On Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 8, which turns out to be the series finale (producers Sky 1 and the WB have decided not to go forward), the same old problems that plague the show are here in spades: derivative storytelling, the lack of a compelling villain, and a total absence of real stakes.

It was cute and nostalgic at the beginning: a show based on the action/adventure movies from back in the day. 

Borrowing HEAVILY from the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" films, along with a healthy dose of the "Romancing the Stone" and "National Treasure" movies, the series aimed for the fun kind of action/adventure tropes you know and love.

With beautiful. exotic locations as the eye candy, the two attractive, bickering leads search for the treasure du jour, only to have it stolen by the bad guys, setting up our heroes stealing the booty back in the last act.

The story structure was definitely old school, with the same plot happening pretty much every week. Only the location changed.

Shows like this depend on the chemistry of the leads to get and keep the audience engaged. 

Hooten: Are you kidding me? You can’t outsmart me.

Lady Alex: A chicken could outsmart you.

Hooten: OK. Let the best man win.

_{🔗 permalink: OK. Let the best man win.}

Both actors did a good job, but ultimately the boilerplate writing and pacing sunk this one.

The only saving grace for me was Ophelia Lovibond as Lady Alex. Her work as the frazzled Alex is the highlight on a rather boring, derivative show. 

She was a great foil to Michael Landes' roguish Hooten, but the decision to not go there with any possible romance proved to be a big mistake.

Lady Alex: Look, you’re just going to have to face it. Like it or not, we’re going to have to work on this together.

Hooten: OK.

_{🔗 permalink: Look, you’re going to have to face it.}

Knowing that Lady Alex was to get married to the bland as mashed potatoes Ed was supposed to be an ongoing crisis, only it never came to a boil.

There were hints throughout that Alex was antsy about getting married, and it would have been fun to see her go all runaway bride and ride off into the sunset with Hooten, but that was never a possibility.

That reared its ugly head here, because there was ZERO tension about the wedding. Lady Alex was running away, it turns out, from all the pomp and circumstance of the huge ceremony arranged back in London by her domineering mum.

When boring Ed came to rescue her from the bad guys, she treated him like he was returning a lost glove to her or something. 

She finally introduced Ed to Hooten, with predictable results.

Hooten [to Ed]: You’re manacling yourself to her voluntarily. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever met. I salute you.

_{🔗 permalink: You’re manacling yourself to her voluntarily. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever met. I salute…}

The chemistry between Alex and Ed is less than non existent, which undercut the main recurring storyline for the entire series. 

We can't care about a major plot thread involving people supposedly in love, about to get married, if they appear to be no more than friends. 

The most emotional moment in the entire series came after the Captain Morgan treasure was secured, when Alex finally came clean with Hooten about her wedding doubts.

Turns out she didn't want to give up her globetrotting ways, and had a deep seated fear that boring Ed night want kids. She is clearly not emotionally ready to get married, but we never really got to the root of it until the end of the series.

It was an opportunity wasted: Alex' doubts and fears should have been sprinkled throughout the show, not dumped on us in one chunk at the end.

This brings to light another major problem: she never talked to boring Ed about her concerns, not once. He was basically a walk on until this episode. For someone so important to her, he was given almost no screen time.

The fact that she opens her heart to Hooten, and not her fiance, is troubling as well.

The producers strongly said from the jump that there would be NO possibility of romance between Hooten and Lady Alex. 

While I thought that was a good way to go at the beginning, to not go down that well worn path, the way the series played out proved that strategy to be a huge mistake.

The chemistry between the leads was the only real positive they had going for them, so to totally cut off the possibility of them eventually getting together took all the potential drama out of wedding scenario.

Hooten: I’ve yet to meet a single woman who is as smart as you, as funny as you, or as loyal as you. You’re pretty, you can kick ass when you need to, and you’ve got a smile that can light up a room. He’s a lucky guy.

Lady Alex: Stop being so nice to me. It’s very disconcerting.

_{🔗 permalink: Stop being so nice to me. It’s very disconcerting.}

Hooten, who clearly has feelings for Alex, gave her the pep talk before the wedding that could have been a really potent romantic moment, creating doubt in her mind before the ceremony. 

But, since we know she wasn't going to potentially run away with Hooten, the scene fell flat, even though Lovibond did a helluva job showing her conflicting emotions. 

Hooten tells Alex he's going to Vietnam on another adventure, so she just happens to suggest that very same location for their honeymoon. Shocker.

The series ended as expected, with Hooten and Alex in jeopardy, but still making with the witty banter.

She is also still lying to Ed about her adventures with Hooten, which, if the series had continued, might have provided a sorely needed dramatic spark.

Had the series continued, it would have been an opportunity for the writers to actually get Hooten and his Lady together. But, unfortunately, we will never find out.

Ultimately, Hooten and The Lady was nothing more than a mere trifle, a summer fling.

Pedestrian writing and plotting doomed this to failure, despite really good performances by the leads. Oh well.

That's my take: tell me what you think. Were you disappointed with the big wedding plot that ended up being an afterthought? Would you have preferred to see Hooten and Alex get together? 

Let me know in the comments section.

If you missed any episodes, you can always watch Hooten and The Lady online, right here on TV Fanatic!

