Person of Interest Season 1 Episode 1

Person of Interest Season 1 Pilot

When Person of Interest was announced as the brain child of Jonathan Nolan and JJ Abrams they had me sold. The Pilot episode of the show however didn’t leave me with any of the jaw dropping moments I had expected from such powerhouses of TV and Film. Not to say this is the worst new show on TV, but not that thrilling (from an Alias, LOST or Fringe way).

Jim Caviezel plays Reese, a former Special Forces officer who has been living on the streets and is recruited by Michael Emerson’s mysterious character, Finch who is a mysterious benefactor who wants crimes in the future to be prevented. Finch does this by a series of machines that find these people who are either in danger or want to commit a crime.

Both characters have silver linings that save them from mediocrity, but their portrayals are unbalanced. Reese doesn’t like to kill people, but does so several times in this episode. And by all means is a much more interesting character when he is dispensing fast justice instead of doing surveillance. Finch, who is very aloof by all accounts, needs to play things more closely to the vest. He gives far too much exposition to Reese at the front end of things. There are still many questions left about Finch, but this character should not be giving any sort of flat exposition. Neither should Michael Emerson. Ever.

Person of Interest has a lot of potential to it and that is where I put my faith. The future of the show. The pilot really didn’t do justice to the potential that Noland and Abrams have been known to do in their respected works. I feel as if CBS had a strong hand in throttling down the explosive action that the show does very well. And it needs more of this, right away.

Rating: Watch (give it a few episodes to pan out)

Original Air Date: 9/22/11

Thursday’s at 9/8c on CBS  

Glee Season 3 Episode 1

Glee Season 3, The Purple Piano Project

Glee is back for the show’s junior year and for a change, the show is actually learning and on a path to be a better show (even though these kids never seem to go to class). But before the review, a few thoughts:

The second season of Glee had to be one of the most unbalanced shows on TV last year. The plot was laughable, especially with Glee’s failed attempts to shove the concept that there is a main story weaved throughout the season. Then there were the excessive number of musical numbers that the show threw at the wall and would see what would stick. Yes, there were a good number of musical numbers that weren’t bad, but considering the sheer volume of musical numbers that were shown; the overall percent isn’t that great. And not to be forgotten: songs that have no real reason to be in the episode, singing for no reason and characters acting way out of character for no reason.

The season 3 premiere tries to fix some, if not all of the problems I’ve mentioned above. Giving a reason for why a character isn’t returning this season, good. Giving a plausible reason for said character for not being there, even better. Limiting the number of musical numbers to 5, thanks. Giving veiled explanations for why there is so much random singing and dancing in the halls of this high school, thanks but still an issue.

Look, Glee is going to be Glee, even at the show’s best. Yes there are still problems with the show that the show really can’t fix overnight. Hopefully with season 3, the show will be able to capture some of the ‘magic’ that the first season had. Lose the crazy, over the top, ridiculous story lines and get to the heart of the characters and their struggles while at the same time have these characters grow. The fandom will still support the show, but the casual viewer won’t stick around forever. If you stand still you will die (as a show) but acting sporadically will yield the same results. It will just take longer.

Rating: Fans Only

Original Air Date: 9/20/11

On Fox, Tuesday’s at 8/7c 

The Secret Circle, Season 1 Episode 1

The Secret Circle, Season 1 Pilot

Some TV shows that have a common producer or creator will have that person’s fingerprints all over the show.  A Law and Order show is instantly recognized as a Law and Order show. Alias, LOST and Fringe all have similar themes and shot compositions since they all share the same creator, writers all come from the same stable and share directors too. The Secret Circle (TSC) falls under the same umbrella as The Vampire Diaries (TVD), sharing several executive producers, not to mention that both were books written by the same author.

Some similarities that TSC and TVD share:

• ·         Mystic Grill and The Boathouse Grill à both hangouts
• ·         Parents keep dark family secrets from their kids
• ·         Small town in the middle of nowhere (kind of)
• ·         Strange murders
• ·         Dark atmosphere
• ·         Very attractive people litter the streets (not as many as TVD but still)
• ·         And (of course) supernatural events

The basic premise is that Cassie’s mom dies (people think she has an accident but it murdered by supernatural events), which forces Cassie to move in with her grandmother in a small town. The same town and house where her mother grew up. The same town that Cassie’s mom hasn’t visited in 16 years. Anyway, strange events happen to Cassie by local teenagers, which leads them to tell her that she is a witch and part of their circle. Actually, the key to the circle.

TSC doesn’t take too many risks in the pilot episode, but puts the plot forward enough to drive the next few episodes. Why was Cassie’s mom killed? What happened years ago with the previous circle that caused all those deaths? Why keep so much of this a secret from Cassie up till this point? What are the adults up to and why do they need Cassie for their plans? The questions aren’t frustrating (at this point) and hopefully will have logical answers to them, not just a rabbit hole of questions that answer one another.  Another hope is that TSC will get better with each episode, like TVD did in its first season.

Rating: Watch

Original Air Date: 9/15/11

Seen on The CW on Thursdays at 9/8c

                *The pilot is free to download before the TV premier at this time, which is how the review is up before the airing 

Ringer, Season 1 Episode 1

Ringer, Season 1 Pilot

Personality is a key force in driving a TV show. Without it, the show becomes nothing more than a repetitive shell of mediocrity willing to be filled with the same cliché themes and plot. The pilot episode of Ringer is just that, devoid of anything interesting and thrilling. There is hope for the show, but this pilot plays things too close to the vest and even worse is extremely unoriginal in the way they choose to execute the first glimpse of the show.

To get it out of the way, Sarah Michelle Gellar is no Buffy in Ringer. Nor should she be. Buffy left its mark in TV history and Gellar has moved on from that iconic role that launched her into stardom. The only difficulties are the similarities between the shows. Gellar is the star of a show on the CW (formally the WB) and has to live a double life to protect herself and those around her (like the first few seasons of Buffy).  The similarities stop there. Gellar plays twin sisters, Kelly/Siobhan. Kelly is running from protective custody, in which she is about to testify against a murder. Siobhan picks Kelly up from a diner in New York and the two reunite for the first times in five years. Things take a sharp turn and Siobhan is missing, possibly dead and Kelly assumes her sister’s persona to escape the mob and the police. Lot to understand right? Not really, since this was already told to the audience in all the promos and beat over the head within the pilot.

Plot points aside for a minute; the most offensive thing in this pilot is the uninspired dialogue that weighs down almost every scene. Dull and trite can only begin to describe the lack luster picture that Ringer paints. Joss Whedon's fast, quick, witty dialogue is longed for, especially since Geller is up to the challenge. Back to some plot points that just don’t make any sense. Just knowing basic information about Siobhan’s life is a quick obstacle that Kelly has to deal with, but somehow is put aside as Kelly goes about masquerading as her sister, but lacking the finer aspects of the assumed life.

The hope for the show comes more from the background that these actors have. Many of them have been on big shows that have done well (looking at you Nester Carbonell from LOST). The pilot just doesn’t take that many chances. There is only one or two that the show takes, and they aren’t until the ending, which doesn’t help driving the show and the payoff isn’t that substantial for having to wade through so much gunk. Please get better with each episode. Next week will be the litmus test to determine if Ringer will have any staying power.

Rating: Fans Only (of Geller)

Original Air Date: 9/13/11

Seen on The CW, Tuesday’s at 9/8c 

The Closer Season 7 Episode 7

The Closer Season 7 A Family Affair

Sound plays a large role in creating the proper atmosphere on both the sliver and smaller screens. The right background music, background noise, footstep, whatever it may be makes the scene come alive. Without these essential steps, the scene can seem flat. This week’s episode of The Closer deals with this in an above average way, but soon falls back into the show’s normal playbook.

