Archive | September, 2015

Veronica Mars “Normal is the Watchword”/ “Driver Ed” Review (2×01/2×02)

7 Sep

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EPISODE 1: “Normal is the Watchword”

Damn, talk about a cliffhanger.

The bus crash is a thrilling end to the episode and an exciting kick off to season two, but it’s too bad that the preceding 40 minutes are fairly average. Yes, it’s difficult to follow up a masterpiece like “Leave It to Beaver”, but “Normal is the Watchword” feels like a two hour premiere that had to be cut in half. It’s chaotic, and not in a good way; the writers accomplish their goal of rushing through exposition and throwing us back into the action, but as a result, the fallout over last season’s resolution fails to make as big of an impact as it could have. In addition, the flashback overload is nifty at first, but it brings diminishing returns as the episode progresses, and that plus a bland case of the week makes for a subpar Veronica Mars premiere.

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Mr. Robot “eps1.9_zer0-day.avi” Review (1×10)

3 Sep

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“We live in a kingdom of bullshit!”

Mr. Robot’s big monologue near the end of the episode is essentially this show in a nutshell. Throughout these ten episodes, Sam Esmail and co. explore the idea of reality in both an individual and societal context, using unique visual cues to convey Elliot’s mindset as he navigates the world around him. It’s certainly an interesting ride, one filled with burning questions about who’s “real” and who isn’t, about who might just be a part of our main character’s mind. In the end, though, the finale monologue hits the nail on the head when it comes to reality in this show. “Is any of it real?” Mr. Robot asks. “I mean, look at this. Look at it! A world built on fantasy.”

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Veronica Mars “Leave It to Beaver” Review (1×22)

1 Sep

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“Don’t forget about me, Veronica.”

“I could never.”

Season one of Veronica Mars is nearly flawless because of flaws. It’s charming and funny and entertaining, but it also doesn’t shy away from complexity, from the bad decisions and the ugly conflicts that develop at various times in peoples’ lives. Its characters are flawed and human, and the way the show handles them is similar to the idea behind the Lilly Kane memorial video at the beginning of the season: at first, you may expect the saccharine, but you realize that the most moving memories are created because we see them for who they are.

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