Episode Title: D.O.C. Air Date: 4/25/07
Now that’s what I’m talking about.
“Lost” delivered an episode so full of information, intrigue, and even a bit of action that it boggles the mind why there were so many weeks this season where it felt like there was absolutely no progress in the storyline.
And oh yeah, they realized they could focus on two different storylines in one episode. Instead of leaving us with blue balls after last week's episode in which Demond and co. found the parachuting woman in the trees by dedicating the whole hour to Sun, the episode was about both her story and the crew dealing with the newcomer to the island. Imagine that. Editing.
Last night was a Sun-centric episode, and in an early flashback a woman tells her that Jin’s mother (who he thought was dead) was a prostitute and demands $100,000 to keep the shame of knowing the truth from him. Sun finds Jin’s father, a sweet old fisherman, and he implores her not to let him know the truth about his mother, to let him think she died when he was a baby. So Sun goes to her rich and powerful crime lord father to get the hush money. The money leaves an unknowing Jin forever in his debt, which leads to him being turned into the angry and violent muscle-man who can’t get his wife pregnant.
Which is why there was such a mystery about who Sun’s babydaddy is in the first place. She was sleeping with another man before they crashed on the island, and a doctor told her that Jin was impotent. Though Juliet tells her that the island somehow makes people more fertile, she also finds out that every woman who becomes pregnant on the island died. Juliet takes her to the “fertility hatch” to find out when the Date of Conception was.
If the baby was conceived pre-island, it’s not her husbands. If it was conceived on island, Sun will most likely die. As she says to Juliet, “either way, I lose.”
In the end, it turns out that the baby was conceived on-island. Sun is happy- because it is her husband’s child, and even though the news is essentially a death sentence, she is at peace(and when Juliet tells her she has two months, we know that this thread will probably not resolved until the end of next season.)
Meanwhile, across the island, Sun’s husband is with Desmond, Hurley, and Charlie as they continue their “camping trip” from last week’s episode. They crew is caring for the woman they found hanging from the tree, who is bleeding to death with a branch stuck in her side. Too far away from camp to get Jack, the four of them are desperate to help her…until the previously presumed dead Eye-Patch-Sporting-Russian-Other (hereafter referred to as E.P.S.R.O.) shows up. After a foot chase in which he attempts to escape, Jin chases him down and kicks his ass, karate style. The Russian says he can help the dying woman- but only if they agree to let her go once she is safe.
He patches her up and, despite Charlie’s protests, Desmond lets him go- but not before E.P.S.R.O. attempts to steal the satellite phone the woman had with her. Jin catches him, and all he can say in his defense is “you would not have respected me had I not tried.”
Fair enough.
The best scenes of the fast paced and story packed episode came at the end. After Juliet finishes helping Sun, she goes to the back of the fertility hatch and picks up a tape recorder. She records a message for Ben, telling him that Sun is pregnant and that he will have samples from the other females soon. “Other samples?”
After clicking the recorder off, she says one last thing she can’t let him hear but clearly wants to say to Ben: “I hate you.” Our poor Juliet is conflicted about where her loyalties lie. By the end of the season, something’s gonna have to give with her.
The shocker moment came last night when Hurley was talking to the still confused and groggy tree woman. She looks around and asks where she is. Hurley tells her they are on an island, and they are the survivors of Oceanic Airlines flight 815 out of Sydney. The woman looks confused and tells him that it’s impossible that they were on that flight- because “they found the airplane and there were no survivors.”
Did you hear that? That’s the sound of thousands of “Lost” fans who all believe the popular theory that all the survivors are dead and the island is actually a purgatory high fiveing. The appearance of E.P.S.R.O., who tells Desmond “I already died last week,” would seem to confirm the theory further. But not so fast everyone! I think the “recovered plane with no survivors” information is a clever ruse by the writers to lead us back down that path again. Last season’s Hurley-centric episode “Dave,” in which a friend from the big guy’s past (the bald guy who played either Ricky or Ronnie on Aaron Sorkin’s not quite but soon to be cancelled “Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip,”) tries to convince him to jump off a cliff because they are already dead anyway, was a direct denial of the island as purgatory theory. My theory about last night’s last scene revelation is that there was some sort of cover up about the crashed plane back in the real world, maybe by Dharma, so that everyone who had family members in the crash would stop looking for them.
Which means the survivors are more screwed than they thought they had been for the first two seasons- not only are they on an island far off course from where everyone would be looking for them, it turns out nobody is even looking for them in the first place.
If the crazy, internet born theory about everyone being dead is untrue, it still leaves a whole raft of questions to be answered? Why is E.P.S.R.O. still alive? What does that fence actually do to people? Why is the smoke monster scared of it? What’s going to happen to Sun? What kinds of “samples” is Juliet trying to collect from the lovely ladies of “Lost?” Where the hell did the woman in the tree come from, and how did she know Desmond?
Tune in next week for some answers and, most likely, even more questions.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Lost Watch: Enough With The Foreplay
NOTE: Sorry to my one or two readers for not posting this entry. I put it up on the Broadcaster Beat last week the day after it aired, but never got around to throwing it up on my personal blog. Also, I promise one day soon to get back to bloggin' about things other than "Lost," even if it is about other tv shows, movies, and the like...I mean, let's talk about "24" this year, am I right??
Episode Title: "Catch 22" Air Date: 4/18/2007
“Lost” was another transitional episode last night, all setup for what is coming in the last few episodes before the season finale. It was spiced up with Desmond’s vision of Charlie dying a violent death, but we knew that wasn’t gonna happen from the beginning, didn’t we?
Desmond has one of his jigsaw puzzle-like visions in which someone arrives on the island after ditching a helicopter- and he thinks it is Penny, the woman he abandoned. Unfortunately, Charlie dies in his vision and Desmond wants everything to go as he sees it in his head- because changing it will mean it might not turn out how he saw it, and he might not see Penny. Thus Desmond decides he is willing to sacrifice Charlie in order to reunite with his girlfriend.
Des puts together a team to enter the jungle that includes Hurley, Charlie, and Jin- telling Hurley they are coming on the trip because they are the ones who are supposed to go on the trip, according to his vision.
As they trek deeper into the jungle, Desmond becomes more conflicted about the fate he may be dooming poor Charlie to. His flashbacks underscore the theme of sacrifice, as we see that Desmond once tried to become a monk, living on a monetary and taking a month long vow of silence. But it turns out that he had a “religious awakening” right before he was to marry another woman, before he met Penny. Fans will remember that Desmond ended up on the island because he set off on a sailing trip around the world instead of marrying Desmond’s much longed for Penny.
This guy’s commitment issues have taken him to some strange places.
Meanwhile, back at the survivor’s camp, a soap opera is developing as Kate becomes jealous of Jack’s growing closeness with Other spy Juliet, who he is beginning to foolishly trust more and more. Kate sleeps with Sawyer again, but this time because she is jealous of Dr. Jack and the shifty Juliet’s new relationship. Poor Sawyer only gets laid when Kate thinks he is going to die or if she’s jealous. But considering Juliet’s mixed intentions, Jack’s affections will probably return to Kate soon.
Demond and co.’s journey ends the way he thought it would, leading up to Charlie stepping on a trip wire that launches an arrow. At the last second, Desmond pulls Charlie out of harm’s way, saving his life but altering the time line he saw in his head.
But the team has come far enough without Charlie’s sacrifice. They find a woman hanging in the trees who has parachuted out of a helicopter. She’s alive, but when they take off her helmet, it’s not Penny. Did Desmond's choice to save Charlie actually change the person hanging out in the jungle?
Whoever she is, she knows Desmond.
The episode had some pretty cool elements, and I always love time travel/ seeing the future stuff. There were a couple nice little Easter Eggs as well, including the photo on the head monk’s desk when he talked to Desmond in his office- the woman with the monk was the batty old lady who told Desmond in his alterna-flashback earlier this season that he was supposed to leave Penny and end up on the island, that the fate of the world depended on it. And the new stranger amongst the islanders is evidence that finally something has come of the crazy last scene in season 2 in which it was revealed that Penny is searching for Desmond, using paranoid dudes in a bunker in Antarctica.
So it was a cool episode that dealt with themes of fate vs. freewill, and set Desmond up with a very tough and compelling choice. But ultimately, it was another episode that was more setup for things to come. Hopefully, the payoff will be worth it. Personally though, I'm getting a bit tired of all the foreplay. Let's get to the action already.
Episode Title: "Catch 22" Air Date: 4/18/2007
“Lost” was another transitional episode last night, all setup for what is coming in the last few episodes before the season finale. It was spiced up with Desmond’s vision of Charlie dying a violent death, but we knew that wasn’t gonna happen from the beginning, didn’t we?
Desmond has one of his jigsaw puzzle-like visions in which someone arrives on the island after ditching a helicopter- and he thinks it is Penny, the woman he abandoned. Unfortunately, Charlie dies in his vision and Desmond wants everything to go as he sees it in his head- because changing it will mean it might not turn out how he saw it, and he might not see Penny. Thus Desmond decides he is willing to sacrifice Charlie in order to reunite with his girlfriend.
Des puts together a team to enter the jungle that includes Hurley, Charlie, and Jin- telling Hurley they are coming on the trip because they are the ones who are supposed to go on the trip, according to his vision.
As they trek deeper into the jungle, Desmond becomes more conflicted about the fate he may be dooming poor Charlie to. His flashbacks underscore the theme of sacrifice, as we see that Desmond once tried to become a monk, living on a monetary and taking a month long vow of silence. But it turns out that he had a “religious awakening” right before he was to marry another woman, before he met Penny. Fans will remember that Desmond ended up on the island because he set off on a sailing trip around the world instead of marrying Desmond’s much longed for Penny.
This guy’s commitment issues have taken him to some strange places.
Meanwhile, back at the survivor’s camp, a soap opera is developing as Kate becomes jealous of Jack’s growing closeness with Other spy Juliet, who he is beginning to foolishly trust more and more. Kate sleeps with Sawyer again, but this time because she is jealous of Dr. Jack and the shifty Juliet’s new relationship. Poor Sawyer only gets laid when Kate thinks he is going to die or if she’s jealous. But considering Juliet’s mixed intentions, Jack’s affections will probably return to Kate soon.
Demond and co.’s journey ends the way he thought it would, leading up to Charlie stepping on a trip wire that launches an arrow. At the last second, Desmond pulls Charlie out of harm’s way, saving his life but altering the time line he saw in his head.
But the team has come far enough without Charlie’s sacrifice. They find a woman hanging in the trees who has parachuted out of a helicopter. She’s alive, but when they take off her helmet, it’s not Penny. Did Desmond's choice to save Charlie actually change the person hanging out in the jungle?
Whoever she is, she knows Desmond.
The episode had some pretty cool elements, and I always love time travel/ seeing the future stuff. There were a couple nice little Easter Eggs as well, including the photo on the head monk’s desk when he talked to Desmond in his office- the woman with the monk was the batty old lady who told Desmond in his alterna-flashback earlier this season that he was supposed to leave Penny and end up on the island, that the fate of the world depended on it. And the new stranger amongst the islanders is evidence that finally something has come of the crazy last scene in season 2 in which it was revealed that Penny is searching for Desmond, using paranoid dudes in a bunker in Antarctica.
So it was a cool episode that dealt with themes of fate vs. freewill, and set Desmond up with a very tough and compelling choice. But ultimately, it was another episode that was more setup for things to come. Hopefully, the payoff will be worth it. Personally though, I'm getting a bit tired of all the foreplay. Let's get to the action already.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Lost Watch: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Episode Title: One of Us Air Date: 4/11/2007
Juliet joined the survivors at their camp last night on “Lost,” and her arrival gave loyal viewers a glimpse at trouble brewing down the road.
As predicted, Sayid wanted answers out of Juliet, while Jack protected her from his torture-happy ways.
Turns out Jack was wrong.
The flashbacks were used cleverly on “Lost” last night, a rarity for the show these days. We got to see more of Juliet’s backstory, more about her journey to the island. We got to see why she was motivated to get back home- her sister, who was dying of cancer, has become pregnant because Juliet has discovered a way to make her fertile. But when her cancer returns, Ben promises he can cure it- if Juliet agrees to stay on the island.
And somehow, he keeps his promise.
Last night’s episode also provided much needed hints as to what she was doing working for The Others. She was trying to figure out why women were unable to give birth on the island, why their bodies reject their children if they are conceived there. Turns out Claire was the first person to have a child on the island without dying, and Juliet believes it was because her baby was conceived elsewhere.
Which is probably bad news for Sun.
Claire gets sick after Juliet first arrives, and Juliet tells Jack she can help. She explains that she is sick because way back in Season one, creepy Ethan was injecting her with a drug that would help the baby survive, and that Claire is going through withdrawal from the drug. She tells Jack that Ethan left supplies in the jungle that can save Claire’s life. Though her story makes very little sense, Jack trusts her and lets her help.
Sayid and Sawyer follow her out to the supplies, finally confronting her for the answers that Jack doesn’t seem to need. She shames the former con man and Iraqi interrogator into letting her go so she can help Claire, but it turns out that they might have had a good reason to force information from her.
In the last scene of the episode, Juliet’s flashback take us to right before last week’s episode- to Ben planning how she will manipulate her way into the camp of the survivors, how she will make it look like she has been left behind by The Others along with Jack, Kate, and Sayid. Ben even mentions that the “implant” in Claire has been activated, and that it will make her sick soon…which will give Juliet a crisis to avert and help her gain the trust of the survivors. Though Juliet has a conflicted look on her face, she still agrees to go along with Ben’s plans.
And then he tells her “see you in a week.” Jack needs to stop being such a decent guy and trusting everyone. It's obviously not a policy that is helpful at this point.
One of The Others is in the survivors’ camp, and we don’t know why. Clearly, something bad is coming for our survivors. Is Juliet going to kidnap the pregnant Sun? Will The Others finally make it clear to everyone exactly what they want? Will we find out what Juliet meant when she said “if you knew everything I knew, you’d kill me?” Does her conflicted look she will betray Ben? Did he read everything her face meant and not care?
The episode was a clever precursor to things to come. A few questions were answered and most of Juliet’s true motivations were revealed to us (though it wouldn't be "Lost" if everything became crystal clear) through good use of the flashbacks. And the questions that were not answered were covered up well through Juliet’s refusal to give up too much to Sayid, who at this point is as frustrated with the lack of solid information about The Others as the audience is. Juliet even addressed Jack’s lack of need for questions and asked him why he didn’t need to know more about her. Jack’s unsatisfying answer is that when the submarine blew up three weeks ago, he saw the look on her face, saw that she wanted to get off the island as much as anybody else, and that makes her one of them.
Maybe asking people questions would be a smart habit for Jack to take up. If he was a bit more curious about her, then he might not be leading everyone into trouble as quickly as he has been.
The last few episodes have felt like a slow climb before the big drop on a roller coaster, and it seems like we are close to the top. Like any good rollercoaster, “Lost” will probably follow the rule that the slower the climb up, the faster and steeper the drop down. Hold on tight, because it’s gonna be quite a ride.
Juliet joined the survivors at their camp last night on “Lost,” and her arrival gave loyal viewers a glimpse at trouble brewing down the road.
As predicted, Sayid wanted answers out of Juliet, while Jack protected her from his torture-happy ways.
Turns out Jack was wrong.
The flashbacks were used cleverly on “Lost” last night, a rarity for the show these days. We got to see more of Juliet’s backstory, more about her journey to the island. We got to see why she was motivated to get back home- her sister, who was dying of cancer, has become pregnant because Juliet has discovered a way to make her fertile. But when her cancer returns, Ben promises he can cure it- if Juliet agrees to stay on the island.
And somehow, he keeps his promise.
Last night’s episode also provided much needed hints as to what she was doing working for The Others. She was trying to figure out why women were unable to give birth on the island, why their bodies reject their children if they are conceived there. Turns out Claire was the first person to have a child on the island without dying, and Juliet believes it was because her baby was conceived elsewhere.
Which is probably bad news for Sun.
Claire gets sick after Juliet first arrives, and Juliet tells Jack she can help. She explains that she is sick because way back in Season one, creepy Ethan was injecting her with a drug that would help the baby survive, and that Claire is going through withdrawal from the drug. She tells Jack that Ethan left supplies in the jungle that can save Claire’s life. Though her story makes very little sense, Jack trusts her and lets her help.
Sayid and Sawyer follow her out to the supplies, finally confronting her for the answers that Jack doesn’t seem to need. She shames the former con man and Iraqi interrogator into letting her go so she can help Claire, but it turns out that they might have had a good reason to force information from her.
In the last scene of the episode, Juliet’s flashback take us to right before last week’s episode- to Ben planning how she will manipulate her way into the camp of the survivors, how she will make it look like she has been left behind by The Others along with Jack, Kate, and Sayid. Ben even mentions that the “implant” in Claire has been activated, and that it will make her sick soon…which will give Juliet a crisis to avert and help her gain the trust of the survivors. Though Juliet has a conflicted look on her face, she still agrees to go along with Ben’s plans.
And then he tells her “see you in a week.” Jack needs to stop being such a decent guy and trusting everyone. It's obviously not a policy that is helpful at this point.
One of The Others is in the survivors’ camp, and we don’t know why. Clearly, something bad is coming for our survivors. Is Juliet going to kidnap the pregnant Sun? Will The Others finally make it clear to everyone exactly what they want? Will we find out what Juliet meant when she said “if you knew everything I knew, you’d kill me?” Does her conflicted look she will betray Ben? Did he read everything her face meant and not care?
