Glee: Hairography

Brittany: "It's like cool epilepsy."

Oy. "Hairography" was definitely, well, hairy. While there were some good moments and cute one-liners in the episode, overall, I didn't love it. I almost think this one should have been titled "Wheels", because it felt like everyone was spinning their wheels in the mud but getting nowhere.

The entire time I was watching, I felt this nagging sense of deja vu. I finally realized why everything felt familiar - this episode was Acafellas, Part 2. Getting bashed over the head again with the writers' subtlety and grace this week brought back the pain of that episode - which I mercifully had no memory thanks to the original head trauma.

I Don't Think You're Ready For This Jelly...
So kids, in case you didn't catch it, tonight was about distraction. Distracting your husband from the truth with a really ugly old car (Terri). Distracting the judges from your lack of confidence with really ugly wigs (Will). Distracting Finn so that he wouldn't notice her playing house with his best friend with Rachel in a really ugly catsuit (Quinn). Distracting the viewers so they wouldn't notice that Sectionals is never coming and the writers are running out of ideas with a really gimmicky episode about distraction.

Oy. When I get a chance, I'm going to go back and count how many times that word was uttered in "Hairography" - they didn't even bother with handy synonyms this time around.

Besides the fact that the Theme of the Week/Afterschool Special message to "be yourself" was overly preachy, I also didn't dig this episode because nothing moved. We were teased that the truth might come out with Terri, that Quinn might keep the baby and choose Puck, that Finn was actually interested in Rachel - but in the end, everything stayed exactly where it has been for months. Yes, months. I'm all for a natural progression and not rushing through a storyline, but I'm losing my patience. WHEN is Terri going to be found out? WHEN will the Rachel-Finn-Quinn-Puck rectangle dynamics change? WHEN is Sectionals going to happen? And WHEN is Sue going to reveal her endgame?

True Colors?
Not all of the episode was bad. Kurt had some fantabulous one liners, and it was nice to see just how much Terri genuinely loves Will. (Although, again, retread of "Acafellas".) I actually really liked the scenes where Quinn and Puck were babysitting ("What's that smell?" "Soap.") and I really liked that Puck is still the horny, MILF-loving teenage punk he's always been. If he had miraculously grown up and fallen for Quinn, it would have been sweet, but a fairy tale.

Unfortunately, we already know all this about these characters. The depth, complexities, insecurities have been revealed and shown. Not only did the plot not further, none of the characters grew. Sue was back to her old scheming ways, Will back to his old lack of confidence and desperate need to do anything to win. If this episode had come earlier in the season, it might have been fine. But it's no longer enough for me, not after I've seen what this cast and these writers can do.

The only true bright spot I found in "Hairography" was the continued exchanges between Rachel and Kurt. When she told Kurt that she would still win Finn's affection because she was a girl, the way his face fell made me think that he's finally taking it to heart. (Although, call me pessimistic, but given the way that they've treated Puck's character, I wouldn't be surprised if Kurt was back to his old antics again next week.) I also really loved the moment at the end when Rachel and Kurt look at each other across the hall, and give each other a small wave.

Bootylicious!
But there were two redeeming parts for "Hairography" - the performances of the Jane Adams Academy, and the school for the deaf (didn't catch the name). I have really, really, really missed seeing other Glee Clubs perform. OK, I'll be honest. I just really, really, really want to see Vocal Adrenaline again, because they are dynamite. But finally seeing the competition was good too.

The "Bootylicious" routine reminded me a lot of "Push It" from "Acafellas" - totally, inappropriately sexed up, with lyrics that I never needed to see in Close Caption. (I too am 1/2 deaf, although not from scarlet fever or as ridiculous as the director.) Since I love hip hop, and New Directions admittedly has no dance skills, it was great to see some actual dancing, hair and all. This is in direct contrast with the "Hair/Crazy In Love" number by our McKinley kids - which seemed to take Brittany's directive to "pretend like you've been tasered" a little too literally.

Even if the "Imagine" piece was blatantly emotionally manipulative, I still enjoyed it. It doesn't hurt that it's such a wonderful song. I'm glad that they didn't make the deaf kids amazing vocalists - that would have been too cliche. Having them sign and sing "Imagine" off tune instead was fantastic. The combination of McKinley and deaf kids singing was beautiful, but the whole time, I was wondering why the deaf kids weren't offended that Mercedes just got up and crashed their number.

Music Roundup:

• + 5 for the Jane Adams Bootylicious routine, hair, booty shaking and all. I didn't realize just how whitewashed McKinley is until I saw it (and yes, I know Mercedes tries to point that out almost every week).
• Another +1 because they kept the "I don't think you're ready for this jelly". They censored Mr. Shue with "Gold Digger", I expected it to always happen.
• +5 for the "Imagine" piece. Artie is a fantastic singer.
• -10 for the "Hair" idea altogether. Mr. Shue - if you are trying to distract the judges from your supposed faults (dancing), why put the guys in ugly wigs? It's one thing to have the girls toss their hair, but the boys looked ridiculous. But +3 because Puck's Slash wig was just too awesome, so only -7 in the end.
• +1 for "True Colors". I liked the visuals, but Tina wasn't really strong enough for this number, and it was Shameless Emotional Manipulation #2 of the evening.
• +1 for attempting a mashup with Beyonce and "Hair", -1 because it didn't really work, and not just because of the wigs. Mashups do seem to be their specialty, and in general, I like them.
• Oh, and what's with the Beyonce fascination? I'm pretty sure this is the fourth Beyonce song they've performed, and two in one night?? No points, just saying.
• +1 for a cute and timely accoustic rendition of "Papa Don't Preach", but -1 because it was way too cheerful and would have been more powerful if it reflected how Quinn actually felt. Even.
• Overall tally: 5. Not a strong night musically, I'm afraid. I didn't rush out to download anything off iTunes this week.

GLEEK of the Week
Before we wrap up, I need to give a shout out to our comedic MVP this episode: Kendra. She had one zinger after another tonight - which was very welcome, especially with Sue being uncharacteristically sober.

Bits & Pieces
-- Kendra: "Mom smoked and drank a bottle of Reuniti every night when she was pregnant with us, and we're TOTALLY normal!!!" That explains a lot.

-- Kurt: "Rachel somehow managers to dress like a grandmother and a toddler at the same time." Too true! He nailed it!

-- BTW, that periwinkle pant suit totally made me laugh out loud.

-- Quinn: "What are you doing Friday night?"
Puck: "The usual - stand outside 7-Eleven looking depressed until someone offers to buy me beer."

-- Will: "Brittany, take it away."
Brittany: "Take what away?"

-- Kurt: "Most of the time I find it hard to be in the same room with you. Especially this one, which looks like where Strawberry Shortcake and Holly Hobbie come to hook up."

-- Terri: "You don't drink diet soda, do you? Because it causes male pattern baldness."
Quinn: "The baby's a girl."

-- Kurt: "Looks like someone is running for drama queen."

-- Ms. Hitchens: "You're a good kid, why did you try to rob a bank?"
Aphasia: "Because, Ms. Hitchens, that's where they keep the money."

-- The soap line was great, but isn't it kind of illegal to be bathing minors you don't know? Maybe I just watched too much Law & Order: SVU over the holiday weekend.

Overall, meh. 2.5 wigs out of 4.

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Dexter: Lost Boys

Trinity: "You're a dear boy, Arthur. So innocent, kind-hearted. Promise me you'll always stay that way."

This episode had me on the edge of my seat with my stomach churning, even though I was fairly certain Dexter would rescue the boy in time. Which, of course, he did.

If each cycle starts with a little boy, that means thirty little boys, drowned in cement. Unthinkable. I have to give John Lithgow a lot of credit, because Trinity is three-dimensional and absolutely horrifying. He makes Dexter look cuddly. I really want Dexter to kill this guy. Not a surprise, since that's where the writers intended to take us. In fact, there ought to be a way to execute him 120 times. Slowly.

Will Trinity go after Dexter now, or start trolling for his next victim? Probably both. Will he end up going after Cody in the end? Dexter is so sure he can keep his "normal" life and his dark passenger separate, but Astor and Cody have been endangered before because of him, and certainly could be in the future. Maybe this season will end in a break-up, after all. It's the only way Dexter can keep his family safe, and I think Dexter is slowly coming to this conclusion.

Dexter identified with the missing boy's father, was frantic to find Scott, and kept seeing Scott as Cody or Harrison. Needless to say, these are not the actions of an unfeeling monster. Trinity is an unfeeling monster. I was certain this episode would end with Trinity killing Christine before she could give him away or possibly testify against him, because I think he's capable of killing his own daughter in cold blood. Lucky for her that she was arrested, huh? Christine isn't the vicious killer her father is, but she's a long way from being sane and balanced, poor thing.

Dexter talked frankly with Jonah Mitchell and enlisted his help. Maybe it's time to tell Jonah the truth about Trinity. But again, how can Dexter take out Trinity without implicating himself? And if Trinity is exposed for what he is, the Mitchells will be under a police and national media microscope for the rest of their lives. It's getting too big to contain. Is Dexter going to get caught this time?

