Drive on FOX

[Tarryk]

Keanu Reeves-style: "Woah"

I'm sure some of this probably got posted in here somewhere already, but I'll just summarize real quick.

I was just going to watch the first episode of "Drive" last night on the web, ended up having to sit through all three because it was so incredibly badass. I am in love with this series, new fandom achieved, and it's not just because of the cast (although that does indeed help, hehe)

This series simply ROCKS.

Starring Nathan Fillion (Cap'n Mal Reynolds of Firefly), with a minor-but-important role also played by Richard Brooks (Jubal Early, the bounty hunter in the last ep of Firefly), and produced & directed by Tim Minear (one of the primary producers on Firefly).

Just go watch the first episode. The web quality is REALLY good, and it's commercial-free which is a huge bonus (and unexpected, maybe the commercials just weren't queuing up right or something), but you can't go completely full-screen with it. It's worth it nonetheless, you can make the viewer pretty big.

http://www.myspace.com/driveonfox

(yes, the season eps are on MySpace, I haven't checked the Fox site itself for a different style of vid-streamer, as these are already nearly DVD quality)

[Innari]

I was hoping you were going to preview this and tell us what you thought. I had been eying it now for a few weeks, but never looked. Awesome. *goes to watch*...

[Tarryk]

Definitely worth it!!

For those who might have wanted a brief synopsis: It's basically a story about what appears to be a conspiracy-style social experiment of sorts, where many people are "selected" (by an unknown company/mafia/government/who knows) to participate in a cross-country road race against each other for various reasons. Some for the return of their kidnapped loved ones, others for a promised 32 million dollars, still others with motives that have yet to be explained sufficiently.

Within just these first 3 episodes, there have been literally dozens of plot twists, continuously adding that much more to the plot and mystery of the story from one check-point to the next (the race is divided into day-by-day stretches between checkpoints).

It's hard to say whether the series is really original or really not, and my final review on that note would be: it doesn't matter. It's gripping, suspensful, GREAT acting, funny moments, sudden personality & plot twists, and it leaves itself with open plot lines that keep you excited about guessing what could be next (instead of just contriving itself to be so over-the-top suspensful that you get bored of the predictable cliffhangers, like I was with Heroes).

[Vallikat]

Ok...I saw the pilot and was thinking of you while watching it. I wondered if you knew that Mal was in a new series, but I figured since you don't watch TV you'd probably catch up to it on DVD.

Anywho, I can't really add much to your synopsis and review. I really enjoyed it. It kept me on the edge of my seat for the most part. Though a couple of the twists I could see coming. But mainly it really kept me going. I was particularly surprised bye the "elimination" element because I didn't expect them to throw that in there at all.

I missed the first regular Monday though because I had stuff to do. But I did turn it on (in advance of 24) and got to watch the last few minutes. Just that short time drew me in. Just that short time and when it cut off when it did in the end I found myself saying "dammit!" I knew right then and there that I was going to start adding it to my Monday night line-up. Although I'm not sure I can handle that much adrenalin all at once (between Drive and 24). But I'll just have to test it and see.

[Chaimera]

this show is a must see, it kicks ass on all levels, and it only has a few episodes out so far, i love it.

[Meenstreek]

Sheeeeit man! Why does it have to be on Fox?!? You know they are going to shit-can the show because it's good! I'm not even trying to be funny when I say that either, I'm dead serious. Mark my words, 1 season from this show and they will get rid of it.

I just watched the first 3 episodes and wow are they awesome! The end of the third totally leaves you hang'n too lol. 3..2...Drive! Dammit!! ><

[Firia]

Sheeeeit man! Why does it have to be on Fox?!? You know they are going to shit-can the show because it's good!

I second this. Because it's true.
"Well, this idea worked to well. What now?"
"Scrap it. We don't like to associate the FOX network with quality entertainment. Replace it with reruns of the Simpsons and American Idol."

[Vallikat]

Well they've stuck by '24' for 6 seasons (and an already promised 7th) and IMO that's a quality show. So you never know, they may just hang on to this one as well.

My concern with it is that from the premise it seems clear that we'll be getting a whole new set of characters next year. That makes it hard to invest in anyone. But we'll see. I may just like it like that.

[Aakasha]

I have not been able to see any episodes, I am hoping to sit down and watch em tonight if I don't faceplant on my keyboard after work. From all the previews I have seen tho, this looks like a really awesome show. Fox better NOT can this one.

[Xtrophic]

And I can't watch it

Thank you for your interest in MySpace.com TV. This service is currently unavailable to viewers living outside the United States.

