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NBC announced their new, year-round schedule yesterday. It was a case of great news, bad news for two shows I enjoy. The good news-- Friday Night Lights (the best show on TV outside of Battlestar Galactica) will be back next year officially. The bad news-- Journeyman is officially gone. Sorry, but I can't see how people can get so caught up in the poorly-executed Heroes and overlook how wonderfully complex, compelling and rewarding Journeyman was. Of course, I also don't get why people watch American Idol either... Labels: friday night lights, heroes, Journeyman, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/03/2008 10:14:00 AM |
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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 |
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Heroes: The Line
As I watched "The Line" I kept shaking my head in stark disbelief at all the bad choices this show is making. It's amost as if you said, "How can they make this show any worse?" and the producers decided to show us.
Basically, we've reverted back to season one's plotlines. Peter doesn't understand his powers, Sylar is evil and if we don't stop what's going on, the world will end. Or at least New York City
I could almost accept the re-treads if the characters didn't all do incredibly bone-headed things that made me want to throw things at the television. Let's start with Mohinder, whose intelligence and common-sense is on a sliding scale based on what the current scene needs. One second he's defying the Company and throwing a chair into the refrigerator that contains the virus (a bone-headed move if I've seen one since doesn't that release the virus?!?) and saying he's leaving, only to see him still there a scene or two later, talking about working for the greater good. It's a real headscratcher, that's for sure. Then, you've got Sylar who has a monologue on his evil nature to the non-English speaking half of the Wonder Twins. Which brings up the whole question of why does one half of the Wonder Twins speak English so well and the other doesn't. Oh wait..I forgot. It's called lazy writing. And then we've got Peter, who is re-treading his whole arc from last year and not very well.
It's enough to make you scream. Were it not for the hope of seeing Kristen Bell in the next epsiode, I'd honestly give up on this one. Though another part of me is curious to see how Hiro's story plays out. But I'm sure no matter what kind of big twist the producers thing they have in mind, it will be totally predictable, something we've seen before and ultimately disappointing.
Bionic Woman: The Education of Jamie Sommers
I keep wanting to love this show. It teased me with the third episode, almost as if it were saying, "Ha, ha...look at how good we could be, if we wanted to." The thing is, the show does just enough to keep my interest up until we get to the big change at producer and bringing in the writers from Friday Night Lights. I believe that changeover happens soon, though I am discouraged that Glen Morgan's leaving might take Darren Morgan with him. Darren Morgan's X-Files episodes were all brilliant. I'd love to see him write an episode or two here.
But back to Bionic. One thing that bugs me is how easily the sister angle is shoved aside for the sake of the plot. The past four episodes, every time Jamie is given an assignment, she brings up her responsiblity to care for her sister. Here she's given the chance to go undercover and it's not mentioned ever. Instead, Jamie heads to campus and meets the hot T.A. who may or may not be the bad-guy. He turns out not to be, but we suspect him for a long time.
But in between those rather pedestrian moments, we have some better stuff to tease us. The show seems to be trying to embrace the whole Jamie struggles to reconcile her want for a normal life with the new-found powers and responsiblity she has. I could say this was all better done on Buffy, but I promised myself I wouldn't do that...oh wait. Anyway, the whole plot of Jamie going to college, having a normal life and proving she could succeed in the tract she wanted to pursue was a nice touch. Yes, it didn't till a lot of new ground but I still liked it and it was these scenes where the show worked best.
Friday Night Lights: Backfire, Let's Get It On
Meanwhile, I continue to love just about every last second of Friday Night Lights. Well, every last second that isn't somehow directly about Landry killing the man attacking Trya and the two covering it up. Those scenes just seem to bring the whole thing to screeching halt every week. And I find it interesting that this overly melodramatic plotline is the one that is highlighted in the previews every week. NBC, this may be the reason new fans aren't tuning in. I'm not sure how you highlight the other plots, but there's got to be some guy making a lot more money than I will in the promo department who could do it.
That said, I still like where the storyline has taken the characters (again when we're not obsessing about it and the details like the watch). Anything that gives Landry more screen time is good in my book and man, have they been making good use of it. This week's episode where Landry becomes the unlikely hero was nicely done. Seeing him soak in the adoration of the fans and his name being chanted by the crowd was nice. And in the midst of that, Trya dumps him so he can't even really savor the moment. (I loved how Landry's father goes to Trya and warns her away from his son. The statement of "Landry has never lied to me, but he did now" was great).
