September 25, 2009

TV: Eastwick (ABC, Wed 10)

Eastwick is a quaint New England town that has always has legends of witches. (How quaint is Eastwick? It's precisely as quaint as Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow, the set for which has become Eastwick; Luke's Diner is now the Eastwick Cafe.) As this episode opens, three women begin to discover their own powers as a mysterious man arrives in town.

Flaky sculptor Roxie (Rebecca Romijn) begins to have prophetic dreams; reliable nurse Kat (Jamie Ray Newman) has some sort of control over weather and nature; and insecure reporter Joanna (Lindsay Price) can make men do her bidding. The new man in town is Daryl Van Horne (Paul Gross), and his arrival triggers their latent powers into full bloom. He's arrogant and cocky, and as much as the women are repulsed by him, they can't deny that he's also got a sexy charm.

The women are a fairly standard TV trio -- a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead -- and their personalities as quickly sketched in the first episode aren't terribly distinctive or original. Price, for instance, is the one who wears glasses and a tight bun solely so that they can be removed for a "my god, but you're beautiful" moment.

But the actresses are all likable, and Gross is spot on as the lovably loathsome Daryl. This is another one that's worth keeping a hopeful eye on.

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