To me, "Train Wreck" ranks as one of the most jarring episodes of the series, and ranks high among television episodes in general. This is where things get bad, and it's hard to imagine how dark this show could go in the final two episodes.
With Lionel killed in a car crash, Marshall is sent into a slump and everyone, including Tara, tries to console him. The result is that Tara doesn't receive the immediate attention she needs, and Bryce inevitably comes out. Toni Collete is, as always, in her portrayal of alters. Bryce is truly menacing and is quite scary. There is further fallout once people start realizing the truth: Tara won't change. Kate decides to move out and get serious with Evan, Neil wants Charmaine to cut all ties with Tara, and Max and Marshall turn towards each other for support. In the middle of all this, Tara is left out, trapped in a body currently controlled by Bryce.
So, with once two episodes left in the series, there are a looming question. Will the show continue down this dark road and end in despair, or will the show--and Tara--finally turn the corner and end on the bright side?
Score: 9.5/10
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Review - Sanctuary Season 3 Episode 18 Carentan
The concept of "Carentan," main characters stuck in a time dilation field with people who will disappear, is nothing new and has been done many times before. Luckily, the episode doesn't get too caught up in the concept itself, which can spur discussions on what it means to exist and whether one has the right to end these people's lives. Instead, the episode focuses on how the characters interact with one another and the situation at hand. The episode works well for the most part, even if a reset at the end was inevitable.
Were the writers trying to make a connection to the previous episode? There was the fire elemental in the recap at the beginning, but nothing came of it. Are we to assume that whatever force Magnus mentioned at the end of the episode is harnessing the fire elemental's power?
Score: 8.8/10
Were the writers trying to make a connection to the previous episode? There was the fire elemental in the recap at the beginning, but nothing came of it. Are we to assume that whatever force Magnus mentioned at the end of the episode is harnessing the fire elemental's power?
Score: 8.8/10
Review - Treme Season 2 Episode 7 Carnival Time
I'm busy this week and especially today, so no time for a long review.
"Carnival Time" departs from the rest of the episodes to other a sweeping view of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The episode is visually impressive with all the costumes and different locations, and it also manages to move a couple stories forward, including a clever way for Delmond to get musical inspiration.
Score: 9.5/10
"Carnival Time" departs from the rest of the episodes to other a sweeping view of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The episode is visually impressive with all the costumes and different locations, and it also manages to move a couple stories forward, including a clever way for Delmond to get musical inspiration.
Score: 9.5/10
Review - The Killing Season 1 Episode 11 Missing
For a show which has spent the first 10 episodes of a 13 episode season trying to figure out who killed a girl, "Missing" is very random. It focuses on only Linden and Holder and aside from the beginning and end, stays away from Rosie Larsen. We learn a lot more about Linden and Holder in the process, but I have to wonder why this episode couldn't come earlier, preferably before the show burned several episodes pointlessly pursuing Bennet. In the grand scheme of things, the episode probably won't matter much, and the writers could have put the details of Linden and Holder's pasts into the middle of previous episodes (like Game of Thrones does effectively), but it's a serviceable episode of television.
I don't think what we learned in the episode is important enough to recap, though I greatly appreciate that we finally learn who Reggie is--but the interaction between Linden and Holder was the strongest its been and following them around for an entire episode while learning about them wasn't bad. Again, the writers tried to lead us on, this time with the possibility of Jack dying, but it didn't happen in the end. If it did, that would surely be a twist to remember.
Score: 8.7/10
I don't think what we learned in the episode is important enough to recap, though I greatly appreciate that we finally learn who Reggie is--but the interaction between Linden and Holder was the strongest its been and following them around for an entire episode while learning about them wasn't bad. Again, the writers tried to lead us on, this time with the possibility of Jack dying, but it didn't happen in the end. If it did, that would surely be a twist to remember.