Meanwhile, Eric Taylor is trying to get things back in order in Dillon. I'm hoping the show doesn't go the same route as Voo-Doo last year with the terminated coach. When he shows up and points out he has a family too and that he'll see Eric again, I have to admit I liked the moment. And I also said, "Please let's not have them meet in the playoffs." Maybe if they met in a pivotal game that might work better. But I have a bad feeling we could repeat what we saw last year.
That said, seeing Eric try to get back in the swing of things was nicely done--both at home and as the head coach. The scene in the office talking about getting back in the saddle was hysterical and I love how both parties played it. It's scenes like that that make me love this show.
And we're seeing a different side to Matt Scarcen. He's growing up, becoming more assertive and a leader. I believe that is why he's clashed with Smash and I loved seeing him tell Julie he wouldn't go with her to the concert because he was too mad at her. I'm intrigued to see where all of this goes.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVIII
Anyone remember when the segments on the annual Halloween episodes, oh I don't know, had something to do with Halloween?!? Of the three here, only one of them had anything remotely to do with Halloween. I'd love to hear why a Mr. and Mrs. Smith parody is thrown in as part of the Halloween episode. I guess whenever season 19 comes out on DVD, we'll hear that on the commentary. Other than that, I have to say this was a disappointing Treehouse of Horror.Labels: Bionic Woman, friday night lights, heroes, the Simpsons, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/05/2007 03:11:00 PM |
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Heroes: Fight or Flight
Heroes is trying hard to break out of this slump they're in.
They're not succeeding.
This week, we completely waste the talents of Kristen Bell, who shows up as Elle. Or as I call her, let's rip off Angel's Gwen Raiden.
Part of my issue with this show is that characters do stupid things. Elle is making it so obvious she's hunting Peter and then is easily called off. Who's the mysterious father on the other end of the phone? At this point, it's hard to muster much interest.
Meanwhile, Parkman and Nathan head out to find Parkman's dad. Now, we've got evidence that he's done something to Molly and he ran out on Parkman years ago. But when we find him, we suddenly are in a trusting mood....so much so that the guy pulls the wool over our eyes and traps us in some kind of vision, where we face our great fears. Genius move there guys...genius.
Then, you've got Mohinder, who for a genius is not exactly long on common sense. At this point, the Company has to be incredibly stupid to NOT know he's working against them. He brings in Molly, which seems the dumbest idea ever. Then, Nikki goes all crazy and not ten seconds later he's trying to help her escape. Yes because a group as secretive as the Company wouldn't have monitoring systems.
Oh, it just makes me head hurt sometimes the bone-headed moves this show expects us to swallow.
I know, I know it's a comic book for TV. But I've read comic books and while characters do make mistakes and are fallible, they're not ever this clueless.
I keep hoping for one positive, one storyline that compels me. The Hiro storyline is almost that and I find myself wanting to fast-forward through the other stuff to see it. I should've done that this week, watching those five minute and missing the other parts that proving pointless.
I guess in the good news category I can say we didn't see the Wonder Twins.
When that's the most positive thing I can say about an episode, you know something is wrong.
Friday Night Lights: Thank Goodness It's Friday Night
In one scene, we see exactly why Buddy Garrity is a success as a salesman. The meeting with Eric Taylor isn't going well. So far, Eric isn't biting on any of the reasons Buddy has thrown out to sell Eric that Dillon needs him to come back. And just as Eric is looking to head out, Buddy plays hardball. He plays the family card and suddenly, Eric is looking for where to sign to come back to Dillon.
And the thing is--Buddy needed to play that card. Yes, it's ironic that Buddy would play the card of "Hey, your family is falling apart without you" on Eric since we saw Buddy's entire family crash around him last year and we're still seeing it. But if there's a person who knows the telltale signs of a family in trouble, it'd be Buddy. It's sort of like when people ask me for relationship wisdom knowing I'm divorced...I know the signs that you're headed to a danger zone having lived through them.
