News
Eliza Dushku trapped in formulaic thriller
Published: Oct 30, 2003 - 09:46 AM
"Tru Calling" (8 ET Thursday, Fox) is a good example of the perils of TV criticism, not to mention the dangers faced by a promising TV actress who agrees to star in a series whose retro fantasy format had gone stale before she even hit puberty.
Eliza Dushku, who played the other vampire slayer Faith on "Buffy," plays Tru, a gorgeous young medical student who takes a job at the city morgue, where -- cue the stock horror-movie music -- the cadavers begin to open their eyes, look straight into hers and whisper, "Help me!" Next thing we know, it's "Groundhog Day," and Tru has rewound to that morning. She drops everything to begin saving the lives of strangers before they take that one-way limo ride to her place of employment.
Eliza Dushku, who played the other vampire slayer Faith on "Buffy," plays Tru, a gorgeous young medical student who takes a job at the city morgue, where -- cue the stock horror-movie music -- the cadavers begin to open their eyes, look straight into hers and whisper, "Help me!" Next thing we know, it's "Groundhog Day," and Tru has rewound to that morning. She drops everything to begin saving the lives of strangers before they take that one-way limo ride to her place of employment.
Critics received the first episode, or "pilot," of "Tru Calling" this summer, and I'll admit to liking it then a whole lot more than I do now. In the fall TV preview I wrote, "It shouldn't work but it does, thanks to Dushku and some clever twists." I rated the show's chances of survival at 50-50 because of the time period, opposite "Survivor" and "Friends."
Now I realize the odds are a lot worse than that -- I've seen the second episode. As the novelty of the show's premise wore off, so did the fog that kept me from seeing what a box Dushku has gotten herself into. In Episode 2 poor Tru must introduce herself to, go on two separate "long walks" with and fall in love with a fireman (conveniently he's a stud and available), and have coincidental run-ins with every other victim she'll be saving later that day, and do it all in less than 10 hours. Not even "The Joe Schmo Show" was this contrived.
Speaking of "Joe Schmo," if you missed the terrific finale of the fakest reality show ever -- or even if you have no idea what I'm talking about -- catch it again at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on Spike TV.
Now I realize the odds are a lot worse than that -- I've seen the second episode. As the novelty of the show's premise wore off, so did the fog that kept me from seeing what a box Dushku has gotten herself into. In Episode 2 poor Tru must introduce herself to, go on two separate "long walks" with and fall in love with a fireman (conveniently he's a stud and available), and have coincidental run-ins with every other victim she'll be saving later that day, and do it all in less than 10 hours. Not even "The Joe Schmo Show" was this contrived.
Speaking of "Joe Schmo," if you missed the terrific finale of the fakest reality show ever -- or even if you have no idea what I'm talking about -- catch it again at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on Spike TV.
