Showtime’s new dark comedy Nurse Jackie stars Edie Falco as title character Jackie Peyton, a “flawed” emergency room nurse at All Saints’ Hospital in New York City. For Jackie, “Every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses and her own indiscretions.” She is a strong-willed woman balancing a hectic work life with a complex personal life, all the while fighting the health care system along the way.

Episode 01: Pilot
It was a good episode, kind of interesting, but kind of boring, especially in the second half. Edie Falco was really good in the role of the drug taking nurse, but when this is the only think what she is doing, it could be boring very fast.
The episode story was boring though. I didn’t care about anything and everything was pretty uninteresting: Jackie screwing Eddie (Paul Schulze), then having a family at the end (interesting, but still it didn’t pick me); Jackie taking drugs; Jackie trying to save lives, even outside of the hospital (which looks kind of scary. The hospital I mean) – it wasn’t really that interesting to amuse me during the half hour, but the quality was there, “it” is just missing and I can love this show. For now it is just a show when I have some more time on my hands, not really a must-see. 7/10

Episode 02: Sweet ‘n All
I am glad, this episode was better than the first one. More characters, more humor, but kind of no story. There weren’t even real medical cases; the one this episode had was just a topic for two, three scenes, which is a shame. Instead we have a story from the first episode (the ear in the toilet – why did it come back for this episode? It didn’t bring anything), a bit family story and again Jackie trying to save lives outside of the hospital.
The characters could be better, especially the doctors, but this episode was good enough not to bore me. And it was better than the first one. But I still can’t get the show. Is Jackie either a caring character (like how she deals with her family) or is she just a drug abusing bitch (like the thing with the ear and her dealing with other persons)? 7,5/10

Episode 03: Chicken Soup
A good episode. A few good moments and at least a little story. I love how Jackie tries to manage two lives (family and job) and having troubles in both of them. And finally we learn something about the supporting characters, even though they are still too uninteresting to be interesting in the story.
Zoey’s (Merritt Wever, all the time I was thinking ‘From where do I know her?’ until I opened her IMDb file for this review and I saw she was a recurring in Studio 60. Damn, I can’t bring the faces to their TV shows anymore) efforts to get her stethoscope back from Eleanor (Eve Best) was funny (it seems her ear-story is gone, very nice) and Jackie’s story involving the old couple was sweet and nice and it shows that all the episodes must have a story of their own to go with the characters, which makes the series a bit realistic. But it has the same problems HawthoRNe has: The nurses are calling the shots? Where are the doctors? 7,5/10

Episode 04: School Nurse
I think I am starting to like the series, even though nothing much is really happening. I just like the fact that Nurse Jacky finally is another half hour drama show with real comedy in it; something the networks doesn’t seem to get on the air.
Sure, the writers don’t concentrate on the medical cases here and instead give us some interesting characters, but I think they should give more attention to the actual medical ases the characters have to deal with, because they are just boring.
Jackie’s problems with her daughter Grace (Ruby Jerins) is very interesting though, and I like the fact that Jackie really has two separate lives. Eddie obviously doesn’t know about Jackie’s family life (who in the hospital does?), while she tries everything to keep their lives separated (the scene with both cell phones was funny).
I just wished that the writers would bring more story into the secondary characters, with the exception of Zoey they are still not interesting. 7,5/10

Episode 05: Daffodil
The episode was good (like the previous ones). Again nothing much happens, but the characters are still interesting. As long as they are in front of the camera and have a bit of a story. Finally Gloria (Anna Deavere Smith) gets some things to do, even when she has to taser herself (predictable scene, and therefor not funny). But Zoey and Eleanor on a dinner was pretty funny.
Like Hush, I think this show would work more in a 60-minute format. The story about Grace is not really involving, Jackie’s love and family life doesn’t get any space in the series (we only see her trying to separate both lives) and the medical case about the 10-year-old girl and her grandmother was that interesting enough, it would be lovely to see more about that, especially because of the ending, which had a great symbolic. 7,5/10

Episode 06: Tiny Bubbles
A good episode with the stereotype old and loved nurse, who dies among the younger colleagues. I seem to see that story in every medical show. At least it wasn’t boring in here, just full of clichés. The rest of the episode was mostly interesting. Cooper (Peter Facinelli) has two mothers and we are meeting them in here; the backstory he has with his other mother (Swoosie Kurtz) was pretty interesting and is enough for a little bit more character moments for Cooper; but he finally got a story for his own, after he only grabbed the tits of his female colleagues and had pretty much nothing to do.
Zoey sees that Jackie has problems – I don’t know, it could be the begin of a nice story, but I couldn’t stand Zoey in here. The writers wanted to have her funny instead of serious (the moment she enters a room and awkwardly leaves it again), and this might have worked at the beginning, but right now it just sucks balls. The drama moments are so much more interesting right now. 7,5/10

Episode 07: Steak Knife
A good episode, but the series isn’t developing anytime soon. Basically it is just a series about a nurse with problems in her job and in her private life – the rest is more than useless. So, Jackie and Eddie had their one-year-anniversairy. Momo (Haaz Sleiman) didn’t know that Jackie had a boyfriend (which lets me ask who else does know about Jackie’s private life, and why is she keeping it a
 secret?) and Gloria had a baby on her hands – by the way a storyline which wasn’t concluded at the end.
I don’t know, but I cannot love this series in this form, when absolutely nothing is happening. No on-going story, no real highlights, simple medical cases… It is a shame, because I was interested to see Nurse Jackie, but now it is just a boring TV show, though the single episodes are “just” good. 7/10

Episode 08: Pupil
I believe that this was the most likable episode so far. Much more humor in the story, much more actual story in the episode and Eddie knows something about Jackie’s private life. The series is still missing some real characters and the writers don’t use the storylines in a proper way, which is a result of being a half-hour show, it really kills the stories; they are better suited in a hour-long series. The best example would be Cooper’s story with the daughter of one of his patients. Everything went so fast that the scene in which he asked Amy (Alexie Gilmore) about Melissa (Jill Flint) was just awkward.
Well, Eddie knows that Jackie has a daughter, while Grace seem to make troubles in the near future. It would be nice to know what is really wrong with her and it would be nice to see how Eddie is reacting after he learned about Jackie’s kid. For the rest I have to say it wasn’t really interesting. Zoey almost catched Jackie in the act taking drugs, having a “I’m on my own” day, but I barely saw something of it and after all she is just not too much of an interesting character. Which is sad.
Still the best episode for me so far. 8/10

Episode 09: Nose Bleed
Average good episode. The events from last episode didn’t have any aftermath in here – I was hoping Eddie and Jackie would have a talk, but instead he is talking about atoms, electrons and parallel realities. He didn’t ask anything about Jackie’s kid, he didn’t make one try to learn something from her private life. Pretty boring. And Jackie’s nose bleeding? It could be an on-going storyline, letting Jackie think about her abusing drugs, but it doesn’t look that way.
The rest of the episode was not really interesting as well. Gloria still has the kid (for the third episode in a row, I am impressed), while the parents come to get their son back. Cooper has a hospital date with Melissa and Zoey is still the student and doesn’t have anything to say, still doesn’t lose her “easiness”. Only the story with Grace seems to be interesting, especially how she behaved at the beginning of the episode, wanting to give her mother a dollar for not working. Well, and the rest wasn’t worthy to mention here, the series still isn’t a TV highlight; for that it is just the typical average good. 7/10

Episode 10: Ring Finger
Nasty scene, in which Jackie smashes her ring finger, just so she can tell Kevin (Dominic Fumusa) a believable story about the lost ring. It seems illogical that she is capable of doing such things to keep her private life secret from everybody. Bt I think I have to live with that and sometimes the writers have to give a bit of a reason, why they wrote Jackie this way.
Apart from the ring finger story, the episode was like the rest of the season. Worthy to be watched on a regular basis, but not worthy to talk about it. Cooper’s tick came back to him, at least with a bit of humor and a little WTF moment in the scene (Jackie really kissed him? Why?). Zoey walking in on Jackie and Eddie could have been more funnier, if the scene wouldn’t be so stereotype. Before she even opened the door, I already knew that she would close it again with her in the room, instead of out.
The series needs definitely more highlights, but I think I already mentioned that once or twice. 7/10

