Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One

If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series – movies and books, then you are probably going to enjoy this movie. If you aren’t then you will have no clue what is going on. Actually, if all you have done is watch the movies, you might be a little lost as well.

The movie is beautiful in a moody, dark sort of way. I’m not sure what a non-Potter fan would make of all the camping and longing, wistful glances out to the horizon but Potter fans know what’s coming and can make sense of the strung together bits of war, intrigue and relationship squabbles. There is a lot of filling in the blanks required but to be fair, as one reviewer put it, this is the penultimate movie and is a set-up for part two.

Of course, it is always difficult to fit the many nuances of a book into a movie and when the book is 608 pages long, even if you split it into two movies, it is impossible. We miss a lot of character development and important details including plot points. But David Yates does cover the major aspects of the plot and manages to create an atmosphere reminiscent of the book. The books and movies have moved from a child’s fairy tale to something quite sinister and adult.

Which leads me to a very important point -- this movie is NOT for children. This is not a lovely Christmas family romp with beautiful mythical creatures and evil foes easily overcome. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a war movie complete with violence, repression and horror. Our plucky heroes are fighting the good fight but it is all pretty grim. This is manageable if you know how things will eventually shake down but if not then you are going to find this movie pretty depressing. I can’t imagine what a young child would make of it.

On a more positive note, I enjoyed the return of some of my favourite characters – the lovable Luna, feisty Dobby and the evil but interesting Bellatrix Lestrange. I loved seeing Harry, Hermione and Ron growing up. They shouldn’t have to save the world at their ages but they know what they have to do and are willing to do it despite the danger involved. At the same time, they aren’t able to avoid the usual challenges of adolescence: jealousy, insecurity, trying to figure out how to tell someone you like them.

Above all, Harry Potter is about magic and even if most of the magic at this point is grey/black and evil, it is still exciting. The special effects do what they are supposed to and they do it well without overwhelming the movie. The action scenes are fast-paced and gripping.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this movie and would say it’s a great bet for Potter fans. A caution, though, if you are just entering the Potter world. This is not the place to start your adventure. Begin at the beginning and you will find yourself here eventually and much better prepared to enjoy this bumpier part of the ride.

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Dexter: In the Beginning

Alex: "What's this going to cost? Give me a number!"
Lumen: "Thirteen."

Powerful, intense, moving, and here's a descriptor I don't usually apply to a Dexter episode -- deeply romantic. If I could have picked the one plotline I least expected for the season following Rita's death, it is that Dexter would find a woman who could love him just as he is.

Dexter did love Rita. He loved her sweetness and gentleness, he loved that she was a good mother. But he was always off balance with Rita, always scrambling to please her, or to explain himself. Rita often saw the good man inside Dexter, but for the most part, he kept himself masked.

The mask is now gone. There was more emotion on Dexter's face in this episode than I've ever seen before. He wanted to touch Lumen, to comfort her, but he never did. He never would have touched her at all if she hadn't made the first move. When Lumen took off his shirt, Dexter allowed her to "bind" his wrists behind him, just as she had been bound by her captors. That just blew me away. It showed a depth of sensitivity that I didn't think Dexter was capable of feeling. This is the most human that we have ever seen him.

Lumen as Dexter's murder student was oddly funny. She was delighted with her murder outfit, the gloves he gave her, those scary knives. She didn't hesitate to kill Alex Tilden, either; she got right on top of him and, pardon the expression, dug right in. It made me wonder, though. As a fan of this show, I've adjusted to Dexter's homicidal proclivities. But what is happening to Lumen -- replacing her extreme trauma with a fixation on revenge, on killing -- it isn't healthy for her.

Not that I blame her a bit, because if anyone is justified carrying out revenge this extreme, it's Lumen. Thirteen disks of torture. Very upsetting. Watching Lumen watch her own torture was even more upsetting. I'm glad we didn't actually see much; just listening was difficult to take as it was.

Deb had a hard time with it, too. Her latest discussion with Dexter about seeing herself as a vigilante was yet another tempting suggestion that we might be moving toward a brother-sister partnership. Yes, I know, too much to hope for, but what a team they would make! Deb is such an outstanding detective. She has already figured out that the thirteenth victim is doing the killing, and she and Quinn nearly caught Dexter and Lumen in the act. Another amazing scene; I was on the edge of my seat.

Deb confronting Jordan was great, too; she wasn't even trying for diplomatic. I also liked the somewhat similar scene with Dexter and Jordan and the DNA sample. It had the flavor of Trinity walking into Miami Metro and confronting Dexter, but on the other foot. Dexter is utterly confident that he will prevail. Since the title of the show is Dexter, I think he will, too. As I've already mentioned ad nauseum, it's Lumen I'm worried about.

Jonny Lee Miller as Jordan Chase has become a Dexter-worthy villain. He's icky in a way I can't define. That conversation he had with Emily was just too weird; it was like she was drugged. They have a bond? She's protecting him, even though she was telling the truth about what he did to her? He's a total voyeur, too, and he wouldn't let Emily even touch his hand. Is Jordan Chase a victim, too? Did something horrible happen to him, something that made him the way he is? Like Dexter?

I usually keep this show at an emotional arm's length because the plots are so upsetting and I'm a wuss. But I'm really into this season. I'm a romantic. I want Dexter to live happily ever after, even though I know he won't. I know Lumen won't, either. Rats.

Bits and pieces:

-- The title of this episode is "In the Beginning." That must refer to Emily. Or what happened to Jordan before Emily? Actually, "In the Beginning" is also the title of one of my absolute favorite Supernatural episodes. I hear it might be in the Bible, too. :)

-- Jordan Chase's real name is Eugene Greer, and he was in the photo, after all. Because Emily Birch took the picture. Weird, weird, weird.

-- Lumen was victim number thirteen, the lucky one. Or the unlucky one, according to Deb, who thought the dead victims were the lucky ones. And was Lumen's necklace a four-leaf clover?

-- I sort of believe Alex Tilden that he never intended to become what he became, that he was roped in. Doesn't make him less subhuman, though. Especially since he kept the jewelry as trophies.

-- There were several scenes in the dark, and the reflections on the wall looked like a spider web. I'm sure that was intentional. It was a point of no return for Lumen.

-- Unsurprisingly, Maria didn't give Deb credit for discovering the new evidence. And things continue to be tense in the LaGuerta-Batista marriage.

-- Liddy is continuing to make me smile. This week, it was when he was about to put a cheeseburger in his mouth, saw the knives, and his jaw literally dropped. He is so out of his league. And he would be terribly offended if someone told him he was out of his league.

-- I'm glad Harrison is out of the way at his grandparents'. Can't have a baby around for the final episodes because the shit is completely covering the fan.

Quotes, and all serious ones this time:

Dexter: "Despite having considered myself a monster for as long as I can remember, it still comes as a shock when I'm confronted with the depth of evil that exists in this world."

Deb: "No one could go through something like this and have a life again."

Liddy: "You like blood?"
Dexter: "I like catching bad guys."
Liddy: "That's cute."
Cute?

Dexter: "Maybe it's true that pairs survive better in the wild."

Dexter: "With Lumen, I'm someone different. In her eyes, I'm not a monster at all."

This episode is up there with my favorite Dexter episodes. Four out of four ruined DVDs,

Billie

All of my Dexter reviews are archived here.

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Stargate Universe: Visitation

... in which the crew members left behind on the obelisk planet mysteriously turn up on Destiny’s doorstep.

‘Visitation’ was a fascinating and, at times, profoundly moving exploration of the process of coming to terms with death and moving on. A small part of me wonders if the episode was conceived as a way for Destiny to get a “brand spankin’ new” shuttle, but even if that’s true, I think the writers were wise to use this unlikely “miracle” to revisit the planet from ‘Faith’ and T.J.’s experience in the season premiere. Since learning about Destiny’s mission in ‘The Greater Good,’ it’s been hard to ignore the possibility that the creators of the planet in ‘Faith’ could be linked to the supposed intelligence behind the creation of the Universe. This episode didn’t really give us definitive answers to that particular question; however, it does seem to have resolved the question of whether the planet’s creators were The Divine or the Most Incredibly Advanced Aliens Ever, in favor of the latter. The white light at the end of the shuttle’s kino video was, perhaps, supposed to be open to interpretation, but I have trouble believing The Divine would answer Kane’s prayers by restoring everyone to life, soulless, only to die again as their memories returned. Rather, it seems that the aliens were attempting to help Kane and the others, but were unable to recreate an essential component of human existence. I like that this answer still allows for the possibility of The Divine, by recognizing that humans have a core spiritual essence that is beyond the control or grasp of aliens with capabilities far beyond anything we’ve seen before. “... beings who can rebuild a man’s body ... but not his soul.” At least, in Kane’s view.

