The Killing is really starting to test my patience. I wouldn't say the show is bad, but my expectations have certainly decreased and I no longer eagerly await the next episode. "Undertow" spends a great deal of time trying to convince the viewers that Bennet and Muhammad are Rosie's killers, and then nullifies everything.
There are reasons why it had to be this way, chiefly the fact that there are still four episodes after this. But the way in which this is done is nothing short of ludicrous. The pandering going on in the episode is so extreme you begin wonder if the writers went into the show wanting to "change American's perspectives on Muslims," rather than tell a story about a investigation. Not only are Bennet and Muhammad not the murders, they are saints. Instead of killing a girl, they're saving a girl from female circumcision!
Parts of the episode play out like a documentary on the Muslim community: "There are some Muslims who are extremely conservative and perform female circumcision, and then there are some progressive Muslims, like Bennet and Muhammad, who try to prevent this from happening. You see, not all Muslims are bad guys." Wow, really? You mean an audience who watches AMC wouldn't have the common sense to know this? Tying in with these "lessons," the writers take the audience for suckers, dragging us along for a plot which amounts to nothing. If they aren't the murderers, then these past episodes have netted zero clues towards the murder.
The one good thing that comes from the episode is that Stan and Mitch are no longer in victim territory. After what Stan did, egged on by Mitch, they no longer have the moral high-ground. Painted in a different light, they're not the grieving parents anymore but the vengeful parents, and watching and connecting with them takes another light.
Score: 8.3/10
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Review - Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 6 A Golden Crown
In the Game of Thrones world, winners are those who ignore convention and play dirty. Positions, inheritances, and rules of honor no longer matter when there is something gain and with a lot going on already it is easy to get away with practically anything. The title, "A Golden Crown," refers to the final fate of Viserys. He was brought up to believe he would rule a vast kingdom and has a sense of entitlement. This would the right way of thinking if his father were still in power, but Viserys, too, is crazed to a degree. And Khal Drogo? He doesn't care one bit about this scrawny kid and gives him the crown he wants--in burning, liquid form.
"A Golden Crown" doesn't advance the plot as much as last week's episode did, but it did not stagnate. The show is still climbing to a climax, and the pieces are still being shifted around before everything breaks loose. One of the reasons why the episode did not advance as much as last week's was the fact that it focused on several plots instead of just Ned at King's Landing.Tyrion is freed when Bronn, fighting as dirty as possible, wins Tyrion's freedom. We see the the mechanisms of protection work when Robb saves Bran from some criminals, but the perpetrators, grimy and in rags, stand in stark contrast to the high-brow criminals who roam King's Landing. It's easy to kill some miscreants when they are identifiable and expendable compared to the covert killings ordered by someone rich.
After getting his leg punctured last week, Ned sticks around and tends to the king's duty while Robert is off being irresponsible again. Ned discovers that all the Baratheons had black hair--except Joffrey who is blond. Are we to assume Joffrey is Jaimie and Cersei's son?
I think it's interesting that all the young boys--heirs to the thrones--are all damaged or somehow incomplete. Bran can't use his legs, Joffrey is a douche and possibly a product of incest, and Robin is batshit crazy. There are a couple reasons, in my mind, why this is. They are reflections on the current kings and lords in that the boys who seem inadequate as ever do indeed grow up to take positions of huge power. Another possibility is that the lineage of these families are so weak that the elders are forced to fight and deceive even more.
Score: 9.1/10
"A Golden Crown" doesn't advance the plot as much as last week's episode did, but it did not stagnate. The show is still climbing to a climax, and the pieces are still being shifted around before everything breaks loose. One of the reasons why the episode did not advance as much as last week's was the fact that it focused on several plots instead of just Ned at King's Landing.Tyrion is freed when Bronn, fighting as dirty as possible, wins Tyrion's freedom. We see the the mechanisms of protection work when Robb saves Bran from some criminals, but the perpetrators, grimy and in rags, stand in stark contrast to the high-brow criminals who roam King's Landing. It's easy to kill some miscreants when they are identifiable and expendable compared to the covert killings ordered by someone rich.
