Breaking Bad – Season 2

Check here for the review of the first season.

The experiment gets out of control in the second season of AMC’s Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston shatters suburban stereotypes in his performance as chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin Walt White. As danger and suspicion around him escalate, Walt continues to straddle two conflicting worlds: A ruthless swirl of drugs, murder and mayhem on one hand, and a complex and emotionally fraught domestic life on the other. In the no-holds-barred world of Walt White, the end justifies the extreme.

Episode 01: Seven Thirty-Seven
Interesting episode, and it felt like a normal episode, like the sequel to the last episode and not really like a monster-hammer-uber-cool season opener. But I am thankful that it’s not. Breaking Bad still concentrates more on the characters and their relationship.
Hank (Dean Norris) and Marie (Betsy Brandt): I hope both of them are getting an interesting story this season, because they managed to get more interest into the characters. And it is nice that Skylar (Anna Gunn) and Walt have exactly the same problems like Hank and Marie – but Skylar is pretty much more into the search for a reason, why the marriage won’t work at the moment.
A shame that I am spoiled, or I would ask myself what the beginning is meaning; but I can’t begin something with the little sex scene of Walt and Skylar in the kitchen. He almost was about to hurt her.
The rest of the episode (the main story arc involving Tuco [Raymond Cruz]) was good. Not only Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul) get paranoid and try to prevent from being killed by him (interesting episode cliffhanger, btw), but Hank as DEA at the crime scene with the two bodies. And especially Jesse trying to open the revolver (hilarious) and Hank seeing their rob from last season from the eyes of a security camera (“It’s a barrel, roll it!”). Some hilarious scenes in here and a lot of dark character drama. The second season begins like the first season ended. 7,5/10

Episode 02: Grilled
Holy fuck, what an awesome episode. And another example why this series can’t work on network television. Almost everything in this episode was perfect, just the story with Skylar, Walt jr. (RJ Mitte), Marie and Hank trying to find out where Walter is was a bit boring, but the story with Walter, Jesse and Tuco: OMG, how awesome was that? I wished to see a whole episode about that, not interrupted by any other story, and this would be a mega-uber-cool-awesome-whatever-episode.
Tuco really is a crazy person and it is kind of a shame that Hank killed him here – it would be awesome to see him in a few episodes more, because he was just… too crazy in here. But his death gives the writers a chance to begin a new story. Walter and Jesse were in too deep in these last episodes and if Tuco would be still alive and dealing with Walter/Jesse, Hank would come really close to what Walter and Jesse are doing.
All of the scenes in the desert were awesome. Beginning with Tuco talking to Walter about trust, over Jesse’s efforts to poison Tuco until the shoot-out finale Tuco versus Hank. Just awesome, with lots of atmosphere and thrill, a bit humor on the side and a scene full of action.
Really an awesome episode. It would be full ten, if we had less Skylar/Walter jr./Marie. 9/10

Episode 03: Bit By a Dead Bee
The episode was good, but Tuco’s death slows the series kind of down. Like I said, the last episodes with the Tuco story was more than interesting, and now it is over. It’s a bit of a shame, but I am eager to know what is coming for the rest of the season. Walter obviously won’t give up with the cooking (even after all the shit he experienced).
The whole damage control was a nice idea, but I don’t understand why Jesse did all of this and why Walter risked so much. Jesse gets arrested by the ATF and Hank gets to know Jesse – kind of dangerous situation for Walter and Jesse, especially after the deal with Hank and Tuco. At least this brings forward the story a bit. Hank gets closer and closer to the two “idiots” cooking the most clearest meth in the city.
Walter and Skylar were good as well, slowly there is trouble coming for their relationship. Skylar suspects that Walter has secrets (let’s see how long the story around the second cell phone will hold on) and Walter just doesn’t care about it. 7,5/10

Episode 04: Down
Another one of those episodes which feel like a filler, but are actually not. The story concentrates on getting Jesse a new storyline while ending all the other loose ends, and Skylar has difficulties to figure out what’s wrong with Walt, who has no idea what is going on with his family, especially with his son. And even though they are typical storylines, which are suited for a perfectly family series full of emotional drama, it just suited the series right here. Finally Skylar and Walt are having some problems, after they were signs of it from the beginning of the series. And it is probably a preparation for Skylar finding out the truth about Walt and what he’s doing in a couple episodes, maybe the season finale.
Jesse being kicked out by his parents and trying to look for a new stay was interesting; his fall into the John was funny and awkward at the same moment, and I even could feel his “pain”, after he entered the trailer – he is really down in life.
Now the story needs its time to bring Jesse and Walt together back in business again, and it could take a while, after all the problems both of them had – together and separately. And despite the feeling that
the series is told very slow, I hope this story gets picked up fast again. 8/10

Episode 05: Breakage
A good episode, and Jesse and Walt are back in business. And surprisingly in their own business, even though it was predictable that one of them would have the idea to run their completely own business.
Walt with more problems with his wife; Hank partly in the center of the story with his mild panic attack(s) (I say that the supposedly shooting in his house, which was revealed as his beer bottles losing pressure, as another mildly panic attack of his), Skylar trying not to talk to Marie; and Jesse moving into a new apartment and having to learn to deal with his “colleagues” – especially the last point could lead into a really interesting story. But I already know that this won’t come, for that Jesse is still too much of an addict and a pussy to handle “big problems” – Walt clearly has more balls than Jesse.
The episode feels like a new beginning and probably like the “real” season beginning, though we are already in the fifth episode. 8/10

Episode 06: Peekaboo
Awesome episode. And it was over way too fast. I had the feeling, I just watched the episode for 30 minutes, but it was 46 minutes long – awesome how the writers can tell stories without any length. While Walter’s story involving Gretchen (Jessica Hecht) was interesting (and I already forgot about the part that Gretchen and Elliot wanted to pay Walter’s treatment), Jesse’s story was awesome times ten. He tries to get his money back from the guys who stole his meth – and I didn’t even expected that this story wasn’t over. I was surprised, when the opening scene revealed that Jesse wanted to get his money back. And the he breaks into this shit house and there is a little boy… this was a real strong WTF moment, and all this emotional stuff came into my brain and my heart: How can parents like these raise a child in this house under these circumstances and why is nobody else noticing? How Jesse dealt with the boy… awesome acting by Aaron Paul; how the parents dealt with Jesse… awesome acting as well, I totally bought their addiction and their disinterest for what’s happening around them. And then the wife kills the husband, while he tried to crack up an ATM machine… WTF? This story was really awesome and it will stick in my brain for quite a while. Wow.
The side plot with Walter gave some information about his past – interesting development. So he once had a relationship with Gretchen and he left. So, he said that they are saying his treatment, which isn’t right, and Gretchen learns about that. And the dinner Walter and Gretchen had… awesome acting by Bryan Cranston, how he tried to let her hate him, simply wow. And I like the producers for not losing the language they had in season one. They still brought in the “Fuck you”, though it had to be muted. I just wished that Gretchen would have told Skylar the truth, so the story would come forward for once in a while. It looks like Walter has to lie again (and boy did he lie to Skylar at the end). 9/10

Episode 07: Negro Y Azul
This episode was hilarious. Jesse is a hilarious character. He buys a flatscreen, invites Jane (Krysten Ritter, finally on my radar, after I saw her in various TV shows, but never noticed her) to his apartment and both are sitting in front of a flatscreen, who is looking for satellite signal – hilarious, probably the most funny scene in the series so far. The song in the intro scene – hilarious and something complete different. All the opening scenes in the episodes are somewhat complete different from the rest of the episode. And the song could be a chart breaker, I had a little ear worm of it during the episode.
The story was a bit lame though. It mostly prepared for what’s to come (especially a little love relationship between Jesse and Jane) and it foreshadows what problems Jesse and Walter will have in the future, when they really expand (nice explained in the song); and with Hank in his new job we even had a storyline, which could be outside of the main story arc. The explosion of the turtle with Danny Trejo’s head on it (I am sad that he already is dead, I already was hoping he could be a recurring) was awesome and so unexpected. I thought Hank would have another heart attack, but instead the turtle explodes and pulls a few DEA agents with him – such an awesome scene.
And Skylar gets her job back she quit four years ago, together with some revelation of her past – very interesting. It really looks like the writers either want to plan ahead for the next seasons, giving Skylar a probable relationship, when she breaks up with Walter (which will happen, when she finds out), or she gets an own storyline, so that she has problems on her own for a while. The sexual harassment doesn’t seem over for me, and this lies four years in the past… 8/10

Episode 08: Better Call Saul
Well, it looks like another preparing episode. Danny Trejo got killed last episode, so the series needs another recurring actor and character, and why not Saul (Bob Odenkirk), who was introduced here? He is an interesting character and he seems like he wants in to the business Heisenberg and his younger partner have. And I never thought about a third business partner entering their business, and now it seems to happen – could be an interesting storyline, especially with Walter, who only does that for the money, and Jesse who is practically an addict. The standoff at gunpoint between the three in the desert was hilarious; how Saul turned the tables was just awesome. And he was right at the end: When is the ATF finding him? After the scene in which the fake Heisenberg was caught and we saw Hank thinking about it, I was thinking that Hank isn’t believing all this shit happening, like he smells that something ain’t right.
Jesse really has a relationship now, very character developing of him. I am already thrilled what happens when he falls back into his addiction (or when she will fall back) – it just seems illogical that she is starting with him a relationship at all. She is in rehab, she has to know that he would bring her back into the weed, meth or whatever. But as long as Jesse has a different storyline than drugs and dealing, I am excited.
Well, and for the rest: I already forgot it, because it was not important. It was more of a lame episode than revealing; the writers still want to write some new stories and need a few episodes for it. 7/10

Episode 09: 4 Days Out
This show is absolutely awesome. Like “Grilled” and “Peekaboo” an awesome strong episode, and this time the writers chose not to tell a separate storyline in the episode, instead we saw Walter and Jesse all the time. This is probably the best episode of the series so far. Absolutely amazing.
Walter’s and Jesse’s trip to the desert to cook all their meth for the next weeks was awesome, and I didn’t even expect that anything could happen. But from the moment Jesse put the key in the ignition I knew something would happen, at least the battery would go dead and both of them are stuck in the middle of nowhere. And how they got stuck… It is always fun to watch, when the both are fighting with each other; Jesse, the dumbhead and Walter, the genius. They were always complete different persons, and the writers show it all the time, when they are working together. But there was one funny scene: When Walter and Jesse took off their clothes, I had to spontaneously laugh, because I was thinking that Jesse was about to prostitute himself for a paying Walter – at least it is what a cop would think, when he would enter the trailer at this moment.
I am curious how this story will develop during the next episode. The trip definitely won’t be forgotten; either Skylar finds out that Walter wasn’t with his mother, or she looks at the phone bill. That Walter is in remission, is a complete different story, which open new doors, and obviously new developments in the characters. Awesome scene when Walter beat the crap out of the dispenser.
Definitely a highlight in cable TV. 9,5/10

Episode 10: Over
Interesting episode with a really interesting and mind-blowing ending. Obviously Walter wants to keep his territory, and how he told the guys to stay out at the end… awesome acting. I had big eyes and an open mouth, so unexpected was this scene.
The rest of the episode was simple, some parts were preparing for another story, some parts were just interesting. Are Jesse and Jane about to have a real relationship. Until now it was for her just a sex thing, he seems to be in love, and when her father Donald (John de Lancie) entered the picture she made it clear that there is no chance of a proper relationship. This surprisingly gives character development to Jesse and Jane. For Jesse interesting, because he is
about to lose the one thing he hopes for to work his miserable life right (shown in his scenes, where he smoked one cigarette after another and then meth), for Jane interesting, because she gets some character development, though she is only recurring for now (but I don’t think she will be for a while).
While Walter is “renovating” the house, Skylar is about to cheat on her husband. She notices that he doesn’t have any interest in keeping up the marriage, and so she looks for a replacement in her boss Ted (Christopher Cousins). I think this story will develop big, we are three episodes before the season finale, and with Skylar’s relationship to his boss (and Walter’s plans to keep his territory) there is something big coming as season cliffhanger.
To the scene at the beginning: It is really a shame I am already spoiled, or the picture with the two body bags besides Walter’s car would be really awesome, and I would ask myself if somebody from Walter’s family would be in there… 8/10

Episode 11: Mandala
Damn, I seriously like this season with these last episodes; this was another great episode with a really great ending.
I saw it coming that Jane will go back to the drugs, and here it happened. It was a great scene, when she stood at the door and made her choice. She went back to Jesse and knew she would go down the road again, when she opened the door to his room. But to see her actually taking drugs again was a little bit of a shocker. First she smoked the meth, then she came with needles and the strong stuff – not only is it positive that a series about drugs tells a story about drugs, but this scene was just… whoa. To see someone going down the hell road through drugs in a cable show.. well, I didn’t see any shows of that kind. And with that in mind, Jesse has now an addiction to fight against, which will develop into a more different business relationship with Walter.
Who is looking for a deal of his life. When he sat across Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and talked about the future relationship, both characters clicked instantly, and I hope Gus is returning in later episodes, though his deal with him seems to be over after he didn’t manage to deliver the product in time. The last four, five minutes were awesome, how Walter tried to call Jesse, broke into his apartment and tried to wake him up. The scene was somewhat between hilarious and totally serious with thrill, especially with Skylar having a baby at the same time, when Walter tries to make the deal of his life – the time couldn’t be more bad. 8,5/10

Episode 12: Phoenix
Fuck, a seriously good episode with an ending I didn’t expect. And I totally didn’t expect how fast the story of the series changes. From trying to get money through cooking and dealing with drugs to the drugs you take and bring death to the ones who take them.
It was surprising that Walter made the deal at the beginning of the episode, for the cost to miss the birth of his daughter. The rest of the story involving his family was not really interesting, Walter jr.’s “charity site” even was a bit too much, but necessary if the writers really want to use this plot device for bringing the money into the game.
While Jane got amount of screentime this episode (and her father as well) I was thinking that she could be a recurring for the next season, or at least for some more episodes to show the fall of Jesse into his addiction. And then she dies at the end, choking on her own vomit – whoa. I couldn’t believe what I saw. If this wasn’t enough, Walter was in the room while it happened and did nothing – that was even more cruel to see. Walter is responsible for Jane’s death, he could prevented it, but he did nothing. Excellent acting by Bryan Cranston at the end. He was more than believable in this “I show Jesse that drugs are dangerous, but – oh no – I am responsible of this girl’s death” matter; I really could express the feelings, anger and desperation.
This episode kind of prepares the season cliffhanger for the characters. Walter has to deal with Jane’s death, Jesse has to deal with her death and his addiction, and I already am spoiled what happens in the finale, so everybody has to deal with much bigger problems than before.
This is why I like this series so much and is probably the best TV series currently on the air. 9,5/10

Episode 13: ABQ
The four episodes with the black-and-white intro, connect their episode titles and you get “Seven Fourty-Seven Down Over ABQ” – practically you saw the cliffhanger of the season before the season finale, and the first scene of the season was part of the cliffhanger. Pretty neat of the producers and an interesting way to show us a cliffhanger during the season.
The season finale was good, but after the last episode I had higher expectations about what was going to happen here. I was waiting of more drama, especially between Walter and Jesse. But Jesse didn’t even have much screentime and only was part of the first act (in which Aaron Paul did an awesome acting job), so that was practically missing. But it was nice to see that Walter was there to help him out of this misery. It is just interesting to know what would happen if he learns the truth about Walter witnessing Jane’s death, if the storyline ever comes back. It would be sad, when it comes back, because it would be a cliché.
Jesse and Jane’s father are dealing with Jane’s death (Krysten Ritter can play a corpse pretty good), Jesse is going down the road of drugs, and just can be helped by Walter (it is interesting that there is nobody in Jesse’s life, who could do such thing – he has no friends, no family, and he just lost his girlfriend) and Jane’s father Donald is responsible for two planes crashing, because he can’t get over the grief. Basically Walter is responsible for the plane crashes as well, because he let Jane die. When he learns the truth about that (finding out that Jane’s father was the air traffic controller, who let the plane crash), he will be even more miserable than he already is.
I didn’t know what to make of the 6/7 week jump into the future. First I thought it was awkward, but it was necessary for letting Skylar learn about all the lies Walter told her. But I don’t even know if this cliffhanger was necessary for this episode. It would have been awesome to see this story starting in the season premiere next season. This way, it seems a bit too much and the writers wanted to give Walter all possible cliffhangers he could get. Another thing is that we didn’t see Jesse after the flash forward – what happened to him?
Hopefully Saul and Gus will be in the next season. Saul was an interesting character in the last episode, and I was surprised to see Gus with the ATF here (this definitely was not a tour trip).
All in all: Good season finale, interesting stories for the next season. I am waiting. 8/10

Season average is 8,27, which makes Breaking Bad to my number one show right now. Of all seasons I reviewed here so fast, the two of Breaking Bad landed above the 8-point-mark.
I planned to watch this season way earlier, maybe together with the TV airing, but I didn’t have any time for new TV shows. At least I got this one finished, before AMC starts airing the first season in March 2010. Maybe I will be able to write single episode reviews.
Nurse Jackie is about to get finished soon, and you can expect five seasons of Lost from me before the start of the sixth and final season. Currently I am watching the episodes and write lots of stuff about the episodes.

