PhilippaConnors
Sep 23 2009, 02:54 PM
I keep losing track of the Touching Evil episode discussion threads, so I decided I'd go ahead and do the same thing I did with the BN episode discussion thread, which is just to make a master thread as a guide and then I'll place this in the Cliff Notes thread and will update it as we continue our discussions about this terrific show.

Here's what we've got so far (more to come soon!):
Episode 1: Pilot
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=407202Episode 2: Y Me
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=409842Episode 3: Justine
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=424233Episode 4: Slash_30
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=438621Episode 5: Memorial
Episode 6: K
Episode 7: Love Lies Bleeding
Episode 8: Attachment
Episode 9: Boston
Episode 10: Entropy
Episode 11: Grief
Episode 12: Mercy
bcmom
Sep 23 2009, 05:19 PM
QUOTE (PhilippaConnors @ Sep 23 2009, 03:54 PM)

I keep losing track of the Touching Evil episode discussion threads, so I decided I'd go ahead and do the same thing I did with the BN episode discussion thread, which is just to make a master thread as a guide and then I'll place this in the Cliff Notes thread and will update it as we continue our discussions about this terrific show.

Here's what we've got so far (more to come soon!):
Episode 1: Pilot
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=407202Episode 2: Y Me
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=409842Episode 3: Justine
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=424233Episode 4: Slash_30
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=438621Episode 5: Memorial
Episode 6: K
Episode 7: Love Lies Bleeding
Episode 8: Attachment
Episode 9: Boston
Episode 10: Entropy
Episode 11: Grief
Episode 12: Mercy
wow! this is great. I didn't even know that there where that many threads. thanks PHI
Maria417
Sep 23 2009, 05:21 PM
Yay! Thanks for the organization, Philippa! So much easier to find.
DuctTape
Sep 23 2009, 06:15 PM
QUOTE (PhilippaConnors @ Sep 23 2009, 03:54 PM)

I keep losing track of the Touching Evil episode discussion threads, so I decided I'd go ahead and do the same thing I did with the BN episode discussion thread, which is just to make a master thread as a guide and then I'll place this in the Cliff Notes thread and will update it as we continue our discussions about this terrific show.

Here's what we've got so far (more to come soon!):
Episode 1: Pilot
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=407202Episode 2: Y Me
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=409842Episode 3: Justine
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=424233Episode 4: Slash_30
http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=438621Episode 5: Memorial
Episode 6: K
Episode 7: Love Lies Bleeding
Episode 8: Attachment
Episode 9: Boston
Episode 10: Entropy
Episode 11: Grief
Episode 12: Mercy
Thank you Phi. Maybe we can work our way through all 12 episodes before the Season 3 break ends.
bcmom
Sep 23 2009, 06:20 PM
QUOTE (DuctTape @ Sep 23 2009, 07:15 PM)

Thank you Phi. Maybe we can work our way through all 12 episodes before the Season 3 break ends.

That would be nice.
christyg1119
Sep 23 2009, 07:53 PM
I've gotten all the way up to Boston. What a GREAT episode. I love where he gets some 'mail'.
PhilippaConnors
Sep 23 2009, 10:57 PM
QUOTE (DuctTape @ Sep 23 2009, 07:15 PM)

Thank you Phi. Maybe we can work our way through all 12 episodes before the Season 3 break ends.

I was waffling about whether or not to put this episode guide up but now I'm so glad I did! I think it'll help us keep better track of these threads. I know I could never seem to find them anywhere - I always have to google the TE threads. Today I thought to myself, this is getting ridiculous - I'm googling these threads every other day now.

Wow, I love this screencap DT! Love David Creegan's hair, lol! He's so different from Michael Westen.
And absolutely, let's talk about all of the episodes during the BN hiatus. Perhaps when Burn Notice resumes and more members have returned to the forum, we can bump this thread and maybe continue to discuss it *and* BN!
bcmom
Sep 23 2009, 11:34 PM
I'm game. Currently I am watching "Y-Me". I just love all the best one liners are in part one. lol now back to the show.
petunia846
Sep 24 2009, 04:05 PM
Am I losing it or are there some episodes and parts of episodes that are missing from that place where one would think that they should be?
bcmom
Sep 24 2009, 05:58 PM
QUOTE (petunia846 @ Sep 24 2009, 05:05 PM)

Am I losing it or are there some episodes and parts of episodes that are missing from that place where one would think that they should be?
Hi
Explain please what you mean. I will try to help.
petunia846
Sep 24 2009, 06:10 PM
I watched parts 1-7 of the pilot, but couldn't find any more of it...that didn't feel like an ending though. Then I don't see an ep listed as 1x02. The next I see is 1x03 Y Me.
bcmom
Sep 26 2009, 07:38 AM
QUOTE (petunia846 @ Sep 24 2009, 07:10 PM)