Score: 8.7/10
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Review - Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 8 The Pointy End
With two episode left in the season after this, "The Pointy End" handles the run-up to war in splendid fashion, maintaining momentum and setting the stage for the next episode. Written by George R.R. Martin, the episode shows us what every party is doing, and in some respect is more hurried than the previous episodes. Yet we still get full immersion into the world, learning backstory along the way and getting character development.
At King's Landing, all is lost for the Starks. Ned is thrown in the dungeon, left to listen to Varys and his inaction. Arya manages to escape, although Syrio stays behind and likely dies, and Arya accidentally stabs a boy outside, marking her first kill. Like Jon said, stick them with the pointy end. Sansa, meanwhile, is perhaps left in the most difficult situation. Unlike Arya, who can only run, and Ned, who can only sit, she has options. She may not be the smartest person, but even Sansa knows trouble when it's there. She does her best to appease the Lannisters, telling them what they want to hear and writing a letter to her family members. That is, of course, what they wanted from her in the first place. But they also want something else, Ned to acknowledge their rule, placing further pressure on Sansa who has to get Ned to admit his fault. For a girl who only wanted to wear frilly clothing and be a princess, all of this is a tall order.
Elsewhere, war has practically begun. Jaime is already on the move and laying seige to Riverrun, where Catelyn is from. Tywin is as ready as ever, and is perfectly fine accommodating the demands of the people who nabbed Tyrion. Catelyn meets up with Robb who, urged by Greyjoy, is awfully eager for war. He even sends a spy back to Tywin to antagonize him. Robb seems a tad bit presumptuous, given his age, but he also needs confidence and has plenty of that.
The episode spends some time on Daenerys and her apprehension over Dothraki practices. Having been in a similar position to the conquered women a while ago, she wants to save them. Luckily, Drogo is quite enthralled with her and fights for her, ripping out an offender's tongue. While the plot doesn't exactly move the Dothraki any closer to Westeros (though they are gathering resources for ships), it poses a question as to the culture of the Dothraki. Clearly Daenerys wants them to stop certain practices against women, and that will be a huge problem when they enter Westeros. These practices are entrenched in their culture and more Dothraki will not like these changes.
Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to read the book, but I'm about halfway done. I may finish before next week's episode, so I'll probably have more to say with regard to the book.
Score: 9.4/10
At King's Landing, all is lost for the Starks. Ned is thrown in the dungeon, left to listen to Varys and his inaction. Arya manages to escape, although Syrio stays behind and likely dies, and Arya accidentally stabs a boy outside, marking her first kill. Like Jon said, stick them with the pointy end. Sansa, meanwhile, is perhaps left in the most difficult situation. Unlike Arya, who can only run, and Ned, who can only sit, she has options. She may not be the smartest person, but even Sansa knows trouble when it's there. She does her best to appease the Lannisters, telling them what they want to hear and writing a letter to her family members. That is, of course, what they wanted from her in the first place. But they also want something else, Ned to acknowledge their rule, placing further pressure on Sansa who has to get Ned to admit his fault. For a girl who only wanted to wear frilly clothing and be a princess, all of this is a tall order.
Elsewhere, war has practically begun. Jaime is already on the move and laying seige to Riverrun, where Catelyn is from. Tywin is as ready as ever, and is perfectly fine accommodating the demands of the people who nabbed Tyrion. Catelyn meets up with Robb who, urged by Greyjoy, is awfully eager for war. He even sends a spy back to Tywin to antagonize him. Robb seems a tad bit presumptuous, given his age, but he also needs confidence and has plenty of that.
The episode spends some time on Daenerys and her apprehension over Dothraki practices. Having been in a similar position to the conquered women a while ago, she wants to save them. Luckily, Drogo is quite enthralled with her and fights for her, ripping out an offender's tongue. While the plot doesn't exactly move the Dothraki any closer to Westeros (though they are gathering resources for ships), it poses a question as to the culture of the Dothraki. Clearly Daenerys wants them to stop certain practices against women, and that will be a huge problem when they enter Westeros. These practices are entrenched in their culture and more Dothraki will not like these changes.
Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to read the book, but I'm about halfway done. I may finish before next week's episode, so I'll probably have more to say with regard to the book.
Score: 9.4/10
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Review - The X-Files Season 3 Episode 13 Syzygy / 14 Grotesque
"Syzygy"
I remember "Syzygy" better than most episodes, and what I remembered of it was that it was a bizarre. Rewatching it, I'd say it is an awkward episode. It's supposed to be one of the funny episodes where it's not too serious and there are things to laugh at. Only I wasn't amused once. The main problem with the episode is how everyone behaves. Mulder and Sculy are quarreling, the two teenage girls are acting weird for no reason, and the townspeople aren't quite right either. I think that's where the bizarre part comes in. People are doing things they aren't supposed to be doing, but without understanding why, it's more weird than funny.
When we do learn the reason why, however, the episode becomes even more problematic. There is a "scientific" reason for this, a certain alignment of planets, which caused people to act differently. With this in mind, I suppose it explains why people are acting differently, but that puts all their actions in a rational framework which probably makes it less funny.
On the plus side, the episode is fairly spooky for a while. Using the lighting to great effect, Rob Bowman captures the potential for wrongdoing in this small town and sets the atmosphere for the episode. At the end of the day, though, "Syzygy" is a very disposable episode. Mulder puts it best, "Sure, fine, whatever."
Score: 8.3/10
"Grotesque"
Behind the seemingly simple plot of "Grotesque" lies a complex web of ideas. The episode begins without any supernatural elements, Mulder called in to help on the murder. And the episode ends with no clear supernatural elements, as the additional murder turns out to be the one who called in Mulder, his former mentor Prescott. But throughout the episode, Mostow claims there is a gargoyle that possessed him. Indeed, his sculptures encasing bodies are so hideous and frightening that it seems to be a plausible explanation. There is no definitive answer for this in the end, as there rarely is for the X-Files.
Looking at the non-supernatural side of the world, there is another explanation--that the gargoyle, representing the tormented man, is not a supernatural being that posses people but a construct of the mind which drives people mad. That seems to be the best explanation for Prescott who was driven mad after catching Mostow.
Likewise, Mulder falls further and further in the episode, consuming himself in the case and the nature of the evil. Scully finds herself alone and very worried about where Mulder is. Eventually, Mulder comes out of it after catching Prescott. There are lingering concerns, however. If it was the capture of Mostow which drove Prescott to madness, would it be the capture of Prescott that leads Mulder to madness? Above all, David Duchovny again proves himself very capable of portraying the crazed side of Mulder that refuses to let go or be led astray. It's a scary thing when it rears its head.
Score: 9.1/10
I remember "Syzygy" better than most episodes, and what I remembered of it was that it was a bizarre. Rewatching it, I'd say it is an awkward episode. It's supposed to be one of the funny episodes where it's not too serious and there are things to laugh at. Only I wasn't amused once. The main problem with the episode is how everyone behaves. Mulder and Sculy are quarreling, the two teenage girls are acting weird for no reason, and the townspeople aren't quite right either. I think that's where the bizarre part comes in. People are doing things they aren't supposed to be doing, but without understanding why, it's more weird than funny.
When we do learn the reason why, however, the episode becomes even more problematic. There is a "scientific" reason for this, a certain alignment of planets, which caused people to act differently. With this in mind, I suppose it explains why people are acting differently, but that puts all their actions in a rational framework which probably makes it less funny.
On the plus side, the episode is fairly spooky for a while. Using the lighting to great effect, Rob Bowman captures the potential for wrongdoing in this small town and sets the atmosphere for the episode. At the end of the day, though, "Syzygy" is a very disposable episode. Mulder puts it best, "Sure, fine, whatever."
Score: 8.3/10
"Grotesque"
Behind the seemingly simple plot of "Grotesque" lies a complex web of ideas. The episode begins without any supernatural elements, Mulder called in to help on the murder. And the episode ends with no clear supernatural elements, as the additional murder turns out to be the one who called in Mulder, his former mentor Prescott. But throughout the episode, Mostow claims there is a gargoyle that possessed him. Indeed, his sculptures encasing bodies are so hideous and frightening that it seems to be a plausible explanation. There is no definitive answer for this in the end, as there rarely is for the X-Files.
