TV Meme: Day 6

Day 6 of the TV Meme continues with the topic of the day being favorite episode of your favorite TV show. Well, sadly I've already compiled a list like this before the transmission date of Doctor Who Series 5, so I feel like I might become repetitious if I select the ones that I selected there (which were in no particular order, I believe). Luckily, the first episode of Series 5 was so strong that is has quickly become one of my favorites.

"The Eleventh Hour" is damn near perfect. Although I'm not one of the fans who were head over shoes in love with the newly regenerated Doctor trying out and subsequently not liking a bunch of Amelia Pond's food choices, the overall episode was brilliantly fantastic. A perfect introduction piece that's first and foremost all about establishing the eleventh Doctor, played magnificently by 27-year old Matt Smith (apparently the youngest actor to play The Doctor yet). The plot, the villain, the beautiful new score composed by Murray Gold that compliments what he accomplished before and what's to be expected for the rest of the series...basically, it's one outstanding episode that accomplishes SO much in a special 65 minute episode.

Even with its lenghty running time, I swear this episode flies by at lightning Superman speed. I've watched "The Eleventh Hour" about, say, 5 times by now, and I'm still loving the hell out of it. I would label it as one of them 'special' episodes - a episode that requires no background information on the series and can be enjoyed by all audiences, and for the techno-philies and Doctor Who nerds, the layers of callbacks and geeky details make this episode even more bloody fantastic. And that, ladies and gents, is why the British sci-fi program Doctor Who is one of the best television shows ever created.

TV Meme: Day 5

Day 5 and I'm still going at this meme strong! Yah me! Alright, today's topic is what show do I hate. It took me a full 60 seconds to contemplate the matter, until I was reminded of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Immediately my body temperature become warm with hatred and utter revulsion. Oh yes, I have found my topic!

I would much rather watch and rewatch the outrageous and far more plausible shenanigans of all them kids over at One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl. No matter the 'I have a evil twin brother!' or 'my son's nanny kidnapped my husband's Satanic father!' plots, it was at least entertaining, which is a far cry from this show. It's just excruciating. Utterly painful. And sorry folks, if you're reading this and you like the show. This is just my viewpoint of this...abomination.



My reasons for hating the show:

• #1: the dialogue. It's atrocious, a big middle finger to writers who attempt to craft something decent even out of a really, really shitty show - and by that, I mean NBC/ABC/whoever's "Cavemen" program of a few years back that lasted a single episode (at least it aired). Repetition of dialogue is a constant, a character asking for further clarification of a obvious sentence, the sheer stupidity of characters' dialogue, and the biggest annoyance of all: the line "gonna have a baby" is repeated at least 72 times per episode. A variation of the topic can't possibly be used? Like, "Hey! I'm pregnant!" Nope. "Having a baby." Every time. Well, nearly everytime. But even that's waaayy too much.


• #2: the characters suck. With the exception of the shows slutty character Adrian who has more depth and layers of personality than ANYONE on the entire show, everyone is friggin' ridiculous. Razzie worthy, and I'm not just talking about the actors - the characters are shameful.


• I don't know what to think about the mentally handicapped kid. Should I applaud the show for featuring such a actor as a integral part of the storyline instead as a side joke? Or should I scold them for it? To their credit, that character's storyline on the show hasn't nearly been as bad as the others - minus the whole hooker incident.


• Stereotypes. The show practically relishes indulging in stereotypes. Not one character is unique.


• This goes to dialogue again - everyone has to say everyone's FULL NAME. Multiple times! In one episode! And they know each other! It's as annoying as Chloe and Clark saying "Lionel Luthor" and "Lex Luthor" in a big dramatic way. When I refer to someone I KNOW very well, I'm not gonna say "Jenna Diane". Nope. Just "Jenna." Not, "Hey, it's Jenna Diane!" This is probably a rather dumb complaint, but it's a peeve of mine.

I'm sincerely sorry if I offended anyone who loves the show. I just hate it. Every episode totally deserves a Mystery Science Theater commentary.

TV Meme: Day 4

Day 4 of the TV meme continues, the topic of the day being what is your favorite show ever? Truth be told, it's a extremely difficult decision to be made, and a lot of painstaking thought and reevaluation went into this post. There are so many shows that I love and respect and watch over and over and over and over again, how could I possibly pick one?

It was either the Time Lord of the Vampire with a soul.


I choose the Time Lord, miraculously enough. BBC's Doctor Who, a British program that has survived nearly 50 years and 31 seasons, was rebooted in 2004 by Russel T. Davies (mastermind behind Queer as Folk) and since that reboot a large new fanbase has emerged. I'm one of them. The show is about the last of the Time Lords - a race of powerful beings who were masters over time and events in the universe - known as The Doctor who weaves in and out of timelines and peoples lives to save the day from some great evil that will inevitably destroy the world.

My exposure to Doctor Who happened about three years ago, when good word of mouth prompted me to pick up Series 1 from the library. Well, since then, my Doctor Who watching is not too dissimilar to what people would call obsession or addiction. The show is utterly brilliant. And awesome. And fantastical. And wonderful. And awe-inspiring. And musically majestic. It's like every episode of the show is akin to a mammoth Hollywood movie production, where you've just experienced something grand, moving, and powerful. It's truly a mini movie every week. And for those who enjoy Chuck or Buffy, the show has a fantastic amount of one liners that I quote excessively - much to the displeasure of my girlfriend who is also nearly completely sick of me humming Murray Gold's astounding score for the series - and perfectly balances epic storylines, dramatic moments, character beats, and the funny all in a brilliant 45 minute package.

Because of the inspired concept of 'regeneration' (when a Time Lord is dying, its body regenerates every single cell, essentially becoming a new man but retaining the same memories of his previous appearances), The Doctor has had three actors play the role since 2004: Christopher Eccleston, who Americans will no doubt recognize as one of two villains in last summer's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, plays the Time Lord with sarcasm and a tinge of wickedness. Series 2 saw the emergence of David Tennant (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), who has received near universal acclaim for his portrayal of The Doctor as a lonely god-like figure who makes the difficult decisions which cost him dearly. In fact, it's the Time Lord's weightful choices that make a Companion a necessity - that is, a person to tag along with The Doctor to enjoy the ride. They're there because he's lonely, because he can make awful choices if he's pressed too far...(but that's a subject of another time)

And now, in 2010, we have Matt Smith (TV: Secret Diary of a Call Girl), a young actor who perfectly encapsulates the awe, power, and wonderment of this lonely figure. As I write this, his first season as The Doctor is already winding down, but luckily he's intent on reprising the role for a few more series.

