Big Orange Michael

One of the most popular quotes from Sherlock Holmes is the adage that when you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left, no matter how improbable is the truth.

When "Lost" first hit our screens six years ago, the first assumption was that everyone on the plane had died and were in some kind of purgatory area, waiting to move on to the next life. As the season progressed, we found that certain people died or left the island when they'd completed or made peace with whatever they needed to make peace with. I floated this theory at the time, when it related to the death of Boone and it was underscored by other deaths over the course of the series.

And then, we get the grand finale...after six years of waiting, wondering and having red herrings, the series basically comes down to creating a place in purgatory for everyone to get together and move on to the next life. And, again, it comes down to characters having to let go of the things that hold them to this world.

It end where it started--with an injured Jack, lying on the island looking up the sky. The series begins when he opens his eye and ends as he closes it. Along the way, Jack had to go on a journey and let go of his father and the anger he held toward him. Again, my early theory that the island was a massive group therapy session where each person had to get over his or her issues relating to their father proves kind of true.

We had mystical explanations, the Dharma Initiative, the sub and lots of other stuff that came up, but in the end, the show was all about the characters moving on and letting go. Each person had to go on a journey.

All that said, I'm not sure I'm entirely satisfied with the finale. It was nice to see the montage of familiar faces and the last hour felt like a huge victory lap for the show, more than resolving anything. Somehow pulling out the plug reset the island and de-powered Smokey as Locke. I'm still not quite clear on it, other than we had to find a way to dispatch the evil and not allow it to escape. I think maybe a re-watch of the show may give me some greater insight, but in the end it felt like Smokey was as an obstacle until Carlton and Cuse decided to move him aside or that they'd painted themselves into a corner with making Smokey so powerful that you had to do something to power him down a bit in order to dispatch him (see also the Borg in "Star Trek").

I'm not saying the finale was terrible. And I'm sure there are lots of fans out there, crying, screaming and wailing that it wasn't exactly what they wanted. However, it wasn't an instant classic that it could or should have been and while it's not one that ruined the series, it's one that ended with a whimper rather than a bang.

In some ways, it reminded me of the end of the Key to Time season on "Doctor Who." For 26 weeks, the Doctor and Romana chased the various segments of the key across time and space in order to reassemble them to restore balance to the universe. Only they find all six and within five minutes the Doctor has split it back up again. It's a rather unsatisfying end if you recall the reason the Doctor was sent on this epic quest....

I wondered yesterday if this finale could be as satisfying as "The Shield" finale was and, I've got to say, I came away feeling that it wasn't. That finale worked because while it didn't resolve every plot thread the show had created over seven years, it still gave a sense of closure to the central plotline of the show and, ultimately, helped crystalize exactly which arc story was the most important from day one--the fall of Vic Mackey because of his actions in the pilot. Vic didn't get his due until season seven, but watching the noose slowly tighten made for one hell of a ride over seven years.

I definitely need to take some time off from "Lost" and then it may be time for a long rewatch of all six seasons of DVD. Because while the show did have a dud or two in there, it's still one of the more ambitious and entertaining series of the past couple of years. I have a feeling that no matter how it ended, we wouldn't have been happy.

I'm just thankful it got to end and wasn't pulled after six episodes. The journey may have been frustrating at times, but in the end it was worth the ride.

Labels: Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/24/2010 08:21:00 PM | |

If you've missed all six years of "Lost" and want to tune in for the series finale tomorrow night, here's quick, funny catch-up video featuring cats.

Labels: Lost

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/22/2010 05:52:00 AM | |

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 | |

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 | |

LAX
So here it is--the start of the final season of "Lost" and the end line in sight for the show.

As I've said before and elsewhere, I think one of the best things this show ever did was declare an end point for itself.

That's evident here with the season six premiere and as we slowly start to get some answers.

The big one is that the Smoke Monster has been operating on the island all this time in opposition to Jacob. Or at least that's the impression I get here since we've got anti-Locke now being able to morph into said Smoke Monster. It's a nice moment, but it raises some other questions including why would it help Ben and the Others if they were followers of Jacob. Was the Smoke Monster biding its time and maneuvering Ben to the point last year where he'd kill Jacob? And if this is some eternal struggle between good and evil, does the fact that the good has apparently died mean the balance has been thrown off? Or could it be that Sayid is actually Jacob resurrected? Certainly, the symbolism of a lot his immersion in the pool and then his rising would seem to point to that. (Just look at how Sayid had his arms out like he'd been crucified when he was taken out of the pool, for instance).

Meanwhile, the new Others are declaring a red alert as they prepare for something. I'm assuming they're expecting an attack from anti-Locke and his forces. But I still don't understand why they'd follow Locke or if they will.

The other big question that was answered was would blowing up the island work and put things right. And the answer is--yes and no. It did work in the creation of a new parallel universe in which the plane never crashes and the island is underwater. In this universe, certain people are still drawn together (the scenes of Jack and Locke being put together and Jack believing he can help Locke while Locke thinks the situation is hopeless was a nice juxtaposition) and certain objects are still drawn to the island. I'm betting that we'll find that the lost suitcase of knives and the coffin somehow vanished during the turbulence because they need to be on the island.

Then there's the timeline where the explosion threw our heroes back to the present day (island time). And we have the death of Juliet and Sawyer's swearing out vengeance on Jack. I have a feeling that Sawyer's deciding to let Jack suffer will only work for so long before he's pushed over the edge. And we also learn that while Jack can be a leader in times of success, he's not so great when things don't go his way.

So, a few answers and a lot more questions to come. It should be an interesting ride to the series finale...and one that I expect no matter how well done it is, will never please everyone.

Labels: Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/04/2010 01:00:00 PM | |

I'm a bit behind on the TV Round-Ups, so I thought I'd do some short, sweet and to the point posts about some of the shows I usually comment on and some that I don't.

House
Not a show I usually comment on simply because it's pretty much the same formula every week. Patient comes in with some strange illness, House and company try to figure it out and usually come upon some miracle diagnosis in the last five minutes. Throw in a subplot about how House is a jerk or some team member has a connection to the patient of the week and you've pretty much got most episodes of this show. So why do I watch? you ask. Simply put, Hugh Laurie as the title character.

And yet, in recent weeks I've found myself growing less and less fond of the show. It kind of reached a culmination with this week's episode that felt like a greatest hits. So, House has pain in his leg and finds that by moving from vicadin to methadone, the pain goes away. It also makes him a nicer person instead of the gruff, grumpy guy he usually is--to the point that he makes the patient of the week worse. In the end, House decides to call off his meth treatment and live with the pain because he's a better doctor only on vicadin and pain. Which it's an interesting plotline and would be some nice character development if it weren't for the fact that this show has burned us so many times in the past by having potential growing moments for House and the rest of the cast only to toss them aside once the currently storyline has run its course. For example, Tritter. Or Amber from last year. So, while I am glad House didn't string out the plot longer, I'm still left feeling like we've learned nothing really new about the character. Don't get me wrong--Hugh Laurie is still a great actor and would make a superlative Doctor (as in "Doctor Who.") But I'm finding the series less and less enjoyable these days. Maybe it's worn out the welcome or maybe it needs to play with the formula.

24
Day seven got off to a slow start, but somewhere in the last few weeks it's really picked up steam. I've not seen Monday's new episode yet (it's on the DVR) but the last two hours have felt like vintage "24." Now that we've got rid of the First Gentleman in peril plot (the Kim Bauer vs a cougar of this year, by far), suddenly the show has found its legs and is really clicking on all cylinders. I wouldn't go as far as Robert Bianco did and delcare it one of the two best shows on TV right now (sorry, but "Battlestar Galactica" is up there in the top spot right now), but it's still entertaining and fun. And it's actually asking some really good questions about the toll this is taking on Jack and how he's perceived by others. It's interesting to watch Jack make choices that completely make sense in the plot but when viewed outside of the moment seem completely insane. Jack's attitude of the ends justify the means goes right in the face of every policy most other characters have on this show, but it's interesting to see how a lot of them are grateful to have Jack around to do these things. The biggest example is the new president, who is willing to look past Jack's sins and being up before Congress to answer for his alleged abuses of power and authority when her husband is being held prisoner. She turns him loose...possibly because she can wash her hands of him if whatever he's doing blows up in his face.

