Well, its all over. After the mad rush toward the end we've made over the past few months, we've finally reached the finish line. And, appropriately for the ending of Dollhouse, technology destroyed the first draft of this review, which was (of course) far more awesome than anything I'll write this time. Reaching the end of the show, it came to me that while Firefly is on one level about Confederate sympathizers after the Civil War, Dollhouse is on its own level about a terrorist cell doing battle against a gluttonous, power hungry corporation. And it is fitting, then, that the show ended with a suicide bombing that saved the world.
And what a bombing it was. Topher, who has had likely the most interesting character arc in the series, was able to reverse all the damage he had done to the world, and lay himself to rest in the process. It was a nice additional touch that a video of Bennett was the key to his salvation, but there was probably no better way to end the story of a tortured genius who developed his morality far too late than with his beautiful sacrifice to save the world. Tohper discovering the "To Remember" wall seconds before being blown to bits to save the world was just a wonderful moment, especially as it allowed one of the show's most tortured characters to find a modicum of peace.
"Epitaph Two: The Return" showed yet again how adept the writers are at bringing us up to speed with incredibly complex relationships within the span of a scene. We quickly learn of the totally understandable fractures between Sierra/Priya and Victor/Tony. Tony, a lifelong soldier would of course think the only possible course to follow would be to protect the love of his life and their child by going to war against the enemy, even if that means becoming a techhead who could wipe and imprint himself with any needed skills. And Ballard and Echo's on again, off again relationship, troubled by her isolationist tendencies made perfect sense. From the Return of the Jedi-esque opening rescue from Neuropolis to the return to the Dollhouse required to save the world, the episode shoved as much plot and action as it could into an hour, and still managed to end with a resolution that provided some hope for every character.
That Victor and Sierra managed to brave all the dangers in front of them and overcome their issues to end up together was like the whipped cream on top of the sundae that was this episode. Killing off the most virtuous, pure (and yes, corny) character in Ballard was classic Whedon, but the romantic (and a little wierd) resolution that allowed Ballard to become a part of Echo and let them live on together was really very sweet and pretty much the perfect way to end that relationship. Topher finally found peace by sacrificing himself to set the world right again. Alpha managed to find a bit of tranquility amid his dangerous psychosis. And Adelle gets to continue her redemption by leading a new batch of Dolls out into the world where they can resume their original lives again. That the bleakest show on network televison managed to wrap up with a bit of happiness and a hint of hope is quite an accomplishment. That it did it with subtlety, philosophical and moral implications, and some excellent action turns it into something more like an out and out triumph.
Grade: A
Notes:
-Apologies if this is abbreviated. Re-writing a review somehow takes the joy out of it.
-Harding got fat. An excellent prediciton of what would happen if people were able to switch bodies at will.
-"I can bring back the world." A line like that will always get me.
-"We just left that party. That party was on fire."
-"I'll fix what we did to their heads. You fix what we did to the rest of the world. Your job is way harder." A really sweet moment between Topher and Adelle, handled excellently by both actors.
-An Olivia Williams is an awful thing to waste, Fox. More importantly, if Enver Gjokaj doesn't go on to ridiculous success, there is no justice in the world.
-Its been a real pleasure to cover Dollhouse these past two seasons. I can't wait to see what Whedon comes up with next.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Jordan's Review: 24, Season 8, Episode 5: 8:00p.m.-9:00p.m.
After a fairly standard premiere last week, 24 seems to have settled onto a pretty rote pathway for the coming season. Every plotline is moving forward exactly as any fan of the show owuld expect, from the agent in the field going arguably too far to get results, to the CTU operative forced into compromising herself, to the President being worried about something and receiving conflicting advice from the wisened old confidant who is always right and the younger hotshot who is too busy looking at political implications to get a good handle on right and wrong. If I just described pretty much every season of 24 over the last few years, its only because the show has become somewhat indistinguishable from season to season.
What kept the other seasons so interesting is that, while they did tend to be a bit repetitive after the first few, they quickly established a sense of urgency and at least one truly suspenseful storyline to hook in the viewers and keep us interested. I suspect Renee's walk on the dark side is supposed to do that for us this year, but it all feels a little bit done. There's nothing Agent Walker can do at this point that we haven't seen Jack do before, and while its a good performance, Annie Wersching is no Keifer Sutherland, and pushing him into the background this week clearly displayed how much the show needs Jack Bauer front and center to survive. Watching Renee stare down death didn't provide the suspense it was supposed to because there was really no doubt she would survive at least through this hour.
