The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, January 15, 2016 — 5

‘Angel from Hell’ is 
no divine comedy

By SAM ROSENBERG

Daily Arts Writer

If it weren’t for its supernatu-

ral hook, “Angel from Hell” might 
have been just another bland, 
“opposites 
attract” comedy 
used to fill up an 
empty time slot 
on CBS’s lineup. 
But because the 
show 
features 

the incompara-
ble Jane Lynch 
(“Glee”) as its 
driving 
force, 

that should be 
enough to make 
“Angel 
from 

Hell” worth the watch. 

Lynch 
plays 
the 
show’s 

eponymous 
protagonist, 
an 

eccentric, high-functioning alco-
holic named Amy, who seeks to 
guide Allison (Maggie Lawson, 
“Psych”), an uptight, perpetually 
distressed dermatologist in Bev-
erly Hills. Their first encounter 
is purely accidental, or so it may 
seem: Amy bumps into Allison 
and her unemployed boyfriend 
Evan 
(David 
Denman, 
“The 

Gift”) at a farmer’s market, then 
again in a coffee shop with Alli-
son’s childish brother Brad (Kyle 
Bornheimer, “The D Train”). 
The 
coincidences 
eventually 

confuse Allison, which leads to 
Amy revealing herself as Alli-
son’s guardian angel. Similar to 
Lynch’s previous TV role as the 

skillfully sarcastic Sue Sylves-
ter on “Glee,” Amy comes with 
a dark sense of humor, but she 
still manages to be likeable. She’s 
there to help and defend Allison, 
not to ruin her life, even if she 
tends to be a little overbearing 
and intrusive. 

Amy comes at a moment in 

Allison’s life that will lead her 
down a dangerous path. She 
tells the blithely unaware Alli-
son that Evan is sleeping with 
her best friend Jill (Liza Lapira, 
“Battle Creek”). At first, Alli-
son catches them eating dinner 
together, but learns that they 
were planning a montage for 
her and Evan’s housewarming 
party to celebrate all of Allison’s 
“big moments.” It seems like an 
honest mistake, until come time 
for the party Allison finds Jill’s 
clover charm in Evan’s office, 
leading to Jill’s admitting to her 
affair with Evan.

Most, if not all the characters 

in “Angel from Hell” have certain 
clichéd traits, and the stilted act-
ing doesn’t help either. Though 
Lawson does show some poten-
tial, her portrayal of Allison isn’t 
captivating enough to ignore how 
trite her character is. Comedian 
Kevin Pollack (“Mom”), who usu-
ally succeeds in both comedic 
and dramatic roles, is underused 
as Allison’s father Marv. Fortu-
nately, Lynch performs admirably 
in an offbeat performance that 
keeps “Angel from Hell” from 
going off the rails. The writing 

in the pilot episode isn’t terrible, 
but it isn’t off-the-walls fantas-
tic either. In fact, many of the 
jokes in the show’s pilot episode 
are very plain, dry and unfunny, 
except when they come out of 
Lynch’s mouth. Her naturally 
snarky delivery and charismatic 
appeal make the most cringewor-
thy scenes seem enjoyable and the 
more sentimental moments seem 
genuinely poignant.

One of the most enchanting 

moments in “Angel From Hell”’s 
pilot episode actually comes at the 
very end. Scrolling through the 
montage of “big moments” Evan 
and Jill made, Allison notices 
Amy in the background of one 
particular childhood photo. As 
Allison becomes fascinated and 
perplexed, the scene fades to the 
montage’s background song: Band 
of Horses’s excellent “The Funer-
al.” While the scene is rather short 
and not necessarily crucial, it still 
provides some gravitas for an oth-
erwise mediocre first episode.

Though “Angel from Hell” will 

probably continue to use Lynch 
as the source of comedy and 
drama, she shouldn’t be the only 
one carrying the show’s weight. 
The lackluster jokes, unfocused 
plot and weak premise have yet to 
unravel into something absorb-
ing. Unless Lynch can somehow 
single-handedly 
save 
“Angel 

from Hell” from going off the 
deep end, the show is destined to 
remain a half-hour of uninterest-
ing, dull gags. 

