Tonight marks the debut of a latecomer to the Fall 2008 TV season: My Own Worst Enemy. Back in August we gave you the full rundown on the new series, which stars Christian Slater. Basically it seems to be like a TV version of the Arnold Schwarzenneger movie True Lies, but played less for laughs or over the top adventure, and more for reality (well as close to reality as you can get with this sort of thing).
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Christian Slater was a rising star in the late 80s/early 90s with roles in films like Heathers, Young Guns II and later, Broken Arrow. Now I’m not big on following celebrities off camera lives, so I don’t know if he’s had personal issues that interrupted his career of if he just fell out of favor. Slater has continued working, but it just hasn’t really been in anything terribly high profile.
Personally, I like his screen presence so I hope this show is good and that it helps get him back into the limelight. So far the reviews for the show (I haven’t seen it yet as of the writing of this post) have been medium to very good, but everyone seems to agree that Slater is great in the dual-personality role.
I’ll be checking the premiere/pilot out tonight and I’m sure either TV hound Bruce or myself here on Screen Rant will be giving you the thumbs up or down. 
My Own Worst Enemy premieres tonight, October 13 on NBC.
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16 Comments
I saw the premiere for free on iTunes last week. The first 20 minutes or so they almost lost me but once Christian Slater meets Christian Slater, the show rocked. By the end I felt like I’d just watched a mini movie.
I originally watched it to support Christian Slater. As a fan from the 80s on, I was happy to see him but I wasn’t sure I’d want to watch the show. Guess what? It’s great! Especially the dual personality’s messages to each other. You really know which character Christian Slater is playing just by facial features alone and he pulls off the amazing task of talking to himself as if he was indeed another person. Try that without getting locked up.
My only worry is that the production values are obviously top rate. How will they be able to afford to keep that up week after week? A lot of shows fail when they go on the cheap. I hope that they’re not going to pull a bait and switch once the fan base signs on.
In the meantime though, I’m hanging in there. There’s finally another show on for adults that doesn’t have a doctor in it, or some tortured cops/miserable housewives/csi anywhere else. It’s a nice twist on the spy thriller. God bless The Bourne Ultimatum, it changed this genre for the better! I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I’m sure it’s ok, but personally, something about Christian Slater playing a “bad ass” just doesn’t work… I’ll stick with Dexter for my dual personality fix.
Yes I know that’s different because he’s faking one personality so it’s not split personality, but you know what I mean…
Point given. Dexter RULES! He’s the baddest bad ass around. I don’t think that you can compare these two though. I reaching into the way back machine but if you ever watch Heathers, Slater makes a terrific bad ass. He’s pretty cool when he wants to be.
Oh, I’m not dissing Slater. I really liked him back in the day and think he plays great goofy roles. But I’m so used to seeing him get beat up rather than doing the beating up, lol.
What’s great about this show is that he gets to be both the comic relief and the bad ass and he’s equally believable as both.
Now, scary as Dexter? No way! Dexter is probably the only show on TV that I feel guilty because I love the bad guy. And no doubt about it, Dexter’s BAD. Hi sister lives because he knows that he supposed to love her even if he really can’t figure out what love is.
Still, give Slater a chance. He’s really good.
I’ve seen Slater in some bad ass roles and I really liked how he carries the confident tension of (I’m going to kick your a**) energy to a scene.
The intensity of that stare, the tone of voice.. you might as well give up now bad guy. You Are Done!
Speaking as a fellow short person (5′5 to Slater’s 5′8) I really enjoy when someone who’s not all pumped up and ‘roided out to be able to kick some ass. Or at least to give the impression that they can kick ass. It gives me hope.
Vic,
I think you meant Total Recall instead of True Lies.
Haven’t seen the show but from the description it sounded like the dual-life spy idea from True Lies.
Vic
Vic, i just made the Total recall connection because at the start of the series Slaters Henry character is unaware That he is a spy named Edward
The memory ersure/double identity in one man reminded me of Total Recall.
I suppose True Lies could apply too.
Since once he discovers his secret life he has to hide it from his wife .
but he is covering up that secret as two distinct personalities.
Slater, “is” his own worst enemy,,,
The guys a trainwreck…
I watched this new show, and bailed on it after he killed the female agent.
Nice way to start the series, killing a woman,,, classy.
I’m giving this show two thumbs up and tomorrow my take on the show will be up in a new post, so hang tight gang. You’ll be able to chime in over there. Keep your eyes out for it. -Bruce
790: Would it have been ok if he’d killed a man? This woman was coming to kill him. Plus, that set up the fact that as an agent, he had no conscience or remorse. We knew right away the type of person he was.
The show is on at 10pm. It’s a psychological spy thriller. Yes, some peoples gonna die.
But I think that you did the right thing though. If something bothers you, you don’t have to watch it so you turned it off. If everyone loved every show, we’d have even more reality TV than we already do. **shiver**
@prtfvr
“We knew right away the type of person he was.”
Lol, yeah he’s Christian Slater,,,
(Guys like 5.4)
I’m not loosing sleep over the killing of a female villian, I just thought it was tacky…
like someone else mentioned , he just dosnt carry the badass role for me…
Thanks for insulting short guys everywhere 790, real smooth…
I’m like 5′6″, so $@%^& you! lol
Short people of the world unite!! Hey, Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t even 5′3 and can’t possibly weigh more than 100 pounds. I thought she made a pretty believable ass kicker.
Other short people who kicked ass in films:
James Cagney
Tom Cruise (I know, he’s nutty but still…Mission Impossible, Minority Report…)
Paul Newman
Remember, it’s not the size that matters, it’s what you do with it that counts.
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