In general, I’ve been really pleased with how the show is leaving room for interpretation when it comes to questions of The Divine. When Rush finally revealed Destiny’s mission, many in the audience let out a collective groan about yet another sci-fi show becoming about “The Search for God.” But, thus far, I think they’ve done a good job of counter-balancing that notion through Rush.

Rush: “I’m a scientist. I’d go so far as to call it evidence of an intelligence having existed prior to its own potential to exist.”
Kane: “You just can’t bring yourself to call it a miracle, can you?”
Rush: “No, actually.”
Kane: “Well, I’d like to hear more.”
Rush: “Oh, why bother? Call it God’s will and you needn’t give it another thought.”

While some, like Kane, may believe the hunt for a message or “fingerprints” from the moment of the Universe’s creation is a search for The Divine, Rush believes it is a scientific endeavor to find a higher intelligence, not God. So, it could end up being the search for God, but not necessarily. I like the ambiguity.

While I was intrigued by the A-story this week, it was the B-plot with Chloe’s ongoing transformation that really got to me. I was incredibly moved by her attempts to say goodbye to her friends and loved ones, and her scene with Greer just killed me. “I came to ask for your forgiveness for when the time comes.” His request for her forgiveness caught me completely off guard and unexpectedly reduced me to a puddle of tears. A beautifully written and performed scene. Overall, I’ve been really impressed with this storyline this season. A major character turning into an alien enemy isn’t the kind of tale for which you’d typically get the slow build. Yet Chloe’s slow but steady transformation and everyone’s reaction to it has been a fascinating thread for the first half of this season. Elyse Levesque is doing a bang-up job showing Chloe slowly slipping away. She and the writers have managed to accomplish something I’d thought impossible: I’ve grown to care about Chloe and will be sad to see her go, if it comes to that. More than that, I care about those she’s leaving behind and what her slow demise is doing to Eli, Scott, and Greer. Who would’ve thought?

Other Thoughts

I’m tempted to say that they’ve definitively answered the question about T.J.’s experience from ‘Intervention,’ but once again, I’m not sure. This episode seemed to confirm that she was subjected to a vivid simulation, courtesy of Destiny, to put her mind at ease. And yet ... as noted above, the writers have done a good job leaving the existence and role of The Divine relatively ambiguous. Now that we know the crew left behind on the ‘Faith’ planet all died, I can’t help but wonder if T.J.’s experience was her connecting with some kind of “space between” this life and the next, where the souls of those who passed greeted and welcomed her child. I think the Destiny explanation is more likely --- especially since it appears that Kane died just before they were reanimated and returned --- but I like that there’s room for interpretation.

Alaina Huffman was great in this episode. I nearly started crying when T.J. went into the shuttle, desperately searching for a sign of her daughter, only to be crushed when nothing was there. Her scene telling Kane about her memory was very powerful, as well.

I was very amused by the aside with Brody trying to fix the still, and his later defensiveness with Colonel Young about smelling like booze. “Uh, no, I wasn’t drinking. I was fixing it.” Brody and Volker have really been bringing the funny lately. Good thing, too, because Eli, our go-to humor guy last season, has unfortunately spent much of this season in the depths of despair.

Eli: “OK, trust me: these aliens built a planet from scratch and can just throw a shuttle between galaxies. I’m pretty sure they could impersonate Kane if they wanted to!”

Chloe (to Matt via kino): “And forgive Ronald. He did what he had to, and if it was going to be anyone, I am glad it was him. OK?”

Kane: “May I be allowed to see the stars one last time?”
Young: “Yeah, of course. Go ahead.”
Kane: “I would like very much not to be alone.”

Final Analysis: A surprisingly moving episode that revisits some lingering threads and nicely explores the painful process of saying goodbye.

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The New Fall Season Thanksgiving Roundup

It's Thanksgiving week in the states, and time to talk about what has turned out to be a disappointing fall season. I will avoid the predictable comment about turkeys.

We covered several premieres this fall, and there was only one show that we decided to take on and review every week. That's kind of sad. I was really hoping I'd fall in love with something new, since this is Smallville's last season and I have a reviewing slot opening up soon. Oh, well.

With Josie's and Dimitri's help, here is a rundown of the new fall season, such as it was. We're using a new rating system created by Dimitri: WATCH IT, SKIP IT, or catch it when there's nothing else on but a Simpsons rerun of an episode you think you might have seen before but they've all started to meld in your mind and just how many times has Marge discovered she had a gambling problem anyway, if they're going to recycle plots, how can I be expected to keep up, oh, wait this isn't the Simpsons, it's Family Guy (CATCH IT WHEN THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON for short).

And the winner is...
The Walking Dead

Isn't it interesting that the best new show this fall is a zombie apocalypse on AMC? There's a lesson in there for the networks. Will they absorb this lesson? I don't think so. Anyway.

The pros: I really enjoy end-of-the-world stories, but let's face it, they usually suck. The Walking Dead does not suck. It's exciting, intense and character-driven. The end of the world and the zombies themselves are used beautifully as the basis for a story about survival, humanity and morality, and they're not going for the predictable. The lead, Andrew Lincoln as Rick, is definitely the guy I would vote for as The Man I Would Most Want to Be With During a Zombie Apocalypse.

AMC, a network previously known for showing censored old movies, has become the home of exceptional original television: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and now The Walking Dead. They are cornering the market on quality, and I applaud them. Seriously. I didn't even notice that Rubicon didn't work out.

The cons: Only six episodes? Six? That's it? The Walking Dead has wowed the critics (including us) and has already been renewed, so we're getting a second season. But unfortunately, we'll have to wait for it.

The verdict: WATCH IT. Don't miss this one, genre fans. I'm happy to report that Dimitri is reviewing this show, and I'm proud to have it on the site.


The Event

As I mentioned in my review of the pilot episode, I am leery of any new high concept show with a convoluted plot that bills itself as 'the new Lost'. By trying to emulate the complexity of Lost, they run the risk of never finding their own identity. I was disappointed in the pilot, mostly because the jumping around in time thing was stupid and confusing.

The pros: It's gotten more interesting as the weeks have progressed, and I'm happy to report that they're no longer subjecting us to fifteen time periods at once, meaning the flashbacks are much easier to follow now. And there seems to be a new science fiction element added every week, which is good because I'm all about the science fiction elements. I'm still watching this show, although I'll admit it tends to sit on my DVR a long time. (It's sitting there now, as I type.)

The cons: I have yet to connect strongly with a single character on this show. I've recently started sort of liking undercover alien agent Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale) and government-bigwig-with-a-tragic-past Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek), probably because they've gotten some interesting character arcs. But the two cute young leads, Shawn and Leila (Jason Ritter and Sarah Roemer), have *not* gotten interesting character arcs, and they both leave me cold; I just don't care about them. And when you don't care about the two cute young leads, that's not good.

The Verdict: CATCH IT WHEN THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON. It was announced recently that The Event will be going on a long hiatus while its network uses its timeslot to promote another show. This is a harbinger of doom, people; it's giving me FlashForward vibes. So I would advise not getting too attached to this show.

Undercovers

I almost didn't bother including Undercovers, since it's already been canceled. But I'd already written most of this section before the cancellation was announced, and why waste several perfectly good paragraphs?

The pros: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Gerald McRaney, and Carter MacIntyre. And a strong pilot. I loved the premiere and thought it had potential.

The cons: Unfortunately, the follow-up episodes didn't go anywhere; they basically kept doing the pilot over and over again. As the episodes progressed, I became bored, and stopped watching right before the show was canceled.

What went wrong?

(1) Undercovers stayed frothy, old-fashioned and predictable; there was no edge, no depth, no arc. And surprisingly, no spicy marital conflict, which I'd automatically assumed would have to be the core of the series in order to make it work.

I understand that they had planned to introduce more arc-like elements later in the first season. But I'm not sure that doing it sooner would have helped, because (2) I never warmed up to Boris Kodjoe as Steven Bloom. As the episodes progressed, I found myself wishing Samantha had married Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre) instead, because he was more likable and interesting than Steven. Except that he probably wouldn't have worked as a romantic lead.

The Verdict: SKIP IT. And I hate saying that.


Hawaii Five-O

Why am I even talking about Hawaii Five-O? It's not science fiction, fantasy or cult; it's a network cop show. Except that it's a network cop show with three actors from my favorite genre shows. And it's getting better.

The Pros: As I just mentioned, I love the cast: Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica), and Alex O'Loughlin (Moonlight). O'Loughlin in particular. He's a charismatic actor and undeniably hot; I like him so much that I've rented his Australian movies, and they even let him keep most of his tattoos. It seemed at first that O'Loughlin was a poor choice for Steve McGarrett, since his strengths are comedy and romance. But in the past few weeks, the writers have wisely begun lightening McGarrett up, mostly in banter scenes with the wonderful Scott Caan, who is a stand-out as the fourth cast member, Danno.

