Summary: Success in the third round of the Battles comes down to who has the most confidence.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The third grouping of the Battle Rounds of The Voice finds a return to closer pairings – with one notable exception – but also opens up more vulnerability on the part of the contestants. More and more, we are seeing just how much confidence plays a role in being a standout, even if one doesn’t always offer the strongest voice during a given performance.

Personally, I’ve always found singing to be the most personal of forms of expression, the one that reflects the most on the individual. Even if a singer finds a persona to hide behind, they can still never get around just how intimate is one’s singing voice. That plays havoc on nerves and disposition and confidence is always the first key to being good and standing out. Someone with a fantastic voice will always lose out if they don’t believe in themselves and cultivate the fortitude to stand firmly by their voice.

Confidence was definitely a prevailing theme this time out…

Battle #1: Team Adam – Pip vs. Nathan Parrett, Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good”
Adam chooses these two to compete because they both auditioned with classic songs and Winehouse’s style from Back to Black recalls the swooning, jazz-tinged 1950′s and 1960′s. Pip’s theatricality serves him well and he hits some great notes along the way, particularly a wonderful high note while accompanying Nathan later in the song. Nathan stepped up immensely from his audition and actually presented a tone that was smoother and sounded better than Pip’s. Pip, though, proves to be a true showman and his confident performance is difficult to overcome.

Blake and Christina both pull for Pip. Cee Lo recognizes that Pip can excel but thought Nathan was the surprise of the song. Adam appreciates Nathan’s effort but can’t deny Pip.
Winner: Pip

Battle #2: Team Cee Lo – Erin Martin vs. The Shields Brothers, Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Gotta Do With It”
One of the oddest pairings that could be thought of shows just how eclectic Cee Lo’s team is out of all the coaches. The contrast is kind of compelling but in the end the song comes off too discordant to be either appealing or show much range for either side. Erin is going to be trouble and you begin to see why – other than her voice, which is far too take-it-or-leave-it – labels didn’t want to work with her. While one can appreciate an artist offering creative choices and not wanting to compromise, her style and mechanics – and those choices – don’t really offer a solid enough base to justify her nearly diva-like attitude. Guest adviser Ne-Yo calls it straight when he tells her he doesn’t believe her in the song and Cee Lo is dead on when she says she can’t rely on just being “cute” to get through. She comes off as an act, all surface, rather than genuine and doesn’t appear to have the desire to bring anything more to it. The Shields boys, though, prove to be more adept with direction and coaching, making terrific adjustments to allow a bit softer edge into their style. While I can agree with Cee Lo that it’s hard to see how they can either shake or evolve their style going forward, the two showed a much better command of voice and performance than Erin. This one comes down to a big mistake on Cee Lo’s part.

Adam and Christina both go with the Shields while Blake gets too swept up in Erin’s looks to be objective. Cee Lo sets himself up for drama over energy.
Winner: Erin Martin

Battle #3: Team Xtina – Ashley De La Rosa vs. Jonathas, Jordin Sparks f. Chris Brown’s “No Air”
Jonathas has a natural ease in performance but his similarity to his influences in Usher and Chris Brown works against him. Ashley has a purer voice but has to believe she belongs in front of people belting out songs. She starts off timid but once the song rolls along – something Jonathas’ support actually helps with – she finds her grounding and is able to do more with the song all around. Though not necessarily original, she does come off more as her own voice in contrast to Jonathas’, though good, mimicry. It’s enough to give her the edge.

In a rare moment, all four judges are unanimous in who they felt took this battle.
Winner: Ashley De La Rosa

Battle #4: Team Blake – AlyX vs. Jermaine Paul, Billy Ocean’s “Get Outta My Dreams”
I honestly don’t know what to make of Jermaine. His experience and polish are phenomenal and it really makes him a standout. He seems like a solid guy, too, but there is just something about him that seems … artificial. He feels produced rather than authentic. The talent is there, though, and he all but wipes the floor with AlyX, who is unfortunately swallowed by a polka-dotted balloon during the battle. AlyX was one of the performers they glossed over during a montage during the Blind Auditions so this was the first real chance to see her perform on the show. Something can be said about letting yourself go, letting the guard down while performing, and AlyX – who was too stuck in her own head – did open up during the battle. It just wasn’t enough to really connect her with the song and have any chance of shining next to Jermaine.

The exception to the rule immediately peeks its head out again as all four judges agree that Jermaine’s experience is a force to be reckoned with.
Winner: Jermaine Paul

Battle #5: Team Adam – Angel Taylor vs. Katrina Parker, Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”
Here’s another strong contrast in styles and yet both offer a vulnerability in their voices that Adam seized on to pair them up. Leona Lewis, another singing competition contestant, has a unique and powerful voice, and like a Mariah or a Christina Aguilera, she is so strongly rooted in that power that she’s able to bring a lot of flare and styling to the way she sings. Singers who haven’t had the same level of professional experience tend to seize on that aspect more than not and we found both Angel and Katrina trying to add runs and do quirky things with their voices during rehearsal to match the song. Thankfully, Adam called them on it and coached them to go more for the emotion of the lyrics rather than the vocal “aerobics” (prefer acrobatics or gymnastics as terms, myself). Angel seems to take that more to heart and throughout the song appears to be searching for the meaning more than Katrina is. The problem with that is an audience can pick up on the searching rather than feeling a strong emotion and that works against Angel. With Katrina, she’s solid throughout with a great voice, and though she comes off a bit less attached to the emotion, it provides a much stronger performance to connect with people.

Just to make me look silly, all four judges are again in agreement on this one.
Winner: Katrina Parker

Battle #6: Team Blake – Gwen Sebastian vs. Erin Willett, Pat Benatar’s “We Belong”
Of course, this battle becomes a lot more personal as Erin learns her dad is nearing death in his fight with cancer. What really makes this special is the approach Gwen takes to the song both before Erin’s news and certainly after. She looks at it more as a show for the two of them than a battle, trying to find ways for them both to shine up there. It’s commendable and refreshing, despite the competition aspect of the show. While it might have eventually cost her in the end, it makes for a stronger rendition of the song by both singers. The harmonies on the chorus, in particular, are outstanding and you really feel a sense of support on both of their parts. It’s hard to deny the softness and rich tone to Erin’s voice that she brings in the second verse that offers perfect variation from the power she naturally brings and that’s enough to put her over the edge. More importantly, instead of pushing and making the song overwrought, Erin is able to channel all of her emotional turmoil in superb fashion.

Cee Lo prefers the quality of Gwen’s voice while both Christina and Adam think Erin offered a more dynamic performance. Ultimately, Blake agree.
Winner: Erin Willett

Special note should be made of Erin’s father who did end up passing away.

Despite Cee Lo’s egregious error, the judges choices this week seemed spot on, even though we lost some singers who could’ve done great things in the live shows. What did you think of this third helping of the Battle Rounds? Let us know in the comments below.

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.

Summary: A stronger episode at its best when focusing on the lead actresses.
Rating: 8/10

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The quick skinny on the episode.

Synopsis: The stress of the show and her relationship with Derek takes its toll on Ivy’s voice, opening the possibility that Karen might have to fill in for a workshop preview performance.

Full Recap: Ivy finds that the stress of her role – and specifically with her relationship with Derek – is causing her to lose her voice. During rehearsal, as she tries to hit high notes her voice falls apart and she has to go see a doctor. Finding her throat is inflamed but there is no sign of infection or any issues with her vocal chords, Ivy’s given prednisone but is hyper-sensitive to drugs. She attempts to just use rest but Derek insists on getting Karen ready so that they can make their workshop performance in a week’s time. Pushed, Ivy takes the drugs and has strong reactions, as expected. Her voice recovers and to her dismay that’s all that Derek seems interested with. During a particularly harsh note session, Ivy finally has enough and tells Derek off in front of everyone.

At the end of rehearsal, Karen drops the contents of her purse and is hidden from view as she picks them up. She overhears the production staff talking about their concerns with Ivy and Derek suggesting that they start getting Karen ready to perform the workshop preview. Upon seeing her credit card bill and still worried about money, Karen takes a Bar Mitzvah gig from a friend in the ensemble who got the gig from Ivy. Bolstered by the possibility of filling in for Ivy, Karen gives a knockout performance at the party and gets the card of a well-known producer with a request to call. Ivy’s voice recovers and Tom lets Karen know they won’t need her. She tells him that she’s ready to step up if something else should happen.

Eileen is trying to court an old producer friend to give money toward the workshop and out-of-town tryouts. Meanwhile, she’s searching for a new place to live that’s within her budget but still a place of status. Ellis, who is actively trying to find things to do for Eileen, calls in a favor with a friend to see an expensive place in Manhattan before its even listed. Eileen finds she can’t afford the place and, while they discuss other options, the boys take her to a dive bar that strikes her fancy. She finally manages to get the producer friend to agree to come to the workshop performance to see about signing on. He also recommends a place to her in a building his nephews owns.

Michael is trying desperately to get Julia to talk with him but she won’t. He says that he’ll make a scene in front of everyone at rehearsal but she doesn’t give in. Leo is at odds with his mother over the kiss he saw between she and Michael, but she’s not aware he knows. Surprising them both, Frank returns from his re-education trip and Julia is happy to see him. Julia tells Tom about the kiss with Michael and he tells her she needs to think about Frank and Leo. Michael calls one night and Frank answers. They have a friendly chat before Julia grabs the phone from her husband. She tells him that he can’t call and Michael says he needed to get her attention. He asks her to meet him at the rehearsal space that night. Later, Julia decides to meet Michael to tell him that he has to stop, telling Frank that she’s going for a walk to relieve stress. At the rehearsal space, they share an intimate moment and Julia finally gives in. They sleep with each other.

Tom attends a gathering at lawyer John’s place, thinking that meeting his friends is too soon. Talking with the friends, Tom discovers that John just came out to his mother within the last year, which concerns him. Tom gets a text from Ivy about her drug-induced hallucination and goes to be with her. He discovers that she also got ahold of Sam and the two share odd flirting/resistance. With his further talk of sports, Tom is baffled by how straight Sam appears for a chorus boy and Sam further complicates things by saying he didn’t say he was straight or gay.

The in-depth review.

