Fall TV Roundup, Week 12

We've reached the portion of the Fall TV Season where the networks are winding it down. But luckily for content consumers, the streaming sites are just ramping it up. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Streaming Series:
Marvel's Runaways, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered November 21)
About: Hulu has had a great creative year. "The Handmaid's Tale," which bowed in April, has brought them critical and commercial acclaim. But that's just one piece of the original content pie for Hulu, which is quickly expanding beyond the reputation for being a site to go and catch up on network series from NBC, ABC, and FOX. It's still that, too, but like other streaming sites, it's so much more in an attempt to continue to build and audience share. The latest offering is "Marvel's Runaways," based on an obscure Marvel property about a group of teens coming into their powers and their supervillain parents. It was adapted by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the creative team behind "The O.C.," "Gossip Girl," and "Chuck." They know how to build this style and this world, and they're taking a story that few will be familiar with, so it feels fresh, even when done as an origin story. Hulu dropped the first three episodes on November 21 with new episodes appearing weekly thereafter, as has been the pattern and practice for most Hulu series. And this one has some legs. The first two episodes essentially tell the same story from different perspectives. The first episode is from the perspective of six teens, who don't have a lot in common any more accept the connection of their parents. They're all still recovering from a prior tragedy, the death of a fellow member of the group, but the find the strength to reunite just in time to accidentally uncover their parents' secret. The second episode flips the script and shows what the parents are up to and how they got there. It's an interesting and unique set up, and one that has me curious to see where the story goes. I liked the character introductions and the potential of the world, and I trust Schwartz and Savage to guide it in a fun and engrossing direction. This may be yet another Marvel series in a world seemingly inundated with superhero programming on the big and small screen, but trust me when I say this feels like something totally different. And I mean that in a good way.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Godless, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered November 22)
About: Bowing the day before Thanksgiving, "Godless" is a different kind of limited series for Netflix. It's just seven episodes, and it's a throw back western series with a modern twist. Writer/director Scott Frank, a gifted and talented screenwriter, initially envisioned it as a film, but the creative process led to an expanded world that yielded this Netflix series. The series stars Jeff Daniels in a villainous role, Jack O'Connell, Scoot McNairy, Merrit Wever, Sam Waterston, and Michelle Dockery. The first couple episodes build the world and set the action. Daniels is the leader of a vicious gang coming off their most violent job ever, while O'Connell is his former protege who's turned against him. McNairy is the sheriff of a small town of mostly women after a mining accident claimed all the healthy men. Wever is the wife of the deceased Mayor who's taken on a leadership role in the town, while Dockery is the single mother to a Paiute son living on the edge of town, an outcast. She also harbors and hires O'Connell as a ranch hand. Waterston is the Federal Marshal on the trail of Daniels' gang, and he hits the small town to warn of their potential danger. I like the moody atmosphere and story potential in the first few episodes. It's a gritty world that's populated by colorful characters and some strong performances. Those performances gloss over some of the shallow character features. But the writing is generally strong, and I liked the look of the series. This is one of the most promising recent Netflix series, and one where I'm excited to see how it ends.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B

She's Gotta Have It, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered November 23)
About: It was a busy holiday weekend for Netflix, which dropped "She's Gotta Have It" on Thanksgiving day. The show is based on the 1986 film written and directed by Spike Lee. It's one of his most famous films, and also his first feature. Lee adapted it for this update 30 years later, directing all 10 episodes of the series and writing a few. The story is largely the same, focusing on Brooklyn artist Nola (DeWanda Wise) as she juggles her life and relationships with three very different suitors. Each episode features an interesting soundtrack and a unique hashtag to go along with its episode title. I watched the first two, and they are very lovingly crafted. Lee has poured a lot of heart and soul into the series, matching his unique style. The episodes also tackle interesting social and political ideas, including things like gentrification in Brooklyn. You can see the passion Lee has for these subjects, and Wise is an ideal choice as a lead, deftly handling the transition between interacting with characters on the screen and breaking the fourth wall to talk to the audience. That being said, this is material that's probably best for a specific audience that isn't me. I didn't relate to the story or the characters much, despite recognizing how well constructed the world is. Still, this is the advantage of the wave of streaming sites, which allow creators to really explore subjects and styles that can appeal to a variety of different kinds of narratives.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+