ROUND TWO

MIKE TYSON’S MYSTERIES

VS

JANE THE VIRGIN

See the bracket at http://challonge.com/popfilter

(This article compares the first two episodes of Jane the Virgin and Mike Tyson’s Mysteries)

This week’s pairing is about as unfairly matched as if Mike Tyson put on gloves and actually boxed Jane. That’s also the only scenario where I can see Mike Tyson coming out the winner.

I’ve panned other shows in this bracket for not understanding the world of the people the show is suppose to be about (ahem* looking at you, Scorpion.) Jane the Virgin is a show that not only understands the world it portrays, but hits the bulls eye upon the execution of its vision. JTV interjects elements of telenovelas  (characters, situations) while remaining grounded. The anchor is the actress that plays Jane, Gina Rodriguez. There is nothing stereotypical or over dramatic about her performance, just a clean portrayal of an likeable but ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances. This show gets characterization so right. None of the other things this show does well would be nearly as impressive if it weren’t for its ability to flesh out the characters into three-dimensional human beings. You have your stereotypical characters like the villianess man-eater, but the writers have enough insight to give her vulnerable moments. The writers also ground the show by poking fun at the entire telenovela genre with just enough humor to announce it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s well crafted and fun to watch.

Mike Tyson’s Mysteries has some laugh out loud moments. But for most of its moments it’s dribbling, incoherent and weird. I get the feeling that there is a scramble in post to fix the mistakes Mike Tyson makes while recording his lines, like when he calls his daughter by the wrong name. I get it, super-nerd who records Tyson’s audio, you’ve got the muscle mass of Napoleon Dynamite and are not about to tell the former heavy-weight champion of the world–a man who has tasted human flesh–that he has screwed up for the 15th time and he needs to record it again. I get that you value your life. And with a pro like Norm MacDonald on your roster, you think you can get away with a few mistakes. But it’s called Mike Tyson’s Mysteries, he is the star whose brand this show is built around. Though he brings a special kind of delightful weirdness, that package includes someone who is, at times, incapable of the job.

Jane the Virgin move effortlessly onto the next round. Tune in tomorrow for the final round one match of

FRIENDS OF THE PEOPLE VS THE MCCARTHYS!

-Stephanie Rose