Archive | 2014

Thank you, Ellen Page, for coming out.

15 Feb

hrc-time-thrive-conference-day-1The fact that people are reporting on this and the fact that I feel like I need to write this article shows how far society is from accepting gays. It’s sad, really. We’re all human beings and we all have our own ways of living, and it makes me angry that we can’t respect others’ privacy.

However, thank you, Ellen Page, for coming out as gay. We still live in a world that is full of intolerance, full of ignorance, full of hate. We still live in a world with a countless number of kids who are too afraid to come out and be who they are. We still live in a world where people look down on other human beings just because of their sexual orientation.

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Banshee “Armies of One” Review (2×06)

15 Feb

BAN_206_GS_06_27_13_0302_FULLWhy is Lucas Hood in Banshee?

That’s the question that gets asked repeatedly in tonight’s episode, one filled to the brim with nice action, character moments, and pure entertainment. It’s a basic Banshee episode–pitting Hood against a foe–but it doesn’t lose the character work done in last week’s “The Truth About Unicorns”.

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House of Cards “Chapter 14” Review (2×01)

14 Feb

kate-mara-house-of-cards-season-2Well, we’re back for another season of political intrigue and backstabbing. It’s House of Cards season 2.

I’ll be honest: I’d be the first person to express my dislike for much of season 1, as I thought it was tedious, a bit pretentious, and full of extraneous characters and plots I just had no interest in. “Chapter 14”, though, seems to hit the ground (literally) running, delivering a more tightly-plotted episode that, even considering the show still has its problems, is genuinely entertaining.

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Justified “Kill the Messenger” Review (5×06)

12 Feb

jst_506_messenger_0015Justified knows how to deliver its cold opens.

“Kill the Messenger” starts off with a wonderful teaser, one which effectively sets up the episode and is brilliantly acted by both Timothy Olyphant and Nick Searcy. The punch is a long time coming, and we can see the inner and external conflicts bubbling at the surface, just ready to boil over once morals trump respect.

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The Walking Dead “After” Review (4×09)

10 Feb

the-walking-dead-afterWell, we’re back.

Last year left us with a dead Governor, a decapitated Hershel, and a split group, and The Walking Dead‘s midseason premiere is a toned down, contemplative look at three characters: Michonne, Rick, and Carl.

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Shameless “There’s The Rub” Review (4×05)

10 Feb

408_4_3386684_01_444x250Absolutely devastating.

There’s really no other way to describe this episode, which is the culmination of a group of storylines that portray the dark roads the Gallaghers are going down. It’s hard to watch what was once a happy, carefree family struggling like this, but as I’ve said before, it’s a necessary step for the show.

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True Detective “Who Goes There” Review (1×04)

9 Feb

True-Detective-Who-Goes-ThereThis right here is the best show on television right now.

My goodness, where to start? The way this episode manages not only to be a transition into the second half of the season, but also an hour of pure, unbridled intensity, is a sight to see. It’s ripe with interesting character development, humor, and one of the best television sequences I have ever seen.

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Friday Night Lights “I Think We Should Have Sex” Review (1×17)

9 Feb

Friday Night Lights“You and I have the exact same amount of experience being parents.”
-Tami Taylor, Piece of Wisdom #12,532

A nuanced and compelling take on sex isn’t something you see everyday on television, but FNL delivers just that with “I Think We Should Have Sex”. The great thing about this episode is that it not only explores the experiences of Matt and Julie, but also the relationship between Julie and her parents. It perfectly encapsulates the awkwardness, the hilarity, the fear…everything that leads up to and results from a first-time high school sexual experience.

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Banshee “The Truth About Unicorns” Review (2×05)

8 Feb

56c42f8361bd4ca9cc4832b20ae7f552Well, that was different.

Season 2 of Banshee seems to be intent on toning things down a bit, and “The Truth About Unicorns” is an intriguing, ambitious hour of television that serves as the “calm before the storm”. Not everything here works, and while it’ll most likely go down as the most divisive episode of the series thus far, I have to say that I very much enjoyed it.

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The Vampire Diaries “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Review (5×13)

7 Feb

Total Eclipse of the HeartAfter two legitimately fantastic episodes, The Vampire Diaries delivers a more by-the-numbers installment this week. It’s extremely entertaining, but there are some questionable character choices that I hope can be resolved after the Olympic break.

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