After getting his leg punctured last week, Ned sticks around and tends to the king's duty while Robert is off being irresponsible again. Ned discovers that all the Baratheons had black hair--except Joffrey who is blond. Are we to assume Joffrey is Jaimie and Cersei's son?
I think it's interesting that all the young boys--heirs to the thrones--are all damaged or somehow incomplete. Bran can't use his legs, Joffrey is a douche and possibly a product of incest, and Robin is batshit crazy. There are a couple reasons, in my mind, why this is. They are reflections on the current kings and lords in that the boys who seem inadequate as ever do indeed grow up to take positions of huge power. Another possibility is that the lineage of these families are so weak that the elders are forced to fight and deceive even more.
Score: 9.1/10
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Review - Camelot Season 1 Episode 8 Igraine
Morgan posing as Igraine and infiltrating Camelot had a lot of potential and could be written in a way that affirmed that devious, dark underbelly we've seen of Morgan. Instead, the plot plays out in a fairly boring manner. Morgan as Igraine befriends a kid, hangs out with Merlin, but does little else that would indicate any sort of plan befitting of this deception. She's posing as the king's mother, and the best she can do is flatly tell Leontes the truth. Come on.
The rest of the episode is around the same as well, with a prickly moment to cap them, but the meat of the other plots are stale as well. The hunting is boring but the wolf was a interesting moment for Leontes and it will probably pay off in the later episode, depending on how Leontes decides to deal with Arthur and Guinevere.
Score: 7.3/10
The rest of the episode is around the same as well, with a prickly moment to cap them, but the meat of the other plots are stale as well. The hunting is boring but the wolf was a interesting moment for Leontes and it will probably pay off in the later episode, depending on how Leontes decides to deal with Arthur and Guinevere.
Score: 7.3/10
Review - Supernatural Season 6 Episode 21 Let It Bleed / 22 The Man Who Knew Too Much
To be honest, I could care less about the angels at war. There's supposed to be a massive war between the angels, presumably with all sorts of bright light and other fantastical happenings. With the low budget, however, Supernatural can never shows us any of this, and we're left imaging all the cool stuff going on in heaven. But that's not how television is supposed to work. We're supposed to see what's significant. Hints about the war just don't cut it. These angels dropping in for two seconds to kill something and then running off don't matter to me one bit.
Sam and Dean matter to me, though, because we always see the significant events in their lives and there is real, emotional weight to their scenes. "Let It Bleed" focuses on Dean after Lisa and Ben are taken by Crowley because the Winchesters won't stop poking around. Eventually, Dean rescues them, but always smacks Ben in the heat of the moment in order to get him to concentrate. Obviously Dean feels horrible about this afterwards, but his solution is troubling. After Cas saves Lisa, Dean asks for Lisa and Ben's memories to be wiped clean of everything Dean. If all he wanted was for Ben to not hate him, then that's fine. But Lisa and Ben are still at major risk and not remembering Dean when being attacked will be a death sentence.
Even if this was a less than rational plot machination, the significance in Dean's eyes is major, so much so that he tells Sam never to remind him of them. The season began with Dean happily living with Lisa and Ben, and 20 episodes later, at the end of the season, he's at the opposite end. Lisa and Ben don't even remember him anymore and that happily life, as close as it seemed, is now too far away to even fathom.
"The Man Who Knew Too Much" continues from Bobby and Elle's plot in the previous episode and resolves several issues before bringing up a new, possibly bigger, problem. As we learned in the episode before, Elle is from purgatory and her blood is needed to open the portal. This is all solved in the fantastic final scene where Raphael and Crowley conspire to bring down Castiel once and for all. Castiel also plays them, however, having performed the ritual already and absorbed all the souls. Crowley runs off, Raphael is popped (literally), and that's that... or not. Castiel's transformation is complete. No longer is he fighting for heaven or the disenfranchised angels. Castiel has lost sight of everything and now believes he is God. Psst, God, it's time to come back and clean up the mess.
