Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Eye Candy - 1.02 - BRB - Preview




The most surprising midseason show so far, Eye Candy's pilot caught my attention and ended up better than I ever expected. Much of that was due to its quick moving plot and lack of exposition. The show makes up for that in this one. While still less exposition than most pilots, it does slow down a great deal to give more background on the characters and to let the show breathe a little. The positive side is that the characters feel a little more fleshed out, especially Sophia, Connor, and the two potential killers. The negative side is that is does drag a little in the middle. However, it is sandwiched between 2 very intense scenes and there is enough tension and intrigue to sustain the rest. Once again, the episode ends on a major cliffhanger and lives are in the balance.

Picking up roughly 2 weeks after Ben's death, Lindy has been a very busy woman. Not only does she decide to date both Reese and Matt to determine which of them killed Ben, but she also hacked into their phones and is stalking them. It's a very risky strategy that Sophia and Tommy rightly call her on. I'm pretty sure anyone who knows his/her way around technology as much as this stalker does would probably figure that out, but then again I don't think either of them are the killer. The police and Lindy are stymied too until another woman Reese met through Flirtual dies also. Brutally. In the opening sequence. Let's just say that getting your face burned off by acid does not look like a good way to go. Blech! While that does halt Lindy in the moment, it doesn't stop her for long. She sets up another date with both, but neither go as planned. One sets up the best scene of the episode and the other, the most intense. Less surprising is the fact that Lindy also starts working for the police. What police department, at least on TV, doesn't need an untrained consultant to help them solve their cases these days? This time though, it is the boss that wants her assistance over Tommy' objections and she okays a highly dicey trap with Lindy as bait.



Why You Should Watch -

1. Again the ending - These guys know how to create a cliffhanger and it's starting to feel like no one is safe. That's exactly what a thriller type show needs.

2. Connor snark - I wasn't thrilled with Connor in the pilot but he definitely is growing on me now. I love his wit and his willingness to state the obvious whether it's appropriate or not.

3. Tension - Serial killers are creepy. They just are so it's no surprise that they focus on that here. One of my favorite scenes is a dinner where everything the person does is suspect. From the character reactions to the camera angles they jack up the viewer's apprehension throughout the episode.

4. Back story - We get to know a little about how Sophia and Lindy met and also a small glimpse into the beginning of Lindy and Ben's relationship. It is well spread out in the episode, which makes it even better.

5. The suspects - The suspect pool widens with this episode as I add 2 more candidates to my potential killer list.



Issues -

1. Pacing - While the episode begins and ends with a bang, it isn't a breathless sequence of action like the pilot. There's a dry spell early on and some exposition overload in the middle to get Lindy set up with the police. There's also a philosophical monologue from the least likely person in the middle of what should be the most tense moment but it gets a little sidetracked.

2. Love geometry - I feel it in my bones. We are not getting through this show love triangle-free. This episode starts in motion something with heavy potential to get serious later on….unless they kill off the love interest again. I am perfectly good with that.



Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - the ending…again
Best Scene - dinner
Best Action - the car
Best Save - Sophia and Connor
Most Creepy - mannequin
Worst Way to Go - having your face chemically burned off by a serial killer
Best Improvement - Connor, who is growing on me with his snarkiness
Best Introduction - Sergeant of Cyber Crimes
Best Back Story - Sophia and Lindy meeting


Great Quotes:

"Are you trying to flirt with me?" "Would you like me to flirt with you?" "Sorry, but I'm only into blondes."
"If he is the killer, he can't cut all our heads off." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I do Krav Maga."
"I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that romancing a murderer is not exactly a good idea."
"Involved? I…I didn't sign up for being involved."
"Is there a past life thing between us too?" "Oh sweetie, you're plenty to handle in the day to day."
"Look I get it. This beautiful man might be hiding something. He might not be who he says he is. He could totally mess with your life. It sounds a lot like dating in New York."
"Murderer, maybe. Husband material, not so much."
"That's bull. I'm not a nice guy."



About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and creates polls for Sleepy Hollow, White Collar, Grimm, Teen Wolf, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
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