Tag Archives: television

Strike Back “Shadow Warfare, Episode 7” Review (3×07/4×07)

28 Sep

Strike-Back-Season-3-Episode-7-Preview

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR MY SEASON FINALE (EPISODE 10) REVIEW, HERE IT IS: https://polarbearstv.com/2013/10/19/strike-back-shadow-warfare-episode-10-review-3x104x10/

“No taking this personally, but your plan could’ve used a little more finesse.”

The back half of this episode is a non-stop thrill ride, with the confines of the prison being used to deliver heart-pounding action sequences that culminate in an excellent cliffhanger. Stonebridge is captured along with Andersson, and Scott and Nina are captured in the prison.

Let’s back up. The entire premise of the episode involves Scott and Stonebridge infiltrating a Russian prison to break out a British computer hacker, and the aforementioned Nina is a Russian double agent working with Locke. Obviously, the prison break plot has been a staple of countless action shows and movies, but Strike Back is able to inject its own humor and twists that help it stay fresh.

Prison, though, is a place of confinement, and Scott and Stonebridge have never been more confined, both literally and figuratively. We continue to see the desire to leave Section 20 in both the leads, and the prison scenes contain some nice character development. Scott receives results that say that Stonebridge has been exposed to a lethal poison, therefore confirming the fact that it isn’t a mental problem. Scott decides to tell his partner, which is an excellent decision on his part; he can’t keep avoiding the truth. Stonebridge is the kind of guy who’d rather be subject to a poison than a mental problem.

Another interesting development in this episode arises with Kamali, who seems to be going off the rails in a situation that emulates Dalton’s. His suspicion that he’s been exposed as a double agent strike deep into his mind, and he kills a bank guard and Kamali’s bodyguard whilst closing Al-Zuhari’s bank accounts. The parallels between him and Dalton are coming more into focus now, and it’ll be interesting to see where it all heads.

Grade: B+

-The first scene is classic Strike Back.

-I’ll be back with more later. I just wanted to get this up quickly.

Credit to Cinemax and Strike Back for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Parenthood “It Has To Be Now” Review (5×01)

27 Sep

627-2Season 4 of Parenthood was one of the better seasons of television I’ve seen. Monica Potter had a breakout performance that should’ve earned her an Emmy nod, and the rest of the show gelled in a way that the previous seasons had not. How’s the Season 5 premiere, though? Breaking down the episode by storylines….

Kristina running for mayor

This is an interesting one. The mayoral race is more about taking advantage of her life (per her scene with Gwen) than actually winning, although she wouldn’t want to lose. It’s understandable why she’d do it, but it feels kind of strange in the context of the show. Still, Monica Potter can make just about anything work. As for Bob Little, he’ll probably get the brunt of Adam and Kristina’s heat; he doesn’t deserve it, because two consenting adults had consensual sex, but he’ll be Kristina’s enemy.

Max and Hank

This is a storyline I love. I hate that Sarah always has to be stuck in a romance plot, and I’m glad that we focus on Hank in relation to Max here. These two have a deeper connection and understanding of each other than pretty much anyone else in the show, past or present.

Joel’s new project and Julia’s job-finding troubles

Sonya Walger’s around to stir things up a bit! Also, we continue to see Joel becoming more successful as Julia becomes less prominent. Sydney explains profit margins.

Crosby and Jasmine

Although I love the issues this storyline focuses on, the fact that the two have been in conflict for so long underscores the importance of Crosby’s feelings. They seem like they’re in an endless marriage of conflicting viewpoints, yet they love each other so much. It’s a bit of wheel-spinning.

Ryan and Amber

This is a beautiful relationship. That final proposal scene is definitely cliche, but it’s so well acted by Whitman and Lauria that it becomes something perfect. I wish we could avoid the inevitable relationship troubles that they’ll face.

Other thoughts:

-Drew grows more hair! People forget Haddie even exists! Zeek can still go to Funkytown! Sarah used a hammer and smashed a smoke detector!

Grade: B

Credit to NBC and Parenthood for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Parks and Recreation “London, Parts 1 and 2” Review (6×01/6×02)

27 Sep

627-1Parks and Recreation brings a smile to my face every time it’s on. Yes, last season suffered from a bit of wheel-spinning, stranding the show in a static phase that soured my opinion of the show. However, this premiere is a nice return to form, setting a new direction for the show’s characters.