Because the Taylor household is falling apart. Tammy is losing it, Julie is rebelling and baby Gracie...well, baby Gracie may be the most stable one under the Taylor roof. If anything, Eric needs to come back or at least insist his family come to Austin. But if he doesn't come back to Dillon, then the show wouldn't be nearly as interesting.
So, Eric buys what Buddy is selling...and we'll see where it goes.
It left me very excited for next week. This episode as a whole left me eager for more. The team is falling apart, imploding from within. The new coach is hyping Smash, though from what I've seen here, it's just Smash being Smash. I'm not sure where all the resentment from Matt is stemming from since we haven't seen Smash be any worse than he was last year. But to see Matt go after him and punch him on the field was interesting. One of the moments where you keep wanting to look away, but somehow you just can't.
Meanwhile, the decision to have more Landry is continuing to pay dividends. This week, he and Tyra enter into a relationship of sorts. I am loving the family focus of the plotline this week, with his dad wondering what Tyra is doing with his son. The scene at Applebees was one of those great ones that this show is so good at. On one level, Dad's there to look out for his son, but on another level, he's trying to figure out the attraction. I wondered if Dad figures Landry pawned his watch to afford dating Tyra or to buy her presents. That said, I'm still not liking how obvious they're making the whole "Landry's watch is missing" angle.
There are so many great subplots on this show, it's hard to address them all. I did like the way the Riggins storyline has played out, with him seeking some kind of meaning for his life. And Jason's decision to go to Mexico. Best line of the show was Herc's line about Jason becoming a cliche.
I love this show.Labels: friday night lights, heroes, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/23/2007 06:17:00 PM |
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Friday Night Lights: Bad Ideas
One of the many things I love about Friday Night Lights that I love so much is that despite the fact that the show is a fictional one, just about everything about the show and the stories feels authentic. I know a lot of shows have tried to acheive that quasi-documentary feel to them, some to greater success than others for humorous value, but there isn't a show out there that just captures the fact that you're getting a glimpse into the lives of these characters as much as this show.
Which is why the whole Trya/Landry subplot is sticking out like a sore thumb.
Let me first say I like some parts of where the plot is taking us. Seeing it push Tyra and Landry together is a nice touch and the scene with Landry telling Tyra she knows how he feels and that he'd do anything for her was nicely done and unflinchingly honest. (And teased exactly in the wrong way by the NBC promo that aired during The Office). And as the two sat in Landry's bedroom, kissing as the episode ended, I was reminded of the quote from Speed about relationships that begin under intense pressure don't always work out or last.
That said, I'm still not sold on the melodramtic nature of the plotline itself. I'm wavering of if I think the Landry's discovery of his watch was some kind of reaction based on guilt or if it will actually become a plotline later. If it's guilt, then I like it. If it's a clue that links Landry to the murder later, I'm not going to be quite as happy.
The rest of the episode worked for me. The unflinching honesty in portraying just how draining the separation of Eric and Tamy is was incredible. Seeing Tamy slowly fall apart in the first two episodes of this season has been incredible. Seriously, how did Connie Britton not get an Emmy nod last year? The scene in the new guidance councellor's office as Tamy loses it in front of him felt as awkward as it should have in every respect. And watching Tamy go from confident on the phone with Eric to losing it in the hospital when Grace is sick was wonderful. The look on her face when the doctor said something about her husband helping her out....yeah, just engrave her name on the Emmy statue now. It was that good.
And Eric's situation. I think there was a lot more to the comment "I bet you were a great high school coach" than meets the eye. It's one of those compliiments that you wonder if it was really a compliment. Yes, his speech might have caused the NCAA committee to look more favorably on the spoiled athlete he defended. But I have a feeling that could come back to bite Eric, leaving him without a job and a way back to Dillon. And you can tell that he's torn--his heart isn't really in anything he's doing. He wants so desparately to be with his family, but also to follow his dream. And as we look at what's happening, it seems he's not giving his all or best to either of his roles right now because he's torn.
And then Tamy states outloud for the first time that maybe this whole him in Austin, her in Dillon thing was a bad idea. I think we only have to look at Julie to see that bearing out. Watching last week's episode, we saw how the Taylor household functioned better with both parents there....