If she'd sent the FBI or Secret Service, it could look bad. Send Jack Bauer and she can say she asked him to help but never intended it to go as far as it did.

Meanwhile, we've got Jack paired with Agent Walker, who is one of the better partners we've had for Jack in recent memory. She only knows Jack by reputation and we can see her hero worship of him early on. I am enjoying watching how easily she will allow herself to embrace Jack's tactics only to horrified at how easy it is to do the things Jack does and how far she's willing to go. Or maybe it's more about what she thinks is over the line--torturing a guy with a gunshot wound is no big deal, but threatening a man's wife and child to get him to give up info really shocks her. And yet, she keeps following Jack and keeps slipping farther into the Jack pattern of behavoir. I wonder if she realizes yet that she could easily be the Jack Bauer of the FBI and what that could mean to her career and her ability to sleep at night...

Lost
So, they're back on the island. I loved last Wednesday's episode where we got a whole lot of answers and about fifteen thousand more questions. Having an end-line for the series has helped his show a lot and I feel sorry for those who tuned out early. You're missing some damn good storytelling.

So many questions that I can only assume we'll have answered in the weeks to come including how did Hurley get out of jail, where is Aaron, why is Ben beaten up (I have a bad feeling it will be due to killing Penny), who is the woman with Sayid, and is there some significance to how landed where on the island? Also, what time period are our heroes in now? Are they in the past, present or future?

I did like Locke's final note to Jack, though part of me wondered if we'd see it in the episode. It seemed like one of those things that you could make a long-term mystery. But then again, it wouldn't be all that satisfying to wait six weeks to find out that Locke wished Jack had more faith. If it'd been "neener, neener I told you so," that might have been worth it.

Labels: 24, House, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/25/2009 01:48:00 PM | |

Because You Left, The Lie
At long last, "Lost" throws caution to the wind and embraces what we've all known since day one--it's a sci-fi show. A character-driven sci-fi show, but a sci-fi show.

The best thing to happen to "Lost" was for the producers to decide there needed to be a definite ending to the show. It gave the show a new spark of energy and helped it to begin building toward a definite end-point, a finish line where (hopefully) all of our questions will be answered. OK, so maybe it won't answer all of them, but it sure looks like they're working on providing the answers to a good majority of them.

We got a lot of answers here--especially in the first hour. I'm wondering if this may be a pattern to "Lost" this year. An hour full of answers and moments to push the series forward followed by an hour to show the impact of these developments on the characters. And I will give the show credit--while I enjoyed the flashbacks and flashforwards, it's nice to see the series realize this storytelling angle has been played out and begin to move forward with events unfolding in real time. I don't doubt there is some jumping back and forth between time zones, but now it's all being done in a way that drives the story forward. And after four years of flashing around in time, it's nice to see the characters get specific episodes that occur in the here and now.

So, the island is now skipping through time, somehow. How this is happening and how to stop it are all in the air for now. I did find it interesting that between the episodes Locke's leg had a chance to heal a bit. Or at least he didn't appear to be limping as much in the closing moments of "The Lie." It should be interesting to see if and how he embraces the fact that he has to sacrifice his life for the island, though this being "Lost" I wonder if he'll really stay dead. It brings up the question of how many people the show will kill off before the series ends. "Battlestar Galactica" is in a blood thirsty kind of move in its final episodes and it makes me wonder if "Lost" will follow suit. Would it have the guts to kill off and leave dead some of the more popular characters.

We also see that Ben's quest isn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped. He's been able to convince Jack to join him, but is that because Jack really has nothing left to lose by going back? From Jack's flashforwards, we can see he's pretty much tanked everything he came back for, so why not head back? Why not try to reconnect with Kate and regain the romance and love he lost? Why not go back where he's actually respected and seen as a leader? Why not go back where he doesn't have to live in the shadow of his father? For Jack, it's a pretty easy sell to head back to the island. For the others of the Oceanic Six, it may be a harder sell.

At some point, something led to a falling out between Ben and Sayid...something that won't be easily fixed. And Kate has a lot to lose going back. Interesting that Kate's first instinct when faced with questions is to up and run. It appears not a lot has changed since we first met her as Fugitive Kate all those years ago. And does she pine for Sawyer as much as he does for her? Would this make her go back? Or would some kind of sense of responsbility that Aaron get to be reunited with his actual mother and not his adopted one? And how much would that secret getting out put that kid into therapy? I'm thinking that's one heck of a bill there...but at least the kid will have mommy issues, unlike everyone else on this show with daddy issues.

And that doesn't count Hurley, who is in jail now. I expect they'll come up with some way to pull some strings and get him released. Not sure what those will be, but I wonder if Penny will use some connections. Or Sun.

At the center of all this is Desmond, who seems to have become the focal point of the time and space wackiness of the show. I find myself wondering if Desmond may have to sacrfice himself to restore the island and save the world. And would he want to make such a choice, seeing as he's given up a lot of his life and himself to and for the island. I think the scene where he had the dream and woke up with Penny may be one of the few times we see him happy this year or for a while to come.

And that doesn't even cover Daniel Farraday, who knows something he's not telling. What that is and all the other questions I have will hopefully be answered soon. Because when "Lost" is giving us answers and bringing up new questions, that's when it's at it's best....

And these two episodes were examples of why this show is so good....

Labels: Lost

posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/28/2009 01:00:00 PM | |

Lost: There's No Place Like Home
While not nearly as series-changing as last year's season finale, there was a lot to like about this year's season finale.

I will say one thing though--Damon Lindelof and Carelton Cuse are right about one thing. The scenarios to explain things that we, the fans, dream up in our own heads are generally better than the ones the series gives us. I say this in reference to the whole "reason we all have to lie about the island" that has been building up as an undercurrent to every flash-forward this year. Frankly, I was expecting something a lot more than what we got. Yes, I understand that Jack, as the flawed leader of this group, makes a decision to protect everyone that was left behind. But somehow I expected the rift that grew between he and Kate over leaving Sawyer behind to be something a bit more significant. Sawyer makes a noble sacrifice by jumping out of the helicopter and swimming back to the island. Noble, yes. In character with Sawyer, yes. But such a huge decision that it will be a constant source of conflict between Jack and Kate? Not so much. Now, if Sawyer had died in order to get Kate off the island or Jack had somehow managed to do something wherein he got to leave with Kate and Sawyer got the shaft, I could see it. But what we got here seemed like the easiest way to go. Almost as if they went--well, we have to leave Sawyer behind and we've got to come up with something that doesn't kill him. Because you know if they killed off Sawyer there would be female fans of the show rioting in the streets.

Then, we get to the revelation of who's in the coffin. About halfway through I said it would either be Sawyer or Locke. And in the end, it turns out to be Locke. I will give Lost credit that it was one of those--huh, well now what? cliffhangers they excel at, for the most part. Well, unless they're doing a mid-season cliffhanger and then the producers don't seem to have a clue. ("Run, Kate!" and this year's anyone?)

Finally, has the show really done the ultimate X-Files crossover not only have an island that makes time go wonky but also has super soldiers. Seriously, did no one thing to check and see if the head of the Whitmore group of soldiers was dead? They couldn't spare a second to check for a pulse and maybe tie the guy up. And don't get me started on the whole--I've got the trigger tied to my heartbeat thing. I have to admit even my eyes rolled a bit at that one.

OK, so enough of what I didn't care for. Let's get to the bigger things that I did like.

First of all, it could still be possible for Jin to be alive. I'd love to see that. Mayhaps we'll see Whidmore find the island again and use that as some kind of leverage against Sun. That'd be one heck of a moment.

As with all good season finales, we got a few answers and many more questions. The biggest is--just where did the island move? And can it be found again? If so, how? Will Ben have to have Charles Whidmore's help to find the island? Or will they have Penny help them out? Of course, the fact that Ben has set out to kill Penny could throw a monkey wrench into that. And does going back mean they have to find and take Desmond with them? If so, I can imagine that conservation won't go well since we've seen Desmond spend three years to get off the island and back to Penny.

It was nice to see Walt in a flash-forward, coming to talk to Hurley. I do wonder if Locke came to see everyone after he left the island. Or did he only visit Jack since the two have the longest history of conflict. Or that Jack was the perceived leader now.

Speaking of Locke, I am fascinated to see what he does now as the leader of the Others. I do wonder just how Ben set him up to be the leader now. Does no one else want the job? It does seem rather thankless. And will the whole "things go bad" storyline come out of Locke's attempts to be Ben and not succeeding?

