The prison system is supposed to be about both punishment and rehabilitation, but in reality, those goals can sometimes get lost in a wave of corruption, of facades, of weak attempts to move forward and change things for the better. When people are incarcerated, they oftentimes become people they’re not, and in order to keep up with everyone else, they have to assert themselves, changing how they’d normally act.
“Well, Daniel Holden, it’s time to bring you back to the land of the living. I hope you’re ready for it, because it’s a shit show.”
Sleeping giants always wake up. This is what Jon Stern tells Hollis, a prisoner about to be executed, someone who Jon wasn’t able to save, someone whose impending death takes a personal toll on the death row lawyer. We didn’t see him in the premiere, but here he is, looking like he hasn’t slept in a week; therein we find the prevalent theme in “Sleeping Giants”: exhaustion.
EPISODES COVERED: “Scattered”, “Valley of Darkness”, “Fragged”, “Resistance”
SEASON 2 ARC 1–Tigh’s in command!
As the chaos resulting from Adama’s shooting rages on, the characters of the Galactica are becoming scattered both physically and emotionally, their world turned upside down yet again. Adama’s laying in a hospital bed dying, Roslin, Lee, and Sharon are all in jail, and there’s a group of people stranded on Kobol. A leader is supposed to keep everything together, but when that leader is out of commission, who’ll step up and start to patch together the pieces? Will it be Colonel Tigh, someone who has to take on responsibility here that he never wanted to have, who constantly measures himself up against his friend?
Wilfred is a show that, recently, has started to rely more on mystery than on comedy to drive the story. It’s always had this mysterious aura to it, but last season ramped that up to a whole new level; it was still enjoyable, but there were a few more problems in season 3 than in seasons 1 and 2. As we open the final season, though, we get a nice dose of both mystery and comedy, and it’s a refreshing start to the show’s endgame.
“The only death on my head tonight is yours.”
With that line comes one of the most badass Jack Bauer moves ever. In a scene that’s quite a surprise, given there are still three episodes left, he pushes Margot al-Harazi out a window through which moments before, her son fell through on his way toward a long plummet to his death. Just like that, the supposed Big Bad of Live Another Day is wiped out, and the season’s taken another turn.
The last time we were in Bon Temps was during a time I would label “too soon ago”, but alas, here we are again, and it’s time for True Blood‘s seventh and final season. “Jesus Gonna Be Here” is an episode that opens the season in a way akin to me reciting phone numbers out of a phone book that’s been pissed on countless times. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I’ll go with it; interestingly enough, “I don’t know, but I’ll go with it” is the show motto! Continue reading
The prison system corrupts. Whether it’s the administration or the prisoners, there are always instances of people believing in or becoming part of an inherently flawed system; we see it with someone like Caputo, who’s generally a good guy, but has slowly become controlled by the belief that he can still do good by this prison. It’s not so much a hopeless situation as it is a situation unable to be governed by people clinging onto the past.
The season finale of Orphan Black opens with a wonderfully shot sequence in which images of Sarah being questioned are intercut with images of Sarah, Felix, and Mrs. S trying to figure out their next move amidst the chaos that results from Kira’s kidnapping. It juxtaposes the very real, human fear of a mother who’s lost her daughter with the cold, sterile environment of Dyad, and once again, we see a prevalent theme shine through: the desire for individuality clashing with the grasp of science.
Relationships can dissolve at any time, and sometimes, what you thought was a connection turns out to be merely a manipulation, a way to grasp hold of your feelings and eventually dig a knife right in. We see that in abundance in “40 OZ of Furlough”, a simultaneously hilarious and thoughtful episode that puts the wheels into motion for the season’s endgame.
“If you’re lying in a coma and you just can’t deal with it anymore and you’re just too tired and you’re ready to see what’s on the other side, it’s not my place to tell you what to do, brother. It’s just not my place. But whatever you decide, I’ll still love you, D. Always. Forever and always.”
Rectify is one of the most moving, unique, and breathtaking television shows I’ve ever seen, and it’s only been seven episodes thus far. “Running with the Bull” kicks off the second season with a wonderful look at the fallout of the beating Daniel took at the end of season one, and the episode proves that the show is as good as ever.
Polar Bears Watch TV 