Since I'm nattering on about the actors, I have to mention that in the first string of episodes, the guest stars have included actors from Buffy, Wonderfalls, 24, Supernatural, Heroes, Dollhouse, and Alias, and there was an obvious petite homage to Lost (the huts on the beach, complete with blue tarps). Can this be a coincidence? Usually, network mainstream show runners don't give a crap about genre shows and genre fans.

(Except Castle. The writers/producers are obviously aware of how wonderful Nathan Fillion is and that his fan base includes genre fans; accordingly, they began writing to highlight his acting strengths and have included several lovely homages to Firefly. The last episode was a parody of the X-Files, too.) (Did I just plug Castle? Yes, I did. I did indeed.)

So back to Hawaii Five-O. I did some research (okay, I checked IMDB) and the three executive producers of Hawaii Five-O are Alex Kurtzman / Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Fringe, Alias, Xena/Hercules) and Peter M. Lenkov (24, La Femme Nikita). The executive producers of Hawaii Five-O are geeks like us. Mystery solved.

Hawaii itself is a main character on Hawaii Five-O; the scenery is striking and the locations don't look like anything else on the tube. And it has what might be the best theme music in television history. Seriously. Pretty people, explosions, Hawaiian scenery, what's not to love?



(Well, maybe it's the second best theme song on television. I love this one even more.)

The Cons: It's a cop show. It will never be more than a cop show. I don't usually watch cop shows. Why? Because they're cop shows. I can hope for time travel, robots and vampires, but I know it's not gonna happen. Or if it does, it'll be a bizarre and groundbreaking cop show, and wouldn't that be cool?

The Verdict: For now, CATCH IT WHEN THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON. But I suspect Hawaii Five-O is slowly turning into a WATCH IT.

(Here is Jess's review of the pilot.)


Nikita

I dropped the new Nikita after the pilot aired, almost certainly because I was unwilling to adjust to a Michael who wasn't Roy Dupuis. So I've hit up Dimitri A.C. Ly for his opinion, since he reviewed the pilot and is still watching the show.

Dimitri says...

The Pros: As expected, the CW has taken active steps to iron out some of the kinks in the pilot, redefining Nikita and Michael's miscast romance as a lost friendship and introducing a new love interest for the heroine: the hand that killed her husband (scrumptious melodrama)! Nikita also has more of an ensemble feel now, devoting two thirds of every episode to Alex and her Division antics. Even Percy got a bit of a personality makeover, no longer the cackling villain but a man too willing to compromise so as to maintain a status quo that may yet save the world. After all, the alternative would be to let the new baddies Gogol take over. Three-ways are fun.

The Cons: Simply put, Nikita isn't likable. It took me six days to get through the first ten minutes of "Phoenix" because I couldn't bring myself to care about the heroine's smarmy one-liners and superior attitude. It doesn't help that the whole series rests on her having sent a seventeen-year-old on a virtual suicide mission. Every time she misses a distress message from Alex (which happens a lot), part of me feels like calling social services. Luckily, it always turns out Division doesn't supervise its trainees, even though they're all criminals and junkies held against their will. Didn't you know? Suspension of disbelief is an Olympic event over at the CW.

Nikita got a full season order, but the CW intends to retool the show even further. So far, the network's done a solid job, but patches can only take you so far before you end up with another Bionic Woman.

The Verdict: CATCH IT if you think Hellcats would be 73% more awesome with machine guns.


Boardwalk Empire

I'm also not watching Boardwalk Empire because I dropped HBO after this season of True Blood ended. Josie Kafka is watching it, though, so the next voice you hear will be hers.

Josie says...

The pros: Steve Buscemi. Kelly MacDonald. A billion great secondary characters. Even Michael Pitt (playing Jimmy Darmody) no longer feels like a cut-rate Leonardo DiCaprio. BE is gorgeously shot, with taut writing, skilled direction, and a great score. The personal and political developments of the Atlantic City hotshots are crafted as elegantly as anything in Deadwood or Mad Men, and the historical details are delightful without bogging the story down. I'm most taken by Buscemi (because I adore him) and MacDonald, whose character is fascinatingly complex. However...

The cons: ... I'm not sure MacDonald's Margaret Schroeder is supposed to be quite as complex as she is. Men who make movies or films about gangsters aren't known for their attention to the female sex as anything other than lovers, mothers, or shrieking harridans who tell you to vanfanculo yourself. Margaret's character is either a fascinating study in the disconnect between how the male characters see women (and how we, as viewers, expect women in this genre to be portrayed) and how complicated they actually are, or the writers are trying to cram every possible aspect of The Female Self into one tiny Irish woman.

Other cons: Sometimes the symbolism is a bit weighty; ditto for the dialogue. Even if I don't intend to review a show, I still like to pick out which quote I'd use as my running headline for a review. Nearly every line and every conversation is headline-worthy. Not a bad thing, but it would be pleasant to see the show loosen up a bit.

The Verdict: WATCH IT. It is a beautiful and well made show. The characters and stories are compelling. The attention to period detail is astonishing, as are the clothes. Sometimes it feels a bit too flawless -- like one of those fabulous cakes it seems a shame to cut into, much less eat. But if high-gloss perfection is the biggest problem, then Boardwalk Empire is still a masterful show.

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That's it, folks. What do you think of the new fall season? What are you watching, and what have you already dropped? Will The Event get a second season, and do you care?

And to everyone in the states: Happy Thanksgiving!

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Chuck: Chuck versus Phase Three

“I’m just a needy, love-crazed girl on a husband hunt who’s trained in over 200 ways to kill you.”

As a card-carrying feminist (yes, we have cards; no, they are not pink), former riot grrl, and reviewer preoccupied with the male gaze, I only have one thing to say about this adventure into the tougher side of femininity, this blatantly sexy portrayal of female power in short shorts and covered in water, this intermixing of female vengeance and an ass-kicking hottie:

Awesome.

This could have gone one of two ways. The bad way, in which I stared in dismay at my screen, feeling shut out of the near-pornographic representation of a woman fighting in skimpy clothes—the way, in other words, that was about Sarah as a visual pleasure for male viewers. The good way (the way it actually went down) made me want to be Sarah, kicking ass and not even bothering to take names.

That’s what all those she-male jokes were about: they represented the other point of view. But the Chuck powers that be managed to make this about a person with a nice rack and a great butt doing some serious damage—only a puerile mercenary would think this was a situation in which a woman was taking on a man’s role. We, and Casey, know that it’s just Sarah being incredibly cool.

In other news: Chuck’s dream sequences were touching, especially the scene of Sarah walking (Sarah Walker, see?) out on him with her rolly suitcase. But I’m glad that Chuck took a backseat this week, even though it meant that we didn’t get a chance to test the fan theory that Chuck’s love for Sarah will make him flash, even though his fear of death didn’t.

Morgan continued to play messenger boy between Chuck and Sarah. Morgan’s good at this, but Chuck and Sarah need to work on communicating honestly and openly—they are not in a threesome with Morgan, and the biggest hurdle to their relationship continues to be their inability to take the risks that honesty involves. C’mon, kids! You fight Baddie the Belgian, but are afraid of opening up?

Chuck and Sarah's reunion was sweet, and now Chuck knows that Sarah loves him, but it didn't resolve the question of what Sarah thinks of Chuck's spy abilities. Does that not matter?

Morgan and Casey’s romance, however, is doing well. Communication is no problem for them, and they both bring a lot of useful knowledge to the relationship: Morgan’s the heart and Casey is the brains (and the brawn) of the coupling. I think those two kids just might make it work.

The BuyMore plot didn’t jibe, at all, with the A-plot this week, but it continued to set up developments for later in the season. Awesome and Ellie—they didn’t just subject themselves to another Intersect download, did they? (No, surely not. Right?) Papa B seems to have anticipated Mama B’s moves; judging from the previews, we’ll find out more next week.

Bytes:

• Awesome: “Did your dad’s ride get five out of five stars in side-impact protection?” Product placement, yes. But still something that Awesome would say.

• Morgan: “I’ve had this awful taste in my mouth ever since Chuck disappeared. Which makes me think that, wherever he is, he’s eating something icky. It’s a strange twin thing.”

• Thai Guy: “It’s amazing what a woman will do to find a husband.”

• Jeff: “Four words: my abscess, Lester’s gout.”

• Morgan: “I overshare to connect. I’m a connector.”

• Sarah: “Anyone else wanna be my boyfriend?”

• Other Thai Guy: “The people have been talking much about the giant blond she-male.”

• Casey: “What’s with all the she-male jokes?”