I watched parts 1-7 of the pilot, but couldn't find any more of it...that didn't feel like an ending though. Then I don't see an ep listed as 1x02. The next I see is 1x03 Y Me.
ok
on youtube, member 'gladks' has all of the pilot posted. then look for Unicorn80 this person has everything after the pilot posted. but the pilot posted by Unicorn 80 is incomplete.
PhilippaConnors
Sep 26 2009, 02:02 PM
Thanks for sorting all of that out, bcmom! Hope you have been able to find all of the corresponding clips for Touching Evil a-ok, petunia. :-)
bcmom
Sep 26 2009, 03:12 PM
not a problem. I am really glad that Unicorn80 took the time to post all the episodes. the numbers are off but that isn't an issue. I put them into separate playlists for each episode so all i have to do to watch one is click "play all" and up come all the ones for that episode in order.

sometimes i am not so blond. lol.
match
Sep 26 2009, 04:57 PM

OMG I just watched the TE Pilot on You
Tube. ( thanks for posting the info as to where I can watch it )>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Absolutely love it !! How did I miss this show.
Noticed in the early scenes David had on a wedding ring but it was not on his finger in the later scenes. Is this a nitpicker observation or am I just really wrong ??
I will be watching the other epis on Unicorn 80.
Also saw JD on Jimmie Kimmel on YouTube. Did not know that the "spy advisor" on BN was an actual burned spy victim.
bcmom
Sep 26 2009, 06:16 PM
QUOTE (match @ Sep 26 2009, 05:57 PM)


OMG I just watched the TE Pilot on You
Tube. ( thanks for posting the info as to where I can watch it )>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Absolutely love it !! How did I miss this show.
Noticed in the early scenes David had on a wedding ring but it was not on his finger in the later scenes. Is this a nitpicker observation or am I just really wrong ??
I will be watching the other epis on Unicorn 80.
Also saw JD on Jimmie Kimmel on YouTube. Did not know that the "spy advisor" on BN was an actual burned spy victim.
I am glad you like it. I can't believe that I missed it too. I am not going to tell you anything about the characters until you watch a few more. Not being mean just letting you experience the show.
match
Sep 28 2009, 04:22 PM
Wow ,,,,I am almost finished watching all the episodes..no self restraint... At some point, the network realized what a powerhouse they have in JD and changed the show to reflect that fact. It reminds me of how shameful the Emmys are that he did not get recognition for some of these episodes.
On the other hand, I feel a bit disappointed in Burn Notice for not writing scenes that are challenging enough for the actor. I know that the character of MW is supposed to be very controling of his emotions but can we not see one intense scene that challenges his acting skills as we have / will see on TE. Maybe, a flashback,,,,a drug or alcohol induced emotion. This is a very fine actor who is able to make me forget Jeffrey Donovan, the actor, and only know the character of the moment.
petunia846
Sep 28 2009, 05:11 PM
I was really excited to find out where to watch Touching Evil, that's one of the best parts of having stumbled into this forum. I've been waiting to discuss it though, because I keep thinking that maybe after one more episode my opinion will change, but that's just not happening, so this might not go over well, but...
I'm not quite finished with all the episodes, but so far my feeling is...I don't love it. I LOVE Donovan's acting and that particular character, but I don't really feel like it's as well rounded as Burn Notice. Granted that's probably partly because TE only has 12 episodes, but I feel like, well, let's explain it this way...I'm up to Entropy, so I've seen nine episodes of TE. At this point, if they were to kill off anyone, even Branca, I don't think I'd care that much. I'd only care in so much as it would be painful to Creegan. I'd feel for HIM, empathetically. Nine episodes into BN we were on Hard Bargains and Michael was getting strangled and giving out guns as birthday presents. By then I was already throughly invested in all of the characters and would have been quite upset at losing Fi or Sam of even Mom.
I don't ever remember hearing about this show when it was first on, but being objective and looking back on it, I think that even if I'd seen an episode I wouldn't have continued watching it. It is a fabulous (FABULOUS!) showcase of what Donovan can do, but I can see why it got canceled. As much as I love him, he can't carry a whole show. There are some great lines and great scenes, but almost all of them belong to Donovan. I keep getting distracted with any scene he's not in and having to go back and rewind and force myself to pay attention to follow the story. I think they could have done a lot more with it, the concept was great, but I don't think who ever was in charge really exploited the talent and the material that was in front of them. Branca especially could have been so much more developed. There are a couple story lines for her that were really riveting, but then there's no follow up from them in the next episodes, they just power on through to the next killer.
So, I'm definitely going to finish watching, and I'll probably even watch them all again a second time, but it's not really something I'd go out and pimp to random friends and family unless they're really into Burn Notice like I am. And USA, if you're listening, I'd still definitely buy DVDs if you were so kind as to put them on the market. It'd be fun to see a little Creegan in Michael Westen from time to time, but mostly I like him just the way he is, unflappable and emotionally stilted. It seems like we get to see Donovan's range when we get the really flamboyant cover ids, like the crazy gringo in Broken Rules (my personal favorite) or of course Jackson or Homer. I could stand to have more of those on Burn Notice.
I hope this comes across as thoughtful and analytical and not mean spirited, because I don't mean to be such a bummer. I'm going to go hide in the corner now and watch Entropy...
bcmom
Sep 28 2009, 09:54 PM
Hi and welcome petunia.
Please don't hide. I like reading different view points especially when they are well written and thought out. I, personally don't think the show had enough time to settle all the characters. The only one you really met was gone by the third episode. You found out a little more about branca in "slash 30" and more in "attachment". But really I don't think the show had enough time to bring about the lives of the others. Rivers get cover a bit in "grief". but nobody else. I agree that they really did showcase Donovans acting ability. The powers that be remembered this and brought Burn Notice to him. I would have liked to have seen what would have come about had there been a second season.
match
Sep 28 2009, 11:13 PM
IMHO TE demonstrates that JD needs strong actors around him. While I liked the woman who played Creegan's partner, she never stole a scene from him. The supporting cast in BN is excellent. Each actor has a unique ability to contribute sparks to any scene.
Love reading everyone's opinions.
Burn_Baby_Burn
Sep 29 2009, 12:07 AM
I think that in all fairness, most of the major characters had some sort of development. Yes, Krakauer's involvement on the show was brief, but, he went out with a bang (pardon the pun). Hank Enright had a bit of the plot when we learned that his ex-wife/girlfriend was murdered by the serial killer. And then there was sweet Cyril, I really liked the relationship David had with him. Even though they couldn't be an odder couple, David managed a connection with him and we were able to delve somewhat into his life, although it seemed his character was just a red herring as a possible suspect most times.
I guess my point is that yes, TE is a very different show than Burn Notice. On the other hand, that is what we are here to celebrate and discuss. I appreciate the show on its own merits and love the characters in a different way than I do Fi and Sam. That's my two cents.
bcmom
Sep 29 2009, 10:26 PM
QUOTE (Burn_Baby_Burn @ Sep 29 2009, 01:07 AM)