While the main plot lagged a little bit, it was still markedly better than the array of very standard subplots we've been offerred as yet. Easily the worst is Dana Walsh and her corruptive ex who is blackmailing her into infiltrating CTU so he can get a six figure pay-off. This may provide some limited suspense once she actually tries to pull it off, but more likely than not she will just glance sideways a lot until Chloe catches onto her suspicious behavior (or sideways glances) and pulls the plug on her, likely also ruining her relationship with Cole, who will be hurt, and possibly have turmoil to work out on some suspects later in the season.
President Taylor took on her standard role as concerned statesman as she tried to talk Hassan out of human rights violations in his fictitious Middle Eastern country, but he is not entirely the saint he appeared and knows he must round up those involved in the conspiracy to overthrow him to keep his power. He is also having a conflict with his wife, who knows her marriage is a sham and wants to leave New York. At the end of the day though, Dahlia is no Sherry Palmer, and the show really needs one right about now.
The most promising subplot of the evening involved David Anders' (Sark from Alias!) Josef taking his brother to a doctor who he then holds hostage and demands treatment from. This could create some interesting moments next week, mostly involving me yelling "Hey, its Sark!" to myself while watching, but even at its peak, this episode offerred nothing remotely new or suspenseful. In fact, this hour passed as the least eventful or important episode of the series in recent memory. Here's hoping it was just a build-up to some excellent twists and action up ahead, but I prepare for next week's episode with seriously lowered expectations after this week.
Grade: C
Notes:
-I took literally no notes during this episode. That's how uneventful everything was.
-The people on 24 should watch 24. They'd be able to catch the traitors and wrap things up quite a lot quicker that way.
What kept the other seasons so interesting is that, while they did tend to be a bit repetitive after the first few, they quickly established a sense of urgency and at least one truly suspenseful storyline to hook in the viewers and keep us interested. I suspect Renee's walk on the dark side is supposed to do that for us this year, but it all feels a little bit done. There's nothing Agent Walker can do at this point that we haven't seen Jack do before, and while its a good performance, Annie Wersching is no Keifer Sutherland, and pushing him into the background this week clearly displayed how much the show needs Jack Bauer front and center to survive. Watching Renee stare down death didn't provide the suspense it was supposed to because there was really no doubt she would survive at least through this hour.
While the main plot lagged a little bit, it was still markedly better than the array of very standard subplots we've been offerred as yet. Easily the worst is Dana Walsh and her corruptive ex who is blackmailing her into infiltrating CTU so he can get a six figure pay-off. This may provide some limited suspense once she actually tries to pull it off, but more likely than not she will just glance sideways a lot until Chloe catches onto her suspicious behavior (or sideways glances) and pulls the plug on her, likely also ruining her relationship with Cole, who will be hurt, and possibly have turmoil to work out on some suspects later in the season.
President Taylor took on her standard role as concerned statesman as she tried to talk Hassan out of human rights violations in his fictitious Middle Eastern country, but he is not entirely the saint he appeared and knows he must round up those involved in the conspiracy to overthrow him to keep his power. He is also having a conflict with his wife, who knows her marriage is a sham and wants to leave New York. At the end of the day though, Dahlia is no Sherry Palmer, and the show really needs one right about now.
The most promising subplot of the evening involved David Anders' (Sark from Alias!) Josef taking his brother to a doctor who he then holds hostage and demands treatment from. This could create some interesting moments next week, mostly involving me yelling "Hey, its Sark!" to myself while watching, but even at its peak, this episode offerred nothing remotely new or suspenseful. In fact, this hour passed as the least eventful or important episode of the series in recent memory. Here's hoping it was just a build-up to some excellent twists and action up ahead, but I prepare for next week's episode with seriously lowered expectations after this week.
Grade: C
Notes:
-I took literally no notes during this episode. That's how uneventful everything was.
-The people on 24 should watch 24. They'd be able to catch the traitors and wrap things up quite a lot quicker that way.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Jordan's Review: 30 Rock, Season 4, Episode 11: Winter Madness
Over the course of this season so far, 30 Rock has proven that this is a show that should not be taken on the road. The show is at its best in New York City, with all of the cynicism and wackiness that implies, but when it leaves there, everything tends to fall a little flat. That fact isn't helped by Jack's non-starter of a storyline with Julianne Moore's Nancy, whose only joke is that she has a Boston accent. But in general, I want this show to stay close to its home.
