 Just when I was beginning to feel comfortable with the various mysteries surrounding the show, the writers had to go and throw a new one into the mix that is so unbelievably confusing, I’m beginning to question if they still know what they’re doing. I mean, I totally buy the whole Ben Linus/Charles Widmore connection, but since when did Locke become such an important entity that he was literally being recruited by Dharma as a child?
Nevertheless, it appears Locke is the new (less evil) Ben, and after dreaming about a conversation with a former Dharma worker named Horace, the trio set off to find the cabin using Locke’s newly learned information. It’s with a map he finds in the Dharma death pit (i.e. the place Ben dumped all the bodies) that they’re able to locate the always moving cabin, but Locke is sent in alone when Ben declares that his destiny has already been fulfilled. When he enters, however, Locke doesn’t find his expected guest, but rather… Dr. Christian Shepherd, who claims he can speak on Jacob’s behalf. This is where the show totally lost me, because not only does it not make sense that Jack’s father is on the island (and seemingly not a ghost), but apparently, Claire is now a part of the whole cabin/Jacob secret as well. She’s acting mighty creepy, too, and if that weren’t enough, Christian has just told Locke that in order to save the island, he’s going to have to move it. In the words of Harold Lee, “What the fuck?” Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and Lost and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
In fact, Richard Alpert didn’t only visit him as a prematurely born baby (I’m still curious as to how Alpert manages to remain the same age for nearly 50 years), but he contacts him twice more throughout his childhood – once under the guise of a “school for special kids” and again via a pamphlet for a Portland-based science camp. Then, as an adult going through rehab following his accident, Locke is visited by another Dharma suit: Abaddon, who suggests that he experience the Australian walkabout to help discover himself. It’s all very coincidental, and while the writers utilized this same tactic in the first two seasons, those instances weren’t bound by such disbelief.
 This week’s episode provided a little bit of movement in the two more compelling ongoing storylines: the fate of the Demetrius and the intra-Cylon war. While I understand how Starbuck’s crew is getting eager to return to the fleet, what are the odds that they stumble upon Leoben at the site of an intra-Cylon battle? It’s obviously not a coincidence so either Starbuck (skinjob or not) is indeed on the path to Earth or she’s (intentionally or unintentionally) leading the ship into a trap. This is the first good clue the ship has discovered on its mission, and there simply isn’t time to go back and check in with the fleet before following the clue to see where it leads. However, that makes me wonder why Adama and Starbuck wouldn’t arrange for some backup meeting point and time if the circumstances prohibited the Demetrius from returning to the fleet at the 60-day mark. Maybe the solution is for Starbuck another crewmember to take a raptor or two and follow the clue while the rest of the crew meets up with the fleet. One thing’s for certain - Starbuck needs to talk to the hybrid, and fast. Leoben wants to form an alliance between the humans and the remaining Sixes, Eights and Twos that would allow Cara to fulfill her destiny, which Leoben says is to lead the humans to Earth. Back on Galactica, Baltar’s tiresome evangelizing intersected with the Tyrol’s semi-dreary mourning/coming-to-grips storyline. The former Chief decided to shave his head and jump rope in his cabin, which are (apparently) common reactions to discovering that you’re a Cylon and losing your wife to suicide. The whole Tyrol/Baltar holding hands thing seems extraneous right now, though I sure hope there is some purpose to it. Watching Baltar preach just makes me squirm, so I hope that he eventually gets what’s coming to him. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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It only makes sense that following last week’s awesome episode, tonight’s show would be comparably worse. Them’s the rules of “Lost,” I’m afraid, and though we got some more insight into the events leading up to Jack’s eventual post-rescue breakdown, the action on the island was considerably tame.