A detective from Phoenix shows up and asks for Major Crimes to look into her daughter’s death in LA. Her daughter died from a drug overdose and was a prostitute on the streets of LA. The mother is shocked and upset by this news but keeps her composer. The atmosphere in the first fourth of the episode is very reflective of the mother. There is little to no music in the background. There is a feeling of importance in these first few scenes, an off-putting stillness that is ever present while the team is in the first stages of investigating the murder.

This stillness is there until Brenda has an interview with the owner of the escort service. There is a slight twang that The Closer uses as one of their go to sound effects, but still not the full blown thing. The team then goes to a drug house, where things heat up extremely fast. Gunfire rings out, Brenda is almost shot and the team is forced to defend themselves. When the dust settles, Brenda must quickly interrogate the suspect before he bleeds out. She doesn’t get the answers she is looking for and is visibly upset.

The episode is only half way over and already The Closer has played with the duality of the use of sound and the rhythm of action within the episode. The eerie stillness is outdone by the extreme amount of violence and sound that is used within a blink of an eye. This first part of the episode was different, exciting and captivating. Then it quickly drops back into familiar territory, what a shame.

Rating: Watch (the first half at least)

Original Air Date: 8/22/11

On TNT Monday’s at 9/8c

The Closer Season 7 Episode Six

The Closer Season 7 Home Improvement

Let me get the only good thing from this week’s episode of The Closer out of the way, always great to see Mark Pellegrino in anything. Pellegrino is well known for his stents on LOST and Supernatural (some of my personal favorites). He plays Brenda’s lawyer, who is defending her in the civil case against her for the wrongful death lawsuit.

Now for everything else that fell short this week. The premise wasn’t bad, mediocre at best, but nothing was flawed with the concept. The execution however was short of anything worth watching. At some points I felt as if I was watching Rizzoli & Isles (ouch). A body is found when a contractor’s unauthorized construction is ripped down, exposing a trash bag with a dead body inside. The body of a local neighbor who happens to be a sex offender. The squad then goes on a lack luster investigation into the death, that doesn’t take any chances in the creativity department.

On the home front, Brenda cuts back to save money for the lawyer she can’t afford but needs for the impending law suit. This scene went on too much, especially after the second or third thing she has cut back on and watching her husband’s reaction. Painful to watch, but not the most painful thing in this episode.

In procedural cop shows, half of the acting weight falls on the shoulders of the actors that come through the revolving door each week. Only half of the cast is constant, which causes a demand for actors who can become a character for a short amount of time and pull this off successfully. This week on The Closer, this was the most painful thing to watch. Actors who are just run of the mill acting on such a subpar level that SyFy movies are almost award winning compared to this level of mediocrity. The Closer normally doesn’t have this level of laziness when it comes to the cast, and cannot fall to this level again in their final season.

Rating: Pass

Original Air Date: 8/15/11

On TNT Monday’s at 9/8c 

White Collar Season 3 Episode 10

White Collar Season 3 Countdown

Did Neal pull off the perfect crime? More about that later, but this was one of the best episodes of White Collar. Neal and Mozzie are on the offensive to recover the painting that Mozzie sold last week to afford a hit on their arc nemesis Keller. The two scheming thieves quickly recap the story of the treasure up to this point and what they have to do to make sure that the FBI doesn’t trace the painting back to them. Peter introduces his mentor, a master art crimes expert who doesn’t trust Neal. Peter then gives Neal a working deadline on the FBI’s pursuit of the painting.

Mozzie then gives Neal an exact deadline, a 48hr hourglass. Mozzie will leave regardless of Neal’s choice. The investigation heats up, but Neal and Mozzie are able to stay under the radar, though Peter is still keeping Neal in his gaze during the investigation. The painting ends up in the hands of an affluent arms dealer. Peter and Diana go in to secure a buy, by waving rare guns in the arms dealer’s face. When this idea is introduced, Diana’s face lights up about the prospect of handling such a rare gun. And to make the deal even sweeter, the gun comes incased in a suitcase and can fire while concealed. Nice. Keller finds Mozzie and asks once more for the treasure, and as always Mozzie says he doesn’t know anything about anything and refuses. Keller doesn’t take this lightly and swears Mozzie will regret this.

All that is left is the little matter of Neal swapping the real picture with the counterfeit he made and getting back into place before Peter knows he was gone. This was amazing to watch, since White Collar normally doesn’t do an Ocean 11’s thing, but they pulled it off nicely. Neal knows Peter too well and was able to set up the scenario in which the entire paint switch hinged on. Well one of the many things the switch hinged on. Neal was a master thief again, something that is nice to see since he has been playing the fence. The only complaint I have was that Neal was on the balcony looking at Peter and Diana too long. I might have been yelling at the TV for Neal to jump already.

Before I get to the end of the recap, some random observations:

It seems that everyone is now referring to NYC as Gotham City. I always pictured the big apple as Metropolis in the DC world. And is Peter Batman? That would have to make Neal a villain but which one?

Nice to see Neal wrap up his romance arc with the agent from DC. Neal was very classic Neal the entire time and he knew that she couldn’t go to her boss about their talk over drinks that lead to Neal knowing about the list. Very clever Neal.

In the end, Neal stayed in NYC and Mozzie kept up his end of the barging and left town. Mozzie feels that Neal is lying to himself about his change in lifestyle. I have a feeling that Mozzie will turn back up, especially for what happens next. Keller makes his move, which I felt like would result in someone’s death, but Keller kidnapping Elizabeth did change things up. The entire White Collar office with be changed. I think that Peter and Neal’s relationship will change since Peter will probably blame Neal for his wife being taken from him.

 Rating: Watch

Original Air Date: 8/9/11

On USA Tuesday’s at 9/8c 

White Collar Season 3 Episode 9

White Collar Season 3 “On the Fence”

Neal’s arch nemesis returns for vengeance and to claim the treasure for himself is too long to be the title of the episode, but ultimately what the episode is all about. Keller, who has been a thorn in both Neal and Peter’s side, has returned from hiding. And during his absence Keller has been hard at work pillaging Egypt. This works into the case of the week, since Neal is sent undercover to find Egyptian artifacts that are being smuggled in to the county and to ketch the Egyptologist who is in on the smuggling. The said Egyptologist played by Eliza Dushku (known for her many roles on Joss Whedon shows does an excellent job playing a sexy smart slightly deadly thief in the underworld that Neal is accustom to.

In a twist, Mozzie puts a hit out on Keller. The main that Mozzie goes to put the hit out is a shadowy figure that doubles as a priest. Mozzie is taking the fight to the streets without Neal’s knowledge, a possible rift in their friendship? Interesting. Especially since the painting that Mozzie sold is on the list that Neal lied about getting from the previous week. The summer season is wrapping up, and with only one episode left, Neal seems out of options in regards to the treasure.

Other observations: this week there was a lot of gunfire at the end of the episode. White Collar normally tends to shy away from violence, but not in this episode. Those swat guys were very trigger happy. Also, the almost whimsical attempts to shove Elizabeth Burke (Peter’s wife) into each episode it getting out of hand. That phone call in the middle of the episode, really? But it was funny to see her face when Peter told her she was on speaker phone, since she was talking about ways Peter could make up being late to her. *wink*

Rating: Watch

Original Air Date: 8/2/11

On USA Tuesday’s at 9/8c 

The Closer, Season 7 Episode 4

The Closer, Season 7 “Under Control”

This week’s episode made up for the misstep that last week’s episode was. This week tackles the stomach churning issue of the death of a child, which isn’t new to crime shows but is brought out every once and a while, and The Closer used this theme to the best of its ability this week.

