“She knows I’m a terrible husband.”
As we move into the final season of Mad Men, our characters are being stripped down to their most basic parts; no longer do they have anything to hide, for try as they might, they can’t stop the world from spinning and losing them in the shuffle. A sense of exhaustion permeates the atmosphere in “Time Zones”, one that portrays a group of people who’ve been stuck before and are stuck now.
COACHELLA: Well, at least Nasim Pedrad’s doing something! The sketch seems like a half-developed idea that goes absolutely nowhere, and while the actors do their best to make a mediocre script entertaining, the jokes don’t land. GRADE: C
MONOLOGUE: The monologue isn’t particularly funny, but hey, there are a bunch of guests: James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, and Taylor Swift (who shows up whenever a man shows emotion). Rogen himself has this general likability around him, and the entire sequence is fun to watch unfold. GRADE: B-
“Neither of us is free. He’s not done.”
Hannibal seems to create a perpetual sense of claustrophobia, engulfing the audience in its characters and their mind games. Everyone in the show is trapped in some way, whether it be through emotional connection or steadfast loyalty or fascination or mere expedience; the walls are closing in as the Earth spins on its axis.
“You are a very good liar, Nina Sergeevna.”
The Cold War resulted from a clash of ideals, but it was also very much a war of technological advancements; that idea is prevalent in “Arpanet”, an intriguing and thrilling episode about the relationships between humans and technology.
“You’ll never leave Harlan alive.”
With that, so ends the penultimate season of Justified. It’s been a shaky one, but at the end of it all, it served its purpose as a set-up to what should be an explosive final season. “Restitution”, like the rest of the current season, is not without its bumps, but it’s a satisfying way to close off various storylines and introduce intriguing new ones.
It may seem like hope is rare, but when you experience it, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Hope is something that’s eluded a number of Gallaghers this year on Shameless, a year that’s been dark and relentless and, for the most part, unforgiving; this isn’t the same show we saw in the pilot, but it recognizes that even amidst the pain, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
GENERAL MOTORS IGNITION SWITCH RECALL: There really isn’t much to this sketch, but Kate McKinnon does her best to make it entertaining. The premise seems half-baked, though, and the laughs are sparse. GRADE: C+
MONOLOGUE: Man, I love Anna Kendrick so much. I usually am not fond of musical monologues, but her energy and excitement is off the charts. The whole segment is exciting, visually appealing (Anna Kendrick is the focal point, of course), and catchy. This should be a good show…I hope. GRADE: A-
My, what a show.
I’m impressed by how we can go completely, next level bananas, and yet it still feels like the writers aren’t doing it just to do it. Certain things are still being reined in for what will ultimately result in an amazing payoff, and the layers and the mind games and the beautiful imagery and the character work are just seamlessly blending together. The show manages to ratchet up the tension each week without giving in to silly plot twists or contrivances. Truly excellent stuff right here, and we’re not even halfway through the season.
Humans feel emotion.
Even the most cold-hearted, calculating, and intelligent spy will feel emotions; it’s all a matter of how much they let those emotions affect their jobs. The better you are at understanding and manipulating them, the better you’ll be at carrying yourself when you’re sent out into the real world. What happens, though, when those emotions take over?
To what extent can Raylan Givens play loose with the law?
This has been the biggest question about this character thus far, and it’s certainly an intriguing one; we’ve seen him make decisions that have led to heartbreak and danger and death, but his badge has always protected him. What’s going to happen next week, though?
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