Veronica Mars - Season 3 (2006-2007)

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Veronica Mars - Season 3 (2006-2007)

I've given a fair account of the first and second seasons of this detective drama series, and since much of what was said in those reviews still applies, this review is going to be quick.

Time moves on, and Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) and her pals are all out of school and (a tad conveniently) still together in Neptune, attending the nearby Hearst College. This season sees a departure from the earlier structure of having one ongoing mystery throughout and instead features mini mysteries that each last about a quarter of the season. I found this to be an improvement over the sometimes contrived season long mystery that often felt artificially dragged out and often lost focus. The heart of the show remains the relationship between Veronica and her father Keith (Enrico Colantoni), and the scenes between them are as terrific as ever. Her on again off again relationship with bad boy Logan (Jason Dohring) is interesting at times but becomes repetitive and forgettable after a while.

The mysteries themselves are fairly well done, but it's the characters and dialogue that make this show, and this season sees a slight dip in form. The acerbic banter isn't as prevalent, and while our heroes go through tough times the show feels a bit more light hearted. Some of the cynicism and edginess is missing. The supporting cast is also expanded and as a result characters wind up a little thin, and keep dipping in and out of the show sporadically.

Still, these aren't drastic changes, and overall the final season of 'Vernoica Mars' is still very good. Stylish, well acted, and well written... it's a shame it got cancelled, but on the plus side I suppose it didn't end up growing long in the tooth either - though, in this show's case it could have grown with the character, as a brief concept clip for future seasons showing Veronica as a rookie at the FBI demonstrated (sadly the clip doesn't seem to have the charm of the show). Who knows, perhaps someday 'Vernoica Mars' can return, reborn as a drama set in the adult world?

30 Rock - Season 2 (2007-2008)

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30 Rock - Season 2 (2007-2008)

I think I somehow imagined that I'd have time to review this show properly for its second season, but since it did the unthinkable and got renewed for a third, I'll delay writing anything substantial about it till its eventual cancellation, when I will probably rant and rave and bitch and moan about great shows getting canceled.

'30 Rock' is the awesome comedy series created by and starring headline grabbing Sarah Palin impersonator Tina Fey. It revolves around the production of Fey's character Liz Lemon's TV sketch programme, 'The Girly Show', and all the people involved in it, from the ultra conservative Republican running the company (Alec Baldwin) right down to the simpleton page from hicksville (Jack McBrayer). The stories are unconventional and unpredictable, and often quite surreal; Fey and her team are unafraid of revelling in their geekiness from time to time, a fact that thrills me no end. What other show would cite Sarah Connor as an example of a great single mom?

Overall, the second season isn't quite as strong as the first and obviously lacks the element of surprise that heralded the show's arrival, but it falls only just short, and is still one of the funniest and quirkiest comedies out there. The cast is uniformly terrific and even the most minor character makes an impression, though it was a little disappointing to find that many of them have been relegated further down the food chain to the status of really really minor characters; these guys are gold and should be used more! Oh, and Alec Baldwin is still amazing - just watch his impression of a black family in one of the early episodes if you need proof!

Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 2 (2001)

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Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 2 (2001)

I thought the first season of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' was terrific, but this second season manages to be - quite improbably - even funnier. I can't really think of anything significant to add to what I've already said about the show. The writing is brilliant, with tightly plotted, layered stories that seem to pay off every setup in unexpected and hilarious ways. And what setups! Each episode is typically 30 minutes long and they cram a lot of good stuff in there. The hit to miss ratio of the jokes is very, very good.

My earlier complaint about how events felt a little random still applies but to be honest it's just a stylistic choice and, given how the randomness allows the show to segue from one insane scenario to another in which Larry squirms uncomfortably, it's a hard choice to criticize. Plus, there is now a story arc of sorts in this season as well - an element that was absent in the first - about Larry's attempts to start a new comedy series with one of the actors from Seinfeld.

It may be a tad predictable at times but most of the scenes play out so well and are often so unexpectedly capricious you hardly notice. Larry David is amazing as... Larry David, and it must be said that Cheryl Hines as his wife and Jeff Garlin as his agent provide brilliant support, particularly Hines as Larry's improbably tolerant (of him, that is), eternally humiliated companion who somehow manages to convince the viewer that she's not insane for being married to him.

All in all, brilliant and a must see! HBO has a virtually flawless track record for me thus far - ignoring the fact that they keep cancelling shows, but hey, at least they made brilliant shows to lament in the first place! Fortunately 'Curb' wasn't one of those that met the axe, and there are another 4 seasons for me to catch up with.

Jekyll (2007)

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Jekyll (2007)

I've fallen behind on these reviews, so this is going to be brief.

I've praised writer Stephen Moffat before several times on this blog, and was thrilled to hear that he was working with Spielberg and Jackson on Tintin. So it's quite disappointing to find that his mini-series 'Jekyll', based on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, is not upto the standard I was expecting. It's overlong and drags badly, feels repetitive and has some lame twists and turns, is populated by poorly written characters, and features some rather lame comedy beats. In fact, the supporting characters are almost uniformly unappealing, especially the lame lesbian detective team and the villains. The story isn't bad, being a sort of modern day 'continuation' of Stephenson's classic book, but there's such an insistence on Americanizing things with cheesy covert agencies and evil 'Americans' with terrible accents. It just tries too hard. To be fair, it's not all the fault of the writing, as some of the blame must go to the too flashy direction, cheap visuals, and average performances. And the soundtrack is just horrendous; I rarely feel this way but I was wishing there was a way to simply turn off the music, particularly the grating main theme!

