Review #3527: The Borgias 2.7: “The Siege at Forli”

24. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: John Keegan

Written by David Leland
Directed by Kari Skogland

Juan Borgia returns from Spain with a rather distracting problem, while Lucrezia rebels against her role as a political pawn. Oh, and Savonarola continues to gain influence in Florence, as he inspires one of the more infamous “bonfires of the vanities”. Not to mention the titular siege at Forli, which does not go as planned!

I’ll start with Savonarola, since it is perhaps the most grounded in the actual history of the times. This incident actually took place in 1497, as Savonarola’s control became prominent in Florence. While it does seem a bit slow in comparison to some of the other items in the episode, it is significant, if only to show how entrenched Savonarola is at this point. Cesare and Machiavelli can do little more than watch as “God’s children” rule the streets, inspiring fear in the residents of the city.

It also continues to remind the audience of the stakes for Rodrigo. Savonarola’s defiance makes it harder to convince other states in Italy to bend knee to Rome. And since they’ve been using the famous Catherina Sforza as the face of the political resistance against Rodrigo, it makes sense to depict the Papal army’s struggles of the period within the context of Forli. I couldn’t find reference to these specific events in 1497, but generally speaking, they are representative of the kind of upheaval in Italy at the time.

It’s also a period when Juan was still in command of the Papal forces, so his return from Spain fits well into how all these pieces come together. A more visible deviation from history is Juan’s struggle with syphilis. That threw me a bit, because as I recall, that was more a problem for Cesare and Rodrigo than Juan. On the other hand, I can see why they wouldn’t want to saddle two long-term characters with such a condition.

It also goes a long way towards explaining Juan’s over-the-top tactics. Getting the medieval equivalent of a Roto-Rooter would probably put me in a less than charitable mood, especially if I had to follow it up with extended horse riding. Ingesting regular doses of sanity-eroding mercury also doesn’t help, I’m sure.

How much of his strategy is simply expedience as opposed to questionable sanity is still to be determined. Whatever the case, I wasn’t surprised by Catherina’s willingness to sacrifice her son. It was clearly not a decision she relished, but she wasn’t going to let that sway her in the end. At one point, I was even expecting her to turn around, grab a bow, and dispatch the boy herself!

Back in Rome, Rodrigo is smoking turds (that they are cigars does not change this notion, in my mind), but is more intent on forging an alliance with another prominent family via Lucrezia. Continuing her stronger showing since the death of Paolo, Lucrezia conspires to undermine the main prospect while seducing his younger brother. As neither is historically her second husband, I imagine that this is a subplot to allow her to build her reputation before they turn the calendar to 1498.

I suspect that will come by the end of the season, since they are foreshadowing a certain major event that takes place in mid-1498 quite a bit. They skip through time rather quickly on “The Borgias”, and move around events to suit the needs of a dramatic arc regularly, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they just cut to the chase.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

The Critical Myth Podcast #168: The Prince of Whatthehell

24. May 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Critical Myth Podcast · Tags:

The Critical Myth Crew gets back to full strength, and takes on Game of Thrones (spoilers through 2.7) and Mad Men (39:44; spoilers through 5.9). Recorded on 22 May 2012.

Opening theme provided by The Oceanic Six. A huge thanks to Alex, Luke, and Jason!

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Review #3526: Mad Men 5.10: “Christmas Waltz”

23. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: Henry T.

Written by Victor Levin and Matthew Weiner
Directed by Michael Uppendahl

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is an advertising firm. So we know from the outset that they deal in popular consumerism. They try their hardest to make money off of what people desire. Only, the people who work at the firm aren’t getting what they desire the most. The most obvious example of this mindset has been Pete throughout the season, but he has a small role in this episode. No, the unfulfilled desire comes from other places and other characters, including one, Paul Kinsey, who hasn’t been seen in two seasons. This causes plenty of frustration, which is only beginning to bubble to the surface in some cases while bursting at the seams in others. It has been a really dark season so far (even by “Mad Men” standards) and I don’t think this is the last we’re going to see of it.

