Network: FOX
Episodes: 25 (hour)
Seasons: Two
TV show dates: January 17, 2010 — February 9, 2011
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley, Indira Varma, Janet Montgomery, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Autumn Reeser, Lennie James, and Fraser Aitcheson.
TV show description:
An action series that’s based on a DC Comics character created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino. The TV show looks into the life of a highly-specialized personal bodyguard and security expert. His way of protection is to blend into the lives of his clients and to become close enough to be the target himself.
Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) has always stayed one step ahead of the police and FBI, but also of his past. Because of that, few know about what his life as an assassin before he took on a new life in the business of protection. He’s an expert marksman, is very proficient in martial arts and is also fluent in several languages. His only companion is his dog, Carmine, and the two live in his home office among the many items Chance has taken as payment for saving his clients’ lives.
His business partner is Laverne Winston (Chi McBride), a former cop who keeps things running smoothly at the office while Chance is busy protecting his clients. With years of experience of his own, Winston has many contacts, and calls on them to help Chance on his cases. Winston also helps Chance figure out who is chasing the clients.
The third member of the team, Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley), has Chance’s best interests at heart as well. He’s a former assassin who works in the shadows, behind the scenes, and leaves the hero stuff to Chance. A bit of a wild card, he’ll do anything asked of him, from hacking computers to blackmailing billionaires.
Later in the series, Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma), a sophisticated and recently widowed billionaire becomes a benefactor to Chance and the protection agency.
Ames (Janet Montgomery) is a chameleon-like thief whose talents allow her to blend into any situation. Winston offers her a job in an effort to help her get her life on the right track.
Episode 25 — Marshall Pucci
Moments before last week’s big Ilsa/Chance kiss, she looks at that photo of Marshall and the mystery blonde. Flashback to a year ago, when Ilsa jokingly asks her husband if he’s having an affair; she’s been calling for hours. He sweetly says she’s stuck with him. Suddenly, his driver swerves off course and doesn’t respond to him. Marshall tells a concerned Ilsa he loves her. Never forget that.
That’s why she’s crying when Chance comes into HQ. After they kiss, they’re both rattled. She says good night.
Next day, the team enjoys a lavish brunch courtesy of Ilsa, who’s suddenly moving back to London. Winston suspects Chance knows something, but he denies it. Ilsa explains that she has to work full-time for the foundation. Sometimes people can do more good when they’re apart, she adds, looking at Chance. She leaves.
Winston thinks she wanted Chance to ask her to stay. Chance says that she never listens to him. Meanwhile, Guerrero finds Marshall’s blonde lurking outside. She wants protection. Chance catches Ilsa at the airport. They found Marshall’s mistress – and she knows who killed him.
The blonde, Julia, worked for Marshall in Africa. He found a cache of guns in one of their shipments, traced the source, took photographs. When the bad guys found out, Marshall was killed. Julia doesn’t know who did it, but they’re in the pictures. She assumed that the team had the photos and came looking for her. No, says Ilsa, but they do have a picture of Julia and Marshall at the Lamont Hotel bar.
That’s where Julia last saw Marshall. He gave her a plane ticket and money. Julia’s been on the run ever since. Also, their relationship was purely professional. Julia tearfully says that she just wants to go home. Ilsa promises to help. Privately, Chance objects. These people killed one of the world’s richest men, then vanished without a trace. Winston reports that Julia has a phone number from some threatening messages. Ilsa says arrange a meet. Chance says, See? She doesn’t listen.
The meet’s a setup. A sinister guy and his team not only watch them all via satellite — even Winston, inside HQ — but they also disable their communications and maneuver Ilsa and Julia onto a subway train. Then Julia pulls a gun on Ilsa, demands the pictures, and reveals that SHE killed Marshall. Ilsa hits the emergency switch, grabs Julia’s gun, and flees. But her foot’s caught on the track! Chance and a train barrel toward her from opposite directions. Luckily, Chance gets there first.
