(Warning: This post contains some spoilers)
Ok, I've been expecting a drop-off for Sons of Anarchy since I basically started the show and Season 3 finally gives it to me. Not that it was bad, but it was unquestionably on a different level than the first two seasons.
In the third season, a little too much happens in too little time. I think 13 episodes of plot was used in like a week of time on the show. That's insane. I get taking your time with story lines, but it took like four episodes to get through a day. I'm only slightly exaggerating.
I'll give creator Kurt Sutter credit for one thing and that's ambition. This season falls flat a little, but it definitely tried to be something greater. I can respect a show that does that. It's taking chances, and if some don't work, at least they took the chance.
This season was highly entertaining though. A lot of stuff happens, and in my opinion too much plot-based stuff happens. There was a decent share of awesome moments of course. If this is the downside of Sons of Anarchy - and I'm pretty sure it is - then it's a pretty good downside. If the rest of the series is like this - and I'm pretty sure it isn't - then I'd watch it to the end.
At the end of the second season, the show dropped two cliffhangers on us. Gemma murdered someone and Jax had his baby stolen. I'm not positive, but I think the writers of SOA are the "make the characters go into a seemingly impossible situation to resolve and worry about the consequences later" type of writers. It's when writers write themselves into a corner to where there's very little that can happen to make sense of what we just saw.
Gemma's a main character so unless they kill her off, we knew she wasn't going anywhere. So I guess the question was how do they either 1) get her free of the murder or 2) not reduce her character's role when she serves jail time? There's pretty much no way to do #1 without sounding absolutely implausible and ridiculous.
Naturally, the result was implausible and ridiculous. So Agent Stahl makes up this ridiculous story where somehow another agent was there even though the ATF surely knew already that Agent Stahl was the only one at the scene. Ok. Agent Stahl turns full caricature by murdering her lover and partner? Ok.
Just in case the show was worried Opie possibly killed someone who didn't deserve it, they did everything possible to make sure we had no doubts Opie did the right thing. If Opie killed maybe a good person, who is obviously dedicated to her job (like she was in Season 1), it would have been much more interesting. But they wrote themselves in a corner and needed a way to get Gemma free and if you only slightly pay attention to your TV shows, you were probably satisfied enough. And hey, if it's Gemma in jail with a realistic story line or Gemma free with a ridiculous story line, I think Gemma free is the right answer.
Then the baby getting stolen took up a large portion of the season as well. This didn't create a lot of tension for me because they aren't going to kill a baby so it was just a matter of time of when they found the baby. And that took ELEVEN episodes. For such a foregone conclusion, they really took their time with that.
However, any complaints I have about the season were washed away with the season finale. Oh my God, that was awesome. It was so awesome it removes any ability to write coherent, logical thoughts or any type of critical analysis. I just don't give a shit. Unfortunately, the pivotal death in this episode was spoiled for me (Agent Stahl), but that didn't ruin the moment. It was way better than I could have ever expected.
Also, the baby story line did have a good payoff. Jackson ultimately decided to give up the baby, because he knew he would have a better life. The writers clearly wanted to have their cake and eat it too so they made sure he didn't actually lose the baby. Unfortunately, the payoff wasn't quite worth the set-up - 10 episodes long is always too long of a set-up.
I was going to give this season a grade, but I realized I didn't give a grade for either of the first two seasons, so I'll just give my grade for all the seasons here, because I feel the seasons now have a reference point. This is compared to regular television by the way so while I do think this season isn't great for SOA, it's great for television.
Season 1: A- (Took season a few episodes to find it's ground)
Season 2: A (Represents the full potential of the show IMO)
Season 3: B (Too many implausible moments to overlook)
Playlist
1. "This Charming Life" - Joan Armatrading (from this season)
2. "Let Nas Down" - J. Cole
3. "Made Nas Proud" - Nas
4. "Someday" - Suger Ray
5. "My Body is a Cage" - Arcade Fire
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
The Sopranos: "Boca"
This is a returning weekly feature. I'm reviewing The Sopranos episodes starting from the beginning. This is the ninth episode of the first season.
Past Episodes
Pilot
46 Long
Denial, Acceptance, Anger
Past Episodes
Pilot
46 Long
Denial, Acceptance, Anger
This episode starts off kind of slow, but ends up raising some great questions and two moral debates internally for both Artie Bucco and Tony Soprano. Along the way, we have to suffer through kind of painful soccer game. Painful, because the soccer game looks like it was played by grade schoolers and instead it's actually being played by a high school winning team.
First off, Tony ends up looking like an asshole, because the coach of Meadow's team is leaving for Rhode Island. Tony doesn't want him to leave and takes some measures to intimidate the coach into staying. Then Ally cuts her wrists and the only think Tony can think of is for the soccer team. These scenes show the sheer evilness and selfishness that is Tony.
Then, Tony has a debate about whether or not to kill the coach. At first it seems obvious to him. He's a child molester, he deserves to die. He has a point about the justice system not punishing him like he deserves. So when we hear that Tony will kill him, I think some of us agreed with him.
Artie has another episode where the price of friendship with Tony Soprano weighs heavily on him. He knows Tony is not a good person, but he convinces himself otherwise. With the help of his wife badgering him, he tells Tony to cut out the mobster intimidation moves he's putting on the coach. When he finds out that the coach has had sex with Ally, he at first agrees with Tony that he needs to die. Again, with the protests of his wife, he has a last minute plea with Tony to not do it.