Wow, that's a whole lot of questions and not a lot of answers. But it did leave me ready for more. And that's what a good season finale can and should do.

House: House's Mind, Wilson's Heart
I usually don't write much about House on my blog. Why you ask?

Well, because it's not a show that really lends itself to much in the way of discussion. It's a good show, though fairly predictable and saved by fantastic work by Hugh Laurie. This season has been, overall, pretty good. Watching House try to find a new team was a fun reason to watch in the first half of the season and then watching the weird triangle of House, Wilson and Amber drove the last half of the season.

And so, we come to these two episodes that try to wrap-up or resolve the House, Wilson, Amber triangle. I've heard a lot of people raving about how these are the best episodes of House ever and I have to say, they're good but best ever. I just don't see it. Maybe it's because the whole mystery of who was the person House was trying to recall was pretty obvious from the first few hints we got. Or maybe I've just watched Jurassic Park recently on cable and seeing the amber there was too big a clue.

But I think my biggest beef is this--I've been burned too many times by this show in the past at the promise of series-changing, character-changing events only to see it all come to nothing or be forgotten within a few episodes. Clearly, what's happened here can and should change the friendship between House and Wilson. But will it? I'm not so sure. If you'll recall, there were series-altering events in season three with House's leg pain being healed and the Tritter arc. But then the producers found a way to magically press the reset button to keep House an addict, lonely and in pain and a huge liability to his employers and friends. I will admit that season four did a good job of at least not resetting the firing of the original team in last year's season finale, so there is some hope. But until the show actually steps up and dares to have consquences to this that go beyond two episodes, I'm not going to go all ga-ga over the show.

Also, this was a pretty blatant rip-off of season one's "Three Cases."

And you can also tell the producers are trying to get Hugh Laurie his much overdue Emmy with this one. And make no mistake--the man deserves one. His work on the show is nothing short of incredible. And how James Spader keeps winning is beyond me.

Smallville: Artic
If Lost was the most satisfying of the season finales, then Smallville is in the running for the least satisfying.

You could almost see the writing staff trying to wipe the slate clean and hope to start fresh next year. I hope you guys have a good time because, quite frankly, you've lost me.

After two years of Brainiac running around, being a legitimate threat, the character is dispatched in one scene. Clark finally decides he's had enough and uses high voltage to destroy Brainiac. Honestly, I'd rather they left this bit dangling and resolved it next year in more than, oh, five minutes of screen time. But maybe the availability of James Marsters was in question. I'm not quite sure, but the resolution here felt wholly unsatisfying.

But it was more satisfying than the resolution of the Lex storyline. So, this year Lex finally goes evil and then we have a couple of filler episodes? Surely in a strike-shortened season, we could have found a moment or two to show Lex being evil, couldn't we? No, instead let's do the umpeenth adaptation of It's A Wonderful Life for our show. Can you hear my eyes rolling?

So, Lex finally founds out Clark's big secret. And instead of being a dramatic, series-changing, incredible scene, it feels anti-climatic. Maybe that's because we had to mark time to get to that point and the plots marking that time--just terrible. Now, at last, the conflict between Lex and Clark can finally kick it into high gear and...well, Lex is gone. See, Michael Rosenbaum is gone from the show (he must have seen the writing on the wall), so Lex is gone. So this whole build-up...for nothing. Any fall-out...there won't be any. Any great potential drama from this...gone.

As the Fortress fell apart and sank into the Artic, so did my hopes for this show.

But, at least it wasn't a "world in peril" cliffhanger that Smallville usually does. Those at least intrigue me enough to come back and see how they get out of it this time. And I get sucked back into the show, wanting it to be good. This time, I'm left with a cliffhanger that honestly I could care less about how it comes out since I know Lex won't be back next year. And with that, I believe I'm officially done with Smallville.

Labels: House, Lost, smallville, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 6/04/2008 02:00:00 PM | |

Lost: Something Nice Back Home
Oh I wish I hadn't been right last week when I predicted that this week's Lost wouldn't compare to last week's Ben-centric episode. Oh why couldn't they have worked a bit harder to prove me wrong?

Talking to a friend about the episode, she pointed out that this year's episodes have followed a pattern of the odd number ones a brilliant and the even numbered ones, not so much.

And this week was an odd episode. In more ways than one.

I found myself wondering if the producers felt they had to give us this episode to try and explain why Jack mentioned his father in the present-tense during last year's finale. Because heaven forbid they admit it was just a red-herring to throw off the viewers so when they eventually pulled the carpet out from under us, we were all stunned. The impact of it being a flash-forward was enough for me that I was willing to forgive it or chalk it up to Jack's deteroriating mental state as we saw during the entire episode last year.

And while I like Jack, I did feel as if this was a chance for Matthew Fox to channel his inner Charlie Salinger for a few minutes, esp. in the scenes with Kate. It was like half a season of that show in about half-an-hour. Oh, I love Kate. Oh we're getting married. Oh, my jealous control-freak half is showing. Oh, we're doomed. The thing is we all know how it plays out to a certain point, so the impact of seeing it unfold wasn't quite as good. Again, no where near as interesting as last week with Ben or the Desmond episode a few weeks ago.

That said, there were still some isolated bits to like. Mainly all the stuff happening on the island. I loved seeing Jin's realizing Charlotte can and does understand him and making a deal for Sun to leave the island. And the question of just how did Jack and Claire's father get onto the island and where has Claire gone is intriguing. Based on the pattern of things, I bet we don't delve too far into where Claire has gone next week, but will the week after.

Also, I'm beginning to think Jack is going to force his way off the island. His behavoir in the flash-forwards seems to make me think he has a lot to lose if the truth comes out. I have a feeling he will want to desparately go with Kate to the point that he will screw some other people over or make a deal that haunts him. I sense betrayal and the control-side of Jack lurking out there. And looking at it now, it's fascinating that in just about all the Oceanic Six flashforwards, Jack or Hurley play some kind of role. Is it too extremes of conscience over the choices made? Is Hurley's apparent mental decline and seeing Charlie out of the guilt he feels over what's happened? And is Jack's desparation to make sure everyone is on the same page part of that as well?

Battlestar Galactica: The Road Less Travelled
The first "just OK" episode of the season for me. But then again, it could be that it's the first of a two-part story and we have yet to see how it will all play out.

For the first time this year, the focus narrows to just two stories--that of Tryol and Baltar and the wacky antics of Starbuck, who is slowly losing what's left of her fragile little mind.

First up, the Baltar plotline. I've heard it said that you either love or hate the direction this is going. As I've stated before, I am firmly in the camp of loving it. The storyline of watching Baltar try to bring about massive religious change and shatter the polythesistic beliefs of the Colonials is fascinating. Also, to see how he's doing it and how he's being manipulated by another female Cylon--can you say irony anyone? I wonder if Baltar will discover that Tori is a Cylon before anyone else does and just what his reaction will be? The man does have a weakness for the Cylon ladies, if you know what I mean. Also, I am shocked that we've not had any more reaction from Six to this latest turn of events. And I'd still love to see Baltar talk to himself again like he did a few weeks ago.

Then we're out on the Demitrius where Starbuck's craziness is starting to take a toll. The crew is none too happy with her and cracks are starting to show. Helo is defending her but you can tell the guy is having a harder and harder time with that. Then Lebonen shows up and wants to propose some kind of alliance between his faction of Cylons and the Colonials. And, as we all know, Lebonen has had some kind of weird fascination, connection to Starbuck dating back to season one when she interrogated him. It just gets a bit more weird here.

Now, I predicted a few weeks ago that I could see the show going to a point where the mechanised Cylons wipe out the skin-jobs, thus creating some kind of loop where it cycles back to the original series and those models. And this development only sort of makes me feel a bit more justified in the thought that this could be the case. Of course, I'm not Ron Moore, so the rug could be pulled out from me at any time.

I do find it interesting that the crew finally reaches a breaking point and mutinies against Starbuck. Which would have been a fun little surprise had no SciFi's promos during other shows given it away. Seriously, who makes these things? I know you've seen it all, but that doesn't mean some of us don't like to be surprised.

And then the networks wonder why people with DVRs wait a few minutes into the show so we can zip past the commericals. It's not that we're against the products being sold, so much as we're avoiding the ruining of the last two minutes of any given show due to your promos.

