I assume the character is actually called Olivia, and the quote marks are there to indicate it's the character name, not that she might be using an alias again... :D

Craig Oxbrow | October 04, 16:01 CET

This show LIFE is pretty darn interesting, it's got some rough edges, but the leads are good, the story is intriguing and it's got ROBIN WIEGERT, who is just plain great. Smart TV for now people!!

VerseRoamer | October 04, 17:50 CET

I assume the character is actually called Olivia, and the quote marks are there to indicate it's the character name, not that she might be using an alias again... :D

Heh, she did appear awfully shady in her first scene, but that might've been because that was after I recognised her as Yo-Saf-Bridg... But yep, the character is actually called Olivia.

I've caught the first two episodes so far, and I'd definitely recommend it! It's not too bad so far, despite some poor reviews, and it is primarily a standard-issue procedural, but like VerseRoamer said, it's got great leads and a pretty intriguing story. Damian Lewis (of Band of Brothers and The Forsyte Saga fame) is fantastic as the lead, and Sarah Shahi's doing pretty well so far as his partner.

I've seen comparisons of the lead character to House, and although I personally don't think the comparison is that apt, Life could be to crime procedurals what House is to medical dramas: A show that turns the formula on its head and is more interesting than the standard format due to the strength of its characters and particularly the lead. Damian Lewis may not quite be Hugh Laurie, but he's certainly a strong enough actor to carry that off! Oh, plus he's a British actor with an impeccable American accent. ;)

hrlo | October 04, 19:09 CET

I was thrilled to see her show up last night as Olivia, our hero's prospective Step-Mom. I liked the show a lot, this guy is a very tortured soul, who has found Zen (I guess they hesitate to say Buddhism?) and really has a wonderful prospective on crime and punishment. It has now gotten on my list of 'Must See TV', and I hope that Christina Hendricks is a regular.

embers | October 04, 19:39 CET

I really like this show as well, the lead has a very dry sense of humor and while I can see how it can be compared to House, I actually like it better.

I did a double take on seeing her last night though... "is that-- yep."

faith21 | October 05, 01:18 CET

Very pleasant surprise to see her pop up. If the show survives I think she'll become a recurring cast memeber, given the character.

Liking "Life" quite a bit though (apart from the British angle) I don't really see any similarities with House (as characters I mean - as shows I can kind of see it since they're both formula based procedurals which are largely different because of the central character's world view and approach). Crewes is very caring, overtly eccentric and not completely wedded to a rational world-view. House is pretty much the other thing on all those counts. Greg's ma boieee though ;), Crewes still has a long way to go to fill those shoes. Hope he gets the chance to try.

(I guess they hesitate to say Buddhism?)

I think to most people Buddhism says religion whereas Zen says philosophy (even if they are actually the same thing). So far, nothing he's done has indicated he's a religious convert, just that he found a philosophical framework that made the most sense of his situation and helped him through some tough days in jail (i.e. he hasn't quoted Buddha AFAIK, or mentioned re-incarnation etc.). Could be that they don't want to present him as what some people would presumably see as a godless heathen though. Are networks as sensitive as that to religious stuff in the US ?

Saje | October 05, 01:42 CET

So Yo-Saf-Bridg is getting married. Must be Thursday. *Snicker*

Clementine | October 05, 19:28 CET

Just an aside, but 'Life' has another tie-in to the Whedonverse - The set designer for the show, Sandy Struth, was also a set decorator for 'Angel' seasons 1-5.

/just a little factoid.

TheSpark | October 05, 20:13 CET

Loving Life, due to my adoration for Damian Lewis. Was pleasantly surprised to see YoSafBridge, but couldn't help but wonder how she's able to be on this show and Mad Men at the same time. Regardless, seems like she's carved out a niche as TV's It Girl for the "smart-yet-va-voom" type character. More power to her, I wish her continued success.

Willowy | October 05, 23:01 CET

I adore both Christina and "Life", so I'm a happy camper. Add Mad Men and she seems to be going for the quality, more power to her.

Shey | October 11, 16:58 CET

edit for double post

Shey | October 11, 16:59 CET