Once Upon a Time: The Stranger

“I’m a real boy!”

Once Upon a Time has been toying with the idea of getting Emma to make that leap of faith that would put everything in place to kick start the fight to free all those trapped in Storybrooke for a while now. 'The Stranger' was the first episode to confront Emma directly with that aversion she’s been showing towards her role as the town’s saviour. A lot of her inability to concede to such an outlandish truth seemed to rest on her narrow-minded “man of science” mantra, but here the idea of it being part of reluctance to accept her part in a destiny that puts the fate of so many people on her shoulders is the main focus.

Game of Thrones: The Ghost of Harrenhal

“Anybody can be killed.”

The Great Man theory of history argues that moments of great historical consequence are the result of individual agents of great power who shape their times—and our fates—to their will. Napoleon. Alexander the Great. Hitler. Charlemagne. Game of Thrones disagrees: the history of Westeros is shaped not by great men, but by petty tyrants who shouldn’t have power, and by the people who might not even make it into the histories that might be written later. Events of political consequence are orchestrated by bureaucrats, advisors, and coincidence.

Movie News, April 2012

Movies have a long and twisted legacy of poor choices, strange marketing, and occasionally wonderful results. For example, the absolutely horrible job done by Disney to promote John Carter. None of the advertisements explained what the property was, but made it out to be a wall-to-wall action film, which it wasn't. It created an expectation that couldn't possibly be fulfilled, so it tanked. Why am I bringing this up? Well I'm about to talk about current movie news, since it is all strange marketing, poor choices, and occasionally wonderful results. This is an experimental article that will try to follow in the footsteps of Doux News. I hope I'm adequate to the task.

The only new movie worth talking about this week was The Raven, and it's apparently horrible (it currently has only a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes). I haven't seen it, and after reading some of those scathing reviews, I don't think I ever will.

Scarlett Johansson will not be appearing in next year's Iron Man 3 because of scheduling conflicts. This is probably due to her being cast as Janet Leigh in the upcoming Hitchcock movie (a biopic of him, not a movie by him since he died 22 years ago). This might mean they won't make the same mistake as they made on Iron Man 2, as in using it as a spring board for another Avengers film instead of focusing on a story specific to Tony Stark/Iron Man.

In sorta related news, The Avengers has already raked in 178.4 million dollars. Wait, that doesn't make sense -- it hasn't even opened yet! Oh, that's how much it's made overseas since it opened in some countries on WEDNESDAY!!!!

A FOX Studio exec has stated that they will not mess with Prometheus (i.e. editing for content to reduce it to a more accessible PG-13) even if it comes down with an "R" rating. Which is a relief because cutting Ridley Scott's movies never turn out well (See Blade Runner, Kingdom of Heaven, etc). (Along with the recent Fringe announcement, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe someone sane came to power over there. Then again, maybe not.) A couple of weeks ago, two brilliant viral videos (David 8 and Ted 2023) were released, as well as an intriguing website launched for the movie. As a marketing campaign, these are great teasers reminiscent of The Dark Knight's viral marketing campaign.

Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Wrath/Clash of the Titans) will be in the new Bond movie Skyfall coming out later this year. The studio has also announced that from now on, new Bond movies will start coming out at regular intervals, with the next one premiering in 2014. After all the issues with MGM going bankrupt and Daniel Craig having conflicts with continuing in the role, I'm tentatively glad to see that we'll get more.

Peter Jackson has responded to criticism over his choice to film the new Hobbit movie at 48 fps (Frames Per Second) instead of the industry standard of 24 fps. This might seem like a non-issue, but using higher frames per second completely changes the way film looks, giving it a more realistic feel. His defense is that using this format will become standard in coming years and is part of the natural evolution of movie-making. While I agree that technology is moving forward and we should accept that, I hope that he considers that using this format might not be a good idea for a fantasy film.

Kick Ass 2 (and 3) might actually happen. Filming is supposed to begin this summer. I personally loved the first one, but this announcement was completely unexpected.