Masuka kept trying to tell Dexter about Rita and Elliot. I'm still really curious to see how Dexter will react when he finds out. That C.I. of Harry's showed up again, too, but Deb blew her off; is that dropped plot thread coming back, please please please? Dexter's midnight kill during the camping trip is still haunting him, too, in more ways than one.

If we include Trinity, that's a lot of plot threads to tie up in only two more episodes. Some of it must be set-up for season five.

Bits and pieces:

-- It's a cycle of four kills, so "Trinity" isn't accurate any more. Maybe they should re-christen him the Quadrity Killer. Okay, I don't know what the correct term would be for four. Anyone know?

-- Scott eventually played Trinity's game, and Trinity was going to kill him, anyway. Does he always kill them, even if they do what he wants? Probably.

-- This episode should be an object lesson about never putting personal information on your car.

-- Dexter has replaced his garden shed with a rented shipping container. Appropriate, and probably a lot safer.

-- I actually felt for Quinn. That's a first.

-- "Harry" sometimes feels superfluous, but not this time; he was the voice of the cop inside of Dexter, telling him the logical law enforcement steps to take.

-- Here's a comment out of nowhere. Michael C. Hall always looks hot in his killwear, the brown pullover and pants, with the black gloves. I don't know why. He just does. Maybe it's because they're form-fitting.

-- How did Dexter return Scott?

Quotes:

Masuka: "I have to talk to him."
Deb: "He's right in there."
Masuka: "I'm still figuring out how to phrase it."
Deb: "How gay are you?"

Dexter: "Trinity is not the only one using his family as human shields."

Deb: "Where are you off to?"
Dexter: (to himself) "To kill a guy you're looking for, save a kid, remember to pick up diapers..."

"Harry": "Nineteen sixties Miami. Cuban missile crisis. Irony is, places like this were built to keep people safe."
Dexter: "I hate irony."

Dexter: "Burying a child in cement? That's not very Christian."

Four out of four stars, and two episodes to go,

Billie

All of my Dexter reviews are archived here.
(Season 4, episode 10)

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Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii

Donna: "You fought it off with a water pistol! I bloody love you!"

Russell T. Davies got the idea for a story based in Pompeii after watching the BBC documentary “Pompeii: The Last Day”. It was filmed at Cinecittà studios, Rome, and reused some of the sets from the now cancelled HBO/BBC series Rome -- hence its semi-authentic feel. Visually, too, this was a handsome episode. The costumes, the Pyrovile, the exploding volcano... the sheer attention to detail... all made for an impressive viewing experience.

RTD originally intended to run the story as part of the show's first season, but it was later replaced by ”Boom Town”. Which makes you wonder how this episode would have fared with Billie and Chris at the helm. Would it have been better? Worse? I guess we'll never know. But it was a pretty fine yarn in its own right.

The Doctor/companion dynamic was different from the get-go. Both Rose and Martha have questioned the Doctor's wisdom before -- but, when it comes to being headstrong, Donna's in a class of her own. She was completely disinterested in the Doctor's "fixed point in time” spiel. All she cared about was the impending carnage of Volcano Day. And to his credit, the Doctor, rather than ignoring the plight of Caecilius and Co (admittedly, with some hefty prompting from Donna), eventually went back and saved them all. Which only goes to prove that he needs someone there to keep him grounded.

Tate had a pretty strong episode, overall. Her handling of the story's weightier elements was spot on -- from her horror at the looming destruction of the city -- to her helplessness at preventing the inevitable human cost. Her comedic timing was, likewise, impeccable. James Moran's script was choc-o-block full of linguistic gags, all delivered with enthusiastic aplomb by Tennant and Tate. I'm not so sure the visual gags worked as well, however. Where did the Doctor get a water pistol from at such short notice (and 2000 years before they'd been invented)? TK Maximus, perhaps?

And Donna asked the question tonight that's perplexed mankind for decades. If the TARDIS translates English into Latin, and vice versa, then what would happen if someone spoke actual Latin? The answer... nobody would have a clue what they were talking about. Phil Cornell's character thought Donna was speaking Celtic. But why would the TARDIS assign random accents to different speakers? Cornell's stallholder had a decidedly cockney twang to him.

Also of note, particularly as these are retro reviews, is companion-to-be Karen Gillan's appearance as the soothsayer. Karen will be playing Amy Pond (the new Doctor's companion) from 2010 onwards. She was hard to recognise under all the makeup, but she was there nevertheless. And Torchwood fans will no doubt have recognised Peter Capaldi as Caecilius (Mr Frobisher from the "Children of Earth" mini-series).

And she's returning, is she? Is there really only the Doctor who doesn't know who this “she” is?

Bits and pieces:

-- The Doctor's joked that Donna's was from Barcelona... a tip of the hat to 70's British comedy show Fawlty Towers.

-- Lucius' comment that "she is returning", was a reference to Rose's scheduled reappearance later in the season.

-- The Doctor presumably spoke to Lucius in Latin, meaning his pun on the likeness of the words "sun" and "son" wouldn't have made sense. In Latin, the two words sound quite different.

-- What happened to the TARDIS' chameleon circuit? How comes Caecilius could see it in order to buy it?

-- Dextrus' comment that Donna had "something on her back" was a reference to future season four story "Turn Left".

Billie says...

I'm almost ashamed to admit that this one got to me. I loved Donna in this episode. She simply could not deal with the concept of twenty thousand people dying, and couldn't stop trying to do something about it. She made the Doctor see that one family instead of the big picture. Just save *someone*.

And I liked the rest of the episode, too. Maybe it was the superior sets and the clever dialogue on top of the tremendous tragedy. Maybe it was the cool-looking volcano aliens. Maybe it was Tate and Tennant, who ran around Pompeii in tandem and bounced lines off each other like they'd been working together forever. I liked the Latin/Celtic continuing joke. I liked the family and their household gods. I even liked the water pistol, illogical as it was.

Didn't Captain Jack say back in season one that he often pulled his con in Pompeii on Volcano Day? Too bad they didn't run into him.

Quotes:

Donna: "Should I change my clothes?"
The Doctor: "Nah, anything goes in Rome. It's like Soho, only bigger."

Donna: "Have you been here before?"
Doctor: "Yes, I have, and before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit."

Caecilius: "Who are you?"
Doctor: "I am... Spartacus."
Donna: "And so am I."
Caecilius: "Mr and Mrs Spartacus?"
The Doctor: "Oh, no no no no no, we're not married."
Caecilius: "Oh, brother and sister? Yes, of course, you look very much alike."
Doctor and Donna: "Really?"

The Doctor: "Did you think of moving away? Oh no, then again, San Francisco."
Caecilius: "That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?"

All of our Doctor Who reviews are archived here
(Season 4, episode 2)
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Doctor Who: Partners In Crime

Donna: "I'm waving at fat."

After "The Runaway Bride," I was unsure whether having Catherine Tate as a permanent companion would be good for the show. There's already a thick seam of humour running through New Who -- would the introduction of a renowned comedienne upset the already precarious balance of humour and drama? Thankfully, her character this season was a far cry from the Donna we saw back in "The Runaway Bride". This was a more vulnerable and wistful Donna. Gone is the shouting fishwife. And I have to say, I think it was a change for the better.

It was nice too, to see the return of Wilfred Mott (capably played by the wombling free Bernard Cribbins). Cribbins had a small role in last year's episode "Voyage of the Damned", but as with Donna, they've substantially fleshed out his character. He's now Donna's grandfather; a Chiswick allotment holder, with a keen interest in amateur astronomy. The allotment scenes were where I actually started to like Donna. When she's not bawling at people, she's actually quite sweet. And I loved the mime scenes between her and the Doctor. Ridiculous, of course, but so brilliantly acted by Tate and Tennant, you couldn't help but smile.

At heart, this was really a children's story. The Adipose were nauseatingly sweet... from their fat fingered waves, to their cute, albeit blubbersome, bodies. They reminded me of baked potatoes. They also had "action figure tie-in" written all over them. Not long after this episode aired, some ingenious fan called Mazzmatazz published instructions on her website on how to make Adipose toys out of wool. She also published knitting patterns for the Ood -- until the BBC forced her to take them down. Which is a shame really. Google "adipose knitted toys" if you're curious. Cute, or what?

For adults, however, the Adipose were a pretty feeble effort. To be honest, I'm not sure the visual effects team could have done much to enhance them. They never really looked like anything other than CGI. They were too featureless... which I suppose was intentional. So maybe it was the concept which failed, as opposed (adipose?) to their on-screen representations.

I've always liked Sarah Lancashire. I'm not sure why exactly. Her character in Corrie was as limp as a limpet's limp bits, and she does tend to get stereotyped with somewhat drippy roles. So the character of Miss Foster was a real departure for her. She was like an evil Mary Poppins. She even flew up into the sky at the end. Thankfully though, Tennant's mockney accent is marginally more believable than Dick Van Dyke's... but I digress. Miss Foster (or Cofelia) was a curious foe. The Adipose actually helped people to lose weight. So Miss Foster wasn't a villain in the traditional sense of the word, as her breeding plan actually benefited mankind. At least at first.