• Morgan: “It’s okay now. Casey and I are here. Oh! Scary snake! Scary snake!”

• Morgan: “This is, like, a violation of my civil rights.”


And Pieces:

• So, losing the Intersect is like losing penis potency. Just remember, you heard it here first.

• When has the CIA ever cared about jurisdiction? We just saw them install a puppet government a few episodes ago!

• I loved Sarah walking into a Thai bar, speaking Thai, and then realizing that the entire bar was filled with white mercenaries.

• I also loved the BuyMorons trading medical advice for tech advice. I’m pretty sure that anyone who has ever lived without health insurance loved that, too.

• I’m going to leave it to all of you to note the numerous jungle-movie references in this episode. I know there were a lot, but I only caught the Apocalypse Now homage, which was equally well done in Hot Shots: Part Deux.


Four out of four scary snakes.
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Glee: Furt

“Long story short – you’re having a Glee wedding.”

Great casting and acting, above average plotting, and an emphasis on music as part of the story make for the best Glee episode in a long while.

Fellowship of the Furt

The main plotline this week was the failing of Finn to defend his future brother-in-law then realising his mistake and apologises in true melodic Glee fashion. It was interesting that the girls all ended up asking their boyfriends to protect Kurt from Karofsky, since they could have made a more positive impact just talking to the bully. I liked Finn’s discomfort at Kurt teaching him to dance, it was understandable and believable. Given Finn’s previous hasty decisions (I’m going to worship a sandwich, I’m going to walk down the hallway in my boxers) his snap realisation of his brotherly responsibility, triggered by Carol’s words at the wedding made perfect sense. Seeing Kurt as a brother also helps Finn push aside fears about Kurt seeing him in a romantic light, as evidenced by his choice of a romantic song sung in a platonic way, at the wedding.

The Two Weddings

I enjoyed Kurt’s excitement about wedding planning, although I think most militant gays (if Kurt isn’t one, he certainly has the potential to be) are slightly ambivalent/tepid when it comes to weddings since they’re such a bone of contention in the fight for equal rights. I was surprised that Kurt didn’t even have a throwaway line about the massive irony of someone who can’t get married planning a wedding. Other than that, I thought this storyline was the Glees-knees! Burt and Carol had a great scene together at the altar, and I liked how they both embraced the originality of the wedding. I’d pay New Directions to pull off something similar at my own wedding (sorry, I mean Civil Partnership, ugh), they were amazing! The magical, happy feeling seemed to continue throughout the wedding due to the clever placing of the songs all in close succession – well done writers. Finn’s speech and song were schmaltzy but once I’d accepted that he really had gotten over being freaked out by Kurt’s crush on him, it was pretty adorable.

Carol Burnett was pretty well cast as Sue’s Nazi hunting mum, and did a good job of seeming slightly more pleasant than the words she was saying suggested. But Jane Lynch really didn’t need any support in this storyline – she was just brilliant, especially in the wedding rehearsal. The ridiculous vows and the kissing, and oh my goodness, the dress! It was just hilarious, in that unique Sue way. But there was a possible serious aspect underneath (Deep underneath, I’m searching here!) it all. Perhaps Sue really does worry about dying alone, and needs to remind herself she is worth marrying in order to maintain her impressive but fragile aura of confidence. We all need to be happy in our own life before we can share it with someone else.

The Return of the Bully

It’s clever that the most menacing bullying scene with Kurt and Karofsky involved no physical or verbal violence at all. Well done Glee for realising that the true misery of bullying is all psychological. Although I slightly want to shout at the TV for having Will and Sue be all supportive and proactive now, when that’s what they should have done two weeks earlier, it makes sense from Kurt’s perspective. Even though nothing Happened to him this week, inside his head things are worse now than ever before. That first discussion in the Principal’s office was informative and interested While New Directions and Principal Sue did their best to protect Kurt, even going a little bit over the top (no Headteacher would ever resign in protest, come on), the atmosphere in McKinley is one where Kurt is afraid every day. I think he’s a little bit of a delicate flower who needs to man up, just like Finn did. He is porcelain, easily cracked. I hope Blaine isn’t happy about Kurt’s transfer, since Kurt is just running away really. However, from a character perspective, it makes perfect sense for Kurt to want to escape to his teenage dream.

Bits and Pieces:

Sue’s internet profile says she is passionate about Tantric Yelling. I heart her. I’m going to message her on eDesperate.com!

Why is Jessalyn Gilsig still in the credits? And why is Chord Overstreet only a guest star?

WRRRAAAHH, the Bieste is in full force this week. I love it when she shouts. Tantric yelling, anyone?

Why didn’t Kurt tell Sue and co about Karofsky being in the closet? Fear? Surely not sympathy!

Santana’s short subplot seemed too easily wrapped up when she saw Finn and Rachel exchanging loving looks at the wedding. I assume Rachel will find out in the near future.

Mike O’Malley always does a stellar acting job, wow.

Nice to see Sue’s sister, Jean – shame she didn’t get to pack a more powerful emotional punch at the rehearsal. What kind of monster, oops I mean mother would abandon her disabled daughter for 3 years?

No Blaine; I missed him. Very little Will; I didn’t miss him. Good pipes though.

Sectionals is next week?!

We had more than 15 minutes without any songs this week. That’s a lot for Glee. It’s also unusual for them to end the episode without a song. It really worked, because the songs were bunched together for a reason and all of them contributed to the story (more or less). I hope Glee continues to make the most of its new fewer songs format.

Glee Against the Music:

Ohio – Wonderful Town:
“...well those Nazis are slippery and me hunting ‘em way down in Lima, Peru...”
I enjoyed the harmonies, and it fit perfectly into the story. Grade B.

Marry You – Bruno Mars:
Lovely song, and it had a very Glee feel to it. Really well choreographed with all the kids coupled up. It was just so much fun, in a very classy way too. Did I mention I want to book New Directions? A

Sway – Pablo Beltrán Ruiz:
Matthew Morrison has a very smooth voice, and he did a great job on the vocals for this. B-

Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars:
Well, Mr Mars just has a plethora of wonderful songs doesn’t he? Glee has a habit of taking ambiguously romantic songs and emphasising the platonic element to the lyrics (done wonderfully with I Want to Hold Your Hand), and it really worked well in this instance. This song basically ticked all the boxes. Catchy, beautiful, great vocals, good choreography, integrated into the plot. Grade A.

Quotes for Gleeks:

Rod Remington: “Sue, you can’t tame the tiger - you’ve read my tattoos.”

Sue: “... which is why I just prefer to think of the homeless as outdoorsy. So shine on urban campers, you smell like adventure! And that’s how Sue sees it!”

Finn: “..are you sure we should release 300 live doves indoors – won’t that get kind of messy?”
Kurt: “That’s why we feed them glitter, Finn.”

Kurt: “You know when you call me Lady, that’s bullying, and it’s really hurtful.”
Sue: “I’m sorry, I thought that was your name. As an apology I’ll allow you to choose from the following nicknames; Gelfling; Porcelain and Tickle-me-Doughface.”

Doris Sylvester: “Oww! You poked me in my sternum. I always forget that you have this ribcage that’s kind of weird, and adorable.”

Doris Sylvester: “... but I said no, no, no, no. She’s a perfectly ok child. She’ll grow into her looks! And you know what? I believe you still might.”

Mike: “Dude was a wild animal.”
Artie: “Manimal.”
Brittany: “I’m so turned on by you right now.”

Santana: “Don’t you see that that midget is like an anchor dragging you down to the depths of loserville?”

Burt: “You’re everything, Carol. Words can’t describe you, you’re Everything.”
Carol: “Most women when they get married, they get one man. I get two. One of you saved me from my wardrobe, the other one just saved me.”

Sue: “Mother, I cannot remember a conversation with you where I didn’t walk away feeling worse about myself.”
Doris: “Well you know what Susan? I’m disappointed in You!” HA, the cheek of it!

Kurt: “I’ve been planning weddings since I was two. My power rangers got married and divorced in so many combinations, they were like Fleetwood Mac.” Quote of the week!

Four out of four white striped blue wedding dresses.

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Being Human: Episode Three (Gilbert, Owen and Revelations).

Annie: Oh okay, so I'm contemplating resolving my death so that I can move on to the next dimension and you're worrying about getting your leg over?

I did not like this episode. I was really hoping that I would, but I just found it really hard to agree with half of the things Annie did. Maybe it's because I don't like Owen. I don't know.

I usually adore Annie, but from the first scene in the kitchen, where she is crying over a parsley sauce maker, I just wanted to slap her and tell her to get over it. However, Mitchell and George had a far more logical idea: Get Annie out of the house to meet some more ghosts. I still think Annie needs a good slapping, however.