The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 8 Review: The Caribbean appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Hooten and Alex end up in the same spot on the island. They agree to work together to find the treasure.

Hooten and Lady Alex find the treasure, but, of course, bad guys come in and steal the treasure.

They are left adrift on a raft in the middle of the Caribbean, but they are rescued by her fiance Ed.

Ed tells Alex they will be married on the beach, forgetting about the elaborate London ceremony.

Hooten and Alex find who bought the treasure: a rich couple about to set sail.

Hooten and Alex steal the treasure back and escape.

Alex is pensive about going through with the wedding, but Hooten gives her a pep talk.

Alex eventually shows up on the beach, and she marries Ed.

Hooten leaves the treasure with Lady Alex at her hotel. 

The series ends a week later, with Hooten and Lady Alex in Vietnam, tied up and left for dead by bad guys: arguing, as usual.

The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 8 Recap: The Caribbean appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 7, the identity of Mr. Scorpion is revealed, and the shocking revelation shakes Lady Alex to the core, but she still stands by her Hooten.

We begin nine weeks after the Moscow blowup we witnessed in Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 6, with Hooten doing his Indiana Jones thing in the jungles of Cambodia, but this time he has a young boy named Jian in tow. 

To say this was an homage to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom would be a major understatement: from the young boy sidekick, to the usual shenanigans in temples and ruins, replete with snakes and bad guys with guns, it's almost a carbon copy of all the well wore tropes from all the Indy movies.

This is what makes the show fun, but the continual aping of scenes and set pieces from well-known movies gets a little stale after awhile.

The whole scene where they steal the artifact and escape by the skin of their teeth at the last second was irritatingly predictable and fell flat for me.

Lady Alex was in Cambodia as well, stalking Hooten, so the idea that they would be on the outs lasted about 10 minutes.

This week's MacGuffin involved finding four artifacts to get the ultimate prize, a jewel that supposedly gives the bearer immortality.

It was a little too convenient that one of the four artifacts was already in the possession of the British Museum, which forced Hooten and Lady Alex to work together again. A weak plot point that existed only to move their reconciliation along faster. 

Lady Alex: I’m worried about you, Hooten. I mean genuinely concerned.

Hooten: Is this a guilt trip about leaving me in Russia? I thought that meant we were done.

Lady Alex: It was just a spat. It doesn’t mean you have to disappear off the face of the planet.

Hooten: You’re still pissed about the egg. I got a bit paranoid, I admit.

Lady Alex: Your friend was murdered, and now you’re hiding out here in Cambodia.

Hooten: Can’t a guy have a vacation?

Lady Alex: Shutting me out-lying about where you are, and now chasing something that doesn’t even exist. A jewel that bestows immortality.

Hooten: You’re right. I’ve lost it.

Lady Alex: Then why are you doing it?

_{🔗 permalink: Then why are you doing it?}

Jian was a welcome addition: his character was fun despite the lame twist at the end, which was sadly (say it with me) VERY PREDICTABLE. 

The main story continues the thread that has been pulled throughout practically the entire season: Hooten's sad family background.

Alex has always been curious about his tragic past, but Hooten has never been able to tell her.

The near death escape from the minefield emboldened Alex enough to demand that Hooten tell her what the hell is going on.

Finally, Hooten came clean (sort of; more on that in a bit) about who I called Mr. Scorpion: his nemesis, the man who killed his wife and son.

Lady Alex: Who’s the buyer? Who is he?

Hooten: His name is Kane, and he wants the jewel, even more than he wanted that Faberge egg. And if I can find it first I can flush him out and get what I want in return-revenge.

Lady Alex: What for?

Hooten: Killing my family. My wife and my son.

_{🔗 permalink: Killing my family. My wife and my son.}

Hooten is on a mission of revenge, and it seems there's nothing Alex can do to prevent it. 

I particularly liked their embrace after they were both safe from the minefield.

They clearly have deep feelings for each other: not romantic, per se, but more like a friend kind of love. 

Hooten: You’re going to tell me not kill him, aren’t you?

Lady Alex: Will it bring them back?

_{🔗 permalink: Will it bring them back?}

Alex, of course, will never give up on Hooten.

She tries to bring out the better man in him at every opportunity, and he is a better man for having known her, even if he'll never admit it.

There was a good use of locations again, which continues to be a hallmark of the series.

The balloon scene was beautifully shot, adding to the many stunning visuals we've come to expect.

The jungles and vine covered temples always look authentic, which is hard to pull off with a TV budget.

It wasn't a surprise at all when we learned Jian was working for Kane. It never rang true that a young boy would know how to find all these artifacts, so that little plot twist was disappointing.

What WAS a surprise was the shattering revelation of why Kane and Hooten hate each other so much. Hooten has never been that forthcoming when it comes to telling the truth, but this one was a doozy.

Hooten: This is what you want. And me. Let Alex go. You just leave her alone.

Kane: Like you left my wife alone?

Lady Alex: You ran off with his wife? That is a significant detail to leave out.

Hooten: He murdered her for it. And our son.

Kane: You knew what would happen, what I do to those who betray me.

