The X-Files: Gender Bender

Case: A series of deaths in which the victim dies in the throes of passion, with symptoms of massive coronary arrest and huge amounts of pheromones in the body.

Destination: Germantown, Maryland and Steveston, Massachusetts

Mulder and Scully’s investigation into a serial killer who seems to be using sex to lure and kill his victims leads them to a reclusive community of Amish-like folk called The Kindred. They soon discover that The Kindred are much more than the simple people they appear to be, possessing the ability to seduce anyone through a simple touch and, even stranger, to change genders.

Dexter: Living the Dream

Dexter: "If I want to be around for my son, I have to do this right. I'm killing for two now."

Dexter never expected to be a devoted husband and a father of three. His quiet, ordered life of crime-fighting and serial murder has turned into sleep-deprived chaos.

Fringe: Night of Desirable Objects

Walter: “We’re all mutants. What’s remarkable is how many of us appear to be normal.”

Bucolic Lansdale, Pennsylvania has experienced a rash of disappearances lately. Peter discovers the case in a routine trawl of the FBI database, and hopes it might shed light on Olivia’s late arrival on the scene of her car accident last week. Walter, meanwhile, hopes that frogs are the answer. Because aren’t they, always?

Warehouse 13: Season 1 Post-Mortem

Warehouse 13 initially made it onto my summer viewing schedule for three reasons: (1) it was mildly reminiscent of The X-Files; (2) it had a nice roster of some of my Sci Fi favorites lined up as guest stars; and, (3) there wasn’t much competition on my summer TV plate. But with a kicky pilot, engaging leads, and quirky supporting characters, the show quickly became an enjoyable summer staple.

Dollhouse: Vows

Echo: "Wait. What did they make me this time?"

Fake wedding in the beginning. Real wedding at the end.

Glee: Preggers

"I've known it since you were three. All you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels."

After watching "Preggers", I'm rethinking my evaluation of last week's "Acafellas".

FlashForward: No More Good Days (Series Premiere)

“You’re worried your future is going to come true. I’m worried mine won’t.”

Everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Only they don’t all black out: they experience themselves six months in the future. When they wake up, chaos: drivers lost control of their cars, surgeons lost patients, helicopters lost their bearings and crashed into buildings.

Smallville: Savior

Can you believe it's the ninth season?

No more red blue blur. He's the man in black. Clark has become Johnny Cash. It suits him, actually. I've never been a fan of superheroes wearing primary colors, anyway.

Supernatural: Free to Be You and Me

Castiel: "His name is Raphael."
Dean: "You were wasted by a teenage mutant ninja angel?"

There I was, thinking Dean had gotten the more interesting "separate vacation," until we reached the end. And boom. I was right about Sam being Lucifer's chosen vessel. Makes sense, of course. It must have been obvious, because I don't usually guess these things.

Glee: Acafellas

"I want you to smell your armpits. That's the smell of failure, and it's stinking up my office."

Ryan Murphy is not a subtle man.

The X-Files: Beyond the Sea

Case: Two kidnapped college students, apparently abducted by a serial kidnapper/murderer who tortures his victims for a week, then kills them.

Destination: Raleigh, North Carolina

Heroes: Orientation--Jump, Push, Fall

[Okay. I'm not going to do a formal review, but I'll post some thoughts, as a couple of people have suggested.]

Fringe: The Same Old Story

“These events appear to be scientific in nature, and suggest a larger strategy—a coordinated effort. It’s been referred to as The Pattern.”

As Olivia struggles with John Scott’s betrayal, she’s faced with a case from the past: a serial killer who removes the pituitary gland from his victims while they’re paralyzed but conscious. Can our plucky heroine handle re-visiting the past, now that she sees it through the prism of betrayal and lies?

Glee: Showmance

"If you quit the club, I'll let you touch my breasts."

I can't remember the last time I've been so excited about a show. From the moment Will Schuester pulled into McKinley High's parking lot with his "GLEE" license plate, I was grinning from ear to ear.

So, about Glee being a cult show...