Labels: battlestar galactica, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/06/2008 01:12:00 PM | |

Lost: The Shape of Things to Come
Lost's first new episode after the five-week hiatus and it's a doozy and a half, providing a few answers but opening up a few dozen more doors. I'll go ahead and say it--I think this season is shaping up to be the best since season one.

And with that statement, I realize I've doomed next week's episode to be one of the worst ever.

I don't care. I'll probably just watch this one again on the DVR.

So, here's some random thoughts:

Ben shows up in the desert in a park with a Dharma logo. I am assuming that he doesn't leave the island with the Oceanic Six. Does he leave somehow via the station in the wintery conditions we've seen before?
Anyone else think Ben was invovled in the death of Nadia in order to manipulate Sayid into helping him.
Interesting that the storylines of Sayid and Desmond follow similar tracks. Both lose a woman they love, will find her again and have the potential to have her taken away. Sayid has lost Nadia...could Desmond lose Penny?
Is the target Ben has Sayid going after Penny?
Does Ben somehow control the smoke monster? Or did he make some kind of deal with Jacob/the island to slaughter the Whitmore soldiers?
Kind of an interesting trifecta with Ben, Locke and Hurley going to find Jacob.
The storyline on the beach where it's revealed the helicopter people are lying was interesting. More wackiness with time there?
Is something wrong with Jack? I mean more than that he can't see past his obsession with Kate?

Battlestar Galactica: Escape Velocity
The last three episodes of Battlestar have reminded me of a quote from J. Michael Stracysnki during season four of Babylon Five. Stacynski pointed out that while space battles were great and he loved seeing them, you could tell just as great a story with two people in a room talking, if you wrote it right.

The last three episode of Battlestar have shown just that. We did have a colossal space battle to start the season, but since then it's been about the characters and implications to them. And a whole lot of two people in a room talking.

And if it's going to be as good as it has been, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Now, I'll admit I have a natural bias toward the writer of this week's story. Jane Espenson worked on Buffy and a whole lot of other Joss Whedon shows. So, naturally when I see her name, I figure it's going to be good. In fact, I expect it to be good. And the good news is that its rare that Espenson disappoints me.

I'm glad this week's episode picked up a few days later and showed us the impact Cally's death is having on Tyrol. Watching his slow descent into darkness is compelling and the scene with Adama at the bar where Tyrol lets loose, saying he never really loved Cally but settled for her was one of the more compelling in the episode.

But not nearly as compelling or fascinating as the scenes between Tigh and Caprica Six. I love how Tigh's guilt over killing Ellen for collaborating with the Cylons on New Caprica is manifesting itself here. The visions of Six becoming Ellen and Tigh seeking some kind of absolution or understanding from her were superb. Tigh's attempts to understand or justify what he did in the light of his new found knowledge that he is a Cylon is one of the best plotlines going on right now. And it just goes again to show how incredibly under-appreciated Michael Hogan is as Tigh.

And does anyone else find it interesting that while Tyrol and Tigh are crumbling under their new found knowledge and are plagued by self-doubt that Torri is the one who has become a blunt instrument, dark, cold and calculating. Her killing of Cally last week, her continuing to use Baltar and her overall attitude toward everything makes her utterly chilling.

Speaking of Baltar, I've heard that with the character you either love him or hate him. Put me firmly in the camp of loving him. The scenes where the guards kept hitting him, knocking him down were superb. And then to see Head Six pick him up and literally pull him up was a superb bit of work. Also, the scene where Roslin tells him she's no longer going to put up with his hijinx was a nice touch. I am loving the new direction for Baltar and I have a feeling he could be leading humanity toward its destruction.

Speaking of Roslin, does anyone else find it interesting that she seems to be consolidating her power and becoming more and more convinced of her unerring destiny each week? Also, she seems to tolerate dissent to her policies less and less. Is she being set up for a huge fall or blunder at some point? Or to have her approval ratings drop to a low point? Will Lee step up to challenge her with Tom Zarek pulling strings?

Man, I love this show and so far, it's been back with a vengeance this year.

Labels: battlestar galactica, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/28/2008 07:38:00 PM | |

Eggtown
Of the four episodes we've had so far this year, this one was the weakest. It's not that it was necessarily bad, but it was just when Claire said, "Oh, you should try being a Mom sometime" I figured somehow Aaron would be the mysterious son that was referred to in the flash-forwards. Guessing this a good half an hour or so before the storyline got to the revelation kind of took a bit of the wind out of the sails on this one.

It's a contrast to last week when I figured out about two minutes before the story let on that Ben was the one pulling Sayid's strings. In that case, I didn't guess so far in advance that it ruined my enjoying seeing how the mystery unfolded for the rest of the story or feel like there should be giant signs jumping up shouting "foreshadowing!" every time it was mentioned. And that's kind of how things felt here with the revelation that Kate took Aaron.

Even to the point that when we had moments of nearly-nekkid Kate, which I usually enjoy, I found myself getting a bit annoyed. I felt as if I wanted to move past these points and get back to the things that are really interesting taking place on the show.

The biggest being--just who is Benjamin Linus. Interesting that Locke should take Ben a novel by Philip K Dick. If you've read any of PKD's work, you know a lot of it has to do with questions of identity and paranoia. Which pretty much sums up a lot of what's going on around Ben these days. I've not read Valis, but I'm intrigued now to pick up a copy and give it a read. To see what, if any insights we can gain into the show and Ben.

So, it appears Ben is the head honcho of something. What it is, we're not exactly sure yet, but he apparently can create multiple passports and has access to large amounts of money. Is whatever he's in charge of a group whose interests run counter to the Penny's group? And why is that group so hellbent on finding Ben? Has he committed some kind of crimes? Or is it something else that while not criminal may have dealt a big setback to the other group? And who exactly is the guy on the other end giving the orders? Is it somehow related to Jacob? Is that why Ben has Jacob locke up in a shed? Is that why Ben taunts Locke when he goes looking for Jacob? If Jacob is freed by Locke, will this lead to the battle that Ben is part of in the flash-forwards?

Meanwhile, he still continues to pull strings. He pulls Miles string, he pulls Kate's strings and he pulls Locke's strings. It's interesting to watch the leadership styles of Locke and Jack start to go awry. After opposing each other for so long and being in such a power struggle, I begin to wonder if the two needed each other to effectively lead. Each has strengths that cover the others weaknesses as it were. Cracks are starting to show in both leadership styles from Locke's becoming an overbearing dictator type (almost Ben-like) to Jack's inability to inspire much confidence in the troops. Sun's question about Kate going over to Locke's side was very telling.

There are also some other interesting questions--why haven't Desmond, Sayid and the others reached the boat? What is the time effect that surrounds the island?

Meanwhile, in the future, questions continue to come up. We know four of the six Oceanic Six, though the story they tell is that eight survived. Who are the other two that they said made it off the plane but died on the island? And did the world buy that they starved for several weeks when Hurley returned? Why are they such celebrities? I am sure many of you know the other two of the six not yet revealed, but if you do, don't tell me. And if Desmond makes it off the island, does he count? Or are there seven people who successfully left the island? (And what about Michael, who left the island with Walt? Does he count? Does Walt?)

Also, it's interesting that as we saw in the flashbacks, the lives of the people on the plane are still intertwined. Jack has shown up in three of the four we've seen so far. Did he broker some kind of deal? Did he get the others of the six to accept it? If so, what was the deal? And is he showing up to make sure everyone stays on the same page storywise? Was that part of his desire to help Kate by lying on the stand? Yes, he loves her, but is part of it to cover his own rear for the lies he's told? And is the consequence of that and those lies what catches up to him later and makes him desparate to get back to the island?

A lot of questions, not a lot of answers. But then again, this is Lost.

Labels: Lost, Lost season four, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/22/2008 04:36:00 PM | |

Lost: Confirmed Dead
Not quite as fast-paced as last week's episode, but still a solid entry. This week's episode was more concerned about giving us glimpses of the four new characters to the show and what their agendas might be more than really providing a lot of answers. And since it's early enough in the season, that's not a bad thing.