Lane Pryce hasn’t been seen in quite some time. So it does feel a bit jarring to come into this episode and see that he’s been struggling with some money problems. Apparently, this has some historical roots, as England’s Finance Minister levied a huge tax on the rich in 1966. Lane, as is shown here, cannot pay the taxes. So he takes a big loan out of an American bank to keep the firm afloat, then lies to the other partners by covering it in a bunch of “Christmas bonuses” for every employee of the company.

The embezzling of the money and forgery of a check is quite possibly the worst thing Lane has done since he joined the show. It speaks to how deep a financial hole the firm really is in right now, and that new business may not change that. Even the recovery of the Jaguar account by Pete after the disaster with Edwin Baker months before. Lane Pryce wants to project the image that he’s the proper English gentleman of that time, with a debonair wife and a child in boarding school. In reality, he is getting more and more consumed by American popular culture. Like the infatuation with the picture of the beautiful American woman in the wallet he found in the season premiere, Lane isn’t all that he seems. You just knew that the check forgery was going to come back and bite him in ways he wouldn’t expect.

So it comes to pass: Mohawk Airlines suspends all work with the firm, taking away a crucial source of money for the firm, and forcing all of the partners to forego their Christmas bonuses while the entire staff get theirs. The check Lane gave to his British partners to pay off the tax is going to bounce, and then Lane is going to be in a deeper financial hole than he already is. What’s galling is that the simplest solution stares him right in the face: Go to Don with the financial problems. There is always the possibility that he could cover it up and would never tell a soul about it. He’s good at keeping secrets that way. Lane’s pride, so evident in his fistfight with Pete in “Signal 30″, gets in the way of seeing that.

I didn’t particularly like the return of Paul Kinsey here, simply because I thought the show would never go back to seeing what past characters were up to now. This is compounded by the fact that Kinsey chose to join up with the Hare Krishnas after spectacularly flaming out at every major advertising firm in New York. The Hare Krishnas are just another example of the strangeness that comes to light in America of the late 1960′s. Kinsey isn’t even fully into the Movement! He’s only there because he “loves” Mother Lakshmi with all his heart.

There is a falseness around their whole relationship, and that’s what drew me away from the whole storyline. Paul has physically changed with the Movement, but he is still searching for his true purpose. He tries his hand at writing a spec script for a cult science fiction television show called “Star Trek.” The show is still in its early stages here and not the worldwide phenomenon it is decades later. Harry reads the script because Kinsey is still his friend, but he knows it’s terrible. Peggy doesn’t even read it and she knows it’s going to be terrible. Harry is also humoring his friend because he lusts for Lakshmi as well.

It’s all a con. She is playing Kinsey for a fool because she values his skills as a recruiter. She also uses Harry’s lust for her to her advantage, trying to get Harry to tell Kinsey to stay in the Movement. In the end, Harry makes the curious decision to send his friend to California, far away from the clutches of Lakshmi, where he is most likely to fail as a screenwriter. It’s a white lie of the highest degree in that way. Kinsey is going to experience professional pain and rejection, which might not be as bad as facing rejection from a relationship built on unrequited love. In the end, I wasn’t really sure what Harry or Kinsey wanted. Was it acceptance in some way for Kinsey? Forgiveness for leaving Kinsey off of SCDP’s radar for Harry? The episode doesn’t really tell us.

The centerpiece of the episode however, are the few scenes with Joan and Don interacting. It took a lot of resistance on my part not to have this entire review be about those scenes in question. I don’t think they have conversed together without anyone else present since season three’s “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency.” They have mounds of chemistry together, and the scenes in the bar were just two characters chatting about where they are in their lives. The simplicity of those conversations, as well as the ease shown in their collective purchase of the Jaguar at the dealership, is something this show does very well. They step right at the edge of possibly sleeping together (I think Don tried to hit on Joan, knowing full well it’s not going to work) and then step away from it just as easily. They wonder what the guy across the bar from them does for a living. What his life might be. What (or who) he might desire.