In its strongest episode since the pilot, Smash continues to find ways to make its lead characters unappealing. This week, the show turns its sights on Julia (Debra Messing), so far the most complete of the myriad characters. With her hubby Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) out of sight at a teacher refresher course, Julia finds herself racked with guilt over allowing the kiss with Michael. Tom gives her thoroughly sensible advice when he tells her to think of Frank and Leo. More to the point, Frank returns home – much to Leo’s approval – and Julia now faced with the very real presence of her husband … proceeds to sleep with Michael. It not only guts her character but takes away a lot of sympathy.

Admittedly, the moment Julia and Michael (Will Chase) share in the rehearsal space is a lovely one between the actors. Well done and realistic, it’s a strongly intimate moment that would’ve been more powerful if the two had come to some sense in the moment. But they give in – which in and of itself isn’t wholly unrealistic – and it totally saps the connection between her and the audience. Yes, they’ve set their attraction up as one that thoroughly ravished them 5 years hence but it just seems out of character for Julia to give herself over to this with Frank now back in town, especially with their marriage in fairly good shape. The capper, though, is to have Julia and Michael mooning over each other the next day at rehearsal without the slightest hint of conscience. Michael had already taken turns for the worse the last few episodes with his aggressive begging without any concern for his family, but this made the situation unpleasant quickly and brought Julia down to the muck with it.

Another bothersome development is the association between Eileen (Anjelica Huston) and Ellis (Jamie Cepero), Tom’s opportunistic assistant who now has his sights set on the producer. To what end isn’t entirely clear as Eileen still struggles with both her personal finance and getting out from beneath Jerry’s shadow as a producer. Though we are treated to some minor wheeling and dealing on her part with the producer friend, they still haven’t found much for Eileen to do. Taking her to a dive bar and having her learn how to play a hunting video game doesn’t exactly set things on fire either. Though, perhaps, with her catching the eye of the swarthy bartender, they’ll begin to flesh her out more.

The best parts of the episode belong to our two leading ladies, Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty). Once again, the focus is primarily on the talents of these two women, as it was in the beginning, and the show is better for it. The conflict, though Ivy’s bitchy divaness isn’t forgotten about, is rooted on actual performance and it’s smart of the show to have set up a ticking clock with the workshop preview. This helps to re-solidify the competition aspect between the two actresses, rather than just relying on Ivy’s insecurities toward the new girl, and strengthens the stakes.

Karen, in particular, has a refreshing approach to the possibility of her needing to step in for Ivy. This brings on new-found confidence and convinces her that she can actually do the role. Though she isn’t jockeying for the part, it’s nice to see a slightly more proactive Karen instead of the person who is so reactive to everything, being so fresh on the scene. this opportunity with the producer she got out of the Bar Mitzvah gig opens up some great possibilities to get the character more experienced and allows her to start getting noticed for her talent in more places than bars and dance halls.

We are treated again to the more human Ivy as the throat infection not only takes her down a peg but also pushes her to accept the things she doesn’t care for her in her life and stand up against them. Though her outburst at Derek (Jack Davenport) toward the end of the episode was a bit childish for a theatre veteran, it was nice to see her putting her foot down against the director. The relationship is contributing to her unlikability and it’s good to see her finally muster the strength to start reclaiming herself. It’s also welcome to see Hilty play the moments of Ivy’s vulnerability that aren’t masked in sneering and diva behavior. She and Christian Borle have a fantastically relatable moment after Ivy’s outburst when they laugh and hug in the hall.

Both stars give terrific musical performances this episode between Hilty’s rendition of “Who You Are” and McPhee’s “Shake It Out”. Both songs are a bit overproduced, which with the vocal talent of both actresses is always a bit on the underwhelming side, but each is a great showcase for them. Hilty’s, specifically, was lovely and powerful, even if the horrendous editing during the scene and nearly breaking the fourth wall didn’t do her many favors.

If Smash can keep the focus on the show and the Karen-Ivy relationship, the series will soar. If not, we’ll continued to be subjected to character assassination week in and week out.

Summary: The face-offs are more one-sided as the coaches try contrasting pairs on the second night of the Battle Rounds.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

In a contrast with last week’s show, in this second grouping of the Battle Rounds of The Voice, the coaches made a concerted effort to pit team members of differing styles against each other. To that, they chose a more eclectic mix of songs – including one of the (relatively) more odd numbers even seen or heard on a singing show.

In fact, it should be noted how varied the catalog of approved songs is for The Voice, quite possibly the widest of the competitions out there. Oh, it never strays too far from pop, but who could’ve imagined some of these tunes on a show 5 years ago. But then, of course, there is Foreigner and you never feel too removed from a Wednesday night at the local watering hole.

Battle #1: Team Xtina – Geoff McBride vs. Sera Hill, Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools”
The evening kicks off as well as the last one ended and, frankly, it’s a bit of a shame that the highlight of the night comes so early. Contrary to the statement at the top, Christina wisely pairs two of her most soulful singers on a song tailored to their powerful styles. However, in the end, she’s left with as wrenching a choice as we the audience. The most immediate impression is how well these two sound and work together, even as they try to outdo the other. They both never waver on putting the song first and it’s a brilliant duet. Adam makes comment that, while Sera put on a “good show,” Geoff seemed to be telling more of a story, and personally I agree. Neither should have gone home, though, but this is the format.

Cee Lo and Adam both side with Geoff while Blake gives the edge to Sera. Christina is torn but leans her girl’s way.
Winner: Sera Hill

Battle #2: Team Blake – Charlotte Sometimes vs. Lex Land, Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”
I have to confess that I am in the minority that doesn’t find the appeal of Foster the People or this song in particular, so I’m not immediately bowled over by this battle. That said, Blake’s only battle of the night personifies the statement at the top. Though they share a bit of an odd kitschy factor in their voices, Charlotte and Lex couldn’t be more different in temperament. Charlotte is bold, outlandish, and looking always to “entertain”. Lex is shy and reserved and during the rehearsals it’s still unclear why she was chosen. Even when the battle begins, Lex’s voice is fine enough but kind of small and her presence is too inward. Charlotte’s bravado, by contrast, is almost garish but she stands out. Lex gets better as the song goes along and, as Blake notes, she actually takes more risks with her vocals than Charlotte, landing them more often than not. Charlotte’s assertiveness is too much to overcome and this one seems decided fairly early on.

Christina doesn’t offer a clear preference but Cee Lo and Adam both side in Charlotte’s favor. Blake appreciates Lex’s effort but his choice is clear.
Winner: Charlotte Sometimes

Battle #3: Team Cee Lo – Juliet Simms vs. Sarah Golden, Rod Stewart’s “Stay With Me”
The choice of song in this battle is almost laughably lopsided, skewing so heavy in favor of Juliet’s voice and delivery that you have to wonder what Cee Lo was thinking. In the same turn, so many singers run up against songs that are so “easy” for their voices that they get lazy who too showy, allowing overconfidence to cause them not to work. In this case, Sarah does have to work and Cee Lo and guest adviser Babyface stress to her that she doesn’t have to try to outdo Juliet but she find the song in her voice and go with that. It’s exactly what she does and, just like Juliet boasts about in the rehearsals, she gets swallowed up at points. Christina pointed out that during the verses she was holding up well but that her voice and style got overwhelmed by the chorus. Ultimately, Juliet’s gravelly delivery overpowered her.

Adam and Christina both pull for Juliet, but Blake gives the advantage to Sarah because he felt it showed her versatility to compete at all. Cee Lo struggles momentarily but goes with the stronger of the two.
Winner: Juliet Simms

Battle #4: Team Adam – Kim Yarborough vs. Whitney Myer, Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama”
Again bucking the differing styles, the contrast here is in age and experience, though the elder Kim is still fill of a zest for life that works so well in her favor. Whitney has the quote of the night when comparing the two powerhouses: “Her house is bigger than mine.” She couldn’t be more right, though. Whitney has a strong voice but her focus is so external that it serves to psyche her out. Guest adviser Alanis Morissette gives her a note to be present that all but sinks her during the actual battle. The note is actually a good one but Whitney’s translation of it fails in the execution. The coaches gave the pair a lot of praise for the overall song – Blake insisting he felt like it was one of those VH1 Divas concerts – but it seemed pretty clear that she was pushing throughout the song to keep pace with Kim. It was bad but it was shaky in the way someone trying to bench press slightly too much weight struggles. Their voices do blend well at various points but Kim’s is naturally more assured.

Blake feels he couldn’t make a choice between the two but Christina and Kim both feel Kim stood out exceptionally. Adam agrees.
Winner: Kim Yarborough

Battle #5: Team Xtina – Lee Koch vs. Lindsey Pavao, Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box”
Here it is! By far, the oddest song choice perhaps ever seen on a mainstream singing competition. That’s not to say Nirvana hasn’t become part of the mainstream – we’re seeing more and more of the band’s songs appearing on these shows – but the lyrics, structure and tone of the song make this one quite unique and a distinct challenge. Lee has the most challenge as he’s severely unfamiliar with the song, having been years since the last time he heard it. Lindsey, though, is quite a fan of Nirvana and feels she can own the song. Guest adviser Jewel and Christina impress on Lee just spending time getting to know the song and also to work on his pronunciation as his one-of-a-kind slurring delivery is losing the song. With Lindsey, Lionel Richie tries to get her out of her head and just tell a story, as she’s relying too much on her vocal tricks and not investing in the lyrics. Going into the battle, it’s not clear either is going to turn out a very good performance and while the song is far from perfect, the odd pairing actually makes it work. The dissonance of the song and their individual styles makes for a striking performance that’s better than the sum of its parts. Mixed with the dramatic lighting, this is one of the creepier numbers seen in this kind of setting.