And the scenes aboard the TARDIS, with the Doctor speaking aloud, before remembering he was alone, were really quite touching. The TARDIS looked enormous with only him inside. Time for a new companion, methinks. I mean, it's not as if Rose is coming back, is she?

Okay, I guess she is. I was moderately surprised to see her so early in the season. But, despite me not enjoying her second season as much as her first, seeing her again was a real thrill. So... interesting opening episode, with a tantalizing twist to finish.

Bits and pieces:

-- How exactly did Stacey's contorted skin just turn into fat? And how do the Adipose get out without breaking the skin?

-- I wish they'd shown us how the Doctor got Donna in through the window. She was too high up, wasn't she? And if Miss Foster had dead-locked the building, how did the Doctor open the window below Donna?

-- Do the Adipose have teeth? Teeth made of fat? Surely not?

-- Miss Foster's full title was Matron Cofelia of the Five Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet, Intergalactic Class.

-- Adipose Three is one of the 27 planets which were moved to the Medusa Cascade in "The Stolen Planet".

-- We had our first reference to the bees disappearing tonight.

Billie says...

Yes, the little fat monsters were silly and not at all memorable, and the number of customers they had before even announcing the product made no sense at all. The Matron would have done much better if she had just made a secret deal with the pharmaceutical industry; she could have safely had millions of adipose babies and no scandal at all. But then we wouldn't have had little fat things floating up in the air and waving, and that would have been too bad.

But I liked a lot about this episode. I liked the gleefully evil Matron Mary Poppins, and Penny the unfortunate journalist. I liked that Donna had a trunkful of suitcases ready for the TARDIS. And the scene where the Doctor and Donna met again and carried on a conversation with an office full of bad guys and two pieces of glass between them was just delightful. So was Donna's farewell to her wonderful grandfather. Definitely worth watching for those two scenes alone.

Like Paul, I was apprehensive and distinctly unthrilled about Donna's return... that is, until I saw this episode. Everything I disliked about Donna in "The Runaway Bride" was gone. She was no longer a strident, unhappy stereotype; she was a funny, enthusiastic, resourceful woman who had realized what she really wanted, and went after it with a singular intensity. And she succeeded -- partially. I think Catherine Tate's performance hinted pretty strongly that Donna was hoping for adventure *and* romance, but realized when the Doctor was talking about Martha that romance wasn't in the cards. So she took what she could get, and she did it with a smile on her face. Good for her.

Quotes:

Penny: "Oi, you two! You're just mad, do you hear me? Mad! And I'm going to report you for... madness!"

The Doctor: "You've got a hatbox."
Donna: "Planet of the hats, I'm ready."

Donna: "Some people just can't take it... and some people can! So then! TARDIS! Come on!"

The Doctor: "With Martha, like I said, it got... complicated. And that was all my fault. I just want a mate.
Donna: "You just want to mate?"
The Doctor: "I just want a mate."
Donna: "You're not mating with me, sunshine!"
Doctor: "A mate, I want a mate!"
Donna: "Well, just as well, cos I'm not having any of that nonsense! You're just a long streak of nothing!"

All of our Doctor Who reviews are archived here
(Season 4, episode 1)

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Glee: Ballads

Will: "Ballad. Who knows what this word means?"
Brittany: "It's a male duck."

If "Vitamin D" was the comedic gold standard of Glee's first season, then "Ballads" is certainly its emotional one. I think tonight's episode is about as close as the show has come to achieving the near-perfection of the series Pilot. Without question, Will, Mercedes and Finn delivered their best musical performances to date. Artie was pretty darn impressive, but "Confessions" was just too awesome to be beat.

In "Ballads" - defined as a story told through song - Mr. Shue asked the kids to practice expressing themselves musically in preparation for the never-coming Sectionals. With Rachel's self esteem and popularity issues, Kurt's unrequited crush on a straight boy, Puck's resentment of his best friend, who "gets everything", and Finn, Quinn, and "Babygate", as Mercedes calls it - "Ballads" let loose a dam of pent-up frustrations and finally allowed the truth to come tumbling out.

"Crush"
Tonight, Glee's signature "bop bops" and awkwardly inappropriate moments were back in all their glory with two doomed crushes: Rachel's on Mr. Shue, and Kurt's with Finn. I never thought I'd miss the squirming and cringing uncomfortableness of a watching a sure-fire train wreck, but oddly, Glee hasn't felt quite right without them. Maybe it's because high school - and, in fact, life - just isn't realistic without them. Maybe it's because "Push It" has recently been topping my playlist, and I totally crack up every time I hear Artie's "Holla!

I could not stop laughing (and squirming) at Will's face during the "Endless Love" duet. Matt Morrison thus far has played the straight man to all the kooks around him (the scene with Tanaka's athlete foot issue and Will's cookie comes to mind), but his expression was priceless. Of course, my favorite part of the scene was when Tina pulled out "Other Asian" from the hat. LOL. See? He'll never have a name!

I also loved Will's desperate attempt at discouraging Rachel with a brilliant mashup of "Don't Stand So Close To Me/Young Girl". Of course it failed miserably - even I fall in love with that man every time he sings, and I’m not a 16 year old girl with a crush. "So, Rachel, do you think you understood the message I was trying to get across with that ballad?" Will asks. "Yes," she answers earnestly, "I'm very young and you can't stand too close to me." (I should mention that I've been looking forward to this episode ever since that line aired on the preview.)

More awkward uncomfortableness ensued with Kurt's futile attempt to convince Finn that he should give up girls because they suck. Sure, it didn't have a snowball's chance in LA, but you know what? It was real. I wonder how many gay teenage kids, still coming to terms with their sexuality and who don't fully understand the complexities of love, are as naive as Kurt and think this would work? I can't say, but I can tell you that when I was a teenager, I thought up all manners of crazy schemes to get my crushes to like me.

The "Crush" section would not be complete without a shout out to Suzie Pepper, portrayed with quivering insanity by Sarah Drew of Mad Men. The midnight call, those horrible socks, and cheesiest of the cheesy "More Than Words" on her headphone - all too funny. But in the end, it was the Pepper-Berry showdown that brought Rachel back to reality. "Let me tell you a few things I've learned from 2 years of intense psychotherapy and an esophagus transplant," offered a surprisingly insightful and helpful Suzie. "You need to find some self-respect, Rachel. Get that mildly attractive groove back... Let me be a cautionary tale." That's one of the things I love most about Glee - just when you think things are heading for a plot cliche, the writers pull a 180, and show us humanity at its best.

"I'll Stand By You"
But for all the lightheartedness of high school crushes, the heart of "Ballads" was Finn's and Quinn's individual struggles with her pregnancy. Finn, in a surprising burst of frustration, lashes out at Kurt (who found it "fantastically compelling and inappropriate"). I knew that he’s been trying his best to be responsible and supportive, despite Quinn constantly taking things out on him, but I did not realize just how upset this kid was at the prospect of giving up his daughter, or how much he already loves her. It was amazingly touching, and wonderfully underscored by a heartfelt rendition of "I'll Stand By You" - which as I mentioned before, is easily Corey Montieth's best performance to date.

This week, Glee continues it's focus on family dynamics. While everyone's been wrapped up with the Finn-Quinn-Puck baby drama (and how it will tie into Terri's deception), I think we've forgotten just how scary it is for two teenagers to be having a kid. In addition to sobering weight and responsibility of parenthood, they must feel terribly alone, hiding it from the people that they need the most for fear of getting in trouble - their parents. It's clear that Finn wanted his mom to know - otherwise, would Finn have left his laptop open? - and very likely that Quinn was hoping that her mother would guess and help her.

The marked contrast between the two families was interesting. Finn's mother has been portrayed as not having a lot of money, and somewhat "white trash" - she wears too much tacky denim, was into that lawn painter guy with the mullet, and seems to be constantly doing laundry. Yet, without question, she loves and will stand by her son. I almost lost it first watching her hold a sobbing Finn, trying desperately to hold it together and be strong for him, and then when she welcomed Quinn with open arms.

On the other hand, Quinn's family clearly has money; they are concerned about status and debutante balls, they’re conservative, religious, watch Glen Beck, and, I suspect, not natural blonds. Everything about them come across as superficial, judgmental, and cold - from the old, dark wood of their decor, which just screams male-dominated household, to the seating arrangement at the massive dining table. And they kind of reminded me of Josh Groban and his "blowsy alcoholics". I wasn't surprised that they were not supportive when they found out about Quinn's pregnancy, although I didn't expect the father to kick out Quinn, and the mother to actually choose her husband over her own daughter.

