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Episode Recap: "Into the Storm"
"This isn't a nightmare. This is the O.Z. Outer Zone." Glitch
I don't think we are in Kansas anymore
or at least not the Kansas we all know and love. The Sci-Fi Channel has definitely taken us on a journey far beyond the yellow brick road we are used to with the dark mini-series Tin Man.
The series opens up on a young woman having bad dreams (that could mirror the boat-ride scene in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory mind you), which feature a lady with lavender eyes warning her of a storm that is coming. She is then speeding to work on her motorcycle when a cop starts to pursue her. She quickly hides, and then rushes inside to the HillTop Cafe where she works, and changes into her uniform a blue and white gingham dress (a la Judy Garland's Dorothy), pigtails and all. A customer is waiting for pie, she is told. That customer is police officer Elmer Gulch (another shout out to the classic MGM picture), with a speeding ticket in hand.
Meet DG (Zooey Deschanel) an intelligent and yet rebellious farm girl, living with her parents Hank and Emily out in Kansas farmland, who is looking for more in life then just this. Her parents are worried of her longing for another world, which she lives in through her dreams and the pictures she sketches. Hank repeatedly tells his daughter of the town he used to live called Milltown, and that "home is where the heart is, and all of life's answers can be found along the old road."
We now see the O.Z. (the Outer Zone), a fantasy realm now desolate and not the great wonder it used to be. O.Z. is ruled under dictatorship by the sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson) Tin Man's version of the Wicked Witch, I suppose she is looking for the emerald, which she needs to retrieve or else in seven days the double eclipse will darken their skies and everything she has worked for will be lost. Azkadellia has no crystal ball but uses "viewers" creatures hooked up to machines to act as her oracles. For some reason she is threatened by a mysterious "light" on "the other side," and she dispatches her henchmen (known as the Longcoats) to find the source. The Longcoats arrive on the farm via a tornado, and the parents seem oddly not shocked by their arrival which tells me they know more then we think of this O.Z. They push DG into the tornado telling her it's time and to trust her. DG awakens in the woods which she quickly finds herself in no place like home.
She is captured by the Resistance Fighters of the Eastern Guild (munchkins, if you will) who take her to their village (which is a Peter Pan-ish tree town) to torture her to find out if she is a spy. "Squeal as you peel, until the truth brings a deal," the blue-faced munchkin cries. While DG is in a hanging cage awaiting her fate, she meets Glitch, a head case the fighters keep around for laughs. He has a zipper on his head, from when the sorceress took half his brain why, he cannot recall but he does remember that in his hay-day (hay get it?) he used to be a government advisor's right-hand man. This reincarnate of the scarecrow got his name from sometimes getting stuck repeating phrases over and over hence a glitch.
DG and Glitch runaway from the Resistance Fights and head out on their journey to find the old brick route (aka the broken and tattered yellow brick road) to Central City, the last known location of her parents. Here they stumble upon the Longcoats beating up a man and his family, the fearless DG runs ahead, avoiding the warning from Glitch to stay back, to help save the man the image fades away and she is left standing in front of a rundown house. It was all just a hologram-projected image. Glitch reveals it as TDESPTL (Time Dimension Energy Stored Projection Time Loop). Ah, so we learn he was once a genius inventor as well. DG sees a tin suit and looks inside to catch a glimpse of a man. Once freed, the man we learn is an ex-cop (aka "tin man") named Wyatt Cain (Neil McDonough) who was forced to relive the tragic scene of the Longcoats and his family for years as he was trapped in the metal box he is now out for revenge on the commanding officer Zero.
