Hannibal “Primavera” Review (3×02)

11 Jun

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“I forgive you.”

Usually, friendships don’t last after you get stabbed in the gut by that supposed friend. Alas, this is Hannibal, and it comes as no surprise that the show is continuing to delve into the twisted, yet romantic, relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, into the mutual fascination that drives much of the characterization in the series. Essentially, the episode plays out as a raging conflict within Will Graham’s mind: can he forgive Hannibal for what he did? Or, was that fateful night in “Mizumono” the dissolution of their relationship?

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Battlestar Galactica Season 3, Episodes 10-12 Review

11 Jun

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The Algae Planet Arc

EPISODES COVERED: “The Passage” (3×10), “The Eye of Jupiter” (3×11), “Rapture” (3×12)

This show is still entirely capable of crafting compelling, entertaining stories, but the foundation for those stories is oftentimes so flimsy that you can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Take “The Passage”‘, for example, which pulls an entire backstory for Kat out of thin air–not to mention the food shortage as well–just in time for her to die of radiation poisoning. It’s a “Hero” concept all over again, and that only happened two episodes ago.

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Battlestar Galactica “Unfinished Business” Review (3×09)

10 Jun

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Extended Version

“Unfinished Business” has the appearance of a bag of jumbled ideas, but when you reach in, you somehow pull out an affecting episode with moving performances and a narrative structure that serves the bottle episode feel quite well. To be honest, the show’s been more miss than hit when it attempts to play with structure, but the way this episode handles the location shifts is more effective than we’ve seen in the past.

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Battlestar Galactica “A Measure of Salvation”/ “Hero” Review (3×07/3×08)

10 Jun

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EPISODE 7: “A Measure of Salvation”

Battlestar Galactica is once again tackling a large moral question and using it to structure an episode, and what we see in “A Measure of Salvation” is a discussion about whether or not to carry out genocide of the Cylon race, whether you’re on one side or the other of the age-old Cylons-as-machines dilemma.

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Battlestar Galactica “Collaborators”/ “Torn” Review (3×05/3×06)

10 Jun

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EPISODES 5 and 6–“Collaborators” and “Torn”

There’s essentially been a reset of location, but there certainly hasn’t been a reset of characterization. “Torn” deals with the effects of the New Caprica occupation from different points of view: those on the ground like Tigh or Starbuck, and those who participated in the rescue mission from Galactica. These differing experiences are placed side by side until they inevitably clash, and we see damaged people lashing out at each other, looking for someone to take out their anger on, and the Admiral’s eventually forced to put Starbuck and Tigh in their places. Of course, as Tigh spits out at the end, the man Adama knew no longer exists; simply put, people have changed, and relationships that were going strong beforehand are no more.

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Game of Thrones “The Dance of Dragons” Review (5×09)

8 Jun

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“Sometimes, a person has to choose.”

In the final conversation Stannis has with Shireen before her death, his daughter tells him that “all the choosing sides is what made everything so horrible”. Sure, that is true to an extent, but one simple truth in this Game of Thrones world is the fact that choices must be made. No matter what happens, that remains constant, and the choices that are made by people in power undoubtedly have reverberating effects on the rest of the series. In addition, those choices likely come at the expense of those who may not have as much power, who may be viewed as “sacrifices” for the “greater good”. It’s not exactly a pretty world to live in, but it’s something characters in the show have to wrap their heads around.

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Orphan Black “Ruthless in Purpose, and Insidious in Method” Review (3×08)

6 Jun

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“I need a way forward.”

This episode certainly makes multiple advancements in the show’s central plot, but its main focus is on these characters and the relationships they share. “In reality, we’re now all in bed together,” Jason tells Alison after he kisses her in the store, and although it’s a line in reference to their specific dynamic, we can apply it to the rest of the show as well. After all, this episode looks at this complex mixture of character paths, working from a shared center as it expands its gaze outward, outward into the emotional ramifications of the Leda-Castor conflict. These characters are all in this together in some way, and the intrigue comes from how they handle the situation.

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Hannibal “Antipasto” Review (3×01)

5 Jun

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“Observe or participate?”

“Antipasto” is only an appetizer for what’s to come, but it’s just as meaty as a main course. The episode continues delving into the dreamlike state created by “Mizumono”, this time taking us away from characters like Will Graham and Will Graham’s Dogs and letting us watch the Bedelia-Hannibal saga play out on screen. It’s a beautifully unsettling dynamic to observe, and the hour twists and turns with a graceful flair, sliding us in and out of a waking nightmare as this Hannibal world envelops us yet again.

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Community “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” Review (6×13)

2 Jun

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“One by one, they all just fade away…”

The Community study group contains some of the most endearing characters ever to grace a television (or computer) screen. They’re a tight bunch, a group of people who have forged connections and comforted each other through hard times and loved each other like they have never loved before. As we move into the final episode of season six, however, the main themes of the past few seasons are brought to the forefront: the difficulty of saying goodbye, the inevitability of change, people moving in and out of lives. In the end, staying together is something many people want to do, but the simple truth is that life may take you elsewhere. And that’s perfectly okay.

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Game of Thrones “Hardhome” Review (5×08)

31 May

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“I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel.”

History is essential in the Game of Thrones world. It’s a world in which your lineage determines your standing, in which people are bound by the wheel of history at every turn. Although many have tried, breaking the wheel is an extremely difficult task to accomplish because you’re essentially fighting against powerful forces, forces that have congregated over the years to be what they are now. As we move into the final two episodes of season five (and beyond), the clash between past and future is moving to the forefront.

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