UPN is offering only one new hourlong this fall, but it looks like the netlet picked the right one.
One month after Coax posted its first review of “Jake 2.0” (which suggested the new sci-fi comedy might be one of the better offerings this fall), we’re back with two more favorable reviews.
“Altoids Girl” says:
“Altoids Girl” says:
holy shit did I like this one; it was refreshingly good. It's got a great cast, Christopher Gorham (seen also in 'Odyssey 5', 'Felicity' and 'Popular') plays Jake, a halpless computer tech in the NSA. He wants to be more than a simple tech though but no one is willing to give him a chance. In the grand superhero tradition he is splashed with some wierd silver chemical that makes mice run really, really fast and soon discovers that he was blessed with the generic set of superpowers: increased strength, eye sight, hearing, and a cool twist, the ability to run electric machinary wirelessly using only his mind. He is then chased down by an Irish gang that wants to use him for all sorts of bad things as well as followed by the NSA who are trying to decide whether to eliminate him or turn him into an operative.
There's some other interesting characters thrown in as well; a mousy Lab tech who takes a scientific interest in Jake; a blonde love interest that mistakenly thinks the big bad men are after her; and a fellow computer tech who uses his NSA status to pick up chicks. Christopher infuses his character Jake with the wide eyed wonder and just the right amount of geekiness that made Peter Parker such an interesting character.
Too bad it finds itself in an unfortunate position of being paired with Enterprise on the flagging UPN. How long this lasts is anyone's guess.
“Mr. Blonde” says:
Dont know if your interested in this review, seeing as how Hacker already covered it, but I thought I'd just give my perspective on the pilot for the new UPN series, "Jake 2.0". The premise is this, Jake Foley, played by Christopher Gorham (the short lived WB series "Popular", and the even shorter lived Showtime series "Odyssey 5"), works in Tech Support at the NSA. He's not a secret agent, but his best buddy Darin who also works in Tech Support, and who is equally as un-spylike, likes to tell women they are, because "Chicks dig spies".
Jake runs into a girl named Sarah played by Marina Black(Her most famous role is probably as Parker, the screwed up friend of the daughter on "Six Feet Under"). Jake and Sarah went to college together, he had a crush on her, but she only seemed to talk to him when she needed her computer fixed. Anywho, while trying to fix a computer in an NSA secret lab, an accident occurs which causes Jake to come in contact with nanites, microscopic computers which, among other things, give Jack super-strength, super-sight, super-hearing, night-vision, and super healing abilities. He also has the ability to "talk to" and control and electrical device he come in contact with. After this he goes through the whole discovery and testing of his abilities, with a back-story which involves and IRA terrorist attempting to kill Jake, in order to harness the nanite technology. In the end, Jake is offered to be the centerpiece of a "special unit".
The whole "talking to and controlling" computers thing is kinda cheesy and ridiculous from a scientific standpoint, but I don't think they're much going for reality. Other than that, though, I actually enjoyed the pilot. It was much more fun than "Fearless", another "superhuman, secret-agent" dramedy coming this fall.
The eventual plotlines are pretty clearly set up, as Darin will inevitably find out about Jake, try and use his cool abilities to pick up chicks, but see the error of his ways and realize Jake has a greater purpose. Sarah will constantly be the object of Jakes affections, who works for a Congressmen and is investigating why the NSA seems to be stealing money, and what they are using it for. This will inevitably lead to many bad situations, in which Jake will continually have to save Sarah, Lois Lane-style.
I particularly enjoyed the character of Diana, the units doctor, played by the adorable Keegan Connor Tracy. I found it quite funny that Hacker [who earlier reviewed the pilot for Coax] chose to mention this in the vein of "My Secret Identity", because her character continually reminded me of Dr. Jeffcoate (although I never wanted to see Dr. Jeffcoate naked. I swear.)
All-in-all, I'd give the pilot a decent B-, with definite possibilities. But, also like Hacker, I don't think this show has much of a chance to survive given its current timeslot. Putting it up against "Angel" is seriously gonna deplete its potential fan-base.
Former “Angel” and “Miracles” showrunner David Greenwalt joined the show after the pilot was shot – but will anyone find “Jake 2.0”? It will air Wednesday at 9 p.m., opposite such established powerhouses as “Angel,” “The West Wing,” “The Bachelor,” “Bernie Mac” and “The King of Queens.”
