Category: TV Dramas (Page 191 of 235)

Jericho, Episode 15: “Well, the first clue was that they pronounced it ‘Semper FEE.'”

March 15, 2007 / Will Harris

This week, Jericho is invaded by…fake Marines! Hey, thank God Johnston used to be a Marine himself, so he can spot their chicanery…!

Okay, I’m just kidding. This was actually mostly…not entirely (more on that at the end of this blog), but mostly a solid episode. When a bunch of guys and gals in USMC uniforms show up at your town hall driving tanks, why would you question that they’re who they say they are? I mean, especially if you’re getting as close to the end of your rope as these townsfolk are. It might’ve been nice if they could’ve stretched it out for more than an episode – it all seemed to move a little too fast, particularly the love connection between Jake and a sweet young Marine named Maggie – but it was an effectively dramatic episode.

The episode scores bonus points for having not one but two laugh-out-loud lines:

1) Mary Bailey gets up in arms when Maggie the Marine comes looking to borrow a transistor from the bar’s jukebox, but Maggie responds, “You’ve got three Spin Doctors CDs in that thing. I’d be doing a public service.”

2) Later, when in a deeply flirtatious discussion with Jake, she sagely observes, “You’ve really got this brooding bad boy thing down, don’t you?”

Mayor Anderson, ever the gloryhound, makes a point of trying to suck up to the Marines…only to be sorely disappointed when he discovers that they aren’t planning to leap to Jericho’s aid. (He also demonstrates that he can’t hold his liquor very well, sounding pretty well soused even before his mayoral predecessor makes a toast before the detachment heads out of town.) Once Jake discovers that they’re a big bunch of fakers, things fall apart in a hurry, and the USFMC are led to the city limits…in a hero’s farewell? Yeah, reasonably, it’s decided that the townsfolk probably draw more from the belief that the government is back together and working to save the country than they would from the news that they’ve been lied to. Let’s just hope that doesn’t backfire…

Hawkins spends the entire episode battling back and forth with his former partner, Sarah, who is keeping his family at gunpoint until he hands over the mysterious package he’s been holding on to…which turns out to be the missing atomic bomb that Hawkins never set off. Possibly not coincidentally, it was intended for the city which the faux Marines claimed was now the center of the US government: Columbus, Ohio. (Are the producers of “Jericho” attempting to curry our favor by giving such importance to the city where Bullz-Eye holds most of its editorial meetings…?) Although it takes too long to finally come to fruition, by the end of the hour, Sarah’s dead and Hawkins’ family is safe…but his wife’s finally had enough; as she departs with the kids, you can tell by Hawkins’ daughter’s tone that she doesn’t expect to see her dad again anytime soon. Things end on an uncertain note: is Hawkins secretly working for the same people that Sarah was answering to…?

In closing, it’s now official: Stanley and Mimi are EXCRUCIATING as a couple! When they were sniping at each other in the early episodes, that was entertaining…but the hackneyed lines they’re spouting nowadays are only getting worse. Seriously, it’s so bad this week that I feel obliged to quote them directly:

Stanley: Not now, Mimi!
Mimi: Like Hell not now, cornhusker!
Stanley: Cornhuskers are from Nebraska; I’m a jayhawk.
Mimi: Mimi: You drive me so crazy, and you know that I can’t stay here forever, but the truth is…I can’t live without you, either.
Stanley: Really?
Mimi: Yes, really!

Cue the music, the big kiss…and the impending waves of nausea. Thank God this subplot was the only piece of crap in an otherwise exemplary episode. I’m not a guy to wish harm even on fictional characters, but, geez, one of those two really needs to buy it sooner than later…and given that the preview for the next episode (arriving in two weeks) indicates that one of the main characters dies, I might just get my wish.