Hooten: He was a 6 year old boy, he didn’t betray anybody. He just loved his parents.

Kane: I trusted you like a brother.

Hooten: She didn’t love you: she was scared of you.

Kane: So you condemned her to a lifetime in hiding, wondering how long will we have? And for what?

Hooten: It was still the better life.

Kane: Is that what you tell yourself? Did your son feel the same way?

_{🔗 permalink: Is that what you tell yourself? Did your son feel the same way?}

While that reveal was very shocking and satisfying, the fight between Hooten and Kane was NOT. 

For all the buildup, the "fight" was a big nothing. It was interesting to see Alex having Hooten's back in the battle, but I was very disappointed in the lame fight and predictable outcome.

Kane slipped from Hooten's grasp, falling to his death, so the bad guy is dead and Hooten isn't really a cold blooded murderer. Hurrah.

It was so trite I almost expected Kane to fall into a pit of scorpions instead of vipers. At least they didn't go that route.

And just like that, it was over. The jewel is safe in the Cambodian museum, Hooten makes nice with Jian, Alex gives her bosses the Faberge egg, and all is right with the world. 

All a little too pat for me.

This sets up the last episode, which turns out to be the SERIES FINALE.

Yep, The British broadcaster Sky 1 (which produced the show along with the CW) has decided not to go forward with a second season, so the next one is the last one.

The wedding of Lady Alex will likely be the focus of the finale, which means there will probably be the obligatory "will she or won't she?" drama, along with one last adventure with the lovable rogue Hooten.

All in all, this was a serviceable, if not very imaginative series. The idea of having a show that's an homage to action adventure films of the past was fresh at the beginning, but the imagination stopped there.

Locations were used to great effect, and the chemistry of the two leads was a good thing.

It was watchable for awhile, but the bland, repetitive formula caused the show to lose momentum over time for me.

My guess is Lady Alex will agonize over her impending nuptials, but will ultimately marry the exceedingly boring Ed.

That's my take: tell me yours. Do you think Lady Alex will get married? What do you think will become of Hooten? Will you miss the show? Let me know in the comments section.

Remember, you can watch Hooten and The Lady online and catch up with everything before the finale, right here on TV Fanatic.

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They find the artifact and escape the ruin. Hooten gets a call from Lady Alex, and he tells her to leave him alone, Little does he know she is in Cambodia, trailing him.

Alex surprises Hooten and Jian, and they formulate a plan to retrieve the next artifact.

Mr. Scorpion is monitoring Hooten, and keeps track of their search.

Hooten, Alex, and Jian make their way to a temple in search of the next artifact, but encounter drug dealers who have found it first.

The drug dealers capture Hooten and Jian, but Alex rescues them.

In the chaos, Jian runs away with the artifact. Hooten and Alex search for him.

The drug dealers chase after Hooten and Alex, but are blown up in a mine field. Hooten and Alex are trapped in the middle of the mine field, but figure out a way to escape.

Hooten tells Alex about Mr. Scorpion, whose real name is Kane, and how he wants to flush him out to get revenge for Kane killing his wife and son.

Hooten and Alex reunite with Jian, and go about solving the puzzle of where the legendary city is Shambhala is located.

Hooten steals a balloon, and together they fly high to locate the city.

They find the location, which is a cave hidden behind a waterfall. Kane shows up in his helicopter, in hot pursuit.

Jian turns on Hooten and Alex. Turns out he is doing the bidding of Kane, who has leverage over Jian by threatening Jian's family.

Kane threatens to kill Alex unless Hooten finds the jewel. Hooten finds the jewel, and gives it to Kane.

Kane and Hooten fight, and Kane slips and falls into a deep pit of vipers and dies.

Lady Alex give the jewel to the museum in Cambodia, and they say their goodbyes to Jian. Alex gives her bosses the egg, and gets back in their good graces.

The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 7 Recap: Cambodia appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 6, Hooten summons Lady Alex to Moscow, with the promise of acquiring a legendary artifact, but their respective pasts come back to bite them in the ass.

In a welcomed change, the usually wacky romp is more like a Le Carre novel or Bond movie this week.

The setting definitely helps in that regard: anytime you can film at Red Square in Moscow, the atmosphere lends gravity to pretty much everything.

The serious tone was quite refreshing. Learning more about Hooten's tragic past sets up the rest of the season, which means we're probably in for much less breezy, silly storylines in the remaining episodes.

Hooten: Why have you got me tailing you all over Moscow?

Hercules: I found it.

Hooten: No you didn’t.

Hercules: My life’s work. I told you I’d find it, and I have.

_{🔗 permalink: My life’s work. I told you I’d find it, and I have.}

So what's up with the names? Ulysses? Hercules? They have to be made up spy names, right?

Anyway, Hercules, the man who taught Hooten everything he knows about being a treasure hunter, was a very cool character.

It's a damn shame he didn't make it out alive, but his death seems to be the catalyst for the actions of Hooten and Lady Alex going forward.

Whispers of Hooten's past have been sprinkled in here and there, but the conversation with Hercules shed much light on what Hooten is so haunted.

Hercules: I was very sorry when I heard. I liked her: beautiful woman, gentle, kind soul. And your little boy too. My God. It was him, wasn’t it? He killed them both.