Of course, I honestly believe that none of the original freighter folk (Faraday, Charlotte, Lapidus and Miles) are bad people, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been placed in an incredibly awkward and high-tension position. For all the hoo-hah caused about their possible disloyalty, however, it seems like the only reason that entire subplot was written was so that Jin could approach Charlotte about her ability to speak Korean. Charlotte denies it at first, but when Jin threatens (in Korean, of course) to break Daniel’s fingers, she gives in. And what exactly does Jin want in trade for keeping Charlotte’s secret? A promise that when the helicopter arrives, she’ll take Sun away from the island. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and Lost and External TV Comments: 6 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
I mean, does Jack’s appendicitis really qualify for that level of dramatic tension? Hardly, but when Juliet announces that she’s going to have to operate, everyone freaks out, including Jack, who becomes so unruly during the actual surgery that Bernard eventually just knocks him out with some chloroform. Before all that, however, Faraday and Charlotte head to the medical hatch to pick up some supplies for the surgery, and since everyone has decided that they’re no longer to be trusted following Bernard’s Morse code trickery last week, Jin and Sun tag along with orders that if they try to run away, they’re to shoot them in the legs. That's always a nice way to make someone feel at home, no?|
I like this show as much as the next guy, but his episode was pretty tough to watch. It meandered from depressing storyline to depressing storyline with the speed of a drunk turtle. From the Chief’s badmouthing of his dead wife to Tigh’s fragile grip on reality to Baltar’s fairly lame speech about religion, it was pretty tedious throughout. In fact, it felt a lot like last week’s episode, only without the shocking ending. Hopefully this is a slow buildup and not a trend for the season. A couple of questions occurred to me: 1) Why doesn’t Roslin get another blood transfusion from Hera? That worked the first time, so it would be the first thing I’d try if I were in her situation. 2) What is the meaning of the Chief’s rant in the bar? Was he just trying to get himself reassigned so that he couldn’t do any more damage to the humans or was he seriously upset that he wasn’t able to be with the love of his life (presumably Boomer, who is also a Cylon)? I was never really a fan of the Tigh/Ellen relationship, so seeing her pop back up isn’t a good thing. It was interesting to see Six plant a kiss on Tigh; I thought for a moment that she was going to try to escape (which would have been a whole lot more exciting) but maybe she’s drawn to Tigh because he’s a skinjob. Anyway, we didn’t get any news from the Demetrius or the Cylon fleet, so this episode failed to move those storylines along. From the “next week” scenes, it looks like the Demetrius is heavily involved, so at least we have that to look forward to. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External TV and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: 5 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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After a few slow weeks threatened to ruin everything that Carlton Cuse and Co. worked so hard to build to this year, “Lost” returned from its month-long break with both guns literally blazing. Tonight’s episode wasn’t particularly revealing, but it did feature more action than I’ve seen in an entire season, and if this is any indication of how a “Lost” movie might turn out, count me in. Of course, the fact that I enjoyed it so much while simultaneously battling an unexpected sickness speaks volumes of just how good it really was, and while I’d usually follow that up with a play-by-play breakdown of the episode, I’ve decided to take the easier route by pointing out some of my favorite moments:
- Sawyer’s Vietnam moment was equally enjoyable. It had bullet-ridden redshirts, picnic décor-turned-battle shields, and even a rocket launcher. Now we know where all that extra money from the strike went. - Not to be upstaged by a bunch of Army men, Ben called upon the powers of the Black Smoke Monster to open up a can of SFX-powered whoop-ass. It’s been a while since Smokey last showed his amorphous face, but boy was it awesome. - Not only is Ben a Jedi Master when it comes to mind games, but he’s apparently pretty handy with a retractable baton as well. Kudos to Michael Emerson for channeling his inner Neo, but now I want more. - Ben used Desmond’s boat to get off the island? Fair enough, but then where the hell is Desmond? Hmm… maybe he’s on the island with Penny. - We already knew that Sayid was a card-carrying member of the Dharma Assassin Death Squad (DADS), but the fact that Ben tricked him into thinking it was his idea really tickles us. - Emerson is the king of the intimidating one-liner, but when he told Charles Widmore that he was going to track down his daughter (Penelope) and kill her, well, I couldn’t help but cheer him on. Could he really have been a good guy all this time? - “That’s not what he said.” Bernard knows morse code? Ruh-roh, a certain paranoid physicist is in trouble… Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and Lost and External TV Comments: 5 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
- The expression on Sawyer’s face when Ben handed him the shotgun was priceless. He went from “Holy shit, Ben’s going to shoot me” to “Holy shit, Ben’s my ally” in a matter of milliseconds.|