The flashbacks are shorter--looking at each of the arrivals from the boat. We meet Daniel, Miles, Charlotte and Frank, all of whose journey to the island was motivated by something different. But it appears they all have one common goal--find Benjamin Linus. Interesting that a guy who allegedly was born and grew up on the island would have such a reputation outside of it that someone or a group would come looking for him. Of course, the question is posed in the last few minutes of the episode and left unanswered. And the thing is that no matter what Ben says, we can't really take it at face value. His most valuable weapon is his mind and his ablity to manipulate people, as we saw again this week. But again, he continues to be a great villian because in his mind, he's the hero of this show and sees a perfectly valid reason for everything he's doing and has done. I have to wonder if he'll be part of the bargain to get the Oceanic Six off the island. Could that be part of the big secret we've alluded to?

Meanwhile, it appears this group has some separate goals. Something is clearly up with Danie, Miles communicates with the dead, Charlotte has her own personal agenda against Dharma and Frank was supposed to be flying the plane but was grounded (alcoholic, maybe). Not exactly a crack, elite team to come and rescue our heroes, is it? Of course, I have to wonder what the point of the exhibition really is since the flashback scene with Naomi makes it clear that no one is supposed to be alive from the crash. So, the world thinks our heroes are dead. Why exactly is that? And how many groups are out there that know about the island? Are there two or three or possibly more? Right now, my count is that we've got the Dharma group, this group and the Penny Wildman group at the very least. This could get interesting very quickly.

I have a feeling that this episode has a bigger impact on things and is more pivotal to the overall story once we see where some of these storylines are going and are given answers to the questions it raised.

Friday Night Lights: May the Best Man Win
If crap like Jericho can somehow be resurrected to allow it to finish out, then surely a quality show like Friday Night Lights deserves to at least finish the story of what happens to the Dillon Panther this year, if not survive and thrive into a third season. I have a feeling based on Ben Silverman's remarks last week that I'm going to be unhappy in the near future to lose one of my favorite shows before it's time. ::sigh:::

The thing that gets me is that this was never intended to be a season or series finale. Too many things left up in the air. Too many plotlines not given the closure they need and the cliffhanger it ended on...man, that is just too interesting not to come back and explore.

Not that this season has been perfect. It's not been as nirvana-like as season one, but it's still been incredible. And the last few weeks have been some of the best since last year. Yes, it took a lot to believe that TMU would revoke Smash's scholarship, but I liked where it took the character. To see a guy who has banked his whole future on football and to watch that crumble before him because of choices he made in the heat of the moment. I did laugh out loud when the Alabama guy told him they play second to no one. It's the Tennessee fan in me cropping up and it was only funny to me, I'm sure. But it was a good laugh.

Meanwhile, Street is apparently going to become a father. A miracle baby according to his research. Man, I wanted to see Lillah's reaction to this turn of events, especially given how she'd banked on a future with Street last year. The scene with Street and Eric at Applebee's as Street looks for wisdom and advice from the coach was one of the best on a show full of them. Interesting also to see that Street goes to Eric for this advice/guidance and not his family or his father. (Of course, he does talk it out with Herc).

And while I'm not really all that compelled by it, I did find the latest wrinkle in the Lillah/Riggins romance to be better done than it has been.

That said, I can't see that the church radio station is so out of touch they don't know about the reputation of Tim Riggins. Giving him his own talk show was a plot device and nothing more that doesn't hold up well if you really think about it.

But despite that and despite some mis-steps this year, if this is the end it has been one of the most enjoyable TV rides I've taken in a long time. I am going to be hopeful and optimistic that we'll see a third season or maybe even a couple of episodes to at least finish the football season and see some of the seniors graduate. But it will be a tragic shame if this is the last we see of this one...

Labels: friday night lights, Lost, Lost season four, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/10/2008 07:19:00 PM | |

The Beginning of the End
And so begins the first of the final forty-eight episodes of Lost. (Or at least that's how many we're supposed to get...no word yet on if or how the writers' strike may affect that number).

And while we may have a long way yet to go before we reach the end of the story, if this episode is any indication, we're in for a heck of a ride--one that could equal or surpass the breathless, must-see excitement of the first season of this show. Watching this episode, you can feel a renewed energy to the show--one that built in the last half of the season last year and has carried over. I chalk this up to two things--knowing the end is in site and moving toward that and the fact that now the flashes to events off the island can be in the past or the future.

You could feel that energy and mystery of "when does this take place?" in the teaser of the show. And I loved the little trick the writers played on us, making us believe for a moment we'd see a Jack story. Instead, we got one on Hurley and what his life is like post-island.

It was interesting to compare Hurley's hopes on the island to what we see happen to him. Pre-island, Hurley felt cursed by events and the numbers that followed him, to the point that he was locked up in a mental institution and have an imaginary friend who followed him around. On the island, Hurley was free from the money and able to shed the imaginary friend and, perhaps, regain some of his sanity. He did get one moment to savor all this last night when he did the canon ball. In a way, this was almost like a baptism for Hurley. The look of happiness on his face, of contentment was a great moment. And then he came up and his world began to crumble. On the island, he finds Jacob's cabin--or so he believes. He's haunted by the voices and seeing Jacob. He makes the choice to follow Locke because of Charlie's message. Then we see Hurley off the island, where the weight of things is overwhelming him again, causing him to retreat. It's apparent that some kind of deal was struck or something happened that led to the rescue of six of the survivors--but what? We see it eat at Hurley, to the point that Charlie appears as his conscience. And we're led to believe that these flashes are taking place before the Jack flash-forward we saw last year.

And that brings up some questions. First of all, who are the six who leave the island? We have seen three of them, but who are the other three? (I am sure this information lurks in SPOILER web sites, so if you know, don't tell me...I prefer blissful ignorance). And what is the deal they strike? It must be something fairly big since we've seen it eat away at two of the survivors? To the point that it puts Hurley back in a mental institution and it has Jack desperate to get back to the island.

I have some ideas--the biggest being that a large chunk of the group is left behind. I also wonder if Jacob is somehow central to these six be allowed to leave. Or do these six make some kind of deal with Oceanic Air? And why do there seem to be two groups looking for the survivors? We can assume Penny's group has the agenda of finding Desmond. But what is the agenda of the group we've only heard on the radio and seen in the closing moments last night?

Of course, another part of me wonders just how many answers we'll get in these eight episodes and how many were intended for the back eight of the season. I wonder just where in the story we'll be left hanging this time....

Meanwhile, back on the island, the leadership struggle between Jack and Locke finally reaches a breaking point. One of the good things about having the end in sight is that this can finally move out of the kind-of holding pattern its been in the past couple of years. We had both sides conflicting, but with Locke killing Noami and his desire to stay on the island, it's reached a breaking point. And we've divided the castaways into two groups.

You've also still got Ben, who while broken and a prisoner is still pulling strings. I have to wonder if Kate really took the radio from Jack or if Ben managed to switch it. There was a look of surprise on Kate's face when it rang. Or at least I thougt there was.

One thing that interested me is how as each season starts, there's been some sense of mystery about some group of people. In season one, it was who are these survivors. In season two, it was who are the other survivors. In season three, it was questions about who are the Others. And now we've got questions about how are these people on the boat.

It should be interesting to find out the answers.

Labels: Lost, Lost season four, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/01/2008 10:29:00 AM | |

Heroes: How to Stop an Exploding Man
Note to the producers of Heroes--if you're going to go out and promise a memorable season finale, then maybe you ought to do something silly like, oh I don't know, deliver a memorable season finale.

Sorry, but this one wasn't worth the hype, at all.

The first half hour was too slow. We spent the first ten minutes recapping what had gone on all season on the off-chance a new fan wandered by, I guess. I hate to tell you guys this, but I don't think the show was going to pick up any new fans for the finale. And the bits and pieces you included here weren't going to be inclusive enough to bring these new fans and really up to speed. Instead, it just wasted precious screen-time and left this season-long viewer feeling a bit put off by the Cliff Notes of everything we've seen until now.

Then, the second half-hour, when all the pieces began to fall into place. All the heroes cross paths at Kirby Plaza for the ultimate battle with Sylar--and it lasts under a minute. For some reason, I just expected something more epic based on what the show had promised all season up to now, not just a few fisticuffs and Sylar being stabbed in the gut by Hiro's sword. And then, as if to add insult to injury, he appears to die only to slink off down a sewer--and none of the assembled gang seems to notice this. So, he's still alive and can come back next year.