I do have to admit, though, that the scene where Quinn's parents are confronting the two kids wasn't quite as powerful as it could have been. The writing was pretty solid, and I thought that the reactions of all 4 were completely understandable. Unfortunately, I just didn't think Diana Agron's acting skills were strong enough for that scene. I actually found Rachel tearing up at the end with Mr. Shue to be more heart-tugging.

"Lean On Me"
For me, the final number, "Lean On Me", captured everything that makes Glee so wonderful: it was an authentic and emotional ensemble piece, uplifting and hopeful during somber times, filled with heart, camraderie and, yes, glee. It was able to communicate the club's support of Finn and Quinn in a way that words cannot do. From a musical standpoint, I loved it because it brought something new to a classic - I loved the "hum hum hum hum" opening and the gospel-like crescendo at the end. Mercedes perfectly hit all of her high notes, and I saw Brittany actually hug Rachel in the middle! I have to say, I misted up at least 2 or 3 times during the episode, but managed to hold it together until this song - then I just started crying with no shame.

"Endless Love"
The song wasn't completely relevant to the storyline, so I saved it for last. During the episode, the song was diluted by the voiceovers (which were so funny, especially the totally random Puck "total commando" one), as well as the crazy close ups of Rachel's and Shue's faces. But then I downloaded the full version on iTunes, and it completely blew me away.

It's the first number to feature our Broadway giants Lea Michele and Matt Morrison, and it is amazing. Lea is always great on all of her numbers, but I didn't realize until I heard this song just how much she's been holding back. Matt Morrison is honestly the only one who can match her talent, and listening to these two go toe to toe was incredible. (Have I mentioned that I fall a little bit more in love with him every time he sings??) Even if you don't download the full version, at least listen to the preview. It's fantastic.

Last, But Not Least…
Without question, the best scene of the episode was when Mercedes confronted Puck. I was expecting her to be speechless, and thought she'd immediately start gossiping about it with Tina or Kurt. But it was really mature and sobering; I actually stood up and started cheering her when she gave it to Puck straight:

"You need to get something through your mohawk real quick. You're the baby's daddy, but it takes a lot more to be a father, and that's role's already been cast because Quinn chose Finn. You need to accept that and move on, because you have no business messing up that girl's life more than you already have."

Bits & Pieces:
-- No Sue. I missed her on principle, but it was such a great episode that I didn't even realize until the end.

-- Finn: "I have to go, they'll think I'm pooping."

-- Terri was back in shallow, evil shrew form tonight, but I did enjoy her lines. In particular: "Listen, you little psycho. This is Will's wife, and if I don't get enough sleep, my antidepressants don't work. And then I'll go crazy and I'll kill you."

-- Man, I hate "More Than Words". Whiniest. Song. Ever.

-- Kurt: "You do well with classics, especially of the soft rock mode."

-- OK, the one thing that took away from the powerfulness of "I'll Stand By You" was when Finn did the Reach To Nowhere at the sonogram.

-- Tina: "All the baby drama is making my rosacea act up." Hmmm... didn't see her and Artie interacting all night.

-- Quinn's Dad: "He wears a helmet when he plays, right?"

-- Brittany: "I bet the duck is in the hat."

-- Rachel: "Wow, I never noticed this before because he's always trying to destroy my career, but Mr. Shue has really nice eyes."

-- Emma: "I too am very curious about the power of the ballad. I'm thinking about doing some career counseling in song... SAT prep perhaps... I'm sitting."

-- Finn: "You think I should bring a gun?"

-- Will: "I'm taking Rachel home."
Terri: "Can you ask her to dust the blinds in the craft room first?"

-- I have the same notebook Rachel was carrying in the hallway. In fact, it's my Glee review notebook :-)

-- Rachel's Flowers: "Sorry I've been acting crazy!"

-- Kurt: "Your t-zone is dangerously dry." Finn looks down at his crotch.

-- P.S. I loved Kurt's robe and full skin care kit in the football locker room.

-- In this week's fashion report: Emma had on a pair of gorgeous shoes during Will's "Young Girl" performance. Kurt sported two very nice pea coats - one trimmed with red, one in red tartan. But that weird Peter Pan outfit he was wearing during Finn's solo? Ugh. Lose the long, asymmetrical tunic.

All in all, a strong, solid, emotionally rewarding episode. I think part of the reason "Ballads" worked so well is because, like the characters, the writers are probably better at expressing emotion through music then words. It's clear that all of the songs chosen for this week were carefully thought through, and it's refreshing to have the music carry the story, rather then just part of the plot (e.g., a Glee Club is supposed to perform, a homework assignment). Hats off to the writers, all of the singers, and especially Corey Montieth for an exceptional outing.

Four out of four male ducks. ... Read full post

V: It's Only the Beginning

I'll come right out and say it: I was not impressed with "It's Only the Beginning." In fact, my opinion of the show is getting worse with each episode. I thought the premier was good, and the 2nd episode not too bad. But it's just gone downhill from there for me.

Before I dive into my review, I should post a disclaimer. Despite my guest writer status at Billie Doux, I am not generally a fan of science fiction. With the exception of Battlestar Galactica (which, I think we can all agree, was exceptional for any genre), the only 2 shows I've ever watched knowing it was sci-fi-ish are Dollhouse, because of Joss Whedon, and Fringe, because of JJ Abrams.

So it's entirely possible that I don't love the show because of that. Or it may just be because last night's episode continued V's downward decline in quality. If the show runners were hoping that "It's Only the Beginning" would be compelling enough to lure viewers back after the Winter Olympics, I think that they will be sorely disappointed. It just didn't feel like anything significant happened - certainly not a game changer or a cliff hanger where I'm dying to see what comes next.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe you guys can help me understand how the things that happened tonight made an important plot advance. Erica discovered that Ryan is a V. The Fantastic Four (as I liked to call them) suspected that the V's were going to do something bad to humans via their vitamin shots, so they broke into a warehouse, where they discovered that the mysterious bad stuff - R26 - was being put into human-produced flu vaccines. Sneaky ones, those V's are. Ryan's fiance is pregnant with a mutant baby. Someone - can't remember his name - sacrifices himself so that Joshua won't be discovered.

Part of the problem for me is that I have yet to connect with any of the characters. By episode 4, we should have some understanding of who they are, but they all still feel very surface to me. I feel like we are more told who they are than shown. The V's are like Dennis Hopper. Whenever he shows up in a movie, you just know that he's the crazy evil guy - it doesn't matter what or why. On the flip side, the good guys are the good guys because they're human, not because any of the 4 main protagonists have displayed any characteristics that make me root for them. In fact, if humans were really this annoying and boring, I'm not entirely sure why we want the race to survive.

I can't recall who said it, but unlike one of the reviewers/commenters, I find the familiarity of the actors to be distracting. With the exception of Anna, either the writing or the acting isn't strong enough to break my association with their previous characters. Case in point: I think Elizabeth Mitchell is the strongest actor on the show, but I can't figure out if I find Erica to be flat because the character hasn't been well developed, or if because Juliet is one of the most complex, intriguing characters I've ever come across.

The end result is that, well, I just don't care what happens to them. So, the V's are sucking Tyler into The Dark Side with teenage boy hormones and cool looking engines. OK, great. Maybe then he'll be less whiny. So, Georgie got shot. And? Maybe then he'll be less whiny. So, Father Jack got shanked in a church by a V. Honestly, serves him right. I was like, DOOD - seriously. If a random person comes knocking in the middle of the night RIGHT AFTER YOU JUST BLEW UP AN ENEMY BUILDING, YOU DO NOT APPROACH HIM UNARMED. You especially DO NOT PUT DOWN THE GUN YOU WERE JUST HOLDING.

*Bangs head on table*

Scene by scene, "It's Only the Beginning" played like a smorgasbord of plot cliches. Borrowing/retelling isn't necessarily bad in itself, but the problem is that the rip offs aren't amounting to anything. Instead of moving us towards a more cohesive plot, I feel a little like the writers are just throwing everything cool they've ever seen at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Fundamentally, I think my issue with the show is that I don't know what it is or where it's going. As drnanamom pointed out, V isn't a reimagining a la Battlestar Galactica. But I don't agree that it is a cheesy, crappy sci-fi show - it takes itself too seriously. So, what is it trying to accomplish? If it is trying to deliver a political message, what is it? If they are trying to bring the V of the 80's to a new generation, the pace at which they are doing it isn't doing it justice. It almost feels like they are rushing through the original story so that they can get it over with. And then... what? Add something more? Take it into a completely different direction? If so, why rehash it at all?

The mediocrity of "It's Only the Beginning" highlights V's (possibly) fatal flaw: the writers/producers don't seem to grasp the importance of timing or pacing. As we all know, a lot is riding on this episode - the show has been declining in ratings since the premier, and it has to pull viewers back after a long hiatus. In this position, this episode needed to be explosive, thrilling, compelling, gasp-out-loud, throw-something-at-the-tv-because-you-can't-wait-for-the-next episode good. The writers should have pulled out all the stops - even cliched, cheesy shows know how to use cheap shock value to engage the viewers. But it was merely... meh. Did they know that this episode was going to be pivotal to the show's survival? If they did, it certainly didn't come across.