The show isn't bad, however - it has a secret weapon, one that elevates it to watchable. That weapon is James Nesbitt, who is simply brilliant as both Dr. Jackman and the villainous Hyde. His transformation is so incredible that it's hard to believe it's the same man! While his portrayal of the good Doctor is great - desperate, tired, but full of resolve - it's his turn as the insanely maniacal and charismatic Hyde that thrills. Superb stuff, a performance that makes you forget the show's weaknesses. Ultimately however his work is simply not enough to elevate 'Jekyll' to anything above decent, but without it I can't imagine I'd have sat through more than an episode. As it stands, I wouldn't say it's worth watching - in fact, the critical love this has received beggars belief - but perhaps it's worth checking out the first episode, just to see Nesbitt in action!

Medium - Season 2 (2005-2006)

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Medium - Season 2 (2005-2006)

I wrote a fairly comprehensive review of Medium's first season, and really so little changes in the second that there's nothing new to say. It's business as usual. Which is actually something of a problem when the first season was already threatening to be formulaic; now, it unquestionably is. All of the pluses are still there, and it's certainly very well made, but it is undeniably 'comfort TV', the type of show where you know exactly what you're going to get with no surprises. The plot twists lack any real zing. I still enjoyed it, but when there's no overall story arc or change in the formula, it becomes repetitive pretty fast. Especially when there are 22 episodes in the season! The show is good enough to warrant watching another season (I think), but if the creative team don't shake things up a little in Season 3, I can't imagine staying around for the fourth...

Entourage - Season 2 (2005)

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Entourage - Season 2 (2005)

Colour me surprised. I wasn't exactly enthused by season one of this show about an up and coming superstar actor and his entourage; I thought it was very well made, but somehow it just didn't connect with me. The second season, however, is a different story. I'm at a loss as to why - perhaps the show's style, subject matter and characters have grown on me. I just found Vince and his gang more likable this time around. The main storyline involving James Cameron's 'Aquaman' movie was right down my alley, and there seemed in general to be more of the movie stuff and less of the party stuff that irked me in season 1. I wasn't too fond of Mandy Moore popping up as a love interest, but it did make the storyline interesting in the latter half of the season. There's solid character and story progression and, the eclectic humour is spot on with few misses. The storylines are as varied as ever with plenty of locales - there are visits to Sundance, Comic Con, and the Playboy Mansion, and also a little house hopping - all with the absurdity of Hollywood on full display. The fact that much of this is purportedly based on reality makes it that much funnier.

The central cast is solid, but it's Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold who once again steals the show. I imagine too much of him would get annoying, but in short bursts the guy is pure dynamite, and is surely the most likable over the top asshole on TV, possibly ever. The addition of eye candy in the form of Emmanuelle Chriqui was also most welcome, and I'm surprised a show of this nature took so long to get (what appears to be) a regular hottie. Celebrity cameos abound, and it was great to see James Cameron pop up once in a while - I wonder if his explosive personality will be lampooned in season 3. The always cool Malcolm McDowell pops up as Ari's partner / boss, and delivers plenty of snark that works well against Piven's seething, poorly concealed rage. The music and visuals are excellent - as before - and the show doesn't cop out when it comes to flaunting the immense wealth of virtually character on the show!

So yeah, I'm hooked now and can't wait to see where the third season of 'Entourage' goes. I'd like to see more of 'Aquaman', so hopefully the next season doesn't start with 'Aquaman' being something that happened off screen between seasons, which is what happened with the 'Queen's Boulevard' storyline from season 1. I enjoyed season 2 immensely and, unlike with season 1, I actually looked forward to seeing the next episode whenever the credits began to roll.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)

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Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)

The 'Terminator' franchise ploughs ahead, seemingly as unstoppable as its titular robotic killers themselves. With a proposed trilogy of new movies on the horizon, one could argue that it's stronger than ever, and the renewal of this series for a second season suggests it has the cachet to endure on the small screen as well.

'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' (quite a mouthful, and it makes for an amusing 'previously on') focuses on 15 year old John Connor (Thomas Dekker) and his mother Sarah (Lena Headey), and begins in 1997, some years after the events of T2. We find them living in a small town hiding from the authorities, with Sarah in a serious relationship with a paramedic named Charley (Dean Winters). Afraid of being discovered and deeming it necessary to move on, they leave in secret, reluctantly abandoning their small town lives. Shortly thereafter they learn that the nuclear holocaust called Judgement Day still happens; the destruction of Cyberdyne Systems only delayed the apocalyptic event till 2011. A 'female' Terminator model named Cameron (Summer Glau) locates and protects the Connors from a Terminator called 'Cromartie' (Owain Yeoman / Garret Dillahunt) sent to 1997 to kill John, and she ends up transporting them to the presumed safety of the year 2007 using a time machine hidden in a bank vault, put there by people from the future in the past (!).

The three of them base themselves in Los Angeles and resolve to try and prevent Skynet from coming into being. Meanwhile the Charley of 2007 is now in LA and he becomes aware of their presence, and an FBI agent named James Ellison (Richard T. Jones) who was tracking Sarah Connor in 97 gets wind of mysterious incidents that he believes are somehow related to her. These incidents involve the presence of other Terminators in 2007 performing various missions for Skynet unrelated to the Connors, including killing resistance members sent back by John to assassinate key people involved in the creation of Skynet. To add to the Connors' list of problems, 'Cromartie' manages to follow them to the future and continues his mission to hunt down and kill John.

