TV Programme: The New Adventures Of Superman
Season: 2
Episode: 18
Date I watched this episode: 19/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 20 days.
Well, I was recently complaining about lack of mythology in this programme. But this episode just blew me away by being the most mythology-related episode this show has seen so far. Many things were foretold, such as Lois's marriage to Clark and Lois's blindness to see that the "mild-mannered reporter" is actually Superman. We even got to see the original story of the Kent family finding Clark's spaceship, which wasn't seen in the pilot episode. This appearance of the Kent family was not too dissimilar to John Crichton meeting his own mother in [FAR] "Kansas", and made for a very emotional scene between Clark and Jonathan/Martha.
In fact, this episode really did focus on Lois, more than it had to, and for that I give it a lot of credit. It was really great to see how Lois "would" react to finding out Clark's secret, along with the fact that in the future she would be as highly revered as Superman himself. She was understandably annoyed for a time, but came to terms with it as we all knew she would. It's almost a shame that this piece was erased from history, but I'm still left wondering just how much Clark knows, as he found the envelope at the end and didn't seem too surprised by it.
The characters of H G Wells and Tempus were both very good characters in their own ways, and captivating from the moment we first saw them. In particular Tempus's use of irony was good, as he tried to give people "appropriate" deaths and played the ironic laughter really well. Wells was the typical quaint Englishman.
The episode gave a unique insight into the interpretation of the Superman mythology by this show. Classically, Superman is the true persona, while Clark Kent is a disguise which he employs. But more and more in recent re-enactments of the mythology, Clark is the real person and Superman is the disguise. This is confirmed in the line "Superman is what I can do, Clark is who I am." It's an interesting contrast with Smallville, whose entire premise is Clark struggling between these two personas. It's really true what Wells says about this story being timeless - it is told by generation after generation in the real world, and shows no signs of letting up.
As is usual with time-travel episodes, the sets/costumes were pretty important to make it believable, and they didn't disappoint. To see Lois and Clark running around in 1866 was really a fresh departure for the show, and everything about the setting showed the time and effort that had been put into this episode.
And that really is the key thing. It's clear that this episode was key in the story of the show, and a lot of work has been put into making it great. It paid off, and this was a great episode, definitely the best of this season.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
[PSW] Recession
TV Programme: Peep Show
Season: 6
Episode: 1
Date I watched this episode: 19/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 1 year, 3 months, 13 days.
Here's one of the few programmes that I'm actually up-to-date with in terms of airings, and so I had to watch this season premiere the weekend of its release. I've been suffering without this show, almost compounded by the fact that I knew there weren't any eps out there even if I wanted to watch them. Not that it's even my favourite British comedy - that honor would have to go to Green Wing - but I think the half-hour format gives this one a different style to others I like; it gives a chance to tell a more streamlined story within the episode.
Nevertheless, as streamlined as the stories are, they really have followed the same themes and patterns since season one. It's a testament to the genius of Jesse and Sam that they've managed to keep it interesting and funny for all that time. It's not really about the changing character circumstances either - like the baby now introduced which Mark and Jez have implemented a "policy" not to discuss. Those things are just environmental and create a canvas to paint stories onto.
One of the biggest themes is that Mark gets something really great and then loses it again. This was essentially the pattern of this episode, but on a much larger scale. Here, Mark is shown to get to the top in his business but then come crashing down and "drop about 6 social classes in one day". Actually, I'm a bit disappointed we don't get to see more of Mark in his managerial role; lording it over the others, trying to use his power to intimidate Jeff and seduce Dobby. Especially as he isn't really suited to the role - as evidenced when he fails to take control of the situation when people think there is a fire alarm.
It really was a big shock to me that Mark had got made redundant. It was that classic deception and misdirection which I don't actually expect from this show; it had lulled me into such a false sense of security. Mark's change in behaviour was almost immediately apparent, and the avenues for character development are now many. I'm quite surprised at Mark for taking Steffan's deal. But then he loses that money again, and the respect of his fellow JLB survivors, so this pattern is almost repeated 3 times in one episode.
There were a few old faces in this episode. Aside from the mandatory combination of Jeremy and Mark, we also saw Sophie, Dobby, Johnson and Hans. It's good to see them all again after so many months. Johnson's uncomprising spirit, Dobby's geeky humour, Hans's dry wit and Sophie's discomfort are all unchanged. It's not surprising, but the baby certainly does change things between the central characters though. Mark and Jez almost look like an old married couple when confronting Sophie about the alcohol, and they will certainly be doing a lot more baby-type scenes together from now on, even if it's against their will.
This was very much Mark's episode - showing how he handled his redundancy and his ongoing pursuit of Dobby (I thought the fact that he had a spreadsheet of her coffee break times was very apt). Mark pursued the rebel streak inside him which clearly took a big effort. He looked lost most of the time, and resorted to his defense mechanism of making obscure analogies to the situation.
Jeremy didn't feature too much, though his parasitic nature was apparent throughout, even trying to sponge off Mark's grief. He seemed like a periphary just added to the pack to make up the numbers - which is exactly what was intended, I think. Jeremy's desire is just to have a good time and let his hair down, but I think he is starting to grow up a bit more in recent times.
Altogether a good and explosive start to the season, which is totally appropriate for a 6-episode season. Time will tell if we'll get any originality in there, or have to make do with pretending we haven't seen all this before.
Season: 6
Episode: 1
Date I watched this episode: 19/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 1 year, 3 months, 13 days.
Here's one of the few programmes that I'm actually up-to-date with in terms of airings, and so I had to watch this season premiere the weekend of its release. I've been suffering without this show, almost compounded by the fact that I knew there weren't any eps out there even if I wanted to watch them. Not that it's even my favourite British comedy - that honor would have to go to Green Wing - but I think the half-hour format gives this one a different style to others I like; it gives a chance to tell a more streamlined story within the episode.