The episode was a clever precursor to things to come. A few questions were answered and most of Juliet’s true motivations were revealed to us (though it wouldn't be "Lost" if everything became crystal clear) through good use of the flashbacks. And the questions that were not answered were covered up well through Juliet’s refusal to give up too much to Sayid, who at this point is as frustrated with the lack of solid information about The Others as the audience is. Juliet even addressed Jack’s lack of need for questions and asked him why he didn’t need to know more about her. Jack’s unsatisfying answer is that when the submarine blew up three weeks ago, he saw the look on her face, saw that she wanted to get off the island as much as anybody else, and that makes her one of them.
Maybe asking people questions would be a smart habit for Jack to take up. If he was a bit more curious about her, then he might not be leading everyone into trouble as quickly as he has been.
The last few episodes have felt like a slow climb before the big drop on a roller coaster, and it seems like we are close to the top. Like any good rollercoaster, “Lost” will probably follow the rule that the slower the climb up, the faster and steeper the drop down. Hold on tight, because it’s gonna be quite a ride.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Lost Watch: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Not Knowing What the Hell is Going On
Episode Title: Left Behind Air Date: 3/4/2007
A pretty standard episode with a few interesting elements, last night’s Kate-centric “Lost” didn’t reveal too much that we didn’t already know about the Others, the monster, or Kate’s back story, even though major portions of screen time were spent on all three subjects.
The most interesting developments from the episode last night came from The Others abandoning their idyllic Other-town. Before they left, Locke came in to say goodbye to Kate, because he was going to somewhere with them.
That’s right, John Locke has joined team Others. We’ve always known that something was going to snap with him, but now he’s gone off the deep end and disappeared with the show’s main villains as they withdraw further into the island. At least the defanged and whiny Locke is gone. That guy sure hasn’t learned from his constant mistakes, but I’m sure that going off with the Others will have no terrible consequences.
The other big development from last night was the fact that they left Juliet behind along with Jack, Sayid, and Kate. Juliet did betray Ben when she told Jack to let him die in surgery, and was trying to leave on the submarine with Jack. But did they really leave her with the survivors because she was banished from the Others or is this just another one of Ben’s many manipulations, with Juliet meant to infiltrate the group?
Juliet already admitted to one deception last night- after spending time in the jungle handcuffed to Kate, and evading the big ol’ smoke monster all night, Juliet admits that she was the one who handcuffed them together, to try and win Kate’s sympathies after being abandoned by the people she’d spent the last three years of her life with.
Juliet does a pretty poor job of ingratiating herself with Kate after bringing up Jack, which leads to a vicious fight between the handcuffed women. For a few minutes, “Lost” devolves into a women’s prison picture. I had to check the credits to make sure Quentin Tarantino wasn’t behind the episode, because it felt a bit like a self conscious B-movie homage for a moment there.
When the women get back to Other town, Juliet chases the smoke monster away by activating the big metal security fence. She tells Kate that they don’t know what it is, but know that “it doesn’t seem to like our fence.” When they reunite with Jack, Kate apologizes for her part in ruining his hopes of leaving the island, but he seems more concerned with Juliet than Kate by that point.
Burn.
Jack decides it’s time to head back to camp with the rest of the survivors, bringing Juliet along. Sayid seems displeased, but Jack insists, because she was left behind, just like them.
Which means Sayid is gonna go all Jack Bauer on Juliet next week and interrogate the sh#t out of her, hopefully finally revealing a lot more about The Others than we already know.
Kate’s flashback story was weak- she wants to talk to her mother even though she is heavily guarded by US Marshals trying to arrest her. She enlists the help of the woman Sawyer conned in one of his flashbacks almost two seasons ago. Yawn. I just hope these connections that all the Survivors have actually add up to something and are not just “cool coincidences.”
The “B story,” (as it’s called in the TV biz,) took place back at the survivor’s camp with Hurley telling Sawyer that the group was planning to take a vote on whether or not to banish Sawyer from camp. Sawyer is convinced to act nice to the rest of the survivors, talking to Claire about the baby, helping Desmond hunt for boar, and cooking up a nice meat roast after the hunt. The whole time Hurley is talking him through it, acting as like the angel in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” if the angel was trying to tell Jimmy Stewart to stop being such a jackass to everyone.
After Sawyer has won over the crowd, Hurley admits that he made the whole banishment vote up to teach him a lesson- that most people are looking to Sawyer to be a leader and that he needs to stop acting selfishly. Hurley owned him, proving again that he's the real GURU of the island. The slightly amusing subplot ended with one of those weird, slo-mo montages set to a bad pop song that “Lost” resorts to once in awhile, with a smiling Sawyer learning that, aw shucks, it’s okay to be nice.
Overall, “Left Behind” was more of a transitional episode, setting stuff up that should pay off nicely in the next few weeks. It will be good to see the whole crew (sans crazy Locke) back together again for the first time this season, and it will be really nice to see what Juliet has to reveal about The Others- and if she’s really been banished or if she’s still working with them. And maybe there will be more awesome catfights between her and Kate.
One can dream at least.
A pretty standard episode with a few interesting elements, last night’s Kate-centric “Lost” didn’t reveal too much that we didn’t already know about the Others, the monster, or Kate’s back story, even though major portions of screen time were spent on all three subjects.
The most interesting developments from the episode last night came from The Others abandoning their idyllic Other-town. Before they left, Locke came in to say goodbye to Kate, because he was going to somewhere with them.
That’s right, John Locke has joined team Others. We’ve always known that something was going to snap with him, but now he’s gone off the deep end and disappeared with the show’s main villains as they withdraw further into the island. At least the defanged and whiny Locke is gone. That guy sure hasn’t learned from his constant mistakes, but I’m sure that going off with the Others will have no terrible consequences.
The other big development from last night was the fact that they left Juliet behind along with Jack, Sayid, and Kate. Juliet did betray Ben when she told Jack to let him die in surgery, and was trying to leave on the submarine with Jack. But did they really leave her with the survivors because she was banished from the Others or is this just another one of Ben’s many manipulations, with Juliet meant to infiltrate the group?
Juliet already admitted to one deception last night- after spending time in the jungle handcuffed to Kate, and evading the big ol’ smoke monster all night, Juliet admits that she was the one who handcuffed them together, to try and win Kate’s sympathies after being abandoned by the people she’d spent the last three years of her life with.
Juliet does a pretty poor job of ingratiating herself with Kate after bringing up Jack, which leads to a vicious fight between the handcuffed women. For a few minutes, “Lost” devolves into a women’s prison picture. I had to check the credits to make sure Quentin Tarantino wasn’t behind the episode, because it felt a bit like a self conscious B-movie homage for a moment there.
When the women get back to Other town, Juliet chases the smoke monster away by activating the big metal security fence. She tells Kate that they don’t know what it is, but know that “it doesn’t seem to like our fence.” When they reunite with Jack, Kate apologizes for her part in ruining his hopes of leaving the island, but he seems more concerned with Juliet than Kate by that point.
Burn.
Jack decides it’s time to head back to camp with the rest of the survivors, bringing Juliet along. Sayid seems displeased, but Jack insists, because she was left behind, just like them.
Which means Sayid is gonna go all Jack Bauer on Juliet next week and interrogate the sh#t out of her, hopefully finally revealing a lot more about The Others than we already know.
Kate’s flashback story was weak- she wants to talk to her mother even though she is heavily guarded by US Marshals trying to arrest her. She enlists the help of the woman Sawyer conned in one of his flashbacks almost two seasons ago. Yawn. I just hope these connections that all the Survivors have actually add up to something and are not just “cool coincidences.”
The “B story,” (as it’s called in the TV biz,) took place back at the survivor’s camp with Hurley telling Sawyer that the group was planning to take a vote on whether or not to banish Sawyer from camp. Sawyer is convinced to act nice to the rest of the survivors, talking to Claire about the baby, helping Desmond hunt for boar, and cooking up a nice meat roast after the hunt. The whole time Hurley is talking him through it, acting as like the angel in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” if the angel was trying to tell Jimmy Stewart to stop being such a jackass to everyone.
After Sawyer has won over the crowd, Hurley admits that he made the whole banishment vote up to teach him a lesson- that most people are looking to Sawyer to be a leader and that he needs to stop acting selfishly. Hurley owned him, proving again that he's the real GURU of the island. The slightly amusing subplot ended with one of those weird, slo-mo montages set to a bad pop song that “Lost” resorts to once in awhile, with a smiling Sawyer learning that, aw shucks, it’s okay to be nice.
Overall, “Left Behind” was more of a transitional episode, setting stuff up that should pay off nicely in the next few weeks. It will be good to see the whole crew (sans crazy Locke) back together again for the first time this season, and it will be really nice to see what Juliet has to reveal about The Others- and if she’s really been banished or if she’s still working with them. And maybe there will be more awesome catfights between her and Kate.
One can dream at least.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Lost Watch: Who the Hell are Niki and Paulo?
EPISODE TITLE: EXPOSE' AIR DATE: 3/29/2007
The writers of “Lost” made one of the signature moves that angers their loyal fans again and again: the week after one of the show’s best episode airs, ending on a cliffhanger that blows the collective minds of anybody with even a passing interest in the show…they follow it with an episode that has nothing to do with what happened the previous week, that features characters uninvolved with whatever storyline is heating up, and ends up sending fans running to vent their frustrations at the watercooler or on their blogs.
Clearly, the show’s creators are doing this on purpose, and enjoying making us squirm a bit.
So I'm with you, "Lost" loyalists: like you, I want to know what’s going to happen with Locke’s dad, what Jack and Juliet will do now that they're stuck on the island, if Sayid and Kate will be allowed to go home, and what Ben's next creepy manipulation will be. But we’ll get to that eventually.
Last night we got Niki and Paulo.
Since the beginning of season three, these two attractive yet annoying characters have been showing up with increased frequency. I get that there are more survivors from the crash than we have time to follow, so it’s fine once in awhile to feature survivors who are not among our main crew that we've grown to love over three seasons. And I’ve always liked the idea that any of these bit players would be jealous about the adventures only the main characters are involved in. It’s a nice, self aware bit that proves the writers are paying attention to TV history- these are the nameless crew members of “Star Trek” if those hapless “red shirts” were pissed about being sidelined.
Fans have been complaining about Niki and Paulo since they first appeared, so last night’s episode was a nice way of acknowledging their complaints while making a big wink wink joke out of them. They even brought back Boone and Shannon, two of the most hated characters in the show’s history (who were also the first two main characters to be killed off) to top off the trick of trying to integrate the two new characters into the fabric of the show’s first three seasons.
Sawyer and Hurley’s ping pong game is interrupted when a panicked Niki falls down in front of them, gasping for air. She “dies” right in front of their eyes, and when they look for Paulo, they find him dead as well. Hurley decides to lead an investigation, and the episode suddenly becomes “CSI: Mystery Island.” As Charlie, Jin, and Sun join the investigation, the show flashes back to reveal Niki and Paulo’s backstories.
Turns out Niki is an actress who was a bit player on a TV show in which she is killed off (more self awareness.) The show she appears on is a cheesy romp about stripper detectives, complete with a badass boss played by Lando himself, BILLY DEE WILLIAMS (who, in a twist on the show within the show, reveals himself to be the villain- in a possible plant for a twist down the line on “Lost?”)
Niki is sleeping with the show’s older producer, and Paulo is his chef. The poor old fellow doesn’t realize that he is a mark, and Niki and Paulo poison him- in order to steal millions of dollars in diamonds. The rest of the episode follows Niki and Paulo trying to find the diamonds on the island after the plane crash, leading to a confrontation in which Niki throws a poisonous spider at Paulo- one which paralyzes him for eight hours. Soon we hear a subtle background sound that implies the big bad smoke monster is approaching, and Niki is bit by the spiders as well.
Our main castaways finally figure out that the couple poisoned eachother over the diamonds, and selfish ol’ Sawyer learns a lesson about greed, pouring the diamonds out into their graves. As they bury the hapless side characters, Niki’s eyes flash open-but it’s too late, and the couple is buried alive.
Overall, the episode was a silly diversion from the main story. I liked the self aware jokiness, and I liked that it had an old school, “Twilight Zone” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” tone, complete with a darkly comic moral about greed that led to the characters being buried alive and the slightly cheesy/retro score that ended the episode. It was an hour of television that was all about television, which acknowledged the kind of TV that inspired “Lost.” It didn’t move the mystery on the island forward and revealed little new information, but I did kind of dig the clever/ silly ways that the two new characters crossed paths with all the major characters from the show. When Paulo spies Ben and Juliet planning how they will get Jack to perform surgery on him, it’s can only be a joke about expository dialogue when Ben says “I will exploit what he is emotionally attached to and get him to help me.” Just a funny and self aware episode, even if it was treading water. And it had Lando in it.
So I'll accept this wander away from the main plot without complaint. But with all that said- I do want to know what’s going to happen with Locke’s dad, what Jack and Juliet will do now that they're stuck on the island, if Sayid and Kate will be allowed to go home, and what Ben's next creepy manipulation will be.
The writers of “Lost” made one of the signature moves that angers their loyal fans again and again: the week after one of the show’s best episode airs, ending on a cliffhanger that blows the collective minds of anybody with even a passing interest in the show…they follow it with an episode that has nothing to do with what happened the previous week, that features characters uninvolved with whatever storyline is heating up, and ends up sending fans running to vent their frustrations at the watercooler or on their blogs.
Clearly, the show’s creators are doing this on purpose, and enjoying making us squirm a bit.
So I'm with you, "Lost" loyalists: like you, I want to know what’s going to happen with Locke’s dad, what Jack and Juliet will do now that they're stuck on the island, if Sayid and Kate will be allowed to go home, and what Ben's next creepy manipulation will be. But we’ll get to that eventually.
Last night we got Niki and Paulo.
Since the beginning of season three, these two attractive yet annoying characters have been showing up with increased frequency. I get that there are more survivors from the crash than we have time to follow, so it’s fine once in awhile to feature survivors who are not among our main crew that we've grown to love over three seasons. And I’ve always liked the idea that any of these bit players would be jealous about the adventures only the main characters are involved in. It’s a nice, self aware bit that proves the writers are paying attention to TV history- these are the nameless crew members of “Star Trek” if those hapless “red shirts” were pissed about being sidelined.
Fans have been complaining about Niki and Paulo since they first appeared, so last night’s episode was a nice way of acknowledging their complaints while making a big wink wink joke out of them. They even brought back Boone and Shannon, two of the most hated characters in the show’s history (who were also the first two main characters to be killed off) to top off the trick of trying to integrate the two new characters into the fabric of the show’s first three seasons.
Sawyer and Hurley’s ping pong game is interrupted when a panicked Niki falls down in front of them, gasping for air. She “dies” right in front of their eyes, and when they look for Paulo, they find him dead as well. Hurley decides to lead an investigation, and the episode suddenly becomes “CSI: Mystery Island.” As Charlie, Jin, and Sun join the investigation, the show flashes back to reveal Niki and Paulo’s backstories.
Turns out Niki is an actress who was a bit player on a TV show in which she is killed off (more self awareness.) The show she appears on is a cheesy romp about stripper detectives, complete with a badass boss played by Lando himself, BILLY DEE WILLIAMS (who, in a twist on the show within the show, reveals himself to be the villain- in a possible plant for a twist down the line on “Lost?”)
Niki is sleeping with the show’s older producer, and Paulo is his chef. The poor old fellow doesn’t realize that he is a mark, and Niki and Paulo poison him- in order to steal millions of dollars in diamonds. The rest of the episode follows Niki and Paulo trying to find the diamonds on the island after the plane crash, leading to a confrontation in which Niki throws a poisonous spider at Paulo- one which paralyzes him for eight hours. Soon we hear a subtle background sound that implies the big bad smoke monster is approaching, and Niki is bit by the spiders as well.
Our main castaways finally figure out that the couple poisoned eachother over the diamonds, and selfish ol’ Sawyer learns a lesson about greed, pouring the diamonds out into their graves. As they bury the hapless side characters, Niki’s eyes flash open-but it’s too late, and the couple is buried alive.
Overall, the episode was a silly diversion from the main story. I liked the self aware jokiness, and I liked that it had an old school, “Twilight Zone” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” tone, complete with a darkly comic moral about greed that led to the characters being buried alive and the slightly cheesy/retro score that ended the episode. It was an hour of television that was all about television, which acknowledged the kind of TV that inspired “Lost.” It didn’t move the mystery on the island forward and revealed little new information, but I did kind of dig the clever/ silly ways that the two new characters crossed paths with all the major characters from the show. When Paulo spies Ben and Juliet planning how they will get Jack to perform surgery on him, it’s can only be a joke about expository dialogue when Ben says “I will exploit what he is emotionally attached to and get him to help me.” Just a funny and self aware episode, even if it was treading water. And it had Lando in it.
So I'll accept this wander away from the main plot without complaint. But with all that said- I do want to know what’s going to happen with Locke’s dad, what Jack and Juliet will do now that they're stuck on the island, if Sayid and Kate will be allowed to go home, and what Ben's next creepy manipulation will be.
So let's get on with it, shall we?
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Lost Watch: Locke Box
Episode Title: The Man from Tallahassee Air Date: March 21, 2007
“Lost” is officially back on track, and it’s thrilling to actually be excited with the show instead of pissed off about it on a Thursday morning.
