The Killing: Undertow

[Note: Sorry for the extreme lateness of this review. My computer's been in the shop this past week to have a new hard drive installed after my last one failed.]

“By the weekend I'm gonna be working as a security guard at the Space Needle.”

Eureka: Family Reunion

... in which an overhaul of the Cryogenics unit reveals that Fargo’s missing grandfather has been frozen for the last fifty years. Meanwhile Jo and Zoe try to uncover the identity of the mystery woman to whom Carter is sending flowers.

Field of Dreams

Terence: "It's unbelievable."
Ray: "It's more than that. It's perfect."

Field of Dreams has a deceptively simple and somewhat idiotic plot. When he was young, Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) rejected his father's baseball dreams, but didn't replace them with dreams of his own. One day in his cornfield in Iowa, Ray hears a voice saying, "If you build it, he will come."

Game of Thrones: A Golden Crown

“Thunk.”

It’s hard to go wrong with Jane Espenson. She’s written for nearly every show we cover (including the upcoming Torchwood: Miracle Day), and she manages to inject humor into even the most dire of situations without ever losing the tone appropriate to a specific show. She succeeds because she seems to have an incisive understanding of the characters she writes for: her episodes reveal new aspects of old friends in a way that makes those aspects seem familiar. Above all, she lets her characters make jokes (rather than the slapstick approach of the author making the character a joke) and she trusts our basic human impulse to giggle nervously in the face of despair. In case you can’t tell, I loved this episode.

Doctor Who: The Almost People

Doctor: 'Would you like a Jelly Baby?'

Matthew Graham has definitely gone up in my estimations. I liked this episode a lot. Admittedly, it had a few problems—the dialogue was occasionally clunky, the CGI predictably rubbish, and there was far too much telling rather than showing. ('Who are the real monsters?')—but these are minor gripes in what was, an otherwise, event laden episode. And now that we know who died back in episode one, the question must surely be: what has happened to Amy?

The Killing: Pilot

“Mrs Larsen, do you have a daughter?”

The Danish series Forbrydelsen (The Crime) is one of the best crime dramas of the last few years. Powered by a phenomenal performance by Sofie Gråbøl as Detective Inspector Sarah Lund and her now legendary jumpers (jumpers are cool), it plays out like a Scandinavian cross between Twin Peaks and State of Play.

Glee: New York

“I see it now. I don’t have to choose between my career and love.”

Star Trek: A Private Little War

Kirk: "A balance of power. The trickiest, most difficult, dirtiest game of them all, but the only one that preserves both sides."

When you get past the mildly silly white fur monster with horns, the bad wigs, and the wiggling root used to heal Kirk, this is actually a very good episode with something important to say.

Eureka: Noche de Suenos

... in which some of the town’s residents begin having the same dreams.

I Am Number Four

"My entire childhood has been an episode of X-Files."

If you've been hanging around this site for awhile, you know I'm not big with the snark. But this movie just yanked the snark right out of me.

NewsFlash: Torchwood trailer

I know I'm being repetitive, and it's going to suck if it turns out terribly, but I am very excited about the return of Torchwood. And we finally have a trailer! "I'm Welsh."




Enjoy. Anticipate. Subscribe to Starz.

Doctor Who: The Rebel Flesh

Doctor: 'Human lives are amazing. Are you surprised they walked off with them?'

Matthew Graham's first effort at a Doctor Who script ('Fear Her') was an anomaly in that, despite Graham's impeccable writing pedigree, it was absolute tosh. No writer, no matter how talented, can pull off a scribble monster. True, the minuscule (some may say non-existent) visual effects budget didn't help matters—but it was still pretty bad. Thankfully, tonight's episode went a long way toward making amends. It wasn't perfect, but I didn't herniate myself from weeping at it either—which is always a bonus.

Eureka: Duck, Duck, Goose

... in which space junk orbiting the planet begins crashing down on Eureka on the day of the Tesla School science fair.

Supernatural: The Man Who Knew Too Much

Bartender: "Honestly, I'm dying to know how it all turns out."

I've been confused all season about where they were going with Castiel. But I bet if I rewatched the season now, it would make sense. His search for God, his disappointment, mortgaging the moral high ground by dealing with Crowley. And it all came down to this.

