him for awhile. And yet his house remains empty, probably of fear that this feeling of freedom is not permanent and that could be literally or I shall venture to theorise, figuratively because in his mind, despite the freedom he is still in prison and he sometimes views himself as one of the other side of the coin, and not a cop. And yet he is not evil. He is a good person but the prison has toughened him to the point that he is capable of being bad. This episode says it all. That is inspiring in some sense and Damian Lewis certainly deserves an Emmy for this performance because it is rare to see a multi faceted character with such turmoil and still be lighthearted at times and witty as well. This character is kinda like a movie character. I can even see this character on the big screen solving a big crime. Like some serialised movie version of Life.
Sarah Shahi is just fantastic in here although she had little to do. This episode requires her to be less serious, since usually she is the serious one. The case in this last episode was about a snake that swallowed a gun and she went hunting for the snake in an apartment full of the plant, not sure what it is called but those Marijuana? Cannabis? I am not a drug person so please excuse my inadequate knowledge. Anyway she was quite funny in here.
Brent Sexton the partner who failed Crews was good too, balancing funny with serious, showing his character being a bit of a show off and yet has this inner turmoil and guilt too that he had failed to protect his partner and therefore failed as a friend and as a person.
Whilst I didn't like the ending where the people in the department clapping at Crews for solving his own crime (well they were merely props, no personality at all and that is perhaps the biggest problem with this series), since they were never supportive in the first place,they even doubted his innocence. I wouldn't know they believed him or not since I see a lot of other detectives but they don't interact with one another.
All in all, the story (whilst it wraps up the whole controversy with some questions hanging) is not exactly flawless, but the performances made this episode engaging.
Like I said, I already miss Life. To think I have to wait probably 6 months to a year before I can watch Season 2 is torture but at least it is being renewed. With all those trashy junks out there, I am just glad Life got a second shot. It would be dumb to cancel a good show, more so one with such potential.
Favourite Scene
Definitely the one where Crews kidnapped the killer, threw him into the boot of the car, and then drove him around, and at one point angrily but with a chilling smile (or maybe Damian Lewis looks like he has a perpetual smile etched on his face) explained what happened to him in prison, from the 1st 6 months to the next and the next and the next. Fantastic acting,great script and scary as well because Crews looked like he was for a while quite mad.
Most Peculiar Scene
The one where he meets his ex wife, now I know her name as Jennifer and asked for her forgiveness as he was all these time angry at the wrong person. It is a scene of closure, which is good because I don't ever want to see that woman in this series again and it may pave the way for him to fall for the DA in Season 2, which I hope not because he needs another woman, not these 2. But it was also a very strange scene, to me because he said he was angry at her when he should have understood why she had to leave him, since he was supposed to be in prison for life. What should a young woman do? But I felt his understanding of her although with good intentions, was an unnecessary scene. First of all, it was all off. Is he acknowledging she left because she couldn't stand to wait for him even for life? That she didn't love him as much as he thinks she did??
But the truth was as repeated throughout this series in interviews with some documentary maker that she left because she didn't believe his innocence. That is worst that leaving him because of his prison sentence. She simply didn't believe him and like I mentioned in my review above, she actually believed he was capable of killing his friend and the family. So why should he seek her forgiveness? I thought a better scene would be after he was cleared of the charges, she should come to him and seek HIS forgiveness for not believing him but HE could now move on rather than be angry with her for the reasons he stated since 12 years have passed, whatever has happened has happened. That he was angry at her NOT for leaving him per se but for not trusting him and abandoning him when he needed her most. I thought that would be far more appropriate. Which is why now I hate the wife more than the DA because I thought giving her that affirmation of what she did was ok was simply to me not ok. And I don't think seeking her forgiveness is his way of absolution. I would think his absolution is when he didn't push that killer into the grave he dug or push Jack Reese off the building because he has risen above his anger and see enlightment. Yeah, zen eh?
Most missed prop
That conspiracy wall. Now that the conpiracy is 90% solved, the wall wouldn't be in Season 2 unless Crews creates a new wall for those unanswered question. I blame it on the writers' strike because I am sure the writers wanted to give this story the treatment it deserves, mystery an all but was cut short by at least 5 episodes so they couldn't do it. They may have even intended to extend the mystery to Season 2.
Most often used word
Zen. What is zen anyway?
Taken from :-
The key to Buddhahood in Zen is simply self-knowledge. The way to gain self-knowledge is through meditation (which is what the word "zen" means).
Interesting. Self-knowledge which perhaps leads to calmness and enlightenment of being?
Overall verdict
See Verdict. Feeling still the same. I can feel the withdrawal symptoms now. Must watch Band Of Brothers, again. And the go to youtube and find clips of Life. Then maybe get the DVD in September. Then watch the new episodes somewhere, somehow. Why? Why cut short Life when I was beginning to feel ... life?
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