“Me too.”
I find myself conflicted. There was a lot to like about this episode, but also a lot to roll my eyes at.
Person of Interest: ’Til Death
“Me too.”
I find myself conflicted. There was a lot to like about this episode, but also a lot to roll my eyes at.
Scandal: Defiance
Oh my God.
666 Park Avenue: What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
I'm glad 666 Park Avenue went ahead with the radical development of Jane's disappearance and return. It adds a much-needed element of intrigue and mystery to the proceedings (which is sad as that's all the show should have).
Supernatural: Hunteri Heroici
Do you think this was one of their comedy episodes?
Arrow: Muse of Fire
Dig: "I don't know. And here I thought you had parental issues."
This was very much an episode about family, which is starting to be a recurring theme. We also had the introduction of a big name DC character that isn't a villain -- Huntress.
The Walking Dead: When the Dead Come Knocking
If the writers were trying to build tension for the mid-season finale, they certainly succeeded with me.
Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars
We never really see the Doctor terrified. And by the Doctor, I mean Tom Baker. Despite all the horrors the universe constantly throws at our curly haired adventurer, we never see him get frightened and hide behind the sofa. Sure, we've seen him worried on occasion, but more often than not he’s mocking the Daleks, making jokes about the Sontaran’s height, verbally dueling with the Cybermen or offering Zygons a jelly baby. But that was before Sutekh.
Doctor Who: Planet of Evil
Wobbly sets! Since the days of William Hartnell there have been numerous jokes about Doctor Who being loaded with cheap cardboard sets that had a noticeable tendency to wobble. Then 'Planet of Evil' came along in 1975 and people sat up and went ‘Wow, they did that on a BBC budget?’.
Doctor Who: Terror of the Zygons
'Terror of the Zygons' is where Robert Holmes and Philip Hinchcliffe's Gothic horror take on Doctor Who really starts to take off.
Revenge: Lineage
"You may think I knocked you down, but you landed on your feet."Towards the end of last season, Revenge set a whole episode in the past and I found it to be spectacular (contrary to public opinion). Eight episodes into the show's sophomore year, and we get another time-jump hour. While this episode wasn't as impressive, it had enough intriguing moments to make the trip worth it.
Revolution: Nobody's Fault But Mine
And yet more hostage-taking of family members, which is apparently Revolution's most enduring theme du series. It was Miles's turn this time; he went right to the Neville residence and put a sword to Julia's throat. (Good sword work by Billy Burke. He kept slashing it around and changing the angle, but he did it convincingly. I kept thinking he would actually hurt Julia with that thing, which I'm sure is what they were going for.)
Haven: Sarah
Well, that was certainly fun! Haven is back on track and this was a great episode. I tend to like time travel episodes as long as I remember something that the Doctor said - time travel is all timey wimey and wibbly wobbly, so don’t expect it to make sense. There were many loops in this episode that I just accepted, for example, Duke giving himself the pirate doubloon. I really enjoyed meeting Sarah. I think Emily Rose did an excellent job of distinguishing the two characters. They were very subtly different.
Haven: Magic Hour, Part 2
I’m so glad that I’ve enjoyed another episode of Haven. It seems to be back to its old self. I still don’t like some of the new people and new developments, but at least things are ticking along and we are getting some answers to some questions. I will just have to trust to the writers to work things out.
Once Upon a Time: Into the Deep
Once Upon a Time has prided itself on being a character-driven show. If the past six weeks of flashbacks and dialogue heavy drama have taught us anything, it’s that. You’ve got to wonder if it’s only possible for the writers to bring something so character centric in those weeks where action and mythology take a backseat. But here we are, and already this season there’s been two examples that have shot those fears down. Broken, aside from being a scintillating breakneck premiere, was also filled with those lovely reunions, and personal revelations, and now we’ve got 'Into the Deep.' It wasn’t an episode that was perfect in every sense, but there were moments of gold here and there.
Castle: After Hours
From dinner with the parents to being on the run with a witness to a killing, this was the episode where we got to see that the honeymoon is ending and that Caskett are beginning to settle into the routine of being a couple while having their first fight.
Merlin: The Hollow Queen
I do hate it when a season starts out very strong, but then rapidly goes down hill. Not that I think season 5 has suddenly got bad. It is just frustrating that, after the promise of the early episodes, this season has reverted to season 3 form. This is doubly frustrating now because we finally know for certain that this will the the series' final season.