Dawson’s Creek – Season 1

Kevin Williamson created this engaging drama, which chronicles a group of young friends’ passage from adolescence to young adulthood in the small coastal town of Capeside, Massachusetts. based on Williamson’s own experiences growing up, “Dawson’s Creek” focuses on fifteen-year-olds Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes), who have been friends since they were five and are trying to cope with the way their relationship is changing now that their hormones are raging. Add to the mix their friend Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and the new girl in town, Jen (Michelle Williams) and you can count on extra twists to their drama in their already turbulent lives.

Episode 01: Pilot
It is a shame this show came much too early in my life. Or I was just born way too late for it. While Dawson’s Creek took a tiny small place in my life, when I went to high school, I never saw the first season until I bought the DVD collection. And it is time for a rewatch and a few flashbacks of earlier moments of my life.
The pilot was good, though James Van Der Beek overacted a bit in his own show (especially when Dawson surprised his parents while making out) and it is a bit unbelievable that the teens (who are not even 16 years old in here) already have such big minds (especially Pacey, who says to Tamara [Leann Hunley] that he was the best sex she never had). This was one of the biggest problems I had with this show during the first four seasons, though I pretty much got into it very fast and wasn’t confused anymore with the start of the second season.
Other than that: It is really authentic. And even with the age the show already has, it is still realistic enough to be the love guide for every upcoming teenager in a small town somewhere on the east side of America. Van Der Beek overacted a bit and Dawson’s Spielberg obsession already sucks balls, Joshua Jackson was good, as well as Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams. The rest of the cast didn’t really have much screentime, and they are the adult ones in here, so they have to develop during the next couple of episodes.
The stories for the pilot were alright. Joey says that puberty hits, and they aren’t kids anymore, love comes into play, together with the talent of flirtation and all the rest. And of course Pacey had to kiss a MILF in the pilot, even the truly authentic teen series needs a bit of sex in the story – even though we didn’t see anything, and nothing happened. 7,5/10

Episode 02: Dance
Another good episode, and this time it is working better than the pilot. The “a little bit too much” from the pilot loosened up a bit in the second episode and made much more fun. Though some moments were really stereotype.
So, Dawson’s lands in film class due to a backdoor, while he is trying to get into the neighbor girl’s pants without screwing with her. The story couldn’t be more stereotype, but at least James Van Der Beek wasn’t overacting here and Michelle Williams was a really sweet girl with the feeling of her character. Also, Katie Holmes managed to get her role into realism, switching perfectly between having a secret involving Dawson’s mother Gail (Mary-Margaret Humes) and not showing her true feelings to Dawson, because she said herself, everything is changing for all of them. Or being honest to each other about their feelings. For that, Dawson’s “trouble” with Jen and her being “stolen” by Cliff (Scott Foley), wasn’t really interesting, it remains still the beginning of a bigger story, but it doesn’t feel like that.
Pacey’s flirts and kisses with Tamara was only a side plot, and I truly don’t know why Tamara – as a teacher – is about to ruin her career. But today there are a lot of teachers screwing around with their students; Dawson’s Creek was pretty much a harbinger, though there were cases, before the series went on the air.
Dawson’s parents are loving, but the secret Gail has isn’t moving and makes their relationship more and more unbelievable. But we are just in the second episode so far… 7,5/10

Episode 03: Kiss
Good episode, and again: better than the episode before. This time all the stories are working, though one is a romantic cliché, and the other was almost a waste of time.
If Dawson was only busy with the film shooting and the writers would have cut his “search for a kiss with Jen”, then this would be a Joey show, and the episode would have been a foreshadow of what Dawson’s Creek was during the last season: more a show about Joey than about the title character. And it was interesting to put another character beside Dawson in front of a story and actually having a lot of screentime (which isn’t happening to Pacey – he has only one storyline right now, and the writers only spend four minutes per episode with it).
The film shoot at the high school was partly interesting, though it brings Dawson a few winning moments; but his moments with Jen were great, and finally they kissed (this was the waste of time, one episode looking for the kiss can be too much sometimes). It just seems a coincidence that Pacey lost his virginity with Tamara at the same place (by the way: nice acting by Leann Hunley in that scene, in which she wasn’t sure about what she did at that moment), and what a coincidence Dawson filmed it.
Joey’s romance with the guy from New York was nice, though stereotype. Who doesn’t lie about the own name, age and background to have a nice time with a guy, who won’t even have interest in little high school girls? And, seriously, Katie Holmes was more than sweet in here – how could she marry Tom Cruise later on? 8/10

Episode 04: Discovery
Another good episode, though slightly weaker than the last one. At least it looks like the stories are up and running, together with Gail’s affair, from which Dawson finally knows about (he didn’t just have the guts to tell his father Mitch [John Wesley Shipp] about – which is totally authentic, btw). And the lovely relationship between Dawson and Jen gets better as well. Basically: I really liked the episode for its story continuing – they are told not too fast, not too slow (except Gail, but I can live with that), and they have always a bit of heart and emotion in it.
I am happy to see that Pacey had a bit more screentime in this episode, which results in Dawson filming his tete-a-tete with Tamara, which again results in Pacey telling Dawson about his “I got the girl this time” – very nice scene, showing that Joshua Jackson can act, and James Van Der Beek not so really. His reaction of Pacey’s confession was just… argh. And it seems like the story with Pacey and Tamara grows bigger, when he is starting to get jealous, as Tamara is hanging around with men her age… Well, it is a bit funny, but it is a storyline for Pacey and I don’t think the writers had something different in mind for him at that time.
Grams (Mary Beth Peil) has increasingly more screentime as well, and I like that. Though she could stop worrying about Jen, because she of all people should know that Capeside isn’t suitable for bringing kids on the deeper and uglier roads of life. But Jen and Grams have interesting talks together, which develops both characters – nice writing.
Dawson being felt betrayed by Joey was the weakest storyline in here, because it was predictable and a cliché. But it was necessary for him to learn more about Jen, so it was not that bad after all. 7,5/10

Episode 05: Hurricane
A strong episode with lots of stuff happening. Gail tells Mitch the truth and nothing but the truth, and leaves Mitch and Dawson back to let them think of their own. Though it was good to see a proper adult storyline for the first time of the series, it would have been nice to see Dawson thinking about his parents’ problems, even though he already was dealing with that topic in the last episode. But it seems to separated that first Dawson deals with his mother’s affair, then he drops it to do other business, and
when Mitch learns about it, he is the one dealing with this. What great moments would have been in the episode, when father and son trying to react together to Gail’s affair. But the scene with gale and Mitch was just awesome – really authentic and believable.
The rest of the episode was good as well, though I find it curious that Pacey’s brother Doug (Dylan Neal) develops interest in Tamara, and why the story about him not getting out of the closet, because he is scared. Sure, this storyline begins here and
develops with the time of the series, but it came too suddenly. We never saw Doug before and with his first appearance he already gets a story? Because I don’t think this will effect Pacey very much. But it means one thing: The writers tell stories not only for the teenager.
And Dawson and Jen having a break? Didn’t they just start dating? This seems like a stereotype storyline, but it was good that this didn’t take the bigger part of the episode. 8,5/10

Episode 06: Baby
Nice episode with interesting topics. The birth brings together all the storyline Grams had with the others, especially her “racist” opinions about Bessie (Nina Repeta) and her relationship with Brody. The scene in which Grams made kind of peace with Bessie, while she is in labor, bleeding and scared about everything was written very good and brought the two characters closer to the audience. And even with Joey worrying about the situation, remembering her mother, this story had even a more interesting meaning. Lifes are changing right now, and it is only a simple birth (exclude the small problems Bessie had) in the living room of the Leerys.
The rest of the episode, which includes Pacey and Tamara, was partly interesting though. Of course, somebody heard the conversation between Dawson and Pacey and of course the rumors are spreading like a virus. And of course everybody of Pacey’s surrounding learns about it (even Doug) and of course it was supposed to be funny, until the school board comes and threatens Tamara’s job in the high school. It just seems unbelievable that the school board is meeting that fast and that they don’t do any investigation, just because Pacey stormed into the session and told everybody that it was just his fantasy… Yeah, of course. Nice try.
The ending was nice, though. Tamara is leaving Capeside, Pacey says goodbye and Joey holds the baby on her arms – very sweet moments, but they don’t make the episode better. 7/10

Episode 07: Detention
Best episode so far – my a mile. Obviously a rip-off of The Breakfast Club, a nice copy of John Hughes’ film and lots of emotional stories in here. and with Abby Morgan (Monica Keena) the series introduces us to a new character. Like in every high school there is one real hard-ass bitch, doing everything for herself, not having friends for this and being the mean bitch everyone from the main character list hates – there are some nice stories coming up with her.
The detention episode was awesome. Finally everybody knows every feeling about anybody. Joey is in love with Dawson, while Jen thinks he is the right one for her compared to her past relationships in New York, and Pacey whacked off, because he has too much pressure going on “down there”. Most of the story could be considered funny, but honestly, this was just the next important step to the character’s relationship. And it was very nice from the writers not to include other stories, especially something with Doug, after we saw him the last two episodes, and maybe something about the failing marriage of Gail and Mitch (which I miss btw, this topic was missing last episode as well – and I miss Dawson reacting to the upcoming break-up of his parents).
The one think I didn’t find very amusing was the kind of overacting in some scenes, especially James Van Der Beek again. But I blame that on their not existing experience in the TV business and hope, this one gets better in the next season. Other than that, this was an almost excellent hour of television. 9/10

Episode 08: Boyfriend
A necessary episode for separating Jen and Dawson, so Dawson can be with Joey at the end of the season. And of course, after the little “break” they had a couple of episodes ago, their relationship is troubled again, after Jen’s ex Billy (Eion Bailey) comes from New York and wants her back. First: Why wants Billy Jen back at all and why was he coming from New York to do exactly that? Any reason at all? While Jen and Billy are flirting, Dawson and Joey are flirting and getting more and more together, so it was predictable that Jen wants to break up with Dawson, because she sees that life in Capeside is the same like in New York. Despite the predictable story, I liked the break-up scene between Jen and Dawson; this was one of the scenes James Van Der Beek actually acted well.
The side plots were a bit uninteresting, though. Joey can’t sleep because of “Rosemary’s baby” (hilarious) and gets drunk because she doesn’t get what she truly wants and what we know since the Breakfast Club episode. Nice that the series is handling alcohol as well in their stories, just the moral of the story was… yeah, where was the moral of the story?
The other plot with Gail and Mitch trying to find something to do was alright; after their story was absent for a couple episodes it was necessary to bring it back. But it just was free of highlights. Of course they are trying to save their marriage, of course they can’t trust each other right now, and of course they have troubles to find back to each other – predictable storylines, but authentic enough to look not stupid or boring.
Okay, it was a necessary episode, but it was a kind of boring one. 6,5/10

Episode 09: Road Trip
The episode was good and had a nice aftermath of Dawson’s and Jen’s break-up. While the boys go with Billy (surprisingly is he still there and wants Jen back, even though she said no to him) on a road trip, into a bar and trying to have fun with women, Joey has different problems with another guy and starts to revenge back – together with Jen, but the plan backfires. Both stories were interesting. Dawson and Pacey had a trip as real friends, which doesn’t happen very often, and both of them trying to find a way out of their teen life for a couple hours, which they managed to do so. Just Dawson’s flirt with Nina (Melissa McBride) was a bit stupid. Not only did Nina look like a 40-year-old, masked as a teen, but her interest in Dawson was way too unbelievable. And I would have wished to see Pacey in a little adventure; after his fail with Tamara and everything what came after he needs a little love story again – or at least a story.
Joey’s and Jen’s plan to humiliate Warren (Eric Balfour) was alright, though I hoped it would be more hilarious. When Joey talked to Abby, this was hilarious, but the rest was pretty boring. When their plan backfired, Jen and Joey didn’t seem to learn from their actions, and instead they are talking about Dawson. But after all they managed to be friends again.
The episode could have been better, when there weren’t some unbelievable stuff in it. 7,5/10

Episode 10: The Scare
A good episode, which actually had some suspense in it, not only because it was Friday, the 13th. Though the fact that the writers built in the story with the Ladykiller was really stupid and predictable. Of course the guy who talked to Joey was the Ladykiller, no wonders there. But their faces were hilarious at the end of the episode.
The rest was alright. Dawson’s séance in his house, together with friends and a stranger (where do all these one-episode characters come from – first Dawson’s flirt last episode now the girl who gets… troubles from her boyfriend) and all of them trying to put some relationship troubles into the night of scary happenings. Dawson’s night was well planned, and there was always the question of what he did to scare his friends and what didn’t he do (e.g. the calls and the letter for Jen). Only a bummer that the girls didn’t took revenge for one time and that Pacey didn’t do anything at all. The story with the “abusive” boyfriend was awkward, though. I don’t know why the writers put that in here (as opposite to all the fake scary moments?).
At least the little date story with Jen and Cliff is over now. Not only is Cliff a boring character, but it is realistic that Jen doesn’t want to be in a relationship now. 7,5/10