What makes Doctor Who my favorite show is that it's my show. It's a show that seemed to have been designed with me in mind. All the wonders that outer space and science fiction promises, the show delivers. And when a show with such a broad, brilliant concept like this features a character that can literally do anything and be anybody, it's truly a interesting, exhilarating thing. This show can always refresh itself, become a new animal when necessary. As the Ood tell The Doctor in "The End of Time", "this song is ending, but the story always continues." It's a show whose main character is the most brilliant, most burdened, most awesomest alien alive who saves the day every week. How is that not cool?

RUNNER-UP: My initial choice was Joss Whedon's Angel, the spin-off of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. I will always have a special place in my heart reserved for Buffy, but Angel's story of never ending redemption and the goal to do good even in the middle of the greatest evil is a story that's exhilarating to experience. The show was fantastic, and its five season run featured characters and storylines that literally left my gob-smacked. It may not have been my final pick, but it's good as. We'll just call it Favorite Show Evah 1.5.

TV Meme: Day 3

It's TV meme day 3, and the topic of today is my favorite show of the new television season, which is sort of a tuffy.

This past season, there were three new shows that I started watching: Justified (on FX), Stargate: Universe (on SyFy), and V (on ABC). I like Justified plenty, but I'm not yet fully in love with it - although I wager a component of that could be the fact I'm behind a few episodes. My thoughts on the first six episodes of V has already been chronicled, and my interest in the program has only regressed since then. So that leaves Stargate: Universe, a show that has so much potential if only the writers recognize the beautiful concept they have and do it justice...which they're not entirely accomplishing at the moment.

The concept of the show is that a group of civilians and military personal are trapped billions of light years from Earth on a ship called Destiny, crafted by the Ancients (who are basically us, but - er, ancient and powerful), with no real way to get home. Day by day, they need to survive however they can. The show is dark, gritty, realistic, and has a good cast playing rather bland characters.

SG-U started off promising with a gorgeously shot, written, and acted three-part premiere titled "Air". Those episodes were freakin' awesome. Unfortunately the following bunch, with the exception of "Time" and "Justice", just weren't up to par. But again, they had to spend that time establishing the characters that inhabit this ship, setting up life support systems and creating food, etc. Y'know, all the necessary things for people to survive on a alien ship.

It's almost season finale time for the show (each season typically running 20 episodes instead of the usual 22 order), and the show is now delving more into plot than 'jeopardy-of-the-day' that existed in the first batch of episodes back in October. Thus far we've encountered a alien race that has its eyes on Destiny, a trio stuck behind on a planet while Destiny jumps back into FTL (faster-than-light) drive, almost being obliterated by diving into a sun, and a group of shipees getting killed over and over by indigenous creatures on a visiting planet (but thanks to time travel, they're able to beat it).

In a nutshell, here's my thoughts: interesting story ideas that are unfortunately not given adequate enough time to develop; so-so characters that really need to define themselves and break out of their stereotypical roles; pretty cool cinematography, but can sometimes be too shaky cam (this is for all those Paul Greengrass haters); and the character of Eli Wallace is by far one of the coolest sci-fi nerds in awhile.

For fans of the Stargate saga, the show hasn't been well received. That's mainly due, I gather, to it's more edgy, darker tone, no longer playing along like a fun action-of-the-week program with witty banters (although there is some) and strong comradery. It's not as good as Battlestar Galactica, but it could, with growth, be nearly as entertaining and captivating.

You don't need to be a Stargate fan to enjoy the show. No prior experience with the franchise is necessary, although it by no means hurt. I'd recommend doing a quick Wikipedia search for some key Stargate terms, like "the Ancients" and the chevron devices.

Is it the best new show of the 2009-2010 season? Nah, but I like it. It's cool sci-fi for people who enjoyed the re-imagined BSG and like pretty space ships, 'cuz Destiny has one hell of a gorgeous design.

TV Meme: Day 2

It's Day 2 of the TV meme, and after long and thoughtful consideration to the second days big topic - what show do I think needs more viewers - I came down to two candidates. Both have been renewed for a new season (fourth and sixth season, respectively), but one is on the verge of never being seen after this upcoming year. Why? Because lack of viewers. Viewership has been down major since the start of its third year (which boasted some pretty impressive numbers), but the finale was low.

The show I speak of is a show I love. That show is Chuck.

It's completely brilliant, nutty, insanely awesome, addicting, hilarious, cool, dramatic, and boasts one of the prettiest leading ladies on television and one of the best system of CIA agents around.

Chuck Bartowski was your average nerd working at the Buy More - the TV version of Best Buy - until he receives a e-mail from a ex-best friend that holds the secrets of the CIA. All this information gets stored inside Chuck's brain, making him a invaluable asset and possibly one of the most important human beings alive. John Casey, the stern Arnold Schwarzenegger-like character, grunts and mumbles his way through kicking bad guy ass; and Sarah Walker, a agent who is beyond beautiful, but also has a edge to her that you won't see coming until you're on the ground after she performs some sort of martial arts ass-whoopin' on yah. These two agents make up Chuck's 'handlers', people in charge of keeping him and the Intersect, a program that was inside the e-mail and holds all the CIA secrets, safe from Big Bad organizations like Fulcrum and The Ring.

This NBC show is truly one of the most consistently enjoyable hours of television every week. The scripts are top notch, and the performances and chemistry between Zachary Levi, Adam Baldwin (of Firefly fame), and Yvonne Strahovski (of I'm-too-sizzling-hot-for-this-outfit fame) make this show a all out winner. Keep in mind the show isn't dead serious. It's a drama that fuses so many elements into a single hour, I wouldn't be lying if I said it invokes the feeling of Joss Whedon's powerful shows that had the ability to make you feel happy one second, sad the next, and down right depressed by the finale (which is a good thing). Basically, it's a versatile show that doesn't stay at any one category.

I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but simply implore that you take the time to Netflix or whatever the episodes. Just find a way to watch it, 'cuz the show needs your support. NBC was super generous to give the fans even a third - let alone a fourth - season; unless viewership increases, its fourth season will also be its last, and TV will forever lose one of its strongest shows.

