Now this, Tim Kring, is how you do a finale. Where Heroes could not deliver, Damon Cuse and Damon Lindelof, writers/creators/exec producers of Lost, have made television history with one of the best season finales for a serialized show, well, in history. As much as I love to focus on how great I find NBC programming, I really must tip my cap to ABC on this one, for, as I'll explain in a bit, Lost has consistently proved itself to be the most innovative serialized narrative on television, with this finale cementing that statement firmly.
Before I get into the most important aspect of the finale, the "rattlesnake in the mailbox," as Cuse and Lindelof have been referring to it as, I want to do a more typical Media Maven analysis of the show.
Aside from the big twist, what made this episode fantastic was not that it answered a lot of big questions (in fact, it didn't really answer any), but that it had such fantastic narrative momentum. We were swept up in the episode's proceedings in a highly visceral way, perched at the edge of our couches, hearts racing, eyes wide, for the full two hours, though it seemed to fly by in only a matter of minutes. We still don't know a thing about Jacob, Ben's agenda, the monster, Walt, Locke's strange healing powers, and countless other mysteries, and frankly, I don't know that all these questions will ever be answered. But with everything else this episode accomplished, and more importantly, with the implications it has for next season, I don't think anyone (myself included) minds leaving a few unanswered queries by the wayside.
Plot-wise, there are few major issues to touch on:
1. Charlie's Death-- I have mixed feelings about this death. Let me begin by saying that more than anything, I appreciate the willingness of Cuse and Lindelof to pull the trigger on killing off a main character like this, and I think the execution was nearly perfect. Charlie (Dominic Mongahan) had nowhere else to go in terms of character development. We've seen him as an addict, we've seen him drop the addiction, we've seen him find meaning in his life with Claire and Aaron, and though he brings a distinct flavor and energy to the scenes he's in, there just isn't really anything left for him to do. I applaud Cuse and Lindelof for recognizing the needs of the story and choosing to honor those over the conventions of television, something that is nearly unheard of in the world of tv.
In a way, I was very happy for Charlie that he could die like this, with bravery and poignancy. As if it weren't enough to swim down to the Looking Glass, unjam the signal by using his musicianship, and ensuring the rescue of everyone on the island, I loved that with his last breaths, Charlie wrote "Not Penny's Boat" on his hand, delivering a final message to Desmond that I'm sure will play hugely in next season's premiere. For a character I didn't like all that much, these final moments redeemed Charlie in my mind.
The one thing I didn't like about the death? How pointless it seemed! Why did Charlie lock himself in that room? It makes no sense! The water began to pour in, but Charlie surely had the extra .5 seconds it would've taken for him to jump outside the room and slam the safety door shut behind him. I know that Charlie needed to die, and that Desmond's visions needed to be true, but I thought the physical execution of this moment was a failure. I keep replaying it in my head: why did Charlie lock himself in there? Surely the Looking Glass couldn't have flooded in two seconds. And moreover, why didn't Charlie try to swim out of the busted porthole? As the room filled, the pressure of the water pouring in would have decreased, Charlie could've taken one final breath and then made a break through the hole to the surface. However, I refuse to allow these shortcomings to diminish the effectiveness and importance of Charlie's death.
2. Locke & Walt -- WTF??? I was excited for this Walt sighting from the second I saw that Malcolm David Kelley guest star credit in the opening scene. I was a tad disappointed to find that by growing a few inches and having his voice drop a few octaves, Walt wasn't nearly as creepy or engrossing as he has been in the past (best Walt moment-- when Shannon sees him dripping wet and whispering in the middle of the jungle. Speaking of which, what happened to all those barefoot people chillin in the jungle? They got bored after season one and peaced out?) Walt and Locke must have some kind of strange connection, both to each other and the island, and I will be very interested to see how this plays out in the future.
3. Jack -- Welcome back, Matthew Fox. This episode was by far the best performance Matthew Fox has ever had, and the first one in which he's been the central character in a long time. To borrow the cliche, Fox's performance is a veritable roller coaster of troubled emotions, the most powerful of which are on display as Jack makes the decision to let Ben kill Sayid, Bernard and Jin in order to secure the rescue of everyone else. The conflicted pain on Jack's face is gut-wrenching, as is pretty much every moment he's in this episode. The scenes with Jack off the island are just heartbreaking, for once he's home, it seems as if Jack is more "lost" than he ever was on the island. Take away everything else in this episode and it would still be my favorite because Matthew Fox was just so damn good.
4. Ridiculous Action-- Hurley runs a dude over with a VW bus, seven Others get blown up by dynamite, Desmond shoots Mikael in the sternum with a spear gun, Locke nails Naomi in the back with a throwing knife, Sawyer shoots some bro point blank in the chest, and Sayid snaps a guy's neck with his legs. And these weren't even the most exciting parts of the episode! Holy crap was this episode ridiculous or what?! You paying attention yet, Kring?
5. Some other random stuff-- Alex and Danielle reunite by typing Ben? Awesome. Jack tells Kate he loves her? Great. Sayid, Jin and Bernard don't die? Wonderful. Sayid has a sniper rifle with a scope? Where the hell did that come from? Ben gets the snot beat out of him? About time. Penelope makes contact with the island? Sweet. Locke has strange healing powers? Neato. I love this freaking show.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Let's talk about that rattlesnake in the mailbox. When I describe Lost to non-watchers, I often touch on the fact that one of the show's defining characteristics is that each season has an entirely different focus that is determined by the previous season's finale. Season One was about discovering the castaways and The Island, Season Two was about The Hatch, and Season Three was about The Others. And now we've got an entirely new and fascinating focus for Season Four-- The Future.
Though I guessed the twist about ten minutes into the program (once I saw Jack with a beard looking depressed, I knew it didn't fit in anywhere with his past timeline), it doesn't change the fact that it revolutionizes an already revolutionary show. As TV scholar Jason Mittel discusses on his blog, the finale's cliffhanger is less about "what happens next" (the narrative), and more about "how will they tell us what happens next" (the narrative discourse, the way the story is told). Just when it had begun to feel like we've seen just about as many flashbacks as we can handle (we know EVERYBODY'S deep dark secrets and past by now), Cuse and Lindelof have done another 180, and now it looks like we'll be getting flash-forwards from this point on. This is genius. This is television at its best. This is a wonderful example of the operational aesthetic, a concept Mittel discusses at length. According to this notion, the pleasure we derive from watching serialized television shows (basically, shows that have continuing story arcs across a season/series), comes not only from engaging with the story itself, but also through our engagement with the machinery of the storytelling. Think about how much the narrative discourse of shows like 24, Battlestar Galactica and of course, Lost, contribute to our enjoyment of these shows. The way these stories are told is as much a part of the show as the stories themselves. Lost has always been the first to break storytelling and television boundaries, and it should come as no surprise that they've done it again.
The finale leaves us at a point where we know the past, we know the present, and we know the future. The only time left unexplored is the time between the present and the future, which, according to the news clipping in Jack's hand, is about two years later (the clipping is from April 5, 2007). I think the questions left unanswered by this finale are far more interesting than any we've been left with before. There are the more incidental ones (Whose funeral was Jack at? Who is Kate's husband?), but also a handful of mind-blowing, crucial ones: Why does Jack want to go back to the island? Why was it bad for them to be rescued? Where are the other survivors? What happens between the present and the future that brings us to this point?
This is the sort of television to which all other serialized television should aspire. It's highly engrossing on every level: we're invested in the characters, in the narrative, and in the narrative discourse. The show creates new rules, twists them, bends them, and when the time is right, breaks them in favor of new ones. Even when it comes at the price of a few dud episodes per year (which the new 16-episode length and May 2010 end date will hopefully prevent), the show continues to raise the bar higher and higher and is not afraid to take risks on any level. I promise you, this show will go down in history as one of the best ever. You've got 9 months until Season Four. If you don't already watch, you've got plenty of time to catch up, so that as this show continues forward, you can say "I was there when", and be a part of one of television's most important and groundbreaking shows ever.
Episode: A+
Season: B+
Favorite Scene: The standoff between Ben and Jack, when Jack has to bear his choice to let three of his friends be murdered so that the rest of them can be saved. Television acting at its very highest. He better get an Emmy nod for this one.
