Skip to main content

PILOT REVIEW: Valor

VALOR













Starring: Christina Ochoa, Matt Barr, Charlie Barnett, Nigel Thatch, Corbin Reid, W. Tre Davis, Melissa Roxburgh

Created by Kyle Jarrow
Written by Kyle Jarrow, Directed by Michael M. Robin

THE PREMISE
Valor is the third and final military drama premiering this fall and this one is on a network that is not known for dramas like this, the CW. While there are some steamy and angsty scenes that may remind you this is a CW drama, it still seems more fit for CBS or NBC with its military premise. Captain Leland Gallo (Matt Barr) and Chief Warrant Officer Nora Madani (Christina Ochoa) are the only soldiers who made it home from a rescue mission and they receive the Flying Cross for Valor, but they haven't been completely forthcoming with all the details. Meanwhile, a captive from that mission, Jimmy Kam (W. Tre Davis) is in Somali custody while his anxious wife, Jess (Corbin Reid) waits for news.

THE REVIEW
I'm just so over these military dramas so this was a slog to get through. However, I think this may have been my favorite of the three (a very low bar to clear) because it seemed to be a little more sure of where it was headed and it had a conspiracy angle that made it slightly more compelling. That's not to say it was anything special, it's just that it wasn't as boring as The Brave and SEAL Team in my eyes.

There were some eye rolling moments though. Particularly, I thought the sequence with Nora being in such a rage that she just had to go to her drumset was a little laughable. And the show seems to be content with making the characters' back stories pretty standard (drug user! womanizer!) I do think the show at times aims to be a little bit more forward thinking with Christina Ochoa's character and they even hit on that a little bit in the pilot.

I remember when this show was in pilot season, we just kept hearing about how this was off brand for the CW but they absolutely loved it. And while it's not terrible, it's hard to see what was so special about this show that it made the CW really want to go off brand by picking it up. It seems like just a so-so show, not a genre busting or brilliant military drama. And I don't think the CW audience is going to be too excited about this when they would rather watch superheroes or sudsy soaps. We'll see.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
No. I am done with the military dramas at least until the next one gets picked up.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...