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Justified “Good Intentions” Review (5×03)

21 Jan

JUSTIFIED-Season-5-Episode-3-Good-IntentionsPUT YOUR FOOT DOWN, DEWEY CROWE!

I’m really enjoying Boyd Crowder, motivational speaker this season, and I’d like to use that quote to segue into a little something about Dewey Crowe: Damon Herriman does some great work tonight with the more dramatic scenes. For the most part, he’s been used as comic relief, but here, I really feel bad for the guy because of the situation he’s in; he’s just started started to believe he’s making something for himself, but in the end, he winds up finding out he’s been manipulated and taken advantage of. The season’s done a good job of conveying a sense of desperation and loss of control for several of our characters.

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Sleepy Hollow “Indispensable Man/Bad Blood” Review (1×12/1×13)

20 Jan

Sleepy-Hollow-TV-Series-image-sleepy-hollow-tv-series-36428397-595-412This is not what I expected this show to turn out to be.

What I expected was a mediocre, cliched, and utterly silly hour each week, but what I got was a highly entertaining, well-crafted, and downright fantastic show that I look forward to. The finale only cements the show’s reputation.

The first episode is more of a set-up, but it’s still filled with intriguing moments; for example, the show does a great job of showing us that Ichabod and Abbie are different people. Although they’re on a similar mission, they each have people they love. They each can sometimes let their own desires and their own agendas seep into their decision-making process, as we see when Ichabod memorizes the map. There’s a moral complexity to this two-part finale that I find incredibly compelling, and while Ichabod does make up with Abbie later on, it still foreshadows a bit more tension later on.

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True Detective “Seeing Things” Review (1×02)

20 Jan

episode-02-10241-640x360I have to say, this show is intoxicating.

I love how it’s handling the two characters in relation to the case and the setting. It’s all character based, but that extends to their surroundings. It seems as if while they’re trying to solve the case, they themselves are trying to mend their own psyches, their own situations. The imagery is essential to this show, and both episodes so far have been impeccably shot. In particular, Cohle’s flashbacks are mesmerizing, drawing us in and conveying so much through the visual touches and McConaughey’s acting. The show’s doing a great job of placing us into a world seemingly between reality and fantasy; it’s hypnotic, really.

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The Top 15 Television Performances of 2013

19 Jan

breaking-bad-series-finaleHere we go with the second installment in my 2013 End of Year series; check out the “Top 20 Film Performances of 2013” here: https://polarbearstv.com/2014/01/17/the-top-20-film-performances-of-2013/

*Note: this list is unranked.

BRYAN CRANSTON, “BREAKING BAD”: Cranston’s final run as Walter White is as perfect as everything that came beforehand. While the first half of season 5 reflected his time on top, the second half showed us someone trying to hold onto a crumbling empire and a crumbling family, and Cranston handles this perfectly.

MICHAEL CUDLITZ, “SOUTHLAND”: In the criminally underrated TNT drama, Michael Cudlitz gives a virtuoso performance as cop John Cooper; the cast is strong, but Cudlitz is the anchor. His performance is absolutely heartbreaking, and it’s a shame we can’t see more.

HUGH DANCY, “HANNIBAL”: Dancy plays Will Graham, a gifted criminal profiler who comes across a cannibalistic psychologist in Hannibal Lecter. The relationship is a marvel to watch, and Dancy gets increasingly better as Graham’s psyche starts to shatter.

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Saturday Night Live “Drake” Live Blog/Review (39×11)

18 Jan

140115-drake-saturday-night-live-620x340Here we go. Check back in every 10-15 minutes for updates.

PIERS MORGAN LIVE: Well, we’re back! This sketch gets off to a fairly regular start–with Bobby Moynihan as Chris Christie–but it quickly escalates into something a lot funnier. Drake is Alex Rodriguez, and he’s suing everyone, Jackie Robinson and his iPhone included. Kate McKinnon is Justin Bieber, and her Bieber-esque actions are absolutely hilarious. Solid cold open. GRADE: B+

MONOLOGUE: Drake certainly succeeds at bringing the energy, and while his actual monologue is a bit shaky, the flashback to the bar mitzvah is funny, introducing a slew of black/Jewish rhymes by the rapper. I wasn’t completely sold on the sketch, but I do appreciate the way Zamata was introduced (they didn’t make a show of it, unlike the way they did it for the last few months…). GRADE: B

HIP HOP CLASSICS: BEFORE THEY WERE STARS: I definitely like the sketches that just allow the cast members to trot out a bunch of impressions, and I’ll give a shout-out to both Beck Bennett’s Mr. Wizard and Drake’s Lil’ Wayne. I also absolutely love the idea of Rick Ross as the red Teletubby. GRADE: B+

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Community “Cooperative Polygraphy” Review (5×04)

16 Jan

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????One of the greatest Community episodes ever created was “Cooperative Calligraphy”, a season 2 bottle episode that highlighted the show at its very best; it delivered the laughs and the brilliant character interactions we’d grown to love, and it was an absolute masterpiece.

“Cooperative Polygraphy” is no different. This is one of those episodes that highlights exactly how well the writers and the actors understand their characters and just how well crafted they are, and it still delivers a hilarious half hour of television. It’s a simple premise, but sometimes simple premises are the best outlets for genuine emotion, for brilliant character interactions and callbacks and a group of people sitting around a study room table. The characters dictate the direction of this episode, not the plot.

