Glee: Props

[Hey, Glee fans! I'm subbing for Harry, who is on vacation this week, and J.D. will be helping me out by writing the music section. We're doing last night's double episode separately. Our review of "Nationals" will be posted tomorrow.]

Artie: "You can't un-see something like that."

My eyes! My eyes!

For me, the best part of the Freaky Friday body-swapping plot was Finn and Puck all couple-like as Kurt and Blaine. I enjoyed Will and Sue as each other, too. Artie and Mercedes as Santana and Brittany made me shudder. Okay, it was definitely fun, even if just for the wigs and costumes. Although Blaine with a Mohawk was sacrilege.

I wasn't as on board with singling out Tina, who has mostly lurked in the background since the pilot episode of the series. Her voice is certainly good, but there's a reason why most of the episodes and numbers haven't been written for her, and I didn't think she was diva enough to be Rachel. Are they genuinely planning to feature Tina next season? Or was it just part of this week's theme about forgetting the props and gimmicks and being yourself?

Although the Shannon Beiste as battered wife plot sort of came out of nowhere a couple of weeks ago, I liked how they resolved it by pairing it with Puck's self-esteem issues after he was (obvious symbolism) tossed in a dumpster. The Puck/Shannon duet at the end was definitely my choice for best number in the episode, and I liked how they put that together with both of them pushed to the point of pulling a knife. And it was great that Puck's was a prop from West Side Story. Shannon's was *not* a prop. It was nice to see Shannon finally stand up for herself. Staying with someone because you might not ever meet someone else is wrong. Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all. (Just a bit of overflow from the Whitney Houston episode.)

Puck has been underused in the series, but unlike Tina, I really like Puck. I've been hoping they would find a way to keep him in high school another season, and that's where I thought they were going. Since he can now retake that critical test, though, maybe not.

I always have trouble accepting that New Directions is choosing new material so close to a national competition. A real show choir practices like mad for weeks before a performance. It seems a bit pointless to drag out the Whoopi Goldberg subplot, too ("I understand that fourteen messages is a lot...") because we all know -- zero suspense, and I'll be shocked if I'm wrong -- that Rachel is headed for NYADA, anyway.

The music, according to J.D.:

"I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz - Performed by Rachel:

This felt like a throwback to earlier Rachel songs. Unfortunately, it was too much of a "been there, done that" performance. Also, it was yet another walk down the hallway, ending up on the school stage set up. I didn't feel the pathos of the moment, nor did I think the version worked that well. I love Rachel's voice, and lyrically this fit the moment, but for some reason it felt flat to me.

"Because You Loved Me" by Céline Dion - Performed by Tina:

I may be a little biased, I really don't like diva ballads. I thought it was an okay vocal performance, but mostly it didn't capture me. I don't think Tina has quite the right voice as required to deliver this song properly. But I did like to see her front and center for a change. The best part of this had absolutely nothing to do with the song, but with the wonderfully zany and creative backdrop.

"Mean" by Taylor Swift - Performed by Puck & Beiste:

My favorite performance of the episode. I think there was a nice, genuine quality to the way this song was set up. It might have been entirely contrived the way they brought it about, but I felt the pain in both of the characters. As for the song itself, it didn't deviate to much from Swift's song, but the choice of Puck and Beiste as lead vocals made it feel like a nice fresh contrast to the original. Plus, anytime Beiste sings is a bonus.

"What a Feeling" by Irene Cara - Performed by Rachel & Tina:

Really fun, although standard for a song that ends an episode of Glee. It featured the all too familiar coming together of characters. But it did manage to effectively convey the feeling of momentum, and the start of a journey. The vocal performances were nice, and they harmonized well. But I wasn't blown away, which means it wasn't really memorable. But overall it was a good version of the song.

Back to Billie for bits and pieces:

-- Puck's opponent, whose name I don't recall, reminded me of Scut Farkus in The Christmas Story. ("He has yellow eyes!") (He doesn't have yellow eyes, does he?)

-- If Puck does wind up staying with the show next season, could they please give him non-Mohawk hair? Please?

-- While I'm discussing head coverings, that was some turban Whoopi was wearing. It gave me flashbacks to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Not that that's a bad thing.

-- Sue was Jennifer Beals' dance double in Flashdance. :) Of course, Jane Lynch played a continuing character on The L Word, which starred Beals.

-- Coincidentally, we also got a body-swapping plot on Eureka this week.

-- Sam did an awesome Christopher Walken impression.

-- Munchkins? Really?

-- You know, I like Twitter. I like it a lot. But the prominent Twitter hashtags all over the episodes lately have gotten annoying. Enough already.

And quotes:

Sue: "It's time to fight fire with the flaming flames of additional flamey gay fire."

Sue: (in Will's body) "My Comanche name is 'Cheerleads with Wolves'."

Sue: "This is an unmitigated disaster. Jennifer Beals is spinning in her grave."
Well, she would if she were dead.

Santana: "Brit and I are gay and Mercedes is black, so kicking us out would be a hate crime."
Brittany: "I'm not totally gay, but I think that trees are born the same way as babies, so kicking me out would be kinda mean."

Mercedes: "Can people change that fast? I mean, most guys I know don't even know how to change their own underwear."
Brittany: "I couldn't really figure that out, so I just stopped wearing any at all."

Santana (seeing Puck dressed as Brittany) "I am strangely turned on right now."

Sue: "William, I can taste your Axe body spray."

Three out of four rubber switchblades,

Billie

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Merlin: Excalibur

“I have watched so many people I love die at your hands, Uther Pendragon. Now it is your turn.”

Flamin' typical! You wait all season for a great episode of Merlin, and two come along at once.

Since the start of the series, the writers have been gradually putting together the different pieces of the Arthurian legends. So far this series they've introduced Lancelot, Avalon and Mordred. Now we get a very different take on the origin of the sword we see at the start of the credits every week, the most famous sword of all time after Luke Skywalker's lightsaber; Excalibur. The creation of Excalibur was actually only a very small part of the episode. Instead, this is the episode that tried to make us like Uther Pendragon.

From his very first scene, Uther has never been shown in a sympathetic light. To be perfectly blunt, he's a complete bastard, a brutal tyrant who doesn't think twice about executing someone even suspected of using magic. While Tywin Lannister helps his dyslexic son to read, Uther Pendragon is quite happy to have his only son and heir thrown in the dungeon for disobeying him in order to save someone's life. In truth, the only thing Uther really has going for him is that fact he's played by Anthony Head. My eternal love for Giles will always prevent me from utterly despising him.

But despite his many, many, many flaws Uther Pendragon does have one redeeming quality; he really does love his son (dungeon incident aside) and is willing to sacrifice himself to protect him. Uther knows that it is suicide to fight Tristan and he will not let his son die for his mistakes. For the first time we see him show regret for his past actions and admit to his failings as a father. He knows that he is to blame for Arthur thinking he is a disappointment.

This episode finally shed some light on Uther's history with Nimueh. Turns out that the elder Pendragon, along with being a complete and utter bastard, is also the biggest hypocrite in all of Albion. He used magic to ensure that his wife would conceive a heir. But as Once Upon a Time likes to remind us every week, all magic comes with a price. His wife died because of his actions so he's spent the last twenty years making others suffer for his own sins.

The confrontation between Nimueh and Uther is terrific with both actors really going for it. Michelle Ryan finally gets to do more than twirl her imaginary moustache. It is easy to forget that many of the series' villains actually have a strong justification for their actions. They don't see themselves as villains, they are heroes. Uther slaughtered their friends and family. To them, he is the monster of this story and they might not be wrong.

Familiar Faces

Even though we don't see his face, Sir Tristan is voiced by Christopher Fairbank, who has been in all sorts but is best known for playing Moxey on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

Merthur Moments

Often Merthur Moments are grand affairs. Other times they are more subtle. Like Merlin's little smile the second time Gwen tells him that he is proud of Arthur.

Notes and Quotes

--Look carefully and you can clearly tell that Anthony Head's stunt double is in better shape than he is.

--The other knights that Tristen fights are all nobodies that we've never seen before. They might as well have been called Sir Red Shirt 1 and Sir Red Shirt 2. Sir Red Shirt 1, in particular, was a rather cocky little sod who frankly deserved to get killed.

--The lake where Merlin throws the sword into is Speech House Lake in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. It's the same location where Arthur is drowned in 'The Gates of Avalon'. The mountains in the background were added in post production.

--In Arthurian legend, it was Merlin, not Nimueh, who was responsible for Arthur's birth. Uther was in love with Ygraine, the wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. Merlin aided Uther in seducing her by using magic to disguise Uther as Gorlois, thus tricking Ygraine into sleeping with Uther.

--The scene where Sir Tristan bursts into the hall on horseback and challenges the knights comes from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where the Green Knight made a similar entrance.

--There are many stories as to how Arthur acquires Excalibur. Some associate Excalibur with the Sword in the Stone, while others have Excalibur being given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. As in this episode, Excalibur is engraved with 'take me up' on one side and 'cast me away' on the other.

