ABC's Conviction's Integrity Holds Up

Hayley Atwell is sassy enough to entertain, smart witted enough to keep us on our toes and vulnerable enough for us to care. Give Haley a multi-layer character like Haze Morrison and you are creating magic. 

If you cannot tell, I really love ABC’s new show Conviction and it is not just about Hayley. One very talented actress cannot carry an entire show and keep it going. It takes thoughtful and intelligent writing, creative casting, talented actors and a production staff who knows how to tell as story. 

So here is the scoop on Conviction, Haze Morrison is a brilliant young attorney, who is also the daughter of a former U.S. president. Haze, after being picked up for cocaine possession is blackmailed to head up NYC's new Conviction Integrity Unit. She and her team investigate cases where people may have been wrongly convicted.

Sounds like a pretty standard template for a drama, but Conviction is a lot more. Let’s start with the cast, Hayley Atwell, best known for her role as Agent Carter in Marvel’s Agent Carter and Captain America plays Haze Morrison. Her team consists of Merrin Dungey known for her roles on Alias and Once Upon a Time as Maxine Bohen, an ex-NYPD Detective. Emily Kinney best known for her roles on The Walking Dead and Arrow as Tess Larson the Paralegal, Shawn Ashford best known for his role on The Following as Sam Spencer DA appointed liason, and Manny Montana know for his roles on South Beach and Graceland, as forensic investigator Franklin 'Frankie' Cruz. 

The Conviction Integrity Unit chooses a case and has five days to determine one of three resolutions. The first to let the conviction stand, the case needs to go back to trial, and if proven, the conviction reversed. They start from the beginning, interviewing witnesses, reviewing and researching all of the evidence, circumstances and testimony. At the end of the five days a verdict is rendered and the truth comes out. 

The writing is leading and deceiving, mixing and mirroring the struggles of the reviewing case with personal struggles of the characters. Not just Haze Morrison but each member of the team allowing for character depth and laying. Love it!

Also a terrific platform for social commentary as well as the exploration of characterization, and interpersonal relationships. The show has great promise and I am looking forward to the coming year.

Conviction is on ABC, Monday’s at 10/9c, check your local listing for more information.

Come Find Me!

Coming Soon - Falling Water on USA

The story of three unrelated people, who slowly realize that they are dreaming separate parts of a single common dream. Each of them is on a mysterious and highly personal quest - one is searching for his missing girlfriend, one is searching for a lost child, one is looking to cure his catatonic mother - and it is the clues found in their collective dream that come to guide them. The deeper they dig the more they come to realize that their missions touch on stakes that are much larger than their individual agendas.

 Falling Water premieres Thursday, Oct 13th on NBC!

Free Serial Read - Jack Primus by Michael D. Griffiths

 Beneath the world of normalcy we all live in lies another world, one where supernatural beings exist. These creatures of the night hunt us; want to feed on our very souls, though only a few know of their existence. One such man is Jack Primus, who accidentally pierces the veil between this world and the next. With no other choice if he wants to live, he finds himself on the run, hunted by beings called the Xemmoni, an ancient race that sees humans as nothing but cattle. They want his soul, to feed on his very essence, and they will kill all who stand in their way. But if they thought Jack would just lie down and accept his fate, they were sorely mistaken. He didn't ask for this battle, but he knew he would fight them with everything at his disposal, for to lose is a fate worse than death. He would win this war, and he would take down anyone who got in his way.

Part One
 
 Safe For A Moment

 Ophir Pass Colorado

No one will find me here. No would wants to be here or could get here even if they wanted. I’m just below the tree line in some old miner’s shack. It leaks and I’m burning a cord of wood just to stay on this side of the glowing white light that wants to get all snuggly.  There is eight miles of four foot snow between me and the nearest house, let alone road.  I’m starving, but I should be able to heal.

Damn Darcarre.

Who would think those alley stalkers would in in some mountain town in southwest Colorado? One called Stoner no less. Maybe it is a trap for Stalwarts.
Before I even got a chance to plug in this laptop I bought, yep actually bought. (That hive of Ripperkah in Farmington had more than a bit of cash, and I’ll never turn down a fight with those offal)

So I know what you are thinking, how are you getting this message if I’m in some remote cabin? I’m going to write this now, before I head into telluride. Damn, the middle of skiing season, that place is going to be hell, but I’m sure they have plenty of email cafes.
When I get there, I’m going to try to send this off as fast as I can. I’m sure those Darcarre at looking for me. They won’t be pleased when they find the bodies.
If you don’t receive a second post, you’ll know what has happened.
Jack Primus.