I can't say that I'll be returning in the spring, if it even comes back. It's disappointing, since the original is forever etched in my mind as one of the scariest things I've ever seen. Perhaps Ron Moore forever ruined remakes for me, but I honestly believe that if you don't have a clear vision of what you want the updated version to be, then just leave it in peace.

So says the faux sci-fi viewer.
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Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned (Christmas Special 2007)

Astrid: "That's a spaceship?"
Doctor: "Oy! Don't knock it!"

Well, this year's Christmas Special was definitely more festive than "The Runaway Bride" (not terribly difficult, I know). It started off well. There were some nice costumes, and a beautifully realised set (somewhat reminiscent of Cameron's movie, Titanic). So, visually, there was a lot to like about this episode.

But something about it just didn't click for me. It was partly cosmetic. The exterior of the ship, for example, wasn't the most convincing visual effect I've ever seen. And the passengers were either just too weird, or too stereotypical, to really connect with. Plus, there was no real sense of danger (despite Murray Gold's overly dramatic music trying to convince us otherwise). Yes, things were smashing... and, yes, things were blowing up. But it never felt like anything other than actors throwing themselves around a set.

I do like Kylie. I'm just not sure she's a very good actress. The last time I saw her act was way back in Neighbours, and she doesn't seem to have improved much. And, attractive though she usually is, I'm not sure that dress and hair style did much for her appeal. Not that Bannakaffalatta, the cyborg conker, would agree. But I didn't feel there was much chemistry between her and the Doctor. There wasn't enough time for them to develop any sort of relationship. Or maybe this idea of everyone instantly falling in love with the Doctor is wearing a bit thin.

Whatever the reason, Astrid's death was a complete non-event -- as in fact, was virtually everyone's. I'm not an unemotional man. Far from it, in fact. I'm always blubbing at some television show or other. But despite people dying left, right and centre... Morvin... Bannakaffalatta... Foon... Astrid, I was left completely dry-eyed.

I did like Mr Copper. It came as no surprise that his Earthonomics degree was procured from a dry cleaners. His earth history was an amusing patchwork of incorrectly assembled truths and Christmas folklore. All things considered, though, I'm glad the Doctor didn't take him along. Much as I enjoyed his character, I'm not sure there was anywhere else to go with him. So the Doctor leaving him safe on earth... and a millionaire to boot, seemed like a fitting end to his story.

This episode's main problem, I think, was its lack of originality. It was basically The Poseidon Adventure in space. And on top of that, we had touches of Titanic (with the ship itself), Goldfinger (with the Oddjob style halo throwing), and angels for aliens just six months after "Blink". And, speaking of the Host, surely the best way to stop them would have been to initiate security protocol one and then not ask any questions. Plus, I didn't really understand why they would take orders from the Doctor. Didn't Max instruct the Host to kill him? And how did they recognise the Doctor as the next highest figure of authority? According to what scale?

In retrospect, this wasn't the worst episode ever... it was just completely uninspiring. Plus, they tried to up the ante far beyond what the story could comfortably accommodate. We couldn't possibly have cared for all these people. We'd only just been introduced. They tried to do too much in too little time.

Bits and pieces:

-- Astrid is an anagram of TARDIS.

-- Gallifrey is in the constellation of Kasterborous.

-- After the Doctor said "take me to your leader", he commented "I've always wanted to say that". Err... you already did. Back in "Aliens of London". It was the ninth Doctor, but it was still you.

-- More nonsense about the Doctor's age. In "Time and the Rani", the Doctor claimed to be 953. In "The Claws of Axos" he claimed to be several thousand years old. Tonight he claimed to be 903. Maybe senility's setting in.

-- Is there an unwritten rule of fantasy that all alien names must be absolute nonsense? Foon? Bannakaffalatta? Morvin? Sheesh!

-- Astrid isn't the only person to have been offered a place aboard the TARDIS, only to die. The same happened to Lynda in "The Parting of the Ways" and Reinette in "The Girl in the Fireplace".

-- Why would a space ship have a fog horn?

Billie says...

I'm something of a Titanic buff (or I used to be), so the beginning of this episode actually delighted me. I liked the way the ship looked. I liked the idea of the Titanic in space. And then, unfortunately, it turned into The Poseidon Adventure. Not that I didn't like The Poseidon Adventure. I just liked it when it was The Poseidon Adventure.

All those characters dying should have moved me. One shot characters absolutely can get to the audience (like the ones in "Blink," for instance). But they have to be better drawn and better acted than stereotypes that were parodies of other characters that were also stereotypes. At least my mild affection for Mr. Copper made it until the end of the episode.

The best part of it, for me, was the idea of London braced for another Christmas alien attack. I could have used more of that. And Buckingham Palace.

Did the Doctor actually say he got the last room at the inn?

Quotes:

Mr. Copper: "Now, human beings worship the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve, the people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner, like savages."

Mr. Copper: "Don't stray too far. It could be dangerous. Any day now, they start boxing."

Doctor: “Okay! First things first. One, we're going to climb through this ship. B... No. Two, we're going to reach the bridge. Three, or C, we're going to save the Titanic. And coming in a very low four, or D, or that little IV in brackets they use in footnotes... Why? Right then, follow me.”

Slade: "Hang on a minute. Who put you in charge? And who in the hell are you anyway?"
The Doctor: "I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old, and I'm the man who's gonna save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

Astrid: "You might be a Time King from Gannaby, but you still need to eat.”

Astrid: "You look good for 903."
Doctor: "You should see me in the morning."
Astrid: "Okay."

Doctor: "What's your first name?"
Midshipman: "Alonso."
The Doctor: "You are kidding me!"
Midshipman: "Uh... why?"
The Doctor: "There's something else I've always wanted to say: Allons-y Alonso!"

All of our Doctor Who reviews are archived here.
(Season 4, Christmas special)
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Heroes: Thanksgiving

Sylar: "You have raised the evil incarnate bar to an entirely new level. Thank you for giving me something to strive for."

At last, my favorite Heroes character has returned. It's been too long, Mister Muggles.

This episode was actually quite a bit fun. Mama Petrelli took dysfunctional family Thanksgivings to a whole new level. She finally revealed the body switching brain-washing plot over catered turkey, and "Nathan" and Peter were supposed to just keep eating? Who's ready for pie?

I rather liked that Hiro was so angry and proactive for a change. He still doesn't have Charlie -- but he did save Edgar, and now Lydia knows the truth. The field scene with the glowing weeds where Samuel killed his brother was actually quite striking. How long is this carnival arc supposed to last, again?

My favorite was the Bennet family dinner with everyone bringing their new honey: Noah even provided Gretchen for Claire. Kate from Angel was back, and Sandra has found the perfect man: legume-intolerant Doug, who has his very own Muggles-ette. Claire watched Noah and Sandra sniping at each other as if she were watching a really uncomfortable and awkward show. Her completely freaking out Doug was funny.

Claire seems to be going through Buffy's first semester in college. She has to lie to everyone and can never be herself, and her secret life keeps intruding into everything. Guess it's time to find the carnival. Gretchen, you should have stayed home. Non-super people hanging around super people tend to wind up toast.

How long is this carnival arc again?

All of my Heroes reviews, most of them longer than this, are archived here.
(Season 4, episode 10)

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Fringe: August

“Who are these people?”

Fox was marketing this episode as, if not life-changing, at least show-changing. The Observer! More information! Answers, answers, answers! [Say that last bit like an announcer at a monster-truck rally.] What we got was a pretty standard stand-alone: guy does something weird, Fringe Division tries to figure it out and discovers there’s a twist, guy is neutralized and we’ve all learned something about ourselves. What we haven’t learned more about, though, is the Pattern or the coming War or even what the Observers are up to.


We did learn that the Observers exist outside of time: they observe it but are not of it. Except when they die. So maybe their bodies are in time, but their observational capacity is more comprehensive. Except when they can’t see their own deaths because somehow the timeline has been changed. So maybe they are able to observe everything but themselves, leading me to one timeworn cliché and one principle of physics: Who watches the watchers? And what’s up with the Observer Effect?

We also learned that there is more than one Observer. There seems to be a whole cadre of them. They watch time and call in a schlubby sniper when something changes the fabric thereof. That’s interesting.

And we learned that the Observers don’t feel emotion. Except when they do. Our Observer du jour felt love for his abductee, and the Observer who listened to him seemed to feel love for his dying friend.

Thanks to the guy at Massive Dynamics, we know that the Observers have always been around, mostly at important events in history. It’s interesting to consider what wasn’t covered in this quick sum-up: no Dallas, November 22, 1963. No Roswell, July 8, 1947. No Reichenbach Falls, 1891 (exact date unknown). Lately, the Observers have been observed more often, and at Fringe-events instead of historical disruptions.

