Counterpart - Premiere Review
This review of the season premiere of Counterpart is spoiler-free!
So, this is the second time I've written this review as the first time I really forgot the entire episode as it's been quite a bit of time since I watched it and it managed to delete itself. So I took the time to reset and watch the premiere again and am here with fresh eyes! As all of you know, HBO has been the king of premium cable for years and years now with Game of Thrones and previously The Wire and The Sopranos. This meant other networks like Showtime and Starz would almost be forgotten about by a large part of audiences. Well, with Game of Thrones requiring much more time to film their final seasons that opened up the window for these networks to finally strut their stuff and get new and exciting series out to the public. Enter Starz with their new series Counterpart, with includes not one, but TWO JK Simmons characters! What can be better than that?!
Counterpart is all about the man Howard Silk, who is a part of a larger machine in the government that focuses on interaction with others unknown people. Howard doesn't really know what his purpose is in this group and wants to get a higher position. After being turned down he really doesn't know what to do, but his world is turned upside when he's brought into a meeting with none other than himself. From this point, Howard's world is turned upside down and he's brought into something he had no idea existed the day before. The premise of Counterpart is stellar because it allows the viewer to immerse themselves in a science fiction world that plays with the elements rather lightly. They don't have to worry about the story becoming too complex which means the story is more accessible. Overall, I'm happy with the direction Counterpart is presenting!
When thinking of characters, so far there really only is one/two characters that deserve true recognition. That character is without question Howard Silk! JK Simmons plays what is essentially two completely different characters that come from the same beginnings. According to the creators of the series, these two versions of the character are referred to as Howard and Howard Prime (the one from the Other Side). Howard manages to convey emotion rather openly and he's altogether a bit kinder of a person. Having to deal with issues with his wife, he is able to manage very well and keep himself from falling into a hole. On the other side, Simmons plays Howard Prime with a sense of power and intimidation. Having a different history than that of the original Howard, they almost feel like different people. Credit to Simmons for being able to make these characters who are the same person feel like two completely different roles. He's the beating heart of the show with these roles and it's definitely known.
As an intangible of sorts in this series, I believe that this shows excellent secondary element is it's look and theme. The look of Counterpart isn't anything absolutely stellar and crazy, but the opening scene of the premiere looked stellar and the overall show really uses light and dark to create interesting scenes. Along with this, I can already begin to see the writing on the wall for this series by the means that it will tackle areas like What-If we could change our fate, and the idea that we have to face ourselves. I like these ideas as a push for the show, and I really want to see where they go with them. My only fear is that they could perhaps push this with a heavy hand, but on a network like Starz I'm sure they'll be able to handle this concern with ease.
Reflecting on the premiere of Counterpart, I do believe Starz did an excellent job on this premiere. The challenge of creating a good pilot for any show is that you have to establish a tone and a world for these characters to inhabit and they did just. JK Simmons will clearly be the anchor for this show and a big reason why people come back every week, but I think basing the show plainly on him means the rest of the show gets the short end of the stick. For those of you feeling a piece of your soul is missing with Game of Thrones currently delayed, fill a small piece of that with Counterpart!