Gwen: "So how does it feel to be servant to the Crown Prince of Camelot?"
Merlin: "Washing his royal socks will be even more of a privilege."
Gwen: "You're proud of him, even though you complain about him constantly."
Merlin: "I am not."
Gwen: "You are! I can see it in your face."
Merlin: "Those socks are very clean. Of course I'm proud of them."

Gaius: "You're not scared are you?"
Merlin: "No. Of old crypts. I wouldn't been seen dead anywhere else."
--Don't give up your day job, Merlin.

Arthur: "There cannot be one rule for me and one for all the rest."
Uther: "I forbid you to fight."
Arthur: "You want me to prove that I'm worthy of the throne. I cannot do that by being a coward."
Uther: "No, Arthur! This will be your death."
Arthur: "I'm sorry you have so little faith in me, father."

Uther: "Haven't you tired of revenge?"
Nimueh: "Haven't you? You began this war when you threw me from the court and slaughtered all of my kind."

Three and a half out of four very clean socks. ... Read full post

Game of Thrones: A Man Without Honor

“No matter what you do, you're foresaking one vow or another.”

With only three episodes left, Game of Thrones has unsurprisingly taken a moment to remind us of what is at stake in the constant warfare, treachery, and deceit of Westeros and beyond: people, all of whom might die at any moment, or make an incredibly stupid decision, or both.


Last week, CoolSid offered this explanation of the title: “I think the title itself refers to the shifting nature of the world of Westeros and the choices that characters have to make to either follow the old ways or adapt to the new world,” and Anonymous piggybacked on that idea to explain that “It seems as if every character has to face the choice of where to put his loyalties and beliefs. It also seems as if everyone if being tested... after all, it's an easy thing to follow a certain moral code when you're in a safe, happy environment, and it is only now, when everything is going to hell, that morals and beliefs are becoming a matter to think of and to choose rather than something your learnt from your family.” Iago pointed out that people who keep “their oaths are shown to suffer for it.”

Jon Snow got slapped in the face with the oath he’d sworn to the Night’s Watch—from one perspective, Ygritte is right. It is too much to ask, that someone subsume all desire and choose to be, as she sees it, oppressed by dogma. He is being tested now: the sexual allure of Ygritte and the threat to his way of thinking that the “free people” represent. After all, if he keeps his oath he will certainly be punished. Likely killed.

Theon has put himself to the test without realizing it. He claims to see the world as a game, which shows his own incipient sociopathy (if sociopathy can be inspired by a massive should-chip). Clearly, he is happy to live by the iron law and reap the rewards of cruelty. Are Bran and Rickon really dead? Rule 10 tells us to wait, and we shall. We’ll also see if Theon proves to be a man of honor at all, ever. Silly chihuahua.

In his own way, Tywin Lannister has honor. Sure, he’s the bad guy and evil and basically represents the 1% that the Westerosi Occupy Movement hates, but he is doing that most basic honorable thing: protecting his family. Despite his honor, however, he seems to enjoy the game-play just as much as Theon. He claimed that Arya reminded him of his daughter and told her “You’re too smart for your own good.” How much does he know about Arya? Does he realize entirely who she is, but feel like she is safest at Harrenhal under his watchful eye?

Much-missed (by me) Jaime Lannister lacks honor, and does not even want to protect the distant branches of his family. His willingness to kill a man who had just bonded with him, who had squired for him, shows Jaime’s vicious cruelty. But that’s the cruelty required of anyone who makes their living by violence, as so many of the knights in Westeros do.

As Sandor Clegane (The Dog) said: “Killing is the sweetest thing there is…You’ll be glad of the hateful things I do when you’re queen, and I’m all that stands between you and your beloved king.” The books make Clegane’s distinction clearer: he admits and revels in the violence and immorality required of those who live by the sword. He doesn’t dress it up in false nobility, but recognizes his own atavistic impulses—and hates himself for his own bloodlust. That intrapersonal honesty makes Clegane, in his own way, a man of honor, or at least of honesty. And he seems to have taken an oath of his own to protect Sansa, despite being sworn to Joffrey. Oathbreaking is dishonorable. Except when it isn’t.

Ser Jorah said that “no one can survive in this world without help,” and that statement resonates throughout this episode. Aegon had his sisters. Ygritte has her allies, but Jon needs some. Theon has his advisor, who encourages the “iron law” that might have killed Bran and Rickon. Arya does not have help, and that means she continues to make mistakes in who to kill and who to trust. Dany, too, has placed her faith in the wrong man: Xaro Xhoan Daxos betrayed her trust and colluded to kidnap her dragons. Dragon-nap her dragons. You know what I mean.

The solemnity of an oath makes us value oath-making. But in face of the violence of the War of Five Kings, everyone is realizing that something goes deeper than speech acts: Family, for most: Theon wants to please his father, Tywin wants to protect his legacy, Jaime wants to be with his sister, Jon wants to be with his Black Brothers, Dany wants her dragon babies. But there are also the unofficial loyalties that can mean so much. Shae immediately joined Team Sansa once she realized Sansa would be fated to sleep with Joffrey the Tiny Cruel King.

So where does that leave us? This episode almost felt like Mad Men with Armor: two-person dialogues that told us everything about the characters and their internal (and external) conflicts. The titles of the last two episodes (which I’ll leave you to discover on your own, or not) make clear that we’re heading for something major. Will the oath-breaking, loyalties, and cruelties mean unmitigated disaster? Or will some people help each other, keep their oaths, and still manage to keep their heads?



Grumpkins and Snarks:

• Maester Luwin: “So far, hunting seems very similar to riding, my lord.”

• Theon: “It’s all just a game.”

• Arya: “Aegon, and his sisters.” Yeah, Arya!

• Jaime: “Who’s your mother?”
Cousin: “Cinda.”
Jaime: “Is she the fat one?
Cousin: “Well, maybe she’s gotten a little larger…”
Jaime: “There’s only one fat Lannister. If she were your mother, you’d know it.”

• Gregor Clegane has an evil voice! And there was another mention of the Brotherhood, who are hiding in the forest like Robin Hood and his Merry Men. For those who haven’t read the book: Gregor is the tall guy at Harrenhal. He is the older brother of Sandor Clegane (The Dog).

Three out of four dragons the size of cats.

Reminder: we can discuss the books and changes here.
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Mad Men: Dark Shadows

"I'm thankful I have everything I want, and no one else has anything better."

It doesn't seem fair to claim that Dark Shadows didn't totally work because it was such a Betty-heavy episode. And that was a probably an unfortunate turn of phrase. Heh. It's been a constant criticism of Mad Men in recent years that Betty isn't entirely necessary anymore, so stuck on the periphery of the show that she could easily be written out all-together. It's similarly unfortunate that this debate has only gotten more heated this season, when January Jones' pregnancy has majorly increased her absences from the series, meaning Betty turning up again after several weeks of being MIA comes off like a visit from a ghost from the past. But lumping Betty into a slightly 'off' episode is more of an unlucky coincidence than a statement on Betty's redundancy.

Because there's still a lot to like about Betty Draper. I liked her ridiculous petulance over Megan's presence in Sally's life, as well as her doomed scheme to damage Megan and Don's marriage. What's an unexpected by-product of Betty's removal from so many episodes is that we've seen Megan and Don go through so much worse over the course of the season, and this lazy attempt to create some tension can only read as pretty underwhelming. It's just another way of exploring Betty's naivety, in that she actually thought this would do some damage.

The problems in Dark Shadows lay with a certain clunkiness to a lot of the story. Sally's school project seemed like a strained deus ex machina for the Anna revelations to come out, while there were other moments that probably didn't work as well as the writers assumed they would -- like the portly Betty glimpsing the slim Megan putting on her shirt in her apartment. I don't know, there was just an on-the-nose quality to a lot of the story, lacking in traditional Mad Men subtlety. Again, I don't think it's a Betty-related problem, but it is interesting that the last time this occurred was with the Betty stories back in Tea Leaves. I may be in denial, but I'm sticking to it.

Resentment and petulance weren't just exclusive to Betty here, though. Don's treatment of Ginsberg was another example of the characters struggling to come to terms with being shut-out by generational change, Don using his power to entirely throw out Ginsberg's idea -- which was undoubtedly more interesting than Don's gravelly-voiced Satan thing (aww, he was so proud of that voice). I've also decided that I don't like Ginsberg. I understand his frustration, and sympathize with that feeling of being undermined by far more powerful people... but stay in your place, dude! Yes, he has the talent, but you can't breeze into this environment and try and call the shots with things. I think it's because we see Peggy constantly getting undermined and undervalued by those around her, yet she seems to rebel in a far less showy manner. Then again (and sorry for the constant flip-flopping, but it's what this show does to me), maybe we need more of that kind of Ginsberg-ish attitude? Where you're not merely remaining subservient to people who are, you know, screwing you over? Blah.

Elsewhere, Roger's fling with Jane was a neat encapsulation of their relationship (Jane being the arm candy whenever he needs it), but ended with that tragic resolution where she seemed genuinely desperate to move on with her life. Again, though, that strange sense of contrivance that hampered certain moments this week managed to infect that last scene. I don't know, I kept expecting Roger to burst out laughing during his last-minute, remorseful exit. It didn't feel genuine at all, neither from a character level and certainly not from the writing itself.

