NBC are such total douches, as we all know, and this has been adequately displayed by their recent struggles. They aired Saving Hope, a Canadian show, at little cost to themselves, yet willfully chose to put it on during the summer and not promote it at all, and then they yanked the last two episodes with typical haphazard inanity, done waiting for the ratings to spike (in the Summer. For a show they made no attempt to promote. Bears repeating).
Well, due to the fact that Saving Hope is excellent beyond belief, its home network, CTV, has renewed it for Season 2, thwarting NBC's attempts to stifle this fabulous show in its prime. I headed over to Amazon to stream the last two eps of season 1 recently, and it was one of the best $4 purchases I've ever made.
As I've mentioned before, it's not that Saving Hope is especially creative in its premise or themes. It's essentially the Denny plotline of Grey's Anatomy crossed with Mercy, with a dash of the reaper plotline from Supernatural, and looks like it's directed by JJ Abrams thanks to an abundance of artistic lens flares (which nicely emphasize the subtle, supernatural elements of the show). And we can't exactly ignore the fact that Michael Shanks, aka Stargate SG1's Daniel Jackson, is yet again lingering between life and death, dispensing wisdom and looking hot (sigh).
However, not only are all of the aforementioned qualities effing amazing, clearly, but Saving Hope executes each one of them with genius aplomb and emotional depth that are truly impressive.
In addition to Shanks' perfect turn as charming, conflicted, comatose, sexy Charlie Harris, Erica Durance gives a stunning performance as his determined fiance Alex, a fellow doctor who works tirelessly to keep Charlie alive and tries desperately to break through his coma.
As anyone familiar with my feelings about Smallville will know, I would watch anything with Erica Durance because her picture is next to "awesome" in the dictionary. So to have her teamed with Shanks (who also appeared in Smallville in a small but pivotal turn as Hawkman) in such a terrific program is a delight.
Seriously, check out the scene where Alex lets herself laugh at a party, then realizes that she momentarily forgot about Charlie, and bursts into tears. It's the stuff Emmys are made of, tucked away in a show few Americans are watching.
The supporting players, while certainly second fiddle compared with these lead roles, are pleasant and cute enough in their roles. Maggie (Julia Taylor Ross) and Gavin (Kristopher Turner)'s sweet bestie to true love transition is painfully adorable, while Joel (The Vampire Diaries' Daniel Gilles) is effortlessly believable in all of his shifty, neurotic well-meaningness. Gilles is so different from Elijah of TVD here that his skills as an actor are obvious.
The developments of the season finale were many, and game-changing. Charlie finally awakened, having made peace with his past, and Alex had a hard time dealing with her anxieties upon having him back - yet the two agreed to have a quickie wedding in the hospital garden. Charlie was delayed, however, after he discovered that even awake, he still has the ability to communicate with spirits of the dead in the hospital.
Charlie's ex-wife Dawn, who is by far one of the most obnoxious and irritating characters ever to appear on any show, will apparently be back next season, and Joel has expressed residual feelings for his own ex, Alex. However, I really don't want to see Charlie and Dawn reconnecting, or any romantic sparks between Alex and Joel. We didn't wait through that whole season of comatose Charlie just to have Alex/Charlie crash 'n burn on re-arrival. I'm hoping that the writers go the One Tree Hill Naley route, respecting the necessity to keep certain fictional couples together despite obstacles.
While the medical procedural soap side of the show is very clear-cut, the spiritual/supernatural part is less so. I like the shroud of mystery which obscures the phenomena surrounding Charlie, so it will be interesting to see how it is eventually explained - if, indeed it is. There's much to look forward to in Season 2.
Thanks, Canada, for appreciating good television, even when American networks are too short-sighted and impatient to do so.