Favorite Line (tie): "We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!" --Jack
"That's for taking the kid off the raft." --Sawyer, after shooting Tommy (the Other)
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
5.22.2007
Heroes - Season 1, Episode 23 - "How to Stop an Exploding Man"
I. AM. PISSED. OFF.
Oh, Tim Kring, how could you do this to me? How could you do this to us, your loyal fans, who have supported and followed this show since Day One? How could you end one of the best seasons of television ever with one of the single worst finales I've ever seen in my life? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS ME?
If you are a fellow Heroes watcher, than you have my deepest sympathies because no fan should have endure crap like this. Let's break it down:
STUFF I LIKED:
1. Hmmmmm. I actually have to think about this. Ok. Got one.
Good power uses. Every single hero used their power (well, not including those whose powers we don't know like Mama Petrelli, Charles Deveaux and Simone-- believe me, she'll be back). Nathan flew, Claire regenerated, Peter read minds, was invisible and blew up, Hiro teleported and time traveled (more on that later), Micah restarted the elevator, DL went through another wall, Nikki used her super strength to hit Sylar with a parking meter, and Molly located Sylar. Even if the rest of the episode sucked, at least no one is shy about using their abilities anymore.
2. Some cool new information was dropped on us. According to Molly, there is a villain even worse than Sylar on the horizon, a villain so powerful that when Molly thinks of him, he can "see" her. This has fantastic potential and is a great hook for the second season. Also, we learned that Charles Deveaux has some sort of ability (time travel? dream talking?), which should hopefully play out next season.
That's it. Time for the tirade.
STUFF THAT PISSED ME OFF:
1. SO many inconsistencies I don't even know where to begin. I think its easier to do them in list form.
a. Sylar-- He is powerful enough to kill dozens of heroes, and he has supersonic hearing, but Hiro is able to jog up to him and smite him with a samurai sword? HUH? Really?
b. In one scene, Hiro is able to teleport across a room, grab Ando, and teleport to Japan before Sylar can even turn his head. But when Sylar throws him in the final scene, he accidentally travels to 17th century Japan? Come on!
c. Where is the damn Haitian? He's around all season-long and then when all the shit goes down, he's nowhere to be found?
d. Isaac's comic book-- In one page of the book, Hiro is stabbing Sylar. This comes true. In another page, Ando is dead. This does not come true. How can it be both? Ando being alive or dead has no effect on whether Hiro succeeds?
e. In one scene, DL is collapsed on the ground with a bullet in his stomach, unable to move. Moments later, he's running around and then chillin outside with his wife and kid. Give me a break.
f. Last week, Candace alluded to the fact that she hides her true form because she is really fat and ugly. But when Nikki knocks her out, she reverts back into pretty Candace form, not into some behemoth dogface. If Kring and Co. try and pull some crap move in the future where Candace is not actually the pretty brunette, I will be more than pissed.
OTHER RANDOM THINGS THAT UPSET ME:
1. Veronica Mars- 2 hour finale. 24- 2 hour finale. Lost- 2 hour finale. Heroes - 63 lousy minutes.
2. Matt Parkman gets hit in the chest with like 5 bullets and he isn't dead?! I know he's best friends with Tim Kring, but that shouldn't matter! If you don't want him to die, don't shoot him with 5 bullets! Damn you and your nepotism, Kring! Damn you!
3. Mr. Bennet's name is Noah. Whoop dee frickin doo. Now I can die happy. Thanks, Kring, you giant ignoramus.
4. Sylar gets stabbed! But wait, he's not dead, don't worry. Oh no, DL got shot in the gut! Oh wait, he's not dead either. Holy moly! Matt Parkman got shot several times in the torso! Oh hang on. HE'S NOT DEAD EITHER. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???
5. If there's one more speech about love or family or hope on this show, I'm going to stop watching and instead, I'm going to watch Sesame Street, because at least on that show, they have musical numbers and giant puppets to accompany the saccharine cliches being rammed down my throat.
6. I'd like to quote a few lines for you here, to illustrate one of the most preposterous moments of this ludicrous show:
[The scene-- Kirby Plaza. Sylar has been temporarily defeated. Peter is about to explode. Claire is pointing a gun at him.]
Peter: Do it. Do it! You're the only one, Claire.
Claire (in tears): Tell me there's another way please!
Peter: Shoot me. There is no other way.
[Suddenly, Nathan flies in from night sky, landing in between his brother and daughter.]
Nathan: Yes there is, Claire.
Aaaand scene. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Does Nathan have supersonic hearing also? Or is this like the episode of Arrested Development where Tony Wonder just waits in the dumbwaiter for an hour until someone says the word "wonder"? Do they really think we're so stupid and so absorbed in this terrible finale that we won't notice someone finishing a conversation they could not possibly have heard? If I had Ted's power, I can assure my hands would be turning red right now.
7. I start a new paragraph here because I want to now discuss the most important disappointment of all. This finale was fecal matter, my friends. Pure feces. They spend the first 45 minutes wasting time, jerking us around until the last 5 minute showdown (think about it-- nothing happened in the first 45 minutes. Nothing.) And you know what? I could've forgiven them for that if they gave me the epic final battle we were all expecting and deserved. Save the cheerleader, save the world, right? Well, what the hell did Claire have to do with anything? Why didn't Peter even use a single power to stop Sylar? Why was the final showdown between the ultimate hero and the ultimate villain less exciting than an infomercial for the Magic Bullet? And think about this-- aside from Nathan flying Peter away (because for some reason, Peter couldn't do it himself), not one hero did anything that actually had to do with saving the world, and in the end, the evil villain got away.
And you know what? I could've even forgiven that if the preview for next season had been mindblowing, like we were all sure it would be. But then we get Hiro on some grassy knoll with a bunch of ancient samurai? As David Spade would say, "Really, Tim Kring? Really?"
Before I close, let me leave you with some info and questions about next season:
1. SPOILER ALERT-- As the laws of tv can tell you, if you don't see a character die on-screen, they aren't dead (We'll see how true this law is if Peter is still alive on Weeds). Plain and simple. And so, as you can all guess, Nathan isn't dead and has a contract for next season to prove it. What a load of garbage. Think about it-- in the episode before the finale, we had 3 deaths, but in the finale, not a single one. How lame can you get?
(If you don't believe me, check the latest Ask Ausiello. Thanks to Greg for the heads up.)
2. Speaking of people not dying, even though the name of the last Heroes graphic novel is "The Death of Hana Gittelman" (also known as Wireless for those of you keeping score at home), Hana "dies" but is still able to communicate through wireless communication. So that's a cop-out too.
3. Next season, we will find out what Sylar does to peoples' brains. We will also be introduced to the even worse than Sylar baddie to which Molly alluded.
4. What is Mama Petrelli's power? I must know!
5. What's the deal with Sylar and cockroaches? There was one in his cell when he was first captured by Noah Bennet and now there's one crawling on the manhole through which he escaped (which, by the way, makes me wonder: did none of the 8 other people standing around doing nothing notice a stabbed man drag himself several feet across the ground, open a manhole, and climb into a sewer? COME ON!)
As this blog can attest, Heroes was my favorite show of the year. But like a final exam, the finale is worth 50% of the final grade and this finale gets a D for being worse than the episode that preceded it, the worst episode of the season, and the most anti-climatic episode of tv I may have ever seen. When I average this grade with the rest of the episodes, the first season of Heroes, a season that had the potential to go down as one of the best first seasons of television ever, finishes with a respectable, but unremarkable B+
Pretty please, if you watched the finale, share your thoughts! Do you agree with me? Disagree? Let me know!
Stay tuned for posts on the VMars series finale and tonight's Lost season finale!
Oh, Tim Kring, how could you do this to me? How could you do this to us, your loyal fans, who have supported and followed this show since Day One? How could you end one of the best seasons of television ever with one of the single worst finales I've ever seen in my life? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS ME?
