Category: External TV (Page 378 of 419)

Large and in charge

March 1, 2007 /

It’s been only three days since the broadcast of the 79th Annual Academy Awards and it appears that Hollywood still can’t say goodbye to the Little Indie That Could. How else do you explain Hurley’s sudden discovery of an old VW van turned over in the jungle, not to mention the humorous subplot involving Sawyer, Jin and Charlie helping him jumpstart the car by pushing it down a hill? I’m not complaining – it’s been a long time since the writers last delivered such a light-hearted episode – and I’m just happy to see that we’re finally back on the original island again.

And so are the rest of the survivors, apparently, as they all welcome back Kate and Sawyer with open arms. Heck, even Hurley gives Sawyer a great big hug when they meet up later in the episode. The two on-again-off-again lovers get right back to business when the return, however, and while Sawyer heads off to help Hurley and the gang with the van (not to mention teaching Jin a few new English phrases to wow the wife), Kate begins hatching a rescue plan with Sayid and Locke… which leads them to Rousseau, yet again. This time, though, she’s more apt to help after discovering that her daughter is, in fact, very much alive.

This week’s flashback was dedicated to Hurley – namely his relationship to his father (played by Cheech Marin) and the curse that has surrounded him ever since winning the money – and while we didn’t learn anything of particular interest, we did learn a little bit more about the big guy’s past. Like how his father left him at a young age, only to return 17 years later (gee, I wonder why?) Or how only days after purchasing the Mr. Cluck’s restaurant that he used to work at, it’s blown to bits (along with news reporter Tricia Tanaka) by a meteor… or an asteroid. Some kind of falling rock from space. Tough luck, kid, but at least your situation isn’t nearly as bad as Charlie’s is. Dude is very bummed, and he’s got good reason, too. Luckily, Hurley’s to the rescue, and it looks like he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to keep Charlie’s mind off his impending death.

Man, I really hope the writers don’t decide to off Charlie any time soon (the character’s next episode is only a few weeks away), especially when there are plenty of others that could just as easily go. Hasn’t he been through enough already?

External TV, Lost, TV, TV Dramas

Jericho, Episode 13: Winter Comes, Heather Goes

February 28, 2007 /

Well, now that they’ve gotten the flashback episode out of the way, “Jericho” has gotten back into that whole “Little House on the Prairie” mindset a little bit, a tendency that made so many earlier episodes less than thrilling…but while not every major character in town got a decent amount of screen time this week, the ones who did appear tended to have some pretty good stuff in their respective scenes.

Winter’s bad in Jericho, and after Gray Anderson paints the bleakest possible picture of what things will be like over the course of the next couple of months (“Where are the dancing girls?” asked an annoyed Johnston), the townfolk are looking for fuel alternatives…and it’s interesting that when the time comes to send out an exploratory party to a trading post of sorts at a nearby fairground, everyone literally turns to look at Jake. The fact that Jake’s group ends up consisting of his dad as well as Heather and Dale makes for an interesting dynamic that we haven’t seen before, and their expedition was easily the most interesting thing going on in this episode. It’s a decidedly dark moment when the gang realizes that they ain’t kidding around at the trading post about stringin’ up folks who misbehave. Heather finds someone she knew back in the day, and they give them a tour of the joint. The news tower is a cool concept, as are the various constantly-updated lists of what items are most in demand. They’re realizing that the suspects on the list of who bombed the US are shrinking…even as, apparently, the number of US Presidents is growing. (We’re up to six now, it seems.) There seems to be some sort of slavery operation going on at the place, but we didn’t get much of a look at it before Dale pulled his jackass stunt of stealing the machinery they’d been trying to work out a deal for. At first, it struck me as a bit odd that this friend of Heather’s would leap to the cause of our team as quickly as they did…but, then, it WAS a pretty shady operation; maybe they were just waiting for an opportunity, and it finally presented itself. Heather’s departure with her friends led to a decidedly schmaltzy speech – followed, of course, by a sweet embrace between her and Jake – but it was, at least, surprising that she opted to leave like she did.

In other news, Robert Hawkins is dealing with the sudden reappearance of his old partner, who’s observed that Hawkins is in possession of a package of some sort; it seems as though the two of them are on approximately the same wavelength as to their feelings on the organization to which they formerly belonged. Fortunately, we get a surprisingly successful division between the emotional turmoil on Hawkins’ family and the drama with the goings-on with their former employer. Gail Green is still royally pissed off at her son’s new lady friend, Mary, but they finally sit down and talk…which, surprisingly for a show that so often leans toward sentimentality, doesn’t immediately result in a happy ending; the reveal of Gail’s note at the end of the episode was actually rather a sweet moment. Emily Sullivan and her husband got just enough time in the episode to make me twitch; I have absolutely no idea what the hell to make of this revelation that her husband claims to have been taken by a light during his absence.