I think that in all fairness, most of the major characters had some sort of development. Yes, Krakauer's involvement on the show was brief, but, he went out with a bang (pardon the pun). Hank Enright had a bit of the plot when we learned that his ex-wife/girlfriend was murdered by the serial killer. And then there was sweet Cyril, I really liked the relationship David had with him. Even though they couldn't be an odder couple, David managed a connection with him and we were able to delve somewhat into his life, although it seemed his character was just a red herring as a possible suspect most times.
I guess my point is that yes, TE is a very different show than Burn Notice. On the other hand, that is what we are here to celebrate and discuss. I appreciate the show on its own merits and love the characters in a different way than I do Fi and Sam. That's my two cents.
Yes. Exactly. You can't really compare the two shows. they are totally different in all areas. The only thing that is the same is that both groups need to act as a team, and that they got. Ok lost my train of thought it has derailed so I am going to leave it at that... lol
petunia846
Sep 30 2009, 05:23 AM
QUOTE
I think that in all fairness, most of the major characters had some sort of development.
Maybe, but they didn't grab me or stick with me. To ME they were not strongly developed or terribly interesting. Of course I can't stand procedural shows like CSI or NCIS or any of those "every week someone commits a grizzly crime and we have to figure out who did it" shows, so perhaps that has something to do with it. I'm not a fan of showing mutilated dead bodies and vivid descriptions of all the many ways to kill people, I just don't like having those ideas in my head.
Cyril was interesting, yes. And Cyril had a good actor behind the writing too, so he was cool. I enjoyed his screen time, especially when it was with JD. I watched the final episodes Monday night and there was some good stuff for Branca. They even went back a little and addressed the shooting, which was good. For me, the most interesting plot that Branca had was in Attachment, but they never followed up on that. It was written and acted with such intense emotion, it felt like something that should at least get a throw away line in the next ep.
QUOTE
I guess my point is that yes, TE is a very different show than Burn Notice. On the other hand, that is what we are here to celebrate and discuss.
Yes, I agree, they are different kinds of shows, and I guess what I'm saying is that Burn Notice is the kind of show (character driven with strong extended story arches) I enjoy more than the kind of show TE was (mostly procedural with a little character thrown in). Which is not to say that I didn't like TE, I did like it...I just didn't love it.
Sorry I'm not really good at expressing my more positive feelings. They really are there, I've just been trained for years to discuss television critically, "without pity." ;) Let me think of something happy and fangirlish to say...umm...umm...oh, I adored JD's grande jete in that one episode as he was sneaking up behind that guy sitting on the steps of the building. I think that was my favorite part of the whole series. I watched it like ten times. It wasn't just the flawless technique that killed me, but also the look on his face when the guy turned around. Awesome.
PhilippaConnors
Sep 30 2009, 11:48 AM
I too have enjoyed getting everyone's opinions about Touching Evil. Great discussion! I appreciate critical analysis of movies and television. And Petunia, I enjoyed your "fangirl moment." *lol* Jeffrey Donovan's classical dance training is a thing of beauty and I sure as heck would love to see a ballet dancer cover ID from Michael Westen at some point down the road! ;-)
I'm currently re-watching TE, which I haven't seen in awhile, so all of these thoughts are based on basically my having seen the series last year, and now having recently watched the first five episodes.
Okay, here's my honest take on Touching Evil. I thought the pilot episode was one of the best television shows I've ever seen. It was well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. It had a compelling story and premise that pulled me in and made me want to see more of the show. I thought the last scenes of the pilot (with the Nine Inch Nails song "The Day the World Went Away" playing poignantly in the background) were extraordinary. I was deeply moved by it. I'm a huge huge fan of Jeffrey Donovan's but you know what? Even if I wasn't I would agree with what Petunia said: TE showcased his talent beautifully.
The next couple of episodes of TE continued to impress me across the board. And then came (for me anyway) what felt like a shift in the writing. As the season progressed, it started to feel like the writers were fiddling with what the focus of the show would be. The show started to feel uneven. I actually remember at one point thinking to myself, "Are the writers responding to concerns over the show’s foundering ratings? Are they trying to change course with the story in order to save the series? Or is there something else going on?" See, I felt like at the beginning the focus was solidly on Creegan, on what happened to him and also his partnership with Branca and how he interacted with his family. But as I got further into the series, I started to feel like the writers were taking either a single character focus (such as the episode with Branca going to the Ukraine) or more of an ensemble approach, with emphasis on the entire team working a case. I felt like the series rode on Creegan and Jeffrey Donovan's talent, and that the writers were sort of losing touch with that. I thought parts of "Attachment," "Boston," and "Mercy" showed flashes of the brilliance of the pilot, but overall I was left with this sense that the overall story arc was coming undone and being put back together as season 1 progressed.
I also felt like the character development was uneven. I don’t know how else to word this...but it just didn’t unfold elegantly the way that the character development has been on Burn Notice. I feel like I didn’t know enough about Susan Branca for there to be the really true and deep emotional payoff in the episode Slash_30. Spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen it yet - but I feel like the one sentence reference to her fiance killing himself just wasn’t enough for me to understand her fully. I got it, and I thought it was moving, but I guess what I’m saying is that I didn’t have enough over the course of the series to truly feel for her in the way that I feel for the characters on Burn Notice. Another good example of this is Agent Rivers. The situation with his brother was tragic, but I didn't know this character well enough to have it affect me deeply.
On the other hand, I felt that Creegan’s story did pack the emotional punch, as well as Cyril's and Krakauer's - and I’m not sure if that’s a testament to great acting on the part of all of these actors, or the fact that the story was more finely honed for their characters.
As for Touching Evil vs Burn Notice...I'm like Burn_Baby_Burn, in that it's difficult for me to compare the two shows. If I could use two words to describe Touching Evil, I'd say it was poignant and bittersweet. It was difficult to watch. If I could use two words to describe Burn Notice, it would be sweetness and light. Burn Notice is almost always a delight to my heart to watch, you know? The themes of the show (good and evil, love and loyalty and heroism) - they are fleshed out beautifully by the acting, the writing, the directing and of course the location is extraordinary. It all came together in a way that I've never seen it come together really. Burn Notice has endeared itself to me in a way that no other show ever has. Mind you, I liked Touching Evil - my favorite moment is in the last episode, actually - but since we're discussing this critically I thought I'd go ahead and offer my own objective take on things.
Petunia, I also wanted to mention that there have been things about Burn Notice that have underwhelmed me in the past and I've spoken out about it without getting skewered, haha! I think as long as the analysis is respectful and intelligent then it's all good. :-)
ETA: Sorry for the ramblepalooza - wow, I didn't realize I'd babbled on as much as I did until I posted this! ;-D
Cheffie66
Sep 30 2009, 01:22 PM
I think the problem with TE was that it seemed to be one of those shows that would have benefited from a second season. By that I mean some of the (secondary) characters could have been fleshed out more. You could have got more backstory, perhaps as a B story line (is that the right term?) while the A story line dealt with an ongoing case etc. These characters would become more developed, so eventually you'd be invested in their character and want more and end up watching every week to see how things unfold....
I honestly think 12 episodes was not enough to reflect how BRILLIANT this show could have been. We've been robbed
But it's been great to read all the responses and everyone's opinion. Very interesting.....
petunia846
Sep 30 2009, 04:10 PM
Yeah, it certainly had the potential. There are so many pitfalls that a new show can get lost in. I wonder how I would feel if I could watch the episodes it more clearly, like on the actual TV and without stopping roughly every 10 minutes.
Philippa, you mentioned floundering ratings and someone else mentioned that it got moved around to different time slots...is there anywhere on the nets still where it talks about that kind of thing from when it was actually happening? A forum like this one or that kind of thing? It'd be interesting to see what people's initial reactions to the episodes were at the time. Perhaps I will go investigate...*wanders off*
Ah, a Touching Evil thread on TWoP. I knew there had to be one. Be back later to discuss...
Excellent article on the show from around the time of the premier in the NYTs. It's so cute to read "the unknown star, Jeff Donovan". Hee.
Cheffie66
Sep 30 2009, 04:50 PM
QUOTE (petunia846 @ Sep 30 2009, 05:10 PM)