The current state of their personal lives isn’t very good (Don fighting with Megan after taking in a play that harshly criticizes Don’s occupation; Joan being served divorce papers by Dr. Harris, after which she throws a hilarious hissy fit at the firm’s dim receptionist), but they have a kinship that goes beyond the personal and professional. It’s what gets them through the night. Notice that Don drives the Jaguar with a purpose, even if he’s drunk, and even after absorbing yet another screaming match at home with Megan, rallies the troops to work on landing Jaguar the next morning as they face the unappealing prospect of working through the holidays.

I wish there were more scenes with just Joan and Don. They make such an appealing couple. Don has the sense to send Joan some flowers with an inside joke on the card. If SCDP flounders, I guarantee you the first person Don calls to be by his side is Joan. So we’re left by the end wondering what possibilities there are for these characters. The world is changing around them, and they seem unable to notice it. It’s not giving them exactly what they want so they end up rejecting it. They will be shocked at how fast everything leaves them behind.

Grade: 8/10

Review #3525: Eureka 5.6: “Worst Case Scenario”

23. May 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: Gregg Wright

This season has been a little more up and down in quality than I expected it to be, but I still think that the recent hiccups are going to be the exceptions to the rule. “Worse Case Scenario” may be a bit of an average installment, but it’s loaded with the typical “Eureka” fun, and also offers up some satisfying developments in the myth-arc department. The season is still lacking a clear sense of direction, and is mostly concerned with continuing to deal with the fallout from the Matrix incident, but considering the usual length of “Eureka” seasons, we’re still fairly early into this one.

I’ve often said in the past that one of the things that “Eureka” had going for it was its tendency to connect the episodic plot with the character development in thematically meaningful ways. If there was one thing that the previous episode got right, that would be it. The body-swapping kind of made sense as a way of exploring the current sexual confusion and tensions. But this episode’s technological mishap seems rather arbitrarily paired with the current character issues. That’s not to say it’s not entertaining. But I’ve come to expect a bit more “bang for my buck” from “Eureka”.

I was relieved to see that Jo, Carter, and Allison seem to have cleared the air and reconciled. I’d be happy if this were the end of this particular set of issues. And thankfully, Grace seems to be benefiting from her time away. She doesn’t yet seem overly alienated from Henry, so there’s hope that she’ll simply come back before too long. Being that this is the final season, it ought to end with Henry and Grace together. In other news, Holly’s memories and personality seem to be completely intact inside the Matrix, which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.

The scenes with Fargo returning to what remains of the Matrix and reuniting with Holly are nicely surreal, probably thanks to the odd lack of ambient sound and the dubbing for Fargo and Holly’s voices. It’s been great to see Zane showing a more caring side in his attempts to help Fargo out. I also liked Zane’s take on the question of whether or not the Holly in the Matrix is the real Holly. We’re basically all just highly complex machines to begin with, so the Holly in the Matrix is no less “alive” or “real” for being stored on a different device. The only problem now is getting Holly a synthetic body, which shouldn’t be too difficult, I would think.

I suppose it’s telling that there’s so little about the episode that inspires deeper discussion. I enjoyed the episode, but I must admit, the character development this season hasn’t been quite as interesting as past seasons. Compare the post-Matrix milieu to the Eureka Five struggling to adapt to the new timeline. While the post-Matrix drama seems like it’s being unnecessarily dragged out (with the obvious exception of Fargo’s grief and he and Zane’s attempts to recover Holly), that period of adjustment was rife with potential struggles that felt entirely natural, given the situation. Hopefully the resolution of the Carter/Allison/Jo drama will mean that the show can start moving in a more interesting direction.

