Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/262402
FEBRUARY 19-25, 2014 UCW 21 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM It's All In Your Head Con artists experiment with psychology in Mind Games TV by DEAN ROBBINS Clark (Steve Zahn) is a disgraced academic with bipolar disorder. Russ (Christian Slater) is his perpetually exasperated con-man brother, just out of prison for fraud. This odd couple starts an ethically questionable business that can alter the way people act, based on Clark's experimental research on "adrenalized implantation." In the pilot of Mind Games (Tuesday, 10 p.m., ABC) they test out their method to help a sick kid who's having problems with the medical establishment. The idea is to sneakily put thoughts into the heads of key decisionmakers and thereby influence their behavior. The brothers attempt this feat by sending members of their six-person team undercover, in disguise. The ruse threatens to fail spectacularly. Mind Games is like a funnier Mission: Impossible. The actors are resourceful, particularly Zahn as a genius with infinite shades of insanity. The script is playful, and the relationships even have emotional substance. I believe this is one of the best shows of the 2013-14 season — or did ABC sneak that thought into my head through adrenalized implantation? Ripper Street Saturday, 9 pm (BBC America) Last year I turned off the pilot of this period drama, grossed out by the violence. But other critics liked the tale of detectives investigating the seedy side of 19th century London, so I thought I'd check out the season-two premiere. It's true that Ripper Street does a good job with its setting, evoking grimy pubs and opium dens. But within seconds, a cop is thrown from a second-story window and lands…well, it's too gruesome to describe in detail. I tried closing my eyes, but the sound effects were so awful that I had to reach for the mute button, too. I turned up the volume when our detective heroes (Matthew MacFayden, Jerome Flynn) took the grievously injured cop to a hospital, only to hear an angry surgeon tell them, "Remove yourself from my operating theater or I shall remove your nose from your face!" I shut off the TV, fearing he meant that literally. About a Boy Saturday, 11:07 pm (NBC) Someone had the odd idea of remaking the charming About a Boy with actors devoid of charm. In this sitcom version, David Walton takes the Hugh Grant role of Will, a lovable scamp who pretends to have a kid to get chicks; in this case, though, replace "lovable" with "insufferable." As single mother Fiona, Minnie Driver is so nasty that you can't get around to hoping she finds a father figure for her lonely son, Marcus (Benjamin Stockham). The pilot includes a contrived scene in which Will saves Marcus from making a fool of himself at a talent show. True, the talent-show audience stops booing, but I doubt anyone watching About a Boy will. Masterpiece Classic Sunday, 9 pm (PBS) Downton Abbey erases the memory of last year's artlessly tragic conclusion with a more satisfying season finale. Rich American relatives Harold and Martha Levinson (Paul Giamatti and Shirley MacLaine) visit the Crawley family in 1920s London, scandalizing the reserved aristocrats with their improper New World behavior. Mary (Michelle Dockery) has recovered from the sudden death of husband Matthew (the dramatically unmotivated shocker from last year's finale) to the point where she can flirt drolly with two suitors. The family plots to retrieve a purloined letter, and stuffy butler Carson (Jim Carter) contemplates the prospect of having fun — within strict limits, mind you. The family also faces a terrible moral choice: whether to turn in a servant who committed a crime or to repay his loyalty with their silence. For Downton Abbey fans who couldn't care less about the plot, rest assured that there are plenty of gay balls and elegant outfits. Best of all, there's a showdown between the American and English grande dames, MacLaine's Martha and Maggie Smith's Violet. You may be stunned to see who wins. Providing excellent healthcare services to our community for over 30+ years Talk Line: 910-864-6400 Local News, Weather, Traffi c & Sports Good Morning Fayetteville with Goldy & Jim Weekday Mornings 6-10 a.m. W