Don't get me wrong, this was still a very, very good episode of television. But there was definitely this 'off' tone to some of it, only made more glaring because, hey, it's Mad Men. The intentions and emotions were there, but subtlety was not a friend this week. Just try and not blame Betty. Everybody blames Betty.

Notables

- I only just realized that the new Bobby also plays MJ on Desperate Housewives, and he's a little stiff and 'child actor'-ish over on that show, too.

- It's a little thing, but I love that you had to put two-and-two together with the soap opera audition and the title of the episode. It reminded me of an incredible movie called You Can Count on Me, where the final scene really contextualizes the title of the film.

- However, I really didn't like the scene between Megan and her friend. It felt just as phony and melodramatic as the Dark Shadows script they were just reading.

- I know she's forever Rory Gilmore, but... Alexis Bledel? In that dream sequence? Damn.

- I miss Lane. Though he was probably busy melting universes together or something.

- Little bits: Betty's orgasmic expression eating the Thanksgiving dinner; Pete's disgusted look towards Howard on the train.

Quotage

Pete: I spent an hour on the phone last night with my new best friend Victor at the New York Times.
Roger: Gonna get a paper route?

Roger: When we took LSD, you swore to me that you'd always be there for me.
Jane: Stop telling me things that I said that night. Like I know I didn't promise to remarry right away to save you alimony.

Pete: You know what Howard, why don't you spend Thanksgiving with her and I'll go to your house and screw your wife?

Previously posted at Unwelcome Commentary. ... Read full post

Breaking Bad: I.F.T.

"Honesty is good, don't you think?"

Big tug of war between Walt and Skyler. Walt may have won, but Skyler certainly got the last word.

I loved how Walt left the duffel bag full of money on the floor in front of Skyler, like cheese in a mousetrap. This is why I did it, he told her. College tuition. Health insurance. Physical therapy for Junior. He didn't steal it; he earned it. He must have thought it out pretty carefully, because it was exactly the right thing to say to Skyler, even though she was quite aware that she was being manipulated.

Skyler called the cops on Walt, but couldn't bring herself to take the next step and put him in jail. Walt learned his lesson from the pepper spray incident and was acting like a much-aligned saint in front of the cops, calmly holding the baby in his arms and feeding her a bottle as if he were father of year, and selflessly telling Junior not to be angry with Skyler. So he won the skirmish. He can sleep in the baby's room, where he used to hide his money and gun, and think about the fact that Skyler struck back in the only way she had left -- which was Ted.

(I had no idea what the title of the episode meant, and had to look on the internet. It's what Skyler says to Walt. I.F.T. "I fucked Ted.")

Skyler said to her lawyer that the Walt problem will eventually solve itself. But now that he's had the surgery, hasn't Walt quite possibly beaten the cancer? Was that just an excuse because Skyler doesn't really want to get rid of Walt? I think she does want him to go away, but she just can't handle sending him to jail. And then, of course, there is the money.

This week's dirty water imagery is brought to you by... Walt peeing in the sink. Did he walk right by the hall bathroom in order to make a statement about how pissed he was with Skyler? Okay, there was a lot more in the way of water imagery. Before his gruesome beheading (way to open an episode, guys) Tortuga said that there are two kinds of men: one who drinks, and one who pours. And that a man can never drink his fill waiting in line at the tap. Ah, the wisdom of Tortuga, who did such a stupid thing ratting on the cartel. The Jefe (another bald man -- what's with all the bald men on this show?) quipped that Tortuga's words flowed like a waterfall.

The situation with the cartel is now a bit clearer. Gus does work for the cartel, but he has control over his territory, and by extension, Walt. The Twins are the cousins Tuco kept mentioning, and the cartel Jefe might not be able to control them because they aren't rational businessmen like himself and Gus. The Twins were the ones that beheaded Tortuga and apparently, Gus is just fine with them doing the same to Walt -- but not until Gus is finished with him.

The Twins stole a wheelchair-accessible van for Tio. (What did they do to that poor woman in the wheelchair?) It was interesting that they got a wheelchair accessible van, but there was no wheelchair access for Tio into Gus's meeting room at the chicken farm. There's only so much the Twins can do. I think that was a visual hint that Gus was in control.

In other news, Jesse spent this episode wandering around his completely empty house calling Jane's voice mail over and over. And then her account was canceled. Man, I don't think they could have jammed in more symbolism about the emptiness of Jesse's life if they had tried. Jesse is almost certainly broke, now that he's blown half a mil on a house. It's pretty obvious what will happen next.

Bits:

-- I love how the White house is right at the end of a street, at the juncture of a T. It makes the house seem oddly disjointed, out of place. I've always meant to mention it. And now I have.

-- Walt took the rotten pizza off the roof. Of course, he's back in the house now, so the real rottenness is indoors.

-- How delightful that Gus prepared a vegetable snacking tray for his guests. That was so very Gus-like.

-- I loved the juxtaposition of Skyler playing "Old MacDonald had a Farm" for baby Holly and Gus's factory chicken farm.

-- El Paso wants Hank back. Hank is not pleased, even though he pretended he was. In fact, he was so frightened that he deliberately got in a fight and Gomez had to lie for him. Lots of symbolic broken glass during that scene.

-- Saul brought Jesse a cactus as a housewarming present. Very Saul. Happy new house, don't get too comfy, Jesse.

Fascinating episode. But they always are. Three out of four housewarming cacti,

Billie

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Castle Book Review: A Brewing Storm

“After all, if there was anything he hated, it was unfinished business.”

Derrick Storm is dead. He was killed by his creator, Richard Castle, four years ago in a book called Storm Fall. Castle was not allowed to have his hero die in peace; everyone from his competitors to his publisher and most of his fans bemoaned the killing and wondered if Castle had lost his mind. But, Storm was laid to rest and Nikki Heat was born.

So, imagine my surprise when I received an email from Amazon that three Derrick Storm novels were going to be published over the course of the summer. A bit skeptical about it, I realized that if Sir Arthur can bring back Mr. Holmes from the dead, I guess Rick Castle can bring back Mr. Storm. There is no mention in the show that Castle is reviving this character, but there is a (very funny) deleted scene that does. “Magical, godlike powers” indeed.

The book opens with Storm fly-fishing in Montana as a huge helicopter descends nearly on top of him. A man gets out, shouts that “Jedidiah (I know -- more on the names later) is calling in Tangiers” and we are off. By page three, we have learned that Storm faked his own death to escape the clutches of the CIA, that he has successfully hidden from the world for the past four years and that the favor he owes Jedidiah Jones, Tangiers, is so huge it will bring him back into the world.

Storm leaves his peaceful life in Montana and flies to Washington D.C. to meet Jones, who needs his help solving the kidnapping of a senator’s stepson. The case proceeds at a brisk clip, event after event happening almost without time to catch a breath. A lot of it is pure male fantasy, but the case is entertaining and engaging.

Castle certainly had some fun in coming up with his characters’ names. As the last time we saw Storm was in a graphic novel, these names seem taken right from a comic book -- April Showers, Thurston Windslow, Jedidiah Jones, Samantha Toppers (who is so top heavy, she is an “architectural marvel”) and Matthew Dull. Only Storm’s pseudonym, Steve Mason, seems at all realistic.

The characters are all a touch stereotypical as well. Storm is the hero, in every sense of the word. He is street smart; he dresses impeccably; he shoots straight. Storm is a tough guy, macho, street smart as opposed to cerebral. A man of few words, but an overactive internal dialogue. He appears to spend vast amounts of his time thinking about his next Jack Daniels and when and where he will next get laid. A man’s man, or at least the kind of man Castle fantasized about being when we first met him.

Jedidiah Jones is the father figure to whom Storm owes a great deal and whom he respects a great deal. Storm mentions more than once that Jones is the only man he trusts. Thurston Windslow is a senator from Texas and he is about what you would expect -- married to a woman half his age, gruff and the most powerful man on the Hill. We have the beautiful, perfect wife and the young fiancee.

Like all of Castle’s books, we need the romantic tension. In this case, Storm is working with an FBI agent called April Showers. Described as having “porcelain white skin and … red hair,” she sounds an awful lot like FBI Agent Jordan Shaw of Tick, Tick, Tick and Boom. Their first meeting reminded me of Castle’s first meeting with Beckett. Storm is intrigued by Showers and makes no secret of the fact that he wants to sleep with her. In fact, Storm makes so many sexual innuendos in their conversations that it becomes all a bit too much, entirely inappropriate for a working relationship. In fact, as the innuendos continued, I found myself wondering what woman in her right mind would ever fall for this crap? Probably not the response Castle is looking for in his hero. Also, I’m not sure about a couple called Storm and Showers -- that’s a bit much.

Another of the obstacles between the two is that Storm is still thinking about Clara Strike and comparing Showers to her (they even wear the same perfume). The love of Storm’s life, he had deeply mourned Strike’s death only to discover that she, too, had faked an accident so that she could disappear. She is alive and well somewhere (not D.C.), so we don’t meet her this time out. For viewers of the show, Clara Strike is a familiar name. Sophia Turner, the CIA agent in Pandora and Linchpin, is the woman upon whom Castle based this character. In real life (or the Castle version of it), Castle worked with Turner for a year and they were lovers, a relationship that ended badly.

