So I just got finished watching the third hour of Drive.
I have to say, I’m still really intrigued. I want to see what’s going to happen with these characters, and what it all means. One of our loyal readers commented today (hi Frank!) that he was more interested in the race than the goings-on in the lives of our racers. Or at least the life of Alex Tully (Nathan Fillion’s character). I have to say that on one level, I agree with him. Up until the last 10 minutes of tonight’s episode, as much as I love Fillion, I wasn’t interested in his character’s back-story as much as maybe I should have been (what, with him getting first billing, and all of that), but I’m completely drawn into his story line now, and I cannot wait to see what happens next week. It, of course, gets me thinking – what characters do I want to know more about, who am I rooting for?
So here’s my take on the teams going into the next few hours of Drive:
Corinna and Alex – I like the history that they’ve given Corinna going into the race. She’s not there for the money. She, like her partner, is there for a greater reason. To get revenge on whoever is in charge, because of the devastating loss of her parents that she suffered as a pawn in the game 27 years ago. She targeted Alex Tully, a landscaper, unwittingly involved in the race, to be her partner. Fillion’s Tully is in it to make sure that he can save his lovely wife Kathryn (the illustrious Amy Acker). This team, so far, race wise, has been my favorite. They are playing smart (sort of, aside from the crazy “sort of being arrested” and the “nice” trailer driver who gave Alex a ride and all of the fighting they’ve done in between). I think they (as witnessed by the fact that they’re the top headliners of the show) are definitely in it for the long haul. My only concern is that the writers will try to take the “will they/won’t they” route with Corinna and Alex. Please remember that Alex’s only reason for doing the race is to find Kathryn. Don’t let the Corinna and Alex relay blossom into anything more than a strategic friendship!
Wendy and Ivy – up next, as far as favorite teams go, is the crazy/insane/real mental issues duo of Wendy Patrakas and Ivy Chitty. I love that Ivy abandoned her “friends” in order to A) save her life and B) have a better shot of making it through the race. Taryn Manning’s voice might start to grate on my nerves (don’t get me wrong, her band, BoomKat is pretty fabulous, but listening to her talk all the time is rubbing me the wrong way). Wendy. Wow, where to start. Her back story? I’m absolutely enjoying. She’s playing the battered woman with such quiet power. She’s so naïve and shy, and skittish. She’s so sincere, even when trying to kill Ivy for the sake of her own life. I’m interested to see what Shirley (of Laverne and Shirley) is up to with Sammy, the baby. I’m confused, why does Wendy need to keep the baby seat in the back of the car? These questions are keeping me intrigued. My only concern with this team is that they’re too quirky, too forced into a corner. I hope that there’s some huge shock we’re all not expecting, and that they can keep this team interesting.
Violet and John – this team shocks me with how invested in their competition I am. I think that the father / daughter duo is quite well matched, and I want for them to continue bonding and to get super far in the race. My only concern here is that while Emma Stone is listed as a series cast member, her father, played by Dylan Baker, is not. Does that mean that the medical issues will push him out faster than expected? How is Vi going to get through the race alone? If there’s an underdog, it’s them, and I would be really excited to explore more of their history before the race.
Ellie and Rob –I love Riley Smith. I have since the days that Mary (my sister) and I would watch Moto-crossed on The Disney Channel 6 times a week. I even loved him when he shared the opening B-Plot in Season 3 of 24. I love him in this show, too. He’s a soldier, AWOL, trying to make it through the race for a better life for him and his wife. I get the feeling that there’s more to their story than the writers have let on. I don’t know how much of their lovey-dovey-we’re-married-and-in-love screen time I can handle or how much of their perfect marriage front I actually believe, but I do think that their scenes have really been able to jump in and out seamlessly; they don’t pull too far away from the story.
Sean and Winston – Poor Sean. Roped into being his brother’s partner as a way to get back at his lying father. I like the dynamic between these two. One is the perfect son, seems like an upstanding citizen, never doing anything to harm his father. Then there’s the ex-con, who “didn’t do it” but still brings shame to his father. I am really interested to find out what exactly Winston “didn’t do” and I like the fact that Sean already feels closer to Winston than he does to his father. I also love whatever is happening between Sean and Vi – if they want to explore creating a new relationship out of this race, avoid the Corinna/Alex hook up, and concentrate on Sean and Vi!
Susan and Leigh – Remember them? Ivy and Wendy left them to stand on the side of the road with their tires shot out. Previews show them getting themselves back into the race. I think that their inability to figure out the clues the first time around might cause an issue, but if they’re able to luck themselves back into this thing? I say more power to them, and let’s see what we get!
What do you think about the teams? Who are you rooting for, who do you want to see more of?
In Other News
Matt Webb Mitovich at TVguide.com stole my name! Or at least, his blog did. While his News blog was called “Today’s News: Our Take”, it’s changed to “Today’s News: My Take”. Let’s remember who had that “My Take” name first!
I haven’t taken a minute to celebrate the magic that was the Friday Night Lights finale with all of you. Did you love it more than anything you’ve seen all year? Because I did. Corinne and I went out late with the boys to celebrate a birthday Wednesday night, so we didn’t have the chance to watch it. I got all dressed up for work on Thursday, then decided to put it on. I was bawling through my makeup and had to reapply! It was the best hour of TV I’ve been privy to in a long time. The acting, the chemistry, it was all there. I will be so frakking devastated if FNL isn’t brought back for Season 2.
In keeping up with my New Year’s resolution to watch Lost and not expect anything – it’s been working beautifully. Each week, I watch, forcing myself to remain apathetic and not get excited. The pay off these last few weeks has really been phenomenal. The Juliet episode blew me away, and though I’m going to take the “wait and see approach” on the rest of the season, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Lost bosses have saved their sinking ship and are really churning out the good shows!!
Alright – can’t wait for the return of Heroes next Monday! Have a good week – as always, feedback is welcome – mytakeontv@thetvaddict.com