…But didn’t we know that already? That the Observer(s) are out-and-about more than usual? Something is happening, a war is coming, lines are being drawn and sides chosen: but we don’t know any more than usual. Even the last lines were ambiguous: were the Observers talking about Olivia or her niece? I certainly hope it’s Olivia; we’ve already done the Ella-in-peril thing.

I think our Theme of the Week is the Observer Effect: only it’s not about how the Observer can change the experiment, it’s about how the experiment can change the Observer.

The Good

• Walter tricking Astrid, first with the cough syrup and then with the grocery-store fake-out.

• The dot-matrix fax machine of death.

The Bad

• I would have fought harder. If someone abducts me, throws me into a cheap motel room, and ties me up, they’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’.

• The truly obvious product placement for Olivia’s Ford.

Two out of four Sherlock Holmes, mostly because I wanted more than I got.

(Season Two, Episode Eight)

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Dexter: Hungry Man

Dexter: "I just don't want to do any damage."
Rita: "You're a parent. Parents do damage."

Disturbing. Also shocking. I had trouble sleeping after I saw this one. And that's not something I've ever said about a Thanksgiving episode of anything.

Dexter completely lost control, and nearly killed Trinity in front of the man's family. This changes everything. Dexter needs to protect and defend Jonah, Rebecca, and Sally Mitchell by eliminating their abuser, but if he does, "Kyle" will be a prime suspect, and Harry's first rule is "Don't get caught." Actually, I'm intrigued by the idea of Dexter getting caught, and possibly even going on trial. Think of the dramatic possibilities. Maybe this is the season it'll happen.

"Harry" said that another few years, that'll be Rita and the kids. I don't think so. The victimization of children and women, especially mothers, has always been Dexter's trigger; I just don't believe there's any way Dexter could even come close to abusing and terrorizing his wife and children. I thought it was touching (and in character) that Dexter wasn't even a tiny bit tempted by a beautiful fifteen year old girl throwing herself at him. Trinity's wife Sally begging Dexter to keep quiet about it was horrible and sad. Trinity deliberately breaking Jonah's finger was horrible, too.

The cracks in the facade were extreme at the Mitchell house, but they were also appearing at the Morgan house. Dexter's Shed o' Secrets was literally cracked by Cody, who is almost certainly going to discover Dexter's kill tools or slides at some point; a garden shed just isn't strong enough to hold Dexter's secrets forever. And I'm certain Masuka will consider it his duty to tell Dexter that he saw Rita and Elliot kissing. Masuka thinks of Dexter as one of his closest friends, even though Dexter is completely oblivious.

Shocker number two was the reveal that Christine Hill is Trinity's daughter. Christine must have killed Lundy to protect Trinity. Did he put her up to it, or did she do it on her own to protect him? Christine knows Dexter, but she can't possibly have connected Dexter to "Kyle." Meaning Trinity doesn't know Dexter works for Miami Metro. I think. Not yet, anyway.

Deb is the lead detective on the Trinity case now, which makes her Christine's prime target. Why didn't Christine make certain Deb was dead the first time? The Quinn/Christine scene in the bathroom echoed the ones with Trinity and his first victim. Is Quinn in danger, too?

Bits and pieces:

-- I loved Dexter playfully threatening the frozen turkey with a knife. I also loved him using the kids to blackmail Deb into coming to dinner.

-- Trinity attempted suicide in the previous episode; that couldn't have been faked. He's bipolar, isn't he? With poles that are *really* far apart?

-- Where does Christine fit into Trinity's current family? She wasn't referred to at all. Previous marriage? Illegitimate? Did he disown her and forbid the rest of the family to talk about her?

-- Loved Deb trying not to swear while holding the baby.

-- The Angel/Maria love affair is also breaking out of its metaphorical secret shed. They've completely succumbed to temptation because who knows how long any of us have?

-- "Hungry Man" is the brand name of a frozen TV dinner, making the title of the episode a clever double entendre as well as a metaphor for the meagerness and artificiality of a TV dinner as Trinity's version of a family holiday, as well as Dexter's.

Quotes:

Deb: "I could use a wing man."
Masuka: "Yes."
Deb: "I can't promise it'll be any fun."
Masuka: "Well, I could be your thigh man. He he he he he he he."

Deb: "You have a specialty?"
Masuka: "A river of chocolate love that melts in your mouth."
Deb: "Wow. You can make anything sound perverted."
Masuka: "It's a gift."

Trinity: "I'll probably donate it to the needy, since obviously I won't be needing it."
Dexter: (to himself) "No, you'll be buried at sea."
Who donates a hand-made coffin to charity? Who builds a hand-made coffin in the first place?

Dexter: "What kind of father keeps a coffin in his garage?"
Harry: "What kind of father keeps blood slides in his shed?"

Astor: "Are you the one my mom told me not to talk to?"
Masuka: "Awkward."

This episode was a wow. Can they keep this up for three more? Four out of four stars,

Billie

All of my Dexter reviews are archived here.
(Season 4, episode 9)

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Doctor Who: Time Crash (Children in Need Special)

Tenth Doctor: "Wibbly wobbly..."
Both Doctors: "Timey wimey!"

I love the Children In Need specials. Despite being irregular, they're always of a decent quality and, although seldom giving us anything significant in terms of plot development, they always entertain. And what's not to like about seeing Peter Davison gracing our screens again? Sure he's a bit older and little heavier. But the man's still got it.

What always puzzles me about these multiple Doctor stories is they always call each other "Doctor" and never refer to each other by name. Obviously, there's a degree of secrecy surrounding the Doctor's name. But when they're talking to each other, that shouldn't be a problem, surely? Are they frightened the TARDIS might overhear?

There's always an air of irritability between meeting Doctors. In this episode, the tenth Doctor criticises the fifth Doctor's decision to go "hands free"... whilst simultaneously poking fun at his lapel garnish. Ultimately, though, two heads are better than one, and when both heads are your own, it doesn't really matter who solves the time crash conundrum -- you can revel in your own brilliance either way.

Both actors were excellent in this vignette. Davison slipped back into his old role with consummate ease. And Tennant so clearly lives and breathes the part these days, it's hard to imagine anyone else coming close to what he's achieved.

We've had a few multiple Doctor stories in the past (imaginatively named "The Two Doctors", "The Three Doctors" and "The Five Doctors"). I wonder how a modern day take would fare. We had a multiple companion story in "Journey's End". How about a modern day multi Doctor story? Surely they could get Tennant, McGann, Eccleston and Matt Smith together for the sake of charity?

Wouldn't that be something?

Billie says...

I don't have much to say about this one, other than it was a nice little tribute to the past -- bright, funny, enjoyable to watch. I know there have been other multiple Doctor crossovers, but I haven't seen them. It might get dull if it were an entire episode, but for a brief little thing, it was great fun.

Interesting dynamic, how our current Doctor constantly ridiculed his earlier self, at first. Especially the celery. And for the most part, the tenth Doctor didn't seem at all uncomfortable talking to himself. Of course, it's happened before. They did seem to be the same person, meaning that characterization of the Doctor has apparently been consistent, to some extent.

And it was lovely when the tenth Doctor told the fifth, "You were my Doctor." Very nice.

Bits and pieces:

-- Brief mention of L.I.N.D.A. from the terrible "Love and Monsters."

-- This special was written by Steven Moffat, future head writer. We can't wait.

Quotes:

Tenth Doctor: "Oh, no, of course. You mostly went hands-free didn't you? Like, 'Hey, I'm the Doctor. I can save the universe using a kettle and some string! And look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable!'"

Tenth Doctor: "Look at you! The hat, the coat, the crickety cricket stuff, the... stick of celery... brave choice, celery, but fair play to you, not a lot of men can carry off a decorative vegetable."

Tenth Doctor: "Where are you now? Nyssa and Tegan? Cybermen and Mara and Time Lords in funny hats and the Master... oh, he just showed up again, same as ever."
Fifth Doctor: "Oh, no. Really? Does he still have that rubbish beard?"
Tenth Doctor: "No! No beard this time. Well, a wife."

Fifth Doctor: "To days to come."
Tenth Doctor: "All my love to long ago."

Tenth Doctor: "You know, I love being you."

All of our Doctor Who reviews are archived here.
(Season 4, Children in Need special)

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Stargate Universe: Life

I’ve grown to enjoy Stargate Universe overall, but after reading the teaser blurb for ‘Life,’ I was not looking forward to the episode. The notion of Scott and Wray visiting their loved ones on Earth via the communication stones was seriously unappealing. I detest the stones, and had little confidence that this episode would do anything to address the serious moral and ethical problems with their use. Plus, I’m not a big fan of Scott’s, so spending extended getting-to-know-you time with his character was not high on my list. In fact, we postponed watching this episode until Sunday night, because we just couldn’t muster up the interest to watch before then.

So, my expectations going into the episode were pretty darn low, and sadly, ‘Life’ did not “disappoint.” The episode had some interesting elements (namely Rush’s chair discovery and Camille’s evolving mental state), but the rest of the story left me largely bored or irritated.