We have something of a narrow focus here at Billiedoux.com. Science fiction, fantasy, and cult shows only. What's a cult show? Is there an actual definition, or is it whatever we decide it is? I think we can safely say that a cult show is (1) brilliant and original, (2) not really mainstream, and (3) inspires a passionate following. The other shows I've reviewed that aren't sci-fi or fantasy tend to fit into this niche: Dexter, Six Feet Under, Veronica Mars.

Supernatural: Good God, Y'all

Dean: "So. Pit stop on Mount Doom?"

The townspeople of River Pass were seeing each other as the enemy when in fact, none of them was the enemy. Great big metaphor for Sam and Dean, huh?

The X-Files: Fire

Case: A series of murders in which members of the British parliament are burned alive in front of their families and no evidence is left at the crime scene.

Destination: Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts

With ‘Fire,’ we get the X-Files version of Firestarter. Mulder is asked by an old girlfriend from his Oxford days to help catch an arsonist/murderer who is targeting prominent British politicians. With no discernible ignition source, Mulder theorizes the suspect is someone with pyrokinetic abilities.

Fringe: A New Day in the Old Town

“There really isn’t a point where things just can’t get weirder, is there?”

This episode was quite discombobulating for me, the same way that Olivia’s car accident threw her completely off. As Peter summarized when talking to Broyles in The Irish Heather, Fringe Division’s job is to jump in when something weird happened, and then play the clean-up crew. We know, though, that the Fringe Division is operating with only half the facts, at best, and that’s never been clearer than in this episode: we know where Olivia’s been, and probably how she wound up in that car. But Peter, Walter, Astrid, and newbie Agent Jessup were only able to figure out a few of the answers, and didn’t even know to ask some of the big questions.

Fringe: Pilot

“When you say ‘Fringe science,’ you mean pseudo-science.”

In anticipation of tonight’s Season Two premiere, I thought it time to finally review the First Fringe Episode Ever. Enjoy, and check back for the Season Two review later tonight!

Community

Season 1 | Season 2 |
Season 3 | Season 4 |
Season 5 | Season 6 |
Articles | Cast |

Community (2009-2015) follows the on-campus exploits of Jeff, Britta, Troy, Abed, Pierce, Annie and Shirley, the misfit members of a study group at the fictional Greendale Community College. Warmly embracing sitcoms clichés while also subverting them, Community is a show that should appeal to anyone seeking delightful characters, smart dialogue, clever stories, pop-culture awareness, high-energy comedy and annual paintball wars.

Season One

1.1 Pilot
1.2 Spanish 101
1.3 Introduction to Film
1.4 Social Psychology
1.5 Advanced Criminal Law
1.6 Football, Feminism and You
1.7 Introduction to Statistics
1.8 Home Economics
1.9 Debate 109
1.10 Environmental Science
1.11 Politics of Human Sexuality
1.12 Comparative Religion
1.13 Investigative Journalism
1.14 Interpretive Dance
1.15 Romantic Expressionism
1.16 Communication Studies
1.17 Physical Education
1.18 Basic Genealogy
1.19 Beginner Pottery
1.20 The Science of Illusion
1.21 Contemporary American Poultry
1.22 The Art of Discourse
1.23 Modern Warfare
1.24 English as a Second Language
1.25 Pascal's Triangle Revisited

Season Two

2.1 Anthropology 101
2.2 Accounting for Lawyers
2.3 The Psychology of Letting Go
2.4 Basic Rocket Science
2.5 Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples
2.6 Epidemiology
2.7 Aerodynamics of Gender
2.8 Cooperative Calligraphy
2.9 Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design
2.10 Mixology Certification
2.11 Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas
2.12 Asian Population Studies
2.13 Celebrity Pharmacology
2.14 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
2.15 Early 21st Century Romanticism
2.16 Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking
2.17 Intro to Political Science
2.18 Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy
2.19 Critical Film Studies
2.20 Competitive Wine Tasting
2.21 Paradigms of Human Memory
2.22 Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts
2.23 A Fistful of Paintballs
2.24 For a Few Paintballs More