After some reluctance Cain finally lets the twosome accompany him on his journey to the old (yellow) brick road. Traveling through the dangerous Fields of Pa-pay, they rescue the cowardly human/wolverine mix named Raw (Raoul Trujillo), who used to be a "viewer" for Azkadellia. After escaping being chased by the deadly Runners of Pa-pay, the foursome comes into a mysterious hidden, town that is exactly like the one from DG dreams, and they discover her parents there. The town DG learns is Milltown, the one her father was always talking about, and the community is all robots. More shocking is that fact that Hank and Em are not her parents, but "nurture units" programmed to take care of her, and tell her stories of their world to prepare her for her return. Her real mother the one with the lavender eyes is from the O.Z., and sought the help of Father Vue to smuggle DG out of the O.Z., yet upon her return Father Vue was tasked with marking DG's hand with a symbol to help guide her on her journey. Father Vue sends DG to the mystic man (aka the wizard) for answers on her mother's whereabouts.
While DG and company are heading towards Central City, Azkadellia is brought the locket DG lost and seems unnerved by the picture of DG inside. She is then seen digging up a grave only to find it empty and storms off to go and question a mystery woman, who is in her captivity, about DG. Later, she has Hank and Em brought in for questioning and upon the news of DG going to see the wizard she sends her henchmen to get her.
Once DG and company see Wanted posters for DG, they realize they need a plan to get into Central City to find the mystic man. Cain gets them a ride into the city which looks more like Gotham City in the 1940s through disreputable Antoine Demilo and his "sin wagon." Cain parts ways, as he is off to find Zero, and Demilo tells them to go to the Twister Cabaret, which is the home of "The Blunderful Mystic of O.Z." floor show. The Twister Cabaret is like entering a scene straight out of Moulin Rouge. The Mystic Man, (Richard Dreyfuss) DG, Raw, and Glitch learn is loopy from the vapors, aka Azkadellia's "magic mystic," and is not at all himself. He proves to be somewhat helpful and tells DG that her journey for her mother starts at the Northern Island. The wizard urges Cain, who has come back to help save them from Zero and the Longcoats, to not leave guard of DG. "Do you know who she is? She is the key," he tells Cain, who in returns gives his word as a Tin Man not to leave her side. The mystic man stays behind and gets capture by Zero and brought to Azkadellia.
DG and company now start the journey to Northern Island (aka Ice Mountain). "Frozen in time in a sea of ice," they find it. Once again the riddles from DG past play a part in the journey, and she breaks them in the castle. It is here where the plot gets interesting. We learn this was once DG's home and her mother was the queen, whose advisor was none other than Glitch. "The queen sat gazing upon her frozen realm waiting for her daughter to return," DG remembers but finds her mother not at home. Raw feels that bad things happened there and through visions reveal that her evilness Azkadellia was/is DG's sister. Azkadellia killed her sister when they were younger so she could be the one and only one to take the throne. Their mother finds DG and saves her by what appears to be transferring some of her years to give young DG life again. Mother tells DG there is only one thing that can stop Azkadellia the emerald of the eclipse, to which she then whispers something to young DG. Which I assume is where to find the emerald. Just at that moment, Azkadellia and the henchmen walk in on DG and company.
Azkadellia is after the emerald, but DG has not yet recalled where it is. This however does not satisfy Azkadellia, and a battle ensues. The mobats (flying monkeys/bats) are released to chase after DG, Glitch, and Raw, while Cain has it out with Zero.
Tonight's chapter ends with Cain falling through the castles window into the icy waters, and DG, Raw, and Glitch all being captured by Azkadellia.
"Welcome back little sister. There's no place like the O.Z."
Now I am sure we are all filled with questions. Here are some of mine:
Who is the mystery lady Azkadellia is talking too? Their mother, perhaps?
What role will that mark on DG's hand play?
What exactly are Azkadellia's powers and what is with how she releases the mobats? Also who was she talking to when she was in conference?
Why does Cain act like he is part Wyatt Earp/Indiana Jones, and is he alive?
Where is Toto?
Some memorable quotes:
Glitch to Cain: "I have a proper name you know... and when I remember it I will tell you."
DG to Cain: "Nothing personal but when we found you, you where in a tin box! You don't know me."
Cain: "Believe me, heart's got nothing to do with it."
Azkadellia on DG being in O.Z.: "[she's here] tripping over her pigtails as she wonders in circles."