C

Angel 
from Hell

Series Premiere

Thursdays at 

9:30 p.m.

CBS

TV REVIEW
J-Lo’s complex ‘Blue’

By SHIR AVINADAV

Daily Arts Writer

From the get-go, it’s clear 

that NBC’s new series “Shades 
of Blue” isn’t another cookie-
cutter 
crime 

drama. 
Jen-

nifer 
Lopez 

(“The 
Boy 

Next 
Door”), 

and her new 
choppy 
bob, 

plays 
Harlee 

Santos, 
the 

no-nonsense 
cop operating 
in a morally 
ambiguous 
Brooklyn pre-
cinct. The thrilling series pre-
miere introduces Santos and 
her team of tight-knit cops who 
play by their own rules. Lt. Matt 
Wozniak (Ray Liotta, “Good-
fellas”) and his band of corrupt 
officers break the mold of the 
traditional crime drama narra-
tive by walking the thin line of 
moral conduct to benefit them-
selves while maintaining a tight 
grip over their neighborhood’s 
inept criminals.

In 
this 
fresh, 
fast-paced 

crime thriller, Lopez adeptly 
plays both the emotionally vul-
nerable single mother and the 
tough cop. Santos struggles to 
judge whether the ends are jus-
tified by her and her task force’s 
unconventional means. Though 
Lopez stands out as the star of 
the series, it’s about her rela-
tionship with her colleagues 
and the impenetrability of their 
ties to one another just as much 

as it is about her grapple with 
morality and providing for her 
daughter. She isn’t just a resil-
ient policewoman committed to 
her job. She’s a tenacious crime 
fighter whose loyalty to her team 
binds her and her daughter Cris-
tina (Sarah Jeffery, “Descen-
dants”) to them like a family. 
This weight is felt in every line 
she speaks and every action she 
takes. As she says to Michael 
(Dayo Okeniyi, “The Hunger 
Games”), the rookie under her 
supervision whose grave mis-
take is covered up by Wozniak, 
“All he (Wozniak) expects in 
return is loyalty.” 

Rather than a handful of good 

cops who take down hardened 
criminals one by one in a tradi-
tional obstacle ridden, emotional-
ly transparent plot structure, we 
are provided with a team whose 
loyalty to one another makes 
them impervious to the conse-
quences of their abuse of power. 
Though their intentions are good, 
it is unclear whether their meth-
ods of maintaining order ben-
efit them more then the citizens 
they are supposed to protect. 
Under their corrupt system, they 
methodically accept bribes from 
commonplace drug dealers in 
exchange for freedom to continue 
operating under the unit’s rules.

In a time when corruption is 

rampant and police conduct is 
under intense scrutiny, the show 
draws attention to the morally 
gray area in which authorities 
justify their actions in the name 
of protecting law and order (and 
themselves). Rather than another 
crime series centered on justice-

upholding 
straight-shooters, 

“Shades of Blue” critically con-
siders what motivates how police 
forces carry out their duties and 
how their relationships both in 
and out of the precinct influence 
their actions. This added element 
to the standard crime drama pro-
vides a host of possibilities for 
both plot and character develop-
ment, but sorely lacks the satisfac-
tion derived from seeing the chase 
that leads to bad guys getting put 
behind bars.

Despite the lack of actual crime 

solving, the first episode creates 
suspense as Santos is faced with a 
chain of difficult decisions both in 
her job and personal life. Between 
her relationship with her daugh-
ter Cristina, her mentorship of 
Michael and her bond with col-
leagues, Santos exhibits an emo-
tional range that adds depth to 
her character and makes it clear 
Lopez was the perfect fit for her 
role. In this series, the “American 
Idol” judge and pop diva sheds 
her playful charm and takes on a 
more serious role, bringing for-
ward uncompromising sincerity 
and a tough attitude.

Lopez’s compelling character 

and performance coupled with a 
topical look at how police forces 
should operate under complex 
circumstances, places “Shades of 
Blue” among the top shows pre-
miering on NBC this season. An 
update to the crime drama has 
been long overdue, and while it 
is uncertain how the various ele-
ments of “Shades of Blue” will 
play out in its forthcoming epi-
sodes, there is plenty of incen-
tive to continue watching. 