Rating: 7/10

Review #3524: Game of Thrones 2.8: “The Prince of Winterfell”

22. May 2012 · 7 comments · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: Gregg Wright

It’s all been leading up to something. Last season ended with a violent regime change and the outbreak of war. Season 2 has delivered a similar slow boil approach, likely saving the most dramatic events for the final two episodes of the season. So here we are, in the calm before the storm. But what form will that storm take? Will it be the climactic siege of King’s Landing that I’m so eagerly hoping for? Or will the final two episodes unveil something far more unexpected? Perhaps both?

Personally, I think that the most interesting outcome would be another regime change. I want to see what would happen if Stannis took his place on the Iron Throne. I’m sure most viewers are ready to see Joffrey get his comeuppance, anyway. I’d love to see Varys, Tyrion, Cersei, and Petyr all stuck trying to survive in the new court (assuming that they don’t simply escape or get executed outright). And all the while, Melisandre is whispering words into Stannis’s ear, using him to enact the will of the Lord of Light.

The fact that we were given a scene of Stannis appointing Davos as his future hand seems like a strong hint that this is where the show is going. (SIDE NOTE: Nice to see Davos happening upon the same piece of wisdom that Tyrion gave to Jon back in the first episode of the show.) Even if the city can survive the impending onslaught and start to turn the tide of battle in its favor, I’d expect some kind of supernatural intervention to turn things back in Stannis’ favor. The Lord of Light really seems to want Stannis to take the throne. Maybe the idea is to take control and prepare for the clash with the White Walkers? Fire and Ice, after all. Maybe it’s in everyone’s best interests to let Stannis be King.

It was great to hear that Varys really does have at least one spy in Qarth. I love how he and Tyrion casually chat about everything from tit gods to the inevitable return of dragons to Westeros, and then go back to discussing the problem at hand. This alliance between Tyrion and Varys may not last, but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. It’s not surprising that the two of them get along so well. I’ve always found unexpected alliances to be more fun than unexpected treachery. There’s nothing quite like seeing two former rivals/enemies forced to work together to take down a common foe. I’m also still loving the interaction between Tyrion and Bronn. The sellsword’s comments were simply priceless. I’d be very disappointed if Bronn didn’t survive into the next season.

Theon’s treachery is looking more and more likely to be the death of him. There’s just no obvious way out of the situation he’s gotten himself into. His people don’t even care that he took Winterfell, because they don’t even want it. And now it’s only a matter of time before everyone in the North arrives and completely decimates Theon’s pitifully small forces and captures him. Theon’s just not smart enough to survive very long in “Game of Thrones”. His gamble to earn the respect of his people is failing to have the intended effect, reducing him to a reviled lunatic left with nowhere to hide. Even the fact that he didn’t really kill Bran and Rickon (which can’t have come as a surprise to anyone) is unlikely to help his situation. So long, Theon Greyjoy.

The future is a bit more open for our two outcasts in opposite corners of the world. Jorah has managed to find a ship, so now it’s only a matter of getting those dragons out of the House of the Undying. I have no idea what horrors await in that place, but I’m sure that getting in and out of there is easier said than done. Still, it seems clear that Dany will soon be headed for Westeros just in time for the next season. I suspect that Jon will probably be stuck north of The Wall for a while longer, though. Poor Qhorin Halfhand probably isn’t long for this world (which is unfortunate, because I like the character better than Jon), but Jon is likely going to spend some time getting to know the Wildlings and having further encounters with White Walkers. That Ygritte romance subplot has only just begun.

Arya and her friends could end up pretty much anywhere. But I suppose it would make sense for them to reach Robb’s camp in time to warn them about the impending attack. I like this little band, comprised of Arya, Gendry, Hot Pie, and the every-mysterious and deadly Jaqen H’ghar. I’d like it if they stuck together, for the most part, during the next season. Arya needs more time away from home to develop into whoever it is that she’s becoming. Speaking of which, very clever of Arya to use Jaqen’s code of honor to turn him into the ultimate escape weapon, effectively wringing more kills out of him than he’d originally promised. It’s not a very good way to build a friendship, but I think that Jaqen will get over it. Jaqen seemed more superhuman than ever. How on Earth did he manage to do that to all those guards?

