So glad to see that she's still out there working. I saw her in a Tylenol commercial a while back and got a little bummed, but its good to see her back on a TV show! I always thought she was excellent as Joyce.

TOASTERslayer | April 08, 07:50 CET

I was so thrilled to see her on my TV, and now I'm happy to see the link here!

embers | April 08, 08:21 CET

Hee! I just saw Kristine. So, so nice.

Tonya J | April 08, 08:29 CET

I was so excited when I heard her voice and realized it was her! It was so great to see her. She did a wonderful job.

Spikesgurl | April 08, 10:01 CET

It was pretty neat to see Kristine on TV again, and she did, of course, a great job. Someone put that lady on a series posthaste, godsfrakit - she just exudes competence, mixed in with heart.

I wish I liked New Amsterdam better - while Nikolaj Coster Waldau (clearly a breeding experiment using genes from Nathan Fillion and Denis Leary) is lovely to look upon, the writing ain't nothing out of the ordinary.

Like so much else on the tube, I wanted it to be better, but - wanting ain't getting...

QuoterGal | April 08, 10:23 CET

I've been watching Seasons 1-3 over again and I must say I really liked Kristine and I appreciate her portrayal of Joyce more the 2nd time around. She really fit this character! I wouldn't mind meeting her one day.

platinumtlc | April 08, 10:47 CET

Quite like this show so it'll be cool to see Ms Sutherland on it, 'verses colliding and all that ;).

Pity it's basically pre-cancelled and won't continue past episode 8 unless something bordering on miraculous happens - though I agree the writing has been a bit workmanlike, it has some nice ideas and a refreshing take on the "tortured immortal" trope. And every now and again it shows glimmerings of brilliance. It had potential.

Saje | April 08, 14:46 CET

Maybe she could appear on 24 as Jack's evil mother.

daylight | April 08, 15:27 CET

I, too, was pleasantly surprised to see Sutherland on the show last night. When her character first said she had had cancer a few years back, I almost thought that there might be a wink out to the Buffy fandom--but it was just a coincidence, character-wise.

I have enjoyed the series -- next week's episode is the "season finale." I agree that the writing hasn't risen above the average, but the acting has been pretty good, and, as Saje said, it does take a refreshing look at treadworn material. I wouldn't mind seeing it come back -- but that just ain't gonna happen, I don't think. And, had it not been for the writers' strike, we likely would not have seen as much as we did, its being on Fox and all.

palehorse | April 08, 17:04 CET

I didn't know she was going to on, and was pleasantly suprised to see her.

The concept of the show is good, and Nikolaj Coster Waldau is, well, beautiful to look at (and not too bad an actor either). I have to say it though, I think the writing stinks. We are all about good writing here, and this show is so full of cliches, there is harldy an original thought left by the time an episode airs. The on air chemistry between cast members is non-existent, and the acting is sluggish at times too.

I just don't know what went wrong, great idea and terrible execution, just like Jericho.

Cheers!

rae rae | April 08, 19:20 CET

Oh, QG! Ye've got the gift of seeing, girl... I never could quite put my finger on it and you've expressed it perfecto-mundo.

I am very sad at this talk the show is pretty much cancelled at this point. I blame, at least partially, the scripts on the recent strike. Perhaps they had to hurry to complete them? Geez, that chase scene in the pilot episode ending on the subway platform, when John's heart gives out, is about the most exciting thing I've seen in awhile. And I've even enjoyed all of the back stories, though sometimes clunkily done. This man has obviously enjoyed in many ways, the time he's had, and hasn't been going around in torture mode. 60 children? I would guess he'd been enjoying himself. Yes, and it's sad he outlived them all but one now. I particularly enjoyed the episode before last in which his great grandchildren were on the other side of the legal fence (and also partly because I love Adam Storke).

I'm an easy touch for genre shows. We need more of them, but yeah, they need to be good.

Tonya J | April 08, 20:30 CET

Actually, it's 63 if I remember correctly, Tonya J. ;)

I was really looking forward to this series last fall, and continue to enjoy it now (even if the writing leans towards the clunky side). The scenes between Omar and John are the best, and I really enjoy the fact that John has kids. Most stories about immortals avoid the subject, so it's nice to see their take on it.