Meanwhile, things aren't looking too hot for Buddy Garrity. Now while Buddy is a pain in the rear, I think Eric understood the politics of the town. You get Buddy on your side, he's loyal. I have a feeling if the team loses a game ,the new coach's supporters will turn on him and drop him like a hot potato. Which while Eric had a few stumbles early-on last year, Buddy never dropped his support. Sure, he went too far bringing in VooDoo, but Buddy never left Eric hanging out to dry. I have a feeling this is what will be the downfall of the new coach. That and he didn't come up through the Dillon ranks. If the team loses, you can bet the blame will fall to him and his new style of coaching.
Bionic Woman: Sisterhood
After a first episode that felt too rushed and a second episode that felt disjointed (turns out it was two scripts smashed into one story), Bionic Woman finally gives us an episode that lives up to its promise and potential. The story was by producer David Eick and you could almost hear him saying, "This is how the show is going to succeed" on every scene.
First of all, I had no idea it was part one of two. Nice surprise there.
The first two weeks, we had some heavy-handed exposition. Jamie was apparently chosen to be a Bionic Woman, Will lied to her about their relationship, Sarah is slowly self-destruction, the group Jamie works for is trying to stop some kind of global forces of evil. But this week, we finally got to see all those elements in play in a way that actually worked instead of feeling like the neon-sign screaming "foreshadowing" or "backstory" was going off.
Sarah comes to Jamie, seeking her help. Jamie is apparently the Bionic Woman 2.0 and has some upgrades that will help Sarah survive. But only if Jamie goes with Sarah. Sarah won't go into the group that financed and employs Jamie. I guess killing 14 people will do that for you. I do like that the series addressed how Sarah survived the bullet to the brain. It's not exactly the most convincing argument, but at least the series answered the question instead of leaving it hanging. Sarah and Jamie engage in an almost Buffy and Faith-like give and take. Jamie is bristling against her new destiny and seeing it as a limitation on her life while Sarah has fully embraced it and has less of a moral compass. Seeing the two debate over the morality of what was done, as well as finding out what drove Sarah mad was nicely done. And I've got to wonder--the fact that Jamie was hurt in a collision with a semi and that Sarah lost her sister in a collision with a semi...that seems to bit too obvious a coincidence. Is there some connection?
The episode itself had a lot of tension. Seeing Jamie torn about whose side she was on or should be on was nicely done. Seeing her de-active and activate her tracker to save her sister worked. And seeing she and Sarah bond a bit only to have that trust fall apart worked well. I like the tension of this relationship and the fact that you can see how both sides are struggling here. There's shades of gray to both sides and not just one is good and one is evil. Again, back to the Buffy and Faith thing...Faith went to the dark side, but you could see why she did. Same thing with Sarah.
I will admit the one part that I didn't buy so much was the "let's guard the diplomat's teenage daughter." It was OK, but the ending where rebellious teenage girl sees the light after attack and saving by the Eastern European country mafia goons...yeah, a bit much. Of course, I guess we should be thankful it wasn't Jamie battling Bigfoot.
So, I'll admit it--I was wavering on this one, but I'm a bit more sold now. I think the show is starting to show signs of life and delivering on the promise. I can only hope the audience that was driven away last week comes back and sees that the show is getting good now.Labels: Bionic Woman, friday night lights, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/15/2007 10:13:00 AM |
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Friday Night Lights: Last Days of Summer
I was excited to hear that the ratings services are finally going to start counting the numbers of time-delayed shows in the final ratings. Hopefully that will help Friday Night Lights as it moved to the night in the title of the show. Because, let's face it, this could be one of the most time-delayed shows on television.
Now, I'll admit I saw the season premiere a few weeks ago thanks to the streaming video on Yahoo. But I still watched it again last night out of solidarity to the show. I'm not a ratings family, but if I was, this show would be number one.
I will say that headed into the second season, I was kind of worried. The show was brilliant last year and I wondered if the show could continue that brilliance into a second season. Or would it be just a one-season wonder?
Well, with the exception of one plotline, so far so good.