Looking at the non-supernatural side of the world, there is another explanation--that the gargoyle, representing the tormented man, is not a supernatural being that posses people but a construct of the mind which drives people mad. That seems to be the best explanation for Prescott who was driven mad after catching Mostow.
Likewise, Mulder falls further and further in the episode, consuming himself in the case and the nature of the evil. Scully finds herself alone and very worried about where Mulder is. Eventually, Mulder comes out of it after catching Prescott. There are lingering concerns, however. If it was the capture of Mostow which drove Prescott to madness, would it be the capture of Prescott that leads Mulder to madness? Above all, David Duchovny again proves himself very capable of portraying the crazed side of Mulder that refuses to let go or be led astray. It's a scary thing when it rears its head.
Score: 9.1/10
Review - Breaking Bad Season 1 Episode 2 Cat's in the Bag… / 3 …And the Bag's in the River
"Cat's in the Bag…"
Most shows, even serialized ones, spend the second episode going back over the information present in the pilot, either to reinforce characters and themes, or getting new viewers into the loop. But not Breaking Bad. "Cat's in the Bag…" quickly jumps ahead, instead of starting a new problem for Walt to deal with, building on what was established. Krazy-8, one of the guys in the trailer presumed died, is actually alive.
Obviously this presents a problem, which the writers immediately confront. Walt and Jesse have to deal with Emilio's body and do something with Krazy-8. The safest option for dealing with Krazy-8 is killing him. For a high school teacher and a skinny punk, this a big deal. Further compounding the problems, Skyler is increasingly upset with Walt, and after Jesse calls Walt's home phone, she is lead to believe Jesse is selling pot to Walt.
The conclusion to the episode is one of the best scenes of the series. Jesse has been acting like a little shit the entire episode, but he hasn't done anything wrong, even squeezing out of a tricky situation from Skyler. But there are consequences for actions, and Jesse placing the body into the bathtub to dissolve, instead of a plastic bin, sows immediate backlash as acid eats through the tub and even the ceiling. The red mass splashes through the ceiling onto the ground, throwing red stuff everywhere and onto Walt and Jesse, a distinct reminder of what they did.
Part of what makes Breaking Bad great is how the writers don't moralize the cooking of drugs. In this way, the series is able to focus on Walt alone. What does he think about going down this path? How does he deal with his changing personality? Does he realize he's changing? Does he care? How does he reconcile his illegal actions with what he believes in. All of this boils down to the fact that the show of human action, what people do in certain situations, not about what is right and wrong. With Bryan Cranston's incredible acting, Breaking Bad gets off to a marvelous start.
"…And the Bag's in the River"
The world of Breaking Bad is a scary place. Walt spends a good part of the episode getting to know Krazy-8, and as far as we know, Krazy-8 is telling the truth about his origins and his family. To Walt and the audience, he appears to be a decent guy. But everyone made choices to get where they are. In Krazy-8's case, he became a drug dealer who threatened Walt. Now he's tied in a basement and Walt knows Jesse told him Walt's name. At this point, there are few options left on the table.
We see the beginning of Walt trying to justify his actions, writing a pros and cons list. On a pro side, killing someone is wrong obviously, but the con is that Krazy-8 will kill his family. Looking at it like that, killing Krazy-8 seems to be the best option. This line of reasoning is justified when Walt discovers a piece of the broken plate missing. So Walt heads back down to the basement and chokes Krazy-8 to death.
Reminding Walt every step of the way is the cancer, eating away at Walt's heart and forcing him to cough. There is a figurative and literal meaning to the cancer. It will likely make Walt die and increasingly harsh coughs are a clear reminder that Walt will depart soon and needs to get things in order his family. Figuratively, it represents what is happening to Walt, an external, malignant growth taking him over. There is no looking back now that he's started.