Hooten: He found us, and I wasn’t careful enough.

Hercules: He’s dead now, my friend. Time to stop torturing yourself.

_{🔗 permalink: He’s dead now, my friend. Time to stop torturing yourself.}

This is where we go to full on James Bond movie mode: a sexy redhead in a leather catsuit, who works for a mysterious, evil mastermind. He's shown as a Blofeld type villain, but his penchant is for scorpions, not cats.

Is there any doubt Mr. Scorpion is the one behind the death of Hooten's wife and son? Nope.

We will doubtless see more and more of Mr. Scorpion in the future. The question is, how will Hooten and Lady Alex deal with him?

Lady Alex is showing a very different, darker side to her personality.

Her tension with Hooten is usually played for laughs, but Hooten apparently went over the line when he told her the real reason, in his mind, for her willingness to meet him at the drop of a hat for their adventures.

Hooten is convinced she does not want to marry Ed, but her mousy, people pleasing personality flaw is the reason she won't break off the engagement.

Hooten's adventures are the perfect escape for her, since deep down she doesn't want that boring royal life.

Alex reacted very harshly, perhaps a little too much. That leads us to believe there is more than a grain for truth in Hooten's theory.

Add to that her confrontation with a former college rival, the catsuit wearing Valeria, and we see Alex in danger of going off the deep end.

Valeria: Alexandra.

Lady Alex: Valeria. You look very well.

Valeria: You look like something the cat coughed up.

Lady Alex: Well, you’re just rude.

Valeria: Pathetic.

Lady Alex: You actually have a handbag sized crossbow? Of course you do. You’re not actually going to try to shoot me? OK, fine. [Valeria shoots the crossbow at Alex]

_{🔗 permalink: You actually have a handbag sized crossbow? Of course you do. You’re not actually going to…}

There was a bit of the trademark banter and silliness we've come to expect, and the hotel chase scene was fairly amusing, as was Hooten parading around in Lady Alex' Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer pajamas.

What I want to know is, what kind of kink is Ed into, since he's the one who gave Alex the pajamas? Hmm.

While it doesn't seem like that huge a deal to me, the whole legendary missing Faberge egg (known as "The Broken Heart") is a good McGuffin to have.

Having the egg being hidden by a cleaning lady for over 100 years was pretty clever, and the fact that Hooten and Lady Alex had talked to her numerous times, not knowing  how important she was, did give me a chuckle.

Once Hooten figured out it was Mr. Scorpion who killed Hercules, he soured on the whole deal, because he knew it was the same man who killed his wife and son.

Even though he's a thief and a rogue, human life matters much more to him than he lets on. 

He clearly cares for Alex, and demonstrated that in spades when he threw the priceless artifact into the river.

Lady Alex: Why did you just do that?

Hooten: A man was murdered for that. If you take it, then the person that wants it will come after you too, and he won’t stop. You and everyone you love will be in danger.

Lady Alex: I have never heard so much crap in my life! Have you lost your mind?

Hooten: He will not stop until everything and everyone you love is destroyed. I know this. And now no one can have it. I just saved your life. Get in your car and go home. Just go home Alex.

_{🔗 permalink: He will not stop until everything and everyone you love is destroyed. I know this. And now no…}

Why he didn't tell Alex about Mr. Scorpion is beyond me. Maybe since he felt he went over the line earlier about her marriage, he didn't want to open up about his personal life to her anymore. 

If he thinks Alex doesn't care about him he's mistaken. They are in a bad place right now regarding their attitude towards each other, but deep down they have a bond that is strong.

Alex' mother is turning out to be a royal bitch (pun intended). She has no right to dictate what Alex can or can't do at the museum, so it was good to see Alex stand up for herself. 

Hooten's comments about her marriage and life seem to have struck a chord with her, and she is letting her bad girl streak out as a result.

Her obsession with the egg is a bit disturbing. Diving into the river to retrieve it was very out of character, and what she expects to do with it is anyone's guess.

Will she bring it back to the museum, using it as leverage to keep herself from being desk bound? Or will she simple hide it, like the cleaning lady's family did for over a century? 

I don't see her selling it, but you never know.

This episode was a vast improvement over the last few. The Mr. Scorpion arc will likely take us to the end of the season, with the b — side wedding story mixed in. 

I don't see Hooten and Lady Alex being on the outs for very long, so the adventures will continue. It wouldn't surprise me to see Mr. Scorpion capture Hooten, with Lady Alex having to use the egg to save his life.

Will she actually marry Ed, or will she go all runaway bride? My gut tells me she won't marry him, but time will tell.

That's my take: tell me yours. Do you like the new "bad girl" Alex? What do you think she will do with the egg? Will she end up marrying Ed? Will Hooten emerge victorious against Mr. Scorpion?

And, as always, you can watch Hooten and The Lady online anytime, right here on TV Fanatic!

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On Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 5, they finally break free from the rigid show structure they have held tightly to for the entire season. Did it help? Eh, not so much.

This was by far the worst episode of the run. Where do I begin?

I do give them credit for not doing the now familiar pattern: the setup, Hooten's dilemma, meet with the locals, journey with witty banter, puzzle solving, find, then lose, then regain the McGuffin, then journey home with personal revelations. 

