Tag Archives: TV

Homeland “The Yoga Play” Review (3×05)

28 Oct

627-1Now I’m starting to see why many people think the twist was unnecessary; this episode does a great job of milking the tension out of the uncertainty of situations, not just for the audience, but for the characters themselves. Too much of the first few episodes floundered due to the writers’ insistence on keeping us in the dark, and “The Yoga Play” is a prime example of why they shouldn’t have done it.

First off, we have Carrie, and her scenes have more of an impact this week because she has no idea what’s going on; she’s wondering if she blew her cover, she’s looking over her shoulder, and at episode’s end, she’s whisked away by the Iranians. It’s not something we haven’t seen before, but it’s nice having the show ramp up the tension as we head into the second half of the season. This is organic tension; it’s not tension for tension’s sake.

Speaking of tension, we also have Saul vs. Lockhart; sadly, Lockhart has no beard to compete with. While Carrie and Saul’s plan gave the show more of a direction, Lockhart’s lending it a sense of urgency. The plan has to be carried out quickly, because it doesn’t look like he’ll be giving much support. However, I admit that I do find the whole plot a bit strange; for example, why would Saul be invited to the retreat by his friend only to have his job swept out from under him? In addition, while I enjoy Saul berating Lockhart, the scene comes across as a bit cliched.

Of course, no one can touch Dana Brody. Her storyline with Leo is insufferable yet again, but thankfully it comes to a close. Dana’s dream of a utopia is no more, and now we can get to the more interesting dynamics between her and Jess (as long as it doesn’t descend into more soap opera antics).

Still, the last 10 minutes or so contain some good old-fashioned tension: score pounding in the background, Carrie being strip searched, and Saul’s final trenchant line: “She’s always been alone.” And so it is, Saul. So it is.

GRADE: B

OTHER  THOUGHTS:

-I like Jess reaching out to Carrie; it’s understandable that her opinion of Carrie has changed, and it’s a nice scene for Baccarin.

-Baccarin and Saylor seem to be trying to emulate Danes’ cry face.

-Saul, you should’ve just shot the guy when he gave you the news. Then, go the Cheney route.

-I was disappointed The Yoga Play didn’t involve Virgil and Max doing yoga.

-Quinn’s pretty cool.

-Sorry for the briefness. I wanted to get it up quickly.

Credit to Showtime and Homeland for all pictures. I own nothing.

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The Walking Dead “Isolation” Review (4×03)

28 Oct

627-17What choices do we have to make to survive? Do we sacrifice our morals? Do we sacrifice others? These questions have the most weight in none other than a post-apocalyptic world like this one, and it’s ubiquitous throughout the course of this episode.

Take, for example, Carol. At episode’s end, it’s revealed that she’s the one who burned two of the sick; it seems very rash and callous of her, but because she’s become the de facto co-leader of the prison, she has to keep her emotions bottled up when she’s around others. However, when she’s alone, as we see in this episode, she breaks down, the guilt washing over her like a tidal wave.

That same guilt is felt by Hershel, but he has an opposite view: he believes that to survive, we help as much as we can, even if it means sacrificing our own lives. Carol’s all about moving forward, but Hershel’s the kind of guy that will expose himself to the contagion if it means he can help others feel better. It’s a nice thing to see someone stand up for his beliefs in this show, and while his decision may seem reckless, it’s all about perspective.

We also have Tyreese going mad over his girlfriend’s death, and his fight with Rick in the cold open is devastating to watch. Coleman does great work conveying the rage, sadness, and determination throughout, and I’m enjoying seeing the evolution of his character. I’m glad he doesn’t die when he’s surrounded by all those Walkers; it would be stupid if he did (although how does he even survive?), but I feel like that would be an easy way out for the writers, negating any sort of character buildup they’ve done with him.

Anyway, it’s a solid episode with solid character development, and the final twist stirs things up a bit; it paves the way for some intriguing character dynamics, and I’m looking forward to it.

GRADE: B

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-Carol, why did you knock over the water? Come on.

-Daryl really Lori’d it in the car.

-Carl’s huge silencer made me laugh.

-Three black people go off with Daryl, and not one of them dies? We’re making progress here, show.

-The show’s way of dealing with the new characters is to quarantine them all.