Episode 11: Pill-o-Matix
Wow, so suddenly this episode prepares for the season finale, and this on so many levels. It was an interesting episode, yet it wasn’t the best so far. But I wished every episode would be like this: with an interesting guest character as the medical case of the episode (and I was surprised to see Victor Garber in here), with an interesting story for the characters (the mistake Zoey did and practically could risk her job as a nurse), which could be unpredictable (Cooper’s efforts to find out if Jackie is seeing somebody) and a cliffhanger (Eddie following Jackie and seeing her real family). Yeah, storywise the episode was good, but the execution slightly failed. Not only was Victor Garber’s character sent in a coma way too fast and we don’t even know what happened with him afterwards, but Eddie following Jackie all of a sudden? Where did that come from?
I am starting to like the story with Grace, she behaves like she is 35 and already had a few midlife-crisis, but the writers should give an explanation for her behavior soon, because I am not satisfied with what I saw so far. 8/10

Episode 12: Health Care and Cinema
Well, I don’t know. The season finale was not really a season finale and had a few uninteresting storylines. Nice to see Victor Garber back, after his story got kind of cut in the last episode, but his appearance was filled with boredom – not interesting, only for Zoey, but her character didn’t even develop during the season, so that scene in which she apologized for a gazillion times didn’t bring anything.
The most intriguing story was with Eddie and Kevin. Eddie learns something about Jackie’s life and is totally stunned about everything. But honestly: What did he expect when he learned that Jackie has a kid and never told something about her private life? At least it was explainable why he got drunk, but I was expecting that he would expose Jackie’s private life in front of everybody.
Cooper loves Jackie… for real? Well, at least he is given a story for the second season, though I don’t believe he will be having more screentime than in this season. But it is funny, somehow.
Eleanor: I actually can’t believe that I saw her crying in her last scene. Not only was this the best scene she was in, but she showed that she can act. And who knows, maybe the story with her mother gets more screentime in the next season. I want to hope, her appearances in this season only consisting of talking and having lunch with Jackie, a few medical cases and laughing about everybody and anything. She didn’t have one private moment, until she cried.
And Jackie? She now takes Morphin. I just hope her addiction will bring her problems in the next season. God dammit, she takes drugs, and she only had a nose bleed so far?
The rest was pretty much boring. Gloria gets stuck in the elevator and plays with herself (and looks more like the comic relief of the series), while Momo obviously is in love with a guy, who doesn’t love him – yeah, not really interesting. 7/10

Season average is 7,34. Maybe it looks good as a whole, but the series got on my nerves during the second half. No development, no real stories, but the episodes are still somehow interesting – I am curious how that worked.
The second season will air in March next year (together with the second season of United States of Tara) and I am on it; I just hope the writers learned something and put more actual story in it.

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.

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.

Megan Fox in a main role of an evil demon – when this happens, I obviously can’t think straight. I am one of the people, who adores Megan Fox, watches everything she is in, having secretly fantasies with her, hating the person Brian Austin Green for dating her (but I like him as an actor). I am one of the people who thinks she is living sex and far beyond. Am I a cliché now? Well, not when I can say that most of the projects with Megan Fox are mostly average. Transformers is still story trash (the second movie was boring), she wasn’t that funny in the 35th season opener of the NBC comedy Saturday Night Live, and even Jennifer’s Body is not really a milestone in the history of non-serious horror comedies. But Jennifer’s Body is one thing: a crappy and funny movie from the vomit scene until the end.
Cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) and dorky geek Needy (Amanda Seyfried) are BFFs for years and inseparable, though they have nothing in common. After a fire in a local bar, where some high school students lost their lives, Jennifer disappears with a rock band (in which Adam Brody is the lead singer) and comes back to Needy with blood all over her body. This is the beginning of something really bloody and deathly: Jennifer mysteriously gains a lot of appetite for human blood in male high school students. As Needy finds out that Jennifer is possessed by a demon, she has to find a way to stop her friend’s bloodthirsty rampage before it reaches her own boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).

One thing is for sure and everybody should know it before watching: Jennifer’s Body doesn’t take itself seriously and is just a vehicle for a hot cheerleader being possessed, killing boys, still looking sexy and having a light lesbian scene between Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox, so men’s hearts are pounding until their chests explode. The movie isn’t good for anything else. It seems that 80 per cent of the movie goers had completely different expectations, especially with Diablo Cody being responsible for the screenplay, who won an Academy Award for Juno two years back. And the only result of having different expectations is that they find Jennifer’s Body bad. But it isn’t. Seriously. And I don’t say that, because I have *insert a word* fantasies about Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried together on one bed.
The dialogs are funny as hell. Some examples? Jennifer about Needy’s breasts: “These are like smart bombs, you point them in the right direction and shit gets real.” Jennifer after being stabbed by Needy and bleeding out of the wound hole: “Got a tampon?” And, especially, after being stabbed by Needy: “Oww, my tit.” To which Needy responds: “No, your heart.” There are more example and I was laughing hilariously in most of the scenes – not only because of the funny dialogs, but some scenes were so ridiculous that it must have been on purpose to do them that shitty. But there lies the biggest problem of the movie: It doesn’t know if it wants to be a comical horror movie, a spoof of all the satanic rituals gone wrong, a funny movie with Megan Fox in it, or was it just a rip-off of Cruel Intentions (and I am only taking about the lesbian kiss scene)? Somehow the movie wants to be all of it, and this is what doesn’t let the movie work properly. At least the movie isn’t trying to be sophisticated or complex and is instead supposed to be a fun movie for the side; not important for the studio to make money with (the production only cost 16 million Dollar), not a breakthrough for all of the actors, and all in all a supposed-to-be fun project with no intentions to become a cult hit.

 The actors are clearly having fun in their roles. Megan Fox plays her sex card and shows once again her erotic side. She is the star of the movie, but her opposite part played by Amanda Seyfried holds her own. While Fox’s Jennifer doesn’t hide her sexual side and wants to have everything she can get (including the buddy-like Adam Brody, who might be a great guy to hang out with, when he is not about to sacrifice you for a demonic ritual), Seyfried’s Needy hides her beauty behind her gawky side and shows that she has
 nothing in common with Jennifer. Megan Fox took charge of her character and played with it, her acting is creative, and she even becomes a wreck when she has to be, and wanders completely outside of her sexy side. Jennifer’s friendship with Needy is completely believable, and every shitty small town somewhere in the middle of the United States’ nowhere. And Amanda Seyfried shows again that she is underrated in Hollywood and definitely can act. And Diablo Cody didn’t overwrite Needy’s goofy side, which lets everybody believe that she is not the one in high school, who doesn’t talk to people and vice versa, because she is not the ugly one in here. Johnny Simmons gives a sweet boyfriend for Seyfried, only his dying scene was way too wound up. I really had to laugh at its incredibly stupid scene, which looks like this wasn’t on purpose. This scene was the low-point of the movie.
Adam Brody had, like I said already, fun in his role. He stabs Jennifer like… a hundred times, with a smile on his face, and before the ritual he picks out the words for the ritual, which he found easily on the internet – hilarious.
Kyle Gallner makes a good stand as well, getting eaten by Jennifer, and shows like Seyfried, that he is worthy to look for in future projects.