Cee Lo and Adam both felt Lee brought a better overall performance, while Blake, who had never heard the song before, felt Lindsey was stronger. Personally, I felt Lee brought more to the table but Christina felt that Lindsey offered more versatility.
Winner: Lindsey Pavao

Battle #6: Team Cee Lo – Jamar Rogers vs. Jamie Lono, Foreigner “I Wanna Know What Love Is”
Here are two who could not be more different from each other, in voice, in style, in background. The great thing about programs like this is it offers the opportunity to bring people together who would never have met in life, including a former heroin addict from New York and a sandwich shop worker from Chicago. The two became fast friends and while each is resolute in their reason for being here there is still the tough prospect of having to knock a friend out of the game. From the get-go, Jamie was having problems, his voice cracking as he tried to reach higher notes that Jamar was hitting with ease. What Cee Lo and Babyface found was that Jamie was not only not connecting with the song but foregoing his confidence comparing himself to Jamar. Jamar, on the other hand, wasn’t allowing the song to open up and flow, according to guest adviser Ne-Yo, relying to heavily on his personal growl and inflections when he should tap more into the emotion of the song itself. It’s a note he takes to heart and makes a stronger effort when they actually perform in the battle. Jamie seems to have more confidence, too, as the song starts out with a beautiful harmony between the two. Soon, though, Jamar’s confidence pushes to the front and Jamie gets lost along the way.

There’s near unanimous approval for Jamar amongst the coaches. Most importantly, Cee Lo feels he stood out.
Winner: Jamar Rogers

Overall, it felt like the battles this night were a bit more one-sided than during the first night. One hopes we have a few more shocks and surprises as the battles continue.

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the film.**

The quick skinny on the movie.

In the 1880s, a well-known archeological adventurer from Virginia named John Carter dies in New York, leaving his estate and the tale of the great escapades of his life to his nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Burroughs reads the harrowing story of how Carter, a Civil War veteran who lost his wife and daughter, is transported from Earth to the planet Mars while searching for gold in Arizona. On Mars, which the natives call Barsoom, he becomes a slave to the alien Tharks but quickly proves himself a worthy ally. He intercedes in the chase of the princess Dejah Thoris by peoples of a moving city called Zodanga. With superhuman strength and the ability to jump high and far that his physiology gives him on the alien world, Dejah believes Carter can help change the tide in the war between her people in the city of Helium and the Zodangans. Carter merely wants to find his way home, but in the process finds himself and his calling in life.

The in-depth review.

One thing should be made very clear from the get-go – something that Disney’s complete mishandling of the marketing of this film buries – John Carter never strives to be more than the B(-plus) movie, pulpy roots of its story. It’s grand and epic but not self-importantly or pretentiously so in the way that so many large-scale Hollywood films are today. It is not high art but it is high adventure. That’s not to say its production isn’t first rate nor that its effort exceeds its grasp. This is a movie adapted from stories that were meant simply to entertain that does just that.

Andrew Stanton, one of the key components of Pixar’s success, has an obvious love and care for the material. He spoke recently at TED about crafting stories and it was evident how this story meant as much to him as the fantastic ones he shepherded in Finding Nemo and WALL-E. This passion is most clear in the tone and approach he took to the movie.

Burroughs’ stories of John Carter, the Confederate American Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to the planet Mars and becomes embroiled in their own war, have long informed the popular science fantasy genre over the last hundred years. Much has been made in discussing the film and its source that the character’s and stories’ influence can be felt in everything from Star Wars to Avatar to Indiana Jones to Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon to the most popular anime. The problem with that discourse is that so many have exalted these stories beyond the scope or reason of their author. While they’ve become important for the genre and are literate, they weren’t designed to be classics or property of the elite. They were written for the adventurer in all of us.

Stanton’s approach is very reverent of that fact and the film makes no apologies for that. Yes, there is a significant history and mythology to Burroughs’ planet of Barsoom, the native moniker for our lovely red neighbor. So much so that most of the audience would probably need a guide to understand it all. Stanton tackles this head-on by thrusting us right into the action, whisking us along with Carter as he tries to make sense of it for himself. There are pauses for exposition in the script to help wrap some intelligent thought around what is going on around Carter, but the majority of the film is built on reaction rather than reflection. It’s guaranteed that most won’t understand everything about Mars but they will understand Carter’s journey and the connections he makes to the fantastic denizens of this strange new world.

As John Carter, Taylor Kitsch cuts a serviceable and amenable figure on-screen. There isn’t a tremendous amount of depth or variation to what he brings to the part, and his particular breathy approach to dialogue leaves one wanting for more than just soulful smoldering (or the appearance of it). Still, there is a natural likability about Kitsch that makes you want to root for him and the timbre of his performance does give you the idea that Carter is affected by the death of his wife and daughter, even if it comes off more surface than core deep at times. He also doesn’t waver in his belief in and reaction to everything going on around him, which is a huge blessing for a film like this that is over 90% special effect. When he accepts his place on Barsoom and his feelings for Dejah Thoris, the so-called “princess of Mars” who serves as the title character of the main story that the film is based on, there is a conviction and joy to Kitsch’s performance that sweeps the audience right along into the bustling fervor of the third act. And while his physique certainly fits, he brings a passion and presence to the physical requirements of the part that make him an enjoyable action star.

Dejah is brought to thrilling life by Lynn Collins, who shoulders the majority of the depth and emotion not seen elsewhere, and she helps to make the film buoyant. With Dominic West’s Sab Than not much more than a snarling, mustache twisting-character, and Mark Strong’s Matai Shrang a solid but metered presence, Collins adds the spark and verve the film needs to make Mars come to life and to make us care. She has a complete understanding and command of her character, a role that could easily have been a damsel-in-distress part or a shrill “girl power” statement that’s far from appealing or enlightening, a la Gemma Atherton’s Princess in Prince of Persia. Dejah is every bit Carter’s equal in organic ways and, while their romance seems bit rushed, it’s not hard to see why both come to care for each other as well as fall for each other.

The majority of the characters and set pieces in the film are CGI creations, particularly the four-armed Tharks, a green-skinned species that fit the Martian mold as we Earthlings know it a little more closely. While there is never a moment when you’re not aware that these creatures aren’t real, it doesn’t become long before you are invested in the performances of Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, and, especially, Samantha Morton as characters. While Church’s Tal Hajus is written as a one-note, power-hungry thug who wants nothing to do with Carter, he imbues the character with such vigor that the note plays well. Dafoe, whose voice sounds both familiar and nothing like what he’s done before, brings a charm and righteousness to Tars Tarkas that captivates you, even in those moments when his viciousness is quite repulsive. It’s impressive that Stanton makes no apologies for who the Tharks are, a species as violent and ugly as the evil Zodangans but just as proud and upstanding as those from Helium. He makes them feel lived in, which helps to not only suspend disbelief but come to care and root for them. Morton’s Sola is a particular standout, giving the film some exceptional humanity, both in how’s she’s treated as a being and in familial ties that echo stronger than the ones between Dejah and her father Tardos (Ciarán Hinds).

A major concern of the film going into it was the look of Mars itself. Filmed primarily in the deserts of Utah, one can’t help but feel that Barsoom looks curiously like Earth. This is admittedly distracting at first but this decision is not only rooted in the story but becomes a benefit for the design of the film. Carter’s story is as much about a man who is in seemingly familiar surroundings but is out-of-place as it is about exploits in strange lands. Carter, a man out of touch with himself, eventually finds his true purpose and discovers that this place is home, even if he can spring hundreds of feet into the air or throw boulders around. Beyond that, grounding the look of Barsoom into something more Earth-like actually helps to give an air of authenticity to the proceedings, making everything seem more real than if the audience was trying to process the alien look of a red planet with everything occurring. One need only look at the Star Wars prequels to feel how disconnected the action elements on the foreign worlds felt. It turns out to be a smart choice.

As is much in the film. John Carter isn’t without flaws, though. The script, by Stanton & Marc Andrews with a polish by Michael Chabon, could’ve used a bit more tweaking, particularly in some of the dialogue. Carter’s aversion to war, aside from his personal loss, could’ve been more informed. Some of what they crammed of the Martian conflict could’ve been excised and used in subsequent films. That might have allowed more of the human-like “Red Man” characters to display more character. (That said, each character was fun in its own right.) Also, the closing bookend felt rushed in its execution.

Overall, the sense of fun and wonder, not to mention humor; the broad strokes of good vs. evil; and the feeling of a larger story all perfectly encapsulate the thrust of Burroughs’ Barsoom series. It has been ages since I’ve read any of the John Carter stories, so I’m by no means an expert. There might be a number of elements of the story that the film gets wrong but it understands its spirit, accompanied beautifully by Michael Giacchino’s rousing score, and that is what this film needed. Some might say that the various things on display are derivative of the science fiction, fantasy, and space opera that we’ve become so familiar with in cinema, but that’s a bit backhanded because this is the originator. It’s commendable that Stanton stuck to its roots rather than trying to translate into something it’s not simply to be different from the descendants.

Stanton is able to translate his success in animation to live-action very well, even if the film is still heavily CG-dependent. He is a storyteller with heart and that pours through in every frame on the screen with the rapture of a young boy telling tales to his friends. As anyone who gave into imagination as a kid, John Carter dares you to leave the theater without feeling inspired and infused with a sense of adventure.

Summary: An episode that fine-tunes the format of the series and introduces new elements to Britten’s story.
Rating: 8.5/10

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The quick skinny on the episode.

Synopsis: When Britten and Bird are given the case of a murdered doctor in the Green Band World, Britten and Vega stumble upon the case of a homeless man with the same name killed in the Red Band World. As Hannah and Britten discover a secret Rex has been keeping, Britten tries to figure out what a “little guy” has to do with his two cases.

Full Recap: In the Green Band World (GBW), when Rex tells his father that the clothes he washed smell different, Britten takes some time in the Red Band World (RBW) to watch his wife use some fabric softener while doing the laundry, further illustrating what he found out on his last two cases that he can “borrow” knowledge to help him sort through issues in opposing realities. Dr. Evans (GBW) is excited about this prospect, suggesting it can be a valuable tool, while Dr. Lee (RBW) finds this very detrimental to Britten’s mental health.

In the GBW
The Medical Examiner alerts Britten and Bird to the death of a diabetic doctor named Bernard McKenzie who initially appeared to die by insulin overdose. The M.E. was able to find subtle traces of a drug that can be fatal that was laced into the insulin, declaring the case a homicide.