If you are a fellow Heroes watcher, than you have my deepest sympathies because no fan should have endure crap like this. Let's break it down:
STUFF I LIKED:
1. Hmmmmm. I actually have to think about this. Ok. Got one.
Good power uses. Every single hero used their power (well, not including those whose powers we don't know like Mama Petrelli, Charles Deveaux and Simone-- believe me, she'll be back). Nathan flew, Claire regenerated, Peter read minds, was invisible and blew up, Hiro teleported and time traveled (more on that later), Micah restarted the elevator, DL went through another wall, Nikki used her super strength to hit Sylar with a parking meter, and Molly located Sylar. Even if the rest of the episode sucked, at least no one is shy about using their abilities anymore.
2. Some cool new information was dropped on us. According to Molly, there is a villain even worse than Sylar on the horizon, a villain so powerful that when Molly thinks of him, he can "see" her. This has fantastic potential and is a great hook for the second season. Also, we learned that Charles Deveaux has some sort of ability (time travel? dream talking?), which should hopefully play out next season.
That's it. Time for the tirade.
STUFF THAT PISSED ME OFF:
1. SO many inconsistencies I don't even know where to begin. I think its easier to do them in list form.
a. Sylar-- He is powerful enough to kill dozens of heroes, and he has supersonic hearing, but Hiro is able to jog up to him and smite him with a samurai sword? HUH? Really?
b. In one scene, Hiro is able to teleport across a room, grab Ando, and teleport to Japan before Sylar can even turn his head. But when Sylar throws him in the final scene, he accidentally travels to 17th century Japan? Come on!
c. Where is the damn Haitian? He's around all season-long and then when all the shit goes down, he's nowhere to be found?
d. Isaac's comic book-- In one page of the book, Hiro is stabbing Sylar. This comes true. In another page, Ando is dead. This does not come true. How can it be both? Ando being alive or dead has no effect on whether Hiro succeeds?
e. In one scene, DL is collapsed on the ground with a bullet in his stomach, unable to move. Moments later, he's running around and then chillin outside with his wife and kid. Give me a break.
f. Last week, Candace alluded to the fact that she hides her true form because she is really fat and ugly. But when Nikki knocks her out, she reverts back into pretty Candace form, not into some behemoth dogface. If Kring and Co. try and pull some crap move in the future where Candace is not actually the pretty brunette, I will be more than pissed.
OTHER RANDOM THINGS THAT UPSET ME:
1. Veronica Mars- 2 hour finale. 24- 2 hour finale. Lost- 2 hour finale. Heroes - 63 lousy minutes.
2. Matt Parkman gets hit in the chest with like 5 bullets and he isn't dead?! I know he's best friends with Tim Kring, but that shouldn't matter! If you don't want him to die, don't shoot him with 5 bullets! Damn you and your nepotism, Kring! Damn you!
3. Mr. Bennet's name is Noah. Whoop dee frickin doo. Now I can die happy. Thanks, Kring, you giant ignoramus.
4. Sylar gets stabbed! But wait, he's not dead, don't worry. Oh no, DL got shot in the gut! Oh wait, he's not dead either. Holy moly! Matt Parkman got shot several times in the torso! Oh hang on. HE'S NOT DEAD EITHER. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???
5. If there's one more speech about love or family or hope on this show, I'm going to stop watching and instead, I'm going to watch Sesame Street, because at least on that show, they have musical numbers and giant puppets to accompany the saccharine cliches being rammed down my throat.
6. I'd like to quote a few lines for you here, to illustrate one of the most preposterous moments of this ludicrous show:
[The scene-- Kirby Plaza. Sylar has been temporarily defeated. Peter is about to explode. Claire is pointing a gun at him.]
Peter: Do it. Do it! You're the only one, Claire.
Claire (in tears): Tell me there's another way please!
Peter: Shoot me. There is no other way.
[Suddenly, Nathan flies in from night sky, landing in between his brother and daughter.]
Nathan: Yes there is, Claire.
Aaaand scene. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Does Nathan have supersonic hearing also? Or is this like the episode of Arrested Development where Tony Wonder just waits in the dumbwaiter for an hour until someone says the word "wonder"? Do they really think we're so stupid and so absorbed in this terrible finale that we won't notice someone finishing a conversation they could not possibly have heard? If I had Ted's power, I can assure my hands would be turning red right now.
7. I start a new paragraph here because I want to now discuss the most important disappointment of all. This finale was fecal matter, my friends. Pure feces. They spend the first 45 minutes wasting time, jerking us around until the last 5 minute showdown (think about it-- nothing happened in the first 45 minutes. Nothing.) And you know what? I could've forgiven them for that if they gave me the epic final battle we were all expecting and deserved. Save the cheerleader, save the world, right? Well, what the hell did Claire have to do with anything? Why didn't Peter even use a single power to stop Sylar? Why was the final showdown between the ultimate hero and the ultimate villain less exciting than an infomercial for the Magic Bullet? And think about this-- aside from Nathan flying Peter away (because for some reason, Peter couldn't do it himself), not one hero did anything that actually had to do with saving the world, and in the end, the evil villain got away.
And you know what? I could've even forgiven that if the preview for next season had been mindblowing, like we were all sure it would be. But then we get Hiro on some grassy knoll with a bunch of ancient samurai? As David Spade would say, "Really, Tim Kring? Really?"
Before I close, let me leave you with some info and questions about next season:
1. SPOILER ALERT-- As the laws of tv can tell you, if you don't see a character die on-screen, they aren't dead (We'll see how true this law is if Peter is still alive on Weeds). Plain and simple. And so, as you can all guess, Nathan isn't dead and has a contract for next season to prove it. What a load of garbage. Think about it-- in the episode before the finale, we had 3 deaths, but in the finale, not a single one. How lame can you get?
(If you don't believe me, check the latest Ask Ausiello. Thanks to Greg for the heads up.)
2. Speaking of people not dying, even though the name of the last Heroes graphic novel is "The Death of Hana Gittelman" (also known as Wireless for those of you keeping score at home), Hana "dies" but is still able to communicate through wireless communication. So that's a cop-out too.
3. Next season, we will find out what Sylar does to peoples' brains. We will also be introduced to the even worse than Sylar baddie to which Molly alluded.
4. What is Mama Petrelli's power? I must know!
5. What's the deal with Sylar and cockroaches? There was one in his cell when he was first captured by Noah Bennet and now there's one crawling on the manhole through which he escaped (which, by the way, makes me wonder: did none of the 8 other people standing around doing nothing notice a stabbed man drag himself several feet across the ground, open a manhole, and climb into a sewer? COME ON!)
As this blog can attest, Heroes was my favorite show of the year. But like a final exam, the finale is worth 50% of the final grade and this finale gets a D for being worse than the episode that preceded it, the worst episode of the season, and the most anti-climatic episode of tv I may have ever seen. When I average this grade with the rest of the episodes, the first season of Heroes, a season that had the potential to go down as one of the best first seasons of television ever, finishes with a respectable, but unremarkable B+
Pretty please, if you watched the finale, share your thoughts! Do you agree with me? Disagree? Let me know!
Stay tuned for posts on the VMars series finale and tonight's Lost season finale!
5.17.2007
Lost - Season 3, Episode 21 - "Greatest Hits"
If I were compiling a list of Lost's Greatest Hits, I can assure this episode would NOT be on it. It's a shame too because the last half-dozen or so episodes have been consistently fantastic, and this episode certainly had the potential to continue the streak.
I'll keep this post brief, because honestly, there just isn't that much to say about this fairly run-of-the-mill installment.
THE GOOD:
1. The showdown for the finale has been set up nicely. We've got Sayid, Jin and Bernard (yes, you read that correctly) staying in the camp to blow up the ten Others coming to kill them, while Jack is leading the rest of the group to the radio tower to wait for Charlie and Desmond to unjam the radio signal so that they can use Naomi's satellite phone to contact her boat, which is 80 miles off-shore. Charlie is currently a captive of two women in the strange, underwater hatch known as The Looking Glass, so something must going down there in next week's finale.
2. Ben has flown off the handle. He's making irrational decisions based on secret, selfish motives, and as we all know, when anyone in television has a good plan and throws it out the window in favor of a rash, uncalculated commitment of passion, it's bound to fail. I'm very excited to see how this shakes out in Wednesday's two hour finale (gotta love the two hour finale format. It's almost as good as the two hour pilot format.)