Supernatural: Let It Bleed

Dean: "I lost control for a minute. And I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

It was a dark and stormy night. Okay, I couldn't resist opening my review with this. And I wanted to leave spoiler space before saying...

The Killing: Stonewalled

“I should've known, subtlety isn't exactly your strong suit.”

As some of you might have guessed I've not been feeling much love for The Killing lately. For the last three weeks the police have been circling around their prime suspect but are still no closer to knowing for certain whether or not Bennet killed Rosie. If it turns out that he's just another red herring (something that is looking increasingly likely) then at least a third of the season has been wasted chasing after false leads.

Game of Thrones: The Wolf and the Lion

“The seed is strong.”

It just gets better and better, doesn’t it? The latest installment of Game of Thrones was sharply drawn, in no small part because the action centered on Westeros, specifically King’s Landing and the off-kilter crazyland of the Eyrie.

Star Trek: The Immunity Syndrome

Spock: "Tell Doctor McCoy he should have wished me luck."

Ah, yes. The giant amoeba episode.

Eureka: Games People Play

... in which Carter must cope with Zoe’s impending return to L.A.

Glee: Funeral

“I miss my sister.”

Haven: Welcome to Haven

Hello, Everyone! This is my first review of my first series. I’ve been hanging around the Billie-verse for a while but have finally gotten up the courage and found the time to become a reviewer myself. Considering the calibre of the reviews on this site, you will not be surprised that I am just a bit intimidated (well, more than just a bit). So here goes - the first episode of Haven, a Showcase series based on an obscure Stephen King novel The Colorado Kid. (I am a huge Stephen King fan – I can’t really admit this to my more “learned” friends.)

Summer Shows, Exclamation Point

I used to refer to summer as the "television wasteland." Not any more. Just take a look at what summer 2011 has in store for us.


Covert Affairs

Returns
Tuesday, June 7
on USA

This Alias wannabe hasn't quite caught me yet, but it has likable leads (particularly Chris Gorham as Augie) and doesn't put me to sleep. Season two might be when this show takes off. Or not. If only Piper Perabo didn't look and act so much like Jennifer Garner. It drives me nuts.

Are we covering it? Not yet.




Falling Skies

Premieres
Sunday, June 19
on TNT

Falling Skies is a new alien invasion/apocalypse-type show starring Noah Wyle, who should have made enough money off fifteen seasons of ER to never have to work again. (Maybe he lost a fortune in the stock market.) It certainly sounds intriguing and quite possibly my cup of tea, but I'm getting Jericho vibes. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Are we covering it? Actually, I think I just might review the premiere.





Wilfred

Premieres
Thursday, June 23
on FX

Wilfred is about a guy named Ryan (Elijah Wood) who sees his neighbor's dog as a man in a dog suit (Jason Gann). This feels like a one-joke show and I honestly don't have any idea whether it will work or not. But I do know that every time I see an ad for it, it makes me laugh out loud.

Are we covering it? It's a half-hour comedy, which just isn't us, so probably not. But you never can tell. We'll see how it goes.




True Blood

Returns
Sunday, June 26
on HBO

True Blood is about a mind-reading waitress named Sookie Stackhouse who lives in a world where vampires have come out of the coffin and are trying to integrate into society. It's sexy, obscene, violent and terribly funny, and I get a huge charge out of it. And Eric Northman is my favorite vampire since Spike.

Are we covering it? Absolutely. I reviewed the first three seasons and I'm certainly not planning to stop now.




Leverage

Returns
Sunday, June 26
on TNT

So it's not really a genre show. Leverage is just fun to watch. It's about five former outlaws who con criminals in order to help the hopeless. And it stars Christian Kane, who was one of my favorites on Angel.

Are we covering it? No. But it would be nice if we could.




Torchwood

Returns
Friday, July 8
on Starz and the BBC

Torchwood is the spinoff series of Doctor Who starring John Barrowman as 51st century time agent Captain Jack Harkness. We've been waiting two years for another season after the incredible miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth, and we're finally getting it this summer.

Are we covering it? Absolutely. And since it will be airing on Starz and the BBC at the same time, I won't have to wait like I did with Children of Earth.