I mentioned that I enjoy unexpected alliances, right? Sticking Brienne reluctantly with Jaime was an inspired story choice. Brienne exemplifies the old-fashioned values of knighthood, and Jaime has become so jaded that he sees it all as just a big, hilarious joke. It seems like you couldn’t have found two more contrasting personalities, although they may have more in common than either of them think. Brienne and Jaime are likely to be around for the long haul, so there’s a good chance that we’ll get to see these two stuck with each other well into the next season. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.

There was never any doubt where things were going with Robb and Talisa. Robb even gets a chance to tell Talisa about his unfortunate betrothal, maybe hoping that it will keep her at a distance. But Talisa ends up alone with Robb and ends up telling him the story of how she went from being a highborn Lady to being a battlefield nurse, upping the attraction factor by about a hundred. You can guess what happens next. Of course, there’s no way that this won’t end in misery. The same could be said for Tyrion’s romance with Shae. Whenever things start to seem “too good to be true” on this show, then it’s a pretty good bet that something will come along to ruin everything before too long.

Tyrion has a better chance of protecting Shae, because he’s painfully aware that she’s his biggest weakness. But I still get the sense that it’s just not going to be enough. It was hilarious fun seeing Cersei so gleeful about thinking that she’d finally bested Tyrion at his own game, and seeing Tyrion let her believe that she had. But that was still a stern reminder that Shae is in danger. And by the way, was that Ros who Cersei had mistaken for Tyrion’s beloved whore? It would figure. She always seems to get into trouble. You’d think that Tyrion would, given his history with her, at least try to make some effort to secure her safety. Then again, if it’s a choice between Ros and Shae, he’s probably going with Shae.

“The Prince of Winterfell” is another strong episode, but one that is surprisingly low-key for being so late in the season. This season never really developed that sense of escalating, building momentum that the first season did as it approached its final episodes, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t been an enjoyable season. I’d have a difficult time comparing the quality of the two seasons until this one is over and done with, but I certainly wouldn’t call the current one a disappointment. I wouldn’t say that it’s surpassed the first season either, though. I suspect that the last two episodes will be similar, in some regards, to the last two episodes of the previous season, in that the first of the two will represent the real climax, while the second one deals with the fallout and transitions things into the next season.

Rating: 8/10

Review #3523: Lost Girl 2.6: “Better to Burn Out Than Fae Away”

22. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: Bronzethumb

This well-named and well-made episode is just the kind of thing “Lost Girl” needs after a rocky opening to the second season. There’s no flashback wigs and bad accents, and no lazy use of old storytelling devices: instead, “Better to Burn Out Than Fae Away” puts the emphasis on the characters, on prodding and probing at the world of the Fae and on providing a solid hour of fun television.

Bo and Kenzi wind up batting for the other team when the Morrigan, head of the Dark Fae, hires the duo to track down a local artist named Jason who has been revealing Fae secrets to the humans in the form of street murals. They soon wind up knee-deep in the politics of the Dark Fae after learning that Jason is a pawn in a power struggle between the Morrigan and their old enemy Vex. It’s a big cut above some of the plots that “Lost Girl” has delivered lately, and while many in the audience will be able to guess the identity of the true culprit early on in the episode (the downside of cast economy), there’s a lot of good twists and turns and blind alleys to keep things interesting and keep people guessing how it’ll end. The writers, having established their formula and something of a status quo, are reluctant to mess with it, yet they’re great at convincing the audience that a shake-up is imminent, which makes for a lot of tense moments as the plot unfolds. Purely on a plot level, this is definitely one of the better episodes of season two.