 The Hitching Post

 As you may remember, I tore my way through the drifts of snow that were nearly up to my sideburns in an attempt to put my wounded body as far from the Darcarre as possible.

Then I got a ride.
 And what a ride it was/is.
Her name is Hannah. She is a petite blonde with blazing green eyes not to different in hue from my own. At first I hoped that she might have been another servant of Yig sent to aid me, but my subtle hints were met with puzzled stares, although she was forthcoming with he own hints of a different sort. I’ve have some bad experiences with blondes in the past, but for her I was willing to make an exception.
Things were going well and I had almost forgotten I was a hunted man until she noticed the blood. She slammed on the breaks and we were nearly hit by the car behind us. Despite their honking, she refused to start the car until I was able to convince her that the blood was my own and I was in trouble.
Her nurturing instinct must have kicked in, because she started the car and insisted that she take me to a hospital. I was even more adamantly insisting that  this was something that I couldn’t allow to happen and since I have already healed the worst of my wounds it wasn’t really necessary, but I didn’t tell her that part.
So instead we stopped at the base of Lizardhead Trail and talked. A few hours later it was hard to tell which of us was falling for the other more. After locking lips for another hour after that, she was more that happy to spring for a hotel room and I told her I was willing as long as we were heading north.
Snow began to fall as darkness set in. The roads were becoming bad and the narrow headlights were soon dimmed by an endless blast of snow. It was my hope that this storm might even scare these Darcarre inside.
Somehow we made it to a little hotel know as the Lonely Oak. After we went up to the room, there were a few moments of nervious tension, because the room only held one bed. Soon this didn’t remain a problem. Let me tell you spending the night with Hannah was as wonderful as spending spending the night in the leaking miner’s cabin had sucked.
There is still no sign of the Darcarre and I can only hope that I am in the clear. I’m sighing of now. There is a warm woman waiting for me.
Jack

Wounded and weary.

I was barely able to escape Telluride. The Darcarre were waiting for me. I had just managed to get off the last post before they moved in, coming at me from every direction. I’ll tell you one thing, I’m really need to start taking heads! Since those bastards are the only Xemmoni that can heal themselves, it seemed to be about the only way you can be sure they go down,  just like zombies.

One other thing, these five foot snow drifts make things almost impossible for hitchhiking. But I’m done fooling around. These scumbags got my bike, so this is an all out war!!! No one, I mean no one, touches the bike. They have it hostage, so back to Stoner I must go. Yet, overland is almost impossible and how can I trust any rides, not that they would trust me the way I’m looking and I’m sure this bloody arm isn’t helping any.
Wait, what, someone is actually stopping. Wow, a woman no less. And pretty too. I’m going to send this off, with my luck she is probably tainted, but you never know. Wow, yeah she is cute, I might as well try.
Again, if you don’t get another post, you’ll know what happened.
In Yig I had better trust.

Get in on what happened before Jack got to Ophir Pass or Check out more of Jack’s action here!

Coming This Week - Frequency on the CW

A police detective in 2016 discovers that she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father; Frank Sullivan, a detective who died in 1996 and the two must work together to change the history of tragic events to come while also getting the chance to heal their complicated relationship. 

Frequency premieres Wednesday, Oct 5th on the CW!

 

Coming Soon - No Tomorrow on the CW

Evie, a risk-averse quality-control assessor who falls for free-spirited thrill seeker Xavier only to find out he lives his life that way because he believes the apocalypse is coming. 

No Tomorrow premieres Tuesday, Oct 4th on the CW!

 

Coming Soon - Timeless on NBC!

An unlikely trio traveling through time to battle unknown criminals in order to protect history as we know it.

Timeless premieres Monday, Oct 3rd on NBC!

Premiering This Week - Mavel's Luke Cage on Netflix!

Given superstrength and durability by a sabotaged experiment, a wrongly accused man escapes prison to become a superhero for hire. 

Premieres Friday, Sept 30th on Netflix!

New Fall TV - FOX's Exorcist is a Don't Miss Compelling Watch

TV show based on William Blatty's 1971 novel about a priest who performs exorcisms on demonic spirits. Written and created by television newcomer Jeremy Slater, whose writing credits include films such as the Lazarus Effect, Fantastic 4 and Pet.

Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera, “Sense8,” “The Chosen”) is the new face of the Catholic Church: progressive, ambitious and compassionate. He runs a small, but loyal, parish in the suburbs of Chicago. He has no idea that his quiet life is about to change forever. Deep in the slums of Mexico City, another priest has found himself locked in a life-and-death struggle with evil. Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels, “Flesh and Bone,” “House of Cards”) is a modern-day Templar Knight, an orphan raised since childhood by the Vatican to wage war against its enemies. Father Marcus is everything Father Tomas is not: relentless, abrasive and utterly consumed by his mission – and he constantly butts heads with his adversary within the church, Father Bennet (Kurt Egyiawan, “Beasts of No Nation”).

Most of us are familiar with the original Exorcist movie starring Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn. Truth be told, when released on December 26^th 1973 it scared the pants off of the entire movie watching population. People were sick, exiting the theater in hysterics, being offended and running for church as soon as possible. There have been very few movies having a such a hard impact since then. The Exorcist became the horror standard for creepiness and just plain portrayal of evil. Trying to replicate the phenom has been basically impossible.

Knowing all of this, when FOX announced The Exorcist adaptation in its 2016 Fall lineup I was giddy and oddly reserved. Being completely honest, given the current technology and entertainment climate this show was going to either be amazingly good or horribly bad. So sitting down this evening to watch it live was a tough choice. I also chose to participate in the twitter feed while watching which is a first for me. 

So the good news is this, I was scared, I jumped, and I got creeped out. So were the other viewers watching the show and live tweeting. The pilot, Chapter One: And Let My Cry Come Unto Thee, engaged and hooked me in from the moment the dogs arrived and the inhuman wailing began. There are several reasons for this, so lets talk about why The Exorcist pilot worked.

The writing, and this is so very important in any show, particularly a horror drama. If the dialog and or the scenes are not delicate and yet strong the genre comes off as hokey and unbelievable. The scare has to be rooted in a tangible fear for it to resonate. While most of the audience will be on the fence as to whether they believe in the demonic and or have religious ties makes this a particularly tough job for this show. You do not want to alienate anyone, however you want be able to deliver a truth when needed. Again, very well planned and executed by the writers room, bravo!

Where you have excellent writing you need a superior cast to deliver the story. The casting is magnificent, the two lead actors, Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels are seasoned enough actors to be able to portray the characters with a depth they need. Making them believable and giving the audience empathy for them. These two actors are also not well known enough for the audience to have their resumes prevalent in their mind when watching. The only people in the cast easily recognizable are Geena Davis and Alan Ruck, both veteran film actors who add credibility to the show.

Lastly, some (namely uneducated television executives) will want to push the technology side of genre over the top. Kill them with the impossible! This can be very easily done and ruin a movie or show. I still have a little bitterness for the use of technology in the recent movie The Conjuring 2. An otherwise awesome movie, the use of technology to create the crooked man as a form the demon liked to take to terrorize the family completely threw me out of the experience. This is why in these cases, less is more. In tonight’s The Exorcist pilot I think the production staff and director made the best choice of using technology on a limited basis. Kinda like the demon, only showing itself when absolutely necessary. Good job!

Challenges ahead for the show will be numerous. Tonight they have set the bar pretty high. We will see if they can maintain the critical balance of creepiness, scare and want. You have a tough audience and only time will tell how it shakes out. My advice, center your focus on the writing, the core of good against evil and showing the hope and faith in humanity. 

The Exorcist can be seen on Friday’s 8pm CST on FOX, check your local listings. The Exorcist is being put to the three episode test, will it be compelled to stand up in the end or be defeated by lack of faith?

Come Find Me!

Sneak Peek of My New Romantic Suspense - Little Angels

What if saving little angels meant becoming the monster?

When Special Agent Nick McFarlane receives news his partner of eight years in in trouble he doesn’t hesitate. Throwing himself into a deep cover operation to expose and shut down The Micahs, a child trafficking ring, Nick enters unprepared for the reality that awaits.

Special Agent Meredith Richards took the assignment fully aware of the consequences. Leaving her life behind, she wouldn’t be able to get out with her life until she shut the Micahs down for good.

When Meredith’s informant is murdered and her contact inside the organization starts to lose control, Meredith is forced to make choices she can’t take back. On the edge of sacrificing herself, her principles, and her life, she begins to wonder if she will survive the case or if she even wants too.  

Excerpt

The flashing lights of first responders and local police bounced off the brick walls of a crumbling complex. The Federal Special Response Unit, led by Special Agent Nick McFarlane, arrived on scene ten minutes prior. Suiting up, McFarlane and Special Agent Meredith Richards silently counted to seven. At seven, they pushed into the decrepit apartment building, listening closely for any signs of life. Nick signaled left. Meredith nodded, taking the first door on the right. Pushing the door with her foot, heart pounding, Meredith cleared the room, finding no sign of the missing boy.