Nevertheless, as streamlined as the stories are, they really have followed the same themes and patterns since season one. It's a testament to the genius of Jesse and Sam that they've managed to keep it interesting and funny for all that time. It's not really about the changing character circumstances either - like the baby now introduced which Mark and Jez have implemented a "policy" not to discuss. Those things are just environmental and create a canvas to paint stories onto.
One of the biggest themes is that Mark gets something really great and then loses it again. This was essentially the pattern of this episode, but on a much larger scale. Here, Mark is shown to get to the top in his business but then come crashing down and "drop about 6 social classes in one day". Actually, I'm a bit disappointed we don't get to see more of Mark in his managerial role; lording it over the others, trying to use his power to intimidate Jeff and seduce Dobby. Especially as he isn't really suited to the role - as evidenced when he fails to take control of the situation when people think there is a fire alarm.
It really was a big shock to me that Mark had got made redundant. It was that classic deception and misdirection which I don't actually expect from this show; it had lulled me into such a false sense of security. Mark's change in behaviour was almost immediately apparent, and the avenues for character development are now many. I'm quite surprised at Mark for taking Steffan's deal. But then he loses that money again, and the respect of his fellow JLB survivors, so this pattern is almost repeated 3 times in one episode.
There were a few old faces in this episode. Aside from the mandatory combination of Jeremy and Mark, we also saw Sophie, Dobby, Johnson and Hans. It's good to see them all again after so many months. Johnson's uncomprising spirit, Dobby's geeky humour, Hans's dry wit and Sophie's discomfort are all unchanged. It's not surprising, but the baby certainly does change things between the central characters though. Mark and Jez almost look like an old married couple when confronting Sophie about the alcohol, and they will certainly be doing a lot more baby-type scenes together from now on, even if it's against their will.
This was very much Mark's episode - showing how he handled his redundancy and his ongoing pursuit of Dobby (I thought the fact that he had a spreadsheet of her coffee break times was very apt). Mark pursued the rebel streak inside him which clearly took a big effort. He looked lost most of the time, and resorted to his defense mechanism of making obscure analogies to the situation.
Jeremy didn't feature too much, though his parasitic nature was apparent throughout, even trying to sponge off Mark's grief. He seemed like a periphary just added to the pack to make up the numbers - which is exactly what was intended, I think. Jeremy's desire is just to have a good time and let his hair down, but I think he is starting to grow up a bit more in recent times.
Altogether a good and explosive start to the season, which is totally appropriate for a 6-episode season. Time will tell if we'll get any originality in there, or have to make do with pretending we haven't seen all this before.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
[SPK] Without Incident
TV Programme: Spooks
Season: 2
Episode: 6
Date I watched this episode: 14/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 6 days.
I'm afraid this was probably the weakest episode of the season so far. There were multiple stages to the episode, which described the visit of the US President. That in itself is kinda cool, but the episode felt a bit like a list. And nothing actually really happened, it was all just paranoia about what might happen, together with the (quite appropriate at this time) al-Megrahi connection.
The ep was at least partially redeemed by the Tom/Vicki/Christine love triangle. Tom and Christine make a much better and more believable couple than Tom and Vicki, as evidenced by the beautifully atmospheric and tense final scene. Vicki does have some right to be upset as Tom did treat her badly in the last episode (though we the audience know that his state of mind was not great at the time). However her somewhat insane antics are completely over-the-top (but nevertheless quite funny). The scene with her and Christine against each other was great, and really showed the strength of the Christine Dale character in general, and also the extent to which she wants to be with Tom!
The other side-story was with the counsellor who came in to interview everyone. This was very much a time-filler, and we never did get to find out what Danny and Zoe said about each other. The only good thing which came of this was the way Sam reacted to the whole thing; I suppose deepening her character by showing how much more she embraced the concept than did her colleagues. I can imagine myself reacting the same way if put in that situation.
The episode in general though was driven by Tom; hardly anyone else had much of a part to play. His storyline just about managed to carry the episode by the skin of its teeth, but altogether this was not well-constructed and a bit of a disappointment.
Season: 2
Episode: 6
Date I watched this episode: 14/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 6 days.
I'm afraid this was probably the weakest episode of the season so far. There were multiple stages to the episode, which described the visit of the US President. That in itself is kinda cool, but the episode felt a bit like a list. And nothing actually really happened, it was all just paranoia about what might happen, together with the (quite appropriate at this time) al-Megrahi connection.
The ep was at least partially redeemed by the Tom/Vicki/Christine love triangle. Tom and Christine make a much better and more believable couple than Tom and Vicki, as evidenced by the beautifully atmospheric and tense final scene. Vicki does have some right to be upset as Tom did treat her badly in the last episode (though we the audience know that his state of mind was not great at the time). However her somewhat insane antics are completely over-the-top (but nevertheless quite funny). The scene with her and Christine against each other was great, and really showed the strength of the Christine Dale character in general, and also the extent to which she wants to be with Tom!
The other side-story was with the counsellor who came in to interview everyone. This was very much a time-filler, and we never did get to find out what Danny and Zoe said about each other. The only good thing which came of this was the way Sam reacted to the whole thing; I suppose deepening her character by showing how much more she embraced the concept than did her colleagues. I can imagine myself reacting the same way if put in that situation.
The episode in general though was driven by Tom; hardly anyone else had much of a part to play. His storyline just about managed to carry the episode by the skin of its teeth, but altogether this was not well-constructed and a bit of a disappointment.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
[PDS] Circus Circus
TV Programme: Pushing Daisies
Season: 2
Episode: 2
Date I watched this episode: 09/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 7 days.
Quite fitting for a show with quite so much silliness in it to end up at a circus. There is silliness galore there, and some of it (like the mimes) were bordering on imaginative, while most of them (like the poem he wrote) were just plain stupid. Actually, the show manages to find silliness everywhere, even in a nunnery, with the stupid names for prayer times, meant to be funny but it just isn't.