And that's just the first few episodes of this cut down, nine episode first season! Following the story requires some knowledge of the movies, but let's face it, most people who start watching this series probably have a decent idea what it's about. The show's storylines develop in both interesting and frustrating ways. First, the good. Cromartie's relentless pursuit is exciting and sits comfortably with the established Terminator mythos, and the idea of having several Terminators wandering around is used well and sparingly, though it does create yet more head scratching temporal paradoxes where Skynet influences its own creation; I figure that once you have one paradox, anything goes, and it allows the writers to get away with all kinds of tricks without having to provide explanations. For instance, every change in the timeline ought to change the future in some way - clearly this can happen since Judgement Day was delayed by the events of T2 - which raises interesting questions about how resilient the future can be to these changes. Every thing they muck about with could change the future dramatically. What if a change prevents John from sending Kyle back? What if they push Judgement Day back by decades - will Connor really still be the leader of the resistance as a very old man? But I digress; our heroes' mission to try and prevent Skynet from coming into existence is still a compelling one that runs the length of the season.

Now, the not so great - the school scenes. That's right, John Connor, future saviour of mankind who spent his pre teens in South American jungles with guerillas, goes to high school and deals with some weird Veronica Mars type high school drama, and these sequences are simply forgettable. Also not so great is pariah FBI Agent James Ellison's pursuit of Sarah Connor. He's always playing catchup to the audience, slowly and interminably coming around to the truth, and annoyingly sprouting biblical phrases at every turn while adding little to the overall story. Granted, he may yet play a large role (the final episode hints at this quite dramatically), but the writers have dragged his story out and it doesn't help that he isn't all that interesting to boot.

In fact, the writing is the main aspect of the show that needs talking about - they show a tremendous faithfulness to details from the earlier movies, but also contradict things. John Connor, who was such a tough and driven 10 year old, is now a mopey teen who doesn't seem to have the same moral compass that was such a defining characteristic in T2; in fact, he's a bit of a wimp in this, literally asking his mother to take care of things for him. And what in the movies started out as a seemingly desperate last ditch effort on the part of Skynet to save itself by sending killing machines into the past has now morphed into something labyrinthine, with time travellers aplenty all over the place and the resistance possessing its own selection of Terminators, which is at odds with the impression created in the movies ("Nobody goes home. Nobody else comes through. It's just him - and me" - presumably events we've seen in the first two films still played out in this manner; that, or all of the earlier movies have been rendered null and void in this new timeline).

I've gotten carried away however, and am admittedly being too harsh in judging this show by comparing it to the movies and not accepting it as its own thing. In my defense, however, it is a part of that series and therefore cannot avoid comparison. As its own entity, for the most part the series excels. The writing isn't the greatest - some of Sarah Connor's voiceovers are grating (and the opening narration is appalling), the school stuff is terrible, and the story structure seems unfocused, and oh yeah there's an episode featuring a married terminator that strains credulity - but overall the dialogue and characters are quite good and many of the themes of the story like fate vs. free will, the needs of the many over the lives of a few, and the ramifications of artificial life are addressed quite well. While obviously on a lower budget than the movies, the show looks pretty good in terms of production design and special effects, and the action scenes are surprisingly effective. Another standout element is the music, which features remixed themes from the movies as well as some excellent original ones - music for TV shows like this rarely makes an impression, but I was pleasantly surprised here.

Then there's the performances (this review will end soon - honest!). Lena Headey is excellent in the starring role, and although the character isn't as physically imposing or as wonderfully unhinged as Linda Hamilton's interpretation was in T2 (killer robots would drive anyone a little loopy), she's still as tough as nails. She also has some 'mom' type stuff that is a bit off; the need to make the show more mainstream friendly by setting it up as a pseudo conventional 'fractured family tale' is annoying but understandable. Thomas Dekker is alright in his role as John, though most of my problems with the character stem from the writing. Summer Glau is sometimes fantastic as the Terminator (or is it terminatrix?) Cameron - and kind of creepy - but also awful on occasion. Physically I don't get the casting since she's obviously not liquid metal like the T-1000 and yet her tiny metal frame (!) seems to be capable of taking on Terminators twice her size. Dean Winters as Charley and Richard T. Jones as James Ellison both do a reasonable job in their respective roles. Garret Dillahunt, whom I mentioned in my review of Deadwood's second season, is great as the Terminator Cromartie, though I think his presence is ultimately a real waste of talent.

Alright, time to conclude with my overall thoughts. As part of the Terminator franchise, 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' is decent. As a standalone show, it's quite good. It shows a lot of potential and certainly showed signs of getting better as time went on even during its shortened run. There are some elements that, frankly, just need to be excised, but most of the storylines are either interesting or getting interesting. The overall quality of the show is high, but the writing needs some work. All in all, quite good but could (and should) be better. I look forward to finding out if the second season manages to raise the bar and deliver something truly great.

Planet Earth (2006)

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Planet Earth (2006)

I'm not going to say much about 'Planet Earth' other than to state the obvious - the BBC produced nature documentary is fantastic. Spanning every conceivable environment on the planet, it serves as an awe inspiring snapshot of the wonders of the natural world. David Attenborough's dulcet tones guide viewers through 11 episodes, each of which covers a different habitat and the diverse life within it, from tropical rainforests to mountains to caves to the creepily alien depths of the ocean. While it only scratches the surface, what it presents is still overwhelming in terms of scope and visual impact. The camerawork on display is simply incredible*, and the mind reels at the visuals the crew managed to capture - thankfully each episode has a short video diary that shows how they went about getting some of these shots, but to be honest I could have done with even more. The series is accompanied by a fitting orchestral score that varies from episode to episode to match the environment on display.

