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One of my favorite shows from the past couple of years, Chuck, came to a close Friday evening. The two-hour finale was pretty as close to perfect as the show gets and a reminder of everything that I've come to enjoy about the show.
The two-hour finale was chock full of call-backs to some of the series best moments all while trying to wrap up the series in a way that felt satisfying and complete. Given that Chuck has pretty much had three other potential series finales leading up to this point, it's great they were able to find a way to deliver a final finale that didn't feel like it was necessarily rehashing things we'd seen in other potential finales all while putting a bow on five years of the spy dramedy.
And, of course, any time you can have Jeffster save the day by taking on an 80's hit, you've got a winner. (Though in all fairness, it wasn't quite as amazingly funny as season two's "Mr. Roboto" performance. Part of that is probably the surprise factor in that one).
Looking back, I can see how and why season five developed as it did, even if I think the whole Morgan has the intersect plotline was a bit rushed. But seeing where the journey took us made that all a bit more worthwhile, even if I wish they'd explored it a bit more. I still think the high point was earlier this season with Chuck taking on Shaw in the Buy More and pulling a Superman II moment to remove the Intersect from Shaw and allow them to fight on equal ground.*
*Plus the whole homage of Shaw being played by Brandon Routh is pretty darn cool.
At its best Chuck was one of the most entertaining shows on TV with plenty of sly winks to fans. It had some of the best guest casting of any show out there, primarily because it based the characters certain guests played on their reputation. This allowed for the show to quickly get into the meat and potatoes of the story without long exposition scenes and it also allowed for sly commentary on each guest star. Again, Shaw worked well because he was played by Routh, though the show really didn't get much better than Chevy Chase and Scott Bakula as guest stars in season two.
Revisiting pivotal moments from the Chuck/Sarah relationship helped the finale keep moving, but it also tempted me to pull out the Blu-Rays and start over from the beginning to watch things unfold all over again.
I will admit that part of me was pretty nitpicky and wondered if Sarah has had the Intersect removed from her brain or if it's still in there and she just can't access it because she doesn't recall how. And while I like Elle and Awesome getting a happy ending, the whole "we've got our dream jobs and are moving" felt a bit too much like an obvious series finale type of moment.
But I'm willing to let all of that slide and call the finale "near perfect" because it did what Chuck did best. And the final scene on the beach as Chuck and Sarah begin to fall in love all over again was exactly how the series should end.
Oh sure, it's no "Guys, I know kung fu," but it was still pretty darn good.
Labels: Chuck, tv round-up
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/30/2012 06:12:00 AM |
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The new fall season is upon us and I've been tuning in to some old favorites and trying out some of the new stuff. A few comments on some of what I've seen.
The Event
This show desperately wants to fill the void for serialized, mystery-driven drama left by "Lost." But the one thing "Lost" had in its favor was that it had interesting characters and while I had my favorites, I was still curious enough to tune in each week to find out more about them. So far, I've not felt any connection to any of the characters on this show. As for the mystery-element, it seems to have borrowed a lot of elements from a lot of other shows--there's a conspiracy story along the lines of "X-Files," there's weird stuff happening along the lines of "Fringe" and there's the everyman caught up in events beyond his control similar to "24." And, so far, it has yet to really engage me in any significant way. I'm not sure telling us that the main hero's fiancee is still alive is the best way to go since it removes that level of mystery.
The first installment ended on a fascinating cliffhanger that really compelled me to want to see episode two. But nothing in episode two left me eager for the third installment. I will still probably tune in and give it another chance or two, but I'm still a bit frustrated by it. I think part of it is that we still have no idea what this "event" is just yet. So far, it's been lots of talking about things in vague pronouns. Even by three episodes in, at least "Heroes" had some idea of where things were headed....oh sure, it fell apart by the end of season one.
No Ordinary Family
As a big fan of Michael Chicklis from "The Shield," I was looking forward to this one. I knew it wouldn't be a gritty drama along the lines of that show, but I still found the first episode a lot of fun. The show remembered that people having powers is fun. Watching each family member discover what he or she can do worked well and there's enough of a sense of a bigger picture unfolding that I'll give this one a long-term shot.
Lonestar
So, I watched the first episode and was intrigued. And then it tanked in the ratings and I've got episode two on the DVR and wondering--should I bother? It will never be completed and it's likely we'll never see any more episodes. Should I just let the pilot sit as a noble experiment and an hour I enjoyed or should I watch the second installment? I can't quite decide.
Terriers
Possibly my favorite new show of the fall. If you haven't seen it, the first three episodes are On Demand from Comcast and worth the time. It's not doing as well as some other FX shows, so please watch. I want more of this one.
Chuck
I've heard several critics pointing out that this season is probably the last for "Chuck" and so I've just decided to go for the ride and enjoy it. It's a victory lap for the show and whatever else you can say about Jay Leno in primetime, it at least gave us at least 19 extra episodes of "Chuck." I like how the show has embraced the Chuck and Sarah relationship, how they've put Chuck back into everyone knows, but he is still leading a double life and how the Buy More has been integrated into things this year. Sure there may be better shows on TV, but there are few that are this much fun. I have a feeling this is one that people will discover on DVD and go, "Why didn't I watch it when it was on." You can thank me then...Labels: Chuck, tv round-up
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/03/2010 07:49:00 PM |
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Thanks to NBC's struggles with the failed Jay Leno experiment, one of my favorite shows, "Chuck" went from the renewal bubble to having an extended third season this year. (Thankfully, the show was picked up for a fourth season without any drama this year, though I suspect it may be the last for Team Bartowski).
The season went from 13 to 19 episodes and instead of padding out the arc, the producers decided to still finish the first arc in 13 and then have a new arc for the final six. Well, sort of. In a lot of ways, it feels like the first 13 were a long prologue for the final six, most of which were a home run and finally got Chuck and Sarah together. Thankfully, the show hasn't quite yet decided to come up with invented reasons for the couple to separate and I have faith that won't happen next year. Instead, we barely got a lot of time for Chuck and Sarah to settle in to couple-dom before things started going haywire.