In between, we get an awesome scene where Tony gets a guy to take off his hat at a nice restaurant. Artie beams at Tony and probably thinks "That's why I'm friends with him." Then of course Tony ruins it when he tells the waiter he thinks cops are in the table next to him. Great acting by John Ventimiglia as his faces drops when he hears this news.
At the end, Tony gets stupid drunk and feels kind of good about himself at not killing the coach. As he tells Carmela, he didn't hurt nobody for once.
The "B' storyline focuses on how much reputations matter to these mob men. Junior apparently goes down on his lover, Bobbi, quite often and does it well. But word gets out, and there are some funny scenes of sexual innuendo first by Carmela at the dinner table, and later by Tony at the golf course.
This pisses Junior off enough to tell Mikey that Tony is seeing a psychiatrist, which makes Mikey think Tony is going to get the whole mob in trouble. Then he breaks up with Bobbi, which apparently lasted 14 years. Well, that's the last we see of Bobbi in the series, so I guess that means he needed to get rid of her in order to keep his reputation intact, at least in his mind.
One of the weaknesses of The Sopranos is that it brings in random characters for one episode that the Sopranos seem to know and care about, but we the audience don't. Ally cuts her wrist and it sucks, but this is the last appearance of her. Other shows are guilty of this, but I don't think any great show has as many one-appearance characters be part of such major storylines and then drop out.
Surprise Guest Appearances
No surprise, but this is the first appearance of Attorney Hal Melvoin, Junior's lawyer.
Deaths
The only notable thing here is that there were no deaths. Coach Hauser lives another day... in prison.
Quotes
"Anthony, those dogs will start foaming at the mouth" - Livia at the grave
"Life has been putting Prozac to the test" - Tony
"Last week, I called you a whore. I might have been overstating the case." - Tony said hilariously to Dr. Melfi
"They think if you'll suck pussy, you'll suck anything." - Junior on his reasoning
"They don't sell hot dogs here. They removed the bleachers three years ago." - Tony telling the man to take off his hat
"Let me tell you something, guido.." "My name is Clarence." -
"I don't go down there enough." - "That's not what I heard." - Carmela making fun of Junior
"What? No reward? Just kidding, I'm an animal lover." - Chris, playing it deadpan
"Carmela, I didn't hurt nobody." - Tony says after he drunkenly falls to the ground
Playlist
1. "Undercover Martyn" - Two Door Cinema Club
2. "Just My Imagination" - The Temptations
3. "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
4. "Lost Ones" - J. Cole
5. "Bitch Please II" - Eminem ft. Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
Sunday, July 14, 2013
The Sopranos: "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti"
This is a returning weekly feature. I'm reviewing The Sopranos episodes starting from the beginning. This is the eighth episode of the first season.
Past Episodes
Pilot
46 Long
Denial, Acceptance, Anger
RIP James Gandolfini (First post since his unfortunate death)
Past Episodes
Pilot
46 Long
Denial, Acceptance, Anger
This episode has its highs and lows, but ultimately is somewhat a lesser Sopranos episode in my mind. For one, showing scenes of Melfi and her family were not great. I did like the contrast between Melfi's family talking about the history of Italian Americans and the Sopranos family talking about it.
The Melfi family seemed to focus on the bad reputation of Italian Americans, which sort of seemed like it came from the creator a little more than a genuine family dinner. I think that scene was redeemed when we saw the Soprano family talk about the great Italian Americans, which seemed much more natural and gave us the contrasting scenes.
I guess it's necessary to show how Melfi's family is resistent to her treating a mob man, a man who is "evil" as her ex-husband says to her. But the scene where they debate whether or not to sell a plot of land really didn't work in my mind. It just made them come off as pretentious assholes.
In other news, Tony does one of those unforgivable things by hiding his stash of money and guns in his mother's nursing home without her knowledge. Well, it'd be unforgivable if Livia was even slightly a good person. If you felt even a twinge of sorrow for her, she made sure to take it away by telling Junior Tony is seeing a psychiatrist. She was trying to tell him last episode, but was interrupted.
Speaking of that scene, we get a funny sequence of a down-on-his-luck comedian whose jokes and Bob Dylan playing is getting literally no response at all. This was a pretty comical episode between Chris trying to write a screenplay full of misspellings, Chris being pissed off that he's not mentioned in the news, Chris... well pretty much every Chris scene was funny in some hilarious or tragic way.
To recap Chris and his lack of an arc, he has guilt over shooting a guy, and unlike a normal, sane person, he thinks it's because the dead guy is trying to say he did something wrong with hiding the body. He might actually realize that it's because of guilt, but he thinks the response to removing that guilt is to move the body instead of... well trying to reform. That's why he has a lack of an arc.
Then the scene between Tony and Chris was brilliant. Tony trying to be sympathetic and trying to relate by asking if he's having similar problems to Tony. However, being tough guys who don't let anything on the inside, Chris brushes it off. It makes you cringe a bit when Chris says he's no mental midget. You can just feel Tony deflate inside. That's how you make a terrible person sympathetic against all odds.