Some of my favourite moments: everything from the deep ocean - seriously, it was like looking upon another, completely alien, world! An elephant being taken down by a pack of ravenous lions. A snow leopard hunting on the rocky slopes of the Afghan Himalayan mountains. Jumpy lizards bouncing around like jack-in-the-boxes while feeding on flies. A plague of locusts. A chimpanzee tribe brutally raiding their neighbours in order to assert their dominance. Dolphins risking becoming beached by 'sliding' along very shallow water to nab out-of-reach fish. A great white shark making a kill in glorious slow motion. A polar bear curling up to die far away from its usual territory after repeatedly failing to earn a kill from a nearby colony of walruses.

And there are many many more incredible moments on display. 'Planet Earth' is 11 hours of absolutely superb documentary filmmaking that captures the sheer diversity present on good old Terra; it's a must watch for everybody.

*One amusing think I noticed while watching this - after years of seeing massive special effects shots in movies, some of the aerial shots looking down on herds of animals looked 'fake'. Perhaps the effects are better than I give them credit for!

The Science of Lost

"It kind of boggles our minds, actually," Cuse says. "We never imagined that people would get wrapped up in the intricacies of it to the degree that they have. We really just set out to make a show that we thought was kind of cool and entertaining."

Popular Mechanics has an interesting article (though a tad superficial) about the scientific inspiration behind 'Lost', one of the best shows on TV right now (I keep swapping my favourite crown between this and BSG). Lost has always been a fantastic mixture of character drama, mystery, action, philosophy, and science, but this fourth season has really ramped up the sci-fi aspects of the show. I think it's turning some people off - mainly, the people who watched the show oblivious to the fact that it was sci-fi - but I'm loving it.

As a puzzle show Lost has been a terrific tease, throwing hints here and there and giving fans plenty to ponder. I don't know if the writers will be able to tie things together neatly by the end of the sixth and final season. I hope they will. I'm certain every single detail will not be explained - in fact, I welcome the possibility that when it ends it'll leave some puzzles open to interpretation. Even if they fail in making the conclusion satisfying, it's been one hell of a rewarding ride so far, and I can't wait to see the remaining episodes

Deadwood - Season 2 (2005)

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Deadwood - Season 2 (2005)

I'm quite surprised to find myself pleased with my review of the first series of 'Deadwood', and there isn't really much to add to my assessment of the show with regard to this second series, which maintains the same high standards throughout its twelve episodes. In summation, the primary storylines revolve around the possible annexation of Deadwood to the territories of Dakota and the attempted acquisition of much of the gold claims by wealthy businessman George Hearst. But of course the smaller stories and the characters collectively play such a large part in the show, and these include: Swearingen's debilitating illness; Sheriff Bullock's fragily alliance with Swearingen and his affair with Mrs. Garrett, followed by the arrival of his wife and stepson; Hearst's geologist Francis Wolcott's scheming and sexual dalliances; Joanie Stubb's attempts to start her own brothel; Cy Tolliver's alliance with Wolcott in their scheme to buy out people's claims; Mrs. Garrett's troubles with the Pinkerton's and her clashes with Bullock's wife; and Mr. Wu's problems with the 'San Francisco Cocksucker', amongst many others.

What I love about this show is how it's so rich, so full of detail and atmosphere, and populated with such diverse, interesting characters each of whom has their own unique voice and idiosyncrasies, each of whom plays some small but integral part in the big picture. It's all character driven, and there are a myriad little stories that criss cross and interweave, and yet it all ties together so perfectly in the end - it really is a supreme piece of storytelling. True, the pacing is deliberate and there is a dearth of action, but that's not what this show is about. I think it's all kinds of great, even though I have to confess to finding some of the more complex speeches a little hard to follow!

Once again Ian McShane rules the roost with his commanding portrayal of Al Swearingen, whose presence seems so intrinsic to the town that when he approaches the brink of death it's almost like the town itself collectively holds its breath. McShane is terrific, and spews out verbose commentary and foul language like there's no tomorrow, and it's a joy to behold. Timothy Oliphaunt has somewhat less of a presence but is still great, and the added dimensions of his awkward relationship with both his mistress and his wife and son adding to his burdens as town sheriff and Swearingen cohort. Powers Boothe, William Sanderson, Robin Weigert, and Brad Dourif are the other standouts from the regular cast, but one guy stands out above most of the other regulars - Garet Dillahunt, who plays the creepy, disturbed, very intelligent, and very persuasive Francis Walcott. Dillahunt also appeared in the first season as Wild Bill Hickok's killer, and he was excellent in that role, but his character here is as far removed as possible from that one - in fact, it took me a while to realize that it was the same guy! Truly an excellent performance; this guy ought to be one to look out for - he has popped up in 'The 4400' and 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' as well, and has minor roles in 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' and 'No Country for Old Men'.

'Deadwood' continues to impress in its second season, and I'm dying to see the third and final batch of 12 episodes. It's disappointing to realize that the series was canceled without some form of finality; reading up on the history of the real Deadwood just can't compare to watching David Milch's foul mouthed dramatization! An exceptional TV series that adds further weight to the argument that HBO are without peer when it comes to gritty, edgy dramatic fare.