I did like Gilbert and his 'Gilbert Fun'. He's permanently stuck in the 80s, thinks fun is a 'bourgeois' concept and doesn't seem to care about how people see him. I think he's a much more suitable match for Annie, than Owen. I can't remember, but was it explained how Gilbert died? I wish he had stayed for another episode. Maybe one day. I don't know how he managed to deal with Annie's incessant moping over Owen. Gilbert was the only part of Annie's storyline that I liked in this episode.

I guess now with the revelation that Owen was the reason behind Annie's death, we're going to have to put up with more Owen. Great. If they give me more Mitchell and Lauren, I guess I can tolerate Annie and Owen. Barely.

Apparently, Herrick was the mastermind behind Lauren's vampire-porn movie, so that Mitchell would want Lauren and ultimately come back into the fold. Lauren switches her tune a couple of times. First she did it willingly for Mitchell, the next, she was forced to do it by Herrick. Lauren is so devious and manipulative, I find it hard to believe her. Mitchell does, though. Lauren seemed all too willing to get into the car with Seth at the end for me to believe she was that serious about changing and going dry. I guess we'll see. I don't think that video is going to disappear any time soon.

I got horribly distracted whenever I tried to write this review. I ate a mango for breakfast, I took my dog for a walk and I actually did the washing up. I guess it's because I couldn't find all that much to like in it. I liked George and Nina (although watching the scene with Wolf!George and Nina was a bit awkward with my dad in the room) and the Lauren / Mitchell storyline is getting interesting (Who else thought of Angel and Darla with that bathroom scene? The BBC doesn't hold much back when it comes to how graphic a scene is..) I just couldn't get emotionally invested with Annie's swanning about after Owen. It was a great revelation that Annie remembered that it was in fact Owen that killed her, but I didn't even like that enough to stay seated for long.

I'm hoping for better episodes in the future.


Bites and Pieces:

• George's remark about "smashing the granny" when the music stops. Oh, George. Nina must really like you.
• I really, really, really do not like Owen.
• Boiled ham with parsley sauce doesn't sound that enticing.
• Loved the scene between George and Mitchell on the couch. Hence the picture.
• I couldn't tell what book Gilbert was reading in the park. Any ideas?
• More shirtless Mitchell, please.
  

Quotes:

Mitchell: Owen's moved on with his life. You need to do the same.
Annie: I'm dead!

Mitchell: I never know with you if it's Jewish guilt or werewolf guilt.
George: They're pretty much the same thing.

George: And where have you been young lady?.
Annie: I met up with Gilbert. We went to the cemetery.
Mitchell: He knows how to show a girl a good time.

George: I'm not eating raw meat like an animal because a ghost is ovulating!

Mitchell: George, get your lead.

Annie: I'd like to be like his guardian angel and stop anything bad from happening to him.
Gilbert: Can you stop him from listening to Michael Buble?

George: I had sex with Nina last night and it was bloody marvellous!
Mitchell: [Takes George to one side] Annie was killed by Owen.
George: [Sighs] Five minutes. Could I not have had five minutes with the biggest news?


One out of four Moeli graters.

Morgan India.

(P.S. I'm heading up to the Northern Territory [YAY! Wolf Creek!] on the 7th of December and I'm going to be taking my laptop with me, so I will be able to continue writing BH reviews on the slow days (: )



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NewsFlash: Not Without Joss Whedon

It's no secret that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favorite television show ever. It's the first show I ever reviewed in a comprehensive way, my first major television obsession, and the chief reason why this site exists at all. My old Buffy reviews get more hits on this site month after month than almost everything else. (Lost was the biggest hitter for awhile, but since it ended, Buffy has taken the lead again.)

And it's no secret that Joss Whedon is the reason why Buffy is my favorite series ever. It was Whedon's vision of a small blonde victim turning on her attacker, his courageous, outrageous and groundbreaking storytelling, and the consistently witty, unforgettable dialogue that made Buffy the classic that it is.

So guess how I feel about the news that Warner Bros. is rebooting the original and not-very-good Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie without Joss Whedon? Yes, you got it. I'm pretty much foaming at the mouth, but in a quiet way.

I want to be wrong. I truly do. I would love to have more Buffy, more than words can express; I loved it so much that I actually went into a brief depression when the series ended. If Joss Whedon were the force behind this reboot, I would be over the moon, and Buffy fans like me would turn out in droves.

But you know, I don't think they want us. They want another vampire property. They want the Twilight fan base. The original Buffy movie wasn't very good, probably because control of it was taken away from Joss Whedon. I don't know many Buffy fans who like the original movie. One commenter on an article linked below said that the Kuzuis, who own the rights to the original, will get to ruin Joss Whedon's Buffy movie -- twice.

What do you think? Comments welcome, as always, and please vote in the poll below. And here are three links: the first announcement I saw, a profile of the reboot writer (at least she's a fan of the original, but I sort of want to smack her), and Joss Whedon's predictably classy response to the announcement.

This poll is now closed! The results are below:

What do you think of the Buffy movie reboot?

Yes, yes, yes! (1%, 2 votes)
I'll reserve judgment until I know more. (20%, 49 votes)
A Buffy movie without Joss Whedon? Forget it. (79%, 195 votes)
Joss who? (0%, 0 votes)
246 votes total

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Dexter: Teenage Wasteland

Barry: "What are you? Some kind of psycho?"
Dexter: "Not today. Just a concerned parent."

I was a bit frustrated at first that we stepped sideways into an episode of Parenthood, but by the end, I thought this was an excellent episode. Like nearly everything in this series, there was so much going on under the surface.

I love seeing Dexter advance as a person. It's one of the big things that keeps me watching, and defining himself as a good father and not as a monster or a broken man was a big step forward for him. With (of course) the huge exception of unintentionally getting their mother killed, Dexter has indeed been a good father to Rita's kids. He proved that he put the children first when he didn't hesitate to call the police, even though it could have endangered his own life and freedom, as well as Lumen's.

He handled Astor appropriately and was proud of what she did, if not how she did it. Yes, Astor was acting out in a not so good way, but her mother was just murdered and her life turned upside down. I loved that Astor was doing what Dexter does: protecting the innocent. She was just trying to save her friend from being abused, like her father Paul abused her mother, like Jordan Chase abused Lumen.

And what Dexter did to Barry, Olivia's sorta stepfather, was wonderful, my favorite scene in the episode. It was a lot more than one man beating up another. The abuse of children and women is, understandably, the core of Dexter's rage -- and yet, Dexter kept his temper and explained to Barry, while beating him, exactly what parts of Barry's body he was damaging, and exactly what Barry had to do to keep it from happening again. It was such a strong character moment. And I loved that the song "Mac the Knife" was playing in the background. Perfect.

Lumen did so well parenting in tandem with Dexter -- again, like a marriage without the sex. (Harrison was even calling her "mama.") Deb and Astor met Lumen, and they both believed Dexter was involved with her. And he is, sort of. I'll say again that I don't want Lumen to die. This season is working because saving Lumen has taken Dexter in a whole new direction, one I certainly wasn't expecting him to take after losing Rita. Lumen dying would be a predictable way to reset the series, and I am hoping that they don't go there. I'm honestly not expecting Lumen and Dexter to get married and live happily ever after, but couldn't she just return to Minnesota with her abduction and abuse suitably avenged?

The Lumen plot has been so fascinating that it's eclipsed the situation with Quinn. He really does love Deb; I believe him. And since he has blown off Liddy, I wonder if Quinn might make it to the end of the season, after all. Not that I think he's good for Deb. And not that Deb is going to forgive him for persecuting her brother.

Like previous seasons, Deb seems to have a nose for the same murders that attract Dexter. She's such a born detective that they can't keep her in the file room; she might even look at those composite sketches, now that she knows they exist. I know I keep saying this, but truly -- wouldn't it be fascinating if Deb found out about Dexter? Would she be revolted? Would she turn against him? If she knew it was Harry who set Dexter on his path, would she eventually understand and support him? It's like the biggest possible plot payoff in the series, and I want to see it happen.

How about that last minute, huh? Jordan Chase, surrounded by all of his security guys, knows that Dexter and Lumen are after him. Killing Jordan wouldn't have been easy before, but now it might be impossible. Miami Metro is going to start looking at Jordan again, too. Toss in Liddy, who has the bit between his teeth and will never leave Dexter and Lumen alone, and it's like every plot thread in the show is rushing toward the same focal point. This is why I'm more into good television than movies. You can't get a story this complex in a movie theater, can you?

"Harry" returned after a long absence to tell Dexter he was wrong to push him in the direction that he did, and that Dexter wasn't a monster, after all. That was an exceptional scene, because we all know "Harry" is just one side of Dexter himself. I don't want whatever is coming in the next three episodes to take this clarity away from Dexter. I really don't.

