The Handler Ongoing thread (1 Viewer)

[Steve_Tk]

I just got around to watching this. Did anyone else watch it? I thought it was pretty good.

 

[Patrick Sun]

After watching the pilot, I can't see myself getting all that upset if I miss an episode of this show.

 

[Elizabeth S]

Thought the episode was a little "busy" with various subplots, but Joe Pantoliano just fascinates me. Will continue to watch this one.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I dig it. It's got a fun and malleable premise, Joey Pants is great, and the supporting characters are enjoyably off-beat personalities. So often these shows seem to emphasize what's "just like us" about the characters, and I liked how this one seemed to show that it takes a special breed to go undercover.

And it was pretty well written; even though I saw he was listed as a guest star, I didn't expect them to off Pruitt Taylor Vance like that. I thought he was going to be a recurring character, but there he was, gone halfway through the pilot.

 

[Michael Hughes]

Boy there are a lot of crime cop shows on TV, its good but there's only so much you can take. I am not sure if I can stomoach another crime show, but out of the new ones, it looks pretty decent.

Is it worth watching over Boomtown? I choose to watch DVDs on Fri Night so I have to make a choice what to Tivo

 

[Patrick Sun]

10/10/03 "Bruno"

Joe walks into an old "acquaintance" from one of his previous undercover aliases "Bruno" and gets recruited for a bank heist, which involves burrowing from a newly leased bookstore across the street from a bank. Burt Young did look like he could have a coronary from the exertion, and his character did have a coronary.

Bruno's old flame shows up to put a crimp in his undercover mission, and Joe appears to be very conflicted about it.

Lily stumbles on a stolen book operation while working the bookstore, and has to fend off a friendly cop who takes a liking to her (and who could blame him?).

No Lily in this episode. Bummer. I just realized who she played on another show (Lola Glaudini was on The Sopranos as the undercover FBI agent who befriended Ariana).

Anyone, this episode was pretty entertaining at capturing the sticky problems with going undercover for long periods of time, and forging relationships that are hard to retire.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Really good episode, I thought, though I think this episode kind of exposed one of the flaws in the show's set-up: Joey Pants is top-billed as the star of the show, but as "The Handler" he isn't really involved in the action most weeks. This episode was an exception, but how often are the writers going to be able to swing that?

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

I'll reserve judgment until I actually see an episode. This will become hard, because I just can't stand Joey Pants, and the stupid marketing they did with the commercials.

Am I supposed to be scared of this ass-pipe? What, is he like 5'3"? "The Handler". Should have been: "The Hand-job-ergler".

Sorry. Please continue....

 

[Patrick Sun]

10/17/03

This was a little creepy, but always nice to see Peter Weller (of Robocop, Buckaroo Banzai fame) working again. Now he played a "cleaner" of sorts running on scam on easy marks indulging in the prostitution profession. Now I find the manner in which this guy getting rid of bodies ironic considering Joey Pants' role as Ralphie on Sopranos.

The other case with Lily and Darnell was a case of just being as "out there" and bad acting on display.

 

[Patrick Sun]

11/14/03 "Hardcore"

I thought this was actually kind of interesting in how "inter-departmental" cooperation was played incompetently, and how Joe had to show them who's boss by exposing the LA undercover cop to further his own case.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I've been logging these on TiVo until I had an opportunity to catch up. Couldn't sleep last night, so I watched the "Bruno" episode and was pleasantly surprised at how clever and unpredictable it was. Didn't follow the standard TV 1-hour formula; more plotlines left open than tied up. The characters are starting to get more interesting, and the acting is first-rate.

I'm suddenly motivated to make more time for this show.

M.

 

[Patrick Sun]

It's getting to that balance of being serial and episodic in nature. It's a tough row to hoe (and get the tone right).

 

[Elizabeth S]

I really enjoy the show, and am glad CBS has given it a full season order.