Yeah, it certainly had the potential. There are so many pitfalls that a new show can get lost in. I wonder how I would feel if I could watch the episodes it more clearly, like on the actual TV and without stopping roughly every 10 minutes.
Philippa, you mentioned floundering ratings and someone else mentioned that it got moved around to different time slots...is there anywhere on the nets still where it talks about that kind of thing from when it was actually happening? A forum like this one or that kind of thing? It'd be interesting to see what people's initial reactions to the episodes were at the time. Perhaps I will go investigate...*wanders off*
Ah, a Touching Evil thread on TWoP. I knew there had to be one. Be back later to discuss...Thank you Petunia for the TWoP link. I never thought to look there, even though I spend a lot of time browsing various forums on that site! Right, I'm off to read the 86 pages before I come back for a chat!
Thanks again for the link, Petunia!

ETA: Just noticed your second link! Thanks for that too!
bcmom
Sep 30 2009, 10:54 PM
Great article. Great read. Thank you.
Cheffie66
Sep 30 2009, 11:39 PM
Well, this is a drive-by post as I was planning on reading all the TWoP pages before I came back to chat about it, but it appears I spent far too much time nipping out for a ciggie, and now it's a ridiculous time in the (early) morning and I have to get to bed! I will say, however, that the first 50 or so pages I did manage to read, were a real eye-opener! I love that people posted their thoughts right after the episode aired, so it was fresh in their minds. I almost envy them for that!
I liked the way they dissected various scenes and had theories about certain characters, plot-points etc. Some of the insights were very well thought out, most of which I hadn't noticed! In my defence though, I am watching it five years later. And on youtube (which I'm not complaining about - without youtube I'd be lost!)
Anyway, I must get to bed, but I will definitely be back tonight after work to talk about it (to anyone that will listen!)
petunia846
Oct 1 2009, 05:25 AM
I really liked that NYTs article. There were a lot more articles about the show that were linked to but most of the links were dead. I really enjoyed the parts about JD and how he tackled the show, like he talked to a neorologist to learn about how to play a character with a traumatic brain injury, and he says that a lot of Creegan's crazy antics were just his adlibing...which is not surprising, knowing him, but it is surprising that the directors and producers and all gave him the leeway to do that. Good for them! I would love to see more of JD's thoughts on the show, like if there were little video interviews like they have for Burn Notice.
I think it's funny in the TWoP thread how, before the pilot aired, everyone was like, "Who's this Jeffrey Donovan guy? He looks like he sucks." And then after the pilot everyone is like, "OMG I love Jeffrey Donovan! He's my new TV boyfriend!" Heh. It's also interesting to read the comments from people who had watched the British version of the show and to hear how it was similar or different from the American show they produced. I'd forgotten that it was a remake when I was watching it.
Oh, you know what USA should do? They should put Touching Evil on Hulu! That way we could see it better and enjoy it more, but they wouldn't have to go through the hassle of putting out DVDs.
Cheffie66
Oct 1 2009, 04:40 PM
Oh Petunia! Not Hulu! I'm in the UK and we can't access those sites!
Although I agree that USA should put them somewhere where everyone can view them again. But I'd still like the dvd's as well.....
petunia846
Oct 1 2009, 04:56 PM
Well maybe you should get to work on a UK version of Hulu! You could get in on the ground floor. It could be amazing.
PhilippaConnors
Oct 2 2009, 08:01 PM
QUOTE (petunia846 @ Sep 30 2009, 05:10 PM)