Chuck found out the new Intersect had some nasty side effects and while this was interesting, it felt a bit rushed in some moments. I liked it, but I wish we'd had an episode or two more to develop it or to have Christopher Lloyd as Chuck's government imposed therapist be around for more than one episode. It was all to get us to the end point of the season and the spectacular finale (possibly the best of the season finales I've seen) but it still felt a bit rushed. I realize the producers wanted to tell the complete story and when the news came for an extended season, their hands were tied in terms of where they were storywise. It was still intriguing, fun and it felt like "Chuck" at its best. And the season finale brought together a lot of great threads to a satisfying conclusion...don't get me wrong. I guess I'm greedy and I wanted more "Chuck." A full season order would have made it easier and given how badly NBC fumbled just about every other prime time experiment this year and we had two weeks of repeats anyway, why not just give us two to three more episodes for a full season run?
Anyway....
Ranting over. I liked season three and am looking forward to season four. I am curious to see if and how long Chuck stays retired (I give it one episode) and then to see who will play Chuck's mom. They hit a home run with Chuck's dad and if they can get a triple out of the actress to play Chuck's mom, this could be good.
I just hope it doesn't descend into the later stages of "Alias" silliness where everyone in the family is in the spy game.....Labels: Chuck, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/30/2010 05:49:00 PM |
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"Chuck vs. the Tic Tac," "Chuck vs the Final Exam," "Chuck vs the American Hero," Chuck vs. the Other Guy"
The third season of "Chuck" has been an interesting ride. Saved from extinction by a massive fan campaign last year, the show was given a 13-episode pick-up by NBC. Then troubles fell on NBC in the crash and burn of Jay Leno in primetime and suddenly "Chuck" was needed and needed very badly. So, we got an extended season.
But rather than offering filler episodes or more fluff, the producers decided to stick to their original 13-episode plan and then add a second arc of six episodes for the end of the season.
The last month or so of "Chuck" has been the final run of those first 13 episode and it has been, quite frankly, a lot of fun to watch.
The third season has been about Chuck growing up and becoming a real spy. Early episodes were given over to Chuck learning about the upgrade to the Intersect in his head and what that meant to him as a character. Now that we've found a way for Chuck to fully access the information in his head, we've got Chuck moving into the arena of being a real honest-to-goodness spy and all that means. As the story progressed, we found Chuck slowly realizing that in achieving one of his dreams, he may have to give up on another--namely a relationship with Sarah.
If there's been one frustration I've had with season three it's the way that will they or won't they aspect of Chuck and Sarah has been dragged out. While I can see why Shaw was brought into the show and what the series did with him in order to finally get Chuck and Sarah together, I still can't help but feel that the character as a whole was a bit of red herring. I guessed a few weeks ago that Shaw would somehow be connected to the Ring, so the big reveal in this week's episodes wasn't necessarily that huge. And surely Sarah should have had a greater clue about things when Shaw tells them to leave the elevator and they don't actually see Shaw kill the leader of the Ring.
It also brings up some interesting questions about Shaw and his loyalties. Before his death, Shaw claims he hasn't told the Ring about Chuck and the Intersect. Was that necessarily true? Given that a lot of the other statements he's made are all based on lies, could Shaw be lying? It's apparently the Ring has figured out that there's something more to the Buy More than meets the eye, but will it be followed up on? Or is the Ring really destroyed and we'll have a new threat in the second part of the season? Also, I have to wonder if Shaw's professions of love for Sarah were real or were they done as part of his cover? Again, if Shaw's intention was to be a double-agent and we see that by playing on Chuck's emotions we can disable the Intersect than why not use Sarah to do that?
It's some things that I think a review of the season on DVD might help answer. And heaven only knows it works far better than the Dana Walsh in the latest CTU mole storyline on "24." (I will post a long reaction to the current day of "24" as soon as I catch up on this week's two hour episode.)
It's always interesting to watch how far the show will go to push the characters and then have to work to hit the reset button. We knew that Casey couldn't remain on the sidelines forever and the show at least earned his return in a good way. I wasn't expecting Casey to pull Morgan in as part of his reinstatement, but the whole concept for Morgan being part of Team Bartowski for the rest of the season (and hopefully for season four) holds a lot of promise.
Also, I will admit that I'm glad they finally got Chuck and Sarah together, if only so we don't have to have yet another complication arise in the back half of the show. I'm optimistic that the show can balance things so it won't be all about whatever relationship issue Chuck and Sarah face next. Hopefully we'll see them together and happy for a few weeks before the inevitable relationship breakdown that generally occurs on most will they or won't they couples.
The last two episodes, in particular, have been great examples of "Chuck" at its best. I'm just glad we don't have to wait six months for new episodes--instead it's just two weeks.
Hopefully the repeats won't drive off fans and the show can get the fourth season it deserves.
And if we have to lose "Heroes" to get more "Chuck" than that's a trade-off I can live with.Labels: Chuck, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/07/2010 12:15:00 PM |
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Chuck: Chuck vs the Beard, Chuck vs the Tic Tac
Three weeks back from the Olympics and we've had three solid "Chuck" installments. The last two may be among the best the show has done not only in season three, but in the three year run of the show. Both episodes have upped the ante for the show a great deal, seeing "Chuck" at a crossroads where he gets a glimpse of who and what he's become now that he's got the Intersect powers and he's finally getting the life he always wanted.
"The Beard" finds Chuck unable to access his superpowers, thank to being bound up emotionally by breaking up with Hannah, Sarah's new found relationship with Shaw, Awesome losing patience with the whole double-life the knowledge of Chuck's spy life has created and the typical Buy More complications of leading a double life. Thankfully, the show finally brings Morgan in on the secret in a way that works and that allows Morgan to embrace the fact that Chuck is a spy. I loved seeing Morgan's panic at the fact that there were a secret CIA base under the Buy More and then the reaction to finding out Chuck is really the spy the Ring is looking for. It's nice that we didn't have it create a rift between the two that would eventually be healed. That may be one of the benefits of a shorter season--less time to stretch things like this out and just have things go with the flow.