The problem is, there was nothing to care about from the very beginning.

Lady Alex getting married is a side plot that really holds zero interest for me. Ed looks like a total wimp and pales in comparison to the rogue Hooten. 

We have a kidnapping, but Ella, the coworker and friend of Lady Alex, is a bit player so far in the series. We know NOTHING about her. 

There is no reason to care about what happens to her, other than her being a friend of Lady Alex.

Lady Alex: To be honest, I’m quite glad you’re here.

Hooten: Is that a thank you?

Lady Alex: You need to know there’s no money involved.

Hooten: I’m not a philistine. It doesn’t have to be money. It could be jewels, diamonds, rubies never hurt anybody.

Lady Alex: It’s something far more valuable than any of those.

Hooten: I knew it.

Lady Alex: It’s Ella.

Hooten: Ella?

Lady Alex: She’s been taken hostage.

_{🔗 permalink: She’s been taken hostage.}

The heist of the spoon was also a wasted opportunity.

How much fun would it have been to watch Hooten on the phone, talking Lady Alex through the Indiana Jones type theft from her own museum? It could have been a really funny scene, but it was totally botched.

Hooten: Well, that’s hardcore. What do they want?

Lady Alex: I was meant to come alone. They want this.

Hooten: It’s a spoon. She’s being held ransom for a spoon?

_{🔗 permalink: It’s a spoon. She’s being held ransom for a spoon?}

The whole episode was just off. The pacing, the dialog, the supposed action scenes, all seemed half baked or unfinished.

The woman trusted with bringing Alex to the kidnappers was supposed to be a badass, but she came across as a total buffoon.

The scene where she brandished a machete and attempted a huge karate kick, only to have our heroes step aside, sending her plunging to her death, was played for laughs, but it was a total fail. 

The writing was abysmal. The plot is usually thin, but this one was like tissue paper.

The Queen of Sheba background was fairly well explained, but since her whole legend involving King Solomon is all about the riddles she threw at him, I was hoping we would have a more intricate puzzle for Alex to solve.

What we got was another lame Indiana Jones cliche: this is at least the second "map room" scenario so far in the series, and it's getting old fast. 

I get that this show is an homage to action/adventure/romance movies from back in the day, but they need to be more clever in the execution. Lazy writing.

There was no clear reason for the kidnapper's actions either. The leader wanted the treasure, but everyone with him appeared to be a bunch of whining mercenaries who just wanted to get some food and water and get the hell out of the desert.

I never got the feeling that Ella or Lady Alex was ever in any real danger.

Ella: What are you doing here?

Lady Alex: It’s me. It’s Alex.

Ella: For Christ’s sake I know you name! I haven’t been lobotomized. Where are they?

Lady Alex: Who?

Ella: The Marines, MI-6, Interpol, where are they?

Lady Alex: You told me to come alone.

Ella: You didn’t actually come alone?

_{🔗 permalink: You didn’t actually come alone?}

The best thing in the whole episode were the two camels, Pat and Tracy.

Camels chewing is always funny, but it doesn't make up for crappy writing.

It seemed like the writers had no real story to build on, so they just kept going back to the silly camel sight gags.

Lady Alex: Where’s Tracy?

Hooten: Who?

Lady Alex: The camel.

Hooten: Oh shit!

_{🔗 permalink: Oh shit!}

Hooten surprised and overpowered all these supposedly badass mercenaries so easily it was laughable. And you go to a place in the middle of the desert to rescue a friend from bloodthirsty kidnappers with NO weapons? Wow.

My biggest pet peeve, however, was the reveal of the "treasure." After all the drama, the threats, the puzzle solving, and the treasure is the oil frankincense? Really? 

Talk about a letdown. 

But not as much of a letdown as the ending. 

Tell me what the hell THAT was about? When the baddies find out that the treasure is an oil that goes for a whopping four bucks a bottle, do the kidnappers kill anyone? Nope.

Do they even react when Hooten storms in with a camel? Nope.

They just stand there, pointing their guns at each other, Reservoir Dogs style. But did we get a payoff like in Reservoir Dogs? Nope again.

While Lady Alex, Hooten, and Ella have a long, drawn out banter fest, the bad guys just stand and stare at each other.

Then, as our gang mounts the camels, leaving the bad guys to die in the desert with no way back to camp, what do they do?

Um, they stand and point their guns at each other while our heroes escape. WTF?

And for good measure, the episode ends as our heroes snipe at each other while, you guessed it, the kidnappers stand like statues in the desert heat, pointing guns at each other.

Maybe they were posing for an oil painting.

This was easily one of the sloppiest, most poorly written shows I've seen from ANY show in a long time. VERY disappointing.

If this is how they break free from their formulaic stories, then my advice is to go back as soon as possible. This was an epic fail.

Tell me your take: other than the location and the cute camels, was there ANYTHING you liked? Fire away in the comments section.

As always, you can watch Hooten and The Lady online, right here on TV Fanatic!

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They also talk about a man who killed Hooten's wife and son in the past, and how the man is dead and no longer a threat. Hercules urges Hooten to move on with his life.