B+

Shades 
of Blue

Series Premiere

Thursdays 

at 9 p.m.

NBC

ABC

30 seconds ago he was a cat.

TV REVIEW

Difficult ‘Crime’

Second season 
tackles athletics 
and sexual assault

By ALEX INTNER

Daily Arts Writer

I’ve been playing with a con-

cept for a while called “eat your 
vegetables 
television.” 
This 

phrase 
repre-

sents TV that’s 
difficult 
to 

enjoyably watch 
but 
remains 

necessary 
viewing either 
because of its 
cultural 
value 

or importance 
to the pop cul-
ture landscape. 
One 
example 

of 
“eat 
your 

vegetables TV” 
is the first season of the HBO 
drama “The Leftovers,” which, 
while great, was slow in its pac-
ing and therefore somewhat of 
a chore to watch. Going into the 
second season premiere, I was 
fully prepared to give “American 
Crime” a similar review based 
on what I saw of the first season, 
but my opinion changed when I 
pressed play. “American Crime” 
is deliberately tense, making sure 
the viewer is unsettled at every 
point possible in the episode. It’s 
incredibly tough to watch, but 
there are few better shows on 
network television.

The second season of “Ameri-

can Crime” follows a differ-

ent story from the first season, 
one which is all too familiar if 
you’ve read the sports pages 
recently. In the first episode, 
Taylor Blaine (Connor Jessup, 
“Falling Skies”), a scholarship 
student at a prestigious private 
school in Indiana, finds himself 
expelled from school after pic-
tures of him looking drunk were 
taken at a basketball team party. 
When his mom Anne (Lili Taylor, 
“The Conjuring”) confronts him 
about it, he tells her members of 
the team drugged and sexually 
assaulted him at the party. After 
Anne brings the accusation to 
the school’s headmistress (Felic-
ity Huffman, “Desperate House-
wives”), she and the basketball 
coach (Timothy Hutton, “Lever-
age”) have to deal with the impli-
cations of the accusation.

The story resonates particu-

larly in the context of the accu-
sations brought forth against 
athletes such as Jameis Winston 
and Greg Hardy, both currently 
playing in the NFL. The first epi-
sode takes a substantial amount of 
time to establish how important 
basketball is to this school and the 
people in its community. This pro-
gram is as important to the school 
as football is to Florida State Uni-
versity (Winston’s alma mater). 
Touching on the accusation and 
the school’s lacking response, the 
hour suggests a future indictment 
against this type of sports culture, 
which sweeps actions like rape 
under the rug.

“American Crime” achieves 

a sense of claustrophobia and 
discomfort though its direction, 
expertly done by creator and 

writer John Ridley (who won an 
Oscar for his “12 Years a Slave” 
screenplay). Every shot appears 
to be deliberate, with the cam-
era placement adding to the look 
and feel of a scene, especially in 
the second half of the episode. 
As the situation becomes clear 
and word starts to spread, the 
scenes are shot in intimate close-
ups. For example, in the scenes 
where Anne talks to the head-
mistress, her emotion is strongly 
felt because it’s put right in front 
of you without anything in the 
way. Showcasing the sadness in 
this manner, it makes watching 
her pain even tougher and more 
gut-wrenching.

“American Crime” also has a 

huge ensemble whose perfor-
mances brings additional gravi-
tas. Hutton and Hoffman were 
nominated for Emmys for their 
performances in season one, 
and they do a good job as they’re 
asked to make you care about 
two new and highly unsympa-
thetic characters (they’re failing 
to investigate a rape, after all). 
Who I’m most impressed by is 
Jessup, who didn’t show much 
range or ability at all on “Falling 
Skies” and actually seems genu-
ine in his emotional turmoil as a 
rape survivior.

Yes, “American Crime” is not 

the easiest show, but if you’re not 
watching it, you really should 
be. No other series on the major 
networks is tackling a storyline 
about the intersection of crime 
and athletics with this much 
intelligence and gravity, and very 
few are this well put together by 
their cast and crew.

