E-Ring is Not My Thing

Last night I watched the series premiere of the new NBC show E-Ring.

Now, my favorite television show was JAG, which ended in May after 10 excellent years. It was excellent, sharp, and crisp.

While watching the premiere of E-Ring, I couldn't help but compare it to JAG. Unfortunately, it wasn't even close.

I usually like Jerry Bruckheimer creations, so I was surprised that I didn't like this one.

It felt too soft and too informal. I don't recall seeing a single salute. The show was on at 9pm, but after an opening sequence in China, you are introduced to Benjamin Bratt's character, Jim "J.T." Tisnewski, in bed with a woman. I didn't think it was a very good introduction to the show or the character.

Benjamin Bratt might be a good actor in some instances, but he doesn't have the right edge to be a military officer, in my opinion. I thought the same thing after seeing him play a WWII military officer in the fabulous movie, The Great Raid. You can read my review of that here.

Bratt is too pretty-boy, soft for the role.

Another mis-cast is Dennis Hopper as Colonel McNulty, Tisnewski's superior officer. I've not really seen Hopper in many other roles, so I have no idea what type an actor he is. He also does not seem to fit the military role. It could simply be a poorly written character. McNulty spent most of the hour in his office, listening to music. Later in the episode, he got to work a bit, but the impression I got was that he, as a senior officer, was just hanging around, not really doing anything.

The only character who seemed military to me was non-com Jocelyn Pierce, played by Aunjanue Ellis. She was crisp and efficient.

While I highly doubt members of the military are always super crisp when they are on duty, most of the "military" people in this show seemed very, very laid back. I imagine the Pentagon to be a bit more sharp.

In the pilot episode, a Chinese woman who had been spying, in China, for the CIA, had been discovered. Through the episode she tries to reach the meeting spot where the US military will rescue her. That portion of the story was interesting. The rest of the story, centered at Tisnewski's "mistress'" house and the Pentagon was boring. It didn't sparkle or hold my interest.

Perhaps the show will get better, but I don't know if I care to watch another episode. I usually watch Lost on ABC, Wednesdays at 9pm. We taped it last night to watch E-Ring.

If NBC really hopes to compete with Lost, it better shape E-Ring up, or ship it out.