Examples? We saw it on Criminal Intent with D’Onofrio (though, regrettably, not with Goldblum though the Fly can hardly be blamed) and we’re seeing it again on The Blacklist with Spader. I guess I should, all things being equal, call it the D’Onofrio factor, but I had recurring nightmares after watching Men In Black (though weirdly, not Full Metal Jacket) when I saw it in high school, and also I feel like D’Onofrio would be considerably less fun to hang out with than Spader. In fact, to further reinforce Spader as namesake, one could argue that both he and William Shatner bought The Spader Factor to Boston Legal. Yup, I referenced Boston Legal. That happened. Now that I’ve done that, I’ll go further with it: Let’s give David E. Kelley his due — the guy recognizes mesmerizing talent. Remember how he tapped Robert Downey Jr. back in the hot-mess Ally McBeal days? That happened and it was the greatest. By the same token, it’s the same amount of not-quite-right to have Mary Louise Parker playing Red’s seemingly helpless ex (minus the whole part where she stabbed a dude in the face with a chicken bone). Fans of Weeds have learned to see Parker as anything other than a wilting lily. Suffice to say, the stage has been set for the season in a manner that’s totally enticing. Red’s past is catching up with him. His wife may be returned to her new life, and Berlin placated for the moment, but the strength of their personalities alone promises gripping things to come. It’s The Spader Factor times three! But that’s not all the gushing I intend on doing tonight. Only two episodes into its second season, and it has seamlessly integrated itself into the primetime major network lineup as though it burst full-formed from the head of Dick Wolf. There is something so deeply satisfying about each episode of the show, and that’s even more the case now that we’ve successfully landed in season two. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