Yeah, it certainly had the potential. There are so many pitfalls that a new show can get lost in. I wonder how I would feel if I could watch the episodes it more clearly, like on the actual TV and without stopping roughly every 10 minutes.
Philippa, you mentioned floundering ratings and someone else mentioned that it got moved around to different time slots...is there anywhere on the nets still where it talks about that kind of thing from when it was actually happening? A forum like this one or that kind of thing? It'd be interesting to see what people's initial reactions to the episodes were at the time. Perhaps I will go investigate...*wanders off*
Ah, a Touching Evil thread on TWoP. I knew there had to be one. Be back later to discuss...
Excellent article on the show from around the time of the premier in the NYTs. It's so cute to read "the unknown star, Jeff Donovan". Hee.That's a great article, Petunia. Wow, "the unknown star" - that was only five years ago! It's amazing to me how long Jeffrey Donovan has been working as an actor, and yet how rapidly his star has risen in recent years.
And holy moly, that's quite the thread they had going on TWOP! Wow, this is great - thanks for the link, Petunia! I'm only a few pages into this thread so I have a ways to read. I'm with Cheffie - it's fun reading the reactions to the shows in "real time" all these years later. That's very cool. ;-)
I also wanted to say that in reference to the initial discussion, the unhappiness over seeing a remake - I saw the British version of TE (but only after I'd seen the American version). And I thought it had such a different feel to it, that I didn't find it distracting at all that one was a remake of the other. Robson Green played things in an even-handed, cerebral sort of way, whereas Jeffrey Donovan's David Creegan was deeply emotional and worked his job from gut instinct. I enjoyed both of their performances, actually (although I preferred Jeffrey Donovan's take on Creegan).
And regarding the pilot - I do think a lot of the strength of the pilot came from the great acting of the bad guy, as well as the actor who played Cyril (and of course, Jeffrey Donovan was terrific). But I personally thought it was very well-written closely mirrored the same episode in the British TE. Come to think of it - it might have been penned by the same person who did the writing for its British counterpart (Paul Abbott), but I'm not sure - I'd have to check the British TE DVDs out of the library again to doublecheck that...
Thanks again for the great info, Petunia! Would you be alright with getting this NY Times article posted to the JD press thread? I'm hoping to backtrack and get the older JD press items added to the BN press thread and this would be a great place to start. :-)
PhilippaConnors
Oct 3 2009, 07:37 AM
Okay, I just have to drop back in here to say how much fun I'm having reading this TWOP thread on Touching Evil. What an entertaining discussion - equal parts focused and analytical, as well as "shallow" and "in the gutter," as two TWOP members so aptly put it. I think my favorite quote up to this point comes from a member named slanderous,
who wrote this back in March 2004 (post #132; can't seem to get it to link to the direct post):
QUOTE
I think what I like about Creegan (besides the intense stare, the stubble and the tendency toward shirtlessness) is his capacity for feeling -- he may have no shame, and wallows in moral ambiguity, but it seems that he's just too full of feeling to be jaded or cynical (so far at least).
Haha, that's hilarious! I guess Jeffrey Donovan has been known for his shirtlessness for quite some time now. *lol* I wondering how many of these TE fans on TWOP are enjoying the ofttimes stubbly and shirtless Michael Westen. ;-)
I tend to agree with those who have said that Robson Green's portrayal of Creegan was less vulnerable. Jeffrey Donovan's take on Creegan - his injuries left him completely exposed on an emotional level and he had no way of shutting that off, either with those he cared about or those who were evil and whom he was interrogating. Prior to realizing it was a remake, I'd thought this was the meaning of the series title, "Touching Evil" - in that he couldn't *not* tap into that darkness that surrounded him on the job. He had no filter in this respect; it all came flooding in. I still believe that's the meaning of the title, mind you - but when I saw Robson Green in the role I honestly didn't pick up that level of empathy that Donovan's Creegan has with criminals and friends and co-workers alike. Both Green and Donovan were great in their interpretations - but I just thought JD's take on it was fascinating.
Anyway, this is a great discussion, and again thank you for the link, Petunia! I'm only on page 11, but this is a good thing as I have many pages of analysis, both critical and shallow alike. ;-D
[also I saw the mention of the USA message board for TE. I wish like heck that USA Network had left the TE forum up and running. I wonder why they didn't, especially as I just verified that the older shows (like Dead Zone) still have a forum. I know that Universal has aired TE fairly recently. hmmm...]