That news leads to "Tic Tac" where it appears that Casey may have gone rogue or joined the Ring. Instead, we get to see a bit more of Casey's backstory and have a showcase for Adam Baldwin's character, seeing how much and what he gave up to serve his country and become a spy. And we can see Chuck slowly going down that path this year, especially as he wins over the admiration of Casey--at least on a professional level. Also of interest is the new pill that removes the emotional element of Chuck's accessing the Intersect. Will we see more of this or was it a one time thing to prove a point?
I have a feeling that we may see Chuck's dad have to return and snap him back to reality before the season ends.
The only part I didn't really care for was how quickly the decision of Awesome and Ellie moving to Africa to become part of Doctors Without Borders was brought up and then discarded. As much as I liked not dragging out a rift between Chuck and Morgan was necessitated by the original episode order, this felt like it needed more time to breath and might have had the initial episode order been more than 13.
24: Day Eight, 2 - 4 a.m.
Just as "24" appears to be headed for the exit and everyone's talking about how the show has really lost its stride, season eight picks up a lot in the last two hours of the day. The scenes with Jack talking to the young terrorist inside the pressure chamber were classic Bauer--you don't tell me what I want to know, I will make your mother pay. As were the scenes between said young terrorist and his mother. In those moments, the show reached back into the core of what the series is all about--Jack's win at all costs mentality and the toll it can and will take on those around him.
Meanwhile, the final moments of the 3 a.m. hour were among the most interesting and had a nice twist to them--well, that was if you could avoid the relentless Fox marketing machine that gave it away. I had until the final seconds of "House" when I accidentally saw a promo. I have to admit, I guessed what was coming but I thought the terrorists would be blowing up CTU instead of using an EMP. Either way, CTU is disabled and Jack may be forced to play nice with another agency. And as we've seen the past, Jack doesn't play well with others who aren't CTU. The twist did rescue (a bit) the whole plotline of the allegiance of Tarin. Again, I say that it's easy to tell when the writers are making up things as they go--that's clearly been shown by the Tarin plotlines. He's loyal, he's in love with Kayla, he's locked up, they're running away together, he's betrayed her and her father, he's helped her escape, no wait it was all part of his master plan. For one thing, I can't see how the terrorist cell would plan out that the rods would need to be transferred in to New York or that they'd need to take out CTU to do it. Given that the plan was to take the rods back to the country in question and jump start their nuclear program, this kind of advance planning seems a bit far fetched. But then again, this is "24."
I will be interested to see how the show follows-up on the thread of Hassan having U.S. nuclear secrets and if that will impact his future negotiations with President Taylor.
As for the whole plotline with Dana, the sooner that one goes away the better. I knew it would come back to bite them, but the fact that it came back that quickly is a bit much. I swear that if Stephen Root's character is somehow involved with the conspiracy, I will scream.
FlashForward: Revelation Zero
For the first ten or so episodes, all we heard from the producers of this show was that they were putting the groundwork in place for the final run of episodes and that we'd all be surprised and shocked by what they came up with.
Well it's the final run and so far, I'm not overwhelmed.
I'm still with the show and will tune in until the season finale. But honestly, it needs some more payoffs than what we got there. Mark finally unlocks the rest of his flash and just in time to conveniently save Lloyd. A bit of a stretch of the willing suspension of disbelief.
It's really about putting these two together for some kind of odd buddy comedy, I guess.
At least we know that the reason to investigate the flash so obsessively is that we're trying to prevent another one. We've got some tension for the end of the season and a goal now. Maybe it will give the series some much needed focus.
Meanwhile, the more interesting storyline is about what Simon has been up to and what he was doing during the flash. Finding out that he was the one awake at the Detroit Tigers' game was an interesting revelation as is the fact that he appears to be playing all the sides against each other for his own personal agenda. What that agenda is, I guess we'll have to wait and find out, but that is keeping me intrigued.
What didn't keep me there was the whole storyline about Nicole's mom and the pennies. Yaaaaawn.Labels: 24, Chuck, flash forward, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 3/22/2010 03:02:00 PM |
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Chuck: Chuck vs the Fake Name
As I watch season three unfold, I keep wondering just how the writers might have timed out certain storylines if they'd known they were getting 19 episodes instead of the original 13. I ask this mainly because of the storyline involving Hannah, which seemed a bit compressed in retrospect. Chuck meets girl, Chuck woes girl, Chuck then realizes his double life means he can't be with girl and he ends up breaking her heart and being a jerk. I guess I was expecting something more to come from the storyline like somehow Hannah was connected to the Ring. Maybe it's better that she wasn't because from a character point of view, it just works better. But it also falls back into the trap of other previous love interests for Chuck either being part of the bad guys or having to be written out because it's too hard for Chuck to balance his spy life with his real life.
I'm guessing that Hannah is gone for good, though it'd be nice to see her come back again. Possibly if Chuck and Sarah get together, though a monkey wrench has certainly been thrown into that with Sarah (excuse me, Sam) choosing Shaw over Chuck. A lot of that firmly rests with the fact that Chuck is becoming what Sarah once was, while Sarah is becoming what Chuck once was. Watching the two trade places in the relationship has been interesting and I wonder how long it will be before Chuck's whole world implodes. Mayhaps having his father return later this year will be a wake-up call for Chuck.
I also found it curious to wonder--even for a little while--if Chuck might not shoot or kill Shaw somehow and blame it on his cover. But just like the thread of killing off Captain Awesome, that's a bit too dark for the show.
24: 12 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Thank heavens the two idiots from Dana's past are dead. I realize that "24" has to introduce subplots to try and keep the tension going, but this was one of the dumber subplots we've seen in quite some time. I'm talking Kim Bauer and the cougar season two dumb. I guess it wouldn't have been that bad if it weren't so damn predictable right up to and including Cole showing up and having to kill both guys. Yeah, this isn't going to go away and I fear it will only continue to be a pebble in the shoe of "24" all the rest of the year.