The trip this time takes the whole show to Boston after Liz and Pete's scheme to get a paid vacation to Miami as a morale booster backfires when Jack changes plans and forces them to go to Boston instead. There was theoretical fun to be had when the entire cast turned on each other, but for the most part, their anger felt forced rather than hilarious. Further, the show squandered its plotline with potential in favor of a much duller subplot where Jack is further frusterated romantically and nothing is resolved. Last season we were annoyed by Selma Hayek, and Julianne Moore has pretty solidly proven that the interest in Jack's romantic escapades only goes so far as their presence adds something comedic to the show.
Emblematic of this episodes mediocrity is the fact that there is not much to say about it. I thin kthe A-plot had potential it never realized, and the B-plot was always doomed to be boring and so should have been minimized. There were excellent jokes at some points, but this is 30 Rock and that is to be expected. Overall though, I hope this episode rid us of Nancy Donovan for a long time coming, and that TGS stays off the road for the foreseeable future.
Grade: B-
Notes:
-"You can do some serious subway flirting before you realize the guy is homeless."
-"That stupid Irish piece of... oh boy, Boston is not going to go well."
-"They are all named Shawn, they are mean, and I hate it here."
-The spot the differences in Jack's office gag was nice.
-"Trying to have it all...its wicked hard."
-"Purrfect, like a cat birthday!"
-"We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on Mars." A Cole Porter joke. Even when its pretty meh, this show is still one of the smartest on TV.
-Tracy's "Impeach George W. Ashington" shirt was awesome.
-"My wife and I have disparate levels of attractiveness because I'm an accomplished inventor."
-"Run, Crispus! He's onto us!"
The trip this time takes the whole show to Boston after Liz and Pete's scheme to get a paid vacation to Miami as a morale booster backfires when Jack changes plans and forces them to go to Boston instead. There was theoretical fun to be had when the entire cast turned on each other, but for the most part, their anger felt forced rather than hilarious. Further, the show squandered its plotline with potential in favor of a much duller subplot where Jack is further frusterated romantically and nothing is resolved. Last season we were annoyed by Selma Hayek, and Julianne Moore has pretty solidly proven that the interest in Jack's romantic escapades only goes so far as their presence adds something comedic to the show.
Emblematic of this episodes mediocrity is the fact that there is not much to say about it. I thin kthe A-plot had potential it never realized, and the B-plot was always doomed to be boring and so should have been minimized. There were excellent jokes at some points, but this is 30 Rock and that is to be expected. Overall though, I hope this episode rid us of Nancy Donovan for a long time coming, and that TGS stays off the road for the foreseeable future.
Grade: B-
Notes:
-"You can do some serious subway flirting before you realize the guy is homeless."
-"That stupid Irish piece of... oh boy, Boston is not going to go well."
-"They are all named Shawn, they are mean, and I hate it here."
-The spot the differences in Jack's office gag was nice.
-"Trying to have it all...its wicked hard."
-"Purrfect, like a cat birthday!"
-"We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on Mars." A Cole Porter joke. Even when its pretty meh, this show is still one of the smartest on TV.
-Tracy's "Impeach George W. Ashington" shirt was awesome.
-"My wife and I have disparate levels of attractiveness because I'm an accomplished inventor."
-"Run, Crispus! He's onto us!"
Jordan's Review: Community, Season 1, Episode 14: Interpretive Dance
After spending far too many words arguing for the glories of Community during its first season, and watching as many other reviewers bash it in comparison to Modern Family (a show that I think is a very solid retreat of territory that's been done a million times before, and is therefore below Community on any list of great new shows I might make), it was comforting to me to see how much I enjoyed "Interpretive Dance" just for being there. On the scale of Community episodes this week's was decidedly mediocre, yet I had a good time just hanging out with the characters that populate this world. When I can enjoy such a mediocre episode of the show as much as I enjoyed this one, it bodes well for my overall enjoyment of the series.
