Eleventh Hour: Containment
By fred | November 7, 2008
(S01E05) Not so long ago I argued that Eleventh Hour was more exciting than Life On Mars, because of the way the show was constructed and the fact that it is incredibly more open to anything, that each episode could look like no other and go into any direction, that there are all sorts of possibilities at our doorstep, unlike with ABC drama with it’s the usual crime of the week of your typical procedural cop-drama - only in 1973.
But as I said then, this show also has a much lower quality level, mostly in the writing, and that is a real problem. The show might be more exiting and with a lot more potential, if none of it is put to good use but wasted on poor writing, it won’t go anywhere and people will eventually go away, to ABC, another network, or away from TV God forbid.
As far as I’m concerned, I’m seriously considering dropping this show from my list. Because every week it seems that all this potential goes to waste, every week I’m put down and disappointed in the show, which really doesn’t have anything like the quality of other Bruckheimer-produced procedural. Maybe it is because those shows are often constructed on a different model, with a larger team always working the same sort of case in the same city week after week, but Eleventh Hour is the weakest link.
This episode was different than the previous ones, but alas not necessarily for the better. Some things were on the positive side, for instance we didn’t get Hood to grab a couple of daily items near by to make a little demonstration of some obvious scientific fact, which was welcome. First some time there I kept waiting for Rachel to ask that dumb question that would have Hood get a tissue, ask her for a pen and explain to us something that could be explained in only a couple of small sentences, and I’m glad that never came.
But the episode also had a different rhythm, and I have to admit I thought it was quite boring at times. It wasn’t hard to see that Hood’s old friend was in on the whole thing, and it doesn’t help that they don’t ever throw any misdirection or anything that could have us suspect someone else even for a minute. And if Rachel didn’t ask the stupid question, she acted stupid instead.
When she guy infected with a deadly and highly contagious virus got hit by a car, it was so evident to me that she would stop right there and back up, that I didn’t even think she would have to think of it, I was already thinking of what comes next, making sure no one else tries to help him or gets close. They insisted I don’t know how many times how dangerous it was, how careful they should be, Rachel even made a remark about Hood wearing his mask while they were visiting an apartment earlier, and here, despite all that (and Hood yelling), she just went and put her hands right in the guy’s blood, like she was trying to be infected… I mean seriously, why not lick the blood while at it?
This was pretty stupid, and what came out of it was only worse. First there was the “joke” she made about getting everyone’s name for payback while under the decontamination shower, which felt flat and completely out of character, and then the whole dramatic aspect they tried to bring into the show, with her being in quarantine and everything.
It just didn’t work for me, at all. And what to say about the moment she asks him to call for another handler, but he refuses of course. That was BS, because if she really cared about it that much she should have taken care of it herself, especially after he clearly expressed he wasn’t going to, and I thought that was so we get later the bounding scene where he tells her he didn’t want no one else but her for handler or something crap, but not even. It didn’t even get mentioned again, rendering the whole thing also quite pointless!
And what to say about things like Hood seeing someone running away, but needing to do a little speech and math before concluding a worker just ran away not really discreetly. Also, of course she probably didn’t had a choice, but wasn’t it dangerous for Rachel to shoot the guy in the restaurant ? Would that spreed the virus as well, since I’m guessing his blood is infected and will not remain all in his head once she blew it up ??
And there’s one scene that looked quite odd to me. Somewhere in the beginning, Rachel says she’s go introduce herself to whoever is in charge and ask for some lists, letting the scientific minds talk. She starts walking away, they chat, and the next second she’s back! I actually had to rewind to realize it wasn’t really as bad as it first appeared to be, but it still looked quite odd… Bad editing? silly writing? something cut? either way it’s bad.
All in all this wasn’t really a good episode, and I don’t think this show ever had one, as a matter of fact. It better get one out there soon, otherwise I think I will move away…
What about you ? What did you think about this episode ? How do you feel about this show ? Is that a pretty stupid, slow, painful and risky way to kill yourself that to inject yourself with small pox or what ?
Posted in Reviews
Shows: Eleventh Hour
The only thing that really irked me was the part where she got infected. Other than that, I have to disagree with you on the show. I actually look forward to it every week. I don’t really watch a huge amount of procedurals so I’m kind of not saturated yet, but so far this show has had decent stories and I love Hood as the main character.