As always, spoilers are ahead.
Last night’s episode finally revealed why John Locke was in a wheelchair for four years before he crash landed onto mystery island…and more importantly why he’s so angry and scared of leaving while the rest of the castaways are desperately trying to find a way home.
His father, the con artist who convinced him to donate his kidney, is in town, about to marry a rich woman. When the woman’s son comes to Locke looking to see if he vouches for him, Locke goes after his father and tells him to leave. After the kid ends up dead, Locke goes to his apartment to confront him- and gets pushed out of an eight story window, paralyzing him. Clearly, Locke’s life totally sucked before he got to the island.
While Kate and Sayid attempt to rescue Jack (who doesn’t want to be saved,) Locke has other plans. He finds high ranking “Other” Ben, incapacitated after Jack performed surgery on him, and holds him at gunpoint, wanting to know where the submarine that the dead Russian Other spoke of is docked.
Ben quickly figures out that Locke plans on blowing up the sub, which would effectively cut the islanders off from the outside world. Ben pleads with Locke to leave the sub alone, telling him it is the only connection that his people have with the outside now that the “anomaly” (the Hatch explosion from the end of season 2 caused by Locke) has cut off their radio contact. Ben tells him he doesn’t have to blow up the sub, that he knows Locke has committed to the island fully and doesn’t need to fear that the sub exists. He tells him about a “magic box” on the island in which whatever you dream, whatever you want, comes out of it, and that Ben will show it to him if he doesn’t blow up the sub.
Locke is steadfast in his convictions, telling Ben he feels the Others have “cheated” by their actions on the island, not really committing to it by living in houses with air conditioning, fully stocked fridges, and keeping their connection to the outside world intact.
That’s right, crazy John Locke, the man who is in love with the island, is back in a big way. His obsession with the Hatch in Season 2 was clearly just a short term fling. But what he and the island have- that’s forever.
After Locke finds the sub, he peeks down the entrance in a shot eerily reminiscent of the last shot from Season 1, when he finally got the hatch open. Then he blows it up, even after finding out why Jack’s been so friendly with the Others- Ben was about to let him go home on the sub. Poor Jack is stuck after his one ticket home is sunk.
This is the third hatch that Locke has blown to pieces, if you want to count the sub as a hatch. His erratic, stubborn, angry, and sometimes stupid behavior is becoming the show’s true wild card, throwing everything out of whack.
When Locke is captured by the Others, Ben tells him he wants to show him something- something that came out of the “magic box.” He wants to show him “The Man from Tallahassee,” who Ben asked one of his henchmen to fetch earlier. Locke is shocked to find his con artist father bound and gagged in a closet.
Boom. Cut to black.
It was a wild ride that was also a welcome reminder that the show’s mysteries go deeper than just figuring out who the Others are- the island’s story is so much bigger than that. The last two seasons have focused so much on The Others that it’s nice to remember that the Island has so much more to reveal than just whether The Others are Dharma or not.
It's also nice to see another episode where Locke is his intense, weird, unpredictable self again. He was so whiny in Season 2, confined to the hatch and punching in numbers for the whole year. It's good to see the old badass yet kinda stupid Locke of season one making trouble for his friends again. Somebody needs to talk this guy through some of his decision making- every time he's decided to do something, it's panned out pretty badly. But are all his choices leading to something the island is trying to reveal? Or is the island itself playing him like everyone else seems to? That would make Locke even sadder- the guy's so gullible, a mass of land can con him.
So this weeks list of questions include: how did Locke’s dad get to the island (did he really appear in a magic box or is Ben lying?) Will Locke try to kill him, or maybe have a father son bonding session where they hunt boars together? Is Locke’s dad the same con artist who ruined Sawyer’s parents’ lives and turned him into who he is? What’s going to happen to Jack now that he’s stuck on the island? Will he be accused of abandoning his friends? Why was he playing football with them- just because he struck a deal with them doesn't mean they are all best friends, does it? Are the Others and castaways going to be spending more time together instead of being seperated from now on? What will happen to Kate and Sayid now that they are prisoners of The Others? And what the hell is the so called MAGIC BOXanyway?
Just a few weeks after many fans thought they could free up an hour in your schedule on Wendesday nights, “Lost” gets addictive and exciting again.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Lost Watch: Saving a Sinking Ship
After months of teases and subplots that have gone nowhere, declining ratings, and bloggers and critics mercilessly slamming season 3 of “Lost,” is the show finally turning a corner and turning back into the exciting show that America couldn’t turn away from a mere two years ago? Last night’s episode, while flawed, was a step in the right direction.
Spoilers are ahead, so don’t read this if the episode is waiting for you unwatched on your TIVO.
When I heard the focus of this episode’s flashbacks was going to be Claire, who may be the most boring character on the show, I wasn’t thrilled. But to my surprise, for the first time in what feels like months, the writers actually revealed some new information through the flashbacks- after a gothed out Claire with dark hair (very hot by the way) gets into a car accident that puts her mother into a coma, her absentee father shows up to Australia to help- and it turns out to be Jack’s dad.
On the island, Claire gets an idea to try and catch one of the birds flying by- because she sees that they are “tagged” and will eventually be studied by scientists. Claire decides she wants to catch one and put a note in it that could lead to the rescue of the islanders. Conflict arises when Desmond tells Charlie not to help her- because he has another vision in which Charlie dies by slipping on a rock as he tries to catch a bird for Claire. The whole mess leads to Desmond explaining his creepy psychic powers to Claire- who, to her credit, accepts them and tells Charlie she will help him get through it.
More interestingly, Kate, Locke, Sayid, and the scary French lady continue their search for Jack, with the eye patched Russian Other in tow as a prisoner. When they approach a giant perimeter of huge metal pylons, the group doesn’t know how to proceed- until Locke pushes the prisoner between them to see what happens. In one of the more bizarre and cool scenes of the year, the Russian is killed by weird sonic wave, foaming from the mouth, bleeding from his ears- and smiling the whole time. Creepy and cool, just like “Lost” should be.
The murder also leads Kate and Sayid to question Locke’s decision to use the Russian as a guinea pig. Locke shrugs it off, but is unable to explain why he has a bunch of C4 explosives in his bag. Clearly, our man Locke is looking for a little revenge after head Other Ben humiliated him last season.
Finally, team badass team decides to chop down a tree and use it to climb over one of the pylons. When they get into Other territory, they find the creepy little on-island suburb that was revealed in the stunning opening episode of season 3- and discover a smiling Jack (which might be a first for the series) playing football with the Others.
WTF?
So has Jack been brainwashed? Is he trying to trick The Others so he can escape? Or, as they continue to claim, has Jack discovered that The Others are "not the bad guys?" And what will Claire and Jack's newly revealed brother/ sister relationship mean to the show? Overall, the episode revealed enough info to whet the appetites of an audience that has grown impatient with the show, but more importantly promised greatness to come on next week’s Locke-centric episode. It looks like “Lost” is back, right when many fans were ready to write it off for good.
Theories and Conjectures:
*JACK HAS BEEN BRAINWASHED: The Others claim that they're "not the bad guys," but after killing, kidnapping, and generally terrorizing the crash survivors, I think they can be pretty easily categorized as "villains." After seeing the zobmie-like behavior of the kidnapped survivors when they were "watching" Jack in the animal cage a few weeks back, and seeing the kid in the creepy "Clockwork Orange" like theatre, there is clearly some kind of mind control going on- and we'll find out more next week.
*THE OTHERS ARE DHARMA: The Russian Other was just toying with team badass when he told them he was a member of Dharma and the Others weren't- and told them about "the purge" in which the Others wiped out Dharma scientists. It's all a fucked up psychological experiment by Dharma- whatever Dharma is.
*CHARLIE IS NOT GOING TO DIE...BUT CLAIRE JUST MIGHT: Charlie won't die. He's one of the most popular characters on the show, and the fact that he's been told he will die just proves he won't- the writers wouldn't give out the info that he might die if they actually intended to kill him. It's just meant to build tension. My money is on Claire biting the dust- she is a boring character, and Charlie as a single dad raising her baby would be kind of interesting- in a generic Hollywood comedy sorta way (Charlie, Hurley, and Sawyer could star in a remake of "Three Men and a Baby.") But the new relevation that Claire is related to Jack suddenly makes her a bit more interesting, which leads to...
*JACK AND CLAIRE'S NEWLY REVEALED REALTION TO EACHOTHER IS GOING TO PAY OFF: I'm not sure how, but most of the little connections between the main characters last year turned out to be nothing more than coincidences. I don't have much to go on, but I feel like the writers revealed the big connection between Jack and Claire for a reason- especially now that Jack has become a Zombie-Other.
*THE LOCKE EPISODE NEXT WEEK WILL ROCK FOR MANY REASONS, NONE OF WHICH INCLUDE THE FLASHBACKS: This week's reveal notwithstanding, the flashbacks have become really tedious. I know next week's Locke episode is going to reveal how he ended up in a wheelchair- and to be frank, I don't care at this point. But I do care that Locke's behavior has become increasingly bizarre, and I want to know why. I miss the crazy/ weird/ slightly creepy Locke of season one, and I'm glad to see he's back. And I can't wait to see him confront manipulative lead Other Ben.
*"HEROES" AND "LOST" FANS ARE GOING TO BELIEVE TALK OF "THE LIST" MEANS THE SHOWS ARE CONNECTED: This is a silly theory based upon the fact that the show shares a few writers, creative consultants, and producers. The shows are on two different networks, have a very similar demographic but not the exact same audience down to each viewer, and...a crossover between the shows would be horribly stupid and lame.
Spoilers are ahead, so don’t read this if the episode is waiting for you unwatched on your TIVO.
When I heard the focus of this episode’s flashbacks was going to be Claire, who may be the most boring character on the show, I wasn’t thrilled. But to my surprise, for the first time in what feels like months, the writers actually revealed some new information through the flashbacks- after a gothed out Claire with dark hair (very hot by the way) gets into a car accident that puts her mother into a coma, her absentee father shows up to Australia to help- and it turns out to be Jack’s dad.
On the island, Claire gets an idea to try and catch one of the birds flying by- because she sees that they are “tagged” and will eventually be studied by scientists. Claire decides she wants to catch one and put a note in it that could lead to the rescue of the islanders. Conflict arises when Desmond tells Charlie not to help her- because he has another vision in which Charlie dies by slipping on a rock as he tries to catch a bird for Claire. The whole mess leads to Desmond explaining his creepy psychic powers to Claire- who, to her credit, accepts them and tells Charlie she will help him get through it.
More interestingly, Kate, Locke, Sayid, and the scary French lady continue their search for Jack, with the eye patched Russian Other in tow as a prisoner. When they approach a giant perimeter of huge metal pylons, the group doesn’t know how to proceed- until Locke pushes the prisoner between them to see what happens. In one of the more bizarre and cool scenes of the year, the Russian is killed by weird sonic wave, foaming from the mouth, bleeding from his ears- and smiling the whole time. Creepy and cool, just like “Lost” should be.
The murder also leads Kate and Sayid to question Locke’s decision to use the Russian as a guinea pig. Locke shrugs it off, but is unable to explain why he has a bunch of C4 explosives in his bag. Clearly, our man Locke is looking for a little revenge after head Other Ben humiliated him last season.
Finally, team badass team decides to chop down a tree and use it to climb over one of the pylons. When they get into Other territory, they find the creepy little on-island suburb that was revealed in the stunning opening episode of season 3- and discover a smiling Jack (which might be a first for the series) playing football with the Others.
WTF?
So has Jack been brainwashed? Is he trying to trick The Others so he can escape? Or, as they continue to claim, has Jack discovered that The Others are "not the bad guys?" And what will Claire and Jack's newly revealed brother/ sister relationship mean to the show? Overall, the episode revealed enough info to whet the appetites of an audience that has grown impatient with the show, but more importantly promised greatness to come on next week’s Locke-centric episode. It looks like “Lost” is back, right when many fans were ready to write it off for good.
Theories and Conjectures:
*JACK HAS BEEN BRAINWASHED: The Others claim that they're "not the bad guys," but after killing, kidnapping, and generally terrorizing the crash survivors, I think they can be pretty easily categorized as "villains." After seeing the zobmie-like behavior of the kidnapped survivors when they were "watching" Jack in the animal cage a few weeks back, and seeing the kid in the creepy "Clockwork Orange" like theatre, there is clearly some kind of mind control going on- and we'll find out more next week.
*THE OTHERS ARE DHARMA: The Russian Other was just toying with team badass when he told them he was a member of Dharma and the Others weren't- and told them about "the purge" in which the Others wiped out Dharma scientists. It's all a fucked up psychological experiment by Dharma- whatever Dharma is.
*CHARLIE IS NOT GOING TO DIE...BUT CLAIRE JUST MIGHT: Charlie won't die. He's one of the most popular characters on the show, and the fact that he's been told he will die just proves he won't- the writers wouldn't give out the info that he might die if they actually intended to kill him. It's just meant to build tension. My money is on Claire biting the dust- she is a boring character, and Charlie as a single dad raising her baby would be kind of interesting- in a generic Hollywood comedy sorta way (Charlie, Hurley, and Sawyer could star in a remake of "Three Men and a Baby.") But the new relevation that Claire is related to Jack suddenly makes her a bit more interesting, which leads to...
*JACK AND CLAIRE'S NEWLY REVEALED REALTION TO EACHOTHER IS GOING TO PAY OFF: I'm not sure how, but most of the little connections between the main characters last year turned out to be nothing more than coincidences. I don't have much to go on, but I feel like the writers revealed the big connection between Jack and Claire for a reason- especially now that Jack has become a Zombie-Other.
*THE LOCKE EPISODE NEXT WEEK WILL ROCK FOR MANY REASONS, NONE OF WHICH INCLUDE THE FLASHBACKS: This week's reveal notwithstanding, the flashbacks have become really tedious. I know next week's Locke episode is going to reveal how he ended up in a wheelchair- and to be frank, I don't care at this point. But I do care that Locke's behavior has become increasingly bizarre, and I want to know why. I miss the crazy/ weird/ slightly creepy Locke of season one, and I'm glad to see he's back. And I can't wait to see him confront manipulative lead Other Ben.
*"HEROES" AND "LOST" FANS ARE GOING TO BELIEVE TALK OF "THE LIST" MEANS THE SHOWS ARE CONNECTED: This is a silly theory based upon the fact that the show shares a few writers, creative consultants, and producers. The shows are on two different networks, have a very similar demographic but not the exact same audience down to each viewer, and...a crossover between the shows would be horribly stupid and lame.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Lost Watch: Lost Forever?
It's been a long time since I've discussed "Lost." In fact, my previous post on the show was back in the middle of the six episode "mini season." There were three more episodes before a long break, and then the show returned, with ads promising that this season would deliver like no other show.
So far, this promise has not been kept.
The latest episode, "Enter 77" was a mild improvement after two episodes that can only be described as utter trash. To recap- Sayid and Locke join Kate on her quest to save Jack from the Others. In last week's episode, they recruit the crazy loner Rousseau for their mission. On their way, they find another Hatch station, where a Russian man with an eye patch is apparently living alone. The man tells them that he is "the last living member of the Dharma Initiative" and that the station he lives in, "The Flame," is meant to communicate with the outside world- though his sattelite is inoperable. He also tells them that The Others (or as he calls them, "The Hostiles,") killed the rest of the Dharma Scientists during a "purge," and that he was left alone because he agreed to stay at The Flame and not encroach upon any other part of the island. Sayid and Kate can tell the Russian lying and realize he is one of The Others and call him out on it- leading to a struggle in which he is tied up as a prisoner. Sayid discovers a hidden doorway to the basement of the building, and Locke is left to guard the Russian while Kate and Sayid explore the basement- where Sayid finds a map of the island that shows them the location of the other hatches. As they head back up, they are attacked by and then subdue a female Other who was hiding from them- and who was on the docks when Kate, Jack, and Sawyer were kidnapped at the end of Season 2.
While Kate and Sayid explore the basement, Locke becomes distracted by the Russian's computer chess game and wins a match against the computer- which triggers a message from the creepy Dharma guy we saw a lot of last season. Before Locke can follow the instructions on the computer, the Russian, who has escaped his bindings, takes Locke hostage.
Kate and Sayid emerge from the basement to find a standoff- the Russian promises to kill Locke if they do not release the woman they have taken prisoner. The two others then shout at eachother in Russian- and the Russian shoots the female Other, then tries to take his own life- before Sayid knocks the gun out of his hand and subdues him.
Rousseau, who conveniently leaves for the whole episode ("I have survived this long on the island by avoiding this type of confrontation,") comes back and demands to know why Sayid will not kill the Russian. Which is where this episode’s edition of "repetitive flashback weekly" comes in. Sayid's flashback is to a time when he was living in France as a chef, when he is kidnapped by a man who claims Sayid tortured his wife when he was in the Iraqi Republican guard. The man beats Sayid severely, but he will not admit that he "interrogated" her. Finally, the woman comes to Sayid and he admits that he did torture her, and he apologizes deeply. He forgives her and releases him, saying she does not want to become a monster who would torture or kill, despite her justified anger. And the woman’s words explain why Sayid can't kill their prisoner.
Or whatever.
Oh yeah, and Locke exits The Flame last, saying played another chess game- and admitting he entered "77" into the keyboard when the creepy Dharma guy instructed him to do so if "the hostiles" had encroached upon the building. And then The Flame blows up. So much for that hatch, and so much for “communicating with the outside world.” This is the second Hatch that Locke has caused the destruction of after displaying some questionable decision making.
