TNT rolled out two new hours of TV last night: the third-season premiere of Saving Grace and the debut of the brand-new hospital drama HawthoRNe. I’ve always liked Holly Hunter’s performance in Grace, even though I find her “last-chance angel” Earl to be a tiresome character, a frequently lame plot device.
But last night, in an episode written by show creator Nancy Miller, Saving Grace was particularly good. The series has moved Grace closer and closer to her colleague-now-lover Ham in a believable way, and to start off the season with Grace telling Ham about Earl was a big deal in the Saving Grace universe. Among other things, it shows how much Grace’s character is growing — she’s trusting Ham enough to believe he won’t laugh or run away from her if she confides in him about her otherwordly, winged pal.
I was going to begin this next paragraph by writing, “in contrast,” but there is no contrast between the new HawthoRNe and Saving Grace: It fits TNT’s new winning combination for their dramas. Like Grace and The Closer, it features a strong female character as its lead (in this case, Jada Pinkett Smith as a Chief Nursing Officer at a big hospital), who breaks the rules and stands up to authority (the latter includes Alias‘ Michael Vartan as Chief of Surgery).
Like Hunter in Grace and Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer, Pinkett Smith’s Christina Hawthorne occasionally bends her iron will, but only for the comfort of the innocent and the afflicted. She’s a good caregiver, but this character just isn’t as interesting as the ones in those other two series. It’s not because this is the umpteenth hospital show — there were umpteen crime shows before Saving Grace and The Closer — it’s because the dialogue in the premiere was pretty trite and the plot twists predictable.
How about you? Did you watch both Saving Grace and HawthoRNe? What did you think of them?
As far as TNT series go, there is “The Closer,” and there is everything else. “HawthoRNe” fits in “everything else.” Blah and bland.
HawthoRNe needs to use Michael Vartan more! I enjoyed the new show and liked all of the characters. It has drama and humor, combined with a lot of heart!
I agree, Katie!!
who was the woman who played dr. marshal on hawthorn
I have watched Saving Grace since Episode one. Like the show very much, but The Closer is still my favorite. It’s going to take me a minute to get use to Jada back on TV the first episode was pretty good. It was good enough for me to add it to my DVR lineup TNT is doing great things. These leading ladies are making cable worth watching!
I love Jada Pinkett Smith! I was very pleased with her new show HawthoRNe. I’m looking forward to the upcoming episodes.I’m also interested in seeing more of Michael Vartan. The Closer is by far still my favorite show!
I watched 5 minutes of Hawthorne, then I deleted it from my Tivo. I just don’t want to spend time with shows that don’t grab me from the start.
Hawthorne was very blah. Pinkett Smith is a very bland personality. I don’t want to see Michael Vartan in another show where he always looks like he has gas–let him smile.
Lets face it Jada Pinkett has no talent or depth she is either super together and fierce or what? She is the most boring actor and if it weren’t for her “connections” I question whether we would have to put up with so much of her. There is nothing interesting or wanting or real about the women or the characters she plays and honestly if she weren’t Black and Wills wife the reviews she would get for this abomination would be scathing. The show sucks, she sucks. Since she is the first lady of Hollywood black elite she will be spared. Too bad so much content coming outta hollywood is bad (Typer Perry) but because it’s black we don’t get fair critques for fear of being called racist but come on you guys call crap what it is. It happens to be such a fragile time for women of age and color in Hollywood . Hawthorne will add more firs to the argument women of color don’t sell shows, pity. There are many actors who could pull off a three dimentional character and Jada isn’t and never was one
Not sure my earlier post went through. Show is bad because Jada can’t act and now there is more fuel for the argument women of color don’t sell shows. What a pity!
Jada cannot act never has if it were not for her marriage to Will we would be spared. Now this…an abomination which will be blamed on the entire black female race. Can’t someone ever stand up to the truth and could you guys please critique bad product (Everything by Tyler Perry)without fear of being called racist . Risk it. So many talented people who can act out there just not everyone knows Tom or Will or hang with CAA. Pity.
loved Saving Grace (second only to The Closer) but the new Hathorne series I wasn’t thrilled with. The scenes seemed way to contrived (the anniversary of her husbands death, the suicide attemt – and he had a DNR which she noted & yet she did not fight to keep the docs from bringing him back to life – what gives???) the sucicide guy actually jumping was a surprise & caught my attention… I lasted until the homeless lady showed up with the baby – what was Hawthorne suppose to do let the woman keep it? way to contrived & did not make me care, one way or the other, for the characters
Don’t know about her acting, but Jada is hot: http://www.actressscene.com/search/label/Jada%20Pinkett%20Smith
I think HawthoRNe is going to get better. I feel that the nurse with the prosthetic leg was a very interesting twist and the EMT bringing her glue for her leg was romantic.
Saving Grace was pretty good. I love “The Closer” and “Leverage” because they are consistently interesting. “Saving Grace” just doesn’t measure up to the ensemble casts of the other two. I couldn’t even stand the commercials for “Hawthorne” so had no interest in tuning in. Looks like a 70′s throwback.