The cold open is among the best in Parks history. The show truly understands its characters, something that seems to slip away from other shows as the seasons wear on (due to necessity of plot, which makes this episode even more impressive because it gives the show a new direction). This scene doesn’t get too sappy, but it’s the right amount of sweet. Ron Swanson is not the guy who needs an elaborate wedding; he truly cares for Diane, and the quicker they get it done, the better. Leslie is someone who wants to make everything perfect for everybody, and her childlike glee at the events unfolding is a joy to watch. It’s sweet, and more importantly, it’s true to her character.

Flashforward to a month later. Several storylines are prominent throughout, the main one being a trip to London. Leslie has to give a speech before the International Coalition of Women in Government, where she has to come to terms with the fact that her political career means ignoring the general awfulness of many people around her. It’s a very important moment for her character, one which Ron Swanson is every a bit a part of as her.

We also have Ben and Andy visiting Lord Covington (the great Peter Serafinowicz), and Covington and Andy’s interactions are absolutely hilarious. It’s a way to write Pratt out of the show for a while, but it’s incredibly well done.

Back in Pawnee, Chris and Ann are trying to tell everyone about their pregnancy, and Tom finds out that his main competitor is Jean Ralphio’s father. Both work well in the context of the episode, and fill out what is a very sweet and hilarious one hour premiere.

Part 1 Grade: B+   Part 2 Grade: B+

Overall: B+

Other thoughts:

-Henry Winkler is fantastic.

-Chris and Ann’s storyline ties in well with Leslie’s, as they continue to look for assurance that, yes, this is a good marriage. These are similar storylines, and I’ll be sad when the two leave.

-Ron visiting the Lagavulin distillery is really beautiful.

-I enjoy Ron’s hatred of Europe. “Fine, enjoy the fact that your royal overlords are a frail old woman and a tiny baby.”

-“Let’s go see if it was a goose.”

-Jerry imitating breastfeeding…oh, man.

-“Hogwarts is fictional. Do you know that? It’s important to me that you know that.”

-“Do you not think that, or do you not think that?” Welcome back, Perd.

Credit to NBC and Parks and Recreation for all pictures. I own nothing.

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The Bridge “All About Eva” Review (1×12)

26 Sep

marcohankWe all have tragedy in our lives. We all have to get through every day, whether we feel like it or not, and sometimes, starting off the day is the hardest thing to do. Perhaps we pour ourselves a cup of coffee. Perhaps we go for a jog. Perhaps we make our bed.

Hank tells Marco that his wife told him to make his bed every morning, and Marco takes that suggestion to heart; he needs to get a sense of order back in this crazy life he’s living. Getting drunk is an easy way out, something Frye knows all too well.

Still, Marco attempts this at first. However, the one force that’s stopping him is Sonya Cross, that woman whose condition has alienated her, preventing her from connecting with Marco on a more personal level. It’s both sweet and refreshing to see Sonya so determined to make this connection, a connection that may very well be more important to her than to Marco. He’s a guy that can pick himself up again; she, like she says at Marco’s front door, “has no one else”. Yet, possession is essential to her. She can’t let go of her sister’s car or the cassette tape in it. All throughout her life, she’s been alienated, and she’s turned to objects to fulfill her emotional needs.

These two characters are inherently fascinating. I can only lament the fact that the David Tate storyline was the impediment to the continued exploration of this relationship. Hopefully we can just get back to the rudimentary ideals behind the show.

One of these ideals is that the border situation affects everyone living there. The other main storyline of the episode involves Linder’s search for Eva, a character that really doesn’t feel like a character right now. However, what the show does is show the effects of the El Paso-Juarez world on specific characters (in this case, Linder), and then use that to represent the larger scope that they want to convey. The storyline is “All About Eva”, and we’re invested because Linder’s a main character. Yet, take a look at the final scene. It, and the episode, focuses on him first, then slowly zooms back so that we can see the truly far-reaching effects of this particular case. It both magnifies and underscores the tragedy.

lidnerrWhat this episode does well is reflect actual humans living through actual tragedies. It doesn’t make them the tragedy, as with Tate. Tate’s character was emblematic of the exact opposite of what I mention in the paragraph above, and that ultimately hurt my opinion of the handling of the character. We all have stuff to get through. We’re all human.

Grade: A-

Other thoughts:

-This episode also has a sense of finality to it. I’m interested to see how the actual finale plays out.

-Fausto Galvan is the best. I wish his storyline had been more developed.

-“I told him you wouldn’t like it if we dated.” “No I would not have.”

-“Is there any chance she went back to her boyfriend?” “No, not really.”

-The Frye/Adriana dinner scenes are always a treat.