Season Three

3.1 Biology 101
3.2 Geography of Global Conflict
3.3 Competitive Ecology
3.4 Remedial Chaos Theory
3.5 Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps
3.6 Advanced Gay
3.7 Studies in Modern Movement
3.8 Documentary Filmmaking: Redux
3.9 Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism
3.10 Regional Holiday Music
3.11 Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts
3.12 Contemporary Impressionists
3.13 Digital Exploration of Interior Design
3.14 Pillows and Blankets
3.15 Origins of Vampire Mythology
3.16 Virtual Systems Analysis
3.17 Basic Lupine Urology
3.18 Course Listing Unavailable
3.19 Curriculum Unavailable
3.20 Digital Estate Planning
3.21 The First Chang Dynasty
3.22 Introduction to Finality

Season Four

4.1 History 101
4.2 Paranormal Parentage
4.3 Conventions of Space and Time
4.4 Alternative History of the German Invasion
4.5 Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations
4.6 Advanced Documentary Filmmaking
4.7 Economics of Marine Biology
4.8 Herstory of Dance
4.9 Intro to Felt Surrogacy
4.10 Intro to Knots
4.11 Basic Human Anatomy
4.12 Heroic Origins
4.13 Advanced Introduction to Finality

Season Five

5.1 Repilot
5.2 Introduction to Teaching
5.3 Basic Intergluteal Numismatics
5.4 Cooperative Polygraphy
5.5 Geothermal Escapism
5.6 Analysis of Cork-Based Networking
5.7 Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality
5.8 App Development and Condiments
5.9 VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing
5.10 Advanced Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
5.11 G.I. Jeff
5.12 Basic Story
5.13 Basic Sandwich

Season Six

6.1 Ladders
6.2 Lawnmower Maintenance and Postnatal Care
6.3 Basic Crisis Room Decorum
6.4 Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing
6.5 Laws of Robotics and Party Rights
6.6 Basic Email Security
6.7 Advanced Safety Features
6.8 Intro to Recycled Cinema
6.9 Grifting 101
6.10 Basic RV Repair and Palmistry
6.11 Modern Espionage
6.12 Wedding Videography
6.13 Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television

Articles

Six Seasons and a Discussion thread

Cast

Joel McHale (Jeff Winger)
Gillian Jacobs (Britta Perry)
Danny Pudi (Abed Nadir)
Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley Bennett)
Alison Brie (Annie Edison)
Donald Glover (Troy Barnes)
Chevy Chase (Pierce Hawthorne)
Jim Rash (Dean Greg Pelton)
Ken Jeong (Senor Chang)

Torchwood: Exit Wounds

Jack: "I forgive you."

Tosh and Owen went out like heroes. I've never been fond of Owen, but I did rather like Tosh, and their spectacular deaths in tandem were quite moving. Tosh didn't tell Owen that she was dying, too; she was just there for him in his final moments, an incredible final act of unselfish love. Owen acquitted himself well, too. In his last moments, he was calm and brave, and he wouldn't let Tosh take the blame. I also loved Tosh's recorded farewell from the grave. What a classy way to go out, Tosh. Her backstory in "Fragments" explained a lot about her. She was sort of living on borrowed time, anyway.

True Blood: Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

Maryann: "Come on. It'll be our little secret. What are you?"
Sookie: "I'm a waitress. What the fuck are you?"

Wildly weird. Or maybe weirdly wild. The season roared to a finish halfway through the episode... and then it sort of fizzled out as they spent way too much time prepping us for season three, creating something of an anticlimax. I feel cheated.

Torchwood: Fragments

Tosh: "What do you do?"
Jack: "Protect people. At least that's what I'm aiming for. It's kind of a work in progress."

An episode like this one fills you with foreboding, even while you're having a grand old time. It felt like they were saying goodbye, like this was the end.

Robert J. Sawyer’s Flashforward

I’m torn between whether to review this book in light of Lost or in light of the upcoming premiere of FlashForward on ABC next week. So it’s looking like a straightforward review. Or maybe that’s a StraightForward review. (How could I resist?)

The X-Files: Eve

Case: The deaths of Joel Simmons and Doug Reardon, both of whom suffered 75 percent blood loss from two puncture holes in their necks, and who died at the exact same moment --- 3,000 miles apart.

Destination: Greenwich, Connecticut and Marin County, California

Torchwood: Adrift

Nikki: "Promise me you won't do this to anyone else."

