New Series On CBS
I'm still not sure what I think of "Stalker" but I've seen all the episodes so there must be some reason why I'm still here. "Stalker" airs on CBS on Wednesdays at 10 PM ET. So far, it reminds me of "Criminal Minds" (but is less grisly and more suspenseful than its predecessor). Critics have not been kind to "Stalker" but user reviews are more positive. See Metracritics Stalker Season 1 and Rotten Tomatoes Stalker Season 1
Nice To Meet You... I Dont Like You.
"Stalker" centers around the LA Threat Assessment Unit. This enables the show to deal with all types of cases from politicians to coeds. The main characters are Beth Davis (Maggie Q) and Jack Larsen (Dylan McDermott) with a few other supporting characters. Lieutenant Davis is the head of the department and Jack recently transferred in from the NYPD homicide division. Each has their share of secrets. Beth appears to have been stalked herself at some point. Jack appears to be stalking his DA wife (Amanda Taylor) and their child Ethan (who doesnt even know him). Beth is standoffish and not impressed with Jack. Jack has a history of womanizing, is very confident and sometimes seems like a bull in a china shop.
Uh Oh. He Has On Sunglasses. He Means Business!
The pilot basically set up the framework of the show. I assume some time each week will be spent on the "case of the week" and the remaining time dedicated to personal issues. We meet a guy who is about to be charged with assault for attacking his ex roommate only to find out that the roommate (Perry) is actually stalking him. Davis tells Perry to cut it out or else. Perry then becomes obsessed with the lieutenant. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of Perry this season.
"In Whatever Happened To Baby James" the red herrings abound. A teenager and her brother are being stalked. What is the girl really up to Oh never mind, its not relevant. Then a nearby sex offender gets blamed. Yep he's creepy but its not him. It turns out that the crazy neighbor lady is to blame. She wanted the son (James) and not the daughter. She is delusional and thinks James is her child. Anyway, Jack figures it out and he and Beth rescue the child. Case closed. Meanwhile Jack's ex tells him to get the hell out of town or she will start telling people about him. I think she means business Jack.
Kudos to "Stalker" for showing some diversity in their stalking (I think). In "Manhunt" a woman named Caira is about to wed her female partner when she is shot dead by a sniper. The ex husband is suspected first (which is always the case). On the home front, we find out the reason Jack got this job is because Beth's boss Trent pulled some strings. Jack lurks outside of Amanda's house again. Who does he see there but Trent. Uh oh. That cant be good for job security.
Yep Janice is Cray Cray
In "Phobia" some guy is terrorizing women by drowning them, dumping a truckload of snakes on them, etc. Its because the women have these specific phobias. Perry uses Beth's friend Tracy to get intel on Beth. Jack and Janice do the nasty at his house. What do you want to bet that Janice is a serious stalker?
Episode 5 "The Haunting" is basically a Halloween episode. Two girls are stalked in their home, there's a Halloween party, a few people end up dead, etc. They eventually find out that the stalker dude (Greg) has been living inside their house for years. He's a contractor so has created his own hidden apartment in the basement. Kinda boring but we do learn some exciting news. Beth Davis is actually Michelle Webber. She calls a psychiatric hospital to confirm that a patient is still being held there. She is on the notification list. Meanwhile Perry finds a newspaper article about a child being killed in a fire set by the husband (so the person that Beth/Michelle called about is her husband). Yes, the internet is a great thing for stalkers!
"Love Is A Battlefield" indeed. Andrea (the head of some la dee da arts organization) says she's being harasses by her ex-husband and/or his current younger squeeze. But no surprise here. It turns out Andrea is the culprit (with assistance from her boy toy). What a nut case. She even killed her dog to blame her ex. Meanwhile Amanda says she is going to report Jack for sure this time (all the previous threats were just idle). As a preemptive strike, he tells Beth SOME of the truth. She simply says "fix it" and that she would hate to lose him. Jack asks Amanda to PLEASE let him say in LA. He promises to stay away from Ethan and to try to be a better person. Trent previously approached Jack and asked if he was Ethan's father. Jack assured Trent that he wouldnt get any trouble from Jack. To be honest, I found this episode kinda boring. I always enjoying seeing Jessica Tuck though (Andrea). You may know her most recently as Nan from "True Blood". She always plays an excellent hysterical crazy woman.
Grade: 3 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). There's just enough here to keep me coming back. What do you think of "Stalker"? Please let me know in the comments below. PS No stalkers please!!!!
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality
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