Review of the SyFy television series ‘Eureka’

The SyFy Channel series Eureka (2006-2012) depicted a “U.S. Marshall who [became] the sheriff of a remote cozy little Northwestern town of Eureka where the best minds in the US…secretly [were] tucked away to build futuristic inventions for the government.” The series ran for five seasons of charmingly humorous science that frequently would have things “go disastrously wrong.”

(From left, Trevor Jackson as Kevin Blake, Felicia Day as Holly Marten, Erica Cerra as Jo Lupo and Colin Ferguson as Jack Carter in the television series Eureka).

The central humor of this story is the storyline of characters intermixed with the mayhem where science runs comically amok. Colin Ferguson as Sheriff Jack Carter is the everyman at the center of saving the day for whatever dilemma the individual series brought. Part of the early series focused on the sheriff’s relationship with his rebellious daughter Zoe Carter, as played by Jordan Danger.

(From left, Colin Ferguson as Jack Carter, Debrah Farentino as Beverly Barlowe and Joe Morton as Henry Deacon in the television series Eureka).

Jo Lupo, as played by Erica Cerra, plays the combative deputy to Jack Carter, first as a rough and tumble competitor. Lupo becomes romantically attached to Jim Taggart, as played by Matt Frewer, and Zane Donovan as played by Niall Matter, through the course of the series. The antagonistic yet playful relationships among these characters serves the irreverent stories of the five seasons well.

(From left, Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Allison Blake and Niall Matter as Zane Donovan in the television series Eureka).

Central to the storyline of Eureka is the character of Allison Blake, as portrayed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Allison tangles at first with the complicated relationship between her ex-husband Nathan Stark, who is played by Ed Quinn. It feels like the original plan was for Nathan Stark to last in the series longer than he did, as Stark and Allison parent Kevin Blake as played first by Meshach Peters and later by Trevor Jackson. Nathan fathers a second child with Allison during the series, yet his character leaves the series with Trevor Grant and Jack Carter becoming love interests at different points in the series. James Callis plays Trevor Grant in one of the more satisfying yet short lived storylines in the series.

(From left, Chris Gauthier as Vincent, Jordan Danger as Zoe Carter and Neil Grayston as Douglas Fargo and S.A.R.A.H. in the television series Eureka).

Beverly Barlowe, as played by Debrah Farentino, is written as one of the more complicated characters through the course of the series. In offering a character whose narrative arc follows a logical yet emotionally complicated path across a fascinating storyline across the series, my only clue in this review is to articulate that her angle is personal, ethically misguided, yet of a compelling human quality to make her story interesting. Barlowe’s tale stands out as interesting, too, in comparison to the story of Henry Deacon as played by Joe Morton. Deacon parallels Jack as an everyman of the scientific community yet with a complicated history that at first intersects with a deceased wife and then with a wife he grows to care for through complicated means named Grace Monroe. Tembi Locke plays Grace Monroe.

(From left, Joe Morton as Henry Deacon, James Callis as Trevor Grant and Tembi Locke as Grace Monroe in the television series Eureka).

Douglas Fargo, also the voice of the automated intelligence for Jack Carter’s house S.A.R.A.H., is played by Neil Grayston. In many ways, Fargo is the comic relief first for Nathan Stark and later for the full storyline Eureka. Douglas comes into a friendly rivalry with Isaac Parrish, played by Wil Wheaton, as both have a scientific rivalry and ultimately a rivalry of the heart when it comes to Holly Marten, as played by Felicia Day. Deputy Andy as played by Kavan Smith along with Carpe Diem proprietor Vincent, as played by Chris Gauthier, add comedic value through the course of the series as well.

(From left, Ed Quinn as Nathan Stark and Kavan Smith as Deputy Andy in the television series Eureka).

As mentioned with a partial review on Rotten Tomatoes, Eureka kept an “assured sense of humor and game [that kept] it afloat, though an increased sense of stakes and willingness to switch up its formula [in later seasons] add[ed] some welcome excitement.” A pair of disjointed holiday episodes aside that did offer entertainment value, the full narrative of the Eureka series entertained me to the point of recommending you view the series. I rate the series Eureka at 4.0-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Matthew McConaughey and the movie ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’

The sixteenth novel written by crime novelist Michael Connelly introduced the half-brother to detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, namely Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller. The 2005 book The Lincoln Lawyer emerged six years later as the movie of the same name. Six years later, the movie version of the book The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) emerged with Matthew McConaughey in the leading role as Mickey, or Mick, Haller.