-Next week, Fausto should just walk into the police station and start threatening everyone. He might as well cut off a few dicks, balls, and lips while he’s at it.

-FX renewed the show for another season. This is good news.

Credit to FX and The Bridge for all pictures. I own nothing.

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The Newsroom “Red Team III” Review (2×07)

27 Aug

627-5

The Newsroom is a show that, in the first season, I simultaneously loved and hated. It was just so absurdly bad that I couldn’t help but feel entertained. However, I must admit, Red Team III is the first episode of the show I unequivocally love. Season 2 has rescued a sinking ship, and this episode is the best of the series.

Why is that? Well, first of all, there are actual stakes. There is actual tension. There is actual character development, and it doesn’t feel contrived. There are certainly plot contrivances, but I’ll get to that later. What this episode does so well is bring every character together as a team, which is something the show should’ve done right off the bat. Each character shares the guilt, the blame, and the repercussions from the Genoa mess, which, by the way, is the best storyline this show has produced. It’s a more unifying, serial storyline that allows for more investment in the show. Anyway, the actors do great work in this episode portraying a group of people steadily spiraling down as things keep piling up and piling up. The shouting match in the conference room is a thing of beauty.

The episode is structured around several deposition scenes, something Sorkin likes to incorporate into his writing. He’s always great at doing that, and this episode is no exception. These scenes are just as riveting as the main plot, and it’s a nice back and forth that he has going, both in terms of the dialogue in these scenes and the cuts between deposition-main plot.

Now, as for the plot contrivances, I was annoyed at the whole shot clock fiasco at first, but I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t take too much away from the plot. It just barely works, and it paves the way for a great scene in the elevator between Mac and Jerry. One scene I really don’t like, though, is that whole parking garage meeting. It feels shoehorned in in a way that scenes in previous, worse episodes have been guilty of. Finally, I also have a few problems with the final scene. The whole resignation non-acceptance stuff is a bit too easy, and while I did love the smash cut to black, it didn’t work for me as a whole.

Ultimately, though, this is a fantastic episode of The Newsroom, and I’m looking forward to the final two.

Grade: A-

Other thoughts:

-Jane Fonda is a delight. The whole Daniel Craig discussion was hilarious.

-Man, I hate Jerry Dantana. I know it’s kind of the point, but man, is he unlikeable or what?

-I get that the crew feels a bit shell shocked after the whole screw up, but the implication that they would have done Benghazi “right” if they weren’t focused on Genoa? Yeah, no.

-Once again, we have Sorkin and his “women in need of some (insert topic) advice” with Mac (insert “sports”). However, I felt that he handled her character better as the episode went on, and in this season in general. It wasn’t too much of a problem here.

Credit to HBO and The Newsroom for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Hello, I’m a polar bear.

23 Aug

Welcome to this blog. There are millions of other blogs out there, but you chose to look at mine. No, you did not just randomly come across it; you chose it. I will accept nothing less.

As for what we do here, I think the title’s pretty explanatory. I’m a polar bear, and yes, I do watch TV. I am obsessed with various forms of pop culture, in particular television and film, so I started this to get my thoughts down in writing. I am a member of the fabulous online community of The AV Club (which all of you should check out), and I wanted to do something similar to that.

What will we review? Lots of stuff. Our TV reviews will include American Horror Story, Dexter, Breaking Bad, The Bridge, The Americans, Wilfred, Louie, Justified, Parks and Recreation, Community, Sons of Anarchy, Hannibal, Orange is the New Black, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Treme, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Archer, New Girl, Parenthood, Orphan Black, Person of Interest, The Walking Dead, Childrens Hospital, NTSF:SD:SUV::, Girls, Nikita, Strike Back, Veep, Banshee, The Vampire Diaries, How I Met Your Mother, Arrow, Revenge, Scandal, The Newsroom, Raising Hope, and others I can’t think of right now. Only some of these will have regular coverage, but I’ll try to get in some posts about all of them. I will also be reviewing new pilots, and may decide to pick up some more shows.

Our TV Classic reviews may include shows like The Shield, The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, Friday Night Lights, House, 24, Lost, Chuck, Terriers, Arrested Development, The West Wing, Fringe, Boston Legal, and others.

*I apologize, but many of these shows’ reviews will start in the middle of their seasons, as I am just starting to write. However, I will try to give some thoughts on the episodes before.

Our film reviews will include whatever movies I decide to watch at home or in the theater, and can be new releases or old.

I might also post some random stuff; fan fiction, thoughts on entertainment news, etc.

Enjoy.

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