On the island of Fiji, a mysterious redheaded woman shows her equally mysterious boss the recording of Hooten's conversation. It is highly implied that the man is the same person who killed Hooten's wife and son.

Lady Alex and Ed meet with Alex' mom, Lady Lindo-Parker to hash out the wedding plans. Hooten calls Alex, begging her to come to Moscow to help him. Right after the call Hooten is kidnapped and beaten by the mystery man's henchmen, but he refuses to give up the location of Hercules or the egg.

Alex makes her way to Hooten's hotel, where she overhears the mystery redhead talking about Hooten's torture. Alex recognizes the woman as Valeria, a former college rival. 

Lady Alex follows Valeria to where Hooten is being held. He is bound, and hung from a railing. Alex frees him, and they drive back to Hooten's hotel. Hooten tells Alex she runs away with him so often because she really doesn't want to get married. This makes Alex very angry.

Valeria, on her way back from the hotel, confronts them on the road and runs Alex and Hooten off the road. They end up near a wooded area, and flee into the woods. Valeria and her henchmen pursue Alex and Hooten into the woods. They escape, and make their way to where Hercules is staying. Hooten finds Hercules, who is near death on the floor. With his dying breath he tells Hooten who the contact is.

Hooten finds a scorpion near Hercules, which was the weapon used to kill his wife and son. He now knows that the man who killed his wife and son is alive, and is also the one pursuing the egg. 

Hooten, Alex, and the bad guys all arrive at the hotel where the contact supposedly is, and a lively chase ensues. Alex and Hooten escape, and the Russian police arrest the bad guys.

Alex figures out that the contact is the old cleaning lady in the hotel Alex and Hooten have met twice previously.

The cleaning lady gives them the egg, which is in fact authentic.

Hooten tells Alex and the cleaning lady that Hercules was killed because of the egg.

Hooten, angry about the death of his friend, throws the egg in the river to protect Alex from the man who killed his family. He tells Alex he saved her life, and she should go home. Alex gets a call from her museum bosses, telling her she is no longer allowed to go out on adventures. 

Alex refuses the punishment, and dives in the river with a flashlight until she finds the egg.

The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 6 Recap: Moscow appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Alex begs Hooten to come with her, and they meet at the docks in Ethiopia. They evade the bad guy who was supposed to meet them there. They lose their jeep in the desert, and Hooten buys two camels, Pat nd Tracy, and the continue their journey. 

Alex tells Hooten about the spoon, which is one of only two artifacts left from the legendary Queen of Sheba. The spoon, along with an ancient bowl, when used together, will supposedly lead them to the treasure of The Queen of Sheba in the desert.

Alex gets taken by the kidnappers as Hooten tries to gather the camels. Alex is taken to Ella, and they discuss how to use the spoon and bowl to decipher the location of the treasure. The figure out the location, and take the kidnappers there. Hooten follows.

The location is empty, except for dozens of dead trees. Alex figures out that the "treasure" is actually the oil frankincense, a rare commodity in those days. Alex tells the kidnappers this, and they turn on one another, just as Hooten makes the scene. As the kidnappers inexplicably point their guns at each other, Alex, Hooten, and Ella escape on the camels.

The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 5 Recap: Ethiopia appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 4, we get pretty much what we've gotten every week since the jump: a highly formulaic ripoff (oh, excuse me, homage) of old action comedy adventure films. 

If you watch TV series from back in the day, most had a very strict formula, with events happening almost the same every week: only the names and places changed. 

My hope was we'd see some variations on the old action adventure tropes as the show went on, but sadly that's not the case. 

As a result, my reviews going forward will also adhere to a formula until something changes, if it ever does. Here's the structure:

• The Setup: Lady Alex does an expository explanation of this week's McGuffin, as well as what exotic locale we'll be visiting.

• Hooten's Dilemma: The wacky situation Hooten finds himself in at the moment, usually half a world away, and how Lady Alex' call for help saves his bacon AGAIN.

• Meeting the Locals: Sets up the "artifact of the week" search, where we also learn about the bad guys, who want the same thing as Hooten and Lady Alex.

• The Journey: Hooten and Lady Alex make their way to where the McGuffin is, giving them lots of opportunity for witty banter. Sometimes they have a guest star in tow, sometimes not. Usually they have at least one encounter with the bad guys, so the audience can familiarize themselves with who our heroes are fighting against.

• Puzzle Solving Interlude: This usually involves a map, or a statue, or some ancient thingy that is absolutely essential to finding the McGuffin. Lady Alex usually takes the lead and solves this one, but occasionally Hooten beats her to it, promoting more witty banter.

• Finding, Then Losing The McGuffin: The puzzle solving leads to the McGuffin, only to have the bad guys swoop in and steal it. Variations include taking either Hooten, Lady Alex, or the aforementioned guest star hostage. Sometimes Hooten is shot, but that is entirely optional.

• Getting the McGuffin Back: Through either extreme cleverness or Hooten's idiotic bravery, our heroes get the McGuffin back and the bad guys are summarily punished.

• The Journey Home, With Character Revelations: Once the McGuffin is secured, Hooten and Lady Alex make their way back with the artifact, giving the writers time to add little nuggets about our heroes' backgrounds, hopefully giving us a reason to care about the lead characters.