The rest of the movie is typical basic: Jennifer’s Body is sexy, but doesn’t show much sex; Megan Fox eats people, but there isn’t much blood. Disgusting scenes are barely in the movie, at the utmost the vomiting scene might me the most disturbing scene (but this was too funny for me to be disturbing – I was mentally screaming WTF and had big eyes). Karyn Kusama’s movie is not too long, and not too short, and after her miserable Æon Flux she shows that she actually can direct a movie.
And when you don’t see the real purpose of the movie when you read the outlined plot (loser indie band tries to get fame and fortune by sacrificing a virgin to the devil, only their virgin isn’t one and transforms into a flesh eating demon) and you still expecting a clever (or trashy) horror movie, then you don’t know jack.
Jennifer’s Body is no masterpiece, but fun all the way. And I was entertained.

“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…

Have a bit imagination, have lots of fantasy, and be in your childhood during the early 80s in the United States. And maybe then you are able to produce a short film, which includes the son of Rambo trying to save his father.
Son of Rambow is definitely an enjoyable movie, even though I was expecting a bit more. After all, this is not a spoof of some kind for the Rambo movies, it is more a movie about growing childhood friendship and getting out of the miserable family life for a while to have lots of fun. The family can’t always watch the kids.
Son of Rambow deals with Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner), who is looking for an escape from his family’s stifling home life when he encounters Lee Carter (Will Poulter), the school bully. Armed with a video camera and a bootlegged copy of Rambo: First Blood, Lee plans to make cinematic history by filming his own action-packed video epic and uses Will as stuntman. Together, the two newfound friends-turning-filmmakers quickly discover that their imaginative and sometimes mishap-filled cinematic adventure has begun to take a life of its own, when the French exchange student Didier (Jules Sitruk) enters the filming stage.

A little spoof of Rambo, a little bit of an adventure movie, a little bit childhood friendship story, a little bit family sense and even some real action, paired with suspense – basically, this movie has everything for a nice family evening with parents and kids. There are always little rascals, who stole a video cassette or a DVD from daddy’s collection to watch the bloody R rated action movie, because he is always saying “You can’t watch this, son”. But secretly, son is watching it and starts having dreams about his wishful future: He want to be an action star. In my case, it wasn’t that different.
Son of Rambow was pretty sweet, thankful to the child actors and their characters. They are not over-the-top, instead written very simple and believable. Will Poulter is giving an incredible performance as school bully and in-the-movie-Colonel, but it would not have been bad to give him a bit more character development. Especially his relationship with his brother Lawrence (Ed Westwick) seems a bit unclear, is the bigger brother first just on his little brither, so Lee can cook Lawrence something to eat and give him watches, but after an unseen change in Lawrence’s character, he is a caring brother and a father figure for Lee. Will is the typical young teenager, trapped into a sect of a strict religious group that prohibits him from having any friends outside the group and strictly forbids him from watchings any TV or movies. His change in life is a bit unbelievable, after he accidentally sees Rambo: First Blood for the first time, but the effect in his life (practically growing a mind over night) is really nice. Their friendship story is believable, and all ups and downs are their – being blood brothers, having fights, saving each other’s lives, and learning from each other.
Together with the French exchange student Didier (a perfect example for the ridiculous new-wave fashion of the 80s), their friendship is having difficulties, when Didier forces himself to Will’s and Lee’s movie production, because he is bored kissing all the girls in school. Didier is the middle part of Will’s and Lee’s relationship, bringing them apart, but really showing both of them, what life during childhood really means.
The rest of the new-found buddy clique are only extras with no real intentions to show Son of Rambow’s two heroes the meaning of life, but giving a perfect comic relief for the story, though the funny parts of the movie were rarely spread (but the scene in which Didier shoots down a bird, and the bird hits one of his followers on a bike was very hilarious).
The dream sequences (including a well-alive scarecrow and Will imagining exploding bombs and napalm fires on a field while driving past by it) are interesting, and show the obsession Rambo: First Blood has with Will, even though I wished to see more about his obsession to the movie
 After all, Son of Rambow is not really a comedy movie almost everybody was hoping it to be, it is more a simple and easy-going tale about friendship, family, loyalty and religion – pretty much in comparison with the more character toned Stand By Me from 1986. But it doesn’t mean that Son of Rambow isn’t completely unfunny. Here and there were laughable scenes, with so much heart you wished to be a kid again – no worries, cool summer days, worthy friendship with the kids from the neighborhood. And as long as everything is settled in the early 80s, then everything is good.

Son of Rambow is touching, heart-warming, beautiful, well-acted, funny, emotional, family friendly and a wonderful piece set in the 80s. Director Garth Jennings delivered a well-made film (and survived his The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy flop), and it doesn’t hurt to compare them with other buddy clique adventure movies like Stand By Me or The Goonies, though these films had different topics to offer. But on the surface they are all the same: friendship wins over dull life.
Not really the overhyped British comedy sensation, but definitely worth a look.

 This movie is part of my efforts to get more into European cinema. I was watching a few movies made in non-English speaking countries of Europe, and I always kind of liked them, even though the stories and characters are always the same: complex and well written. I am not sure, but after a while it could get boring, when I always see movies with the same story and message in it.
Now I tried the Spanish movie El Bola, which deals about the 12-year-old kid Pablo (Juan José Ballesta), who is raised in a violent and unforgiving environment. His father Mariano (Manuel Morón) always beats and treats his son like shit. His mother Aurora (Gloria Muñoz) can’t do anything against her husband, so she only can watch. Embarrassed by his family life, Pablo, who calls himself “El Bola” (the English subtitles of the movie translates his nickname into “Pellet”, which is also the English international movie title), retreats from his classmates, engaging them only through a dangerous game. The arrival of the new boy Alfredo (Pablo Galán) changes something for Pablo. He befriends with the new classmate and discovers a family, where communication and love prevail over domination and violence.

The movie got lots of awards and nominations: Juan José Ballesta won the Newcomer Award in the Spanish Actors Union; the audience declared this movie the Best Movie of the Year during the Turia Awards and the San Jordi Awards; the screenplay got (including) a Goya Award and in the European Film Awards it was the European Discovery of the Year. More awards and nominations would follow. So, this has to be a great movie then, huh?
Well, it was not a great, but definitely a good one. The story isn’t new and I already saw it in lots of movies and TV shows, so no surprises here. But the not even 90 minutes scores with its talented actors and believable characters. Even though half of the characters (especially Pablo’s parents) are full of clichés, but that is of no consequence, because the acting is terrific. Juan José Ballesta and Pablo Galán give an interesting couple, and their friendship from start to finish is completely believable. When the story goes into the direction of “Alfredo’s family is helping Pablo out”, the movie goes even more into an authentic stadium and shows exactly that, what everybody should do, when they have a stranger kid at home, who shows signs of beating by his parents. José (Alberto Jiménez) is an interesting character, a great father for Alfredo and a more interesting father figure for Pablo himself.
Basic theme of the movie is child abuse. Though the theme is big and important for every character in the movie, less abuse is shown. But it depicts the abuse openly and gives the viewer a light hit in the stomach (the biggest hit I got so far was while watching the Danish “Festen” by Lars von Trier). Director Achero Mañas, who co-wrote the screenplay, shows much courage in his story, setting it practically in your own neighborhood, which makes it – again – even more realistic. If you suspect the boy from across the street being hit by his abusive parents, or if you see a boy from two house numbers apart with bruises and scars on his face, you always think about abusing, but without any proof, you don’t think about doing something against it. As far as you know, this kid from your neighborhood is not in your life – you have own problems and troubles to deal with and you probably don’t need a 12-year-old stranger, from whom you probably don’t know the name. But you won’t forget it. And this movie picks up exactly that. Here it is a family from the neighborhood, who actually starts to help the abused kid, who tries to give him a normal life aside from his terrifying home life.