Episode 11: Double Date
A good episode and in one storyline a big foreshadow of what’s to come. This episode was evidence for the fact that the writers always wanted to bring Joey and Pacey together, even though they didn’t start that story here. But it will be necessary for later to understand why Pacey even likes Joey that much. Their story was interesting, because it was not only clear that Pacey has problems in high school (another on-going storyline during the next seasons), but their little trip into the nature was
interesting – both characters had a slight development and have to bring Dawson to choose over Jen and Joey, after Pacey told him he has to.
The double date story was good, too, but predictable. With Mary Beth (Meghan Perry) we have another one-episode character (and – again – connected to Dawson, this is not a coincidence anymore), and I thought Jen’s and Cliff’s date story is over – looks like it isn’t. But now it – again – looks like it’s over, after Mary Beth had the hots for Cliff. It was nice to let Jen and Dawson really talk with each
other, so that the season cliffhanger can be prepared – together with Pacey’s words to Dawson that he has to give himself some answers.
If you think about it, this could basically be the episode before the season finale, and I wished it would be, but there are two more episodes coming. 7/10

Episode 12: Beauty Contest
Excellent episode. Though it doesn’t really fit as the episode before the finale (like I said the previous episode suits better as the pre-finale), the beauty contest was a great story for character development and Pacey being a comic relief. And fortunately the writers choose to bring all the characters together in one story, instead telling their lifes apart from each other in different stories and locations. With everybody having the same story the episode is working way better.
I am curious why Joey is thinking that she will be stuck in Capeside and wants to get out of this miserable place – her feelings about her home didn’t come through before, so this comes a bit too fast and too suddenly (though her reasons were partly explained in the last episode). But with Joey being in the competition she had nice moments to think about her life in Capeside, together with her sister, together with what the others thinking about her, and together with her dreams. And her speech on the stage during the contest was really interesting. More breathtaking was her performance of “On My Own”, though I had to think of Rachel singing this song in “Glee”, but this just for the side.
Pacey as competition in the contest was hilarious. First he thinks that he can be funny, then he wants to win (but can’t, the judges won’t let him win, because… they don’t want him to win – nice view on favoritism and sexual racists), and then he gives his William Wallace impersonation – hilarious. 9/10

Episode 13: Decisions
Interesting episode, and kind of “spoof” of all the season finales offering a cliffhanger to let the viewers guess. How funny would it actually be, when Dawson’s Creek had a cliffhanger in its first season? But for that the series does take itself seriously and can’t bring any ironic episodes (The Scare was probably the only almost ironic episode in this season), which is a shame. So I have to rely my hope on Buffy again.
The episode was good. All the stories were concluded, before Dawson’s Creek doesn’t get a second season. Dawson’s parents are into their newfound relationship (already seen in the last episode); Jen’s grandpa dies (a story which I never saw in this season), but gets closer to her Grams; Pacey is still “just” the friend for everybody and risks his relationship to his family for just driving Joey to the prison to visit her father Mike (Gareth Williams); Joey talks to her father, both love each other (and the writers prepare something for the next season), while Joey and Dawson take the next, better first step, into their relationship. All in all, this season has a happy ending, it is the beginning of the friends finally really growing up and the end of the steps they took to start growing up. The first season was partly too brave, but now the characters can live the lives of adults-to-be.
What makes the episode really good is the fact that almost every story told during the first season gets the proper ending. Everybody was waiting for Dawson and Joey to happen, and everybody was predicting that Dawson and Jen won’t be holding much longer, while Pacey didn’t even had a real story in this season (except his “The Graduate” with Tamara, which was a separated story after all) and nothing needs to be concluded with him. And the fact that the writers wrote Joey’s father into the episode (to give her a closer, if this was the series finale, and to bring him into the story, if there is a second season), makes the episode even more important. Not just as a cliffhanger-free season finale. 8,5/10

Season average is 7,77. I rewatched this season in three days, thanks to the public library and much time right now for that. The second season is on my waiting list, as well as the rest of the series, which DVD collection is waiting for me at home. A rewatch of Surface is coming up and I hope to finish Nurse Jackie sometimes soon. The fall and winter breaks of all the current US shows is coming up as well, which gives me time to pick up my archive and get to a few British shows I have on my list.

The Prisoner – The Miniseries

“You only think you are free.”

The AMC mini-series The Prisoner is an update to the cult favorite series from the 1960s about a government agent (James Caviezel) who is kidnapped and sent to a remote island known as “the Village”. When he wakes up in the middle of the desert, not remembering what happened, but having dreams and visions about his early life in New York, he tries to find out where and who he is. The government agent is called 6 by everybody and soon he has to deal with an old man named 2 (Ian McKellen), who he thinks of keeping him as prisoner, though 2 states that 6 is a free man. 6 finds allies in a doctor named 313 (Ruth Wilson), in a cab driver named 147 (Lennie James) and in 2’s own son 11-12 (Jamie Campbell Bower). 6 is looking for a way out of the Village.

Episode 01: Arrival
Ehm, yeah… Fascinating. Really. Maybe I should see the original, after AMC finished this remake, I only heard of it. Most interesting – even for me – is, that I almost knew nothing about the series before. I just knew the title, saw two promo posters for it, knew that Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel are in the main cast and that this one is a remake of an old original. Nothing from the story, and I read nothing about the series at all. And so, I am quite surprised after what I saw here. Really fascinating stuff; mysterious, deep, reminds me of a mixture of Meadowlands (which I could rewatch btw), Shyamalan’s The Village and a bit of Dark City. And maybe The Prisoner is a bit of all of them.
So, 6 wakes up in the middle of the desert, witnessing 96 being chased and killed. 6 has some kind of visions, he has memories about New York, his home, he knows names, he knows history, but he doesn’t know who he is or where he is. He has to learn that the Village is “the” Village – there is nothing out there. Maybe another village in the universe. The mystery part is definitely a great setting for the series, and the village itself really looks like the loneliest place on Earth. It already looks like that the village is some sort of a prison with persons, which original memories are wiped and replaced with new ones, which excludes everything outside of the Village. But where is the Village located and is it really that simple to understand? I think there is more behind all of this than just a prison with prisoners in it.
The episode itself was good. Jim Caviezel overacted a bit (especially in the scene where he meets 2 for the first time, when he smashes his hand on the table), but other than that he is a good “6″ (damn, now I am thinking of Battlestar Galactica…). Ian McKellen could have more screentime for the fact his name is billed first in the credits, I know nothing about his role, except he is the “2″ – now I am interested to know who (and where) is “1″. The rest is pretty much unknown for that. Here a possible love interest for 6, there the dying hope of a way out of the Village; here a cab driver, who possibly knows more than he says, there a kid, who starts to learn that there is more than this life. The first episode (as a part of a mini series I don’t really see it as a pilot) basically set up everything we have to know for the next minutes of the show. Lots of questions, a few answer, lots of possibilities how the story could evolve during the next parts. Only the cliffhanger seemed a little awkward and pushed the story more into a science fiction genre. Which, I think, could be a mistake story-wise. But I don’t know the original and I don’t know hoe the writers handled that at their time. I let myself surprise what’s to come and will not spoil myself. This is, after a long while, the first real series from which I don’t know anything. 8/10

Episode 02: Harmony
Between the first two episodes I read an article about the old series, and now all the surprises are gone, because I know what is going on in the series. Nevertheless the remake is still fascinating and definitely not clear which story it will take for the next parts. For a resistance story it could be already too late; after two episodes 6 is already almost crazy and short before not believing in his dreams anymore. The end of the episode made it clear.
The story is told a bit too slow. Instead of giving us a few answers about what is going on, the writers gave us the episode story of the brother and the therapy thing, which feels like a one-episode thing. The relationship between 6 and 313 is not really building, and 2’s son 11-12 is not thinking too often about 6’s words about something outside of the village. It still looks mysterious and complex, but it just feels like the writers wanted to not reveal secrets before the finale. Okay, I liked the story with 6 and his alleged brother, just the fact that the revelation of 16 (Jeffrey R. Smith) not being 6’s brother and instead telling about them looking at everybody all the time came too short (still: The tables in the pool looked great, I want to sit in there, too). And I still don’t like the big white ball; this is kind of too much. The story seemed just like a “filler” to prevent letting the viewers know about the mystery in the story. I already know that the writers cut the spy story and going in a complete different way than in the original, but it still feels that the writers don’t want to expose any information for their big finale. It is like Lost.
It was still a good episode, but it was a bit weaker than the first one, and I think the rest of the series, probably with the exception of the finale, will be the same. I like the story, I like how the writers try to keep it complex, and I like that nothing is certain for sure (especially the ending with 6 in the crazy house made it clear that anything can happen), but I don’t like that any new mystery series has to be the new Lost, keeping all the secrets in the back, revealing them only in the finale. I already get bored with this, but as long as The Prisoner is a mini series I will have fun with it. 7,5/10

Episode 03: Anvil
Pretty much another typical stand-alone episode. Even the man story arc didn’t have minutes to discuss. There really was nothing about it, except the “psycho games” between 2 and 6 and 6’s efforts to get 313 out of the tunnels, together with another appearance of the white ball of death. But the rest… uninteresting procedural to keep the viewers interested in what is happening next with 6. The undercover story was bullshit, though, because it brought nothing. Either 313 thinks 6 spied on her and wants him out of her live, or 6 explains everything to get a bit of a love story into the story. But doing nothing is a waste of time. And this was pretty much the biggest problem in this episode.
Which was, surprisingly, still good. I still like the mystery part of the story and I still like the “duel” between 2 and 6. Especially when 6 mentioned to work against everything, what 2 does and says. Other than that the episode had some interesting points: Not to mention the question about number 1 (I don’t believe there is no number 1), but the deal with the tunnel and the execution-style eradication of unwanted village inhabitants. And the fact that more and more people seem to dream (or have visions about their old life) – which marks one big question: Why is 6 the only one, who wants to find out if there is a possibility to escape? Even 11-12 starts to believe, there is more to everything, but he is doing nothing.
At least the flashback story got an interesting turnout. Though I have absolutely no interest in the bits and pieces from 6’s early life (if it is his early life), but the acting was good in here. But I don’t think that the flashback story has any meaning into the story at all, which lets me ask myself why the writers did bring that story into the show. It must have some significance…
The Prisoner is already a miniseries, and when the writers waste their precious time with stand-alone and filler stories, then they didn’t really have good ideas to keep all the six parts interesting, which is a shame, because the plot is awesome. 6,5/10

Episode 04: Darling
Well, now I am really confused. An episode between stand-alone stories (the matchmaker thing) and a secret about the main story arc (Lucy’s [Hayley Atwell] involvement, who was recruited by 2 to play mind games with 6). And everything gets more confusing with the story about the hole and the disappearance, probably death of 832. It is nice to bring the recurring characters into an important story arc, but why is it so confusing now? Psych games are now replaced with mind games now.
Finally the flashback story is connected with a story in the village, and it was quite surprising that Lucy a.k.a. 4-15 was 6’s girl for the future – even though it was all part of one of 2’s plans. But the flashback story lost all meaning, when Lucy came into the village and played a blind girl and the result of 6’s matchmaker. The flashback story was just interesting enough in the last episode, which obviously was intended to prepare the story of this episode, but now the flashbacks are not interesting anymore. I don’t even care about the explosion of 6’s house in New York. And I surely don’t care if Lucy survived the explosion (well, she did, as long as the flashbacks are REALLY flashbacks… I am thinking of Lost right now, which confuses me again), because she could have easily planted the bomb to fake her death or let 6 believe that she is dead or something else, whatever.
It seems unbelievable, that 6 wants to marry 4-15, after one day and night of meeting (though he knew her as Lucy before); this story was a bit stupid. And the relationship story between 6 and 313 (together with the kiss at the wedding), well, I don’t want to talk about it, because it seems like a filler to the finale and a story for the shipper.
Only 11-12’s story seems interesting, and finally he steps forward with his intuitions, but his story could be told a bit faster, because there are only two episodes left…
By the way, I noticed something, which confuses me even more: The episode’s cliffhangers are totally not concluded in the next episode. In “Harmony”, we had 6 in the psych hospital, in the next minute of the next episode he was out; in “Harmony”, he was in the tunnels, in the next minute of the next episode, he was happy somewhere else – what is with the open and unresolved cliffhangers? Do they have a meaning in the bigger story or is it just very bad writing? I hope there is something explainable coming… 6,5/10

Episode 05: Schizoid
Waah, now I am totally lost. Either the 6 in New York is crazy, ill, sick, and like the episode title schizoid, then the series has a really boring conclusion, but if not, then I want to know how everything fits together. This episode was even more confusing than the last one, and it kills the fun I had with the series during episode 1 and 2. Still complex, but I am losing interest, when I see scenes, which are completely
out of logic and probably even out of synchronicity of the story.
Now the writers bring us doubles, a two-times 6 and another 2 and nobody knows who is who, are they really doubles, or just imaginations in each other’s heads and minds. And with each other’s minds I mean that the confusing is happening in the illusion’s minds… Yeah, I really am lost.
At least I am getting into 11-12’s story, even though I am about not to see through this story. Not only do I not understand why 2 gave 11-12 the key, but I couldn’t get the sense of the actual story and of 11-12’s mother – is she now dreaming about the real world or about the village? Does she know about everything or is that just an illusion in somebody’s mind? Or am I getting crazy and I secretly watch the series finale of Lost without knowing the two previous seasons?
The idea with the doubles is good, and sometimes I thought about clones, astral illusions or something like that, but with every new scene the writers have something new to offer: The towers are in real the Summakor offices? Which 6 is now in the “office” and beating the crap out of the windows and which 6 is in the Village? Are there mind exchanges happening? How did 313 get to the Summakor office without being chased by the white ball of death? Did she really manage to get to the towers? Damn, with all these questions, no answers and confusing stories it is no fun to watch the episodes. Because there is no clue of what might be the bigger game in this episode, when it is not all a dream of 6 or something like that.
By the way: What was up with 147 and his wife? Did they already forgot the “disappearance” of their daughter? There is absolutely no aftermath of this story. And 4-15 is not going to be missed as well.
Seriously, I like all the complexity, but the series goes on my nerves in this form. 4,5/10

