'Human Target' - 'The Other Side of the Mall': Exile in suburbia
Awkward Christmas spirit and forced humor lead to the season's weakest episode
Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley) gets into a fight on "Human Target."
A quick review of tonight's "Human Target" coming up just as soon as I'm familiar with "The Secret Life of Bees"...
Yeah, this one was a misfire pretty much from start to finish. Too much forced humor, Ames again being worse than useless (I didn't see last week's episode, but I'm still waiting for her to actually contribute rather than detract from a mission), some very broad, irritating clients (and John Michael Higgins is usually a guest star who can do no wrong in my eyes), and more forcing of the Chance/Ilsa romance when there doesn't seem to be any there there.
If not for the bonus points I give any production that features Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis," plus the irrepressible spirit of Guerrero (who managed to be funny in an episode where the rest of the comedy was trying way too hard), the hour would have been a total waste.
The show's off next week, then is doing double-features for the next few weeks until "American Idol" comes back. Hopefully, things click better in January than they did tonight. There have been episodes this season that felt like they understood the things about this show that work; "The Other Side of the Mall" did not, at all.
What did everybody else think?
Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching
Around the Web
News From Our Partners
-
Video Interviews with Cast & Crew of Monsters University
Digital Multiplex: 21 & Over, Quartet, and More
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Jack the Giant Slayer and Quartet
-
'Dumb and Dumber 2′ Saved by Universal
'Anger Management' Update: Selma Blair Out after Charlie Sheen Threatens to Quit
'The Lego Movie' Trailer: Chris Pratt Leads a Great Assembly of Talent
-
Mike Hogan: Why We're Hating Don Draper
Colorado Woman Dies During Production Of Reality TV Show
It Pays To Play Gay On Daytime Soaps
-
Avicii Drops New Single 'Wake Me Up'
New Music Releases – July 2013
Robert Pattinson Wants to Introduce Katy Perry to His Parents
-
Hear This: My dad toured with Phil Collins
Watch This: White Zombie is the granddaddy of all zombie flicks
Comics Panel: New comics releases include a high-profile Superman title and a musician’s return to comics
-
The Telefile - TV on DVD: Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Telefile - Veep: The Episode's Best Insults
The Telefile - The Most Heinous Person on Reality TV This Week
-
'Veronica Mars' Begins Filming: See Set Photos Here!
'Kick-Ass 2' Exclusive: Meet Your Heroes And Villains
Brad Pitt Promises 'World War Z' Will Be 'Most Intense' Movie You'll See All Year
-
What to Watch Tonight: SYTYCD, Pretty Little Liars, and the Season 4 Finale of The Voice
Dan Harmon Has Apologized for His Comments About Community Season 4, But Should He Be Forgiven? (POLL)
Teen Wolf "Fireflies" Review: The Virgin Homicides (PHOTO RECAP)
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupEd W
December 23, 2010 at 12:54AM EST Reply to CommentI enjoyed it. It was a one-off light hearted Christmas type episode and as all such episodes are for every series it got a bit corny at the end. But tis the season to be a bit corny.
Ames isn't really needed in the show but she doesn't bother me all that much and Ilsa is a great new character. The show seems to be doing well lately.
I also have no problem with an eventual Chance Ilsa romance. She's the former star of Kama Sutra, he's a handsome single guy and they have a pleasant enough rapport. It's fine.
The standout moment for me was the kitchen fight scene, very well staged. I wish the final fight at the mall had been as well done.
December 28, 2010 at 3:57PM ESTLet's take what works about this show, the chemistry among the leads, fantastic action sequences and general silliness, and inject it with a useless character that has neither chemistry nor the ability to be in action sequences, thus forcing the writers to dream up inane situations to get her screen time. That should work.
Edgar
December 23, 2010 at 1:18AM EST Reply to Commenthey anyone know what was the song that played during the fighting scene at the mall?...thanks
Jake It was Joey Ramone's cover What A Wonderful World.