Coupling - Seasons 3 & 4

Coupling - Seasons 3 & 4 (2002-2004)

Alright, so this isn't the more cogent review I was talking about when I reviewed the first two seasons, and frankly it's because I just don't have the time! The final two seasons of this sex/relationship based comedy series is weaker than the first two overall because of the departure of the Jeff Murdoch character in the final season (he goes to Lesbos believing it to be full of lesbians). The third season is fairly strong and carries on perfectly from where season 2 left off, building on all of the already established relationships. Again, Jeff's antics are the absolute highlight of the season, in terms of both writing and performance. Season 4 replaces Jeff with Oliver, who is amusing but never gut bustingly funny. That, coupled (no pun intended) with the maturing of some of the characters and their relationships takes some of the bite out of the show. These two factors together make the final season decidedly sub-par, and it's probably for the best that it was the last. In fairness however, these seasons did seem to break out of the formulaic storylines that I complained about by establishing more continuity and attempting some stylistic digressions like extended fantasy sequences.

Not quite as good as what came before, but all the seasons taken together make for a very funny, very entertaining comedy series that ends quite nicely (despite not being a true end to all the storylines, they end at a place from which one can extrapolate some finality with little effort).

Extras - The Christmas Special (2007)

(Image from HBO)


Extras - Christmas Special (2007)

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are a terrific comedy duo, and as with 'The Office' they wrap up their terrific series 'Extras' with a 90 minute special. I enjoyed the first two seasons that chronicled Andy Millman's (Gervais) transition from lowly extra to star of a critically reviled but massively popular TV series, 'When the Whistle Blows', a journey he was accompanied on by his best friend Maggy (Ashley Jensen). The Christmas Special sees Andy enjoying his life as a B grade celebrity while trying desperately to have credibility at the same time. What really stings is the fact that one of his former 'extra' colleagues has hit the big league in movies, earning both critical and commercial success. Envious, Andy fires his useless manager Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant) and gets a new, professional manager to try and earn some credibility with better roles. Meanwhile Maggy gives up the demeaning life of an extra to become a cleaning lady; she becomes despondent with her life, which she perceives as a failure. To add to her woes, her friendship with Andy becomes strained as she witnesses him change into an arrogant, obsessed celebrity who's never happy with what he has.

I remember reading somewhere (I think it was CHUD) how this show captured perfectly the curse of mediocrity. Andy is a mediocre actor / artist / celebrity, but he refuses to accept his own mediocrity. Despite having come so far, he still wants more and believes that he deserves it. On the one hand he enjoys the benefits of his success but on the other he has nothing but contempt for the people who like his show, which he feels is beneath him. And thus, the obsession with becoming something more, one that consumes him and causes him to push aside his real friends. I think the show captures a genuine human dilemma - most of us are never going to make a big difference to the world or be massively successful (the measure of which is, naturally, subjective), no matter how much we may want to. While there's something to be said in favour of ambition and drive and seeking to do great things, there's also something to be said about being happy with what you've got and not losing it while trying to reach for something bigger and better. This final episode allows Andy to finally come face to face with the reality he's been doggedly ignoring.

This final 90 minute episode is about as good as the series. The awkward moments, the embarrassments, the bizarre situations, and the silly conversations between friends, they're all here. The writing is sharp; I love the way this continues the story from the series and wraps it up with a truly moving conclusion. In addition to chastising human foibles, it also eviscerates the hollowness of celebrities and celebrity culture. If there's one major flaw with the episode it's the Maggie storyline, which is often dragged down by some overblown scenes depicting her misery. Apart from that, it's terrific. Gervais and Jensen are in top form. Gervais somehow manages to make Andy Millman sympathetic and funny despite him being an asshole at times; without Gervais's performance the awkward moments wouldn't work at all because we wouldn't give a damn about his predicament. Jensen's Maggie was sometimes annoying in the series with her stupidity, but she was always endearing and is still so despite the overly morose nature of her storyline. She's also, strangely, the voice of wisdom and reason in this final installment. Stephen Merchant is as hilarious as ever with his portrayal of the inept doofus of an agent who seems to be oblivious to everything but still has a good time being Andy's agent (his sole source of income). There's also some fun cameos from Clive Owen and George Michael in there, amongst others.

'Extras - The Christmas Special' is a fitting conclusion to a great comedy series that features some truly side splitting moments and also manages to be an insightful depiction of human nature that contains a strong element of pathos. There are some scenes from these 13 episodes that have been indelibly burnt into my memory, and I can't say that about too many TV shows. Watch this, but only after watching the series of course.

Moonlighting - Season 3 (1986-87)

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Moonlighting - Season 3 (1986-87)

I've left this write up way too long, and it'll probably be even shorter than my blog post on Season 2 ('Explanations can't do it justice'? What a cop-out!).

The winning formula continued to work wonders during the third season of the definitive comedy mystery drama; if it ain't broke, why fix it? The show did however introduce a new element in the form of Herbert Viola (Curtis Armstrong) as an up and coming junior member of the Blue Moon Detective Agency and a potential love interest for Ms. DiPesto (Alice Beasley). The stories are as out there as ever, and Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) and David Addison (Bruce Willis) trade barbs as regularly as they draw breath. It's all quality, with the weirdest episodes including an interpretation of Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew' and a take on 'It's a Wonderful Life' where Maddie sees how things would have ended up if she hadn't kept the agency open (Addison marries Cheryl Tiegs!). Even the potentially rubbish clip reel episode turns out to be quite good, as does the one focusing on DiPesto and Viola as they investigate a haunted mansion. Standout guest stars include Brad Dourif, Donna Dixon, Mark Harmon, and Gary Cole, and there's also a brief hilarious cameo by Pierce 'Remington Steele' Brosnan.

The biggest development in the third season is the progression of Maddie and David's relationship, a mini arc that drags on a bit in the latter episodes of the season but is still full of great material and some surprisingly serious dramatic moments. Oh, and they end up consummating their relationship. If you think that's a spoiler... erm, it's a twenty year old show.