3. Oh wait. That's it. No more good things.
THE BAD:
1. A Charlie-centric episode? What is this, season one? Maybe we cared about Charlie's past when he was a main character, but now, when he's just a whiny Brit who can't stop fawning over Claire (who CLEARLY doesn't love him, but more on that later...), no one gives a twig. It was especially bad because the flashbacks told us absolutely nothing. Nothing relevant at all. Who cares what Charlie's favorite moments in his life were? I wouldn't even care to watch MY favorite moments on tv for an hour, let alone those of an obnoxious fictional character.
2. When will Charlie get it through his frosted tips that Claire doesn't love him and is only using him for his superior babysitting/butlering skills? I've never seen a less appreciative or interested woman than Claire. Charlie has basically adopted her son Aaron as his own, has saved her life several times (risking his own in each occasion), and is at her beck and call at all times. And he gets one reluctant kiss as a reward? I don't know whom to scoff at more: Claire, the Aussie Ice Queen, or Charlie, the Ingratiating Ingrate.
3. This episode was all set up, no action. I can be a little forgiving about this because I understand that awesome finales may require a lot of build-up to really take off, but I can't be too forgiving because as Heroes showed this past week (THREE characters killed off! Are you kidding me?! How could this show possibly be any better?), you don't necessarily need to sacrifice action for the sake of exposition.
As lame as this episode was, I must say I am VERY excited for the finale. If the past two season finales are any indication, this season's will not only be jaw-dropping and action-packed, but the final minutes will most definitely flip the series onto its head and take it in an entirely new direction for season 4 (which, by the way, is only 16 episodes long and will not debut until February 2008. Now would be an excellent time to catch up on the past 3 seasons if you have not yet done so.)
THE UGLY:
Desmond and Charlie were alone on a boat, about to do a dangerous mission from which and what did Desmond say? NOTHING. It was a perfect opportunity for the delivery of one of my all time favorite lines in the history of tv, coined by Desmond in season one: "See you in another life, brotha." But did he say it?! NO.
Something I noticed-- usually, episodes written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, two of the show's executive producers and creators, are of a much higher caliber than those written by staff writers. The premiers, finales and other marquee episodes are all by Cuse and/or Lindelof. It's a pretty good indicator of what the quality of the episode will be. This week's was written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. They sound like they should be my lawyer and my dentist, not writing my television shows.
In hindsight, I like this episode even less than when I watched it. In fact, I hate this episode. It gets a C
Favorite Scene: When Ben returns from his trip to Jacob and moves up the attack to NOW.
Favorite Line: "Tomorrow? No. No, they're coming tonight. They're coming right now!" -Karl
I'll keep this post brief, because honestly, there just isn't that much to say about this fairly run-of-the-mill installment.
THE GOOD:
1. The showdown for the finale has been set up nicely. We've got Sayid, Jin and Bernard (yes, you read that correctly) staying in the camp to blow up the ten Others coming to kill them, while Jack is leading the rest of the group to the radio tower to wait for Charlie and Desmond to unjam the radio signal so that they can use Naomi's satellite phone to contact her boat, which is 80 miles off-shore. Charlie is currently a captive of two women in the strange, underwater hatch known as The Looking Glass, so something must going down there in next week's finale.
2. Ben has flown off the handle. He's making irrational decisions based on secret, selfish motives, and as we all know, when anyone in television has a good plan and throws it out the window in favor of a rash, uncalculated commitment of passion, it's bound to fail. I'm very excited to see how this shakes out in Wednesday's two hour finale (gotta love the two hour finale format. It's almost as good as the two hour pilot format.)
3. Oh wait. That's it. No more good things.
THE BAD:
1. A Charlie-centric episode? What is this, season one? Maybe we cared about Charlie's past when he was a main character, but now, when he's just a whiny Brit who can't stop fawning over Claire (who CLEARLY doesn't love him, but more on that later...), no one gives a twig. It was especially bad because the flashbacks told us absolutely nothing. Nothing relevant at all. Who cares what Charlie's favorite moments in his life were? I wouldn't even care to watch MY favorite moments on tv for an hour, let alone those of an obnoxious fictional character.
2. When will Charlie get it through his frosted tips that Claire doesn't love him and is only using him for his superior babysitting/butlering skills? I've never seen a less appreciative or interested woman than Claire. Charlie has basically adopted her son Aaron as his own, has saved her life several times (risking his own in each occasion), and is at her beck and call at all times. And he gets one reluctant kiss as a reward? I don't know whom to scoff at more: Claire, the Aussie Ice Queen, or Charlie, the Ingratiating Ingrate.
3. This episode was all set up, no action. I can be a little forgiving about this because I understand that awesome finales may require a lot of build-up to really take off, but I can't be too forgiving because as Heroes showed this past week (THREE characters killed off! Are you kidding me?! How could this show possibly be any better?), you don't necessarily need to sacrifice action for the sake of exposition.
As lame as this episode was, I must say I am VERY excited for the finale. If the past two season finales are any indication, this season's will not only be jaw-dropping and action-packed, but the final minutes will most definitely flip the series onto its head and take it in an entirely new direction for season 4 (which, by the way, is only 16 episodes long and will not debut until February 2008. Now would be an excellent time to catch up on the past 3 seasons if you have not yet done so.)
THE UGLY:
Desmond and Charlie were alone on a boat, about to do a dangerous mission from which and what did Desmond say? NOTHING. It was a perfect opportunity for the delivery of one of my all time favorite lines in the history of tv, coined by Desmond in season one: "See you in another life, brotha." But did he say it?! NO.
Something I noticed-- usually, episodes written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, two of the show's executive producers and creators, are of a much higher caliber than those written by staff writers. The premiers, finales and other marquee episodes are all by Cuse and/or Lindelof. It's a pretty good indicator of what the quality of the episode will be. This week's was written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. They sound like they should be my lawyer and my dentist, not writing my television shows.
In hindsight, I like this episode even less than when I watched it. In fact, I hate this episode. It gets a C
Favorite Scene: When Ben returns from his trip to Jacob and moves up the attack to NOW.
Favorite Line: "Tomorrow? No. No, they're coming tonight. They're coming right now!" -Karl
5.16.2007
CBS - Proving Me Right Once Again
In the past few days, the big 4 networks have announced their new prime time schedules to advertisers and to the world, and as usual, the good folks over at CBS have stuck with mass over class and ratings over quality (see my recently posted paper for more on Quality TV and CBS programming).
What has transpired would be a perfect epilogue to my paper. This year, CBS had one show that won a significant Emmy (The New Adventures of Old Christine- star Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for Best Actress in a Comedy Series), and one new show that garnered critical buzz and respect (Jericho, about the rebuilding of a small Kansas town after a series of nuclear attacks on the U.S.). You would think that CBS would be proud of both of these programs, as awards and critical praise are almost anathema to The Tiffany Network. But lo and behold, Jericho has been canceled and Christine has only been given a 13 episode order and a midseason start date.
Want to know the best part? Both shows have significantly more viewers than, for example, any of the four NBC Thursday comedies or Friday Night Lights, a show that was at the bottom of the ratings barrel but was the most critically lauded new show of the year (FNL PLUG-- Watch this freaking show. If you take anything away from this blog, dear god let it be that. Catch up on season one in time for next fall. I promise you won't regret it.) At its peak, Christine was averaging triple the viewers of Scrubs or double those of The Office.
Even with some new fall shows that sound good on paper (Viva Laughlin, a "drama with music", and the Lord of the Flies-esque Kid Town chief among them), I will continue to boycott this network that constantly eschews quality for cash. Believe me, I understand that television is a business and as such, the goal is to make moolah. But there's a reason we go to The Palm instead of McDonald's when we want a quality meal, and I refuse to join the rest of the mindless dudes in line for something fast and easy at the billion-dollar corporate fast food joint when I can spend my money on something far more succulent and rewarding.
I urge you friends: join me in my cause. Let's show CBS that it'll take more than 8 versions of the same episodic procedurals and old-fashioned sitcoms of yesteryear to earn our eyeballs. We only have so many hours to spend in front of the television, so let's be choosy about how we spend them. I know we all need that Mickey D's fix every once in a while, but honestly folks, there's enough truly Quality TV on the airwaves that you shouldn't have to spend a second you don't want to watching anything else.