BTW, the other show I was talking about was The CW's Supernatural, another powerful show that SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. It is my biggest recommendation that you pick this show up immediately. It's truly a fine show that defines brilliance.

TV Meme: Day 1

I'm backed up with a bunch and bunch of posts stuck in Draft Hell, literally months in the making, and I instead decide to do one of these meme things. Call it a attempt to restart my creativity. Anyway, I was surfing around the always awesome Rachel Reel Reviews, and turns out there's a rather nifty meme floating around the net. The TV meme is a 30 day, um, meme, and so this is my first post in the series. The list of the days & categories can be located on the left sidebar (well, the only sidebar). For this topic I was originally gonna put Firefly, but A) someone already used it (how DARE you!!!), and B) it's quite a obvious "duh" answer, so I wagered I probably shouldn't go that route. With Firefly taken, at least I was allowed to come up with another show that I fell in love with and of course found it being canceled rather quickly.

Show That Never Should Have Been Canceled

Invasion
Created by Shaun Cassidy

Plot: In the wake of a giant hurricane, residents in a small Flordia-based town are infiltrated by aliens that came down in said hurricane.

Surprisingly survived a full 22-episode order by ABC in the 2005-2006 season, Invasion was another one of those serial dramas that were put into production quickly to capitalize on the success of Lost. NBC had Surface (a show that was simply alright, but could have been way stronger), and CBS (I think) had Threshold, another one of those alien shows involving Data from The Next Generation. Basically, a lot mystery, big-questioned, serialized dramas were commissioned that TV season, and not a lot of them were good. Luckily Invasion was. Of course when it aired I never watched it. My interest at the time was Surface (which I also own). But anyway, the Complete Series of Invasion was available for $14, so I made a gamble and picked it up one day, watched the entire series in three days, and I gotta say: not a bad show at all.

In the midst of all these alien take-over plotlines in science fiction shows, Invasion is a rather refreshing new take on it. Yes, we have a 'incident', we have folks in town acting weird, we have plenty of those necessary sci-fi show plot points you just need to hit. But what Invasion offers in these 22 episodes is something not many similarly themed shows can boast:

1) A family unit that's front and center to the show who are NOT annoying, who are quite interesting and their involvement in this big overarching storyline DOESN'T feel contrived or forced by the writers to make their plotlines mix and mingle with the alien storyline.

2) Actual cliffhangers that made me entirely oblivious to the duties of my actual life and forced me to click to the next episode.

3) Amazing, hilarious, layered and genuinely creepy performances by everyone involved. William Fichtner (Prison Break) channels Jack Nicholson-esque creepiness as the town Sheriff who may or may not be 'infected'; Tyler Labine (Reaper) shows us why he's it's a travesty he's the most underused comedy actor in the industry; Kari Matchett (24) brings a layered performance of a woman conflicted, creepy, and simultaneously strong-willed; and Evan Peters (Kick-Ass) shows off his skills as both a comedic and dramatic actor.

4) Great writing and great directing - something Lost has in spades and Invasion boasts as well, and is probably the second biggest component of making a successful program.

In all honesty, it's been over a year since I watched the show (a rewatch is definitely in order...once I conclude playing "catch up" with Stargate Universe, True Blood, Lost, Greek, Fringe, Jericho, The Big Bang Theory, and much, much more...), but the powerful impact of the full series has not been forgotten. If you have Netflix, I implore you to watch the show. After the "Pilot", it does lag a little bit, but when it picks up, things go crazy and every friggin' episode is intense as hell (strange expression, but you get the point). Invasion is highly recommended.

RUNNER-UP: Point Pleasant (refer to my review of The Complete Series)

Daybreakers, The Lovely Bones, The Road

Daybreakers
Starring Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neil, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman, Isabel Lucas
Written by Michael & Peter Spierig
Directed by Michael & Peter Spierig
Release date: 8 January 2010
Lionsgate, 98 mins., Rated R

Plot: The vampires supply of human blood is running out, and a substitute needs to be found pronto or vampires are gonna evolve into something really frakked up.

Vampires have been done to death these days. Vampire there, vampire here - oh, the tortured soul thou art! So it's bloody spectacular (pun sorta intended) to have vampires go back to their roots: blood suckers and proud of it. Well, with the exception of our protagonist, the horribly named Edward Dalton (Hawke) who isn't a fan of the whole drinking-human-blood thing. But the majority of the world is damn happy to be a vampire. The entire world has been made to accommodate vampire life: security systems for houses and vehicles to warn 'em about approaching sunlight, coffee with some nicely rich blood thrown in for good measure, and a good supply of human blood to make everyone the world happy.

Except the bloods running out, and here startith the really cool concepts of Daybreakers. Turns out that vampires will evolve into something ugly, reminiscent to how Dracula looked in Van Helsing but even uglier and nuttier. So a substitute needs to be manufactured and really damn soon - and Edward, the blood producing companies biggest asset - decides to accompany Mr. Dafoe and Ms. Karvan to find a CURE to vampirism (that's a word, right?). That cure ends up being both a stupid and cool idea simultaneously, which is rather a neat accomplishment when you think about it. There's the opinion that's it's stupid 'cuz it doesn't make any sense whatsoever, but also sorta nifty because as far as I know this solution hasn't been used before.

Oh! And Sam Neil. Yep, Dr. Grant from Jurassic Park. Or Merlin. Whatever one you prefer. But his presence in this movie was basically my ticket. Dr. Grant made a 'cool!' impression on me as a wee lad, totally obsessed with dinosaurs and paleontology, I nearly idolized the bloke. So if there's any other Sam Neil lovers in the world, this is a guaranteed need-to-see. Neil plays the main badass vampire dude in charge of the human blood bank company, and he gets some awesome moments to shine as he makes one wicked decision after another.

In the end, Daybreakers isn't a bad film at all. It's quite entertaining, has a good amount of original material that's unprecedented in vampire films these years, and features some fine performances from Hawke and Dafoe [especially Hawke, who has seemingly been in and out of consciousness in film roles as of late], cool vampire effects, and a attractive leading lady (which is always a plus). My only real problem with the finished production is that is DOESN'T feel like a finished product. By all means, they probably wrote, produced and directed this flick with the intent of creating some sort of franchise, and I don't know if the film's gross was sizable enough to warrant as such, but the film concludes in a very anti-climatic fashion. It's as of the writer came up with this exciting concept but couldn't think up a proper resolution (or at least path to where the story is heading). Where it ends now, basically anything can happen. Sure, a cure has been found, but there's still so many unanswered questions concerning virtually everything introduced in the movie.