And that is what brings us directly to what is currently wrong with "Lost." After three weeks of episodes that took us completely off the main storyline, right as things are getting interesting (something the Lost writers did a lot in Season 2, which frustrated me to no end,) we finally get back to our heroes trying to figure out what is going on with The Others. But at the same time, we still get flashbacks that regurgitate plot points and character development we already understand. I don't need another episode about how Sayid is haunted by his past as a torturer anymore than I need another episode about Hurley thinking he is cursed. And, at this point, I certainly don't care what Jack's tattoos mean (in an episode which will go down as the worst in the show’s history, despite the hilarious fact that the woman Jack was sleeping with was a former Power Ranger.) These are all things that I understood by the end of the first season, or that should have been answered then- and are not relevant at all at this point. The flashback structure, though very clever in the first year of "Lost," has really proven to be redundant at this point. The only flashback story I really enjoyed this season was about a new character. Juliette's episode was fascinating because it showed more of how she was recruited by Dharma- or maybe by The Others. But more on that later.
I love the main cast of "Lost," and the character development on the show has always been strong overall. But at this point, I don't need to have things I fully understand about these people hammered home to me again. I get who these people are, now lets get on with the show. And another thing- with all this character work that the show emphasizes, it's annoying how inconsistent the behavior of the main cast can be. I mean, Locke just stopped paying attention to a dangerous prisoner so he could play a game of video chess? I know he was obsessed with punching in the numbers in the first Hatch, but you'd think he'd learn. I just don't believe he'd let his guard down that overtly to play a game- even if he did believe it would unlock some secrets. I thought we had badass tracker John Locke back from Season 1, not fate obsessed loser John Locke from Season 2- but I guess we'll just have to keep hoping for that. But just wait a few weeks- we’re going to find out how he lost the use of his legs before he got to the island and was magically cured- another thing that could have been cool to learn two years ago but seems irrelevant at this point.
It's become very clear that there is a lot of stalling going on in the storytelling of "Lost," and it’s made the show kind of boring to watch. It's become less mysterious and more tedious as the third season has dragged on. I mean, a whole episode was devoted to Hurley getting a VW Bus to work- I already saw "Little Miss Sunshine," and I didn't like it then. But I have faith in the writers of the show- these people are clever, and I believe they have an idea of where they are going with this behemoth of a story, they are just having a bit of trouble getting there. But the recent news that the producers of "Lost" have talked to ABC about creating an endpoint for the show, deciding that it will go five or six seasons and then be finished, is great news. Now they don't have to string us along. Now they can decide when exactly things can happen, and not be afraid of hiding their cards for fear of blowing their load too early. Hopefully, it means they can get season 3 back on track, but it should at least mean that Season 4 will rock. I just don't want to wait too long for the show to compelling again.
So after all those complaints, there were a few cool things to be pulled out of "Enter 77." I was glad to see more Sayid, even if his flashbacks were repetitive. He has become the most underutilized member of the very large "Lost" ensemble, and it was nice to see him back- and know he'll be around to kick ass as the hunting party gets closer to the compound of The Others. Some of the information The Russian gave to Kate and Sayid was interesting, despite the fact that he was lying through a lot of it. Did he basically tell them that The Others are definitely not Dharma? The Creepy Dharma guy seemed to reiterate the fact when they talked about "The Hostiles" encroaching upon The Flame. But what about Juliette being recruited to work for the Project- was she being recruited by The Others instead? Or are they one and the same after all, and they just want the Oceanic Flight Survivors to think otherwise? If they are not Dharma, who are they and why are they living on the island? Once again, it was an episode that raised more questions without answering many- but at least they were intriguing questions.
So here we are, deep into Season 3. Kate, Sayid, Locke, and Rousseau are getting closer to the compound of the Others, where hopefully some real questions will be answered. It really is time for the writers get on with it, because they are testing the patience of a lot of their audience- ratings are down, fans are complaining vocally, and critics are questioning the direction of the show. It's time to get on with the storytelling, or they are going to lose their audience forever.
Sayid by Jeaux from "All My Heroes Have Day Jobs."
So far, this promise has not been kept.
The latest episode, "Enter 77" was a mild improvement after two episodes that can only be described as utter trash. To recap- Sayid and Locke join Kate on her quest to save Jack from the Others. In last week's episode, they recruit the crazy loner Rousseau for their mission. On their way, they find another Hatch station, where a Russian man with an eye patch is apparently living alone. The man tells them that he is "the last living member of the Dharma Initiative" and that the station he lives in, "The Flame," is meant to communicate with the outside world- though his sattelite is inoperable. He also tells them that The Others (or as he calls them, "The Hostiles,") killed the rest of the Dharma Scientists during a "purge," and that he was left alone because he agreed to stay at The Flame and not encroach upon any other part of the island. Sayid and Kate can tell the Russian lying and realize he is one of The Others and call him out on it- leading to a struggle in which he is tied up as a prisoner. Sayid discovers a hidden doorway to the basement of the building, and Locke is left to guard the Russian while Kate and Sayid explore the basement- where Sayid finds a map of the island that shows them the location of the other hatches. As they head back up, they are attacked by and then subdue a female Other who was hiding from them- and who was on the docks when Kate, Jack, and Sawyer were kidnapped at the end of Season 2.
While Kate and Sayid explore the basement, Locke becomes distracted by the Russian's computer chess game and wins a match against the computer- which triggers a message from the creepy Dharma guy we saw a lot of last season. Before Locke can follow the instructions on the computer, the Russian, who has escaped his bindings, takes Locke hostage.
Kate and Sayid emerge from the basement to find a standoff- the Russian promises to kill Locke if they do not release the woman they have taken prisoner. The two others then shout at eachother in Russian- and the Russian shoots the female Other, then tries to take his own life- before Sayid knocks the gun out of his hand and subdues him.
Rousseau, who conveniently leaves for the whole episode ("I have survived this long on the island by avoiding this type of confrontation,") comes back and demands to know why Sayid will not kill the Russian. Which is where this episode’s edition of "repetitive flashback weekly" comes in. Sayid's flashback is to a time when he was living in France as a chef, when he is kidnapped by a man who claims Sayid tortured his wife when he was in the Iraqi Republican guard. The man beats Sayid severely, but he will not admit that he "interrogated" her. Finally, the woman comes to Sayid and he admits that he did torture her, and he apologizes deeply. He forgives her and releases him, saying she does not want to become a monster who would torture or kill, despite her justified anger. And the woman’s words explain why Sayid can't kill their prisoner.
Or whatever.
Oh yeah, and Locke exits The Flame last, saying played another chess game- and admitting he entered "77" into the keyboard when the creepy Dharma guy instructed him to do so if "the hostiles" had encroached upon the building. And then The Flame blows up. So much for that hatch, and so much for “communicating with the outside world.” This is the second Hatch that Locke has caused the destruction of after displaying some questionable decision making.
And that is what brings us directly to what is currently wrong with "Lost." After three weeks of episodes that took us completely off the main storyline, right as things are getting interesting (something the Lost writers did a lot in Season 2, which frustrated me to no end,) we finally get back to our heroes trying to figure out what is going on with The Others. But at the same time, we still get flashbacks that regurgitate plot points and character development we already understand. I don't need another episode about how Sayid is haunted by his past as a torturer anymore than I need another episode about Hurley thinking he is cursed. And, at this point, I certainly don't care what Jack's tattoos mean (in an episode which will go down as the worst in the show’s history, despite the hilarious fact that the woman Jack was sleeping with was a former Power Ranger.) These are all things that I understood by the end of the first season, or that should have been answered then- and are not relevant at all at this point. The flashback structure, though very clever in the first year of "Lost," has really proven to be redundant at this point. The only flashback story I really enjoyed this season was about a new character. Juliette's episode was fascinating because it showed more of how she was recruited by Dharma- or maybe by The Others. But more on that later.
I love the main cast of "Lost," and the character development on the show has always been strong overall. But at this point, I don't need to have things I fully understand about these people hammered home to me again. I get who these people are, now lets get on with the show. And another thing- with all this character work that the show emphasizes, it's annoying how inconsistent the behavior of the main cast can be. I mean, Locke just stopped paying attention to a dangerous prisoner so he could play a game of video chess? I know he was obsessed with punching in the numbers in the first Hatch, but you'd think he'd learn. I just don't believe he'd let his guard down that overtly to play a game- even if he did believe it would unlock some secrets. I thought we had badass tracker John Locke back from Season 1, not fate obsessed loser John Locke from Season 2- but I guess we'll just have to keep hoping for that. But just wait a few weeks- we’re going to find out how he lost the use of his legs before he got to the island and was magically cured- another thing that could have been cool to learn two years ago but seems irrelevant at this point.
It's become very clear that there is a lot of stalling going on in the storytelling of "Lost," and it’s made the show kind of boring to watch. It's become less mysterious and more tedious as the third season has dragged on. I mean, a whole episode was devoted to Hurley getting a VW Bus to work- I already saw "Little Miss Sunshine," and I didn't like it then. But I have faith in the writers of the show- these people are clever, and I believe they have an idea of where they are going with this behemoth of a story, they are just having a bit of trouble getting there. But the recent news that the producers of "Lost" have talked to ABC about creating an endpoint for the show, deciding that it will go five or six seasons and then be finished, is great news. Now they don't have to string us along. Now they can decide when exactly things can happen, and not be afraid of hiding their cards for fear of blowing their load too early. Hopefully, it means they can get season 3 back on track, but it should at least mean that Season 4 will rock. I just don't want to wait too long for the show to compelling again.
So after all those complaints, there were a few cool things to be pulled out of "Enter 77." I was glad to see more Sayid, even if his flashbacks were repetitive. He has become the most underutilized member of the very large "Lost" ensemble, and it was nice to see him back- and know he'll be around to kick ass as the hunting party gets closer to the compound of The Others. Some of the information The Russian gave to Kate and Sayid was interesting, despite the fact that he was lying through a lot of it. Did he basically tell them that The Others are definitely not Dharma? The Creepy Dharma guy seemed to reiterate the fact when they talked about "The Hostiles" encroaching upon The Flame. But what about Juliette being recruited to work for the Project- was she being recruited by The Others instead? Or are they one and the same after all, and they just want the Oceanic Flight Survivors to think otherwise? If they are not Dharma, who are they and why are they living on the island? Once again, it was an episode that raised more questions without answering many- but at least they were intriguing questions.
So here we are, deep into Season 3. Kate, Sayid, Locke, and Rousseau are getting closer to the compound of the Others, where hopefully some real questions will be answered. It really is time for the writers get on with it, because they are testing the patience of a lot of their audience- ratings are down, fans are complaining vocally, and critics are questioning the direction of the show. It's time to get on with the storytelling, or they are going to lose their audience forever.
Sayid by Jeaux from "All My Heroes Have Day Jobs."
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Ann Coulter is a Cucking Funt
Ann Coulter, loud mouthed, attention seeking, horse faced bitch that she is, has gone too far even for Ann Coulter. In a recent speech she called Presidential hopeful John Edwards a “faggot.” Or to be exact, she said she was going to talk about Edwards but using the word mean she would have to go to rehab, referring to a recent incident from the set of “Grey’s Anatomy” in which Isaiah Washington used the ugly word to refer to an out of the closet co-star. Forget for a moment that Edwards is a happily married man with children. Forget that there has never been a whisper or rumor of any kind that Mr. Edwards is a homosexual, closeted or otherwise. Coulter herself has explained that she didn’t mean he was gay, she was only trying to imply that he is a “wussy” guy, not a man’s man (like the retarded cowboy we call the President.)
Okay. Now we should all feel better. She only used such a hateful word to say Edwards was not macho enough. So she was just insulting "girly men." Good to know, Ann.
It’s a hate word, pure and simple. I heard clips of a stuttering and shaken Coulter appearing on “Hannity and Colmes” in which she was sweating under the interrogation of Alan Colmes (which is like sweating under the interrogation of Mickey Mouse, but I digress,) and became defensive when he asked her what makes her use of the term “faggot” different than if she used a racial slur. Coulter’s brilliant defense was to ask Colmes why it always comes back to “the N-word.” A word he hadn’t even brought up specifically. But as Coulter will do, she tried to spin the issue away from her deplorable use of the “F-word” (well, the “other F-word,” I guess.) She asked Colmes why the conversation always comes back to the n-word. Even though she was the one who brought the conversation there.
"Faggot" is a term of hate that holds almost as much historical power as the n-word. It’s demeaning, degrading, and dehumanizing to an entire group of people. Ann Coulter used the term with malice that reflected in her soulless, hateful eyes. Coulter is an ignorant idiot, and she should be condemned from every level for her insensitive comments- which can be viewed on YouTube for all the world to see.
The worst part is the fact that people are responding to her- including myself- is that it gives her what she wants. She says shocking things to provoke people, to make them angry- and we all play right into it. When is the GOP going to drop this demon bitch for her incendiary form of discourse? Coulter is not attempting to intelligently debate politics- she is talking from the gutter, looking to ignite an angry reaction. There is no level the woman will not stoop to- as we’ve witnessed when she criticized 9/11 widows and implied that former President Clinton was gay- because he liked to sleep with women so much (which makes as little sense to me as it did to everyone else.)
We should all just stop paying attention to her altogether, stop giving her what she wants. In writing this blog entry, I'm guilty of playing right into the witch’s sick and immature games, just because I am responding.
But I won’t stoop to her level. Except to reiterate this point: Ann Coulter is a fucking cunt.
Okay. Now we should all feel better. She only used such a hateful word to say Edwards was not macho enough. So she was just insulting "girly men." Good to know, Ann.
It’s a hate word, pure and simple. I heard clips of a stuttering and shaken Coulter appearing on “Hannity and Colmes” in which she was sweating under the interrogation of Alan Colmes (which is like sweating under the interrogation of Mickey Mouse, but I digress,) and became defensive when he asked her what makes her use of the term “faggot” different than if she used a racial slur. Coulter’s brilliant defense was to ask Colmes why it always comes back to “the N-word.” A word he hadn’t even brought up specifically. But as Coulter will do, she tried to spin the issue away from her deplorable use of the “F-word” (well, the “other F-word,” I guess.) She asked Colmes why the conversation always comes back to the n-word. Even though she was the one who brought the conversation there.
"Faggot" is a term of hate that holds almost as much historical power as the n-word. It’s demeaning, degrading, and dehumanizing to an entire group of people. Ann Coulter used the term with malice that reflected in her soulless, hateful eyes. Coulter is an ignorant idiot, and she should be condemned from every level for her insensitive comments- which can be viewed on YouTube for all the world to see.
The worst part is the fact that people are responding to her- including myself- is that it gives her what she wants. She says shocking things to provoke people, to make them angry- and we all play right into it. When is the GOP going to drop this demon bitch for her incendiary form of discourse? Coulter is not attempting to intelligently debate politics- she is talking from the gutter, looking to ignite an angry reaction. There is no level the woman will not stoop to- as we’ve witnessed when she criticized 9/11 widows and implied that former President Clinton was gay- because he liked to sleep with women so much (which makes as little sense to me as it did to everyone else.)
We should all just stop paying attention to her altogether, stop giving her what she wants. In writing this blog entry, I'm guilty of playing right into the witch’s sick and immature games, just because I am responding.
But I won’t stoop to her level. Except to reiterate this point: Ann Coulter is a fucking cunt.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Bauer Watch: This Time It's Even More Personal
So how do the producers of “24” top an Emmy winning season in which Jack Bauer takes down the president of the United States? They keep it in the family. In Season 6 of “24,” Jack has to contend with his evil father, played by none other than James Cromwell, king of the fatherly villains who lull you into a false sense of security before shooting you in the heart (sorry, Kevin Spacey.) After Jack found out that his father’s company was involved in the nuclear bomb exploding in Valencia, he tries to reach him- alerting his slimy brother, who we’ve never seen in the first five seasons of the show. Turns out his brother is none other than the nameless Blue Tooth Douche from last year, the guy who was powerful enough to give crooked and Nixonish President Logan his marching orders.
In an insanely intense scene, Jack tortures his brother while hugging him and weeping, until he finally admits that he was behind Season 5’s assassination of former President Palmer as well as the framing of Jack for said murder. He almost kills his brother in the interrogation, only letting up when his father (whom Jack still believes is a good guy) walks in on the scene. Jack leaves his father and brother alone- only to have dear old dad kill him himself.
And you thought your family was fucked up.
Papa Bauer ends up back at CTU, with his now dead son’s kid. As Jack heads out to find a former Russian general who might have connections to the terrorists with the now widowed (and Milfy) wife of his brother (who has some vague romantic past with Jack that involves lingering romantic tension,) Jack’s dad takes his own grandson hostage, determined to “protect his company,” and ready to kill the kid if his mom doesn’t lie to Jack and tell him to go to the wrong, booby trapped house. This guy is dedicated to his job- he’s killed one son, attempted to kill the other, and threatened to kill his grandson. The Bauer family must have really awkward Thanksgiving gatherings.