The season ends with a rather apt scene of a car freewheeling downhill. Apt because this was the show's last great season; it went downhill from here and truth be told I'm not really interested in watching the rest again to be reminded of how bad it got. The first three seasons, however, are dynamite and are enough to ensure Moonlighting's place as one of the great, classic TV shows.

Really, explanations can't do it justice!

The IT Crowd - Season 2 (2007)

The IT Crowd - Season 2 (2007)

I'm not sure if I was on something (accidentally, of course) when I reviewed the first season of 'The IT Crowd', or if the first season was just plain better. But I found myself cringing and staring at the floor quite often during this second season. The first episode was actually quite fun, but I just didn't enjoy the rest of it. This show always had a cheap feel to it, like a relic from the 80s reanimated for the 21st Century, but in these six episodes that cheapness stuck out like a sore thumb. Forget what I said about the characters with regard to Season 1, these are a bunch of cheesy cliched caricatures who act dumb in an idiotically contrived way, and their behaviour often doesn't come from character or logical story progression. Worst of all, there's scant little to do with the IT aspect of things (and there wasn't much to begin with in the first season either) - this could be any old generic office comedy. In summary, if you've ever watched the brilliant 'Extras'... this show is like 'When the Whistle Blows', the crappy show within the show that Ricky Gervais's chracater Andy Millman stars in.

I must have been influenced by the fact that 'The IT Crowd' was a show about geeks when watching the first six episodes - I'm convinced they are not remotely as good as I thought they were. Though I also think they were actually better than these six. Not terrible by any means, but not worth setting aside time for either. Season 3? Fuggeddaboutit!

Scrubs - Season 3 (2003-2004)

(Image from DVD Times)


Scrubs - Season 3 (2003-2004)

I hoped that Season 3 of Scrubs would maintain the show's healthy average, and am glad to report that, despite my initial skepticism, it does. Yeah it's formulaic, and yeah, it seems to repeat certain storylines again and again, like the whole JD - Eliot romance, but it manages to account for that as a natural extension of the character's personalities while making fun of it at the same time. The sentimentality is a little toned down from before, which is a plus, but this is countered by the fact that the mean spiritedness of the Janitor and Dr. Kelso have also been lowered a notch or two. Dr. Cox is still the same snide bastard, but he has always had his sentimental moments and this season is no different. Kelso seems to have fewer opportunities to torment people, and the janitor has his own set of problems now that are quite entertaining and a reasonable progression for what started out as a one note character. It's just a shame that the aura of supernatural invincibility he once had has diminished (truth be told, I think this was a good move all in all - remembering Tim Allen's one note gimmick neighbour from Home Improvement I realize that that sort of thing becomes grating very quickly. That being said, the Janitor is about a billion times cooler than the creepy guy who always hides his face).

The key stories this season are Turk and Carla's impending wedding, J.D.'s lusting after Eliot when she gets involved with an old flame, and Dr. Cox and his wife trying to make their relationship and parenting work. It's good stuff, and the characters feel familiar but not overly familiar. They'll have to come up with some new material to mine for the next seasons though, and hopefully take the existing storylines into new territory. The freshness of the first two seasons has definitely worn off, but the weirdness and humour are still at the same level. Familiar, but still very funny. One major downside, the presence of the hideously skanky and untalented Tara Reid; seriously guys, you need to do a better job with your casting. That aside, looking forward to Season 4!

Justice League Unlimited - Season 3 (2005-2006)

(Image from Wikipedia)


Justice League Unlimited - Season 3 (2005-2006)

I reviewed the first two seasons of this excellent animated superhero series last year, and this is really more of the same quality material, which is great. The broad story arc this season has Gorilla Grodd and Lex Luthor managing a new supervillain society to counter the Justice League, while Luthor tries to resurrect Brainiac and once again acquire God-like powers. There are some standalone episodes, but the majority of them deal with this storyline. Interestingly, the main superheroes seem to have an even smaller role this year with the majority of screentime being devoted to the 'B' and lower level characters, which is nice though I did miss the presence of the enigmatic Batman. The A players do show up for the big moments however, and the rarity of their appearances makes their brief screentime all the more dramatic.

Once again the show presents an action spectacular with terrific comic book visuals in motion - very very entertaining, even if the thematic substance the last two seasons went for is somewhat lacking. The major drawback in this season is a handful of weak episodes, including a truly dire female superhero cage-fighting one that surely represents the entire show's nadir. All in all though, it's good stuff and a natural continuation of the show from the last season. Shame that this was the final batch of episodes, but I guess all good things must come to an end.

The 4400 - Season 3 (2006)

(Image from Slice of Sci-Fi)


The 4400 - Season 3 (2006)

I reviewed the second season of 'The 4400' back in June last year, and all I can say about the third season is that nothing much has changed since then. Here's what I concluded last time:

While it doesn't hold up against the best sci-fi dramas on TV (Lost, Battlestar Galactica, and (so far) Heroes*), it fills a niche for more sedate and safe sci-fi; it is entertaining even if it isn't always that thought provoking. I'm anticipating watching the third season, which promises increased friction between the 4400, the government, and the general population, which could result in some of that edginess the subject matter is ripe for.