December 23, 2010 at 1:51AM EST
December 25, 2010 at 5:39PM ESTNacho
December 23, 2010 at 2:12AM EST Reply to CommentMy biggest problem with this episode was the ending, or rather complete lack thereof. The mall scene ended with Chance and the gang knocking out all the bad guys and getting away with the laptop. Unless we are to assume that all the bad guys died (which would change the show quite a bit) then it's only obvious that most, if not all of the bad guys got away. At best we could think that the cops might have arrested some of them, but what would they be charged with? Unless Chance and the family came forward and testified against them, the most the cops would have is maybe attempted robbery or perhaps kidnapping (although again, the family would need to testify for any of those charges to stick) I didn't really see this as the perfect little happy ending that was presented in the final segment. These people made three attempts at murdering an entire family in order to get the laptop, and anything short of their deaths or lifelong sentences in prison would surely mean they would keep trying, and we saw evidence of neither. I was hoping for at least some resolution to the conflict that was shown for the duration of the show, but honestly, I've seen old episodes of Scooby Doo that had better closure. I'm not sure if the writers just gave up, hoped that no one would notice (I'm very disappointed that Alan didn't mention anything about this, btw) or just had to cut some of the filmed scenes due to time, but I found the lack of a proper ending to be completely unacceptable.
matt I thought my DVR must have cut out a scene, so I've been searching the internet, looking for some closure to this episode. At least I can stop looking now; thanks.
December 23, 2010 at 4:04AM ESTEd G. I think there was a quick blurb where the company recognized that John Michael Higgins boss went rogue and hired the Swedes. I assumed that was supposed to mean that everybody was picked up and was being processed by the law.
December 23, 2010 at 11:42AM ESTOverall, I agree with Ed W. with this being a one-off Christmas show. It made me laugh when they were horrified by the California style decorations. I had the same reaction during my first holiday season in SoCal.
This was the second time they drank scotch after a mission right? That's cool but I didn't like the whole drink and everybody get the hell out of the office for no particular reason thing. That was just odd.
Leor
December 23, 2010 at 10:58AM EST Reply to CommentI'd just like to know who thought naming the Christian clients "Applebaum".
Vicey Yikes - I was thinking the same thing!
December 23, 2010 at 8:27PM ESTAdam s Loved this ep, it wad very Chuck-like coming from Chuck writing alum Zev Borow. I don't mind a light-hearted ep from time to time.
December 25, 2010 at 11:39PM ESTRe: the Applebaum name - Matt Miller reused it from a Sarah Walker cover from Chuck vs. The DeLorean.
M.A.Peel
December 23, 2010 at 3:20PM EST Reply to CommentI enjoyed it. It showed the characters in the "real" context of a major holiday. I liked Chance flying with Santa's sleigh, ho, ho, ho.
AJ
December 23, 2010 at 5:15PM EST Reply to CommentRegarding Ames' lack of purpose, another podcast I came to a conclusion about both her and Ilsa that I agree with: Ilsa and Ames are basically walking cliches that the writers didn't spend any time developing with talents or personalities because they assumed that we as the audience would just accept them on the grounds that we've seen characters like them on other shows.
That speaks to the overarching problem with season two: in season one, the strength of the show was that it knew it was ridiculous, but it acknowledged it in a "wink wink, nudge nudge" kind of way like ti knew we were in on the joke. In season two, Miller's removed that element of the show in favor of writing for the lowest common denominator of viewer. It's heavy handed and insulting to the viewers' intelligence, and has really stripped the show of what made it fun and different in the first place.
BettyB ITA - I think I may have read that same article somewhere about Ames and Ilsa. Unfortunately, I started watching just as they joined the show, and remembered reading comments that fans hoped these two wouldn't interfere with the dynamite chemistry between the male leads. So without having seen any of the episodes without Ilsa and Ames, I already believe that the show was better without them. They are annoying - Ilsa is a deus ex machine type - I'm wealthy so I have money to burn on every cockamamie scheme and Ames is a dummy. I relish the moments when they aren't onscreen and get bummed out when they appear. Since I'm not super committed to the show, I'll see how the next few episodes go - but have a feeling HT is falling off the DVR in 2011.
December 23, 2010 at 8:31PM ESTJohn
December 23, 2010 at 6:52PM EST Reply to CommentJeez, I loved the episode. Watched it twice, even.