Let's just get that plotline out of the way first. Now, I'm all for the potential of a Landry, Tyra relationship. And up until about the last five minutes of the episode, I was loving every minute of it. The confusion on Landry's part about putting the lotion on Tyra's back and calling Matt to see if and how he should make a move while watching Fried Green Tomatoes with Tyra...every last part of that was great. But what didn't work was the plotline of her attacker from last season stalking her and then attacking her again outside the convenience store. I think this is a place where the eight month gap didn't work in the show's favor because it seemed like this came out of left-field a bit and was put in to get us to the melodramatic moment that happened at the end. When Landry attacked the guy and ended up killing him, I will admit I rolled by eyes a bit. That seemed a bit melodramatic for a show that has been so grounded in reality and realistic situations until now. I'm willing to cut the show a lot of slack to see where this revelation might take things, but right now it's got me kind of worried.
But beyond that, it was all good. I won't even get into the nitpicking that some players should have graduated by now, based on what I thought we established last year as to age-ranges. Instead, I'll look at what was good.
I have a feeling there was a lot of things being set-up here for this season to explore. Lyla's new found religion (her pious prayer before dinner was a riot), the potential rift between Julie and Matt and how the town reacts to the new football coach. It's interesting to go back and watch the pilot from last year and hear how the town seemed to be reacting to the new coach in much the same way, though Eric Taylor went out of his way to shake some hands and win over the goodwill of the community. So far, the new guy seems to be alienating everyone, including Buddy Garrity. Banning Buddy from practice and calling out Street for being friends with Riggins..not exactly Eric Taylor territory. I have a feeling that should the team lose, the new coach will be called under scrutiny faster than Eric Taylor was...and let's face it, Eric is now a legend in the town. Having won the state championship and left to follow his dream, he's now the stuff of legend. It should be interesting to see how the new coach tries to measure up to the legend of Eric Taylor, who in a few weeks will be parting the Red Sea and walking on water in the town's estimation.
Meanwhile, things aren't well in the Taylor home. Eric's been MIA for eight months and the strain of it is showing. Tammy doesn't take the news well that Eric has to go back to Austin sooner than expected after the birth of baby Grace. The scene between the two as Eric tells her and Tammy breaks down...it just shows you what a crime it was this show got no Emmy nods. Just give them the Emmy for that scene alone...brilliant. And these two can say more in a look than some actors can say with minutes of dialogue . But, back to my point.
We also see the strain Eric's being gone has put on the family in terms of Julie. Again, I will say it--the father/daughter relationship between Eric and Julie is one of the best on TV. It should be interesting to see how Julie will react to the new baby and the fact that she's no longer the only "daddy's little girl" in the Taylor house.
I did find it interesting the parallels the show gave us between Eric and Buddy. We see two men, both of whom love football. Seeing how high a priority these two place on it in their lives is fascinating and it's interesting that when Eric needs a place to escape after disappointing Tammy, he goes to see Buddy.
So, Friday Night Lights is back...and except for one small misstep, I'm very, very pleased with where season two has started. I can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds.Labels: friday night lights
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/06/2007 10:11:00 AM |
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Lost: One of Us
Oh those wacky Others--they're always toying with your head when you're not looking. Or even when you are looking.
Man, that Ben is one manipulative guy. So, in the course of this episode's flashbacks, we find out that he's manipulated Juliet into staying on the island long after her tour of duty was completed. I guess if you have control of the submarine and all access off the island, you can do that. Plus that whole threat of bringing back the sister's cancer probably had a lot to do with it. Though you'd think Juliet might try to figure out what magic secret Ben has that allows him to cure cancer and maybe smuggle some of that back. She could have tried this when Michael and Walt left. Of course, this is Lost, so she could have tried to do that and it didn't work. I bet we get a flashback episode about that.
Anyway, Juliet heads over to the camp of our heroes and immediately finds that everyone is pretty mistrusting. Yeah, having your people kidnap and terrorize all of the castaways will tend to make them less than trusting. But we find out Jack trusts her and so he feels that everyone should totally accept Juliet because of that. Never mind that Jack stayed behind with them of his own free will and struck a deal with their leader to go home. I am thinking thse guys missed that episode of X-Files where Deep Throat told us to "trust no one." I do find it odd that no one once questions why Jack was held and why he stayed behind of his free-will. Instead, he just throws around his weight as the leader of the tribe and tells them all to accept Juliet.