It’s unclear at this point what Cromwell’s bad dad did exactly, or how connected to the terrorists he and his company are- or what exactly the company is but the choice to bring in the Bauer clan is genius. With three nukes still in terrorist hands, crazy Neo-Con hawks circling around new President Wayne Palmer, and Chloe experiencing a mini meltdown of her own with boyfriend/ ex-husband Morris, the show has got a lot of balls in the air. But the choice to bring Jack’s family into the mix is the real stroke of genius this year, keeping it personal and intense for the broken and defeated Jack of season 6. It's all going to lead to Jack confronting, and as would be consistent with the writers of “24,” who can’t seem to let Jack catch a break, probably killing his own father. Six seasons in, and the creators of the show still find ways to keep it fresh, exciting, and surprisingly emotionally satisfying.
In an insanely intense scene, Jack tortures his brother while hugging him and weeping, until he finally admits that he was behind Season 5’s assassination of former President Palmer as well as the framing of Jack for said murder. He almost kills his brother in the interrogation, only letting up when his father (whom Jack still believes is a good guy) walks in on the scene. Jack leaves his father and brother alone- only to have dear old dad kill him himself.
And you thought your family was fucked up.
Papa Bauer ends up back at CTU, with his now dead son’s kid. As Jack heads out to find a former Russian general who might have connections to the terrorists with the now widowed (and Milfy) wife of his brother (who has some vague romantic past with Jack that involves lingering romantic tension,) Jack’s dad takes his own grandson hostage, determined to “protect his company,” and ready to kill the kid if his mom doesn’t lie to Jack and tell him to go to the wrong, booby trapped house. This guy is dedicated to his job- he’s killed one son, attempted to kill the other, and threatened to kill his grandson. The Bauer family must have really awkward Thanksgiving gatherings.
It’s unclear at this point what Cromwell’s bad dad did exactly, or how connected to the terrorists he and his company are- or what exactly the company is but the choice to bring in the Bauer clan is genius. With three nukes still in terrorist hands, crazy Neo-Con hawks circling around new President Wayne Palmer, and Chloe experiencing a mini meltdown of her own with boyfriend/ ex-husband Morris, the show has got a lot of balls in the air. But the choice to bring Jack’s family into the mix is the real stroke of genius this year, keeping it personal and intense for the broken and defeated Jack of season 6. It's all going to lead to Jack confronting, and as would be consistent with the writers of “24,” who can’t seem to let Jack catch a break, probably killing his own father. Six seasons in, and the creators of the show still find ways to keep it fresh, exciting, and surprisingly emotionally satisfying.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Bauer Watch: Keeping it in the Family
Day Six of "24" is building off last season's Emmy winning high and then some. After the shocking nuclear attack in Valencia, Jack tells a confused Bill Buchanen at CTU that he's not quitting after all, "not after this." After interrogating former terrorist turned peace activist Assad, he gives CTU the name of the Russian General who sold the suitcase Nukes to Fayed. After running a check on the general's associates, one name sticks out like a sore thumb.
Jack Bauer's father.
The question of how the hell the writers can continue the show's momentum is answered with the simple and brilliant idea of bringing Jack's until now unseen family into the show. Jack calls his dad's office and is told he is mysteriously "out of town," then asks for his brother's phone number so he can get some information from him.
His brother turns out to be none other than the guy who was the mastermind behind President Keilor's evil scheme's last year, a subplot that I'd expected the writers to ignore (the way the notoriously did after season 2's cliff hanger in which David Palmer almost died in an assasination attempt in the finale and then the attack was barely mentioned in season 3- but that's the story the awful video game tried to tell.) Not this time- this time it's all in the family. So "Blue Tooth Douche" who never takes his stupid blue tooth head set out, is back. (Full disclosure though- I've got one of those headsets now- for talking on the phone while driving. They're stupid but help me not get into accidents while talking on the phone.)
Anyway... the choice to keep it in the family for "24" this year is a great one... that will hopefully pay off down the line.
Jack Bauer's father.
The question of how the hell the writers can continue the show's momentum is answered with the simple and brilliant idea of bringing Jack's until now unseen family into the show. Jack calls his dad's office and is told he is mysteriously "out of town," then asks for his brother's phone number so he can get some information from him.
His brother turns out to be none other than the guy who was the mastermind behind President Keilor's evil scheme's last year, a subplot that I'd expected the writers to ignore (the way the notoriously did after season 2's cliff hanger in which David Palmer almost died in an assasination attempt in the finale and then the attack was barely mentioned in season 3- but that's the story the awful video game tried to tell.) Not this time- this time it's all in the family. So "Blue Tooth Douche" who never takes his stupid blue tooth head set out, is back. (Full disclosure though- I've got one of those headsets now- for talking on the phone while driving. They're stupid but help me not get into accidents while talking on the phone.)
Anyway... the choice to keep it in the family for "24" this year is a great one... that will hopefully pay off down the line.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Bauer Watch: Goin' Nuclear
"24" returned last weekend with a vengeance. Jack Bauer comes back to America after spending nearly two years as a Chinese POW, scarred and broken. The first thing his government asks him to do: sacrifice himself to Fayed, a terrorist with a personal hatred of Jack who promises to give up the location of an Osama Bin Laden like Jihad leader Assad in exchange for Bauer. The broken and defeated Jack agrees, because it means he will at least die "for a reason." He even says that "it would be relief to die" at this point. Good god! In these first few scenes, we see a Bauer we've never seen before- haunted, scarred, and utterly crushed as a human. But when he learns the whole sacrifice is a setup, that Assad is actually planning to try and work with the West and disarm and Fayed wants him dead for "betraying the cause," Jack goes into action- first by tearing out a terrorists throat with his teeth.
There's the Jack Bauer we all know and missed.
Jack finds himself in the tough position of running to save Assad before he is killed in an air strike. Assad and Jack end up working together to try and stop Fayed, who they believe has a suitcase nuke in his possession. After they find out where the nuke is, Assad is given a presidential pardon and agrees to continue working with Jack to stop Fayed. But Curtis, who has been simmering quietly for the whole episode, finally snaps. It turns out Assad killed a bunch of men in his platoon back in the first Iraq war, and Curtis wants blood. Jack has to make an awful choice and shoots one of his last friends in the neck, watching him die. Jack, in a moment of utter revulsion, vomits and cries. As if the show isn't grim enough at this point, just after Jack calls in to say he's done, that he "can't do this anymore," the tactical team sent to get the suitcase nuke from the terrorists (in Valencia!) is spotted and the terrorists detonate the bomb right then and there.
Yes, a nuclear bomb explodes on American soil on "24." Just moments after Jack had to kill one of his only close friends, he looks up and sees a mushroom cloud form in the sky.
Welcome back, "24." You've made the "Lost" writers look like a bunch of pussies.
The first four hours of season six were grim, upsetting, visceral television. Kiefer Sutherland's performance as Bauer has never been better, and it's really turned into one of the great TV performances of all time. Bauer is a haunted, cursed man. He's one of the most badass heroes ever, relentless in his pursuit of the bad guys and brutal in his dispatching of dozens of terrorists at a time. But his vulnerability is what makes Bauer such a compelling character. This guy is utterly alone in the world at this point, having watched the people he cares about most die one by one even as he's saved millions of American lives. There is very little fight left in Jack as season six starts, but the bomb exploding in Valencia might just be the thing that kick starts Mr. Bauer's engines.
The show’s first four episodes are ballsy, grim, pitch dark TV. The show is not exactly very fun right now, but I admire the writers for having the guts to start off in such a dark place with the show. It’s says a lot that six seasons into the show, they are still upping the ante and finding ways to shock us. The best show on TV is back and better than ever. Don’t even try to resist it.
There's the Jack Bauer we all know and missed.
Jack finds himself in the tough position of running to save Assad before he is killed in an air strike. Assad and Jack end up working together to try and stop Fayed, who they believe has a suitcase nuke in his possession. After they find out where the nuke is, Assad is given a presidential pardon and agrees to continue working with Jack to stop Fayed. But Curtis, who has been simmering quietly for the whole episode, finally snaps. It turns out Assad killed a bunch of men in his platoon back in the first Iraq war, and Curtis wants blood. Jack has to make an awful choice and shoots one of his last friends in the neck, watching him die. Jack, in a moment of utter revulsion, vomits and cries. As if the show isn't grim enough at this point, just after Jack calls in to say he's done, that he "can't do this anymore," the tactical team sent to get the suitcase nuke from the terrorists (in Valencia!) is spotted and the terrorists detonate the bomb right then and there.
Yes, a nuclear bomb explodes on American soil on "24." Just moments after Jack had to kill one of his only close friends, he looks up and sees a mushroom cloud form in the sky.
Welcome back, "24." You've made the "Lost" writers look like a bunch of pussies.
The first four hours of season six were grim, upsetting, visceral television. Kiefer Sutherland's performance as Bauer has never been better, and it's really turned into one of the great TV performances of all time. Bauer is a haunted, cursed man. He's one of the most badass heroes ever, relentless in his pursuit of the bad guys and brutal in his dispatching of dozens of terrorists at a time. But his vulnerability is what makes Bauer such a compelling character. This guy is utterly alone in the world at this point, having watched the people he cares about most die one by one even as he's saved millions of American lives. There is very little fight left in Jack as season six starts, but the bomb exploding in Valencia might just be the thing that kick starts Mr. Bauer's engines.
The show’s first four episodes are ballsy, grim, pitch dark TV. The show is not exactly very fun right now, but I admire the writers for having the guts to start off in such a dark place with the show. It’s says a lot that six seasons into the show, they are still upping the ante and finding ways to shock us. The best show on TV is back and better than ever. Don’t even try to resist it.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Our First Big Hit
I have not posted in a long time (anybody whose keeping score at home- I am in the camp that thought "Lost" was awesome. I'll probably recap all my thoughts before the show returns with new episodes in a few weeks, and y'all know I'll be posting all about "24" when it returns to the air as well as publishing my top ten lists for the just ended year, so keep checking back in, loyal readers!) I've been super busy with my new job, which is what this new post is all about. I present to you the premeire of one our first big videos, the trailer for the buddy comedy "Second Coming." Take a look and enjoy yourselves.
-Seth
http://www.broadcaster.com/video/player.php?clip=6679
-Seth
http://www.broadcaster.com/video/player.php?clip=6679
Monday, October 23, 2006
Here All the Bombs Fade Away: The Decemberists at The Wiltern LG, 10/21/2006
Los Angeles concert-goers are notorious for their lack of enthusiasm. I can't count how many times I've been told that a perfectly good rock and roll show was ruined by a seemingly disinterested crowd of Angelinos who would have been too cool to do more than clap unenthusiastically had John Lennon himself come back from the dead to play during the encore. Somebody must have forgotten to tell the crowd at the Decemberists show what city they were in last night, because I haven't been to many shows in my life in any city where the crowd and the performers were so obviously in love with eachother. In fact, the last time I'd had such a perfect experience at an L.A. show was about a year ago- the last time The Decemberists were in town.
There is something magical about front man Colin Meloy and his merry band. The Decemberists should be one of the most pretentious and boring bands in music. This is a band that favors writing ten minute long songs that retell old Japanese folktales and Irish myths. Almost every critic who writes about them is quick to point out that their lyrics are much more literate than almost every other rock song ever written. Musically, the band likes to experiment with tons of bizarre instruments and various styles, never sticking to one sound for long. Their songs are usually period narratives, telling tales of Mariners seeking revenge, suicide pacts, and Chinese Trapeze artists. In theory, it should be really lame and indulgent. Yet somehow, The Decemberists more than pull off what could have been annoying and precious- in fact, they are one of the most fun, entertaining, engaging, inventive, catchy, and insanely listenable bands around.
Playing at the Wiltern last night, one of my favorite venues in Los Angeles, the band rocked through a lively, fast paced set that lasted almost two hours but passed like lightning. They played almost their entire phenomenal new album, "The Crane Wife," a lot of cuts from their 2005 release, "Picaresque," and a healthy sprinkling of hits from their first two albums. Opening with the first two tracks from "The Crane Wife,” including the mind bending, prog rock epic "The Island" (which has a much longer full title, tells a tale of a mysterious island where a murder occurs, and features a kick ass synth solo- yeah, this band can even pull off synth solos,) Meloy was in full control of the stage from the get go. Joking with the audience, organizing call and responses, and even leading us in "vocal warm-ups" so we could sing along, Meloy clearly loves being in front of a crowd, and we loved him back. This is the rare rock star who lets you see how much he enjoys being a rock star- there is no snobby, too cool to be there attitude that many front-men favor. For two hours, Meloy kept the energy up, making it clear just how much fun he was having.
When he launched into live staple "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," the crowd erupted. Meloy's love/ hate letter to the city summed up the contradictory feelings many of residents feel to the city of Angels, and we sang along lyrics like: "How I abhor this place/Its sweet and bitter taste/ Has left me wretched, retching on all fours /Los Angeles, I’m yours" with gusto and abandon. The new, Smiths and Talking Heads influenced track "The Perfect Crime 2" had the crowd on the floor dancing wildly (another thing that apparently Los Angeles crowds don't ever do,) while the gorgeous "Sons and Daughters" turned into a beautiful sing along that felt like a giant group hug.
The encore was even better. After letting the crowd go crazy for a few minutes, screaming and stomping for more, the band came back out. Meloy, for the first time all night, didn't pick up a guitar and the band launched into a terrific new song. Just singing, Meloy was free to launch into an all out Morrissey impression, reaching out to an adoring crowd, gyrating wildly, singing on his knees melodramatically, grabbing an audience member's cell phone and dialing a random number and singing the new songs awesome, slightly creepy lyrics (Cut 'im up, boy,") into the phone, while whipping the mike chord with abandon. I don't know what this song is called, but I can't wait to hear the next album if it's as good as the new track they played last night. They closed the set with a rousing, extended version of "16 Military Wives," with Meloy splitting the crowd in two for the sing along, getting us to follow his every command. This is a performer who is confident and in command of his audience, and clearly loves it. The audience was going nuts, and Meloy couldn't stop smiling through the whole show. At the end of the night, he admitted (ambiguous lyrics to his ode the city aside,) how much fun he has every time he comes out to L.A.
The feeling was more than mutual.
There is something magical about front man Colin Meloy and his merry band. The Decemberists should be one of the most pretentious and boring bands in music. This is a band that favors writing ten minute long songs that retell old Japanese folktales and Irish myths. Almost every critic who writes about them is quick to point out that their lyrics are much more literate than almost every other rock song ever written. Musically, the band likes to experiment with tons of bizarre instruments and various styles, never sticking to one sound for long. Their songs are usually period narratives, telling tales of Mariners seeking revenge, suicide pacts, and Chinese Trapeze artists. In theory, it should be really lame and indulgent. Yet somehow, The Decemberists more than pull off what could have been annoying and precious- in fact, they are one of the most fun, entertaining, engaging, inventive, catchy, and insanely listenable bands around.
Playing at the Wiltern last night, one of my favorite venues in Los Angeles, the band rocked through a lively, fast paced set that lasted almost two hours but passed like lightning. They played almost their entire phenomenal new album, "The Crane Wife," a lot of cuts from their 2005 release, "Picaresque," and a healthy sprinkling of hits from their first two albums. Opening with the first two tracks from "The Crane Wife,” including the mind bending, prog rock epic "The Island" (which has a much longer full title, tells a tale of a mysterious island where a murder occurs, and features a kick ass synth solo- yeah, this band can even pull off synth solos,) Meloy was in full control of the stage from the get go. Joking with the audience, organizing call and responses, and even leading us in "vocal warm-ups" so we could sing along, Meloy clearly loves being in front of a crowd, and we loved him back. This is the rare rock star who lets you see how much he enjoys being a rock star- there is no snobby, too cool to be there attitude that many front-men favor. For two hours, Meloy kept the energy up, making it clear just how much fun he was having.
When he launched into live staple "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," the crowd erupted. Meloy's love/ hate letter to the city summed up the contradictory feelings many of residents feel to the city of Angels, and we sang along lyrics like: "How I abhor this place/Its sweet and bitter taste/ Has left me wretched, retching on all fours /Los Angeles, I’m yours" with gusto and abandon. The new, Smiths and Talking Heads influenced track "The Perfect Crime 2" had the crowd on the floor dancing wildly (another thing that apparently Los Angeles crowds don't ever do,) while the gorgeous "Sons and Daughters" turned into a beautiful sing along that felt like a giant group hug.
The encore was even better. After letting the crowd go crazy for a few minutes, screaming and stomping for more, the band came back out. Meloy, for the first time all night, didn't pick up a guitar and the band launched into a terrific new song. Just singing, Meloy was free to launch into an all out Morrissey impression, reaching out to an adoring crowd, gyrating wildly, singing on his knees melodramatically, grabbing an audience member's cell phone and dialing a random number and singing the new songs awesome, slightly creepy lyrics (Cut 'im up, boy,") into the phone, while whipping the mike chord with abandon. I don't know what this song is called, but I can't wait to hear the next album if it's as good as the new track they played last night. They closed the set with a rousing, extended version of "16 Military Wives," with Meloy splitting the crowd in two for the sing along, getting us to follow his every command. This is a performer who is confident and in command of his audience, and clearly loves it. The audience was going nuts, and Meloy couldn't stop smiling through the whole show. At the end of the night, he admitted (ambiguous lyrics to his ode the city aside,) how much fun he has every time he comes out to L.A.
The feeling was more than mutual.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Project Runway: Assholes Finish First
I wanted to do a short post on "Project Runway's" finale tonight. Anyone who makes fun of me for watching the show, by the way- you just haven't seen it. I thought that a show about designing fashion would blow too- but man is that shit compelling viewing. And it's funny to take a step back and look at yourself critiquing the clothes that the designers make- what the shit do I know about clothes? Not much.