Meanwhile, Britten has tried to maintain a family dinner with Rex, something his son and wife did nightly when she was alive, but Rex is feeling the need to go hang out with his friends. The next night, Britten cooks a fajita dinner to sit down to but Rex and Cole made plans to go to the beach. Instead of the beach, the boys go to a storage unit to work on a motorcycle. Rex tries to convince Cole that when they’re done with the bike, they should secretly take it out to the Coachella festival. As Rex pushes for it, Cole tries figure out why when a girl from school shows up. Cole asks her if she’s planning to go to the festival and she answers in the affirmative. Rex and the girl go off for a walk.

A suspect is hauled in for the McKenzie murder, a former partner who was shoved out of their fertility practice after he found that McKenzie was doing some questionable practices. Britten notes that the man is rather large, picking up on a clue from the RBW, and believes the guy to be innocent. When they corroborate his alibi, Bird is concerned with Britten’s method.

After finding out that McKenzie’s clinic’s computer system was hacked and records were deleted, the trail leads to the young son of a paralegal whose regards were removed. The son, Sam, says that he was trying to get information about his father who died from cancer just after he was born. Britten asks how tall Sam is and he’s 5’5″. Bird calls Britten on his questioning about height and Britten gives him a story about a small window at the clinic that he thinks only a small person could have fit through.

Britten takes the recovered deleted files to the M.E. to see if he can make any sense of why these files were chosen. The M.E. discovers that all of them are genetically related and that McKenzie must have substituted his own sperm instead of the fathers’ in each case. Techs find incriminating evidence on Sam’s computer and Britten and Bird bring him in. He admits to the crime and says that he didn’t go to the cops because he felt that McKenzie would get off too easily. He also deleted the files so that the other families couldn’t find out the truth and ruin their lives.

Dr. Evans positively reinforces Britten’s method of using his subconscious to play out thoughts from his conscious mind to give him insight that helped solved the case. Britten is bothered by the fact that he wasn’t able to solve the case in the RBW, that he must have missed something. Evans reasons that he shifted his focus to Rex and the bike as means to strengthen the bonds in his life that are most important to him.

At home, Rex says he’s taking off to go to the beach with Cole. Britten reveals he knows about the motorcycle and Rex asks if he wants to see it. They go out front and Britten watches Rex ride the finished bike.

In the RBW
Britten brings home mail for Rex that was delivered to friend Cole’s house, including a sealed box. Insisting that they should open it, Britten makes Hannah uncomfortable. She describes how everything reminds her that he’s gone and she’s unsure how he doesn’t feel the same way. Britten explains that there are things that remind him of Rex, not the fact that he’s dead, and that they can still bring joy to their lives. Dr. Lee tries to get Britten to see that his “dream” of Rex being alive that gives him such an assured approach to Rex’s things in this world is pushing his wife away. Britten insists that his state gives him a unique perspective to focus on the important and appropriate things.

At work, the name “Bernard McKenzie” jumps out at Britten from a board of homicide victims with dead-end cases. Vega tells him that he was a homeless guy and there are no leads in the case, but Britten decides to work it. This McKenzie is black man with a list of prior convictions. Britten and Vega canvas the neighborhood to see if they can dig up new information, amidst Vega’s strong objections. They happen upon a man who witnessed the shooting but as they talk with him it becomes clear that the man has a mental illness. Vega dismisses the man but Britten writes down a valuable description of the assailant: “the little guy”.

Hannah opens Rex’s box and takes it over to Cole to ask about it. Inside is the camshaft for a motorcycle that Rex and Cole bought and were fixing up. Britten and Hannah had told Rex he couldn’t get a bike, so he would tell them that he and Cole were going down to the beach while they worked on the bike at a storage facility. As Cole tells Hannah that Rex was the one who really understood what he was doing while fixing up the bike, Hannah smiles and is excited by this part of her son that she hadn’t known. She tells Cole that he should finish the bike. She reveals this to Britten the next day, telling him about the beach lie.

Vega pulls another case for the partners to work on. When Britten argues that they are already working on a case – and brings in the homeless witness – he gets pulled into the Captain’s office. Captain Harper offers for Britten to move to a different department where he doesn’t have to deal with the tragedies of homicide. When he refuses, she orders him to get on the case that Vega pulled and give up the McKenzie case. He agrees and as he’s leaving, she asks him why he was looking at mugshots of short people. He explains the witness’s account.

With the case in GBW solved, Dr. Lee expresses concern about how he let his “dream” influence his investigation and that the subconscious is unreliable. At the station, a suspect in their new case is brought in for Britten and Vega to question. Britten offers for Vega to be lead interrogator. As he steps away from his desk, Captain Harper discovers that he’s still looking at mugshots of short people.

At home, Hannah brings Britten outside where Cole is sitting on the finished motorcycle. Cole asks if she wants to take it for a spin. Britten watches as Hannah rides the bike.

Elsewhere, in a park, Captain Harper meets with a mysterious man to talk about Britten. She stresses that she has everything under control with Britten but the man questions her ability. She says that she had it under control earlier before the mysterious man hired someone to kill Britten and took out his family instead. The man tells her they’ve got a good thing going and would like to protect it. As he goes to leave, she asks if the man he hired to create the car accident was a “little guy”. The man says yes.

The in-depth review.

While there was a significant depressive air about the pilot episode of Awake that might have turned some off to the series, there is a decidedly lighter and more focused aura to this second episode. The material isn’t lighter – and the plotting, though seeming somewhat simple, is quite intricate – but there is a stronger focus on the procedural aspect. In the same regard, they don’t neglect Detective Britten’s familial ties either. In fact, with the pacing and the structure, this actually forms a stronger sense of what the series will be than the pilot did.

It’s as if they reassessed their approach after completing the pilot and made some tweaks to make it a tad more accessible to a wider audience. One of those tweaks includes some transitions to help distinguish when Britten (Jason Isaacs) shifts to a different reality. It’s not used for every transition, which should keep the high intelligentsia from complaining too much about any amount of “dumbing down”, but does make clear moments that could conceivably trip people up enough to draw them out of the story.

Britten, himself, feels less broken, as if his declaration at the end of the pilot that he didn’t want to progress in his therapy was less an emotional exclamation than a solidifying revelation. He has a moment with Dr. Lee (B.D. Wong), the poo-pooing shrink in the RBW, where he states his purpose and motivation as a character, that his perspective allows him to hone in his focus and ask the “right” questions so that he’s able to help people. There’s a rule in film and television to show rather than tell, but in hearing him put this purpose into words, it actually soothes the ill feelings left from the procedural aspect of the pilot. There it felt like a gimmick and the way the two cases were connected felt too convenient. Here, the connections feel more relevant and organic, even though the cases couldn’t be more disparate.

Perhaps the best component of that is the fact that he didn’t solve one of the cases. This is a marvelous and clever choice on the part of the showrunners and writers. It deepens the circumstances and raises the stakes of the series as a whole. Instead of neatly wrapping everything up, it allows the world (or worlds, as it were) to breathe and live. By making it still relevant to Britten’s story, they don’t cheat the audience out of their care and time either. On top of it all, they institute a “mythology” in the show to hang the building action on instead of just the premise.

When talk began in the pilot about how the brass at the department was handling Britten in both worlds, one couldn’t help but feel there was something a bit more sinister than just simple care for one of their own. The reveal that Captain Harper (Laura Innes) is involved with some shady group that was attempting to kill Britten with the car accident doesn’t really come as a surprise. That doesn’t make it any less welcome. In one breath, it feels a bit old hat to throw in a shadow conspiracy; in another, it gives some direction to the story and allows Britten to have a narrative journey beyond trying to keep both realities alive while both shrinks seek to eventually take them away from him. I think I’ll go with the second breath for a while.

Particular notice should be given to the simple but effective story of Rex and the motorcycle that spans both worlds. Laura Allen does some nice work and its good to see them giving Hannah some moments to come to terms with her son’s death and heal. Playing the denial or grieving card would serve to make the character too one-note, so it’s refreshing to see them offer some color right up front. It’s also good to see how the Brittens’ marriage strengthened following their tragedy rather than offering TV’s upteen-millionth crumbling marriage. For the most part, it would appear they were a well-functioning family prior to the accident. Dylan Minnette is also given some lovely moments on his end and it’s nice to see a storyline with a teenager that feels age-specific and not sensationalized.

Kudos also to Steve Harris and Wilmer Valderrama for strong work playing opposite the baffling Britten. The different partners, though dealing with the same issues with his “intuition”, adds as perfect a contrast to the realities as the two shrinks. Valderrama, in particular, felt much more solid than he did in the pilot. It will be good getting to know both Bird and Vega better.

Awake more than fulfills on the promise of its premiere in its second episode. It serves as a refresh that not only strengthens and grows its premise but crystallizes the format.

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.

Summary: An overly full episode with some curious character choices.
Rating: 7/10

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The quick skinny on the episode.

Synopsis: Ivy’s doubts and insecurities begin to take their toll as Karen is confronted with facing the reserved nature that is holding her back. Julia and Michael grow dangerously closer.

Full Recap: Breathe…

Eileen discovers unceremoniously that her assistant has defected to Jerry, underlining his displeasure that she was able to find financing for the Marilyn workshop oh her own without him. As dancers warm up for rehearsal, Derek asks Karen to help him work through a dance. She stumbles through the steps and he needles her about holding back. Ivy walks in on the two dancing and wonders what is going on.

Michael asks Julia if they can meet after rehearsal to discuss a scene, which she reluctantly agrees to. While the ex-lovers sit at a diner over apple pie and ice cream, Michael’s contention that the perception of DiMaggio in the show as a negative person in Marilyn’s life feels to Julia like a loaded conversation about their situation. She ends up ignoring a call from an unknown number. Tom, on another date with the lawyer who he’s not sure if he’s interested in, is next to receive a call: it’s Julia’s son Leo, arrested for being with a friend who was attempting to smoke marijuana in Central Park. Tom and the lawyer, who impresses Tom with his surehanded dealing of the situation, go to get Leo released.

Karen meets up with Dev at City Hall after rehearsal where he is talking with a reporter he’s mentioned on numerous occasions. She’s surprised to find out that “R.J.” is a young Iranian woman and not a dowdy old white guy. Not necessarily jealous, she’s suspicious of R.J.’s intentions with Dev. Across town, Julia comes home mad and sends Leo off to his room, grounded. Tom asks where she was and she admits to meeting with Michael. Tom tells her that Leo’s arrest is just the kick she needed to stay away from Michael.