I still have (probably false) hope it'll be renewed, but I know how things work. If the TV gods did want to give me an early birthday present though, they'd renew this and The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

deepgirl187 | April 08, 20:46 CET

I agree that this show did have great potential. I thought the pilot episode was stunning. But the subsequent eps--I dunno--I just felt bored. Still it was great to see Kristine Sutherland's lovely face.....

stellabee | April 08, 21:51 CET

I was so psyched to see her! She needs to get more roles. :)

jul_weiss | April 08, 22:30 CET

I really want this series to be successful (for obvious reasons since I'm Dutch :D) but there's something odd going on, there's something missing and I can't quite put my finger on what it is..

Great to see Kristine though, I miss her on the small screen.

[ edited by Krusher on 2008-04-08 20:39 ]

Krusher | April 08, 23:39 CET

I saw half of an episode last night before I passed out.

One word= Kristine!

What's missing: I could be wrong, but from what I saw and from what others have said on this thread, I think New Amsterdam is missing mystery. Let me explain.

We're only 8 episodes in, and we know how many children he has (63), that he can't die, that his co-workers know of his immortality (cancer dude), and that nothing is going on with his current co-worker (no chemistry what-so-ever).

So... what't the point in watching? In that half episode, I felt like all of the issues were out in the open, that there was nothing left to discover except for what chick would break the curse. Summed up- an extended dating game.

Anyone else get that feeling?

korkster | April 09, 00:58 CET

Oh wow, I just saw Morena on last Sunday's Dirt (which I had recorded to watch later... like now). I do love seeing our Whedonesque actors on other shows, but it is shocking that it should always be such a surprise. You'd think we would all know ahead of time that they would be on.

embers | April 09, 01:34 CET

She deserted Advil for Tylenol! The hussy!

DaddyCatALSO | April 09, 04:42 CET

It took me a couple of minutes to figure out why that character looked so familiar - then -CLICK-!

As to the show, it still seems like Forever Knight without the delightful creepiness of LaCroix, or the mandatory night shift, but it has some nice touches (making an authentic "antique" desk, the photos of Times Square, etc.) and I've started looking forward to it. (Not much competition out there right now, either.)

Wm54 | April 09, 04:58 CET

Yeah, dammit - is there no such thing as brand loyalty anywhere anymore?

I remember when she was the Oil of Olay lady - which made such sense 'cause of her gorgeous skin. And she usedta pitch fishsticks or something? Mrs. Paul's or Vandekamp's? I believed whatever she said, 'cause she has that worried sincerity thing going on...

Seriously, put Kristine and John Pankow in a sitcom together - maybe something where they can cook together and bicker - and you would have a great show, old school. I want them both back on the TV tube thing...

(And yeah, I was originally very hopeful about ol' Nieuw Amsterdam - the premise was cool as hell and the pilot had me interested - but it feels like all the air went out of the balloon or something...)

QuoterGal | April 09, 05:33 CET

Nieuw Amsterdam reminds me too much of the Highlander tv series I guess.

Krusher | April 09, 06:41 CET

I recommend a mod change the link to the episode on Hulu:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/16505/new-amsterdam-reclassified

Krusher, have you watched it? Because, you know, it has nothing to do with immortals killing other immortals... it's just a guy who can't die until he meets his true love.

nathanieletc | April 09, 08:59 CET

There're similarities to Highlander since we've got a very long-lived character who's revealed through frequent flash-backs and is on a quest to gain mortality (though I don't actually remember, did the 'Highlander' immortals know beforehand that was part of The Prize ?) but then the key trait of an immortal from a character perspective is their long history and the possibility that affords to tell different kinds of stories so it makes sense to take a look at it (it's almost like saying 'Firefly' is too similar to 'Star Trek' because they both have space-ships with a crew of different characters ;).

The way it's done on 'New Amsterdam' feels more tied into his motivations to me (though I must admit, I didn't watch much 'Highlander: The Series') - time and again we see him decide to do something (or try to) based on a lesson learned (or not) from his past. If the writing was better then the ways this is done would be more unexpected, twisting and turning how we view Amsterdam himself - as it is it's a bit pedestrian.

