It’s customary for me to add new shows to my regular monthly TV round-up, but just occasionally a series comes along that won’t wait, that demands attention now. A show that makes you want to do the written equivalent of jump up and down, wave your hands in the air and shout “HEY! LOOK AT THIS!” Drive is just such a show.
The idea is simple enough – it’s The Cannonball Run without the laughs, an illegal cross country race where the prize is $32 million and not all the participants are competing of their own volition. As you’d expect there’s plenty of action with many of the race sequences looking more like a Hollywood blockbuster than something you’d see on a weekly TV series, but what makes the show essential viewing is the characters.
The first episode concentrates on Nathan Fillion’s Alex Tully, whose wife is kidnapped to force him into joining the race. Much like Tully, the viewer feels like he’s playing catch-up, as events move at the same breakneck pace as the racers on the freeway. Tully has no time to think, he must drive or his wife will die and the audience has no time to question — we’re in the passenger seat along for the ride.
With the exception of the slightly unhinged battered wife and recent mother Wendy Patrakas, the rest of the cast are little more than ciphers in the first episode, but there’s only so much you can fit into 40+ minutes and it was wise of the producers not to try and cram too much in. Melanie Lynskey of Heavenly Creatures fame left the sitcom Two and a Half Men to join the ensemble cast of Drive and based on her showing so far, it was a wise move. She brings a ditsy charm to Wendy and the show plays on that for the surprise ending to episode one.
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Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
Don't get used to Dylan Baker's John Trimble, I doubt he will be around much longer. He is only listed as a guest star and he is absent from many of the cast photos, Violet will be on her own soon.
Also, many of Minear's failures are probably more atrributable to Fox's criminal mishandling of many shows he has been on. Their handling of Firefly alone is a tragedy. Also, it was cancelled after 11 episodes, with 14 having been made, not 15.
Let me close by saying, I am very impressed with what Drive has done in 3 episodes, I eagerly look forward to more.
2 - Ian Woolstencroft
Thanks for the comment Chris.
One of the shows strengths is that anyone could be eliminated at any time and I doubt Dylan Baker will be the only one to go.
As for Minear, I don’t blame him for the failure of any of the shows he’s been involved in. Each series has been of extremely high quality and it’s only the fickle nature of the TV networks (particularly Fox) that have done them in. I see Minear’s name on a show and I automatically want to see it. Add Fillion and...well let’s just say its now joint top of my must watch list (along with Heroes).
And Firefly’s episode count depends on whether you count the two part Serenity as one or two episodes. Either way it was cut criminally short.
3 - TV and Film Guy
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4 - Jay
Perhaps it doesn't annoy anyone else, but the fact that I keep seeing western mountains in the background of shots that are supposed to be Florida and South Georgia, just seems like lazy editing to me. The final stray was rolling into Rome Ga with a shot of flat lands leading to a mountain range in the distance. The real Rome is in the southern reaches of the rolling Appalachians. I don't think I'll bother to see what other states look curiously like California.