RIP James Gandolfini (First post since his unfortunate death)
Surprise Guest Appearances
None unfortunately
Deaths
None, but I'd be remiss to not mention that Christopher shot a guy in the foot for basically no reason
Quotes
"I thought I was daed, but I manuged to get the drip on him." - Chris' poor spelling - As a side note, I can't imagine he's a good writer.
"No one would ever have ranked him as associate. SOLDIER? Brendan Filone - associate, soldier? Fuck you." - Chris at the apparent mob expert on the news program.
"You motherfucker, you shot my foot!" -- "It happens." - Funny exchange between the donut employee and Chris
"You're telling me you're planning a vacation, but you don't know if you'll go?" -- "Right. Let's put it this way, there's a strong possibility it will happen." - Hilarious exchange as both sides realize he's talking about getting arrested.
"That happens. The more of them you do, the better you'll sleep." - Big Pussy with perhaps not the best advice to get over the guilt of murdering someone
"Is that him?" -- "It'd be some fucking coincidence if it wasn't." - Chris, digging up his most recent murder over fear of doing something wrong
"You know I wipe my ass with your feelings." - Awww! Tony, Chris loves you too
"Now think about it: Why would someone who eats with sticks invent something you need a fork to eat?" - Tony on why the Chinese couldn't have invented spaghetti
Playlists
1. Frank Sinatra - Cake (from this episode)
2. Blood on the Leaves - Kanye West
3. Contact - Daft Punk
4. Ride Wit Me - Nelly
5. My Own Worst Enemy - Lit
3. Contact - Daft Punk
4. Ride Wit Me - Nelly
5. My Own Worst Enemy - Lit
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Friends: Pilot Episode
This is a new series where I watch a Friends episode and comment on it and hopefully be objective enough to grade it accurately.
This has been in the planning for quite some time. Ever since I decided to start doing episode reviews of The Sopranos, doing the same for Friends episodes was always in the back of my mind. I thought I'll do it in the summer when I have time. Well, the changing of months from May to June was as good of an excuse as any to start.
To try and understand the impact of Friends on my life would be difficult. I grew up on Friends. It was my entry into television in a way. Sure, I watched television before, but most of it was watched because it was just on. I never had really gotten into a series before I got into Friends. To my memory, there was never a bad Friends episode so objectivity will probably not be achieved in these posts.
I will do my best to try and analyze this from a critical standpoint, though I think the incredible fleshing out of all six characters is about the only thing necessary in this no-risk and relatively safe sitcom. That and be funny.
I am aware of the type of show this is now that I've been exposed to more television. It provides the same formula, follows the traditional sitcom strategy, and never really aims to be anything other than hilarious. It's just six funny characters with a well-written script that just tries to make the audience laugh.
I guess I'll comment on the theme song and this will be the last time I do that. This song is pretty much perfect for a sitcom. It's catchy and stays in your head and when it starts playing, you are instantly geared up for the episode. Also, the "I'll be there for you" line kind of took on a double meaning as in the show would be there for the viewers to enjoy as well as the obvious friends are there for each other.
Also, I'll be watching the DVD versions of these episodes so you might catch a quote or comment that didn't actually appear in the original episode. Probably won't be a problem, but just a warning if you are caught off guard. (Of course anybody who would catch that would probably have the DVDs anyway)
Wow does this episode get nearly every character down-pat immediately. Chandler is sarcastic and has a quip about everything. He talks about a dream he had when he was naked with a phone "THERE" and when he picks it up, it was his mother. "Which is very weird, because she never calls." Bam, right there you have Chandler's relationship with his parents established, whether purposely or not at the time.
Then there's poor Ross. You get an idea of his character in that he wants to be married and seems to always be a down-on-his luck guy (which he remains for the rest of the series). Hell, Monica is somewhat established early on when she says that she got a call from her mother about how she'll never have grandchildren, showing early on what her mother thinks of her in comparison to Ross.
Joey talks about how Ross needs to get over this by going to a strip joint. Pheobe's weirdness is evident early as well with her comment asking if Monica's non-date eats chalk. By the way, this all happens before the 4 minute mark of the show.
Anyway, this is a well-done pilot that lays some groundwork for future episodes. Friends isn't really a continuity show, but things that happen in episodes usually stick for good. In this episode, Rachel becomes the waitress of Central Perk. The Ross and Rachel relationship seed starts in this very episode. The "dragging out" of their relationship actually makes sense so far since Ross is just getting divorced and Rachel just deciding not to get married.
Rachel right now is very shallow and materialistic in this episode. The writers get a lot of humor out of this, but thankfully they change her character over time otherwise I think she would become unbearable as the snobby and spoiled brat. I will be tracking her development in these reviews. I remember it as a gradual process but never really paid attention when she really became reliant on herself and the traits of brattiness had completely dissipated.
There's more just friends kicking it and less plot than in most episodes. Monica goes on a date, Ross, Chandler and Joey make a bookshelf (kind of), and Rachel starts her own life. The rest of the time is spent talking about dreams, or making fun of a Spanish soap opera, things that basically have nothing to do with the plot, but more shows the everyday life banter of friends.
At this point, you can relate to most of the characters except Joey and Phoebe. Apparently, there was a big controversy about Monica having sex on the first date, but when they showed it to support groups, they actually related to her more. I'm not sure if the "not having sex for two years" thing would actually work though. Wouldn't that make her more likely to wait or at least expect you to want to wait?