Excellent episode. Tragic and moving. A multiple whammy of super sad, with the complete lack of a happy ending. This one got to me.

Torchwood: From Out of the Rain

Jack: "If cinema killed the traveling show, maybe this is their way of fighting back."

No no no no no.

Supernatural: Sympathy for the Devil

Dean: "Life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass, thanks."

They're doing the Apocalypse. They're actually doing the Apocalypse.

The Vampire Diaries: Premiere

I think I'm officially too old for this show.

The resemblance to Twilight was just overwhelming; it was practically the same story, except on the east coast instead of the west coast. I've been told that Vampire Diaries was written before Twilight (in which case, shame on you Stephenie Meyer), but does it matter who ripped off whom? We've still seen this story of incredibly pretty zitless pseudo teens doing vampire drama before, haven't we?

Torchwood: Something Borrowed

Gwen: "Have you any idea how much a wedding costs?"
Jack: "Listen, Gwen, you are not carrying the baby Jesus in there."

It's not easy to pull off a good wedding episode, especially on a sci-fi show. But this was a terrific wedding episode. It was surprising, funny, outrageous, somewhat poignant in spots. It even had a chainsaw, and how many wedding episodes have that? (Because you have to have a chainsaw, as Joss Whedon would say.) And the ending was perfect. It felt like the whole thing had to end in tragedy, but instead it was champagne, dancing, and a huge dose of retcon all around.

The X-Files: Space

Case: A potential saboteur inside NASA, who’s methods appear to be unexplainable.

Destination: Houston, Texas

Torchwood: A Day in the Death

Ianto: "Are you okay?"
Owen: "What do you think?"

Owen's condition isn't all bad. He is still young and strong, after all, and he won't age. He can't eat or drink or sleep or have sex, but he has a challenging, fascinating job, after all, and Tosh still loves him. He'll never have to shave again, either. I tried to picture how I'd take it if I were in this situation, and I thought I'd almost be okay. Family, friends, cats (although getting scratched would be bad), reading, writing, painting, swimming without fear of drowning, and of course, there's the internet.

Torchwood: Dead Man Walking

Jack: "Forever's overrated."
Owen: "Not from where I'm sitting."

It's a shame that Owen had to die for me to start liking him.

Torchwood: Reset

Jack: "Suddenly, in an underground mortuary on a wet night in Cardiff, I hear the song of a nightingale."

The X-Files: Ghost in the Machine

Case: The electrocution murder of Benjamin Drake, CEO of Eurisko, a Fortune 500 company.

Destination: Crystal City, Virginia

Torchwood: Adam

Jack: "I let go of his hand. It was the worst day of my life. It's the last thing I want to remember."

Adam was a little reminiscent of Dawn in Buffy – like he was always there, when he hadn't been. He seemed to be an emotional vampire, sucking these weird emotions out of everyone. No one was themselves.

Torchwood: Meat

Rhys: "If you can't handle that, big boy, then you can stuff it!"
Jack: "This is quite homoerotic."

I really wish that whoever approved this script had gone home, downed a few, and had second thoughts. "Distasteful" just isn't a strong enough word. (Maybe "gangrenous." Yeah, that's a good word.) I could see where they were going with it, what they had in mind. Very weird alien problem. Horrible abuse of and extreme compassion for a sentient alien the size of an airplane hangar. Jack's compassion in particular was lovely. But the whole thing just wasn't done well enough to make it work.

Torchwood: To the Last Man

Gwen: "He's a frozen soldier from 1918."
Jack: "Nobody's perfect."

As good as this one was, and it was very good, I kept thinking that the basic structure was the same as the previous episode. An ordinary person stuck in a fantastic situation they could do nothing about, but ultimately rising to the occasion and acquitting themselves heroically. Not to mention dying.

Torchwood: Sleeper

Jack: "Okay, Beth. You make light bulbs blow, we can't break your skin. What planet are you from?"

That's two for two. I'm encouraged.

The X-Files: Shadows

Case: Two dead men with residual electrostatic charges and throats apparently crushed from the inside.

