Saturday, July 14, 2012

Person Of Interest - A Cast of Characters

A short little video to let people in the audience who might not be familiar with the show know what was what, to remind fans where Season 1 had left off, and to tempt all with hits of what was to come launched the panel for Person of Interest at this year's San Diego Comic-Con.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
One of my favorite things to see on any panel is a cast that gets along well... a group of people who clearly enjoy one anothers company and working together. Perhaps because I know they work 12 hour days, or because it feels as though some of that real world chemistry carries onto the screen. Whatever the reason, a part of the magic of a fun panel at Comic-Con is that sense that we've caught a glimpse of the fun and joy these people must have in working together to make a show their audience members enjoy tuning in for week after week.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
The cast of Person of Interest certainly delivered on the chemistry score! Whether it was Kevin Chapman confessing this is the first show he has worked on where fans will stop him on the street and tell him, "don't get killed" he assumes because they actually like this character, or Taraji P. Henson, when asked what she saw in her characters future, constantly looking over towards the men behind the scenes to see if her guesses were right, "huh, huh, huh!" they just kept giving the audience powerful, fun moments to remember.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
They come across as a cast of equals, with a great deal of mutal respect, a trait that certainly is conveyed in their performances every week.
As someone who does watch this show each week, I found it particularly interesting when someone in the audience asked if Finch was Reese's sidekick, or vice-versa, and the answer from on-stage was neither. To paraphrase, it was said that each of the four characters takes a turn each week being front and center. It came across being described as though each character could be viewed as representing an aspect of 'the hero' the show is about. So the writers choose who is front in center in that scene by deciding whether they need the gunslinger, the brain, the by-the-book cop, or the bend-the-rules formerly-corrupt cop to handle the situation. (Again, that is my paraphrasing, based on my understanding of the answer!!!)
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
It provides an interesting new angle from which to re-watch episodes I've already seen, and to view Season 2 episodes.
image (C) CBS
There are some possible spoilers below, but in the wake of this panel, I find myself wanting to share my overall thoughts on Person of Interest, reviewing the entire show to date, as opposed to a specific episode. From the start I have enjoyed the redemption of Lionel Fusco. Reese was a good guy who suffered a crisis of faith, in himself, in what he was doing... like Lionel he's a character of depth that it is easy to feel a strong sense of compassion for. Carter and Finch are the always-upstanding characters. The ones who have turned from temptation and always look for the better way to do things, but are finding that sometimes saving lives and doing what is right means you need a Reese or a Fusco at your back. Someone who will do anything, and now Fusco's conscience is something he is listening to, thanks to Reese, an unlikely gun-totting guardian angel.




As always, check the wb Comic-Con site for videos of their panels

The Following - Pilot and Panel

There's an upside and a downside to a show airing their pilot during their panel... the fact that Comic-Con panels typically last just one hour, whether they include the airing of a pilot or not.
So when a pilot is aired suddenly you go from nearly an hour of getting to hear the actors, and the powers behind a show talk and answer questions, to just 15 minutes of that first-hand style content, with the rest of the time being spent engrossed in a show others have not yet had the chance to see.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
In the case of The Following as interesting as the pilot was to see, the chance to hear Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy, actors who more known for their screen work than tv work, especially in the case of Kevin Bacon, speak and answer questions, was what many of the audience members had come for.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
In addition to the actors, there to talk about their roles, was again someone from the behind-the-scenes portion of the show. In this panel their was a brief, interesting discussion about how one scene that could have been extremely violent and gory was implied rather than shown, simply by making it clear to the audience what a character was about to do, then showing people's reactions, and enough evidence around the set to imply it had happened and yes, it was as bad as the audience feared. A choice it feels fewer and fewer shows are making in this days of ever improving special effects, make-up techniques and props.

As with all wb panels, check the wb website for video

Revolution

photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
Could you survive in a world without power? If you were the computer reliant, tech-savy, electronics-dependant sort of soul (like myself) could you transition to a world in which electricity simply ceased to exist?
That is the premise of Revolution, and why the logo of the show is the all so often seen in our lives power button icon.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
The image that hung over the convention center is what I tend to think of as 'in the know' advertising. If you know the power button represents Revolution and a lack of power, you know exactly what that banner is all about. And for those who didn't, there was a broken down feris wheel near the trolley tracks, where water bottles were occasionally being handed out, bottles that conveniently said 'Revolution,' and TVs showing the trailer for the show. Overall I liked the pilot, but there were a few plot aspects towards the end that frustrated me. There was one subplot I wished they hadn't had. Maybe, if I'm lucky it will quickly fall by the wayside.
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
When the pilot ended there were no closing credits to alert the Comic-Con staff time to turn on the lights in the room was approaching, so, for a moment we were without lights... as if we had no power. The poetry, or irony, of the moment was not lost on the crowd, but fear not, cell phones and eager to help audience members to the rescue! Within seconds the moderator was lit up while waiting for the room lights to come on.