Rachel moving into Monica's apartment was kind of awkward and kind of just happened. Also, why wasn't Monica invited to the wedding? They never really explored how Monica and Rachel fell out of favor with each other in the series. Just seems kind of strange. I don't really think they could have made a scene where it actually made sense though and brushing it off as a joke wasn't a terrible idea.
Friends Sex Count
Somebody decided to count all the times each of the friends had sex and I'm going to do a count of my own. It needs to be specifically shown on screen or referenced that it happened. Joey probably had sex with Julie or whatever but it wasn't mentioned so it doesn't count.
Monica: 1
Rest: 0
Quotes
"Does he eat chalk? Just cause I don't want her to go through what I went through with Carl." - Phoebe's character in a nutshell
"Whoa. This guy says hello and I want to kill myself." - Joey talking about Ross, whose misfortune is always hilarious
"And you never knew she was a lesbian?" - Chandler
"No! Why does everyone keep fixating on that? If she didn't know, how should I know?" - Ross
"Tuna or egg salad? DECIDE" - Chandler mimicking the Spanish soap opera - Not sure this will be as funny in print unless you know how the line is delivered
"Well, maybe I don't need your money. WAIT I said maybe!" - Rachel
"Oh, pff, Aruba, this time of year, talk about your............. big lizards" - Ross
"Between us, we've never had a relationship that's lasted longer than a mento. But you however have had the love of a woman for four years. Four years of closeness and sharing. At the end of which, she ripped your heart out and that is why we don't do it. I don't think that was my point!"- Chandler to Ross about him and Joey
"I honestly don't know if I'm hungry or horny." - Ross
"Then stay out of my freezer" - Chandler
"Do you know how long it's been since I grabbed a spoon?" Do the words 'Billy don't be a hero' mean anything to you?" - Ross
"I got to go. I got a date with Andrea. Angela? Andrea?" - Joey
"Andrea's the screamer, Angela has cats" - Chandler
"Right. It's Julie!" - Joey
"I assume we're looking for an answer more sophisticated than to get you into bed" - Ross
"Welcome to the real world! It sucks! You're going to love it." - As accurate a description of life I've found
Grade - A
Playlist
"Still" - Geto Boys
"Burn it Down" - IRV DA PHENOM
"I Love It" - Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX
"She's So High" - Tal Bachman
"Atlantis to Interzone" - Klaxons
This has been in the planning for quite some time. Ever since I decided to start doing episode reviews of The Sopranos, doing the same for Friends episodes was always in the back of my mind. I thought I'll do it in the summer when I have time. Well, the changing of months from May to June was as good of an excuse as any to start.
To try and understand the impact of Friends on my life would be difficult. I grew up on Friends. It was my entry into television in a way. Sure, I watched television before, but most of it was watched because it was just on. I never had really gotten into a series before I got into Friends. To my memory, there was never a bad Friends episode so objectivity will probably not be achieved in these posts.
I will do my best to try and analyze this from a critical standpoint, though I think the incredible fleshing out of all six characters is about the only thing necessary in this no-risk and relatively safe sitcom. That and be funny.
I am aware of the type of show this is now that I've been exposed to more television. It provides the same formula, follows the traditional sitcom strategy, and never really aims to be anything other than hilarious. It's just six funny characters with a well-written script that just tries to make the audience laugh.
I guess I'll comment on the theme song and this will be the last time I do that. This song is pretty much perfect for a sitcom. It's catchy and stays in your head and when it starts playing, you are instantly geared up for the episode. Also, the "I'll be there for you" line kind of took on a double meaning as in the show would be there for the viewers to enjoy as well as the obvious friends are there for each other.
Also, I'll be watching the DVD versions of these episodes so you might catch a quote or comment that didn't actually appear in the original episode. Probably won't be a problem, but just a warning if you are caught off guard. (Of course anybody who would catch that would probably have the DVDs anyway)
Wow does this episode get nearly every character down-pat immediately. Chandler is sarcastic and has a quip about everything. He talks about a dream he had when he was naked with a phone "THERE" and when he picks it up, it was his mother. "Which is very weird, because she never calls." Bam, right there you have Chandler's relationship with his parents established, whether purposely or not at the time.
Then there's poor Ross. You get an idea of his character in that he wants to be married and seems to always be a down-on-his luck guy (which he remains for the rest of the series). Hell, Monica is somewhat established early on when she says that she got a call from her mother about how she'll never have grandchildren, showing early on what her mother thinks of her in comparison to Ross.
Joey talks about how Ross needs to get over this by going to a strip joint. Pheobe's weirdness is evident early as well with her comment asking if Monica's non-date eats chalk. By the way, this all happens before the 4 minute mark of the show.
Anyway, this is a well-done pilot that lays some groundwork for future episodes. Friends isn't really a continuity show, but things that happen in episodes usually stick for good. In this episode, Rachel becomes the waitress of Central Perk. The Ross and Rachel relationship seed starts in this very episode. The "dragging out" of their relationship actually makes sense so far since Ross is just getting divorced and Rachel just deciding not to get married.
Rachel right now is very shallow and materialistic in this episode. The writers get a lot of humor out of this, but thankfully they change her character over time otherwise I think she would become unbearable as the snobby and spoiled brat. I will be tracking her development in these reviews. I remember it as a gradual process but never really paid attention when she really became reliant on herself and the traits of brattiness had completely dissipated.