A child is found dead and quickly turns into an investigation of the divorcee’s parents and the mother’s boyfriends, which has to be one of the nastiest divorces portrayed on TV in a while. The show stets up one of these three to be the killer, and not as a shock who the killer was, his or her reasoning were down right chilling. Equally as chilling was the scene between the medical examiner and Chief Jonson. The chilling part was how forgone the medical examiner from preforming an autopsy on this young victim. The bathroom that he was sitting next to helped bring this emotion home.

This episode added more emotional strings by having Tao and his son work out their issues (though they aren’t that series) it added character to Tao and gave the episode that something extra to help it balance out the extremely bleak case that the unit had to solve this week.  There was also some progression in the lawsuit against Chief Jonson, who finally realized that she needs to get her own lawyer. It only took her the entire episode to realize this. Get it together.

The case this week is probably the standout for the season and for very good reasons. When The Closer does a case well, it excels in doing so. Now only if every episode could be a stand out one.

Rating: Watch

Original Air Date: 8/1/11

On TNT, Monday’s at 9/8c

Fall Tv Review Scedual

When fall shows start back up, I'll be ramping up my reviews from the measly two that Im currently reviewing from week to week. For some of these shows that Im about to list I'll review every week, and some of these shows will be every few weeks.
The shows are the following:

Monday
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
Castle (ABC)

Tuesday
Glee (FOX)

Wedesday
Modern Family (ABC)

Thrusday
Community (NBC)
Person of Intrest (CBS)

Friday
Fringe (Fox)
Nikita (CW)

There might be a few more shows that I shove into this schedule, but for now this is the rate at which I'll give a review my best shot.

White Collar Season 3 Episode 8

White Collar Season 3, As You Were

This week was a doozie of an episode, giving a nice pay off for those of us who watch this show from week to week. And the case of the week highlighted a well-deserved character, Jones, and gave a few moments of true excitement. But a surprisingly large chunk of this episode was devoted to the main arc for the season and that was the right choice.   

First for the progression that happened in tonight’s episode regarding the main story for this season. We get an immediate response from Sara, since she discovered Neal’s secret. She left him, since Sara isn’t that morally questionable. Neal learns that Peter still has the original ship’s manifest and needs to see it so he and Mozzie can know what is on the list. This leads Neal to finding a new safe key that Peter has and makes a copy of the key using his gum (very MacGyvery when he needs to be). Then Neal, the master of sensing a key moments of opportunity, breaks into Peter’s house. Just as Neal cracks and finds the manifest, Peter calls. Peter lends his shoulder out for Neal, since Peter thinks that Neal deserves to be happy. This pulls on Neal’s heart, epically since he is questioning if he should keep up with this entire U-Boat treasure or not. Neal has a huge moment of character development by lying to Mozzie about not having the manifest. Neal has chosen Peter for the time being and wants to have some hint of stability in his life by doing the right thing.

Then there is the case of the week, that almost took a back seat this week, but it revolved around Jones, who needs more character development. Jones was almost married, never knew that before. He was in the Navy, never knew that. Anyway a naval classmate of Jones’ has gone missing, and he needs to find him. This quickly turns into a White Collar case because the private security firm that the friend works for is involved in murders, smuggling and other illegal activities. Neal and Peter discover that all of this is to cover up the tax evasion that the firm is committing by smuggling bullets filled with a rare metal to avoid tariffs. Neal then goes into the firm undercover dressed as a naval admiral to determine where the kidnapped friend is being held.  Things go downhill and Neal is chased through the building by the deranged CEO armed with a crossbow. Jones and crew stop him from killing Neal (always a good thing) and the case is wrapped up.

This week was a rare gem for White Collar, putting the main story so forward and having a nice case of the week story to fill in the loose spots. So much happened this week, it was almost too much, but wound up being the right amount of story to push this arc forward. There are only two more episodes for the summer season, and Neal has made a huge change so far but there is time for him to slip back into his old ways. I hope that Neal can change for a while.

Rating: Watch

Original Air Date: 7/26/11

On USA, 9/8c  

The Closer, Season 7 Episode 3

The Closer, Season 7 “To Serve With Love”

Another one where Flynn and Provenza are involved with a murder and try to worm their way out of the case and still refuse to call the chief right away. I would have thought that their numerous run ins with unfortunate scenarios would have taught them to just man up and call the chief rather than having to deal with her wrath. But, I’ll have to admit that these guys are really fun to watch, watch them dig themselves their own grave and jump in said grave.

Anyway, the murder victim was an imposter who was posing as a FBI suspect, who was to go to trial within a week. Flynn and Provenza are doing some light moonlighting and drag Buzz along to help find this elusive target to which they need to serve some court papers to get paid. The story takes the normal twists and turns, very by the books, but the story breaks off back into the three amigos (Flynn Provenza and Buzz) that are suspended for doing unauthorized work. The chief takes this opportunity to use the amigos to track down the real FBI suspect that the chief couldn’t find through normal ways. The ensuing chase is worth one good chuckle, though it is a little too slapstick for me.

Flynn and Provenza again mess up by kidnapping the FBI’s target. Their grave just got a foot deeper. But the chief is able to use this fumble to turn the suspect’s daughter and 4^th wife against one another. The chief then has the three amigos replay the previous night in an attempt to lure the killer out of hiding. Go figure it was the lawyer that started this entire ordeal.

The episode was fun, but nothing more than that. Flynn and Provenza played their usual, fun selves. Having them star in a handful of episodes is hit or miss, since their humor / character really comes through in regular Closer episodes, but this time the case that Flynn and Provenza (and Buzz) got themselves involved in fell flat.

Rating: Pass

Original Air Date: 7/25/11

On TNT, Monday’s at 9/8c

White Collar Season 3, Episode 7

White Collar Season 3, Taking Account

White Collar takes on the international banking scene while staying put in cozy New York City. A mysterious hacker has hacked into a bank and stolen millions then sent a video listing his manifesto (this isn’t topical at all) while hiding under a mask sparks a priority alert from the While Collar division of the FBI. The thief turns out to be a big shot on the FBI most wanted list (for cybercrimes) known as “The Vulture”. Neal also has a personal stake in this, since Sara no longer has any funds and Neal feels the need to take her in until she has her money back. Neal made a classic “I’ve made a terrible mistake” (Arrested Development) face the moment Peter recalled when his wife just moved in for a few days. Team thievery (Neal, Sara and Mozzie) come up with the idea to steal the money that the thief stole from right under his nose to draw him out from the cyber rock he is hiding under. Of course, the three of them end up putting the stolen funds into a fake account that Neal has set up.

Neal and company go on a nice spending montage, with the insane purchase being added up as they spend more and more. It’s a nice, simple montage that gets the job done and the ball rolling from being bogged down by lots of repetition. Of course big bad Peter knows that Neal is behind the spending and stops their lavish spending. But Peter’s harsh attitude is quickly turned around, which is almost a letdown since Peter had fire in his belly in his convection of Neal stealing from a bank. Mozzie does his usual magic and gets a meeting with the vulture the next day. The Vulture (Sally) turns out to be a woman (was this really a twist?) but as she is being met by Mozzie, she is shot at by an unknown shooter. She is taking into custody and questioned by the FBI. From the interrogation, the FBI comes up with a different way to ketch the real thief, and Neal puts is best when he says that his way is more fun. Most things that Neal does are more fun compared to Peter.

Neal tries to get Sara to see his point of view in life and in a roundabout way, asks if she would like to be a part of Neal’s future life of wealth. Sara, being the morally ambiguous character that she is, refuses the offer on the grounds that she can’t see Neal of coming by wealth in any legal way. She has no problem helping Neal steal millions from a bank (though it is to find a thief) but objects to Neal’s idea? Her character needs to find a side and stick to it, especially since she is dating master thief and she is well aware of Neal’s past.