Glitch to Cain: "Oh come on, Tin Man, have a heart. I'm a thinker not a hiker."
Azkadellia: "My god, the little b---h has gone to see the Wizard."
Being a huge classic Wizard of Oz fan, as well as a Wicked: The Musical fan, I was very eager and intrigued to see Sci Fi's reimagination of Baum's timeless story, I must say I have yet to be impressed by the story or visuals. Granted I know this is the Sci-Fi Channel so I knew it would be a little out there, but I think we traveled too far over the rainbow. There are no ruby (or silver) slippers, no one is green or gets killed by a falling house in this story. I did however enjoy the spunky nature of DG, and the witty lines from Glitch. Also I am curious about Azkadellia and DG being sisters.
Will tomorrow night's chapter win me over or will I be clicking my ruby slippers wishing I was back in Baum's Land of Oz? I'll see you back here tomorrow night, until then I am curious to hear what you thought.
The journey continues in our Online Video Guide.
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Dec 3, 2007 9:54 AM
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Another little connection to the Wizard of Oz: Dorothy's initials are DG (Dorothy Gale).
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Dec 3, 2007 10:51 AM
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Wow. You paid close attention! Very detailed recap. One correction:
Tonight's chapter ends with Zero falling through the castle's window into the icy waters, and DG, Raw, and Glitch all being captured by Azkadellia.
Actually, it was Cain who fell into the icy depths.
"Tin Man" isn't exactly dazzling me either, but it certainly is different, so I'm willing to go where it takes me.
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Dec 3, 2007 10:52 AM
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Not at all Baum, but entertaining anyhow IMO. Wasn't it CAIN (nice riff on "can" btw...) who falls through the window at the end of the first episode, not Zero? We do know he survives, since the promos for the next epi show him. Gawd, I hate it when they do that!!! - show what's supposed to be a surprise in previews or trailers. grumble.... ANYhow, entertaining overall, and I'll gladly watch the remainder. Not at all Baum, but another decent, sometimes tacky, SciFiChannel movie.
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Dec 3, 2007 12:00 PM
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I enjoyed it alot. I love Alan Cummings (why couldnt we have a Scottish scarecrow?), that Cain dude is pretty good, and I like Zooey alot better here than Hitchhicker's Guide and other things Ive seen her in. The only thing that bugs me is the DG thing. You want me to belive the two princesses were named Azkadellia and DG? She's gotta have a real name, so can we please start using that instead?
Ive read alot of mixed reviews of this show, esp that Azkadellia was miscast, but I don't have a problem with her, or any of it really. I really don't see how its "too out there" or even very dark. Its cool, I like it. Definitely watching the other two parts.
Oh, and I really like how they changed it to Dorothy being from Oz and searching for her parents rather than a way to get home. I always thought Dorothy was completely mental for wanting to go back to Kansas after seeing Oz!
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Dec 3, 2007 12:32 PM
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If you believe Mark Sternf that his is a more mature, cynical, realistic approach, the guy is just nuts. If you relate it to The Wizard of Oz, it is a sick take off on a great movie.
I was only able to put up with the first part by looking at it as just another SciFi movie, with no relation to anything. I gave it a 3 out of 5, my wife said it was just boring.
In all, it is just a poor and sad take off of a great movie. Nothing more.
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Dec 3, 2007 12:33 PM
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Ok, I haven't watched all of this episode yet, but Raw, wasn't he in the beginning who the wicked witch Azkadellia was calling Lelo or something like that & having him "see" things for her? That would explain the holes in Raw's head. & if it was him, why is he calling himself Raw or why was she calling him Lelo? Maybe I'll have to watch this whole episode to find out.
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Dec 3, 2007 12:57 PM
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Thanks Katie for actually recapping the entire episode, well done. Many recappers don't actually do that. I enjoy the twist on the story where DG is actually a native of the OZ.The second episode looks like it will be more action packed than the first. I am looking forward to it but I have to see the Heroes' season final first.