In that regard, there's disappointment, but not nearly as much as I was disappointed with Legion which came out the same month earlier this year. Bad comparison, I know, but it was the only thing I could think of. So all in all, I'd highly recommend Daybreakers. It gives us something fresh-ish, which is desperately needed in the height of Twilight-mania. Plus Willem Dafoe as a ex-vampire is just too sweet to pass up, no?

The Lovely Bones
Starring Saorise Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci
Written by Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens
Based on the book "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
Directed by Peter Jackson
Release date: 15 January 2010
DreamWorks, 136 mins., Rated PG-13

Plot: 16-year old Susie Salmon dies and watches her loved ones from the in-between world.

That was...interesting. Some really pretty visuals that totally and utterly do justice to the word pretty, but overall lack of any real emotion or relatability to character really affects the film in a negative way. Which is weird considering that we're dealing with the writing and directing team who made up care about three foot Hobbits and a freaky ring-obsessed skinny thing for three loooonngg movies. But weird as it may be, The Lovely Bones just doesn't click, and judging by other reviews, I'm not the only bloke who thinks this. So how does a A-class filmmaker team make a rather dodgy flick?

Well, I can't say 100% where the problem lies, but I wager the casting would be the biggest component. See, I think the script's just fine. A good, faithful adaptation of the book (as far as I can tell), with all the necessary details, decent enough characterization, etc. Sure, I think a bit more emphasis on Susie is necessary, since it is, y'know, her story, but since the direction of the movie is more of a murder-mystery than a Susie's life and afterlife, I can forgive that. So it comes down to casting. Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg were not the right guys for the roles, and it almost feels like the actors even know this. They just seem uncomfortable with their performances, which makes me uncomfortable by extension. It's odd that the best actor in the picture is Susie's sister, Lindsey, played by Rose McIver (who is in Power Rangers RPM!!!), who doesn't become a major force of the film until the final 30 minutes. And don't think I'm dissing Stanley Tucci's performance by neglecting to comment on that - he was undoubtedly a strong second force in the picture, and was absolutely creepy as hell.

The most pivotal role in the film is also the biggest miscast, I think. Saorise, I got nothing against you. I liked you in City of Ember, but I just don't think you were ready for this type of role. Not yet. Perhaps it's because we don't get enough time with her, but I really didn't care about Susie Salmon, nor did I get a feel for her character. The biggest emotional impact I got concerning her was when Tucci's murderous George Harvey is getting away with tossing her body, and you're literally hoping beyond hope that someone will be able to intervene and catch this freakin' guy. But as far as Susie goes - yeah, she's your typical adorable young girl who is just discovering who she is, and then spends the rest of the movie not really doing much of anything other than walking around aimlessly in her 'in-between' world. It's not until the final reel where some sort of emotion comes from her, starting to display her disagreement with her being dead status. If I were to compare her performance to a well known character, I'd say she's not too dissimilar to the portrayal of Luna Lovegood.

Peter Jackson directs the hell out of this picture. The camera is constantly moving or doing something unique and directorially spiffy, and although I'm all for being creative with this wonderful tool known as the camera, Jackson could have restrained himself a bit, most definitely. I love Jackson as a director - Lord of the Rings and King Kong are phenomenal from a technical standpoint alone - but this far more intimate tail didn't need all this spizz spazz. Speaking of 'spizz spazz', whatever that may be, digital effects are all the rage in The Lovely Bones, and that's a mighty downfall. Yes, Susie creates her own ideal world with all these fancy things [there's particularly a AWESOME sequence in which her father's (Wahlberg) miniature ships in bottles are not so miniature anymore: they're giant monster size, and crashing into each other, causing broken glass and wood flying everywhere. It's a very chaotic but beautiful scene that nicely displays what Jackson envisioned with the 'in-between' world, but then he went a bit too far with it...], but that shouldn't be Susie's focus point, personally or story-wise.

The Lovely Bones is simply just a missed opportunity. Something went wrong along the way of production, and the film became a showcase of digital creations and a fantasy world, and seemed to have forgotten about its central character along the way. It was still a decent movie, but I can't necessarily recommend it to anyone. Maybe if there's a YouTube video called, er, "Lovely Bones in 60 Seconds"? Y'know, with the entire movie sped up x60, maybe with a dialogue pause every 15 seconds. If you're still curious about the title, than by no means will I dissuade you from doing that, just understand that it's not at the level of filmmaking you're expecting. Or at least I was. Oh, nevermind.


The Road
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron
Written by Joe Penhall
Based on the book 'The Road' by Cormack McCarthy
Directed by John Hillcoat
Release date: 25 November 2009
The Weinstein Company, 111 mins., Rated R

Plot: A father and son do their best to survive in the aftermath of the apocalypse.

This is a good example of studios infuriatingly screwing decent movies over with limited releases where freakin' nobody can see the flick until it hits the DVD market. A powerful lead performer, bunch of Oscar buzz and critical accolades, I don't get why The Road didn't get a bigger distribution. Was it the 'depressing' subject matter? Couldn't have been. A more depressing subject is that junk like Letters to Juliet still gets made. Is it that it's not uber-marketable? Possibly, but like I said, it has plenty of power behind it. Aragorn and good buzz - two pretty good things that would help a movie garner to a wider audience. But whatev, the studio did what they did, and now the DVD is upon us, and I've finally seen The Road!

Immediate reaction: that was the movie I've been waiting months to see? By that, I mean that I was expecting something grandiose, sorta full of philosophizing, and a lot of good guy vs. bad guy. Turns out, it really, truly is a documentary like glimpse in the life of a father and son who survived the apocalypse and do whatever they need to do to stay amongst the living. Sure, there's threats to their existence, like cannibals and all that, but it's not the driving force of the movie. Father and son. And a lot of distrust in basically everything and everybody, but that goes along with the whole cannibal-thing.