Walt's brother-in-law, Hank, gets a lot more screen time as he tries to scare Walt Jr. away from drugs. In Walt's absence, Hank seems like a standup guy who is a stereotypic good guy. But att the end of the episode, he and Gomez find the place where the fire was set, the exact spot where the trailer was located. How will Walt deal with that? Hank's wife Marie gets more to do as well. She infers, incorrectly, that Skyler's inquiries into marijuana are for Jr. She also displays a willingness to steal things. It's not on par with what Walt's up to, but certainly worrisome.
The one thing which quite doesn't work among all this great stuff is the heavily stylized flashback. Walt and his assistant add up percentages of elements in a human body, and it doesn't quite add up to 100%. What's the missing part? The soul, the assistant says. Really? It's something to consider, but simply mentioning the soul means nothing. And then explaining it the soul would take forever.
Score: 9.2/10
Most shows, even serialized ones, spend the second episode going back over the information present in the pilot, either to reinforce characters and themes, or getting new viewers into the loop. But not Breaking Bad. "Cat's in the Bag…" quickly jumps ahead, instead of starting a new problem for Walt to deal with, building on what was established. Krazy-8, one of the guys in the trailer presumed died, is actually alive.
Obviously this presents a problem, which the writers immediately confront. Walt and Jesse have to deal with Emilio's body and do something with Krazy-8. The safest option for dealing with Krazy-8 is killing him. For a high school teacher and a skinny punk, this a big deal. Further compounding the problems, Skyler is increasingly upset with Walt, and after Jesse calls Walt's home phone, she is lead to believe Jesse is selling pot to Walt.
The conclusion to the episode is one of the best scenes of the series. Jesse has been acting like a little shit the entire episode, but he hasn't done anything wrong, even squeezing out of a tricky situation from Skyler. But there are consequences for actions, and Jesse placing the body into the bathtub to dissolve, instead of a plastic bin, sows immediate backlash as acid eats through the tub and even the ceiling. The red mass splashes through the ceiling onto the ground, throwing red stuff everywhere and onto Walt and Jesse, a distinct reminder of what they did.
Part of what makes Breaking Bad great is how the writers don't moralize the cooking of drugs. In this way, the series is able to focus on Walt alone. What does he think about going down this path? How does he deal with his changing personality? Does he realize he's changing? Does he care? How does he reconcile his illegal actions with what he believes in. All of this boils down to the fact that the show of human action, what people do in certain situations, not about what is right and wrong. With Bryan Cranston's incredible acting, Breaking Bad gets off to a marvelous start.
"…And the Bag's in the River"
The world of Breaking Bad is a scary place. Walt spends a good part of the episode getting to know Krazy-8, and as far as we know, Krazy-8 is telling the truth about his origins and his family. To Walt and the audience, he appears to be a decent guy. But everyone made choices to get where they are. In Krazy-8's case, he became a drug dealer who threatened Walt. Now he's tied in a basement and Walt knows Jesse told him Walt's name. At this point, there are few options left on the table.
We see the beginning of Walt trying to justify his actions, writing a pros and cons list. On a pro side, killing someone is wrong obviously, but the con is that Krazy-8 will kill his family. Looking at it like that, killing Krazy-8 seems to be the best option. This line of reasoning is justified when Walt discovers a piece of the broken plate missing. So Walt heads back down to the basement and chokes Krazy-8 to death.
Reminding Walt every step of the way is the cancer, eating away at Walt's heart and forcing him to cough. There is a figurative and literal meaning to the cancer. It will likely make Walt die and increasingly harsh coughs are a clear reminder that Walt will depart soon and needs to get things in order his family. Figuratively, it represents what is happening to Walt, an external, malignant growth taking him over. There is no looking back now that he's started.
