The real-life couple portray fictional engaged couple Samantha, nicknamed Sammy, and Carlos. Sammy’s bridesmaids, her childhood friends Ruthie (Sonja Bennett) and Kelly (Christie Laing), immediately alert viewers to a big problem with the impending nuptials — it seems Sammy has a long history of short relationships with men, and this wedding has been staged following an abnormally brief courtship. But Sammy swears Carlos is the man for her, and she persists with that attitude … until she’s handed a foreboding note that warns, “The person you are marrying is a serial killer.”

Uh-oh… Now how do you react to that? Sammy responds surprisingly well, continuing forward with her marriage, despite deep reservations and the clear support of her girlfriends, with whom she refuses to share the contents of the note. Saying the vows only works as a temporary fix for her anxiety, however, and before Sammy can make it to the wedding reception, a few more spooky incidents escalate her concern into outright terror.

From the casting of William B. Davis, the actor who played The X-Files‘ iconic villain the Cigarette-Smoking Man, as the elderly priest marrying the couple, to the mood-appropriate shadowy sets and nighttime scenes outside, “In Sickness and In Health” does everything possible to keep viewers from accurately guessing what’s going on. My interpretation of clues, such as the “stink-eye” looks the bridesmaids give Carlos and the priest’s cluelessness that he repeatedly blames on poor hearing, was so far away from their true significance, I’m actually embarrassed to admit what my theory was.

Suffice it to say that, fortunately for audience members, the episode’s ultimate explanation of the note and accompanying events is a thousand times more clever than my guess was, and the final scenes deliver a huge shock to boot. When I first heard about Fear Itself, this is exactly the kind of experience I hoped for, so “Bravissimo!” to everyone involved with “In Sickness and In Health.”

The Verdict: A-

Tags: Fear Itself, In Sickness and In Health, James Roday, Maggie Lawson, NBC, television, tv

In addition to capable headliners from popular comedy-infused shows, both installments of NBC’s horror-anthology series share something else: a greater sense of chilling suspense than in any of the preceding episodes. “The Family Man,” directed by Ronny Yu (Freddie Vs. Jason, The Bride of Chucky) and penned by Dan Knauf (Supernatural), is a typical body-swap tale on paper, but the cast makes it so much more on the small screen.

Married father of two Dennis Mahoney (Ferguson) becomes the victim of a tragic car crash that lands him in the hospital, near death. Shortly after arriving, we suddenly see him walking the hall near the visitors’ waiting room in an increasingly agitated state. He has a legitimate reason, too, since it turns out viewers are the only people who see him at that point; his young daughter Courtney (Nicole Leduc) doesn’t even acknowledge his presence as she plays from the other side of a window.

Dennis is quickly confronted by another man, Richard Brautigan (Thief‘s Clifton Collins Jr.), who caused the car accident, and he informs Dennis they’re both dead. But Richard is proven wrong when, in an instant, Dennis suddenly wakes up and discovers to his horror that he now looks exactly like Richard. To compound his terror, he also learns Richard is a suspected serial killer being held in jail while the state builds its case against him, the most hated individual in the area due to his sadistic crimes torturing and killing entire families and then refusing to identify where their remains are.

Bad only goes to worse subsequently since there’s yet another shock in store for Dennis, who has to eventually face the fact that the serial killer is now inhabiting his body and home, complete with his beautiful wife and two children. I imagine that’s a special kind of horror for a family man, and Ferguson’s dual performance as first devout and upright citizen Dennis and then wicked evil and gleefully deceitful murderer Richard is what makes “The Family Man” work as a piece of gripping, albeit somewhat predictable, entertainment. Collins does an equally outstanding job and deserves no less praise for the episode’s success making audiences cringe in disgust, if not necessarily fear.

The Verdict: B+

Tags: Clifton Collins Jr., Colin Ferguson, Fear Itself, NBC, television, The Family Man, tv

That’s not to say that the cast members of the first episode, “The Sacrifice,” are untalented, however. They just happened not to find themselves in the episode with the more character-driven plot.

“Spooked” was all about character, too, mainly Roberts’ Harry Bender, a disgraced cop with a bad attitude. He’s forced to work as a private investigator sniffing out adulterers after his violent style of interrogating witnesses, guilty or not, results in him losing his badge immediately after he solves the high-profile kidnapping of a senator’s son.

You know you’re disliked on the job — or have some pretty darn terrible karma — when you break the case, find the victim, and still get kicked to the curb. Talk about harsh.