There are a couple of things about the book that are irksome. Storm has a very active internal life and his thoughts dominate a lot of the story. Which is fine, except that his thoughts are printed in italics. It’s distracting and I found it pulled me out of the story a bit.

The end is a bit forced. I saw the guilty party coming about halfway through, but as Storm is revealing who it is to the rest of the characters, his explanation comes completely out of left field. The few clues that were dropped were so heavily signposted that they were hard to miss; the others were made up right at the end. I always feel as though the author is cheating a bit when s/he does that.

Those two quibbles aside, however, A Brewing Storm is a fun, fast read and I enjoyed it. Although the kidnapping is more or less resolved at the end, the book ends with a lot of things not resolved and on a cliffhanger. This leads me to believe that the next two novels are, in fact, installments of this story. If you are a reader who needs an ending, I suggest you wait until August. If not, this book is perfect beach reading. ... Read full post

Castle: Flowers For Your Grave

“I’m here for the story.”

It’s been done over and over again -- the procedural show in which two opposite personalities are paired together to solve the crime of the week. What makes this show different from the ones that have come before is that while our two protagonists are opposite, they are also a lot alike.

The opening act cuts between the two of them. On the one hand we have best-selling author Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion). We are introduced to him over the Pussycat Dolls’ “When I Grow Up” in which he seems to be on top of the world. Rich, famous, about to publish yet another bestseller that will make him even more rich and famous. Yet, all is not right in Castle’s world. He is so bored with writing that he has killed off his most famous character, Derrick Storm, in this recent book. As a result, he is suffering from severe writer’s block. He also seems to only be able to relate to women on an almost adolescent level, flirty but hardly taking them seriously.

Which is interesting, because Castle’s world is dominated by women. His publisher, Gina (Monet Mazur), is also his ex-wife who threatens him with legal action if he doesn’t start writing. His mother, Martha (Susan Sullivan), is a mad, self-involved, drunk actress who has just moved in with him and is getting herself too involved in his life. His daughter, Alexis (Molly Quinn), seems to be the voice of reason and maturity in the family. “An old soul,” she studies at a party and refuses a drink when her father hands a glass of champagne to her. Later, we see them interacting in their apartment and it is obvious that they have a loving, mutually respectful relationship.

On the other hand, we have NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). She is serious, bordering on humourless, but is exceptionally good at her job. Through Beckett, we meet her colleagues. Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Kevin Ryan (Seamus Dever) assist her with the case. Although she outranks them, she obviously has a friendly, easygoing relationship with them. Her boss is Captain Roy Montgomery (Ruben Santiago-Hudson), a man she respects and admires. Rounding out this group is Lanie Parish (Tamala Jones), the medical examiner and Beckett’s friend. Through them, we learn that Beckett’s whole world is her job and that she doesn’t get out much.

These two worlds collide when a serial killer starts staging murders as written by Castle. Beckett, a fan of Castle’s books, recognises what is going on and brings Castle in for questioning. Here we see their first interaction, and it is more insight into their personalities. Castle is glib and flirtatious, treating the encounter almost as if it is a first date. He keeps trying to charm Beckett who, one gets the feeling, is the only woman in New York immune to his “bad boy charm.” Beckett is, in fact, rather put off by him.

But, right from the beginning, we can see that they are evenly matched. The dialogue is quick, almost staccato. For every zing that Castle sends across the table, Beckett lobs it back, absolutely refusing to play his game. Even this early in the game, they are finishing each other’s sentences. The end of this encounter is more insight -- Beckett says that they’re done and means it; Castle believes that she is looking for his help. He can’t imagine anyone being immune to his charms.

Much to Beckett’s disgust, Castle turns up the next day and Montgomery basically orders her to work with him. Beckett, understandably, is skeptical about why Castle is helping with the case and wonders if it simply to annoy her (maybe not so immune after all). Castle is a man who needs to know what the story is and believes that there will always be a story. As Beckett smirks at his naiveté, Castle proceeds to tell Beckett the story of her life. He nails it. Underneath all that silly behaviour is an observant and empathetic human being. This insight is reinforced when Castle sees that Beckett, an obviously private person, is upset by his insights and he shuts up, the first time we see him behave in any kind of mature fashion.

As the case proceeds, Castle keeps pushing himself into Beckett’s world. He is convinced that the story doesn’t make sense, and in spite of herself, Beckett can’t help but agree. There is an excellent montage where both Castle and Beckett are talking through the case, but not with each other. They arrive at the same conclusion and the search for the killer is on. This montage was a great set-up for the future, as bouncing ideas and finishing each other’s sentences will quickly become a staple of the show. They come together at the end, arrest the right man and Castle gets his story.

What makes this partnership so great, even from the beginning, is that neither of them is one thing or the other. Both are very smart, each coming up with a part of the solution to the murder. Both can handle the physical parts of the job. Beckett is a badass with a gun, but Castle has no fear in chasing after the suspect armed only with his shoe – disarming him with a well-timed blow to the nose. They also have an immediate effect on each other. Castle’s writer’s block has gone and Beckett breaks out of her shell to flirt with him at the end.

The show managed a lot for a pilot. It set up the basic premise; it introduced the characters well; and, it told a good story. Not great, but good enough that I cared about these characters and came back for more.

Three out of four apples, apples, apples.


Tidbits:

-- Beckett is not wearing gloves at the suspect’s house. Even I know that would never happen.

-- Castle obviously has an easy time with people. He and Esposito appear to bond instantly and even Lanie is impressed when she meets him.

-- Martha was in ‘Mousetrap’ for a year and still doesn’t know what it was about. She’s not the only one.

-- The inscription in the book that Castle gives Beckett: ‘Kate. I cannot think of a better partner or woman. Richard Castle’.


Soundbites:

Lanie: “Who says romance is dead?”
Beckett: “I do. Every Saturday night.”
Lanie: “A little lipstick wouldn’t hurt. I’m just sayin’.”

Castle: “Just once, I’d like someone to come up to me and say something new.”
Beckett: “Mr. Castle?”
Castle, turning around pen in hand: “Where would you like it?”
Beckett: “Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD. We need to ask you a few questions about a murder that took place earlier tonight.”
Alexis: “That’s new!”

Esposito: “A control freak like you with something you can’t control? No, no. That’s gonna be more fun than Shark Week.”

Beckett: “This isn’t one of your books, Castle. Out here, we find a guy standing over a body with a gun, he’s usually the guy who did it.” [See Billie’s Rule Number 2]

Alexis: “If I have to keep bailing you out, you’re gonna need to raise my allowance.”
Martha: “Mine, too.”

Castle: “Tell me you saw that! You’re going to put that in your report, right?”

Beckett: “What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!”
Castle: “Well, the safety was on the whole time.”
Beckett: “You know, you could have told me.”
Castle: “Where’s the fun in that?”

Castle: “It would have been great.”
Beckett: “You have no idea.”

... Read full post

Community: Curriculum Unavailable

“We're all kind of crazytown banana pants.”

So we had some very good news last week. Against the odds, Community has been renewed for a fourth season. We'll be getting 13 more episodes. I know a lot of people are bitter about that, but I'm not too bothered by it. Maybe it's because I'm British and am used to sitcoms having six episode seasons. To me, 13 is still quite a lot. That's one more than Fawlty Towers ever had.

At this point we don't know whether or not those 13 episodes will be the show's last. When Community returns in the autumn it will be moved to Friday's and paired with...Whitney? Okay, I'll be honest and admit that I've never seen a single episode of Whitney but my comedy spider-sense (which has never once let me down) tells me it is not good.

So even with the renewal,  the future doesn't look too good for Community. But I'd rather the show went out at the top of its game (like The Beatles) rather than have it keep rocking on long, long, long past its best (like The Rolling Stones). The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, and you have burned so very, very brightly, Community. You've done things other sitcom writers wouldn't believe. Epic paintball wars. Episodes about multiple timelines. Reviving Chevey Chase's career. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears...in rain. Well, that's not really true. We'll have the DVDs and thanks to these 13 episode Community will live on in syndication for generations to come.

I've been feeling for a long time now that the writers are starting to run out of ideas. Many episodes this season have revisited ideas or plot lines from previous seasons. This episode was no different. Like season two's "Paradigms of Human Memory" it was another clip show that used clips from episodes that, alas, never were. While they might be running out of ideas for episodes, it is a relief to know that they haven't ran out of jokes. 'Curriculum Unavailable' doesn't reach the same dizzying heights of "Paradigms of Human Memory" but it was still hilarious. With no need to worry about an actual plot to give everything some context it was just wall to wall jokes, each one more bizzare than the last. The best was the montage of the various Greendale classes. That one had me in stitches.