 Like I said, the acting is terrific. The kids are almost sensational in their roles and definitely are watchable for future films. Manuel Morón plays the perfect abusing father, who is not only the king in his own four walls, but the man, who decides everything (and wife and son have to do what he says); and when he discovers that the outside world knows about his transgressions against his family, he sinks in his own guilt, having fear about what is coming next. Alberto Jiménez and Ana Wagener complete the shining cast and give interesting views to their problems (which involves the question of returning Pablo to his father with no proof that he hits his son).
Sure, the screenplay might have a few holes in it (A father gives his son a tattoo? Another father lets his son on a trip with a family he never met before?), but its honesty is truly refreshing, and the topic is still relevant, even nine years later after the movie was made.
El Bola tells you an everyday story – it is neither original nor suspenseful, it is just simple and honest and that’s what makes this movie good. And like I said, I didn’t find it great, because I always think the Spanish dialogs don’t have any feeling behind it. I didn’t watch many Spanish movies, but one thing I always notice: The dialogs must be all in the same pitch. But this is just my view of this unimportant fact.
El Bola is definitely a film to watch; and keep their actors, director and screenwriters in mind, maybe they have another European Discovery of the Year in a few years.
And if somebody has a good and simple Spanish movie for me in mind, don’t hesitate to tell me, because this won’t be the last European movie I saw. Maybe I find some interesting titles far behind the US blockbuster titles.

 I should bring more interest in HBO movies for a change. I always try to watch the TV shows aired by HBO, and I quite love some of them (mostly Entourage), but I never occupied myself with their movies. The Girl in the Cafe is one of them, and – after I watched it, because I was bored - I quite liked it. The first time I heard about this movie was when a German network aired a remake of it in television, and got mostly average reviews. Since then I wanted to watch the HBO original, because the story is interesting and I love those kind of movies with two characters in the center, who are in a moment of midlife crisis of some sort, and when they meet and starting to love each other (but never end as a couple, because their lifes are still too different from each other) they talk about stuff, but not their own lives. And at the end there is emotional drama and no happy end for all involved in the situation.
Bill Nighy (nominated for the Golden Globe for his role) plays Lawrence, an aging, lonely civil servant, who is on the edge of his biggest step in his career. The G8 summit in Reykjavik is coming closer, where the politicians of the world discuss about the most important topics and problems the world has. During a coffee break he meets Gina (Kelly Macdonald, she won an Emmy for her role and was nominated for the Golden Globe), an enigmatic young woman, in a cafe. Both start talking, both start lunching in restaurants and both start having certain feelings about each other. When Lawrence invites Gina to Reykjavik at short notice, she goes with him and the trouble (and love story) begins. Because Gina starts to have some interest in the topics the politicians discuss during the summit, and she has to state her point of view, even though nobody will be happy to hear her opinion.

The story is basically simple. Two characters fall for each other; mostly they are shy, mostly they don’t really know what to talk about, because they are living in the moment of their cold, formell life. With the G8 summit background The Girl in the Cafe is almost a twin movie for Lost in Translation. We have the couple in the foreign country, who doesn’t know anything about it; the couple with problems in their own lives; the couple who seems to fit together perfectly, but fate doesn’t want to bring a new life to them.
The movie is sliced in two different parts. First the introduction of the two main characters, Lawrence and Gina. We learn a lot of things about him, but actually nothing about her. Lawrence stays the shy and nervous aging man, who doesn’t know what to say or to do (especially during the scene, when he is asking Gina out for dinner, after he met her for the first time), who clearly thinks before he is saying something. But when he is with Gina, he obviously doesn’t know anything. He was lonely before, didn’t have a real life but his job. Then he meets the mysterious Gina, who suddenly lights up his fire. He wants to live again, and he secretly hopes he can live it with Gina, but for the whole time of the movie he wants to let her think that he is not thinking about this. Gina remains mysterious for one reason: She doesn’t tell anything about her. We don’t know, who she is working for; we don’t know if she has (had) a family; we don’t know why she even evolved interest in this old man. And when we learn something about her past, she still remains mysterious.
Which takes us to the biggest problem of the story: The second part of the movie contains the G8 summit and for Gina the chance to speak out, to change the world for the better. But why she is speaking out against all odds is clearly unknown (even the bit of information we learn at the end doesn’t really help to clear that up). She knows that her opinion is unwanted, but she has to tell in front of everybody during a dinner that “it’s not right”. It is nice to see a woman standing up for something and telling her opinion, but the reasons for that are just missing and makes Gina as a character not really believable.

 The actors are fabulous. Bill Nighy acts superb, even though he could have hidden his middle finger a bit (if you look for it, you will see a few scenes with his middle finger stretching out in various moments of discussions – it was kind of unintentionally funny). He is a believable character, though his background doesn’t really make it more simple to understand his life and his loneliness. But maybe it is because of this why he is so nervous all the time. Kelly Macdonald is lovely eye candy and I loved her accent in here. But her clearly missing background doesn’t make her an unreliable character, she merely stays mysterious and far from everything happy.
The pictures are mostly cold, which I couldn’t understand why. Iceland is a cold country, and the topics are more serious than cheerful, but I felt like in a rainy and dark Jerry Bruckheimer TV production for a few moments. At least it fits perfectly together with the two characters (which makes the movie even more cold, though it is a – kind of – love story).
Which brings us to the message of the movie: Poverty in Africa is always a difficult topic, especially for a movie – the writers could never handle it properly. Either they only scratch on the surface of the topic, or they go way too deep into this and ignore the actual story of the movie. If yo want to address poverty in Africa, make a documentary. But nevertheless the producers managed a good balance between love story in the first half and politics in the second half, though the real message lost its way at the end of the movie.

All in all: Great movie; for a cold and cloudy, rainy day in autumn perfectly suited. When you liked Lost in Translation, you will definitely like this one. When you are alone in your life, you can identify with the characters without problems. And if you like a love story, which goes deeper than just the trouble of meeting for the first time and loving each other directly after that, than this could be the right movie for you.

Well, it is November and it is a kind of cursed time right now. First and foremost: I don’t have any money at the moment. Since I am in Vancouver this is the third (or maybe fourth?) time I am completely broke, and this time it is not really that funny.
Second: The Olympics suck , because they kill lots of jobs in Vancouver these days. Either you are one of the lucky ones and get hired by Vanoc (they own the government and basically control everything what is going on around the Olympics), or you are not. I once was one of the lucky ones, but now I am unemployed, looking for a job, looking for a new temp agency and new ways to delay my rent pay.
Third: I should have paid my hostel rent on Friday, today is Tuesday, so let’s see how long it will take for me to get the money (and the managers of the crap house to find me, muhaha).

Labour Unlimited didn’t pay off this month. They don’t want to give me any more jobs, because I don’t get any repeats – their words (repeats are, like the word says, going to be hired for the same company the next day). Only I did get repeats these last weeks, but they failed to see that they were just a few of them during a period of a few weeks (in between I was sick with the flu). Before I get into an argument with these guys I changed the temp agency and try again. Hopefully the next two months are going to get a bit better, October wasn’t really a lucky month.

This situation lets me think about returning a bit earlier to Germany than I anticipated. I still didn’t change the return flight (it is still on January 1st), and I planned not to change it, because for now I don’t know what will be the situation in December. When the jobs are coming and I have money, then I will use the opportunity to delay my flight for four weeks. But I don’t think I will be that lucky.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I once watched this movie already, but this time I got my hands on Steven Soderbergh’s alternate cut, which is a bit different from the theatrical release. And, I love to say that, better. It is slightly shorter than the theatrical version, but, like it said, it is an alternate cut. The theatrical and alternate version probably don’t make a difference for most of the viewers, because most of the stuff in the movie stays the same. But Soderbergh did the right thing and deleted all the scenes in the private jet, which didn’t work in the theatrical version at all; and now the movie is flawless.