Oh yeah, and no torturing her...at least not yet.
But it seems that faith is totally misplaced. Man, Jack can't win for losing with women, can he? Everyone he opens up to hurts him in some way. I wonder if he's starting to delibarately pick unavailable women after the break-up with Sarah to keep himself from getting hurt again.
So, Juliet is part of some super secret plot with Ben. She's going to gain the trust of the camp, heal Claire and then figure out secrets in a week before the rest of the Others come. So, is that why they took Locke? Did they fear Locke's natural, uber-man, back-to-nature superpowers of doom and Ben is playing him to keep him away from the group? Would an alliance of Jack and Locke be just too much for the Others to handle? And can anyone recall if Sawyer still has the gun stash hidden? If so, seeing Juliet make a move to try and get him to reveal where they are is only going to not end well when Jack catches wind of it. And you know he will....
The Shield: Baptism by Fire
The tag line for last season was "Conscience is a killer."
Interesting to see the tag line apply to the "villain" of the season and not to Vic.
In the end, Kavanaugh bends the rules to set up Vic and is taken down by his own ethical code. He wants to bust Vic so badly he loses sight that it has to be done the right way and, in the end, Vic gets the victory. Of course, at some point, you have to wonder just when the Teflon coating on Vic is going to wear off and something is going to stick. I begin to wonder if he'll be taken down for something minor just like Al Capone was taken down for tax-evasion.
Until that happens, this show is still compelling as all get out to watch. Watching Vic's ragged determination to find Lem's killer and bring him to justice has been the driving force in these firt two episodes. I also love watching Shane squirm everytime Vic's obsession with Guardo comes up. Oh, that is going to be a killer scene when Vic finds out that Shane killed Lem.
Friday Night Lights: State
The first season ends on a high note and leaves me hoping and crossing my fingers we'll get more.
The Panthers compete for the state title, facing off against VooDoo. Seeing them fall down by a large chunk in the first half was to be expected, as was the huge rally to win it all. Seeing the trust that Eric has in Sarcasen was a great moment in an episode full of great moments. That the play worked was not a shock, though as it unfolded I wondered if it might be like the Titans in the Super Bowl a few years back--one yard short.
Meanwhile, I'd like to thank the NBC promo department for ruining the reveal that Tami is pregnant. Good job there, guys. At least they didn't show us the entire scene between Eric and Tami. Again, another great scene among many.
I think my favorite thread was the Landry is going to the game with Tyra. His elation soon turns to horror as he gets to take Tyra, her mom, the sister, Matt's grandmother and Lillah. The scenes in the car were a riot.
That said, did we have get any consequences to Lillah taking out three or four cars at her dad's dealership a few weeks ago? I am guessing not since I doubt her dad would give her a new car if he knew it was her. That said, we never saw any follow-up on that....
Man, I hope this show gets another season. I heard a rumor it may go to HBO (there was an LA Times article this weekend about it). Not sure if that's a great fit, but anything that keeps the show going is good by me.Labels: friday night lights, Lost, The Shield, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/16/2007 07:00:00 AM |
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Lost: Left Behind
After the giddy heights of the past weeks, we get an episode that is, well, just OK. It wasn't necessarily horrible, but it wasn't quite as great as I'd hoped.
Kate and Juliet are knocked out, drug off into the jungle and handcuffed together. They make their way back to the Others base, only to find they're being pursued by the giant smoke monster. We find out the purpose of the barriers we saw a few weeks ago (it apparently keeps the smoke monster at bay), but we also (maybe) find out that the Others aren't in control of this. Or it could be that Juliet is lying, playing some kind of game at Ben's behest--though the question becomes what is the game and why are they playing it?
I do wonder if the Others really do or don't have control of whatever the smoke monster is. Is it some elaborate security system? Is it something more? Is it somehow connected to the island?
Thinking back on the overall run of the show, the only person who has seen the monster and not been attacked or hurt by it is Locke. Which bring up the question of does Ben know this? And if Ben does know, is that why Locke is being allowed to go with the Others wherever they're going? Also, it's interesting how quickly Locke is being allowed to become part of the group that is the Others. We've seen that he and Ben have an affinity and desire to stay on the island, so will this make them uneasy allies as the rest of the season progresses?