I had doubts at first BTW, but now its openness is one of the things I really like about 'New Amsterdam'. I like, for instance, that he's truthful about his past more often than not because over 400 and odd years he's presumably realised that folk will just see it as him being a bit weird rather than as him admitting to anything, that it's too big an idea just to believe (and he's also clearly doing it for his own amusement - always a good sign when characters do or say things that don't actually advance the plot I reckon, shows "life"). And yep, the authentic brand-new antique was a really nice touch, it showed just how rooted in "three score and ten" a lot of our perceptions/cultural constructs are - more of that would be nice.

Saje | April 09, 14:34 CET

Thanks for the heads up! I changed the link to Veoh. Some might not use Adobe Flash Player 9, which Hulu requires.

| April 09, 17:42 CET

If this show gets cancelled:

Nikolaj Coster Waldau >>>>>>>> Dollhouse

I'm just saying. As QG said, lovely to look upon and the man can act.

Tonya J | April 09, 20:36 CET

Yeah, I said over on the white - I looked up his info on IMDb and most of it is non-English European stuff. Not that it would kill me to read some sub-titles, but it would just be so much nicer if he stayed on American TV.

dreamlogic | April 09, 21:35 CET

Oh, yeahs, Tonya - and if he didn't get hired as a regular, he could guest as a Dollhouse client, and nobody can understand he why has to pay for a woman to do anything ever.

Well, that came out way sleazier than I meant it, but seriously - I would pay money - or donate to the charity of his choice - just to be able to sit and look upon him.

What??!!? I'm not a perve. I'm an artist and it's an aesthetic thing.

QuoterGal | April 09, 21:40 CET

I hope Joss is reading this. Women fans of yours really likes us some NCW ;)

It's not just looks. I like the way he talks, too.

Back on topic, it really was a nice surprise to see Kristine Sutherland. I've gathered that she's very family-oriented and I don't know if she wants to work more than she does, but it would be great if she did. Spikesgurl, like you I recognized her voice and pricked up my ears before she came onscreen.

dreamlogic | April 09, 22:28 CET

I believe she does wanna work, and now she's an empty-nester, so probably yeah to the yes^TH.

QuoterGal | April 09, 23:12 CET

Yeah to the "yeah to the yes." I'd love to see Kristine back on television regularly.

In the meantime, breathlessly puts self on the subscription list of Quoter Gal's non-perve artistic newsletter ... with pictures. Mm-hm.

Tonya J | April 09, 23:26 CET

I believe she does wanna work, and now she's an empty-nester, so probably yeah to the yesTH.

If so, KS as an evil client on Dollhouse.

dreamlogic | April 09, 23:34 CET

I would love it if Joss gave her a chance to play against type and be all Big and Bad. That would seriously be absolutely the best, dl - and yours would be a way he could re-use a Buffy-actor and not feel all repeat-y.

QuoterGal | April 09, 23:41 CET

dreamlogic, QuoterGal Or...what if she's a Doll gone rogue?

Or maybe a regular hu...ooh! What if...she used to work at the House, but abused her powers, and she was fired, and now she's a disgruntled former employee looking for a way to destroy the House? Like...she sabotages Dolls or something.

ShadowQuest | April 10, 01:34 CET

Umm, "empty nester" here? I think Kristine's daughter (without looking it up on IMDB) is about 14 at most.

But yeah playing evilly against type is usually cool.

DaddyCatALSO | April 10, 04:11 CET

Nope, DaddyCatALSO - empty nester in fact. This year was her first year of college...

And no, I'm not a stalker ; > - she's a friend of a friend.

QuoterGal | April 10, 04:26 CET

"Transparent people, who live on the other side/Living a life that is almost like suicide/New Amsterdam, it's become much too much..."
It's probably only me who has that Elvis Costello song running inexorably in my brain, whenever I think about the show, and maybe bobster, who doesn't post anymore.

I've never had any idea what that song actually means. But it's evocative. And the show doesn't live up to it. In the evocative-ness.

dreamlogic | April 10, 12:45 CET

QuoterGal; In the words of Joe Jitsu, "so solly excuse prease." I was just going by some things Kristine had said in an interview and then trying the mental arithmetic, and I was always lousy at math. (Hmm, Kristine is only about six months older than I am; if her duaghter just started college I guess she's between 1 & 2 years older than my duaghter, who by my estiamtes is almost thru 11th Grade. I don't know for sure; she hasn't answered any of my letters for 2 and half years now.)

DaddyCatALSO | April 10, 16:20 CET