The FBI is hit by the thief from a virus that is implanted between lines of code in the video. The FBI needs the help of Sally to get bank footage of the thief, which leads to the team hearing an awkward conversion between Sally and Mozzie. Mozzie gets his groove back would have been a great secondary title for the episode. Anyway, Sally and Mozzie hack the entire train / bus station (on Peter’s request, which is fun) and quickly turn every person in there into an agent, which leads to a fast identification of the thief.  

This episode was a departure for White Collar, being very technical and precise in the case of the week. Not to say that this wasn't a bad episode, but normally the criminal that Neal and Peter are after don't pull off such elaborate schemes. And when they are elaborate, they normally don't rely so much on computer viruses.The characters acted like normally would, with Sara being the one who had a morality crisis during the episode, particularly with her finding the webcam of the treasure at the end of the episode. I would think that Neal would make sure his computer extremely secure. The addition of Sally is interesting, adding a love interest for Mozzie was needed and I hope that she will turn up again in the show. The thief ring that White Collar is building is growing, and I like the possibilities that the show could have from this new family. 

Rating: Watch

Original Air Date: 7/19/2011

Tuesdays on USA, 9/8c

The Closer, Season 7 Episode 2

The Closer, Season 7, Repeat Offender

“The King is dead, long live the Pope” sums up this episode. For a quick recap of the case for this week, a woman is found murdered while house sitting. The team turns their attention to the victim’s professor, who had been having a relationship with another student. But he was innocent the entire time, well not of cheating on his wife (the monitored conversation between him and his wife proved that) and it turns out the murder(s) were part of a high school thievery ring.

The case this week was lacking in physical action, but heavy on the emotional / backroom deals that will most likely fuel the core story of The Closer’s final season. It would have been nice to see some different breaks in the thematic content of the episode since it felt like one note rather than a well-conceived holistic episode (Iron Chef is really paying off here). But the episode did have some redeeming aspects to help save itself from falling into mediocrity. 

The backroom deals that happened this week weren’t on a conspiracy level, but will have consequences in this season. Pope was made interim chief of police since Delk died from the aneurism that ruptured in the shocking ending from last week’s episode.  Chief Jonson was shocked by Pope’s promotion, but she quickly asked him if the investigation that was started by Delk would continue, an investigation that could end her entire squads’ career. Of course Pope was interrupted just in time so he didn’t have to answer the question directly. Pope orders that Raydor continue her investigation and not tell Jonson that she is under direct order from Pope to finish her investigation. Raydor is stuck between a rock and a hard place and plays her role nicely with Jonson, telling her as much as she could. This episode helped Raydor come across more synthetic than previous episodes.

Ultimately, this week’s episode set the foundation for future conflicts that will emerge from Major Crimes and the relationship between Pope and Jonson, but the case fell flat.

Rating: Fans Only

Original Air Date: 7/18/2011

On TNT, Monday Nights 9/8c 

White Collar Season Three Episode Six

White Collar Season Three, Scoot Free

This is one of those extremely well done episodes that makes White Collar worth watching and makes me lust for this kind of excellence each week on White Collar. A nice mix of case of the week, relationships, character and the seasonal story made this a worthy episode. Just well done all around.

First the case of week, which involves a younger version on Neal, aka Robin Hoodie (or Scott, but the bad joke make by Neal that stuck). He is a brash baby thief who steals from the rich and makes a contribution to a charity in their name, and in most cases makes some kind of ironic choice in the charity (stealing a motorcycle and giving a donation to an organ donation charity). Neal feels put out by all the hype around Robin Hoodie and the constant comparisons that are made between the two of them. Neal is slightly impressed, but Neal nails it on the head when it really comes down to it about Robin Hoodie; that the young thief is in way over his head. Neal makes contact and tries to get Robin Hoodie to turn himself in, but there is resentence from Hoodie. So Neal ends up helping his young protégé get the target off his back by returning a stolen diamond incrusted garment. I liked that end the end, Robin Hoodie vanishes into the wind, leaving his story open ended and hopefully the show will revisit him since it gave the show a strange thief family.

On the character side of the episode, a lot more of Neal and Sara’s relationship and the amount the two of them have relations. To put it straight forward, they do it a lot. Like a lot. It’s nice to see a more romantic side to Neal, well one that is sincere rather than the numerous cons he has portrayed, the numerous false identities he has had to use in his life; this is a nice counter balance to the falsities in Neal’s life.  This leads to the next point in the episode, Neal and Mozzie making their escape and living their dream lives.

Mozzie found a guy who has grown identities for years by leaving a paper trail, which would make the perfect identity for Neal and Mozzie’s big escape. Neal was contemplating his future at the end of the episode when Sara showed up and Neal tossed his new passport into his picture safe but Sara found the safe still open and saw Neal’s possible new identity, which will lead to conflicts in the future of their relationship. Neal is going to have to make a choice, between his life of crime and making a life with Sara, something he told Robin Hoodie earlier in the episode. Neal seemed to be tired of always looking over his shoulder, but at the same time he told Peter that he hasn’t hit rock bottom yet in thievery.

Rating: Watch                                                                                                                                                                                    

The Closer, Season 7 episode 1

The Closer, Season 7 “Unknown Trouble”

The Closer really should think of making music videos as a side job, since this is one of the few times on TV that you’ll see a music video on TV. This was really a cold open, I had to make sure at least twice I had TNT on, but when Brenda Leigh Johnson came walking down a hallway in a blood spattered house, I knew I had the right show on. The last season premiere of The Closer that will star Kyra Sedgwick, and we were made well aware that she has the thought of leaving on her mind.

The case of week involved the seven, plus the pizza boy, deaths that was wrapped up in the rap / drug world in L.A. It was a large murder to be solved so neatly, but that was only the major flaw in the episode. Wrapping up an eight person homicide never seemed so easy. At one point, I felt like I was watching a stripped down version of The Wire. Drug trafficking, murder, wire taps really did feel like a less ruff show in comparison. The Wire will always be better, but I don’t think that The Closer was trying to be The Wire, but never the less there are comparisons between the two shows this week.

The show also started its finale seasonal story, as this is the last season to have the title The Closer (the theme of the show ending feels like it will never end on this show). It is interesting that the main cause of distress for major crimes involves a wrongful lawsuit that stems from last season’s finale where major crimes drops off a suspect (that got away with murder due to a plea agreement) and ends with him being surrounded by his fellow gang members. Chief Johnson had a feeling something could happen to him, but it wasn’t her problem. It was a dark, slightly disturbing end to the last season and it is nice to know that the show hasn’t let this slip into nothing.

This puts Captain Sharon Raydor and Chief of Police Delk as the opposition against Chief Johnson, applying an extreme amount of pressure on her to act within her means of being in charge of major crimes. On top of the lawsuit, Delk has restructured the police hierarchy, placing Pope in a dead end position and promoting Taylor as the Assistant Chief, above Johnson. The episode set the conflicts for the season, and added another twist at the end of the episode; Chief of Police Delk falls over at the end of the episode as he is giving a speech to Major Crimes. Things are going to change again, and like before there is no way of knowing what is coming next.

Rating: Watch 

White Collar Season Three, Episode Five

White Collar Season Three, Veiled Threat

The Bachelor / Bachelorette + The Hangover + murder equal this week’s episode of White Collar. I’m not sure how a black widow that targets millionaires lands on the desk of the FBI’s white collar division, but in this case it worked just fine. Seeing Peter trying to act in character is always a good laugh, and it was nice to see Peter be sincere with Elizabeth while under the false pretense of being in love with the black widow.

