2.1 “The Day of the Roach” & 2.2 “The Night of the Roach”

TVZ was lucky enough this week to receive a screener of the two-part second season premiere of “Mr. Smith and the Roach”.

Loyal viewers will remember that the first season finale gave us plenty of answers, but also raised some new questions. It’s one of those questions that drives these two episodes: does the Roach have a surviving family, and if so, can he track them down?

“The Day of the Roach” picks up two weeks after the events of last season’s finale, “Do You Know the Orkin Man?” Mr. Smith, Jeannie and the Roach are at the airport about to head off to the Smith family farm in Iowa, and a conversation between them and Hilary Jackson recaps the most important revelations of the finale, leading into the credits.

The brand new opening credits show off the increased budget for season two, recalling the classic work of Maurice Binder’s James Bond credit sequences.There’s a new theme song, too: Jackson Browne’s haunting “I Am No Man.” Also new is Kathleen Turner’s name in the credits; her Hilary Jackson is now a regular cast member.

After the credits, we’re in Iowa, where Mr. Smith’s mother Sabrina (Barbara Eden) greets her son and granddaughter. Leaving the Smiths to their family reunion, the Roach seeks out a Consolidated Chemical Corporation of America facility nearby, following the information left by Dr. Marilyn Kress in the finale.

The Roach discovers that the facility is closed, but that’s no problem; he breaks in and, after a lengthy search, discovers a videotape left by Dr. Kress.

At the Smith farm, Mr. Smith’s sister Abigail arrives, and, as usual, she and Mr. Smith bicker, only interrupted by the return of the Roach, who plays the videotape he discovered.

The tape is a recording of Dr. Kress. She claims that it was recorded the day after she was supposed to have died in the season finale. She talks about the experiments that led to the birth of the Roach, and the other members of his family, and, finally, she speculates on their present whereabouts. The episode ends as the Roach absorbs these new revalations.

“The Night of the Roach” opens up back in New York, where Hilary is awoken by a harassing phone call; it’s clear that this has been happening a lot recently.

In Iowa, the Smiths are enjoying breakfast out when they’re visited by Robin (Faye Grant, best known for her role in “V” and “V: the Final Battle”) a former high school teacher of Jeannie’s. She and the Roach immediately hit it off.

Later that day, a neighbor visits the Smith farm. It’s Billy Braddock (Nicholas Brendon), and, to everyone else’s horror, Abigail takes an immediate liking to him. Mr. Smith tries to warn him off for his own sake, but Billy misinterperts the advice as a threat, and it makes him all the more interested in Abigail.

Back in New York, Dr. Brooks and his brother Carter (Kevin Smith) take Hilary out for a night on the town to distract her from the harasssing phone calls.

The episode ends with the Roach and Robin agreeing to write regularly, having formed a close bond; and with Abigail actively romancing Billy Braddock. Mr. Smith and Jeannie are only too happy to be leaving Iowa and getting back to New York.

Of the two episodes, “The Day of the Roach” has more plot, advancing our knowledge of the Roach’s origins and setting up a trail that (presumably) he’ll follow all season long. “The Night of the Roach” is a very nice character piece, with great performances from both Faye Grant and Nicholas Brendon. The regulars are in excellent form as well; Lauren Ambrose’s Jeannie didn’t have much to do, but she made the most of her screentime in these two episodes (and the previews of the next few episodes included with the screener imply that she’ll have a lot more to do in upcoming weeks); and Michael Ironside continues to show why he deserved an Emmy for his portrayal of Mr. Smith.

Both episodes were very solid efforts; I’d give “The Day of the Roach” 3 and a half Roaches, and “The Night of the Roach” four Roaches out of five.