Credit to AMC and The Walking Dead for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Saturday Night Live “Edward Norton/Janelle Monáe” Live Blog/Review (39×04)

26 Oct

saturday-night-live-edward-norton-01HEALTH CARE WEBSITE: Kate McKinnon is always a joy to watch, and she delivers an above-average cold open that, while it runs long, has some great touches in the spoof on the healthcare.gov fiasco: the spinning ball of doom, a smashing of a computer, and funny zingers. GRADE: B

MONOLOGUE: This is a pretty bland monologue, and not even Alec Baldwin can salvage it. Most of the jokes don’t land, and for some reason, Miley Cyrus returns after only a few weeks after her episode. The three people up there don’t really mesh all that well, and it’s awkward and unfunny. Good Woody Allen, though, Norton. GRADE: C+

PUMPKIN SPICE: The sketch mainly relies on the sight gags of pumpkin spice smoke rising from a bunch of womens’ vaginas, and it works; Kate McKinnon shoveling a pumpkin near her vagina is always funny. GRADE: B

STRANGER SAFETY CLASS: The best part of this sketch is Bobby Moynihan screaming “YOU SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS!” Nasim Pedrad is also charming as the naive kid, and while the sketch starts out shaky, it improves a bit later when everyone starts yelling at Norton. GRADE: B

STEVE HARVEY: Okay, so this sketch is amusing enough at first, with Thompson’s Harvey not able to figure out the play on words in front of him, but there’s only so much you can do with that. Some of his misconstrued observations are funny, but ultimately, not enough to hold up a sketch. GRADE: C+

Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders: Now this is fantastic. The audience wasn’t laughing much due to the fact that most people haven’t seen a Wes Anderson movie, but this is a great parody that nails all the aspects of his techniques. GRADE: A-

POSSUM: Well, this isn’t funny. It consists of two guys fascinated with possums in a vent, and it doesn’t amount to anything at all. Usually, the weird reaction shots get laughs out of the audience, but when even that doesn’t do anything, you know the sketch sucks. GRADE: C-

RAIN MAN: So, the guy can count stuff. That’s the “joke”, and it’s elongated over a 3-4 minute sketch. It looks like we’re going downhill now. GRADE: C-

WEEKEND UPDATE: The show’s running long today, so a good 5 minutes are shaved off of Weekend Update. The actual jokes are average this week, and Anthony Crispino is getting old. I admit, though, he makes me laugh sometimes.. Anyway, again not much for Cecily this week; I’ll chalk that up to lack of time. GRADE: C+

12 DAYS NOT A SLAVE: I saw 12 Years A Slave today, and it was a masterpiece. My review will be up later. As for this sketch? Eh. Moynihan walking menacingly behind Pharoah is funny, but none of the other jokes land; I would’ve liked to see a more straight up parody of the movie, but that’s not to be, I guess. Also: it’s weird seeing Taran Killam here after seeing him in the movie. Oh, and go away, Miley Cyrus. GRADE: C-

VIRGIN WAITERS: Yeah, we’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel here. How in the hell is this funny? It’s just a bunch of people acting like idiots, and yes, I know that’s the point, but it really is just a bunch of actors making fools of themselves. The best part of the sketch, aside from when it ends, is “Where do you picture the other person?” GRADE: D

JANELLE MONÁE: I really like Monáe, and I think her second song, “Electric Lady”, shows off her talents a bit better than the first one does. She can rap, dance, and her beats are extremely catchy. Overall, two very enjoyable performances. GRADE: B+

HALLOWEEN CANDY: This started off as a sketch I thought I would hate, but it was surprisingly funny near the end; maybe it’s just because a lot of what came before this sketch was utter crap. Norton’s funny here in an awkward, weird way, and you know what? I like it; my favorite is him opening the Cars 2 DVD case and going, “No DVD. Look who’s in control now?” GRADE: B

OVERALL: C

BEST SKETCH: Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders

WORST SKETCH: Virgin Waiters

FINAL THOUGHTS: That got bad quickly. Everything started off fine enough, reaching its height with the Wes Anderson parody; however, it plummeted in quality afterwards. I do like the ending sketch, which uses Norton the best out of any sketch tonight. All in all, though, a mediocre show.

Credit to NBC and Saturday Night Live for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Friday Night Lights “The Giving Tree” Review (3×10)

26 Oct

FNL01“Money comes and goes. These kids of ours? That’s a one time deal.”

Every parent deals with his or her kids differently. Yet, it doesn’t work out all the time; sometimes you screw up so badly that it mars that relationship forever. Take Buddy Garrity, for example. Sure, no parent is obligated to pay their kid’s college fund, but when your kid is promised one and has worked with the assumption of a future, to throw it all away is an incredibly dickish move. It’s sad seeing how far Buddy has fallen; he’s lost so much, and all he has left is Panther football. It’s also disappointing, seeing as the shit that’s befallen him recently helped augment his appreciation for Lyla; he’s a guy that wants to get his way, and here’s an example of him trying to solve everything in one fell swoop. It’s reckless and selfish, and I feel for Lyla. Kelly and Leland are both fantastic at illustrating the dynamics of that relationship.