On a smaller scale, Sam's feeling of incompleteness is fixed in a nifty set of scenes in the first three-fourths of the episode. His soul, shattered in pieces, is finally put back together, but only after his main soul kills soulless Sam and the Sam that remembers Hell. With the way the episode begun--Sam without memories running from the cops and trying to figure out who he is--the two pieces of the episode seem somewhat incongruous since the Winchesters and Bobby have zero influence over the ending, though they try. But Sam putting his single soul back together and feeling complete stands in contrast to Castiel who acquires more souls and transcends his being.
Score: 9.0/10
Sam and Dean matter to me, though, because we always see the significant events in their lives and there is real, emotional weight to their scenes. "Let It Bleed" focuses on Dean after Lisa and Ben are taken by Crowley because the Winchesters won't stop poking around. Eventually, Dean rescues them, but always smacks Ben in the heat of the moment in order to get him to concentrate. Obviously Dean feels horrible about this afterwards, but his solution is troubling. After Cas saves Lisa, Dean asks for Lisa and Ben's memories to be wiped clean of everything Dean. If all he wanted was for Ben to not hate him, then that's fine. But Lisa and Ben are still at major risk and not remembering Dean when being attacked will be a death sentence.
Even if this was a less than rational plot machination, the significance in Dean's eyes is major, so much so that he tells Sam never to remind him of them. The season began with Dean happily living with Lisa and Ben, and 20 episodes later, at the end of the season, he's at the opposite end. Lisa and Ben don't even remember him anymore and that happily life, as close as it seemed, is now too far away to even fathom.
"The Man Who Knew Too Much" continues from Bobby and Elle's plot in the previous episode and resolves several issues before bringing up a new, possibly bigger, problem. As we learned in the episode before, Elle is from purgatory and her blood is needed to open the portal. This is all solved in the fantastic final scene where Raphael and Crowley conspire to bring down Castiel once and for all. Castiel also plays them, however, having performed the ritual already and absorbed all the souls. Crowley runs off, Raphael is popped (literally), and that's that... or not. Castiel's transformation is complete. No longer is he fighting for heaven or the disenfranchised angels. Castiel has lost sight of everything and now believes he is God. Psst, God, it's time to come back and clean up the mess.
On a smaller scale, Sam's feeling of incompleteness is fixed in a nifty set of scenes in the first three-fourths of the episode. His soul, shattered in pieces, is finally put back together, but only after his main soul kills soulless Sam and the Sam that remembers Hell. With the way the episode begun--Sam without memories running from the cops and trying to figure out who he is--the two pieces of the episode seem somewhat incongruous since the Winchesters and Bobby have zero influence over the ending, though they try. But Sam putting his single soul back together and feeling complete stands in contrast to Castiel who acquires more souls and transcends his being.
Score: 9.0/10
Friday, May 20, 2011
Review - The Mentalist Season 3 Episode 23/24 Strawberries and Cream Parts 1/2
Damn, that was a fantastically crafted two hours of television, wasn't it? The episode begins with the normal investigation and stuff we usually see. Jane is doing his thing while Lisbon and the others try to keep up. This takes up most of the first hour, but the episode quickly takes a turn and we learn that Red John is involved and looking for Hightower to kill.
Jane crafts a clever plan to catch Red John's friend in the CBI, dropping hints to the remaining suspects to lure them in. After the CBI director is implicated, there is another twist: O'Loughlin is the mole. This is an easy solution to the Rigsby and Van Pelt stuff, and always a plausible explanation. Lisbon gets shot--both Hightower and Van Pelt don't immediately tend to her--but she is okay. The writers have a final, more spectacular twist, however, when Jane meets Red John at the food court. We see everything that is going on, and just as Red John prepares to leave, Jane shoots him several times, killing him. Impressive, bold writing.
