After putting up with aggravating situation after another during your work
day there is nothing quite like kicking back at home and watching a good old
fashion action adventure on television. There are a few things about this type
of show that is downright cathartic. An action series like the one under
consideration here, ‘Human Target’ , is an enjoyable departure from reality were
you can imagine yourself as the ruggedly handsome action hero ready to do
anything necessary to protect his charge from the heinous danger ready to lash
out. There is no advanced degree in forensic sciences required, no intricate
legal issues to pounder or salacious soap opera plot lines to muddle the
stories. The production is admittedly a bit over the top but that is a large
part of the appeal of this series. It has been a very long time since I found
myself into a show for no other reason than I enjoy watching it. The premise of
the series is simple; former assassin make a major change in his life from
callously taking life to risking every to protect the life of his client this
sets up one of the most popular themes in literature, redemption. People love
watching such a transformation and how it offers the hope that even the worse
people have the potential to change for the better. The Fox network has been
working on their reputation for fast pace action and now that their flagship in
that quarter, ‘24’, has concluded its run ‘Human Target is poised to take up the
mantle. Unlike ‘24’ there is no real hidden agenda here although the main
character does have a dark past that gradually is revealed over the initial
season. Other than that all that matters here is to watch an action series that
in some ways reminds me of the old serials that played in our local theaters on
Saturday afternoon.
The series is very loosely based on the comic crested by Len Wein. The
connection between the conic and series is tenuous at best with practically the
only element to survive the transition is the name of the main character,
Christopher Chance (Mark Valley). While in the comic Chance impersonates his
client in order to protect him but here he uses more conventional means of
surveillance and protection. Part of this decision may be involved in an
underlying format used in the production. Unlike other forms of action
entertainment this one is light on the special effects. Most of the stunts and
effects are practical not the product of a computer programmer’s imagination.
This adds to that Saturday afternoon feel and gets the series a much different
structure than others in the genre. the comic had too much of a ‘Mission
Impossible’ reveal to it so that bringing the concept to TV in that form would
have seemed hackney. As it is Chance may work within the framework of a highly
professional team but ultimately his actions are of the ‘lone wolf’ variety.
There have been several notable ‘heroes for hire’ series over the years
beginning with an old west twist on Have Gun Will Travel’ right through
‘Stingray’ and ‘The Equalizer’. I have always been a fan of this type of series
and strongly believe there are a lot like minded people out there. The idea that
you can hire somebody to loyally defend you puts a person somewhat on the same
level of the President and his trusted Secret Service agents.
Prior to the events depicted in the series Chase had been a highly prized and
priced operative for ‘The Old Man’. Mostly that job consisted of executing the
given target as efficiently as possible until he breaks one of the prime tenants
of his profession; he falls in love with a target, Katherine Walters. Chase
leave that employment moving to San Francisco to form an elite
security/protection firm taken on a business partner, former police detective
Laverne Winston (Chi McBride). Normally Winston works the back office or close
by in an electronically tricked out van but can rise to the occasion when called
upon for field work. acting as backup and contact when the services of a
specialist are required is another former agent of the ‘Old Man’, Guerrero
(Jackie Earle Haley) he had been sent to finish the young woman when Chase
refused to complete his assignment but followed suit by going rouge as well. He
may look like a lanky, unassuming man far different from Chases well developed
form but he is every bit as deadly not to mention extremely intelligent and a
master at tactics.
It has to be kept in mind that this series resides on the fantasy end of the
action spectrum. You have to go into watching this show with a good size
suspension of belief. One of many examples of this occurs in the second episode
when Chase extinguishes fire and reboots a commercial jet’s onboard computer by
taking the pilot’s seat and flipping the plane flying it upside down. The fact
that Chase is not a jumbo jet pilot pales in comparison to the flagrant
disregard for the established law of physics. This makes the following; crawling
around the access ducts of the plane in order to bypass the computer with a
passenger’s laptop, seem almost plausible. This series is exceptionally
versatile able to switch from one setting to a completely different one with
ease. Right after the plane episode Chase is doing his James Bond thing at a
black tie affair. The plot device of a wide range of clients opens up a broad
selection of premises for each episode keeping the series fresh and exciting.
Confidential Informant: From Page To Screen
Full Contact Television: On-Screen Action
Unaired Scenes
Pilot Commentary
Audio Mix Enhanced From Broadcast (Blu-ray version only)
Posted 09/22/2010