Warehouse 13

Returns
Monday, July 11
on SyFy

Warehouse 13 is about two secret service agents who locate mystical, supernatural and dangerous artifacts that (of course) wreak havoc until they are found and safely stored in a huge, secret storage facility.

Are we covering it? Yes, we are. Starting this summer, Jess Lynde will be reviewing Warehouse 13 for us. She'll also be covering....



Eureka

Returns
Monday, July 11
on SyFy

Eureka is a small town in the Pacific Northwest where America's greatest geniuses live, work, and make a lot of dangerous and exotic mistakes. It's a wonderful geekfest of a show, and we've recently added it to the site; Jess Lynde will be reviewing Eureka for us this summer, and may even catch up with retro reviews before the second half of the fourth season starts airing.




Alphas

Premieres
Monday, July 11
on SyFy

Okay, it's yet another X-Men/Heroes sort of show. But this is the SyFy channel, so maybe they'll do it right this time. They certainly pulled off a major casting coup with David Staithairn as the lead. Just that makes me want to give it a try.

Are we covering it? I'm certain we'll be covering the premiere. More than that? Only if one of us falls in love with it.



Haven

Returns
Friday, July 15
on SyFy

Haven is yet another series based on a work by Stephen King. It's about an FBI agent (Emily Rose) searching for clues to her past while working in a very strange town in Maine full of people with frightening supernatural afflictions.

I enjoyed Haven last summer -- especially the last few episodes, when the arc story started coming together -- and I'm happy to announce that we'll be covering the second season this summer. Dr. Nana Mom, who has reviewed an odd episode and movie for us in the past, will be taking on Haven.


Reality shows? What are they?

I confess. I like HGTV and the Food Channel. I particularly like the hot guys on Over Your Head and Income Property, because how can you not like a man who can successfully renovate a bathroom in twenty-two minutes? And Iron Chef America is always so much fun, and so true to life. (Yes, I can make five distinct and unusual dishes featuring squid, snails, or eggnog served on ice sculpture in only an hour. Why do you ask?)

So every summer, I enjoy my two favorite reality show competitions: The Next Food Network Star and HGTV Design Star. Summer fun for everyone.

The Next Food Network Star returns Sunday, June 5 on the Food network.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star/index.html

HGTV Design Star returns... actually, when does it return? Shouldn't the date be listed prominently on their site? What sort of fly by night outfit are they?
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-design-star/show/index.html

So I hope you all will be watching some great summer shows with us here at douxreviews.com. Do stop by.

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife

Idris: 'Oh, my beautiful idiot. You've got what you've always had. You've got me.'

It's virtually impossible for me to criticise tonight's episode, as I loved every last minute of it. Let's face it, expectations over this episode were impossibly high. Once word got out that Neil Gaiman was on the writing team, fans have talked about little else. Recipient of numerous prestigious writing awards (Hugo, Bram Stoker and Nebula, to name but a few), Gaiman's a doyen of the fantasy fiction genre. Add Moffat to the mix, and it's a Marvel Team-Up made in heaven. I didn't think anything could eclipse 'The Girl in the Fireplace', 'Blink' or 'Vincent and the Doctor', but I was wrong. Tonight's episode pipped them all.

Vampire Diaries: As I Lay Dying

“In spite of everything, we persevere.”

After last week’s mythology-heavy episode, this week VD returned to its roots by focusing on the emotion and relationships between our heroes, rather than the weighty backstory of Originals we don’t yet know too well. Awesome.

Smallville: Finale

Lois: "Now go save the world. I'll be fine."

I absolutely cannot fault the producers of Smallville. They know their show and their audience, and they gave us a huge, jam-packed finale that was the perfect capper for the series and didn't cheat the fans. We got every big moment we've been waiting for, and lots of character moments as well.

Glee: Prom Queen

“They can’t touch me. They can’t touch us.”

Prom fever hits McKinley High, everyone hurries to find a date and the prom king and queen competition affects the couples involved and causes collateral damage along the way.

Latest Renewals and Cancellations

During the strange and prolonged Blogger outage that coincided with Friday the 13th, the final chips have fallen in the renewal/cancellation follies.