At its core, this was the "silly dancing" episode of the show, which is a pretty standard sitcom trope that somehow never bothers me that much. Troy and Britta discover that they both take dancing classes secretly, and decide to admit their secret shame to the gang. Meanwhile, Jeff is involved in a secret relationship with a former professor, and is forced to admit it to the gang when they all see the two making out. While I still dislike the idea of Jeff and Britta being pushed together (I preferred his chemistry with Allison Brie's Annie, but the show seems determined not to allow that pairing), I appreciate that the Statistics professor is a very good way of doing this. Her ambivalence toward Jeff, and the way she manages to disarm him without trying are both pretty fun to watch, and I actually believe that she is the type of woman that would get Jeff over his commitment phobia. Also, the romantic and me loved that Jeff did in fact get Britta flowers, even though deep down I still don't want them together (especially not for quite some time).
The dancing subplot was doomed to be mired in cliche, but Donald Glover is an excellent physical comedian, and watching Troy dance ended up being just as hilarious as it is intended. I think the idea that he was ashamed to admit being a dancer was thrown in for filler, as he has been proven to be reluctantly feminine before and that would stall time, but while it was never hilarious, it did pass the time well enough.
What shocked me most about this episode was that it provided more evidence of the show's desire to be a sitcom with an actual plot and character development, something that most sitcoms try to avoid like the plague. Jeff's progression from callous asshole to decent human being should probably be taking longer, but I'm enjoying watching it so much that I really don't care. All in all, this cast has such great chemistry, and the show has built up such good will in my book, that a pretty weak offering still comes out smelling vaguely like roses.
Grade: B
Notes:
-"I have a regular class at that time. Its like math or some other regular class..."
-Sneaking does in fact make sex 38% hotter. The things this show can teach the world...
-"I am spending a lot of money on break-away clothing..."
-"As soon as we touch, the blinds will open, and six annoying but lovable misfits will be staring at us." Well phrased, and a nice touch that they were in fact on the other side.
-"You don't get to talk to me like that! You are not Shirley...and Shirley is not my mom!"
-"Girls are supposed to dance. That's why god gave them parts that jiggle."
-"Can I just ask, as a divorced black house wife, what part of being a single white slacker makes you people so jaded?" "Oh you people? What do you mean you people? Cannot believe I got to say that."
-"We've slept together every night for the past three weeks. How would you describe me?" "The best friend ever?"
-I loved all of Pierce's commentary on Britta's routine: "Tea for two? There are FIVE people!" " "Don't you think the flowers are dying from the tea?" "Culturally, its unacceptable, but its theatrical dynamite!"
-The blip where all the answers on the crossword were main characters was pretty awesome.
At its core, this was the "silly dancing" episode of the show, which is a pretty standard sitcom trope that somehow never bothers me that much. Troy and Britta discover that they both take dancing classes secretly, and decide to admit their secret shame to the gang. Meanwhile, Jeff is involved in a secret relationship with a former professor, and is forced to admit it to the gang when they all see the two making out. While I still dislike the idea of Jeff and Britta being pushed together (I preferred his chemistry with Allison Brie's Annie, but the show seems determined not to allow that pairing), I appreciate that the Statistics professor is a very good way of doing this. Her ambivalence toward Jeff, and the way she manages to disarm him without trying are both pretty fun to watch, and I actually believe that she is the type of woman that would get Jeff over his commitment phobia. Also, the romantic and me loved that Jeff did in fact get Britta flowers, even though deep down I still don't want them together (especially not for quite some time).
The dancing subplot was doomed to be mired in cliche, but Donald Glover is an excellent physical comedian, and watching Troy dance ended up being just as hilarious as it is intended. I think the idea that he was ashamed to admit being a dancer was thrown in for filler, as he has been proven to be reluctantly feminine before and that would stall time, but while it was never hilarious, it did pass the time well enough.
What shocked me most about this episode was that it provided more evidence of the show's desire to be a sitcom with an actual plot and character development, something that most sitcoms try to avoid like the plague. Jeff's progression from callous asshole to decent human being should probably be taking longer, but I'm enjoying watching it so much that I really don't care. All in all, this cast has such great chemistry, and the show has built up such good will in my book, that a pretty weak offering still comes out smelling vaguely like roses.
Grade: B
Notes:
-"I have a regular class at that time. Its like math or some other regular class..."
-Sneaking does in fact make sex 38% hotter. The things this show can teach the world...
-"I am spending a lot of money on break-away clothing..."