Things took a turn for the “wah” when the shrink announced that there was no Greendale. They'd all been locked up in a mental asylum for three years. It was at that point that it became obvious that Chang was behind all of this. And he would've gotten away with it to if it weren't for those pesky kids. But he did have them going for a while. It is not hard to believe that this lot could've been sectioned at one point. Apart from Abed, who is sane and has the test results to prove it, they all have some serious mental health issues. They could all do with some time in proper therapy. They are running the risk of becoming dangerously co-dependent on each other. Well, okay more dangerously co-dependent on each other.

Notes and Quotes

--It's been two months since everyone was expelled. Which begs the question, what have they been doing with themselves? Have they got jobs?

--It was rather sweet of the group to realise how much the Dean means to them. They might find him annoying most of the time but he clearly loves and cares about this group and values them above all other students. They're his favourites.

--I'd like to take a moment to appreciate Officer Cackowski. The Inspector Spacetime loving, Antiques Roadshow watching officer of the law is one of the show's best peripheral characters, despite his minimal screentime. He always brings the funny every time he shows up.

--We got some great new Dean costumes including a fireman, a ZZ Top janitor and a 20s flapper.

--Other classes at Greendale include Baby Talk, Advanced Breath Holding, Can I Fry That? and Ladders.

--The asylum sequence, with everyone acting out scenes from old episodes (including the previous clip show), was terrific.

--There isn't anything crazy about thinking Shirley is a bad person for liking Brett Ratner. She is a bad person.

--I don't understand the whole clocks going back thing either. It makes no sense!

Troy: “You have to understand about Abed, he’s usually adorable weird like Mork from Ork but since we got expelled he’s been creepy weird like present day Robin Williams.”

Dr. Heidi: “And you’ve attended Greendale for three years but don’t community colleges end after two?”
Jeff: “Everyone’s always saying that. The average community college student attends school for 5-7 years. Many offer 4 year degrees.”

Troy: “May your dreams be sweet, and your nightmares be spooky monster scary and not grandma died scary.”

Britta: "The Dean has been kidnapped. He is out there, somewhere, alone and cold and most likely trying to cobble together a sexy Patty Hurst costume."
Jeff: “Britta’s right. Wait. What?”

Troy: “Please, Mr. Doctor Psychiatrist Sir, please don’t send my best friend to crazy people jail!”

Three and a half out of four $60 bricks. ... Read full post

Dark Shadows

Barnabas: "Love means never having to say you're sorry. However, it is with sincere regret that I must now kill all of you."

Based on a 1960s/70's soap opera of the same name, this is the second attempt to capture the zany supernatural antics of this beloved classic. Okay, maybe "beloved classic" is a bit of a stretch, but it is fondly remembered by a lot of people. I've never had a chance to see the original soap, but I did see the remake done in the early 90's, which I only remember vaguely as being moody and romantic. This new one gives us a very typical set-up of supernatural monsters with vampires, ghosts, and witches, oh my. They don't really explain the rules of the supernatural, but I guess that isn't really the point of the film. It's about the actions of the characters, not what they can do. Unfortunately, although a lot of it works really well, a good chunk of it doesn't.

Johnny Depp is brilliant as usual as the lead vampire Barnabas Collins. He is creepy, funny, and oddly sympathetic. I say it's odd because, he really is a monster here. The character kills people indiscriminately, even if he is apologetic about it. Yet somehow he makes the character work, even though at times I think it's in spite of the writing, not because of it. Eva Green plays the maniacal and villainous witch Angelique, and she really gives an over the top performance. Most of the time she succeeds, even though she goes a little too far a couple of times. Michelle Pfeiffer (Elizabeth Collins Stoddard) is perfect as the aging matriarch, which in a nice change of formula isn't the typical evil, manipulative character. I wasn't impressed with Helena Bonham Carter (Dr. Julia Hoffman), who plays the family doctor/shrink. I usually like her performances, but for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, she doesn't work in this movie.

Chloë Grace Moretz is Carolyn Stoddard, an angry, rebellious 15-year-old with a secret that literally comes out of nowhere. I guess if I watched it again I'd be able to pick out clues, but I'm not sure if they did enough to make the reveal of her secret in the third act worthwhile. Jonny Lee Miller (Roger Collins) and Jackie Earle Haley (Willis Loomis) are marginally important secondary characters. I don't think they add much, unfortunately, although Haley is great with what he was given. Miller also did well with his character, but I'm not entirely sure if his character is important enough to be there at all. The other kid (Gulliver McGrath/David Collins) is also kinda just there, even though he had a fun little plot of his own.

Strange that for me, the stand-out performance is also the most underutilized character. Bella Heathcote plays both the governess, Victoria, and Barnabas's dead paramour, Josette. She is subtle and haunting in both roles, evoking the right amount of creepy pathos. I especially liked Victoria, who is mysterious and vulnerable and has the most definitive character arc besides Barnabas. Her back-story, although not so original, worked really well. I just wish they had paid a bit more attention to her character, since she is pretty central. For big chunks of the film, her character is pretty much forgotten.

The effects are excellent for the most part, and I think that's because they used primarily physical effects. There isn't a lot of glaring fake CGI, and the few times where it is used are really beautiful, save one. I won't go into details, but it is jarring how badly handled this one special effect is. It didn't break the scene, but I cringed at how clumsy it looked. Other than that one effect, the overall tone is fun but a bit odd. They chose to set everything in 1972 (except for the origin flashback, which was in the 1700's), so everything has a groovy vibe. Colors are bright, clashing, and occasionally psychedelic. It creates a nice discordance with the darkness of everything else, which is very dark, grey, and gothic. It did allow for some very fitting and wonderfully chosen 70's music. If nothing else, the soundtrack is awesome.

So I'm a little torn. I enjoyed the movie, but wasn't thrilled. Some of the dialogue is really witty, and some is really clunky. It has some very dark and goofy humor, but it isn't actually funny. It's campy, but isn't a parody. It felt almost like it was just paying homage to the source material. Unfortunately it's a little too serious in places and too silly in other places to hit the right balance. It has some strange pacing and narrative issues.

I guess in some ways, it's just another ho-hum Tim Burton outing. And that's a shame, because I used to love Tim Burton movies.

2 1/2 out of 4 exploding fish canneries.

... Read full post

Supernatural: There Will Be Blood

Dean: "You got Pac-Man and True Blood in the same room, and that's bad news."

This felt like the first part of a two part finale. Probably because it was.

How nice to have so many beloved, creepy guest stars returning to the show! Rick Worthy rocks as the Alpha Vamp, and I loved him saying to the Winchesters, "See you next season." Was that a promise that Rick Worthy will return? The vamps on this show have always been a bit funky and underused. A good vampire plot could be cool.

Although the leviathan plot has been meh, there is something fun about Dean and Sam allying with Alpha Vamp and Crowley, everyone's favorite King of Hell. I'm actually a little worried about Crowley. He's a slimy double-crossing demon, but he's *our* slimy double-crossing demon. Are the boys going to end up rescuing him from Dick? Maybe Ghost Bobby is the one who will rescue Crowley, which is hilarious, under the circumstances. I somehow doubt Crowley will give up a bit of blood all that easily. Plus, where are they going to find the bone that they need? Does that mean the boys have to kill someone good?

I liked that, even with the fate of seven billion people in their hands, Dean and Sam still refused to leave the little boy with Alpha Vamp. But it bothered me that they left Emily. (It was pretty obvious throughout that Emily was lying. The boys have no excuse. They've certainly encountered creepy little girls before.) Yes, she might be too far gone to save, but there shouldn't have been a little boy in the story at all. They should have saved Emily. What is it with females on this show, really?

Bobby is going bonkers, as predicted. He's haunting the cabin bathroom, breaking a lot of glass, and is frustrated enough to try possession. This can't be good. At least Kevin is still alive, and I wasn't expecting that. Kevin didn't tell Dick that he'd already given a translation to the Winchesters. Good for him. I hope he gets the chance to go to Princeton.

The high fructose corn syrup obesity epidemic thing is wonderful tongue-in-cheek social commentary. Dean living on fruit, raw veggies and water? His body will go into shock. Or it'll thank him.

Bits and pieces:

-- So much for Edgar. I wasn't expecting that.

-- Dick's high tech devil's trap was awesome. But probably easier to break than paint on a ceiling.

-- All those dick jokes, and now we're getting prick jokes.

-- How to Serve Man was the title of a book on the bookshelf in Hoople. Actually, it's a famous short story.

-- The guy Sam jabbed was wearing a Plucky Pennywhistle tee shirt and sitting on a bench with a Biggerson's ad on it.

-- Dean bled on the table at the monastery. Was that just so that Edgar would know they were there?

-- This week: Television interview with Dick in Seattle; Hoople, North Dakota; Missoula, Montana. There really is a Hoople, North Dakota. Delightful name. The Missoula motel they stashed Emily in had a buffalo and plains theme.

Quotes:

Dean: "I have read this more times than the Playboy I found in Dad's duffel."
Sam: "Anna Nicole?"
Dean: "Anna Nicole. The good, they die young, huh?"

Dean: "You don't look so hot."
Bobby: "I'm in the veil. My Brad Pitt days are over."

Dean: "I can't live on rabbit food. I'm a warrior."