(Left to right, Michael Peña as Jesus Martinez and Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

We are introduced to the moderately successful Mickey Haller, who is driven around in his Lincoln Town Car. The car itself stands in for Haller’s office, which in part ties to Haller’s typical clients of drug dealers and gangsters. A former client named Jesus Martinez, as portrayed by Michael Peña, lays important background for the man Haller is while being relevant to the case of wealthy realtor Louis Roulet, who is accused of assault and attempted murder in what at first appears to be a set up by the female “victim”. In the book, Jesus Martinez was named Jesus Menendez.

(Left to right, Margarita Levieva as Regina (Reggie) Campo and Ryan Phillippe as Louis Roulet in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

Ryan Phillippe portrays Louis Roulet, who looks to be setup by Regina Campo. Margarita Levieva portrays Campo, a paid entertainer whose assault clearly occurred with the underlying facts of the situation in dispute. Haller’s assistant Frank Levin, as portrayed by William H. Macy, helps to investigate. Levin finds a fact pattern that leads to the case of Martinez, bringing doubt to the truthfulness of what Roulet has shared with his defense attorneys.

(From left, Mackenzie Aladjem as Hayley Haller and Marisa Tomei as Maggie McPherson in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

We are introduced to Mick Haller’s ex-wife, prosecutor Maggie McPherson and the couple’s daughter, Hayley Haller, along the way. The emotional baggage of these relationships, as well as that of the convicted Jesus Martinez, take further definition at this point. Whether McPherson, as portrayed by Marisa Tomei, is the prosecuting attorney for the Roulet case is at first unclear. The unraveling of that little degree of mystery was a nice touch. Mackenzie Aladjem portrayed Hayley Haller.

(From left, Michael Paré as Detective Kurlen, Michaela Conlin as Detective Sobel, and Bryan Cranston as Detective Lankford in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

That baggage takes a further turn when Haller, with the findings from Frank Levin in hand, asks Martinez something that would indicate how truthful Roulet has been in sharing information in his case. Meanwhile, investigation by Detective Sobel and her colleagues of the shooting death of Frank Levin makes Haller look guilty because the gun was of a model stolen from Haller. Circumstances point to Roulet being responsible for this, in addition to veiled threats against Maggie McPherson and Hayley Haller.

(Left to right, Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller and Josh Lucas as Ted Minton in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

Detective Sobel is portrayed by Michaela Conlin. Sobel’s boss, Detective Lankford as portrayed by Bryan Cranston, suspects Mick Haller. Meanwhile, Mick Haller does something ethically questionable that prompts state’s attorney Ted Minton to look long at hard about next steps for the spinning wheel of the Louis Roulet trial. Something just intervenes at Maggie McPherson’s hands, shortly after Haller calls upon his past to address a larger piece of drama that co-mingles with two intriguing applications of loyalty to family.

(Frances Fisher as Mary Windsor in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

Mary Windsor, as portrayed by Frances Fisher, first appears in the movie of The Lincoln Lawyer. Her larger narrative is instrumental in the trial of her son. Mick Haller’s chauffer, Earl, offers a lesson of loyalty that brings the notion of the defense attorney forward. Laurence Mason portrayed Earl. Watching the movie to here the story’s take on loyalty is worth the time investment.

(Left to right, Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller and Laurence Mason as Earl in the movie The Lincoln Lawyer).

In getting into the movie adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer, the casting decisions for the film were really top notch. I honestly loved the police detectives chosen, as well as reprising Matthew McConaughey as a lawyer fifteen years after A Time To Kill (1996). Marisa Tomei as Maggie McPherson was another stellar choice. Typically typecasting as a phenomenon can be detrimental, though it worked here. The layers of the story worked well, too, for a movie with the given rating (PG-13). My 4.00-stars rating on a scale of one-to-five for The Lincoln Lawyer reflects this.

Matt – Saturday, April 18, 2020