Bits and pieces:

-- How many are in the murder club? The DNA report that Deb found in the file room said five or six. Boyd, Cole, the nasty dentist, all dead. Jordan Chase, who must be the mastermind. So there must be at least one more of these guys at large, and possibly two. Anyone we know, or is that too big of a coincidence?

-- Maria wanted to blow Deb off and not pursue the DNA evidence, but changed her mind. That's good, because Maria was just acting way too evil. Or maybe it's that Angel is a good influence on Maria. He's not sleeping with her, either, until she behaves. How Lysistrata of him.

-- While we were watching this episode, Dan noticed that when Dexter was in his nice lab geek persona, his voice was higher and lighter; when he started showing his true face to Barry, his voice dropped. How did I miss that? I'd never noticed it before, but it always happens, doesn't it?

-- Fried chicken and tequila. Very Liddy. I'm enjoying what Peter Weller is doing with this character; he's a marvelous actor.

-- The blood in Jordan Chase's pendant belongs to a woman named Emily Birch, who lives in Coral Gables. I bet there's a very interesting story there, and I bet we're going to hear it next week.

-- Quinn told Deb he loved her. Dexter told Astor he loved her. "Harry" told Dexter, "I'm proud of you." Dexter said the same thing to Astor.

-- This week's Most Obvious Symbolism was probably in the opener, when Dexter and Jordan Chase were running in place. They also did a lot of talking about the fractured self, and Jordan kept pulling Dexter's thoughts out of the air. Really interesting.

-- Michael C. Hall did a couple of scenes without a shirt, and looked great. (He's in "killer shape.") But it didn't get close enough for me to tell if they remembered to include the big scar on his chest.

Quotes:

Jordan: "Now you know my secret. Are you ready to tell me yours?"
Dexter: (to himself) "Over your dead body."

Dexter: "How do I deal with Astor?"
Lumen: "Try talking to her."
Dexter: "Last time I did that, she said she hated me and moved to Orlando."

Lumen: "Share something with her. What you did when you were her age."
Dexter: "I killed the neighbor's dog."
Lumen: "Well, don't tell her that."

Masuka: "If I ask them to reopen it, I may as well put my balls in a vise. And not in the hot way, either."

Barry: "Teenagers. They can make you homicidal."
Dexter: "I know what you mean."

Deb: "I didn't know you had a tenant."
Lumen: "I didn't know he had a sister."
Fun. Uncomfortable. Too much smirking.

Lumen: "I think we have a problem."
Dexter: (to himself) "Yeah, I'm in a battle of wills with my drunk, shoplifting teenage stepdaughter. And she's going to win."

Harry: "I'm proud of you."
Dexter: "You are?"

Dexter: "I'm proud of you."
Astor: "You are?"

Another outstanding episode, and I think I'm going to have to go with four out of four trips to and from Orlando,

Billie

All of my Dexter reviews are archived here.

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Smallville: Patriot

Lois: "The VRA is a steaming pile of Spanish Inquisition served up with a side of fear and loathing."

I have to say that Darkseid and his insidious gathering darkness thing is starting to intrigue me. It may very well be the most complex evil plot we've ever seen on Smallville. I always thought certain politicians were possessed by evil, anyway. In fact, this whole thing with the Vigilante Registration Act and the waterboarding (with an actual board) is giving me flashbacks to the Bush Administration.

Michael Hogan, who obviously just scored a continuing villain role as General Slade Wilson, was also terrific as Colonel Saul Tigh on Battlestar Galactica. I could almost hear the Battlestar fans shrieking at the end of this episode (I certainly was) because he wore an eyepatch on BSG, too. It was even on the same side of his head. Doctor Emil (Alessandro Juliani) was back, too, and even though they didn't have any scenes together, that made this episode a mini-Battlestar reunion.

How many Battlestar actors have been on Smallville? Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett... who am I forgetting?

And there was lots of other good stuff. Clark finally introduced Lois to Watchtower. Way past time. Lois also discovered that Tess made it to Watchtower before her. I rather liked Tess in this episode; she treats her Watchtower responsibilities so seriously. And this was probably the best appearance yet of square-jawed Aquaman, and he even had his nasty new wife Mera in tow.

This episode reminded me yet again that Oliver does the superhero thing without superpowers. All he has is courage, agility, terrific aim, and a really large bank account, all of which did nothing for him in this situation. Oliver is quite a guy; he took all the risks with the VRA and Slade, and nearly died for Clark. I've always liked Oliver, and not just because of Justin Hartley's amazing chest.

Bits and pieces:

-- Lois called Mera "squid lips," and Oliver referred to Aquaman as "Flipper." I also liked Lois telling Mera that they "got off on the wrong fin." Yes, I'm easily amused.

-- This episode was directed by Tom Welling. Seriously, he could move right into directing when Smallville is over. If he doesn't get the Superman movie.

-- Slade: "It's time we took these heroes under our control and prove who is really fighting for truth, justice and the American way."

Three out of four squid lips,

Billie

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Farscape: Durka Returns

When Moya accidentally clips a smaller transport ship, the crew meet the Nebari, a race that values conformity and obedience above all else, and have the ability to mentally cleanse those who behave inappropriately, including --- much to everyone’s shock --- Rygel’s presumed dead torturer, Captain Durka.

‘Durka Returns’ is a great episode. It starts off with a shocking twist, brings in a calmly terrifying new race, and introduces Chiana, our first newcomer to Moya’s crew since Crichton’s arrival. The opening teaser, alone, is better than the entire previous episode! Bringing Durka back was a really surprising move, and even though it’s horribly contrived that Moya just happens to damage the ship transporting Rygel’s not-so-dead arch-nemesis, the conflict between the two gives us some wonderfully tense moments. Here Rygel thought he had conquered his demons from his time on the Zelbinion, and they walked in his front door, turning him into an irrational, vengeance-driven soul. I rather enjoyed the “most superb irony” that Rygel’s attempts to destroy his enemy actually reawakened him. At least he semi-redeemed himself by refusing to be cowed by Durka, saving Aeryn’s life and buying Crichton some time to come up with a plan. “You tortured me without mercy, but you never broke me. You only made me stronger.” I’m sure getting a chance to show Durka that he no longer holds power over him was far more cathartic for Rygel than spitting on Durka’s supposed corpse. It remains to be seen if this changes him in the slightest. If nothing else, he earned a modicum of respect from Aeryn.

As strong as the Rygel/Durka interactions were, for me, ‘Durka Returns’ is most notable for introducing Chiana. I seem to recall not being overly fond of Chiana when she was initially introduced, but in retrospect, I’ve come to appreciate the different flavor she brings to the crew and I really enjoyed meeting her for the first time all over again. She’s a tough cookie and quite the little con artist. She hones right in on Crichton’s sympathies and plays him brilliantly to acquire the tool that allows her to slip the control collar. She almost gains the upper hand with Rygel, then adeptly hides from the others when he betrays her. I was really impressed with the bravado and quick thinking she showed when playing bait for Crichton’s trap with Durka. She was incredibly convincing, and I’m still not quite sure what gave him pause and caused him to fire at her. I was also blown away by the implied admission that she killed Salis. It would have been easy to leave that murder on Durka’s doorstep, but instead the writers chose to make Chiana just a little more dangerous and vengeful than she might have otherwise seemed. It certainly leaves us little doubt about how far she’ll go to “defend herself.”

In this case, can we really blame her? The Nebari may be the scariest race we’ve encountered thus far. Not only did their “standard host ship” take out a legendary Peacekeeper command carrier without breaking a sweat, they have absolutely no compunction about altering people’s brains to ensure that everyone behaves in ways they deem appropriate.

Chiana: “Mental cleansing into a … into an obedient zombie.”
Crichton: “They do that to their own kind?”
Chiana: “Yeah. They do that to anybody they please. They think they’re doing you a favor.”

In a series so focused on exploring individuals struggling with their identities, a race who’s raison d’etre seems to be turning their corner of the universe into a place devoid of conflict and individuality is truly frightening. We don’t really know Chiana at this point --- she could very well be a dangerous troublemaker for Moya’s crew --- but knowing that her people intended to completely erase her identity, we can empathize with her plight and maybe even excuse her murder of Salis as an act of self defense. Of course, now the crew has one more very powerful enemy to worry about.

Other Thoughts

This is the second episode in a row in which Moya’s pregnancy is the impetus for the initial problem. “Now I understand why the Peacekeepers tried to prevent this pregnancy.”

I thought it was unfair and highly insensitive for Aeryn to call Rygel’s attitude towards Durka a “childish vendetta.” He was unjustly imprisoned and brutally tortured by Durka for cycles for goodness sake!

