[TV]My Own Worst Enemy

[Emperor]

Personally I loved this show.  It sort of reminded me of Jekyll (a BBC miniseries that was acting brilliantly) crossed with Alias.  The wife said it was her favorite new show this season.  I am still debating between this and Life on Mars.  However from what I heard the ratings were dismal and it could get canned soon.  I suggest you check it out though. 

 

Now what the critics said...

 

USA Today give it one and a half stars (out of four) and says:

 

… Badly conceived, badly executed, and woefully, ridiculously overcomplicated … Enemy wants you to ask yourself why Edward and his compatriots (including Yes, Dear's Mike O'Malley) would agree to this chip-split personality, but the show never even approaches the real stumbling block: Why would the government go to all this trouble? You can understand why we might want to turn ordinary guys into spies, but why turn spies into ordinary guys, a process that allows Edward to hide from no one but himself? … To make matters worse, or worst, Slater simplifies the division for us by making Edward an unrelieved snot, which means that the only character with whom we have sympathy is the one who isn't real. …

 

 

Entertainment Weekly gives it an “C-plus” and says:

 

… Slater plays out spy-story clichés that were campy on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 40 years ago. (Edward speaks 13 languages! He can hold his breath underwater for five minutes!) To pull off stuff like this, you need to acknowledge that you know it's been done before, and bring an extra something: not a wink, not irony, but an airy authority that says, ''You ain't seen it done like I'm gonna do it.'' (What do I mean? Go rewatch the pilot for Alias.) Slater is solid: He rarely slips into his Jack Nicholson Jr. voice, and, as timid Henry, does a nice little yelp when he pops a champagne cork that sounds like a gunshot. But at one point in the premiere, a rattled Henry says to Edward — i.e., himself — ''You bastard! You slept with my wife?!'' Many viewers may resume sleeping with CSI: Miami if the smart fellows behind Enemy don't improve this show. …

 

 

The New York Times says:

 

… “Worst Enemy” has a convoluted premise that is cleverly wrought and holds up well, and Mr. Slater does a remarkable job of only subtly signaling each personality …

 

 

The Los Angeles Times says:

 

… Slater, who in his twenties, anyway, seemed to specialize in creating cult films, is in rare form here. Which is a good thing since the show's success or failure rests solely on his dramatic agility and general appeal. … there is the nagging question of how creator Jason Smilovic is going to turn what could easily have been a two-hour feature film into a television show, but let's assume for the moment he has a plan. …

 

 

The Chicago Tribune says:

 

… "My Own Worst Enemy" starts out quite melodramatically, echoing the kind of overly serious spy drama that NBC's charming spy comedy "Chuck" spoofs. Still, the first episode of "Enemy" ended up being a relatively compelling hour of television. As competent as it is, though, it's hard not to think that the premise contains some holes. First of all, why would any espionage outfit go to such lengths to give a spy a humdrum cover? Why bother making him forget his daily life as Henry when he's Edward, and vice versa? …

 

 

The Washington Post says:

 

… The show is the TV series equivalent of Frankenstein's monster, built from scraps of various cadavers and plodding along at a logy and poky pace. "My Own Worst Enemy" ends up seeming like a pale digital copy even of itself.

 

 

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

 

… The first 15 minutes of the much-hyped spy series (do you remember those relentless ads during the Olympics?) are pretty laughable. The idiotic dialogue might have been enough to get [smilovic] fired. But then in the rest of the first hour (which is all NBC sent) of the pilot, "My Own Worst Enemy" gets compelling before becoming almost completely incoherent, so it's hard to say on what grounds NBC was annoyed with Smilovic (or vice versa). Bad, then decent, then confusing. That's not exactly the trajectory you're looking for in a pilot. …

 

 

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

 

Given NBC's recent track record -- Was the world really clamoring for a new "Knight Rider," inferior even to the low standards set by the original? -- you'll understand my shock that the new Christian Slater drama "My Own Worst Enemy" actually turns out to be an entertaining, coherent drama. … It's too early to tell if the "Enemy" premise will hold up week after week. The premise might have been better suited to a one-shot movie, but Smilovic makes a convincing case for aspects of the dual characters that can be explored for weeks and years to come.…

 

 

The Boston Globe says:

 

… just plain stupid. … tonight's episode is illogical and pointless, and Slater's dual performance isn't nearly as much fun as it should be. If there's any potential in this show, it is unrealized in the pilot. … I've seen twin-sibling performances on daytime soap operas that had more nuance. …

 

 

Variety says:

 

… There's definitely a series here; how it fares depends on which aspects of the show's split personality triumph. … a rapid pace here is key to obscure lapses in logic …

 

 

The Hollywood Reporter says:

 

… hits the ground feeling at once vague and oddly captivating. … If this all sounds spectacularly, absurdly far-fetched, well duh! But "My Own Worst Enemy" holds our interest despite its utter preposterousness because if there is anything Slater knows how to do, it's present a believable head case. And if you check that disbelief at the door, it's possible to foresee an intriguing journey of internal anguish in the weeks ahead. …

 

[Verbal32]

And if you check that disbelief at the door, it's possible to foresee an intriguing journey of internal anguish in the weeks ahead. …

 

And that's why I liked the show.  I really hope this doesn't get canned, although I wonder if the critics are correct about this making a better movie than a series.  Eh, we'll see.

[Emperor]

My only complaint is I didn't find the bad side of the character to be bad enough... I would love to see him more badass.

[Verbal32]

Agreed, but I'd settle for just more of Edward, and less of Henry.

[Emperor]

Or more Raymond....

[Verbal32]

Hehehe....I don't get why that actor is playing that character.  I'm sorry, but a balding, overweight, middle-aged man doesn't strike me as capable of being a spy.  Perhaps that's the point....hmmm.

[Guest Far Dareis Mai]

I'm a huge fan of Mike O'Malley. I think he's a great comedian, and I'm glad that he got the job.

 

I watched it and I have to say I felt mostly meh about it. I just couldn't get into it. I think that this would have made a good movie, but perhaps it's mostly because I'm not a big Christian Slater fan...I dunno. It wasn't bad..I was able to watch the entire episode...but I didn't feel excited about it either.  :-\

[Verbal32]

I think that this would have made a good movie

 

This definitely seems to be a popular opinion of many critics.

[Kaznen]

I kinda liked it.

[SBoydW]

I only got to see the last 20 minutes or so of it, but that was enough of to make me want to watch the rest of it at some point.  So at the moment all I can say is that I'm intrigued.

[Mendorah]

I liked it.  Didn't Love it, but I liked it.  I'm sure I'll watch it every week since it's on after Heroes and I don't have anything else to watch after Heroes.  Although it'll probably end up being a "background show" while I'm doing chores or sewing or something.

 

I totally watched it because of Christian Slater.  I was so in love with him when I was a teenager!  And I love that he's back in the acting game.  I hope that the show really gets rolling with the fantastical.  I enjoy that.  I don't care whether it's really believable or not.  For me, that's the point of TV shows, it's fantasy.  And I really like a character with Mental problems!!!  hehehehe.

 

So I'll keep watching it unless it pisses me off.  Or unless something Fantastic comes on at the same time frame and I forget about it.