I think what happened is the stories made Sylar so powerful that it really limited the writers in how he could be defeated. I am reminded of the dilemma TNG faced with the Borg back in the early days when the Borg were terrifying, scary and virtually unstoppable. Same thing here--Sylar is so powerful that any way of defeating him would feel hollow. And it did here. And I can't honestly say I'm too hopeful for next year with him still skulking about.

Meanwhile, it turns out Peter is the exploding man and the future is not set in stone. Nathan shows up and both fly off before Peter explodes. Or releases his power. Does this mean both of them are dead? And could that resolution have been any more anti-climatic? And predictable? And filled with REALLY bad dialogue? I kept rolling my eyes during the entire exchage that was supposed to touch our hearts but instead was just stomach churningly bad.

And then, the cliffhanger. It's interesting to see that the second volume is called "Generations" and I hope it will explore people with powers throughout history and how it's all lead to what we're seeing today. But I wonder if next year will waste all of its build-up and potential like this year's season finale did.

This has to be one of the more disappointing season finales I've seen in a long time...all build-up and hype and no pay-off. Bad job, Heroes. You're not leaving me any anticipation or excitement for next season.

Well, at least George Takai was still cool...but that's really about it.

Bring back Christopher Eccleston! The show hasn't been the same without him.

Lost: Through the Looking Glass
If you want to see a season finale that pretty much does everything right, look no further than Lost's mind-bending season-finale that could, possibly, change the entire game. Not since Battlestar Galactica jumped forward a year have I been this eager to see where a show goes next....

I know a few months ago I stated I'd be happy to never see a Jack-related flashback again. I could eat my words, but instead I'll take the loophole--it wasn't a flashback, but a flashforward of a potential future we saw unfolding. I had guessed it was either looking into the future or an alternate reality we were seeing, but I liked where it took us. From the beginning, we've seen that Jack has had some kind of Superman-complex--he wants to save people. He tries to save his father, he tries to save Sarah and he's interested in saving Kate. I'd even say that on some level the attraction to Juliet is that he feels he can save her--possibly from Ben and the island. The interesting thing is, the harder Jack tries to save everyone around him, the more he loses them. He also loses himself, sinking into a depression and despair when separated from the island.

In a lot of ways, Jack away from the island becomes House--acerbic and popping pain pills. When we first see him, he's suicidal, only pulled back from the edge by a twist of fate. I found it interesting how reminiscent of Sarah's accident the whole scene on the bridge was--as was Jack's apparent obsession with saving the woman injured in the accident.

Just as I'm curious about how long in the past the flashbacks take place, I'm now curious how far into the future we flash-forwarded. And was it real or just a potential future? And how did Kate manage to avoid jail time? And is she now married to Sawyer? And could she have looked any less attractive in the make-up they gave her? (Or was that part of the point?)

Meanwhile, back on the island, things continue to unfold and we're left with a lot more questions. It appears Penny is not behind this latest rescue effort, despite what the parachute girl claims. So, who is behind the effort? Is it the Dharma Initiative? Did Ben and the Others somehow mask the island so they couldn't find it? (Doesn't seem likely since it'd be hard to move an entire island, but then again the real world rules don't always apply to this show.) Is Dharma seeking to get some kind of revenge for Ben and the Others murdering all their people on the island? Or is this some other group that is following up on Dharma's work here with their own sinister motive?

It also appears Ben has lost control of the Others. He's a prisoner now (again) of the Losties. Has he been playing the two sides against each other for whatever purpose he has? And will that come to light now that the two sides can and might talk without his interference?

All that and we haven't even addressed how wonderfully realized the sacrifice Charlie made was. A nicely done moment for the show and it shows how you can kill off a favorite character in a way that is moving and services the on-going plot.

And Locke--he talked to Walt! Walt appeared for some reason...though that surprise was ruined by the opening credits crawl.

Which Locke's healing brings up an interesting question--since it appears the island has some healing powers, how injured is too injured? We've seen Shannon, Boone, Charlie and Eko die--but are they really dead? Or are they buried alive because no one realized the island could and was healing them? Maybe it takes longer for them to heal based on the extent of their injuries. It's a possiblity....

And somehow in two hours, just about every character gets a moment or two. Oh and they need to make Rose and Bernard regulars immediately.

All that and the whole silly van plotline from early this year comes into play. Loved Hurley driving it and running down the Others. It also added to the Hurley storyline where he wants to feel like he's part of the group and contributing.

This is how you do a season finale. It entertained me, it introduced some great new elements to the show and it left me wanting more. Congratulations Lost--you have me again, fully and completely.

January 2008 is going to be awesome--Battlestar and Lost return. I cannot wait....

Labels: heroes, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/25/2007 11:34:00 AM | |

Greatest Hits
It's a good thing that Desmond has been on the island as long as he has--because in that time, he's forgotten that when you've just offered to take someone's place on a suicide mission and they tell you to look the other way, you NEVER EVER do that! But, it looks like Desmond has forgotten the cliches of television writing and has ended up with an oar upside the head. I hope Charlie didn't do any serious damage to our favorite future-foretelling hero....or else he could be in for a fairly brutal death out there in the sun.

So, we reach one week before the big season-finale that promises to change everything. And the main purpose of this episode--to put the pieces in place for the finale next week. The confrontation between the Others and our group is imminent and Jack has finally decided it's time to fight back.

Along those lines--so, once upon a time, Jack was asking Ana Lucia to help him put together and train the survivors as an army. And while I understand this plan might have gone awry when she died, why'd they let it drop? Couldn't Sayid have also given the residents of the beach some training? Wouldn't it make sense to train them so they'd be ready for this day? Of course, you couldn't use up all your ammo on target practice, but you'd think they'd figure out something to battle the Others. Also, what happened to the big stash of guns Sawyer was sitting on? (I think I need to go to the DVDs and figure out who has the guns or is supposed to at this point....I don't think Ben took them all with him when he escaped, did he?)

So, now that I've nitpicked the episode, let me say that for a putting the pieces in place for a finale, this one was really well done. The flashbacks of five great moments from Charlie's life was nicely done, even if we could easily predict what number one would be. But doggone it, as Charlie went to meet his fate, if I didn't get a bit of a lump in my throat. I'm not sure what to chalk it up to--the music setting the mood or just the great job being done by the actors.

Which this brings me to an idea--what if Charlie doesn't have to die? How interesting would it be for Charlie to defy his alleged destiny and then wonder what he needs to do to save Claire? That kind of journey could be an interesting one for the character to pursue next year...that's assuming they let him live. What I'm really finding intriuging about this is that I can see the pros and cons of Charlie's dying in next week's season finale (I've not read spoilers so if you have and know, please don't tell me!).

It's this type of questioning and storytelling that makes Lost so compelling and sets my hopes high for the season finale. Say what you will about the show as a whole, it's delivered two really intriguing season finales and it looks good for this year.

Meanwhile, we still don't know Locke's fate (I still say he's not dead). Also, Ben has moved up the battle and taking the women....which I wonder, how would he communicate this to Juliet? When he shows up in camp and the tents are marked, will he be suspicious?

And I will admit that Jack was being quite a jerk this week. I like the character, but his almost "my way or the highway" style of leadership is a bit grating..and not really what we've come to see or expect from the character. I get that he's embracing his role as reluctant leader for the greater overall good...but it still felt like it was coming a bit out of left field. And everyone seems a bit quick to trust him again--though I wonder how much of that is the influence of Sayid and Sawyer going along with his plan.

And, this being Lost, the plan for Charlie to stop the signal as part one of the big plan has already gone awry. So, anyone want to bet that the woman running the station is Ben's friend from last week's flashbacks?

Labels: Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/20/2007 08:02:00 PM | |

Lost: The Man Behind the Curtain
I'm of two-mind about the ending to this week's Lost.

I know that there are five rumored deaths to take place before the season finale this year. But can Locke really be one of them?

On the one hand, it'd be a great way of the show showing us that no-one is safe from the Grim Reaper on the show. But then another part of me goes--wait, they can't kill Locke, because, well, he's Locke!

Needless to say, the cliffhanger left me curious and I guess it did what it was supposed to--kept me wondering about the show and eager to tune in for the next episode.