-"As soon as we touch, the blinds will open, and six annoying but lovable misfits will be staring at us." Well phrased, and a nice touch that they were in fact on the other side.
-"You don't get to talk to me like that! You are not Shirley...and Shirley is not my mom!"
-"Girls are supposed to dance. That's why god gave them parts that jiggle."
-"Can I just ask, as a divorced black house wife, what part of being a single white slacker makes you people so jaded?" "Oh you people? What do you mean you people? Cannot believe I got to say that."
-"We've slept together every night for the past three weeks. How would you describe me?" "The best friend ever?"
-I loved all of Pierce's commentary on Britta's routine: "Tea for two? There are FIVE people!" " "Don't you think the flowers are dying from the tea?" "Culturally, its unacceptable, but its theatrical dynamite!"
-The blip where all the answers on the crossword were main characters was pretty awesome.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Jordan's Review: 24, Season 8, Episodes 3-4: 6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M.
Its conventional wisdom to say that 24 is at its best where there is enough at stake during a large, looming crisis that everything is moving at breakneck speed and the subplots (or, as the case usually is on this show, the filler plots between Jack scenes) are pushed so far into the background that they almost don't exist. The first (and arguably, best) season took its time building us from a missing daughter and a vague threat to a facedown with a past enemy and a kidnapped family, but the show learned quick that it could skip the preamble and dive right into the suspense. In each subsequent season, the writers have tried to push Jack into the danger zone as quickly as possible, for better or worse.
I tend to have mixed feelings about that plan, since it often leads to a lag about half way through the season when the writers realize they worked through their whole plotline and things are forced to get a little ridiculous to keep us gunning for the back half, but it does make for some excellent television early on. Tonight saw the death of Davros, the assassin/fake NYPD officer, and the revelation that Hassan's brother was the insider (something I think the show could have held off on revealing for a few more hours of suspense). We also saw the return of Renee Walker, who has gone over to the dark side of the Force after her torturing of a suspect at the end of last season, and was apparently suicidal recently. She comes in because Davros' body has trace elements of weapons grade uranium, and she used to work undercover with the Russian mob. She walks back into the life of a contact only minutes later and quickly cuts off his thumb to free him from his parole bracelet. Yes, Renee is a little bit crazy, and that should provide for some good old fashioned fun in the coming hours.
We also got more on each of our competing filler-plots, with Dana's ex causing trouble at her apartment and demanding to see her, and Hassan's relationship with Meredith the reporter being revealed (at least internally, though how long can that last?). The only plot that still hasn't really materialized is the political intrigue that will keep President Taylor involved in the events as the show unfolds, but all in good time I'm sure.
There was more good than bad in this episode, as we got to see Cole swerve his car in front of a bomb, Hastings admit his first mistake to Chloe, and Jack get drawn back in yet again (I guess maybe he won't be leaving the show that he is a star of during the first few episodes...). All in all, there has been some pretty solid piece setting here. Nothing that has happened is all that shocking yet, and we seem to be following the 24 formula so far, but here's hoping the show has some serious tricks up its sleeves in the weeks to come.
Grade: B+
Notes:
-That was some serious Good Cop/Bad Cop between the two that caught Jack at the house, one of whom (this one's for you, Sam) was on The Wire!
-So with Hastings putting his foot in his mouth and generally seeming ok, which twist are we preparing for: self-sacrifice or secret traitor? My money is on self-sacrifice, mostly because he's running CTU and that job almost invariably kills you (unless you're Jack, of course. Then it kills your wife).
I tend to have mixed feelings about that plan, since it often leads to a lag about half way through the season when the writers realize they worked through their whole plotline and things are forced to get a little ridiculous to keep us gunning for the back half, but it does make for some excellent television early on. Tonight saw the death of Davros, the assassin/fake NYPD officer, and the revelation that Hassan's brother was the insider (something I think the show could have held off on revealing for a few more hours of suspense). We also saw the return of Renee Walker, who has gone over to the dark side of the Force after her torturing of a suspect at the end of last season, and was apparently suicidal recently. She comes in because Davros' body has trace elements of weapons grade uranium, and she used to work undercover with the Russian mob. She walks back into the life of a contact only minutes later and quickly cuts off his thumb to free him from his parole bracelet. Yes, Renee is a little bit crazy, and that should provide for some good old fashioned fun in the coming hours.