Sam: "Could have been a monastery. Monks get up at four a.m. to pray."
Dean: "Whoah. Can't get laid, can't sleep in? It's a freakin' tragedy. (pause while thinking of his next quip) So Alpha's camping next to a monk-y house?"

Emily: "What's a Kardashian?"
Dean: "Just another bloodsucker."

Dean: "You get a trophy in Stockholm Syndrome."

Dean: "Did he mention that he was going to Maui Wowie the human population?"

Sam: "We gave up all our vamptonite."

Alpha: "You don't call, you don't write, you don't send cookies..."

Very much looking forward to the finale. Especially now that we know we're getting another season. Three out of four grocery bags of rabbit food,

Billie

... Read full post

Revenge: Legacy.

"Destruction is in my DNA. Take it up with Darwin."

Few shows can pull off offbeat episodes such as this one but "Legacy" was a stunning success. It did a superb job of bringing together a variety of plots threads and intriguing details that emerged throughout the year into a fascinating and cohesive whole.
I was most impressed by the fact that the writers dedicated an entire episode to flashbacks without warning. I hadn't realized how much we needed an hour such as this one to put things into perspective and ensure our alignment with Emily's path. All signs certainly lead to a near cataclysmic clash of power in the finale and we're now firmly on Miss Thorne's vengeful trajectory.

Beginning with our heroine's suitably dark club days following her juvie-release, it was interesting to see Amanda's first return visit to the Hamptons as well as the reappearance of a number of faces from the beginning of the year. There's a certainly satisfying touch watching all the people Emily burned over the year gathered in a dinner party from hell. The hour was filled with little nuggets of plot points that certified just how much the Revenge writing staff care about continuity which makes this viewer supremely happy. I think what I enjoyed most besides seeing Amanda's previous victims was Lydia's appearance. I never expected her to be the one who planted the first move on Conrad so I'm glad she got what was coming to her.

Moreover, I absolutely adored Victoria in this one. It was an eye-opening delight to see her first meeting with David Clarke and just what exactly brought these two souls together. The chemistry was evident from the start and I look forward to seeing more endearing moments between them as they're undeniably my favorite couple on the show.

Finally, I'm intrigued that we jumped back to the present for the episode's final scene and ten years later no less. Wonderful ending.

Vengeful Bits:
- Jack's flashback hair: HA!
- Oh Frank, I don't really think I missed you. Still as creepy as ever.
- I pretty much love anytime young Amanda is on screen having a moment with her father. They're an awesome duo.
- Madeleine Stowe looked absolutely gorgeous in that "Dolce".
- Jack's bartender girlfriend was probably the weakest part of this hour. She seemed much too forced.
- Sinfully awesome shot of Lydia adjusting herself in the mirror as Conrad gives his speech.
- Amanda's breakdown at the end following the discovery of the body was great.
- Loved Victoria grabbing Mason by the head. Wish she snapped it off.

Brimming with an excellent eye for continuity, this was a marvelous hour of Revenge.

3.5 out of 4 Infinity Tattoos.

Previously posted at Nad TV Reviews.

... Read full post

Doux News: May 13, 2012

This week: Renewals and Cancellations --- Finales Ahoy --- X-Files Mania? --- Joss on Joss --- For Geek Moms Everywhere

(Note: I’m covering the news column on an as-needed basis. But never fear! Billie and the other writers are helping to feed me news tidbits, so shows I don’t watch should still get some love.)

Upfronts are here, and the long wait for renewal and cancellation confirmations for the major networks is almost over. Actually, in most cases, the wait is already over. Typically the renew/cancel news comes out when the fall schedules are officially presented at Upfronts. But this past week has seen a flurry of announcements, and at this point I’m not sure if any shows are left hanging in the balance.

Unsurprisingly, FOX officially cancelled Alcatraz; however, they did renew Touch. They also picked up a new pilot from Vampire Diaries showrunner Kevin Williamson called The Following. It’s about serial killers and stars James Purefoy (Rome, Camelot) and Kevin Bacon (!), as well as Justified’s Natalie Zea. I’m guessing this means less time with Winona in Season 4 of Justified. Could we please get more Rachel and Tim her absence?

Also unsurprisingly, NBC cancelled Awake; however, they did renew Community for 13 episodes and my beloved Parks and Recreation for a full season (woo hoo!). To be honest, I’m not too broken up about Awake. It was a good show with a great pilot, but I think the “which reality is real?” structure would have been difficult to maintain over the long haul, and the procedural elements they were using as filler were generally very weak. I’ve certainly enjoyed Jason Isaacs’ mesmerizing performance, but one and done is probably about right for this show. Hopefully, we’ll get some measure of closure in a couple weeks.

NBC also announced a whole bunch of new pilot pick-ups. The most intriguing ‘round these parts is probably the new offering from J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke (Supernatural), titled Revolution, which is about people struggling to survive in a world where all forms of energy have ceased to exist. My interest was already piqued based on the combination of those two creators, but it also stars Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Once Upon a Time)! Apparently David Lyons (The Cape) and Billy Burke (Twilight) are also in it, but it had me at Giancarlo Esposito.

Moving over to ABC, most of our favorites were renewed, including Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Castle. (I’m also looking forward to a second season of Suburgatory.) In addition, a deal was struck to move Cougar Town to TBS for a fourth season. This is great news for me, as I’m a big fan of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. The show hasn’t been knocking it out of the park every week this season, but they’ve still been bringing enough of their particular “wackiness plus heart” formula to keep me happy. I’ll be watching next season.

ABC cancellations include The River and Missing, but notable pick-ups cover a host of potentially genre-friendly fare, as well as several shows featuring some perennial favorites, including Terry O’Quinn, Andre Braugher, Connie Britton, Robert Wisdom, and Anthony Edwards (!).

And at the CW, Nikita and Heart of Dixie are in, and The Secret Circle and Ringer are out. Of potential interest (or cause for trepidation) in CW series pick-ups are Beauty and the Beast, a reboot of the 1980s series that starred Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton, and Arrow, a series that takes us back to Smallville territory with a focus on comics hero Green Arrow.

Finales Ahoy

It’s May and its sweeps, so season finales abound. Castle wrapped its second season this past Monday in an apparently satisfying fashion. Thursday was a big night with sweet and emotional finales on Big Bang Theory and Parks and Recreation, plus twists and turns aplenty on The Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries (I don’t actually watch these two, so I’m really just spit-balling here). And last, but not least, Fringe aired its freaky and emotionally intense season finale on Friday.

On deck for this week: Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother (an hour-long episode), Hawaii Five-0, Cougar Town (two episodes in an hour-long block), Community (a three-episode marathon --- interrupted by 30 Rock at 8:30), Person of Interest, Grimm, Nikita, and Supernatural.

X-Files Mania?

Is it just me, or has there been a strangely high number of X-Files shout outs in primetime television of late? Last week there was a nod on Awake, when the Brittens sat down to enjoy an old X-Files marathon. Then, this past Wednesday there were references in two of the ABC comedy shows, with characters on Suburgatory and Don’t Trust the B____ in Apartment 23 settling in for an evening of X-Files watching. Add that to a spring cleaning recovery of my old collection of X-Files calendars, magazines, and news clippings (I was really obsessed with the show), and it feels like XF is everywhere these days! A cosmic sign that I need to start on those Season 2 reviews?

Joss on Joss

Courtesy of Josie (who did not make me post the lead image)

Joss Whedon posted an interview with himself on Whedonesque, and the New York Times covered it.

For Geek Moms (and Dads) Everywhere

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought I’d share one of my fun “geek mom” memories. My girls aren’t old enough to really embrace geek culture yet --- if you don’t count those fantasy and little girl staples, unicorns, princesses, and fairies --- but I had my first inkling that my oldest might be destined for geekdom when she was about two years old.

We turned on the television one night and it happened to be on the Sci Fi Channel (that’s what it was called back then). One of those craptastic Sci Fi Originals was airing --- The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice. We left it on for a few minutes because Amy Acker was the lead and, hey, cheesy CGI dragons! (Not to be confused with the awesome and totally cute CGI dragon above.) Pretty soon a dragon showed up and burned down an entire village. Naturally, the king’s men ran out to the ramparts to start shooting arrows at the thing, and that’s when my little daughter calls out: “Oh no! Watch out, dragon!”

Apparently the burned village was of no consequence to her, but the thought that the men might hurt the dragon was cause for concern. My husband and I quickly changed the channel to something more appropriate, but then exchanged looks of what I can only describe as extreme glee and pride. She cared about the dragon! Sure, this one was a fire-breathing menace that just killed a bunch of people, but she still cared about him. She might be one of our kind! Huzzah!

Happy Mother’s Day!

That's it for this week. Opinions, raves, rants, questions? Any favorite geek parent moments to share? Post a comment!

Image credit: Westeros, Copyright © HBO

... Read full post

Nikita: Crossbow

"This ends today."

I woke up this morning to some utterly beautiful news; Nikita had been gloriously renewed for a third season.

It was a truly pleasant surprise because Nikita has undeniably cemented itself throughout the second half of this season as one of the strongest and most exciting shows on television. Had the show been cancelled (which was pretty much a sure thing until this morning) I seriously wonder how I would have ever gotten over the cancellation (10 years later and I'm still mourning Dark Angel; a personal favorite).

