(Stridex here.  Sorry the updates didn’t flow freely today– we truly are trying to get to the point that we offer you SOMETHING new at LEAST daily.  We’re actively gearing up for webcomic launches this weekend, and as such are trying to add a bunch of new elements to the site.  Not that this prep is a valid excuse for the lack in content, but I figured I’d let you know.  I also figured that I could quickly give you a short run down of the newest show to hit U.S. airwaves.)

The procedural is the bread and butter of television.  So, in any new season, we get a lot them.  Just last Thursday we got two American knock-off’s of British science fiction investigation shows; Eleventh Hour and Life on Mars.  Tonight began a knock-off of an even older Scottish tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, updated with sleek visuals and the standard NBC vehicle tie-in’s (Heroes = Nissan, Knight Rider = Ford, and our subject = Chevy).

So you don’t have to search any further through my wall of text– NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy is good enough to watch, but nothing to get excited about.  This is an ever-increasing trend, with more and more utterly okay television out there.  Not that there aren’t amazing shows on occasionally, but they are fewer and fewer.

My Own Worst Enemy offers us the story of a man and his spy alter ego, a premise given clearly in any of the laughible commercials you’ve seen for the show.  The execution of the hour was far better than what any of the cheesy advertisements have offered.  What is perhaps the nicest element to the concept is the fact that our lovable lead doesn’t exist.  The spy, Edward, existed first and Henry (Mr. Joe Schmo) is simply a fabrication.  Christian Slater’s performances as the dual lead are nice because they’re so understated– there are so many actors who would take playing two characters completely over the top, and instead he moves back and forth with just a smidge of difference between the two, enough to know the difference but not enough to make either a joke.  He’s not the most charming of the new TV leads out there, but worth the observation.  The show is surprisingly violent, pushing network expectations with bloody kills that heighten how shocking the “truth” of a killer’s life might be.  The biggest problem the show has is a complete lack of “why?”

I understand not telling us why Edward chose to create a fake identity and join in the spy trade.  You don’t show your full hand in a pilot episode– it’s not a movie, it’s a serial.  But I can’t understand why the hell anyone would see the benefit to this brain-washing alter ego method of spies.  We’ve seen the Mr. and Mrs. Smith and their ilk, presenting us with spies who play like normal folks when they aren’t globe trotting.  But My Own Worst Enemy creates a scenario in which the spy doesn’t play normal– he IS normal.  This creates a HUGE liability for the spy when he’s off duty, because he’s completely vunerable.  And it’s not like the show ignores this fact; instead this vunerablity is the complete central theme of the first episode.  Without offering us any benefits to this double life, it seems a glaring plot hole, begging me to step through.

I’m curious enough to tune in next week, but the interest may simply be that my DVR list grows thinner this week with the Project Runway finale.  But that’s another story.  Anywho, don’t trust me– make your own call, and be sure to chat it up below.  I wouldn’t want to have to discuss the issue with myself via webcam.