Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Don't get on the wrong side of Moonlight fans!



TV Guide readers wrote to Matt Roush concerning Fox's immortal show, New Amsterdam. One made it quite clear that John Amsterdam is absolutely no competition for our Mick St John (I agree). Her declaration that she would "like Mick to stake Mr. Amsterdam and cut off his head" and Matt's reply about Moonlight fans made me chuckle!

Ask Matt

Question :
As a huge fan of Moonlight, Lost and now Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I am so glad FX is repeating it on weekends or I never would've found and adored this show!), I love sci-fi. That's why I wanted to try New Amsterdam. Sorry to disagree with some of your other readers, but I am not a fan in the slightest. The first episode showed a tinge of promise — I thought it was interesting the way they were handling the immortal aspect, showing potential to become an original show. But by the second and third episodes, I was bored to tears. Some of those were tears of laughter because, honestly, some of the dialogue is just terrible! It's essentially a crime procedural with the slightest haze of a supernatural element. This is more for the CSI fan than the sci-fi fan, and even then, it is easily predictable and poorly acted. The twist with Omar came as a surprise, but then turned sour for me as I found the whole aspect of John's numerous children to be badly executed. Where is the pain in his eyes? He doesn't even act like a father! I won't be watching any longer, and I sorely wish that the far superior Canterbury's Law had gotten those prime post-American Idol slots. New Amsterdam may be a "supernatural" show, but the holes in the plot are way too huge to avoid. I've definitely fallen away from this one. — Angie L.

Matt Roush :
I agree that the procedural part of the show is the weakest. It's generic in every way, but I'm still relatively intrigued by the way Amsterdam's longevity and his knowledge of ancient New York plays into the cases. But back to the bashing, as Connie L. chimes in with this even harsher critique: "The flashbacks, which a lot of people seem to like, are artificial and boring to me. Mr. Amsterdam is not what a man who has lived 400 years would be. Where are the wrinkles from so much loss and grief? Yes, he's 35 or so, but he's been through so much death and pain that I don't see! I can't get past that at all. I want someone to shoot him, stab him or just have him fall off a building so I can see what happens. How does he stay alive and how does he deal with the people that see it happen? And a point his grandson made, which I can't get out of my head, is what if someone cut his head off? Yes, what if? He does not act like a father or grandfather at all. I want to see feelings, and he doesn't have it. I see this show as a crime show with flashbacks, nothing else. Mr. Amsterdam is no Mick St. John. I'll take my Mick any day. In fact, I'd like Mick to stake Mr. Amsterdam and cut off his head."

Lesson here: You really don't want to get on the wrong side of Moonlight fans.

Hahahaha......

askmatt@tvguide.com

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