The Road is unjustifiably compared to The Book of Eli, understandable considering the post-apocalyptic theme and similar landscape. But Eli has a story...a mission, and it gets resolved by the film's end. Plus that movie has Denzel Washington shooting and slicin' bad guys into bits, and Viggo Mortensen's biggest action is making a 50/50 shot at a cannibal in the first 20 minute stretch. The Road doesn't concern itself with a major plot. There's not a direction the film's going. Viggo wants to go west, because he was instructed to. What's waiting for them west, what west has to do with anything, I don't know. Maybe they said something, but everyone was whispering in the movie so bloody much I didn't catch portions of the dialogue. If one was to cut the film down to its bare essentials, the movie is about people walking. Y'know that scene in Clerks II with Randal giving his interpretation of the LOTR trilogy? Well, that could very well be applied here.

The movie concludes without really concluding. Nothing is resolved, everything is open ended, and nothing has been gained [although one could argue against this assertion]. But I wager that's the best finale for a film that delights in its bleakness.

As it stands, I wasn't particularly taken away with The Road, but I don't necessarily dislike it either. The movie is haunting, to be sure. The crew did a fantastic job at making the entire earth look like a shit storm, where every tree and house is a potential threat waiting to be sprung and cause a problem to our dynamic duo. It's bleak, and really, really depressing. And that just helps stir the emotional journey of Dad and Son, who even have their own system on when to commit suicide and the quickest way to do it if things turn bad.

Viggo Mortensen bares his soul as 'the Man', as you can literally see the wear and tear of this broken down father doing everything and anything to protect his son. Speaking about wear and tear, (hopefully) CG shots of a skeletal-like Viggo are utterly freaky to see, conjuring up images of Holocaust survivors. At the opposite spectrum, we've got Charlize Theron in three unnecessary flashbacks as the Mom who is the utter definition of depressed, regretting bringing a child into this world and too far gone in her own internal depression that she decides to vaca her husband and son and go out into the woods at night. Kodi Smit-McPhee, slated to be seen in Let Me In (the remake of Let the Right One In), is impressive as the unnamed son, displaying fear and (at one point) jubilation to great effect.

The Road's worth seeing, and the good performances and gorgeously depressing cinematography makes it definitely worth seeing. Just watch a uplifting fluff film afterwards.

Lost - Season 5

Lost - Season 5
Starring Naveen Andrews, Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Terry O'Quinn, Elizabeth Mitchell, Henry Ian Cusick, Michael Emerson, Daniel Day Kim, Yunjin Kim, Alan Dale, Ken Leung
Developed by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof
Transmission season: Spring 2009
ABC, 17 episodes, 43 mins.

Plot: Oceanic 815 vs. 1977!!!

NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS WRITTEN WITH THE ASSUMPTION YOU HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN SEASON 5, SPOILERS BELOW.

Wow. Just wow. A few hours ago, I finished the show's fifth season, and I'm absolutely blown away. In two days - the quickest I've went through a season of a show - I've watched some of the most amazing, awesome, brilliant, and moving episodes I've ever seen. Yah ever get that feeling, watching something, that a particular episode or entire program was crafted specifically for you? That was my experience with this year of Lost.

As the end date of the show approaches ever nearer, the writers have created a complicated season full of time travel mumbo jumbo, character reversals, major twists, major amount of destiny vs. free will fights, and some of the best storylines the show has ever crafted. And by the end of this season, we get a glimpse of the larger picture that encompasses the entire Lost universe, and it is phenomenal.

Basically, I'm so enamored with this season I'm rushing off and picking it up on Blu-Ray ASAP. I will leave no bonus feature or commentary unturned. This season calls for multiple rewatch, and damn if I don't comply.

The Season
Alright, last season introduced the freighter, the flashforwards, the characters Frank, Charlotte, Daniel, and Miles, and the concept of time and movement. This season, as a ramification of Ben moving the island, a hiccup effect occurs and the island "flashes" and moves through diverse time periods; Locke embarks on a mission that could very well cost him his life; the "Oceanic Six" are faced with a extremely difficult choice, although it may not be a choice at all if fate has anything to do with it; the freighter folk find hidden connections to the island they've never known before; and the mysterious Jacob, the Dharma Initiative, and the Others shed a bit more detail about themselves, but of course not the whole picture.

With 17 episodes, a lot happens and it doesn't feel like a single episode was wasted.

With the whole time travel aspect, time is quite the important factor this season, moreso than others. The trademark Lost gimmick of introducing something amazing in one episode and paying it off with the resolution three or four episodes down the road is used here, but not as often as prior seasons (thank God). But it's still around: the opening scene of the season with Dr. Change and Daniel Faraday springs to mind, as resolution to that doesn't come until the end of the season. But anyway, time is a gorgeous thing: the whole Locke telling Richard to tell a wounded Locke something blew my mind, and it took a few brain cells to finally 'get' that whole sequence of events once it's explained before the finale; the whole thing with Eloise and Daniel in 1954/1977 was also particularly well thought on. Basically, the Lost writers did a amazing job coordinating all these different time-lines, deciding what they can and can't do according to quantum physics and general sci-fi rules of time itself.

I also think they did a fantastic job with meshing all these time periods together. Before I even watched the series, I knew about this whole 1977/2007 thing the show was doing, and I was confused as hell but simultaneously interested in how they would pull it off. Well, brilliantly simple. Everything changes but them - they are the constants (throwback to a season 4 episode), but the environment alters according to said timeline. For example, the Swan hatch not existing, then existing, and then blown up - all three instances shown in the season. As far as why the island goes through these multiple time periods without being some sort of plot contrivance, it's a nice ramification of when Ben moved the island, it started to go a little haywire, zapping from period to period. The only part I didn't get is why getting the Oceanic Six back would basically save the day (since the time looping ended when Locke zapped himself to Tuscany or wherever), and I hope that gets explained someway somehow before the finale.

But anyway, I love the reveal of Miles, Sawyer, Juliet, and a well-sounding English speaking Jin working at the Dharma Initiative, stuck in 1974 with not much else to do. The only other Oceanic survivors who are still around on the island, Rose and Bernard, have set up came somewhere else and really don't give a damn about what new plot to save the day Jack & Co. have in store. Obviously I don't know if this whole time table scenario was part of the original mega-mythology plan created by Lindelof and Cuse, but it seems so effortlessly tied into everything established thus far while simultaneously wonderfully setting up elements for what's to come, I can't help but think that perhaps these guys really have had a master plan all this time.