Meanwhile, Jack is back in, as we all knew he would be. Jack can't really walk away from a crisis, but at least they came up with a reasonable way to get him back in--wanting to save Renee. Of course, Jack's big confession that he wants to be there for Renee does bring into question where is Audrey, but I'm not sure the writers are thinking that far ahead. There are times I swear that the plot twists come as much of a surprise to them as to they do to the viewing audience at home.
Anyway, Jack's back in it and up to his neck in trouble. I love how no matter how by the book any CTU unit wants to be, spend a few hours around Jack and you're quickly playing loose and fast with the rules in the interest of expediency and national security.
And I will admit there is a part of me that wants to see New York City nuked if only to end the family politics of the random Middle Eastern nation. Ugh....
Lost: "Lighthouse," "Sundown"
I keep wondering what impact these side flashes are going to have. It seems that while some people's live are better off in them, not everyone gets their happy ending. Jack gets the chance to resolve his daddy issues by having a son and Sayid gets to have Nadia in his life, even if she's married to his brother.
I think the point of the side flashes is to reinforce what we know about these characters. I will admit I wasn't surprised that Sayid has joined forces with unLocke, but I do wonder what Sayid was promised for his loyalty. It also makes me wonder why the guy in charge of the temple was so mystical and how he kept unLocke at bay. Why does his death mean unLocke can go crazy and kill all the Others? And in the form of Smokey can unLocke tell who are his "friends" and who is not? Or is he just ruled by pure animal rage and passion, becoming an indiscriminate killer?
And was the lighthouse somehow a portal to see into the other worlds? Is that why Jacob had Jack smash the mirrors?
At least we've got some kind of explanation for the numbers.
If we could get some kind of reason for the side flashes, things might make a lot more sense.
Blogger Alan Sepinwall has a theory I like--the side flashes are the "reward" the various island inhabitants will get once the battle between Jacob and unLocke is over. Interesting theory and one that I wouldn't mind see playing out.Labels: 24, Chuck, Lost, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 3/08/2010 02:00:00 PM |
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Chuck: Chuck vs the Mask
Given that "Chuck" had no idea that the season would be interrupted by the Winter Olympics, this episode still works as a bit of a cliffhanger to keep us hanging on for two weeks.
Unfortunately, from what I hear there's a certain segment of the fandom not happy with the developments between Chuck and Hannah and Sarah and Shaw who think boycotting the show when it comes back is the best idea...
Honestly, I don't see what they're up in arms about. We all knew there had to be some obstacles to Chuck and Sarah getting together. And I'm perfectly willing to take the ride the producers have in mind for how the characters will develop this year. I guess what I'm saying is that, for me, the show is more than just Chuck and Sarah, though the two do have great chemistry.
What bugged me was the way that we didn't get a lot to the development of Sarah and Morgan suspecting Chuck is up to something and pursuing that more. I'd love to have seen a few scenes of Jeff and Lester trying to follow Chuck or stalk him instead of just hearing about it. I understand that with the way the show was brought back that not all the cast members can be in each story...but I think they dropped the ball on this. Also, it seems like Sarah is a bit quick to buy that Chuck is acting weird over Hannah when his unexplained behavior dates back before she arrived on the scene. Plus it doesn't add up to why Captain Awesome is acting so weird...
Hopefully that's not the end of this plotline...
24: Day Eight, 10-11 p.m.
Another hour that does little or nothing to advance the plot and, if anything, feels like the inevitable we have to wrap up the first segment of our day and move on to the next one. If anyone wants to kill off Dana and Freddie Prinze, Jr.'s character, any time now would be good. I still can't buy that Dana is pulling off this massively ill-conceived robbery plan with her ex-boyfriend and that somehow CTU isn't catching on. Yes, other guy and Chloe have noticed but it's not going anywhere. And we all knew that once ex and his buddy got inside the evidence lock-up that they'd somehow screw things up and make it worse.
The plotline that keeps me interested is one around Hassan, who seems to becoming more and more paranoid that everyone is out to get him. Interesting to see how he's working so hard to hold on to power and how he trusts no one. I have a feeling this could get ugly very fast.
Lost: What Kate Does
It's a Kate episode and I know that I'm one of the few who likes the character. I am fascinated by how fate seems to be bringing people together in both timelines. Seeing Kate and Claire come together in the new universe worked well, though I'm not quite sure how Kate eluded the authorities by staying in the same area like she did. It's one of those TV show convenience things I guess.
As for Claire taking over for Rosseau, I saw that coming a mile away. Does the island need a crazy person to wander around like that? Or is it really Claire? Is Claire dead in the island timeline? So many questions....Labels: 24, Chuck, Lost, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/15/2010 12:45:00 PM |
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Chuck: Chuck vs the Nacho Sampler
Last week, we saw Chuck go on his first solo mission. This week, we see Chuck get his first asset and we are reminded again of how much a product of the mentor-ship of Casey and Sarah Chuck really is.
Chuck is assigned the asset of a guy named Manoosh, who is nerdy in the same way as Chuck but appears to have some type of new high tech weapon he wants to sell. Apparently it's a portable version of the Intersect and he's got a lot of bad guys who really, really want to get their hands on it. And despite destroying the portable version (disguised as a pair of sunglasses), in the end Manoosh is sent off to somewhere far away to that the Ring can't get their hands on him. And Chuck is the guy who has to do it.
Watching the episode unfold, we're reminded of how far Chuck has come as a spy. And we're also reminded of just how much influence Casey and Sarah have had on him. We get bookends flashbacks of the first time Sarah and Chuck met, including the fact that Sarah was supposed to burn him. But she didn't....it makes me wonder what might have happened had Casey got there first. We've seen that Chuck does have the compassionate site for the people whose live are impacted by the spy game, but we're also seeing that he's got the "its just business" side the Casey exhibits. And that was obvious in how Chuck is forced to cut Manoosh and how impressed Casey is by his coldness. We also see how easily Chuck can lie now, even to family and friends. One thread I'm picking up on here is that Chuck's dual life may be alienating him from those people he cares about. A few weeks ago, we had a lingering shot of Chuck's family gathering for dinner but here we see evidence that both worlds aren't meshing well and that Chuck could be losing part of what makes him Chuck.