In the category of painful, inexplicable and pointless news, it was announced that there will be a sequel to Twins. It will be called Triplets and adds Eddie Murphy to the cast along with returning stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as their long lost third sibling. This is one of those announcements that has me scratching my head going, why? Why? And this isn't the only head scratcher. A few days ago, a trailer for a movie called This is 40? came out. This is actually a sequel/spin-off to the movie Knocked Up. Again I ask, WHY???

Final note - I understand that fans can be passionate, but there is such as thing as too passionate. Amy Nicholson was one of the first critics to post a review for The Avengers coming out next week. She was also the only one that posted a negative review, which in itself was contentious because she rated it with a 3 out of 5. This lone voice of descent has caused people to lash out at her with some unfairly harsh comments -- calling her names, belittling her skills as a writer, and generally being insufferable brats about someone having a different opinion. To be fair, she was pretty snarky in her review. But that's just it -- it was her review. It was her opinion. Isn't that the whole idea of being a critic? Critics have to be able to share their opinion, even if it isn't popular. Disagreeing with that opinion is fine, sharing that feeling with the writer is great. But raging at someone who is just doing their job is reprehensible, and makes our job impossible.

Thus ends the experiment! Please tell me what you think about any of these news items, or about the movie news article in general.
---
Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.

Doux News: April 29, 2012

This week: Fringe renewed -- True Blood author gets another series -- Felicia Day and Benedict Cumberbatch are everywhere -- Dexter casting news and a possible ninth season -- Community and Awake finales -- Comment and Tweet of the Week

Community: Basic Lupine Urology

"Greendale Community College is represented by two separate but equally important types of people: the goofballs that run around stirring up trouble, and the eggheads that make a big deal out of it. These are their stories."

Glee: Dance With Somebody

The New Directions seniors get mushy about saying goodbye to McKinley and their significant others. Will intends to rap at his wedding. Everyone mourns Whitney Houston.

Supernatural: The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo

"I'm gonna die. I should have taken that job at Google."

And now for something completely different.

Stephen King: The Wind Through the Keyhole (Dark Tower 4.5)

“And so it happened, once upon a bye.”

Stephen King finished his magnum opus, the seven-book Dark Tower series, in 2004. But now in 2012 he has discovered that his “old friends had a little more to say.” “It was a great gift to find them again,” he says, “years after I though their stories were told.” Us hardy Dark Tower fanatics were equally pleased to hear that we would have the chance to see our old friends—although some of us may wish they had a bit more to do and a bit less to say.

The Secret Circle: Traitor

“We totally got out-magic-ed in our own magic house. Unbelievable.”

The shock factor is something that can go either way. In a show that knows what its doing and where it’s going, it can work as great mechanism for enticing viewers into returning, on one that’s messy and disjointed, it’ll just come off as cheap and forced. The former applies in The Secret Circle’s case, but without that sense of impending battle and culmination, Traitor’s twist could have so easily become the latter.

Fringe: Worlds Apart

“Every war has a cost.”

Now we know. No—that’s not right. Now we think we know Jones’s master plan, and we think we know his motives (basic megalomaniacal world destruction, with animal accompaniment). What matters more, however, is the damage he has caused. Not earthquake damage, although of course that is significant, but damage to the sense of community that has, for the past few episodes, been growing between the two worlds.

Vampire Diaries: Do Not Go Gentle

“Sometimes, the people who love her get caught in the crossfire.”

So are you raging, raging against the dying of the light? On a show that encourages us to never give up without a fight, we’re stuck in a rather awkward situation, as the Alaric story has headed so far downhill it’s practically in Antarctica. (South is downhill, right?)

Awake: Game Day

"Just that one thing. One tiny little thing, and this could all be different."

I had a feeling Michael and Hannah would experience some obstacle to their departure from Los Angeles, and voila.

NewsFlash: Fringe Renewed

Congratulations, Fringe fans: you now have proof that there is a God, and He/She is a good God. (Also, He/She works at Fox. Who knew?) In other (less religious) words, our favorite time-bendy wonky-science serialized genre show has been renewed for an "exciting and climatic" last season of 13 episodes.

Here's what the internet is calling a "Season Five Promo." Almost zero spoilers. Really, zero spoilers plus a tiny tease.



Happy Fringe is getting the time it needs to wrap up the stories without resorting to graphic novels? Or feeling a little bruised and battered by recent jumps to the future? Let us know in the comments...