It was great to see some of the Dark Fae antagonists return, not just because it’s a pleasant change from emphasis on Light Fae politics that’s dominated the season so far, but because Vex and the Morrigan are a blast to watch. Emmanuelle Vaugier and Paul Amos – especially Amos – are clearly having fun with some of the most outright nasty characters on the show, milking every second of their screen time. And that nastiness, compared to some of the other Dark Fae characters who’ve appeared, only serves to make the plot more engaging as the audience is convinced one or both of them could send things spiralling in new directions.

“Better to Burn Out Than Fade Away” also drew the veil back a bit further on how the Dark work. They’re just as susceptible to squabbling and power plays as the Light, as the schemes of a single character threaten to create a war. And even the Morrigan needs to hold a day job, and her being a talent agent is both hilarious and incredibly appropriate, demonstrating again how the Fae world of “Lost Girl” is constructed to slot neatly into the real one (Trick may have refused to name any names, but everyone watching came up with some on their own).

The other big storyline of “Better to Burn Out Than Fade Away” was concerned with Lauren, and it was a good one for the Doccubus fans. From the moment Kenzi politely excused herself from the veiled flirting in the first minute of the episode, it was obvious that something major was on the horizon. The return of Lachlan and his hunt for Lauren so soon after this plotline began was surprising, but hopefully a good sign that the writers are going to keep their stories moving rather than draw things out.

It also gave audiences the show’s most NSFW scene to date, but more surprising were the scenes with Lauren and Kenzi, who’ve never had much to do with one another before. It could’ve been cheesy, but instead Ksenia Solo and Zoie Palmer made those moments really intense and watchable. And the reveal that comes at the end of the episode, tying both the storylines together, is sure to have big repercussions for the show as it continues.

It turns out that a strong plot, the return of fun characters and some really good dramatic storytelling make the world of difference when writing a television series. Hopefully it’s something the writers realised when they sat down to pen “Better to Burn Out Than Fae Away”, because it’s a great episode and another return to form for the series. Fingers crossed that this one sticks.

Rating: 8/10

The Critical Myth Podcast #167: Fae of All Trades

22. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Critical Myth Podcast · Tags:

The Critical Myth Crew is down to two for this show, but the commentary marches on! John and Edmund shuffle things around with Eureka (spoilers through 5.5), and gets down and dirty with Lost Girl (17:15; spoilers through 2.5). Recorded on 19 May 2012.

Opening theme provided by The Oceanic Six. A huge thanks to Alex, Luke, and Jason!

The podcast is on iTunes, and you can add this feed to the client of your choice:

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Review #3522: Classic Doctor Who: “The Deadly Assassin”

21. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: John Keegan

Written by Robert Holmes
Directed by David Maloney

With Sarah Jane back on Earth, no longer a companion, the Doctor is on his own as he feels himself called to Gallifrey by visions of an assassination. Thus begins a story that I’ve heard mentioned many a time, but wasn’t completely prepared for. In fact, I wasn’t sure what to think when it was all said and done.

Previous depictions of the Time Lords made them look officious and manipulative, seriously powerful but without the whimsy and curiosity of the Doctor. Even when they are willing to interfere with the affairs of other cultures, they just use the Doctor, rather than act themselves. In fact, it seemed that the majority of the Time Lords that have been introduced were atypical in the sense that they weren’t willing to isolate themselves, given how much power is at their disposal.

The Doctor always seemed to be a “criminal” among his people because he was willing to stand up to authority, more often than not, and change things as he felt they should be. The introduction of the Master ultimately led the audience to reflect on the questionable nature of the Doctor’s activities. While he is ostensibly “good”, as he’s not seeking personal power or direct control over vast populations, he does enforce his personal code of morality on the universe.

This serial shows a very different version of the Time Lords: still isolated and inwardly focused, but stagnant and ignorant of their own history. The Time Lords of this story have gotten so used to the wonders of their own technology that they don’t even think about how it works or why. It’s precisely why the Master is able to do what he does; there’s pretty much no one with the knowledge to stop him.

