My history with The Vampire Diaries begins about two years ago with the premiere of the show. I watched it and gave it a negative review, which, to my recollection, was pretty harsh. (I don't want to dig up old reviews because I'm guessing they suck.) So the year went on and I began seeing people talk about the show positively, even raving about it. Delusional fangirls, I told myself, so I didn't really mind.
It wasn't until a year later when I honestly considered watching the show, having seen tweets from people I follow on Twitter, people I respect. From what I read, the plot was insane and the twists kept coming. But I wondered, how much could the show have improved since the awful pilot?
Well, I caught up over the summer and was very impressed by the progression of the show. The first five episodes are bad, littered with dead-end plots and bad dialogue, but from that point on the show takes off and doesn't look back for a second. There is never an episode where the writers put their foot on the breaks, and that mindset worked wonders. The plot moves forward rapidly, always bringing something new to the table, and all the characters slowly but surely gain extra dimensions. As bad as it begun, The Vampire Diaries really became something else by the end of the first season and improved on that in the second.
Now in the third season, there are no signs of stopping. The second season finale disrupted the status quo, sending Stefan into Klaus's grasp, and the third season immediately hits this plot. In ripper mode, Stefan is scary as hell, dismembering people's bodies and the like. This dark edge is something the writers have developed and now we get to see it in action, and it's a sight to see. Meanwhile, the other, human side of him is battling back and Stefan even manages to call Elena. We don't know exactly what Stefan is thinking, whether he is fooling Klaus, or killing because he likes it. While we'll eventually get to see the old Stefan back in Mystic Falls where he belongs, the journey likely will be long and hard with plenty of thorny issues to come.
The other plots didn't exactly have the brutality, but nothing stagnated. Andie, the most useless character on the show, is killed off, Caroline and Tyler do the deed, and Jeremy continues to see the ghosts of Vicki and Anna. The episode ends with Carol Lockwood vervaining Caroline, which obviously is not good for all the characters and the secrets they hold.
Score: 8.9/10
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Review - The Secret Circle Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
For the CW, picking up The Secret Circle and airing it after The Vampire Diaries is a guaranteed success. It's based off a book series by TVD's author, and has many of the same people working on it. The similarities are so striking that I can't imagine a world where The Secret Circle does not get stellar ratings (for CW standards).
From the pilot alone, it is already off to a better start than TVD, which had an awful pilot and first four/five episodes. The Secret Circle, unlike The Vampire Diaries, doesn't dawdle around at the beginning or wallow too much in the teen angst and drama. It gets straight to the point: this is a show about a witch's circle and the main character Cassie completes it. OK, so nothing revolutionary, but it's at least better than the swirling fog and flirting that inhabited the first episode of TVD. There is definitely forward momentum going into the second episode.
At this point, there isn't much more you can say about TSC. The characters are introduced, the setting is established, and the backstory is ready to be revealed. It all feels very familiar. The question going forward is whether TSC can capture the wild unpredictability of the TVD, the shocking plot twists that keep coming episode after episode. We'll just have to wait and see.
Score: 8.5/10
From the pilot alone, it is already off to a better start than TVD, which had an awful pilot and first four/five episodes. The Secret Circle, unlike The Vampire Diaries, doesn't dawdle around at the beginning or wallow too much in the teen angst and drama. It gets straight to the point: this is a show about a witch's circle and the main character Cassie completes it. OK, so nothing revolutionary, but it's at least better than the swirling fog and flirting that inhabited the first episode of TVD. There is definitely forward momentum going into the second episode.
At this point, there isn't much more you can say about TSC. The characters are introduced, the setting is established, and the backstory is ready to be revealed. It all feels very familiar. The question going forward is whether TSC can capture the wild unpredictability of the TVD, the shocking plot twists that keep coming episode after episode. We'll just have to wait and see.