So make the worthwhile choice, and I'll see you at The Palm.
What has transpired would be a perfect epilogue to my paper. This year, CBS had one show that won a significant Emmy (The New Adventures of Old Christine- star Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for Best Actress in a Comedy Series), and one new show that garnered critical buzz and respect (Jericho, about the rebuilding of a small Kansas town after a series of nuclear attacks on the U.S.). You would think that CBS would be proud of both of these programs, as awards and critical praise are almost anathema to The Tiffany Network. But lo and behold, Jericho has been canceled and Christine has only been given a 13 episode order and a midseason start date.
Want to know the best part? Both shows have significantly more viewers than, for example, any of the four NBC Thursday comedies or Friday Night Lights, a show that was at the bottom of the ratings barrel but was the most critically lauded new show of the year (FNL PLUG-- Watch this freaking show. If you take anything away from this blog, dear god let it be that. Catch up on season one in time for next fall. I promise you won't regret it.) At its peak, Christine was averaging triple the viewers of Scrubs or double those of The Office.
Even with some new fall shows that sound good on paper (Viva Laughlin, a "drama with music", and the Lord of the Flies-esque Kid Town chief among them), I will continue to boycott this network that constantly eschews quality for cash. Believe me, I understand that television is a business and as such, the goal is to make moolah. But there's a reason we go to The Palm instead of McDonald's when we want a quality meal, and I refuse to join the rest of the mindless dudes in line for something fast and easy at the billion-dollar corporate fast food joint when I can spend my money on something far more succulent and rewarding.
I urge you friends: join me in my cause. Let's show CBS that it'll take more than 8 versions of the same episodic procedurals and old-fashioned sitcoms of yesteryear to earn our eyeballs. We only have so many hours to spend in front of the television, so let's be choosy about how we spend them. I know we all need that Mickey D's fix every once in a while, but honestly folks, there's enough truly Quality TV on the airwaves that you shouldn't have to spend a second you don't want to watching anything else.
So make the worthwhile choice, and I'll see you at The Palm.
5.15.2007
TV Studies Papers
Hey readers,
Thanks to those of you who signed up for the update list. Still plenty of room for more!
Hot Fuzz review is almost done, sorry for the delay. In other news, I've posted two television studies papers I wrote for school this year. You can download them here.
The "Day Break Paper" is an elaboration on the Day Break posting I did earlier this year. I go into a bit more detail in the paper. If you want to read about what I thought of the series as a whole, its strengths and shortcomings, check out this paper. It's short, about 4 pages.
The "CBSNBC Paper" is a 15 page research paper I wrote, discussing the differences in programming choices between NBC and CBS. This paper is an elaboration on the "cultural divide" piece I posted here earlier this year. It's an evenhanded examination of the different approaches each network takes towards programming, with respect to each network's individual mission and respective audience. It also includes my own definition of "Quality TV" and how it's different from regular television. It might be a bit long for you casual readers, but for those of you interested in scholarly television pursuits, I think you'll find it compelling and thought-provoking.
And in case you were wondering, yes, I did get an A. I don't want to boast-- just want you to know that it's credible work.
Please leave me some comments! Did you read the papers? Did you agree/disagree? Interested/bored? Let me know!
Thanks to those of you who signed up for the update list. Still plenty of room for more!
Hot Fuzz review is almost done, sorry for the delay. In other news, I've posted two television studies papers I wrote for school this year. You can download them here.
The "Day Break Paper" is an elaboration on the Day Break posting I did earlier this year. I go into a bit more detail in the paper. If you want to read about what I thought of the series as a whole, its strengths and shortcomings, check out this paper. It's short, about 4 pages.
The "CBSNBC Paper" is a 15 page research paper I wrote, discussing the differences in programming choices between NBC and CBS. This paper is an elaboration on the "cultural divide" piece I posted here earlier this year. It's an evenhanded examination of the different approaches each network takes towards programming, with respect to each network's individual mission and respective audience. It also includes my own definition of "Quality TV" and how it's different from regular television. It might be a bit long for you casual readers, but for those of you interested in scholarly television pursuits, I think you'll find it compelling and thought-provoking.
And in case you were wondering, yes, I did get an A. I don't want to boast-- just want you to know that it's credible work.
Please leave me some comments! Did you read the papers? Did you agree/disagree? Interested/bored? Let me know!
5.09.2007
Veronica Mars - Season 3, Episode 17 - "Debasement Tapes"
This post is LONG overdue. I've been a fan of Veronica Mars since I caught up on Season One on DVD last summer and it's one of the shows where I must say, if you haven't watched it yet, you are SERIOUSLY missing out. In fact, I'd call VMars Season One without a doubt one of the best first seasons of a tv show I've ever seen. Where it takes most programs maybe a year or two to hit their stride, VMars is right on target from the get go. Go rent, start watching.
Or, if you're lazy, you can start tuning in now, as there are but a few more episodes left in Season Three, which tragically, may be young Veronica's last. As the only legitimately great show on The CW network, it would be a shame to have it taken off so soon, but with The CW trying desperately to establish itself, its tough to keep anything but the big hits (which ludicrously, VMars is not.)
Last night's episode was actually one of the best this year, featuring by far the best guest star ever to grace the show. The episode centers are Desmond Fellows, a washed-up rock star who is too scared to play his new material and hides his fear in booze and parties, played to perfection by Paul Rudd. If there's anyone who can play a sarcastic loser who is actually a winner inside, its Paul Rudd. While sharply crafted witticisms have always been a VMars staple, the additional opportunity for some beautiful barbs to be throw around, by a great comic actor like Rudd no less, is what makes this episode so great.
Plus, we finally get some nice important dramatic action going. We had Corrina, Corrina (a.k.a. Tina Majorino) breaking up with nice guy (read: boring weirdo) Bronson because of her attraction to bad boy (read: edgy tech nerd) Max, Logan finally showed some emotion and longing after seeing Veronica making out with Piz, and V, who until this point was definitely not interested in Piz, decided that she actually is interested in him, and we got some lovely hand-holding (as my viewing buddy and I discussed, holding Kristen Bell's hand would be pretty much the best sexual experience of our collective lifetimes).
Oh, and we have Vinny Van Lowe, snarky P.I. extraordinare, douche-ely announce that he is running against Keith for sheriff. Seriously? Will no one ever admit that Keith is the best sheriff and cut the guy a break? Every time Keith finally feels comfortable back behind the badge, some ass has to ruin it! First Lamb (who, though he took a baseball bat to the back of the head earlier this season, still gets a nice credit in the opening sequence), and now Vinny Van Lowe? When will it end?!
Unfortunately, since my cable has been broken for several weeks now, I was not able to watch the show on my Tivo and thus cannot provide my favorite scene or line, but I guarantee you if I could, it would come from Wallace or Dick, most likely Dick, since he is consistently the funniest character on the show and usually has at least a gem of a line or two.
I can, however, give this episode a grade. For being chock-full of great lines, featuring a fantastic turn by Rudd, having some nice plot development, but not really including any sort of interesting mystery at all (which is usually the key plot of a VMars episode), I will give this episode a B+
Or, if you're lazy, you can start tuning in now, as there are but a few more episodes left in Season Three, which tragically, may be young Veronica's last. As the only legitimately great show on The CW network, it would be a shame to have it taken off so soon, but with The CW trying desperately to establish itself, its tough to keep anything but the big hits (which ludicrously, VMars is not.)
Last night's episode was actually one of the best this year, featuring by far the best guest star ever to grace the show. The episode centers are Desmond Fellows, a washed-up rock star who is too scared to play his new material and hides his fear in booze and parties, played to perfection by Paul Rudd. If there's anyone who can play a sarcastic loser who is actually a winner inside, its Paul Rudd. While sharply crafted witticisms have always been a VMars staple, the additional opportunity for some beautiful barbs to be throw around, by a great comic actor like Rudd no less, is what makes this episode so great.
Plus, we finally get some nice important dramatic action going. We had Corrina, Corrina (a.k.a. Tina Majorino) breaking up with nice guy (read: boring weirdo) Bronson because of her attraction to bad boy (read: edgy tech nerd) Max, Logan finally showed some emotion and longing after seeing Veronica making out with Piz, and V, who until this point was definitely not interested in Piz, decided that she actually is interested in him, and we got some lovely hand-holding (as my viewing buddy and I discussed, holding Kristen Bell's hand would be pretty much the best sexual experience of our collective lifetimes).