It’s somewhat problematic, but there are ways to explain it. There is a mention of the Celestial Intervention Agency, which could be interpreted as the source of the previous Time Lord appearances. It would make sense, if there are such strict prohibitions on breaking the isolationist traditions of Time Lord society, that there would be a secretive organization devoted to hunting down and controlling any rebellious members of their society that might come along.

Having known the Doctor for so long now, would it make sense for him to flee a society that was open enough to allow for free travel? Of course not. If he stayed on Gallifrey, he’d be forced into the kind of self-interested and myopic lifestyle that the rest of the Time Lords take for granted. It also suggests a reason why the Doctor and the Master might once have been friends and confidants; I can imagine the two of them in the Academy, seeking out and delving into forbidden knowledge, and ultimately coming to diametrically opposed views on what they should do with that knowledge.

In terms of the story, the Master has returned to Gallifrey because he is dying, and he has used up his available regenerations. In order to give himself a new lease on life, he needs the Eye of Harmony, a relic from the early days of the Time Lords, which I imagine ties Gallifrey and its enormous power (and its population with its advanced powers over spacetime) to that black hole that Omega is trapped within, as revealed in “The Three Doctors”. That requires the Seal and Great Key of Rassilon, which happens to be kept by the President of the Time Lords. So, the Master needs the current President to be replaced by his thrall, Goth, so he can execute his plan without interference.

As usual, the Master goes overboard. For one thing, the President is stepping down, and Goth is the leading contender. Why not just wait until Goth is elected? The assassination doesn’t actually change the circumstances, other than to make things more chaotic! But since using the Eye of Harmony to reset his regenerations will ultimately destroy Gallifrey, the Master wants to ensure the Doctor is there, and that he will know that the Master has bested him. So he is the one that sent the visions to the Doctor, using something called the Matrix, and he contrives to frame the Doctor for the assassination of the President.

This leads to a great deal of confusion once the assassination takes place, and the Doctor buys himself time to use the Matrix to locate the Master. He ends up in a very long mental struggle with Goth, who the Master has been controlling. The Doctor, of course, prevails, saving Gallifrey and the Time Lords, who advise that the truth of events must be “adjusted” to ensure that society doesn’t lose faith in their leadership. Meanwhile, the Master pulled enough energy out of the Eye of Harmony to survive, or so it would seem.

Mixed in with all of this new material introduced about the Time Lords is a massive amount of detail that I found a bit overwhelming. One of those details, of course, was the notion that Time Lords are limited to twelve regenerations. It’s fairly incidental within the context of the story, as it’s there just to explain why the Master is running out of time. It’s odd to think that this became such a strict point of canon, though it would appear that there are plenty of ways to get around it!

I do find it odd that the Doctor appears to not recognize the name of Rassilon, as it would seem that he is rather familiar with the name later down the road. On the other hand, he is dealing with someone who has been fairly ignorant of Time Lord history. Perhaps the Doctor doesn’t want to assume that he knows everything, and wants to see if the “legends” reveal some clue he might have overlooked? After all, that does seem to be what happens!

Initially, I was annoyed at the changes to Time Lord society, which seemed to me to be unnecessary and too “human”. After some thought, I appreciate it a bit more. If the Time Lords that were considered “criminals” or worthy of exile were atypical members of Time Lord society, then it stands to reason that the “conformists” would be everything the Doctor is not. Having conquered space and time, the Time Lords have lost their sense of wonder. One might wonder if the Doctor’s appreciation of humanity comes from some similarity to what the Time Lords were before they fell into their eventual malaise.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Review #3521: Grimm 1.22: “Woman in Black”

21. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: John Keegan

Written by David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf
Directed by Norberto Barba

Considering that the entire season has been leading to a confrontation between Nick, his Grimm status, and key figures in his professional and personal lives, it’s been an open prediction that all of it would come crashing together in the season finale. In fact, it was so telegraphed that anything less would be disappointing. So how did the writers manage to wrap up this uneven first season?