Score: 8.5/10
Review - Damages Season 4 Episode 10 Failure is Lonely
As "Failure is Lonely" and the rest of the fourth season proved, Damages' move to DirecTV came at not loss, and even gains. With a reduced season of 10 episodes, it was plotted tighter, allowing for each episode to hit the pertinent points with greater force than before. Along with the great performances from John Goodman and Dylan Baker, this season turned out to be damn good, possibly rivaling the first season.
As far as plot details go, I'm satisfied with how it turned out. Chris was actually still alive, Boorman is dead, and Erickson is going down. There some cool twists--Boorman revealed as the one who killed the team, and the boy being Boorman's son--but nothing as extreme as in previous seasons.
What the episode hammers home, however, is the differences between Patty and Ellen. Ellen wants to be successful and she wants to have a life. Patty, on the other hand, is successful and believes that is enough. In her own words, "Failure is Lonely." And is it this stark difference which eventually drives them apart. Ellen does not want to gamble lives while Patty is fine doing so. At the end of the day, both are kind of right. Ellen does not get the recognition she probably deserves for the work she put in, but Chris is also alive; it balances out.
I don't really like Michael, but the final development of the season, Ellen as witness against Patty, leads into the final season. Everything will come full circle, as Ellen can recap all the things Patty has done to her since the beginning of the final season. It's fitting that Ellen has finally turned against Patty to take away the last thing Patty has left, Katherine.
Score: 9.3/10
As far as plot details go, I'm satisfied with how it turned out. Chris was actually still alive, Boorman is dead, and Erickson is going down. There some cool twists--Boorman revealed as the one who killed the team, and the boy being Boorman's son--but nothing as extreme as in previous seasons.
What the episode hammers home, however, is the differences between Patty and Ellen. Ellen wants to be successful and she wants to have a life. Patty, on the other hand, is successful and believes that is enough. In her own words, "Failure is Lonely." And is it this stark difference which eventually drives them apart. Ellen does not want to gamble lives while Patty is fine doing so. At the end of the day, both are kind of right. Ellen does not get the recognition she probably deserves for the work she put in, but Chris is also alive; it balances out.
I don't really like Michael, but the final development of the season, Ellen as witness against Patty, leads into the final season. Everything will come full circle, as Ellen can recap all the things Patty has done to her since the beginning of the final season. It's fitting that Ellen has finally turned against Patty to take away the last thing Patty has left, Katherine.
Score: 9.3/10
Review - Free Agents Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
Using Up All Night as a measuring stick, I liked Free Agents quite a bit more. Alex and Helen, played by Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn, aren't as good as Chris and Reagan (the characters on UAN), but I found their banter to be entertaining enough to push me towards the second episode. In both shows, the leads are good and their characters are well defined. Both Alex and Helen don't know what to do with their lives and they happen to fall in bed a couple times.
The other characters are handled much better, as we can see hear them talk about women while not hogging the screen. Stephen comes off as a somewhat cartoonish character, what with his sordid talk, but tonally, he fits in with the show which features pictures of Helen's dead fiance plastered all over the place and Hank doing his grumpy act before bursting into tears.
Score: 8.9/10
The other characters are handled much better, as we can see hear them talk about women while not hogging the screen. Stephen comes off as a somewhat cartoonish character, what with his sordid talk, but tonally, he fits in with the show which features pictures of Helen's dead fiance plastered all over the place and Hank doing his grumpy act before bursting into tears.
Score: 8.9/10
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Review - Up All Night Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
I want to start off this review with the positives, because there is a lot to like about the pilot. Christina Applegate and Will Arnett are wonderful in their roles, Reagan and Chris, parents raising a baby. Both are very human, warm, and likable. The show isn't overtly funny, but there are laughs to be found, and plenty of charm between the two. If this was all Up All Night was, I'd be very happy and looking forward to next week's episode. But there's a reason why I'm saying this first to emphasize the positive: the rest of the show doesn't work.