The speed dating phase of the episode was enjoyable, though predictable that Peter would be the one picked by the would be killer. Neal wasn’t horrible as a Texan on the hunt for his perfect woman, though being a jerk to everyone but the target wasn’t the best idea for him. Neal needs to be sophisticated; possibly acting above the intellect of the other women there would have been the better route. Jones was great in this bit; he is really a standout when it comes to humor in the show. White Collar really needs to take advantage of Jones, rather than the lack luster roles that he gets. Peter was trying to be something else; something that obliviously wasn’t working since Elizabeth could tell Peter was trying too hard. But Peter just being Peter was enough to get the widow’s attention. And that tango was extra spicy. Bravo Peter, bravo.

As the episode went on, it became more predictable than the first half (though that was mostly predictable as well). The complicating action between Peter and the widow went up, Peter had to act on his toes and all worked out in the end (Side Note, Neal’s apartment keeps getting better with each episode) It was interesting that there were three couples in the episode: Peter and the widow, Peter and Elizabeth and Neal and Sara. This led to nice coupling between Peter and Elizabeth and Neal and Sara. Peter would go out on his date and Neal realized that he needed to be more romantic with his girlfriend.

The Hangover segment of the episode came when Neal and Peter found out that the widow’s partner in her con turned out to be the organizer of the speed dating events. Neal gave Peter a bachelor to end all bachelor parties (he can really get these things together fast) and needed to get the info out of the target, so Peter and Neal go with the classic “let’s take shots to loosen up but in reality I’m poring them out” bit. After a crazy night, the FBI forces the widow’s hand to find the money and once she and her partner are caught, Peter shows off the pictures from the party Hangover style. Classy.

This episode was more fun than serial killer on the loose, but fun is still fun. Peter is always fun when he tries so hard to be someone else rather than himself, and this episode really hit home with that note. Also the icing on the cake was a lovely wedding reaffirmation between Peter and Elizabeth, with the ordained Mozzie providing over the ceremony.

Rating: Watch

New Rating System

I have come to the conclusion that having only two ratings, either Watch or Pass doesn’t cover the spectrum enough. And at the same time, giving each episode a numerical or alphabetical rating really can’t create a distinctive enough difference between each episode. Does giving a show one week a B and the next a B- really make a difference? So I have opted to add a middle ground for my current reviewing. Watch is for anyone, fan or not, for that week’s episode. A watch denotes that the episode is good enough to stand on its own. Next rating is Fans Only, which should only be for fans of the show. This rating is for episodes that don’t aspire for greatness, but don’t fall into the vast pit of boredom that pass shows get. Sometimes this rating can butt against pass, but doesn’t grind on my nerves. Finally, there is Pass, which is the final rating. This is reserved for episodes that serve no real purpose what so ever and only send any progress made in the show backwards or stall for so long that it becomes daunting. 

White Collar Season 3 Episode 3

White Collar Season 3, Dentist of Detroit

Four weeks into a stellar season, this episode falls to the bottom of the pack. This wasn’t a bad episode, just overall average, especially for an episode about Mozzie’s past. The episode felt more of a sob story for Mozzie, which adds to his lacking backstory, but at the same time felt unbalanced. This wasn’t the backstory I was hoping for but I can settle for what they gave me in this week’s episode. The unbalanced side of the story really came at the mob being the villain of the episode, particularly when they killed a person that knew the Dentist. White Collar has a hard time dealing with murders; it kind of brings the nuanced sophistication of the show down.

But there were high points within an average episode. Mozzie has the best rummage sales that I’ve ever seen on TV. I would buy almost anything that he is selling, though the banana with a knife in it is strange, but still very 80s spy. The other highlight was the fight that Peter and Neal had at their sting operation. This turned from staged to serious very fast between these two characters, especially the remark about Peter’s wife. It was the right amount of humor that the episode needed. Also bringing back the spy gadgets back in the episode was a nice touch, letting Mozzie use some of his outdated memories get him away from the suits. And the con he played to get away being called a Ferris Bueller was amazing. More cons need to have John Hughes’ movie titles.

For a flashback episode, White Collar didn’t bring anything new to the table. Nor did they leave anything behind. I would have liked to see White Collar add some of their signature flare to the episode, there were so many opportunities to elevate this episode. Never the less, this week’s White Collar was fine, and if this is the low point of the season, I can be alright with that.

Rating: Fans Only 

True Blood Season Four, Episode One

True Blood Season Four, She’s Not There

True Blood is back, and hopefully this season can rise from the dead, the dead being the mess of a season the show had during season 3. For the most part I liked the episode, aside from the opening moments in the Fairy World, partially because I am a book purist, also it felt forced on the episode, as if to wrap up the ‘cliffhanger ending’ from season 3. The show introduced Sookie’s family secret and her relationship with fairies, but this doesn’t do the justice that the books gave to the fairy story line. Also the bit with her grandfather, felt fine, but Sookie got over his death very fast, though she did lose him once so it is understandable. The special effects when Sookie and her grandfather jump back into our world = horrible. This show isn’t about effects like this and they know it, so this slip up is forgiven (for now).

The show hit the reset button within the first few minutes, a new approach to creating new storylines within a show, but the episode also fell into the trap of skipping ahead (time wise) in a show. This episode had a lot going on, too much for one episode to hold. Not to say that these storylines weren’t interesting, but the main focus should have been on Sookie, Bill and Eric. These are the pillars of True Blood, and for a season premiere, let alone one that deals with a time jump, they needed to be more forward in the episode. Sam, Jason, Jessica, Lafayette and Tara all had their moments, but their stories could have been explored more in future episodes. The only one that mad sense to include more of was Lafayette’s, since it ties into Bill’s story.

Some of the cliffhangers were answered in the episode in passing conversation: Jessica was almost shot by Hoyt’s mother; Sam shot his brother in the leg; and Tara went to New Orleans and begun to date women. The most interesting one I’m waiting to hear about is how Bill became King, since in the books he never reaches such a high level in the vampire world.

Personally, I loved to see Eric back, acting in his normal manor. This is best shown in his interview he gives about why humans should trust vampires. And he was the one that bought Sookie’s house so he could own her, even better. Book four was always one of my favorite books, especially for [spoiler] Eric and Sookie’s relationship. On a side note, not to mention Pam in the same breath as Eric is a crime. Pam is one of the best characters on True Blood. Her extremely dry humor and whit makes her the bell of the ball. She just drips sarcasm, and needs to have her own show, either when True Blood isn’t on the air or some kind of webisode. I can never get enough of her.  

True Blood did an alright job entering into their fourth season, well as best they could from the mess of season three’s ending. The first part of the episode was laughable, but the story worked out more towards the end. The episode had to establish most of the season’s characters and where they are now after a year, but it felt cluttered. This season has promise, just don’t let us down this time.

Rating: Watch

Burn Notice Season Five, Episode One

Burn Notice Season 5, "Company Man" 

Burn Notice is back, and finally this show is starting to change how it operates. Burn Notice started the trend for USA shows: for the show to tell a loose story throughout the season, with case of the week stories being the main meat in each episode. But if Burn Notice can keep the main story and case of the week stories together, the show will prove that this is the flagship show for USA. The episode was fun in a similar Burn Notice way, but at the same time had a different feeling because the show was now taking place outside of Miami. Yes, this isn’t the first time the show has gone out of Miami, but this felt like it was the start of a new trend, rather than just the exception for a few episodes. 

But the main difference in the show is the core story, things are actually progressing past the slow grind of events that the show has been treading for 4 seasons. This is a well welcomed change for the series, because the same old same old wasn’t making the grade anymore, particularly when compared other USA shows that realize their problems and  correcting them (cough, White Collar). Michael actually doing CIA work again has a new promise for the show and hopefully things will heat up this season, making it stand out from the status quo that Burn Notice has become.