Episode 06: Checkmate
Hm, okay, I am trying to put it together: Everything was a mind game, the consciousness not really playing tricks, but manipulating it. Consciousness can be transformed into another place, while “normal” life goes on – basically: the consciousness of the people can be separated from the people. The consciousness notice its missing “host” (the people) and has dreams (that’s probably why 6 had the dreams from his early life at the beginning of the miniseries) – the dreams might be the connection between the separated consciousness and the people, so that a lost consciousness can return to its “host” – , wants to return, but cannot and gets crazy (like 6 did – kind of). It creates an enemy (the big white ball of death) and so it tries to put itself together. Basically: The consciousness of the people can “think” on their own without being connected to their “hosts” (the people). And now the biggie: Even though I didn’t understand the last three episodes and all the things about the consciousness (especially with Helen [Rachael Blake] in the center of everything – kind of), this is my own resume of the series and it might not be right, because I saw barely clues to what I just wrote. But I think this is the easiest way to describe the whole mini series. I just don’t understand why there were two 6s and two 2s in the last episode. I could explain it with 6, but with 2?
Seriously, even after the finale the plot is still confusing. I could write more stuff about the whole consciousness thing, but I don’t know if I even interpret it right, I already lost my thoughts writing together my own thesis. I can’t put all the things together I saw, especially the flashback scenes with 6/Michael and Lucy during the first four episodes (what has this to do with everything?) – whose consciousness is really controlling the village – 2/Curtis or Helen (after her death in the village, all the holes came up, which lets me believe that Helen kind of lost control over her consciousness, because she was the one who most dreamt stuff – in the village and in real)? Or is 11-12 behind everything (he died, too, and all the holes came up – by the way: It is interesting that 2 is holding a funeral for his son, but not for his wife; this one lets me think about that Helen’s consciousness wasn’t really a part of the Village, but a connection for 2 between the Village and the real world, which means, again, that Helen was the bridge between the world of conscious and the world of being awake). Oh my god, I am so confused right now.
A few words to the episode: It was… a good one, at least a few of my million questions were answered, and I think the viewers have to think for themselves now, how to interpret the series. Interesting is that the episode picked up some of the cliffhangers from the last episodes. 6 getting into the crazy house in “Harmony”, in here his conscious is in the crazy house, fighting his demons (the big white ball of death); 313’s fate totally confuses me (especially the ending scene – is she taking Helen’s position now? Is she he bridge between consciousness and the real world now?), and why the writers brought 147 into the real world as a driver, I don’t know – this scene was confusing as well. And why 2 killed his head with a grenade I don’t know. And the biggest thing: Even though it was clear that there is no number 1, I secretly think 6 was 1. When everybody already screams “6 is the one”, I translate it to “6 is 1″ – and in theory he could be 1 now, after he “takes over” the village.
I have to think about that now, maybe rewatching the mini series, maybe putting my thoughts together again. Maybe I understand then. But for now the writers managed to get to the point: Don’t conclude the mystery story, so the viewers have to think on their own. I thought hard, and I am not happy about my results. 7/10

Season average is 6,67. I definitely will rewatch this, just for the sake to understand the whole thing. And I will post another entry with more thoughts about the ending, the conclusion and everything in it, around Christmas time or so. When I was thinking about this show over the night, I still was fascinated and flashed with everything I saw. And I want to know, if the writers wrote together some unexplainable shit, not caring about the meaning of the conclusion, or if everything has a deeper meaning in religion, myths and so on.
By the way: I was already looking for the original series. I will watch this some time, but first I have to find the episodes…

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Season 3

Click here for the review of Season 2

The third season of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer was marked by the arrival in Sunnydale of renegade slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), a moody loner who seemed to like her demon-staking calling just a little too much. While Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was always wary of Faith, the two developed a deep friendship and appreciative rapport – that is, until the evil mayor of Sunnydale (Harry Groener) tapped into Faith’s dark side and lured her into his plot to take over the world, first as a double agent spying on Buffy, then as out-and-out nemesis. And as the mayor’s ascension approached – which happened to fall on Sunnydale High’s graduation day – Buffy and Faith’s battles got nastier and nastier, as Buffy attempted to wrestle with her dark side, save the world and her friends (again), and keep her lover Angel (David Boreanaz) out of Faith’s evil clutches – and out of evil’s evil clutches.

Episode 01: Anne
It was a good episode. Buffy is dealing with past happenings, coming around Angel’s death and trying to turn away from her old life. At least her disappearance from the last episode didn’t get a shitty conclusion, but took a whole episode to deal with this topic – good. And it was good that the other characters in Sunnydale didn’t get much screentime, and only one vampire and their first day of school. Even though the talk Giles (Anthony Steward Head) and with Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) was pretty interesting and full of character moments. Not only tries Joyce to accept Buffy being the slayer, she still looks for excuses, why Buffy moves far and far away from her. And she has kind of right. Giles really is a big father figure in Buffy’s life and he sometimes took most of her time.
The demon story was alright, it gave a nice conflict for Buffy and a reason to return. And with the appearance of Lily (Julia Lee) we have a character from season two back for one episode and another little conflict for Buffy.
Just the fact that Buffy must have been sad all summer long gets a bit on my nerves – nobody can be that sad all the time – she shut herself out from life all the time, didn’t meet people, did nothing? Kind of unreliable. To run away from life means you have to live another life and not think about it… 7,5/10

Episode 02: Dead Man’s Party
An average episode, even though the most interesting story, Buffy’s efforts to reinstate herself into her old life, was the best here, but cut way too short. Buffy had some discussions with her friends in here (despite the cheesiness of the verbal fight during the party, especially Xander’s (Nicholas Brendon) behavior), but the real aftermath was kind of missing in this episode. Instead the writers had to deal big with a Nigerian mask, which rises the dead. Not really interesting and of course full of cliches: The zombies behaved like real zombies from classic monster movies. To be honest, the whole zombie/mask/whatever story was completely useless, uninteresting and dull. But all the scenes involving Buffy and her friends getting back to their old life were great. 5,5/10

Episode 03: Faith, Hope and Trick
Finally the season really begins. With Faith’s introduction. Buffy’s grieve is over after she told the truth what really happened (great scene) and she even tries to get a date. Joyce is finally living with the fact that her daughter is the slayer and even learns that she died for a couple of minutes. So pretty much nice development in all of the characters. Even Faith’s introduction into the Buffyverse was pretty much good. She succeeded Kendra and she is a troubled person (which lets me ask the following: Who is choosing the slayers at all?). And at least she came to Sunnydale with a backstory (pissing off a fishy vampire with three fingers), even though it would have been better, when the story actually was a bit better. A watcher was killed and nobody really cared.
Faith in the Summers house was nice, this is what makes her to a likable character, and how she beat the crap out of one of the vampires was just nice, this promises some more action in this season and it promises that Faith will have some problems to deal with.
The cliffhanger seems nice, though I wished not to see it: Angel is back from hell (or wherever he was). I still wish the writers chose letting him in hell, but WB wanted to have a spin-off with him, so he had to come back… 7,5/10

Episode 04: Beauty and the Beasts
Pretty much a boring episode, even though it is Angel’s first episode back after his death in the second season finale. I am stunned that Angel might have been a monster in here, but he was able to style his hair… Funny.
The story about the high school couple, the Jekyll & Hyde theme, was really boring and didn’t interest me a bit. Scott (Fab Filippo) brings some new characters into the game and it was so damn obvious that they are important for the story. Platt (Phill Lewis) as school psychiatrist would have been interesting, but he was killed in his first episode. Bummer. At best the story about Oz (Seth Green) probably being the killer of the student was interesting, but this was pretty much solved during the second half.
Well, I still don’t like the fact that the writers had to bring back Angel. Not only will his love story with Buffy starts from the beginning (again), but Angel is not that interesting in here. Really. Maybe his return from wherever he came from could be interesting, because of the “wherever he came from” – where was he? 4,5/10

Episode 05: Homecoming
A good and interesting episode, not only because of the Mayor’s introduction. Apart from the questionable storylines (what does the Mayor want from Trick (K. Todd Freeman), or why is it always so difficult to hunt down Buffy and finally kill her – even the Germans were really stupid enemies) and the Buffy/Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) feud (even though they seem to be friends at the end, but they will ever “hate” each other) I liked the episode. Okay, the fight about being the homecoming queen was funny and so, but the series doesn’t need typical high school, stories for only one episode, when I already know the ending won’t develop any of the main characters.
The ending was funny – for the first time a tie, Buffy and Cordy are about to hear their names and then the other contestants win. Totally hilarious in my eyes. And like I said, I don’t know what the Mayor has to do with Trick – it is obvious that the writers wanted to keep Trick as a temporary enemy for Buffy, but the real reason is missing. It was nice though to see one of the Texan vampires from season two back again. I had to laugh, when he ran away from Cordy. 7,5/10

Episode 06: Band Candy
Pretty boring episode, but at least a funny one. Even though we find out more about the Mayor; Ethan’s (Robin Sachs) return and Giles and Joyce making out without stopping, this episode was just a filler, like the last two episodes, just to waste some time until the next episode.
Well, like I said, the episode was hilarious. Giles a teenager again, making out with Buffy’s mom in front of Buffy and Buffy herself trying to be the adult was nice and had a bit of a character development – this
all was cool, but I can’t think of any more than this episode just being a filler. Not only Angel has no screentime in here, and I am not talking about Faith.
And getting the newborn was just a lame excuse for this story, the vampires simply could have gone into the hospital, made a little kill spree and got the newborn – what’s so difficult to do this and why the deal with the cursed chocolate?
Yeah, it was funny, but one of the most useless episodes in Buffy history. 5,5/10

Episode 07: Revelations
This is an episode I wanted to see during the last six episodes. Finally no filler, instead great stories, developments and ideas of what’s to come this season.
Faith getting a new watcher was a good idea (and it was necessary after all to give Faith a new watcher), but her being the bad one was pretty obvious. And finally the scooby gang finds out that Angel is alive again (only their reaction was a bit over the top – even Giles cannot only see the things Angel did to him; as a watcher he has to see the whole picture), so Angel can be integrated more into the story in future episodes.
The first Buffy vs Faith was awesome and it was not the last. It is great to see that the writers planned this storyline from the beginning. I just find it amusing that Faith knocked out Angel and he was unconscious for, like, ten minutes and then wakes up to save Willow (Alyson Hannigan) (that was more funny than surprising).
The deal about the glove was boring though, and the finale came a bit too fast; and I wished to see the scooby gang dealing more about Angel actually being the good guy again.
But the fights were really good. Finally some classic slayer vs slayer (I know, Kendra and Buffy fought in season two, but Kendra is almost forgotten, and dead, while Faith is in the story right now). 8,5/10

Episode 08: Lover’s Walk
Funny and serious episode, and a test balloon, how the writers can deal with Spike (James Marsters), even though his story is over and he already was the main enemy. There are already many parallels with later seasons and the ending of the episode is pretty much awesome.
Sure, the story around Spike ain’t great and nothing is happening (he doesn’t get Drusilla back, he doesn’t get killed, he is the same old Spike from season two with the exception of his love talk), but how the scooby gang is dealing with him is awesome. Even though I couldn’t believe that all of them were believing really fast that Spike returned, especially Buffy while on the phone with Joyce.
Funny moments were Spike talking his soul out with Willow, while she is scared of him killing her and definitely Spike talking to Joyce; I was short before laughing very hard. Just the fact that Angel was “accidentally” at the Summers house and seeing Spike, thinking he wants to kill Joyce was laughable in a negative way; such coincidences are just stupid and unintentionally funny. But what the hell.
The little relationship drama Willow/Oz/Xander/Cordy growing to its highest point was awesome, though it was (unintentionally) funny, that Cordy and Oz ran into Willow and Xander while kissing. And I wouldn’t know what to begin with Cordy’s accident right after that (probably, just to show the funeral scene and have the gag in it), when I wouldn’t know the next episode.
And how good would it be, when the friendship of the gang is broken, while they are saving the world? The end of the episode was a good start. 8/10

Episode 09: The Wish
Great episode. Cordy is still dealing with the “break-up” and wished practically hell on Earth. The introduction to that story was already settled in the last episode, while Cordy was thinking about her life in the hospital (still a scene in which Charisma Carpenter looked really great and really serious for the first time in the show). And this episode gives us the introduction of Anya (Emma Caulfield), a well-known character in later episodes.
It was obvious that the alternate reality story was coming in Buffy sooner or later and even though the setting of the alternate reality wasn’t a surprise (because there had something to come), but what happened during the 42 minutes was awesome. Cordy killed by Xander-vamp and Willow-vamp in the middle of the episode (so the actual reason, why we are in this reality isn’t there anymore, it is like Psycho: Mill the main character, before the movie hits half time); Xander and Willow being creepy vampires (which gives Alyson Hannigan a cool opportunity to play outside of her sweet Willow character, now she is the sweet and cold-blooded vampire – awesome); the Master (Mark Metcalf) risen from the Harvest and developing technology for sucking up blood in a better and more “human” way (LOL); and Angel is the puppet for everyone, especially Willow (great scenes between the two).
For me, it came just a bit too fast how Giles figured out the Anyanka deal, and Buffy came really fast to Sunnydale, without even asking a question – she was so cold in her role here, I was asking me why she even bothered to go to Sunnydale. But the final fight was awesome. Half of the gang gets killed and the Master even won over Buffy, and with that great score playing in the background, the scene had a few goosebumps effects. I just wished the scene would be a bit longer or we actually would see Buffy hit the ground after she was killed.
One of my highlights. 9,5/10

Episode 10: Amends
Another great episode, when you look under the surface of it. You don’t see it, but here are battling the good and the evil against each other, and Angel is only their playing ball. It is only a shame that the writers didn’t plan to show it more in the story. Instead we only learn about the First, and we only know that it actually exists (it is interesting that Giles didn’t know about it before; it comes a bit illogical, when he and the gang is learning everything about their enemies, when they are actually in Sunnydale and threatening lives), for more you have to wait four more seasons.
At least Angel got a story of his own, after he was barely a main character these last episodes, and together with his flashbacks the episode had a nice touch and brought us Angel a bit closer again. Even though I didn’t need his flashbacks, but they were necessary for the First to appear in the people Angel killed in the past. His doubts were interesting, though bad acted (I had to laugh, when he was touching his head and trying to play craziness, because that totally didn’t work out) and Buffy’s first standoff with the First was hilarious (“All right. I get it, you’re evil. Do we have to chat about it all day?” – “You have no idea what you are dealing with.” “Let me guess, is it… evil?”). Haha, I was laughing.
I just don’t believe that Angel would kill himself to save Buffy. Not only out of character, but the scene in which Buffy tries to bring Angel the word “strong” closer looked good, but at the end it was way too much, because I couldn’t buy the situation. And on top of it the sun didn’t rise, it didn’t even go bright. It stayed night the complete day. I am laughing. I know, it was highly possible that the Powers That Be were responsible for the snow to save Angel, but at least the writers could have shown that it was actually DAYTIME and not in the middle of the night.
The return of Robia LaMorte was awesome though. I miss her since Angel killed Jenny. A shame that she never did anything good after Buffy. 8,5/10

Episode 11: Gingerbread
Another one of those filler episodes and a pretty boring one, too. The story seemed interesting, but it got boring, after the ghosts were revealed, because it was a real mystery before, without actually being a real big mystery. The witch hunt of course reminded me of Salem and all the other witch and religious hunts in the history of mankind, but the writers could have done more.
It would have been nice to see Joyce possessed or something and let her be the main enemy of the episode; Buffy fighting against her mother to save her, but it never came to that, bummer. And the final “fight” was a bit lame – Buffy trying the whole time to free herself and then suddenly she manages to break the pole and stabs the demon? Muhaha, I was laughing. Well, at least the scene was intended to be funny.
Cordy to Giles was funny, too: “How often are you knocked out anyway?” I already can’t count the times Giles was knocked out and this was indeed a funny scene…
By the way: Is it just me or didn’t the writers conclude the ritual sign things. Willow said they were for protection, but why were they on the kids’ hands? 5/10

