'Grey's' Isn't Going Anywhere
Comedienne's Second TV Show Canceled This Year
Shark: Fashion Police
(S01E06) The best part of this episode was seeing Stark operate in Shark-mode in advising his daughter how to deal with her school even after she's admitted her guilt. This is good meaty territory for Woods to explore his character. Stark still thinks the best way he can demonstrate fatherhood skills is to fall back on his professional skills. He has got a disconnect in terms of when it's okay to lie, that doesn't go unnoticed by Julie. Stark likes to believe the line is wherever he wants it to be. As he later tells Martin: "If it were a crime to be rich and hypocritical, they would have locked me up years ago."Against his better judgment, Stark is persuaded to take a case that he knows to be a loser. I'm getting used to hearing him declare something like that every week, then pulling out the win in the end anyway. This case, like last week's, really ends in a partial victory. It's a particularly heinous crime, against people trapped in an tragic and impossible situation.Stark manages to get a plea before the jury returns a verdict that might have gone against him. That's more realistic than the witness-stand confessions plaguing the first few weeks of this show.
At least Boston Legal allows the beautiful and funny Julie Bowen a full range of facial expression. Here on Shark, the resident striking blonde attorney, Jeri Ryan, is compelled to perform her two half-page scenes with the same frozen scowl painted on her face from week to week. I believe this is what is meant by a thankless role.
There are some other highlights: James Woods is still cutting loose with the sarcastic comments. And Alexis Cruz, as Martin Allende, has some break-from-the-pack moments. He perfectly plays the scene in which he's shaking and terrified while presenting new charges in court for the first time, after Stark's insistence. Also, The Drew Carey Show's Diedrich Bader does a good dramatic turn as the sleazy sweatshop owner, basically by just sitting there looking so complacent and pleased with himself and his goatee.
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