The sinister guy orders Julia and troops to HQ, but our gang’s already gone. Chance realizes that it’s CIA — not the whole organization, just one rogue agent, whom we eventually come to know as Bill. He tells his people to get info on Chance’s crew and their families, to find their “pressure points.”
Later, outside HQ, Guerrero and Ames listen in from the battered El Do (damaged during the bogus meet). Bill mentions Guerrero’s son — a pressure point. “Ames,” whispers Guerrero. She confesses that she knew about the kid. “Take the El Do,” he says, and leaves.
Meanwhile, Chance thinks that Marshall left Ilsa a clue about the pictures. She shows him that last letter Marshall wrote. Chance sees it’s signed by “Mr. Ross.” She sheepishly explains that, every month, they met at the Lamont Hotel bar, pretended to be strangers, and spent the night together. Marshall was Mr. Ross. Always in the same room? Yes.
At the Lamont, Ilsa gets the room key as Bill’s thugs keep tabs. Winston coordinates from the van. Bill’s troops burst into a suite – but that woman in the trench coat is Ames, not Ilsa, who’s headed to the real suite. As the troops prepare to kill Ames, Chance drops into view, hanging from the ceiling like a giant bat. A giant bat that’s armed to the teeth. Sayonara, troops.
Ilsa finds a microchip containing the photos, then pulls a gun and grabs Julia! Winston tells Chance that she’s headed for the roof. Ilsa levels her gun at Julia as Chance arrives. She sobs that Julia killed Marshall; she deserves to die. Nobody deserves to die, says Chance, and this isn’t you. Troops surround them. Chance says, We’ll always have Geneva. In the van, Ames excitedly remembers when Chance and Ilsa leaped off the roof! But there’s no water this time. Ilsa’s alarmed, but she trusts Chance. Hand in hand, they jump.
At HQ, Bill loses the satellite, then the power. Soon Guerrero’s pressing a gun to Bill’s neck. Game over. Moments later, Ames looks toward the roof edge. Did they really jump? Yes, and they’re dangling from a nearby gargoyle. “Please don’t let me go,” begs Ilsa. “Never,” says Chance.
Next morning, Guerrero handcuffs the badly beaten Bill to the El Do’s steering wheel. Bill says it wasn’t personal; he just had to protect his thing. Guerrero has things to protect too. He takes his toolbox and walks away. “Nothing personal, dude. Just business.” Bill turns the key and WHOOM! The El Do bursts into a massive fireball.
Later, Winston gives Chance one of his patented scoldings/pep talks. Chance speeds to the airport… then tells Ilsa he just came to say good-bye. She turns away, and he FINALLY says, Don’t go. Is he asking because the team needs her or… ? Yeah, he says. They’re about to kiss when her pilot arrives. He canceled the flight, like she asked.
She mumbles she was thinking of sticking around a few more days. Errands. Guess she’ll see him tomorrow. She gets into a waiting car. Chance smiles, watches her go. “See ya tomorrow, Mrs. Pucci.”
First aired: February 9, 2011.
Image courtesy FOX.
FOX has cancelled several of our FAVORITE SHOWS!!! It’s time to counter attack FANS!!!! TIME TO BOYCOTT FOX!!!! Get them where it hurts! I for one love Bones, Fringe and House, but it’s time to “unlike” these major shows on Facebook, Twitte…r, and MySpace. It’s time to threaten their meat and potatoe shows. Obviously, pleading to the shows through community discussions, Facebook pleas, Twitter and hey, tons of fans!!! Fox has decided to cancel the shows FANS LOVE!!!! We need to let them know that the FANS aren’t taking their crap anymore when it comes to TV!!! It’s time to… Read more »
This show when it catches will ba a big hit I love the way thay are building up there staff great idea in the show and the buzz is geting louder.
Please keep, HUMAN TARGET, this show ~ It is wonderfully refreshing.