I’m scared for Fiona Gallagher.
Just when you thought you saw her hit rock bottom already, this episode happens. Every single moment in this episode is heartbreaking, especially the subtle ones like Fiona joking with Veronica about flipping burgers or trying to make light of her felony charge.
“When Jason Street went down in the first game of the season, everybody wrote us off. Everybody. And here we are at the championship game. 40,000 people have also written us off. But there are some who do still believe in you, a few who’d never give up on you. When you go back out on that field, those are the people I want in your minds. Those are the people I want in your hearts. Every man at some point in his life is gonna lose a battle. He’s gonna fight and he’s gonna lose. But what makes him a man, is that in the midst of that battle, he does not lose himself. This game is not over; this battle is not over. So let’s hear it one more time, together. Clear eyes, full hearts, CAN’T LOSE!”
Will Graham is on trial.
Interestingly, the trial isn’t necessarily about Will; rather, it’s about how those around him view the situation, view the topic of his innocence, view him as a person. Although the episode veers into a courtroom setting, and although it stumbles a bit due to its place-setting nature, we still are privy to some very interesting character explorations.
“How many lives have you lived?” “None, really.”
We’re at the end of season 2 of Banshee, and what a ride it has been. After a few slower-moving episodes to open the season, “The Truth About Unicorns” marked an essential turning point in the story, one which led to some of the most thrilling television I’ve seen; I’m bummed that we won’t get anymore episodes until next year.
When Vince Gilligan shows up as a cheesy, western VCR host, you know you’re in for something hilarious. Watching the four try to figure out the game is already funny, but when Annie and Abed really get into it, spinning and shooting and moving their way through the ridiculousness, you have comedy gold.
Elizabeth Jennings is such an interesting character.
First off, Keri Russell is brilliant, and second off, there’s a compelling nuance to her character that endears her to me; she’s the crowbar wielding badass at one moment and a protective mother at another, but what happens when her two worlds clash?
Well, Justified is back, ladies and gentlemen.
After a bit of a stumble, we’re back in fine form tonight; this is mostly due to the fact that everyone’s back in Harlan now, allowing for sharper interactions and increased tension. One of the major problems of season 5 so far has been a feeling of detachment, a lack of forward momentum that seems to be hurting the show a bit.
“Once, there was only darkness, so if you ask me, the light’s winning.”
With that, season 1 of the absolutely fantastic True Detective comes to a close, capping off a thrilling, emotionally resonant, and satisfying finale. It’s sure to disappoint some viewers–especially the theorists–but overall, it’s a fitting end to this intelligently crafted, endlessly compelling eight-episode run.
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“It’s a football game. What you need for a football game is a football field, 22 kids, and a pigskin.”
Sometimes, simple is the way to go. Sometimes, all you need to do is go out and participate in something you love, a passion that’s part of who you are. This is exactly what Coach and his players do in “Mud Bowl”, a thrilling, intense, and pretty much perfect episode of television. |
A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA: The premise behind this sketch is fairly average, but when you bring out Liam Neeson and have him repeat his “Taken” monologue, the entertainment level will still be ratcheted up a bit. The macho-man Obama stuff falls a bit flat, but overall, this is better than your normal political cold open. GRADE: B
MONOLOGUE: I could do without addressing the nudity on Girls again, as I’m past tired of that discussion (also, uh oh, does that mean more Internet trolling tomorrow?). However, I’m a sucker for double entendres, and Kate McKinnon in particular is great as Dunham’s grandmother. GRADE: B-
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