Rating: Watch 

White Collar, Season Three Episode Three

White Collar Season Three, Deadline

The Devil Wears Prada meets White Collar. This week, Diana goes undercover as an assistant for an overbearing Miranda Priestly type journalist to make sure she isn’t killed from an unknown threat about a story she is writing. The episode was fun, though the main case of the weak felt bogged down, lacking a sense of feeling from the journalist boss that is so present in the episode. Unlike The Devil Wears Prada, there is nothing really redeeming about this character, who is forcing Diana to do the impossible at every turn.  This story wasn’t bad; it gave a chance for Diana to be more a part of the episode than in previous episodes.

Diana’s personal is highlighted nicely through the show’s main season story, with Neal trying to get the manifest that Diana is working on decoding. This starts with Neal and Mozzie trying to do a bait and switch with the briefcase Diana has with her, but has to call it off when Diana’s girlfriend shows up. Being classic Neal, works his way into a scenario in which he will get into Diana’s apartment; cooking an elegant dinner for a double date, with Sara being his distraction.

The main story works alight for the first half, but almost falls apart in the second with the introduction of the mysterious informant, who turns out [spoiler] trying to kill the journalist in the end, since the real informant has been killed. Diana gets to be the hero and when offered to work full time for the journalist, says that she has found her place working at the FBI and couldn’t picture herself anywhere else. Not much of a shocker of an ending to an otherwise average case of the week story. But the main saving grace of the episode was the humor that was sprinkled throughout.

This show has some of the best’ procedural show’ humor that I’ve seen in a while, which makes every episode rise to another level. This week started with Mozzie poorly hiding behind a bush as he aborted the bait and switch at the start of the episode. Jones’ remark about when Neal was going to cook for him was well placed, so was Peter’s quick jab about Neal and Sara playing doubles tennis with Diana and her girlfriend. But the best laugh of the episode was getting Elizabeth to be the party planner for the kids’ party, since this event was too over their heads to handle. When Peter gave the task to Jones to put the party together and Neal constantly shook his head in disapproval really helped to sell the idea that the FBI needed a ringer to elevate this party.

There was so much more in this episode, Neal and Sara trying to get it on only to be interrupted by Mozzie, Neal being shirtless one and a half times in this episode (are they trying to get more of a female audience?), the manifest got to DC yet Neal wasn’t overly upset about it, and Peter knows that Neal knows, but Neal didn’t know until now, or does he (it gets very confusing who knows what about who between Neal and Peter).

Not the best case of the week story, but the characters and their interactions with one another help make this episode worthwhile.

Rating: Watch 

The Killing, Season Finale

I fell as if shows live and die by their premieres’ and finales’. The Killing brought with it an amazing premiere, showing that a crime show can be more ‘realistic’ rather than solving a case a week. The Killing showed that a bleak, dark, painful world can and does exist on television, which is a breath of fresh north pacific air. Then there is the finale. The show stumbled half way through the season, on an arch that took far too much time to get through, especially with the mystery of whether or not he did kill her out of the question because there was another five episodes left. But the show got back on track, and seemed to be wrapping the season’s murder up. Last week we thought we knew who the murder was, the city council member / mayoral candidate and this week the detectives brought the case down on him. Case closed. Well, not at all, if it was closed that would be a lot better for the show, yet we are left with a cliffhanger. Not to say that I’m against having cliffhangers at the end of a season, but they have to pay off, and this one did not pay off in anyway. It just left me frustrated.

The Killing once prided itself in keeping the facts straight and doing real police work. Again, a nice difference, showing that doing this job takes time and patience rather than some kind of fast process that happens instantly. The show kept the slow, arduous police work, but lost keeping the facts in order. This all comes into play in the season finale. There are so many pothole questions that the season finale did not answer. What happened to the teacher that was almost beat to death? What about the Aunt and her involvement in the death? What about the actual use of police work? What about checking out your partner’s work, let alone your subordinate’s work. This is what made the finale more frustrating than just the cliffhanger that the season ended on. Now about that ending.

I always felt there was something wrong with Holder, particularly in the first few episodes of the season. He felt like a dirty cop. But then the show develops him into the humorous character that happens to be in a stalkerish relationship, and gets the job done with non-regulation tactics. But, for some unknown, mysterious reason, Holder has set up the city council / mayoral candidate up for the murder. Then gets in a car and says that the photo worked. I’m not seeing his motivation for setting someone up for murder, let alone working with someone who murdered Rosie. The show could have given some kind of reason for his choice to botch the case and who he was working with / for. It was nice having Linden stuck on a plane for the next 90 minutes or so without the ability to contact anyone with the knowledge that Holder is dirty, but there are so many ways to get around that. Linden could just tell the plane she is a cop and she has vital information in a murder case. Then there are the three or so other lose ends that the season left open, but most of those really aren’t that interesting in comparison to the murder.

I was hoping that the murder would be wrapped up this season, with some kind of satisfying ending and season two would bring the consistency that the show started out with. And the plot of season two you say? I would have loved to see the case previous to this one, where Linden had some kind of mental break while solving the case. That would have made a great second season. The case could have been even more brutal, and would have been a nice treat for those who watched season one since we knew parts of the repercussions to Linden’s life.

I have high hopes for season two of The Killing. I hope that the show realizes where they stumbled in their freshman year and fix those problems in the season premier. This might weigh down the premier, but it could just take the trash out that has been lying around from season one and push forward with season two. This show has so much going for it and a hap hazard plot should not be bringing down this adventure into a dark world that The Killing has the potential to be. 

Alias Season Two Re-Watch

I wound up re-watching and re-starting my love affair with Alias by accident, but what a lovely accident it has become (once again). I’ve seen season one several times, but season two holds a special place as being the best overall best season that the show put together. And during this second viewing, the second season delivered once again and held up to my enjoyment from my first viewing. This season had so many redeeming qualities, not to say that season one was bad in any major way, but for me a show really proves itself in their second season. Alias gave a masterful second season, with many good story plots, introduction of Sydney’s mother Irina, as a major player in the show, and using characters that have fallen flat (Francie). This season well deserved a Saturn award for this amazing show and for a great season.

As mentioned, Sydney’s mother Irina was a great member to add to the cast, especially since this allowed the show to expand on Sydney’s family’s situation. Irina also allowed forced Sydney to ‘remember’ that she was part of Project Christmas, a project done by her father, Jack, to test for future spies and prepare them to be activated later in life. Since I’m on a Project Christmas line of thought, this works into bringing up Will’s role in the season. After he admitted he has a drug problem, forced to do so my SD-6, he ended up working for the CIA as a researcher, who ended up working for Vaughn, investigating what tests where given to kids in the 80s regarding Project Christmas. Project Christmas comes up again in the season, but I’ll get to that when I talk about Francie’s role.

Back to Irina. She provides a major driving force behind the season, which Irina explains in the season finale to Sydney. She also remains in the morally ambiguous gray zone through most of the season. She wants to have a relationship with Sydney, and does so by giving the CIA important information to help stop Slone. But Irina’s intellect breaks through, shown by planning this elaborate partnership with both Slone and the CIA and double crossing both in the end. Irina’s relationship with Sydney is reflected in the confined space of Irina’s cell at the start of the season, will Sydney not willing to talk to her mother and ends opened ended, seen by their last conversation atop a building in Mexico City. Irina really helped to break up the big villain role that Slone had to endure alone up until this point in the show.