Walt's brother-in-law, Hank, gets a lot more screen time as he tries to scare Walt Jr. away from drugs. In Walt's absence, Hank seems like a standup guy who is a stereotypic good guy. But att the end of the episode, he and Gomez find the place where the fire was set, the exact spot where the trailer was located. How will Walt deal with that? Hank's wife Marie gets more to do as well. She infers, incorrectly, that Skyler's inquiries into marijuana are for Jr. She also displays a willingness to steal things. It's not on par with what Walt's up to, but certainly worrisome.
The one thing which quite doesn't work among all this great stuff is the heavily stylized flashback. Walt and his assistant add up percentages of elements in a human body, and it doesn't quite add up to 100%. What's the missing part? The soul, the assistant says. Really? It's something to consider, but simply mentioning the soul means nothing. And then explaining it the soul would take forever.
Score: 9.2/10
Review - Camelot Season 1 Episode 9 The Battle of Bardon Pass
After the season finale next week, I'm going to seriously evaluate whether I want to spend time to watch the next season, if there is one. It's one episode before the season finale, and the writers still don't seem to have a clear idea where the show is going. On the one hand, Morgan's backhanded plans to undermine and eventually defeat Arthur are proceeding splendidly. On the other, Arthur's court is almost entirely a love-triangle which was as whiny and mind-numbing as it gets.
"The Battle of Bardon Pass" had the potential to change that, given the ending last week. And for a brief moment, the episode strikes home a key point--before taking it away. Arthur is not king material. After his thing with Guenevere comes out into the open, his brother rebukes him and there is real disgust with Arthur. In a land which needs a strong leader, there is this bratty kid. But then the episode turns around and Arthur turns into the hero who stays behind. So he's good now, right? If so, then the love-triangle seemed to have served little purpose.
Score: 7.8/10
"The Battle of Bardon Pass" had the potential to change that, given the ending last week. And for a brief moment, the episode strikes home a key point--before taking it away. Arthur is not king material. After his thing with Guenevere comes out into the open, his brother rebukes him and there is real disgust with Arthur. In a land which needs a strong leader, there is this bratty kid. But then the episode turns around and Arthur turns into the hero who stays behind. So he's good now, right? If so, then the love-triangle seemed to have served little purpose.
Score: 7.8/10
Friday, June 3, 2011
Review - Love Bites Season 1 Episode 1 Firsts (Pilot)
There are two things about Love Bites that are notable. (1) After major cast and producer turnover, NBC kept pushing the premiere date further and further back until today. (2) It's probably the fifth new comedy this season exclusively focusing on relationships. If there's one thing to take from the two points, it's that Love Bites won't last. NBC surely doesn't care what happens to it, and audiences haven't been receptive to these types of comedies, as they were all canceled (though, to be fair, most shows got canceled).
Even during a normal year in the normal television season, Love Bites probably wouldn't have survived anyway. The pilot features three separate stories and in an hour, they are bite-sized as the show's title suggests. Each story has largely the same patter: guy and girl, friends on the side; there is some deception, but a happy ending for everyone. Basically the plots jump from problem to solution instantly with zero development. There are some funny moments, some groan-worthy moments, but the main failing of the show is that it's kind of pointless. We're watching these characters do things, but we're hardly given a reason to care about them, especially with such generic plots.
Score: 7.4/10
Even during a normal year in the normal television season, Love Bites probably wouldn't have survived anyway. The pilot features three separate stories and in an hour, they are bite-sized as the show's title suggests. Each story has largely the same patter: guy and girl, friends on the side; there is some deception, but a happy ending for everyone. Basically the plots jump from problem to solution instantly with zero development. There are some funny moments, some groan-worthy moments, but the main failing of the show is that it's kind of pointless. We're watching these characters do things, but we're hardly given a reason to care about them, especially with such generic plots.