The other half of the show, the workplace and Ava, is awkward and needs significant retooling. Reagan works for Ava, who is supposed to be like Oprah, except her behavior is a bit... off. We never get a sense of who Ava is, what makes her popular, or any reasonable exposition on her character. What we do get, however, is a popular talk show host who's crazy, parties a lot and is in a lot of scenes, a mix which doesn't make much sense--the kind of thing you'd see on a wackier comedy. Except the parts with Reagan and Chris, aside from the cussing, are not wacky but sweet. When Ava shows up, she disrupts the flow in an unsettling way.
From what I've read, the producers bulked up Maya Randolph's role due to the success of Bridesmaids. Apparently she had less screen time and was a PR executive. Sadly, the producers' willingness to compromise commercialization for creativity came at big loss.
Pilots usually focus on the main elements before the show expands later on. There is a greater focus on the main characters and only a glancing look at the other characters. In the Up All Night pilot, Ava is about as important as Reagan and Chris, indicating she is not one of the other characters but a main character. While she may be a big factor in keeping them "up all night," there is a distance to her, stemming from her zaniness, that makes her far less appealing and intimate than a baby who keeps them awake.
Up All Night could have a been a great show--a quiet, understated comedy without big laughs all the time but having a nice charm. Instead, it's half of a great show and half a show which features a brash, Oprah-esque talk show host. Without committing to either, the show comes up short when there was a clear option which way to go.
Score: 8.3/10
The other half of the show, the workplace and Ava, is awkward and needs significant retooling. Reagan works for Ava, who is supposed to be like Oprah, except her behavior is a bit... off. We never get a sense of who Ava is, what makes her popular, or any reasonable exposition on her character. What we do get, however, is a popular talk show host who's crazy, parties a lot and is in a lot of scenes, a mix which doesn't make much sense--the kind of thing you'd see on a wackier comedy. Except the parts with Reagan and Chris, aside from the cussing, are not wacky but sweet. When Ava shows up, she disrupts the flow in an unsettling way.
From what I've read, the producers bulked up Maya Randolph's role due to the success of Bridesmaids. Apparently she had less screen time and was a PR executive. Sadly, the producers' willingness to compromise commercialization for creativity came at big loss.
Pilots usually focus on the main elements before the show expands later on. There is a greater focus on the main characters and only a glancing look at the other characters. In the Up All Night pilot, Ava is about as important as Reagan and Chris, indicating she is not one of the other characters but a main character. While she may be a big factor in keeping them "up all night," there is a distance to her, stemming from her zaniness, that makes her far less appealing and intimate than a baby who keeps them awake.
Up All Night could have a been a great show--a quiet, understated comedy without big laughs all the time but having a nice charm. Instead, it's half of a great show and half a show which features a brash, Oprah-esque talk show host. Without committing to either, the show comes up short when there was a clear option which way to go.
Score: 8.3/10
Review - Sons of Anarchy Season 4 Episode 2 Booster
The main conflict that arises out of "Booster" is borne from an uneasy necessity for the the characters to make compromises in order to get ahead later. Clay knows he can't last long and needs cash, which leads him to working with the cartel. Jax grudging supports this unpopular move because he too has plans for the future, leaving the club, which he tells Clay. But then there is the rest of the club, Bobby, Tig, Opie, and the others, who don't have long-term plans. They know the dangers of working with the cartel and don't really accept the new trade of security for money.
With this going on, Roosevelt sends a message that he's not a pushover, wrecking the clubhouse because of "code violations." Potter remains astute and gets rid of everyone in order to start fresh (since their colleague just died). Things aren't getting any easier for SAMCRO.
One of the more interesting things from last night's episode was Gemma finding John Teller's accident report in Tara's desk. We don't know what Tara's angle is, or how much she's put together, but clearly there was something more going on, as has been the suggestion since the beginning. And it also looks like Unser was in on it. Whatever happened is slowly bubbling to the top and it'll be difficult for Gemma to put a lid on it.
Score: 9.0/10
With this going on, Roosevelt sends a message that he's not a pushover, wrecking the clubhouse because of "code violations." Potter remains astute and gets rid of everyone in order to start fresh (since their colleague just died). Things aren't getting any easier for SAMCRO.
