Cane

(S01E04) I was pleasantly surprised yet again this week by last night's Cane. The narrative is really starting to gel in both the overarching plot of the season and within individual episodes. Maybe it's wishful thinking but this show could be the Dynasty or Dallas I have been waiting for. Okay, maybe that assessment was premature (I don't want to put that kind of pressure on the Smits), but this episode was great. The show is finally doing a good job of balancing the all the different storylines and making most, if not all, the characters interesting in their own right. For awhile there, it was just Jimmy Smits and his interactions with everyone else.

(S01E03) So I was beginning to have really mixed feelings about this show. I loved the classic themes and plots which allow for so many storylines and conflicts. And of course, no one can argue with this ensemble cast. But I felt like the story wasn't pulling me in and Alex's character wasn't believable or appealing. (I know it's TV so "believable" is a huge demand, but I mean that brand of TV believable.) I watched last week and had this sense that something was just missing. Maybe it has too many characters. Maybe it has too many storylines. Maybe CBS keeps these storylines a little too PG for a show that's slated for 10 p.m. (HBO could turn this plot and this cast into the just-can't-miss-it television that populates the Sunday night time slots.) But tonight, all my mixed feelings about Cane started to disappear...

(S01E02) Last night on Cane Alex started his new position as the head of the Duque rum and sugar empire but things aren't business as usual: Alex continued to deal with brewing opposition from his "brother" Frank and had to clean up some loose ends from the murder of Quinones.

Some people might say that this show is just Dallas remixed but I love me some classic rich family drama (this drama is spicier because it includes Jimmy Smits and an array of nice suits). Smits certainly makes a good front man for this cast which also includes Hector Elizondo and the incomparable Rita Moreno.
For more on last night's episode, click continue reading below.

(S01E01) CBS made a lot of noise when they premiered their new schedule. The stodgy old network was finally going to leave the safety and security of "take no chances" programming they have built their recent successes on and try something new. Moonlight, Viva Laughlin, and Swingtown are certainly a step in a new direction. And then we have Cane, which I think of as their safety show.

Rum, sex and scandal? What's not to love? I'm betting the pitch meeting went something like this:

"It's the Latino Godfather."
"Can we get Jimmy Smits?"
"Yes."
"Who do I make the check out to?"

What CBS has ended up with is a little less Godfather and a lot more Dallas, but it's still got TV heavyweight Jimmy Smits at its center. That may just be good enough to score CBS a hit.