You're Wearing That?

"You have a problem with my Sexy Rogue Ensemble?"

The Sexy Rogue Ensemble is de rigueur for male characters battling possible supernatural/paranormal foes on television. I was reminded of the less-than-subtle costuming trend when I saw a shot of Duchovny on the set of the new X-Files, because yes, Mulder's in on it too.

Say hello to The Jacket: rugged fabric in camo green or another no-nonsense dark shade, minimal modern interpretation of a collar, and almost a box cut (in that it's not too loose but not too fitted). 

The Jacket borders on a uniform at this point (except sexy rogues are a touch too non-conformist for uniforms), worn with denim jeans and simple tees/shirts. No bright colors in sight. The sexy rogue usually favors short hair, but kind of scruffy short hair. Like they would be in the army if they could handle rules.

I'm callin' it. Urban Warrior all the way.

Traits you can assume any character wearing this clothing trope onscreen possesses (give or take a few points, 'cause rogues are a tad unpredictable):

-Usually hunting something, or being hunted.

-Will step in and save others, if reluctantly.

-Despite sometimes questionable interpersonal skills, deep down has a heart of gold.

-Generally funny (whether intentionally or not).

-Bit of a hit with the ladies.

-Mega hot despite the bad drinking and eating habits. Fit from all the roguein', I guess. (Hey, it's television.)

Yeah, I can see why they'd wrap this costuming trope around Mulder. Frankly, it's an upgrade from his nineties fashion fare...!

Still coming to terms with the lack of red hair over here.

I consider the character of Dean from Supernatural to be the "father" of this trend. Not because he's the first person to wear it like a uniform, but because he cemented SRE in the zeitgeist over a decade of seasons.

"This looks is MINE."

Can another Dean photo reall-y hurt? Wait, how about his brother instead? #keepinitinthefamily

The Jacket lends itself to"supernatural" moves.

...Other hunter characters on the show have tried to channel the look.

Give it up Garth.

Over on Grimm Nick got the memo about the dress code. A cupboard in the creepy Weapons 'n Weirdness caravan is probably full of The Jacket in black, near black, navy, dark blue, and almost black.  

"Should I have gone for a different shade? Maybe charcoal?"

The Secret Circle reminded audiences this dress code applies to teen witches battling witch hunters as well.

A prettier version on Adam, but still The Jacket.

Vampire Diaries fans will tell you Alaric kept his interpretation cleaner. (Keeps? Now he's not dead? #supernaturalgrammarissues). Vampire hunter, sure, but he's also the local history teacher.

Seriously, I can take a class wearing this.

 An invisible barrier like the one in Under The Dome captured a wild SRE. See that sexy rogue in the background?

Barbie should know better. The Sexy Rogue Ensemble
 isn't popular in small towns.

On Beauty and the Beast Vincent's version made it onto the promo poster.

From rooftops to subway tunnels, SRE is all the rage.

Seriously, this look is always in for sexy rogues. Don't believe me? Ask a time traveller.

"I can confirm I've worn this jacket in multiple timelines."

...Annnddd as much as I'd like to spend the rest of my day sourcing examples of Sexy Rogue Ensembles, I think I've made my point xx

Things are looking GRIMM.

Grimm is slightly off-kilter, and I'm not referring to the fairytale aspects. This show's got PROBLEMS, which is a pity, because with Supernatural winding down and Fringe set to finish, there's a definite cult tv gap up for grabs.

David Greenwalt is one of the series' creators. If the name sounds familiar, it's because you've seen it in the credits of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Moonlight, Eureka and The X-Files.

Of course, this could be part of the problem. Mediocrity was not on my list of viewer expectations. Supernatural creatures, references to old myths, sassy sleuthing, yes. Kind of crappy television... not so much.

Turns out, David Greenwalt+Fairytales (& who isn't a fan of fairytales??) does not=AWESOME SAUCE.

I think this warrants a sad face.

:(

The frustrating thing is the concept of the show is pretty solid, in terms of a supernatural procedural, ie lots of cop shop talk and a weekly creature feature.

For those who haven't caught an episode, policeman Nick Burkhardt discovers he's from a bloodline known as Grimms, humans who can see the 'true' faces of creatures living amongst humanity's droves. Naturally, this causes complications in Nick's life, personally and professionally.

While his heritage is a bit bloodthirsty (bordering on ethnic cleansing, some might say) today's Grimm chooses to walk a milder path. He's more thoughtful and empathic, using his hereditary talents to bring justice to both worlds.

In theory, the main character should deliver. He's jolted from his comfortable life into a confusing, complex, supernatural world. He has to keep his Grimm skills a secret from those he loves, while trying to manage both sides of the equation (yes, like a superhero).

In reality, despite the great set-up, this show simply doesn't work.

I want to be bright rather than bitter, so I'm going to focus on one area in which the program excels (for now, that is. Will let you know when the rant's a'comin').

Visually, this series is top notch. Utterly beautiful cinematography (especially the lighting), with occasional saturated scenes that are very fairytale-esque. Quite stunning. Kudos to the crew.

Moving on to the conflicted hero. (Yes, taking off my compliment hat, a 1920's style cloche complete with silk flowers, putting on my critical cap, which is, frankly, quite dowdy).

