TNT premiered an edgy cool pilot for Witchblade which I hoped upon hope would
make it to series. No more wishing or hoping. Witchblade is set to premiere
in one hour format at the end of this year. If you missed the pilot, be sure
to tune in because the pilot hinted at the excellent potential the series
will probably uncork.
It featured Yancy Butler as a street scarred cop who comes into possession
of an ancient piece of armor with a life of its own. Based on the Top Cow
comic series, Witchblade, the pilot, combined a comic book noir sensibility
with a sympathetic heroine that both men and women will find appealing and
compelling. I was actually a bit surprised by the casting and attitude
because frequently, whenever we see a strong female action hero these days,
there's a bit of an apology for the strength built into the deal. "See I
kick ass, but I promise to be practically buck naked or in inconsequential
clothing for most of the show. I promise I'm just a kitten underneath it
all."
Butler's detective Sara Pezzini, shockingly, is actually clothed most of the
time, but radiates a feral unpredictability and intelligent sexiness that
even the most patented Baywatch or Howard Stern fan could enjoy.
The premise of the show is intriguing as well. A piece of magical armor with
indeterminate potential finds its place on the arm of a worthy female warrior
in each generation: from Joan of Arc to Sara Pezzini.
The pilot story implies that a certain integrity and purity is required of
the user for it to remain active and helpful. The Witchblade does have a
tendency to fall out of one's grasp at the very moment it's needed. So in the
world of this heroine, it's not about who has the biggest sword, but who has
the purest intention.
A powerful billionaire, who "owned" the artifact at one point, attempts to
mentor Pezzini in its proper use, but he remains clueless about its depth and
subtlety. When Pezzini refuses to gut a criminal with it, but chooses to send
him to jail, he rebukes her, "Sara, I'm disappointed in you." Pezzini's
nemesis, a cookie cutter mob psychopath, is a bit cliched, but not too
annoying since pilots are always a story chore, a lot to establish and no
time to do it.
Some dramatic lighting strobes, editing and Matrix style special effects
ratchet up the action scenes extremely well done. Verdict:
"Witchblade, definitely not a disappointment."
Who's Ghurkan? Offers a Sip of Classic Xena
Sometimes, in life, after one has entered the threshold of "abandon hope all
yee who enter here" a miracle happens. "Who's Ghurkan?" a recent episode of
Xena, arrived as that miracle. For a series feeling a wee bit lobotomized
since it's season four ender and character arc quaker, "Ides of March," WG
burst on the scene like an old friend not heard from for a long, long time.
It was like taking a welcome sip of Classic Coke after drinking the next
generation for a while. This character driven gem involves Gabrielle's grief
upon discovering the fate of her family members who had been killed by
Ghurkan, an evil ruler. And it highlighted Xena's support of Gabrielle in
doing whatever she needed to process these tragic circumstances. Xena allows
herself to be beaten nearly to death to protect her friend, and Gabrielle is
given the opportunity to reunite with her only family member to survive the
ordeal. This was the most tearful, affecting moment I've seen in a while.
This miracle of an episode was particularly amazing because it followed Heart
of Darkness, my least favorite Xena episode ever. HOD involved Xena's
mission to make Lucifer the ruler of Hell. Why? Because Hell needs a ruler
donchya know? Other than demons-rights advocates, who cares? I'm hoping
we'll see less of this whole Heaven/Hell, Greek Gods, big story pantheon and
more of the "small" stories about the redemptive power of friendship and
loyalty. Excuse my while I take another sip.
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"Witchblade Slashes Into the Series World"