Oh, and we have Vinny Van Lowe, snarky P.I. extraordinare, douche-ely announce that he is running against Keith for sheriff. Seriously? Will no one ever admit that Keith is the best sheriff and cut the guy a break? Every time Keith finally feels comfortable back behind the badge, some ass has to ruin it! First Lamb (who, though he took a baseball bat to the back of the head earlier this season, still gets a nice credit in the opening sequence), and now Vinny Van Lowe? When will it end?!
Unfortunately, since my cable has been broken for several weeks now, I was not able to watch the show on my Tivo and thus cannot provide my favorite scene or line, but I guarantee you if I could, it would come from Wallace or Dick, most likely Dick, since he is consistently the funniest character on the show and usually has at least a gem of a line or two.
I can, however, give this episode a grade. For being chock-full of great lines, featuring a fantastic turn by Rudd, having some nice plot development, but not really including any sort of interesting mystery at all (which is usually the key plot of a VMars episode), I will give this episode a B+
4.24.2007
Heroes - Season 1, Episode 19 - ".07 Percent"
And it's baaaaaaaack! The nation's favorite fictional drama without hospitals/cops/housewives is back and I couldn't be happier.
Unfortunately, it didn't come back with as much of a bang as I'd have hoped. For the most part, the episode was very predictable (although there were a few nice surprises), and was more of a set-up episode than an action-packed one. Let's review the storylines:
1. Petrellis/Claire/Mohinder/Sylar -- As anyone with a brain (sorry Isaac) could've told you, Sylar was not going to kill Peter or Mohinder. As expected, Peter regenerated after Sylar began to cut open his head and after Mohinder hit Sylar with a large map (obviously a more powerful weapon than Peter's TELEKINESIS for pete's sake), Mohinder escaped with Peter's "dead" body. For anyone who's been watching all along, we were simply waiting in boredom until Claire, who once "died" from having a sharp object in her own head, would figure out what was wrong with Peter and bring him back to life. So where did this story end? Peter is alive (and with a lame, 50's greaser haircut), Nathan wants Claire to disappear until after the election (yeah right), we still don't know what Angela Petrelli's power is, Sylar is on the loose, and Mohinder is teaming up with Primatech Paper Company a.k.a. The Company. Can't wait to see where that last part goes.
2. Hiro- Hiro and Ando go to Issac's loft in the Deveaux building five years in the future, only to find future Hiro and his elaborate timeline of newspaper clippings, etc. I'll go into more detail about this in my text post, which will be about recent Heroes Online Graphic Novels, the latest of which deals explicitly with this moment.
3. Ted/HRG/Matt - They escaped from The Company in a pretty cool mind-reading way, ate at the diner in Odessa where Charlie used to work (why can't Sylar just look at the map and memorize everything?) and then decided to head to New York to destroy The Company's tracking system. Somehow, I have a feeling this will lead to Peter absorbing Ted's abilities and then exploding...
4. Isaac- Poor guy is dead now. We've known this was coming since the first episode, but Issac was a great character with an incredibly unique ability that tied the entire show together. The "previously on" for this week's episode was based entirely around Isaac's paintings, using them as a map to display the entire story thus far. Narrated by Linderman, this "previously on" was maybe the best part of the episode and a must-watch for everyone, whether you're new to the show or an older fan. Issac, I'm going to miss you and your incredibly awesome power. Sylar, you suck at painting.
5. Linderman/Micah/Jessica - It seems as if Nikki is toast. We haven't seen her in awhile and Jessica seems to be easily and totally in control. We saw that Linderman has the ability to heal others, sort of the opposite of Claire's power (if Peter gets this one, he will really be the ultimate superhero). This is another moment that was hinted at in the Graphic Novels, and I'll talk more about it later. The episode's best surprise comes into play here, when Candace uses her mimic/shapeshifting ability to pose as Jessica in order to bring Micah to Linderman. Linderman needs Micah for some mission, and if you've been playing the Heroes 360 experience, you already know what it is.
Let me take a moment to let you all know about the Heroes 360 Experience. If you'll remember a few episodes back, we were introduced to a new hero named Hana Gittelman, a.k.a. Wireless, who had the ability to see wireless transmissions (emails, satellite intel, text messages, etc.) and manipulate them. While she's been absent from the tv show, she's been very busy online, interacting with people playing the Heroes 360 game. The game is what is referred to as a transmedia narrative, meaning that while the main narrative of Heroes is the tv show, the graphic novels and the game fill in extra pieces of the puzzle that enhance, but are not crucial to, the narrative as a whole.
There are a number of ways to participate in the game, all of them based through the internet or text messages. You can sign up with The Primatech Paper Company, follow the prompts that cross the bottom of the screen during Heroes broadcasts, follow Hana's blog. There are numerous fan sites dedicated to following this game, such as the one I often use, the Heroes 360 Blog. Here, fans use their collective intelligence to solve puzzles presented by Hana or Linderman (read: NBC). Recently, Hana tasked her followers to delete Nathan Petrelli votes from a computer database that Linderman was using to rig Nathan's upcoming election. And according to Hana, we succeed. This ties into the show now because Linderman must use Micah's abilities to rig the election, since his own attempt was defeated by Hana and the Heroes 360 participants. Pretty cool, right?
There are a number of ancillary sites that are linked to this game, such as VotePetrelli.com, Hiro's blog, Linderman's archives (password: Vietnam-- more from the graphic novels), Claire's MySpace, Mohinder's webpage, and HRG's database. Check all this stuff out, and if you're interested, the 360 Blog linked above is a good place to jump into the action.
If you have anymore questions about the 360 experience, please feel free to leave a comment.
And as always, to wrap up my post, some unanswered questions, predications and general notes:
1) Why hasn't Peter absorbed Sylar's super hearing? I think it's because for Peter to deal with that new ability would be a narrative inconvenience, so the writers are just hoping we forget about it.
2) I told you all that there must've been a group of old heroes before! Linderman proved me right!
3) I think next week's episode is going to be awesome/frustrating. This episode ties in yet again to one of the graphic novels (next post, I swear!) and will show what the future will be like in five years (where Hiro and Ando currently are) if Hiro does not succeed in changing the past. But who here really thinks that's ever going to happen?
4) Issac mentioned that he's going to be a hero because he knows Sylar will die and he's told "them" how to kill Sylar. Huh? This is now my new favorite unanswered mystery.
For its excellent opening, cool Heroes 360 tie-ins, disappointing Peter/Sylar/Mohinder showdown, and otherwise fairly action-less plot, I give this episode a B.
Favorite Scene: Sylar vs. Issac, crucifixion style. Isaac dies a hero and Sylar paints like 6-year-old.
Favorite Line: "Interesting. I can't wait to try that one." --Sylar, upon seeing Peter use his invisibility.
Unfortunately, it didn't come back with as much of a bang as I'd have hoped. For the most part, the episode was very predictable (although there were a few nice surprises), and was more of a set-up episode than an action-packed one. Let's review the storylines:
1. Petrellis/Claire/Mohinder/Sylar -- As anyone with a brain (sorry Isaac) could've told you, Sylar was not going to kill Peter or Mohinder. As expected, Peter regenerated after Sylar began to cut open his head and after Mohinder hit Sylar with a large map (obviously a more powerful weapon than Peter's TELEKINESIS for pete's sake), Mohinder escaped with Peter's "dead" body. For anyone who's been watching all along, we were simply waiting in boredom until Claire, who once "died" from having a sharp object in her own head, would figure out what was wrong with Peter and bring him back to life. So where did this story end? Peter is alive (and with a lame, 50's greaser haircut), Nathan wants Claire to disappear until after the election (yeah right), we still don't know what Angela Petrelli's power is, Sylar is on the loose, and Mohinder is teaming up with Primatech Paper Company a.k.a. The Company. Can't wait to see where that last part goes.
