Archive | March, 2015

Community “Ladders”/ “Lawnmower Maintenance and Postnatal Care” Review (6×01/6×02)

17 Mar

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“Change.”

As the new season of Community begins, all of our characters are yet again dealing with change: Shirley’s spinning off, a new consultant is hired to improve Greendale, and the show itself is moving from NBC to Yahoo. It’s not the show we loved at its peak, but it’s a fine return to form after a disappointing season four and a middling season five finale; in fact, the premiere itself is concerned with how exactly the show is going to deal with change, and as a result, it becomes a self-referential, thoroughly enjoyable ride that takes us back into the halls of Greendale. Welcome back, show.

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Shameless “Carl’s First Sentencing” Review (5×09)

15 Mar

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“Livin’ life to the fullest. I wouldn’t trade a day.”

“Carl’s First Sentencing” is yet another masterclass in balance, in giving us the Gallagher hijinks that we know and love while also delivering poignantly beautiful moments throughout. It features some questionable writing choices, but as we near the end of another season–which is going by so fast–it’s hard not to get swept up in the constantly unfolding tapestry of the Gallagher universe. I simply can’t tear my eyes away from this hilarious, messed up, and wonderful show.

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Banshee “We All Pay Eventually” Review (3×10)

14 Mar

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“You know, being the sheriff never really suited you.”

For three seasons, we’ve watched Lucas Hood attempt to be a sheriff, to find some semblance of an identity, to balance the lifestyles of an outlaw and a lawman. At the same time, we’ve also seen him grow increasingly tired with the lifestyle, with all the loss and destruction and violence around him. Sure, he’s the kind of guy who always gets drawn back into the fray, but ever since Siobhan’s death, there’s been an emptiness in him that has slowly reached the surface; avenging Siobhan brought closure for Hood regarding her, but it also served to muddle the waters of who exactly he is and who he wants to be.

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Person of Interest “Karma” Review (4×17)

11 Mar

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“Revenge will never bring you closure.”

“Karma” is an episode that takes a breather from the Samaritan and Brotherhood storylines, but it still provides a unique spin on things by crafting an open-ended conclusion to its murder plot. The show’s decision to do so highlights one of the major ideas brought up throughout this episode: the fact that “life is infinitely more complicated” than an open-and-shut case or an act of vengeance. As satisfying as it may be to fill a void with anger, in the end, you’ll be dishing out a simple, permanent finish to a sequence of events and motivations that are anything but.

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Justified “Dark As a Dungeon” Review (6×08)

10 Mar

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“I gotta admit: there’s a small part of me that’s gonna miss this when it’s all over.” 

“Hey now, don’t eulogize the past ’till the future gets its turn.”

“Dark As a Dungeon” is my favorite episode thus far of an already fantastic final season. It features crackling dialogue, intriguing character moments, and a really well done exploration of the past vs. the present, and it sets into motion the final arc of the series: not just Raylan vs. Boyd, but also Raylan and Boyd vs. Harlan. After all, the setting is paramount in a series like this, a series with characters who are frequently haunted by the ghosts of the past and are constantly drawn to Harlan County. As we move into the final five episodes of the series, the major question becomes whether or not they’ll get out of Harlan alive.

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Shameless “Uncle Carl” Review (5×08)

9 Mar

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“Gallaghers: it’s kind of a diagnosis, though, right?”

No matter how far apart they are or how many wedges are thrown between them, the members of the Gallagher family will always be tied to each other in one way or another. It’s a big family that is just so damn compelling to watch, and “Uncle Carl” seems to be about emphasizing the connections that all these characters share, about highlighting the positives and negatives of a family tree that is like no other. It’s not the easiest time for the Gallaghers–when is?–but there’s a reason they all share the same name.

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Togetherness “Not So Together” Review (1×08)

8 Mar

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“Thank you for helping me come alive.”

The characters of Togetherness are flawed in many ways, but that is exactly why it’s so compelling to watch them navigate their lives. Over the course of the season, we’ve seen them struggle and fight and plod along with no sense of direction, but at the end of the day, that’s life; life is going to include those moments, and we’re defined by how we live through them, how we form relationships and chase what we’re passionate about. This season wasn’t perfect, but it did a fantastic job showing us not only the imperfections of each character, but also how those imperfections make them who they are.

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Veronica Mars “Hot Dogs”/ “M.A.D.” Review (1×19/1×20)

8 Mar

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EPISODE 19: “Hot Dogs”

“You want people to leave you alone, Mandy? Or better yet, treat you with respect? Demand it. Make them.”

This idea is exactly what Veronica herself has been dealing with her whole life, and the episode expands upon that idea throughout its various subplots: you have Mandy, eventually tasering Hans at the end after she finds out he’s behind Chester’s disappearance, and you also have Aaron Echolls, eventually beating up Trina’s boyfriend at the end after finding out he hit her.

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Saturday Night Live “Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band” Live Blog and Review (40×15)

7 Mar

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HILLARY CLINTON: SNL‘s political cold opens are more miss than hit these days, but this one is great because of Kate McKinnon’s performance. Amy Poehler did a good job as Clinton, but McKinnon already seems comfortable in the role, and I look forward to seeing more of the impression as we move into election season. GRADE: B+

MONOLOGUE: This is a fairly bland monologue, and although Chris Hemsworth brings his brothers up there–including Kenan Thompson as Callum–there isn’t much to find funny about the bit. Thankfully, it ends just as soon as it starts. GRADE: C-

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Banshee “Even God Doesn’t Know What to Make of You” Review (3×09)

7 Mar

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“We got a lot of history, you and me. Maybe that’s all it should be: history.”

Before Banshee‘s truly brilliant third season comes to a close, it takes a quick breather–relatively speaking, of course–with “Even God Doesn’t Know What to Make of You”. It’s an episode that focuses on aftermaths and consequences, on relationships and endings and new beginnings, and it clearly highlights the positions that all our characters find themselves in. It’s not the best episode of the show, but it’s an hour filled with wonderful human moments, moments that remind us, before the inevitable explosion next week, how well-written and well-acted these characters are.

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