Episode 12: Helpless
A good episode. And the start of a new little story, even though the story of the episode was filler. At least we learn something more about the Watcher’s council and how they are practically the bosses of the slayers and their watchers.
The vampire of the week was kind of funny. Jeff Kober can always play the bad guy (I only know him as the bad guy anyway), but his actions were just… stupid. He kills one of his guards, makes him to a vampire, but actually can’t free himself and has to wait? And how did he know where Buffy lived to take her mother? And how did he even know that Buffy was the one to “play” with and not any other girl on the street?
Buffy without her superpowers was a good idea, and I really liked Giles in this one, but for a better episode the writers have to build around the plot holes, not actually on it. 7,5/10

Episode 13: The Zeppo
It is interesting that the writers once dealt with the story of “Nobody will ever know what happened”, and that’s why this episode is good. And funny. Buffy and the rest of the scooby gang fight their biggest fight yet, and Xander has other problems to fight, just because the gang didn’t want him in their fight. Another example that the series is for an ensemble cast. Buffy was not even a second-row character in this one; with her five-minute screentime she almost had nothing to do.
Xander’s zombie story was old, but cool and funny. It is nice how he develops as a character here, even though he had one too many one liner. At least zombies just want to have fun is something new, I didn’t see that all the time. And Xander having sex with Faith… ROFL. I don’t even know why the writers put that in the episode, it seems so unimportant. And funny (here is it again).
And the apocalypse problems of the gang? I almost was surprised how much screentime that story got; with a little less screentime (Buffy’s scene in the bar
could have been cut out) it would have been better, especially when Xander’s story crossed with the apocalypse (saving Faith, meeting Giles and Willow, running from the demons). 8/10

Episode 14: Bad Girls
Finally, the season story arc can really begin now, after the writers included everything they want to have included for the episodes. The Mayor is invincible now (pretty lame for just a one-episode arc), Faith is about to change sides, a new watcher is in town and we had the fattest vampire ever in vampire television history.
Wesley’s (Alexis Denisof) introduction was very nice and I was laughing when he and Giles simultaneously cleaned their glasses. Funny as well was how all of them handled Wesley as the new watcher, especially Giles with his snippy one liner.
Buffy and Faith on an action trip was very nice, at least we had some nice vampire action for a change; how they entered the nest by daylight looked really cool. And with Faith’s murder we have a new story starting (finally I would say); there isn’t much time left until she and the Mayor meet – but first Faith has to be separated from the scooby gang (which had enormously lots of screentime here. Not).
Important episode for the season, but actually not a great one. Just good. 7/10

Episode 15: Consequences
Basically the second part of the Bad Girls episode with all the aftermath of Faith’s murder. Buffy has nightmares, Faith still doesn’t care about what she did and everybody tries to get Faith back to her old manners (if she had any from the start). And even though the cliffhanger was necessary for the story arc, I just don’t know why Faith would go to the Mayor to work for him. What is her reason for that? She never was really that bad, she only had bad influence in the life she lived, but that was never a reason, why she changed sides.
It was nice of the writers to give Xander another chance to help without his superpowers, and like in The Zeppo, he almost died trying to help Faith (here as well: How did Angel enter the motel room? Faith never invited him in). By the way: Faith trying to seduce Xander is again way over the top. Sure, she plays with men like they are her boytoys, but Faith’s actions here are mostly unreliable, and this is what pulls the episode down.
Wesley is another topic: He is too much outside of the scooby gang to have that much screentime. Though it is interesting to see a watcher really living the watcher rules, but in this moment Wesley isn’t really interesting.
Still a good episode, but the writers suddenly pushed Faith to the bad side without giving any plausible explanations why she would work for the bad side. 7/10

Episode 16: Doppelgangland
Almost a genius episode. Joss Whedon did exactly the right thing: He totally didn’t take the episode serious and put lots of gags in it. Not only am I surprised that the story needed 14 minutes to get to its first climax (vampire Willow entering this reality), but the story actually was funny. Alyson Hannigan has again lots of fun playing the dominatrix vampire and even has a nice action scene (this would be her first in the show, if I didn’t forget anything); Anya is back to introduce her to the audience and showing that she will be a recurring character; the scene in which Willow sees that her evil doppelganger seems to be gay (very important if you consider the next season) and especially good Willow amongst vampires in the Bronze – the complete scene was very hilarious. Even the scenes in which the characters were truly shocked about Willow’s “death” were almost hilarious, because totally unbelievable. I don’t know if that was on purpose or really bad acting.
From start to finish a real highlight of the show, another one of those examples that the writers always have irony in their ideas. 9,5/10

Episode 17: Enemies
A good episode with a nice, but obvious twist at the end. I still can’t buy the fact that Faith is working for the Mayor, but I have to live with that, and fortunately the writers didn’t hang on the story of Faith working undercover for the Mayor in the scooby gang – this one is ending right here.
Buffy’s play to trick Faith was really nice and, like I said, the twist was nice, but everybody should have seen it coming. The writers couldn’t turn Angel again, after they did it in the last season; and the situation with Buffy in cuffs and Faith being the player could just end in Buffy winning (and therefor knowing what is going on), because every other exit would be dumb and idiotic. Only one scene was missing: The scooby gang learning that everything was a hoax to let Faith believe she is ahead of the game. The gang comes into the crypt and they just “watch” Buffy fighting against Faith? Hm, there is really a little scene missing.
By the way: The story with the books is really… ehm, lame.
Interesting is the fact that Faith was the first to use the phrase “scooby gang” during the run of the show. 7/10

Episode 18: Earshot
Interesting stand-alone episode and again injoke Jonathan (Danny Strong) with some appearances. And surprisingly he is in the center of the story, even though the plot about somebody killing all the students began directly at the end of the first half of the episode. The idea of giving somebody new superpowers is not new, but I loved it how Buffy was curious about what is happening to her, and then totally happy when it was mind reading. The writers could have played with that story plot more, but they wanted to make her crazy and the school assassination had to be a big plot in here. But, hey, when Danny Strong has more screentime…
The mind reading scenes were full of cliches, everybody thought exactly that what was funny (though Oz was seriously thinking about a serious topic, which was LOL). And the ending surprise was really one, and a funny one, too. First the emotional scene with Buffy and Jonathan in the clock tower, which really showed some similarities between these two characters, and then the kitchen woman poisoning the food in front of Xander’s eyes – very hilarious. More hilarious was the fight Buffy had with her afterward. Seriously, did the producers really do that? Muhaha.
Funny as hell was Buffy learning about Joyce’s and Gile’s tete-a-tete. Damn, I was laughing. 7,5/10

Episode 19: Choices
For the main enemy episode before the season finale a really lame episode. The most interesting part was the standoff between the Mayor/Faith and the scooby gang with Snyder (Armin Shimerman) and two boring cops in the middle of it. But the rest wasn’t really that interesting, because it didn’t really looked like the writers were preparing the season finale. It felt more like a filler story to get the recurring characters (Mayor, Faith) involved again, before they don’t have any screentime. The story with the box really felt like a filler though, but at least it gave Willow some great moments as hostage and character development at the end. She is not only becoming a real powerful witch, but she is staying in Sunnydale to help Buffy out.
I have a problem how the writers deal with Wesley. He is still too much of a laughing-stock in the show, nobody takes him serious, which follows in the viewers don’t taking him serious. Especially for the first season of Angel this will be the biggest problem the writers have to deal with.
The standoff was great; even the Mayor had some character development and it was great to see that he isn’t really an enemy, he still wants to help in some way (how he talked to Angel) – even this talk was the next stone to prepare Angel to leave Sunnydale. 7/10

Episode 20: The Prom
Just a stand-alone episode, but how it prepared for the season finale… The episode is really unimportant for the rest of the series, but I find it pretty much genius. Sure, the hell dogs, or whatever they were, were really boring (fortunately this story didn’t have much screentime), but I loved how the writers let Buffy think about everything she lived through the episode and let her react in the way she was supposed to react in the series: She is only a lone warrior. Like every other slayer she fights alone, and
this episode showed how she would fight when she was alone and didn’t have any friends on her side – a really great way to show this. And I loved the complete prom sequences, in addition Buffy trying to kill the dogs and saving the school once again.
And then the real highlight: the last award. This has to be the prettiest moment in the series. It was really a great feeling to see Buffy awarded for what she did during the last three years; even I had a little tear in my eye, especially with Jonathan giving out the award – very sweet.
That Angel broke up with Buffy was obvious after the happenings of last episode and what’s to come for him (a spin-off). And it was another one of those great character moments; full of cliche, but still good acted and with emotions.
The little side plot with Cordelia and her family being broke seems just like a filler story though to not only give her screentime, after she was kind of cut in the story these last episodes, but to give Xander a final moment with her. By the way: Xander and Anya are really sweet together, no wonder why Emma Caulfield was promoted to the main cast. 8,5/10

Episode 21/22: Graduation Day
The perfect finale for the high school era of the series. Graduation Day for everybody, and everybody has to fight to survive the next day. And with it the high school is completely destroyed. Like Giles said, this is pretty ironic.
The first part of the finale was more of a normal episode. Faith trying to hurt Buffy through killing Angel with a poison, the scooby gang out to find a cure for him. Which results in the big and awaited fight Buffy versus Faith. It was a good and long fight, but I couldn’t prevent to see the stunt women all the time; their faces were clearly visible. And I couldn’t think that Angel’s cure was only the blood of a slayer. I don’t know, but isn’t this pretty dumb from the Mayor to give this poison to Faith? He should have known that Buffy would find out and probably get to Faith to cure Angel. Or this is one of the storylines Joss Whedon didn’t really think through. But the scene in which Angel feeds on Buffy was great. This is the second time Buffy was fed on by a vampire (the first time being the Master in the first season finale). It really looked like Angel wouldn’t stop, and the scene had a strong sexual meaning (just look at Buffy destroying things and touching Angel while lying on the ground and being sucked on).
Other than that the aftermath of Buffy beating Faith in a coma (interesting: A slayer with supernatural powers can heal pretty fast, but from a coma she doesn’t wake up) was interesting: the Mayor grieving in the hospital, having a little standoff with Angel. And suddenly the Mayor has a human weakness? And it is Faith? Well, I can’t think of the Mayor being a father figure for Faith, this just didn’t come too fast (even though they were signs all over the last episodes), but this story is seriously unreliable. This makes the final fight (Buffy running around with the knife she put in Faith) a bit laughable – negatively speaking.
But the fight itself was good. The scooby gang recruits the whole class of 1999 to fight (this scene has a special meaning after Buffy got the “Class Protector” in The Prom) and even Wesley has a reason to fight behind the council’s back. At least one scene he was serious in; during the fight he was the laughing-stock again, which unfortunately wasn’t funny anymore.
Well, the high school is over, with the next season Buffy goes to college – a new life will begin, another one ended here. Angel had the perfect send-off, and now he can have his own show. Only Cordelia didn’t have the proper good bye. At least Harmony died (hm… she got bitten by a vampire; the writers wanted to make her a vampire, it is obvious after this particular scene). And Anya learned that she is in love with Xander.
By the way: The story with Buffy quitting the council is an interesting story, but the writers never really concentrate on this. Sure, the show is still called Buffy, but I wished to see something about a slayer quitting her job, because this seems “important” – a slayer quitting her job is unique and definitely interesting. And this would have been the latest perfect moment to introduce us to the council a bit more. But the producers didn’t, which is a shame.
And another BTW: The episode had some clues about the fifth season – Faith said something about a big sister, before she started to fight with Buffy. And not to forget the dream sequence with Buffy and Faith. Interesting how Joss Whedon planned ahead.
Good season finale. An era ended, and it ended really hard – the scooby gang survived high school. 8,5/10

Season average is 7,43. It probably won’t look that way, but the third season is my second favorite (after the fifth season). If the writers wouldn’t have pulled off so much filler episodes, the season definitely would be better and more interesting.

Tru Calling – Season 2

Click here for the review of Season 1

It’s been two months since Tru Davies (Eliza Dushku) and Jack Harper (Jason Priestley) last met in a deadly confrontation in which Tru saved the life of her brother Harrison (Shawn Reaves), but she was ultimately thwarted when Jack evened the score by taking the life of her boyfriend Luc. After that night, Jack disappeared – but now he’s back with a vengeance. His renewed efforts to make sure the dead stay dead only make Tru more determined to carry on her murdered mother’s legacy of saving those who die before their time. But also back in town is Tru’s estranged father Richard (Cotter Smith) who, although claiming he wants to forge new relationships with his son and daughter, has his own secret agenda which is anything but fatherly in intent.

Episode 01: Perfect Storm
For a season premiere a bit lame, for a normal episode pretty good, which is surprising. The duel Tru versus Jack rises to a new level, and even her father is involved in everything. But before the writers get deeper into this story, they should clear the enemy lines: Why is it that Tru’s father and Jack are against Tru and what she is doing? Who is behind all of this? Hopefully the short rest of the series gives a little bit of an answer. But I find it interesting that Harrison is going to be prepared as Tru’s enemy, at least I believe this is happening. Will Harrison have the same powers Jack has right now? And why doesn’t Harrison have the powers his sister and his father have and why does Jack have them? And who is jack really? I can’t believe I am saying this, but this is actually an exciting story.
The “Help me” of the week was good. Carly Pope is always nice to watch, and I liked the bit of water action. And the fact that the case was not over with Tru’s success to save her (well, it was Davis (Zach Galifianakis)) makes the episode a bit better. I just want to know how Jack knew the facts about the case. He didn’t live it like Tru, so where did he have the information?
Davis’ little psych evaluation plot was alright, too, though just an excuse to give him a proper story. 7/10

Episode 02: Grace
A good episode, for a change Tru is framed for murder and she has more difficulties to fight. But instead of showing us Tru versus Jack all the time, the writers can start to explain the situations all the characters are into now. Apart from that it was really a good episode with an interesting story, but lame case. Fortunately the actual “Help me” didn’t really have much screentime, just simple and typical procedural crime investigation, here and there with some good moments. But the writers’ mistakes are back. They have to choose: detective or officer? A same person can’t be both…
It was obvious that Tru was going to rewind that day from the moment the doctor was killed again. But it was way too laughable how Tru was suspected really fast and how nobody is looking for her – not even the police.
Giving Davis a little love story is nice and giving a real reason for Harrison to be in the procedural stories, too. And I am curious why the writers try to write in new friends for Tru, after they cut out all the old friends of her in the first season. 7,5/10

Episode 03: In the Dark
Boring episode, boring “Help me” of the week, because it was predictable that neither Tru’s friends nor Carrie (Liz Vassey) was supposed to die. And the rest was boring as well. Tru’s birthday – uninteresting, because it brought nothing except I know now how old she is. At least some of the stories brought a little background into the characters. Obviously the writers really want to write Tru new friends, and they already have more screentime than the second-row cast from the first season at this point. But I seriously didn’t like the engagement story.
Davis and Carrie were sweet together, and I don’t know what to make of the cliffhanger. So she is part of Jack’s grand plan. Now I really want to know what the big plan is and what Tru is in.
By the way: Nice of Tru to ask again, how Jack could know all this stuff she is knowing. It looks like the writers planned to pack this into a story, and I already thought this would be one of the plot holes.
And another think: Am I forgetting things or is that the first episode Tru lost a case? 5,5/10