The story was just a bit overcomplicated, and not in a good way. It felt a bit like a list - Ned and co moving through different suspects and locations until they ended up at the right place. Contrasted with similar detective-type shows like Damages, Prison Break etc, it just pales into utter insignificance. To make matters worse, Olive is completely cut off from the rest of the world, and she really can't carry a storyline on her own.
The character storylines in this episode were variable. The main story was Ned and Chuck coping with living apart. They gave quite a reasonable explanation for this - namely Chuck's lack of change in her "first life", leading to her wanting to beat that fear now - but the relationship between Ned and Chuck is just worsened even more. It's like Chuck goes weak at the knees like a little girl and there is no hint of real attraction there. Okay so it's interesting from a character point of view to see how they react, but this situation was dealt with so much better in Cold Feet with David and Karen starting over again (not that it worked out!)
Other story elements, such as Emerson's longing to see his own daughter, just didn't add anything. It was a pretty lame attempt to give Emerson a more fleshed-out backstory, but I think that character is a lost cause to be honest. Also, the starting sequence with young Ned added absolutely nothing to the episode, as usual.
There were a couple of touching scenes, like the one between Vivian and Chuck (by far the best scene of the episode) and the mother and daughter finally finding out what love is at the end. However even the scene editing wasn't good in a lot of places. This show overuses flashbacks - not that it even does so as much as Damages, but it does so for irrelevant reasons. For example Chuck's "improvisation" with Nikki's friend, or the flashback showing why Chuck was left at the Pie Hole. What was the point?
I have to say that the music is one of the redeeming features about this show. It is quite fitting for the general quirky style of the show, overemphasis on supposedly "shocking" moments, in a similar style to early films and their attempts to grab you with the soundtrack.
All in all though I thought this episode was pretty bad. I didn't come away smiling, but I did think it was quite relaxing, especially the colours as previously commented on. I think unless it gets better soon, it's going to take a long time til I motivate myself to finish this season.
Season: 2
Episode: 2
Date I watched this episode: 09/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 7 days.
Quite fitting for a show with quite so much silliness in it to end up at a circus. There is silliness galore there, and some of it (like the mimes) were bordering on imaginative, while most of them (like the poem he wrote) were just plain stupid. Actually, the show manages to find silliness everywhere, even in a nunnery, with the stupid names for prayer times, meant to be funny but it just isn't.
The story was just a bit overcomplicated, and not in a good way. It felt a bit like a list - Ned and co moving through different suspects and locations until they ended up at the right place. Contrasted with similar detective-type shows like Damages, Prison Break etc, it just pales into utter insignificance. To make matters worse, Olive is completely cut off from the rest of the world, and she really can't carry a storyline on her own.
The character storylines in this episode were variable. The main story was Ned and Chuck coping with living apart. They gave quite a reasonable explanation for this - namely Chuck's lack of change in her "first life", leading to her wanting to beat that fear now - but the relationship between Ned and Chuck is just worsened even more. It's like Chuck goes weak at the knees like a little girl and there is no hint of real attraction there. Okay so it's interesting from a character point of view to see how they react, but this situation was dealt with so much better in Cold Feet with David and Karen starting over again (not that it worked out!)
Other story elements, such as Emerson's longing to see his own daughter, just didn't add anything. It was a pretty lame attempt to give Emerson a more fleshed-out backstory, but I think that character is a lost cause to be honest. Also, the starting sequence with young Ned added absolutely nothing to the episode, as usual.
There were a couple of touching scenes, like the one between Vivian and Chuck (by far the best scene of the episode) and the mother and daughter finally finding out what love is at the end. However even the scene editing wasn't good in a lot of places. This show overuses flashbacks - not that it even does so as much as Damages, but it does so for irrelevant reasons. For example Chuck's "improvisation" with Nikki's friend, or the flashback showing why Chuck was left at the Pie Hole. What was the point?
I have to say that the music is one of the redeeming features about this show. It is quite fitting for the general quirky style of the show, overemphasis on supposedly "shocking" moments, in a similar style to early films and their attempts to grab you with the soundtrack.
All in all though I thought this episode was pretty bad. I didn't come away smiling, but I did think it was quite relaxing, especially the colours as previously commented on. I think unless it gets better soon, it's going to take a long time til I motivate myself to finish this season.
[SPK] I Spy Apocalypse
TV Programme: Spooks
Season: 2
Episode: 5
Date I watched this episode: 08/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 8 days.
I have mixed feelings about this episode. I must admit I was quite looking forward to this episode, after reading a preview of it before I started this season (I think this episode was the last to have been filmed at the time the first episode was broadcast). The episode, which had an amazingly good premise, seemed almost a bit shoddy in places, even at the start when they had a "previously on" scene (with Tom and Vicki) which had been deleted from the previous episode, and a teaser act which was mostly completely irrelevant to the episode as a whole.
What was most disappointing though, and almost universally spotted by other reviewers of this episode, was that it was so predictable. I mean, with a premise like this, they can quite easily create an episode which plays games with your mind, a psychological thriller where you're never really quite sure who to trust or what's going on. And it did start off quite promising. But from the moment they said the prime minister had been killed, or when Harry was dying, it was pretty clear that the whole thing was just an exercise. If this had been a season finale, perhaps it would have been slightly more believable. But if this had happened in the middle of a season, the entire mode of the show would have changed for the rest of the season and any future ones, from something which tries to show viewers what things could really happen in the world we live in right now, to something out of a fantasy novel.
However, if you look past that fact, the episode does actually have some good features. I think the key point about this episode is that it is really all about character development. If you watch it from that standpoint, it does actually seem like it has achieved its purpose. Much like [TWW] "No Exit" and similar to others I've mentioned before for this plot device ([OTH] "Every Night Is Another Story", [PRB] "Subdivision", [JER] "Rogue River"), it just throws all the characters together in an extraordinary situation (even for MI-5) and shows how they would react.
