Archive | May, 2015

Saturday Night Live “Louis CK/Rihanna” Live Blog and Review (40×21)

16 May

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HILLARY CLINTON SUMMER COLD OPEN: This is a pretty entertaining song to kick off the finale, and once again, it’s fun to see Kate McKinnon and Darrell Hammond as Hillary and Bill, respectively. My favorite part? Hillary attempting to lean against the surfboard in a “cool” manner. Also really like the sung “Live from New York!” GRADE: B+

MONOLOGUE: The SNL Facebook feed is hilarious to read right now. This monologue is going to cause many people–including Lorne–to lose their minds, but as is the case with anything Louis CK does, I find it absolutely biting and brilliant (understandable if you don’t, though). The “mild racism” is fairly, well, mild compared to his child molesting bit, and I can’t believe he got away with it. Happy he did it, though. GRADE: A

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Orphan Black “Scarred by Many Past Frustrations” Review (3×05)

16 May

5-5 [www.imagesplitter.net]

“Now we are even, sestra.”

When Orphan Black centers an episode around a certain plot and commits to it with aplomb, it can be some of the most thrilling television on right now. As much as I love Alison and Donnie, them not being in this episode helps the hour maintain more of a focused, propulsive nature, and it’s fun to watch it all unfold. It’s the Tatiana Maslany show once again–this time for her Sarah and Helena performances–and it’s a great way to end the first half of the season.

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Louie “Sleepover” Review (5×06)

15 May

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This is just a really fun episode. Last week’s was certainly very experimental, but this one gets back to the basics, delivering a consistently funny storyline with tons of little jokes thrown in and several fantastic performances to anchor. It’s as entertaining as television gets these days, and it utilizes a great set up to both bring the laughs and to explore the Louie character in depth.

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Scandal “You Can’t Take Command” Review (4×22)

15 May

SCANDAL - "You Can't Take Command" - Everything comes to a head in the shocking season finale when Olivia and the team finally make some big moves to take down Command, and Mellie's fate is sealed as the election results are announced, on the season finale of "Scandal," THURSDAY, MAY 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Nicole Wilder) SCOTT FOLEY, GUILLERMO DIAZ, JOSHUA MALINA, KATIE LOWES, KERRY WASHINGTON

“I can’t have a soul. If I had one, I’d never accomplish a thing.”

Sure, that may be largely a politician thing, but it’s also indicative of a bigger problem in the Scandal universe: its characters are not so much fleshed out characters as they are contrivances, plot points that constantly exploit others’ secrets and look to deliver the next big Shonda Rhimes speech. This type of broad characterization only works, however, when there’s a clear and focused arc tying everything together; without that, it’s just a bunch of writers writing themselves into circles and squares and ellipticals and obtuse angles. Because their characters don’t really have souls, they can be maneuvered wherever is most convenient, and it gets pretty grating to watch at times.

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Arrow “My Name Is Oliver Queen” Review (3×23)

14 May

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“We won tonight because I wasn’t alone.”

One of the main questions this show has raised recently is: what is this series without the Arrow? This certainly ties into the idea of identity, of who you are when you put on a mask and when you take it off, of what you can become when you sever all ties to your past. The season as a whole has stumbled a bit when attempting to explore this theme and its ramifications, and although “My Name Is Oliver Queen” is certainly a very flawed finale, it’s still an enjoyable exploration of these characters and the bonds they share.

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Mad Men “The Milk and Honey Route” Review (7×13)

11 May

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“We knew we’d catch up with you eventually.” 

The phrase “for old time’s sake” is repeated several times in this episode, and it’s an apt thing to say in a series that largely revolves around the past. As the show moves toward its final hour, its characters are dealing with the past in one way or another, whether that means bringing up feelings of nostalgia or finally letting go of your past or looking back on an unfulfilled life. For all the differences in motivations and in mindsets of these characters, the past is the force that unites them all, that informs who they are in the present and who they’ll be in the future.

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Saturday Night Live “Reese Witherspoon/Florence and the Machine” Live Blog and Review (40×21)

9 May

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SOUTHERN REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: There isn’t much to this sketch except for showing us which Republicans are running for President, but it’s certainly fun seeing all of their dance moves. I look forward to seeing how all these cast members handle their characters as the election heats up. GRADE: C+

MONOLOGUE: What a great idea for Mother’s Day, and what a refreshing monologue bit after quite a few average ones. We get to peer for a second into the lives of these cast members, and it’s both hilarious and sweet to see. The home videos at the end are fantastic as well. GRADE: A

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Orphan Black “Newer Elements of Our Defense” Review (3×04)

9 May

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“You know, I’m not really your brother.”

“Well, you are. Biology says you are.”

This season of Orphan Black has been exploring what it means to be a family, to feel a strong connection to those you are genetically similar to. Of course, the big idea that then comes into play here is nature vs. nurture: are you the way you are because biology says so, or because of the environment and its molding ability? Are families formed or broken apart merely on the basis of biology? It’s an intriguing question, and although it can sometimes get lost amidst the flurry of plot, it’s at the forefront in this episode.

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Louie “Untitled” Review (5×05)

8 May

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It’s difficult to write about an episode like this. I’m tempted to just write “Their smiling faces give me diarrhea” and be done with it, but alas, there’s stuff to unpack in “Untitled”. I don’t think I’ll ever really tackle the essence of the episode, but that’s okay; what definitely needs to be acknowledged is the fact that this is a great, surrealistic half-hour that has its foundation in both horror and comedy. I guess something like that is to be expected when you title an episode “Untitled”.

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Person of Interest “YHWH” Review (4×22)

6 May

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“We’re the Machine’s last hope.”

What an ending. What a finale. What a show. Somehow, Person of Interest has the ability to keep turning it up a notch, to keep delivering some of the most thrilling, compelling, and relevant television on right now. With “YHWH”, it concludes yet another great season in grand fashion, and what we’re witnessing right now is TV at its best. Who would’ve thought four years ago that this would eventually become such a layered and brilliant series?

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