Considering the way Pierce’s character was handled at certain times while he was alive, the show could’ve easily done the same with his goodbye. However, this episode is a hell of a send-off, both for him and for Troy, and I love how each gift stays true to Pierce’s relationship with each character. It isn’t overly sappy; it’s raw emotion, and that’s what makes this episode so brilliant.

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American Horror Story: Coven “Protect the Coven” Review (3×11)

15 Jan

ahs_0094

What the hell?

What is this show even trying to accomplish? This, folks, is truly a perfect example of “throwing shit at the wall and watching as nothing sticks”. First off, how about some slave torturing? Why not? Hey, never mind that prior to this, LaLaurie’s character was actually about moving away from shit like that, and never mind that we don’t need to see another second of slaves strung up and sliced open; let’s throw it in there because lol. To think the LaLaurie-Queenie relationship was one of the aspects of the show I was once looking forward to.

But hey, if it was just that, I might be a bit more willing to go along with the episode. Hold on, though; this is AHS: Coven, and AHS: Coven obviously has to involve a scene in which Cordelia gouges out her eyeballs. If I wanted to see someone stab their eyeballs, I’d watch myself watching this episode. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Queenie’s back for some reason; I don’t exactly remember anything except for her pulling a bullet out of her body and then some shit and then she’s showing up at a funeral. Spalding’s also here again because no one stays dead–that just wouldn’t make any sense because shows are supposed to have no stakes at all, obviously–and because dolls. He needs to get out more.

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Justified “The Kids Aren’t Alright” Review (5×02)

14 Jan

JUSTIFIED-5x121Is Raylan Givens ever going to leave Harlan behind?

With the announcement of Justified’s sixth and final season, we now move to the lingering questions about how exactly this series will come to a close. Raylan Givens took a dark turn last season, and we’re starting to see him come undone; his storyline this week is fantastic. It’s hilarious throughout, but there’s also an undercurrent of tension in each scene, a fine testament to the work of these writers and actors. Raylan and Loretta have always been entertaining to watch, and it’s an especially fascinating relationship because we know just how much she understands him, and therefore how she can manipulate him.

Raylan’s character has always been about trying to shed his past and distance himself from Arlo, and I like how this fact continues to play a huge role; the “star makes it legal” line is very telling, raising questions about the justifications behind his actions and therefore connecting to Boyd’s character. It seems to be the mark of the writers crafting an endgame, as those around him–Alison, Koechner’s character from last week–seem to be pushing him toward change. He can, say, take care of Loretta, but that relationship will never be genuine; he needs to embrace his family, and well, that’s understandably very hard. The writers are doing something fantastic here with his character; right now, Boyd may have more of the narrative momentum, but I love what’s been going on with Raylan. Fatherhood and family seem to be the keys.

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True Detective “The Long Bright Dark” Review (1×01)

13 Jan

o-TRUE-DETECTIVE-TRAILER-facebookTelevision these days is overrun with generic cop shows, shows that send out a buddy cop team each week to solve a crime in 60 minutes. We also have a bunch of serial killer shows, shows that attempt to explore the depths of the criminals, but end up reveling in grotesque violence and shocking twists. True Detective seems to just be a mash-up of those two genres, but it really isn’t.

The show is all about attention to detail, whether it be through the character interactions or the general atmosphere. It’s a world that draws you in, and the directorial touches and cinematography create an intoxicating, compelling environment. Of course, the most intriguing aspect of the show is the central Hart-Cohle relationship, played brilliantly by Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, respectively. The great thing about it is that, while both are fantastic in their own right, they’re both as intriguing as they are because of the other person. McConaughey and Harrelson play off each other very well, whether it be in the car discussions where Hart’s playing the role of a disapproving dad of sorts or when Cohle shows up drunk at the dinner, where we can see the sympathy–without much knowledge of his past–extended toward him by Hart.

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Shameless “Simple Pleasures” Review (4×01)

12 Jan

Episode 401The Gallaghers are finally back.

Shameless is a show that I’ve loved from the beginning, but season 3 helped it evolve from a great show into a fantastic show, showcasing William H. Macy’s Frank Gallagher in ways that we never saw before. It was a much more focused season with a brilliant finale, and it had me salivating for season 4.

Now, season 4 is here. The show’s much more mature now, delivering its storylines without the usual Gallagher shenanigans; I said a similar thing last week about Community’s premiere, and I think both of the shows are going down some intriguing paths. For Shameless, it seems as if we’ve reached a key turning point in its run; whereas season 1 consisted of myriad entertaining, yet almost childish, storylines, we’re now seeing an increasingly melancholy, toned down take on the Gallaghers. Sure, part of the charm lies in the wacky antics of the early days, but I’m fully invested in these characters now, and I want to see how the writers take the show in a new direction.

A common theme in “Simple Pleasures” is solitary. Frank’s beaten down and teetering on the edge of death, and he’s someone who’s lost pretty much everything; going off on a tangent, this is very similar to Sheila, who’s now sitting at her table alone. Getting back to Frank, the only person who bothers to interact with him is Carl, which is very understandable considering he needs a father figure to help him through puberty. In fact, the two are in a shared situation of solitary; Carl’s trying to navigate the tricky waters between childhood and adulthood, and Frank’s essentially ruined his adulthood.

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