We also got more on each of our competing filler-plots, with Dana's ex causing trouble at her apartment and demanding to see her, and Hassan's relationship with Meredith the reporter being revealed (at least internally, though how long can that last?). The only plot that still hasn't really materialized is the political intrigue that will keep President Taylor involved in the events as the show unfolds, but all in good time I'm sure.
There was more good than bad in this episode, as we got to see Cole swerve his car in front of a bomb, Hastings admit his first mistake to Chloe, and Jack get drawn back in yet again (I guess maybe he won't be leaving the show that he is a star of during the first few episodes...). All in all, there has been some pretty solid piece setting here. Nothing that has happened is all that shocking yet, and we seem to be following the 24 formula so far, but here's hoping the show has some serious tricks up its sleeves in the weeks to come.
Grade: B+
Notes:
-That was some serious Good Cop/Bad Cop between the two that caught Jack at the house, one of whom (this one's for you, Sam) was on The Wire!
-So with Hastings putting his foot in his mouth and generally seeming ok, which twist are we preparing for: self-sacrifice or secret traitor? My money is on self-sacrifice, mostly because he's running CTU and that job almost invariably kills you (unless you're Jack, of course. Then it kills your wife).
Jordan's Review: How I Met Your Mother, Season 5, Episode 13: Jenkins
Part of becoming a big hit comedy on television is an increase in name recognition. Along with that, a show that reaches a mass audience generaqlly begins to generate enough buzz to grab some higher tier guest stars. Further, the little show that could, when it finally does, often ends up selling out in order to appeal to its mainstream new audience. If all of this is true, How I Met Your Mother may have arrived, ladies and gentlemen. While the last point has yet to be proven true (and I really hope the show hasn't given up on its original claims to awesomeness), Amanda Peet's appearance as the titular character tonight does indicate that this show is big enough to get a get for a guest star.
Peet plays Jenkins, a prankster and co-worker of Marshall's who ends up playing an "important" part in a storyline that feels like just so much filler. Marshall discovers that he is the reacher in his marriage, while Lily is the settler, and this unhinges him. Partially because of a recent visit to the college bar where he is king due to his skeeball prowess (he is known as Big Fudge), and partially due to Lily's non-reaction upon finding out that Jenkins is a woman, Marshall sets out to make his wife jealous, and ends up kissing Jenkins. Worry not, however, because really she kissed him, and Lily doesn't believe him anyway. Once Jenkins herself comes clean about the incident, however, Lily goes Miss Piggy all over Jenkins, removing her jewelry and stepping up to kick her ass.
In a B-plot that felt just as filler-tastic, Robin discovers that Ted's students watch her show and becomes fairly arrogant about it, until Ted realizes they watch her as a drinking game. Ted, still desperate to be accepted by his students, joins them for the game, but Robin gets the last laugh when she plays into their shenanigans in order to ensure they are all incredibly hung over (though, frankly, I think Ted gets the real last laugh because Robin has just shown what a terrible journalist and on-screen presence she is).
Nothing about "Jenkins" is at all offensive to my How I Met Your Mother sensibilities. There were no lapses in continuity, nothing insanely out of character and none of the plotlines were duds. In fact, the episode was solidly humorous for most of its run time, even if it rarely made me laugh out loud. Rather, the episode failed me (if it did at all) by playing into my ever-present fears this season that the show I love has past its prime, that its writers have lsot their way, and that it is doomed to drag on until it has squeezed all the money it can out of one of the more original premises for a sitcom in recent memory. All of what I just elaborated has yet to definitively come to fruition, but an episode like "Jenkins," as inoffensively mediocre as it was, does little to convince me that we are not headed down that dark path toward mediocrity.
Grade: B-
Notes:
-Jenkins peed out of the window of a cab. Impressive.
-Amanda Peet even gets naked on HIMYM. She has quite the track record.
-Lily and Marshall have been playing Risk for 3 years. The winner gets to decide their future pet (Cat or monkey).
-Marshall's reaction to his kiss with Jenkins was the only real laugh out loud moment from the episode, but somehow Jason Segel screaming is never not funny.
-"It happened! Do you have any...split pea left?"
-"I'm going to go get started on Step 2!"
-"...And Oprah tried everything?"
