Television Review: Close to Home
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this dull legal drama deals with
violent crimes like rape, torture, and robbery, though the
action is rarely graphic. The premise of the show is that
danger lurks even in the safest-looking places -- not the most
reassuring message for youngsters. On the plus side, the lead
characters are both strong women in powerful positions, and the
cast is generally multicultural.
Families can talk about appearance versus reality. Are the
suburbs really safer than cities? What can make a place feel
safe or dangerous? Parents can reassure kids that the show's
criminal scenarios are written to be as dramatic as possible
and are not necessarily realistic or common.
The idea behind CLOSE TO HOME is an intriguing one: It's a cop-lawyer drama taken out of the city and moved to the picture-perfect suburbs. Pretty, first-time mom (Jennifer Finnigan as lawyer Annabeth Chase) is fresh from maternity leave and is the new lead prosecutor, working to protect the community from incidents of abuse, arson, rape, burglary, and more. For example, one episode begins with a jewelry store robbery and ends up investigating an escape convict's possible abduction of a prison librarian. The librarian, we learn, shows signs of Stockholm Syndrome, a la Patty Hearst, and might even be pregnant with her abductor's child. Kimberly Elise plays Maureen Dobie, Annabeth's coworker and sometimes rival.
Sadly, this show's premise doesn't reward viewers with any real psychological or emotional payoff. The plots rely too heavily on well-worn territory that other shows, like Law & Order and CSI , do with much more thrill. The actors are fine, but they're never given the space to dig in and show their stuff.
Close to Home's topics can tread into disturbing territory for young viewers. In the episode mentioned above, the mother suffering from Stockholm Syndrome rejects her preteen daughter upon their reunion. Another episode features kids who have been severely abused by a parent. And even if younger viewers can tolerate the sometimes-creepy storylines, they may still be bored by the lack of real drama.
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