PhatCat wrote:Seems as if the writers took all the great things about season 1 and tossed them out.
It's the result of Fox replacing the original showrunner with Matt Miller (
Chuck;
Las Vegas), who then implemented changes such as a revamped theme, two female cast additions, and lots of pop tunes added to each episode's soundtrack. (One of the original creators, Jonathan Steinberg, is still on board and has been responsible for some of the best episodes of season two.)
Miller described the most notable change as a conscious decision to downplay the show's "mythology" (ie. Chance's mysterious past) in favor of a stronger focus on "character". Yet ironically, backstory and continuity are what most younger viewers wanted more of- especially after the season finale which finally revealed so many pieces of the puzzle. (Such as Armand Assante as Chance's old boss- a figure who was constantly alluded to during season one, yet has been completely ignored in season two.)
I feel the show has regained some of its mojo with the past several episodes, but unfortunately, Fox seems to have already given up on it. They initially started burning through additional episodes by airing them two-a-night, and have now begun to shift it around the schedule in order to expand
American Idol. It's a shame, because even with the misguided changes, it still holds a great deal of potential.
In a way, it reminds me of
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century- another show that was handicapped by a delayed second season and forced, unpopular format changes. It's also a stark reminder than many classic shows would probably never make it today, in an age where networks no longer allow time to grow an audience and viewers tend to prefer over-reaching continuity to episodic adventures.