Cheffie66
Oct 3 2009, 05:25 PM
QUOTE (PhilippaConnors @ Oct 3 2009, 08:37 AM)

Okay, I just have to drop back in here to say how much fun I'm having reading this TWOP thread on Touching Evil. What an entertaining discussion - equal parts focused and analytical, as well as "shallow" and "in the gutter," as two TWOP members so aptly put it. I think my favorite quote up to this point comes from a member named slanderous,
who wrote this back in March 2004 (post #132; can't seem to get it to link to the direct post):
Haha, that's hilarious! I guess Jeffrey Donovan has been known for his shirtlessness for quite some time now. *lol* I wondering how many of these TE fans on TWOP are enjoying the ofttimes stubbly and shirtless Michael Westen. ;-)
I tend to agree with those who have said that Robson Green's portrayal of Creegan was less vulnerable. Jeffrey Donovan's take on Creegan - his injuries left him completely exposed on an emotional level and he had no way of shutting that off, either with those he cared about or those who were evil and whom he was interrogating. Prior to realizing it was a remake, I'd thought this was the meaning of the series title, "Touching Evil" - in that he couldn't *not* tap into that darkness that surrounded him on the job. He had no filter in this respect; it all came flooding in. I still believe that's the meaning of the title, mind you - but when I saw Robson Green in the role I honestly didn't pick up that level of empathy that Donovan's Creegan has with criminals and friends and co-workers alike. Both Green and Donovan were great in their interpretations - but I just thought JD's take on it was fascinating.
Anyway, this is a great discussion, and again thank you for the link, Petunia! I'm only on page 11, but this is a good thing as I have many pages of analysis, both critical and shallow alike. ;-D
[also I saw the mention of the USA message board for TE. I wish like heck that USA Network had left the TE forum up and running. I wonder why they didn't, especially as I just verified that the older shows (like Dead Zone) still have a forum. I know that Universal has aired TE fairly recently. hmmm...]
I've just finished reading all 86 pages and I haven't giggled like that in ages! I agree with you Philippa, about how some of the posters are, initally, giving their thoughts on an episode, very eloquently I thought, and then their 'fangirl' pops to the surface and they start talking about how good JD looks in his boxers!
I've enjoyed reading all of it and I'm rather jealous that I wasn't part of it from the beginning. You could tell how excited everyone was before an episode aired - they were all counting down the hours and minutes, and then they'd all come back on to talk about it afterwards. I'd hate to admit this, but I was even getting a little excited myself when the rumours started about a possible second season! How ridiculous is that?! I KNOW it wasn't renewed, but that didn't stop me from getting my hopes up along with everyone else! Seriously, I even had to stop myself from signing the bloody petition, which ended up as a dead link anyway, thank god! It was very strange to get caught up in the excitement of it all. But good fun!
And again, agreeing with Philippa about the USA forum. That would be amazing if it was still up and running. I don't suppose they would consider bringing it back, would they? It would be great to have a forum specifically for TE....
petunia846
Oct 3 2009, 07:52 PM
Philippa, feel free to do whatever you want with the article. I don't really feel like I deserve much credit for it...it was just there in the TWoP thread and I just clicked on the link ;).
I'm glad you all are enjoying the TWoP thread so much. I had no idea that the original show was so well known and established until I started reading that thread. I've been busy this week so I haven't had as much time to read through it as I thought I would. Oh well. It'll always be there. I cracked up about all those shirtless comments too though, thinking of you guys.
You guys should pop over and say hi in the Burn Notice TWoP forum sometime. Y,es Burn Notice has it's own forum, not just a thread like TE had. Whee! It's been sooooooooooo dead over there lately. So dead in fact that I actually started a discussion about getting teeth knocked out (like when O'Neil punched Fi). It's really, really sad. :( For Burn Notice there's the original thread from before they knew the show would be so popular and then they expanded to a forum for season 2, so every ep from S2 on out has it's own thread as well as threads for characters and actors and the like. I'm petunia over there as well, and also on LJ. After reading so much of the TE thread I went and read a bit of the first BN thread to see what people thought about it before it started and you find lots of TE fans flocking over to say how excited they are to have JD back and how USA better not screw them over this time!
Here's the link for the BN stuff.
Cheffie66
Oct 3 2009, 09:05 PM
QUOTE (petunia846 @ Oct 3 2009, 08:52 PM)