I really hate it when people trot out the “soap opera” label any time a show dares to explore human emotions, relationships, and dynamics. Science fiction isn’t only about cool science, aliens, time travel, or stories set in the future or alternate past. To my mind, it is often about exploring the human condition through a different lens; giving light or new perspective to issues and ideas that might otherwise be difficult to tackle. Emotions and relationships are a huge part of that. And when it is done right, I say bring on the human dynamics. But several of the major plots in this episode felt like they came right out of General Hospital or Days of Our Lives.

The stuff with Emily, Telford, and Col. Young is just plain painful. If they aren’t going to use the story to explore or at least discuss the inappropriateness of what Young and Emily did, then for goodness sake, just let it drop. I don’t want to watch Telford sneaking around being Emily’s “friend” or Young hijacking other people’s bodies to put a hurting on Telford. It isn’t good drama; it is cheesy soap opera.

And Lt. Scott discovering he has a child he never knew about? Please. Is this supposed to give the guy interesting layers? I honestly could not care less.

On the other hand, I did find Camille’s part of the story interesting. While I really hate the whole device of using other people’s bodies to visit and “reconnect” with loved ones, I felt like in Camille’s case the writers actually used it to move her character forward. After her visit and the crushing reveal that they weren't within a year of getting back, she seemed to finally come to terms with her situation and resolve to deal with it on her own terms. In her Destiny shower scene, I thought she reached the point where she found the determination to cope and then pulled herself together. I’m hoping that this is a turning point for her character and that she now takes a more active role on the show and on the ship. I’m expecting to see her start forming her own team, and begin actively opposing both Young and Rush, as suggested by her boss.

I also liked the parts with Rush’s discovery of a prototype chair / Ancient repository. This thing could actually lead the story in some cool directions, and I loved all of Rush’s little head games surrounding the testing of the chair. Particularly since Young wasn’t willing to play. Watching those two jockey for position makes for some entertaining drama. I was intensely amused by Rush trying to justify his actions, claiming he was just trying to give people hope. Ha! Weasely, manipulative little bastard.

Other Thoughts

Again, I was hugely disappointed that they chose to not address the basic problems with the communication stones and with letting people trot off the base to do whatever they want in their borrowed bodies. I repeat: the audience really needs to understand the “terms of use” agreement with these things.

I was even more perturbed that they introduced the “side effect” of Scott suddenly having memory flashes from Telford. Right. The writers can’t be bothered to address the real moral issues, but they will make up some “techie” side effect and act as though that’s the real danger of the things. Sigh.

How come the male characters never have shower scenes? (No, Telford's locker room scene doesn't count.)

It was a nice touch to see Franklin still wearing the bloodied shirt from when he got shot.

I did like the song they had playing at the beginning and end. “It’s been the worst day since yesterday” is perfectly suited to their situation, and it made me smile.

Always nice to see the lovely Reiko Aylesworth (Michelle, 24). Sharon and Camille seem to have a strong, supportive relationship. Too bad we had to see it through a communication stones encounter.

Dr. Park is now in the running for biggest “playa” on the ship. If she keeps up her rotating bed mates, she is quickly going to supplant Lt. Scott as the crew’s biggest horndog.

Final Analysis: My least favorite episode so far. I find myself desperately wishing someone would sabotage the communication stones and take them out of the story-telling device rotation.

(Season 1, episode 9)
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Smallville: Pandora

"Kneel before Kal-El."

And it's the apocalyptic future! I love it when they do the alternate-timeline no-consequences anything-goes sort of thing on Smallville. We get to see the good stuff that we know we'll never see in the actual series. It's the bread-and-butter of comic book plots.

There was a lot to like about this one. We found out what Zod's evil plan is, and it's a really cool and devastating evil plan. We had the weird-looking red sun, which actually wasn't that great an effect but I still thought it was cool. We had Chloe as the tough, brilliant leader of the resistance, and arrows and knives made out of Kryptonite.

And ooh! Lois and Clark sex! With a hand clutching a sheet (always a visual shortcut implying great passion) and everything!

Why is there always one character on Smallville that I absolutely despise? I thought that was over when Lana was finally written out, but now we have Tess. She betrayed the entire human race, but that's okay, because she did it with the best of intentions. Not. Don't cry for Tess, Oliver. Really.

Did Clark just make a really bad mistake? Zod is just not buddy material. How do you solve a problem like Zod? Is it back to the Phantom Zone? Yeah, I know, this particular Zod hasn't been there yet, but maybe the timelines in the Zone all cross and he can fight himself forever. What to do with the rest of the Kandorian clones then? Are they all as evil as Zod, or would they behave if he were gone? Can they be integrated into human society? Wait, I've got it. Let's miniaturize the entire city and keep it hidden somewhere.

Quite an exciting and fun to watch mid-season finale; it reminded me of why I got into Smallville in the first place.

And that's it for awhile; the next episode airs on January 22.

All of my Smallville reviews are archived here.
Photo credit: Kryptonsite.
(Season 9, episode 9)

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FlashForward: Believe

“Love crazy.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about DrNanaMom’s V review: we’ve been spoiled by so much great science fiction lately, and it’s hard to deal with some shows that are just good, but not stellar. This idea kept occurring and re-occurring as I watched this week’s FlashForward—and then I had a brainstorm: is this science fiction? Sometimes, it’s a police procedural, especially when Mark and Demitri are the focus. Sometimes it’s a medical procedural, too: the House-style ‘what’s killing the patient?!’ episode from a few weeks ago comes to mind.


Or is it a drama? This episode felt very Grey’s Anatomy to me (and the Grey’s that followed FlashForward this week actually dealt with alcoholism and compressed a month of action into one episode, too). The conceit is very SF—mental time travel, basically—but the guiding principle seems to be people struggling with their own craziness and the craziness of the people around them. And if that doesn’t define drama, then what does?

This week, we learned more about Bryce, and we watched him try to understand his FlashForward, and to make it happen. He and Keiko had a Sliding Doors-style near miss, but now that she’s in LA maybe they’ll have a chance to dine at a Best of LA restaurant. His FlashForward was just absurd, though: Keiko, who did seem pretty neat in her FlashBacks, did nothing but giggle and wiggle her eyes around for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. I was embarrassed for her. Plus, is their Flash just them finally meeting? Is that worth crossing the Pacific for? Especially when he’s got a sexy candy striper closer to home?

We also learned more about Aaron and his struggles with his daughter’s drama. Yes, you read that right: his struggles with her problems. NewsFlash, Aaron: it’s not about you. Help her, don’t attack her. What kind of father are you? Yes, I got a little het up about Aaron’s self-centered reaction to his daughter’s obvious cries for help. Is this a nuanced portrait of a father struggling with his own complicity in his daughter’s anguish? Or is it a feeble attempt to keep the drama focused on our main characters?

Our C-storyline followed Mark in his quest to understand who texted Olivia about him FallingOff the wagon in his flash. Mark, Aaron, and Bryce are all dealing with the craziness that relates to the women in their lives, and trying to figure out what they saw in their flashes and how it relates to their current inner turmoil. This show has some great actresses, but so far has only focused on Janis—all the other women are thought about and worried about by their menfolk, but they don’t get much time in the spotlight. I wish they did.

A few recurring questions, um, recurred this week: what’s up with Demitri’s anonymous phone call? Who’s that guy in the stadium? Who texted Olivia? Who is taking care of Mark and Olivia’s daughter now that Nicole works at the hospital? Why do they show us FlashBacks of something that just happened 10 minutes ago? Do they think we have the short-term memory of gerbils? Where’s Dominic Monaghan?

Flashes:

• The credits showed a flash of Keiko’s tattoo—have all of the openers featured a glimpse of an important object? That tattoo is also our symbol of the week: a permanent bodily marker of a nearly illogical faith.

• Was that really a CAT scan of a kidney?

• Mark: “If we can see the ring so well, why can’t we see his face?” I’m so glad he said that: it was exactly what he was thinking.

• Kitchen Guy: “I think he wants a virgin.”

• Here’s a puzzler: why have all of the titles used mostly consonants? Do they add up to something, like the shots of frogs and apples and butterflies on Fringe? (So far, the letters and numbers are: NMGD WTP 137S BS GST SMaSC TG PCWC B. It looks like an evil flight confirmation code.)

Many of us seem to be losing faith in FlashForward; I was trying desperately to keep the faith. To believe. But this episode felt very inconsequential and rather boring. No FlashForward next week, because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Two out of four convenient candy stripers.

(Season One, Episode Nine)

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Supernatural: Abandon All Hope

Crowley: "What if I give you this thing, and you go kill the Devil?"

With an episode title like "Abandon All Hope", you know it's not going to end well. And sure enough, it didn't end well.

The evening at Bobby's house before Carthage was almost cruel. Let's show them having a lovely evening and even do a group photo before we tear them apart forever, shall we? Maybe Jo should have said yes to Dean, but that would have been the lazy writer's way out. Her death was actually more poignant without a last-night-on-Earth tumble; we'll never know if Dean and Jo might have been happy together. In a way, Jo has always been Dean's girl, even though she never was, the one he probably would have ended up with if their lives had been normal.