The Girlfriend Experience is pretty interesting, when you try putting together the plot. Because of its nature, Soderbergh’s character study of a New Yorker high-class call girl named Chelsea (real-life porn star Sasha Grey, who wants to step foot into the real world of films) trying to manage her life with meeting clients, managers and living together with her real-boyfriend Chris (Chris Santos), has no plot at all. Chelsea gives to her clients the real girlfriend experience (girlfriend experience: sex work in which a female prostitute behaves like a male client’s girlfriend or shows (artificial) emotional intimacy beyond the sex act; paid-for female companionship), either the male clients talk about the economic crisis, the upcoming presidential election (the movie is set in October 2008) or just want to put some distance to their own families. In between Chelsea is meeting with friends (to discuss clients), managers (to discuss her rising in the escort business) and journalists (to discuss getting good reviews on the internet) and always taking notes about her clients (what she wore, what they wore, what they did and what they talked about).
It could be easy to follow a movie with these little side plots and with an actual missing main plot, but Soderbergh is not the mainstream Hollywood director, like some Ocean’s Eleven fans are thinking, and Sasha Grey fans don’t even need to tune in, expecting high-profile nudity. The movie revolves around sex, but doesn’t have one single sex scene, not even nudity (except the ending in the theatrical version); and what is most difficult is that the life of call girl Chelsea in a week in October 2008 is told in a fractured chronology. Soderbergh jumps back and forward in his movie – a snipping on a discussion, back to one of Chelsea’s clients, forward to another discussion, back to the first discussion. It might be complicated (well, it is actually), but Soderbergh manages not to lose sense of the movie all the time. And all the jumping into the story makes The Girlfriend Experience more interesting. After all it is not a movie like any other movie.

The Girlfriend Experience is a low-budget hi-def drama (they kind of seclude themselves) with actors a Hollywood insider won’t know (except you know the porn movie industry). Sasha Grey won awards with her X rated movies, and is now slowly getting into the serious Hollywood business (though Smash Cut was way too shitty and Quit doesn’t really sound interesting), Chris Santos doesn’t even do movies and looks like the character he is playing (a personal trainer who understands the business and tries to make his own success, with success), while the rest of the cast is pretty much unknown, real-life journalists or prostitution expose writer. Soderbergh manages to make the movie more authentic that way, and with the “alienated” look of New York City, The Girlfriend Experience is even more a difficult movie to get into.
With the little side plot of Chelsea having a weekend with one of her clients (and getting a potential Boyfriend Experience for once in a while), the audience can feel a little bit with her. Not even troubles the planned weekend her relationship with Chris, but the scene in which Chelsea sits on a step,
trying not to get emotionalized about the no-show of her client, is well played. Sadly the only real scene in which Sasha Grey can convince with her acting. Because the rest (the dialogs, especially Chelsea’s off-comments, the notes about her clients) is pretty much cheesy and definitely cannot convince. I don’t know if this was one of Soderbergh’s intention to do
the movie; Chelsea remains an anonymous person in New York (even though we saw her for almost the full movie) and we don’t know her a bit after the movie.

The movie is very cold and keeps its distance between the viewers and Chelsea. Soderbergh probably wanted the audience to be the voyeur as good as possible. This works while the cast is mostly improvising the dialog within a set structure and giving them the opportunity to have an everyday speech like it was recorded for another audience to play it over and over again – sterile, with much of a distance to the characters, but very effective. The meaning of a movie is not to understand the behavior or the actions of the characters, but watching them from a distance. You don’t need to get into Chelsea’s emotions, and you can’t get into them, because The Girlfriend Experience doesn’t show any big emotions. For that the motionless and cold scenes (you have the feeling to watch a movie, which didn’t use steady cams) are responsible, and definitely more than intended. The Girlfriend Experience is not a movie about a high-end call girl in the daylights of New York City, dealing with her clients who deal with politics, the failing economy and simply the own family (it is interesting how well you know Chelsea’s clients due to their talks with her). It is a distance movie, with the purpose not to know the main character at all, but still watching her to make success in her business.

This is the reason, why I love this movie, even though it is not a masterpiece. Soderbergh said that he shot the movie in 16 days for a 1.7 million dollar budget, which makes it a bit of an apprentice piece, but secretly it is a really good movie, despite the one or the other boring moment and the partly bad acting. But you never know if Soderbergh really wanted the “Nobodies” in his movie to play like it looks like they had never visited an acting class. This is another distance the movie has, which makes The Girlfriend Experience an insiders’ tip.
For most of the viewers the movie probably will be boring, but when you look closer and behind the curtain, you can actually see a lot. Not only a porn star seeking experience in the real Hollywood, but the time of October 2008, which are not going to me more clearer than here.

Creeps are people too. 1997 was a year of creepy people living in a normal world and trying to survive in it, whether it was Larry Flint making money in the porn business, James Spader and Deborah Unger, who are turned on to each other after car crashes in David Cronenberg’s Crash, or assassin John Cusack taking part in a class reunion in Grosse Point Blank. Vancouver-based director Lynne Stopkewich did another creeps-are-people-too movie in 1996, and it is this one here.

Based on the short story “We So Seldom Look on Love” by Barbara Gowdy, Molly Parker stars as the young medical student Sandra Larson, who was “always been fascinated by death – the smell of it, the feel of it, and the stillness of it.” Since she was a kid she dealt with the dead more different from all the others she knew. She holds ritual funerals for dead animals, which includes rubbing the cadavers on her own flesh. When she starts to work in a funeral home under the supervision of Mr. Wallis (Jay Brazeau), she even begins to take excessive interest in her clients – young men, who are dead. Soon she meets Matt (Peter Outerbridge), who develops interest in Sandra’s fetish and soon becomes more obsessed with the topic than Sandra herself.

Let’s keep it short for this one, because I don’t really have to say a lot about this movie. The movie might be great, the story is definitely serious, the characters are real characters you can meet in the real world, and the actors are very well, but Kissed was for me just boring.
It began with the character Sandra; I don’t even know why she is so obsessed with the dead – we see her rubbing a dead animal cadaver on her body (while she gets her first period) and I don’t know why she is doing that. Where is the obsession coming from and why can’t she stop with it (as she later mentions to Matt)? Why is she failing in the world of the living and is always running back to the funeral home to do her “ritual” to the dead men who are lying on the stretcher?
It was good to see that Sandra’s efforts to live the love life among the living, compared to her love life to the dead (I call it love life for now, even though it isn’t really love she is feeling for the dead people), is actually failing and gives a contrast to her time in the funeral home, but I still wanted to know why Sandra is acting like that. I don’t know if she had a difficult past with her parents (in an abusing kind of way) or if she even had experience with somebody dying – everything is in limbo.
Another problem is Matt himself. Because his obsession with Sandra’s obsession is coming from nowhere. It is nice to see that he understands Sandra without any questions, but he develops way too fast to a person, who has even a bigger obsession with something than Sandra does. And for that the movie is with its 78 minutes too short (I didn’t see the 88 minutes alternate version, which was obviously shown on some film festivals).

Other than that the movie is very quiet and takes its time for the story and the characters. Molly Parker has a sense for her role and together with the “teenage years” of Sandra, the character is probably one of the most beautiful ones in the history of 90s character drama (with the exception of the real reason of her being necrophilic). Which makes the movie itself to a beautiful one – movies with a difficult topic like pedophilia or incest are always difficult, and
most directors are likely to do a real and dark drama about the character’s effort to live as someone like that, but Kissed is not a movie about Sandra trying to live a normal life as a necrophilic. It is a simple love story with a bit of heart and with a bit of an unhappy end. The movie isn’t shocking in any kind of way and pretty much open minded for everybody; even for viewers who are not ready to watch a movie with this sort of topic. Kissed is for that not really serious enough and puts most of the value in the love story Sandra/Matt and Sandra’s off-comments, which go with her life.
The beginning of Kissed was the most interesting part, though. Maybe it would have been better to tell a bit more about Sandra in her teens, feeling how she felt and dealing with her obsession.