Doux News: November 25, 2012
This Week: Feast or Famine? -- A Pilgrimage We've Been Waiting For -- (Cran)berry, Berry Nice -- It's All in the Yam -- Talking Turkey -- Joss-o-copia -- Mars-hmallow Attack!
The Tudors: Arise, My Lord
As the romance between our principal characters strengthens, Catherine’s fortunes seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Go figure. Also in this episode: pope kidnappings, almost sex scenes, and incredibly allegorical jewelry.
Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen
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'Revenge of the Cybermen' was the Cybermen's sole appearance during the 1970s and it’s not hard to see why. While the Daleks managed to reclaim their credibility in the previous story, the Cybermen lose what is left of theirs in this one.
The Walking Dead: Hounded
Rick is in trouble and the Governor is doing just fine, maybe better than fine. This episode really contrasted the ways that people might respond to the horrors of a zombie apocalypse.
Revolution: Kashmir
This show has such a great premise, but it tends to bring out the nitpickers. And I totally get it, because this episode brought out the nitpicker in me. While a lot of it was pretty cool and featured some much-needed character development, there were plot elements that drove me nuts.
Dexter: Argentina
I've enjoyed every season of Dexter (granted, some more than others) but I've never liked the villains so much before.
Newsflash: Doctor Who Christmas Special Trailer and Prequel
The Tudors: His Majesty, the King
“Just a girl.”
The show really gets going this week. Couples come together, murders are committed, jousting accidents occur, and Henry falls face first into a puddle.
Star Trek Voyager: Jetrel
Neelix is forced to confront the scientist whose weapon destroyed his homeworld when it’s revealed he may be dying from radiation sickness.
Doux News: November 18, 2012
Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 2
So it's over. The haters can rejoice that there won't be any more attention paid to this franchise for a while at least, and fans can feel some closure for a movie series that's done. Either way it's a reason to celebrate, at least until the inevitable reboot in a few years. I have to say that this was most definitely an ending, and I thought it was a good one. Will this installment change your minds about the series as a whole? Nope. Will fans love it? Absolutely.
Grimm: Season of the Hexenbiest
Those four little words completely sum up my frustration with this episode of Grimm. This was the midseason finale. Everything was building to a climax. Characters were dancing around each other trying to keep secrets. And the writers kept up the dance right up until the end, where they gave us one minor reveal before fading to black.
At least they apologized about their meanness.
Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks
Fringe: Five-Twenty-Ten
The legend of Faust tells of a man who sells his soul to the devil for knowledge, experience, and power. All the pleasure that brings him is not enough, though. In Marlowe’s version, Faustus attempts to re-negotiate his contract, screaming “I’ll burn my books!” as he is dragged in to hell. Faced with the spiritual knowledge of his own eternal damnation, Faustus realizes that his intellectual knowledge was not a fair trade, and for the first time understands that the simplest fact—of divine love and salvation—passed him by all those years ago.
666 Park Avenue: Downward Spiral
This always happens; a show gets cancelled, and in the same week manages to churn out a pretty good episode that gets you thinking about "what could have been". Really I should have seen this coming and while I'm not saying the show didn't deserve the axe (it did), I have a feeling I might be disappointed by the time series finale comes along (that is, if the forward momentum can be maintained).
Scandal: Spies Like Us
How do you protect someone without letting them know they need protecting? Simple, you lie to them, manipulate them, or frame them for domestic abuse.
Vampire Diaries: We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes
After a string of episodes that left me concerned that one of my favorite shows was losing me, VD offered some resolution to the mini-arc of the first half of this season and hinted that we might be moving in the right direction. “We All Go…” also had some great character moments, from scheming to break-ups to (finally!) more Caroline.
Supernatural: A Little Slice of Kevin
Dean: "Purgatory will do that to you."
I went into this episode with one burning question: are they going to keep jerking us around, or are they going to bring Castiel back?
Person of Interest: Critical
What makes Person of Interest so amazing? This episode, while ordinary in every way, is a great example. The story of the week was really quite boring. Corporate espionage is not the most creative scenario, and PoI had already done something similar in "Risk" from season one. Still, the show comes out swinging. Impeccable acting from every single person on screen, impressively subtle writing, and a dog who speaks only Dutch. Please, CBS gods, let this show run forever!