The next day at rehearsal, Ivy’s friend Sam tries chatting with Tom about sports, a way to flirt. Tom is not only not into sports but he’s got thoughts of the lawyer on his mind. (They find themselves in bed together later.) As rehearsal kicks off, Derek becomes frustrated with the way Ivy is singing the song and insists that Karen demonstrate how to sing as Marilyn with the proper vibrato. Karen reluctantly sings “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”, impressing the others in the show. Ivy is thoroughly unhappy. Derek demands that Karen and Ivy meet later so that she can coach Ivy on how to do the trill properly. When they do meet for a session, Karen attempts to be pleasant and cordial but Ivy throws it in her face.

Eileen, still anxiously waiting on pages, tells Julia that she needs them done now. Julia, meanwhile, gets a return call from the adoption agency to find out if Leo’s arrest will negatively affect their process. The news isn’t good and when Michael tries to offer a shoulder, she walks away. Rehearsing the “Let’s Be Bad” number, Ivy finishes to concerned faces and quiet discussions amongst the production staff. When she asks if she should do something different, Derek dismisses her and says they are moving on.

Rehearsal the next day, Julia takes the day at home to spend time with Leo. She asks her son if he was smoking the pot with his friend. He insists he wasn’t and reveals that he has before. Julia impresses upon Leo that doing anything stupid will ruin their chances for the adoption. At rehearsal, Michael asks Tom where Julia is and Tom defiantly declares she is with her family. Attempting to start the number again, Ivy finds herself tripping up when she is about to sing. She tries again to the same result, with nary a sympathetic gesture from Derek. She composes herself and goes again, nailing it. Everyone in the room erupts in applause. Derek leaves the room, devastating Ivy. As Karen tries to give Ivy some praise, she’s shot down by the diva once more.

That night, Dev tries to hurry Karen to get ready for an event they need to attend to help him get his promotion at work. He’s learned from R.J. that they are bringing in someone from Washington D.C. who is likely to get the job. Karen complains about both Derek and Ivy and likens everything to how Marilyn must have felt when she was always expected to be sexy. Dev, not paying attention, insists Karen wear a sexy dress for the evening to impress everyone. She sends Dev on ahead while she gets ready. She makes the decision to play up her sexuality. At the event, Karen arrives to find out that Dev is sitting at a table with R.J. but she’s be relegated to another table. At that table, she meets a gentleman who tries picking up on her because of the dress she’s wearing. Unaware of who Karen is, he reveals that he is the guy from D.C. in line for Dev’s promotion. She leaves with Dev and in the car ride back gives him the guy’s name. To prove she’s not reserved, she begins to seduce him in the back of the car.

Meanwhile, Ivy, Sam and Michael are out at the bar after rehearsal. Ivy drinks quite a bit and complains about how Derek is treating. The discussion ends with the decision the Ivy should address it with Derek. She arrives at the director’s place and pounds on the door. When he answers, she lays into him about the way he’s acting. He tells her that when he’s dealing with the show, the show is the only thing for him and that she’s well aware of that. He softens and asks if she is staying the night with him. After sleeping together, Ivy awakes in the middle of the night to find Derek not in bed. She steps downstairs and sees him buried in work.

Michael shows up at Julia’s to talk. When Leo sees him, he invites Michael to stay for dinner, against Julia’s wishes. The three have a good evening and Julia finally sends Leo off to his room. She quickly calls a cab for Michael. They wait outside for the cab and Michael insists on talking about them. Julia mentions that they are both happily married now and they can’t be. He proceeds to sing to her to drop her guard. The cab arrives and she sends him on his way. Just as he is about to leave, he rushes back to her and kisses her. Leo watches the whole thing from his bedroom window.

The in-depth review.

As seen from the recap above, this episode is a stuffed affair and the show is settling into a groove where they present a lot each episode and yet little progresses. Now, I am a champion of taking time with a story to tell it thoroughly and full-bodied. Investing things with small details and glimpses into the ordinary everyday can help build an investment on the audience’s part … if done right. Too often, especially given the standard 22-episode season so common in American television, this slow pacing can wear thin and frequently comes across as dreaded “filler” to pad out the running time of the stretched narrative. (Yes, I am fully in favor of reducing seasons to 13-16 episodes to tighten and strengthen the writing in series.) In the case of Smash, we have so many characters to give service to that everything is becoming sketches.

Unfortunately, with “Let’s Be Bad”, we get a further case of the worst of each character. With someone like director-choreographer Derek (Jack Davenport), worst is what we expect of the character and more and more of what we want to see. The short-straw of this, though, is they don’t give Davenport any time to make him a believable ugly – though creative – person. What we get are broad strokes that serve the plot but don’t allow any depth to really be affected by him. I, for one, want to feel his creative power and get a true sense of the artistry that allows him to be such a raging egomaniac. His exasperation during each rehearsal, specifically the moment when he walked out amidst every clapping for Ivy (Megan Hilty), rang false because it wasn’t rooted in anything other than we were told he’s a “difficult director”. The one moment that it starts to get interesting – when Ivy wakes after they’ve slept together and sees him downstairs alone and buried in notes and script pages – they give the moment to a crestfallen Ivy and don’t let us share in his process.

As for Ivy, we’re once more whipped in the other direction to give her some humanity and depth. We see her beginning to crack and flay in her position, becoming uprooted by her insecurities, and yet again it’s very surface. Hilty is working the direction very well, providing some wonderful color during her non-verbal reactions to both Derek and Karen. The writing has all of this coming on too suddenly, though. Ivy’s supposed to be the more experienced of the two lead actresses and, while even the strongest of us can suffer from self-doubt no matter how confident and secure we are, her every response since she’s been cast in the lead shows little signs of someone who has been around theatre for a little while let alone 10 years. There is an interesting angle to be played – as they are – with mirroring Ivy’s journey with Marilyn’s but it’s being handled in very non-subtle ways.

I guess one could say that since we’re dealing with a show about a Broadway musical the near-caricature way that they are approaching the material sort of fits. But this is still a TV show and the pilot episode set up a stronger, more “realistic” standard to live up to that seems to be going by the wayside. It’s that moment when a drama (or melodrama) starts transitioning into a sensationalized soap opera. Leo’s arrest – and the fact that the guy Tom’s starting-to-date-but-is-unsure-if-he-wants-to is a sly lawyer given a set-piece moment to dazzle his courtee – reeked of soap opera. (And the dastardly promos at the end of each episode paint with as bubbly a brush.)

Things like the production-run performance of “Let’s Be Bad” remind us that we’re in a TV show, putting us right in the middle of a number that would otherwise be a total mess onstage if blocked and choreoed in such a fashion. It’s actually one of the more effective parts of the episode and, though the message is kind of baldly in our faces, it does well to illustrate the state Ivy finds herself at the moment.

Her viciousness against Karen (Katharine McPhee) continues, though, and it continues to be off-putting. Like Derek, there just isn’t an appropriate counterpoint with Ivy to give her diva routine the proper snap it’s begging for. The only time we see her outside of the rehearsal environment – until she goes to Derek’s – is when she’s getting sloppy drunk with Sam and Michael and complaining about Derek. There is nothing to offset the snarl to allow us back into Ivy’s story, even with allowing us a more emotional person this week.

Karen isn’t spared the unpleasant treatment either, both on-camera by Ivy and a needling Derek and behind-the-scenes with a rather distasteful character switch late in the episode. Feeling Ivy’s wrath and Derek’s castigation of the more staid and reserved qualities of her personality, Karen airs her frustrations to a not-present Dev (Raza Jaffrey). He’s more concerned with making an impression at a public event in order to pull sway in his direction for the promotion he’s up for. As Karen makes a “revelation” about the expectations placed on Marilyn Monroe and what both she and Ivy are going through, Dev tries to get her to dress provocatively to help sell him as the ideal candidate for this job. She eventually encourages him to leave without her so that he’ll be on-time while she gets ready. You get the sense it’s an in-character choice in dealing with someone not listening to her. But then, she turns right around and decides that she needs to give in to her sexuality to play the game. We get a rather odd dressing session set to, of all things, “It’s a Man’s World”.

While I’m all for Karen opening herself up to experiences, especially if it helps her become a better and more complete performer, the whole thing makes no sense with the character. It’s a moment thoroughly driven by the plot and comes off unnatural. This is an aspect of her personality and stage persona worth pursuing, particularly in regard to Marilyn, but not in such an uncouth way. To top it off, we get more soap opera as the guy she’s relegated to sit next to at the event turns out to be the guy rumored to be favored for Dev’s promotion and Karen uses her “sexuality” to get information on him for Dev.

The relatively most enjoyable storyline in the episode was the unfolding prelude to adultery on the parts of Julia (Debra Messing) and Michael (Will Chase). There is a nice connection between the two and, as Julia is arguably the most fleshed out of the characters on the show, it sets up an interesting dynamic upon which to play. Of course, in some really contradictory plotting, they’ve decided to cram all of the set-up into this one episode. Messing and Chase have an easy rapport, which makes a scene like the one in the diner over pie play well and charged on-screen. The one thing that’s a bit disconcerting is that Michael seems thoroughly unconcerned with his family, given that they set up such a supporting wife and his loving worrying about his child. It’s understandable that he’s wrapped up in his attraction to Julia and that they are working together so much it heightens the immediacy of their feelings, but there was not a single moment of pause on his part anywhere in the episode. Not to champion adultery in any fashion, it would just have been nice to see these moments play out in an extended timeframe to really enjoy the interplay.

That brings us back to the primary concern: so much packed into short space. The show would do well to take a cue from other series that have worked with so many cast members and characters. Take a show like ER which did this relatively well over its 15 seasons. Choosing to focus on two or three characters in a given episode was not unheard of and actually worked wonders toward giving everyone something to do and letting us viewers into their lives better. Imagine if moments like Tom’s little improvised song to Leo or the funny little exchange between he and his lawyer paramour post-coitus were allowed to breathe more freely. That would be much more preferable to the cartoons we’re getting now.