One of the more interesting things from last night's episode was Gemma finding John Teller's accident report in Tara's desk. We don't know what Tara's angle is, or how much she's put together, but clearly there was something more going on, as has been the suggestion since the beginning. And it also looks like Unser was in on it. Whatever happened is slowly bubbling to the top and it'll be difficult for Gemma to put a lid on it.
Score: 9.0/10
Review - Ringer Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot
We've waited years for Sarah Michelle Gellar's return to the small screen, and... it wasn't pretty--and I'm not just talking about the boat scene. For her part, SMG is not bad, but the producers are not playing to her strengths which are definitely in line with the dreary, nervous material she is given. Although she has a few solid quips here and there, the tone of the show is very serious. [Insert serious business meme]
The main problem is that, while the producers want the show to be dark, intense, and thrilling, the plot would indicate that it is, in fact, campy and full of bullshit we can laugh at. I honesty wouldn't mind too much if the producers had a lighter touch, jabbing at the inanity of the situation occasionally, but they really want to get across the direness of the situation, even throwing in a couple musical montages (that makes things deep, you see).
Here's the plot: Bridget Kelly escapes from witness protection on the eve of a big trial and meets up with her identical twin Siobhan Martin. They take a boat ride (which features embarrassing visual effects), Bridget wakes up, and finds Siobhan gone, presumably drowned. What's the next logical step? Take her sister's place! Of course it makes perfect sense. OK, think for a moment--how much information do you store in your brain and not keep recorded anywhere? But Bridget somehow succeeds and everyone believes she is Siobhan. Siobhan's life is very complicated as Bridget soon finds out, but probably not as complicated as Bridget's will soon be, with the combined problems of her and Siobhan's lives. In a twist of utter stupidity, Bridget learns of Siobhan's pregnancy over the phone--and announces it to the world. Yeah, not even going to warrant a comment. The episode ends with Siobhan alive in Paris, a predictable twist to propel the show towards wherever wacky place it belongs.
With a large emphasis on plot, the characters--including Bridget--hardly get fleshed out beyond the names and roles. Why is Bridget staying behind? It would seem a lot easier if she just took a bunch of Siobhan's stuff and ran. Does she like posh lifestyle? Is she a thrillseeker who gets into impossible situations for the fun of getting out of them?
I want to end with some positive comments, assuming the writers did intend for some social commentary. As ludicrous as Bridget actually succeeding is, there is something to be said about the way the upper-crust looks at people. They don't see Siobhan as an actual person but as a rich, skinny blonde. Bridget can come in, replace her sister, and no one will notice, because people only cared what Siobhan looked like. This isn't particularly deep, but preferably to what is on other shows, the "smash the message on your face 500 times" style of commentary.
Score: 7.0/10
The main problem is that, while the producers want the show to be dark, intense, and thrilling, the plot would indicate that it is, in fact, campy and full of bullshit we can laugh at. I honesty wouldn't mind too much if the producers had a lighter touch, jabbing at the inanity of the situation occasionally, but they really want to get across the direness of the situation, even throwing in a couple musical montages (that makes things deep, you see).
Here's the plot: Bridget Kelly escapes from witness protection on the eve of a big trial and meets up with her identical twin Siobhan Martin. They take a boat ride (which features embarrassing visual effects), Bridget wakes up, and finds Siobhan gone, presumably drowned. What's the next logical step? Take her sister's place! Of course it makes perfect sense. OK, think for a moment--how much information do you store in your brain and not keep recorded anywhere? But Bridget somehow succeeds and everyone believes she is Siobhan. Siobhan's life is very complicated as Bridget soon finds out, but probably not as complicated as Bridget's will soon be, with the combined problems of her and Siobhan's lives. In a twist of utter stupidity, Bridget learns of Siobhan's pregnancy over the phone--and announces it to the world. Yeah, not even going to warrant a comment. The episode ends with Siobhan alive in Paris, a predictable twist to propel the show towards wherever wacky place it belongs.