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Parenthood “Let’s Be Mad Together” Review (5×05)

25 Oct

Parenthood- Season 5“Not everyone has a family like yours.”

When Ryan walks up to Sarah’s door at episode’s end, what follows is a powerful scene filled to the brim with raw emotion, vulnerability, and honesty. It’s a fantastic closing segment that finishes the best episode of the season. Let’s break it down.

CAMILLE WANTS TO SELL THE HOUSE

This is easily the best storyline this season, and while it was strangely put off last week, I’m extremely happy to see it back. It’s a fantastic outlet for Bonnie Bedelia to showcase her acting skills, and like I’ve said before, it’s a realistic, relatable storyline that is heartbreakingly sweet. There’s a couple fantastic scenes involving Julia here, the first one being one between her and Camille in the kitchen. It’s heartbreaking to watch Camille try to hold back her tears, a woman caught between two loves: her husband and her life. It’s also sweet to see Julia allowing herself a small smile, and Christensen does brilliant work conveying sadness when she realizes what selling the house would mean; she also conveys happiness for Camille when she realizes there’s so much more out there.

Julia then heads over to talk to Zeek, and we once again witness a wonderful dynamic playing out on screen; she breaks down in Zeek’s arms, determined to say what she’s feeling and trying not to upset her parents. It’s a fantastic storyline, and I like how they’re slowly integrating the rest of the Bravermans into it; the kids brought them together, and now they can set them free.

SARAH AND RYAN

I’m glad that Ryan tells her the truth; as much as Mae Whitman and Lauren Graham act the hell out of their respective characters, we can only see marriage tensions so long. The final scene is a refreshingly honest one, and while it shouldn’t completely validate Ryan in Sarah’s eyes, it should be a major step in having Sarah support the marriage. I also enjoyed the scene in which she tries to connect with him by bringing him coffee; it’s a very Sarah thing to do, and it reflects how she’s really trying to give her support.

As for other Sarah adventures, I can only roll my eyes at the tired TV trope of “I suck at plumbing.” I could not be interested less in her budding romance with Shirtless Weird Guy.

JOEL’S NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITES

Speaking of budding romances…I’m glad that we have Sonya Walger on the show, as I adored Penny, but I’m apprehensive about this storyline. It would be much more interesting just to see Joel and Meredith as friendly, but not romantic, business partners and friends. She could be to Joel what Ed is to Julia, although I suspect this is not going to be the case moving forward.

However, this storyline does give us a fantastic scene between Sam Jaeger and Dax Shepard, complete with a drunk Joel eating terrible cake with Crosby in their car. It’s just two guys hanging out.

MAX AND THE YEARBOOK

My, isn’t is refreshing not having a terrible election plot? Yes, Kristina going to bat for Max isn’t anything new, but it still allows for some sweet scenes, especially that one at the end; I’m glad she says that she’s mad. “Let’s be mad together.” The camera then pulls back for a wonderful shot of the two side by side on the bed.

I also like Hank defending Max’s photo; like I’ve said, it’s a fantastic relationship. Plus, he’s right; if you’re going to cry, don’t do it in the middle of the damn hallway.

ADAM AND CROSBY

This feels all too familiar, as tensions arise between Adam and Crosby over their business direction. It’s a bit repetitive, but it does culminate in a great scene in which Crosby tells the band to cut the crap and just sing. It’s a bit sugercoated, but it works.

HADDIE

I miss Haddie.

GRADE: A-

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

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American Horror Story: Coven “The Replacements” Review (3×03)

24 Oct

627-16Can minotaurs even have sex? That’s what I want to know.

This episode of AHS turns the insane up another notch, delivering minotaur masturbation, Frankenstein incest, and a voodoo throne with an iPad. Nothing’s particularly surprising too see, but it’s certainly disturbing and tasteless; I wonder how long this can sustain itself, but as of right now, it’s humming along quite nicely.

First up, let’s take a look at Madame LaLaurie and Queenie. This relationship is absolutely fascinating to watch, and I hope the fact that Queenie comes to the Madame’s defense isn’t an indication of a lessening in conflict. I guess we had to get that minotaur scene in there somewhere, but the dynamic between the former slave owner acclimating to the 21st century and the indignant black witch is priceless. I will say, though, that I’m not all that fond of the way race is touched on in this show. Fiona’s throwaway line about not being racist is pretty much Murphy trying to use his main character’s ideas as justification for his own. It’s like, “Hey, Jessica Lange isn’t racist! On to more slave torture scenes!” Anyway, speaking of that minotaur scene….yeah, let’s maybe not.

