Hey folks, Valkor here. There have been many a series that have
aired on television whose lives ended just as things were getting
good. When Warner bros. hooked us up with this next review piece,
I was saddened by the fact that after watching 18 episodes of
Eleventh Hour, there would be no more.
Eleventh Hour stars Rufus Sewell as Jacob Hood, who is a special science investigator working for the FBI. Along side is his Caretaker/partner and also FBI Agent, Rachel Young (Marley Shelton), they hop from state to state solving crimes that seem unsolvable. But with the scientific skills of Hood they will solve crimes involving cloning, drug abuse, mysterious deaths, and all sorts of crimes that seem unsolvable. But with the power of science on his side, there is no case Jacob Hood can't solve. The series ran for 18 episodes on CBS and maintained a bit of a following until and even after its cancellation.
Well Warner Bros has a released the complete series in a nice DVD set for those who loved the show during its run and gives the opportunity for folks like myself to get to know to know what it's all about. Here's a synopsis of some choice episodes.
H2O – There's a sudden outbreak of people simply going insane and when Hood comes to investigate, he gets infected too.
Resurrection – Actually this is the first episode where Hood tries to solve a crime revolving around cloning and who is Gepetto?
Olfactus – Men are strangely and violently aroused all of a sudden around women and it's up to Hood to sniff out who or what is causing all the commotion.
Electro – Hood gets called in when folks suddenly start getting electrocuted.
The show is primarily Hood and Rachel until about episode 14 when Felix (Omar Benson Miller) joins the team. He makes a great addition and adds a touch of humor to the show.
The Good
I can see why Warner is releasing this series, because it feels a lot like Fringe. (Or should I say Fringe feels like this show, since 11th hour came out first). Both use science to solve crimes; however 11th hour takes a sort of MacGyver spin, where Hood is using science on the field as opposed to Walter, who brings everything back to the lab. (However Hood also uses a lab, whenever he's near one). The acting is a huge plus and kudos to Rufus Sewell on a great performance as Jacob Hood, his character is flawless and consistent in each episodes. And I can't forget Marley Shelton as Rachel, who stays tough as nails, though there was a hint of a possible romance interest with her character and Hood. Finally all the stories are self-contained; we only revisit Gepetto, from the first episode in a later ep, however you can watch any of the eps in any order without having to figure out what's going on.
The Bad
I guess the bad would be, there's not enough characters, or the fact that even though Hood and Rachel work for the FBI, they seem to be working pretty much on their own as we really don't see too many agents. I guess that's just nitpicking, but less isn't always more.
The Ugly
N/A
If you love shows like Fringe, MacGyver, The X-Files, or Quantum Leap, then I'd say definitely pick up Eleventh Hour; its chockfull of action, suspense and drama, with a nice dose of mystery tossed in. Out of TOV 5 stars, I give Eleventh Hour 4.5 and it's been Valkor tested, TOV Approved.