Summary: The Battle rounds kick off with some unsurprising pairings and some stupefying decisions.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The Blind Auditions over and each judge/coach’s 12-member team set, The Voice moves into the next phase of its three-phase progression. In another way that distinguishes the show as what host Carson Daly calls the “most unique” singing competition on television, each coach – Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green, and Christina Aguilera – pits two of their team members against one another in a “battle” to see who performs better on a chosen song. It’s a rather abrupt way to eliminate half of the remaining contestants to prep us all for the live performance shows, but just like all sudden death it adds an air of drama, excitement, and even controversy to the whole shebang.

Each judge has to be strategic at this point, looking to whittle their teams down to the best and most competitive. All looked at their artists to see who were the most similar leading to some rather forgone pairings. Still, the night didn’t lack for surprises as the singers were pushed to sing well, to sing effectively with another person, and to step up their game to survive.

Battle #1: Team Adam – Tony Lucca vs. Chris Causey, U2′s “Beautiful Day”
Adam decides to pair his two pop male vocalists off against one another on a song that is deceptively complex giving Bono’s flair and tendencies toward variation. By the same turn, it’s a good exercise for the artists because it has soft, mellow lows and jumps up into power anthem highs, something to test the distinctive styles of both of the singers. Adam gets marvelous assistance from Alanis Morissette in trying to temper Tony’s leanings toward pushing his voice too hard to get through rough patches in his capabilities. They tell him to rely on his ability to be an honest, affecting singer, something that he loses sight off to start off the song. It felt a bit like he was struggling to do an imitation of Bono’s style and it came off less genuine as a result, but he settled into a better groove as the song went on. Chris, mentored by Robin Thicke, needed to find a way to stop depending upon the strength of stylings of his voice so much and learn to give a full performance while on stage. There were flashes of moments where he felt relaxed and giving but he struggled with feeling too contained and then working hard to push energy and personality out into the audience. In the end, though they were competing, there wasn’t a strong sense of the two working together or harmonizing very well, leading to a rather sub-par version of the song.

While Blake felt Chris was the standout, both Christina and Cee Lo sided with Tony. The choice was Adam’s, though, and in the end he went with the former Mousketeer too.
Winner: Tony Lucca

Battle #2: Team Blake – Adley Stump vs. RaeLynn, Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’”
Taking two of his more decidedly Country-influenced artists, Blake squares sorority girl and new singer Adley against twangy teen farmgirl RaeLynn. Much as I’m a fan of Tom Petty and of the song, it was a little disappointing that this was the selection, especially considering we’ve already heard it this season during the Blind Auditions. Still, it was a solid song to showcase the unique dynamic of his two team members, forcing RaeLynn out of her comfort zone as a “stylist,” as Blake is fond of calling her, and Adley to show more range than just her impressive power. RaeLynn, helped by her idol Miranda Lambert, had problems finding a straightforward approach to the song and even during the battle fell back on the little tricks and affectations that could be more fun with a stronger voice behind them. Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson aided Adley in overcoming her nerves and finding different levels in the song to have places to go. The advice paid off in spades as Adley gave one of the most assured performances of the evening, offering a beautiful tone, terrific phrasing and shouldering the bulk of making the harmonies work with RaeLynn’s younger voice.

Adam preferred RaeLynn’s more “unique” take on the song, while Christina and Cee Lo both felt Adley gave the stronger and more charismatic performance. In the evening’s biggest upset – and a thoroughly head-scratching moment – Blake felt that Adley didn’t tell enough of a story with the song and chose RaeLynn. One can’t help but feel there was a little too much consideration of his wife in Blake’s decision and it feels like a choice he’s going to regret later on.
Winner: RaeLynn

Battle #3: Team Xtina – Chris Mann vs. Monique Benabou, Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love”
Wanting to weed out her big voices, Christina – decked in a truly ridiculous hat throughout the evening’s numbers – tosses classically trained Chris against passionate amateur Monique, something that makes both singers decidedly nervous. Monique worries that she can’t compete with the physical command of body and voice that Chris has learned through years of instruction, while he’s near petrified that he can’t bring the raw emotion that Monique taps into with reliable ease. In fact, during their final rehearsal, Monique is brought to tears while singing. It’s something that singer-songwriter Jewel bolsters in the young singer, advising her more on techniques of breath, pitch and timing. Lionel Richie coaches Chris on playing to the imperfections and living in the moments, knowing he has the technical ability down pat. And while Chris is able to open up after his too-metered beginning, Monique’s passion overshadows him. Both have big moments but the loveliest part of the song is the soft ending where the two really connect.

Cee Lo and Adam both cheer for Chris, while Blake picks up on the surprising power of Monique’s voice. Christina, though blown away by Monique, chooses Chris, the second blunder of the evening. The distinct advantage of a show like this is that it’s a great showcase of talent to the industry and I would not be surprised to see Monique find some good opportunities after this.
Winner: Chris

Battle #4: Team Cee Lo – Cheesa vs. Angie Johnson, Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
In a moment of full disclosure, I am a complete sucker for this song. I don’t care how schmaltzy or bombastic it is, it’s just one of those that plays the strings of my romantic heart to perfection every time I hear it. To be honest, the rendition that these two powerhouse vocalists, left a tad to be desired, but it was a nice version that offered the first true faceoff of the evening. During rehearsals, the competitive women kept trying to one-up each other by having them raise the key of the song, which actually made for a more entertaining moment than the final song itself. Not a big fan of Cheesa’s voice, I was surprised by how much clearer her vocals and phrasing were here over her audition and she took the advice and direction of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds to heart about sustaining her notes. For Angie, guest Ne-Yo really couldn’t offer much advice for Angie beyond telling her to go for the kill, recognizing that the range of her voice was something spectacular. While she had good moments, and is clearly the stronger singer of the two, Angie didn’t heed her mentor’s words and it appeared to cost her.

Blake and Christina both recognized Angie’s stunning ability and facility with both belting and singing softly, while Adam leaned toward Cheesa. Left to a choice he didn’t want to make, Cee Lo agreed with Adam, the third frustrating decision of the evening.
Winner: Cheesa

Battle #5: Team Blake – Jordis Unga vs. Brian Fuente, Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”
It should just be stated that Alanis Morissette’s songs are nigh-dreamkillers on singing competitions. Her style is so unique and so raw that being given one of her songs tends to do no favors for contestants in any setting. Blake, shrewdly or not, chooses it to help him cut through his “rock” vocalists, Jordis and Brian, specifically enjoying the disparity between the softer verses and the ragged choruses. Predictably, both singers struggle with the song. Brian tries to wrap his head around a tune suited more for a female voice, losing himself in the range of notes. Jordis stumbles trying to connect to the emotion of the song, something that right up to go-time it didn’t seem like she was going to find. Kelly and Miranda try to help in what ways they can, but both artists go into the performance shakey and unnerved. While both amiably get through the song, Blake doesn’t hold back in airing his disappointment. He was looking for strong rock moments and found both came up lacking, even going so far as to say the song “sucked”. Bless Blake for telling it like it is.

While Cee Lo held out for the more rock stylings of Brian, Christina and Adam felt Jordis’ power and grittiness to punch through the song, despite whatever was going on with her connection to it, won out in the end. Blake agreed.
Winner: Jordis

Battle #6: Team Xtina – Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell, Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You”
Easily the best performance of the night and probably the most memorable moment on the show of this season to date, Christina closes out the night by offering up her gospel-tinged singers, Anthony and Jesse. These two do not disappoint, working together as much as they were competing with one another. Jesse, the single father laying it all on the line, has confidence to spare, which does intimidate Anthony a bit. Lionel coaches Jesse to take time with the song rather than just using his confidence and ability to attack with it, while Jewel instructs Anthony to rely on his innate genuine delivery rather than trying to focus on being technically better than Jesse. It’s great advice for both and the most the guests can offer as even the rehearsals were stellar. Both display smooth tones and complete command of their voices, blending superbly whenever they came together. To see Jesse swing for the fences was made even better by Anthony matching him step-for-step; it’s always wonderful to see artists push each other in strong ways rather than desparate ways. This was a tour de force performance by both gentlemen and it’s the only battle of the night where it felt unfair to have to say goodbye to either one.

Cee Lo felt the same, giving kudos to both men. While the other three coaches praised Anthony’s stunning long-held note near the end of the song, they felt Jesse had the advantage, however slight, throughout the song.
Winner: All of Us (And Jesse)

That final performance was almost enough to make up for three confounding decisions.

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.

Summary: A compelling, if heady, beginning to what could be a smart and touching series.
Rating: 8.5/10

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The quick skinny on the episode.

Returning to active duty as a homicide detective following a nasty car accident, Michael Britten is required to see regularly see a shrink to determine if he is fit. In speaking with Dr. Lee, he reveals that he when he goes to sleep in this reality, one in which his wife Hannah lived but his son Rex died in the crash, he wakes in another reality where Rex survived. In that reality, Britten meets with another shrink, Dr. Evans, and recounts the same precarious dilemma. Meanwhile, Britten gets a case in each reality, working with different partners in each. As he goes through his therapy sessions, each shrink trying to convince him that their reality is honest and the other is a “dream”, Britten begins to realize that clues to one crime lead to breaks in the crime in the opposite world. The confrontational Dr. Lee makes a strong argument for that world but Britten’s mind is thrown into a whirlpool when Dr. Evans crosses with an equally convincing proof of the “reality” of her world. Solving both crimes, Britten returns to both shrinks to tell them that if believing in both realities allows him to keep both his wife and son alive, then he chooses to never make any progress in his therapy.

The in-depth review.

What is reality?

It’s a question we all struggle with in some regard, though usually in subtle, less tangible ways. It becomes more a question of what we can believe in, what we can trust. Can we take people at their word, actions at face value? Can we accept that our perception, while individual and inherently flawed, isn’t defunct? Can we believe that our emotional response to stimuli is honest or, more, be open to what these responses honestly mean?

These are concepts taken to the extreme in the new drama Awake, a story that asks the audience as much as its lead character, Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs), which reality to believe. This smart and effective, though heady, pilot episode puts us at an immediate disadvantage, opening in medias res amidst a horrific car accident that sends Britten, his wife Hannah (Laura Allen), and teenage son Rex (Dylan Minnette) tumbling down an embankment. We don’t know where we are, we don’t know how the accident occurred, and most importantly, we don’t know how it turns out.