I would say they did a messy job of it. On the one hand, all of the hints that Nick would be facing down the assassin that killed his parents came to fruition, and it tied into the three coins that are coveted for their ability to grant their holder enough charisma (and arrogant self-confidence) to rule the world. It makes sense that this would also place Hank in a position where his recent sighting of Wesen would come to a head.

So why didn’t it? That was one of the big questions I was left with, and not in a good way. Nick saw just how fundamentally affected Hank was at the end of the previous episode. That should have been enough of a reason to come clean and help his friend and partner through the process of accepting the truth. If that wasn’t enough, then there was the obvious sign of his mental instability throughout this entire episode. Nick has seemed irresponsible in his refusal to explain things to Hank in the past, but this takes that problem to a completely new level.

Meanwhile, Adalind wants revenge for Nick’s role in the loss of her Wesen nature, and since she knows all about Juliette, the methodology is obvious. And since the opening quote points right to Sleeping Beauty, there’s no mystery how this is all going to play out. Setting aside that there’s not one word about what happened regarding Adalind after her move against Hank, a gaping plot hole, it seems ludicrous that Nick wouldn’t have warned Juliette about Adalind in some way or another before this point.

So it comes down to Juliette getting scratched by an ensorcelled cat, and Nick trying to explain to her why this is a major problem. My initial thought was that this would be the perfect time for Nick to take Juliette to visit Monroe and come clean about their working relationship; they still need to make up for their terrible lying around the dinner table in that previous episode. Instead, in one of the most inexplicable moves by the writers to date, they have Nick take Juliette to his aunt’s trailer first, where he proceeds to launch into one of the most awkward and maniacal explanations imaginable.

Consider if he had taken things the other way around: Juliette might have been terrified by the truth about Monroe, but she’d already been reassessing the existence of various creatures after the previous episode. Seeing Monroe would place everything else that Nick told her in context. Instead, the writers waste an amazing amount of time making Nick look crazy, so they can force him to take Juliette to Monroe when she’s most resistant. Oh, and it very predictably wastes enough time that Adalind’s spell takes hold at the least convenient moment possible. I literally groaned and facepalmed when it happened; it was that baldly telegraphed.

With both Hank and Juliette coming to a point where they need to know the truth, it might have been a much better idea to bring them together with Monroe, Rosalee, and some of the other neighborhood Wesen. That still might happen in the second season premiere, but that’s just putting off a necessary plot point even longer. It’s frustrating to think that this element of the show, which is really holding things back, could continue beyond that point.

Throughtout the episode is the appearance of the titular “woman in black”, who seems to be a more efficient Grimm than Nick, to say the least. I have to wonder if it took anyone else more than a few minutes to figure out who she had to be. Was Aunt Marie lying about Nick’s parents being dead, or was it something hidden from the rest of the Grimms? And what might have been the purpose of going underground? The second season premiere will likely tackle those questions.

Unfortunately, for me, the first season of “Grimm” ended with a whimper. By far, the worst part of the episode was Nick’s ridiculous disclosure to Juliette, but it was all a bit messy. There is still plenty of potential for the show to take things to the next level in the second season, but I’m not as confident that they are going to do it in a timely fashion.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

(Season 1 Final Average: 6.7)

Review #3520: Supernatural 7.23: “Survival of the Fittest”

21. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Reviews · Tags:

Contributor: John Keegan

At least there is an eighth season in the works. If this had been the end of the series, it would have been a major disappointment. With Sera Gamble moving on, and Jeremy Carver taking her place as co-showrunner, I have high hopes that the messy season arcs of the past two seasons will be replaced with something a bit more substantial.

The review for Supernatural 7.23: “Survival of the Fittest” has been added to the archive.

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