David H
December 23, 2010 at 7:48PM EST Reply to CommentI don't expect much from this show, just Mark Valley being a smart ass, occasionally sensitive, and Guerrero being funny. I get that, I've been entertained.
So yeah, this wasn't a great episode, but it had it's moments. The family was way off, even for a TV family it felt like 3 people shoved in a room together for a day. Ames had several different hairstyles in the course of a day or two, but she's easy enough on the eyes. Ilsa is pointless, but what can you do?
"Hey man, you raised in a barn or something? Pick it up."
R
December 23, 2010 at 8:13PM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...
R
December 23, 2010 at 8:15PM EST Reply to CommentDid the actor who played Josh change during the scene in the office? Hairstyle, outfit etc was completely different and then changed back.
Banky
December 23, 2010 at 8:46PM EST Reply to CommentUgh.. Been telling my wife and son how much I enjoy this show. I FINALLY get them to watch it with me and it's this ep that comes on. Needless to say, they won't be watching with me again.
PepR I HATE when that happens.
December 24, 2010 at 9:09AM EST
December 24, 2010 at 10:07AM EST Reply to CommentYeah, WAAAAY too cutesy an episode, but when it comes to Christmas spirit - or rather, the lack thereof - I'm firmly in the corner of Team Chance/Team Pucci.
Mike O
December 24, 2010 at 12:28PM EST Reply to CommentI thought this episode was very entertaining and really enjoyed it. Chance's reaction to being in an office was great. I wish they added somebody saying "Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment". Guerrero as a janitor from time to time would be a good running gag also.
Merve
December 24, 2010 at 5:33PM EST Reply to CommentThis episode was further proof that melding two good shows (Human Target and Chuck) doesn't necessarily produce a third good show. I liked this show a lot more when it was disposable popcorn entertainment.
Ryan
December 24, 2010 at 5:38PM EST Reply to CommentWell that was... awkward.
The new showrunner needs to stop trying to turn Human Target into a Fox version of Burn Notice.
George
December 25, 2010 at 2:30PM EST Reply to CommentI liked it.
Obviously, they were going for a light touch this time, for the holidays. The sight of Chase's gang trapped in the "hell" of suburbia worked for me.
garrisonclark
December 25, 2010 at 5:44PM EST Reply to Commentlooking for the song that was instrumental played a few times this episode...anyone?
Mandrake1979
December 27, 2010 at 8:49PM EST Reply to CommentThe music was absolutely terrible and distracting. The ames character is useless and this seemed a forced episode which was trying to channel John Hughes. Also the chemistry that is meant to be there between chance and Ilsa DOES NOT EXIST!
Season one was fantastic and season two has been ruined by Matt Miller & Tim jones with his needle drops and complete lack of understanding of the shows dynamics. All he is doing is trying to make Chuck for Fox = massive mistake. give it back to Jonathan Steinberg and the we might get some decent episodes again. So far I do not want to watch this season any more as it just annoys me.
December 28, 2010 at 3:53PM EST Reply to CommentGODAWFUL. If anything, Alan understated how terrible this episode was. Painfully bad writing. Even teased us with the prospect of Poochie going away for a few weeks before pulling that rug back under from us. There were two chuckles in this episode, maybe, both from Guerrero. John Michael Higgins is normally great, but I couldn't stand him in this episode. Also, can someone please shoot Ames in the head already?
Not just the weakest episode in the season, but weakest ever. There are some shows that shouldn't do Christmas episodes. I would have thought "Human Target" would be an obvious one, but apparently, not to the writers.
You know it's bad when the awkward teen with girl interaction is painful more for the awful writing and acting than the interaction itself.
Hoping it's just a one-off...
Linda from Chicago
January 2, 2011 at 4:04AM EST Reply to CommentThis episode influenced me to start recording this series again . . . and catching up on back episodes on the Fox site. I didn't think the humor was forced and I like the addition of two women (one younger and one older) to the crew. I wouldn't want to see Human Target be funny in the same way all the time but it surely can use a lighter touch (for my taste). I used to like Burn Notice for the same reason but it is bogged down in seriousness and action. Is there a difference in what men want from a TV show and what women want, I wonder. Incidentally, I detest both chick flicks and unmitgated action with relentless explosions.