Zoe is a complete mess after the incident with Carlo in the previous episode. She is basically livid at Tom: although it wasn't really his fault, it was just his reaction to the whole incident, or lack thereof. She is gradually forced to co-operate with him under these desperate circumstances. She doesn't act very professionally and she doesn't stand up well to the pressure - probably signs that she isn't really cut out for this job.
Tom does show tremendous leadership skills in the episode and some acting from Matthew McFadyen that I have rarely seen before. In particular his disregard for rules when it is for the greater good, and standing up to Mark who makes some very valid but morale-destroying points, are important character traits. He also keeps a clear head throughout, or at least appears to, confiding in Ruth when he has internal fears. His human side is wonderful to see.
As well as being Tom's shoulder-to-cry-on, Ruth was perhaps the calmest person in the episode, showing her strength even in an emergency, but believable due to her personality. This was perhaps the best acting in the episode - Nicola Walker really showing her true skills. Ruth also showed her true loyalties at the end, really showing caring for her fellow colleagues when she called Harry a "bastard".
Sam had not really had any development til this episode. She does fit in really well to the already established character set. Here we finally got to see what she is about - she doesn't break down in the same way as Zoe and she keeps that fiery aura about her even in a crisis. She and Danny finally made some progress in their relationship, when Danny admitted it was "very okay" she just wanted to come on the barge trip because of him. Their first kiss is not far off I expect!
Colin and Malcolm were more prominent in this episode than normal. We even saw Colin in a fight against Danny! I guess because everyone was stuck in one place, it made more sense for them to be in the thick of it, especially when the problems were technical and they are the technicians. These two, who have been in it since the first episode, are becoming more and more prominent, until the stage where I think I may have to regard them as main cast (since this show does not distinguish between main, recurring, guest and co- stars, then that would be my decision to make).
Even Vicki, who wasn't actually there, had her character developed to some extent in this episode. Vicki is showing more and more signs of being unstable and crazy, something we only had an inkling of when we first met her in the season premiere. Finally they have broken up - it's never going to work. That final scene with Tom and Vicki and the "Salmon Mousse" was also a great piece of acting from Matthew, and a fitting end to a rather depressing episode - if it had just ended on a high then it wouldn't be in keeping with this show.
I have to admit that this episode was strangely gripping despite the predictability. The mood of the show, characterised by the shocking scenes (such as Tom sending the firefighter to her death, or Paul Dunbarton from Downing Street shutting off communications because he is ill), the darkness, and the music, moved from Ruth's "oh what fun!" through scenes of utter despair through to the climax which was definitely a satisfying climax. The "acting" of the characters who were in on it was superbly realistic, from Harry's illness to Paul being incredulous that people thought it was a drill. Like I say, it was only let down by the far-fetched story elements.
We are left wondering what would actually happen in this scenario. In this sense, it is somewhat similar to the radio broadcast of "War Of The Worlds", showing how people actually react to something which is devastating and changes our whole world. In this instance, MI-5 takes over the government, and despite those who say "we must wait for instructions from some authority", Tom takes the difficult decision based on the fact that there isn't any authority. In addition he decides to take up arms in his own workplace, which must have a profound effect.
So like I said I do have mixed feelings about this episode. It wasn't as good as it could have been, but it was still an episode worth watching, and definitely developed all the characters.
Season: 2
Episode: 5
Date I watched this episode: 08/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 8 days.
I have mixed feelings about this episode. I must admit I was quite looking forward to this episode, after reading a preview of it before I started this season (I think this episode was the last to have been filmed at the time the first episode was broadcast). The episode, which had an amazingly good premise, seemed almost a bit shoddy in places, even at the start when they had a "previously on" scene (with Tom and Vicki) which had been deleted from the previous episode, and a teaser act which was mostly completely irrelevant to the episode as a whole.
What was most disappointing though, and almost universally spotted by other reviewers of this episode, was that it was so predictable. I mean, with a premise like this, they can quite easily create an episode which plays games with your mind, a psychological thriller where you're never really quite sure who to trust or what's going on. And it did start off quite promising. But from the moment they said the prime minister had been killed, or when Harry was dying, it was pretty clear that the whole thing was just an exercise. If this had been a season finale, perhaps it would have been slightly more believable. But if this had happened in the middle of a season, the entire mode of the show would have changed for the rest of the season and any future ones, from something which tries to show viewers what things could really happen in the world we live in right now, to something out of a fantasy novel.
However, if you look past that fact, the episode does actually have some good features. I think the key point about this episode is that it is really all about character development. If you watch it from that standpoint, it does actually seem like it has achieved its purpose. Much like [TWW] "No Exit" and similar to others I've mentioned before for this plot device ([OTH] "Every Night Is Another Story", [PRB] "Subdivision", [JER] "Rogue River"), it just throws all the characters together in an extraordinary situation (even for MI-5) and shows how they would react.
Zoe is a complete mess after the incident with Carlo in the previous episode. She is basically livid at Tom: although it wasn't really his fault, it was just his reaction to the whole incident, or lack thereof. She is gradually forced to co-operate with him under these desperate circumstances. She doesn't act very professionally and she doesn't stand up well to the pressure - probably signs that she isn't really cut out for this job.
Tom does show tremendous leadership skills in the episode and some acting from Matthew McFadyen that I have rarely seen before. In particular his disregard for rules when it is for the greater good, and standing up to Mark who makes some very valid but morale-destroying points, are important character traits. He also keeps a clear head throughout, or at least appears to, confiding in Ruth when he has internal fears. His human side is wonderful to see.
As well as being Tom's shoulder-to-cry-on, Ruth was perhaps the calmest person in the episode, showing her strength even in an emergency, but believable due to her personality. This was perhaps the best acting in the episode - Nicola Walker really showing her true skills. Ruth also showed her true loyalties at the end, really showing caring for her fellow colleagues when she called Harry a "bastard".