Throughout the episode, we never really know what will happen next. The writers have been unpredictable with Red John, and have shrouded him in so much mystery that practically anything could happen. I kept wondering whether Jane could actually outsmart Red John this time and whether Red John knew everything that was going on. Even now, I'm not entirely convinced Red John lost.
There are so many questions that have to answered still, so there is plenty of story to tell. Was that really Red John? How did he get so many followers who seemed normal otherwise? Of course, there is another huge question looming--what happens to Jane? I doubt he'll be prosecuted, because Red John did have a gun, but what at the aftereffects of Jane shooting a man who was prepared to walk away? The Mentalist is coming back next fall, so we'll get answers soon enough.
Score: 9.4/10
Jane crafts a clever plan to catch Red John's friend in the CBI, dropping hints to the remaining suspects to lure them in. After the CBI director is implicated, there is another twist: O'Loughlin is the mole. This is an easy solution to the Rigsby and Van Pelt stuff, and always a plausible explanation. Lisbon gets shot--both Hightower and Van Pelt don't immediately tend to her--but she is okay. The writers have a final, more spectacular twist, however, when Jane meets Red John at the food court. We see everything that is going on, and just as Red John prepares to leave, Jane shoots him several times, killing him. Impressive, bold writing.
Throughout the episode, we never really know what will happen next. The writers have been unpredictable with Red John, and have shrouded him in so much mystery that practically anything could happen. I kept wondering whether Jane could actually outsmart Red John this time and whether Red John knew everything that was going on. Even now, I'm not entirely convinced Red John lost.
There are so many questions that have to answered still, so there is plenty of story to tell. Was that really Red John? How did he get so many followers who seemed normal otherwise? Of course, there is another huge question looming--what happens to Jane? I doubt he'll be prosecuted, because Red John did have a gun, but what at the aftereffects of Jane shooting a man who was prepared to walk away? The Mentalist is coming back next fall, so we'll get answers soon enough.
Score: 9.4/10
Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 15 The Bubble / Lil' Sebastian
The third season of Parks and Recreation ends with a pair of hilarious episodes, and the show certainly has met our expectations after returning at midseason. The two episodes focus largely on Leslie and Ben's burgeoning relationship, and even if you aren't that invested in them (I'm not), you have to appreciate what the writers do with them.
With Chris's policy still in place, they have to tip-toe around and Leslie's mother showing up only makes it worse. Leslie gets Ben in shape, though, and Leslie's mother approves--but only after hitting on Ben. The rest of "The Bubble" is spent on changes in the office due to Chris's meddling. He has good intentions, but he doesn't know how to optimize this specific group of people who respond to things much differently than Chris does. Luckily, Ron Swanson is the man and fixes things.
"Lil' Sebastian" works amazingly well because Lil' Sebastian is practically a legend already. We saw a while back how everyone venerates the horse, so it was no surprise that there could be a large funeral thrown for the horse with many in attendance. The whole proceeding is moving, epic, and hilarious. The last few minutes of the episode lead naturally in the fourth season and several potential stories. Leslie is courted for political office, which is a big deal since she's the main character and heart of the show. And Ron's first wife shows up--and even Tammy (the second one) is freaked out!
Score: 9.5/10
With Chris's policy still in place, they have to tip-toe around and Leslie's mother showing up only makes it worse. Leslie gets Ben in shape, though, and Leslie's mother approves--but only after hitting on Ben. The rest of "The Bubble" is spent on changes in the office due to Chris's meddling. He has good intentions, but he doesn't know how to optimize this specific group of people who respond to things much differently than Chris does. Luckily, Ron Swanson is the man and fixes things.
"Lil' Sebastian" works amazingly well because Lil' Sebastian is practically a legend already. We saw a while back how everyone venerates the horse, so it was no surprise that there could be a large funeral thrown for the horse with many in attendance. The whole proceeding is moving, epic, and hilarious. The last few minutes of the episode lead naturally in the fourth season and several potential stories. Leslie is courted for political office, which is a big deal since she's the main character and heart of the show. And Ron's first wife shows up--and even Tammy (the second one) is freaked out!