OK folks, here goes:

The Setup

I liked the idea of going to Bhutan in the Himalayan mountains, but it looked like really bad CGI for the most part.

And maybe I'm wrong, but Buddha never actually wrote anything down, did he?

Most of his teachings were orally passed down until monks decided to put it to parchment, right? So the whole search came across as a phony, made up mission.

Hooten's Dilemma

The whole deal with Hooten being held at gunpoint in Bolivia by a Scarface wannabe was silly, but not as silly as Alex calling at just the exact moment to save his ass.

Yes, this is an adventure comedy, but have a little respect for the audience, please. 

Having the huge, silent henchman Hidalgo trail Hooten was supposed to be funny, but it did nothing for me.

Hooten [to Hidalgo]: No mas shooty Hootey.

_{🔗 permalink: No mas shooty Hootey.}

A wasted opportunity for some really good sight gags. Oh well. This show has a huge villain problem.

For there to be any sense of true jeopardy for Hooten and Lady Alex, there has to be a bad guy who poses at least some sort of threat to them.

Unfortunately, it seldom happens. So there's a decided lack of real stakes involved.

Like all comfort shows similar to this, we know everything will be resolved in 42 minutes with our heroes intact. It is what it is.

Meeting The Locals

Penny was a pretty funny character, and her romantic, awkward advances to Hooten were cute.

Kalipa would have been interesting, but poisoning Hooten seemed very out of character for such a sweet old lady. 

Penny: Kapila has made sure that Mr. Hooten will come back.

Lady Alex: I’m sorry, I don’t understand.

Penny: She’s poisoned his tea.

_{🔗 permalink: She’s poisoned his tea.}

How does she expect Hooten to give her what she needs if she poisons him?

It makes no sense, but at least it injected some stakes into the proceedings since the bad guys are nonexistent. 

The Journey/Puzzle Solving Interlude

Not much of a journey, but enough to slip in some witty banter:

Lady Alex: I was brought up to wash my hands after I used the lavatory.

Hooten: I was brought up not to pee on my hands.

_{🔗 permalink: I was brought up not to pee on my hands.}

Make no mistake, the main draw is the chemistry between the lead characters, and they do the best they can, giving the hackneyed material they're given.

Ophelia Lovibond is a favorite of mine, and her portrayal of Lady Alex is very good. Michael Landes' Hooten doesn't do much for me, but together they do have a good rapport.

Hooten[to Lady Alex]: Try not to break any more of the bridge. Other people need to use it.

_{🔗 permalink: Try not to break any more of the bridge. Other people need to use it.}

The parchment puzzle solving was very easy, making it very hard to believe why it took anyone this long to figure out where the temple was.

I know, I know, don't think too much: it's a silly summer action adventure comedy show.

Hooten going blind halfway into the search was manufactured, artificial drama, since the writers couldn't come up with a decent villain.

Finding, But NOT Losing The McGuffin

Holy variation, Batman!

Our heroes found the scroll, but the bad guys didn't steal it: instead, Silent Hidalgo found a random chest of booty and bolted, leaving a dying Hooten and Lady Alex trapped! Oh no! 

Why Buddha would keep chests full of super valuable trinkets around is beyond me. Wasn't he all about love, not material things? Hmmm.

Anyway, Hooten is circling the drain, when Lady Alex pulls a remedy for the poison out of her ass: another poison called belladonna, which just happens to be in the temple with them. How convenient. 

Now that he's all better, they read the scroll, which says:

Hooten: What does that thing say, anyway?

Lady Alex: Love, as Eternity, is nothing if we are alone. Together we shall live through Death, but each of us in our own lives can reach Nirvana by only first showing love.

_{🔗 permalink: Love, as Eternity, is nothing if we are alone. Together we shall live through Death, but each…}

Lady Alex is supposed to be the brainiac here, but it's Hooten who figures out the message.

They have to work together and press some part of two monkey statues at the same time to open the door to the outside. 

So that's it? The big, legendary message from Buddha himself was just instructions on how to escape the temple? LAME.

The Journey Home, With Character Revelations

On the way back to Bhutan, Hooten and Lady Alex realize that Silent Hidalgo fell crossing the rope bridge, dying and losing the booty in the process. 

A very comforting, Indiana Jones sense of justice, right?

Hidalgo didn't really deserve such a grisly fate: he didn't really do anything other than follow Hooten around. Sure, he took the chest, but did he deserve to die for it?

The two character nuggets presented were fairly routine: we finally met Alex's fiance, Edward, and he was as boring as was expected.

There will be hijinks galore as they move closer to their wedding, with Hooten making their lives more and more difficult.

On a decidedly somber note, more about Ulysses Hooten's past was revealed.

Lady Alex: May I ask you something?

Hooten: Can I stop you?

Lady Alex: Who’s Ben?

Hooten: Where did you hear that name?

Lady Alex: In your fever, you called out his name.

Hooten: He was my son.

Lady Alex: What do you mean was?

Hooten: I lost him.

Lady Alex: I’m so sorry. What happened to his mother?

Hooten: I lost her, too.

