Tru Calling

This show had so much potential and Fox never gave season 2 a chance. If Netflix was around and picked up Tru Calling after fox cancelled it we would have gotten another 4 seasons. Netflix should remake this show now and let it have the run it deserves

I watched the first season of Tru Calling about year ago on Sky One, and thought it was OK. It didn't stand out at first and the writing wasn't very good, but it really started to pick up! The stories got better and the characters developed, and I enjoyed watching it.

I got the complete DVD set a couple of months ago, and wow, the second season (well, all 6 episodes!) is AMAZING. Suddenly the whole thing gets better, with more intricate characters and surprises. There is great interaction between "Tru" and "Jack" and the show is suddenly entertaining to watch. It is such a shame that it was cancelled after only 6 episodes of Season 2! If only they had shown Season 2 on TV, I'm sure people would have watched them. It's worth buying on DVD to see the whole thing, and remains one of my fave TV shows.

At first glance, Tru Calling may appear to be a "rip off". It has elements of The Dead Zone, Early Edition, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Quantum Leap; even Saved By an Angel. And with vetran writers from shows like Star Trek: Voyager, you might think that you've seen this all before. Well, you haven't!

But, isn't that the way of scifi television? Even Star Trek: The Next Generation could be considered a "rip off". Why do comic book heroes keep reappearing on the screen, after years and years of already knowing their superpowers?

The answer is simple -- good storytelling. And, especially in the second half of the first season, "Tru Calling" found its stride. What makes "Tru" different is that the show seems to seriously care about the themes it presents to you; murder, life, death, and dealing with the ability to change the fate of people facing this prospect. Tru successfully walks the line between tongue-in-cheek Back to the Future/Ground Hog day humor inherent to the premise, and the serious obligation that would be involved if you could change someone's fate. Tru is a great lesson in mortality and touches on how we all deal with death, with a comic book's playfulness. In this way it is like any great adult comic book that gives itself a bit of philosophy.

The first season DVD is highly recommended if in the US. At the time of this writing the show has been canceled by Fox television and the cliffhanger ending may leave you wanting to see the last six episodes, which have yet to air.

CJF

The first 3 episodes were really engaging, fast-paced and had great character and story developments. The show then becomes even better as Tru learns from the people she attempts to save and this show does a great job distinguishing each episode and making them unpredictable. Some episodes are even unforgettable. The main chemistry between Eliza, Zach and Shawn keeps you watching. The mythology of the show really picks up toward the end of the first season and the instant chemistry with Eliza and Jason is addicting. The entire second season revolves around those two and each episode is a can't-miss.

Tru Calling had a great premise, unlike anything else on TV at the time, and most episodes were interesting and mysterious. Eliza Dushku was in top form and had an excellent cast behind her, including Shawn Reaves as her wheeling, dealing brother Harrison. Everything fell into place on Tru Calling but it was on Fox which seems to be a curse for so many potentially good shows. I don't understand how so many bad shows manage to last so long while the few good ones that get on the air don't last much more than a season. Tru Calling now joins the ranks of some of the best shows that never got a fair chance: Firefly, Undergrads, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Clerks. In the years to come when more and more people discover these hidden gems they will wonder why some of the best TV from 99-04 got the axe while other shows that nobody will even be talking about got season after season. Perhaps the reason that TC didn't last so long is that it was too smart for the average viewer. It helps when you think about TC when your watching it. Tru Calling is not the pop song that so many other shows are, it is an opera filled with all sorts of layers. Tru Calling had such a good set up and did not get the chance follow through on its potential. There were so many amazing stories that they could have told if given the chance. If you have not seen Tru Calling and are on this page I suggest that you pick up the DVD sets as you'll end up going back to it time and time again. The best new show on TV in 2003/4 can be the best new show in your DVD collection, as it is in mine. Its too bad nobody could go back in time and save Tru Calling....... and Firefly and Undergrads and Clerks.........

The candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long.