After a quick-moving premiere, 24 eases up on the throttle a bit as it starts to shade in the various characters and their places in this world. “1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.” starts to fall back into some annoying patterns, but it’s still an enjoyable episode.
“Get out while you still can!”
Michael Ginsberg warns Peggy and the rest of SC&P as he’s being wheeled out of the office, one nipple missing and downward spiral complete. Although the breakdown doesn’t have the effect it could’ve had, it’s still an incredibly sad situation to witness: here’s a man who’s unable to run away from the circumstances, who feels like he’s on the outside looking in, so much so that paranoia sets in and sends him hurtling over the edge.
“The spirit of man is in fact a thing variable and full of perturbation, and governed as it were by chance.” –Francis Bacon
As much as organizations like the Dyad Institute or people like the Proletheans seem to have a “master plan”, they are in fact governed by the spirit of man, their own desires and perspectives that play a role in the idea of chance. Chance is a dangerous thing, and when your personal goals are intermingled with what you believe to be your destiny, chance can tear down any foundation you’ve built up.
The opening moments of “Ko No Mono” convey an image of Will being reborn from the stag, emerging under the guidance of Hannibal Lecter and transforming into the very thing the doctor’s always wanted him to be. This rebirth, however, is through Hannibal’s eyes, as he believes he’s acting as father, as friend, as mentor.
NBC, you are a wonderful network. Oh, the drama. Oh, the comedy. Oh, the singing competitions and football. And to have the gall to cancel Community after you’ve screwed it over countless times before? I commend you, you beautiful mishmash of broken dreams and awful decisions, you excellent schedule-makers that net you almost–almost!–1.0 ratings in the 18-49 demo. As we all know, 1.0 is two times 0.5, and double of anything is always good (See: The Voice). Continue reading
As we head toward the end of season 2 of The Americans, the dominoes are being set up as everything hangs by a thread, ready to crumble at any second. In “Stealth”, all our characters are feeling trapped in some way, looking to break free from the grip of their current lives. Can they, though?
“Lots of stuff happens after you die. It’s just that none of it includes you.”
Louie has always been a simultaneously hilarious and a bit depressing, portraying a man pretty much just living his life, performing sets at the Comedy Cellar and taking care of his daughters and dealing with his myriad problems. In the fourth season premiere, it’s all about age, and from the show’s simplicity comes some rich, compelling television.
“You probably think I’m at a disadvantage. I promise you I’m not.”
Perhaps the one constant about 24′s reputation is the character of Jack Bauer, the legendary presence that beat up baddies, constantly yelled “DAMMIT!”, and was an all around badass. Interestingly, the show’s seemed to have fallen off the radar until now, mostly living on through Bauer and various shows that are what they are because of 24. There’s no denying that it was an ambitious and important series, and guess what? It’s back.
“This agency has entered the future.”
The actual dismantling of the Creative Lounge is pretty much the perfect encapsulation of not only Don’s crisis, but also of the state of SC&P. Gone are the days of pitches and gone is the essence of true advertising, replaced by fancy computers as the walls metaphorically crumble around Don. Essentially, the new world of advertising breeds fear.
The title of this episode, a Francis Bacon quote from Novum Organum, refers to the fact that “human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly, distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it”. Essentially, he’s saying that our view of science, of the world, of nature, is stunted by our tunnel vision, our focus on “human understanding” as the limit to our knowledge.
Polar Bears Watch TV 