But, back to Kate and Juliet...so in the flashbacks we find out that Kate hooked up with the woman Sawyer conned to help get to her mother. Kate was hoping Mom would at least be grateful for Kate killing the guy who was hurting her, but apparently not so much. Mom loved the guy, even if he wasn't exactly a nice guy. And so that's why she turned Kate in.
Seems that Kate and her mom just can't quite pick the right guy. Which I guess is the whole point of this since it seems Jack has moved on to Juliet. Though you'd think that someone as self-aware and savy as Juliet wouldn't want to the rebound girl if Jack is indeed trying to get over Kate.
That said, it should be interesting to see how everyone reacts when they show back up with the central group and Juliet is part of the deal. Honestly, I think she's got some other agenda (no pun intended).
Meanwhile, Hurley decides to make Sawyer accept his role as reluctant leader. The thing with this one was I saw that there was more to it than the tribe wanting to banish Sawyer. I guess Hurley just wanted to play Jeff Probst for a few hours or something. Anyway, I can't imagine the group would banish Sawyer since he seems to have his stash of all this stuff--plus, doesn't he know where all the guns are? Did we hear he'd given them all back or given up their location at some point? I am pretty sure I don't recall that, but I've been known to be wrong before.
Friday Night Lights: Best Laid Plans
And here we have everything that I love so very much about this show, all encapsulated in one superb hour.
NBC, if you cancel this one I am going to be upset. And then I'm going to buy this DVD set, watch it over and over again.
OK, let's start with the one negative. The whole Street kisses Suzy just as Lila shows up was pretty cliched. But even as out of the soap opera writers handbook as it was, the scene still underscored a fundamental character development for Lila. The poor girl's faith in men is being shattered. She's lost faith in her dad, she's lost faith in Street. Looking back to the pilot, it's interesting to see Lila being now in the place Tyra was when the season started out.
It's also interesting that the last two guys who you thought would be stable and good for Trya when the series began are the ones that came through for her in the clutch. In a show where I have a lot of favorite characters, Landry stands out as one of the best. His suffering to do the right thing, his taking the brunt of Tyra's shame and rage and his speech to her at the end...what started out as a sidekick to Sarcasan has blossomed into one of the best characters on this show. And this show is filled with great characters.
That said, I'm afriad of where the Taylor's storyline is headed. I am hoping it won't lead to some type of seperation. I loved the final scene where we go from a sense of relief and joy that this fight is resolved to the utter look of horror on Eric's face when Tami annoucnes she's staying in Dylon. Wow, what a great scene. Suddenly, the whole outcome of the game next week takes on new meaning and new shades. Will this be the professional triumph he's worked so hard for, only to have him lose everything that he holds dear?
The thing is, I have no idea how any of it will turn out. I can't even begin to guess--and that's why I love this show. We've got a huge bunch of rather standard situations, but the writing and acting have made them all so real and authentic that it feels different and unpredictable.
If you've not watched this show, please do so this week. I think the show's fate depends on a good showing. I've heard that NBC wants to renew the show but isn't sure what to do with it or where to place it on the schedule. Please, please, please tune in this week....
The Shield: On the J0nes
It's been far too long a wait for new episode of The Shield. That said, the wait was worth it.
Picking up one week after Lem's stunning death at Shane's hands in last year's season finale, this one opens with Kavannaugh more obsessed than ever with bringing down Vic. What fascinates me about this show is how Vic corrupts everyone who comes into his sphere of influence--even Kavannaugh, a guy who brought down dirty cops has become one. At one point Vic reveals how he does it--he changes the rules and makes the person he's going after panic. And he's done that here....to the point that Kavannaugh will break in and plant evidence. I have to wonder if he'll be caught. I think Dutch will be instrumental in destroying the foundation of Kavannaugh's case against Vic in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the departments tries to force Vic out, all the while making Lem the poster boy for cops gone wrong. Which only brings Vic back into the fold and more determined than ever. I've wondered since the beginning what might be Vic's downfall and it may be the death of Lem is the beginning of the end. When Vic finds out Shane killed Lem, that can only get ugly. And that will lead to Vic feeling more and more alone, more and more trapped by his own deeds and his own corruption. I can't see Vic trying to go out in a blaze of glory or try some insane act of redemption for his guilty conscience like Shane did here (which I think we may see all season).