Game of Thrones: Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things

“Distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you climbed off your horse.”

Throughout this episode, the refrain from 50 Cent’s epic ode to the pimp hand was stuck in my head. Edited for content, the primary message is that if you mess with me, you’re messing with a strong and vengeful force of will. So many of our heroes and villains proved themselves—sometimes to themselves—and others made the force of their indomitable will known.

Eureka: Unpredictable

... in which Jack’s ex-wife arrives to take Zoe back to L.A. as the weather becomes increasingly violent and erratic.

The Killing: Vengeance

“I don't wanna be that man again. I can't.”

One of the strengths of The Killing has been its commitment to creating a sense of realism (television realism, at least) while other crime shows are happy to go for sensationalism and absurdities, like crime labs that look more like the bridge of the Enterprise. But all that hard work went out the window in this episode. Not once, but twice.

Stargate Universe: Gauntlet

... in which the omnipresent drones block all avenues of resupply, forcing Destiny’s crew to attempt a desperate, “off road” plan to escape the galaxy.

Smallville: Prophecy

Lois: "And a big part of that is a squinty head tilt, right?"

Welcome to the ultimate dysfunctional Kryptonian family, Lois! This week, Snow Dad manipulation time. What a terrific automated father-in-law you're acquiring, huh?

Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot

Doctor: 'Ignore all my previous theories.'

Tonight's episode was a serviceable, if lightweight, yarn which saw the Doctor, Amy and Rory take to the high seas, swash some buckles, and wade through just about every pirate cliché in the book. There was a mutiny, a stowaway, a storm, mad pirate laughter, some booty (of the non-arse variety), and more pirate lingo than you could shake a stick at. The only thing missing was a parrot. Add to the mix a spaceship, a sick bay, and a virtual doctor, and you've pretty much got your plot. It's just a shame tonight's episode followed on from last week's mind-bending WTF-a-rama. Comparatively, it felt a little ordinary.

Supernatural: The Man Who Would Be King

Crowley: "Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those denim-wrapped nightmares?"

This episode was actually pretty amazing. It answered all of our questions about Castiel's existential struggle. And we got a lot of the delightful King of Hell, Mark Sheppard.

Fringe: The Day We Died

“I think this is the better way, so you can learn about loss.”

Alternative realities and what-if flash-forwards create a powerful, visceral reaction. We experience these unreal episodes as a sort of cathartic carnivalesque. Carnivalesque, because they are governed by the topsy-turvy misrule of could-be and might-have-been. Cathartic, because we experience the gleeful terror of watching favorite characters dispatched while knowing that their deaths aren’t happening now and might not ever happen.

Thor

"Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

A comic book movie that twists Norse mythology into science fiction directed by a guy best known for making lots of Shakespeare films? Let's face it, Thor was always going to be a tough sell.

Vampire Diaries: The Sun Also Rises

“I still have you.”

This episode was simultaneously engrossing and maddening—as long as I pushed myself to remain fully invested in the perils on screen, it was great: passion, death, fire, blood. But as soon as I let that focus slip, bad thoughts started to slip in. Comparisons to reality TV abounded. I started to think about why the writers had made the choices they did, and that’s usually a sign that a show is starting to wear a bit thin. In the spirit of my ambivalence, I offer you two reviews:

Justified: Bloody Harlan

"I think we can both agree that bloodletting is bad for business."

I liked season one. But I loved season two. It started so powerfully with the deadly "apple pie," and ended with it, too. (In terms of American symbolism, I think it's fascinating that this entire season centered around Mom and apple pie.)

Glee: Rumours

Sue’s revival of the school newspaper causes rumours to spread around the school, causing trouble for Will and the New Directions.

The Killing: What You Have Left

"Dead men don't press charges."

This week's episode picked up the pace somewhat as Linden and Holder stumbled on more incriminating, yet still circumstantial, evidence against their number one suspect, and Seattle All-Star, Bennet Ahmed. But lets put that aside for a moment and talk about the stuff that really matters, namely Linden's latest jumper and Holder's suit.

Eureka: Try, Try Again

... in which Fargo becomes trapped in a personal force field that threatens to destroy the town on Allison’s first day as Director of Global Dynamics.