Fifteen years later, enter Watros’ Meredith King, who identifies herself as a distressed social worker convinced her husband is cheating on her when she’s at work. Meredith convinces Harry to take her case with the requirement that he conduct his surveillance from the house across the street since her spouse would quickly notice a van parked outside.

This meeting and one other in the same restaurant are pivotal because they alone contain most of the clues needed to unravel a sizable chunk of the story’s mystery.

Of course, Harry is willing to grant Meredith’s request — why shouldn’t he since it sounds very reasonable? — the central mistake that leads first to his mental unraveling and then his ultimate fate.

Did “Spooked” spook me? Actually, no, it didn’t; but that wasn’t from lack of trying. I was just studious enough to pick up on those clues capable of helping me prematurely figure out what Meredith was up to, which lessened the impact of the events inside the eerie house.

What the episode did do, though, is puzzle me repeatedly. Every time I thought the plot had reached the end of the line, another twist in the road revealed itself. Add to the mix Watros’ terrific performance — alternatively innocent and malevolent when necessary — and I almost don’t mind that the horror element was missing in action.

Almost, I say, because I still need me some scares; otherwise it just doesn’t seem right calling Fear Itself a horror and suspense anthology series.

The Verdict: B-

Tags: Cynthia Watros, Eric Roberts, Fear Itself, NBC, Spooked, television, tv

The main plot of “The Sacrifice” is simple enough. Four men clearly of questionable character are stranded in a remote, snowy area after their car is disabled by something that’s not supposed to be in the middle of the road. And, yes, it’s a trap.

As a result of the unexpected setback, the travelers are forced to seek shelter in a fort way over yonder, where three very blonde sisters live what initially seems like an Amish lifestyle, complete with long dresses that would be all the rage on Little House on the Prairie. Then right on cue, weird stuff quickly begins to happen involving lips, huge holes in the floor, and deranged-looking people chained to beds.

Fine. Unfortunately, one of the things that I hate most about most horror flicks — and which fans of the genre run into all too often — is the sheer stupidity of the characters. For instance, say you stumble upon a deserted house or fort or whatever in the middle of nowhere. Are you going to eat the food the weird strangers offer? Stranded or not, the answer is a deafening, “Heck no!”

Although such an event could be a red herring, as it is on “The Sacrifice,” the same still goes for leaving anybody in your group alone with the strangers and wandering off on your own alone with the strangers and so on. There’s just certain things normal, rational human beings don’t do that the dumb characters in horror movies do all the time for no good reason other than to make the plot evolve in a certain, therefore obvious, way.

That’s my beef with “The Sacrifice.” I had hoped Fear Itself would start with a strong episode devoid of the common horror clichés viewers have come to know and loathe over the years. Instead, I was knocked in the face by one of the most prolific and derided faults of the genre.

Stupid people — they’ll turn you off every time. Better luck next week, NBC.

The Verdict: C

Tags: Fear Itself, NBC, The Sacrifice, television, tv

Both shows air at 10pm EST, with NBC bringing us the horror and suspense anthology series Fear Itself and CBS the free-love drama Swingtown.

NBC’s show is highly anticipated because it features the input of some of the biggest names in the horror industry, from An American Werewolf in London director John Landis to Amazing Stories writer and Fear Itself creator Mick Garris. The first episode is “The Sacrifice,” a spooky tale all about four criminals, three siren sisters, and a deserted wintry fort in the middle of nowhere. My perfect cup of tea!

On the other hand, CBS’ Swingtown could not sound less interesting to me, despite the involvement of Big Love and Rome director Mike Kelley. His creation takes place in 1976, America’s bicentennial, when married couple Susan and Bruce Miller (Molly Parker and Jack Davenport) move to an upscale Chicago neighborhood only to discover that one of the married couples who are their new neighbors likes to swap partners as a hobby.

I honestly, truly don’t know how that premise can be made engaging; this is relatively puritanical broadcast television, so it’s safe to assume the sex part isn’t going to go much of anywhere worth getting excited about. And without the sex gimmick in full working order, is there anything else left to appeal to the audience? Will they care about a family moving to a new town and trying to discover themselves thirty-two years ago with nothing “edgy” to propel the plot along?

I think probably not. And as I’ve said before, I will join scores of shocked people if Swingtown manages to swing it in the ratings for its entire thirteen-episode summer run.

Tags: CBS, Fear Itself, NBC, Swingtown, television, tv