"John Doe, No 'DOH !' "
(originally published on www.countgore.com)

Is 2002 television's year of the psychic crime-solver, or what ? It seems that Fox's cancelled and forgotten Millenium series was just slightly ahead of it's time, as this Fall season has trotted out the USA network's surprisingly creepy The Dead Zone; UPN's flat outline of a thriller, Haunted; and the best o' the batch, Fox's newest foray into the supernatural/crime drama, JOHN DOE.

 While it doesn't relay the sense of impending doom of the tense The Dead Zone, John Doe conveys an overall air of FUN that is only sparsely dusted over The Dead Zone's writing -- and which the dry-as-dust Haunted never displays at all. John Doe eases us into the situation of the week with a light hand on the throttle, allowing time for playful banter to introduce and reintroduce characters.

 The style is a little X-Files-esque, in the best possible ways, but also reminicent of the classic Mission Impossible and Man From U.N.C.L.E. series'. Humor easily equates to humanity in character development, and can quickly make the difference between a stoic characature or a creation from someone's imagination that you can actually care about. It can, and usually does, make the difference between characters of slate and characters of gold. Or at least pyrite ! You know we Morlocks are fascinated by shiny objects !

 The premise here is only a slight variation on the old theme of, "Guy dies/goes into a coma, and comes back from the other side with some sort of supernatural ability". The difference though is that the emphasis is not put on that device to sustain forward momentum. The mysteries themselves are engaging, and would be just as entertaining if they were being unraveled by Sherlock Holmes or Columbo as by our reluctant anti-hero, Mr. Doe.
 
  As the weekly web of intrigue is unraveled, so the character of Doe is revealed layer by layer as well. Each mystery solved, and each layer of the character uncovered, leaves us with even more questions about the complex protagonist. We see him as a man who knows more about what is going on around him than what is going on inside him, and THAT is the golden thread that will not only keep a show held together but also becoming ever more detailed.

 What I particularly enjoy about John Doe is that --once again in an example of excellent writing-- it starts out with a bit of "buddy film" bonding, and then ever-so-gently slides sideways, drawing us incrementally into the dark side. The show plays out like a mini-movie; a rare accomplishment in the short-attention-span world of commercial television. Let's hope it stays on the schedule long enough to create some nice memories and doesn't end up on the giant milk carton of tv limbo anytime too soon !

 Speaking of which, I saw a plasma-bag with my face on it in Gore's 'fridge the other day... What does that mean...???

 'Til next we swing, hang loose !

 Your ol' pal,

Ghastlee