The boy, Kevin, nine years old, had been kidnapped and held for ransom four days prior. The agreed-upon exchange went south just hours before, and now they were out of time. An anonymous tip had led FSRU to this location. Meredith guessed it was an accomplice trying to clear their conscious. Meredith entered the hallway. Nick moved on to the third room. Meredith moved to the next room and heard a small whimper. She froze, her breath lying still in her chest. A cry of pain. Running toward the noise, she rounded the corner, surveying the open room. The smell of thick mildew hit her nose. Stacks of aging cardboard boxes, plenty of places to hide. Meredith took a step further into the room. The sound of gasping stopped her movement. All of her focus turned to a single box.  
Meredith moved slowly, shifting the box out of her way. 

Kevin. 

His face bloodied and bruised, he gasped for breath again. 

"Nick!" Meredith rushed to the child's side, searching for the source of blood. She found a knife slice half across his neck and placed her hand over the wound. Hearing Nick stepping through the doorway and  calling for an ambulance, Meredith turned. Their suspect stood over her partner with a gun. The man twitched nervously. He's going through withdrawal. This was all about the money. He’d kidnapped the boss's son for the fix. The kidnapper was so dazed by his success he let the gun sway. A gunshot went off. Meredith hit the floor, covering Kevin. The suspect fell, his gun discharged and Nick yelped in pain. Special Agent Hawthorne and Special Agent Alan Wright rushed in. 

"Fuck! Goddamn it!" McFarlane cursed, Meredith released a breath, dashing out the door with Kevin in her arms.

Hang on baby, hang on...

The child's hand gripped her shirt tightly. Her legs couldn't move fast enough. The crisp city air hit her lungs and she vaulted down the stairs. The bus, or the short name for ambulance, was within sight. The pulling on her shirt lessened. Meredith couldn't breathe. Her stomach twisted painfully. Kevin's small body grew heavier in her arms. Laying the boy on the stretcher, it took everything in her to look at him. 

His face covered in blood, his eyes stared back at her, clouded and lifeless. The paramedics immediately went to work, but she already knew he was gone. 

Her heartbeat thundering in her head, the events around her hummed. She searched for relief, pleading for silence, peace. Nick walked out of the building with Hawthorne holding pressure on his shoulder and her heart ached again. Her gaze was resting on the stretcher. The paramedics pulled the sheet gingerly over the boy's body. 

It's too much, too much...

Gasping for air, her carefully-bound control unraveling, she began breaking in half.

"Meredith," she heard someone say, but the voice seemed far away. "Meredith."

Everything moved back into real time, and a warm hand touch her arm. Special Agent Hawthorne, kind hazel eyes and rounded face, looked at her in concern, "Hey, you okay?"

Meredith anchored her pooling emotions down into her gut, away from her conscious mind. She couldn't let her team see her fall apart. "I'm good." The steadiness of her voice seemed to convince him, and the creases in his forehead smoothed. "Where's McFarlane?"

"Over there," Meredith followed Hawthorne's gaze. A paramedic wrapped McFarlane's shoulder in the back of an ambulance. She nodded her thanks. 

"You okay?" Meredith asked, reaching the ambulance with her partner sitting in the back.

"Just a flesh wound." McFarlane glanced over the paramedic's work. "How's the boy?"

"He's–" the pain in her chest spiked. "They're still working on him." She focused on the area behind the ambulance, a small path of green in a world of concrete, desperate to still the creeping pain threatening to take over. McFarlane handed her a warm moist towel from the ambulance. Confused, Meredith looked down the sight of her blood-stained hands, catching the breath in her chest. Hands shaking, she wiped the blood away before tossing the towel into the ambulance.

McFarlane stayed silent. Special Agent Nick McFarlane, team lead, stood 6'4, broad shoulders, tight stance, everlasting 5'oclock shadow, and intense ice-blue eyes. Patiently waiting for her to give in and admit defeat, she refused. Her lips parted, with a prepared comment on their suspect, but his wordless gaze stopped her cold. 

It was like hitting a brick wall when he looked at her like that–knowing what she's thinking without words. Having an eight-year history of seeing some of the worst scum on the earth created a wordless connection between colleagues. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears at the exposure. Knowing she'd been caught. Angry at her own weakness, Meredith fought like hell to keep her composure intact. The guilt ripping through her unfettered, she dropped her chin in defeat.

Nick's consoling arm rested on her shoulders. He pulled her in, her forehead resting on his chest. In the small cocoon of his embrace, she pushed down the emotion threatening to take over.

* * * *

Come Find Me!