Still interested. Still coming back next week.

External Entertainment, External TV, Jericho, TV, TV Dramas

Bullz-Eye for the Kiddies, Vol. 2

February 27, 2007 /

It’s been awhile, but we’re back with a new volume of Bullz-Eye for the Kiddies. These children- and family-oriented discs don’t come in at a rapid pace, so we sometimes have to wait a little while to stockpile enough for another column. Sorry, we know how much you’ve been waiting for this – we’ve gotten all of your E-mails – but, at least, your patience has paid off!

Jakers! – Sheep on the Loose: It’s gotten to the point where I actually look forward to this show when my daughter’s watching PBS Sprout on cable. And, really, what’s not to like? Computer-animated Farm animals talking in Irish accents…? C’mon, people, get behind me on this! Seriously, though, it’s a show that’s full of lessons and morals, but the writing is fantastic, particularly in the way it tackles serious subjects without getting too morose about it. “Waking Thor” finds Ferny the cow dealing with the death of his goldfish, Thor, and it’s handled in an exemplary manner, indicating that loss is loss if you love the person who dies, whether it’s a goldfish or a parent. There’s a particularly great line when Piggley’s dad asks the kids if they’ve considered a wake for Thor, and Piggley responds, “Oh, there’s no wakin’ him, Da. We’ve seen him; he’s done.” This episode also has a running subplot where Wiley the sheep – voiced by Mel Brooks – is bored out of his mind; another sheep suggests a rousing game of cricket, to which Wiley responds, “What, are you kidding? That’s the same as being bored!” Definitely one of the best animated shows that PBS has to offer.

The Fox and the Hound 2: You know, if we all team up and go over to the Disney studios en masse, at least one of us ought to be able to make it through security, into the corporate offices, and punch somebody – preferably an executive – in the face for greenlighting all of these fucking straight-to-video sequels, prequels, and “mid-quels” to classic films. What’s a “mid-quel”? It’s where they invent a new story and claim that it occurred off-camera at some point during the original flick…and that’s what this story is. Tod the fox and Copper the bloodhound are still in their youth when Copper, who feels as though he can’t do anything right, discovers that he can howl pretty darned well, which leads him to join a traveling band of singing dogs who are performing at the county fair. Tod gets jealous, of course, and by the end of the film, Copper returns home and the status quo is reinstated…but not before we’ve heard a few tunes from Reba McEntire, who voices one of the singing dogs. If you remember the sweet story of the original “Fox and the Hound,” stay away from this completely unnecessary flick that does nothing but try to scrape a few more bucks into the Magic Kingdom’s bank vault.

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External Entertainment, External Movie DVDs, External Movies, External TV, Movie DVDs, Movies, Reviews, TV, TV DVDs

Heroes, Week 17: “Just a paper salesman,” my ASS!

February 27, 2007 /

First things first: how freaking weird was it to see H.R.G. before he wore the glasses that resulted in his acronymic nickname? He looks like a cross between Bruce Campbell and Henry Rollins. Surely a sweeps guest spot with one or the other as H.R.G.’s brother is must-do…!

Okay, so a decent amount of this week’s episode was spent in flashback…but, y’know, who doesn’t enjoy a good flashback? Am I right? It’s a device that keeps “Lost” consistently interesting, and the use of one on “Jericho” last week resulted in considerable reinvigoration for the show. With “Heroes,” however, we really haven’t done much traveling into the past – Hiro not withstanding – to get answers, so this was a nice change of pace…and make no mistake, these were damned good flashbacks, aided by the creative decision to do them in black and white, which gave them a decidedly noir feel.

Within the first few moments of the first flashback, we not only get an appearance by Eric Roberts as H.R.G’s sinister supervisor but also the line of the week, courtesy of H.R.G.: “I’m comfortable with ‘morally grey.'”

So H.R.G. used to work with Doctor Invisible…and not only has Hiro’s dad has been connected to these events since long before his son first tapped into his ability to manipulate the space-time continuum, but he’s way more deeply involved that we ever would’ve expected based on his initial pair of appearances. (Count on seeing more of George Takei on future Monday nights.) And, okay, I don’t think this is just me: did they or did they not do some computer adjustments to make the baby look like Claire…? Anyway, other historical highlights were the fact that Li’l Brother Voodoo actually managed to look creepier 14 years ago than he does now and the fact that Claire was responsible for selecting her adopted father’s trademark eyewear.