All in all Kissed did a good deed and brought us closer to a difficult topic, but with a bit more seriousness in the story and especially more background about what and why Sandra is doing this and that, the movie would have been better. In this form it was nice, but nothing more. Which is sad.

Michael Bay’s Transformers marked the beginning. Now the next movies about boys’ favorite action toys gets its own movie. And as I expected after seeing the trailer: This movie is so shitty, trashy and filled with tons of special effects, the movie is kind of good again; a summer blockbuster popcorn movie nobody needs, with actors who are not only miscast, but their roles are very boring and their respective actors bored. Maybe this movie was not a good idea to make, because it has zero value. Nothing new in story, characters, effects; this is just a million-dollar project of a production firm called Hasbro, a once good director named Stephen Sommers (who was responsible for the acceptable good The Mummy summer blockbusters), which completely fails in the cinema, because nobody is interested in a Transformers copy without the Transformers, instead with high-tech soldiers, who defy physics and gravity and try to make the world better while killing some bad terrorists, who want to rule the world. And just because Hasbro plans to do some advertisement for their toys. When is the next group of toys coming with a movie on their feet? And I seriously don’t hope they are planning a sequel to this.
Okay, when I am honest, I want to see a sequel; I want to see that writers and producers are learning from their mistakes and actually make a better movie. With less special effects, better actors and a sense of a good story. Because the typical and stereotype “Maniac seeks to rule the world” is older than James Bond and more boring than the sac of rice falling from a patio in China. Or trying to be simple: horrible movie, but good movie. You don’t understand? Me neither…

I try to simplify the simple story in less than fifty words: There is a secret agency with super-soldiers and there are stolen warheads. Super soldiers try to find the warheads and stop a maniac from taking over the world. Meanwhile said super soldiers have some difficulties with their mission and run after the bad people, the warheads and a lost love.
Damn, 51 words.

The movie is way too overrated, even though the ads for this movie were not that many. I barely saw the trailer in cinemas and I never saw any billboards. Maybe the bad critics of the movie are unwarranted, too, because you get from this movie what you want to see. You don’t go to see Transformers, when you are looking for characters, logic and a romantically sweet love story. You see it for the action, for the big booms and for the simple story, which is only a reason for things to blow up in a spectacular way. It worked in the first Transformers, it worked barely in the second Transformers. It didn’t work in G.I. Joe.
The story of the movie is basically the “serious” version of Team America: World Police with a bit from every military movie you know and lots of patriotism, cheesy dialogs, stupid twists and a falling Eiffel Tower. It begins with a flashback of the year 1641 in France and jumps forward in time to our present. I had to ask myself what the
flashback wanted to tell me; not only didn’t I see any connections with the “story from the past”, but when these connections are shining behind the clouds for a little bit, then they are completely useless. It works way better without the Man in the Iron Mask copy. And I know this was part of the G.I Joe history, with its comics and the animated TV
series. But for the movie it was just a waste of time. As it was most part of the movie.
Let’s make it clear: This movie wasn’t made for back-stories of the characters, for a meaningful story without plot holes, for getting the B class actors out there. The main reason for the movie was Hasbro selling some action toys. It is like a 170 million dollar campaign for a classic G.I. Joe 12 inch soldier, trying to wow the kids again and let the parents pay for action figures, which the kids won’t see again, when they start with senior high school. And it worked; G.I. Joe is somehow between a high-tech summer popcorn blockbuster nobody wanted to see after the opening weekend (as of Oct. 11, the domestic box office with estimated 150 million dollars is still under the 175 million dollar production budget) and a big commercial clip advertising the toys and lots of “Get recruited by the military and you’ll be the hero the country needs right now”. The characters were build around the action scenes and the story around the big bangs.
Of course, the plot holes are so conspicuous you actually go blind seeing them: Warheads need to be weaponized while zapped with lasers for almost a minute? Our hero soldiers standing on a polar ice cap in the middle of the coldest place on Earth, wearing simple jeans and a pretty thin jacket? Lots of explosions with big fireballs under the ice cap in the water? Well, maybe for now I am an unhappy film critic who is highlighting all the plot holes…

The actors in G.I. Joe were probably bored while making the movie. Main hero Duke (Channing Tatum) doesn’t have one single face expression to offer; his BFF and soldier partner Ripchord (Marlon Wayans) only a vehicle for the cheesy and supposed-to-be funny oneliners; Ripchord’s future girlfriend and redhead Scarlett O’Hara (Rachel Nichols) is just the hot bitch on the good side, while Duke’s ex-girlfriend Anastasia (Sienna Miller) wears sexy leather, cool sunglasses and is very bad. With The Doctor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and James McCullen (Christopher Ecclestone), we have two very cheesy bad boys, who just want one thing: masturbating while sitting on the throne of the world. The one wants to be the boss of all science of the world, the other one wants to be the boss of the world (it is pretty much the same in my eyes). And while Mr. Eko… ehm, Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and General Hawk (Dennis Quaid) are responsible for the unintentionally funny last battle, the good fight sequences (I liked the fights between Snake Eyes and his white-clothed brother Storm Shadow [Byung-hun Lee], especially their fight in one of the flashbacks, when they were beating the shit out of each other while being “normal” kids), and the cheesy general dialogs, the bad people are actually really dumb, when it comes to taking over the world. Because nobody stands against the G.I. Joes in this time of present. And nobody stands against the new hot fighting bitches Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols, who are definitely on some watchlists of future action summer blockbusters. Hopefully they are.

After a while it is obvious that G.I. Joe won’t be more than that, and this is what I was expecting after sawing the trailer: nothing, an action-based science fiction flick, a good vs. bad story, cheesy characters and dialogs, incredible bored actors, and all in all a movie without a real purpose. The special effects seem unfinished, the stories stolen (the scenes in Paris alone scream for a Team America: World Police rewatch), the action unstoppable. And, seriously, the action scenes are well done – at least this is something, Stephen Sommers can do really good. Just an action summer flick. Nothing more, probably way more less.
Better than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? Maybe, but I liked it more, when alien robots are beating the circuitries out of each other; soldier fights are just plain after all. After all I have to say that I love this movie, because I hate it so much.

I didn’t hear much of the movie. I saw the trailer for the first time when I was in the movies for The Hangover and I quite liked it and since then I never forgot about the movie. Finally a real psych-thriller story about a psycho kid again. Macaulay Culkin was the devil in child form in the underrated 90s movie The Good Son, the Children of the Corn were killing without a pause and in Village of the Damned we even had some alien children, who were not really friendly. And don’t forget Omen. Autumn 2009, and it is Isabelle Fuhrman (who I have in good memory since I saw her for the first time in Hounddog), who will play the evil child, after she was nice to her parents and siblings.

Orphan revolves around the married couple Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga) and John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard), who decide to adopt a child, after Vera had a stillbirth a couple years ago. They are in favor for the 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a Russian child who has a troubled past, an open mind and some artistic blood in her body. Kate’s and John’s other kids, teenager son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) and the younger daughter Max (Aryana Engineer), who is deaf after an accident, have their own ways to accept the new family member Esther into their lives. While Max comes along great with her new sister, Daniel is not so happy and has only aversions for Esther. With the time being, Kate sees something in Esther she can’t describe, while Esther makes life hard for the mother. Nobody wants to listen to Kate and her theories and when she finds out the truth about Esther, it could be too late for her family…

Sure, the story ain’t new. The world of movies already had its nightmare and psycho kids and Orphan is just another one of those movies. But it had its great moments.
Not only is the cast superb for a B movie like this (with Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard the movie has two talented actors, and Isabelle Fuhrman can deliver great acting and carries the movie effortlessly, while Aryana Engineer is a surprise in this movie), but the movie has some nice moments in his story, when it reveals itself not only as a psycho thriller about a murderous nine year old, but actually as a movie about a dysfunctional family, dealing with their past and trying to live in the present, but actually dealing with a demon, which can be described as a metaphor of the Colemans own lives.
Kate is a recovering alcoholic and has fault of losing her baby; John was once a womanizer, who fucked every woman he crossed ways with – both are struggling with their past, both are trying to make it good for each other. Kate forgave her husband’s affairs, John is helping Kate when he can. And with adopting a daughter Kate made the right decision for the family, even though John doesn’t want Kate to do it only for him.
The characters are sometimes three-dimensional and manage to let their audience understand their actions, which is not a generality in these sorts of movies. But sometimes the characters are a bit of stereotype and can’t really convince, especially when Esther is manipulating the Colemans and trying to separate Kate from the rest of the family. Not to forget Esther’s reasons of her actions, which obviously were in an earlier draft of the screenplay (I read it somewhere), but didn’t make it into the movie. Which is sad, because the “magic” of the evil child is therefor missing and after all a plausible plot in the movie.