Wow. As I was watching this episode, I couldn’t help but think that it felt a lot like filler. Much of it was dedicated to ho-hum storylines like Lee adjusting to his new job, Cally dealing with the difficulty of motherhood and, of course, the grumpy, unbelieving underlings on Cara’s new ship, the Demetrius. But then it happened. The gritty Cally (whom I’ve always liked, even though she was tough to watch for much of this episode) followed Galen to the weapons locker and managed to learn the truth about the three newly aware skinjobs. Suddenly, the secret was out. It was quite the moment, though I question Tigh’s decision to leave a note for a super-secret meeting where an obviously suspicious Cally could (and did) find it. Several questions jumped to mind. Who would she tell? Would anyone believe her? What would she say to the Chief? And what would she do about Nicholas? It turns out she didn’t want to say anything to Galen. Her world was turned upside down, so she reacted by hitting him over the head with a wrench – by the way, that’s some serious symbolism, considering their professions – and then whisking her baby away to the airlock. Apparently, her solution was to commit murder-suicide without bothering to tell anyone in the fleet that there were more cylons in their midst. It was a little on the unbelievable side, but the writers set it up with all of those sleepless nights earlier in the episode. We were to believe that she was tired and she wasn’t thinking straight. Still, as a new father myself, I was appalled at the prospect of her apparent decision to jettison her son out of an airlock. But there was Tory to “save” the day. Of all the new cylons, she seems to be the most complex. Her speech in the airlock and subsequent betrayal was a shock to the system. I don’t think that it was until I saw a lifeless Cally floating through space that it finally hit me – this is really the last season of “Battlestar Galactica.” Heads will roll. The Cally/Galen/Tory storyline was the crux of the episode, but there were some interesting developments at Cylon HQ as well. Genocide seems to be ruling the day, and it’s unclear which side is going to win out. I’m a little hazy on the whole there’s-no-resurrection-ship-nearby-so-we-can’t-survive line of thinking, as dead skinjobs have never had a problem traveling long distances before. But what the heck, I’ll play along. I thought the best moment of that whole mess was when Six had to say “please” to the Centurion. That moment was just dripping with subtext. Speaking of subtext, it seems like VP Tom’s suspicions about Roslin’s presidency is a commentary on the secretiveness of the administration currently inhabiting the White House. Lee didn’t like Roslin’s attitude when he tried to quell concerns about the Demetrius, so he got a little vindictive and brought up that classified executive order. By the way, wasn’t VP Tom pretty annoying with that little knocker of his? Lastly, on the Demetrius, nothing really happened in Starbuck’s world in the last 22 days, and the natives are getting restless. However, we did learn that she just wants “to frack.” Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
 It’s very rare to come across a made-for-TV movie that is both competent and enjoyable, but the BBC-produced “My Boy Jack” (which premieres on PBS April 20th and arrives on DVD two days later) does just that. Based on the stage play written (and adapted) by David Haig, the film stars the veteran actor as popular English author Rudyard Kipling, a major supporter of Britain’s involvement in the first World War.
Surprisingly tame for a war drama, “My Boy Jack” is more about Rudyard Kipling’s struggle to accept the unknown fate of his child than the war itself. Moreover, because it’s based on a play, the story depends entirely on the performances of its cast. Haig, who also played the role of Kipling during the stage production, delivers a tour de force worthy of an Emmy nomination, while Radcliffe (who continues to break “Harry Potter” typecasting with each polar role) delivers a fine performance as the title character. Kim Cattrall, on the other hand, sticks out like a sore thumb, and though she doesn’t do a particularly terrible job as Kipling’s American wife, one really has to question the person in charge of casting the “Sex & the City” star in such a role. Nevertheless, “My Boy Jack” remains an adequate primetime option on a night when there’s normally nothing on. It’s short, intelligent, and features some great performances. Sure, it’s no “Saving Private Ryan,” but there’s just enough going for this war drama to justify recommending it to anyone who likes a little history with their entertainment. Filed under: TV and Movie DVDs and TV Dramas and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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It’s old news to you blokes in the UK, but here in the States, we “Doctor Who” fans are positively chomping at the bit to check out Season Four of the series. The fact that the first episode of the season, “Voyage of the Damned,” is premiering tomorrow on the SciFi Channel is therefore like getting a Christmas present in April…though, mind you, it also doesn’t hurt that the episode in question actually has a Christmas-oriented plot. (It’s become an annual tradition for the series to produce a 90-minute holiday special to precede the actual season premiere.) The real “Who” geeks in America have probably managed to view the episode via the ‘net, since I know that it’s been broken up into chunks and posted in its entirety on YouTube by some industrious fans, but even those who’ve seen in such a fashion will still no doubt enjoy being able to watch it on a decent-sized screen in top-notch quality.