Sam had not really had any development til this episode. She does fit in really well to the already established character set. Here we finally got to see what she is about - she doesn't break down in the same way as Zoe and she keeps that fiery aura about her even in a crisis. She and Danny finally made some progress in their relationship, when Danny admitted it was "very okay" she just wanted to come on the barge trip because of him. Their first kiss is not far off I expect!
Colin and Malcolm were more prominent in this episode than normal. We even saw Colin in a fight against Danny! I guess because everyone was stuck in one place, it made more sense for them to be in the thick of it, especially when the problems were technical and they are the technicians. These two, who have been in it since the first episode, are becoming more and more prominent, until the stage where I think I may have to regard them as main cast (since this show does not distinguish between main, recurring, guest and co- stars, then that would be my decision to make).
Even Vicki, who wasn't actually there, had her character developed to some extent in this episode. Vicki is showing more and more signs of being unstable and crazy, something we only had an inkling of when we first met her in the season premiere. Finally they have broken up - it's never going to work. That final scene with Tom and Vicki and the "Salmon Mousse" was also a great piece of acting from Matthew, and a fitting end to a rather depressing episode - if it had just ended on a high then it wouldn't be in keeping with this show.
I have to admit that this episode was strangely gripping despite the predictability. The mood of the show, characterised by the shocking scenes (such as Tom sending the firefighter to her death, or Paul Dunbarton from Downing Street shutting off communications because he is ill), the darkness, and the music, moved from Ruth's "oh what fun!" through scenes of utter despair through to the climax which was definitely a satisfying climax. The "acting" of the characters who were in on it was superbly realistic, from Harry's illness to Paul being incredulous that people thought it was a drill. Like I say, it was only let down by the far-fetched story elements.
We are left wondering what would actually happen in this scenario. In this sense, it is somewhat similar to the radio broadcast of "War Of The Worlds", showing how people actually react to something which is devastating and changes our whole world. In this instance, MI-5 takes over the government, and despite those who say "we must wait for instructions from some authority", Tom takes the difficult decision based on the fact that there isn't any authority. In addition he decides to take up arms in his own workplace, which must have a profound effect.
So like I said I do have mixed feelings about this episode. It wasn't as good as it could have been, but it was still an episode worth watching, and definitely developed all the characters.
Sunday, 6 September 2009
[PDS] Bzzzzzzz!
TV Programme: Pushing Daisies
Season: 2
Episode: 1
Date I watched this episode: 02/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 1 year, 6 months, 13 days.
While I knew I'd inevitably watch the second season of this programme at some point, I have to admit it wasn't exactly a season I was ecstatically looking forward to. Season 2 was the last season of Pushing Daisies, having only provided 13 episodes out of a promised 22, and apparently does not provide a dramatic conclusion to the show. But it's not just that - the show itself is hardly very intelligent; it's bedtime viewing, despite the fact that it's essentially about dead people coming back to life.
That's not to say it's not still original. I think what attracted me to this show in the first place was just how original it was. When it first launched, I thought it was going to be a huge hit, especially with women. But alas I think it's just a bit too weird and people don't "get" it, so it makes the critical error of alienating both intelligent TV aficionados and people who just want to settle down and watch something casual. Admittedly it also seems to have been more popular in the UK than in the USA.
I think what really keeps me hooked, what keeps me coming back for more, is not the writing or the acting but the production. I love the sets, I love the colours, and I love the editing. The show uses bright colours to great effect, a bold move not attempted by many other shows, and I think it's second only to Smallville in its use of colour. This episode certainly didn't let me down in that respect, providing the brilliantly imaginative "Betty's Bees" headquarters set.
Once the episode got started (and the repetition from the previous season wasn't quite as bad as I'd expected) we got into the mystery of the week, which was not great - both predictable and inclusive of some pretty pointless elements such as the hive collapse and the queen bee's role. But that wasn't the main point - it's just a vehicle to drive some real character stories, in this case mainly based around Ned, Chuck and Olive (Emerson is most often by far the weakest character in this show).
Set 10 months after "Corpsicle", Ned and Chuck have seemingly built a home for themselves, and seem very happy. Chuck is pretty independent though to be honest - and wants to take the relationship in a new direction by moving apart. Ned takes this the wrong way, but I'm sure he'll come around to the idea. Actually in general I don't rate Lee Pace's acting too much, but Anna more than makes up for it with her cute romantic gestures.
Olive on the other hand is on the verge of a nervous breakdown over all the secrets she is carrying. She is a quirky character in a very quirky series, and her crazy antics in this episode, like dancing through a field in a Sound Of Music -esque scene, hardly surprised me too much. Her move to a nunnery might be a blessing or a curse for her character development: we'll just have to wait and see I guess. Things have gone a bit pear-shaped with Lily and Vivian, causing them to split up for the first time in ages and hopefully this will lead to some independent storylines for Vivian, who is an under-utilised character in my opinion.
At the end of the day, I will carry on with this season til the end, just for the hell of it. But I can't put my hand on my heart and say I really missed this show, or that I'll be particularly sad it's over.
Season: 2
Episode: 1
Date I watched this episode: 02/09/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 1 year, 6 months, 13 days.
While I knew I'd inevitably watch the second season of this programme at some point, I have to admit it wasn't exactly a season I was ecstatically looking forward to. Season 2 was the last season of Pushing Daisies, having only provided 13 episodes out of a promised 22, and apparently does not provide a dramatic conclusion to the show. But it's not just that - the show itself is hardly very intelligent; it's bedtime viewing, despite the fact that it's essentially about dead people coming back to life.
That's not to say it's not still original. I think what attracted me to this show in the first place was just how original it was. When it first launched, I thought it was going to be a huge hit, especially with women. But alas I think it's just a bit too weird and people don't "get" it, so it makes the critical error of alienating both intelligent TV aficionados and people who just want to settle down and watch something casual. Admittedly it also seems to have been more popular in the UK than in the USA.