2. Hiro- Hiro and Ando go to Issac's loft in the Deveaux building five years in the future, only to find future Hiro and his elaborate timeline of newspaper clippings, etc. I'll go into more detail about this in my text post, which will be about recent Heroes Online Graphic Novels, the latest of which deals explicitly with this moment.
3. Ted/HRG/Matt - They escaped from The Company in a pretty cool mind-reading way, ate at the diner in Odessa where Charlie used to work (why can't Sylar just look at the map and memorize everything?) and then decided to head to New York to destroy The Company's tracking system. Somehow, I have a feeling this will lead to Peter absorbing Ted's abilities and then exploding...
4. Isaac- Poor guy is dead now. We've known this was coming since the first episode, but Issac was a great character with an incredibly unique ability that tied the entire show together. The "previously on" for this week's episode was based entirely around Isaac's paintings, using them as a map to display the entire story thus far. Narrated by Linderman, this "previously on" was maybe the best part of the episode and a must-watch for everyone, whether you're new to the show or an older fan. Issac, I'm going to miss you and your incredibly awesome power. Sylar, you suck at painting.
5. Linderman/Micah/Jessica - It seems as if Nikki is toast. We haven't seen her in awhile and Jessica seems to be easily and totally in control. We saw that Linderman has the ability to heal others, sort of the opposite of Claire's power (if Peter gets this one, he will really be the ultimate superhero). This is another moment that was hinted at in the Graphic Novels, and I'll talk more about it later. The episode's best surprise comes into play here, when Candace uses her mimic/shapeshifting ability to pose as Jessica in order to bring Micah to Linderman. Linderman needs Micah for some mission, and if you've been playing the Heroes 360 experience, you already know what it is.
Let me take a moment to let you all know about the Heroes 360 Experience. If you'll remember a few episodes back, we were introduced to a new hero named Hana Gittelman, a.k.a. Wireless, who had the ability to see wireless transmissions (emails, satellite intel, text messages, etc.) and manipulate them. While she's been absent from the tv show, she's been very busy online, interacting with people playing the Heroes 360 game. The game is what is referred to as a transmedia narrative, meaning that while the main narrative of Heroes is the tv show, the graphic novels and the game fill in extra pieces of the puzzle that enhance, but are not crucial to, the narrative as a whole.
There are a number of ways to participate in the game, all of them based through the internet or text messages. You can sign up with The Primatech Paper Company, follow the prompts that cross the bottom of the screen during Heroes broadcasts, follow Hana's blog. There are numerous fan sites dedicated to following this game, such as the one I often use, the Heroes 360 Blog. Here, fans use their collective intelligence to solve puzzles presented by Hana or Linderman (read: NBC). Recently, Hana tasked her followers to delete Nathan Petrelli votes from a computer database that Linderman was using to rig Nathan's upcoming election. And according to Hana, we succeed. This ties into the show now because Linderman must use Micah's abilities to rig the election, since his own attempt was defeated by Hana and the Heroes 360 participants. Pretty cool, right?
There are a number of ancillary sites that are linked to this game, such as VotePetrelli.com, Hiro's blog, Linderman's archives (password: Vietnam-- more from the graphic novels), Claire's MySpace, Mohinder's webpage, and HRG's database. Check all this stuff out, and if you're interested, the 360 Blog linked above is a good place to jump into the action.
If you have anymore questions about the 360 experience, please feel free to leave a comment.
And as always, to wrap up my post, some unanswered questions, predications and general notes:
1) Why hasn't Peter absorbed Sylar's super hearing? I think it's because for Peter to deal with that new ability would be a narrative inconvenience, so the writers are just hoping we forget about it.
2) I told you all that there must've been a group of old heroes before! Linderman proved me right!
3) I think next week's episode is going to be awesome/frustrating. This episode ties in yet again to one of the graphic novels (next post, I swear!) and will show what the future will be like in five years (where Hiro and Ando currently are) if Hiro does not succeed in changing the past. But who here really thinks that's ever going to happen?
4) Issac mentioned that he's going to be a hero because he knows Sylar will die and he's told "them" how to kill Sylar. Huh? This is now my new favorite unanswered mystery.
For its excellent opening, cool Heroes 360 tie-ins, disappointing Peter/Sylar/Mohinder showdown, and otherwise fairly action-less plot, I give this episode a B.
Favorite Scene: Sylar vs. Issac, crucifixion style. Isaac dies a hero and Sylar paints like 6-year-old.
Favorite Line: "Interesting. I can't wait to try that one." --Sylar, upon seeing Peter use his invisibility.
4.23.2007
Planet Earth
Have you been watching this show? For once, I seem to be a late bloomer, not having watched any of this fantastic Discovery Channel/BBC documentary until earlier this week. But seriously, I mean, have you watched this show?! It's incredible!
For those of you who haven't been swept up in this phenomenon yet (I was late too, no hard feelings), Planet Earth is an 11-part "miniseries event" that takes a remarkably in-depth look at the flora and fauna of Earth in 11 different habitats such as fresh water, jungles, mountains, caves and deserts. Filmmakers spent roughly 5 years capturing these unbelievable images with a variety of zoom lenses and special photography that bring you mere inches away from glowworms in caves 100 miles deep or orangutans fighting each other for figs in the treetops.
If you can't watch this in High Def, don't bother watching at all. Without the high definition picture, this series becomes just another good science documentary narrated by a movie star with a calming voice (in this case, Sigourney Weaver, who is good, but is no Morgan Freeman). But with the crisp picture afforded by HD, it becomes a masterpiece, an event, something to be watched with your family and friends as you "ooh" and "aah" together at the fascinating beauty of nature and of our world.
What's so great about Planet Earth is that you don't need to like science or nature or anything like that to love this program. Think of it along the same lines as 2005's smash documentary March of the Penguins. None of us really cares all that much about penguins, but with beautiful photography, fascinating subjects, great editing to shape a narrative within the documentary, and sparse yet informative narration, that film, like this series, was enjoyed by millions. All you need is an open mind, some friends to watch with, and an HD television.
Unfortunately, the series is done airing on Discovery (last night was the last episode, Caves), so to catch the show, you'll have to watch it On Demand or buy/rent the DVD, which is already for sale. However, make sure you buy the DVD on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD because again, the picture and sound quality really make all the difference. But no matter how expensive the DVD set may be, I promise you it will be worth every penny.
For more information, check out Discovery's Planet Earth site.
Have any of you readers seen Planet Earth? What did you think?
For those of you who haven't been swept up in this phenomenon yet (I was late too, no hard feelings), Planet Earth is an 11-part "miniseries event" that takes a remarkably in-depth look at the flora and fauna of Earth in 11 different habitats such as fresh water, jungles, mountains, caves and deserts. Filmmakers spent roughly 5 years capturing these unbelievable images with a variety of zoom lenses and special photography that bring you mere inches away from glowworms in caves 100 miles deep or orangutans fighting each other for figs in the treetops.
If you can't watch this in High Def, don't bother watching at all. Without the high definition picture, this series becomes just another good science documentary narrated by a movie star with a calming voice (in this case, Sigourney Weaver, who is good, but is no Morgan Freeman). But with the crisp picture afforded by HD, it becomes a masterpiece, an event, something to be watched with your family and friends as you "ooh" and "aah" together at the fascinating beauty of nature and of our world.
What's so great about Planet Earth is that you don't need to like science or nature or anything like that to love this program. Think of it along the same lines as 2005's smash documentary March of the Penguins. None of us really cares all that much about penguins, but with beautiful photography, fascinating subjects, great editing to shape a narrative within the documentary, and sparse yet informative narration, that film, like this series, was enjoyed by millions. All you need is an open mind, some friends to watch with, and an HD television.
Unfortunately, the series is done airing on Discovery (last night was the last episode, Caves), so to catch the show, you'll have to watch it On Demand or buy/rent the DVD, which is already for sale. However, make sure you buy the DVD on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD because again, the picture and sound quality really make all the difference. But no matter how expensive the DVD set may be, I promise you it will be worth every penny.
For more information, check out Discovery's Planet Earth site.
Have any of you readers seen Planet Earth? What did you think?
4.19.2007
Top Ten TV Episodes
Two Points of Interest before we dive in here:
1. I suck. This post has taken me forever to write and I'm sorry I haven't been posting more. BUT- its about to be May sweeps and I promise I will be more diligent for this final month of the tv season.