There's more just friends kicking it and less plot than in most episodes. Monica goes on a date, Ross, Chandler and Joey make a bookshelf (kind of), and Rachel starts her own life. The rest of the time is spent talking about dreams, or making fun of a Spanish soap opera, things that basically have nothing to do with the plot, but more shows the everyday life banter of friends.
At this point, you can relate to most of the characters except Joey and Phoebe. Apparently, there was a big controversy about Monica having sex on the first date, but when they showed it to support groups, they actually related to her more. I'm not sure if the "not having sex for two years" thing would actually work though. Wouldn't that make her more likely to wait or at least expect you to want to wait?
Rachel moving into Monica's apartment was kind of awkward and kind of just happened. Also, why wasn't Monica invited to the wedding? They never really explored how Monica and Rachel fell out of favor with each other in the series. Just seems kind of strange. I don't really think they could have made a scene where it actually made sense though and brushing it off as a joke wasn't a terrible idea.
Friends Sex Count
Somebody decided to count all the times each of the friends had sex and I'm going to do a count of my own. It needs to be specifically shown on screen or referenced that it happened. Joey probably had sex with Julie or whatever but it wasn't mentioned so it doesn't count.
Monica: 1
Rest: 0
Quotes
"Does he eat chalk? Just cause I don't want her to go through what I went through with Carl." - Phoebe's character in a nutshell
"Whoa. This guy says hello and I want to kill myself." - Joey talking about Ross, whose misfortune is always hilarious
"And you never knew she was a lesbian?" - Chandler
"No! Why does everyone keep fixating on that? If she didn't know, how should I know?" - Ross
"Tuna or egg salad? DECIDE" - Chandler mimicking the Spanish soap opera - Not sure this will be as funny in print unless you know how the line is delivered
"Well, maybe I don't need your money. WAIT I said maybe!" - Rachel
"Oh, pff, Aruba, this time of year, talk about your............. big lizards" - Ross
"Between us, we've never had a relationship that's lasted longer than a mento. But you however have had the love of a woman for four years. Four years of closeness and sharing. At the end of which, she ripped your heart out and that is why we don't do it. I don't think that was my point!"- Chandler to Ross about him and Joey
"I honestly don't know if I'm hungry or horny." - Ross
"Then stay out of my freezer" - Chandler
"Do you know how long it's been since I grabbed a spoon?" Do the words 'Billy don't be a hero' mean anything to you?" - Ross
"I got to go. I got a date with Andrea. Angela? Andrea?" - Joey
"Andrea's the screamer, Angela has cats" - Chandler
"Right. It's Julie!" - Joey
"I assume we're looking for an answer more sophisticated than to get you into bed" - Ross
"Welcome to the real world! It sucks! You're going to love it." - As accurate a description of life I've found
Grade - A
Playlist
"Still" - Geto Boys
"Burn it Down" - IRV DA PHENOM
"I Love It" - Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX
"She's So High" - Tal Bachman
"Atlantis to Interzone" - Klaxons
Monday, May 27, 2013
Arrested Development Review
I'm fortunate enough to have been exposed to Arrested Development last year so I didn't experience the seemingly endless barrage of potential new episodes that never happened. So unlike most reviews you'll read that will first express shock that it's actually happening, I can't share that shock. The one time they said new episodes would come, they actually came for me.
Anyway, thankfully Arrested Development isn't bad at all. I don't think any sane person should have expected it to be just as good as it was in its heyday, but I was one of the people afraid it would just be bad. And it's not bad, it's quite good in some parts.
Something feels off about these new episodes. Perhaps its because part of the beauty of the original Arrested Development episodes was how they somehow fit all the characters into each episode with interlaying stories. In Season 4, that doesn't happen and they focus on one character at a time.
And really not all the characters are interesting enough to cover 30 minutes. That may be a bad way to say it. There's just not 30 minutes of comedy to squeeze out of certain characters. Tobias? Yeah. Gob? Hell yeah. George Sr.? As much as I love Jeffrey Tambor, his episode was the weakest of the ones I watched.
This isn't really a fault of Mitch Hurwitz - he was hamstrung because of actors' schedules - but nonetheless it certainly makes certain episodes better than others. The ability to constantly rewatch old episodes of AD was part of what made it such a great show. I don't think I could say I would skip many episodes. Even "bad" episodes had a ton of laughs in them. But I'm fairly certain I will be skipping some of this new season.
I've only watched four episodes up to this point, but I'm fairly certain most of this review will hold true for the rest of the season. The quality of an episode most likely depends on how much you enjoy a character. I think Michael has the most episodes, which is smart obviously. The two Michael episodes I watched were by far the best. Of course, the others were George Sr. and Lindsay, maybe my least favorite character.
The show spends more than 22 minutes it did on Fox and I think that hurts the show more than it helps it. The Michael episodes were fine because he can hold down an episode with ease, but Lindsay and George Sr. episodes were way too long. And some of these scenarios just fall completely flat. I don't remember may scenes falling flat in the original.
Going forward, I feel confident in the episodes featuring Tobias, Gob, George Michael, and Michael. I don't feel great about any Lindsay, George Sr., or Lucille episodes. (I have no idea how they will do a full Lucille episode to be honest; I don't seem to remember any episodes where she was the main story.) Buster and Maeby could be hit or miss, but they only have one episode apiece so I'm guessing they won't waste any time on them.