Philippa, feel free to do whatever you want with the article. I don't really feel like I deserve much credit for it...it was just there in the TWoP thread and I just clicked on the link

.
I'm glad you all are enjoying the TWoP thread so much. I had no idea that the original show was so well known and established until I started reading that thread. I've been busy this week so I haven't had as much time to read through it as I thought I would. Oh well. It'll always be there. I cracked up about all those shirtless comments too though, thinking of you guys.
You guys should pop over and say hi in the Burn Notice TWoP forum sometime. Y,es Burn Notice has it's own forum, not just a thread like TE had. Whee! It's been sooooooooooo dead over there lately. So dead in fact that I actually started a discussion about getting teeth knocked out (like when O'Neil punched Fi). It's really, really sad.

For Burn Notice there's the original thread from before they knew the show would be so popular and then they expanded to a forum for season 2, so every ep from S2 on out has it's own thread as well as threads for characters and actors and the like. I'm petunia over there as well, and also on LJ. After reading so much of the TE thread I went and read a bit of the first BN thread to see what people thought about it before it started and you find lots of TE fans flocking over to say how excited they are to have JD back and how USA better not screw them over this time!
Here's the link for the BN stuff. Petunia, thank you for the BN link. I don't post on the TWoP site, but I do browse. A lot. You mentioned LJ as well. Is that a specific BN site? I spend quite a bit of time on LJ (for my other favourite show - Supernatural), so it would be nice to have a Burn Notice one to visit as well.
petunia846
Oct 4 2009, 06:36 AM
Oh, no, the only BN LJ communities I know of are an icon community and a fanfic community.
Cheffie66
Oct 4 2009, 12:52 PM
Oh ok, thank you Petunia. It's strange there aren't any BN LJ forums or anything like that, or even JD one's. There seems to be an LJ community for pretty much everything and anyone!
PhilippaConnors
Oct 4 2009, 01:54 PM
QUOTE (petunia846 @ Oct 3 2009, 08:52 PM)

Philippa, feel free to do whatever you want with the article. I don't really feel like I deserve much credit for it...it was just there in the TWoP thread and I just clicked on the link ;).
I'm glad you all are enjoying the TWoP thread so much. I had no idea that the original show was so well known and established until I started reading that thread. I've been busy this week so I haven't had as much time to read through it as I thought I would. Oh well. It'll always be there. I cracked up about all those shirtless comments too though, thinking of you guys.
You guys should pop over and say hi in the Burn Notice TWoP forum sometime. Y,es Burn Notice has it's own forum, not just a thread like TE had. Whee! It's been sooooooooooo dead over there lately. So dead in fact that I actually started a discussion about getting teeth knocked out (like when O'Neil punched Fi). It's really, really sad. :( For Burn Notice there's the original thread from before they knew the show would be so popular and then they expanded to a forum for season 2, so every ep from S2 on out has it's own thread as well as threads for characters and actors and the like. I'm petunia over there as well, and also on LJ. After reading so much of the TE thread I went and read a bit of the first BN thread to see what people thought about it before it started and you find lots of TE fans flocking over to say how excited they are to have JD back and how USA better not screw them over this time!
Here's the link for the BN stuff. I had no idea that TE was as well known as it was at that time, either! It appears that the show had a sizable presence on the TWOP forum, though, doesn't it? Regarding TWOP - when I first began to seek out information on Burn Notice (in the early summer of 2008), I spent about 4 weeks lurking at both TWOP and the USA Network forums. At the time BN had that one monster thread, just as you mentioned. I opted to register with this forum and I just have been hanging out here ever since. I haven't been on the TWOP forum since the summer of 2008, but I will check it out and will definitely be sure to look for you over there, Petunia! Thank you again for all the great info from TWOP - I'm glad to hear that those TE fans found their way to Burn Notice. That's exactly how my mom found Burn Notice, from the promo in the summer of 2007 when season 1 first aired. She said to herself, "Hey, that's the guy from Touching Evil that I liked so much!" She said she watched that promo several times and didn't realize it was him, until one time she caught a promo where he was smiling and then she recognized him. :)
ETA: I'll add the article to the press thread. The way we've done it is whoever posts the citation is the one who gets the tip of the hat for bringing it to the forum. I can mention that it originally was located on TWOP and I'll give the credit to you. Thanks again, Petunia!
soccerbball
Oct 5 2009, 10:48 PM
Great thread! Just found it and am glad I did! Well I just recently watched Mercy for the first time and was sooo disapointed when I reliezed that there were never gonna be any new episodes! It's awfull! How could anyone cancel such a great show! The plot was amazing, as was everything about the show.
bcmom
Oct 6 2009, 12:16 AM
QUOTE (soccerbball @ Oct 5 2009, 10:48 PM)