With a large emphasis on plot, the characters--including Bridget--hardly get fleshed out beyond the names and roles. Why is Bridget staying behind? It would seem a lot easier if she just took a bunch of Siobhan's stuff and ran. Does she like posh lifestyle? Is she a thrillseeker who gets into impossible situations for the fun of getting out of them?
I want to end with some positive comments, assuming the writers did intend for some social commentary. As ludicrous as Bridget actually succeeding is, there is something to be said about the way the upper-crust looks at people. They don't see Siobhan as an actual person but as a rich, skinny blonde. Bridget can come in, replace her sister, and no one will notice, because people only cared what Siobhan looked like. This isn't particularly deep, but preferably to what is on other shows, the "smash the message on your face 500 times" style of commentary.
Score: 7.0/10
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Review - Alphas Season 1 Episode 9 Blind Spot
When I think about Brent Spiner on Star Trek: TNG, his most memorable performances were not as Data but as Lore, Data's malevolent brother. He projected a calm that went with Data's character but also managed the underlying evil of Lore, and every confrontation was always polarizing. In "Blind Spot," Spiner plays a similar character, an alpha who is blind. There he is one moment, calmly sitting and talking, and in another causing havoc at the headquarters. He makes for a pretty awesome enemy, the best one yet in my opinion.
To add to that, there's Griffin, who finds blind spots to avoid being seen by others. She creates a frantic situation as the team learns of her presence. While she's causing trouble, Dr. Kern is doing worse, making the last act of the episode very fast paced and energetic. On top of this, it all plausibly fits into the established mythology. Kern wants more alphas and doesn't see eye to eye with Rosen while Griffin is an alpha for hire.
My inner X-Files fanboy has to comment that Griffin has parts of two X-Files characters--Robert Modell, who coined himself a ronin, and the Vietnam POW who could exploit blind spots. Not saying that Alphas is unoriginal or anything--just something that popped into my head.
Score: 9.2/10
To add to that, there's Griffin, who finds blind spots to avoid being seen by others. She creates a frantic situation as the team learns of her presence. While she's causing trouble, Dr. Kern is doing worse, making the last act of the episode very fast paced and energetic. On top of this, it all plausibly fits into the established mythology. Kern wants more alphas and doesn't see eye to eye with Rosen while Griffin is an alpha for hire.
My inner X-Files fanboy has to comment that Griffin has parts of two X-Files characters--Robert Modell, who coined himself a ronin, and the Vietnam POW who could exploit blind spots. Not saying that Alphas is unoriginal or anything--just something that popped into my head.
Score: 9.2/10
Review - Warehouse 13 Season 3 Episode 9 Shadows
Filling in the backstory of Pete's mother Jane, "Shadows" is a pretty boring episode, with little action and only a couple instances of flashy artifact usage. Most of the time is spent reflecting on the past--Claudia on Steve, Pete and Jane on Pete's father. There is certainly relevance to by found, relating both to the case of the week and the ongoing arc for the season, but Warehouse 13 is a much better show when the tempo is higher.
The characters now know that the super-villain is Walter Sykes, whose bracelet was taken away. Apparently, the bracelet left a seed of darkness in his heart, which makes him who he is today. It's a decent reason why he would be angry, seed of darkness notwithstanding. The bracelet gave him the ability to walk, to play baseball. The Warehouse took it away and he couldn't walk anymore or play baseball.
Score: 8.0/10
The characters now know that the super-villain is Walter Sykes, whose bracelet was taken away. Apparently, the bracelet left a seed of darkness in his heart, which makes him who he is today. It's a decent reason why he would be angry, seed of darkness notwithstanding. The bracelet gave him the ability to walk, to play baseball. The Warehouse took it away and he couldn't walk anymore or play baseball.
Score: 8.0/10
Review - The Closer Season 7 Episode 10 Fresh Pursuit
With more episodes starting in November as well as more episodes next summer, The Closer actually has quite a ways to go before ending despite being in its last season. As such, the main storyline, Brenda getting sued, isn't over yet. The case is dismissed, but Goldman decides to pursue her at the federal level, somehow having found out about similar instances to the Terrell Baylor one.
