Archive | 2014

Orange Is the New Black “We Have Manners. We’re Polite.” Review (2×13)

5 Jul

"Orange is the New Black" Season 2 Episode 13 (Screengrab)

“Always so rude, that one.”

How fitting is it that in an episode titled “We Have Manners. We’re Polite.”, the final line of the season is the one mentioned above? Suzanne, a product of Vee’s manipulation, recites that line after going down for Vee, and Vee eventually gets run over because she goes against it. Ah, the satisfaction. Simply put, she doesn’t mesh with the rest of the prisoners–and “rude” is an understatement, by the way–which is interesting considering 1) Out of all our characters, she’s the one who most belongs in prison, and 2) For a time, she seemed like the one who fit in the most.

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Friday Night Lights Season 3, Episodes 1-4 Review

5 Jul

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EPISODE 1, “I Knew You When”

We’re back! It’s amusing–but also refreshing and understandable–how season 2 is pretty much swept under the rug here, fast-forwarding a bit as the show seems to wash its hands of whatever mess it got itself into. I appreciate the way this episode focuses on the natural conflicts and connections that arise between our central characters, some of which include the parallels between the Coach-Smash and Mrs. Coach-Tyra relationships; the Taylors are, as expected, being awesome people, and they seem to have taken it upon themselves to help foster a bright future for their respective “kids”. These are the struggles I want to see from people like Smash and Tyra (love her smackdown of the Asst. Principal), these real-life difficulties that interfere with their outlooks of the future.

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Battlestar Galactica “Final Cut”/ “Flight of the Phoenix” Review (2×08/2×09)

4 Jul

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Season 2, Arc 3: “The Stuff that Happens before Pegasus”

These episodes are far from bad (we’ll get to that soon), but they ultimately wind up as nice ideas that falter a bit due to a general lack of cohesiveness in the writing. The documentary-style approach of “Final Cut” allows us to get into the headspace of minor characters like Kat, so that’s a plus, but most of the interviews don’t necessarily yield any new information about the characters.

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Rectify “Charlie Darwin” Review (2×03)

3 Jul

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“It’s fun to pretend. It’s as simple as that.”

Hollis is on death row. He had people searching for answers, believing in him until the evidence came out, standing by who they thought was an innocent man. It’s a situation that’s very similar to that of Daniel’s stint in prison, but it’s clear that this man is in no way the man Daniel is. Their world views are polar opposites, one looking at all humans as able to be saved, the other lacking regret when the truth comes out about the lie he lived.

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Wilfred “Loyalty” Review (4×03)

3 Jul

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“You’re a pretty amazing horrible sister, too.”

Kristen was far from the most endearing character early on in the show’s run, but the writers slowly started to shade her in and build upon the foundation of her being Ryan’s sister. In “Loyalty”, she reverts to the behavior she was known for in the past, but thankfully, it doesn’t prevent the episode from being thoroughly enjoyable.

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Nathan For You “Mechanic/Realtor” Review (2×01)

2 Jul

cdn.indiewire “So, is that enough small talk to make you comfortable?”

Nathan For You is a show that doesn’t rely on a restrictive script or manufactured drama to function. Rather, Nathan Fielder–one of the funniest guys around right now–crafts a general set-up for what he wants to accomplish with whatever business he’s “helping out”, then pokes and prods until the underlying humanity shines through. It’s not so much about making people angry or playing a prank or attempting social commentary as much as it is about showing us unique and hilarious exchanges, all guided by the hand (and small penis) of Fielder. Continue reading →

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24: Live Another Day “Day 9: 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.” Review (9×10)

1 Jul

14c3ad5d6e264d31cd1f6000d8fd02ba “I can assure you: full immunity is not on the table, but your hand is.”

24 has always utilized a similar formula across each season and, for the most part, has done it well. Of course, you’d think by the time a ninth season rolled around, there’d be significant diminishing returns, but it’s not the case because Live Another Day is managing to feel fresh and exciting as it progresses. Take, for example, this episode, one which features a bundle of vintage 24 elements that complement a story that’s barreling toward its finish.

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The Leftovers “Pilot” Review (1×01)

30 Jun

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“Hey. We’re still here.”

When 2% of the population mysteriously vanishes in what’s known as the Sudden Departure, we’re left with a bleak, unforgiving world, one permeated by crushing despair as people attempt to come to terms with what’s happened. Yet, this is a series that deals with the cold, hard truth: we’ll all disappear one day; we’ll all die, and we simply can’t ignore this fact. The Leftovers brings its characters face to face with the grim reality of existence, and in doing so, it crafts an intriguing look at the way society functions when its people experience loss on such a magnitude.

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Orange Is the New Black “It Was the Change” Review (2×12)

29 Jun

"Orange is the New Black" Season 2 Episode 12 (Screengrab)

Some people simply belong in prison. It’s been established that Vee’s a heartless and conniving woman, but this week’s flashbacks ramp it up to a whole new level, turning our hatred of her into a flaming ball of ‘willingness to push her off a cliff’; you see, she not only seduced RJ–the guy who was shot at the end of Taystee’s flashback episode–but she also had him killed when she found out he was going solo and competing with her business in her area.

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Battlestar Galactica Season 2, Episodes 5-7 Review

28 Jun

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EPISODES COVERED: “The Farm”, “Home Part 1”, “Home Part 2”

ARC 2–Let’s go find Earth!

When Adama wakes up, to say that things are different would be an understatement. Like I said in the last review, everything’s been turned on its head, and the Commander is forced to face the fact that much of his fleet has left him, that his own son has abandoned him during this time of turmoil, that someone he knew and respected would take out a gun and shoot him twice in the chest. “Why?” he asks as he stands over Sharon’s lifeless body.

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