I also like the fact that Chuck's family and friends are starting to question his odd behavior and catching his sloppy attempts to cover his tracks. Discarding his boarding pass for Paris at home is a bit odd and it makes me wonder why they didn't make Chuck destroy it at the Castle. Of course, that would be a bit more complicated when Kristen Kruek showed up and he to backtrack there and explain how he met her and knew her.
I know I keep saying it each week, but this is probably the most solid episode we've had of the third season. The show is hitting its stride and I love it.
24: Day Eight, 9-10 p.m.
Every day of "24" has those episodes that serve to tread water. This was clearly one of them.
Not much really happens to push the plot forward, other than the fact that the writers are clearly setting up some things for the next few hours. The biggest is that the Russian family will be tracked down because of the storyline of taking the sick brother to the doctor for radiation poisoning. With the Russian mafia killing the entire office, you just know this will somehow lead CTU and Jack to them.
Meanwhile, Jack and Renee keep trying to broker a deal to get to the uranium rods. And Renee has some kind of weird history with Lebanon...I'm sorry Russian guy played by the guy who was on BSG. If he and Kate Sackoff can't meet somehow there is no justice. Honestly, I am not sure about how this is unfolding since it seems like we're just waiting for something to happen. Plus it seems as if Renee is a bit too unstable and in too deep here to really be effective. I have to wonder why the Russians don't question more of her suddenly showing up and asking for the nuclear material. Of course, this is "24" and sometimes logic doesn't enter into the show.
Which is really apparent with Dana over at CTU. I can't roll my eyes fast enough EVERY time this plotline comes up. I just don't see where this is headed and it seems like more of a distraction along the lines of Kim and the cougar from season two than a plotline that can and should pay dividends.
And they can't kill off Freddie Prinze, Jr. fast enough for my liking....
Labels: 24, Chuck, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/08/2010 12:39:00 PM |
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24: Day Eight 5- 8 p.m.
Do they not do background checks over at CTU? I ask this because it seems a bit odd that CTU, an agency whose sole purpose in life is to gather information, can't or doesn't look deep enough into Dana's past to see that she's got a criminal past and has taken on a new identity. On the other hand, maybe she was so good at crafting her new identity that it lead to her being hired. Whatever the reason, it just really sticks out like a sore thumb for the new season and feels like they're working too hard to provide some kind of distraction to the unfolding plot to a major head of state.
Hopefully she'll stay far away from Jack since it appears that just about anyone who comes into Jack's sphere of influence isn't faring too well right now. It's interesting to see Jack's win at all costs attitude wear off onto Rene (especially given how upset she was early on last year by Jack's methods) and to see her have her own Jack Bauer moment as the cliffhanger to the first four hours of the new day. Even more interesting is that she's able to to pretty much take care of a guy whose thumb she just sawed off with little more than a first aid kit. I'm telling you, that CTU training is incredible. I wonder if it's taught by McGyver.
Meanwhile you've got As the Hassan Family Turns with a brother conspiring to kill his older brother and take over the reigns of state, all jump starting the country's nuclear weapons program. That's pretty ambitious for one terrorist plot, you have to admit. And to see him still trying to get the uranium while his brother consolidates power should prove interesting
Oh, one last thing. Any time they want to kill of Freddie Prinze, Jr is fine by me....
Chuck: Chuck vs. First Class
And we're back. "Chuck" has been getting its stride going with the first four episodes and it really hits it here, even if the B plot is kind of similar to the one last week. I thought Morgan had established authority over Lester last week, but any excuse to see Casey and Morgan teaming up to take down Lester is fine by me. Seeing Casey positively salivating at the chance to use his tactics on insurgent Lester was pure and total gold and worked a lot better than last week's "Fight Club" homage.
But where the show really worked was Chuck getting his own first solo mission. At first, I assumed Shaw was brought in as another spy who'd put Chuck into a corner and limit him. But to see Shaw give Chuck the chance he's been wanting for so long and then to see Chuck go on his mission, watching it unfold was just a lot of fun. And even Kristen Kruek, who was usually a major downer on "Smallville" works here. Again, the joy of "Chuck" is that guest stars come in and they play off the types of characters they've played in other shows, movies or other areas. And it's all working here.
I can't believe we only have two more episodes left before the Olympics break...
Dollhouse: Epipath Two
Whatever else you can say about Fox's treatment of "Dollhouse" I will give them credit--they renewed the series last year and they made good on their promise to run all the episodes. While it's still another Whedon show cut down and sent to the scrapheap, at least this time around Joss and company got to gives the fans the closure and ending the show deserves.
After we saw Echo and everyone else take out Rossum two weeks ago, we had to have an episode that dealt with the fallout we saw from the zombie future. And "Epipath Two" felt like a nice code to the series, allowing Whedon to have everyone win the battle and end on some hope for the characters. Not everyone got a necessarily happy ending, but it felt like there was some hope there for everyone. And while the show may have been originally all about Echo, it's fascinating how in 26 episodes the supporting cast was more developed and this show felt more like an ensemble show in the end than anything. In fact, I found myself caring more about how Topher would end up and would he solve the problem facing them as well what had happened to make him the way he was, than really much of the drama between Echo and Paul.
Also, in watching the finale, I kept wondering why when they got back to the L.A. Dollhouse they didn't just download a copy of Topher into one of the dolls to help the real Topher solve the problem. Or at least have a line that says--oh his construct was destroyed.
Caprica: Rebirth
I've said elsewhere that I think this show might be more successful if it weren't sold as a prequel to "Battlestar: Galactica." It's a solid enough show that it could have stood on its own without being part of that franchise. As it is, watching the episodes it's hard to not look for things that foreshadow or echo things we'll see in BSG.
I liked the pilot but had reservations about it. That said, I think "Rebirth" is a solid entry and a good second episode because it allows the universe to expand and seems to be putting in motion a lot of things the series will explore as it goes along. Chief among them is Zoe in her various incarnations and the questions of identity that it could bring up.
