Pilots are always kind of iffy, you know? The script is supposed to accomplish so much - introducing characters, story premise, setting, set up, et al in one episode - the actors haven't yet settled into their roles, etc, etc. But this one was not only *gasp* pretty darn true to the book for a two hour television premie, but the acting was pretty good, too. It was head and shoulders above The Dresden Files on the how-good-was-it meter.
I have to admit it's pretty funny that they changed Henry's profession from romance novelist, to graphic novel artist/writer. I wonder if that's because they felt the romance novelist thing wasn't masculine/sexy enough, or if they're going to somehow work the graphic novels into the show, storywise.
But other than that, they followed the book pretty well (Blood Price, by Tanya Huff). And I like how they (and the book was the same, though perhaps a little more understated) laid the vampire = sexiness thing right out there, in the first fifteen minutes. That was a very nice little scene there, when he was feeding and, well...(I'm not sure what words are safe for me to type into LJ at work anymore, because of their Big Brother mentality and watching us)...um, giving that nameless blond a good time all at the same time. He does that in the book, too, as I recall. It seemed much hotter on the show, for some reason. Probably because the guy playing Henry is a decent actor, despite being pretty young. (And just plain pretty. I'm normally into a more masculine looking guy, but this one isn't so bad.)
Oh, on to the story. Pretty generic, college kid summons a demon to get him what he wants, demon kills people and so the Good Guys have a series of murders to solve. You all know I'm watching this show for the inter-personal relationships anyway, right? So back to those - Vicki (the MC) has decent chemistry with both Celluci and Henry. But so far, more with Henry, maybe because Celluci spent most of the episode pissed at her, while Henry did some not-so-subtle flirting. Of course, the books were that way, too. I always cheered on Henry over Celluci.
I like Corrine. I honestly don't remember if she ended up as Vicki's personal asisstant in the books, too, or if that's just the show, but it'll be good to have another regular female cast member.
Um, I guess I don't have too much to say. I enjoyed these books, but not like I do Jim Butcher's, which makes my disappointment in The Dresden Files all the more painful. It also makes Blood Ties easier to like, cause the books aren't quite so near and dear.
Though they honestly have done a much better job of actually sticking with the story and the characters here. I'm excited to see where they go from here. I hope it doesn't get cancelled right away.