Of course, this doesn’t make Orphan to a wonderful, genius horror thriller it might sound. The movie has its ridiculous moments, which just couldn’t stay away. First is the twist about Esther and her real motive. For one or the other it might be a clever twist, but for the others of the others it is just a simple excuse to bring the movie to its finale very fast without actually giving a plausible reason for Esther’s being.
But I have to say, the twist suited the movie and almost everything fits perfectly together.
Second Kate and John, who simply adopt a child without doing some research or questioning the sister of the nun house about Esther. They simply adopt her without actually knowing something about her past. This is one of the unmissable plot holes in the screenplay, as well as Esther’s
actions: Why is she hanging around in an orphanage, waiting to get adopted, when she could have got to her goal way more easily? And the last minutes of the movie are just ridiculous and (unintentionally) funny for itself. When Esther’s secrets are revealed, almost everything about her is completely different and the 90 minutes before aren’t really working anymore.
There is also the fact that the writers still have problems to kill child characters in their movies. Harper’s Island didn’t kill of Madison, who went on my nuts during the last part of the first season; children survive alien attacks every time and even fight against robots (Lost in Space) and are heroes otherwise. Writers should have the balls to kill of some child characters in their movies. At least Orphan did something for it, even though Esther didn’t finish it…
Another problem is the genre question: horror, thriller or psycho thriller? Orphan has elements to declare it as a horror movie, but all of them are pretty useless (especially the cliche horror moments, before the movie introduces us to Esther); for a thriller it has some thrilling moments, but the suspense curve is not really high. And the highest point is not even the finale. For a psycho thriller Ester is not psychotic enough, though her past would suit a perfect psycho thriller. After all, it is just another evil child movie with a murderous nine year old, but at least with great actors in it. And what is most important: a movie without any supernatural or special make-up – the story doesn’t build on a supernatural twist, like The Omen did, Isabelle Fuhrman just plays the psychopathic bitch (and with her being 12 years old she does a great job) and has to convince viewers of her own. And this is where the movie has its greatest power.

All in all a movie which can entertain, if you oversee some cliches and the ridiculous moments at the end, but if you are looking for logic and a subtle horror movie, Orphan is nothing for you. If you want a movie about a child from hell, you have one right here, but don’t even start to think that the movie will build on its interesting premise and deliver some high pressure suspense. At least, Orphan is one of the better horror movies this year; the other ones couldn’t really convince me or I didn’t watch them yet.
I predict a great future for Isabelle Fuhrman, who will be the next Dakota Fanning if she has a good agent and some great screenplays coming up. Se is now on my watchlist.

Two panorama pictures I took while on break during my roofing job on Thursday. My first “real” panorama pictures from my cool Sony Ericsson. Isn’t it cool up here? That’s where I am living right now, folks.
Click to enlarge.

I was not thinking seriously hard about it, but I was while I was eating few slices of pizza: I should do another little blog series – a little overview about my week’s life, with probably some interesting happenings to write down, or completely boring ones. This would practically be a spin-off of this little blog series, which is struggling right now (working and trying to get some money result in not having a wonderful, uber-mega-ass-wiping time like during the summer).
So, what happened this week?

For the first time after a while (since June) I was “working” straight for a whole week. Okay, I was sitting in the Labour Unlimited office two days for nothing, but I was ready to work. The last weeks were a bit different; I worked three or four days a week, until I had the money together for the hostel’s rent (still staying in the American Backpackers, I am getting crazy here) and until I had some money left to buy food and shit – the usual thing. Regularly I was out of money and had to go to work, so I handled my life after the devise: When you don’t have money, go to work. When you have money, fucking spend it and don’t even think about saving it.
Well, I had to change my devise last week, because I was not only regularly out of money, but really out of money. Like no money at all, I could not even pay the rent. But the situation is improving. I worked three days, made around 200 dollar.

Wednesday was an awkward day. I was on the way with a 39-year-old Japanese guy, who wanted to get back his 1100 dollar he lost to the owner of the apartment he was living for three days in the beginning of October. He told me stuff about a terrible owner, Yakuza, burning a house down, crashing a BMW and so on. And he wanted me to go with him, so he can get his money back. The story is a bit longer as you expect it would be. And I will try to get you a short version.
The following thing happened: The Japanese guy was moving into an 10-room apartment somewhere in Burnaby. He had to pay 550 dollar rent and 550 dollar deposit. After three days he suddenly decided to move out of the apartment, because he forgot his keys in his room and the owner had to unlock the door, which would cost the Japanese guy 50 dollar – a rule he didn’t know at that time. Simultaneously he thought the Japanese guys and the (Canadian) owner who are living in the apartment were part of the Yakuza (I don’t why he thought that). So he tried to get the 1100 dollar back he paid, because he only was living there for three days. He took some muscle with him, went back to the apartment, tried to get his money back, but instead his muscles screamed some stuff about burning the house down and destroying the owner’s BMW. Result: The owner called the police, the Japanese guy was way too deep into the Yakuza stuff and he didn’t get his money back. So, I went with him on Wednesday to settle the problem. The owner wasn’t at the apartment, so I spoke with him over the phone and asked how the chances are that the Japanese guy will get his money back. The phone call took its ten minutes and I didn’t get any results for the Japanese guy. And he told me he wants to pay me 100 bucks for my efforts. And over the last days he told me stories about himself, about his family back in Japan, his rich father and so on. Not only drives me the guy nuts since that day, he is really driving me nuts. Well, at least he is telling me every 30 minutes (or when our ways are crossing) he is definitely going to pay me the 100 bucks. Well, money well earned (or not?). After all, I simply couldn’t buy the thing about the Yakuza. If the Japanese guy was right (and I don’t think he was), I had contact with the Yakuza, if not (what I strongly believe), then this day was one of the most boring ever.

I was working for a trade show on Tuesday. In a hotel in Downtown Vancouver ended a health conference and we disassembled a whole conference room. It took its time, but it was fun.
I was roofing on Thursday, on a building 28 stories high. Some nice view from up there on Downtown Vancouver and the mountains in the north. I took some nice pictures. We moved around 550 tiles (one with a weight of 100 pounds) from the roof, because it will be remade sometimes next week. It is possible that I am going to work there again on Monday (and hopefully for the whole week, maybe I am lucky).
On Friday I was landscaping and laid of lawn. The Kensington street in North Burnaby is long and we probably did about 500 meters of lawning. Hard work, because together with the roofing, my back is now damaged and needs its weekend.
During the week I was at McDonald’s and ate a Double Big Mac, two Double Cheeseburgers and some fries with Coke; I was in the Dollarama and bought the typical dollar stuff; I was in the Sunrise Market (a very cheap Chinese market in Downtown, where you can get large amounts of fruits and vegetables for a dollar or two), bought mangos and pineapples with some delicious fresh orange juice (paid five bucks for all of it) and made a big Vitamin C bomb for myself.

The end.

For now.