Episode 04: Last Good Day
Interesting episode with surprising character development. So, fate plays games with Tru and Jack and gives Jack the “Help me”, and I had goosebumps during that scene.
The story was interesting and the conclusion of why Jack was asked was interesting as well. But it lets me ask myself why this happened for the first time. The reason of Megan (Maggie Lawson) to die seems
reasonable and I can’t think of that never happening before. That gave Jack some interesting moments and conflicts with his job. I just wish this will hold on for the next and last two episodes. And more surprising: Tru lost again a life – the second time in a row. But the fact that the ending seemed like a real cliffhanger lets me think that this story ain’t over yet. Sure, the girl is dead, but it will have consequences for Jack and Tru.
The side plots were uninteresting though. For what is Carrie out and why is she pretending to like Davis? And Harrison’s storyline was really boring. It looks like father’s way to get him on his side, but the writers could try to do this with better stories.
Best episode of the season so far and one of the best episodes of the series. 8/10

Episode 05: Enough
Hm, Jensen (Eric Christian Olsen) dying, too. How boring is that storyline? Not even did it have any surprises, but the story was completely for the buttholes. But the writers had to bring Tru into a situation, saving a guy that did not ask for her help; it is just a lame excuse to use Jensen for that and repeat the storyline from last season’s finale.
I found the story with Harrison and Travis (William Sadler) way more interesting than Tru’s efforts to save Jensen. Not only was Travis an interesting character, but his story, visiting the wedding of his daughter, had sensibility and was sweet.
Yeah, the episode was not really important for the series’ mythology, just a filler. For that Jensen’s case of deja vu at the end of the episode seemed too unimportant. 6/10

Episode 06: T’was The Night Before Christmas… Again
A good episode, but some people are pretty pissed after seeing this episode as the last one of the series. Sure, the main story arc didn’t move forward one inch (for that, Harrison following his father ended too fast and the Davis/Carrie relationship doesn’t have any meaning at all), but at least there was something of a story arc in this episode.
The “Help me” of the episode was good, even though I didn’t even notice that a six month old cadaver asked for help, until Tru told it Davis. For that, the case was uninteresting and unspectacular, but at least the conclusion was alright. But I liked the fact that Tru and Jack worked together again. Not a trace of character development in Jack’s case (especially after the happenings in Last Good Day) and not one single scene in which Tru really hates Jack for what he did. Both of them still have a really good relationship, considering their past, and this is pretty much bad writing. But the Christmas themed surroundings and the ending made the episode good, only a bummer that this was the end. The writers did learn from their mistakes in season one (though slowly) and the story actually got more interesting. I didn’t hate the series in its second season… 7/10

Season average is 6,83 and one point better than the first season. What would have happened, when FOX didn’t cancel the show? Suddenly there was an interesting plot, suddenly I started to like everything, suddenly the writers learned from their big mistakes they did during season one. It is a shame that FOX didn’t make it happen and instead gave us another abrupt canceled series and let the viewers left hanging there.

Hung – Season 1

Years ago, as a student at Detroit’s West Lakefield High School, Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) was athletic, popular and destined for success. Today, as a West Lakefield teacher and coach of the varsity basketball team, which is on an unprecedented losing streak, he’s underpaid, uninsured and embittered that his wife of 20 years Jessica (Anne Heche) left him for her dermatologist, Ronnie Haxon (Eddie Jemison). After fire damages the rundown lakeside home he inherited from his parents, Ray’s fortunes reach an all-time low when his twin children Darby (Sianoa Smit-McPhee) and Damon (Charlie Saxton), who have been living with him, move in with their mom and her smug husband. Lonely, run down and at wit’s end, Ray attends a self-help class, where the mantra is to identify a personal “winning tool” to market for financial success. After a not-so-fulfilling encounter with fellow attendee Tanya Skagle (Jane Adams), a would-be poet, Ray has a “eureka” moment. With the help of Tanya, the well-endowed Ray sets out to exploit his greatest asset in hopes of changing his fortunes. Even if it means using the one thing life hasn’t taken from Ray – his large penis. Becoming a male escort however is easier said than done. First and foremost, finding potential clients is no small task. He can’t post a picture of anything above his waist and being charming isn’t exactly his forte.

Episode 01: Pilot
Boring. I was about to fall into sleep during the 43 minutes. A story is missing, characters are missing (Ray is too much of a problem character and Tanya was just boring) and I didn’t like it really much. Sure, Thomas Jane seems to be a good actor and Anne Heche didn’t even have much screentime to wow me, but this was kind of nothing.
First: What is the genre? Comedy or drama? It is not even dramedy, but it is a mixture between comedy and drama. An I think the writers should choose very soon, before the show really gets boring. One whole episode got wasted for the introduction of Ray trying to sell himself as a manwhore – wasn’t it possible to tell the story a bit faster? And a bit more interesting?
An example: The scene where Ray told Floyd (Steve Hytner) and the class about his big dick being his tool – the scene lost all his meaning, when it was revealed he didn’t even say it – three minutes a waste of time. And the flashbacks were partly a waste of time, too, because I didn’t see any meanings in the scene, where Ray asked his ex-wife for money (except introducing his ex-wife and giving Anne Heche screentime).
Hopefully it gets better. Quality is there, the possibilities for being a good series are there, but I don’t see the meaning in this show… 4/10

Episode 02: ‘Great Sausage’ or ‘Can I Call You Dick?’
This episode was better than the first one. Barely boring, good story, but I still can’t start to like the characters – they are not interesting enough, like the series itself. The story isn’t really interesting and the characters are still boring. Especially Ray; I don’t know what to make of him. Either Thomas Jane is miscast or his character is badly written. At least the pimp story got a bit forward, even though the story really can be a bit faster, because the rest just feels like a filler (especially Ray’s problems as a teacher and basketball trainer). As well as the story with Ray’s kids and ex-wife. Nice that there is an ongoing story with them and their wish to live with their father, but I totally don’t care about that. And this is kind of the reason, why I still don’t get that show. 6/10

Episode 03: ‘Strange Friends’ or ‘The Truth Is, You’re Sexy’
Well, it was a good episode, even though nothing happened. Ray pisses in his lake and gets a visit by the police; Tanya tries to get Ray’s wallet back, after it was stolen by Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) after the “I fucked the bitch for free” (the scene in front of Tanya’s house was very good and shows a great chemistry between the two stars) – but the rest was pretty uninteresting. Jessica just stole time of the story – what does a half dead dog have any interest for any of the characters?
I need definitely more story in this series. 7/10

Episode 04: The Pickle Jar
A good episode, slowly I start to like the series and the characters. The story wasn’t really interesting, because almost nothing happened. Ray is still about to question his new job and finally gets himself some answers at the end, which was very nice (character development wise), but full of cliches.
Nice to see Ray’s kids in a story. Darby with boyfriend troubles and Damon is standing in for her – very interesting scene. I just need more from Anne Heche or her role is seriously underworked – She needs her own story, or she gets boring very fast, which I definitely won’t like.
But it gets better… 7,5/10

Episode 05: Do It, Monkey
Well, the series could have made it with this episode, because I liked it. Ray’s first regular-then-non-regular was pretty interesting and I needed six minutes to understand all of this. I just couldn’t really understand the female dream thing and why would a woman pay three times for the same story with a happiness consultant…
The side plot with Jessica and the kids was barely interesting though. Okay, Ron has money problems, her sick dog is dying (I already forgot that story, and it is coming back like my past… Argh, at least the dog is dead now) and the kids don’t have a stand-alone story. Maybe the series would work better in a 60-minute format. 7,5/10

Episode 06: ‘Doris Is Dead’ or ‘Are We Rich or Are We Poor?’
Best episode so far. And it looks like the series got to a point I wanted it to be: not too funny, a serious story, simple characters and everybody is involved in the story and finally Anne Heche with more screentime and even an own story (when the writers concentrate on the money deal with Ron’s money problems.
Ray’s story with Jemma (Natalie Zea) is awesome. Not only is she an interesting character, but the deal with her is something between super hilarious and funny and the possibility of an ongoing love story for Ray, especially after Jemma learned (almost) everything about him and was the good luck charm for his basketball team. And it is good to see Tanya bonding with Jessica now, at least in this way the story involves. Maybe there is not much time,
until Jessica meets “Randall”, now she knows Leonore and Tanya. 8,5/10

Episode 07: ‘The Rita Flower’ or ‘The Indelible Stench’
More drama would be good. The ending of the episode showed that the serious part of the show is working way better than the comical part. Apart from that it was a good episode with likable storylines. I sure don’t know what to make of Pierce (Joshua Leonard) as the new relationship for Tanya – is it a one-episode thing? Is it an ongoing story? I sure hope it is the first one, because Pierce is a shitty character and not really likable at this point. And I don’t know why the writers bring Floyd back all the time. I am forgetting him all the time, I thought we moved on, but they want to give Tanya more problems with this guy… Please, can he be gone for good now?
Funny was Ray’s day with his neighbor MILF Yael (Alanna Ubach). Not only was she out to fuck him from the start, but she was really funny, together with her screaming – yeah, I was smiling during this scene.
By the way: His story with Jemma has to end sometimes, because when he is out for a love story with one of his clients, than the main story of the series stands still and we don’t want that, right? 7/10

Episode 08: ‘Thith Ith a Prothetic’ or ‘You Cum Just Right’
An average episode with interesting development in Ray’s case, but again with the question of what has Anne Heche to do in this series? She has barely screentime, and when she got a story, it is more than uninteresting. The same with Ray’s kids, they definitely need a storyline of their own to keep them interesting. At least Ray is now an interesting character (which I couldn’t say at the beginning) and his chemistry with Tanya is now really awesome, especially at the end of the episode.
The writers brought Lenore back, very good. I have the feeling she will be necessary in the last episodes. And the writers ended the story with Jemma, and they even have a proper conclusion why she played with Ray that way, very interesting, too. Now the story can try to develop again, and hopefully it will, because it kind of still stands still.
I don’t know what to make of the little rivalry plot with Ray and his old mate – it brought nothing, except a little bit of past. And I don’t think there is more coming to that. Well… 6,5/10

Episode 09: ‘This Is America’ or ‘Fifty Bucks’
Yeah, a good episode, even though it didn’t feel like the episode before the season finale, but that’s the case for all the HBO shows, they never have real highlights. The story still feels like stuck in between all the characters and not moving forward an inch. So, this episode Ray and Lenore discussed about raising the price for Ray, while Tanya is out to lower the price – nice that both of them are talking so much during that time, I thought Tanya was Ray’s best friend right now.
And finally Ray’s kids and Jessica getting a bit of an own story now. Damon is gay (well, when that’s not a stereotype story, what is?) and Jessica befriends with Lenore, for what reason so ever. That episode had the most screentime for Jessica ever, it felt like she had more screentime than all the other episodes combined.
It is nice to see that the writers don’t lose any story; Patty (Lauren Weedman) is still a topic in this episode (but I missed the rivalry story from last episode, I knew there wasn’t more coming to that). And the sex scene between Ray and Lenore was really hot, whuhu. 7,5/10

Episode 10: ‘A Dick and a Dream’ or ‘Fight the Honey’
Pretty boring season finale, but this is the case of all HBO shows (lol). But I liked it for what it was: a chance of a new story in the second season. Ray loses his job and partners up with Lenore (she probably will be one of the main characters next season), Ray’s kids have relationship trouble, Jessica wants to break up with Ron, or Ron makes it easier for her and fucks with his patients, and Tanya has a midlife crisis. Could be interesting in the second season, could not be, I will surprise myself.
I don’t know what to make of the phone conversation of Ray and Jessica. Not only was it a predictable story that Jessica (probably) will meet Ray while doing his “job”, but I think the first season finale was too early for that. Sure, they didn’t meet, but I still think the writers didn’t have to bring that story now.
And I surely don’t know what to make of the very last scene. Great, Tanya kills a fly… I don’t think she wins self-confidence with that, because her midlife crisis story seems more interesting than her winning control over her business again. 7/10

Season average is 6,85. The series definitely has something, but the season start was lame, which pulls the overview down a lot. At least I started to like the characters, and when the writers manage to pull off some interesting stories in the second season, then Hung could be one of my favorite series. But for now it is just something for the side and no must-see TV.

Defying Gravity – Season 1

In the near future, eight astronauts from five countries – four women and four men – undertake a six-year international space mission covering thirteen billion kilometers through the solar system. With the eyes of the world upon them – everything they do is monitored, and every emotion they feel, scrutinized – they soon discover that their real assignment is not at all what they thought.

Episode 01: Pilot
I already gave some words about it here. 7,5/10

Episode 02: Law of Natural Selection
The episode was good. And I am impressed how the series handles much less storylines than other television serials. And I am impressed as well, how the story includes some sort of “higher power”, which chose Donner (Ron Livingston) and Ted (Malik Yoba) to be in the mission and Ajay (Zahf Paroo) and Rollie (Ty Olsson) to be on the ground. God? Fate? When the writers already started with this in the second episode, it has a meaning. And reminds me a bit of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica. If that is good or bad after all, I don’t know yet.
There seems to be a mystery storyline, of only a few characters knowing about. The simple question: What is the real reason for the mission and why will the crew learn it, when they are near Venus (said in episode 1)? Ted obviously knows about this and keeps secrets from his crew (and even a station on the Antares). Maybe it has something to do with aliens, I don’t know. But the fact that this is a mystery part of the show, it has to be something big, considering the science fiction themes.
The failed Mars mission seems to play a big role in the story. Not only gave it Donner some weird dreams about him and Zoe (Laura Harris), it got Ted as well – are the happenings from ten years a go connected with the happenings now?
Zoe’s drama was okay. First I didn’t understand, why the episode needs a second rescue mission in this series, but then I thought about the thin stories. The writers don’t have much to tell. Hopefully there aren’t any problems in every episode. And Zoe’s spit stopped the leak? Well, this was a little WTF moment, negatively speaking.
The flashbacks were interesting though. Steven (Dylan Taylor) really can’t swim, so why is he on the mission? 7/10

Episode 03: Threshold
Kind of an episode between boring and interesting as well as love stories and other shit and the mystery arc. And I am confused, because the series tries too much to copy Lost and sets the mystery in outer space. Last episode the talks about “it” and “beta”, and now? People, who are mysteriously connected with something I didn’t understand, other people who know about that and something happening on the ship, especially with puking Paula (Paula Garcés). First I thought she would be pregnant, but then somebody (the doctors e.g.) would have noticed, so I think she is changing with everything that’s happening on the Antares. But it didn’t change Nadia (Florentine Lahme) for now; Donner seems to be okay as well; Jen (Christina Cox) seems to be okay as well as Steven; and the ex drunk Mintz (Eyal Podell) has so much screentime you never notice him anyway, nothing wrong with him. So what the hell is going on up there?
At this time the show tries to be a mystery show and copying Lost with bringing “Smokie” into space. Ted seeing the Mars surface? His wife Eve (Karen LeBlanc) seeing the exact same thing or something different down on Earth in a secret room full of “special agent” kind of guys? Do we have to deal with aliens here?
Seriously, I get frustrated when there is more coming of this crap without any kind of solution. The love story stories are okay and don’t suck, because I like the characters, but the mystery crap… confuses me. The writers should bring some answers very soon or it gets very complicated. 6/10