I think what really keeps me hooked, what keeps me coming back for more, is not the writing or the acting but the production. I love the sets, I love the colours, and I love the editing. The show uses bright colours to great effect, a bold move not attempted by many other shows, and I think it's second only to Smallville in its use of colour. This episode certainly didn't let me down in that respect, providing the brilliantly imaginative "Betty's Bees" headquarters set.
Once the episode got started (and the repetition from the previous season wasn't quite as bad as I'd expected) we got into the mystery of the week, which was not great - both predictable and inclusive of some pretty pointless elements such as the hive collapse and the queen bee's role. But that wasn't the main point - it's just a vehicle to drive some real character stories, in this case mainly based around Ned, Chuck and Olive (Emerson is most often by far the weakest character in this show).
Set 10 months after "Corpsicle", Ned and Chuck have seemingly built a home for themselves, and seem very happy. Chuck is pretty independent though to be honest - and wants to take the relationship in a new direction by moving apart. Ned takes this the wrong way, but I'm sure he'll come around to the idea. Actually in general I don't rate Lee Pace's acting too much, but Anna more than makes up for it with her cute romantic gestures.
Olive on the other hand is on the verge of a nervous breakdown over all the secrets she is carrying. She is a quirky character in a very quirky series, and her crazy antics in this episode, like dancing through a field in a Sound Of Music -esque scene, hardly surprised me too much. Her move to a nunnery might be a blessing or a curse for her character development: we'll just have to wait and see I guess. Things have gone a bit pear-shaped with Lily and Vivian, causing them to split up for the first time in ages and hopefully this will lead to some independent storylines for Vivian, who is an under-utilised character in my opinion.
At the end of the day, I will carry on with this season til the end, just for the hell of it. But I can't put my hand on my heart and say I really missed this show, or that I'll be particularly sad it's over.
[SPK] Blood And Money
TV Programme: Spooks
Season: 2
Episode: 4
Date I watched this episode: 31/08/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: Less than 1 day.
This was yet another well-put-together, intelligent story. This time the information was slowly rolled out to viewers based on a plot device of "a need-to-know basis". Together with some brilliantly mysterious characters such as the cold, direct, but strangely pressured Amanda Roke, and a situation where MI-5 are trying to go against government orders for their own benefit ("Why not? We are spies!" explains Harry), the story weaves itself more like a fluid fog than a tapestry. Especially when we find out the truth, and then discover that MI-5 were actually right all along to mole Bowman's, it makes for a very compelling episode.
Ruth was more pivotal in this episode than normal, which is right and proper as this main cast member has hardly been seen since her introduction. Not only did she have a fairly important role at the beginning, but the whole scandal with the GCHQ leak will have served to make her more prominent. Not only that, but within the storyline, she has really got a chance to prove her loyalties to the Service. Her character ebbed away in this episode, and she is wonderfully eccentric, picking up on obtuse historical references that have a way of actually being important, quite surprisingly.
Danny actually comes off quite well as a stockbroker; I can imagine David Oyelowo in that role. It's that overly confident, cheeky attitude of acting which probably fits equally well with trading as with spying. We also see his exposure to the decadent lifestyle, which was fitting with his character after the credit card fraud seen last season (which Harry helpfully mentioned in this episode, causing a few raised eyebrows). Danny's love of money was seen once again in this episode, talking about it passionately, which is something Harry has cautioned him against before.
The Carlo/Zoe storyline was not a minor storyline in this episode. That surprises me, but I guess that in a 60-minute long episode, they do have more room to work on those side-stories. Well this one has seemingly come to the end of the road now. I do feel a bit sorry for Zoe, especially when she was effectively being interrogated by Tom, who showed the standard about of coldness and lack of emotion. Her character is wavering a bit now; the spying lifestyle has caught up with her and she is struggling under the pressure. This is a compelling area and I hope it will continue to develop, though obviously in a different direction from Carlo.
It's unusual that MI-5 actually made a mistake in this episode, leading to one of their own operatives (namely Danny) being at risk. Usually this kind of thing is shown to be infallible, usually through people like Malcolm and Colin (who do seem to have had a bit more of a major role this season). One tiny slipup led to everything going wrong, making for a gripping ending to the episode, where even Tom was left with no option other than to put Danny at extreme risk.
Probably the most surprising part of the episode was that at the end, the British Treasury effectively stole $19,000,000,000 of aid money. I'm surprised this happened: although admittedly the British government had gone to great lengths to stop the money getting into the wrong hands, they had also not even given the CIA a chance to be helpful in this area.
Altogether this was another great episode, which left me feeling satisfied that my brain had been actually working rather than in a dull relaxed stage. The overall story was actually pretty complex and that's what this show does best, perhaps second only to The West Wing. The next episode actually is one I've been looking forward to for a while and in general I'm finding this season to be about on the level of the last one.
Season: 2
Episode: 4
Date I watched this episode: 31/08/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: Less than 1 day.
This was yet another well-put-together, intelligent story. This time the information was slowly rolled out to viewers based on a plot device of "a need-to-know basis". Together with some brilliantly mysterious characters such as the cold, direct, but strangely pressured Amanda Roke, and a situation where MI-5 are trying to go against government orders for their own benefit ("Why not? We are spies!" explains Harry), the story weaves itself more like a fluid fog than a tapestry. Especially when we find out the truth, and then discover that MI-5 were actually right all along to mole Bowman's, it makes for a very compelling episode.
Ruth was more pivotal in this episode than normal, which is right and proper as this main cast member has hardly been seen since her introduction. Not only did she have a fairly important role at the beginning, but the whole scandal with the GCHQ leak will have served to make her more prominent. Not only that, but within the storyline, she has really got a chance to prove her loyalties to the Service. Her character ebbed away in this episode, and she is wonderfully eccentric, picking up on obtuse historical references that have a way of actually being important, quite surprisingly.