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Dec 3, 2007 1:11 PM
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llamb - Raw and Lelo aren't the same character, though they look similar. They just belong to a kind of species/race of seers.
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Dec 3, 2007 1:15 PM
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donnieo - It's a re-imagining, not a remake. Of course it's going to be different. That said, the 1939 film (which is by far one of my favorite films of all time) wasn't exactly loyal to the book series (or to the specific book, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', which both are based on). Knowing that there is such a wide, existing OZ universe from the books made this film far more palatable to me. And though I adore and love the MGM version beyond all other versions, Oz didn't begin and end with Judy Garland.
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Dec 3, 2007 1:20 PM
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My family and I really enjoyed this "take" of the OZ story. No, it isn't the Judy Garland version but it is a unique and entertaining spin on a magical story. It was fun finding all of the little "connections" and we enjoyed the visual effects as well. We are so looking forward to seeing tonites episode. We will be DVRing it so that we can watch HEROES but certainly look forward to viewing it! I think all the characters are fun and fascinating. I believe (according to previews) Toto will be arriving soon along with many other "nods" to the original. As I said in the beginning of my post, this is a "take" on the original, not a remake. We're loving it!
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Dec 3, 2007 1:46 PM
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@donnieo
Eh, I wouldn't call the original "great." This is all a matter of opinion. I'm glad you like the original. I think the original is a bit hokey, myself. In fact, I'd rather watch "Return to Oz" over the original. This re-imagine of the classic tale (from book, not movie) is very interesting, indeed. Never forget this story is from a book first. There's no reason to compare this Sci-fi version to the movies.
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Dec 3, 2007 1:58 PM
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I liked this. No it wasn't a Triangle or Ghost Ship, but to me, not a bad reimagining (not remake as some imply).
To help ease the pain for those on the fence, may I suggest those with some form of DVR record it and start watching after the first ½ an hour or so? This is what I did last night knowing Sci-Fi shows and movies are laden with long, drawn out commercial breaks. These breaks always give me ample opportunity to over-analyze the previous scene leaving me looking for faults in the next scene. By a DVR recording and delayed start, I was able to zip through the commercials and avoid doing that. The reimagining was easier for me to swallow this way.
That having been said I'll watch tonight's episode tomorrow. I'm watching Chuck & Heroes, DVR'ing the 2 hour original Closer and taping the 11:00-reairing of this. ☺
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Dec 3, 2007 2:06 PM
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I am probably in the rare minority that never really cared for the 1939 Wizard of Oz film and my only exposure to the musical Wicked is in thanks to Ugly Betty. Never read the books either though I might someday give them a shot. All of that said, I loved the first two hours of Tin Man in large part due to the spot on casting of Neil McDonough(Cain) and Alan Cummings(Glitch). It doesn't hurt to see Callum Keith Rennie(Zero) and Richard Dreyfuss(Mystic Man) too. But it's not just seeing a couple of personal faves on the screen for six hours that appeals. I like the story so far and the effects while not cinema quality are much better than standard 'made for scifi' two hour movie fare. THANK THE HEAVENS for that!!!!!!! It's as least as good as most of the other scifi December miniseries, with only Taken being a clear 'BEST'.
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Dec 3, 2007 2:19 PM
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I enjoyed this for what it was, not that it was a "remake", because it wasn't. It was a different take, a spooky take, on a classic. I feel it's too early to judge, with two more episodes to go. Maybe some of the things you're missing are yet to come, just not in the order you're expecting.
Even my own daughter wasn't thrilled with this, for her own reasons, and I respect that, so to each his own. I've seen Wizard of Oz at least 45 times in my life, and I just found it very amusing to see some twists in the story.
I also enjoyed very much how they inserted parts of the original characters, storyline, words, etc. into this new twist. I also saw parts of other beloved shows (such as the first Star Wars movie) in this, and that didn't offend me either. I decided I was in the mood for this show, and had been anticipating it for a while, so I just relaxed and enjoyed it.
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Dec 3, 2007 2:21 PM
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