I don't know where it will all go, but I'm certainly hooked. And the thing is, this like Friday Night Lights is one of those shows I watch unfold and can't believe an hour has passed so quickly.Labels: friday night lights, Lost, The Shield, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/08/2007 04:30:00 PM |
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The Dresden Files: Birds of a Feather
Couple of reasons for my interest in this one. I've read the first few novels in this series and found them enjoyable and fun. Then, you add in the guy adapting the novels for TV is Robert Hewitt Wolfe who oversaw some of the best seasons of DS9 and you've got a pretty good combination.
So, the first episode--so far, so good. I'm not devoted enough to the original texts to point out everything that's been changed, but some things obviously have to be in order to make it work for television. I will admit that I do miss the first-person perspective we get in the novels, but I'm not sure having a Harry Dresden voice over would work as well here. The first episode of the show nicely establishes the situation, the tone and the on-going plotlines for the show, all while delivering a creepy, entertaining main mystery plot for Harry to solve. It has my interest and it's one of those shows I think could really grow into something, should SciFi give it a chance. I don't think SciFi did it any favors by having the first episode airing during the AFC Championship game. I hope that the potential audience won't tune it out, fearing they're lost and won't catch up. This one has potential.
Smallville: Labrynth
Seems that every sci-fi show worth its salt has one of those episodes were the hero or one of the heroes questions what is and isn't real. Is the reality Clark experience in the show just a fantasy he's made up to not deal with the fact that he's kind of crazy and in a mental hosptial. The success of episodes like this hinge on how the two realties feed each other and where the differences emerge. Seeing Lex in a wheelchair with no legs is a nice homage to the pilot. Thinking that Lana would wait around while Clark is the looney bin screams of adolescent fantasy to the n-th degree and, unfortuantely, revives the Clark loves Lana plotline that, dear heavens, I thought this show was done with. Plus notes go to the show for the introduction of Martian Manhunter, moving the Phantom Zone fugitives plotline forward and actually being better than I thought it'd be based on the preview. Show loses points for Clark being able to walk out of mental hospital just by putting on a baseball cap.
But just so you know--Buffy did it better.
Friday Night Lights: Little Girl, I Wanna Marry You
Curse the NBC promo department for giving us the last scene in the previews all week! Someone needs to be taken out and flogged--either that or made to watch endless repeats of My Mother the Car until they see the error of their ways.
That said, this show continues to get better. If you're not watching, make this appointment television immediately. Trust me, it's that good.
This week's episode comes from the pen of Jason Katsims who wrote for Roswell back in the day. I think he created it as well. He knows how to write for teens and not make it sound, well, like Dawson's Creek. (I actually watched Roswell for a season and a half or so..it was entertaining and it was on after Buffy, so there you go. Plus any show with Sheri Appleby and Katerine Heigel....how can you go wrong?) Katsims also wrote the second episode where Friday went from good to great and hasn't looked back.
There were so many good scenes that this post could just be listing them all. But I won't. I've narrowed it down to three.
- Jason goes to confront Buddy Garrity. Buddy sets Lilah up on a date to show her there are other guys and to maybe push her away from Jason. Jason shows up, demands to the truth and gets it. Buddy wants more for his daughter than the life of caretake of the crippled quarterback. Powerful, raw, real and intense.
- Coach Taylor and his wife, Tami, disagree on whether she should work on the mayor's re-election campaign. The mayor, in case you missed it, is a gay woman and this makes Taylor a bit uncomfortable. The show could have gone PC, but it doesn't, making us disike Taylor in this plotline, but respecting him in the other one we see this week. His assertation that the mayor wants Tami's help because she wants the help of the coach's wife is the highlight of this.
- Smash's use of steroids is found out. This leads to Taylor having to make a hard choice--keep quiet and risk forfeiting all the games that year, thus losing his job or report Smash, effectively ending Smash's hopes of escaping Dylan and providing any kind of good life for his family. The scenes between Smash and his mother about the steroid use are great and while they could be cliched, they ring true.
Labels: dresden files, friday night lights, smallville, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/27/2007 01:06:00 PM |
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