Will my total lack of fashion knowledge (all I ever wear are a small group of T-Shirts and two pairs of jeans that I wear for two weeks straight until I finally do the laundry) stop me from bitching about the winner of Season 3?
You bet your ass it won't. They created the art form of blogs so that uninformed people could state their opinions, and state them loudly.
Jeffrey is the winner?
The asshole with the neck tattoo? With the ugly "rock and roll" clothing? The guy who may very well have cheated on his final clothing line (when he was accused, he seemed nervous and annoyed- but if somebody had accused me of cheating on something and I hadn't, I know I'd be pissed off, not act fake surprised.) The guy who made another designer's mom cry? Who was pissed off every time one of his ugly designs didn't win a competition? Who badmouthed everybody else to no end? That guy won?
His final line was better than anything he'd done all season- but still had some turds in it. And the guy is just such a creep, he's impossible to root for. I wanted Michael to win, but clearly the youngster blew it with his ugly line. I wouldn't have minded if Uli, the crazy German who just loves colorful prints, had won with her line, which actually looked different than every piece she made all season. I would have even been fine with Laura winning, the Cruella De Vil of the group (when the designers were all given the task of creating an outfit for a dog, I thought she was going to make it out of the dog.) Anyway, enough about the clothes- I don't really know anything about them in the first place. But I've watched every episode this season, and hated Jeffery for every minute of it.
The guy is an arrogant putz- and not even an entertaining one, like last season's hilarious Santino. The guy made someone's mother cry- because she had the audacity to say she didn't like the clothes he made for her.
Shouldn't the fact that he possibly cheated have hurt his chances? And if not, shouldn't he lose some points for that fucking stupid neck tattoo?
When did I start to care about a fashion design reality show so much?
Shit, I can't wait for season 4.
Will my total lack of fashion knowledge (all I ever wear are a small group of T-Shirts and two pairs of jeans that I wear for two weeks straight until I finally do the laundry) stop me from bitching about the winner of Season 3?
You bet your ass it won't. They created the art form of blogs so that uninformed people could state their opinions, and state them loudly.
Jeffrey is the winner?
The asshole with the neck tattoo? With the ugly "rock and roll" clothing? The guy who may very well have cheated on his final clothing line (when he was accused, he seemed nervous and annoyed- but if somebody had accused me of cheating on something and I hadn't, I know I'd be pissed off, not act fake surprised.) The guy who made another designer's mom cry? Who was pissed off every time one of his ugly designs didn't win a competition? Who badmouthed everybody else to no end? That guy won?
His final line was better than anything he'd done all season- but still had some turds in it. And the guy is just such a creep, he's impossible to root for. I wanted Michael to win, but clearly the youngster blew it with his ugly line. I wouldn't have minded if Uli, the crazy German who just loves colorful prints, had won with her line, which actually looked different than every piece she made all season. I would have even been fine with Laura winning, the Cruella De Vil of the group (when the designers were all given the task of creating an outfit for a dog, I thought she was going to make it out of the dog.) Anyway, enough about the clothes- I don't really know anything about them in the first place. But I've watched every episode this season, and hated Jeffery for every minute of it.
The guy is an arrogant putz- and not even an entertaining one, like last season's hilarious Santino. The guy made someone's mother cry- because she had the audacity to say she didn't like the clothes he made for her.
Shouldn't the fact that he possibly cheated have hurt his chances? And if not, shouldn't he lose some points for that fucking stupid neck tattoo?
When did I start to care about a fashion design reality show so much?
Shit, I can't wait for season 4.
Lost Watch: Polar Bears, Visions, and Naked Psychics
Episode 3 of Season 3 of "Lost" sees the show regaining it's status as one of the most out there shows on television. I mean, this episode was loopy...and I loved it for that reason.
We finally find out what happened to Locke- he's relatively unscathed after the Hatch meltdown at the end of season 2- except he can't speak...not until he talks to The Island. Yes, we're back to Locke's first season obsession with the idea that the island is trying to talk to him...and who should show up in his vision but Boone, the first major character to die on "Lost" (and I'm sure the actor who played him was glad to get a bit of work after being fired from one of the hottest shows on TV, which films in Hawaii...basically the best job in the world) who shows him a crazy vision set in a dream world airport. After having his bizarre vision, Locke realizes he must save the missing Mr. Ecco and "clean up his own mess." Charley, everyone's favorite burn out from an Oasis wanna be band, joins him on his quest...basically because the writers needed to give Locke someone to talk to.
And they end up tracking a polar bear.
As we learned early in season one, there are frigging polar bears on mystery island. Apparently one of them has got himself a cave, and he's a mean as fuck CG monster. Locke has to crawl into the creepy bear cave out in the jungle, (and I expected him to fight Darth Vader- only to reveal that he is fighting himself) to save the bruised and injured Ecco. Using a clever hair spray flame thrower, Locke sends the big ol' bear running.
On their way back to the main camp, Charlie runs off to fetch water just in time for Ecco to speak to Locke, telling him he can go after their captured friends at the Others' resort- because he's a hunter. By the time Charlie gets back, Ecco is passed out again. So the island is definitely on speaking terms with Locke again. After his long, drawn out love affair with the hatch last season, the island has taken him back. It was inevitable- the island and Locke are like Ross and Rachel. They may not always get along, but those two crazy kids are meant for each other.
The flashbacks for Locke were semi-interesting as well. Locke picks up a hitchhiker on his way to a hippie commune, played by Justin Chatwin- Tom Cruise's son from "War of the Worlds," who turns out to be an undercover cop who will probably end up busting his friend's for growing pot- lots and lots of it. Chatwin was fine, but it woulda been kinda sweet had it been the other Cruise kid from that creepy Spielberg alien epic- Dakota Fanning, undercover agent. Anyway, Locke tells his pissed off friends that he can deal with it, taking the cop on a hunting trip. Locke points his gun at him, telling him he's ready to kill him- but is unable to pull the trigger. That Locke, a good man even in the worst of situations.
The whole idea for the flashback is that Locke wanted to "clean up his mess" since he brought the cop to the commune in the first place. But really, when you are hippies growing that much weed, can you blame Locke for getting caught? Letting the numbers run down, after Desmond and Ecco tell you that it will doom you all is kinda a lot more "his bad" then accidentally busting a bunch of hippies who encourage you to murder cops. But anyway, Locke comes through, kicking a bear's ass and reminding us why he was a badass in the first place. It's nice to see hunter Locke back, and this episode confirmed that he was back with a vengeance.
Oh yeah...and Hurley returned. Poor Hurley looks a bit worse for the wear after his terrible trip to bring back the message that Jack, Kate, and Sayid have been kidnapped. On his way back to camp, he runs into Desmond, who is naked and confused after pulling the fail safe in the hatch, which caused it to implode. But somehow he's fine- though naked and unsure of what happened to his clothes. When Hurley tells him his message that the Others have got their friends, Desmond tells him it's okay- because Locke made a speech vowing to go after them. A speech that Locke did not make.
Until the end of the episode. Hurley, listening to Locke talk about going after their friends and finding the Others, rallies the demoralized troops after they've been told their friends have been kidnapped. Charlie, Claire, and a couple random islanders (there are so many things going on with the main characters that they needed to grab a couple randoms to make Locke's speech seem a little more dramatic- though where are Rose and Bernard?) Hurley is stunned as he hears the speech, looking over at a still dazed Desmond. So now Desmond can see the future- even though he can't remember what happened to him in the last few days?
More mysteries and weirdness than you can shake a stick at were thrown our way in this hour of "Lost." It's good to see the mystical weirdness returning to the show- I dig the Others and Dharma initiative stuff, but season 2 focused on that way too much, sorta forgetting all the weird magic voodoo that season one did so well. I mean, this is a show with a weird cloud monster that can see your fears. I'm glad that we're getting back to that- and will hopefully see how it connects with the Dharma stuff. It's also nice to see that Locke and the Island are speaking again- the Hatch was never gonna love him the way he loved it, anyway. And it’s just good to see Locke as his old self again- knife wielding, tracking through the jungle, being more badass than bears- you know, just getting out more.
So far, the season has felt oddly disjointed, focusing on the main group this week, Sayid's crew last week, and the captive love triangle the first week and a bit last week. There is so much going on, the show can't hope to cut between everyone this season. But it's clear that all these stories are going to connect somehow, and very soon. Hopefully we'll see some resolution to this whole thing before the long hiatus- though don't be surprised, "Losties," if we're left with a cliffhanger so gripping that we'll all end up regretting ABC's decision to split the season in two.
We finally find out what happened to Locke- he's relatively unscathed after the Hatch meltdown at the end of season 2- except he can't speak...not until he talks to The Island. Yes, we're back to Locke's first season obsession with the idea that the island is trying to talk to him...and who should show up in his vision but Boone, the first major character to die on "Lost" (and I'm sure the actor who played him was glad to get a bit of work after being fired from one of the hottest shows on TV, which films in Hawaii...basically the best job in the world) who shows him a crazy vision set in a dream world airport. After having his bizarre vision, Locke realizes he must save the missing Mr. Ecco and "clean up his own mess." Charley, everyone's favorite burn out from an Oasis wanna be band, joins him on his quest...basically because the writers needed to give Locke someone to talk to.
And they end up tracking a polar bear.
As we learned early in season one, there are frigging polar bears on mystery island. Apparently one of them has got himself a cave, and he's a mean as fuck CG monster. Locke has to crawl into the creepy bear cave out in the jungle, (and I expected him to fight Darth Vader- only to reveal that he is fighting himself) to save the bruised and injured Ecco. Using a clever hair spray flame thrower, Locke sends the big ol' bear running.
On their way back to the main camp, Charlie runs off to fetch water just in time for Ecco to speak to Locke, telling him he can go after their captured friends at the Others' resort- because he's a hunter. By the time Charlie gets back, Ecco is passed out again. So the island is definitely on speaking terms with Locke again. After his long, drawn out love affair with the hatch last season, the island has taken him back. It was inevitable- the island and Locke are like Ross and Rachel. They may not always get along, but those two crazy kids are meant for each other.
The flashbacks for Locke were semi-interesting as well. Locke picks up a hitchhiker on his way to a hippie commune, played by Justin Chatwin- Tom Cruise's son from "War of the Worlds," who turns out to be an undercover cop who will probably end up busting his friend's for growing pot- lots and lots of it. Chatwin was fine, but it woulda been kinda sweet had it been the other Cruise kid from that creepy Spielberg alien epic- Dakota Fanning, undercover agent. Anyway, Locke tells his pissed off friends that he can deal with it, taking the cop on a hunting trip. Locke points his gun at him, telling him he's ready to kill him- but is unable to pull the trigger. That Locke, a good man even in the worst of situations.
The whole idea for the flashback is that Locke wanted to "clean up his mess" since he brought the cop to the commune in the first place. But really, when you are hippies growing that much weed, can you blame Locke for getting caught? Letting the numbers run down, after Desmond and Ecco tell you that it will doom you all is kinda a lot more "his bad" then accidentally busting a bunch of hippies who encourage you to murder cops. But anyway, Locke comes through, kicking a bear's ass and reminding us why he was a badass in the first place. It's nice to see hunter Locke back, and this episode confirmed that he was back with a vengeance.
Oh yeah...and Hurley returned. Poor Hurley looks a bit worse for the wear after his terrible trip to bring back the message that Jack, Kate, and Sayid have been kidnapped. On his way back to camp, he runs into Desmond, who is naked and confused after pulling the fail safe in the hatch, which caused it to implode. But somehow he's fine- though naked and unsure of what happened to his clothes. When Hurley tells him his message that the Others have got their friends, Desmond tells him it's okay- because Locke made a speech vowing to go after them. A speech that Locke did not make.
Until the end of the episode. Hurley, listening to Locke talk about going after their friends and finding the Others, rallies the demoralized troops after they've been told their friends have been kidnapped. Charlie, Claire, and a couple random islanders (there are so many things going on with the main characters that they needed to grab a couple randoms to make Locke's speech seem a little more dramatic- though where are Rose and Bernard?) Hurley is stunned as he hears the speech, looking over at a still dazed Desmond. So now Desmond can see the future- even though he can't remember what happened to him in the last few days?
More mysteries and weirdness than you can shake a stick at were thrown our way in this hour of "Lost." It's good to see the mystical weirdness returning to the show- I dig the Others and Dharma initiative stuff, but season 2 focused on that way too much, sorta forgetting all the weird magic voodoo that season one did so well. I mean, this is a show with a weird cloud monster that can see your fears. I'm glad that we're getting back to that- and will hopefully see how it connects with the Dharma stuff. It's also nice to see that Locke and the Island are speaking again- the Hatch was never gonna love him the way he loved it, anyway. And it’s just good to see Locke as his old self again- knife wielding, tracking through the jungle, being more badass than bears- you know, just getting out more.
So far, the season has felt oddly disjointed, focusing on the main group this week, Sayid's crew last week, and the captive love triangle the first week and a bit last week. There is so much going on, the show can't hope to cut between everyone this season. But it's clear that all these stories are going to connect somehow, and very soon. Hopefully we'll see some resolution to this whole thing before the long hiatus- though don't be surprised, "Losties," if we're left with a cliffhanger so gripping that we'll all end up regretting ABC's decision to split the season in two.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Lost Watch: I Miss Hurley
The second episode of season 3 of "Lost" didn't blow my nuts off the way the season premiere did. It wasn't a bad episode, but the main problem was that it was a Sun and Jin centered story. It was probably the best Sun and Jin episode since season one, but to me, they are the least compelling characters among the main survivors. Maybe I just feel that way after last season's group of Sun and Jin stories that did nothing to advance what we understood about them. Episode 2 certainly filled in some questions we have about them- but honestly, Sun and Jin's issues are probably the questions I'm least eager to find answers to. Plus, I'm starting to miss the other survivors. I'm glad that episode three is supposedly about the main group. I just miss poor ol' Hurley.
That said, there was plenty of good stuff in this episode. Sayid's hard-ass yet ill conceived plan to wait for the Others and "kill all of them but two," using one of the two to show the other why he should cooperate showed just how far off the rails ol' Sayid has gone. I love Sayid, and want more from him this season. I feel like he became a lost character for all of season 2, moping around about the loss of Shannon. Maybe I'm being harsh, because he supposedly loved her. But while I was celebrating the death of the most annoying character in the history of the show, a death that was basically demanded by the show's audience (as opposed to her brother in law's death, which Locke creepily described as "demanded by the island,") Sayid was moping. If he could have, he would have locked himself in the hatch with some Elliot Smith records and drank whiskey, crying himself to sleep. Anyway, I'm just trying to say I wanna see more Sayid this year, and see Sayid kick some serious ass again.
The stuff with Jack, Kate, and Sawyer hanging out in Other-town was interesting too. Kate and Sawyer were forced to do hard labor, moving giant rocks around. Clearly, what they were doing probably had no purpose other than giving the Others something hard for their prisoners to do. Sawyers sudden kiss of Kate followed by his bad ass yet failed escape attempt was probably all part of the Others'' designs- they are certainly manipulating them psychologically, but it's not yet clear to what end. When Kate and Sawyer are thrown into their cells later that night, they discuss the fact that Sawyer thinks he can take the guards, the next time he has a chance. Then the rug is ripped right from under us again when we realize that Ben- the head Other, or at least highest ranking among them that we know of so far- is watching them through a monitor, and hearing their every word. Spooky.
The best scene in the episode is the very last one. Ben comes into Jack's cell, and finally introduces himself properly. He tells him that he's lived on the island his whole life, and by choice. Jack doesn't believe him, telling him that he would have left if he could. Ben then rattles off a group of facts that happened in the outside world recently- remember, the plane crashed in 2004, and the survivors have been their only 69 days. When Jack doesn't believe that the Red Sox won the world series, he plays a tape of the last game for him. It's the first evidence Jack has seen of the real world in over two months, and it kind of overwhelms him. So a few fan theories are smashed- that the island exists in some kind of bubble, like a giant snow globe, and the theory that there has been some sort of apocalyptic event, and that the people on the island are the only left on Earth. Or are these theories really dead? Those clever writers- and Others- could spin things around again. But for now, it seems that there is an outside world, and Ben promises Jack that he will send him home if he cooperates "when the time comes." When you see Jack's face staring at the last out of the Red Sox World Series, you can tell that Ben has got him.
Just what is he going to ask him to do? Whatever it is, it'll probably be totally fucked, but we'll just have to wait to find out- hopefully we'll have an answer before the show's long hiatus.
That said, there was plenty of good stuff in this episode. Sayid's hard-ass yet ill conceived plan to wait for the Others and "kill all of them but two," using one of the two to show the other why he should cooperate showed just how far off the rails ol' Sayid has gone. I love Sayid, and want more from him this season. I feel like he became a lost character for all of season 2, moping around about the loss of Shannon. Maybe I'm being harsh, because he supposedly loved her. But while I was celebrating the death of the most annoying character in the history of the show, a death that was basically demanded by the show's audience (as opposed to her brother in law's death, which Locke creepily described as "demanded by the island,") Sayid was moping. If he could have, he would have locked himself in the hatch with some Elliot Smith records and drank whiskey, crying himself to sleep. Anyway, I'm just trying to say I wanna see more Sayid this year, and see Sayid kick some serious ass again.