Score: 9.5/10
Review - The Office Season 7 Episode 24/25 Search Committee
Jim versus Dwight is one of those things that will get me every time. Unless Dwight is completely out of control, I'm usually laughing really hard. The scene where Dwight comes in for the interview as a burn victim was one of the funniest things I've seen since the Community season finale (OK, it's not that long ago, but you get my drift).
That's why I'm more willing to forgive the faults of "Search Committee" than I normally would. There is practically no plot, and the litany of famous guest stars serve no real purpose. Essentially, it's an hour of television where nothing much is going on and there is no progression to the plot. For a season finale, I would definitely agree that it was underwhelming. Maybe my standards have been lowered, but I was entertained by the episode and laughed quite a bit, and that's enough in my book.
Score: 8.5/10
That's why I'm more willing to forgive the faults of "Search Committee" than I normally would. There is practically no plot, and the litany of famous guest stars serve no real purpose. Essentially, it's an hour of television where nothing much is going on and there is no progression to the plot. For a season finale, I would definitely agree that it was underwhelming. Maybe my standards have been lowered, but I was entertained by the episode and laughed quite a bit, and that's enough in my book.
Score: 8.5/10
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Review - The Big Bang Theory Season 3 Episode 24 The Roommate Transmogrification
Okay, I have a confession to make. I read spoilers about Raj and Penny a couple weeks ago, so I wasn't surprised when they ended up in bed together. But I don't think anyone, halfway through the episode, was too surprised at the conclusion, considering how Penny said she'd have sex with Raj if he wasn't Leonard's friend. However, before the episode aired, the idea of Penny and Raj sleeping together would be out of the question. Raj can't even talk to women without alcohol, has been fawning Bernadette, and Penny didn't really care about him before. It happened, though, and the characters will have to live with the consequences. Then again, we don't actually see the act and the writers could easily pull back if they realize they don't want to go that path.
On a whole, I liked "The Roommate Transmogrification" more than almost all episodes this season. There wasn't a plot that made me cringe, and the dialogue was really fun. Amy isn't a huge presence in the episode, but she remains a fun character when interacting with Sheldon. The whole resolution to Priya was pretty lame, and for plot's sake, she should stick around a while longer. Leonard finds out she's returning to India, breaks up, and it's done. That's it?
Score: 8.9/10
On a whole, I liked "The Roommate Transmogrification" more than almost all episodes this season. There wasn't a plot that made me cringe, and the dialogue was really fun. Amy isn't a huge presence in the episode, but she remains a fun character when interacting with Sheldon. The whole resolution to Priya was pretty lame, and for plot's sake, she should stick around a while longer. Leonard finds out she's returning to India, breaks up, and it's done. That's it?
Score: 8.9/10
Review - Bones Season 6 Episode 23 The Change in the Game
Progress! Bones has been stagnating for so long that significant development is welcome simply because little has actually happened these past few years. There are lots of arguments why this latest development might not be optimal--it results from the trauma of Vincent's death so it lacks meaning, it's too sudden, we see little of the transition--but I like it just because it sends the show on a new trajectory. Instead of the will-they-won't-they dynamic, which has dominated the show and has gotten less returns as the show progressed, the show can firmly transform itself. Booth and Brennan can still be friendly, but without all the awkwardness.
The plot of "The Change in the Game" is mostly fluff with the murder of a bowler and the conclusion doesn't matter. Booth and Brennan spend their time undercover at the bowling alley, unnecessarily, I have to add, but it gives them something to do while Angela is giving birth and the other characters do the lab work.
During the undercover scenes, there was definitely something different about the way the characters acted. Brennan is smiling a lot and seemed a lot happier than she usually is, and Booth was a touch cheerier as well. Max didn't really need to be around to clue us into the changes.