And furthering the mythology big time this season, the writers finally, finally, finally give us a glimpse of Jacob (Supernatural's Mark Pellegrino), the enigmatic powerful figure that's been mentioned since, I believe, season 3. The downside to this great reveal? He's only featured in the two-parter "The Incident." But overall, that's OK: the first scene of the finale gives us the set-up for the big events that will unfold in season 6, and presents to the audience the bigger storyline of Lost and what everything has been about from the beginning. Turns out that the island has been a battleground between two brothers, one dressed in white and brights (Jacob, the protector), and the other made up all in black and plotting to kill his broheim (because the "rules" dictate he can't kill Jacob). It's a grand Shakespearean tale of betrayal and tragedy laid out on a mystical island.

Way freakin' cool!

In previous reviews, I've sorta complained about a lack of movement with a lot of the characters. I get that the flashbacks are done, so further insight into their past and what makes them them is not gonna happen anytime soon. But as far as on the island, unless there's a death threat, everyone is very reactionary and aren't given a moment to grow as a character. Well, this season changes all that. Everyone gets to shine, and I mean everyone.

There's two characters who particularly go through quite a change - Ben and Sawyer. Introduced in season 2, Ben/Henry Gale was always the 'man in charge', even when held prisoner by John and Jack. Throughout season three, he further solidified his power of manipulation and utter malice, and in season four we began to see his exterior break a little, but tragic events in his life hardened his shell back into a force of calculation and murder. But here in season five, Ben is completely out of his element, a broken version of who he once was. When he gets back on the island, he is nothing more than a rodent compared to greater powers, and at the very end of the season it is he who is manipulated. A very nice reversal of character three years in the making.

Sawyer matures and becomes a leader, making the tough decisions, maintains a stable relationship, and is all around a new and improved version of the broken down man he was in seasons three and four. Now he has a great relationship with Juliet (super shocker), is the Chief of Security at the Dharma Initiative, and is rather living a pretty good life. And when the Oceanic Six return to frak things up for him, he thinks things through, contemplates multiple solutions, and acts quick on his feet. This isn't the Sawyer we all knew - this is a grown man, and it's awesome to see Josh Holloway allowed to do this character like this. It's also quite awesome to see Sawyer take a anti-Jack stance near the end, effectively trying to stop him from going through with his Jughead plan. That was some super riveting stuff, and Sawyer's transformation is definitely one of the major highlights of the season.

Speaking of Juliet, I did find her more likable this season, but Elizabeth Mitchell honestly can't seem to convey a single emotion on her stern, seemingly glued expression. With the sole exception of her final scene at the Swan Station, Juliet maintains the exact same expression on her face the entire season. Happy, mad, sad - doesn't matter; that expression don't move, dude.

Miles, Daniel, and Charlotte are given the opportunity to explore their pasts. Turns out Daniel has a lot of connections to the island stemming from his parentage (LOVE the twist with his mom on the island and the BOOM!), and I loved every sequence with him in it. Charlotte lived on the island as a young girl, but her storyline and character is unfortunately not given enough material to really care - with the exception of Daniel's agony over her decreasing health with each subsequent 'flash'. Miles' background isn't paid off till the final episodes, and it's delicious to find that a recurring character from since season 1 be integral to a season 4 character.

Locke gets the short end of the stick big time. His 'leadership' over Richard's gang doesn't exactly last too long, and he's immediately thrust into the time game as the island flashes at random intervals. And then he seems to discover his purpose - to reunite the Oceanic Six and save the island. Enter Ben, doing a deed that I still don't understand and effectively destroying Locke's life. Um, why? And damnit, that's just cruel. I half wish the twist at the end of "The Incident" involving Locke didn't happen, and that everything that happened on the island after 316 crashed was actually him. But I can deal; it sucks that it happened, and I feel a little short-ended by the producers, butt it's also a delicious twist that even I as a show runner couldn't pass up. Plus, it directly ties into the show's overall mythology.

Another great thing about the time travel element - it allows the audience to get a glimpse of the Asian man who hosts all the Orientation videos: Dr. Chang. And it turns out Dr. Chang has a connection to one of our Lostites. This season allows the opportunity for characters who have been briefly seen in flashbacks to be fleshed out, given greater dimension, and also see the beginnings of certain things/projects/places that will be very important to the Oceanic 815 crew.

I could honestly bask in the brilliance of this season in a ginormous blog, and write about how much I love certain aspects of every friggin' episode, but I won't and I'll just say that season 5 is the best season yet, and I'll probably analyze it over and over and over again. For those who want to join in the fun, I recommend the book Finding Lost: Season 5, by Nikki Stafford (who wrote books on Buffy, Xena and Angel, as well). That woman leaves no clue unturned, delves into the books the characters read (e.g., Ben's book given to him by Locke in Season 2; Sawyer's book he's reading in 1977 at Dharmaville), poses questions, reveals goofs and hidden Easter eggs in each episode - it's a goldmine of Lost information. My apologies if this sounds too much like a TV ad - it's simply that this lady has done her research and written a magnificent series of books that unlocks even deeper layers of Lost awesomeness, and shouldn't be skipped by any means.

Misc.
I could go on and on and on and on about the brilliance of Michael Giacchino and how the series couldn't be nearly as powerful as it is without his majestic score, but I won't. I'm simply going to say that you're doing a disservice to the show if you don't go out and try to iTunes or buy the CD of his work, you positively won't regret it. Or hell, before you buy it, give it a listen on YouTube.

- It's great to see Richard Alpert get a even bigger role in events this season.
- Charles Widmore and Eloise Hawking had a "complicated" relationship!
- The Smoke Monster and The Temple!
- Jin is alive, rescued by a important [now deceased in 2004 timeline] character!

Final Words
The best season by far, it has everything I could ask for: riveting plot, beautiful character development for everyone involved (even the minors get their time to shine), plenty of surprises, brilliant cinematography by Jack Bender (as always), and a game-changing new direction for the show to take in its sixth and final season. But the true essence of why this season should be seen are these two names: John Locke and Benjamin Linus. Yeah, you knew it. Well, onward to re-watching season 6.

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 (Take One)
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow
Written by Justin Theroux
Directed by Jon Favreau
Release: 07 May 2010
Marvel Entertainment, 125 mins., Rated PG-13

Plot: Tony Stark (Downey) has revealed himself to the public as Iron Man, and he's under immense pressure from the US and military to hand over his weapons while simultaneously a Russian man with a grudge really wants to beat Tony up for some past history he has no part in.