Another scene we probably shouldn’t speak of is the incest one between Kyle and his mother. Peters is doing a great job with his Frankenstein-esque role, but this storyline is disturbing while at the same time being completely normal in the realm of AHS. It isn’t as graphic as it could have been, but it’s once again Coven‘s own brand of crazy.

Cordelia’s storyline isn’t the snake sex crazy we had last week, but I’m happy she’s starting to interact with more characters; pretty much anyone placed in the same room as Bassett will be overshadowed, but Paulson does a nice job of conveying her desperation throughout; Cordelia’s been sidelined from the main action these first few weeks, and it’s starting to become clearer how exactly she’ll fit into the rest of the story.

That main story is obviously revolving around Fiona, Madison, and Zoe. It’s really entertaining watching Lange chew up the scenery, and she makes the other characters all the better for it. I have to say I was looking forward to seeing the Fiona-Madison dynamic expanded upon, but it looks like it won’t happen due to the bloodbath in the final 10 minutes. On the one hand, it’s a shocking moment and gets the “Who’s the Supreme?” question out of the way, but on the other hand, I’m not certain we won’t see Emma Roberts again. Hey, I’d take back every bad thing I’ve ever said about Ryan Murphy if he brought back Dylan McDermott and found a way to make him the Supreme.

GRADE B+

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-That conversation about age between Madison and Fiona really is accurate, isn’t it? Now that is a well-drawn parallel between the ideals of today and the AHS world.

-“This coven doesn’t need a new Supreme. It needs a new rug.” All the awards to Jessica Lange.

-LaLaurie’s reaction to Obama is absolutely priceless.

-Angela Bassett playing Solitaire on her iPad on her voodoo throne is both terrifying and hilarious.

-Lily Rabe is fantastic. She’s done amazing things with a character that could’ve easily been terrible.

-Denis O’Hare is still standing there.

-“On the day of, bring us two ounces of your husband’s baby gravy in a Mason jar.”

-“He’s so backed up, all I’d have to do is say ‘panties’ and he’d jizz in his jeans.” I’ll miss you, Madison, if you’re actually gone. Knowing the show, Cordelia will give birth to you or something.

Credit to FX and American Horror Story: Coven for all pictures. I own nothing.

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New Girl “Keaton” Review (3×06)

23 Oct

627-13Just a few quick bullets…

-This is a fantastic episode, both hilarious and emotionally resonant. It’s primarily a Schmidt-Nick episode, modeling everything else around their relationship. Both Greenfield and Johnson do great work here in both the flashbacks and present day, and the episode culminates in a sweet scene outside between Schmidt and Nick that brings everything to the forefront.

-I also like that Nick’s way in college of dealing with Schmidt’s suspicions was to knock him out. It’s hilarious, but it also gets at an underlying character development; now, Nick’s matured enough so that he can truly face others. Much as Schmidt needed the idea of Keaton, Nick needed to be Keaton; he wanted to be that Batman-type figure, but he couldn’t bring himself out of the shadows.

-The whole Michael Keaton concept could have staled pretty quickly, but the show is able to keep things moving and based upon character foundations, making sure it doesn’t tumble into the wells of cliche.

-It’s a nice, organic way to transition Schmidt out for now and bring in Coach. It’s understandable why he moves out, albeit a bit frustrating, but it’s a well-done storyline. And, he took the jar!

-I’m glad we see some more of Cece this week. She’s a big part of Schmidt’s actions and his thought process, and she’s been missed the last few weeks. Also, it’s nice to see two friends just sitting down and talking about what’s going on, and of course, “Batman-mobile.”

-“I guess I’ll always be the fat boy who eats fat-boy cheese.”

-“It is his entire acting philosophy, which I made up.”

-“What about when we met Michael Keaton at that deli, and he winked at us?” “I… I don’t know. Honestly that was the greatest day of my life.”

-The costumes are fantastic: Public Serpent, Joey Ramona Quimby, David Letterman, and Paper Mountain Trash….it’s just trash from his car.

-Jessica Damn Day.

-keatonpotatoes@aol.com is absolute genius.

-Winston and his thinking he watched The Truman Show is comedy gold.

-“Yes, I stole that from Nelson Mandela. I added the part about the Penguin and the Riddler.”

-“I’m simple, like Hemingway!”