The question going forward is, of course, how the writers handle this situation. Will they put Booth and Brennan together immediately at the start of the next season, or will they drag this out even longer, making a season of "Booth wants Brennan to marry but she's afraid to commit, until she gives birth?" The latter would be very problematic, possibility more so than the Hannah stuff. But for now, I'm willing to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume they won't drag their feet any longer.
Score: 8.6/10
The plot of "The Change in the Game" is mostly fluff with the murder of a bowler and the conclusion doesn't matter. Booth and Brennan spend their time undercover at the bowling alley, unnecessarily, I have to add, but it gives them something to do while Angela is giving birth and the other characters do the lab work.
During the undercover scenes, there was definitely something different about the way the characters acted. Brennan is smiling a lot and seemed a lot happier than she usually is, and Booth was a touch cheerier as well. Max didn't really need to be around to clue us into the changes.
The question going forward is, of course, how the writers handle this situation. Will they put Booth and Brennan together immediately at the start of the next season, or will they drag this out even longer, making a season of "Booth wants Brennan to marry but she's afraid to commit, until she gives birth?" The latter would be very problematic, possibility more so than the Hannah stuff. But for now, I'm willing to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume they won't drag their feet any longer.
Score: 8.6/10
Numbers of Interest - Television Ratings for Tuesday 5/17/11
NBC won with The Biggest Loser (2.9) and The Voice (4.5).
CBS was second with NCIS (4.0), NCIS: Los Angeles (3.3), and The Good Wife (2.4). The Good Wife was up quite a bit, but was moved to Sunday for next season, so it doesn't really matter now.
ABC was third with Dancing with the Stars (2.5, 3.5) and Body Of Proof (2.1). Body of Proof was renewed and will remain in the same spot.
Fox was last with Glee (3.6), Raising Hope (2.2), and Breaking In (1.3). Without American Idol, Breaking In plummeted and showed that the cancellation was justified.
CBS was second with NCIS (4.0), NCIS: Los Angeles (3.3), and The Good Wife (2.4). The Good Wife was up quite a bit, but was moved to Sunday for next season, so it doesn't really matter now.
ABC was third with Dancing with the Stars (2.5, 3.5) and Body Of Proof (2.1). Body of Proof was renewed and will remain in the same spot.
Fox was last with Glee (3.6), Raising Hope (2.2), and Breaking In (1.3). Without American Idol, Breaking In plummeted and showed that the cancellation was justified.
Going over ABC's 2011-2012 primetime schedule
MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
10:00 p.m. “Castle”
With Castle in the 3 range consistently in the last part of the season, this night should continue to be strong.
TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Last Man Standing”
8:30 p.m. “Man Up”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Body of Proof”
ABC putting 2 comedies before DWTS and Body of Proof.
WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “The Middle”
8:30 p.m. “Suburgatory”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “Happy Endings”
10:00 p.m. “Revenge”
With Cougar Town moved to midseason, Happy Endings takes the post-Modern Family slot. Interesting choice.
THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Charlie's Angels”
9:00 p.m. “Grey's Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
Charlie's Angels is either going to flop or become really popular, so we'll have to see what happens.
FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”
SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America's Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Once Upon a Time”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Pan Am”
ABC launching a pair of dramas around Desperate Housewives.
10:00 p.m. “Castle”
With Castle in the 3 range consistently in the last part of the season, this night should continue to be strong.
TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Last Man Standing”
8:30 p.m. “Man Up”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Body of Proof”
ABC putting 2 comedies before DWTS and Body of Proof.
WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “The Middle”
8:30 p.m. “Suburgatory”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “Happy Endings”
10:00 p.m. “Revenge”
With Cougar Town moved to midseason, Happy Endings takes the post-Modern Family slot. Interesting choice.
THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Charlie's Angels”
9:00 p.m. “Grey's Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
Charlie's Angels is either going to flop or become really popular, so we'll have to see what happens.
FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”
SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America's Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Once Upon a Time”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Pan Am”
ABC launching a pair of dramas around Desperate Housewives.