Also, I find it fascinating to see just how her parents are dealing with her death and the implications of her involvement in the attack. Her dad seems to want to deny that she could be part of it while mom wants to admit it and accept some responsibility for the actions. It should set up some fascinating episodes and storylines to come in the coming weeks...Labels: 24, caprica, Chuck, dollhouse, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/31/2010 03:18:00 PM |
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Chuck: Chuck vs. Operation Awesome
The third season continues to hit its stride with another solid episode that once again demonstrates how well "Chuck" uses its guest stars--you cast them based on what types of characters they've played in the past and allow the actors to play on that. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of how certain old radio series used to work with various people taking on a fictional persona for the sake of their character and the show. For example, any time Jack Benny guest starred on another show, you were sure to get a mention of Jack's frugal ways.
Same thing here with Angie Harmon and Brandon Routh. Routh is cast as the all-American good guy, along the lines of his role in the Man of Steel in "Superman: Returns." It's interesting to see Shaw come into Team Chuck and immediately begin to try and shake things up a bit. Knowing that Routh will be around for a few episodes should be interesting, though I hope they do more with the character than throw him in as some kind of stumbling block to the Chuck and Sarah relationship. I think we've seen enough outsiders come in and do that--unless they can actually do something interesting or different with it. At this point, I'm not sure and it may end up being a case of treading the same ground again.
The episode had me consistently chuckling and enjoying it even though there were some glaring weak points and one plot hole. I don't quite buy that the Ring would assume that Captain Awesome is the spy and that Chuck isn't. It was nice to see that Awesome wasn't killed, but wouldn't the guy who likes to poison people from last week have clued them in a bit about Awesome's role only as a doctor and to watch out for Chuck and Sarah? Or maybe it's because the Ring has only seen the crew in such limited action that they're operating on a false tip from last week's events that led to this assumption. It's one of those things you have to buy in order to get to the story going and get the hilarity ensuing, but it seemed a bit much to swallow.
Also, I have to admit that for long stretches of time I wasn't thrilled by events at the Buy More. It felt like they were trying to stretch things a bit and having a "Fight Club" homage just didn't really click for me. At least they were able to have that plot intersect with the Chuck plot in a nice way, though again it felt like they were working a bit too hard to get from point A to point B. We needed some way to get Chuck out of trouble late in the story, so the early joke of the electric fence was put in there to get us there.
But beyond that, I enjoyed what I saw here. I really liked Chuck coming up with his own plan and the scenes with Awesome when Chuck was able to fully utilize his new abilities as the Intersect 2.0.
I'm also glad that the series didn't make the move of killing off Awesome. It seems like too dark a twist for the show to take.
Dollhouse: The Hollow Men
With "Dollhouse" headed toward the finish line, Joss Whedon and company barely have a chance to let us catch our breath and let the big revelation from last week really sink in. That's a shame because I think an episode or two of our knowing about Boyd and seeing the characters come to grips with it would have been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I'm betting Whedon and company found out the show was canceled too late to really have much more than we got here.
The story pushes forward with the implications of the Rossum technology really having an impact. The concept of creating a way to wipe out a person's personality and then imprint it with another is fascinating and chilling--especially the handheld device that Topher has invented. Also interesting is that no matter how hard they try, they can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. You get the feeling that no matter how hard our heroes work, they can't take back the fact that such a thing can and did exist. It made me want to dust off the DVD set of season one and look at "Epipath 1" again, but I haven't had time yet. Hopefully before the finale.
This one felt like it had to wrap up all the present day stories before we jump ten years ahead to see what goes wrong and if there's any hope for the future. Along the way, we lose another character and get to see Echo take on Whiskey in an epic battle. The pace was rushed at times (I could easily see this week and last week's stories expanded to a trilogy) but at least we're getting resolution and some closure. I can also see why Whedon says that once this show is done, it's done. He's not leaving much to come back and play with.....Labels: Chuck, dollhouse, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/21/2010 01:33:00 PM |
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Chuck vs the Angel de la Muerte
Another episode that sees season three getting back on solid footing.
One of the most interesting developments last year was Devon aka Captain Awesome finding out about Chuck's secret dual life as Nerd Herd employee by day and spy by night. Having someone else in on the secret was fun and given Captain Awesome's type A personality, we knew it was only a matter of time before he was drawn into the spy side of Chuck's universe.
Thankfully, the episode found a way to do just that without it feeling forced and over the top. Devon's embracing his inner adrenaline junkie and wanting to channel that into what Chuck does, before realizing he's not cut out for the dual life and the lies that go with it was a nice touch. I'm hoping this won't be the last time we see the character (I didn't see any previews so I don't know what's coming next week). But if it is, it was a nice send-off for him, but it could take the show to a much darker place than we usually see. It would also make it difficult to keep Ellie out of the loop of the real nature of what her dad and brother do for a living.
And, of course, any time you can give Adam Baldwin screen time to do his slow burn and disguise himself with a really badly done mustache, it's all good. His reputation as the titular Angel de la Muerta was nicely done and seeing him captured and still able to kick some heiney while ties to a chair was nicely done.
All in all, I think the show is firing again on all cylinders and it left me eager for next week's installment. I think the two-night event really worked in favor of the show here because I think had these first three episodes been stretched across three weeks, we might have been a lot more dissatisfied. Instead, I'm eager for the next installment....can't we just get new "Chuck" every night of the week?!?Labels: Chuck, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/12/2010 07:40:00 PM |
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Chuck vs. the Three Words
If I was disappointed by "Pink Slip" because of the set-up it had to do, I was far more intrigued, impressed and amused by "The Three Words." This one felt more like the series I've come to know and love, all while giving us a glimpse of where the series can go with Chuck now being the Intersect 2.0.