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

My Doctor’s Father’s Daughter

March 15, 2007 / Jason Zingale

The big surprise on tonight’s episode of “Lost” may have been the reveal that Jack’s dad also happens to be Claire’s father (making them half-siblings), but for those of you who faithfully read the online forums knew this was coming. Instead, I think that the biggest shocker wasn’t that Jack and Claire are related (in fact, the whole Claire flashback was kind of lame), but that Kate, Sayid and Locke spy Jack playing catch with Tom at the Others’ camp. Is he just playing them, or has he genuinely assimilated into the community? It’s hard to say, though all clues point to the latter, since it’s been mentioned on more than one occasion that the Others aren’t really all that evil.

Nevertheless, the rest of the episode moved along quite well. That is, as long as it wasn’t sulking around the oh-so-pointless Claire and her plans to capture a homing seagull and attach an SOS to its leg. I mean, is that really the best you can offer someone that hasn’t had a character-centric in almost a whole year? Forget Charlie. The writers should just kill Claire, and then we wouldn’t have to listen to her incessant whining. Plus, there’d be at least some solid reasoning behind it: she was saving Charlie. And while we’re on the subject of Charlie’s death curse, am I the only one that finds it odd that Charlie technically should have died when Ethan hanged him in season one? Desmond wasn’t around during the time, and if this death curse is for real, then why did he live?

Whatever the answer, let’s just hope that the writers make the right choice and keep Dominic Monaghan on the show. It would be nice to see the old gang (in which Charlie used to play a seminal part) back together again when Jack is finally “rescued.” And speaking of that, the developing rescue mission has fast become the most interesting aspect of the new season. If Sayid is the new Jack – constantly butting heads with Locke – then who is Rousseau? I vote for Hurley, since neither one seems to be much help.

Anyways, the old theory that Locke is actually evil has officially been thrown back into play after the series of weird events tonight. First, Locke claimed that he didn’t know about the C4 in the basement, but after Sayid finds a block of C4 in his bag, Locke kind of just shrugs it off. Then, he pushes Mikhail into the middle of the invisible sonic fence surrounding the Others’ camp, only to discover that, yes, it still works, sending Mikhail into a seizure of sorts. I guess it was of some help, at least, as it allows the rest of the survivors to devise a way to get over, and now that they have made it to the edge of the camp, they’ve discovered their fearless leader tossing the football around with ‘ol Mr. Friendly. The plot thickens…

External TV, Lost, TV, TV Dramas

Battlestar Galactica: “The Son Also Rises”

March 13, 2007 / John Paulsen

When Will had his father’s law books delivered to Lee a few episodes ago, I thought it was foreshadowing Lee’s involvement in the prosecution of Dr. Baltar, not his defense. As its title indicates, this episode was about Lee stepping out of the shadow of his father, even if he taking a step in the wrong direction. What good can possibly be served by helping to defend Baltar? The answer to this question will almost certainly become clear as the storyline wears on. Regardless, it should be interesting to see father and son in the same courtroom as members of the tribunal and the defense, respectively. I just hope they don’t drag the trial out too long; there are enough legal dramas on TV.

This week, we met a new character – Romo Lampkin (played by Mark A. Sheppard, who was last seen cutting up young women on “Medium”). Romo likes to wear sunglasses, even when meeting with the President, so I am going to refer to him henceforth as Horatio, as in Horatio Caine of “CSI: Miami.” For those of you wise enough to be unfamiliar with the character, Horatio also wears shades, and just loves to take them off or put them on to punctuate a dramatic point. (For a good laugh, check out this YouTube montage.) Anyway, Horatio is Baltar’s new lawyer and he was trained by Lee’s grandfather. What a coincidence!

There was no real news on the fate of Starbuck, but it’s highly doubtful that she’s gone for good. She may hang low until the finale, but we’ll see her soon. I feel for both Sam and Lee, though Lee still has a pretty good woman at home. I don’t think Starbuck could have asked for a better sendoff than having her husband injure his leg by drunkenly falling off of a viper. (Seriously.)

Battlestar Galactica, External TV, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

Rome: “A Necessary Fiction”

March 12, 2007 / John Paulsen

Rome Titus Pullo

Quite a bit happened this week, and you can really sense that the series is getting ready to wrap up.