Of course, the story that lead up to it did a pretty good job of this as well. So, we find out that Ben has lied to us all along--he wasn't born on the island. And it appears he's worked his way up into the power position as the head of the Others. Apparently he bought his way into their good graces by helping kill all the members of the Dharma Initiative, including his not so hot father. Again, the daddy issues on the island rear their ugly heads with Ben's dad being quite a piece of work. The constant reminders that Ben's birthday was the same day his mother died giving birth to him...yeah, real nice there, buddy. I loved the look of quiet desparation on Ben's face in the last flashback when Dad offered to drive up to the summit and have a few beers on his b'day. Nice touch, especially when you look at where the plotline ends

But at least Ben got a chance to ask his dad the questions he wanted all the answers to.....before killing him.

Meanwhile, Locke got to meet Jacob, who is supposed to be the real power on the island. But we see an empty room and it appears Ben has some kind of issues. Well, at least until Locke apparently hears Jacob speak, asking for help. I have to admit this twist befuddled me a good deal. I wondered how much of it was the writers trying to build up something and building it up so big that nothing we'd see on screen would live up to those expectations.

And then I started to wonder some other things. It appeared Jacob had some kind of psychic powers or was some kind of pyschic force....is that why the Others wanted Walt? Was Ben hoping to somehow make Walt into a force to oppose the power that Jacob has? Or was Walt seen as an heir to Jacob?

Lots of questions....few answers. Gee, why am I not shocked at this development?

Meanwhile, back on the beach, Jack has had a plan all along....but we don't yet find out what it is. I was a bit annoyed that we had the big "we need to talk" speech by Jack then we never got back to this thread. I guess they have to keep me coming back next week somehow.

Labels: Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/14/2007 09:59:00 AM | |

Lost is coming to an end in 2010 and the seasons will be shortened to 16 episodes per season as well as shown in blocks with no repeats. Sounds like a good idea to me and I like the fact that we seem to know when the show will end. Of course, the real question is--do the producers know HOW it will end? Also, the shortened seasons mean one thing--every episode better be good to great...cause crappy episodes stand out even more if you get fewer episodes....
Spider-Man 4 is going to happen--the box-office shattering opening weekend makes that pretty much a no-brainer. Rumored villians for the next installment: Carnage (don't care), Lizard (could work), Black Cat (could go either way). What ever happened to my favorite villian of the Spidey mythology--the Scorpion? It'd be great because as the story originally played out, J. Jonah Jameson was instrumental in helping create the Scorpion and more screen time for J. Jonah would be all good in my book.
Shrek 4 is already in the works?!? Shouldn't they make sure Shrek 3 is a hit first? I guess if Shrek 3 tanks, they can always send Shrek 4 to DVD. Oh wait..what am I talking about? No way will Shrek 3 tank.

Labels: Lost, Shrek, spider-man 3

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/07/2007 08:38:00 AM | |

Lost: The Brig
An interetsing thought occurred to me during the close moments of this week's Lost. Is Locke now to our group of castaways what Ben is to the Others?

It's not that Locke necessarily has the authority Ben does with the group, but with Locke's pulling of strings and manipulation of Sawyer to do his dirty work, Locke took some very Ben-like tactics to get what he wanted. Locke read a file, figured out how Sawyer could help him and then manipulated events in order to get Sawyer and his dad together.

Also, Locke seems to playing his own game with the castaways. He warns Sawyer that the Others are coming in three days to take the women who are pregnant and reveals that Juliet is betraying them all. He even goes so far as to give Sawyer proof of Juliet's duplicitious ways, which brings up the interesting question--just how did Locke get hold of the tape recorder. I can't see Ben letting it out of his sight for very long, esp. in packing up for whatever trip they're on. Is the end of the journey for the Others the beach to take Sun, Kate and whoever else may or may not be pregnant.

And should Locke come back to the beach after he finishes his personal walkabout, will what he's done be understood? Or will he now become like Jack, who is viewed with skepticism and doubt about where his true loyalties are.

That, of course, leads to another question--is Jack in on it. It seems he and Juliet have some kind of plan or scheme going...at least that much was hinted to Kate when Kate ran to tell him about the new girl who had shown up in camp. I wonder why everyone took Kate into their confidence....did they hope she'd run to Jack and tell him? And it seems as if Jack and Juliet know about the rescue attempt or aren't suprised by it...so what do they know? Is the ship somehow there for them? Are they being selfish in hoping that only they can leave the island, thus leaving everyone else to their fates?

And is everyone really dead and we're just in purgratory or hell? Somehow that seems a bit too easy, but if it is perguatory, it would tie into my theory of how everyone gets what they want, gets peace and then leaves the island.

Of course, we have to wonder if this peace has come for Locke through the death of his father, what else is there in Locke's past that is holding him back from nirvana.

What I liked about this episode best was that it took the basic story structure--flashbacks that affect the current chapter--and it tweaked it enough to keep the formula interesting. Seeing a specific time-frame for the flashbacks was nice, as well as being given details to what had happened to Locke over the time we were away . Hitting the high points without a lot of other filler in there was nice (gee, if only they'd done this in the fall set of episodes). And I can see how this storytelling structure could work if they decided to use it for other castaways....

And I will give the writers credit--they didn't make us wait two seasons for answers to questions about what Locke would do next. I was worried that this would be teased to us like the why was Locke in a wheelchair question was.

It feels like we're moving and building toward something big....or maybe that's just me catching the promos.

Heroes: Five Years Gone
"What if" episodes are nothing new in the sci-fi genre. Every show worth its salt has done one of those someone wakes up and the world is different kind of things.

One of the classic Doctor Who stories from the 70s created a situation where if not stopped, a scientific project will go awry and destory the world. And then, the show took us to a parallel universe where that happened before taking us back home. In doing so, the show upped the ante and the tension in the final few minutes as the Doctor raced against time to save the world.

Same thing here with Heroes. All season, we've known that our heroes have to stop the explosion from taking out New York. But here we see why that has to happen and I think that will lend a lot more dramatic tension to the end of the season as the group works to do this.

I did have some big questions left from it though--the biggest being how did Sylar manage to surive all those years without someone catching on that he wasn't Nathan. I wondered how Parkman didn't somehow read his mind and catch this, but maybe Sylar gained the power to block Parkman's mind reading attempts. It was an interesting twist to see Nathan transform into Sylar, but like I said--lots of questions in my mind.

What did work is seeing how Hiro goes from wide-eyed, enthusiastic Hiro to the Hiro from the future who is battle weary and battle hardened. Having Ando around helped and you can't help but think the guilt of losing two people he cared about in such a short span of time (Ando, the girl from the diner) might have been what sent him down the path. Also, we've seen Hiro needs Ando as a counterpoint, a way to keep him on the path toward his true destiny--whatever that is.

We also get to see how the other heroes have turned out--from where Bennett is. What was conspiciously absent (at least to me) was the Eric Roberts character...what was his role in the future that we saw?

I will give Heroes credit that this episode was a lot more entertaining than last week's. Like I said, promising to blow up the world and then showing us what happens becuase of it is a nice trick. It should be interesting to see where the final three episodes of the season take us and just how much or little the heroes change this possible vision of what is to come...

Labels: heroes, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/04/2007 09:09:00 AM | |

Lost: D.O.C.
I know there are some fans out there who just love flashbacks to Sun and Jin, but if I never see another one again, it will be too soon. Wait, let me clarify that--if we never see a flashback of their relationship and/or marriage before they came to the island, I will be happy. Honestly, I think we've gone to this well one too many times now and its really starting to show.

So, Sun was being blackmailed by Jin's prostitute mother who wasn't even really certain if Jin's father was really the father. Sun goes to her dad, asks for money to keep from embrarrassing her husband and gets Jin on the path toward being a bigger part of the family business. This path is what leads to the estrangement of their marraige and Sun sleeping with another guy who Jin later pursuades to throw himself off a hotel balcony. I get what the producers are trying to do here but at this point, I'm not sure we can go back to this same series of events again and mine any more significance or details out of it.

And I get that part of it was to show how much like his father Jin would be had the baby turned out not to be his. I don't think it would count one bit in Jin's loving and raising the child, just as the question of who his father was didn't make a different to his father in the long-run. The fathers would still love their children.

I did like that the show confirmed that Jin is the father, though that isn't what I'd call definitive. For all we know, it's another way Juliet is playing the group in order to gain some trust. Finding out she's a double-agent has put anything she does or says into serious doubt. And why did Sun let her go back inside alone so she could send the secret message to Ben.

Apparently, Juliet's mission is find out if any of the group from the plane can bear children, which fits into the whole theory I've had for a while that the Others are obsessed with the children.