The present-day events move along at a nice, rapid clip. Every time Radioactive Man lit up like a neon sign, all I could think was, “Whether he blows his stack or not, these people are going to be dead of radiation poisoning within the week.” As ever, Greg Grunberg plays Matt with the perfect frantic edge, but, seriously, Jack Coleman really needs to win a Best Actor Emmy for his performance this year; I realize it’s as much to do with the scripts as it is his acting, but, still, you’re constantly fighting between wanting to distrust his every move and hoping to God you can actually believe what he’s saying…and at the conclusion of this episode, for the first time, we unabashedly and unreservedly can feel certain it’s the latter.

OR IS IT…?!?!?

Nah, I’m just kidding. For once, I’m pretty sure it is.

External Entertainment, External TV, Heroes, TV, TV Dramas

24, Hour 11: “Hi, my name’s Morris.” “Hi, Morris.” “And my ex-wife is a bloody nutcase.”

February 27, 2007 /

Man, I wish I were blogging “Heroes” instead. That show rules. My wife and I always watch that first, and not just because I have to sit down and write the “24” blog after watching each night’s episode. We watch “Heroes” first because we’re emotionally involved in it…and God, how can you not be involved in an episode like the one they showed tonight? Poor Claire. Hasn’t she suffered enough?

Oh, right, CTU. Sigh.

Jack sends Heidi Petrelli and Jack Jack back to CTU, and the first thought I had was, “They’re going to get ambushed.” Man, I hope I’m wrong about that, but this show is all about the ambush (Teri and Kim, Audrey Raines and her father, etc.). Jack and Heidi share a tender moment away from Jack Jack, and Jack tells Heidi, “He reminds me of you.” Afterward, I swear I heard Jack mutter under his breath, “But mostly me.”

There’s a power struggle taking place at CTU, with Nadia becoming highly suspicious of Morris and his binge drinking. That’s an interesting choice for a girl whose rights were recently restricted because of her race, but hey, we’re not ones to judge. Is the fact that Milo gave her his clearance ever going to come back into play? You don’t write something like that into the story without following up on it.

One quick note on Chloe’s obsession with proving Morris’ guilt, however justified it may be: they have to stop with this whole bait-and-switch thing. They set up Morris as guilty from the first frame, only to turn it on Chloe in the end when she bursts into the men’s room to accuse him. That trick is all well and good, but don’t go to the well too often. And by too often, I mean every single opportunity. See my ambush comment above.

The subplot involving President Buck Buck Brawwwwwwk, so far, is a dud. He’s a reformed man, or so he says, and yet he’s fingering a strait-laced Russian as an ‘in’ (an ‘in’ that’s also a convenient, untraceable back door) to Miss Gredenko and the nukes. The fact that the line he quotes in the mirror is also highlighted in his Bible, however, is a sign that there is far greater significance to everything, a la Michael Scofield’s taped message to Sara in “Prison Break.” Is Logan tired of house arrest and his Hussein-style beard, and hopes that the Ruskies will bust him loose? That’s a gutsy move, but then again, they have already set it up so that the US has no sovereign power at the meeting place, which could facilitate Logan’s escape rather well. Wouldn’t he miss his beloved First Lady of Crazy? Or did he have her fed to rabid dogs before he struck his deal? You just never know with that man.

Which brings us to the White House, where all the killing is taking place. Mr. Swank is dumber than he would care to admit, and not because he tried to take out Assad without hurting the President: he’s dumb because forensics will examine the scene and conclude that the man who brought in the tape recorder is the one who made the bomb, and the record will show that that man was brought into the bunker by…Mr. Swank. The Biscuit, meanwhile, is trying to foil the plan by causing a pressure surge on some pipe or other in the seemingly off-the-grid pipe room, and all I could think was him thinking to himself, “Damn…these…stumpy…legs!” The hit man warns him, “You try that again, I’ll kill you.” Pansy. Any contract killer worth his salt would have killed the Biscuit right then and there, and dealt with the consequences later.

The President was badly injured in the blast (curiously, they mentioned nothing about Assad’s condition, even though he was in between the bomb and the President), which appears to be paving the way for Senator Roark to assume control and lock all the coloreds up once and for all. And this all might make for interesting television but…

…why is it that I want Jack Bauer to die?

Kiefer Sutherland himself said two or three seasons ago that no one should be untouchable on this show, not even Jack. I think it’s high time they play that card, since a cat only has nine lives after all. The only problem is that they haven’t set up anyone to take his place, and anyone they could have groomed for the role during the show’s run is now either dead (Curtis) or missing a forearm (Chase Edmunds). Damn, I knew they killed Nina Myers too early.

24, Actors, Actresses, External TV, TV, TV Action

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