Peet plays Jenkins, a prankster and co-worker of Marshall's who ends up playing an "important" part in a storyline that feels like just so much filler. Marshall discovers that he is the reacher in his marriage, while Lily is the settler, and this unhinges him. Partially because of a recent visit to the college bar where he is king due to his skeeball prowess (he is known as Big Fudge), and partially due to Lily's non-reaction upon finding out that Jenkins is a woman, Marshall sets out to make his wife jealous, and ends up kissing Jenkins. Worry not, however, because really she kissed him, and Lily doesn't believe him anyway. Once Jenkins herself comes clean about the incident, however, Lily goes Miss Piggy all over Jenkins, removing her jewelry and stepping up to kick her ass.
In a B-plot that felt just as filler-tastic, Robin discovers that Ted's students watch her show and becomes fairly arrogant about it, until Ted realizes they watch her as a drinking game. Ted, still desperate to be accepted by his students, joins them for the game, but Robin gets the last laugh when she plays into their shenanigans in order to ensure they are all incredibly hung over (though, frankly, I think Ted gets the real last laugh because Robin has just shown what a terrible journalist and on-screen presence she is).
Nothing about "Jenkins" is at all offensive to my How I Met Your Mother sensibilities. There were no lapses in continuity, nothing insanely out of character and none of the plotlines were duds. In fact, the episode was solidly humorous for most of its run time, even if it rarely made me laugh out loud. Rather, the episode failed me (if it did at all) by playing into my ever-present fears this season that the show I love has past its prime, that its writers have lsot their way, and that it is doomed to drag on until it has squeezed all the money it can out of one of the more original premises for a sitcom in recent memory. All of what I just elaborated has yet to definitively come to fruition, but an episode like "Jenkins," as inoffensively mediocre as it was, does little to convince me that we are not headed down that dark path toward mediocrity.
Grade: B-
Notes:
-Jenkins peed out of the window of a cab. Impressive.
-Amanda Peet even gets naked on HIMYM. She has quite the track record.
-Lily and Marshall have been playing Risk for 3 years. The winner gets to decide their future pet (Cat or monkey).
-Marshall's reaction to his kiss with Jenkins was the only real laugh out loud moment from the episode, but somehow Jason Segel screaming is never not funny.
-"It happened! Do you have any...split pea left?"
-"I'm going to go get started on Step 2!"
-"...And Oprah tried everything?"
Monday, January 18, 2010
Jordan's Review: 24, Season 8, Episodes 1-2: 4:00 P.M-6:00 P.M.
Over the last nine years, Jack Bauer has dealt with some very serious shit on a pretty constant basis, not to mention being sleep deprived at least once every 2 or 3 years as he experieces another very long day. Before diving into the events that occurred during night one of the season premiere, I thought it prudent to give a brief primer on how I feel about 24 as a series (this being the first time I have reviewed it for the blog). I have been following the heroics of Jack Bauer since all the way back on Day One with a furor that nears religiosity. I remember fondly when the time period for the episode was followed with "...on the day of the California Presidential Primary" and when I was trying to convince all of my friends and family members that they needed to watch this show. To a large extent I succeeded, and many people I know have learned to love the show as I do.
This is not to say, however, that I turn a b lind eye towards the show's shortcomings. The series is clearly past its prime, and hasn't really been of the highest quality since at latest Season Four (I would say that Season 3 was the last very solid run, and even that was a bit of a step down from the first two, which were unique and more uniformly stellar). Yet, if one is willing to accept the various obvious contrivances and occasional logical gaps the show takes, 24 still provides one of the best thrill rides on television on a weekly basis. Right out of the gate, Season 8 has shown itself to be the same old 24 we've all become pretty used to over the last (nearly) decade its been on: We have a strong, idealistic political leader, some angry, "by the books" beauraucrats who somehow still haven't learned the valuable lesson that JACK BAUER IS NEVER WRONG, the smart-ass tech guy, the up-and-comer who hasn't lost his (or, as in last season, her) soul yet like Jack has, and the CTU worker who has personal issues that are raring their heads at this clearly very inconvenient time.
It is true that 24 has become one thing it tried very hard to avoid during its early seasons: fairly formulaic. You can expect pretty much the same plotlines to unfold in any given season, and with a few exceptions (if the writers are especially on their ball, which they usually are at least once or twice a season) the experienced viewer can see most of the twists coming at this point. That isn't to say that the show isn't fun to watch, it is still a very solid piece of entertainment; it just isn't the pulse-pounding twist machine of its heyday.
