BREAKING BAD S04E06 - "Cornered" (21 August 2011) - I watched "Cornered" two days ago, and I sit here Wednesday evening typing away, I realize I don't quite remember what the hell happened. I understand the necessity of a slow burn, of allowing the plot and characters to grow naturally before all hell breaks loose or wherever Vince Gilligan is gonna leave us at, but six episodes in, I'm just not feeling it. At this point last year, I think we got that pretty spectacular shootout, or at least Hank beating on Jesse. What we have here is Walter White being scared and paranoid, and sizes up his ego to Skylar by saying he's the motherf***er in charge of operations. Skylar scurries off, wants to leave, but can't. Hank is intrigued in this Heisenberg business which I hope will see him in a collision course with our dear ex-chemistry teacher. And Jesse impresses Mike with his brains, surprise, surprise. Will Jesse be pitted against Walt? That seems to be the natural evolution of this arc. After all, Walt hardly ever comes off as caring to Jesse, always berating him and being generally a dick, so I wouldn't blame Jesse for acting out against him. Guess we'll see. Just when Skylar was becoming tolerable again, the writers do this to her - make her insufferable. Ugh. A decent episode, but I want more. Score: 7.5/10
RESCUE ME S07E07 - "Jeter" (24 August 2011) - Those were some amazing World Trade Center shots, and that was one great speech from Lou about the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. I'm really digging the resurgence and importance of that day on the show, how it's made Tommy how he is and frakked up Sheila's life. Speaking of Sheila, she had a nice row at Tommy about invasion of privacy, which in this case was a letter Jimmy wrote in the event he never returned home. "Jeter" seemed to be the episode where the light-bulb clicked in Tommy's head, and it was either let go of what happened that day - all the guilt and horror - and move on with his life, or hurry up and die already as to stop causing misery for those around him. I'm very interested to see where this series ends, cos I really don't have a clue. I don't want it to just end. I want a clear cut direction concerning where Tommy Gavin is going or where he'll end up. As for the whole Lou eating thing is concerned, out of all the subplots that have longevity, why did it have to be this one? Score: 8.7/10
TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY S07E07 - "Immortal Sins" (18 August 2011) - After what seems like an impossibly and unnecessary long time, we finally, finally get a episode that deserves the TORCHWOOD name. Leave it to Jane Espenson to pen the episode to do it. "Immortal Sins" isn't perfect, but compared to the crap we've been dealt the last four or five episodes were nothing happens and nothing has been accomplished, this is friggin' gold. The biggest and greatest thing of all about "Immortal Sins" isn't the flashbacks that show Jack's connection (and possible unintentional starting of this whole damn Miracle Day thing) to the event or a new layer of mystery and intrigue with the single shot of the three men making a pack in the form of the triangle (last seen in episode 2). Nah, the best part of "Immortal Sins" is the car ride conversation between Gwen and Jack. For so long now, these two characters felt like guest stars to their own show. They run around and do stuff, but they don't feel immensely important or even like their heart is in it. Here, Espenson remedies that. Gwen and Jack are very blunt, drawing the line of where they stand very clearly. Their conversation is the most honest thing I've seen all year, I think. Jack yearns to live, and if tearing her face off her skull will help him do it, then he will; and Gwen won't hesitate to kill Jack if it means saving her family. It's a chilling set of scenes, but it's so brilliant, and so raw and honest that if nothing else this "Miracle Day" series, it will be the thing I remember. Off that train of thought, it does sorta suck that this whole Miracle Day thing happened because of a scorned lover and three men interested in power. I mean, I get it - the mystery and power of immortality. But at the same time, TORCHWOOD is about aliens and advanced technology (which I guess it applies to), not pissing matches or corrupt pharmaceutical companies. Hopefully this is a sign that TORCHWOOD will become that show I know and love again these final three episodes and deliver something grand. Barrowman and Miles were extraordinary this week, and definitely deserve a nod. Now, once again we have male gay sex. I got no problem with that, but Jack is constantly described as open to all possibilities. So when are we gonna get Jack hooking up with an alien? C'mon, please? Score: 8.0/10
TRUE BLOOD S04E09 - "Let's Get Out of Here" (21 August 2011) - Anna Paquin is smoking hot in this weeks episode, but the question is: is she hot enough to make me completely forgot this whole Lafayete/Mavis/medium thing? It's pretty stupid after all. That can't be all there was to it. The build up to this event has been a long time coming - halfway through season three - so there absolutely needs to be more! It cannot possibly all be resolved by now. Nada. Negatory. Anyway, moving on to other matters. Last week's very nice finale, with Paquin giving a eloquently stated "fuck" as she falls to the grass, shot and bleeding, is quickly resolved as Bill gives her some of his blood, which results in the fantasy threesome world depicted above. Possibly the two luckiest actors alive, yes? After dream world, Sookie inserts herself into the fight once more, attempting to stop Antonia from controlling all the vampires and going on a killing frenzy. Some pretty neat stuff, frankly, and I look forward to seeing how this all develops. In the same category of giving kudos, I gotta give props to the writers this season: with the exception of this medium/Lafayete/Jesus shit, this has been a competently written, acted, and directed year. So, here's a cyber round of applause. From the looks of it, the season is going to end strong with plenty of carnage, romance, and more mystical mumbo jumbo. Sign me up! Score: 9.1/10
No comments:
Post a Comment