Of course, she got a small comeuppance when Durka dealt her worldview yet another blow. She went from nervous awe at meeting a true Peacekeeper legend to discovering he was a remorseless scumbag who abandoned his post to save his own skin. “You deserted your ship?” “I have done far worse in my time.” Is there anything about her Peacekeeper upbringing that she can believe in anymore?

I enjoyed the short throwdown between Zhaan and Salis. “There are many aspects of your character that would benefit from adjustment.” The look Zhaan gives him in response scared me a bit!

This episode was very visually interesting. The numerous hallway tracking shots made great use of the ribbed architecture of the corridors to create intensity and a sickening feeling of vertigo.

Durka taking the time to give himself a neat trim with just that knife strained credulity a bit.

Quotes

Rygel: “A million cycles will not change him. He will always be Durka!”

Crichton: “I don’t give a damn if she’s an axe murderer, Elvis. She was just talkin’ to me.”
Salis: “You crippled our ship. Endangered our lives. Disrupted our plans. Are you now the arbiter of our justice system as well?”

Crichton: “They’re pretty worried about you.”
Chiana: “Of course they are. I don’t respect authority. I do what I want, when I want to do it.”

Chiana: “I apologize for calling you a toad.”
Rygel: “I make allowances for stress on this ship.”

Crichton: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nebari mental cleansing doesn’t get the tough stains out.”

Crichton: “Look, I don’t have time to play this game. Durka’s gone Hannibal Lecter on us.”
Chiana: “I don’t know what that means.”

Durka: “I was going to use you for a bargaining tool. But now I’m wondering: do you think your shipmates would really care if I just burned your face right off?!”
Rygel: “Go ahead and find out. I don’t care. Because the all-powerful Durka is a failure.”

Chiana: “… or maybe it’s to my advantage to team up with him.”
Crichton: “Do you have a hearing problem, Chiana? Durka’s insane. He’s a psychopath. Legendary. And nobody knows what a hundred years of Happy Meals have done to him. You could end up with your throat cut.”

Rygel: “Don’t you dare thank me for saving your life.”
Aeryn: “I wasn’t going to.”
Rygel: “You weren’t? Why not?”

Crichton: “We have rules.”
Chiana: “Yeah? Well when I see any of you following them, so will I.”

Final Analysis: I’d been very much looking forward to revisiting ‘Durka Returns,’ and it didn’t disappoint. A tense showdown with an old nemesis and an intriguing introduction to a new character.

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Supernatural: Clap Your Hands If You Believe

Dean: "I had a close encounter, Sam. And I won."
Sam: "You should take a shower."

Can a post-Kripke Supernatural still do an outstanding comedy episode? Survey says... yes. In fact, this might be my first episode review to consist entirely of quotes.

No, not really. Because even though it was very funny, it was still about the brothers, as every good Supernatural episode should be. Dean was struggling to connect with Sam and his protective instincts finally kicked in -- you Pinocchio, me Jiminy Cricket. And although I found Sam hilarious, it was also clear to me that Sam does *not* want his soul back. Why would he? He's having a great time hunting with Dean and having uncomplicated sex with random hippie chicks. Why would he want to brood in the dark and carefully choose every single word he says?

Is it me, or was there a weird sort of sexual tension between Sam and Dean? If you've read my reviews, you know how I feel about Supernatural slash (one word: gagworthy) but Sam was all about the sexual double entendres: the crack about servicing Oberon, the way he put his hand on Dean's knee? If Sam is only interested in hunting and sex, and he feels no connection to Dean as a brother... ick. Please tell me I'm imagining it. Or maybe it was just the writers playing with the homoerotic subtext again? (Becky, how I miss you.)

Anyway, back to the fairy plot, which was comical and dark and didn't overpower the rest of the story. Loved the X-Files trimmings as well as the credits; the Close Encounters of the Third Kind scene with the RVs; the crop circle (was it in the shape of a headset?); Dean accidentally mugging a little person who turned out to be the D.A. The disappearing holographic doctor from Star Trek Voyager as a leprechaun was like an in-joke inside an in-joke.

And Dean tossing the fairy into the microwave? Classic. I howled. *DING*

Bits and pieces:

-- The scene in the cafe where Dean was instructing Sam on how to mourn for him was just wonderful. You do not have sex with the hippie chick; you sit in your motel room and suffer.

-- They deserve credit for folding fairy lore into the already established Supernaturalverse, with the iron, silver and salt. What the watchmaker did with the leprechaun certainly sounded like a crossroads deal. Loved the cream acting on fairies like tequila, too.

-- [Added later] I enjoy seeing Robert Picardo (Wayne the leprechaun) in anything. I've also seen him at a con, as someone commented, and he is very funny and warm and a wonderful guest.

-- This week: Elwood, Indiana. The boys were reporters from the "Mirror." The motel room (room nine, and it's the ninth episode of the season) included a lot of ugly green and an uncomfortably phallic corncob mural.

-- The fall blitz is over and it's hiatus time. The next episode will air December 3.

Please excuse my inordinately long quote section:

Sam: "What, flying saucers not insane enough for you?"
Woman: "What newspaper did you say you worked for?"
Sam: "If you want to add glitter to that glue you're sniffing, that's fine. But don't dump your whackadoo all over us. We'd rather not step in it."
Dean: "Okay, we're done."
Sam: "The only thing you're missing is a couple of dozen cats, sister."
Dean: "It's a blood sugar thing. My apologies."

Sam: "So you're saying you'll be my Jiminy Cricket."
Dean: "Shut up. But yeah, you freaking puppet. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Dean: (on the phone) "Close encounter! Close encounter!"
Sam: "Close encounter? What kind? First, second?"
Dean: "They're after me!"
Sam: "Third kind already? You better run, man. I think the fourth kind is a butt thing."
Dean: "Empathy, Sam! Empathy!"

Hippie chick: "Your brother was abducted?"
Sam: "Yeah."
Hippie chick: "Oh my God."
Sam: "It's fine. I mean, I've had time to adjust."
Hippie chick: "Did it happen when you were kids?"
Sam: "No, like half an hour ago."

Sam: "So you've been hunting UFOs for over three decades and you basically have no concrete data and zero workable leads. Have you considered the possibility that you suck at hunting UFOs?"

Hippie chick: "But it's just... what were they like?"
Dean: "They were grabby, incandescent douche bags. Good night."
(She leaves)
Sam: "You're upset."
Dean: "I was abducted, and you were banging patchouli."
Sam: "I didn't think she smelled that bad."

Dean: "And then suddenly I was in a different place. And there were these... beings. And they were too bright to look at, but I could feel them pulling me towards this sort of... table."
Sam: "Probing table."
Dean: "God, don't say that out loud!"

Dean: "So if aliens are actually real, what's next, huh? Hobbits? Seriously."

Dean: "Yes, you sit in the dark and you feel the loss."
Sam: "Absolutely. But couldn't I just do all that and have sex with the hippie chick?"
Dean: "No!"
Sam: "It would be in the dark."

Dean: "It was a little glowing hot naked lady with nipples, and she hit me."
Sam: "I'm not supposed to laugh, right?"

Sam: "You're the one who pizza-rolled Tinker Bell. I'm just doing the math."

Sam: "Dean, did you service Oberon, King of the Fairies?"

Dean: "I gotta say, I love the feel. It's... it's..."
Sam: "It's like Sedona Arizona crapped in here."
Dean: "Pewter-ific is what it is."

Dean: "God, is it on me? I feel like I've got the crazy on me."
Sam: "No. You did sit in some glitter, though."

Sam: "What am I supposed to do?"
Dean: "Fight the fairies! You fight those fairies! Fight the fairies!"

Sheriff: "I'm just trying to understand exactly what kind of hate crime this even was."
Dean: "It wasn't a hate crime."
Sheriff: "I mean, if this gentleman were a full sized homosexual, would that be okay with you?"
Dean: "I don't hate any size person... or... or any size gay guy."

Safe to say Ben Edlund is still my favorite Supernatural writer. Four out of four microwaved fairies,

Billie

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Fringe: The Abducted

“We all have to make sacrifices.”

So now Olivia knows that Broyles knows what she knows. Walternate knows that Olivia knows what he worried she knew. And Peter knows what he didn’t know (despite my theory that he did know): he knows that what he thought he knew is wrong. The question is: when will Fauxlivia know what Peter now knows, and what will she do with that knowledge?


At base, Fringe is about loss. Remember back in seasons one and two, when Walter mourned the loss of his former lab assistant? We understand that differently now: Walter mourned the loss of her life because he knew the pain of losing a child. He saw his own potential pain (prevented by the theft of Peter) in the lab assistant’s mother, who nonetheless forgave him. Even back in our stand-alone days, most episodes dealt with the problem of loss and how different people react differently to it.