Production values, storytelling style, acting - none of that has changed this season, so basically what I said in my review of the last season still applies. Worth noting perhaps is that the '4400 of the week' aspect that I wrote about where single episodes focused solely on a particular 4400 is still there but is handled much better, with those stories being integrated into the big picture in a more satisfying and substantial way. As for the season's overall storyline, it develops in the way I had hoped it would. The 4400s and the government are clearly at war, with a terrorist group formed by 4400s carrying out assassinations and making threats to a fearful populace. People are divided about what to do, and the government prepares itself for a conflict by running secret projects to help combat the 4400 'threat'. The 4400 are also divided, with many being afraid of the government after inhumane and illegal treatment; some feel pushed enough to side with the terrorists.

It's great stuff that is clearly an allegory for contemporary terrorism, the prevailing culture of fear, abuse of governmental power, and curtailment of civil rights, but as before the show doesn't take it far enough. This should be heavy subject matter, but after watching shows like 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Lost' where the situations are pushed to extremes and characters are forced to make hard choices, 'The 4400' doesn't compare favourably. It always seems to have a convenient out that prevents it from ever really challenging its audience; whenever things start to look interesting, the writers always retreat back to safer territory.

An unexpected and irritating element this season is the spontaneous growing up of the Isabelle (Megalyn Echikunwoke) character and the death of her mother (apparently because the actress who played Lilly Tyler (Laura Allen) quit). One problem is how trite this 'fish out of water character trying to understand humanity' storyline is. Another is how tame her story arc ends up being - seriously, a large part of it involves forcing one of the other characters to marry her! The fact that Megalyn Echikunwoke just isn't that good at portraying what is meant to be an awe inspiring, powerful being, doesn't help the show too much either. The majority of the cast are fairly decent in their roles but no one really shines, with the exception being Billy Campbell as the enigmatic Jordan Collier, whose return is dramatic and really adds some much needed oomph to the show in the season's last few episodes.

The third season of the '4400' ends, once again, at a very interesting place. The stories being told are great, but the storytelling lacks the kind of bite that the subject matter really needs. It's sci-fi comfort food that dips its toes in the deep end of the edginess pool but never takes the plunge. And yet I still find the show strangely compelling even though I don't feel that deeply invested in it or its characters. The show only lasted one more season before being cancelled and I think the storylines are left unresolved, but I'll be sure to check it out just to see what happens next. And because it is fairly entertaining.

*and how that show disappointed by taking an interesting concept and ruining it with illogical nonsense and terrible revelations that culminated in a horrendously bad last few episodes.

Torchwood - Season 1 (2006-2007)

(Image from Imp Awards)

Torchwood - Season 1 (2006-2007)

Man, this is a surprise. I do not like this show. In fact, I borderline detest it. Going in I was expecting to at least marginally enjoy it, but it proceeded to sucker-punch me in the solar plexus at regular intervals. 'Torchwood' is a spinoff from Doctor Who, which I love, that was set up with little subtlety in the latter show's second season. It's about the Cardiff branch of the super secret Torchwood Institute (though everyone seems to know about them and they make little effort to be secret) which is assigned to keep watch over a temporal rift in the area that is causing all sorts of weird things to happen. Their mission also involves collecting and cataloguing various alien artifacts for use in helping to defend the Earth against future alien threats.

'Torchwood' doesn't seem to know what kind of show it is. It tries to be serious and edgy - ooh, swearing and sex! - but at the same time it is utterly nonsensical. Doctor Who can get away with his lack of accountability because he's a wanderer who meddles like a kid in a toy store. These guys are in an overtly more serious show, yet they get away with being a team of incompetent, selfish eggheads who keep screwing up in dramatic fashion! Seriously, other shows have done incompetent and foolish character behaviour (Galactica), but they made their characters believable and human, and made the audience understand said behaviour. And, those characters usually had to account for what they did - their actions had consequences. Torchwood arrogantly run all over the place announcing themselves to all and sundry, they usually fail to fix any problems without causing a massive mess, and they quite often cause problems themselves.

The fact that the characters are unlikable and have few redeeming traits exacerbates things. Only the somewhat tortured main character, Jack Harkness, played by Tom Cruise-alike John Barrowman, is worth giving a damn about, and that's largely thanks to Barrowman's endearing performance (though he's not as much fun as he was in Dr. Who). The other semi-likable character, Gwen (Eve Myles), loses her charm a few episodes in. There are a few standout episodes in there, but for the most part the plots and writing are run of the mill. I can't recall ever feeling amazed or awed or gleeful during the adventures that take place with this morose bunch. Yeah, it ain't meant to be Dr. Who, but if it ain't, what is it meant to be? Without the playful nature of its progenitor, the plots and sci-fi concepts are shaky and just don't work in a more serious setting.

And while ostensibly serious, the show rarely attains the dramatic depth of 'Who' with any consistency either. While I can appreciate the frank and open approach to sexuality (although, why is it that virtually everyone is bisexual?), the show seems to be going more for shock value and titillation than trying to say anything meaningful. The production values are on a par with 'Who', which also isn't a plus point for a more serious show. And apart from Barrowman, the rest of the performances are merely adequate; they are just about effective in portraying the complete lack of professionalism and competence of these characters without an ounce of charm or vitality. They don't even look that cool walking in slow motion towards the camera, which they do quite a bit (seriously).

'Torchwood' is watchable and is often entertaining and even moving at times, and I would say that overall it is decent. The cynical and darker aspects of the show are noteworthy, with characters often behaving against convention and stereotype and often immorally (although such perspectives are relative!), but those elements still feel forced and don't really elevate the show by much. I'm not sure what I was expecting out of this show apart from hoping that it would be inventive, well written, and well acted (which it generally isn't). I'm certain of one thing though; what Torchwood finally turned out to be isn't all that satisfying. Even putting aside my own general dislike of what it is, I don't feel that it's particularly well made. In short, unlike Doctor Who, Torchwood isn't very good at being the type of show that it sets out to be. Perhaps it can improve in future, but I can't imagine ever liking this sorry bunch of characters.

