Shark lashes out

‘Shark’, the new series on CBS is all set to roll tonight, with James Wood in the lead. The actor will be seen in different boots this time, as he has plunged from the silver screen to the small screen.

Woods stars as Sebastian Stark, a well-off, gruff, indomitable defense attorney in Los Angeles. Due to his impolite and yokelish ways, his opponents and even his lovers alter his last name slenderly to call him ‘Shark’.

But as the drama progresses, we see that it is not just the punning that gains him the byname he disdains, as actions too have contributed for the nick name, that goes well with his ways.

Stark, mean and skarkly in ways, is a high-priced trial lawyer who switches sides. The first episode witnesses Stark in an argument on behalf of a celebrity, Gordie Brock (Tony Daly), charged with attempting to kill his wife.

Just like a true cynic, Stark impresses the jury with his eloquence, beguile and passionate sincerity. After the verdict, he is self-satisfied, jeering the district attorney, Jessica Devlin (Jeri Ryan), with her office’s latest defeat.

All his self airs is mixed with dust, when after six days, Gordie kills his wife for real. At the crime scene Stark finds his client in the kitchen, splattered with blood and cussed.

“It’s my lawyer, boys, “ Gordie says to the police. “So why not save everybody some time and money and let me go right now.”

Stark falls into a flinch and refuses to communicate with the world. The only person he communicates with, is his 16 year old daughter Julie (Danielle Panabaker).

The mayor offers him a spot in the district attorney’s office, to which Stark refuses initially, but due to personal reasons, accepts it.

Stark applies all his tricks, vivifications and haughtiness in serving the state. In the new job, Stark finds himself working under a female boss and a handful of assistants ready and mostly eager to suffer his sarcastic but invaluable tutorship.

There aren’t that many living actors who can tap into the joys of villainy. Woods has been doing it since long and is penciled out perfectly for the role.

Woods had always inspired to be an actor. While his mother wasn't thrilled at the prospect of her son pursuing a career as an actor, she blessed him to follow his dream.

Woods acting career is spanned over a long time. His career has been noted for the intense characters he has chosen. He was nominated for an Academy Award twice: the first in 1987 for Best Actor in ‘Salvador’ and again in 1996 for Best Supporting Actor for ‘Ghosts of Mississippi’. He has also garnered critical praise for his voice work for Hades in Disney's ‘Hercules’ and in the ‘Kingdom Hearts’ video game series.

Woods appeared as himself in the episode of ‘The Simpsons’ entitled ‘Homer and Apu’ and in an episode of ‘Family Guy’ entitled ‘Peter's Got Woods’. In 2006, Woods starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in the intense political thriller ‘End Game’. Also in 2006, Woods played himself in the season 3 premiere episode of ‘Entourage’.

Directed by Spike Lee, the series will premiere tonight at 10. Besides Woods, Danielle Panabaker (Julie Stark), Sophina Brown (Raina Troy), Sarah Carter (Madeleine Poe), Alexis Cruz (Martin Allende), Sam Page (Casey Woodland), Romy Rosemont (Margaret Pool), Jeri Ryan (Jessica Devlin) and Tony Daly (Gordie Brock) will also be seen.