This week, we saw two models of how to deal with loss: Broyles nearly lost his son—and his son lost his health—but remained a strong man committed to taking care of the people close to him, including Fauxlivia, and now Olivia. Broyles’s strength was tested, but not broken. He did get his son back, although he thought (until episode’s end) that he might lose him for good due to the kidnappers’ theft of his youth.

Walternate was broken by Peter’s loss. Sure, he’s still strong, but it’s the brittle strength of a man consumed with revenge. He has nothing to lose, and that makes him horribly dangerous, because he has no loyalty and no compassion. Now that he knows Olivia is aware of who she is, and how to get back home, he will almost certainly kill her. Why not? To do otherwise would be to introduce unnecessary complications.

Broyles, hopefully, will prove to be Walternate’s foil. At the beginning of the episode, Broyles asked when “our Olivia” would come back, right after talking about the loss of his son: Broyles cares for his team and feels the pain of Fauxlivia’s loss. But now that Olivia has helped him with the most important thing, and (although Broyles doesn’t know it yet) risked her own escape to do so…well, who’s to say how that will impact his actions down the line?

All of that, of course, is pure conjecture. But it’s hard to review this episode without thinking about how the story will end: this is really the first part of a two-parter. Nonetheless, the mystery of the week was still a solid entry in the Fringe canon, even though the emotional story was more affecting (for me) than the mystery. I was impressed by the completely scary monster hiding in the boy’s bedroom. I suspected that would happen, and I was right, and that made it even more suspenseful. Damn knowledge!


What Does It Mean?:

• Olivia drew on a previous case to figure out what the Candyman was doing, even though she wound up being wrong about the kids seeing an old man and a young one. Could I be equally wrong about what Walternate will do?

• That mask and what the kidnappers do to the children was quite reminiscent of the bad guys in Steven King’s Wolves of the Calla, who also wore shiny masks and brought kids back “roont” (ruined).

• Is it Ender’s Game that starts with a young boy with a thingamabob implanted in the back of his neck?

• I applaud the return of Andre Royo, cab driver extraordinaire and charming hydrophobe.

• Likely without realizing it, Broyles passed his own desire to protect his family on to his son, who didn’t reveal certain facts just to save his mom and dad.

• Olivia figured out the kidnappers’ identities because of the prayer they said in front of Broyles’s son, and through Andre Royo’s offhand remark. Broyles figured out what Olivia knew because of her slip of the tongue—FBI instead of Fringe Division. Does this parallelism matter?


I’m going to leave this unrated until we get the second half on December 2nd. How many of those new-fangled Red Vines do you think it deserves?

(Screencap courtesy of fox.com. Thanks!)
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Being Human: Episode Two (Tully)

George: How did you find me?
Tully: You're a werewolf living in Bristol. It kinda narrows the field.

After a pretty good first episode, I have to admit I wasn't exactly expecting a completely stellar second episode. I was right, for the most part. Except for Tully. He was probably one of the only reasons why I watched this episode again.

While the first episode was primarily about Mitchell, Herrick, Lauren and other vampires, it is clearly understandable that they [the writers] would then take a stab (pun intended) at a werewolf storyline, so that we could get to know George and his temporary use of the third-person.

It took me a while to realise that we had seen Tully in the previous episode, when George was running through the woods to find a place to transform and Tully is leaning against a tree. He reminds me of a bad-arse version of Phil Collins and as most of my friends will attest, considering the amount of times I've belted out 'You'll Be In My Heart' very loudly (alcohol was a factor), that that is not such a bad thing.

George has been having a bit of a hard time dealing with his transformations, especially after he pretty much destroyed the house in the first episode. I don't think I would have reacted as ... rationally as George did when he woke up in the woods to find Tully staring over him, while he was buck naked. I like that they haven't made werewolves pretty and cuddlesome-looking like they have in some films which I won't mention, but it is fairly obvious what particular movie I am talking about. I hope. Tully is the sort of guy who looks like he could be a werewolf, or a predator of some kind, anyway; especially with his interaction with the waitress in the pub? I think it was a pub. George, fairly understandably, isn't a huge fan of Tully initially, although it is the opposite when it comes to Annie and Mitchell. Tully is charming and friendly to George's flatmates, while George just plain exudes animosity towards his fellow wolf..

I thought it was nice how Tully taught George how to look after himself while he is in wolf form. In hindsight, it is Tully's retribution for what he did to George, by being the cause of George being cursed to be a nightwalker. Although Tully lost points with me for pushing himself onto Annie the way he did. I hope we see more of Tully in the future (no spoilers in the comments, please), because I think he, and the actor playing him, to be amazing. Tully reminds me of someone from another sci-fi show, most likely Buffy, but I can't remember who. Probably Whistler. It's all about the hat and the tracksuit.

I have to admit that I didn't initially like Nina all that much when she is first introduced. She's rude to George and doesn't seem all that nice in general. George's awkward, stumbling attempt to hit on her in front of Tully was funny, though; I like her a lot more than I did Becca in the first episode. Hopefully she isn't going to be another typical blonde who is going to be killed at some point. She's feisty.

Now ... for the vampire porn video that was sent to Mitchell. Who else immediately knew it was Lauren? This can only have some sort of ramification between Lauren and Mitchell. And judging by the promo for the next episode, I'm going to like the results. I'm twisted, obviously. I love their relationship. Is Mitchell already going down a dark road after Becca's death at Lauren's hands, especially after those last few minutes, where Mitchell took the DVD out of the bin. Could be a bit unhygienic, Mitchell.

So, after finding out Tully's endgame for George, despite it being more an act of retribution rather than malice, George ended his bromance with Tully, in a scene almost replicating the first scene between the werewolves. I think my heart broke a bit in that scene. George needs more guys in his life. Having Mitchell and Annie (And Nina) cannot be healthy for him. But having his, well ... Maker, around, probably isn't any healthier. It's not going to be as adorable and romantic as Eric and Godric in True Blood.

If anyone call tell me who played Tully, I'd appreciate it. I think I've found my new older guy fantasy ;)

Bites and Pieces:

• The Vin Diesel obsessed neighbour reminded me of myself. Except I talk about Jensen Ackles.
• I wish they had shown Tully and George walking the chicken carcass around.
• I cringed when Mitchell and Annie kissed. No. No. No. Do not want. Mitchell and Lauren, please.
• Lauren's line about Hotel California: "You can check out, but you can never leave." Probably one of my favourite lines this episode.
• Seriously, Tully = Phil Collins in a track suit. I can't be the only one who sees this?

QUOTES:

Mitchell: [Voice-over] He should be dead within 30 seconds. The werewolf heart is about two-thirds the size of a human's. But in order to shrink, first it has to stop. In other words, he has a heart attack. All of the internal organs are smaller, so while he's having his heart attack, he's having liver and kidney failure too. If he stops screaming it's not because the pain has dulled, his throat, gullet and vocal chords are tearing and reforming. He literally can't make a sound. By now the pituitary gland should be working overtime, flooding his body with endorphins to ease some of the pain, but that too has shut down. Anyone else would have died of shock long ago. But it won't kill him and that's the thing I find most remarkable. It drags him through the fire and keeps him alive and even conscious to endure every second. Nothing like this could just evolve. This... is the fingerprint of God. An impossible lethal curse spread by tooth and claw, victim begets victim begets victim. It's so cruel, it's... perfect.

George: We have to put a stop to this. Doesn't he understand, these people are British? You're not allowed to talk to your neighbours until you've nodded at them for fifteen years.
[My dad is from England. He thought that line was funny, he does that here, too]

Lauren: And the blood Mitchell. Can you remember the taste? So rich and warm. You can have it again. As much as you want.
Mitchell: I can't, the cost is too high.
Lauren: Please! Who are you saving, really? Have you seen Britain's Got Talent?

Mitchell: He's a twat!
George: Well he's my twat!
Mitchell: You know, I'm sure that sounded much better in your head.

George: Do you know the difference between you and [Tully]?
Mitchell: Mmm, I don't know, I don't have to shave my palms?
George: I, I think that's actually racist.

Annie: Maybe he's had a blow to the head.
George: I'm sorry?
Annie: Happened to my Nan. She got hit in the head by a radio controlled plane at a county fair. From that moment - obsessed with pygmy goats.
George: There wasn't a single bit of that sentence I understood.

Mitchell: We can't just dip our toe! We have to dive into the churn of humanity. Laugh with them, listen to their stories.
George: About Vin Diesel?
Mitchell: A remarkable man, I'm starting to realise.
[Good analogy of humanity being chum, whilst George and Mitchell are obviously the implied sharks]

George: Look, don't try to understand George.
Annie: George? George who?
George: Me!

Three out of four chicken carcasses.

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