The bald truth is, our protagonist is not impressive. The character is middling.The actor is middling, his storylines are middling, he's just... middling. Not good, not bad. Middling (no relation to Bette).

His (unofficial) sidekick saves Grimm from the dvd bargain bin. Silas Weir Mitchell plays Eddie Munroe, a creature known as a Blutbad. He's on a kind of twelve step monster program, preferring a vegetarian, (relatively) violence-free lifestyle. This guy's hilarious, and the only reason I've hung in there. He fixes clocks, too. (How randomly fairytale-esque is that?).

He's a bit like the incredible hulk, ie determined to remain non-violent, which kind of goes haywire sometimes. Possibly the funniest gory moment on the show was when he accidentally pulled off a baddies arm during a fist fight. My bad, indeed.

Remember that old chestnut, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all? (And why is that called a chestnut?) I'm applying this sentiment to the protagonist's best friend/police partner and his live-in girlfriend*.

Please note, this is not a reflection of the actor's talents. The characters are metaphors for a 'normal life', and that's how they're written. Clunky, two-dimensional, ANNOYING metaphors. Poor form from the script department. Tsk, tsk.

I think a large part of the show's problem is the CARICATURED 'idea' of a police detective. Exaggerated blokey walking, the posing, the terrible, terrible cliched comments coming out of the cop's mouths... so painful.

Dot-to-dot policing isn't helping either btw. Here's a prime example:

Nick: We've got a bunch of blood being illegally transported, and a dead kid missing seven pints.

Hank: Maybe we should check to see if there's a connection between the two.

Grimm, Season 1, Episode 10.

Really? They felt that this dialogue was NECESSARY?

I think it's time to take a note from The Walking Dead and overhaul the writing staff, because at this stage, cancellation can't be too far off.

To be fair, part of the problem may be that Grimm airs on a much more commercial network than a lot of other supernatural-themed programs. This means bigger audience numbers are demanded/expected. Perhaps they're trying to lay the standard procedural stuff on thick, so as not to lose viewers wary of the weird?

At this point, with a good chunk of season one over, it's safe to say the attempt at fusion has failed. Time to fish or cut bait.

Here's the trailer for the first episode. Promised so much, yet delivered so little. The Grimm brothers would be disappointed.

*On a random note- what is with the doppelganger casting of the female characters?? I get that sometimes guys have a type, but seriously, now may be a good time to try and move away from long red/brown hair parted in the middle and pale, pale skin.

I was watching an episode of the show with someone who's only a random viewer, and this conversation pretty much sums up the problem:

"Why is his girlfriend doing that?"

Oh, that's not his girlfriend, it's a guest star. She just looks like his girlfriend."

"Oh right, okay, yeah, I remember this one, I got her mixed up with the girlfriend before. She's the crazy one who used to go out with the clock guy."

"No, that was another actress, from a different episode. This crazy one wants to date the cop."

""Christ, why do they all look the same?"

(Good question, and one the casting department should probably be asking themselves).

The Immediate Future (of television, that is!)

What to watch, what to watch? It's fun when American networks try on new shows. Of course, after an episode or two most of them are rejected, but at least we get to enjoy the whirlwind for a few weeks.

Here's a dozen standout newbies, along with links to some dazzling trailer action. Vetting a show based on a minute thirty or so of footage is bit like judging a book by it's cover- hardly an informed decision, but hey, you work with what you've got...

(I didn't write much about the previews, because I know I'll blog about the best of these at a later date!).

1. Awake

Brilliant premise, brilliant trailer. Just the idea of someone living like this gives me chills. Must-watch show of the season.

2. Terra Nova

The latest scifi series from Steven Spielberg and Brannon Braga. Fresh scifi blood's pretty scarce on the (tv)ground at present, so a lot of genre hopes are pinned on this one.

3. Scandal

I like this kick-ass chick. She's a crisis management lawyer with presidential contacts. The writing quality seems relatively promising, overall.

4. New Girl

Sitcoms in the vein of Friends are de rigeur. This light, fun take stars Indie Golden Girl Zooey Deschanel. Enough said.

5. Alcatraz

If you like Lost, you might like JJ Abram's latest effort- with Sam Neill! I think there's enough requisite spookiness for me to give it a chance.

6. Pan Am

Here's a flashback to old school stewardess glamour. I'm not really into this sixties-based television trend, but Christina Ricci is fantastic.

7. The Finder

A spin-off of Bones, so the writing's bound to be good. (Also glad the guy from Happy Town got a new show).

8. The Playboy Club

Lovers of Mad Men are bound to give this one a chance. Apparently, the sixties are SO in right now. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the allure?

9. Apartment 23

I really like Krysten Ritter, and am glad she got her own show. She just manages to bring so much sass to her small screen performances.

10. The Ringer

Not quite convinced Sarah Michelle Gellar has chosen the right vehicle for her tv return (the premise sounds dubious), but I will watch this out of Buffy-based respect.

11. Grimm

Obviously inspired by Supernatural, but it is from the executive producers of Buffy and Angel, so I'm in. Just hope it gets the chance to run a whole season.

12. Unforgettable

If I have to include a procedural, it would be Unforgettable. Basically, the protagonist is like a female Sherlock Holmes.

Happy Viewing!

xoxo