Rome - Season 1 (2005)

Rome - Season 1 (2005)

HBO has a reputation for making some terrific original dramas - 'Band of Brothers', 'Carnivale' and 'Deadwood' were great, and I've heard good things about 'The Wire', 'The Sopranos' (yeah, never seen it!), and 'Six Feet Under'. I therefore knew going in that 'Rome' was going to be at least as lavish and immaculately made as its HBO brethren, most likely more so given its massive budget (apparently one of the most expensive TV series ever made). I just didn't anticipate that I would get hooked as much as I did.

'Rome' is a historical drama about, surprise surprise, Rome circa the first century BC during the time when the Roman Empire was formed under Julius Caesar. For the most part it depicts the activities of major and minor historical figures including Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), Marc Antony (James Purefoy), Marcus Brutus (Tobias Menzies), Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), Gaius Octavion (Max Pirkis), Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker), and Servilia of the Junii (Lindsay Duncan). The politics, relationships, family life, loves, affairs, plotting and scheming of these people are all depicted in dramatic and complex detail, all of it fitting in with the broader historical events taking place . The aforementioned people represent the ruling classes; the central characters of the show, however, are two common soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), two essentially fictional characters who bind the events of the narrative together (in a somewhat contrived fashion, but the contrivance is sold fairly well). Through their eyes, and the eyes of Vorenus's wife Niobe (Indira Varma), the show depicts the life of the plebeians.

The show is excellent in all respects. I can't comment much on historical accuracy, but it jibes with what I know and it is apparently fairly accurate compared to other dramatizations of the era. What I can say with certainty is that it is immensely atmospheric and exhibits that trait that is so important in making a world immersive - verisimilitude. From the opulence and aloofness of the nobility in their fine houses to the dirty crime ridden streets and slums of Rome, the show feels real. The production values are simply excellent - detailed and grand sets and props and visual effects combine to sell the illusion that you are seeing ancient Rome. The plotting is complex, but the writing holds all of it together nicely and it never gets overly complicated. On the downside some things get skimmed over really fast, and some of the dialogue sounds more like narration as characters explicitly enunciate their political maneuvering, but I can excuse this as being a necessary compromise in the name of narrative expediency. Admittedly it does feel a bit soap operatic at times with some of the scheming that goes on, but given the context where the scheming usually involves someone getting eviscerated (not something you see everyday in a soap opera), I can live with that.

Being just 10 episodes long, the first season of 'Rome' crams quite a bit in. One thing it isn't is slow; there's always something going on, and with the number of characters and story threads it juggles it is relentlessly paced by necessity. It's a fairly grim affair overall, but it does have its share of caustic humour, and while mostly a drama there are some brutal action sequences thrown in now and then. As with much of HBO's oeuvre, characters are often foul mouthed and there's a lot of nudity and sex on display. It feels borderline gratuitous, but doesn't really seem out of place given the setting. The performances are mostly excellent across the board. Ciaran Hinds is terrific as Caesar, intelligent and commanding, while James Purefoy provides him the perfect foil as the less than virtuous Marc Antony. McKidd and Stevenson make for a fantastic pair - one noble and righteous and the other a lovable, violent lout - and make for strong central leads. Also terrific is Polly Walker as the cruel, scheming, lascivious Atia. The only person who was a bit of a let down was Tobias Menzies as Brutus; while not a bad actor by any means, he seemed less impressive and charismatic than I would have expected a man of his influence to be, and the friendship between Brutus and Caesar never felt believable as a result.

The show definitely has its flaws, as I have mentioned. But to me the sum of the parts is far greater than the whole, and I found this first season to be an addictive and thoroughly enjoyable experience. The writing is not as strong as in Deadwood, with the characters sometimes feeling like slaves to the machinations of the plot instead of genuine individuals, but I still found this to be more engaging (which is saying something, since I found Deadwood to be pretty darned engaging as well). I can imagine some people not being as taken by 'Rome' as I was, which is fair enough. I think it's very well made, but some of its problems will probably irk others more than they did me. As a final example, the music, which is of a style very typical for the genre and which I have grown tired of in recent times in many other period epics, I found to be very fitting for this show. If I had heard it on it's own though, I would have thought it sounded very generic! So in short, I recommend the show wholeheartedly but with the caveat that my final assessment is partial!

Fight the Future - Part 2

(Image from USA Today)

USA Today has a promotional photo from the forthcoming X-Files movie, which IMDB has unceremoniously dubbed 'Untitled X-Files Sequel', that is being released a decade after the first film came out! After watching the final episode of the series all those years ago - an episode I can only describe as 'very, very poor' - I never imagined that I'd look forward to more X-Files. But here I am jonesing for the 'Untitled X-Files Sequel', which promises to be a standalone without any of that conspiracy bollocks that became more convoluted than a bowl full of noodles and chilli sauce. The standalones were the ones that made the show one of my favourites back in the day.

Yeah, the picture isn't particularly exciting, but it's Mulder and Scully, back in action again! Scully clearly still knows how to look hot in men's clothes, while Mulder looks like he's trying to convince his partner to believe one of his wacky (and invariably correct) theories while wearing a coat that looks like it was stolen from a hobo. Unless Mulder is a hobo now?

The movie comes out in July and in addition to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson it also stars Amanda Peet, Xzibit (huh?), and Billy Connolly (wtf?). The truth is out there!