Score: 7.4/10
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Review - Breaking Bad Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
Hi everyone, I've been taking it easy since broadcast networks moved into summer programming, but I'm getting back on track. One of my plans is to review the first two seasons of Breaking Bad before the fourth season begins on July 17. This means I have a month a two weeks to watch and review 19 episodes, which should be doable. After this review for the pilot, I'll be reviewing two episodes each time, with one or two days between review and I should get there. These reviews are intended for everyone, those who've watched all the episodes already and those who have not. This means there will be no explicit spoilers of future events. However, I will point things out which may be important in the future or a certain device writers use that is used successfully throughout the series. Meanwhile, I'll be reviewing at least two X-Files episodes every weekend, hopefully more.
Before going into the actual content of Breaking Bad's pilot, let's look at the premise for a second: A high school chemistry teacher learns he has terminal cancer and begins cooking meth in order to leave money for his family. Wait a second... huh? It's nearly impossible to consider this mash-up of ideas without some apprehension and confusion. It just sounds absurd. It's one thing for Weeds, a comedy, to do something similar, but Breaking Bad, a drama? Well, we all know how that turned out as Vince Gilligan crafted three breathtaking seasons of television without dropping a beat.
The pilot is by no means a groundbreaking episode of television compared to other pilots, future episodes, or even television episodes in general. But it does something successfully--breaking any preconceived notions about how hokey the show could be. At the end of the episode, you don't doubt Vince Gilligan or the cast. All the pieces are there for a great show, and future conflicts to spring up.
The show opens with a particularly striking image, Walt in his underwear standing in the middle of the road, pointing a gun at the direction of the oncoming sirens. Everyone's reaction: "What the hell is going on?" From there, the episode flashes back and the plot proceeds as one would expect. We are introduced to Walt, the chemistry teacher who has job at a car wash and is humiliated by students, his wife Skyler, Walt Jr., his brother-in-law Hank, a DEA agent, and his wife Marie.
On the outset, none of those characters seem particularly interesting--as they are intended. These are normal, suburban people who live their lives in relative comfort and safety. There is nothing inherently "TV-worthy" about them. But we can also many potential problems. Walt, by others' descriptions, appears to be off and we can see it on Skyler's face even if she says otherwise. Her relationship with her sister, while cordial, seems to have some rocky places as well. Of course, the biggest problem is Hank being a DEA agent, if Walt is to cook meth as the premise demands.
Once the drugs and Walt's cancer kick in, the episode starts rolling ahead like a snowball. People make certain choices and everything is forced to move ahead. Walt tags along with Hank on a meth bust, sees Jesse Pinkman climb out a window, and the glorious partnership begins soon after. There is a degree of humor to the meth cooking, as Walt's professional skills and fastidiousness far outweigh the usual dummies' cooking abilities. But the episode takes a quick turn when their first clients decide to get even with Jesse and Walt along with him.
The episode ends in a flurry of activity that shows us how much tension the show could have. In the confrontation, Walt, in his underwear, uses chemicals to kill the thugs while saving Jesse. The final flourish, bringing the episode back to the striking scene which begun the episode, has Bryan Cranston at his best, anguished and out of his wits. This first usage of a callback to the beginning is works well and the writers use similar tactics to great effect later on. Eventually, the firetrucks pass by and Walt returns back to the trailer, but the momentary feeling of terror still remains.
Walt's return home, culminating in an out of character sexual encounter with Skyler, emphasizes exactly what Breaking Bad is about. The show is not just about a mild mannered 50-year old cooking meth. It is about a total change in personality. Walt cannot simply start cooking meth and remain the same person. He is a changed man both at his job and his home life. He is invigorated, having broken bad, and there is undeniable unease over where Walt's character could go.
What makes the pilot--and future episodes--work is the willingness of AMC, the writers, and the actors to put it all out there and really put an edge on everything. They don't pussyfoot around issues and there are numerous scenes which are as raw as they get, expertly done by Bryan Cranston, who's been deserving for every Emmy. There's cussing, wildness, no inhibition. In the true sense of the breaking bad, it is not a facile representation of someone doing something bad; it is as real as it gets, someone changing entirely.