Danny actually comes off quite well as a stockbroker; I can imagine David Oyelowo in that role. It's that overly confident, cheeky attitude of acting which probably fits equally well with trading as with spying. We also see his exposure to the decadent lifestyle, which was fitting with his character after the credit card fraud seen last season (which Harry helpfully mentioned in this episode, causing a few raised eyebrows). Danny's love of money was seen once again in this episode, talking about it passionately, which is something Harry has cautioned him against before.
The Carlo/Zoe storyline was not a minor storyline in this episode. That surprises me, but I guess that in a 60-minute long episode, they do have more room to work on those side-stories. Well this one has seemingly come to the end of the road now. I do feel a bit sorry for Zoe, especially when she was effectively being interrogated by Tom, who showed the standard about of coldness and lack of emotion. Her character is wavering a bit now; the spying lifestyle has caught up with her and she is struggling under the pressure. This is a compelling area and I hope it will continue to develop, though obviously in a different direction from Carlo.
It's unusual that MI-5 actually made a mistake in this episode, leading to one of their own operatives (namely Danny) being at risk. Usually this kind of thing is shown to be infallible, usually through people like Malcolm and Colin (who do seem to have had a bit more of a major role this season). One tiny slipup led to everything going wrong, making for a gripping ending to the episode, where even Tom was left with no option other than to put Danny at extreme risk.
Probably the most surprising part of the episode was that at the end, the British Treasury effectively stole $19,000,000,000 of aid money. I'm surprised this happened: although admittedly the British government had gone to great lengths to stop the money getting into the wrong hands, they had also not even given the CIA a chance to be helpful in this area.
Altogether this was another great episode, which left me feeling satisfied that my brain had been actually working rather than in a dull relaxed stage. The overall story was actually pretty complex and that's what this show does best, perhaps second only to The West Wing. The next episode actually is one I've been looking forward to for a while and in general I'm finding this season to be about on the level of the last one.
[DRK] Some Assembly Required
TV Programme: Dark Angel
Season: 2
Episode: 7
Date I watched this episode: 31/08/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 1 month, 6 days.
Well I can say I'm very surprised to see Zack back and alive again. I really thought that after his dramatic death in last season's finale "...And Jesus Brought A Casserole", he wouldn't be making a re-appearance. But I didn't feel like his comeback was a sell-out for the show's production, as the way he was brought back was not of his own free-will, and he is essentially a shockingly different character now.
In some ways this was also like the second part of the previous episode. This is surprising as I didn't expect to see the steelheads back so soon, after the cliffhanger of the previous episode. Alec seemed to be still in a similar mood, while Joshua was thankfully nowhere to be seen. It almost felt like the old days.
There were obviously a lot of references to The Terminator, which was actually allowable since James Cameron worked heavily on both projects. However it did seem almost gratituous at times, with Zack's eye, the cold attitude towards the beginning, and the section where Zack chases Logan through the lift shaft. Not that this wasn't all great fun and very enjoyable though!!
Mostly the episode was fully of twists and turns. Which was great - I did not see the whole healing face/fake blood filtering coming, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the ending. It was heartbreaking but totally fitting for the episode. While it looks like Zack is going to be able to live a normal life again, it is going to tear Max up that she can't see him, and it must be so hard for her knowing what would happen if history repeated itself.
So yes this was a good episode (unfortunately, mostly due to the lack of Joshua), and showed that the show still has potential when it wants to. Still, they can only pull this kind of thing once, and I still think the future is kind of bleak (no pun intended) for Dark Angel Season 2.
Season: 2
Episode: 7
Date I watched this episode: 31/08/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 1 month, 6 days.
Well I can say I'm very surprised to see Zack back and alive again. I really thought that after his dramatic death in last season's finale "...And Jesus Brought A Casserole", he wouldn't be making a re-appearance. But I didn't feel like his comeback was a sell-out for the show's production, as the way he was brought back was not of his own free-will, and he is essentially a shockingly different character now.
In some ways this was also like the second part of the previous episode. This is surprising as I didn't expect to see the steelheads back so soon, after the cliffhanger of the previous episode. Alec seemed to be still in a similar mood, while Joshua was thankfully nowhere to be seen. It almost felt like the old days.
There were obviously a lot of references to The Terminator, which was actually allowable since James Cameron worked heavily on both projects. However it did seem almost gratituous at times, with Zack's eye, the cold attitude towards the beginning, and the section where Zack chases Logan through the lift shaft. Not that this wasn't all great fun and very enjoyable though!!
Mostly the episode was fully of twists and turns. Which was great - I did not see the whole healing face/fake blood filtering coming, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the ending. It was heartbreaking but totally fitting for the episode. While it looks like Zack is going to be able to live a normal life again, it is going to tear Max up that she can't see him, and it must be so hard for her knowing what would happen if history repeated itself.
So yes this was a good episode (unfortunately, mostly due to the lack of Joshua), and showed that the show still has potential when it wants to. Still, they can only pull this kind of thing once, and I still think the future is kind of bleak (no pun intended) for Dark Angel Season 2.
[LST] Flashes Before Your Eyes
TV Programme: Lost
Season: 3
Episode: 8
Date I watched this episode: 31/08/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 16 days.
Centric for: Desmond
This really was a uniquely constructed episode in the history of Lost. Usually the flashback tells a story which is interwoven with the "present" story. However, here the flashback takes up most of the episode and is continuous. Furthermore, it re-tells a story which (more or less) actually happened before the crash, while the flashback itself is set after the crash. Confusing, but satisfyingly so.
The episode had a cleverly thought-out beginning, marking a seamless transition between the previous on-Island episode ("The Cost Of Living"; that seems a long time ago now) and the content of this one. This is done through Locke reporting Eko's death, Claire's swimming troubles, the MacCutcheon whiskey and so on. Actually quite clever when you think about it, and only covers about 10 minutes of the episode.