What's disturbing is how dogged Goldman is in going after her and her specifically. While Goldman may have a valid point about Brenda's conduct, he's like one of those ACLU types who has gone off the edge. This case is personal, because he feels the need to get rid of her and wants to get in her face before the trial begins, and it makes him an insufferable character. Of course, Curtis Armstrong knows plenty well how to play an insufferable, having played one for years on Moonlighting.
Regarding the leak, I think it's Pope, even if there is no evidence. He's always seemed like an ass and that final scene, opening the door to the lawyer for Brenda to get chewed out, is pretty suspicious.
We're getting a better idea of how Brenda will eventually leave the show as the season moves on. It's doubtful Goldman will win in the end--the writers probably don't want Brenda to bow out in shame. But it's clear the lawsuit has gotten to her and she may be close to cracking. She is obviously distressed when the suspect kills himself in the interrogation room and berates the sheriff's deputy for going beyond the law.
The case this week felt more like an opportunity for Brenda to reflect on past events than anything else. The car theft thing never really took off and ended with the restaurant hostess, one of the only three asked about the theft (the other two being the guy who killed himself and the sheriff's deputy), being arrested.
Score: 8.5/10
What's disturbing is how dogged Goldman is in going after her and her specifically. While Goldman may have a valid point about Brenda's conduct, he's like one of those ACLU types who has gone off the edge. This case is personal, because he feels the need to get rid of her and wants to get in her face before the trial begins, and it makes him an insufferable character. Of course, Curtis Armstrong knows plenty well how to play an insufferable, having played one for years on Moonlighting.
Regarding the leak, I think it's Pope, even if there is no evidence. He's always seemed like an ass and that final scene, opening the door to the lawyer for Brenda to get chewed out, is pretty suspicious.
We're getting a better idea of how Brenda will eventually leave the show as the season moves on. It's doubtful Goldman will win in the end--the writers probably don't want Brenda to bow out in shame. But it's clear the lawsuit has gotten to her and she may be close to cracking. She is obviously distressed when the suspect kills himself in the interrogation room and berates the sheriff's deputy for going beyond the law.
The case this week felt more like an opportunity for Brenda to reflect on past events than anything else. The car theft thing never really took off and ended with the restaurant hostess, one of the only three asked about the theft (the other two being the guy who killed himself and the sheriff's deputy), being arrested.
Score: 8.5/10
Monday, September 12, 2011
Review - True Blood Season 4 Episode 12 And When I Die
True Blood season finales have not been all that impressive, with the majority of the action earlier in the season, and "And When I Die" follows this pattern to a degree. The big bad of the season, Marnie, is defeated rather easily about halfway through the episode after killing Jesus and almost burning Eric and Bill. It's a largely anti-climactic scene, fitting in with the defeats of previous big bads.
What makes this finale work better than the others, however, is that the large majority of filler content bodes well for the next season. We learn that Russell has escaped, Steve Newlin is a vampire, Bill kills Nan, and Tara gets half her head blown off. No more crying, useless Tara, more supervillains from the past? Sign me now.
I have one last thing to comment on. I'm not one to ask for more True Blood subplots, but I gotta wonder where the fairies and werepanthers went. As pointless as the two groups were, some follow-up would be nice to show their significance. Or we will never see them again--that would actually be fine for me.
Score: 8.4/10
What makes this finale work better than the others, however, is that the large majority of filler content bodes well for the next season. We learn that Russell has escaped, Steve Newlin is a vampire, Bill kills Nan, and Tara gets half her head blown off. No more crying, useless Tara, more supervillains from the past? Sign me now.
I have one last thing to comment on. I'm not one to ask for more True Blood subplots, but I gotta wonder where the fairies and werepanthers went. As pointless as the two groups were, some follow-up would be nice to show their significance. Or we will never see them again--that would actually be fine for me.
Score: 8.4/10