When we last left The Doctor, he’d crashed the TARDIS into…the Titanic? Well, yes and no. Seems it’s actually a starship bearing that famous name that he’s collided with, and he’s arrived just in time for a lovely shindig. The best bit about the function: one of the waitresses looks suspiciously like Kylie Minogue. As “Who” casting goes, this one’s clearly strictly for the novelty, but Ms. Minogue holds her own admirably as she and The Doctor pop down to Earth for the holiday (the ship’s in orbit around our big blue marble), only to find that London’s all but evacuated due to fears of yet another alien invasion…and, y’know, it’s a fair cop, what with how many times it’s happened in the past. The two find themselves abruptly returned to Titanic, however, just in time for - you guessed it - a collision. I won’t be spoiling the fun for those of you who haven’t seen the episode yet, but I will say that my favorite character was a short and spiky red alien called Bannakaffalatta, and I, like the Queen herself, must give The Doctor props for his steering ability. All in all, it’s not one of the best “Who” episodes, but it’s always good to see David Tennant step back into his familiar shoes, and the finales on both the Titanic and on Earth were each sweet enough to get me at least mildly choked up. (I’m an old softie, though, so your own mileage may vary.) Not only is The Doctor back on SciFi, but also on the Channel is a new show featuring one of his former compatriots, Miss Sarah Jane Smith. “The Sarah Jane Adventures” came about when the BBC asked “Who” executive producer Russell T. Davies to consider working up a spin-off for the kids’ market; rather than take their initial suggestion of a teenage version of The Doctor, he pulled together a series which focused on Sarah Jane, since the actress who played her - Elisabeth Sladen - had recently revisited the “Who” universe, anyway, in “School Reunion.” The resulting series, which teams Sarah Jane with her 13-year-old neighbor, Maria (Yasmin Paige), still feels very “Who”-like, but, as anticipated, is a bit less intense, so as to keep from scaring the younger viewers.
The hour-long premiere episode - it’s regularly a 30-minute show - premiered on SciFi last week and set the stage for the series by showing Maria and her dad moving into their new neighborhood. (Maria’s mom’s still in the picture, but after sleeping around, she and Dad aren’t exactly a couple any more.) The two quickly begin to meet their neighbors, including a rather obnoxious little girl named Kelsey (Porsha Lawrence Mavour) and, more importantly, Sarah Jane. On the first night in the new house, Maria spots Sarah Jane communing with an alien; as you’d expect, she’s pretty freaked out, but she’s also fascinated. It’s a fascinating area all around, this new neighborhood, as the soft drink called Bubble Shock! is manufactured nearby…by aliens! Long story short, Sarah Jane gets involved, teams up with Maria and her pal, takes down the aliens, and ends up with an adopted, alien-bred wonder child in the process. “Invasion of the Bane” was initially aired as a one-off special rather than the first episode, which turned up 9 months later, but I’ve seen the first proper episode as well - the two-part “Revenge of the Slitheen” - and it’s just as much fun. Even better, Kelsey’s abruptly vanished from the proceedings, replaced by Maria’s new and far less annoying school friend, Clyde Langer (Daniel Anthony). As you’d expect from a Slitheen-themed episode that’s been adapted for a younger audience, the fart jokes are legion, but, really, who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh at a bit of gas, eh? If you’ve got a kid who’s into sci-fi, you’d do well to steer them toward “The Sarah Jane Adventures,” and if you’re already a “Who” fan, you won’t want to miss it, either. It’s quite like something you’d expect to have originated from ABC Family these days; it’s well-written, it’s both funny and dramatic, the special effects are on par with “Doctor Who,” and despite technically being for teens, it’s in no way dumbed down for a younger audience. Catch “The Sarah Jane Adventures” tomorrow at 8 PM EST, with “Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned” premiering immediately thereafter, at 8:30 PM EST. Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and Reviews and TV Dramas and External Entertainment and External TV and TV Sci-Fi Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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“WE’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!” Starbuck’s screams are still echoing in my brain. Last week’s cliffhanger ended rather sheepishly after Cara handed the President her gun. Sure, there was a gunshot, but did anyone really believe that Roslin actually shot Starbuck? For a moment, it looked as if Cara’s actions would be for naught, but by the end of the episode, the Admiral (sort of) came around to her way of thinking. Apparently, she and Helo are going to take a sewage recycling ship and try to find a way to Earth. Since the fleet continues to jump further and further away, I’m not exactly sure how they’ll find a way to Earth and then find their way back to the fleet, but at least she’ll have some company on the trip to verify her discovery. The fuzziness of the plan makes me wonder if we’ll ever get a detailed explanation of why the details of her first trip to Earth are so sketchy. Not much happened with the Four - Tigh, Sam, Tyrol and Tory – other than their secret meeting where they decided to try to use Baltar to find the final Cylon. Considering that Tigh, Sam and Tyrol are so devoted to the humans, it’s surprising that they don’t just turn themselves in. Aren’t they risking the fleet’s destruction? Is there some sort of programming that blocks the ability to tell the truth about themselves? Anyway, Tory quickly infiltrated Baltar’s bed, but that’s not that difficult of a task, is it? Baltar saw a vision of himself for the first time (I believe) and the dynamic was pretty funny. His