Episode 04: H2IK
The episode was alright, but nothing special. Partly it was boring and sometimes it was a bit awkward and unintentionally funny. The story about the blackout on the Antares was boring and didn’t bring anything, except the crew’s love for Ajay and his reinstatement and Goss (Andrew Airlie) being a dick as a character. The rest of the stories in flashbacks and present time weren’t really interesting, except the failed Mars
mission story, which got a sequel here – one of the very few stories I like in this series. Just the scene in which Donner stood all time long on the ship, watching to his “ghosts” (we saw the two astronauts, but Sharon’s (Lara Gilchrist) face all the time… What’s with the other guy?) and chasing after them, was a bit stupid. Why didn’t he think? Or was it Beta’s plan (still a story, which needs some answers right now) not to let him think? Can Beta manipulate
people? At least two more crew member have to deal with their past on the Antares. There are still three missing.
And what was up with Paula this episode? Last episode she was puking all the time and the writers didn’t give an answer, why she puked? Not even in this episode? Or did I already forgot it? At least there is a story going on between her and Steven – an upcoming relationship?
Oh year, the gravitation failure: Not that I have anything against it, but why didn’t the both of them returned to gravitation, but stayed there the whole time? And the conclusion for the failure was stupid, too. 6/10

Episode 05: Rubicon
An average episode with far more flashback story than I anticipated. I wished to see more present storylines, but probably it was necessary to prepare all the character constellations for all the upcoming flashback scenes. The negative effect is that all the outcomes are already obvious. We already know that Ted and Jen won’t be together; we know that Zoe will have the abortion (unlikely that she will have the child and give it free for adoption); we know that Donner has some relationship trouble and the rest basically doesn’t get any screentime. Steven and Evram don’t have any screentime in the flashbacks, which is a shame (well, they don’t really have any much screentime at all…).
The episode itself felt like a filler. Nothing much happened. Donner has hallucinations, Ted wants to tell him about Beta (still a storyline which needs some answers now), nobody doesn’t know what to put in the time capsule. And the biggest problem: What was the time capsule story for, when Ted put everything out again? Only to see Donner getting over Sharon and throw out the baseball by himself? It is obvious that his past haunting story ain’t over yet, especially after the mystery story doesn’t really come into speed now after five episodes.
At least the mystery about the Mars mission is growing bigger. I can do it without this story, but I like it too much to miss it now. By the way: I missed Ajay this episode. Is he gone now for real? Surely, his character isn’t needed anymore, but after the last episode I thought the writers would bring him back. 6/10

Episode 06: Bacon
A good episode, finally Evram has some screentime (probably more in this episode than in the five before) and catches a good story. Even though the story with Paula on the table and Evram trying to save her life, having visions and having other trouble wasn’t really interesting (though I now know why ABC pitched the series as “Grey’s Anatomy in space” – because this episode WAS Grey’s Anatomy in space), it was nice to have Evram in the center of the story. But it is kind of awkward that half of the team is still “missing” their hallucinations. Jen, Paula, Steven and Nadia don’t have any fights against their past or why didn’t we see their hallucinations by now? Steven is a mystery part, because there is still the question why he is on the mission (at least the question was asked again in this episode, I already thought the writers had forgotten it); Jen has her relationship troubles; but Paula and Nadia don’t have any character development right now. They are just “along for the ride” and now completely useless.
I liked the flashback sequences. Not only did it have lots of medical stuff, but I liked the connections of the flashbacks with Evram’s efforts saving Paula, it reminded me of Lost’s “Everybody Hates Hugo”, where both stories collide and make it to one big story. And nice to see Ajay back in the series. Maybe he gets more important later this season, because I like his character and I think his story ain’t over yet. 7/10

Episode 07: Fear
Interesting episode. But not a really good one, because I saw some plot holes, especially when the writers are dealing with Beta. While the people on the ground were thinking about Beta revealing itself to the world, it never thought about the crew aborting this whole advertising thing? Well, the commercial story was kind of unimportant, illogical and didn’t bring anything to the mission. Sure, it finances the trip to the planets, but I couldn’t understand, why science was on the line, billions of dollars and why this commercial had to be live. It would be more realistic, when the story would be better written, but in this way it was just awkwardly stupid.
But I actually liked the hallucination thing. Finally Nadia and Paula got their first hallucinations, and I am surprised (again), how easily they believe, everything would be real. Paula runs after her dog and Nadia was at least reasonable at the beginning, but is on the run for the mysterious guy as well (it would be interesting to know who that guy was/is/should be). But all the astronauts in the Antares, facing all their fears through the hallucinations… I
don’t know, I didn’t like that. Ted sees the Mars surface again and completely freezes, not moving an inch, not speaking one word. Donner has his hallucinations as well, but why isn’t he freezing and not talking? And why are Steven and Jen the only crew members not to have any hallucinations for now?
But I was actually surprised that the dream story with Zoe and Donner got picked up again. I already
forgot about it and it seems the story is coming again.
Well, some plot holes, and the mystery story comes and goes (the writers should rather cut it, before a shitty conclusion comes – which definitely will come sooner or later). 6,5/10

Episode 08: Love, Honor, Obey
Waah, fuck it. It had to come, it was the last scene and the audience is not knowing anything. How brutal is that? For now, it is even worse than Lost. In Lost, you get some answers now and then, but here you don’t get any answer – not even one word. The last scene is the best example for that: The crew finally knows about what’s in Pod 4 (bright light, kind of reminds me of the bright light out of the suitcase in Pulp Fiction), but the audience can’t look into the Port, because the episode is over. Rolleyes. Fuck it. Damn this show for a few minutes.
Okay, when you think about it, the cliffhanger was great. Finally we are going to know what the crew is dealing with and what the mission is really about. Sure, the writers always can play with the audience and fuck us with something complete different in the next episode, just to delay the secret about Beta and what’s in Pod 4.
The story about the solar activity was interesting and the “evacuation” scene was full of thrill, but the conclusion to that story was kind of shitty. Everything was just a drill? Pretty lame, especially with the thing that happened in the lab – first I thought it really was something unexplainable and mysterious, but then it had to be revealed it was a test and that unexplainable thing was really unexplainable.
A bit more character drama would have been nice, and I have the feeling Donner’s off-comments are getting more rarer.
Probably the best episode so far, even though I was flipping out after the cliffhanger. 8/10

Episode 09: Eve Ate The Apple
Hm, I don’t know what to make of this episode. Sure, finally we had some answers and almost everything is fitting into the big thing, but I believe we had too much answers in this episode, when the writers could have easily put some answers and clues into the earlier episodes.
Like I expected, the crew is dealing with an alien lifeform. Would be interesting to know, why there are seven versions of it on the seven different landing sites. At least all the hallucinations are fitting into the pattern now, even though I had some difficulties to put Eve’s hallucinations into the pattern.
And it is really nice that the failed Mars mission has a reason now to be mentioned over and over again. And it is already a shame that the show won’t survive for another season, because it really gets more interesting now. Especially with all the secrets about the Mars mission.
Eve’s flashbacks were alright, maybe it was a bit too much, I didn’t need the whole story.
The cliffhanger was kind of creepy and keeps me guessing. Jen isn’t seeing Beta at all. She and Steven didn’t have any hallucinations, but Steven can see Beta. Why isn’t Jen? This explains why she is questioning herself (about the chosen part and why she cut the fractals) and I am eager to know what this story is about.
Not the best episode so far, because the flashbacks had their lengths, but a good episode with a really interesting cliffhanger. 7,5/10

Episode 10: Deja Vu
Well, at least the Canadian Space is airing the last episodes of the series. And I almost believed I had to wait another year for the last episodes. ABC will air it probably during the Olympics or in the summer (if they are going to air it after all), I don’t know about CTV, and when ProSieben is airing the show… I don’t know.
The episode itself: very good. It shows that the writers can deal with the sci fi element perfectly, and it shows that I don’t even miss the flashbacks when they are not in the episode. Okay, we had flashbacks from the Mars mission, but actually, the Mars mission story is super interesting (what you can’t say for the 5 years earlier flashbacks) and has much potential; I was already asking myself when the writers deal with this topic. And even though I wished to see far more, I was excited. Even the characters were more introduced in this one. We had some more screentime for Sharon and even for Arnel (William C. Vaughan). I am wondering why he isn’t in the main cast (and why we have Claire (Maxim Roy) instead), because his character is now way more interesting than in the episodes before. And now we know what he sacrificed for the mission, even though we don’t know the reasons.
The story on the Antares was partly interesting. Jen dealing with the fact that she can’t see Beta and being pissed on the whole universe (a bit over the top in some scenes); Donner wanting to go to Venus with Zoe, because he sees the Mars mission all over again (predictable); Nadia wanting to know what Beta really is and can do (could be more interesting when the writers would spend more time in that); Steven doing… something (huh, what?); and Paula failing while getting herself cleared for the Venus lander (really interesting, especially the “one down” deal at the end). Only the “episode cliffhanger” was dumb. Rollie in an accident and we have probably a little side plot on the run. After we had only the Antares crew and mission (and past and present of all involved) in the story, the writers give us something completely different. I don’t know if I will like this. 8,5/10

Episode 11: Solitary
A good episode, even though nothing happened and it was totally a filler episode to stretch the story until the Venus landing.
Rollie’s story was complete crap and I surely hope this was it; I don’t want to see anymore about this in the remaining episodes. It can have some small aftermath (Rollie’s doubts about the mission, about his marriage with Jen or about his actions at all), but I am not in the mood to see more about that. When I am honest, it was actually nice to see some characters from the floor in an episode main story – we almost know lots of facts about the characters on the ground (from the Antares crew we already know more than we used to), but they should get better storylines. Like Claire, who slept with Trevor (Peter Howitt) (and lets me think that she, instead of Arnel, will be the one who first leaks the story) in her flashbacks.
The story on the Antares was way too boring though. I don’t need Donner preparing for the landing for the whole episode, and I don’t need Zoe thinking about what she is saying on the Venus surface. The talk Paula had with Evram was interesting (despite his dumb questions he asked her) and Nadia’s hallucination (goosebumps effect). I want to know why she is hallucinating again, especially after she was one of the characters who barely had some (and she is one of the characters the writers never took care of). Maybe she will get necessary at a later point. But there are two episodes left and I don’t believe in a second season, so let’s forget it again.
By the way, a production mistake: One of the video logs showed the date 05 12 2052 – last episode was November 5th, I don’t think the story hopped one month into the future for the video logs, especially with the Venus landing coming up. Haha, I got you!
Despite the mostly boring Antares story still a good episode. The characters are fully grown and the series could get into more speed at this time of season (especially with the sci fi element being revealed), only a bummer that the audience didn’t play along. 7/10

Episode 12: Venus
Damn, with the last episodes the series is getting better and better. The episode of the episodes is the best episode of Defying Gravity so far. The landing on Venus was awesomely full of thrill, I liked Donner’s and Zoe’s little flashback story (I was quite surprised that Zoe didn’t make the Top 20 the first place; now it would be interesting what happened so she could get in again, but I think this story will be part of
the finale), the pathos was great and the cliffhanger was predictable, but great as well. Only Zoe’s first Venus line was pretty boring. Or just too simple to be great.
Seriously, this episode would be one of the best I watched, when there would not be the partly lame first act (Rollie and his efforts to get the name of the girl he hit, all the faith crap Eve was talking about and all the signs that Arnel will leak the story), but
the rest was pretty much awesome. Paula’s face to Zoe was kind of unintentionally funny, as if she wanted to tell a bad joke or get the evil/hell crap from her (well, she did it anyway at a later time), and now I believe she will be the first to leak the story. It would be an interesting second season…
The writers should have cut the first act and brought more into the Venus landing, because with the moment Crossbow flies out from the Antares and lands on Venus the series had its best moments. And maybe a little bit more Zoe, who takes her first step on a planet full of hell. Well, at least we will hopefully see a lot of it in the finale.
Funny was the fact that special effects crew faked parts of the Venus landing; not only was this plot device dumb, but I think this will happen, when somebody lands on Mars in 20, 30 years. Shoot some sequences which fake your landing, when you are about to die. Or collecting an alien lifeform.
Now I am hooked to see the finale. 9/10

Episode 13: Kiss
Very good season finale. It shows once more that the mixture of sci fi elements and relationship stories is working perfectly now. It is just sad that the series will be canceled after the first season; now I am definitely interested how the story will evolve. How is Trevor investigating the Venus thing after Arnel told him about the black box? How is the genetic mutation changing the Antares crew? And especially: What has Eve to do with the mutations? How will Paula react to the objects after she learned everything about her miracle? How are Beta and Gamma behaving, now since they are on the same ship? Is Rollie going into prison? is their now a real relationship between Zoe and Donner, after he learned about the baby? Why is Nadia’s hallucination the only one which is not explained? These are very interesting questions and this is just the beginning. The second season would have so much opportunities for interesting stories without losing all elements which made the first season (especially the second half) so interesting. It is sad that the viewers weren’t hooked up on Defying Gravity.
The Venus walk was full of suspense. How an almost 500 meter walk could be that interesting is awesome. And connected with the flashback stories about Zoe and Donner saying goodbye to each other (she needs two episodes for that, lol), the Venus walk has even more meaning. And has risen some more question about the past of the objects’ history with Earth. Canaveral under water? Two probes sent to Venus? And why was nobody else noticing the signals from the objects, why only the US observatories?
By the way: The flashback story very reminded me of Lost’s “Stranger in a Strange Land” from the third season: A story is told how one of the characters got the tattoo. But I thought it was interesting here, so I don’t have a problem with that. Zoe and Donner were cute together and definitely would have made a good couple; this is why I love the ending scene so much.
Well, at least Defying Gravity is one of those canceled TV shows without a proper ending, but at least it is not a big cliffhanger. The Venus story would be over now, the rest could come. It is such a bummer that we won’t see a second season of this show. 9/10

Season average is 7,31. Yeah, I will miss this one. All the bad critics on the internet are false. What do you expect from a show about astronauts being on a six-year mission? A suspenseful story in every episode?
Sure, the first half of the season was a bit lame due to the sci fi story and the writers waiting for that to be fully revealed, but after that the show strongly got better and more interesting. The rest of the series would have been interesting in the story, because after 13 episodes the story completely developed and stood on the edge of a great science fiction story.

V: They Are Of Peace? Never!