So at the end of the first two hours, a lot of good piece moving has taken place, Jack is already back on the road with Chloe as his back-up, and the major storylines we'll be focusing on this season are in place. It isn't the most original show on television at this point (by a long shot), but there is something comforting in knowing that Jack Bauer is back in business, and 24 has another rollercoaster ride set up for us, if only we are willing to grant it some of its contrivances.
Grade: B
Notes:
-Apologies I didn't realy focus on the details of this episode; I felt it more prudent to discuss the state of the series as a whole at the beginning of my reviewing of it. A more episode-focused review for the next part of the premiere is a promise.
-Another promise is a discussion of the show's politics and its position on torture, but that can wait until Jack starts electrocuting people with lamp cords.
-I like that this season opened with a happy, satisfied Jack. Too bad that means he has things to lose again.
-There were some very solid action setpieces tonight.
-Anil Kapoor, of Slumdog Millionaire fame is playing President Hasan. Cool, I guess...
-"I'll see you in an hour." Famous last words on 24 and something I failed to mention above: after 8 seasons, everything still happens in "about an hour." Somewhat annoying, yet also fairly endearing at this point.
-Everyone knows to clam up until they get immunity. Its almost like they've been watching 24 for 8 years.
-The new CTU looks really spiffy, and hey! Bubba from Forrest Gump is in charge!
-"Who is Jakc Bauer?" Oh, new guy...
-Jack killed a guy with an axe! Awesome!
-There is someone on the inside. Drink every time that happens on this show...
This is not to say, however, that I turn a b lind eye towards the show's shortcomings. The series is clearly past its prime, and hasn't really been of the highest quality since at latest Season Four (I would say that Season 3 was the last very solid run, and even that was a bit of a step down from the first two, which were unique and more uniformly stellar). Yet, if one is willing to accept the various obvious contrivances and occasional logical gaps the show takes, 24 still provides one of the best thrill rides on television on a weekly basis. Right out of the gate, Season 8 has shown itself to be the same old 24 we've all become pretty used to over the last (nearly) decade its been on: We have a strong, idealistic political leader, some angry, "by the books" beauraucrats who somehow still haven't learned the valuable lesson that JACK BAUER IS NEVER WRONG, the smart-ass tech guy, the up-and-comer who hasn't lost his (or, as in last season, her) soul yet like Jack has, and the CTU worker who has personal issues that are raring their heads at this clearly very inconvenient time.
It is true that 24 has become one thing it tried very hard to avoid during its early seasons: fairly formulaic. You can expect pretty much the same plotlines to unfold in any given season, and with a few exceptions (if the writers are especially on their ball, which they usually are at least once or twice a season) the experienced viewer can see most of the twists coming at this point. That isn't to say that the show isn't fun to watch, it is still a very solid piece of entertainment; it just isn't the pulse-pounding twist machine of its heyday.
So at the end of the first two hours, a lot of good piece moving has taken place, Jack is already back on the road with Chloe as his back-up, and the major storylines we'll be focusing on this season are in place. It isn't the most original show on television at this point (by a long shot), but there is something comforting in knowing that Jack Bauer is back in business, and 24 has another rollercoaster ride set up for us, if only we are willing to grant it some of its contrivances.
Grade: B
Notes:
-Apologies I didn't realy focus on the details of this episode; I felt it more prudent to discuss the state of the series as a whole at the beginning of my reviewing of it. A more episode-focused review for the next part of the premiere is a promise.
-Another promise is a discussion of the show's politics and its position on torture, but that can wait until Jack starts electrocuting people with lamp cords.
-I like that this season opened with a happy, satisfied Jack. Too bad that means he has things to lose again.
-There were some very solid action setpieces tonight.
-Anil Kapoor, of Slumdog Millionaire fame is playing President Hasan. Cool, I guess...
-"I'll see you in an hour." Famous last words on 24 and something I failed to mention above: after 8 seasons, everything still happens in "about an hour." Somewhat annoying, yet also fairly endearing at this point.
-Everyone knows to clam up until they get immunity. Its almost like they've been watching 24 for 8 years.
-The new CTU looks really spiffy, and hey! Bubba from Forrest Gump is in charge!
-"Who is Jakc Bauer?" Oh, new guy...
-Jack killed a guy with an axe! Awesome!
-There is someone on the inside. Drink every time that happens on this show...
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