Yep, Iron Man 2 was pretty damn good. For me, I could absolutely use a 'Extended Cut' experience with a extra 20 minutes attached to flesh out the characters and emphasize the subplots a little more, but overall, a damn fine product handled with love and care, and best of all: was super fun to watch. Either due to utter laziness or the fact there's already 4,892 Iron Man 2 reviews online by critics/bloggers like myself, I've decided to just cut up my thoughts as such:

- I love, love, love, love, LOVE the banter between Tony Stark and Pepper Pots, and the movie's real crime is not allowing these two wonderful actors and characters enough screentime to really do their thing. The flick is so overloaded with plot points and Robert Downey being super awesome as Tony that the pair don't have enough time together to just sit and talk. They have one really good scene together when he promotes Pepper, but then they don't share anything remotely as awesome as the last film's hilarious banter until the finale.

- Jon Favreau's epic fight at Hammer Industries was by far one of the greatest things about the flick, and his gleeful reaction to his ass-handed beat-down on one of the guards was beautifully perfect. "I got one!!!" will be a line I will quote multiple times for the rest of the year.

- My initial instinct was to point out that there was too many plots and subplots going on throughout the picture, that there could be plenty exercised without losing much of anything. Well, before I blew that horn and became one of those critics I despised when they wrote that exact same thing with Dead Man's Chest, I decided to reevalute my thoughts, and I have now concluded that the amount of subplots and storylines is perfect, and the only thing the script suffers from is a two and a half hour running time limit. Iron Man 2 and its many storylines could be as perfect and epic as The Lord of the Rings trilogy if it was given their "Extended Edition" ability, so here's hoping that's a possibility.

- Speaking of plot, I really liked the blood poisoning subplot. As far as I know, it's not a storyline that has been used in the comics, and is fairly original to comic book adaptation movies. I just wish there was greater emphasis on this particular plot point, really - to be presented as a bigger threat than it was played out as. I mean, here's something inside himself that's killing Tony. It's not some Big Bad trying to destroy him, it's his own body, and he is running out of time. I do appreciate that they played out Tony's emotional response to a T: drinking, going crazy, having mindless fun, which eventually has quite the repercussions. Again, considering the massive rollercoaster race-against-time this subplot was, I just wish it was expounded in the picture more.

- It was awesome seeing Howard Stark in old 1970's reel footage, and it was equally awesome to find out Mr. Stark was instrumental in the creation of S.H.I.E.L.D. I loved the hell out of the blooper reel that had a young Tony Stark coming up from behind a miniature; it was a nice 'ahh, shucks' Hallmark moment.

- The ending: I wanted more. I wanted Pepper demanding a explanation from Tony about his actions as of late and about his imminent death. I wanted a bookend scene discussing the United Nations hearing about the Star technology, or at least some sort of inkling as to what's going to be explored in Iron Man 3. There's room for delicious scenes and story elements to be had, but brilliant ideas are once again truncated for time.

- Not a fan of Don Cheadle overall, but I'm pleasantly surprised to find myself OK with his work here. And I LOVED his first scene: "I'm here, get over it, let's move on." Awesome wink to the audiences that nicely works for the scene.

- Speaking about that sequence at the Senate (with Cheadle's introduction), I loved it. Loved it, loved it, LOVED it. It's scenes like this that fully allows Robert Downey, Jr. to just deliver anything and everything he's got, and let the audience sit back and enjoy the brilliant line deliveries by Downey, Rockwell, and the main Senate dude. It was equally delicious to see that exact same guy who was dissing Tony and trying to order him around end up giving him a badge of honor at the end. Perfect.

- Scarlett Johansson is hot. Her character was hot. Scarlett, I love you. But sadly, Black Widow was highly underused. Hopefully, if she's signed up for more Marvel films, her character can grow and become more integral to the storyline.

- CGI work was impressive, but sometimes the Iron Man suits just look too fake. However, in regards to the suits, I do have to give props to the CG department because there are times where I'm seriously questioning if something is in fact CGI or just a really shiny real construction, and in this day of age...that's one hell of an accomplishment.

All in all, Iron Man 2 is very well made, takes elements of the first movie and expounds on it, gives the audience a original, catching plot, and allows Robert Downey the time to do his thing - which is awesome. I'm already eagerly awaiting Downey's next appearance as Stark, whether that be Iron Man 3 or The Avengers in 2012. Mr. Favreau, thank you for the awesome experience.

Lost - Season 4

Lost - Season 4
Starring Naveen Andrews, Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Terry O'Quinn, Elizabeth Mitchell, Henry Ian Cusick, Michael Emerson, Daniel Day Kim, Yunjin Kim, Emile de Ravin, Harold Perrineau
Developed by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof
Transmission season: 2006-2007
ABC, 14 episodes, 43 mins.

Plot: The Oceanic 815 survivors are uber-giddy 'cuz it appears that rescue is on its way - but y'know the thing about appearances....they tend to be, well, deceiving.

"I used to have dreams" - Benjamin Linus, "Cabin Fever"

Thanks to the 100 day Writer's Strike, Lost - Season 4 had a truncated season. From the usual 23 episodes, we got 14 (a extra hour given at the 11th hour due to the magnitude of events that transpire in the two-part finale). On one hand, a smaller season, but on the other hand, it offered a tighter story structure which allowed more plot points to happen at a quicker pace, and less stand-alone episodes. Plus with the announcement that Lost would be concluding its run in three seasons by 2010, every episode would be precious.

What we got is a overall decent season, but not nearly as powerful as the third. I know I said this with the previous review, but I'd say it more qualifies here: season 4 acts as a epilogue to the original story - the story of 40+ survivors on a island full of mysteries, and then moves us into the final act - which introduces science fiction elements, furthers destiny vs. free will, and introduces a whole new set of problems that will eventually lead up to the series finale.

The Season
When we left the islanders, the survivors were in jubilee, super happy that rescue is imminent, but yet Locke and Charlie's warning that something is amiss quite dampers the mood, which literally separates the survivors into Team Locke and Team Jack. Through the course of the season, both members of the groups analyze their decisions, come to conclusions about themselves and about what matters to them, and occasionally switch sides here and there.

This season's main mystery is all about the freighter, the people on the freighter, and what exactly is their purpose on the island if it isn't rescuing the survivors? It's overall not as compelling as the Others storyline from the past season, but by the finale, the suspense and masterwork of storytelling is at a all-time high, so the decent season is quite forgiven. And Lost being Lost, this season brings new characters and expands old ones as their roles in the mythology become more important.