We are introduced to two scenarios with one constant: Britten survived in both. (Or did he?) In one – we’ll call it the Red Band World; more on that in a bit – his wife lives and spends time redecorating their house to sell it as a way to outrun the grief. It is roughly 6 months since the accident and we are at the point where Hannah is trying to reconnect with her husband emotionally and drag him along into moving on. She quits her job and applies to two colleges, dropping all of this on Britten during a romantic dinner, after which she tries to bridge the issue of conceiving another child. It’s clear that as devastated as he is, his wife is far more affected and clearly in self-preserving compartmentalizing. She hasn’t even set foot in her son’s room since his funeral and it is untouched while everything else has changed.

In the other scenario – the Green Band World – Britten’s son has survived instead and the two lead a significantly strained relationship. Rex has given up a pursuit in football and taken up tennis, a sport his mother played with success. Attending an important match, Britten discovers that Rex has also found a surrogate maternal figure in Tara, an ex-tennis pro who knew Hannah and now coaches the teen. Tara, recognizing the family pain, tries to get Rex to reach out to his father to help them overcome their tensions.

Amongst the conflicting emotional realities, Britten has returned to work as a police homicide detective, teamed with different partners in each world: his veteran comrade, “Bird” (Steve Harris), in the Green World, working on the murders of a husband and wife at home that led to the abduction of a young girl; and in the Red World, Vega (Wilmer Valderrama), a rookie recently promoted from patrol officer more to babysit and spy on Britten for the brass, working on a series of street shootings by a suspect who dresses in disguises. Both characters appear in differing roles in opposite worlds, “Bird” being transferred away from Britten in the Red and Vega still on patrol in the Green.

Per condition of his reinstatement, Britten is required to see a shrink to determine his competency to remain on active duty. The series offers a nice jolt in providing the very different psychiatrists with distinct viewpoints and approaches in each world. Both determine the central conceit of the show: Unlike the film Sliding Doors where two divergent timelines play out simultaneously without contact, here, when Britten closes his eyes on one world, he opens them on the other. Instead of some sci-fi shift between dimensions, this approach further enforces the ambiguity of which world is real (or if both are or aren’t).

It’s a premise ripe for good (or bad) science fiction to be built upon but the series doesn’t come at it in the same fashion. This is a drama strictly focused on an emotionally fractured man trying to desperately hold on to the life, the reality, he once knew. At its center is a charged yet metered performance from Jason Isaacs – who is invested whole-hog in the show as both producer and star – a superb actor who was a bit underrated before becoming known as evil Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series of films. Isaacs, with his icy blue eyes, can certainly explode on-screen, but he keeps Britten contained and coiled, helping to ground the high concept. This gives the detective an air of complexity, even though the actor paints with but a few small strokes throughout the episode. With such a good actor, it will be interesting to see how Britten expands and grows with the show.

Not slouching, the production surrounds Isaacs with exceptional talent, particularly in his two shrinks. In the Red Band World – Britten has taken to wearing colored rubber bands on his wrist to distinguish which “reality” he’s in at the time; red for Hannah; green, Rex’s favorite color, for his son – the understated B.D. Wong commands a confident presence of clinical proficiency. Wong, who earned his psych stripes after years on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, perfectly embodies the sense of trying to add order to Britten’s particular dilemma by confronting and challenging all of his notions. Conversely, in the Green Band World, sensational stage veteran Cherry Jones, who dazzled us as President of the United States in the final two seasons of 24, offers a more empathetic, but no less reasoned, approach. There is an earthy feel to Jones that plays well with the gentle yet firm hand with which her character aids Britten.

By separating these two touchstones rather than sharing a single shrink, it offers a compelling dynamic – and an easy visual shortcut – to pit both worlds against each other and keep us guessing what is real. They both play a bit of an expository role in setting up the premise and the rules, but with a series of this sort, the production can be forgiven for spelling things out to get them out of the way for the narrative to move along more gracefully as the series ensues.

Strong performances from Harris, Allen and the others help to establish complete worlds and imbue everything with a sense of history that was thoroughly skipped over right in the beginning with Britten’s line of starting “right now”. The only shaky performer at the moment is Valderrama, though he acquitted himself well enough. The erstwhile “Handy Manny” might grow into the part well.

It’s a bit uncertain how the procedural aspect of the series is going to hold up over the long haul. While it gives some grist for Drs. Lee & Evans to mill, each saying the competing cases are tied to Britten’s psyche trying to work through its issues, it seems too convenient that each holds clues to help Britten solve the other. At some point, if this carries on, it’ll feel like a badly-scripted Shyamalan twist ending every week. As this will likely make up a large chunk of the series week in and week out, that prospect seems a bit daunting.

But as the show is primarily focused on Britten’s emotional response to the realities he’s faced with – as well as just how responsible he was for the accident – it makes for an original, engaging pilot and a series with a lot of promise.

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.

Summary: An episode that exposes some flaws and frustrations with the series.
Rating: 7/10

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

The quick skinny on the episode.

Synopsis: Ivy learns that Karen has been cast in the ensemble and works to assert her alpha female role as star of the show. Meanwhile, a birthday party for a former colleague presents Eileen with a unique solution to her production financial problems.

Full Recap: The first day of rehearsals for the show finds Karen being derided by other members of the ensemble for her lack of experience and the quality of the experience she does have, including winning a Midwest pageant. Ivy arrives and is introduced to the cast by Derek, leaving Karen feeling even more out-of-place. Derek, to his credit or to point out his controlling qualities, makes note that the workshop is a long process and that many things can change as they go along, a pointed remark to both Karen and Ivy. Meanwhile, former illicit lovers Julia and Michael try to start off on a professional foot amidst growing awkwardness.

Sam, an old friend and compatriot of Ivy’s, compliments Karen on her singing, bringing out Ivy’s claws. At lunch with Tom, Ivy asks why she wasn’t told that Karen was going to be cast in the show. Tom reveals that it was at Julia’s insistence. During lunch, Julia meets with Eileen, who has just learned from a lawyer that all but $8000 of her funds have been frozen. The producer has art trained Julia give a quick appraisal of a Degas sketch she received from her husband to see if it would be worth much. Impressed, Julia tells her it would make a pretty penny on the market.

Returning to rehearsals, Ivy sets about implanting the idea in Derek and Tom’s heads that Karen is too loud and inexperienced to be in the ensemble. This gets Karen cut from two numbers. Storming off, Karen runs into one of the other ensemble members in the hall and calls her out for the group making fun of her, insisting that they should be helping her. Having just learned that Ivy and Derek are in an intimate relationship, she mentions how she had a chance to sleep with the director too but chose not to. This sways the ensemble member and together with two others, they set about giving Karen a fashion makeover and lessons in how to be an ensemble member.

Eileen is dispirited to learn she can’t sell her Degas, which could net her $4M at auction and possibly $2M in outright selling, because title of ownership is still in Jerry’s name. Talking with Julia about it, Julia suggests she come to a birthday party Derek is throwing for Lyle West, a former child actor that Tom, Derek, and Eileen all brought into the theatre world at 8 years old. Julia mentions that Lyle is now a big TV star who just signed a huge contract, setting Eileen’s wheels spinning.

Karen and the ensemble root through her closet to Dev’s surprise. They spend the evening eating and training Karen how not to stand out as a background performer. Tom, disgusted with Derek’s boasting that he discovered Lyle when Tom feels he was first to put eyes on him, forgoes the party at Derek’s for a date with a lawyer set up by their mothers. He’s soon called by Eileen who wants her production staff at the party for an announcement. Eileen has spoken to Lyle, offering him the Degas sketch for purchase. Lyle makes a different offer with the sketch as collateral, offering to front her the money she needs in exchange for a percentage of the profits once the show is running. Eileen announces to all that the show has the money it needs to proceed.

At the party, Ivy sees Derek flirting with another woman. Attempting to leave, Ivy is stopped by Derek, who tells her that he flirts with anyone who is potential investor for the shows he’s working on. He calls her on trying to feel safe in an environment where not playing it safe yields rewards. He then takes her to his bedroom for the first time.

Karen and her ensemble friends put on a performance of “Rumour Has It” at a local club, showcasing that Karen has learned how to stand out less.

The in-depth review.

While expediency is expected in reviews, I simply had to sit and stew on this one a few days. This fourth episode of Smash, which had premiered so wonderfully, had me stymied about whether or not I’m truly enjoying the show. There are many things about it that are spot-on and delectable. There are a few that are really detracting from the experience. And then, there is much potential that I can’t wait to see fully explored. In the end, my fascination with Smash seems to be the greater motivation in watching it than what the show is accomplishing.

The biggest problem seems to be the speed and lack of subtlety with which they have turned Megan Hilty’s Ivy Lynn into the “villain” we had expected going into the piece. As mentioned many times previously, one of the treasures of the show starting out was that it gave compelling personalities to both lead actresses and arguments for why each should have been cast in the role of Marilyn Monroe. Within the last two episodes, they’ve effectively painted Ivy into an undeserving diva in an effort to trump up Karen’s rags-to-riches story. It’s not an altogether surprising direction but it’s a rather predictable one.

Some would say that Ivy is just acting out of her insecurities. After all, she put in so much time trying to earn her way into a lead role only to find herself competing with a novice and worried that she got the part only by virtue of having slept with the director. It’s a fair argument and it no doubt colors Hilty’s preparation for the part, but one can’t help but feel she’s being let down by the writing and what they are giving her character to do.

In “The Cost of Art”, Ivy becomes a self-important bitch upon discovering that Karen (Katharine McPhee) has been offered a spot in the ensemble. She routinely and rather nakedly tries to get Karen pushed to the back or thrown out of numbers. While this is certainly common behavior seen within the theatre community – and the show would be remiss in not pursuing this aspect in some fashion – it quickly serves to make Ivy unlikable. TV certainly has had its fair share of unlikable people that audiences still manage to get behind and even root for. The problem here is that they immediately take away a choice on the viewer’s part that was inherently built up in the first two episodes. To say that this is a bit off-putting is an understatement.