Then there is Slone, who help destroy SD- half way through season two. This was a game changer because the show was destroying its major episode format. Sydney would normally get her mission from SD-6, then a counter mission from the CIA then execute both at the same time. But once SD-6 and the Alliance was destroyed, the format changed to the CIA side only. This aloud the show to focus more on Sydney’s relationships gets together with Vaughn finally and more with her parents as a unit rather than just her father. But the show lost some of the tension of whether or not she would succeed with her mission for the CIA and not be discovered. The show fixed this problem with clever problem solving, but still lost some of that fun, exciting tension. Anyway, Slone played (once more) a major role in the show, being one of the driving forces of the plot by destroying SD-6 and assembling the Rambaldi device. His only major fault this season was the story with his wife and the black mailer. It was too drawn out, it needed to be a shorter arch since we obviously knew she was alive, which made some of the scenes with Slone pointless (opening the coffin in the heavy downpour for example), but it was nice to see a humanizing side to Slone.

Then there is Francie, who was Sydney’s best friend, had been doubled and the double is working for Slone. This gave the character something more diverse to her, more than being the one person in Sydney’s life that did not know Sydney was a spy. She was creepy; cold hearted and killed off a lot of third and fourth rank characters this season.  She also made the episode about Project Helix be very important, since there was a second, mystery character, who was doubled and the CIA had to find out who it was, but the audience was aware of the identity of this mystery figure. It was nice that the show played with the hierarchy of knowledge, since the audience is normally in the dark. She also started the theme of characters being doubled, even if it only happens two more times in the series, it starts the trend never the less. Allison, who was the doubled agent who turned into Francie, happened to be one of the kids who were apart of Project Christmas, bringing up Will’s research and Sydney's at the same time.

Then there is the season finale, which has to be one of the best episodes of the series, let alone TV. I’m going to focus on the last 15 minutes of the episode, since that is where so much amazing aspects of Alias take place. Will realizes that Francie is a double and tries to fight back against Allison, but loses in a big way, almost dead in a bathtub. Then Sydney gets the message that Will left about Francie being the double, by the way her phone is extremely loud, then an amazing fight starts between the two spies. This fight reminded me of the opening fight from Kill Bill, strange since this came out almost a year before Kill Bill did, but still an amazing fight. This was brutal. Both were thrown around the house, cut, beaten, and shot at. The brutality was enhanced by the choice to just have the sounds of the fight being the only noise in the scenes rather than have non diegetic music in the scenes. Sydney wins the fight, but passes out and wakes up in Hong Kong. She is then taken to a safe house and Vaughn fills her in that Sydney has been presumed dead for 2 years. In the last few minutes of this episode, so much for season three is set up. She has been missing for two years; a strange new scar on her abdomen, Vaughn got married. So much in those few minutes. Amazing way to end the season. 

White Collar Season 3, Episode Two

White Collar Season 3, Where There’s a Will

This season of White Collar is showing what summer TV is about, especially the USA network (though most of their shows haven’t aired yet). Last week was a great start to the season and this week brought a treasure hunt to the show, and it was a fun adventure. A father who leaves a masterful puzzle for his two sons to work through to find the real will was interesting, though it was slightly cluttered in some of the clues / process of getting to the next clue. But nothing was lingered on too long, so all in all it worked for the most part. Along with a kidnapping, a bitter friend of the dead father and Mozzie pretending to be blind / being his usual self brought this episode together nicely. (Side Note about Mozzie’s bit, how dare he blame the dog for the botch attempt to turn the book’s page was hilarious). 

Then there was the larger story of Neal and Mozzie trying to sell their new stash of priceless art to escape into the sunset.  Neal finally found out what we were privy to in the last episode, that part of the manifest was recovered, so the FBI will be able to know if anything from the boat is sold and ketch the person(s). Neal had to be his normal cunning self to get this information out of a special agent from D.C. that deals in Art. Fun, sexy, high tension adventures that come together in a successful conclusion are what summer shows strive to be, and White Collar delivered this week. If they can keep it up, this might be one of the best shows of the summer.

Rating: Watch 

Covert Affairs: Not Hiding Anything

Covert Affairs started its second season this week, and I had high hopes for a show that felt flat during the first season. I was let down, again. This show has the potential to do great things, since as a spy show, (Piper Perabo’s character) Annie Walker can do a lot regarding the week to week plot.  Annie has the ability to be a kick ass spy, and it does come out in small quantities, but she ends up being the one who needs saving the most. Such a shame. Then there is the supporting cast, which is very large and amorphous for a USA show. Most USA shows have a partner relationship, in which two opposing character types end up working together to solve a mystery, crime, etc. it ends up being formulaic, but at least it works. Covert Affairs is missing any type of character development outside of Annie, and for a lead character she is still lacking on ‘why do I care about this character and her actions'. 

The show needs to notch up the sexiness that is seen in other USA shows. The lead show White Collar is masterful at everything that makes a USA show work. Covert Affairs needs to find a partner for Annie, make her more kick ass, and add some mystery to make this show something work watching rather than just background noise. And for some inspiration on how to pull off a successful spy show, watch some Alias. Alias manages to pull off high tension action, romance, family dynamics, and friends while all at the same time being worth watching. Alias is good, just go watch it and the differences between it and Covert Affairs are obvious when it comes to both spy shows and the drama genre in general. Please USA, make this show worth watching, as for now

Rating: Pass

Vampire Diaries Season Two, Brave New World (episode 2)

Vampire Diaries Season Two, Brave New World 

I started off this first time watch of season 2 of the Vampire Diaries as a re-watch, having already seen the season premiere in the fall, in an attempt to see the conclusion from the season one finale. This is about the second episode of the season, so I'll get to the recap / thoughts. This episode plants several seeds to the mythos that the season will have to deal with, mysterious supernatural creatures, special family relics that hold larger meanings, what Katherine is up to, and her motivations for coming back to Mystic Falls after all these years. That's a lot of story telling to churn through during one episode, but the show was able to push through and tell a over all average episode for the series, which is not a bad thing to say. 

But more about the context of this episode. Caroline was emotional rollercoaster for most of the episode. it was nice to see a more primal, wilder side to her character, but going back to the pitiful, sad character that started this episode was a step in the wrong direction. Also her character seemed to take to the vampire lifestyle too quickly, stealing a blood pack and sipping on it like kool aid in the hospital seemed to push the envelope of someone who is trying to realize what is happening to them. But she did become a vampire, which was one of the major sources of conflict for the episode, and I could guess for the season (or at least an arc). 

The other story was that of Tyler and his uncle (who seems way too young, but anyway) Mason and their family secret. This story felt weak, and in comparison to the other driving force of the episode, it was since it was more of a build up for further revelations / stories to take place later in the season. if Mystic Falls can teach people one thing, it is that when a family member shows up randomly, it isn't for good intentions. They will want something out of their trip. But to look at Tyler's circumstance, it closely mirrors that of Elan's from the first part of season 1, questioning the strange events around him but not getting any answers until he can put some facts together for himself. 

Damon's character is so refreshing in almost every episode. He becomes the mouthpiece for the viewer, but doesn't go too far by telling the viewers what we want. For instance he brings up the irony of the last time they had to deal with a new female vampire outbreak was at a fair, and once again they are at a fair having to deal with another one. The swagger of this character never seems to give, which is a very good thing. Damon even had a rare moment where I felt sorry for him, when Bonnie went on an unjustified witch attack on him for the death of the guy Caroline ate. Yes Bonnie stuck to her word , but this was a wild character swing for her as well, though it was awesome seeing her improved powers. 

The episode only confirmed that Caroline became a vampire, but next to that nothing else than build for later episodes, but it did this nicely. it told several stories that are going somewhere, which is a very good thing for viewers that stick it out for the long haul. 

Rating: Watch

Glee Season Two, New York (episode 22)

Glee Season Two, New York

Glee managed to turn itself around in their season two's season finale, though it was too little too late. From the first shot of the episode, you know this was something special. New York is used nicely for the first half of the episode, giving the show a diverse sense of space and a well needed change of scenery. The cityscape did feel irrelevant though during the second half of the episode, the part that the season has been building up to, nationals, but more on that later. There was a nice playfulness that the episode had, playing up the New York setting, with a juxtaposition of kids from the middle of the country being in the big city. Exciting. 