Score: 9.3/10
Before going into the actual content of Breaking Bad's pilot, let's look at the premise for a second: A high school chemistry teacher learns he has terminal cancer and begins cooking meth in order to leave money for his family. Wait a second... huh? It's nearly impossible to consider this mash-up of ideas without some apprehension and confusion. It just sounds absurd. It's one thing for Weeds, a comedy, to do something similar, but Breaking Bad, a drama? Well, we all know how that turned out as Vince Gilligan crafted three breathtaking seasons of television without dropping a beat.
The pilot is by no means a groundbreaking episode of television compared to other pilots, future episodes, or even television episodes in general. But it does something successfully--breaking any preconceived notions about how hokey the show could be. At the end of the episode, you don't doubt Vince Gilligan or the cast. All the pieces are there for a great show, and future conflicts to spring up.
The show opens with a particularly striking image, Walt in his underwear standing in the middle of the road, pointing a gun at the direction of the oncoming sirens. Everyone's reaction: "What the hell is going on?" From there, the episode flashes back and the plot proceeds as one would expect. We are introduced to Walt, the chemistry teacher who has job at a car wash and is humiliated by students, his wife Skyler, Walt Jr., his brother-in-law Hank, a DEA agent, and his wife Marie.
On the outset, none of those characters seem particularly interesting--as they are intended. These are normal, suburban people who live their lives in relative comfort and safety. There is nothing inherently "TV-worthy" about them. But we can also many potential problems. Walt, by others' descriptions, appears to be off and we can see it on Skyler's face even if she says otherwise. Her relationship with her sister, while cordial, seems to have some rocky places as well. Of course, the biggest problem is Hank being a DEA agent, if Walt is to cook meth as the premise demands.
Once the drugs and Walt's cancer kick in, the episode starts rolling ahead like a snowball. People make certain choices and everything is forced to move ahead. Walt tags along with Hank on a meth bust, sees Jesse Pinkman climb out a window, and the glorious partnership begins soon after. There is a degree of humor to the meth cooking, as Walt's professional skills and fastidiousness far outweigh the usual dummies' cooking abilities. But the episode takes a quick turn when their first clients decide to get even with Jesse and Walt along with him.
The episode ends in a flurry of activity that shows us how much tension the show could have. In the confrontation, Walt, in his underwear, uses chemicals to kill the thugs while saving Jesse. The final flourish, bringing the episode back to the striking scene which begun the episode, has Bryan Cranston at his best, anguished and out of his wits. This first usage of a callback to the beginning is works well and the writers use similar tactics to great effect later on. Eventually, the firetrucks pass by and Walt returns back to the trailer, but the momentary feeling of terror still remains.
Walt's return home, culminating in an out of character sexual encounter with Skyler, emphasizes exactly what Breaking Bad is about. The show is not just about a mild mannered 50-year old cooking meth. It is about a total change in personality. Walt cannot simply start cooking meth and remain the same person. He is a changed man both at his job and his home life. He is invigorated, having broken bad, and there is undeniable unease over where Walt's character could go.
What makes the pilot--and future episodes--work is the willingness of AMC, the writers, and the actors to put it all out there and really put an edge on everything. They don't pussyfoot around issues and there are numerous scenes which are as raw as they get, expertly done by Bryan Cranston, who's been deserving for every Emmy. There's cussing, wildness, no inhibition. In the true sense of the breaking bad, it is not a facile representation of someone doing something bad; it is as real as it gets, someone changing entirely.
Score: 9.3/10
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Review - Franklin & Bash Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
Franklin & Bash is generally an innocuous show. Like TNT's recent ventures, it is a standard dramedy and doesn't go too far out of the box. It stars Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Jared Franklin and Peter Bash, two trial liars who have a good time performing silly legal antics. The show occasionally stretched towards the childish side of things, a woman stripping on the witness stand, but it's easy to laugh it off. At the end of the day, it's not a show to take seriously, and that's what the writers were looking for. If one can stand the immaturity and likes standard legal fare, Franklin & Bash is certainly a show to watch.
Score: 8.3/10
Score: 8.3/10