Once again, after striving to show us some humanity and fragility on Ivy’s part in last week’s episode, they slingshot us to the opposite pole this week. It’s very tiring. The only saving grace from this would be to show an Ivy, who is so built on outward impression and relying so much on outside opinion of her after years in the business, that finally breaks down into a more humbled person. With the broad strokes they are painting the character with, I’m not sure I trust the show to offer that kind of direction for the character.

One of the other glaring concerns with the show is actually in its structure. While there is a part of me that’s a fan of the brevity in its scenes, I find that they are trying to cram so much into each episode that the effectiveness of the scenes, particularly on characterization, is starting to come up short. This felt most evident in the set-up to Karen’s removals from two numbers. There wasn’t anything particularly glaring in what Karen was doing as part of the ensemble that should’ve caused her to get pulled. Then, when her little ensemble entourage is giving her lessons on how to be a good supporting player, she suddenly is made to look like she’s a 2nd grader trying to steal the show as Dancing Mushroom #2. The way this played out served to have the actors tell us she was doing it badly rather than showing us. And then, to prove the point, they have her near comically over the top so that there is somewhere to go with the “makeover” scenes. In not spending enough time with certain scenes to let things play out naturally and properly, we’re left in a disjointed state that feels more plot-driven than honest. I appreciate the brevity for the sake of pacing but don’t want characterization and environment sacrificed to have it.

The episode did effectively use guest star Nick Jonas in the role of a grown child actor who offers Eileen a way out of her money troubles. The development is a bit too convenient and it serves to undercut some of the drama of Eileen’s divorce and financial situation that was giving Anjelica Huston anything to do. One hopes that the new producing arrangement offers troubles of its own rather than a quick way to gloss over one of the least sensational aspects of getting a show up and running. It just feels like Eileen is such a superfluous character right now and in a show that could probably use some pruning of characters to strengthen focus, I would hope that they can do more with the character.

The two big musical moments of the episode were both engaging, especially the rollicking “Wolf” number put on by Ivy at Lyle’s party at Derek’s. It was fun to see a number of the cast members get in on the action and, having been to a number of parties involved in theatre, it felt tonally right. The only bit that was a tad noggin knocking was having enemies Julia (Debra Messing) and Ellis (Jaime Cepero) chorus-lining together in big smiles as Ivy’s backup. That little slip made the affair seem like a fun moment for the cast of Smash rather than something true to the narrative of the show.

Speaking of slips, Karen’s inauguration into ensemble anonymity while performing Adele’s ‘Rumour Has It’ at a club was subverted by the moment where she took center stage from the crew. It’s terrific to see her bonding with others in the cast as it was feeling far too much like Ivy & Crew vs. bumpkin Karen, but that choice seemed like a conscious effort to keep pushing Karen into the limelight rather than having her naturally emerge.

Those little contrasts are what make the high-potential Smash so frustrating.

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.

Summary: The fifth and final night of the Blind Auditions finds the coaches closing out their teams in style.

** Note: Review contains spoilers if you have not seen the episode.**

We launch into the final night of the Blind Auditions with nine slots remaining. Somehow, Cee Lo Green seems to have three spots open while the other three judges – Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera – have two apiece. That seems surprising as Cee Lo has to easily have been the judge who has turned his chair around the most.

One of the overriding themes of the night was the judges seeming to revolt against the basic premise of the Blind Auditions, commenting numerous times that they wished they could’ve seen the person who was singing and that might have influenced their decision. This came to a head at one point when Adam tried to get the rules tossed out so that Cee Lo could take free-styling power singer Cameron Novack after no one turned their chair for him. All of the judges – and the in-studio audience – seemed to be on-board with this until Cee Lo shut it down by saying it would ruin the integrity of the process. It’s a logic with which no one could disagree.

Whitney Myer, Alicia Keys’ “No One”
The family performer – touring with her dad and uncle – kicked off the night well with a compelling version of the Alicia Keys song, doing exactly what’s almost always needed with a great cover – making it unique and one with your own voice. The superb arrangement was met with a natural and comfortable stage presence and voice full of beautiful tone and passion. Adam compared her to Mary J. Blige and it’s hard not to miss some of the similarity. Let’s see if she can consistently inhabit each performance as Mary J. does.
Chosen: Adam

David Dunn, The Script’s “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”
His voice and song choice did seem in direct conflict with his choice of degree (engineering) and his family background (Texas oil empire). While his voice was lovely and he had a consistent tone, there was a bit too much “shake” throughout and he didn’t push the bigger notes of the song to really sell himself. The crowd was into him but it wasn’t too surprising that none of the judges turned their chairs.
Chosen: No one

The Shields Brothers, Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself”
Every competition needs some wildcards simply for the unpredictable fun factor. While not necessarily the most dynamic of singers, the brother farmers – Rory and Tristan – brought a dorky, chaotic fun that perfectly embodies rock ‘n roll. Their energy was infectious and they keyed off one another splendidly, particularly in the blend of their voices. It might be much to say they “punch[ed] America in the face with rock ‘n roll,” but they definitely enlivened the proceedings. Hard to see them winning but they’ll be a riot to watch.
Chosen: Cee Lo

Cheesa, Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy”
A performer who is quite perplexing. She’s quite engaging – and was certainly having fun with Cee Lo – and her deep voice is quite intriguing. The problem is there is not a lot of polish to her voice and while that can certainly work in some singers favor, you have to have a very unique and distinctive voice to pull it off. In the end, Cheesa’s voice doesn’t seem that nuanced to excuse the sliding lack of crispness. She was better in the chorus of the song and hit some great high notes but appears to be a bit too much work.
Chosen: Cee Lo

Preston Shannon, Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour”
One thing to love about this competition – and something not only shared but stressed by cousin The X Factor – is the breadth of performers they are able to corral, not just in genre but in age. At 64 and a lifelong musician, it was refreshing to hear Shannon talk about still needing to learn. Still, on stage, while he didn’t have the strongest voice, his entire package – from look to stage presence to ease of place to great guitar work – was something to admire. “The King of Beale Street” gets to do what he loves down in Memphis and, though he wasn’t picked, there is strong comfort in knowing he’s out there.
Chosen: No one

Lex Land, Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
The jazz singer, by way of classical vocal training and a singer-songwriter background, was surprising in just how nervous she got. During her lead-up video clip, she actually had to pause a moment while discussing singing in front of the audience, the cameras and the judges. For someone who had such a background – and I don’t discount nerves that still strike the best of us – it seemed odd just how affected she was. Frankly, I was surprised that anyone turned around for her. Her voice seemed somewhat capable, starting out nice, low, and smooth, but the nervous quality made it hard to distinguish what she could bring to the competition. Adam and Blake both mentioned hearing shades of singers like Adele and Sadé but the whole affair was too muddled to get any clear influences.
Chosen: Blake

Cameron Novack, Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”
The tall, lanky, bleached blonde Novack somehow impressed the judges enough that they were willing to break the rules and let Cee Lo take him even though no one turned around. Honestly, Novack sounded better signing his little opera run in the lobby (or coffee shop) during his sit down with host Carson Daly that introduced him. Though he had a facility to pull rhymes out of the air for his free-styling bits, they were more off-putting than inventive, particularly when he did his big kiss-off at the end of his audition. He has significant power to his voice but it and his personality got lost in the song, a particularly difficult one when trying to keep up with the timing of the fast lyrics. It was also a breathy performance which sapped a lot of the effectiveness, though his little beat box interlude gave it some welcome color.
Chosen: No one

Orlando Napier, John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change”
It seemed a bit passé for blues singer Napier to pick a Mayer song, but like Whitney Myer, his interpretation of the song was personal and unique. For someone who avoided the family business – his dad is a singer and tenor sax player – until he was 18, it’s hard not to be impressed by his skill and command on stage considering he’s only 25 now. The piano brought a standout element from other contestants and he backed it up with one of the most assured performances of the competition to date.
Chosen: Adam

Lee Koch, Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”
In the same fashion as singing Johnny Cash, Dylan’s work and voice are so distinctive that you have to stretch out into your own avenues to avoid comparison. Or in the case of this California baker, you embrace a voice that is in a similar mold to Dylan’s and throw your all into the song. Koch has a wonderful folksy, craggy voice that will be interesting to see wrap itself around other artists and genres, but he did nice justice to Dylan’s classic. Christina was sold on the harmonica playing at the end, but he had a consistent singer-songwriter vibe throughout.
Chosen: Christina

Wade, Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”
Wow. Just wow. Bold choice in song and one of the best total commands of voice we’ve seen yet. Growing up on ’70s R&B, the influence came in strong during his rendition and gave it a personal flavor to make it stand out. His Motown inflections on the chorus were marvelous and the shift in his ending thoroughly sold his ability. For someone only 18, he has a wonderful future ahead of him.
Chosen: Cee Lo

Adley Stump, Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name”
The outward style and husky speaking voice were a bit deceptive in regard to the nice composure she had performing. She brought power and a healthy tone to the song. The downside is she sounded a bit too similar to Underwood to make her standout. She mentioned she and her sorority sisters singing Christina’s “Lady Maramalade” cover in school and I would bet that she aped Aguilera’s fairly well. In fact, Adam mentioned hearing flashes of Christina’s style in her singing. The point is that she seems like she copies good singers rather than brings her own voice to the proceedings. It remains to be seen if this holds true or if she ends up surprising us.
Chosen: Blake

Beta, “You Make Me Feel”
Aaron Gordon, Ne-Yo’s “So Sick”
Lana Lowe, Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night”
With the other three judges completing their teams, it was left to Christina to choose from a parade of singers, including these three who didn’t make the mark.

Sera Hill, Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down”
Speaking of Mary J., this young hotel front desk clerk absolutely nails a performance of one of the R&B songstress’ tunes. Soulful and consistent, Hill brings a yummy strength and playfulness to her voice that brought Christina to her feet to perform with her. Not only was this a personal indulgence on Hill’s part but it was actually kind of a shrewd move because it showed how well she could work with her soon-to-be coach and how well she can harmonize and vocally dance with others. Christina’s power is still awing, but Hill held her own and made her own smart choices in how to make her voice standout. Astounding end to the night and the auditions.
Chosen: Christina

And so the auditions are brought to a close. While it was a treat to see such a variety of artists, it’s relieving that we can finally move on to the competition portion of the program. Bring on the Battle Rounds

Click to read the original article at KSiteTV.