As for this episode, it was an excellent penultimate hour that did a superb job of setting up the finale. After all, what could be bigger than Team Nikita infiltrating Division and endings things once and for all? This show consistently reminds me of The Vampire Diaries particularly with the sheer confidence it has in plowing through developments with stunning gravitas and a magnificent attention to continuity (Robbie's return in this hour is potent proof of that). Moreover, I must say it was a joy to watch our two favorite couples carrying out their epic plan. I can't wait to see more Nikita/Michael & Sean/Alex working side by side next year.

And finally, the last few minutes of the hour were just too darn tense for me to handle. I'm just so invested in our team that I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering how they were going to get out of their predicament. The charges going off as Michael called out for Nikita provided a heart-stopping ending to the hour and left me suitably pumped for the finale. I wholeheartedly hope it's a spectacular hour that does the season justice. And if it somehow disappoints, well we've got a whole other season to look forward to and I couldn't be happier.

Bits & Bullets:
- Nikita's opening dream was quite creepy yet effectively prophetic.
- Way to go Michael blowing up that gas talk.
- Sean knocking out Robbie as he threatens Alex; hilariously unexpected.
- Percy has his own personal death-star: definitely not an anticlimactic reveal. I'm pleased.
- Percy blackmailing the President; pretty darn epic.
- I wish we got more of Sean & Alex escaping from the reactor on the motorcycle before it blew up. It felt hastily edited.
- Nikita's "I'm not running anymore" speech to Michael was chilling. The "dying in that hellhole without" part broke my heart. God I love these two now.
- Birkhoff kissing Nikita and proclaiming "May the force be with you" was just funny and touching on every level.
-Michael's reaction to the above-mentioned kiss: priceless.
- I don't really find myself that invested in Percy's desire to join the unnamed group of super-villains. I'd like to be proven wrong eventually.
- Alex's smirk after she saved Sean; loved it.
- The Division agent breaking her fellow accomplice's neck with her legs to alert Sonya was a shockingly good move

Nikki Notables:
-Michael: You thinking what I'm thinking?
 Nikita: Storm's coming.

-Percy: (To The President) Right now, I'm your Commander In Chief.

-The President: So you're telling me that the combined might of the U.S. military forces are no match for one madman? In New Jersey?"

-Nikita: Michael you're too heavy for me to lower, not that I'm dissing your girlish figure.

Expertly plotted and especially nerve-wracking, Crossbow was the perfect set-up for next week's season finale.

3 out of 4 Percy death-stars.

Previously posted at Nad TV Reviews.

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Awake: Say Hello to My Little Friend

“I see a little silhouette-o of a man.”

May I, just for a moment, abdicate any pretense of reviewer maturity, detachment, and general grown-upness and say exactly what I’m thinking? Thank you, I will: this episode was totally awesome. And this show totally deserved a renewal, even though none of us thought it would get what it deserved. Why isn’t life fair?


I tend to dislike dream episodes. They’re nothing like real dreams—or at least nothing like my dreams—and they never manage to fully capture the overwhelming feeling of dread that (for me, at least) makes bad dreams so very bad. That Awake manages to make an entire show that may or may not be a dream somehow work, and work well, continues to mystify me. Quality of acting, elegance of execution, complexity of theme? Somehow, Kyle Killen and this week’s writer Leonard Chang have found the magic mixture that makes a dreamy procedural cop show into high art.

“The Little Guy” has haunted Britten since the second episode, even if he didn’t realize it. A sign of impending insanity? A manifestation of his own guilt? A bizarre product of his own subconscious, designed by Queen? But whose subconscious is really Marshall J. Flinkman? Surely not a straight-laced, slightly repressed cop who lives in two realities.

Little Guy was horribly disturbing: mimicking Britten’s posture, watching him sleep, staring at him in mirrors. As Petrowski said, not being able to control what’s in your own head is horrifying. Like Britten, I started to feel more certain that he was just a projection, a remnant of the song that was meant to help Britten eventually come to terms with the unreality of the Green World.

The repetition of the car accident drove me a little crazy, but that was the point: it was supposed to be just as unnerving and unfulfilling for us as it was for Britten, right up until the final realization that the Little Guy wasn’t a figment, a projection that happened to take the form of policeman Hawkins. Now Britten know what we’ve suspected: his accident was no accident. Hopefully soon he’ll connect it with the Westfield case, defeat the villains who want him dead, and somehow gain whatever closure he’s going to get in the two remaining episodes.

Perversely, I hope that closure does not involve Britten realizing that one (or, worse, both) of his worlds are not real. I was so happy that he was able to return to Rex, especially since his breakdown was so touching that it was difficult to watch. He told Emma’s father that he would give anything for one more second with Rex—and I want Britten to sacrifice his sanity (if that’s what he’s doing by living in both worlds) in order to achieve the peace that sacrifice brings him.


Bits and Bits:

• Britten: “I don’t like trusting my life to a rubber band.”

• Britten: “Nice move.”
Vega: “Thanks. It’s Muay Thai. You should come.”

• Hannah and Rex: “No escape from reality.”

• Interesting that Britten chooses to trust his psychiatrist with his realization about Hawkins.

• I hope Bird isn’t involved in the conspiracy.

• The title of this episode wins the Best Use of a Scarface Quote Award.

• Laura Innes directed this episode.

Awake won’t air next week, but there will be a two-episode conclusion on Thursday, May 24th. Until then:

Four out of four Bohemian rhapsodies.


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Fringe: Brave New World, Part II

“She is the redeemer.”

Fringe finales are usually remarkable works of art: emotionally affecting, scientifically (and delightfully) improbable, mythologically fascinating. This finale was not remarkable, merely good. It is more interesting to wonder what will happen next than it is to consider what has just happened.


The plan to collapse two universes in order to create a third—the plan we had briefly attributed to Jones, but now know is Bell’s—requires a massive energy source: Olivia. Her increased superpowers are the result of being dosed with more Cortexiphan and jump-started by recent events. The power that has always lurked within her (as Nina cheesily informed us) can be used against her, and against the world.

The plan still seems rather silly to me, which may be part of why I was underwhelmed by this episode. Of course, I am neither a megalomaniac nor a comic-book fan, so universe destruction! doesn’t do much for me. Bell’s desire to become a god was fascinating, frightening, and then over.

The necessity of sacrificing Olivia seemed obvious, as did the importance of the regenerative properties of Cortexiphan. We finally know what September meant when he said Olivia must die, and we finally know the identity of Mr. X from “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide”: Walter himself. Problem solved.

In fact, “problem solved” is the theme of this episode, which saved Astrid, gave Walter a chance to save the world and Olivia, allowed Peter and Olivia to work effectively as a team and find out they’d created a baby, and lead to that greatest of all possible unlikely events: increased funding during a recession.

That would have made for a horribly unsatisfying series finale, because everything feels too neat and tidy. As a stepping stone to the final season, this feels like the calm before the storm, the Whedonesque moment of happiness before great tragedy. The future we saw in “Letters of Transit” has now become the future, if I’m reading September’s final declaration correctly: the evil Observers are coming.

I am extremely curious about how Fringe will make that work, as we have seen the future but our heroes have not. How will they know what to fight? How will they be able to understand September’s predictions? And how will they (and we) know if they are successful or not? I think the freedom of knowing that the series must end will give the showrunners some freedom, and I hope they’ll do something insane. Like set the last 13 episodes in the future. Or do a flash-forward/flash-back structure with a constantly-altering future. I also hope Seth Gabel returns, and the we find out what series of events led to William Bell being ambered with our heroes, except Olivia.


The Eye of the Storm:

• The glyphs were interesting and cool.

• Please, please, please tell me that Rebecca Mader’s eyes were CGI during the brain-interrogation scene. No one should be able to do that. And was anyone else reminded of a similar scene in Lost?

• William Bell’s “I am” was very Yahweh. He loves those cryptic declarations of Being. And Olivia's resurrection has some sort of biblical parallel, but I just can't put my finger on it.

Three out of four Noahs.


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Vampire Diaries: The Departed

“This isn’t how our lives were supposed to be.”

Oh.

My.

Frakking.

God.

Vampire Diaries doesn’t usually deal with the big questions, but the problems of fate, free will, choice, and simple bad luck permeated this episode. Stefan believes in the power of choice: he let Grayson Gilbert sacrifice himself to save Elena, and let Elena sacrifice herself to save Matt. “Nothing wrong with free will,” he said. We all pave our own roads to hell, knowingly or unknowingly.

Damon, on the other hand, is the control freak who likes to manage the situations around him—thus screwing himself out of the significance of the possibly-fated first meeting with Elena. Damon made clear that he’s willing to force Elena into safety, just as he was willing to compel her not to remember their first meeting before the events of the pilot episode. I wish Damon had been the one to find Elena and Matt under Wickery Bridge.

Those people who have read the books on which the series is based, or who accidentally got spoiled years ago reading a comment on TVLine (thanks, anonymous spoilery jerk!), knew that someday Elena would become a vampire. I just never expected it to happen so soon, or the way it did.