Breaking Bad: ABQ

"Lies on top of lies on top of lies."

What an outstanding, moving finale.

Revenge: Justice

"Sorry to interrupt your regularly-scheduled plotting."

Mad Men: Far Away Places

"It's young and it's beautiful, and no-one else is gonna figure out how to say that about beans."

A lot can happen in a day. Like Seven Twenty Three in the third season, this was another episode that experimented with non-linear narrative, all of the three stories here linked by that collective desire to break out and escape. It's a theme that's always been at the forefront of much of Mad Men, that wanting to experience adventure and break up the monotony of everyday life. We can all relate to that, but it was even more daring back in 1966 -- doing something bad, abandoning your responsibilities, reaching that high. Every story here had that same sense of momentum, and the three characters anchoring their own vignettes all wound up experiencing some kind of epiphany or emotional break-through. And only one of them was helped by a little LSD.

Eureka: The Real Thing

... in which Carter, Henry, and Kevin keep the search going for the missing Astraeus crew. Meanwhile, Beverly struggles to keep the crew from discovering the truth of their situation.

Game of Thrones: Garden of Bones

“Does anyone live?”

This episode was both the wittiest and the most depressing one we’ve gotten all season. Since witty and depressing are my two favorite things, I enjoyed it absolutely—what happened, what seems to be about to happen, and what is happening differently than it does in the books. Not to mention the incredible everything: acting, costumes, and especially the horrific Harrenhal.

Breaking Bad: Phoenix

"Meet your daughter."

Walt's daughter Holly was born.

Fringe: Letters of Transit

“Resistance must take place at any opportunity.”

This was a great episode, almost despite itself. An hour devoted to people we have never met, this close to what might be the final episode of the show ever? And yet it was touching, interesting, and extremely well done, just like all Fringe episodes are. But while “Letters of Transit” was a great episode, I’m still not sure that I’m on board with the direction this season has taken, or with the place of this episode in the master plan.

Once Upon a Time: The Return

“You can’t just turn someone into a snail and step on them, can you?”

This episode had something important to say, but just took too long to say it. Everything that happened here was a necessity in continuing this show’s journey towards an eventual turning point, and though it spent a little too much time following characters talking nonsense, it was still a strong episode in what is so far a solid season-ending arc.

Doux News: April 22, 2012

This week: Community is the most popular show on the internet -- Buffyverse-related news -- American Horror Story -- Comment of the week -- Commendation for meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty -- Most annoying characters on TV

Community: Virtual Systems Analysis

“I didn’t get Inception!”

After this episode finished, my first thought was “How I am going to review that?” Dan Harmon may have spoken too soon when he described 'Documentary Filmmaking: Redux' as the series' “least accessible, least marketable episode”. An entire episode of Abed and Annie in the Dreamatorium is about as high concept as Community can get. This had the potential to be the best thing the series has ever done or it could've ended up being its Ishtar. I don't think it was either.

Supernatural: Of Grave Importance

"What are the odds this ends well?"

This episode touched on themes they've explored in the entire series about the negative nature of the supernatural. Ghosts go crazy and hurt people. It's inevitable. Bobby really should be drinking beer at the Roadhouse with Ellen, Jo, Ash, Pamela, Rufus and especially his wife, Karen. (Wow. A lot of people have died in this series, haven't they?)

Awake: Night Swimming

“A chance to walk away from this mess and start afresh.”

I know I sound like a broken record, but each week Awake astonishes me with the simple beauty of its characters, including those that—on other shows—might be dismissed as nothing more than corpses waiting to happen. “Night Swimming,” once again, didn’t disappoint. And while we’re still not getting anywhere with the mystery of what’s going on, I continue not to really care.

Breaking Bad: Mandala

"From what I do hear about him, he sounds a little like you."

So much for do-it-yourself distribution.

Vampire Diaries: Heart of Darkness

“He changes her, too.”

This week’s episode focused on difficult encounters between characters, as well as the revelation of various secret longings, dark hearts, and veiled emotions, from Evilaric’s hidden stake (and not-so-hidden rage) to Elena’s ambiguous desire, Caroline’s alleged feelings for Klaus, and the last-minute revelation about Rebekah that I totally didn’t see coming.