[Meenstreek]

*cough*Torrents*cough*

[Xtrophic]

*cough*Ok*cough*

[Aameul]

I mostly agree with Tarryk. It seems to be quite a solid show and worth watching. Some of the characters are pretty lame (i.e. the blonde teamed with the mother) but most seem to be pretty interesting. Some of the driving sequences are pretty well shot, and the car that Tully (Fillion's character) gets at the end of the 3rd episode is pure sex.

Unfortunately it conflicts with How I Met Your Mother so no Tivo treatment for Drive. Hopefully I'll be home at 8 tomorrow so I can watch it while the Tivo records How I Met Your Mother. Otherwise I'll snag it on the intertubes somewhere until HIMYM goes into reruns.

(FYI, How I Met Your Mother is the best 'normal format' sitcom on TV, only behind The Office for best sitcom on TV. More people need to watch it. Though it does occasionally make me feel old because for the first time, there's a sitcom exclusively based on characters my age.)

[Firia]

*cough* You guys too, eh? *cough*

[Jugsmalone]

Well here goes how stupid I can really be I watched the 3erd episode first,,, I must admit tho I liked it so much that I watched all 3 of them twice, I am looking forward to the new one tonight ,I rarely watch TV but tonight I am willing to for go a bit of leather and lighters to see the next show, I think I am hooked. I hope they do not cancel this show.

[Fishi3]

I just plain don't trust Fox. But then it hardly matters since I don't watch any TV anymore.

[Otori]

Was holding my tongue until I watched the 4th episode tonight, and I have to say that the acting is absolutely horrendous. It wasn't so bad in the first 3 episodes, but this one was just plain bad. The dialouge between the two hispanic brothers just bordered on racist...."who cares holmes...." I half expected a "You don't know who I am esse".

The story telling and the plot devices are nice, but it's seems to be (and admitingly by the producers) using the formula that Lost has used for going on 4 seasons now....and what Heroes and Jericho (and as a side funny Ameuel, I think "How I Met Your Mother" is the sitcom version of Lost...think about it). I'm a Lost fanboi, and maybe I hold that torch high, and even the plot can hold on it's own, but the acting is second rate, to say the least.

On the contrary, tonight's Heroes was nice. I'm liking Drive, but I still to this day, can't figure out why Tarryk hasn't watched Lost (Please Brutha, I'll BUY you the first 2 seasons on DVD and mail them to you personally!!)

[Ms.Ice]

*snickers*

How i Met Your Mother totally makes me feel old too, lol.

"Vomit Free Since 93!"

i graduated in 93! o.O

But since we are talking about our favs, i will throw in a couple of my new finds.

Dirt, love to have LA as the background. And i adore Don Conkey.

Dexter, because it is so much more interesting to try to understand a "bad"guy". Anyone can be a victim, it's the criminals that are interesting. Kind of like a TV equivalent of "The Woodsman", awesome movie.

Tarryk, thanks for the recommendation. i would have never seen Firefly if it wans't for you. So i will check this one out too.

[Firia]

(Please Brutha, I'll BUY you the first 2 seasons on DVD and mail them to you personally!!)

You can mail me those dvd's. I won't complain.

I like that someone has offered up a counter point. I knew that Nathan would attract alot of attention from the Firefly fans. I figured it could really go either way. But I havn't seen to really say.

Still, I like hearing counterpoints. If a million people say it's good, I wanna hear what the one person that doesn't like it has to say. It might be valid.

[Tarryk]

Well, all I can say for sure is that the acting is not second rate at all, in my opinion. Every character had themselves pretty much laid out in persona and demeanor. Using my other example of Heroes, that's one that my opinion stands about poor acting. Too many blank, emotionless faces, with few exceptions. In Drive I can tell what characters are feeling.

I will admit, however, that some of the characters REALLY annoy me, but that's the characters themselves, not the ability of the actors. They're probably supposed to annoy the crap out of me, which means a good-on-ya to the actors.

And as for the borderline racism, I have to say I chuckled at that comment. I think that's completely out of place as an opinion on the character's behavior. If it were a black ex-con who spoke with a hard urban accent and used "homey" a lot, I doubt you'd judge it as racist, it would be an expected and VERY applicable stereotype. A minority ex-con thug speaking in perfect harvard english, now THAT would be laughably stupid. The same thing applies here. He's a latino convict. They actually DO say "esse" and "homes" a lot in that thick urban-latin accent; it's an applicable stereotype, and of all the admittedly cheese-factor personalities they seem to have in this series, that's the most realistic of them as far as my experience sees it.

I think the interactions and twists are perfect, and I think that - with a couple exceptions - the acting is top-notch, especially compared to most other contemporary series (BattleStar and Heroes keep coming to mind).