Resolutions are difficult, but rewarding. Last week, we saw one of sorts with Kristen and her mother, and this week, we shift focus to Wilfred, Ryan, Jenna, and, most importantly, Bear. It’s not so much a resolution to the questions that were posed in full force this season–that’s next week–rather, it’s more about recognizing what needs to be done in order to move on. It’s about taking a good, hard look at your life and having the courage to do what’s always been at the back of your mind.
Wilfred “Courage” Review (4×08)
7 Aug
The Bridge “Eye of the Deep” Review (2×05)
7 Aug
Although the David Tate storyline essentially ended back in the eleventh episode of the first season, it was inevitable that as long as he was still breathing, his presence would continue to linger over the show, over Marco Ruiz. In “Eye of the Deep”, it’s exactly what we see; Marco has to grapple with his inner self, with a side of him that wants to embrace his darker nature and end the life of his son’s killer once and for all. As we’ve seen thus far in season 2, this is a conflicted man, one who’s perpetually strung between various inner and outer forces, and the questions of morality that have been swirling around his head ramp up here.
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Nathan For You “Daddy’s Watching/Party Planner” Review (2×06)
6 Aug
Nathan Fielder is not out to hurt anyone or to make a fool out of anyone. Rather, sometimes it’s his clients who dig themselves deeper into the business plan, something they’re initially skeptical of but eventually buy into, and what we end up with is a situation in which the participants are the driving source of the comedy; Nathan’s just there to nudge them along. Take, for example, the moment in “Daddy’s Watching/Party Planner” wherein one of the Nathan’s Weight Loss Program For You (I made that up) participants decides to use the human hot dog ass pose as his embarrassing photo. Fielder lets out a laugh, something we don’t usually see unless he’s purposely doing so; sometimes, even he can be surprised.
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The Killing Season 4 Review
5 Aug
“Always the one with a conscience.”
Although oftentimes, its themes have been shrouded by questionable writing and lazy contrivances, The Killing has always been about family, about the fraying and strengthening of relationships in the face of loss, of grief. It all began with the Larsen family members and the toll Rosie’s loss and the subsequent investigation took on them, and it ends with a look at St. George’s Military Academy and, for one last time, Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.
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The Leftovers “Guest” Review (1×06)
4 Aug
“Nothing’s next! NOTHING!”
When 2% of the world’s population vanishes, there’s no predetermined way to act, no coping mechanism that every person uses, no project or blueprint or script. When the pieces of the puzzle are torn away, everything simply falls back into place, albeit in perhaps an unusual way. Maybe, for example, you’ll stalk the woman your husband had an affair with or buy extra food for a group of people who’ll never get a chance to eat it or hire a prostitute to shoot you in the chest. Is it crazy? Well, by what standard do we measure these actions by if there is no status quo?
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Battlestar Galactica “Pegasus”/ “Resurrection Ship” Review (2×10/2×11/2×12)
2 Aug
ARC 4: Pegasus
Although there are plenty of other factors to take into play, the Pegasus is essentially what the Battlestar Galactica would be without Roslin. It’s not that Adama is Cain; rather, you would be looking at a military ship stripped of obligation to the political side of things, to the overarching goal of maintaining the well-being of its citizens, implementing a democracy, etc. Pegasus is led by means of a rigid, militaristic structure wherein that leader always has her sights set on destroying the enemy, and although the primary reaction to the Pegasus arrival is excitement and joy, it’s inevitable that the system under Admiral Cain will clash with that of the BSG.
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Rectify “Weird as You” Review (2×07)
1 Aug
“I know you. Now, you know you.”
This season, we’ve seen a Daniel Holden who wants to move forward, who wants to zoom off in a car to Atlanta and live a life as Donald the Normal, someone who’s appreciated for his intellect rather than his story. Recently, though, we’ve seen a Daniel Holden who confronts the past, who returned to the water’s edge at the end of the last episode and is now being taken on a trip down memory lane by Trey.
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Wilfred “Responsibility” Review (4×07)
31 Jul
Ryan’s psychological problems have compounded over the years, and this season’s episodes–with aptly named titles such as “Answers”, “Patterns”, and now “Responsibility”–have brought these problems to the forefront. Ryan’s always been searching for answers, falling into old patterns, and taking on responsibilities to the point where he’s unable to handle them all, and the constant cycle he’s been thrown into has led to tension and conflict and disappointment. However, like the quote used to open this episode states, he’ll get crushed by it all if he continues to let it build up.
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The Bridge “The Acorn” Review (2×04)
31 Jul
“There are no sides.”
The Bridge deals not only with the lines separating El Paso and Juarez, but also with the lines separating one emotional state from another, one side from another, one idea from another. When it delves into the nitty gritty, it reveals the moral ambiguity inherent in the situation, the internal conflicts ever present in the minds of people attempting to play sides. It’s not a black-and-white world. There are shades of gray, and people are caught.
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Sharknado 2: The Second One Review
30 Jul
Sharknado 2: The Second One opens with a fifteen-minute sequence that is a masterpiece of directing, an emotional whirlwind that sends you slipping, sliding, and screaming through the sharp teeth of danger, through the very real fear of limbs being lost to vicious flying sharks. It is an environment of pulverization and decapitation, but all you can do is soldier on; brain matter is splattered all around you, but you must not forget that the brain you have inside your own head is more powerful than the jaws of a shark. Perseverance trumps sheer power until the shark eats you.
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