The Secret Circle: Crystal

“The circle will be the death of you.”

With a clear end-game in sight, and after last week’s declaration of war on the witch hunters, this episode marked the beginning of what is clearly the show’s final march towards the season finale. Momentum throttled this episode forward at a seriously rapid pace, bringing new revelations into the fold, and changing the circle irreversibly.

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

[This review contains spoilers.]

"Maybe I should install a crematorium in my backyard."

Revenge: Doubt

"Your empire is crumbling, my queen."

A tad too underwhelming for my liking. Revenge has been on hiatus for far too long so viewers were bound to find themselves out of the show's groove. It doesn't help that this was a transitional hour which was too preoccupied with setting up the season's final stretch than providing us with many explosive developments.

Glee: Saturday Night Glee-ver

“It’s not the broken dreams that break us, it’s the ones we didn’t dare to dream.”

I hope no one was put off by the cringe-worthy title of this episode, because it was one of the best of the season.

The Biggest Loser is losing me

(Article: April 2012)

Even though I prefer to get my reality show fix from the Food Network and HGTV, I've been watching The Biggest Loser for several seasons now. There's something fascinating and uplifting about seeing these overwhelmed, unhappy people battling their personal demons and transforming their appearance as well as their lives. Although every now and then there is a mean, manipulative contestant or two, and even though annoying cliques and alliances inevitably form, most of the contestants are genuinely nice people who openly support each other and grow to care about each other. The show is often heartwarming and it's usually fun to watch.

Castle: Headhunters

“I love this run-and-gun police work.” Me, too!

In the five episode season finale arc, I saw this episode as the palette cleanser sorbet between courses. Refreshing, cool and fun. I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud so often.

Ringer: I'm the Good Twin

"I have to get my old life back."

It had become more and more apparent over the last couple of weeks that Bridget and Siobhan were never going to meet in time for the finale. You can understand the logic. I assume the writers had thought we'd be so wrapped up in the Bodaway/Catherine stories that we wouldn't care all that much if our dueling protagonists ever had that elusive reunion. But, along with everything else on this show, things obviously didn't work out the way they had intended. This was a strange finale -- sort of drab and uninteresting, despite several half-resolutions to a couple of long-running stories. It also had one of the most flat endings I've ever seen. Even if a second season was guaranteed, that sure wasn't much of a cliffhanger.

Mad Men: Signal 30

"I can't believe the hours I've put in to helping you become the monster you've become."

I experienced a crushing blow watching Signal 30. The latest in a number of Mad Men-related disappointments, gravitating from the ugly reality that doesn't always present itself every week on this show, the admiration you have for certain characters that is unexpectedly upturned. Because Pete isn't a good person. He's funny and charming and adorably unaware of his weekly downward spiral into inevitable disappointments, and all of this combines to make him somebody you can almost root for. But then we get an episode like this one, where he exhibits behavior that is beyond reprehensible. And, somehow, he can't get away with it like Don does. He just ends up appearing pathetic, and suddenly you're hit with that realization that he's truly not good at all.

Eureka: Lost

... in which the Astraeus crew manages to narrowly avoid a crash landing, only to discover they’ve jumped four years into the future.

Game of Thrones: What is Dead May Never Die

Varys: “Well played, my Lord Hand…Power is a curious thing, my lord. Are you fond of riddles? Three great men sit in a room. A king, a priest, and a rich man. Between them stands a common sellsword. Each great man bids the sellsword kill the other two. Who lives? Who dies?”

Tyrion: “Depends on the sellsword.”

Breaking Bad: Over

"So how do you want to, you know, proceed in light of this kickass news?"

The title of this episode is "Over." But it's not over. Even though Walt's initial impetus for breaking bad may have ended, his experiences have changed him too radically. The metaphorical rot under the Walt's house is too far gone.

Doux News: April 15, 2012

This week: Game of Thrones -- Glee -- Fringe -- The Walking Dead -- Titanic -- Sin City Sequel -- Comment of the week and discussion topic

Community: Origins of Vampire Mythology

“You're monsters! You're all Hitlers! You’re racist paedophiles! You’re the opposite of Batman!”