-Michael Keaton helped Schmidt with his public erections.

GRADE: A-

Credit to FOX and New Girl for all pictures. I own nothing.

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Friday Night Lights “Game of the Week” Review (3×09)

22 Oct

fnl-gameoftheweek

When the spotlight is on you and the pressure is mounting, sometimes that’s when everything becomes clear; all you can focus on is that one game, that one relationship, that one future, that one family. And so it goes in Dillon.

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Homeland “Game On” Review (3×04)

21 Oct

627-11Just a few quick bullets coming up…

-So, the show finally has a direction now. With the reveal at episode’s end, we can finally kick the season into high gear.

-I’m not sure how I feel about the actual reveal, though. It’s implausible and, quite frankly, ridiculous, and it reeks of the writers playing a game with the audience. They had to come up with something to kick-start the season, and it seems almost as if they expect the twist to justify everything that’s happened so far and the audience to completely like Carrie/Saul again, even if it shouldn’t. The dynamic between the two has changed, and we need to see that later on; this season held off far too long on the expanding on Saul and Carrie’s relationship.

-On the other hand, the plot twist is necessary. The writers wrote themselves into a hole, and it’s intriguing where we’re going next. I don’t buy this being the plan all along, as Alex Gansa implied in a recent interview, but we’ll see where we go next.

-I’ve seen grumblings that if Carrie knew the plan, why she acts like she doesn’t: banging her head, refusing to meet with the lawyer, finding out her accounts have been frozen. Some of these I find strange, but it’s also very realistic that if she’s placed in a mental hospital, she’ll lash out. She actually has to deal with all this crap even though she really isn’t dealing with it, and she eventually questions whether or not the plan is real. That final scene is one in which she tries to find reassurance.

-No matter whether you like the plot twist or not, I’m sure we can all agree that the final scene is wonderful just for Mandy Patinkin and Claire Danes alone. Fantastic work there for them both. The fundamental relationship of this show really isn’t Brody-Carrie at all; Saul’s the one that’s always been there for her, the one that’s necessary to her being. Brody’s more like a drug, someone Carrie gets pulled in by and can never escape from.

-I’m enjoying Saul and Fara’s dynamic, and I like how it’s incorporating the (not present in this episode) Brody into the proceedings. He’s connected to the home front, and it’s interesting to see where his character goes next.

-Saul’s using Dar Adal.

-Dana and Leo are now driving off to cemeteries to recite poetry. Jeez, this is terrible. I sense the writers are drawing parallels: Dana as Carrie, Leo as Brody to Dana and Saul to Carrie. However, Dana’s inherently more interesting when she’s interacting with those involved in the main plot. Hopefully she punts him off a bridge sometime in the season.

-Mike is here. Whatever.

Credit to Showtime and Homeland for all pictures. I own nothing.

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The Walking Dead “Infected” Review (4×02)

21 Oct

627-12Just a few quick thoughts…

-This is certainly a step up from the premiere; it’s a very bleak episode, and while there’s not much more to say beyond “We’re going to die!”, I’m appreciating the fact that the show is sitting down and taking a look at what makes these characters who they are.

-Of course, the “Who cares?” problem still comes into play when a bunch of supporting characters are killed off in the prison breach scene. It’s well directed and very intense, but it ultimately has very little emotional resonance due to the fact that we don’t even remember any of their names.

-Speaking of emotional resonance, Rick killing the pigs is probably the scene that fulfills that requirement most adequately. It’s a great scene for Andrew Lincoln, and it represents him moving away from his “farmer” mode. At the end of the day, a farmer can’t survive in this world; at best, it’s a fantasy. I’m happy he’s back to being in cop-mode, but this also detracts from his relationship with Carl. I would’ve liked to see more expansion on that and Rick’s quest to move his son in a better direction.

-I’m liking Carol this season. As callous as it sounds, the only sympathy I feel for the two girls is because of her. I like her telling the kid that she’s weak; it’s something that the kid needs to hear, and better earlier than later due to the fact that kids have to mature much more quickly in this world.

-Piglets are cute, damn it.

-I like how everyone is nervous about being infected, but then Rick just goes ahead and sprays himself with infected pig blood.

-At the end of the episode, Tyreese finds his wife burned outside. It’s an ominous final scene, and to be honest, I hope the Governor didn’t do it. He probably did, but I like the show better when the villain is nebulous; that’s what made the pilot so fantastic. The Governor is fun, but true horror arises when you can’t even trust those around you.

Grade: B+

Credit to AMC and The Walking Dead for all pictures. I own nothing.

 

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