It's interesting to see a show like "Chuck" that doesn't have a heavy mythology (as compared to "Battlestar Galactica," "Heroes" or "24") build on a returning character from the first season. But what "Chuck" does so well is bring in guest stars who fit the role they're given and that role plays to the audiences expectations of that certain actor. That works here with Carina because the story gives us enough information to understand Carina and why she's there in the story without having to stop for a long info-dump or losing newer viewers. She's there to point out the differences between she and her latest mission and Chuck and Sarah. It's also to serve as a starting point to some healing between Chuck and Sarah, though at this point I'm not sure if we need to really delve much more into it. Leave the feelings unrequited because of the job they both face unless you're going to put them together. I like the chemistry, but it could hamper the show at some point. And we've seen other shows that can pay off and build on the relationship chemistry of two main characters, if it's done right and thought out by the writers.
This week's mission finds Chuck and company stealing some type of new weapon from Carina's latest mark. Carina has infilitrated as his fiancee and gets Team Bartowski on the inside to steal said weapon. The weapon is successfully stolen, but the head terrorist is suspicious. Carina leaves the weapon with Morgan, who wants invites her to the house-warming party he's throwing--basically to impress her and prove to Lester and Jeff that he can score a girl like Carina. Of course, all things intersect (pun not intended but still a good one) at said party with Chuck providing a way to defeat the bad guys without using the new Intersect.
All said, I liked it a great deal, though part of me began to wonder if Carina wasn't playing both sides against each other here. The fact that no one would let them open the case to see the weapon inside seems like it's drawing too much attention to itself. But nothing comes of it and I'd be surprised if we see the issue come up again. I wouldn't mind if it did, but that feels a bit too continuity heavy for the show. Instead, what will come up again is the new plan for the team. Based on how the show was renewed and then extended, I'm willing to bet this is the driving force for the show in the first 13 episodes and we'll see more of Chuck's dad in the last six of the year (it was announced yesterday that Scott Bakula will be back as Chuck's dad later this year.).
About the only part I didn't like was Chuck in the vault, pouring out his heart to Sarah. After the growth as a spy we got last year and Chuck's time in training in Prague, it seems like this was a big sideways step back to season one.
But if that's my biggest complaint, then that means we've got a solid second episode and a lot of potential for the rest of the season.Labels: Chuck, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/12/2010 01:23:00 PM |
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Dollhouse: "Getting Closer"
During the vast wasteland that is holiday repeats, I mainlined seven episodes of "Dollhouse" on my DVR. And it was seven episodes when the season really kicked into gear and we found out the show was getting the pink slip. The stories all seemed to be really delving into the implications of what the Dollhouse is, does and the bigger picture overall of Rossum and how events now are leading toward the destruction and choas we saw in "Epipath One" (at least if you got the DVD set). Of those seven episodes, the one I enjoyed least was the one set inside the Attic, if only because it felt like it was doing some heaving lifting to set up the pieces that are about to fall in the next couple of weeks.
So, having mainlined the show, I was left in the lurch to the point where only watching one episode this week felt like I was just getting warmed up. Of course, it doesn't hurt that "Getting Closer" packed in a ton of exposition to its hour, including at least three plot twists that you could see coming only a few moments before they developed. I'm referring to Dr. Saunders killing off Topher's love interest and the doctor who can restore Caroline fully, the revelation of who the high and mighty person is at Rossum and the restoration of Melli to her original personality when she met Paul. If the series were to continue, I'd love to see a bit more time to explore a triangle between Melli, Echo and Paul. Alas, that probably won't happen, but it could make for a heck of a novel or comic book.
Instead, we're hellbent for the finish line with Joss Whedon determined to give us the answers we all want. Of course, if the show had been kept around, we might get some time to explore the implications of them and how they impact the characters, but I guess we should be grateful Fox is airing these and not making us wait for DVD. Or never answering the questions.
I find it interesting to see how Whedon and his writing staff can put the groundwork in place all year and then slowly began to offer the payoff in the season's final episodes. Having Dr. Saunders come back and then kill off Summer Glau's character worked extremely well, though I've heard some conversations wondering if she was programmed to do it or if she did it to get back at Topher. Or possibly a bit of both. Her history with Topher would indicate she'd enjoy taking this away from him and that she could be the petty and vindictive. It also made me wonder if there was some kind of history (romantically) between Topher and Saunders. Or if she had feelings and he was pre-season-two Topher and unable to respond.
The other huge revelation that Boyd is actually Clyde, who is the head honcho of Rossum, I'm not quite as sold on. As the flashbacks revealed the history of Caroline and how she got into Rossum's sphere of influence, I figured it had to be a familar face. I wasn't quite prepared for it to be Boyd and it certainly opens up some interesting questions that hopefully we'll get the answers to this week. My willingness to declare it a good or a bad move depends a lot on what happens in the final two episodes, though I'm not willing to discount that Boyd could be a doll himself. I want to go back and see if he was around Topher's remote shutdown device at any point when it was used.
Heroes: "Upon This Rock" & "Let in Bleed"
As I watched these two episodes, I kept asking myself one thing--why am I bothering? I'm not the type of person who generally likes to fast forward through shows when I'm first watching them, but I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to do so here. In fact, I could easily have skipped all the Nathan funeral scenes. I realize the characters are just now coming to terms with his loss, but he's been dead since the end of season three and we've had time to adjust to the fact as viewers. In fact, I think Adrian Passdar is better off for being off the show.
But the real frustration comes in how the show can't seem to follow its own continuity. I refer specifically to Emma, whose powers seems to morph into whatever the episode needs it to be at the time. She can see sounds and now the power can draw fellow people with abilities to her....huh? If so, why hasn't that been a side effect of it until now. Or was it Samuel somehow manipulating and using her power to his own greater end? The show could and should answer these questions but yet it doesn't really bother. It seems to not think beyond the current script and episode, which would be fine if it were an episodic series. Unfortunately, it's a serialized thing and is supposed to reward us for paying attention to details.
Meanwhile, we have Sylar who apparently is now obsessed with Claire again. Ummm, we did that already didn't we? I still say that they'd be better off to kill off at least half the cast, including Sylar, Claire, Peter Patrelli and Hiro.