Great thread! Just found it and am glad I did! Well I just recently watched Mercy for the first time and was sooo disapointed when I reliezed that there were never gonna be any new episodes! It's awfull! How could anyone cancel such a great show! The plot was amazing, as was everything about the show.
I agree. Wasn't that a great episode/show. I like the way his exwife told his daughters that this time it was different with creegan in the hospital. Did you loose it at the end of "Attachment" like the rest of us did? Jeffrey Donovan is by far one of the best actores we have.
soccerbball
Oct 12 2009, 07:54 PM
QUOTE (bcmom @ Oct 6 2009, 12:16 AM)

I agree. Wasn't that a great episode/show. I like the way his exwife told his daughters that this time it was different with creegan in the hospital. Did you loose it at the end of "Attachment" like the rest of us did? Jeffrey Donovan is by far one of the best actores we have.
Oh yes! I was in tears! Screaming at the computer! Love that part when mom told her kids that, the look on their faces was unforgettable.
christyg1119
Oct 12 2009, 08:17 PM
Darn you! I am only up to 'Boston', and now I am going to have to go watch it right away!!
Just kidding on the 'darn you' part, but I AM going to have to go watch the others ASAP!
bcmom
Oct 12 2009, 08:37 PM
QUOTE (christyg1119 @ Oct 12 2009, 08:17 PM)

Darn you! I am only up to 'Boston', and now I am going to have to go watch it right away!!
Just kidding on the 'darn you' part, but I AM going to have to go watch the others ASAP!
i am sorry. I was not trying to spoil anything. But what an insentive to watch the episodes. lol.enjoy
christyg1119
Oct 13 2009, 07:50 PM
QUOTE (bcmom @ Oct 12 2009, 08:37 PM)

i am sorry. I was not trying to spoil anything. But what an insentive to watch the episodes. lol.enjoy

I was really only kidding about the darn you part!

I watched the next one last night but haven't made it to Mercy yet! I can't wait! I don't want to skip around though!
bcmom
Oct 13 2009, 08:32 PM
QUOTE (christyg1119 @ Oct 13 2009, 07:50 PM)

I was really only kidding about the darn you part!

I watched the next one last night but haven't made it to Mercy yet! I can't wait! I don't want to skip around though!

I know. Hope you enjoy the show.
soccerbball
Oct 29 2009, 12:59 PM
QUOTE (christyg1119 @ Oct 13 2009, 07:50 PM)

I was really only kidding about the darn you part!

I watched the next one last night but haven't made it to Mercy yet! I can't wait! I don't want to skip around though!

soccerbball
Oct 29 2009, 01:04 PM
ahhh this forum isn't working today!! It took me 3 tries get it to let me post, then it just posted a blank one!! Anyone else having any trouble? As I was going to say, Don't skip around!!! There amazing shows but if you skip around you'll miss alot of stuff! Although Mercy is relllleeeee reeeellllle good!!!
I showed the first epi to my friend, she was praticlly drooling at how hot JD is. lol she is now completly hooked. Can't wait to get her hooked on BN to!! btw does anyone know the exact date it starts up?
bcmom
Oct 29 2009, 02:09 PM
QUOTE (soccerbball @ Oct 29 2009, 02:04 PM)

ahhh this forum isn't working today!! It took me 3 tries get it to let me post, then it just posted a blank one!! Anyone else having any trouble? As I was going to say, Don't skip around!!! There amazing shows but if you skip around you'll miss alot of stuff! Although Mercy is relllleeeee reeeellllle good!!!
I showed the first epi to my friend, she was praticlly drooling at how hot JD is. lol she is now completly hooked. Can't wait to get her hooked on BN to!! btw does anyone know the exact date it starts up?
Hey soccerbball great to see you. I am not having issues but who knows.
Yes Mercy was great

did you get paniced there for a moment?
Great about your friend, the more the merrier. have a great day.
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