Grimm: To Protect and Serve Man
In this Hank-centric episode, we get a glimpse of Nick's partner as a young cop, arresting a murderer with a crazy story. Now that Hank knows about Wesen, he's starting to think the story might not be so crazy, and he and Nick have only 36 hours to find the truth before the man is executed.
Arrow: Legacies
Dig: "Nope. Not even a Myspace account. It was a very dark time."
The Royal Flush Gang is a long-running DC Villain group originally created in 1966. Based on the poker hand of the same name, they are usually a group of five with the King as the leader, although there are numerous versions of the group in comic books, the DC animated universe, and now, for the first time, in live action. My personal favorite version was in Batman Beyond where it was a family of four and the Ace was a giant android.
The Walking Dead: Say the Word
After last week’s jam-packed episode, this one felt like a rest. And doesn’t everyone need one in the prison? They have lost a third of their people and are getting a little low on women, if you don’t count Little Ass Kicker.
Revolution: Ties That Bind
Aaron: "I don't know. He'll turn the lights on and buy the world a Coke?"
Another fairly good episode, even though I kept thinking of other shows and movies while I was watching it.
Castle: Swan Song
This week, we move from a sci-fi convention to a dead rock star; only this time, our team is being followed by a group of cameras making a movie about the band. What made this episode so good was watching these characters we know so well react to the cameras and to each other in front of the cameras. It made for some hilarious television as well as some character development. And, like last week, it had several references to bands that, I’m afraid to say, show those of us who get the references to be of a certain age.
Revenge: Penance
"When the time comes, I say we drag them to hell with us."Although I still groan every time somebody mentions “The Initiative”, this was another solid hour in Revenge’s reinvigorated sophomore season.
The Tudors: Wolsey, Wolsey, Wolsey
Another episode, another season’s worth of plot squeezed into 55 minutes. Say what you will about the writers of The Tudors, they make good use of their time. They’re not so great at killing time, however (see season four).
Haven: Magic Hour
Finally, a great episode with an interesting trouble, some answers, a cliffhanger and Claudia Black! I am obviously a sci-fi geek, evident to anyone who was also excited by the appearance of Claudia Black of Farscape fame. I love how the sci-fi world recycles actors and how we geeks follow them. I really enjoyed the pieces of the puzzle we were given as well. All in all the best episode in a while. I hope the second part lives up to it.
Once Upon a Time: Child of the Moon
I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m constantly on edge about this season’s pattern of picking up and dropping arcs week in week out. As a viewer it can be seriously frustrating to tune in expecting to see your favorite characters back on screen, only for a show to drop them in favor of a completely different story line. Still, I never really stay mad at this show for long; it somehow manages to make every week worthwhile by keeping its major arcs moving without ever really needing to give them undue attention. It can be garish to not see certain faces at first, but if what we’re seeing in front of us is exciting enough, why should we even care?
Castle: The Final Frontier
From the opening shot of an alien spaceship racing towards us, we know that we are in for a fun episode of Castle. Considering the sci-fi street cred of some of the cast and crew involved in the show, it was only a matter of time before they took on ComicCon and the sci-fi world. Unlike so many shows who poke fun at the people who attend, this show was filled with allusions to various shows (see below) and treated the people who attend with respect and affection. The case itself was rather standard and nothing too exciting, but at least the killer was on screen for a while and hints were dropped as to whom it was.
Merlin: The Dark Tower
The woman in black fled across the desert, and the Knights of Camelot followed.
Fringe: Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There
Have you read House of Leaves? If you have, this episode likely made your head spin. (If you haven’t, I’ll bet you enjoyed it anyway.) House of Leaves is a complicated book about a photographer who moves into a house that gives him access to…a place…sorta…and then there’s different sized fonts and various unreliable narrators whose timelines don’t match up. There are diary entries, transcribed videos, and more. It is thoughtfully postmodern, but also surreal enough to evoke a thrill. And so was “Through the Looking Glass…”
Vampire Diaries: The Killer
This is a difficult review to write, because I am of two minds about this episode and this season. On the one hand, this was a VD-patented fast-paced emotional gorefest—a good thing. On the other hand, VD is starting to have the same false, what now?, convoluted feeling that finally turned me off Gossip Girl two years ago.
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