A

American 
Crime

Season 2 
Premiere

Wednesdays 

at 10 p.m.

ABC

TV REVIEW
Manipulating ‘Fields’

By SOPHIA KAUFMAN

Daily Arts Writer

Humans enjoy the macabre. 

Our voyeuristic interest can 
be piqued by films or televi-
sion 
shows, 

but when the 
stories being 
related to us 
are preceded 
by the disclo-
sure that what 
we’re 
about 

to 
watch 
is 

based 
on 
a 

true story, our 
level of fasci-
nation jumps 
upwards.

“Killing Fields,” Discovery’s 

new true-crime documentary 
series shot in real time, relies 
on this natural morbid curios-
ity. The pilot, “A Body in the 
Bayou” (a title strangely remi-
niscent of “Bones”) opens with 
beautiful shots of the Louisiana 
bayous. The camera then cuts 
to a man wearing a wifebeater, 
only partially lit, explaining 
that people talk about beauti-
ful the scenic land is, but they 
don’t know “it’s nothin’ but kil-
lin’ fields.”

The show follows this man, 

Detective Rodie Sanchez, as 
he comes out of retirement to 
work a cold case he hasn’t been 
able to put to rest in his mind: 
the unsolved homicide of young 
Eugenie Boisfontaine, whose 

body was found three months 
after 
her 
disappearance 
in 

1997 in Iberville Parish, LA. 
Throughout the episode, more 
evidence comes to light, like 
indications of blunt force trau-
ma to the head and rape. The 
episode ends with the startling 
and grim reveal that the DNA 
found on Boisfontaine’s under-
clothes comes from two or pos-
sibly three different males.

Sanchez teams up with a 

younger 
detective, 
Aubrey 

St. Angelo, to work the case. 
While the two seem to work 
well together, bringing differ-
ent perspectives to the case, the 
show emphasizes the old cop/
young cop dichotomy more than 
is needed — it’s already obvious. 
This slightly forced dynamic 
culminates in a conversation 
that sounds straight out of a 
campy ’80s detective movie. 
As they’re sitting in a car wait-
ing for someone, Sanchez, after 
posing personal questions that 
Det. Angelo deflects, says, “You 
don’t wanna make conversation 
with me? You act like I’m your 
wife, or your girlfriend or some-
thing, you know, like we out on 
a date — ” before Angelo cuts 
him off, having seen the person 
for whom they’re waiting.

Some aspects of “Killing 

Fields” feel jarringly staged, 
even though it doesn’t exploit 
the victim’s story or her fam-
ily’s pain. Sanchez’s gravelly 
voiceover generally works, but 

though his sentiments read 
realistically, some of his lines 
sound contrived, like “The 
cases you don’t solve will haunt 
you until the day you die,” and 
“I think the killer’s still out 
there.” This is partially due to 
the dramatic drumbeats that 
accompany almost every single 
minute; meant to emphasize 
dramatic reveals or discoveries, 
the score only works against 
the veracity of the moment. 
The people in the show are 
always uncomfortably aware 
of the camera, especially when 
they’re trying their hardest not 
to be — like a scene in which 
the detectives’ silhouettes are 
outlined by the light of a fire, 
crackling in slow motion, or 
the scene where they go to talk 
to the woman who originally 
found Boisfontaine’s body — 
the framing of which feels like 
it could have been lifted out of 
“Law and Order: SVU.”

“Killing Fields” relies on 

our curiosity about true hor-
ror stories, but it also attempts 
to escalate the tension through 
these kinds of transparent and 
unnecessary stylistic choices. 
The true story of the show — an 
unsolved murder, a killer pos-
sibly still on the loose and the 
dark irony of beautiful land 
shrouding the bodies of people 
who met untimely deaths — 
is intriguing, depressing and 
haunting. But this televised 
account of it? Not so much. 

C+

Killing 
Fields

Series Premiere

Tuesdays at 

10 p.m.

Discovery

CBS

“Remember when I won an Emmy for ‘Glee?’ “

TV REVIEW

