The concept of the item is cute. Just when you think, "Oscar can't be an antique", the writers reveals that he isn't but the boutonniere he's wearing is and animates him. It's a good example of the items' mutability, as we'll see more of later in "Face of Evil". It's pretty unlikely that the boutonniere animated a ventriloquist dummy back in World War II for the Nazis, or that Lewis specifically cursed it to animate a dummy. That's where it ended up, and that's what it does.
The rest of the episode is just a rehash of every "ventriloquist and his evil doll" TV show and movie that they've done for years. Oscar really controls the act, thanks to his animation, and drives his owner to evil. Just like we saw in the 'Twilight Zone' episodes "The Dummy" and "Caesar and Me". Other than the cursed antique angle, "Read My Lips" doesn't bring anything new to the table.
Billy Drago as the protagonist just isn't very good. It's not Drago's fault, he's good as a villain. But he's lousy playing a stage performer: he appears to be asleep 3/4s of the time. Drago has all of the charisma with Linda Griffiths of raw liver, and he isn't very convincing as a schlep being ordered around by his ventriloquist dummy. In this case Drago's reputation as a villain hurts him: it's impossible to believe someone who portrays typically evil characters is a manipulated schmuck here.
Drago is such a creepy presence that even when he's just trying to hold Gabrielle and be affectionate (like when they meet with Bernie), he still comes across as a creep. It's a rare instance of miscasting on the show's part.
At one point, Micki says that she can't see what Gabrielle sees in Edgar. I'd have to agree: there's no chemistry between the two and the writers don't make any effort to show them. We get another abusive relationship, like the one we just had in "Wax Magic". Watching Oscar insult Gabrielle repeatedly is just painful.
It also doesn't help that Edgar's act isn't that great. Even with the curse supposedly bolstering his performance, there's no indication that the performance is that good. So Edgar's talent is an informed ability, when it would have been better if the writers could show us Edgar has improved. Instead they unleash a barrage of old jokes, and Edgar doesn't seem much better than the talentless Travis.
I think the episode is supposed to be a commentary on fame and killing for it. But that's been in plenty of other ventriloquist-themed shows and movies, and a few that weren't ventriloquist-themed. Again, "Read My Lips" doesn't add anything new to that dialogue.
Griffiths isn't bad, and John Byner is initially painful to watch as a talentless ventriloquist who tries to glom onto Edgar's act. Byner's character works better later in the episode when he becomes Oscar's new "partner", and is matter-of-fact about having to kill to go places.
Micki and Ryan get involved, and Jack is totally absent. By coincidence, Micki's friend is engaged to someone using a cursed antique. Isn't that convenient? There's no investigation by the cousins or anything: Micki gets the invite from her old friend, her friend is engaged to Edgar, and away we go.
Overall, the performances by Danny Mann (as Oscar's voice) and Ed Gale as Oscar himself aren't bad. Oscar is a creepy presence, but any ventriloquist dummy shown as evil usually is. It's one of those concepts that can't fail: creepy dummy. There's a reason the concept keeps popping up in shows and movies. But the rest of the episode is too flat. It's not bad, as making Edgar a sympathetic "villain". But it's not that good either.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
The rest of the episode is just a rehash of every "ventriloquist and his evil doll" TV show and movie that they've done for years. Oscar really controls the act, thanks to his animation, and drives his owner to evil. Just like we saw in the 'Twilight Zone' episodes "The Dummy" and "Caesar and Me". Other than the cursed antique angle, "Read My Lips" doesn't bring anything new to the table.
Billy Drago as the protagonist just isn't very good. It's not Drago's fault, he's good as a villain. But he's lousy playing a stage performer: he appears to be asleep 3/4s of the time. Drago has all of the charisma with Linda Griffiths of raw liver, and he isn't very convincing as a schlep being ordered around by his ventriloquist dummy. In this case Drago's reputation as a villain hurts him: it's impossible to believe someone who portrays typically evil characters is a manipulated schmuck here.
Drago is such a creepy presence that even when he's just trying to hold Gabrielle and be affectionate (like when they meet with Bernie), he still comes across as a creep. It's a rare instance of miscasting on the show's part.
At one point, Micki says that she can't see what Gabrielle sees in Edgar. I'd have to agree: there's no chemistry between the two and the writers don't make any effort to show them. We get another abusive relationship, like the one we just had in "Wax Magic". Watching Oscar insult Gabrielle repeatedly is just painful.
It also doesn't help that Edgar's act isn't that great. Even with the curse supposedly bolstering his performance, there's no indication that the performance is that good. So Edgar's talent is an informed ability, when it would have been better if the writers could show us Edgar has improved. Instead they unleash a barrage of old jokes, and Edgar doesn't seem much better than the talentless Travis.
I think the episode is supposed to be a commentary on fame and killing for it. But that's been in plenty of other ventriloquist-themed shows and movies, and a few that weren't ventriloquist-themed. Again, "Read My Lips" doesn't add anything new to that dialogue.
Griffiths isn't bad, and John Byner is initially painful to watch as a talentless ventriloquist who tries to glom onto Edgar's act. Byner's character works better later in the episode when he becomes Oscar's new "partner", and is matter-of-fact about having to kill to go places.
Micki and Ryan get involved, and Jack is totally absent. By coincidence, Micki's friend is engaged to someone using a cursed antique. Isn't that convenient? There's no investigation by the cousins or anything: Micki gets the invite from her old friend, her friend is engaged to Edgar, and away we go.
Overall, the performances by Danny Mann (as Oscar's voice) and Ed Gale as Oscar himself aren't bad. Oscar is a creepy presence, but any ventriloquist dummy shown as evil usually is. It's one of those concepts that can't fail: creepy dummy. There's a reason the concept keeps popping up in shows and movies. But the rest of the episode is too flat. It's not bad, as making Edgar a sympathetic "villain". But it's not that good either.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