In the category of new recruits, we've got Daniel Faraday, Miles, and Charlotte, three dudes picked by Charles Widmore to come to the island and do...stuff. Daniel is the highlight character by far, all of his awesome eccentricities and mild mannered whisper-like voice easily making every one of his scenes something special. Faraday is also the personification of a exposition tool, something that will become more extreme in the following season. Basically, it's great fun to watch this guy act and say his scientific mumbo jumbo. As a casualty of the strike, Charlotte's character isn't allowed the opportunity to really be significant, but again, this gets addressed in the first batch of season 5 episodes. And then we got Miles, the witty to-the-point bloke who apparently can 'feel' and 'speak' to our dearly departed. As far as new characters introduced, Miles is my second fave.

Alan Dale's Charles Widmore, father of Penny Widmore, becomes far more integral to the plot than ever before (and from what I've seen of the next season, he's only gonna play a even bigger role). Widmore hires some army dudes and these scientists to go to the island, extract/kill Benjamin Linus, and then murder everyone on that island. Charles is one badass mofo that you just don't want to cross paths with. As to be expected by Alan's amazing ability to be a cold, heartless jackass, his performance is rock solid. No complaints. Gotta love that dude.

Additionally, making a return appearance after being totally absent in season 3, Harold Perrineau rejoins the cast as Michael, and this time with a redemptive storyline that I actually don't mind! Michael has been on his own little journey since leaving the island - basically a journey to kill himself. He's been so emotionally burdened by what he did to Ana and Libby in season 2 - plus the fact that after he blurted this info to Walt the kid doesn't want to speak to him - that he becomes reckless and fully embracing death. It's odd that characters like Michael and Charlie, two blokes who I had no love for, became interesting only after death gets involved: for one of 'em, a prophesied death, and for the other, a need for death that won't be fulfilled by the island's reckoning. His character, although credited for the entire 13-episode run, only appears in about seven of those episodes, which is a shame. This time around, his arc of redemption is quite engaging to watch, and it's a shame it's not further explored with the exception of Michael's flashback episode "Meet Kevin Johnson."

A nifty device that that makes this season unique compared to its predecessors is the introduction of the flash-forwards, events that take place three years after everything that's happening on the island. There's the "Oceanic Six", which we quickly learn the identities to, and we get information about their official story of what happened to them during the plane crash, as well as the not-as-happy-ending-as-we-would-figure scenarios that happen to basically everyone. Legal troubles, institutions, suspensions, assassinations - these guys come back messed up, perhaps moreso than they were on the island.

Oh! And before I forget, that's another beautiful element of season 4 that gets solidified more in the flash forwards - addressing the island as its only little alive creature, basically being something really powerful, really unique, and really special. I mean that the island isn't just some place where the Oceanic survivors walk around and face off enemies, it actually seems to be something alive, something that can make decisions (e.g., being not 'done' with people yet, like in the case of Michael), something God-like almost. Hopefully the answer of what the island is and its many mysteries will be revealed in the series finale airing in...three days. Sheesh. I've got 23 episodes to watch before Sunday!

As far as our heroes are concerned - Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Juliet, Sun, Jin, Hurley, Sayid, Locke, Claire - they have two goals: 1) surviving any way they can, and 2) getting off the island (for those in Team Jack). It's those goals that bring the momentum to the season, and regrettably, with everything going on with the freighter and the determination to get off the island, characters aren't allowed to evolve. The good news is that the Oceanic Six brings some gorgeous character development - or, in a sad way, regressions. You'll know what I mean when you see the episodes. It is quite interesting that in the midst of them not knowing what to do with their lives, some of them resort to who or what they were before.

In the midst of all this ongoing war stuff with the army dudes on the freighter, season 4 delivers one of the biggest emotional punches in the entire series (as of yet), and it happens to a character we all love to despise: Benjamin Linus. Two characters that are very close to him die, one of them right in front of his eyes. The pure shock, fury, and hatred that's etched on Michael Emerson's face was worthy of a Emmy alone. By the finale, Linus takes his revenge at a great cost of many other lives. Y'know in Braveheart when Mel Gibson rides in slowly on his horse after his wife is killed and you just know that shit. got. real? Yeah, well that's Ben Linus' face when he says, "They just changed the rules."

Concerning Ben, his character arc nicely evolves as well. No longer is he the man in charge, calling for action and making the tough decisions. Instead he spends a good portion of the season tied up and dragged around until the halfway point, where he really becomes a pitiful character to a extent. Yeah, he stays true to his old ways of using nothing but his words to coerce people into doing what he wants them to do, and is as sinister as he was in the season before, but this year Ben becomes quite the sympathetic figure. The finale really hit me in the gut emotionally as Ben makes a sacrifice, nearly as much as that line I quoted before the review. It's beautiful cases like these that show the beauty of the Lost writers.

When Lost is done and gone, and we remember the show, the time traveling element and the rich, beautifully written characters will be the top two things I will fondly recall of the show.

Once again, Michael Giacchino gives us outstanding work. I'd go so far as to say his compositions this season kicks the ass out of the previous three. He shows off some particularly jaw-dropping work in the two-part finale, and a Lost - Season 4 soundtrack is definitely high on my list of must-buy stuff. Next to pizza. See, that's how important it is to me.

One final thing worth mentioning - the DVD extras. The Complete Fourth Season box set comes with a buttload of extras - two discs worth! Behind the Scenes footage galore, nearly a hour of chronological order flash forwards, and perhaps the best part of the set: audio commentaries! For those who've read earlier DVD reviews, you know I'm a commentary whore, so their inclusion is a happy bonus. The best thing, though, is that the two-part finale "There's No Place Like Home" features commentary with Lindelof and Cuse, who are friggin' awesome - a nice balance of detail, info, and jokes. For those who own the set, I implore you to listen to them, you will not be disappointed.

Final Words
A strong season, no doubt, but not one of my favorites. There's some great episodes, such as the much-hailed "The Constant" and two-part finale, but it was overall just a decent, although necessary, season. The show is beginning to walk away from the stranded-on-a-weird-island storyline and is now entering new uncharted territory by introducing sci-fi elements into the program, but yet nicely keeping it in the realm of possibilities within the shows universe. Themes of fate/destiny vs. free will, individual purpose, life, death, and the human reaction to loss...it's all still there. I'm 11 episodes into Season 5, and it already is one hell of a jaw-dropping ride!