The episode had a lot going on within it, almost too much for any episode, especially for a special season ending episode. I would have liked to see two episodes set in New York, one that dealt with the crew experiencing the city and the finale. But this worked for the most part. Part of the episode that felt a little mushed was the entire Finn and Rachel date that went on during the chaos of trying to write songs for nationals. And about that, I would think they would have started to work on the songs before they got to the big apple, but that's just me. The date was fine, but felt even more of a slap in the face because of the set up against the romantic comedies then the episode transformed into a romantic comedy.

Nationals themselves went very well. The group that sang 'Yeah' was amazing. Our Glee club did a nice job, the duet was very appropriate, hitting the nail on the head. Just a side note, I don't ever want to see the same shot of Rachel and Finn talking right before sectionals, regionals or nationals again. it is becoming too predictable at this point that the two of them will talk about their feelings for one another right before the big show. I enjoyed 'Light Up the World', it felt very old school Britney Spears and that's not a bad thing. I'm also glad that the group didn't win, or even place at nationals. It gives the team something to work towards during season three, and it was their first time there, so placing 12th isn't that bad. Kurt's retelling of what happened after the loss was clever, also a way to get his character in the episode with Rachel singing with him. Next was a reformation of Rachel and Finn, a declaration of love from Blaine to Kurt and Sam and Mercedes. I just hope that these couples stay together for some level of time next season, not just break up after 3 or 4 episodes. 

Rating: Watch

The Vampire Diaries Season One Thoughts

The Vampire Diaries Season One

This show really surprised me. No, really. I will get the number one problem I have with this show out of the way. Everyone is too good looking in this “town”. That’s the main problem I see with the show, one that can be easily overlooked (not really). But now to the good things about this show. I know that this show is based off of books, but after watching the bonus features on the season one DVD, I will never read the books because of the liberties the creative team has taken. Which is not to say taking creative liberties is a bad thing, on the contrary it can be a very good thing, or fail flat.

A quick example of taking creative liberties that fails. Season three of True Blood was bad. Bad for the story telling and bad for trying to stay with the plot of the books. The show had previously told the plot of the books while expanding the universe, and changed some plot points from the books, but for the most part told the same story. Season three was a mess of stories; nothing really came out of the season. There was even a special message at the end of the season telling viewers ‘sorry for the crap and next season will be better’.

Back to Vampire Diaries. Telling a story that embodies the ones told in the books while keeping itself fresh and new is a major plus for fans, but for people like me (who have never read the books), it also provides a good story and characters. The Vampire Diaries takes risks in their character development. Things aren’t always black and white in this universe, so many of the characters fall in the gray category. Even those who don’t live long enough to see a conclusion to their actions. And that is another big plus to the show; they are willing to kill off any character at any time. The body count is huge on this show. This surprise of anyone can die at any time (well except for the main three characters) brings a level of excitement and mystery to who will die when. This also keeps the rotation of characters that are interesting and new and killing out those who have become stale and boring.

This may go without saying, but this show is dark. Both thematically as well as the lighting. Dark shadows might as well be the fourth main lead in this show, and they work well. Back to my main problem with the show, the level of attractiveness of everyone in the show, leads nicely into the levels of sex that are seen in this show. Lots of people are getting it on (eye humping excluded, but lots of that as well).

Finally, the numerous plot twists that go on within a season of this show are staggering; especially for a show that sells itself more on their looks rather than their story. The twists come at nice intervals, giving the viewer’s time to take the twists in before another wave hit too soon. These are just a few things that are surprisingly good about this show, and if you can look past the extremely good looking cast, the show has something for everyone. 

Summer TV

The TV season is coming to a close, and it is time again for the mixed bag of summer programming. I take summers to watch shows that I enjoy a lot, but can't seem to make it into my fall schedule. There are the few shows that come on only in summer, but most shows on network TV don't fill the TV void.

Shows that I hope to watch (repeats) from the fall season:

• Castle
• Bones
• Vampire Diaries (it is a good show, for many reasons. expect an entire editorial on this show)

Shows that are new for the summer season

• True Blood 
• Most of the USA lineup (White Collar, Burn Notice, Covert Affairs, etc)
• they really bring decent to good shows on during the summer, along with other cable networks (TNT, etc), nice to see the cable networks take chances on shows during the summer  

Guilty Pleasures - Prison Shows

Reality Prison Shows

Lockdown or Lockup are prime examples of these semi reality tv shows, more on the edge of a documentary but with the edge of a reality show. There is just something that gets me about these shows; some kind of twisted fascination with people's lived in prison. Most of the episodes are the same, repetitive in their level of fear and punishment that each facility imposes on their inmates, but it never gets old.

The different sections of these massive facilities are highlighted each episode, showing the different worlds that exist within one prison. Then there are the extreme lockdown sections of the prisons, the prison within the prison for those who violate the rules on a consistent basis. These are the sections of the prison where total isolation sinks in, bleeding over from the screen to whoever is watching. Trying to deal with the mind numbing boredom that life becomes in isolation must be agonizing, particularly for those who spend years living alone. But there is more than just punishment in these shows; they also highlight prisoners who do well, trying to reform themselves while doing their time. And they are normally rewarded by having more perks or even living in environments where freedoms are giving to them, but these inmates are still aware and even more heightened that they are living in prison, knowing that if they mess up at this point in their lives they will be sent back to main prison.

 That is one of the main things that hook me on these shows, showing punishment for those who have deserved it, and rewarding those in prison who are working within the system to reform themselves. 

Modern Family Season Two, See You Next Fall (episode 23)

Modern Family Season Two, See You Next Fall

            Modern Family continues to prove itself as one of the last family friendly comedies left on T.V. This episode gives each character a chance to shine, well maybe Manny didn’t have his normal sophisticated presence while drinking cups of coffee, but that can be over looked for now.

·         Jay dealt with a botched botox injection that left Manny and Gloria thinking that Jay had a stroke. Jay did this because he felt like the 40 year old inside of him was being trapped by his outer, older self.

·         Gloria had to deal with having large, ummmm, I mean God gifted assets in her life that prevented her from riding a crazy tandem bike.

·         Phil was worried because Claire normally freaks out during large events in her kids’ lives, in which the episode revolved around. So Phil was trying to have her meltdown today so he can go to Vagus with his cheerleading buddies from college.

·         Claire had to worry about Alex growing up and going to high school, the point in Haley’s life where she stopped being their little girl and started to rebel.

·         Luke thought he could move things with his mind. Classic Luke.

·         Alex was nervous about giving the speech as the Valedictorian of her middle school class. (Do middle schools’ really wear robes to their graduations?)

·         Haley fought with Alex over the content of the speech Alex was planning on giving because it bashed Alex’s classmates.

·         Cam and Mitchell dealt with their problems, as normal. Mitchell would laugh at the physical hijinks Cam would do (falling, etc). This one had the laughs but lacked something else. Bonus points for Cam calling it out when Phil and Claire fell down the hill during Alex’s speech)

At the heart of the episode was the family dealing with growing older. The subplot of jay getting botox to feel younger was discouraged by Gloria because she loves the man she married, not a younger version of him. Haley tried and succeeded in getting Alex to change the speech so that Alex could enjoy high school as part of the crowd rather than an outsider. But the main couple that this theme was present in was Clair and Phil, having to deal with another one of their kids growing up and being in high school. They were afraid of losing their little girl, remembering how Haley changed when she got into high school (and the stories they told each other about how Haley would come home and greet Phil was heartwarming and breaking at the same time). A nice blend of humor and heart at the same time.

Rating: Watch