After high-concept episodes like 'Pillows and Blankets', things typically tend to calm down at Greendale. Or, at least, become less crazy. Calm isn't really something this show does. So, post-pillow war, we get a smaller, more character-driven episode from Community's own Lord Ruler, Dan Harmon.

Fringe: The Consultant

“No one can be certain exactly what they’re capable of.”

As I work my way though a complete Alias re-watch, and as I’m considering a Lost re-watch for this summer, I keep puzzling over the emphasis on parent/child relationships in JJ Abrams shows (even ones, like Fringe, that he’s not very involved in). One of the great strengths of Fringe—an area where it outshines Lost and even, a little bit, Alias—is its examination of parent/child conflicts from both sides of the relationship. The challenges and anguishes of parenthood are just as important as the pain and trauma the children experience.

Awake: Ricky’s Tacos

“I like a speaking oracle as much as the next guy, but I wish you could count on them to be more specific.”

Awake has a lot to juggle: two worlds, two cases per episode (most of the time), emotional issues with Hannah and with Rex, and a weird conspiracy—not to mention Britten’s apparent hallucinations. While the procedural elements work as a skeleton, each episode has typically fleshed out just one element of the larger tapestry, and this week’s entry gave us some interesting information about the conspiracy. Sort of.

Game of Thrones: The Night Lands

“I wish I had a god.”

Whenever I’m stumped about what to say about this (extremely difficult to review) show, I troll the internet. (I sometimes also just give up and watch awesome other shows.) The most fascinating aspect of Game of Thrones reviews is their lack of consensus: is this episode about women and their relationship to the divine right of kings? Being a stranger in a strange land, plus voyeurism? Women again, in a different way? The abuse of power?

Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon

"There's nothing 'only' about being a girl."

'The Curse of Peladon' is one of the great triumphs of its era. So it's no big surprise that Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks decided to make a sequel. To try and capture the same look and feel as 'Curse', they brought back writer Brian Hayles, director Lennie Mayne and designer Gloria Clayton. It was an attempt to bottle lighting twice. And it failed.

Glee: Big Brother

If this were an episode of Community, it might be called Advanced Pointing. Or perhaps, Disability Denial for Dummies. But it is not, it is Glee, and it's back! (And it's the feeling you get when your brain finally lets your heart get in its pants.)

Mad Men: Mystery Date

"I'm glad the army makes you feel like a man, because I'm sick of trying to do it."

I think everybody has a moment in their lives when they begin to recognize the negative qualities they possess. That maybe you make rash judgments about others, or you exhibit behaviors that can be interpreted as damaging to either your own well-being, or the well-being of society. Sometimes you wind up shocked at your own flaws, sometimes you embrace them, and sometimes no matter how hard you try and improve yourself -- those bad qualities just insist on coming back. Mystery Date was all about those hidden feelings, the ones you try and suppress but struggle to entirely rid yourself of. It's a theme that runs through every one of the episode's stories, and it's characteristically fascinating.

Ringer: It's Called Improvising, Bitch!

"I know it's a horrible thing to say, but I'd pay good money to see her eaten by a pack of wolves."

I don't think I've ever experienced more critical whiplash in all my years of watching television than I have over the last year. Ringer is a show that has achieved near consistent levels of banality, but it's surely something worthy of scientific investigation that, right before the show is launched into the cancellation abyss, it pulls out of its butt something so ridiculous and so terrible that it becomes sort of, kind of... great? "It's Called Improvising, Bitch!" was the abject soapiness that this show has seemed to avoid for so long -- a frenetic, hilarious mess that wound up crazily entertaining, like Showgirls-awesome.

Justified: Slaughterhouse

Arlo: "Heard that the cop with the hat got shot. Guess it wasn't you."

Definitely an emotional, strong finale. And oddly sad.

Community: Pillows and Blankets

Pillows but no sleep
Feathers but no birds
Pajamas without children
Violence without purpose
I saw Mommy kissing ExxonMobil

-Amanda Johnson (poet by choice, lesbian by birth)

I loved this episode. Yes, it was another documentary parody. But that didn't bother me. When episodes are as good as this one, I can forgive the writers for repeating themselves. I lost count of how many times I laughed my head off.