To Love and Die

This came on TV posing as a film... it wasn't until it ended with so many questions left unanswered that I realised it must have been either (badly) setting itself up for a sequel or it was a TV pilot. Impressed by it, I discovered that it was indeed intended as a pilot, though the fact that there hasn't been an announcement yet of a bona fide series only goes to show how stupid TV executives are - we can get crap like SHIELD and a million cop/hospital/lawyer clones, but something original and genuinely entertaining is shunned.

Bickering aside, the plot follows the incredibly cute Hildie, who, due to daddy problems arising from never having known him, cannot commit to a relationship. This easily could have gone into the awful Sex and the City territory, but instead we're given the impression that she's kind of a prude, which is refreshing and further adds to her character's charm.

Seeking out her father to try to get over her "ailment", Hildie discovers that he's the head of a small team of assassins who only kill bad people and, with each having a very distinct personality, they all become very likable as Hildie attempts to impress her dad in order to stay in his life.

This sets up more problems for her already damaged psyche, giving the programme the option to go deeper/darker if it ever chose to, providing more longevity to a series whose flippant tone may begin to lose a viewer's attention after a couple of series.

Filled with interesting supporting characters such as her over-bearing mother (herself a former killer?), a sister/best friend who drags Hildie's romance concerns to the surface whilst constantly complaining of being married to an apparently perfect man and a secret shrink whose face is never revealed, the "film" comes to a close just as you're waiting for it to *really* get going, which, given that it was so much fun, is so damn frustrating that it failed to continue.

I only caught the last hour of the pilot movie on late night Sleuth Channel. I was immediately absorbed in the movie and truly enjoyed it to the end! I only wish I could have seen it from the beginning. It had humor and drama and an excellent cast! Tim Mattheson and Shiri Appleby showed an excellent connection as dad and daughter. The supporting cast helped me to feel as though I had been watching them all together in a continuing series forever! I don't know how or where to get the entire movie or the first in the series that was never picked up. I think USA really dropped the ball when they didn't continue on with this show. They have some incredible series on their channel and this would have made an excellent addition to their line-up.

Really fun, light hearted, and with a teeny tiny crossbow.