Speaking of Hiro, has everyone forgotten that Peter went to New Orleans to get the healing power to use on Hiro? If I were Hiro, I'd be kind of annoyed that Peter randomly took on some new power before he healed me as he said he'd do....oh wait, that would involve continuity beyond an episode and a half....
Chuck: "Chuck vs. the Pink Slip"
As most of you know, I love "Chuck." Season two was a think of beauty and the news that season three was getting a green light was cause for much rejoicing on my part. And given that we've upgraded Chuck and we might see him finally get to begin embracing the life he so desparately wanted and was growing toward at the end of last year, I was eager for season three to begin.
First up, we get "Chuck vs. the Pink Slip" which was good, but not great. In a lot of ways it had to do a lot of heavy lifting and get everyone back into place after last year's finale. We had to find a way to continue the Chuck and Sarah tension, we had to get the team back together and we had to explore Chuck's ability (or lack of) to control the new Intersect. In a lot of ways, this one felt like a big laundry list of "to do"s and hopefully as the season now gets underway, we'll see something better come along. Because I hate to say it, but I didn't love this one.
A lot of it was due to Chuck himself. Chuck was growing into his role as the spy last year that it feels like we took a big step backward here as a way to throw another roadblock between Chuck and Sarah. And surely the Chuck who listened to his dad's heart-to-hearts last year wouldn't have broken Sarah's heart in the way he did here...would he?
I've only seen the first part (as of this writing) so maybe we get more about this in the next couple of installments. I hope so.
That said, there's still fun to be had here. Seeing "Chuck" learn how to use his new powers is fun, though I wish we'd seen more of his training. Also, Casey getting to use the big gun and save Chuck and Sarah was a nice moment for the show.
Hopefully there's more fun to be had as season three continues. I'm still firmly along for the ride and I encourage you to join in. With the news that Leno is gone, if we can get some solid viewing figures for "Chuck" we might even get a season four...Labels: Chuck, dollhouse, hero, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/11/2010 02:12:00 PM |
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At last, the first TV Round-Up of the fall season.....
Chuck: Pilot
Saw this one early thank to the wonder of the Internet and I have to admit, I liked it. Yes, the first half was a bit slow as we set up Chuck's world and the situation, but the last half of it was a lot of fun. Of course, being the Firefly fan that I am, any time you employ a former Firefly actor, I'm contractually obligated to tune in (well, except for Desparate Housewives...cause even my fandom for Nathan Fillion doesn't go THAT far). Adam Baldwin was great in this episode and I hope the poor guy gets a series that runs a full season or more. Meanwhile, I will admit the solution on how to difuse the bomb was a bit obvious based on the first few minutes of the episode (anyone else not shocked that Chuck downloaded the virus to kill the computer?), but overall it was a fun show and one I'm willing to give a chance.
Heroes: Four Months Later
Can we say "product placement" boys and girls? Nissan sponsors the limited commerical interruption of the first hour of the second season only to have the obligatory, "Here, have a cool Nissan" scene dropped in as Claire gets her new-car from HRG. Which when that's the most memorable and exciting part of the first half of the show, you know something is seriously wrong.
Maybe I'm not you average Heroes fan, but I find it a bit absurd that the first ten or so minutes of last year's season finale and this year's season premiere are nothing more than "summing up what we've already seen." I'm guessing most people on the planet have heard of this show by now and know the basic premise--what with the unrelented promotion of the show all summer long. So, to have this re-cap....kind of a waste of valuable screen time in my book.
And then, the rest of the first half is kind of a "let's catch up on where we've all been for four months." Only done in the least interesting way possible....seriously, could someone send over a copy of every Buffy season premiere ever done to show how you interestingly and quickly cover a time-gap without boring the audience to tears? Or maybe Heroes should beg Joss Whedon to come write for the show....cause damn that would be awesome.
Anyway, after the plodding first half, things pick up a bit--and you can pretty much identify that point as "When George Takai shows up." Things start to get interesting and we see what the threat for this year will be--the past is catching on the original members of the Company. Interesting to see that someone inside is intent on taking out original members while HRG, Parkman and Mohinder seem to want to expose and bring down the company. (On a related note, how does HRG afford a nice house in LA and a new car for Claire working at the equivalent of Kinko's?!?) I]m going to call it right now that the evil person skulking about is a Patrelli--either Momma or the much-referenced-but-never-seen Papa Patrelli. And it's a shame they had to kill of George Takai's character since he was one of my (few) favorites on the show. But with Hiro in the past and able to jump around in time, maybe we'll see him again.
Oh and one last thing--I think the effect of coming with a killer cliffhanger every week are showing. Last year that was the show's big strength...this year they're 0 for 1...that first one was not exactly compelling, jaw dropping or edge of your seat.
Reaper: Pilot
Get over the fact that it's on CW and just watch this show. I believe the pilot re-airs tonight and tomorrow. So you really need to do yourself a favor and watch or tape it in one of the showings. Well, maybe not watch tonight becuase you really need to check out the series-premiere of Bionic Woman, which is awesome...
But back to Reaper.
Basic premise: Slacker-guy works at this show's equivalent of Home Depot with his best friend and the cute-girl he's got a crush on (and she may like him as well). On his 21st b'day, weird stuff starts happening and he finds out his parents sold his soul to the devil, whose come to collect. Only he's not on the one-way ticket to hell....seems hell is overcrowded and souls are escaping. Our hero is tasked with being Satan's bounty-hunter and, well, it goes from there.
I have this odd feeling this show will suffer the same fate Buffy did in terms of trying to recruit fans--people scoffing at the premise. But that said, once you accept the premise, this show is a huge amount of fun. The scene where our two slacker buddies sit and wait for the Dust Buster given to them by Satan to recapture the first lost soul to recharge was a riot. And this show is full of funny moments like that. And Ray Wise as Satan....hysterical.
A great cast, good writing and the first episode is directed byKevin Smith. Definitely worth a look and I think I'll be keeping up with this one for the few first weeks of the season.Labels: Chuck, heroes, Reaper, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/26/2007 11:00:00 AM |
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