I don’t have much luck these last days. Every day at 5:30am, I am going to the Labour Unlimited office, sitting on a chair, waiting for a job. Three times of the last four times, I was sitting there, ended without success. The day I got a job was a failure, too: I got paid for doing nothing. Originally I should have installed windows in a freshly new building, but the windows never came and I was sitting there for two hours in cold and wet rain. Not good. And what’s the result of my little losing streak? My money is gone. I have currently one dollar and 50 cents in my pocket. By the way: I should have paid the rent today – but it is difficult without money…
Since the summer ended and autumn started (perfectly timed with lower temperatures and regular rain every few days), I seem to have more misfortune than I had in March/April (I was looking for a job for two full months). But there is hope coming: The Olympics are arriving and with them lots of job opportunities for labor workers. I already saw a big construction site of one of the Olympic Villages (directly in the middle of Vancouver) and they are totally in chaos to get everything ready in time.

Another thing: I planned to go to Toronto/Halifax/Mexico (I should have been in Toronto for two weeks now) – I think these plans are canceled for now (well, no money in my pocket ), and Australia next year could be a bit difficult. So, there are the questions: Where am I celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve? When do I return to Germany? And most important: When can I start planning for Australia?
At least the US Fall Season is keeping me busy right now – a bit of variety compared to the five hours of sitting in the Labour office.

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.

Hm, I don’t know. HBO has kind of awkward TV series out there with different stories and a difficult way to like them. I needed a few episodes to get into Hung, I still can’t watch True Blood, I don’t know what’s the fuzz about The Sopranos (I tried the first season three times and I never finished it) and Six Feet Under might be good, but I never watched more than the first season. And I don’t think that I will love Bored to Death until I am dead (muhaha), for that the pilot wasn’t really that interesting and had some awkward moments in things regarding to the acting skills of Jason Schwartzman.
First: What is the real story of the show? Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) A Jewish thirty-something lives alone in his apartment, after his girlfriend Suzanne (Olivia Thirlby) broke up with him, and now he is trying to find a new sense in his boring life. He struggles with writing his second novel and earns some money with private detective work, though he is not licensed. Meanwhile he has with Ray Hueston (Zach Galifiakanis) a comic writing friend with girlfriend trouble and with George Christopher (Ted Danson) a pot smoking boss. The characters in this story might be interesting, if you love HBO and their shows, but they couldn’t convince me for now. They are just boring (muhaha to the series title again).
Second: Why is it that HBO shows have a story, which are good for a movie, but which could be complicated for an actual 12-episode season? That is the biggest problem for me to get into HBO shows – sure, it is nice to have some different TV show for once in a while (and cable and pay TV seem to be the only ones who can manage this).
After the 30 minutes I wasn’t sure to like or not like the series. The acting skills are not really that good and the scene in which Jonathan talked to Rachel (Reyna de Courcy), who is hoping to find help in Jonathan to find her sister Lisa (Fiona Dourif), I was thinking about how bad the acting skills of both actors were. It just looked too awkward and too much like a theater play and not like a simple TV show. The little standoff in the hotel room was awkward, too, and not really believable.
The whole story about Jonathan being a pot smoker and a white wine drinker (also known as an alcoholic) and his girlfriend breaking up with him could be funny, and it could be a running gag, but in the pilot is just wasn’t funny and it failed as a running gag. And I believe when he mentions that all the time and in every episode, it could be boring (#3) very soon.
I know this show tries to image the noir genre a bit, but I never saw anything noir in this episode – for that the show is too bright and tries too much to be a real comedy Maybe it would have been not bad to write more drama into the stories.

I wasn’t really bored to death with the first episode, but I wasn’t entertained. At least it is another half hour show which isn’t going into the real drama selection (like the shows from Showtime) – instead the characters have comical potential and the writers could actually manage to get some more humor into the series like some other shows. It could be fun to watch the show. But for now it was just above average, just another different HBO show with a boring story (at first sight) and “incredible written” characters in it. That isn’t always working; at least for me. And Bored to Death is another example, why I have my difficulties with HBO shows.
6 out of 10 points.

A likable pilot. Simple reason: I only know the movie and a few seconds of Stargate SG-1. Why? I always wasn’t sure about beginning the Stargate franchise. First I had a few other franchises to start or I am already in the middle of them (Star Trek and Law & Order to begin with, later maybe J.A.G./NCIS and CSI), second I was not overwhelmed with what I saw from Stargate: SG-1 once. I remember to watch the series pilot and some seconds of a few episodes and their special effects were, to say it simply, terrible. And I didn’t really like the German dubbing of the original show. I never came to watch SG-1, not to mention Stargate Atlantis (from which I never saw a second of the show). Is it also a mistake to watch the third series to start a franchise or am I surviving it? Short answer: No mistake, I liked it.
I didn’t really have problems to dive into the whole Stargate technology. I have my knowledge from Roland Emmerich’s movie and the pilot double episode of Universe gives me some more information about the technology, and I found my way through it – so, no difficulties with getting along the series universe.
Then the pilot itself: I didn’t see Star Trek: Voyager yet, but Stargate Universe is practically the same story (similarities with Battlestar Galactica later in this text). An unknown alien lifeform attacks a planet with a stargate base, there is an evacuation in progress, and because of the efforts of Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) to unlock the ninth cheveron of the stargate with the help of “math boy” and computer game fan Eli (David Blue), the evacuation ends billions of light years from Earth away on an unmanned ship, send from the Ancients thousands of years ago to gather data, information, new habitable planets. And now the group of survivors trying to find a way home, but the ship doesn’t have the energy and capability for the stargate to dial the way back home to Earth, while the life support systems are not working properly, failing or malfunctioning – dozens of lives are at stake, if Dr. Rush and his team don’t find a way back home soon. Or secure their survival on the unknown and old ship.

I liked the setting. The ship is mysterious and dark, and so is the tone of the series. After Defying Gravity was canceled (hands in the air, if you are actually sad about it) I need a new science fiction show to please me – a real science fiction show. The other ones I watch right now and watched don’t entertain me really good.
There are some parallels with SyFy’s (still an awkward name for a cable network, they should have stayed with SciFi) last success Battlestar Galactica. Not only the attack and the following escape to an unknown part of the galaxy, but the search for a home (Earth specifically), the old ship and probably an enemy on the chase for the survivors (let’s see if the alien attackers will return and if we actually find out the reason why they attacked – short: I hope this one gets a permanent storyline throughout the series). I can understand SyFy’s decision to green-light the series, even though some are thinking that a sixteenth year of Stargate might be too much – SyFy is just looking for a successor of Battlestar Galactica, and Stargate Universe is the perfect candidate for it.
The actors are alright, I like most of the regular faces; Robert Carlyle might be the right choice for the main character, but the writers have to see to make him an interesting character. Eli is stereotype, not only is he the “new one” on the team, but he is supposed to be the funny guy. Colonel Young (Justin Louis, a.k.a. Louis Ferreira) is okay for the “chief” of the troop, though he looks like a copy of Battlestar Galactica’s Karl Agathon, Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) might be involved in some love story with the (dead) senator’s daughter Chloe (Elyse Levesque), but other than that he was pretty boring in the pilot; the rest one have to see how to pick up my interest, because they are either normal soldiers with minimal characteristics or just extras on the ship with some dialog scenes.
The production is some solid work. The effects are good for a television series and on a same level with Battlestar Galactica’s effects; the score marks the “darkness” of the series. And for the rest I have to say: I really liked it. Probably it won’t be my new favorite science fiction show, but it can be on the same list as Battlestar Galactica.
For somebody who didn’t watch the other two Stargate series, I was pleasantly surprised about the pilot and well entertained.
7,5 out of 10 points.

By the way: What am I seeing on IMDB? The whole season has already wrapped up filming? Or why do I see the titles of all 20 episodes and even the episode counts of every actor amongst the regulars and recurrings…? It is kind of surprising, but this is just a post scriptum.