Heroes – 3×06 – “Dying of the Light”
October 24th, 2008
The following review contains spoilers for Heroes through the current episode, “Dying of the Light,” originally broadcast October 20th, 2008.
At first blush, “Dying of the Light” was a major game-changer for Heroes. At the end of the previous episode (“Angels and Monsters”), Arthur Petrelli — the supposedly deceased father of Nathan, Peter and Sylar — was introduced as the previously unseen evil mastermind opposed by Angela Petrelli, the Company, and a slew of others. Our heroes were being forced to choose sides behind Arthur or Angela, on the side of the villains or the side of the heroes. By the end of “Dying of the Light,” these sides had become somewhat clearer.
How I Got These Scars No. 8
October 24th, 2008
Incredibly (hey, at least for me), we’re completing a second month of the column this week, and now is as good as any moment to revisit comic books. I previously wrote a column exclusively devoted to them, so it’s still weird for me, whether or not the theoretical readers cared what I had to say about the current landscape. Last time I talked comics, I told you what my ten favorites were. This time, I’ve going to indulge a bit more, with my ten favorite creators, a list that includes runs past and present, so you’ll begin to see where my promised year-end awards are headed.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – 2×06 – “The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short”
October 22nd, 2008
The following review contains spoilers for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles through the current episode, “The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short,” originally broadcast October 20, 2008.
First of all, that’s a heck of a long title. With the already-very-long title of the show and the title of the episode, you’re going to want to take a pretty deep breath before you take all of that in. Which is pretty interesting because this is an episode that has a lot to take in. It rushes itself in a few parts, and it starts tripping over itself a bit when you break it down. But it’s another solid episode that finally gets the show moving forward again.
Ghost Whisperer – 4×03 – “Ghost in the Machine”
October 20th, 2008
The following review contains spoilers for Ghost Whisperer through the current episode, “Ghost in the Machine,” originally broadcast October 17th, 2008.
“Ghost in the Machine” was an unusual episode of Ghost Whisperer. Due to the regular subject matter of the series, this really says something about the storyline of the episode. Unusual doesn’t always mean bad and in this case it actually means quite good.
As the episode opens, Eli is discussing ghosts with Melinda. Soon, however, Melinda has someone coming to fix her computer. That someone is none other than Ned, Delia’s son. Eli is introduced to Ned and the two bond over a common interest in Alt World 2. They have to explain the concept of a massive, interactive computer game/life simulation to Melinda. Ned creates an avatar (a computer representation) for Melinda, who notices one avatar dressed like a stereotypical nerd.
Supernatural – 4×05 – “Monster Movie”
October 17th, 2008
The following review contains spoilers for Supernatural through the current episode, “Monster Movie,” originally broadcast October 16th, 2008.
Oh, how I wanted to love this episode. The entire time I was watching it, I was desperately trying to like it. And while I enjoyed aspects of the episode the end result never came together for me. Airing an entire episode in black and white is a novel idea (and one that USA Network’s Monk tried in December of 2006, although it also aired the episode in color). Black and white instantly adds a certain atmosphere to a television series, a mood, an ambience. For a show like Supernatural, steeped in horror tradition, it actually makes a great deal of sense to try shooting an entire episode in black and white. It was a noble effort, but one that ultimately failed (but was nevertheless an enjoyable way to spend an hour).
How I Got These Scars No. 7
October 17th, 2008
What a long strange road it was to become a fan of Heroes. The strangest part is that, by all rights, I should have been one of its earliest and most faithful viewers, but after a few episodes, I found it easier and easier to skip out, and eventually even grow resentful of how popular it had become. Then it only got stranger. The more fans complained about the second season, the more curious I got, the more I felt motivated to give the show a second chance. Then, of course, the writers strike happened, cutting short the season and leaving 2008 ripe to end this little game once and for all. But fate had something else in mind for me. Curiosity, maybe, had it in for me. I had to go and watch the first season on DVD.
Fringe – 1×05 – “Power Hungry”
October 16th, 2008
The following review contains spoilers for Fringe through the current episode, “Power Hungry,” originally broadcast October 14, 2008.
This is only the fifth episode, but by now I’ve grown exceedingly comfortable as a viewer of the series. Fox has picked Fringe up for a complete season, which is little surprise given its proven capability to attract a sizable audience, at least with the second episode. Just like anyone else, I’ve stuck by a Fox genre show given a whole freshmen season, only to have it cancelled before sophomore year can be reached (here I’m thinking not of a popular example like Firefly, but John Doe), so celebration time is fine for now (though cult shows from Alias to Prison Break have managed to stick around for a good number of seasons despite mediocre ratings past the first year). One of the things about reviewing a new show from the start is that everyone knows what I’ve been thinking, the reasons I started watching, what I was comparing it to. And hey, how I started appreciating it for what it is.
Star Trek (2009) Images Revealed
October 15th, 2008
Across the World Wide Web this evening, six websites have each been given an exclusive image from the highly anticipated Star Trek movie (to be released May 8th, 2009). The six websites are TrekMovie, JoeBlo, MTV Movies Blog, UGO, Ain’t It Cool News and IGN. Among the images are a shot of the bulk of the cast on the bridge, Kirk and McCoy on the bridge, the movie’s bad guy Nero, and a ship under attack (not the Enterprise, however).
Additionally, TrekMovie reports that the first full trailer for Star Trek will most likely debut in front of Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond movie, on November 14th. And, the next issue of Entertainment Weekly will have a cover story on Star Trek (that cover, by the way, looks off somehow — far too airbrushed and overlit, perhaps).
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