6 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 10, 2006
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Ensemble drama steals viewers
E - - INVITE YOU AND A GUEST
TO A SPECIAL SCREENING
By Ben Megargel
Daily Arts Writer
It's fascinating how little
"The Nine" reveals in the pilot
episode. The
writersestab-
lish almost
no plot points The Nine
or character
insight, yet Wednesdays
the drama is at 10 p.m.
all the more ABC
addictive for
it. The conspiracy surrounding
the unknown is almost always
more intriguing than the real-
ity, and the writers of the "The
Nine" seem to understand this
cornerstone of audience reten-
tion more than anyone else in
television.
"The Nine" follows an
unlikely group of bank robbery
captives after they've just spent
52 hours together as hostages.
The robbery is shrouded in mys-
tery, and for some undisclosed
reason the nine remain in con-
tact after the highly publicized
ordeal. Inextricably hinged on
the unrevealed details of what
occurred during that bank rob-
bery, the drama portrays each
of its core players as a potential
accomplice to the crime.
Featuring an ensemble cast
composed chiefly of TV vets,
"The Nine" boasts an wide array
of unique characters. "Prison
Break" alum John Billingsley
plays suicidal Egan Foote with
a mixture of paranoia, nervous
instability and awkward affa-
bility. Kim Raver ("24") sexes
it up as assistant D.A. Kathryn
Hale, while former "Party of
Five" star Scott Wolfe makes a
triumphant return to the small
screen as strong-willed surgeon
Jeremy Kates. The diverse cast
is well-rounded, with a variety
of characters whose mystery
only deepens the show's already
rich narrative.
Leave it to the composers to
throw off an otherwise excellent
show. In the vein of other popu-
lar series like such as "Grey's
Anatomy" or "Laguna Beach,"
"The Nine" draws from a recog-
nizable pop-rock pool to score
its key scenes.
And while the Top 40 might
work for the emotional dramat-
ics of say, Kristin Cavallari and
her boyfriend breaking up for
the fourth time, in the show's
complex robbery context, the
whining emo melodies just
Screening tomorrow at 8:30 p.m.
Pick up passes today after 5 p.m. at 413 E. Huron St.
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