doppleganger said that he should handle Tory “with care,” to which he responded, “Oh, I’d love to.” I think the Four are barking up the wrong tree with Baltar; I don’t think he knows the identity of the final Cylon – can anyone confirm this? Speaking of the Cylons, there is serious trouble in River City. With all the Number Threes boxed up due to their supposed Messiah defects, there are only six models running things, and they butt heads over whether or not to lobotomize the Raiders. The conflict seems to be the Raiders’ decision to turn tail at the last encounter with the humans, which made Number Six believe that the remaining five Cylons are indeed in the fleet. Number One says that they aren’t allowed to think about it and wants to take away the Radiers’ ability to withdraw from battle. The discussion ends badly for him when Six walks in with a couple of newly-freed Centurions, who are none too pleased with his actions. Does this mean that there are only three models left? And what was the deal with the weird little montage where Boomer (or some other Eight) was dancing around topless while the hybrid ranted gobbledygook? Not that I’m complaining… In (fairly) minor news, Lee has left Galactica to take an empty quorum position. I’m not sure what this means, but methinks he’ll still be involved in the day-to-day happenings of the show. He had a nice little moment with Dualla before he left. I hope her character gets more screen time than she’s been getting in the last few episodes. Lastly, Roslin and Adama had some sharp words about Starbuck that precipitated his decision to let her go. After some back and forth (and a little Psych 101 analysis by the President), Adama quipped, “You’re afraid you may not be the dying leader you thought you were. Or that your death would be as meaningless as everyone else’s.” Ouch. Seriously, why is Roslin so convinced that she knows the way to Earth? Isn’t Cara’s relationship with the Eye of Jupiter enough of a clue that she does in fact know the way to Earth? “WE’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!” Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: 4 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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This video popped up on my TiVo the other day. It’s an eight-minute recap of the entire “Battlestar Galactica” run, and it’s pretty funny. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Welcome to the first in an ongoing series, where we’ll be examining famous and infamous guest-star turns from throughout television history. Show: “Hawaii Five-O”
Role: Eddie Calhao, a mustachioed attorney who thinks he’s real tough stuff because he’s running a behind-the-scenes operation which involves framing McGarrett’s right-hand man, Detective Chin-Ho. Eddie’s the kind of guy who throws out one-liners like, “You’ve gotta learn to use the media,” or, “Unfortunately, some violence has always been connected with progress. Unfortunately, I say.” He rarely gets his own hands dirty, preferring to let his underlings do the hard work for him while he reaps the benefits. Meanwhile, poor Chin-Ho’s world is collapsing around his ears, and McGarrett is getting pissed off about it, so he starts trying to unravel the mystery, which leads to the interrogation of banker Austin Summers. Summers, as it happens, is one of the aforementioned underlings, and he starts to twitch under McGarrett’s steely gaze, so as soon as he leaves the police station, Summers immediately runs Eddie. Eddie basically just tells him to keep cool, offering financial incentive for his continued silence. (”Ten thousand dollars should help chase the butterflies away. What say you?”) But when further moves are made to ruin Chin-Ho’s name, McGarrett decides that it’s not business anymore. It’s personal. Sheen doesn’t interact with anyone in the regular “Five-O” cast until the 43-minute mark of the episode, so when Eddie’s approached by McGarrett while sitting alone in a restaurant, the inherent drama in their encounter is comparable to the Pacino / DeNiro sitdown in “Heat.” Or not. But it is pretty funny to watch McGarrett walk in, sit down at Eddie’s table, and, without saying a word, pull out a business card and begin scribbling something on the back of it. Finally, McGarrett breaks the silence. McGarrett: My office number is right on the card, but I’ll give you my home number, too. And with that, McGarrett smirks, stands up, and walks away. Eddie’s appropriately rattled, and he only becomes more so when he returns to his office and finds it completely disheveled. He grabs the phone and books himself a ticket off the island, but as soon as he runs out of the building and onto the street, he’s startled by the sound of gunfire…specifically, someone shooting at him! He spots two shadowy figures running toward him, and, suddenly, Eddie’s on the run for his life through a construction site, with guns blazing behind him. As a result, when he hears police sirens, he immediately opts for the lesser of two evils and starts yelling for their assistance. What luck: McGarrett himself is there! Eddie demands protection from Carl Brohme, but McGarrett - with a twinkle in his eyes - demands dates, places, “the whole set-up.” Frightened for his life, Eddie agrees…but immediately after he rides away in the back of a squad car, it’s revealed that the “shadowy figures” were actually Kono and Danno! Okay, so you might’ve seen that coming…but what you probably didn’t figure was that they were shooting real bullets! “You aimed a little close,” says McGarrett. “He was really shook.” “No more than he deserved,” replies Danno. Here’s an alternate ending I’d like to have seen: Chin Ho is exonerated on all charges, but Danno accidentally kills Eddie and is brought up on manslaughter charges. The last line? “Go book yourself, Danno.” Filed under: TV and TV DVDs and Actors and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and And Our Very Special Guest Star... Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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It’s pretty amazing that it has been just more than a year since the season three finale of “Battlestar Galactica.” How time flies. I’d like to say that the show is back with a bang, but most of this episode seemed to be a setup for the rest of the season. It was implied that the fifth Cylon would be revealed (it wasn’t) and all of Starbuck’s talk about knowing where Earth is and how she was going to take the fleet there seems to be a bunch of hooey. She probably did visit Earth – she did describe Jupiter and Saturn in detail – but she has no idea how she got there or how to get back. Great. Throw in the fact that she supposedly survived an explosion, lost months of her life and that she’s flying a brand new Viper (that doesn’t have any navigation history) and it’s not surprising that the President is suspicious. She flips out every time the fleet makes a jump in the wrong direction and finally decides to raise a gun on Roslin. That probably isn’t going to end well for her. The opening battle sequence did look terrific. When I think back to the first space battle I ever saw (“Star Wars”), it’s truly amazing how far special effects and CGI have come. This is a basic cable show on a limited budget and they’re able to put together an immense, realistic battle scene. The nice thing is that those special effects are backed up by great writing – otherwise, the show would be paper thin. It was interesting to see the four new skinjobs – the Chief, Tigh, Sam and Tori – deal with their new realities. I felt a little used after Tigh’s fake assassination of Adama, but was impressed with the way they shot that scene. I jumped initially at the gunshot, but knew that they wouldn’t kill off Adama at this point so I figured they were just messing with us. Presumably, the purpose of that scene is to show the kind of internal conflict that Tigh is going through. But is he really driven to assassinate Adama or is he just worried that a switch will flip and he’ll betray his friend someday? Sam and Tyrol are in the same boat as Tigh. Neither want to believe that they are actually Cylons, so they’re going to go on trying to be the men they want to be as long as they can. To me, this would include telling everyone the truth (to protect them), but apparently that’s not in the cards at this point. Sam’s experience in this episode was the most interesting given the fact that he encountered a Raider face-to-face, which precipitated the Cylon retreat. Tori’s character is probably the most questionable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the first of the four to betray the humans. Lastly, let’s not forget that Tyrol’s kid is a hybrid – the creators have to address this, right? I’m not a big fan of the whole Gaius/Messiah storyline, and much of the premiere was unfortunately dedicated to his new situation. It was funny that a majority of his new followers are (hot) women and, predictably, it didn’t take too long for him to succumb to the temptation. (But who can blame him? He did spend the last few weeks cooped up in a cell.) The storyline has a cult-ish feel to it, so it will be interesting to see how this affects the big picture. Based on what I’ve read, it does appear that the fleet will find some version of Earth this season. They could arrive in our past, our present or our future, or they could arrive to an alternate version of Earth. They could be the first humans to settle on Earth (maybe the two hybrid babies are Adam and Eve – though all the technology would be a problem) or they could arrive to a futuristic Earth that has the ability to fend of the Cylons. A grimmer possibility is that they arrive to find that the human civilization destroyed itself, not unlike the ending of “Planet of the Apes.” The possibilities are almost endless. The only thing that’s bothering me is Starbuck. How was she able to survive the explosion, travel to Earth, take pictures and travel back in just six Viper hours? Why would the pictures survive if the nav data didn’t? On one hand, it seems like she has to be a Cylon, but that doesn’t explain how she found Earth. Unless the Cylons have already found it…but, in that case, why would they try to lead their enemy there? So many questions, and just nineteen episodes left to answer them all. Let’s get a move on, people! Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: 7 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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With the writers’ strike throwing the TV schedule into a tailspin, it has been difficult to keep up on when our favorite shows are returning. “Battlestar Galactica” begins its fourth and final season on Friday at 9 PM (ET and PT) on SciFi. If you want to watch last season’s finale again, SciFi is running the two-parter, “Crossroads,” at 1 AM and 2 AM (ET and PT). If you live in the middle of the country, check your listings as the time changes depending on which SciFi feed you receive. Remember to check back on Saturday for my blog of premiere episode. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Battlestar Galactica Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
 Michael Franti once described television as “the drug of the nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation.” As such, we’re guessing he isn’t nearly as excited as we are that we’re finally beginning to see the fruits of Hollywood’s writers at last being able to put pen back to paper. CBS clearly got the jump on everyone else with the premiere of their new episodes, but as you can see, the other networks will soon be joining in the fun as well, offering up all the fresh new comedy and drama we’ve been craving for so very long. Okay, maybe it hasn’t been that long – as soon as the strike wrapped up, you probably noticed how some series magically “found” a few episodes they’d unabashedly been sitting on – but it’s damned sure been long enough. Check out our coverage here, then head back over to tell us what shows you’re most psyched to see return!
Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Desperate Housewives and Lost and The Office and My Name Is Earl and External Entertainment and External TV and Heroes and TV Sci-Fi and Reaper Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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When we last left John Adams, the Declaration of Independence had been signed, but now that we’re back, it’s time for him to head over to Paris - with his son, John Quincy Adams, in tow - in order to assist Benjamin Franklin in establishing a treaty with France so that they will assist America in its efforts to battle against Great Britain. John’s initial announcement of his impending departure goes over poorly with Abigail, given that he’s only just returned from an expedition, but as those of us who’ve ever found ourselves as part of a couple can appreciate, her reaction is one which begins with utter infuriation but concludes with concern that he’s packed properly for his trip. The two Johns soon get aboard the ship to head to Paris, and there’s a humorous moment where young John Quincy lies in his hammock and continues to do his lessons while his father pukes his guts out. (Some people just can’t handle the motion of the ocean.) Things quickly get dramatic, however, as the ship encounters a vessel on its way from Great Britain, resulting in a oceanic battle with guns and cannons blazing. Certainly the most profound moment from a character standpoint occurs when Adams ignores the demands of the ship’s captain and joins the battle, but it leads to a disconcerting sequence where one of the hands is struck by a cannonball and requires immediate surgery. Note to self: if I’m ever time-traveling back to the 1700s, avoid any injury that might result in amputation.
Upon their arrival, the Adams boys meet up with Benjamin Franklin, and while John Quincy begins the matter of his further education, his father quickly learns that his erratic temperament has no place in France. Franklin first announces that a tentative treaty between France and America has been signed, thereby making Adams’ sea voyage predominantly unnecessary, but when Franklin discusses the specifics of the treaty, Adams immediately gets out of sorts, demanding more. It’s not an attitude which sits well with the French, and it’s made worse by the fact Adams hasn’t bothered to learn a lick of the language. The audience clearly sympathizes with Franklin in the scenes where he chastises Adams for his poor ambassadorial methods, and it’s even harder to treat Adams as a good guy when he continues to fly off the handle on these matters. Again, Tom Wilkinson’s performance as Franklin is wonderful, interspersing Franklin’s well-documented wit with his knowledge of politics and infuriation at Adams’ refusal to pay him any heed. Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and Reviews and TV Dramas and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
 I’m not surprised, of course, but nor am I any less sorry about it. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler just released the following statement: “The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale. Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We’re proud of everyone’s efforts.” Clearly, the fact that I stopped blogging the show had absolutely no effect on its low ratings, but I still feel bad about it. (It was one of those situations where circumstances prevented me from blogging one week, and it just snowballed.) These episodes of Season 2 were consistently strong, powerful, and packed with both plot development and action, but, ultimately, if America would rather watch lesser programming, that’s their choice. It’s the wrong choice, of course, but you know what Doris Day sang: “Que Sera, Sera.” Do I think the Sci-Fi Network will consider picking it up for a third season? No, not really. I mean, I’d love it if they did, but when a show has been rescued from oblivion once and still can’t get its ratings up, you’re clearly dealing with a situation that isn’t going to be remedied by moving the program to another network. But at least you can’t say the series didn’t go out the same way it began: with a bang. Filed under: TV and News and TV Dramas and TV Action and External Entertainment and External TV and Jericho Comments: 5 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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If you were sad to see Michael go at the end of season two, well, tonight was your night. If you were like me, however, and felt like his departure couldn’t come any sooner, then you were probably cursing the TV gods for bringing him back. In what quickly became a special “Lost” version of “Where Are They Now?,” tonight’s episode did little more than run through what Michael has been up to since leaving the island. It was a major departure from the basic narrative structure of the series (though they’ve done something like this once or twice before), and it was easily the worst episode of the season.