The stuff with Jack, Kate, and Sawyer hanging out in Other-town was interesting too. Kate and Sawyer were forced to do hard labor, moving giant rocks around. Clearly, what they were doing probably had no purpose other than giving the Others something hard for their prisoners to do. Sawyers sudden kiss of Kate followed by his bad ass yet failed escape attempt was probably all part of the Others'' designs- they are certainly manipulating them psychologically, but it's not yet clear to what end. When Kate and Sawyer are thrown into their cells later that night, they discuss the fact that Sawyer thinks he can take the guards, the next time he has a chance. Then the rug is ripped right from under us again when we realize that Ben- the head Other, or at least highest ranking among them that we know of so far- is watching them through a monitor, and hearing their every word. Spooky.
The best scene in the episode is the very last one. Ben comes into Jack's cell, and finally introduces himself properly. He tells him that he's lived on the island his whole life, and by choice. Jack doesn't believe him, telling him that he would have left if he could. Ben then rattles off a group of facts that happened in the outside world recently- remember, the plane crashed in 2004, and the survivors have been their only 69 days. When Jack doesn't believe that the Red Sox won the world series, he plays a tape of the last game for him. It's the first evidence Jack has seen of the real world in over two months, and it kind of overwhelms him. So a few fan theories are smashed- that the island exists in some kind of bubble, like a giant snow globe, and the theory that there has been some sort of apocalyptic event, and that the people on the island are the only left on Earth. Or are these theories really dead? Those clever writers- and Others- could spin things around again. But for now, it seems that there is an outside world, and Ben promises Jack that he will send him home if he cooperates "when the time comes." When you see Jack's face staring at the last out of the Red Sox World Series, you can tell that Ben has got him.
Just what is he going to ask him to do? Whatever it is, it'll probably be totally fucked, but we'll just have to wait to find out- hopefully we'll have an answer before the show's long hiatus.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Scorsece Schools Em All
"The Departed" is the cinematic equivalent of a nice, perfectly cooked steak, in a year when you've been eating nothing but fast food hamburgers. It's meaty and satisfying, and it makes you wonder why you've been wasting your time on hamburgers for so long. This is a movie that brings the pain, and brings it hard.
I'm going to make this entry short and sweet. Martin Scorsece's "The Departed" rocks harder than any other movie released this year. It's a joy to see Marty firing on all cylinders again, after the messy and unfocused "Gangs of New York" and the well made yet un-involving "The Aviator." Scorsece revisits the world that he has defined and redefined cinematically many times over the years- the gangster picture- and breathes new life into it again. I can't overstate how much I love this movie- if you are a true fan of movies, this is the film you've been waiting for all year.
A remake of the equally awesome yet more slick and action driven Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs," "The Departed" stars Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a cop working deep undercover with Boston's most notorious criminal, Frank Costello (a out of his mind Jack Nicholson.) On the other side of the law, Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, a Costello loyalist who is a mole within the state Police Special Investigation Unit- the very unit who hired Costigan. The two men enter into a desperate cat and mouse game, trying to ferret each other’s identities out in order to survive. That's all I'm gonna say about the plot- if you have not seen it yet, I don't want to ruin any of the twists along the way. And by the way, if you haven't seen it yet, what the hell are you doing reading this for? See the damned movie already.
Every performance is right on. DiCaprio has finally come into his own, playing Billy as a paranoid and sometimes violent badass. Yes, folks, Leonardo DiCaprio kicks some serious ass in this movie. The guy from "Titanic." The retarded kid from "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." The cousin from "Growing Pains." That guy. After seeing this movie, you'll never bring up the fact that he seemed like a sissy in any of those roles, because you'll believe that he could probably kick your ass after you watch him brutally beat up a couple of Italian gangsters in a liquor store, or smash a glass across a guy's head for making fun of him for drinking cranberry juice in a bar. Matt Damon is equally impressive, playing Colin as with icy intelligence, methodically working his way up within the police force even as he helps the crime boss his bosses are obsessed with catching.
As for that elusive crime boss- Nicholson's Costello is an insane, off the rails beast of a performance. Nicholson plays Costello huge, acting all the way to the edge of madness but never falling off. Jack clearly relishes his role, adding bizarre character touches that will make the performance one that is hard to forget. Nicholson's performance is so out there, it's as if it came from Mars. He eats a bug, plays around with a severed hand while talking about John Lennon, tosses cocaine around his bedroom with opera music playing, and even wields a dildo to scare one of the main characters. It's a thoroughly unhinged, deranged, scary, hilarious performance that will surely be remembered when Oscar nominations come out.
The rest of the cast is right on the money as well. Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg are hilarious as a tough talking cops looking to finally catch Costello and prove they have the biggest dick in the room at the same time. Ray Winstone is quietly intimidating as Costello's second in command, and Vera Farmiga is impressive as a police psychologist with connections to both Billy and Colin, holding her own as the only major female role in a movie dripping with testosterone. Screenwriter William Monahan should be nominated for an Oscar for his brilliant screenplay, which weaves this complex tale tightly, while providing the brilliant cast with some of the best dialogue to come out of a Hollywood movie in a long time.
But Scorsece is the real star here. His camera dips and glides, his music choices are impeccable and witty as always, his editing choices (with longtime cutter Thelma Schoonmaker) are brilliant, and all his directorial choices add up, creating a movie that absolutely pulses with energy. "The Departed" is paced like a locomotive, never feeling nearly as long as it's two and a half hour running time, moving from moments of laugh out loud comedy to shocking and horrific violence without skipping a beat. This movie feels like the effortless work of a true master who is cutting loose and having fun with the material. "The Departed" is a rollercoaster in the truest sense of the word, taking you for a ride that will leave you exhausted and exhilarated. This is the type of movie that reminds you why you love the art form, restoring your faith in the very power of movies. It will kick you ass and leave you gasping for more. This is by far the best, most exciting, most kinetic, and most flat out entertaining movie so far this year. Scorsece has raised the bar for this year's movies, and by letting go of loftier ambitions, by making a such pure piece of pop entertainment instead of grasping for Oscars, he might just find himself walking away with a statue at the Kodak Theatre early next year afterall.
I'm going to make this entry short and sweet. Martin Scorsece's "The Departed" rocks harder than any other movie released this year. It's a joy to see Marty firing on all cylinders again, after the messy and unfocused "Gangs of New York" and the well made yet un-involving "The Aviator." Scorsece revisits the world that he has defined and redefined cinematically many times over the years- the gangster picture- and breathes new life into it again. I can't overstate how much I love this movie- if you are a true fan of movies, this is the film you've been waiting for all year.
A remake of the equally awesome yet more slick and action driven Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs," "The Departed" stars Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a cop working deep undercover with Boston's most notorious criminal, Frank Costello (a out of his mind Jack Nicholson.) On the other side of the law, Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, a Costello loyalist who is a mole within the state Police Special Investigation Unit- the very unit who hired Costigan. The two men enter into a desperate cat and mouse game, trying to ferret each other’s identities out in order to survive. That's all I'm gonna say about the plot- if you have not seen it yet, I don't want to ruin any of the twists along the way. And by the way, if you haven't seen it yet, what the hell are you doing reading this for? See the damned movie already.
Every performance is right on. DiCaprio has finally come into his own, playing Billy as a paranoid and sometimes violent badass. Yes, folks, Leonardo DiCaprio kicks some serious ass in this movie. The guy from "Titanic." The retarded kid from "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." The cousin from "Growing Pains." That guy. After seeing this movie, you'll never bring up the fact that he seemed like a sissy in any of those roles, because you'll believe that he could probably kick your ass after you watch him brutally beat up a couple of Italian gangsters in a liquor store, or smash a glass across a guy's head for making fun of him for drinking cranberry juice in a bar. Matt Damon is equally impressive, playing Colin as with icy intelligence, methodically working his way up within the police force even as he helps the crime boss his bosses are obsessed with catching.
As for that elusive crime boss- Nicholson's Costello is an insane, off the rails beast of a performance. Nicholson plays Costello huge, acting all the way to the edge of madness but never falling off. Jack clearly relishes his role, adding bizarre character touches that will make the performance one that is hard to forget. Nicholson's performance is so out there, it's as if it came from Mars. He eats a bug, plays around with a severed hand while talking about John Lennon, tosses cocaine around his bedroom with opera music playing, and even wields a dildo to scare one of the main characters. It's a thoroughly unhinged, deranged, scary, hilarious performance that will surely be remembered when Oscar nominations come out.
The rest of the cast is right on the money as well. Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg are hilarious as a tough talking cops looking to finally catch Costello and prove they have the biggest dick in the room at the same time. Ray Winstone is quietly intimidating as Costello's second in command, and Vera Farmiga is impressive as a police psychologist with connections to both Billy and Colin, holding her own as the only major female role in a movie dripping with testosterone. Screenwriter William Monahan should be nominated for an Oscar for his brilliant screenplay, which weaves this complex tale tightly, while providing the brilliant cast with some of the best dialogue to come out of a Hollywood movie in a long time.
But Scorsece is the real star here. His camera dips and glides, his music choices are impeccable and witty as always, his editing choices (with longtime cutter Thelma Schoonmaker) are brilliant, and all his directorial choices add up, creating a movie that absolutely pulses with energy. "The Departed" is paced like a locomotive, never feeling nearly as long as it's two and a half hour running time, moving from moments of laugh out loud comedy to shocking and horrific violence without skipping a beat. This movie feels like the effortless work of a true master who is cutting loose and having fun with the material. "The Departed" is a rollercoaster in the truest sense of the word, taking you for a ride that will leave you exhausted and exhilarated. This is the type of movie that reminds you why you love the art form, restoring your faith in the very power of movies. It will kick you ass and leave you gasping for more. This is by far the best, most exciting, most kinetic, and most flat out entertaining movie so far this year. Scorsece has raised the bar for this year's movies, and by letting go of loftier ambitions, by making a such pure piece of pop entertainment instead of grasping for Oscars, he might just find himself walking away with a statue at the Kodak Theatre early next year afterall.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Lost Watch: Boom! And We're Back
This one goes out to Drew, by request.
Spoiler warnings are in effect as always. You've been warned, all of you folk out there who don't watch the show. And for all of you folk out there who don't- get on it. No excuses. The show rocks, and after the stunner of a season opener, it looks like it's gonna rock harder than ever.
"Lost" is back with a mothereffin' vengeance. After a sophomore season that stumbled when it should have soared, the creators of the top rated mind fuck of a show seem to have figured out what we hungry Lost heads have been missing since the excellent first season- a sense that this story is moving forward and is actually heading in some direction, while at the same time knocking us off our collective feet by turning the same story in a whole new direction.
The first three minutes of season three are as good as any of the best moments of season two. The scene starts with a meeting of a book club of all things in a normal looking suburban neighborhood. A woman we do not recognize is being chewed out by a member of the club for choosing a trashy book instead of artsy literature (a Stephen King novel, and knowing what a huge Lostie Mr. King is, I'm sure he was pleased as punch to see one of his novels featured in such a key scene.) The snob makes a snide remark about somebody named Ben not approving. The woman gets angry, claiming she doesn't care what Ben thinks, that last time she checked "we still have free will." In the middle of their argument, the ground begins to shake- so we, as an audience, think we've been clued in. This is probably a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles. We- being the geeks we are- know that this is an episode that is going to deal with Jack during the flashback portions. This scene is clearly a flashback, and this woman must know Jack somehow, right? Then the woman and her book club run outside.
Oceanic Flight 815 is splitting apart right above their heads.
HOLY SHIT.
The suburban neighborhood is on the fucking island.
Ben steps out of the shadows- it's the captured "Other" from last season (one of the actually interesting subplots that got dragged out for far too long last season,) who called himself Henry Gale. He barks some orders to the group, including the "Other" who pretended to be a passenger all the way back in season one, kidnapping Claire's baby.
A series of wider and wider shots shows us just where this normal looking neighborhood is- right smack in the middle of "mystery island."
Bam. Welcome to season three of "Lost."
The rest of the episode brings us back to the "present" in our story. I put that word in parentheses because we're not really sure when this whole thing takes place for sure. In theory, after the full two seasons of the show, the castaways have only been on the island for a few months- but that's only in theory.
Jack, Kate, and Sawyer have been kidnapped by los Others and separated, Jack is kept in a creepy, windowless basement and locked in a room, ala the "Saw" movies. Sawyer is thrown into a weird cage that is clearly a psychological experiment for animals. Kate is pulled from her cell and told to put on a nice dress, then is taken to a nice breakfast on the beach with the artist formerly known as Henry Gale, who we now know is named Ben.
As stated above, most of this episode is about Jack. The girl from the book club talks to him, communicating through a glass wall. Jack is defiant at first, stubbornly attempting to escape even as he is told his attempts are futile and could get him killed. He is able to get out of his cell, but when he tries to open a door down the hall, a wall of water comes rushing in. Turns out they are in an underwater hatch called the Hydra. An underwater hatch is like ten thousand times cooler than "the Swan" hatch that we spent almost all season hanging out in. Locke would be totally jealous. He refuses to stand down to accept food from her, doing his best hero act to try and defy his captors. The flashbacks are actually interesting as well for the first time in a long time for this character- we flash back to after Jack's wife has left him, as he goes on an obsessive quest to find out who she was sleeping with when his marriage ended. Inside his cell, Jack is slowly broken down by the woman, who tells him that she knows everything about him- and his wife. Jack is finally able to let go, and when he is given the opportunity to ask her anything about him, he just asks if she is happy. It seems like a triumphant moment for Jack, as he is finally able to let go and stop obsessing, But then Ben tells the mystery woman "good job," while smiling creepily. They've just manipulated him, broken him down. But we're not sure to what end yet.
Overall, it was pretty classic "Lost." We are given a few great nuggets of info, but just enough to create a hundred more questions in our obsessive little fanboy and girl minds. And, like I said, there actually feels like there is some sort of narrative momentum finally winding up in the show. Things are actually building to...something. We can't be sure what they are actually building to...but that's the fun of the show.
It's nice to know that the show is finally moving in the right direction...or any direction at all, after the frustratingly looping narrative of season 2. We'll see where things develop from here, but things are looking very good, since series co-creator and Hollywood it-guy JJ Abrams has returned to the show.
And man, those first three minutes were amazing.
So far, the fall TV season has proved disappointing- “Studio 60” continues to waver, maintaining a pretty boring streak of episodes without, you know, compelling conflict, while “Friday Night Lights” the most kickass show of the season so far, floundered in the ratings and probably won’t make it more than a few more episodes- it’s nice to have “Lost” back, and kicking ass the way it should be.
Spoiler warnings are in effect as always. You've been warned, all of you folk out there who don't watch the show. And for all of you folk out there who don't- get on it. No excuses. The show rocks, and after the stunner of a season opener, it looks like it's gonna rock harder than ever.
"Lost" is back with a mothereffin' vengeance. After a sophomore season that stumbled when it should have soared, the creators of the top rated mind fuck of a show seem to have figured out what we hungry Lost heads have been missing since the excellent first season- a sense that this story is moving forward and is actually heading in some direction, while at the same time knocking us off our collective feet by turning the same story in a whole new direction.
The first three minutes of season three are as good as any of the best moments of season two. The scene starts with a meeting of a book club of all things in a normal looking suburban neighborhood. A woman we do not recognize is being chewed out by a member of the club for choosing a trashy book instead of artsy literature (a Stephen King novel, and knowing what a huge Lostie Mr. King is, I'm sure he was pleased as punch to see one of his novels featured in such a key scene.) The snob makes a snide remark about somebody named Ben not approving. The woman gets angry, claiming she doesn't care what Ben thinks, that last time she checked "we still have free will." In the middle of their argument, the ground begins to shake- so we, as an audience, think we've been clued in. This is probably a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles. We- being the geeks we are- know that this is an episode that is going to deal with Jack during the flashback portions. This scene is clearly a flashback, and this woman must know Jack somehow, right? Then the woman and her book club run outside.
Oceanic Flight 815 is splitting apart right above their heads.
HOLY SHIT.
The suburban neighborhood is on the fucking island.
Ben steps out of the shadows- it's the captured "Other" from last season (one of the actually interesting subplots that got dragged out for far too long last season,) who called himself Henry Gale. He barks some orders to the group, including the "Other" who pretended to be a passenger all the way back in season one, kidnapping Claire's baby.
A series of wider and wider shots shows us just where this normal looking neighborhood is- right smack in the middle of "mystery island."
Bam. Welcome to season three of "Lost."
The rest of the episode brings us back to the "present" in our story. I put that word in parentheses because we're not really sure when this whole thing takes place for sure. In theory, after the full two seasons of the show, the castaways have only been on the island for a few months- but that's only in theory.
Jack, Kate, and Sawyer have been kidnapped by los Others and separated, Jack is kept in a creepy, windowless basement and locked in a room, ala the "Saw" movies. Sawyer is thrown into a weird cage that is clearly a psychological experiment for animals. Kate is pulled from her cell and told to put on a nice dress, then is taken to a nice breakfast on the beach with the artist formerly known as Henry Gale, who we now know is named Ben.