Destination: Philadelphia, PA

Torchwood: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Gwen: "Taking charge again, are you?"
Jack: "I was hoping for a little power struggle, resolved by some naked wrestling."

I loved every moment of this episode. And not just because I'm a big fan of the talented James Marsters.

Torchwood: End of Days

Jack: "If Abaddon is the bringer of death, let's see how he does with me. If he feeds on life, then I'm an all-you-can-eat buffet."

With a name like "End of Days," you know you're in for a good time.

FlashForward

Episode Reviews |
Book Review | Cast

FlashForward (b. September 2009) passed away after a long illness in May 2010. Best known for its initial promise and skilled cast, FlashForward began to experience severe shortness of breath near the end of its fall hiatus. By the spring return, under the care of a variety of showrunners and producers, the series underwent several minor strokes brought on by early-onset dementia and a radical treatment of intensive retconning. Its passing was considered a sign of divine benevolence by those closest to it. FlashForward is survived by Courtney B. Vance, John Cho, Sonya Walger, Jack Davenport, and Dominic Monaghan. It will probably not be survived by Joseph Fiennes.

Episode Reviews

1.1 No More Good Days
1.2 White to Play
1.3 137 Sekunden
1.4 Black Swan
1.5 Gimme Some Truth
1.6 Scary Monsters and Super Creeps
1.7 The Gift
1.8 Playing Cards with Coyote
1.9 Believe
1.10 A561984
1.11 Revelation Zero, Part 1
1.12 Revelation Zero, Part 2
1.13 Blowback
1.14 Better Angels
1.15 Queen Sacrifice
1.16 Let No Man Put Asunder
1.17 The Garden of the Forking Paths
1.18 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
1.19 Course Correction
1.20 The Negotiation
1.21 Countdown
1.22 Future Shock

Book Review

Robert J. Sawyer's FlashForward

Cast

Joseph Fiennes (Mark Benford)
John Cho (Demetri Noh)
Jack Davenport (Lloyd Simcoe)
Zachary Knighton (Dr. Bryce Varley)
Peyton List (Nicole Kirby)
Courtney B. Vance (Stanford Wedeck)
Brían F. O'Byrne (Aaron Stark)
Sonya Walger Dr. (Olivia Benford)
Christine Woods (Janis Hawk)
Dominic Monaghan (Simon Campos)

Dollhouse

Season 1 | Season 2 |
Related Links | Cast |

Dollhouse (2009-2010) is Joss Whedon's series about a secret house where people called dolls, supposedly volunteers, are brain-wiped and given new personalities to suit the people purchasing their services. In other words, slave trafficking – but much worse because the real person doesn't know what is happening to them. Dollhouse may have gotten mixed reviews during its run, but I thought it was excellent, cutting-edge science fiction. And the ending was just outstanding.

Season One

1.1 Ghost
1.2 Target
1.3 Stage Fright
1.4 Gray Hour
1.5 True Believer
1.6 Man on the Street
1.7 Echoes
1.8 Needs
1.9 A Spy in the House of Love
1.10 Haunted
1.11 Briar Rose
1.12 Omega
1.13 Epitaph One (unaired)

Season Two

2.1 Vows
2.2 Instinct
2.3 Belle Chose
2.4 Belonging
2.5 The Public Eye
2.6 The Left Hand
2.7 Meet Jane Doe
2.8 A Love Supreme
2.9 Stop-Loss
2.10 The Attic
2.11 Getting Closer
2.12 The Hollow Man
2.13 Epitaph Two: Return

Related Links

The Saga of Joss Whedon by Sunbunny
Five TV Shows that Suffered from Network Interference
Joss Whedon Chat Thread
Buffy the Vampire Slayer reviews
Angel reviews
Firefly reviews
Review of "Echo" (unaired pilot) by Billie Doux
Review of the premiere episode by Josie Kafka

Cast

Eliza Dushku (Echo)
Harry Lennix (Boyd Langton)
Fran Kranz (Topher Brink)
Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard)
Enver Gjokaj (Victor)
Dichen Lachman (Sierra)
Olivia Williams (Adelle DeWitt)
Miracle Laurie (Mellie)
Amy Acker (Claire Saunders)
Reed Diamond (Dominic)