Whether or not this means Tom was actually telling the truth is a moot point, because after seeing footage of the wreckage on TV, Michael is quick to agree to go undercover and play hero to his “friends.” Given a new identity (Kevin Johnson) and a job as a deckhand on the freighter, Michael’s first day on board brings him a present from Ben. It’s a giant fucking bomb, but after activating it, he discovers that it doesn’t quite work. Instead, Ben wants Michael to simply sabotage the ship so that it will never reach the island, but when Michael relays his tale to his fellow Losties, Sayid turns him over to the boat’s captain as a traitor. Read more after the break.Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and Lost and External TV Comments: 6 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
After failing to commit suicide by driving his car into a dock container (is that really the best he could come up with?), Michael goes to visit Walt at his mother’s house. Unfortunately, Walt won’t talk to his father after what happened on the island, and so Michael tries to kill himself (again) using a gun he swapped Jin’s watch for at a local pawnshop. Before he can pull the trigger, though, Michael is visited by an unexpected guest in the alley. It’s Tom (AKA Mr. Friendly), and he doesn’t waste any time in letting Michael know that Ben has been keeping tabs on him since his departure. He also insists that Michael can’t kill himself because “the island won’t let [him].”Nevertheless, being the sorry-ass idiot that he is, Michael decides to test this theory out, and the gun jams.|
Historical dramas are a dodgy proposition to pitch to the mainstream. True, Showtime has been doing all right with “The Tudors,” but let’s face it: the success of that series has ultimately been as much to do with audiences eating up the soap-opera aspects of the storyline as it is to do with the actual historical events contained within. Since HBO’s new 7-part miniseries, “John Adams,” can’t possibly compete on the same level (nor would its producers have any interest in attempting to do so), it’s evident why the network has felt obliged to promote the work everywhere possible, up to and including every single Netflix envelope that’s gone out in the past few weeks. The good news, however, is that if people actually take a chance and tune in, what they’ll find is an enthralling program which will, fingers crossed, inspire Americans to sit up and take proper notice of their history.
Paul Giamatti and David McCullough Based on David McCullough’s 2002 biography, “John Adams” provides a detailed examination of the life of America’s second President, with the title character played by…Paul Giamatti? Giamatti might seem on the surface to be an odd choice for the role of John Adams, since he’s known more for the comedic rather than the dramatic and hasn’t done all that many period pieces; the only ones that leap immediately to mind are “The Illusionist” and “Cinderella Man,” and both of those take place in the 20th century, so they’re not really stepping that far back in time. You’d never know of his lack of his experience from his performance here, however. The phrase “acting tour de force” doesn’t begin to describe how substantially Giamatti owns the role of John Adams; it’s a measured performance, showing a man who loves his wife and family but struggles to find a way to keep them close while building a new nation. Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and Reviews and TV Dramas and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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One more week of these sorry-ass misdirections and I might just be forced to send a letter to ABC with the words “JUST HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK WE ARE?” written in black marker. I mean, really, did anyone for a minute think that both Sun and Jin were going to make it off the island alive? The mathematics simply didn’t allow for it. With all but one of the identities of the Oceanic 6 confirmed, Sun was a strong favorite to round out the group. After all, you couldn’t leave both mothers on the island, right?
The episode itself was pretty uneventful. The flash-forward and flashback sequences took a major event (Sun’s delivery) and stretched it into a Looney Toons-esque plot that finds Jin trying to buy a stuffed panda for who you’re supposed to assume is his baby. It’s not, but as I mentioned before, anyone who considers themselves a fan of the show probably figured that out right way. (Psst, his haircut totally gave it away). Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and Lost and External TV Comments: 8 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
As for Jin, well, I won’t say that I’m not disappointed. Daniel Dae Kim is one of my favorite cast members, and aside from getting screwed on Day One when J.J. Abrams was handing out backstories, his existence on the show is virtually useless. That’s the problem with killing someone in the future. They’re still alive in the present. Of course, if the writers em>really wanted to throw us all for a loop, they’d reveal in the final season that Jin isn’t dead at all, but rather just one of the unlucky many who were left behind.|
Maybe I’m wrong about this, but after last night’s crazy-high numbers for the British premiere of “Bionic Woman,” (thanks to the homeland fame of star Michele Ryan, late of “EastEnders”), somehow I can’t imagine that NBC-Universal will be able to resist keeping it going for at least a little bit longer. At the very least, I’m anticipating that it’ll stick around somewhere, if only over at Sci-Fi. Filed under: TV and Actresses and News and TV Dramas and TV Action and External TV and TV Sci-Fi Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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