Octavian is busy trying to clean up the morality of Rome, but is having difficulty keeping his own family in line. In reality, it’s his own fault since he tried to keep Antony and Atia apart and was oblivious to Agrippa’s affections for his sister. Regardless, his heavy-handedness resulted in Antony’s banishment to Egypt and Agrippa’s decision to break up with Octavia, but not before she could drop a pregnancy bomb on Agrippa’s head.

Meanwhile, Octavian has his own marriage lined up, and it started with a great exchange:

Octavian: Tell me, how would you like to be married to me?
Girl: I would like that very much if my husband does not object!

Wow.

Maecenas was in the middle of everything this week and I was really hoping that Lucius would lay him out when they were questioning him about the missing gold.

Down on the Aventine, Titus’ world is turned upside down as Eirene dies from a miscarriage caused by Gaia’s treachery. Gaia is scary-hot, and it looks like she might work her way into Titus’ good graces. The only thing that could blow that deal is if the alchemist decides to tell someone about what Gaia bought from her. Kudos to Chiara Mastalli’s work in Eirene’s death scene – it was amazing. You could literally see the life leave her body.

Lucius’ discovery of his daughter’s betrayal leads to his decision to leave for Egypt with Antony. Titus was kind enough to take responsibility for his children and for the business, but it’s a lot to ask of the big man.

Mark Antony had a great line when Lucius asked to come with him: “You’ll not turn to drink, will you? You stoic types often do when disappointed in life.”

Memio’s makeshift alliance with the other captians runs into a brick wall on the Aventine. He underestimated Titus’ ferocity in the wake of his wife’s death. And did you see the way Gaia handled herself in the battle? She and Titus probably belong together. Even though she’s inherently evil and he’s inherently good, they both solve problems in the same way – with violence. Titus killed his competition when he murdered Eirene’s husband. Gaia did the same thing – only she did it intentionally.

External TV, Rome, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

HBO's Rome Kevin McKidd Kevin McKidd Rome Lucius Vorenus Ray Stevenson Ray Stevenson Rome Rome blog Rome final season Rome last season Titus Pullo

Jericho, Episode 14: Jack Frost Nipping At Their Noses

March 8, 2007 / Will Harris

It’s funny that “Jericho” seems to be taking a coincidentally similar tactic to “Lost” lately, putting a few disparate people into groups and having them react to each other; they did it last week when they went to the flea market, and they did it again this week when they went on a hunting expedition. This time, we get Jake, Stanley, and Mimi…and, yes, it’s pretty obvious which of these people is not like the other. As it happens, though, Mimi’s inability to hunt never really comes into play, what with all the discoveries of dead bodies, the car chase (and subsequent wreck), inclement weather, and whatnot. The real payoff from the sequence, aside from the thieving of the Jericho folks’ vehicle by the masked marauders who ran them off the road in the first place, was that it led to Jake finally opening up to his dad about what had gone on in Iraq…and how he was responsible for killing a little girl.

Hawkins and his lady friend embark on their mission, and although we knew from the last moments of the previous episode that she was preparing to betray him, I think we all suspected that he suspected this would happen. They managed a decent amount of tension as we waited for her to betray him; I was surprised that she didn’t play her hand…and given the finale of the episode, I’m not entirely sure she knew about everything that Hawkins found on the computer.

Emily’s fiancee still seems out of it, but his interest in assisting the others who suffered through the same fate as himself has, if nothing else, made her a bit more sympathetic to what he’s dealing with…and her conversations with them have reminded her just how much he loves her.

The obligatory “Little House”-styled moments – when Ma and Pa Green find Jake’s secret stash of liquor and get a nice buzz going – were nicely done…although when they showed up later to save Mimi’s hide, I kept thinking, “Geez, good thing there’s not much chance of them getting pulled over and given a breathalizer!” I’m not sure if they’re getting better at slipping these moments into the action or if I’m just getting used to them, but they don’t feel as forced as they used to. What does feel forced, however, is the romantic dialogue they saddle Stanley and Mimi with; they’ve got no chemistry whatsoever. At least their last scene of the episode has her responding to one of his comments with, “That’s the worst line I’ve ever heard.”