Jo was a victim of hellhounds, just like Dean. I bet that was a deliberate emotional choice by the writers. And I completely understand why Ellen couldn't leave her daughter to die alone. At least Jo and Ellen knew for certain that there is an afterlife, that God and angels exist, unlike the rest of us in the real world. Jo wanted so badly to be a hunter, to make a difference. If the Colt had worked, she would have been responsible for taking out the Devil, something worth dying for. I keep feeling like they died for nothing. Even though they did save the Winchesters.

Ellen and Jo were a family of hunters who just died together. Is this a preview of the end for Dean and Sam? Lucifer referred to Detroit, six months from now, as if it were destined to be. Sam didn't seem at all tempted, but maybe that was because Dean was there. That, and the fresh shock of losing Ellen and Jo. Where will Sam's mind be in six months, though?

I loved Crowley, the boss of the Crossroads Demons. As he was going on about Lucifer targeting demons after destroying the humans, Spike's Manchester United speech was running through my head. What's Crowley's real motivation? Did he know the Colt wouldn't work? Probably not. Lucifer did indeed kill all those demons at the end as if he cared nothing about them, so Crowley might have been on the level, as well as right. Please bring him back. I want Mark A. Sheppard to guest star in every show I watch. He nearly has already.

Lucifer said that there are only five things in creation that the Colt can't kill. God and the archangels? Can the Colt kill Death, the pale rider, king of the reapers? I wonder if, by things, Lucifer meant types of beings. As in the Colt can't kill God, archangels, and three other things? I'm parsing Lucifer. I must be stopped.

Bits and pieces:

-- Castiel got to be a real bad ass. When he couldn't yank Meg's demon, he literally tossed her into the fire and walked all over her. Two cliches in one. I also loved Ellen trying to outdrink him at the party.

-- "Women and children first." Lucifer had killed all the women and children of Carthage. That also applied to Ellen and Jo, if you think about it, because it's always the women who die in this show, isn't it?

-- Bobby in his wheelchair doing research over the phone reminded me of the character Lifeguard that Jim Byrnes played in "Wiseguy."

-- As Crowley was waiting for the Winchesters, he was watching films of Hitler while listening to "Everybody Plays the Fool." :)

-- That poor guy Nick who said yes to Lucifer has probably realized that he made a bad decision, if he's still conscious in there. Mark Pellegrino did a good job. It's not easy playing the devil.

-- This week, Carthage, Missouri. Did you notice the signs? "Anti-God is Anti-American." "Jesus Saves." Apocalypse now.

-- We're going to see the pale rider in the flesh? I wonder whom they'll cast?

-- This was our mid-season cliffhanger. The next episode airs January 19.

Quotes:

Crowley: "You can cling to six decades of deep-seated homophobia, or give it up and get a complete bailout of your bank's ridiculous incompetence."
Loved the kiss. It wasn't just a quick smack. It was like Crowley was doing it slowly on purpose because the banker was so homophobic.

Castiel: "The demon Crowley is making a deal. Even as we speak, it's... going down."
Dean: "Going down? Okay, Huggy Bear, just don't lose him."

Jo: "Sweetheart, if this is our last night on Earth, I'm going to spend it with a little thing I call self-respect."
Dean: "If you're into that kind of thing."

Bobby: "The devil's in the details, Dean."

Jo: "Mom, this might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. You might want to take it."

Dean: "See you on the other side. Probably sooner than later."
Jo: "Make it later."

I'm not ashamed to say I cried through the second half of this episode. Four out of four stars,

Billie

All of my Supernatural reviews are archived here.
Screencap credit: Oxoniensis Screencaps
(Season 5, episode 10)

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NewsFlash: Chuck Premiere Date

Great news, Chuck fans. NBC has (finally) settled on a date for the third season premiere: January 10th. The weird part? That's a Sunday. Chuck is kicking off the season with a 2-hour premiere; regular episodes will air on Mondays at 8pm.


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NewsFlash: Lost returns in February

We finally have a date! And it's not going to run on Thursday!

According to the Sci-Fi Wire, Lost returns with a one-hour recap special at 8:00 ET/PT, and a two-hour season premiere at 9:00, on February 2 (Groundhog Day!), 2010. It will then air on Tuesdays at 9:00.

The cast list is intriguing. "Lost stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Terry O'Quinn as Locke and Zuleikha Robinson as Ilana."

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Heroes: Brother's Keeper

So, let me see. Matt is officially dead, except he's not. Mohinder is officially dead, except he's not. Nathan is actually dead, except Sylar still thinks he's Nathan. Claire got frozen and dismantled, but she's just fine.

I enjoyed this episode. It was fun and somewhat exciting and it seemed to be going somewhere. I kept hoping we'd arrive -- that Sylar would take back his body, but not yet; they're going to drag this out awhile longer. Smart of Peter to touch Nathan/Sylar and suck up those powers again. Do you think we're finally going to get the massive Peter versus Sylar fight we didn't really get in season one? If we don't get it this season, we probably won't get it at all, because I seriously doubt Heroes is getting a fifth season.

Mohinder, whom I always sort of liked but must admit I didn't miss, was his old, obsessed, self-righteous self. Good for Hiro for stashing him out of the way in a padded cell. That'll teach Mohinder to show some gratitude when someone freaking saves his life, huh? Maybe that's why I haven't missed him.

But at least Hiro made me smile again. Tracy and Claire were oddly fun together; just two blond superwomen bonding over a bath, tea and a severed foot. I also liked the Nathan Peter Sylar Matt scene. And Samuel is finally turning into the massive threat we always assumed he'd be. It's just taking a bit too long.

All of my Heroes reviews, most of them longer than this, are archived here.
(Season 4, episode 9)

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V: A Bright New Day

I have to start this review with some provisos. I never saw the original V series and I love crappy, escapist sci-fi. I think that in recent years we have been spoilt by intelligent, well-acted, well thought out science fiction. V is not this. It is splashy, exotic and full of stolen threads from other sci-fi shows. That said, as I mentioned, I love crappy, escapist sci-fi, and there are a few interesting things that keep V interesting and watchable.

First, I love the obvious spin doctoring that goes on by the V's. They show how easy it is to turn the truth on its head, to fool people with false promises (with a few real ones thrown in) and to generally lie on a continuous basis but very convincingly. Someone in the blog comments mentioned that the original V was about what an attempted fascist takeover of the United States might look like. I think this modern version is following suit but this is the new face of fascism, a kinder, gentler, don't worry about the truth, actually don't worry about anything kind of fascism. I think the control of the media is also key here and I enjoyed watching the spin doctor, (journalist Chad) admire and then become wary of Anna as she takes spin doctoring to new heights with her turn-around of the grieving widow Mary Faulkner from figurehead of the protest against the V's to supporter. One of my favorite parts of this episode was watching Anna practice her emotional response to the widow, figuring out what would work best to turn the conversation to her favor.

On a more personal note, this show really creeps me out because I think I have already met some V's. You know, those really, really nice people who smile all the time. The ones that would stab you in the back and then apologize for messing up your clothes. Are they aliens or are we more lizard like than we would want to admit?

As in all good science fiction, the aliens are there to hold a mirror up to us and these creatures know us better than we know ourselves. We may be, as one V says, "naturally mistrusting," but it seems if you feed us the right line and give us a bit of technology most of us, even the bright lawyer ladies, are going to jump on your bandwagon. It is ham-handed in showing us how we easily we can be duped and how quickly we swallow half truths but the message is there and subtlety is not always required in primetime.

I agree with the other reviewers who talked about the clunky dialogue. This is accompanied by some pretty clunky plot devices. Some glaring issues for me were when Erica left our favorite priest in her home alone with access to an FBI database (not a great decision, I don’t care if he's a priest). Erica looking at the V's surveillance cameras and obviously being captured on film (isn’t somebody watching those surveillance thingys). And I spent almost 5 minutes worried about Dale coming after Erica (no worries, that issue got wrapped up in a much too clean bow).

The rip-offs from previous science fiction shows were pretty obvious. We are now dealing with some version of Star Trek's "borg" although the bliss piece is a nice touch and I swear the Cyrus guy was channeling Cypher from The Matrix – even the names are close. Perhaps this is a clever call out to the sci-fi fans rather than wholesale plagiarism.

On the positive side, we got to see Erica kick some ass as her FBI agent self. We got to see Alan Tudyk be very lizard-like and complain about how humans smell. And I should also mention that we have two strong female leads going head to head in a prime time science fiction show. Morena Baccarin and Elizabeth Mitchell continue to wow me with their acting capacity. So this show is really a very mixed bag. It can make you think one minute, and then go off the rails into bland primetime escapism.

I will keep watching because, as I said, I love this kind of crappy stuff (I grew up with the Original Star Trek, which was the originator of the ham-handed social message). Who knows? The writers may get better, and it looks like the teen heartthrob is going to be eaten or some version of that – worth staying tuned for.

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