Overall, some episodes disappoint, others are just as good as the original AD. I think that's as good as anybody could have hoped for considering the entire format of the show changed. (Focusing on one character instead of many)
Side note: Kristen Wiig is very good as a young Lucille, but Seth Rogen has done nothing. I don't see why he's here other than name recognition. The classic recurring characters (Carl Weathers, Lucille 2, etc.) have appeared already and I'm sure more are on their way. Isla Fisher is awesome as a love interest for Michael. The Workaholics appearance was kind of a letdown to me. Also, the appearance of John Slattery was welcome!
Playlist
1. "Chief Rocka" - Lords of the Underground
2. "Nina" - Anthm
3. "Deception" - Blackalicous
4. "Contact" - Daft Punk
5. "Mouthful of Damionds - Phantogram
Playlist
1. "Chief Rocka" - Lords of the Underground
2. "Nina" - Anthm
3. "Deception" - Blackalicous
4. "Contact" - Daft Punk
5. "Mouthful of Damionds - Phantogram
Friday, May 10, 2013
The Americans' Season Review
The Americans closed up its first season last week, and I have not a doubt in my mind that it was easily the best show that premiered this spring TV season. Not that there was really much of a contest anyway. The closest competitor is House of Cards, which while entertaining, suffered from mediocre writing. (Here's the review; I'll post my thoughts on the other spring shows below)
I have chosen to make this spoiler-free, because I really want people to watch this show. I want a person who has never seen this show to read the review and choose to watch it. I can't do that with spoilers.
Given that information, I really debated whether or not to even write this post, because I posted most of what I would say in my pilot review. (By the way, you should read that post too!) Ultimately, I decided to just combine this review with thoughts on other spring shows (To clarify, shows that premiered this spring.)
The premise of this show is that a Soviet couple has implemented themselves into America as spies in a long-form mission to win the Cold War. Their marriage doesn't really start being a marriage until the first episode. The rest of the season explores them trying to make it work. The other players are an FBI agent, a KGB operative forced to work for the FBI when she gets caught smuggling, and the couple's boss who tells them the orders. (My pilot post provides more background info, but you probably already know the gist of the show)
Think of a reason why you watch television. It can be any reason at all. Got it in your mind? Well, this show should supply that. It has action, sex, spy missions, the complexities of trust in a marriage, a look into a past decade, and the tensions of the Cold War.
If you literally watch TV for none of those reasons, I have no idea why you watch TV. As far as I know, they are true to the time period of the 1980s. I wasn't alive, but based on the critics who I follow, it achieves Mad Men levels of accuracy. It gives a good sense of how people acted in the Cold War. For someone like myself, this is a very cool drop into history.
Each episode has a mission for the couple to follow. They are pretty fair in giving kick-ass stuff for the husband, Phillip Jennings, and the wife, Elizabeth Jennings. Marriage is already hard and difficult. But in a business where the husband and wife's job description includes being unfaithful when necessary, it complicates things to the extreme. While Phillip and Elizabeth get closer, there's a contrast with the FBI agent and his wife who are growing farther apart.
This show hits right in my wheelhouse as I like to study history and I absolutely love spy missions. Also, there's no episodes where nothing happens. There's at least one action scene in every episode and I believe there's a sex scene in almost every one. To use one example, Game of Thrones usually needs a few episodes where nothing happens in order to get to the good stuff, but The Americans always has things happening, no matter how relevant to the long-term.
What really brings the show and makes it great is the phenomenal acting. I have never seen Matthew Rhys in anything before this, but he's a fantastic actor. Keri Russell is similarly great in this role. I cannot emphasize enough how important great acting is in a show where actors have to play different characters within the show. They kill every scene they are in.
Noah Emmerich, who plays Stan Beeman the FBI agent, is also amazing in this. He was incredible in two episodes of The Walking Dead he was in, and he does not disappoint here either. The KGB double agent is played by Annet Mahendru who is gorgeous and holds her own in acting as well. The child actors are actually good at acting, so no need to worry about them holding down the show.
The pilot is a great episode of television, but it's not even the best episode in the season (that would go to the finale!). So watch the pilot, enjoy it, and carry with you the knowledge that it gets better or more fulfilling.
Other Shows that Debuted in Spring
1. The Following - Congratulations to Kevin Bacon and Kevin Williamson for creating a ratings hit, but this show sucks. Bacon is great in his role, but James Purefoy is unconvincing as a charming criminal mastermind. Not totally his fault, the dialogue in this show is subpar. Edgar Allen Poe is used to defend his serial killer antics, which is ridiculous and certainly starts the show on a bad path. What got me to stop watching was when it was clear that anybody not named Kevin Bacon could be a follower, which is dumb. Like I said, it doesn't help that I don't get why everyone wants to follow Purefoy. The script and Purefoy don't do a good enough job. Given that apparently even FBI agents might follow his word, that's kind of important.
2. House of Cards - I have a season review of it, but to summarize that review: Everything's great but the plot, which has a few too many implausibilities and inconsistencies for my liking. Problems not bad enough for me not to tune in for the second season.
