This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the main characters on Hostages (9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) has to die. Because, at this point, there's less tension in this new series than there is in the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."And that's a problem with a show that's supposed to be a thriller."Hostages" is about a plot to assassinate the president of the United States (James Naughton). A team led by a rogue FBI agent (Dylan McDermott) takes the family of the doctor (Toni Collette) who's about to operate on the president hostage and orders her to kill the commander in chief during the surgery.The good doctor give the president a blood thinner, forcing the surgery to be postponed. And now there are all sorts of complications.Which could be exciting. Except that, up to and including tonight's third episode, it's not. There's no real feeling of tension. No real feeling of danger.These characters have to be in some sort of danger for this to work. And, to date, it sure hasn't felt that way.That's a real problem for a show that's supposed to be a thriller.Frankly, I'm about ready to give up on "Hostages" altogether.Elsewhere on TV ...Baseball playoffs: Oakland A's at Detroit Tigers (11 a.m., MLBN); St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (1 p.m., TBS); Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays (4 p.m., TBS); Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers (7:30 p.m., TBS)NFL (6:25 p.m., ESPN): New York Jets at Atlanta FalconsHow I Met Your Mother (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Barney learns that Ted still has feelings for Robin.Dancing with the Stars (7 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): The competition continues; Julianne Hough is a guest judge.The Voice (7 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): The blind auditions continue.Bones (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): The team tries to trick Pelant.Hart of Dixie (7 p.m. CW/Ch. 30): Zoe is back in town after spending the summer in New York. (Season premiere)We Are Men (7:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Stuart battles his ex-wife for the dog.2 Broke Girls (8 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Max wants to keep a stray cat.Genealogy Roadshow (8 p.m., PBS/Ch. 7): The show travels to San Francisco.Sleepy Hollow (8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Abbie's sister escapes from a psychiatric hospital.Beauty and the Beast (8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Vincent is back, and his memory has been wiped clean. (Season premiere)Mom (8:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Christy goes on a date - and not with her (married) boss.Hostages (9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): The president decides to go with a different surgeon.Castle (9 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Beckett and McCord arrive to take over Castle's investigation into the death of a former child star.The Blacklist (9 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): The FBI searches for a high-ranking Chinese spy.