I thought it would be her choice.

That Elena has begun the process of becoming a vampire through a series of unfortunate coincidences is a tragedy. She made clear that she never wanted to be a vampire in “The Last Day.” She wanted a normal life and a normal lifespan, a choice that makes mortality beautiful. That choice was shared by Bill Forbes and Alaric, both of whom chose not to transition. And the difficulty of the initial stages of vampirism were made clear with Bonnie’s mom, who lost more than just her life when she vamped. She lost her connection to the earth and to her ancestors.

Elena said that “every time someone walks out of this house, [she] worries they might not make it back home.” Now she is the person who will not return home, at least not in the same way. Her life, her goals—everything is different. And we know there is no going back, mid-transition, because if there were, Bonnie would have figured it out with her mom, with Bill Forbes, or with Alaric.

In “The Descent,” Damon gave Rose a beautiful mind-walk goodbye. Elena’s cerebral hemorrhage and the drugs Matt gave her (possibly even the vampire blood that Meredith slipped in) all gave her a chance to relive some simple human moments with her parents and with Jenna. It was a wonderful send-off for the human Elena, and the parallel structure of both the flashbacks and the present-day scenes leading to two version of a car crash was wonderful and horrible at the same time. I’ve jokingly referred to “Elena’s superpower” as self-sacrifice, but it’s her willingness to let someone else live that got her in this situation, and that is a tragic irony.

I’m still in such shock at this development that it’s hard for me to even mention, much less process, the other events in this episode. Alaric’s second death. The return of Elijah. The Klaus/Tyler body switch. Bonnie’s possible switch to the dark side. Even Elena’s choice, which will obviously be irrelevant now that she has an eternity to choose. (And now that she remembers everything she was compelled to forget—not just her first meeting with Damon, but also his declaration of love in “Rose.”)

Instead of processing, I keep thinking of the most beautiful scene in the episode: Damon, holding the body of his dying best friend, knowing that he is losing Elena as Alaric dies.

Bites:

• Damon: “Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you not being the dumbest brother on earth?”

• Damon: “Our life is one big, proverbial coin toss.”

• Caroline: “I’m thinking…maybe tea with vodka.” Ew!

• Damon: “No, no, no, no. Did I mention, no?”

• Tyler: “What do you need?”
Caroline: “Just you. Maybe a curling iron.”

• Matt: “I suck at tea.”

• Elena: “It’s Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here.”

• Damon: “You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure, and even a little danger.”
Elena: “So, what do you want?”
Damon: “I want you to get everything you’re looking for.”

• Ghostaric: “I just want you to know, that I will always be here to look after you, Jeremy. And you’ll never be alone, okay? I promise.”

And Pieces:

• I hate morning people who dance shortly after getting out of bed. Freaks.

• The title of this episode is, among other things, a reference to the movie The Departed, which is one of my absolute favorites.

• While there are many parts of this season I didn’t love, in part because I just don’t really like Klaus much, in looking back I’m astonished at how neatly the season was organized around those beautiful, terrible, final moments.

Four out of four sobs.


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Renewal NewsFlash: Woo, But Not Hoo

Breaking news! In Thursday's top story, numerous renewals and a few conspicuous absences give us something to look forward to once we survive the summer television wasteland.


Most important? Community has been renewed! "Woo-hoo," you say? Nah. Just a woo, no hoo: Community only gets 13 more episodes, and our local communitarian Mark Greig predicts that bodes ill for our favorite plucky sitcom.

Castle, Once Upon a Time, Touch and Revenge have all been renewed. Alcatraz attempted to appeal its execution, but they pulled the plug on that show, too. (Yes, sometimes I mix my metaphors. It's part of my charm.) And The Finder (the completely random Fox show that is somehow linked to Bones) was also canceled. No news yet on Nikita.

Thoughts on this partial renewal/cancellation update? Let us know in the comments.

And if you manage to come up with a funnier "Alactraz got canceled" pun, let us know! I'll put the winner in an updated post.

Update on Renewals and Cancellations:

Awake: Canceled
Nikita: Renewed (and reviews are coming soon!)
Parks and Rec: Renewed
The Secret Circle: Canceled (sorry, Panda!)


Update on Bad Puns:

Alcatraz, after a short stint on the Green Mile, was electrocuted yesterday. The electrocution was made worse by the large puddle of water nearby, which caused a tragic drowning/sinking.



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Breaking Bad: Caballo Sin Nombre

Walt: "I can't be the bad guy."

Interesting that in the previous episode, Jesse said point blank, "I'm the bad guy." Walt still hasn't caught up emotionally with Jesse. How about that.

Jesse got some satisfying payback. His parents cheated him out of the house his aunt wanted him to have, and he got it back by thinking it through and outsmarting them. He even got a remodeled bathroom and granite countertops in the deal. I couldn't help feeling just a bit proud of him, mostly because Jesse is also staying clean, and it felt like he deserved *something*. The situation with his parents trying to double their money made me wonder if their self-righteous eviction of their son had more to do with greed than it initially appeared. Jesse is looking healthy right now, wearing "normal" clothes, and he's exuding calm. It's a good look for him.

In contrast, Walt just fell apart. He completely melted down when he was stopped (for a good reason) by a cop, and got pepper sprayed and arrested. Walt is not stupid and he's usually so careful not to call attention to himself. I think Walt lost it with the cop because subconsciously, he wanted to punish himself. Or... maybe Walt is starting to think of himself as above the law?

In contrast to Jesse regaining his home nonviolently, Walt broke into his own house (for the second time) and moved back in without Skyler's permission. And he managed to bring a couple of ax murderers with him. He was that close to getting chopped into pieces and left as an unpleasant surprise for Skyler and Junior. Walt now owes Gus, big time, even though he doesn't know it.

The thing with Tio (*ding*) Salamanca and the Killer Twins is a little confusing. Clearly, Tio assigned them to kill Walt in revenge for Tuco, and just as clearly, the Twins left Walt's bedroom without carrying through because Gus sent the "Pollos" text message to one of them. How are they all connected? They must all be involved with the same cartel. It also seemed that Mike (Jonathan Banks), who so cleverly planted bugs at Walt's house, is working for Gus. I thought at first that he worked for Saul. Maybe Mike is the connection between Saul and Gus. Whatever.

It's ironic that Hank just used his influence to get a meth manufacturer out of jail. And I'm not sure what descriptor to assign to Skyler, who has just left her criminal husband and is now dealing with a criminal boss. Skyler asked Ted, "What if your kids found out?" That sounded like she was talking to Walt. Ted's response was that he hoped his kids would understand that he was doing it for them. Which is probably what Walt would have said.

Skyler doesn't want Walt's presence or his food. I absolutely loved the immense pizza Walt tossed away landing on the roof of the house; there is so much delightful symbolism I can assign to it. I also loved Walt passed out on the floor, waking up, and staring at the plastic toy eyeball under the bed -- his crimes are staring right at him. One of the Killer Twins noticed the eyeball in Walt's suitcase, too. It's almost funny.

Bits:

-- "Caballo Sin Nombre" means "Horse with No Name", the song Walt was singing along to, quite loudly, when he was pulled over. The lyrics, of course, refer to the emptiness of the desert and there are supposedly drug references. It could also refer to Walt's emotional emptiness.

-- Nearly everyone was wearing a blue ribbon for the crash victims. It's interesting who was and who wasn't. (I knew Gus would. Being socially conscious is one of his disguises.)

-- Jesse got a 45-day sobriety token, much like Jane's.

-- Saul drives... was it a Caddy? I'm terrible with cars, with a vanity plate that said LWYRUP. (Lawyer up.) Mike (Jonathan Banks) drives a big old anonymous-looking blue Buick.

-- Walt was cleaning the pool at his new digs, which one would assume was not his job. Dirty water again. Will all great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clean from my hand? Walt got filthy several times, too -- pepper spray, popcorn and booze, crawling under the house.

-- "Flynn" has decided that he wants to be called "Walter Junior" again. He's so upset about Walt's departure that he doesn't even care that his web site is making a ton of laundered cash.

-- The Killer Twins communicated with Tio Salamanca using a Ouija board. I think that's delightful. It was almost like Tio was foretelling Walt's future. And one of the nursing home residents dropped a puzzle piece on the floor just as the Twins came in.

And pieces:

-- Mike has a granddaughter.

-- Saul was right that Skyler will keep her mouth shut, but I think he's wrong about the reasons. Saul is a real misogynist, isn't he?

-- Hank thought Walt was cheating on Skyler. Marie guessed correctly that it was much more than that.

-- This had to be a physically strenuous episode for Bryan Cranston, what with crawling under the house and climbing out the crawlspace. He did another nude scene, too. And Cranston actually threw that pizza up on the roof himself. I wonder how many times they had to try it? How hard is it to throw a pizza on a roof?

-- Walt: "I got your restraining order right here! (grabs his crotch) Restrain this!" Almost exactly what he yelled at his car wash boss with the eyebrows. Walt, you need some original material.

Three out of four plastic eyeballs,

Billie

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