It is not easy for a remake to entertain me in a superb way, when I watched the original right before the start of the remake. So happened with V.
I know the story about the alien visitors coming to Earth to enslave the humans for quite a while now. As a kid I read the books to the mini series and liked them, but I never came to watch the two mini series or even the series. No channel aired it in my past and internet for the people didn’t exist at that time. Things I can make good now. The remake starts on ABC, the original is somewhere on the internet and on my way to my hard drive and I can finally review a pilot episode again (White Collar and Archer still have to be written).
First: I don’t know if I would like this pilot more, when I wouldn’t know the original miniseries. I watched the two parts from 1983, and now I am a bit disappointed of the remake. But I still liked it, it was one of the better pilots this fall.
But the pilot had one big problem: It was way too short. The story and the characters were too big for just a 46 minute long episode, V would have been a great candidate for a 90 minute pilot, but the networks don’t seem to produce full pilot movies for  a while now, instead the writers tried to squeeze all the characters (and there are many of important names) and the necessary parts of the story (which starts with the arrival of the Visitors and ends with the resistance’s first fight against the reptiles) in a 46 minute episode, which makes it a really fast one – at least there wasn’t a single boring moment.

Let’s start with the cast and characters: It’s good. Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans still has to play an important role in the story, because her character was just one of many in the pilot – not a resistance leader, not a real believer, just a plain FBI agent with a son, without a man on her side and typical single mother problems. I hope this will change during the next episodes; with her FBI status she has at least an important role for future storylines. Erica’s son Tyler, played by Logan Huffman, is a stereotype for now and obviously will take the role of Daniel Bernstein from the original series. With Tyler now being an ambassador, we have an interesting storyline coming up: Will he be trustful to the Visitors to rat out his mom, when he finds out about her actions? A storyline which partly was dealt with in the original miniseries, but what was not really interesting there could be very interesting here.
Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut) was a boring character most of the time in the pilot, but with the revelation of him being one of the Visitors, who landed on Earth years ago, he got interesting in an instant. His fiance and girlfriend Valerie Holt (Lourdes Benedicto) is boring though and could easily be killed off very soon.
Georgie Sutton (David Richmond-Peck) seems to be an important character, but I was thinking all the time he is not in the main cast and just one of the recurring characters. His past with Ryan is interesting and has potential for a flashback story the writers seem to love these last years (thanks to Lost for that).
Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch) is probably the least interesting character so far. I don’t need a religious guy to deal with the “the aliens came from god” topic, even though it is another point of view in the story. And Joel Gretsch is one of the actors I rather want to see in a TV series. His acting killed the first parts of Taken for me and The 4400 was mostly boring with him in the cast…
Reporter Chad Decker (Scott Wolf) will hopefully play a bigger role than the reporter chick from the original miniseries, whose name I don’t know anymore. His interview scene with Anna was awesome and when the writers are good enough to give Chad interesting storylines throughout the first season, then he will become an interesting character (and another leader personality in the resistance).
The Visitor characters are mostly very interesting. Not only is Anna (Morena Baccarin, I read Famke Janssen turned down the role of Anna) a really interesting main enemy slash attractive Visitor slash questionable character, but Morena Baccarin is the perfect cast for this role. She has something in her, which can carry the series for itself, and hopefully the writers don’t mess that up. By the way: I don’t believe she is the leader of the Visitors; just a lie to hide the real leader, for what reason soever.
Lisa (Laura Vandervoort) might be just a character for a love story with Tyler. We already had one in the mini series (with a male Visitor and a female love interest) and it was not really that interesting. But let’s see what’s to come.

The effects: I know, talking negatively about good-looking effects in a TV show with tight budget comes to nothing, but the effects were partly not only not good, but why does this show need this effects? The motherships look good and the apples in the gravity fields were acceptable, but the wide angle of the insides of the motherships and one of the opening space doors didn’t really look awesome to me. As well as the last installment of Anna looking out of her ship and the camera moving away from her – I hope this is just the typical pilot visual appeal and the future story doesn’t need much effects.

The story: partly a copy from the miniseries, partly something new. Mostly interesting, here and there questionable and a big plot hole (at least for me). I don’t have a problem, when the writers try to copy some storylines from the old series, when the new story pursues another way, but the writers need to pick up on the interesting facts and characters. Father Jack is such a problem, as well as the mother/son relationship, which is expectedly not entertaining me.
The three-week jump forward into the story, 15 minutes in the episode, was necessary, but still had a negative connotation. The writers manage to reveal the unfriendly Visitors through invisible third row characters and actions to the first row characters (Erica, Father Jack), so they don’t have to find out about the real intentions of the Visitors (which was timely consuming and mostly boring in the original miniseries). But there are still three weeks missing – but at least it is another opportunity to clear off some facts in flashback storylines (I just hope the writers don’t use that too often).
The separate FBI story, which concluded with the real intentions of the Visitors, was partly interesting. It made Alan Tudyk an interesting guest star, and even though he was killed off in the pilot, his IMDB file is showing me more appearances on V.
The big plot hole is the ending itself: The resistance fought off some Visitor attackers, and now Erica and Father Jack talking about recruiting and fighting? Why don’t they go with the things they know to the press? They have proof, they even have a few dead reptiles…
The other plot holes are funny, but not that important (Water only exists on planet Earth? Nobody saw the ships in Earth’s orbit, before they entered the sphere?).

Mostly I liked the pilot, but with the original in mind, it disappoints a bit. The networks should think again about making full 90 minute pilots, because this one was way too short for the amount of story and characters. The effects… well, let’s not lose a word about this, the cast is alright, the story can develop really interesting. I just hope the “event programming” ABC did don’t scare the viewers. Airing four episodes in November, then sending V on hiatus and returning it in March could be a big fail (not that the same thing happens like during the third season of Lost).
7,5 out of 10 points.

V – The Original Miniseries

The main cities of Earth are surprisingly visited by 51 huge alien spacecraft, and their leader introduces themselves as a friendly people looking for cooperation with Earthlings. The aliens, calling themselves Visitors, masquerades themselves to look just like humans and need the cooperation of the Earthlings, because their planet is dying. When a journalist and a medical student discover that the Visitors have come to rape the Earth of its natural resources and using the humans as slaves, the war for Earth begins. With the help of a motley group of people from different walks of life united in the cause, they try to reveal the secrets of the Visitors and aid the global effort to save Earth for future generations.

Part 1
ABC’s remake is coming very soon and I thought about watching some minutes of the original series, and why not start with the two mini series, before watching the first (and last) season of the 80s show?
And after the first 100 minutes I have to say I pretty much liked it, even though V is already too old for my taste (it was produced before I was born). Most of the scenes are pretty quiet and have too much dialogue (all the scenes revolving the arrival of the ships with all the news anchors – after two minutes it got boring, but it felt like I was listening to the news for hours; not really good for holding my interest at that time) and the actual story needs too much time to get rolling. You could think that the aliens really are friendly visitors and really need help, until a writer suddenly changed the story to a darker tone, because the screenplay needed some action – and a real story. Everything before the revealing of the real purpose of the aliens, the episode was okay and mostly boring, because nothing happened. Here and there scientists who are treated bad (nice parallels with the second World War and the Nazis hunting down the Jews) and rumors about the aliens real intentions. But when it was revealed that the aliens ain’t friendly, the episode got interesting and finally had some topics to deal with.
The cast is alright; I only know a few faces and names. No one really stands out, not even Marc Singer (who looks like a twin sibling of Mark Harmon). The characters are mostly uninteresting and have no potential for conflicts (with the exception of the conflict human versus alien, but that is not a good source for some good character development), and the aliens look very cheesy with their red uniforms and sunglasses.
The first five minutes were awesome, but with the arrival of the ships the episode had a big downer and got back my interest during the last 40 minutes. It just is obvious that this show is too old for my taste and I am too young. I am used to faster storytelling, and the first part of V is not really a good example for good storytelling. Best example are the five minutes they needed to introduce the viewers to the alien ships (through the characters and the news anchors).
The effects looked great though. Even though some parts were really bad for today’s standards, but for 1983  they looked terrific, especially the scene in minute eleven, where the two workers look up in the sky and see the ship – this scene was pretty much an ancestor for Independence Day, very great looking picture.
All in all I liked it, but the story took too much time to introduce everything. Hopefully the second part starts right away (it is way shorter, so it should) and killed the boredom most parts. 6,5/10

Part 2
Well, I have to say, this part I liked way more than the boring first one. While the first one needed too much time to introduce us to everything, the second part bring us everything the story has to offer. It simply starts with the scientist deal, which definitely reminds of the hunt of the Jews in WW2.
I want to keep it short, but I definitely liked this part.
I didn’t even expected that much, even the effects are good for a TV show from the 80s, and the action is just superb. For a TV show from the 80s. When NBC can pull off such shows today like they did in the 80s and early 90s – I would have back my favorite network TV; the second part was almost really awesome.
I liked the deal with the hunt of the scientists, even
though one or the other story was a bit dumb (especially the efforts of Sancho (Rafael Campos) smuggling out a family; when he ate the onion, I had to laugh when he changed his face while one of the cops inspected his truck a bit closer), and even though I couldn’t understand why nobody intervened, after the cops shot down one of the escapees directly on the street. Even I would get out of my car and beat the shooting cop, even when it means he shoots me.
I surely wanted to see more resistance cells. We only saw the Los Angeles branch with Juliet (Faye Branch) as their leader – Juliet was not only more of an interesting character in this part (especially with the cane she got in this part after her little accident in the first part; she matured a lot while fighting against the visitors, I found that very pleasing; this is missing in today’s shows).
Donovan’s (Mark Singer, he would have make a good action hero) story was alright, though he was too much of a cool guy and didn’t question his actions really good. Instead of trying to explain the situation (when the Los Angeles resistance took him prisoner, he just wanted to fight them and throw foul language, instead of telling them something), he just was out for the action. And that he could fly one of the alien shuttles was just…laughable (in a negative way). Oh yeah, the shuttle hunt came a bit too long – four, five minutes shorter and it would be a good one, but that just took too long and got boring after a while. The writers should have spend more minutes on one of the motherships, because when the real intentions of the Visitors were revealed, it got way more interesting. But the writers didn’t really concentrate on that, instead we saw more action and resistance fights on the ground.
Daniel’s (David Packer) story was the most uninteresting one. Sure, the story needed that character to show how the teenagers get affected by the Visitors, but it was too stereotype, too predictable, and I didn’t like the way it developed. I know all the similarities with the Nazis and the French resistance, but this was just way too dumb for a kid from the 80s to even think about reporting his own family to the Visitors.
Robert’s (Michael Durrell) story… hm, I don’t know. I know that a father would do everything to get his captured daughter back, but his actions in here were really questionable. And it didn’t really had thrill, too, because I knew that the Visitors’ attack in the mountains would happen – because this was still missing at that point.
All in all: The first part needed too much time for introduction and was boring, the second part took most of the time for the resistance to fight the Visitors and the writers took their time to get forward with the story. That’s what makes the second part better. And I am stunned how this show still works after more than 25 years, I was very surprised. 9/10

7,75 average for this miniseries. No more words necessary. For now, ABC’s remake is at the ready. Expect a review from the pilot episode.
I am already on it to get the second miniseries of the 80s version, The Final Battle. After that I will try to get the complete first season of V, while watching ABC’s remake and trying to review the first four episodes during the November sweeps.

Three Rivers: Congratulations To One Of The Most Terrible Pilots Ever

Ehm yeah… This was pretty much a failure of a pilot. One of the most terrible pilots I have ever seen in my career of watching TV series. Almost nothing worked here. The story was crap and unrealistic, the characters are more than boring, the actors are miscast and type cast, the dialogs are cheesy and partly unsustainable, the production itself was really bad.
But let’s start from the beginning: It seems like an interesting idea to tell stories about organ donation from three different views: the person, who dies and gives his organs; the person, whose life is in danger and needs new organs and the doctors, who transplant the organs. After this pilot I can pretty much say: Nee, this idea doesn’t work. So, I wouldn’t have a problem with CBS killing the series immediately, because this was real shit.
It begins with the hospital itself – full of gadgets, computers, window screens and other stuff. Sometimes I was thinking the series is set in the future. Seriously: Windows, who transform into monitors with touchscreen with fancy sounds, replacing simple computer monitors? This reminded me of the computer gadgets from NCIS: Los Angeles and this was already too funny to find it serious. I was not only rolling with my eyes, I was thinking about canceling the pilot during this scene and go to bed. And I don’t have that feeling very often, when I am watching TV shows. Not to mention all the screens with the names and pictures of the patients in it – I mean, isn’t there an oath to secrecy? When somebody is walking by, sees the scan of the patient with his or her name under it… completely unrealistic.
There we are, the unrealistic part. The story about the heart transplant alone was utter crap and totally shit. It begins with the experiences of Teri Dawson (Hillary Tuck) in one day: pregnant in the 28th week, crashing in the ER, the doctors find a heart disease, she needs a new heart, she gets it THE SAME DAY (that alone is a reason to fire the writers – hello?!? Did you think about the story, before you wrote it?), the docs have to do a C-section and everything is fine at the end of the day. Ehm, yeah… Complete crap. And not only the birth (28 weeks of pregnancy and the baby looks and behaves like it went out of the mother after 45 weeks; and it screams like a complete healthy baby, though it should be in an incubator, because the baby is STILL A PREEMIE!!!).
The other side of the transplant story (the donor part) was crap as well: Not only was the story completely useless and a waste of my precious time (I could have watched the sixth season finale of Entourage instead), but building in a twist, just to bring some more difficulties into the story? Every second, after the daughter (Janina Gavankar) entered the story (by the way, nice to see Marina Sirtis outside of her Star Trek costume for once in a while; she didn’t change a bit), was full of cliches and badly written.
The only interesting story was with Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig) and the kid – the rest was pretty much… well, bad.
Some words to the characters: With the exception of Katherine Moennig (she should have stayed with the shorter hair, now she looks so “mainstream” – by the way: What is she doing in a network series? Hopefully she finds a better job after this one.) everybody was uninteresting. No conflicts, no relationships, their interaction didn’t suit the story. Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O’Loughlin) … Is he some kind of a boss in the hospital or why does everybody look up at him? No answers on his status, except he obviously is the best doctor in the hospital. Dr. David Lee (Daniel Henney) … Useless character, he didn’t seem like a regular. Ryan (Christopher J. Hanke), the typical new character (Three Rivers is, like, the 100th new series this fall who has a new-starting character in their pilot story) and of course is he doing some mistakes, but in the end he is the hero (well, at least  somehow…).

Some words to the production of the series: How they informed the audience, in which story the episode currently is (with showing the city’s name), was ugly. Why not just show the city’s name simply and small in the lower part of the picture, why placing a blur slip through the whole picture and placing the city’s name in there? And what was the little scene in the third minute with the “William H. Foster Transplant Wing”? Is it necessary to know that William Foster is/was the father of Miranda? Why do I have to know the name of a hospital’s wing at all?
Quick finish, before I will start to forget that I ever watched this crap: Seriously one of the most terrible pilots I watched in the last couple of years. Bad writing in all sorts of ways (story, characters); bad production in all sorts of ways (setting, score); typical type casting and the question what Katherine Moennig brought to this series; and so much cheesiness, I am wondering how did I survive watching this… I seriously hope CBS lands a flop with this and will end Three Rivers as quick as possible.
1,5 out of 10 points.