Meanwhile in the headscratcher department, the Russian shows back up, feeling no ill effects from being, well, dead. So, at this point, my mind got to thinking--does the island have some kind of regenerative powers that it can give to people? Apparently if your injuries aren't too severe, it can heal you, though it looked like Russian guy was pretty messed up last time we saw him. Following this trail of logic, is this the explanation for why the women can't conceive and bear children. Does whatever is "healing" people see the babies as some kind of virus or something to be cured, and is thus healing the mothers by killing the babies? If that's what it turns out to be, you can credit me with the theory, though I doubt I am the first person to consider it or postulate it.

Also lucky for us, the Russian has had medical training and speaks all the languages the new girl speaks. Again, if he translated everything correctly, I'll eat my hat. He does have good reason to lie and cover things up. I don't think she was as thankful as he made it out to be.

But the big news is that the plane crashed with no survivors....though that could be some kind of lie as well.

I really have no idea what or who to believe anymore on this show. Maybe the show will start providing some definitive answer to some of these puzzles soon...or at least gives us clues from very reliable sources.

24: Day Six, 12 - 1 a.m.
Hey, remember when there used to be this guy on 24 named Jack Bauer, who was, oh I don't know, the star of the show.

If you'd just tuned in this season, you'd wonder if this was some kind of ensemble show instead of the Jack Bauer kicks terrorist booty and takes name hour. Has there ever been a day of 24 that had less Jack per average episode than this one?

This week, Jack runs off, makes a deal with the Chinese and then waits around for them to show up. Oh please, don't make me get up to get a drink for fear of missing something.

Seriously, what the heck has happened this year?

Oh and let me do my happy dance that I called that the Chinese would somehow get hold of the triggering device and run off with it, thus leaving Jack to pursue them. I am thankful they will only chase it now for the next five or so hours and not all of next season. I can't wait to see Jack go mano-a-mano with the guy who has held him prisoner and tortured him for the past 18 months. That could be a great epiosde...

Assuming we can cut away from the White House drama long enough to show it. So, Daniels and the woman from Invasion are hooking up. And they dance around like this is some great secret, when I think Secret Service is fully aware of it. I guess maybe it being secret makes it more exciting for them. I hope it's exciting for someone, because watching these two kiss and paw each other in the Oval Office is almost as creepy as Milo putting the move on Nadia a few weeks ago. Seriously, has there been less romantic chemistry between two characters ever?

The most interesting plot thread in all of this is Karen has to fire Bill. Man, that was well done. Seems that Bill is low man on the "we have to blame someone" totem pole and gets the axe. And Karen has to axe him. Bill's slow burn and anger at this news was perfectly done and I bet we have not seen the last of him. I still contend he's the real CTU mole this year, but that is only because I refuse to let that theory go, no matter what evidence to the contrary the show gives me. It does set things up now for Bill to head out, help Jack out in the field and kick some serious Chinese booty.

Of course, the thing with Jack is that no matter what happens he always seems to pay some price...this time it appears that Audrey has been brainwashed. (Yeah, like that took much). I found myself recalling other shows that included the ability to copy people and wondering if this was a model whipped up to look like Audrey, programmed with a few key phrases and sent to draw Jack out into the open....all while the real Audrey is somewhere else. Yeah, I'm not even sure 24 would go that absurd...

Or would they?

Heroes: .07%
So, we waited five weeks for.....that? The big fight between Sylar and Peter lasts all of ten seconds. I was pretty stoked for it, what with Tim Kring and everyone talking about how great it was in all the publicity leading up to the return of the show. Color me officially disappointed on that count.

And pretty much disappointed overall with the episode as a whole. I think a lot of it is that we got our characters to certain places to end the last run of episodes and now this episode is burdened with getting things moving again.

We got a lot of hints of things to come, though it's interesting to see that Linderman doesn't want to stop the coming explosion, but embrace it as creating the future. It opens up the debate of if we can change the future at all or is it set in how some big things will play out? It should be interesting to see next week if Hiro and Ando can find Issac, since the last time Hiro jumped forward Issac had just been killed. And now with Issac being dead now, how has that changed things in the future? And I do wonder--seeing future Hiro come out and talk to his past self--is future Hiro necessarily on our side? Could his idealism have been corrupted somehow?

The future and how it plays out played a big role this week--from Nathan's refusal to accept that Peter could be dead because that's not what the paintings showed to the way Linderman has embraced what is to come. I wonder if Linderman as a threat will be dealt with this season or if he's more a long-term villain to the show. (I guess it all depends on the availability of Malcolm McDowell in the role....)

I wanted to like the episode and there were some parts I did. Mama Patrellis' revelation that she was once part of some kind of team with powers was intriguing and leaves some doors open to future exploration. Also, Nathan's contemplation about the inevitable nature of his destiny was nice.

But overall, the epiosde was just OK and not the strong return from hiatus I was hoping for...

Labels: 24, heroes, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/28/2007 10:18:00 AM | |

24: Day Six, 11 p.m. - 12 a.m.
I sometimes have to remind myself that it's best to just turn off my brain and go with the flow when it comes to 24. But then sometimes the show does things that just make me scratch my head and go--huh?

The big one this week was Wayne Palmer calling a press-conference at what would have been after 3 a.m. EST. I can understand he wants to address the American public and tell them the nuclear threat is gone, but who is going to be up to hear this live? And I find it equally debateable the entire White House press corp would be working at that time of night. Of course, you can argue it is a crisis and such but they're still human and would get tired. Plus I can't imagine why Wayne wouldn't wait a few hours until a bigger majority of the country is awake.

I guess he's just going after that insomniac vote.

That said, there was some good stuff happened this week. Jack calling the "you owe me card" on Wayne was nice, though we knew it was only a matter of time before Jack went rogue. Seeing Chloe help Jack out and break into Morris's computer for the information was nice.

Jack's pulling every string imaginable to somehow try and free Audrey was nice, though I doubt we'll ever see him sacrifice himself. That said, I hope the threat next year isn't the Chinese having the piece that Jack removed from the suitcase nukes. I think the idea of tying the two days as closely together as has been done with seasons five and six has been more of a negative than a positive to the show. I think next year we need a cleaner slate when we start the threat to civilization as we know it for the seventh day of 24.

Lost: Catch 22
The last Desmond episode was my favorite Lost episode of the season, so naturally I was really looking forward to this one.

And while it was good, it was no where nearly as satisfying as the first one.

Some thoughts on the Desmond storyline. The flashbacks refer to the Biblical story of Abraham, who was called upon by God to sacrfice his son as an act of faith. Abraham did this because of his faith in God and "passed" the "test."

So, how does this tie into Desmond's saving Charlie? Is Desmond's saving Charlie every time from death failing or passing the test? I'm not quite sure, though it's clear that Desmond believes he's failing the test. The question is, would Charlie have possibly saved himself had Desmond not shouted out for him to duck? Are these visions more about Charlie's salvation that Desmond's?

It's an interesting question and a nice way to tie the flashbacks to what's happening on the island.

Also of interest is the fact that the helicopter seems to jam when it gets close to the island. Is that part of what lead the plane to crash? Is there some kind of jamming field near the island? Or maybe it is out of control now with the hatch's destruction?

And who is this new woman in the helicopter? I'm assuming she's with Penny somehow, looking for Desmond. Is Penny somehow aware that Desmond is alive somewhere? We saw last week the news reports that Oceanic 813 had disappeared and wasn't presumed to have crashed. So, did the pulse serve as some kind of signal to Penny to send out people looking for Desmond? And is her father somehow tied into Desmond's exile to the island?

I think the new girl is tied to Penny somehow. I think the clue is the novel was translated into Portuguese and we've heard some of the people who work for Penny talking Portuguese. Also, why have the picture of the two together if not tied to Penny somehow

Meanwhile, back at camp, the whole love square of Sawyer/Kate/Jack/Juliet continues to...well, honestly take up valuable screen time from other more interesting stories. It's like we've been exiled to middle school here with this plotline.

I thought maybe we'd have some challenge to Jack's perception as the leader by Sawyer when Sawyer walked up....instead it was let's play ping-pong and fill in details on what Kate slept with me. Ugh, please...make it stop.

I think it's that that storyline that really drug down the episode from being really and truly great.

Labels: 24, Lost, tv shows

posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/20/2007 08:43:00 AM | |

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