3. Carrie Diares - I'll admit I only watched one episode, but that episode was surprisingly good. It's way too girly for my liking and I think they over-exaggerate 80s fashion. But AnnaSophia Robb is so engaging and great that I want to watch more of this just for her.
4. Bates' Motel - I've also only seen one episode, but that episode was also pretty good. I don't have much else to add, that my review doesn't already cover.
5. Hemlock Grove - Yeah, I was hoping Netflix would have a string of shows that were great, but this show breaks that run already. Just atrocious acting holds back any potential I had for the show. Unlike the previous two that I hope to watch some time, I gave up on this show and do not plan on continuing.
Playlist
1. "Portrait of Red" - Virginmarys
2. "Lost that Easy" - Cold War Kids
3. "I Will Wait" - Mumford & Sons
4. "When Worlds Collide" - Ces Cru
5. "Smooth" - Santana ft. Rob Thomas
I have chosen to make this spoiler-free, because I really want people to watch this show. I want a person who has never seen this show to read the review and choose to watch it. I can't do that with spoilers.
Given that information, I really debated whether or not to even write this post, because I posted most of what I would say in my pilot review. (By the way, you should read that post too!) Ultimately, I decided to just combine this review with thoughts on other spring shows (To clarify, shows that premiered this spring.)
The premise of this show is that a Soviet couple has implemented themselves into America as spies in a long-form mission to win the Cold War. Their marriage doesn't really start being a marriage until the first episode. The rest of the season explores them trying to make it work. The other players are an FBI agent, a KGB operative forced to work for the FBI when she gets caught smuggling, and the couple's boss who tells them the orders. (My pilot post provides more background info, but you probably already know the gist of the show)
Think of a reason why you watch television. It can be any reason at all. Got it in your mind? Well, this show should supply that. It has action, sex, spy missions, the complexities of trust in a marriage, a look into a past decade, and the tensions of the Cold War.
If you literally watch TV for none of those reasons, I have no idea why you watch TV. As far as I know, they are true to the time period of the 1980s. I wasn't alive, but based on the critics who I follow, it achieves Mad Men levels of accuracy. It gives a good sense of how people acted in the Cold War. For someone like myself, this is a very cool drop into history.
Each episode has a mission for the couple to follow. They are pretty fair in giving kick-ass stuff for the husband, Phillip Jennings, and the wife, Elizabeth Jennings. Marriage is already hard and difficult. But in a business where the husband and wife's job description includes being unfaithful when necessary, it complicates things to the extreme. While Phillip and Elizabeth get closer, there's a contrast with the FBI agent and his wife who are growing farther apart.
This show hits right in my wheelhouse as I like to study history and I absolutely love spy missions. Also, there's no episodes where nothing happens. There's at least one action scene in every episode and I believe there's a sex scene in almost every one. To use one example, Game of Thrones usually needs a few episodes where nothing happens in order to get to the good stuff, but The Americans always has things happening, no matter how relevant to the long-term.
What really brings the show and makes it great is the phenomenal acting. I have never seen Matthew Rhys in anything before this, but he's a fantastic actor. Keri Russell is similarly great in this role. I cannot emphasize enough how important great acting is in a show where actors have to play different characters within the show. They kill every scene they are in.
Noah Emmerich, who plays Stan Beeman the FBI agent, is also amazing in this. He was incredible in two episodes of The Walking Dead he was in, and he does not disappoint here either. The KGB double agent is played by Annet Mahendru who is gorgeous and holds her own in acting as well. The child actors are actually good at acting, so no need to worry about them holding down the show.
The pilot is a great episode of television, but it's not even the best episode in the season (that would go to the finale!). So watch the pilot, enjoy it, and carry with you the knowledge that it gets better or more fulfilling.
Other Shows that Debuted in Spring
1. The Following - Congratulations to Kevin Bacon and Kevin Williamson for creating a ratings hit, but this show sucks. Bacon is great in his role, but James Purefoy is unconvincing as a charming criminal mastermind. Not totally his fault, the dialogue in this show is subpar. Edgar Allen Poe is used to defend his serial killer antics, which is ridiculous and certainly starts the show on a bad path. What got me to stop watching was when it was clear that anybody not named Kevin Bacon could be a follower, which is dumb. Like I said, it doesn't help that I don't get why everyone wants to follow Purefoy. The script and Purefoy don't do a good enough job. Given that apparently even FBI agents might follow his word, that's kind of important.
2. House of Cards - I have a season review of it, but to summarize that review: Everything's great but the plot, which has a few too many implausibilities and inconsistencies for my liking. Problems not bad enough for me not to tune in for the second season.
3. Carrie Diares - I'll admit I only watched one episode, but that episode was surprisingly good. It's way too girly for my liking and I think they over-exaggerate 80s fashion. But AnnaSophia Robb is so engaging and great that I want to watch more of this just for her.
4. Bates' Motel - I've also only seen one episode, but that episode was also pretty good. I don't have much else to add, that my review doesn't already cover.
5. Hemlock Grove - Yeah, I was hoping Netflix would have a string of shows that were great, but this show breaks that run already. Just atrocious acting holds back any potential I had for the show. Unlike the previous two that I hope to watch some time, I gave up on this show and do not plan on continuing.