_{🔗 permalink: I lost her, too.}

My guess is we will eventually get flashbacks about what happened, which would frankly be welcomed. Anything to deviate from the formula can only improve the show. 

Same old, same old. The show's structure is starting to wear on me. 

What do you think? Do you want more, or is a silly, formulaic action adventure comedy just what you're looking for? Sound off in the comments section.

You can also watch Hooten and The Lady online on TV Fanatic, but don't expect much variation from episode to episode. Sigh. 

Comic-Con Trailers: ALL the Revealing Sneak Peeks!

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The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Bhutan appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 3, the "adventure of the week" takes to Egypt, with our intrepid duo searching for the missing tomb of Alexander the Great, the legendary King of Macedonia, Babylon, Asia, and Persia. 

By now you know the formula: Lady Alex sets up the story by asking permission from the authorities of whatever country they're in to look for some relic, Hooten does his rogue thing, disobeying all the rules, and hilarity ensues.

For some reason, the execution of this tale left me with a meh feeling. 

Don't get me wrong, the locations were gorgeous (as usual), the McGuffin was cool, and Hooten got to interact with a mysterious woman named Melina. There was just something missing for me. 

Melina is a great character, and I'd love to see her again in the series. She's smart, sexy, flirty, and kicked ass big time.

It was not a surprise that she was revealed to be one of the good guys, so having her back, if there's a second season, would be great. 

The gay twist at the end seemed very forced to me, and it did a disservice to her character IMO. I really liked the chemistry between her and Hooten, as well as Lady Alex' snarky reaction to it.

That relationship is something the writers really could have mined going forward, but their dynamic was basically thrown away for a cheap joke at the end. Disappointing.

Hooten: Alex?

Lady Alex: I know you’re bored. I’m busy trying to get clearance to excavate the site.

Hooten: No need. I skipped that stage.

Lady Alex: What? Why can I hear gunfire?

Hooten: Because I’m being shot at.

Lady Alex: I said stay in the hotel. What have you done?

Hooten: Funny story: you know that shrine entrance you said was here? It isn’t where you frigging said it was. Never mind: I never doubted you for a second.

_{🔗 permalink: I never doubted you for a second.}

Hooten randomly blowing things up at the sacred site was silly. He knew how important the whole deal was to Lady Alex, so going there unarmed, putting himself in mortal danger, made no sense.

The homage was clearly Indiana Jones from the search for mummies to the whole map room drama, and it came off so derivative it left me bored.

I know the show is a throwback to those old movies, but if you're going to do an homage, put an imaginative twist on it. 

The villains were VERY generic, and the whole Greek angle was a big blah.

The explanation by the Brotherhood, wanting the body to foment conflict back home, came across as misguided.

At least Hooten was in it for the billion dollars.

I'd rather have a bunch of cutthroat mercenaries going at each other's throats for the cash, rather than some vague political cause.

Melina [to Hooten]: We’ve been tracking the Brotherhood for years. They are fanatics who believe the body of Alexander will help incite our nation into war.

_{🔗 permalink: We’ve been tracking the Brotherhood for years. They are fanatics who believe the body of…}

After all the drama, there wasn't even a billion dollars of booty at the end! A big letdown.

I did like the map puzzle that Lady Alex solved. Her misleading the bad guys was expected, but the puzzle solving is a major selling point that makes the show interesting.

Good thing Alex has a big brain: her fighting skills are laughable.

The battle between her and Melina was played for laughs, and it was actually pretty amusing. Hooten's facial expressions during the fight were golden.

Even though the producers have said there will be no "will they/won't they" romance thread, there were instances where it was definitely hinted at.

Lady Alex [as she hugs Hooten]: They told me you were dead.

Hooten: I knew there was a bit of subtext.

_{🔗 permalink: I knew there was a bit of subtext.}

I think their relationship will evolve into a deep respect/friendship type thing, so showing that they care for one another in a nonromantic way is a good change of pace.

I don't need endless teasing of a romance. It gets frustrating and exhausting after awhile.

I was let down by the slow pace and lack of real stakes as well.

Hooten blowing up the tomb to save himself and Lady Alex was pretty extreme, and I don't see how Hooten could be so sure that he saved the body of Alexander. 

Lady Alex should have shown genuine outrage, so I thought her reaction was not in character at all.

We also didn't get any additional nuggets about the back story of either of the leads, which was unfortunate.

It all seemed like a swing and a miss: the elements were all there, but it didn't gel for me. The best part of the episode was Melina, but they ultimately botched her characterization at the end.  

Hopefully, the stories going forward will be more compelling. A breezy, fun adventure show is fine for the summer, but there needs to be at least some depth.

Giving us more information about the history surrounding the artifact of the week would be nice: learning something about history while the adventure plays out makes the experience more satisfying.

My concern is the formula will become stale after awhile. The leads are good together, but chemistry can only take you so far. The storytelling needs to take a step up.

That's my take: tell me yours. Do you think the limited story format is going to cause you to lose interest? Tell me in the comments section.

And, as always, you can watch Hooten and The Lady online anytime, right here on TV Fanatic!

13 Dynamic TV Power Couples

Open List

The post Hooten and The Lady Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Egypt appeared first on TV Fanatic.