photos by Kay Kellam and Angie GallegosWhen the actors came out and were introduced there were some non-surprises, after all, we had gone in search of Uncle Miles, so I expected Uncle Miles (Billy Burke) to come out on stage. And Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) had been the one to go in search, so again, I expected Charlie to come out. Then came out JD Pardo who plays Nate, a seemingly small character in the pilot who there is reason to believe might recur, but I hadn't thought the pilot established as guaranteed to be every week, and yet, there he was on the panel. The other character/actor I was surprised to find is a regular was Giancarlo Esposito as Tom Neville. While I saw the importance of the character and how him motivated the events of the pilot, somehow I did not think he would be regular for all of season 1. It was another character that felt like he would recur for several episodes to drive events forward, then having played his part 'be dealt with' by Uncle Miles.

On the other side of that coin, I was surprised Anna Lise Phillips, a surrogate mother of sorts to Charlie was not available for the panel, nor were Graham Rogers (Danny, Charlie's younger brother who instigates a lot of the plot) or Zak Orth (Aaron Pittman) on stage. It felt as though only half of the cast was in attendance, with no real explanation given for how they had picked which half of the cast from the pilot they had chosen... and given at least two of them felt like characters unlikely to last through the season, the choices felt even odder.

photos by Kay Kellam and Angie GallegosBut, perhaps, like everything about the show Revolution itself, they were simply choices made to leave the audience feeling a bit off-kilter and out of their comfort zone. Something the show Revolution does all too well.

It's a world of bows and arrows. Raising your own sheep and chicken, and knowing your own home remedies for things like asthma. A glimpse of a world in which some people want to live, because there is no boss calling on your cell phone at inopportune times, yet others are convinced they would not last three days in. After all, can you card wool, or shear a sheep? Or would you be praying your clothing lasted forever, or you kept finding nicely preserved clothing everytime what you had wore out?


As always look for video of wb panels, such as the Revolution Panel at the wb comicon site.

Power Rangers - 20 Years

photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
Different companies, and products at Comic-Con will try different things to draw attention, and traffic to their booths... some will simply hand free bits of paper to you every time you walk by, even when you try shaking your head and politely declining, because they have more than they know what to do with. Others will give you a pop quiz and if you answer 10 questions right you win a prize.

When it came to celebrating 20 years of Power Rangers at the 2012 Comic-Con there was a post card that had spots on it where you collected stamps from each of multiple vendors at con who had Power Rangers related products at their booths. It sent you all over the hall on a scavenger hunt of sorts, all culminating in your needing to be at the corner of 5th and J street at noon on the 14th if you wanted your free t-shirt.

Doesn't sound too impressive? What if I mention some of the actors who are Power Rangers on tv are going to come and charm the kids? Pose for pictures? Give them hugs? And general enchant one and all?

These actors went above and beyond in embracing the fans who showed up in noon-time sun to find out what was going to happen when they presented their stamped postcards at the mural on the corner of the street... though perhaps I should have known it was going to be something above average when someone told me they thought the actors were arriving and I glanced over in time to see a man doing a FLIP from whatever vehicle he had arrived in down to the ground. I will never again question if he does at least some of his own stunts!

Some of the kids near at hand were too shy to even reach out to shake hands with the actors, but they quickly came down to kids-eye-level and put them at ease. It was a joy to watch these actors so clearly delight in their school age fans. There was picture posing, and toys being handed out, and, of course, the t-shirts everyone had been promised.

James Rollins

photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos
photos by Kay Kellam and Angie Gallegos

Comic-Con quite simply would not be the event it is without the exhibit hall floor and the myriad authors and artists who come and spend time interacting with the attendees, whether they are on panels, doing signings, in artists alley drawing, or appearing at publisher booths.

James Rollins is one of my favorite examples because he has come to Comic-Con every chance he has had for 15+ years - since his very first book was published. In the beginning he came to find an audience, now he comes to thank his readers for staying with him and supporting his work. It is a journey that, from my perspective, he and his readers have, in many ways, taken together.