As stated above, most of this episode is about Jack. The girl from the book club talks to him, communicating through a glass wall. Jack is defiant at first, stubbornly attempting to escape even as he is told his attempts are futile and could get him killed. He is able to get out of his cell, but when he tries to open a door down the hall, a wall of water comes rushing in. Turns out they are in an underwater hatch called the Hydra. An underwater hatch is like ten thousand times cooler than "the Swan" hatch that we spent almost all season hanging out in. Locke would be totally jealous. He refuses to stand down to accept food from her, doing his best hero act to try and defy his captors. The flashbacks are actually interesting as well for the first time in a long time for this character- we flash back to after Jack's wife has left him, as he goes on an obsessive quest to find out who she was sleeping with when his marriage ended. Inside his cell, Jack is slowly broken down by the woman, who tells him that she knows everything about him- and his wife. Jack is finally able to let go, and when he is given the opportunity to ask her anything about him, he just asks if she is happy. It seems like a triumphant moment for Jack, as he is finally able to let go and stop obsessing, But then Ben tells the mystery woman "good job," while smiling creepily. They've just manipulated him, broken him down. But we're not sure to what end yet.
Overall, it was pretty classic "Lost." We are given a few great nuggets of info, but just enough to create a hundred more questions in our obsessive little fanboy and girl minds. And, like I said, there actually feels like there is some sort of narrative momentum finally winding up in the show. Things are actually building to...something. We can't be sure what they are actually building to...but that's the fun of the show.
It's nice to know that the show is finally moving in the right direction...or any direction at all, after the frustratingly looping narrative of season 2. We'll see where things develop from here, but things are looking very good, since series co-creator and Hollywood it-guy JJ Abrams has returned to the show.
And man, those first three minutes were amazing.
So far, the fall TV season has proved disappointing- “Studio 60” continues to waver, maintaining a pretty boring streak of episodes without, you know, compelling conflict, while “Friday Night Lights” the most kickass show of the season so far, floundered in the ratings and probably won’t make it more than a few more episodes- it’s nice to have “Lost” back, and kicking ass the way it should be.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Armchair Quarterback
Last night, I watched the best pilot I've seen all season- and it's a sports show. "Friday Night Lights" kicks ass on just about every level. The show, which was inspired by the movie that was adapted from the book of the same title, tells the story of a small Texas town and their obsession with high school football. Adopting the handheld camera and choppy editing style of the movie, the show has a lot more grit and realism than the typical high school drama. This is by no means "The O.C.-" the characters of "Friday Night Lights" are poor people living in rural Texas. Football is not just a past time for them- for the kids on the field, it is the only way out of their tiny little town. The adults in of Odessa, Texas live vicariously through their team, pinning their hopes on group of high school kids. It's pretty compelling stuff.
Watch it.
Watch it.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Sorkin It In
I have not blogged in awhile. I've been feeling creatively spent and unsure of what to do next for awhile, which happens. One week you bang out a screenplay in four days, the next you spend staring at the television, trying to mine the depths of your Tivo, the Band of Brothers DVDs you've just gotten from Netflix, and the features on the Quantum Leap box set your girlfriend got you for your birthday. The muse is a fickle thing, and really, have you seen the episode where Sam leaps back into himself as a teenager? Seriously, it will make you weep and give up on writing for awhile, tearing your hair out in the knowledge that you'll never write anything so beautiful and perfect and moving despite it's corniness. The guy sings "Imagine" to his little sister, a good decade before it's written, making her, and us, cry.
Speaking of television...the new fall shows have started to trickle out, none of them grabbing viewer's or critic's attention very dramatically the way something like "Lost" did a couple years ago. There's a show that grabbed you by the balls and pulled you in for the ride from the first frame. But I digress- there will be plenty of "Lost" to talk about when it comes back next week.
The season's most hyped new show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," is not getting off to the kind of start that a cultural phenomenon like "Lost" achieved a few years ago, ratings or quality wise (and how's that for a transition?) Aaron Sorkin's new drama has gotten tons of attention and some pretty damned good reviews. It was, by far, on the top of my "must watch" list for new fall TV (full disclosure- I don't have a "must watch" list. I wonder if any critics who use that term actually compile "must watch" lists for themselves.) I was pretty excited for this show. I loved "Sports Night." In fact, before my job at Disney came to an end, I checked out the DVD box set from the library there and went on a total "Sports Night" binge, watching the whole run of the series in a week. I was not a "West Wing" guy- never really watched it, wasn't interested in political grandstanding and Sorkin jumping on a soapbox every week. I agree with the guy's politics, but seriously, those speeches get a bit pompous sometimes. But what really got me excited for "Studio 60" was the subject. I am a huge fan of SNL, but clearly not the current era of SNL. I am a fan of the history of the show, of the people who made it great over it's long life on television. I read the awesome "Live From New York" book about a year ago, inhaling it like the cocaine Sorkin got busted for possessing a few years back. I mean, for a long time, SNL was the breeding ground for the greatest comedians of the last three decades. Murray. Belushi. Akroyd. Murphy. Hartman. Myers. Carvey. Rock. Farley. Ferrell. And I don't want to fail to mention a few of the great performers of the current era- Amy Pohler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, and the great Tina Fey (whose new sitcom, 30 Rock, looks very promising- even though it's about a very similar subject to Studio 60- confusing.) I knew that Sorkin was interested in bringing us "Studio 60" because of the same reasons I love SNL and it's history- here’s a guy who knows the history of the show, loves the stories and myths associated with it, and sees the potential for it to be great again.
Which is what the show is about, basically. In the pilot, Wes Mondell, played by Judd Hirsch as an obvious nod to SNL's Lorne Michaels, stops a live broadcast after network execs force him to cut a sketch. He steps in front of the live audience and delivers a speech about "candy assed network execs" who push idiotic TV onto viewers, appealing to the lowest common denominator with shows about people eating bugs and trying to be like Donald Trump. And there it is, in the first few minutes of the pilot- one of those grandstanding Sorkin speeches. But Wes is quickly fired, and replaced by the main characters of the show- Matt Albee (Matt Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford.) After being dropped from the show a few years before, Matt and Danny stuck together, with Matt writing and Danny directing a film that Matt is receiving an award for as we first meet them. The duo is about to launch into their next project, except for one problem- Danny has tested positive for cocaine, and won't be able to be bonded to make the movie until he has eighteen months of clean drug tests. Enter Jordan McDeer (Amanda Peet,) the new president of NBS (the fake stand in for NBC) who sees Danny's drug test failure as an opportunity. She approaches Danny and Matt about running the sketch comedy show now that their mentor has been fired, which will get the show a lot of attention and prestige, something it sorely needs after the show's legendary creator himself has gone on the air to declare that "it's not going to be a very good show tonight." Matt and Danny deliberate on the idea of taking "Studio 60" over, one of the issues being the fact that Matt just broke up with one of the show's biggest stars, Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson,) a brilliant comic talent and devout Christian. When Matt and Harriett confront each other, it is revealed that they broke up because of her appearance on Pat Robertson's "700 Club."
The pilot was okay. It's very well written, but it's also a huge pile of exposition and character introductions. I read the pilot months ago, and it honestly worked better on the page. A lot of the action takes place in network board rooms, not exactly the sexiest or most exciting of locations. But through it all, Sorkin is able to introduce a lot of characters that will surely become more developed as the show goes on.
The second episode, which aired last night, was a big improvement. Freed of the burden of introducing dozens of characters, the show actually got to be what it was supposed to be- a behind the scenes look at the making of a live comedy show. Most of the drama came from the fact that Matt was having trouble coming up with an idea to open the show- he knows that after all the drama surrounding Wes's dismissal and his and Danny's hiring, the "cold opening" needs to be show stopper, which causes is the crux of the episode. The final moments of "Studio 60" actually show the skit that Matt eventually comes up with- a no holds barred musical number with a full orchestra. Problem is, it's not very funny. And that's where a lot of the show's flaws come from so far.
"Studio 60" is supposed to be about the making of a comedy program, but the show takes itself far too seriously. I'm not saying that the most brilliant comedic minds in television don't take their jobs seriously- they do. But they're also, ya know, funny. Some of Sorkin's dialogue is mildly amusing, but not even as much as "Sports Night," which wasn't really a sitcom in the first place. Worst so far is Paulson's Harriet Hayes- she's a good actress who has been funny before, but here she doesn't come off as nearly as funny as Matt and Danny rave that she is. Maybe the contradictions of the character- that she's supposed to be one of the sharpest comic minds in the world yet also a devout Christian- are too much for Paulson to wrap her acting talent around. On paper, the idea for the character is great- in practice, everything about Harriet's character feels forced and contrived.
Paulson's character is a glaring example of the main problems with the entire show so far. Just as Matt and Danny talk endlessly of Harriett's talent while we never see any evidence of it, Sorkin and his team have talked at length about how smart the show is going to be, how one of it's main topics is intelligent art in a time of lowered standards, we're being told about it so far, not shown it. It seems like, after the phenomenal success of "The West Wing," that Sorkin and company are trying a bit too hard to make the most intelligent show on TV. Just because a show deals with issues like religion doesn't make it intelligent- it needs to deal with these issues intelligently. So far, "Studio 60" has taken a pretty cartoonish and one note view of Christians and "700 Club" viewers. Harriett calls Matt on it when he pigeonholes all of Robertson's viewers as bigots, yet even she thinks that Matt's skit called "Crazy Christians” is brilliant. I dunno, but the title "Crazy Christians" doesn't sound like intelligent, nuanced cultural satire. It just sounds like a one sided, red state baiting attack. I may agree with a lot of Sorkin's politics, but sometimes the show creates an easy target for anybody who says that Hollywood is out of touch with real people. Sorkin better add some depth to Harriett's religious character, or the whole thing will just come off gimmicky and one sided. For "Studio 60" to gel into the home run it has so much potential to become, it needs to actually and effortlessly be as smart and funny as the creators tell us it is.
With that said, there is plenty to like about "Studio 60." Perry and Whitford have a natural chemistry as Matt and Danny. Steven Weber, as Jordan's boss Jack, brings a lot of charm and more depth to what could have been a one-note smarmy exec role. Timothy Busfield rocks so far as the show's long time director, getting some of the best moments in both episodes so far. Peet is growing into her character nicely, though the pilot did feature a few too many self-conscious close ups of her smiling face as she dealt with the crisis around her. If the supporting cast, especially the people playing the cast of the show within a show, can become a bit more developed and become more believably funny, than Sorkin will have another classic on his hands.
Really, Sorkin needs to step back and take a deep breath, and let his characters do the same. Matt, Danny, and Sorkin need to stop worrying about saving the entire medium of television and just worry about making one great show. That's the only way TV will be saved anyway- one great show at a time.
Speaking of television...the new fall shows have started to trickle out, none of them grabbing viewer's or critic's attention very dramatically the way something like "Lost" did a couple years ago. There's a show that grabbed you by the balls and pulled you in for the ride from the first frame. But I digress- there will be plenty of "Lost" to talk about when it comes back next week.
The season's most hyped new show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," is not getting off to the kind of start that a cultural phenomenon like "Lost" achieved a few years ago, ratings or quality wise (and how's that for a transition?) Aaron Sorkin's new drama has gotten tons of attention and some pretty damned good reviews. It was, by far, on the top of my "must watch" list for new fall TV (full disclosure- I don't have a "must watch" list. I wonder if any critics who use that term actually compile "must watch" lists for themselves.) I was pretty excited for this show. I loved "Sports Night." In fact, before my job at Disney came to an end, I checked out the DVD box set from the library there and went on a total "Sports Night" binge, watching the whole run of the series in a week. I was not a "West Wing" guy- never really watched it, wasn't interested in political grandstanding and Sorkin jumping on a soapbox every week. I agree with the guy's politics, but seriously, those speeches get a bit pompous sometimes. But what really got me excited for "Studio 60" was the subject. I am a huge fan of SNL, but clearly not the current era of SNL. I am a fan of the history of the show, of the people who made it great over it's long life on television. I read the awesome "Live From New York" book about a year ago, inhaling it like the cocaine Sorkin got busted for possessing a few years back. I mean, for a long time, SNL was the breeding ground for the greatest comedians of the last three decades. Murray. Belushi. Akroyd. Murphy. Hartman. Myers. Carvey. Rock. Farley. Ferrell. And I don't want to fail to mention a few of the great performers of the current era- Amy Pohler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, and the great Tina Fey (whose new sitcom, 30 Rock, looks very promising- even though it's about a very similar subject to Studio 60- confusing.) I knew that Sorkin was interested in bringing us "Studio 60" because of the same reasons I love SNL and it's history- here’s a guy who knows the history of the show, loves the stories and myths associated with it, and sees the potential for it to be great again.
Which is what the show is about, basically. In the pilot, Wes Mondell, played by Judd Hirsch as an obvious nod to SNL's Lorne Michaels, stops a live broadcast after network execs force him to cut a sketch. He steps in front of the live audience and delivers a speech about "candy assed network execs" who push idiotic TV onto viewers, appealing to the lowest common denominator with shows about people eating bugs and trying to be like Donald Trump. And there it is, in the first few minutes of the pilot- one of those grandstanding Sorkin speeches. But Wes is quickly fired, and replaced by the main characters of the show- Matt Albee (Matt Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford.) After being dropped from the show a few years before, Matt and Danny stuck together, with Matt writing and Danny directing a film that Matt is receiving an award for as we first meet them. The duo is about to launch into their next project, except for one problem- Danny has tested positive for cocaine, and won't be able to be bonded to make the movie until he has eighteen months of clean drug tests. Enter Jordan McDeer (Amanda Peet,) the new president of NBS (the fake stand in for NBC) who sees Danny's drug test failure as an opportunity. She approaches Danny and Matt about running the sketch comedy show now that their mentor has been fired, which will get the show a lot of attention and prestige, something it sorely needs after the show's legendary creator himself has gone on the air to declare that "it's not going to be a very good show tonight." Matt and Danny deliberate on the idea of taking "Studio 60" over, one of the issues being the fact that Matt just broke up with one of the show's biggest stars, Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson,) a brilliant comic talent and devout Christian. When Matt and Harriett confront each other, it is revealed that they broke up because of her appearance on Pat Robertson's "700 Club."
The pilot was okay. It's very well written, but it's also a huge pile of exposition and character introductions. I read the pilot months ago, and it honestly worked better on the page. A lot of the action takes place in network board rooms, not exactly the sexiest or most exciting of locations. But through it all, Sorkin is able to introduce a lot of characters that will surely become more developed as the show goes on.
The second episode, which aired last night, was a big improvement. Freed of the burden of introducing dozens of characters, the show actually got to be what it was supposed to be- a behind the scenes look at the making of a live comedy show. Most of the drama came from the fact that Matt was having trouble coming up with an idea to open the show- he knows that after all the drama surrounding Wes's dismissal and his and Danny's hiring, the "cold opening" needs to be show stopper, which causes is the crux of the episode. The final moments of "Studio 60" actually show the skit that Matt eventually comes up with- a no holds barred musical number with a full orchestra. Problem is, it's not very funny. And that's where a lot of the show's flaws come from so far.
"Studio 60" is supposed to be about the making of a comedy program, but the show takes itself far too seriously. I'm not saying that the most brilliant comedic minds in television don't take their jobs seriously- they do. But they're also, ya know, funny. Some of Sorkin's dialogue is mildly amusing, but not even as much as "Sports Night," which wasn't really a sitcom in the first place. Worst so far is Paulson's Harriet Hayes- she's a good actress who has been funny before, but here she doesn't come off as nearly as funny as Matt and Danny rave that she is. Maybe the contradictions of the character- that she's supposed to be one of the sharpest comic minds in the world yet also a devout Christian- are too much for Paulson to wrap her acting talent around. On paper, the idea for the character is great- in practice, everything about Harriet's character feels forced and contrived.
Paulson's character is a glaring example of the main problems with the entire show so far. Just as Matt and Danny talk endlessly of Harriett's talent while we never see any evidence of it, Sorkin and his team have talked at length about how smart the show is going to be, how one of it's main topics is intelligent art in a time of lowered standards, we're being told about it so far, not shown it. It seems like, after the phenomenal success of "The West Wing," that Sorkin and company are trying a bit too hard to make the most intelligent show on TV. Just because a show deals with issues like religion doesn't make it intelligent- it needs to deal with these issues intelligently. So far, "Studio 60" has taken a pretty cartoonish and one note view of Christians and "700 Club" viewers. Harriett calls Matt on it when he pigeonholes all of Robertson's viewers as bigots, yet even she thinks that Matt's skit called "Crazy Christians” is brilliant. I dunno, but the title "Crazy Christians" doesn't sound like intelligent, nuanced cultural satire. It just sounds like a one sided, red state baiting attack. I may agree with a lot of Sorkin's politics, but sometimes the show creates an easy target for anybody who says that Hollywood is out of touch with real people. Sorkin better add some depth to Harriett's religious character, or the whole thing will just come off gimmicky and one sided. For "Studio 60" to gel into the home run it has so much potential to become, it needs to actually and effortlessly be as smart and funny as the creators tell us it is.
With that said, there is plenty to like about "Studio 60." Perry and Whitford have a natural chemistry as Matt and Danny. Steven Weber, as Jordan's boss Jack, brings a lot of charm and more depth to what could have been a one-note smarmy exec role. Timothy Busfield rocks so far as the show's long time director, getting some of the best moments in both episodes so far. Peet is growing into her character nicely, though the pilot did feature a few too many self-conscious close ups of her smiling face as she dealt with the crisis around her. If the supporting cast, especially the people playing the cast of the show within a show, can become a bit more developed and become more believably funny, than Sorkin will have another classic on his hands.
Really, Sorkin needs to step back and take a deep breath, and let his characters do the same. Matt, Danny, and Sorkin need to stop worrying about saving the entire medium of television and just worry about making one great show. That's the only way TV will be saved anyway- one great show at a time.
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