Playlist
1. "Portrait of Red" - Virginmarys
2. "Lost that Easy" - Cold War Kids
3. "I Will Wait" - Mumford & Sons
4. "When Worlds Collide" - Ces Cru
5. "Smooth" - Santana ft. Rob Thomas
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The Sopranos: "Down Neck"
This is a weekly feature. I'm reviewing The Sopranos episodes starting from the beginning. This is the seventh episode of the first season.
Past Episodes
Pilot
46 Long
Denial, Acceptance, Anger
Meadowlands
College
Pax Soprano
This isn't a great episode - by Sopranos standards - but it's kind of necessary. The questions raised in this episode are what made this such a great show. It's also what made it revolutionary and different than any other television show.
Anthony and his devious friends decide to steal wine from the church. Maybe because it's aged badly, maybe because I didn't really do anything that bad when I was that age, but that threw me off right away. Even at that age, I don't think those kids are stupid enough to steal alcohol and drink it DURING school. This could easily just be a problem of me just not relating to that situation at all.
Anyway, this justifiably gets him suspended and he needs to see a school therapist. This show really rides on that line between saying therapy is useless and therapy is helpful. I think this episode didn't condemn or praise therapy, which is tough to do.
I guess my problem with this episode is that Anthony stealing wine seems contrived to me - I mean it comes out of nowhere and seems out of character for me. This gives the show a reason for Tony to reflect on his upbringing. I wish I didn't think the beginning was contrived, because his son getting in trouble is a great excuse for him to reflect on his childhood. It's a great utilization of flashbacks that is central to the story and gives us information on why Tony is the way he is.
The flashbacks themselves? I love everything about them except the actor who plays a young Tony. Yeah, his acting was... not great. I just generally don't like child actors a lot. They aren't very good at acting generally speaking.
Livia finds out that Tony is seeing a therapist, which she will use against him. She attempts to not so subtly tell Junior about it. She has a weird tendency to beat around the bush and make the other person want to know what she was planning on telling them the whole time.
Anyway, this show asks how Anthony will respond to Tony if he ever found out the true details of his life. It never answers the question, because Tony doesn't tell him so they are back where they started. Anthony basically knowing about Tony's mafia life and Tony acting like he does nothing wrong.
Tony is starting to realize the true influence of his mother. His mother kind of was able to control his father and impact some of his decisions as the flashback reveals. We knew she did that now to Junior and sometimes Tony, but this episode shows it's been happening forever.
It's a testament to this show that I consider this a weaker episode when it achieves all it achieves.
College
Pax Soprano
This isn't a great episode - by Sopranos standards - but it's kind of necessary. The questions raised in this episode are what made this such a great show. It's also what made it revolutionary and different than any other television show.
Anthony and his devious friends decide to steal wine from the church. Maybe because it's aged badly, maybe because I didn't really do anything that bad when I was that age, but that threw me off right away. Even at that age, I don't think those kids are stupid enough to steal alcohol and drink it DURING school. This could easily just be a problem of me just not relating to that situation at all.
Anyway, this justifiably gets him suspended and he needs to see a school therapist. This show really rides on that line between saying therapy is useless and therapy is helpful. I think this episode didn't condemn or praise therapy, which is tough to do.
I guess my problem with this episode is that Anthony stealing wine seems contrived to me - I mean it comes out of nowhere and seems out of character for me. This gives the show a reason for Tony to reflect on his upbringing. I wish I didn't think the beginning was contrived, because his son getting in trouble is a great excuse for him to reflect on his childhood. It's a great utilization of flashbacks that is central to the story and gives us information on why Tony is the way he is.
The flashbacks themselves? I love everything about them except the actor who plays a young Tony. Yeah, his acting was... not great. I just generally don't like child actors a lot. They aren't very good at acting generally speaking.
Livia finds out that Tony is seeing a therapist, which she will use against him. She attempts to not so subtly tell Junior about it. She has a weird tendency to beat around the bush and make the other person want to know what she was planning on telling them the whole time.
Anyway, this show asks how Anthony will respond to Tony if he ever found out the true details of his life. It never answers the question, because Tony doesn't tell him so they are back where they started. Anthony basically knowing about Tony's mafia life and Tony acting like he does nothing wrong.
Tony is starting to realize the true influence of his mother. His mother kind of was able to control his father and impact some of his decisions as the flashback reveals. We knew she did that now to Junior and sometimes Tony, but this episode shows it's been happening forever.
It's a testament to this show that I consider this a weaker episode when it achieves all it achieves.
Surprise Guest Appearances
I didn't recognize any.
Deaths
No deaths surprisingly
Quotes
"Intimate feelings? I think I said I was in love." - Tony, getting straight to the point
"His belt was his favorite child development tool." - Tony on his father
"I take a licking, but keep on ticking" - Christopher, after stealing the watches
"She had a stroke. Now half her brain is gone" - Livia, whose delivery is the only reason this is funny.
"Maybe I'd be selling patio furniture in San Diego or whatever." - Tony's idea of a normal life
"I could stick this fork in your eye." "She wasn't gonna do it!" - Amusing contrast between flashback and therapy session
"I'd rather smother them with a pillow than take them to Nevada" *cue terrible acting face from kid*
"And it's a sickness, to fidget? What constitutes a fidget?" - Tony raises a damn good point
Playlist
1. No Vaseline - Ice Cube
2. Jasmine (demo) - Jai Paul
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
4. Madness - Muse
5. Security - Royce Da 5'9
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