The déjà vu in this episode and how it managed to carry the main themes, was a brilliant (though slightly unlikely) plot device. It basically allowed the emotions to become so much more real as parts of the episode were connected, and the atmosphere in these moments was absolutely beautiful.
Well Desmond basically had to carry the episode all on his own, and he did a great job of it to be honest. I love Desmond as a character and he does have different sides to him. There were three main supporting characters here though. First, the romance with Penny, while it lasted, was heartwarming and gave us the audience a glimpse into the life these two used to lead. Penny says to Desmond that he is a "good man", which is a strange recurring theme in Lost which may or may not mean anything.
Secondly we had Charles Widmore, whose dislike of Desmond was previously shown in last season's finale "Live Together, Die Alone". Despite this, the events of this episode were set before "Live Together, Die Alone", and the writers really made you think that Charles was going to warm to Desmond at this point in time. In particular it was the music here which lulled you into a false sense of security. However, Charles Widmore showed he was the height of cool by rejecting Desmond in the worst possible way.
The third person was that mysterious lady from the jewellry shop. I'm not sure who she was but she knew a lot more than she was supposed to. How does a jewellry shop owner know about The Island, the button and all that stuff? And she could somehow see the future too; she knew things about "time travel" (for want of a better phrase) that even Desmond didn't even know. Her chats about the course-correcting Universe went over Desmond's head at first, but then when he had lost everything, it finally hit home to him.
It's pretty saddening that no one whatsoever believed Desmond with his time-travel stories (apart from the aforementioned unnamed jewellry lady). Not even his best friend believed him. Incidentally, the night he was out with his friend couldn't possibly have been the night Desmond "remembered" as it didn't occur in the previous version of events. It made a lot more sense that it was the night he broke up with Penny. And to make matters worse, Charlie won't have any memory of his chat with Desmond, as that conversation didn't occur in the previous version of events.
Just a few moments on the beach with the other survivors gave a bit of an opportunity to do something with the new characters Nikki and Paulo, but it still seems like the writers just want to ignore them. It does seem a bit ridiculous that we are now 8 episodes into the season and we have hardly seen anything of these two credited regulars.
A pretty major cliffhanger at the end of this episode: Charlie is now doomed. And if he does actually die; they don't find some way around it; then he will be the first really big, major character to die on here. I mean, sure Boone, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Libby and Eko died, but they weren't quite as major characters as Charlie. If this goes down, it would be heartbreaking.
Not just that but Kate & Sawyer are on their way back and should arrive soon, plus Locke is planning his little attack on The Others' camp. We've got a lot still to look forward to.
Season: 3
Episode: 8
Date I watched this episode: 31/08/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 16 days.
Centric for: Desmond
This really was a uniquely constructed episode in the history of Lost. Usually the flashback tells a story which is interwoven with the "present" story. However, here the flashback takes up most of the episode and is continuous. Furthermore, it re-tells a story which (more or less) actually happened before the crash, while the flashback itself is set after the crash. Confusing, but satisfyingly so.
The episode had a cleverly thought-out beginning, marking a seamless transition between the previous on-Island episode ("The Cost Of Living"; that seems a long time ago now) and the content of this one. This is done through Locke reporting Eko's death, Claire's swimming troubles, the MacCutcheon whiskey and so on. Actually quite clever when you think about it, and only covers about 10 minutes of the episode.
The déjà vu in this episode and how it managed to carry the main themes, was a brilliant (though slightly unlikely) plot device. It basically allowed the emotions to become so much more real as parts of the episode were connected, and the atmosphere in these moments was absolutely beautiful.
Well Desmond basically had to carry the episode all on his own, and he did a great job of it to be honest. I love Desmond as a character and he does have different sides to him. There were three main supporting characters here though. First, the romance with Penny, while it lasted, was heartwarming and gave us the audience a glimpse into the life these two used to lead. Penny says to Desmond that he is a "good man", which is a strange recurring theme in Lost which may or may not mean anything.
Secondly we had Charles Widmore, whose dislike of Desmond was previously shown in last season's finale "Live Together, Die Alone". Despite this, the events of this episode were set before "Live Together, Die Alone", and the writers really made you think that Charles was going to warm to Desmond at this point in time. In particular it was the music here which lulled you into a false sense of security. However, Charles Widmore showed he was the height of cool by rejecting Desmond in the worst possible way.
The third person was that mysterious lady from the jewellry shop. I'm not sure who she was but she knew a lot more than she was supposed to. How does a jewellry shop owner know about The Island, the button and all that stuff? And she could somehow see the future too; she knew things about "time travel" (for want of a better phrase) that even Desmond didn't even know. Her chats about the course-correcting Universe went over Desmond's head at first, but then when he had lost everything, it finally hit home to him.
It's pretty saddening that no one whatsoever believed Desmond with his time-travel stories (apart from the aforementioned unnamed jewellry lady). Not even his best friend believed him. Incidentally, the night he was out with his friend couldn't possibly have been the night Desmond "remembered" as it didn't occur in the previous version of events. It made a lot more sense that it was the night he broke up with Penny. And to make matters worse, Charlie won't have any memory of his chat with Desmond, as that conversation didn't occur in the previous version of events.
Just a few moments on the beach with the other survivors gave a bit of an opportunity to do something with the new characters Nikki and Paulo, but it still seems like the writers just want to ignore them. It does seem a bit ridiculous that we are now 8 episodes into the season and we have hardly seen anything of these two credited regulars.
A pretty major cliffhanger at the end of this episode: Charlie is now doomed. And if he does actually die; they don't find some way around it; then he will be the first really big, major character to die on here. I mean, sure Boone, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Libby and Eko died, but they weren't quite as major characters as Charlie. If this goes down, it would be heartbreaking.
Not just that but Kate & Sawyer are on their way back and should arrive soon, plus Locke is planning his little attack on The Others' camp. We've got a lot still to look forward to.
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