2. I'm having major HTML issues, so please ignore any font/style changes below...
In the interest of encouraging you faithful readers to share your opinions more, I've decided to list here my 10 top favorite episodes of tv ever. PLEASE-- leave some comments! Tell me if you agree/disagree, what your favs are-- I don't care what you say, as long as you say it!
Before I show you this illustrious list, I must explain my criteria.
1. I only considered shows that I watched live, later that night on Tivo, or on-demand shortly after they aired. Thus, you will not find any of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy or Battlestar Galactica or Deadwood here, because I watched them too late after they aired to consider them eligible here.
2. These are not necessarily the best episodes ever (though in most cases, they are)-- these are the ones that elicited the most powerful emotional responses from me, so much so that I can vividly recall what it felt like to watch each and every one of these.
Here we go, folks. Enjoy!
10. Friends - Season 3, Episode 24-- "The One At The Beach"
This Season 3 finale was one of the first television shows I watched that really felt like "event tv." I can remember the bellow of frustration that issued forth from my mouth as the season ended with the horrible cliffhanger of Ross choosing between Rachel and Bonnie (Christine Taylor). For those of you who don't remember, the whole gang has gone to stay at the beach. Phoebe meets her birth mother, the gang plays "strip Happy Days Game," and Rachel convinces Ross's girlfriend Bonnie to shave her beautiful blonde hair, rendering her completely bald. Upon learning that Rachel still loves him, Ross must decide which girl to pursue. Bonnie and Rachel are staying across the hall from one another, but we don't know which room belongs to which girl. At the end of the episode, Ross walks into one of the rooms, BUT WHOSE IS IT?! Ross and Rachel were always the romantic and emotional focal point of the show, and this episode provided the most emotional punch of them all.
9. Entourage - Season 3, Episode 6 -- "Three's Company"
I defy you to name another television show that features a threesome with an averagely cool dude (read: your textual surrogate), a smoking hot blonde and a scorchingly hot brunette, complete with girl on girl making out. That alone is enough to vault this episode into my top ten, but there are certainly other factors that make this episode so fantastic. While Eric is off doing Sloan and Tori, Vince is playing hardball with Warner Bros., refusing to do Aquaman 2 for the studio that lied to his face. The only way he'll take the job is if Ari can find an audition for Johnny Drama. Drama gets the audition (and then the part and then a billboard), Vince agrees to film, but he refuses to show up to breakfast with the studio head the next morning. The feeling in my stomach as studio head Alan Grey (a hybrid of real life Warner Bros. studio head Alan Horn and Paramount head Brad Grey), tells Ari to fuck off and announces that Vince won't be in the film is as palpable now as it was when I watched it. The drama is great, the stakes are high, the girls are hot-- it doesn't get better than this.
8. Rome - Season 1, Episode 11 -- "The Spoils"
For those of you who haven't yet watched an episode of Rome, you are missing out big time. Where do you think Showtime got the balls to do The Tudors? Because they noticed how, with the right talent, effort and money, HBO created the best historical fiction television show of all time. With enormous authentic sets, beautifully detailed authentic costumes, and the usual fantastic writing/directing/acting and production value we've come to expect from HBO, Rome is a sensational show and "The Spoils" was one of its most sensational episodes (I say "was" because the series finale was a few weeks ago). This episode not only features intense moments of building tension between Caesar and Brutus (remember, the next episode is the season finale!), but the highlight of this episode is the ridiculously amazing scene at the gladiator arena. Titus Pullo has been condemned to die in the arena, but if you know Pullo, you know he isn't going out without a fight. What follows is one of the best action sequences I've ever seen, on tv or otherwise; its a scene that makes Ridley Scott's Gladiator seem like a high school play. If you haven't watched this show, you should because its fantastic-- but if you watch for this scene alone, it will be enough.
7. Lost - Season 2, Episode 1 - "Man of Science, Man of Faith"
If I were doing a top 10 most memorable tv scenes ever, the opening scene of this episode would hands down be number 1. From the iconic Mama Cass "Make Your Own Kind of Music" record to Desmond's odd morning routine to the shocking revelation of where the hell this scene actually takes place, these few minutes represent television at its very finest. This episode features everything that makes Lost great: important information is revealed (for once), crazy freaky weirdness occurs (Walt dripping wet in the jungle whispering things to Shannon springs to mind ) the flashback is one of the best ever (we learn how Jack met his ex-wife, but more importantly, we see how Jack meets Desmond at the track), and the ending is jaw-dropping (Desmond and Jack come face to face). This is also a pivotal episode in the Jack vs. Locke saga, as they really begin to disagree and move apart here. This is my personal favorite episode of the entire series and one of the only ones where I can recall exactly how I felt while watching it because it was so damn powerful (last week's buried alive moment was pretty damn powerful, by the way!). Pure awesomeness.
6. Late Night with Conan O'Brien - Ep. 1956, air date: 9/23/04
I'm not usually one to channel surf or watch television spontaneously because I can't stand most of what's on television and I hate commercials. But when I'm out of town, lounging at a relative's house or at a hotel, I almost always watch late night talk shows. In Fall of 04, I went to my grandparents house in Baltimore for the Jewish High Holy Days with my sister and, unsurprisingly, we found ourselves watching Conan in our room before we went to sleep. Little did I know that the very first segment that aired would turn out to be 8 of the funniest minutes I've ever spent watching television. Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you: Andy Blitz's Pop Up Problem.
5. The Wonder Years - Season 6, Episode 20 -- "Independence Day"
Yes, I can actually recall, quite vividly in fact, the experience of watching this series finale in May of 1993 as a 7-year-old, though to be fair, the full weight of this episode was lost on me until I re-watched the entire series on Nick at Night about 6 years ago. For my money, there has never been a better show about adolescence, family or the 50's than The Wonder Years. This show succeeded where series like American Dreams or Freaks and Geeks failed, for Kevin Arnold and his family consistently delivered poignant moments of what it was truly like to be a child of the 1950's in suburban America. The series finale, when we see Kevin and Winnie's final moments together and learn through voice-over the fates of each of the individual characters (Papa Arnold dying a few years later of a heart attack? Heart breaking). This episode will make you cry, it will make you smile and most of all, it will bowl you over with its overwhelming sense of nostalgia, for your own adolescent days, as well as for the days when our world seemed so much simpler. Ah, Kevin Arnold...
>4. South Park - Season 1, Episode 9 -- "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo"
While the entire first season (and let's be honest, the entire series) of South Park is hysterical, this episode stands out as one of the best, as well as one of the indicators of how far Trey Parker (and sort of Matt Stone, who doesn't really do anything) could take this show creatively. I recall watching this episode when it first aired in 1997 with my friend Gabe and laughing non-stop for several minutes as Cartman sang the defining anthem of my formative years, "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch." Remember folks, this was back in the days when saying "bitch" on tv was right up with their high treason on the list of American no-nos. For a show to have a bunch of cartoon 9th graders singing "bitch" over and over again (in several different languages to boot), was revolutionary and for me at least, unforgettable. The rest of the episode is pretty damn hilarious as well, with the other fantastic musical numbers (Kyle's "I'm a Lonely Jew on Christmas," the Mr. Hankey song, and several others among them), South Park's usual satirical bite, and a talking/dancing/singing deuce. To be quite frank,there's really nothing quite like a dancing deuce.
3. Heroes - Season 1, Episode 1 -- "Genesis"
As most of you who have been following this blog probably know by now, my favorite show currently on the air is Heroes. And let me tell you, this love affair began the moment the pilot began, with the unexplained shot of Peter Petrelli standing on a rooftop as Mohinder's voice-over narration poetically discusses what it means to be different, special. In New York this past summer, every movie I went to had an "Inside Look" into Heroes before the previews and so I was eagerly anticipating the show's debut. I did not expect the two hour pilot to be so freaking incredible to the point where it now probably ranks as my favorite tv pilot of all time. As I have often said before, I usually hate pilots. Pilots tend to be completely different then all the other episodes of the series because so much of the pilot must be devoted to narrative exposition that sets up the series' main thrust. While this episode does set up the narrative arc for the rest of the series (can the Heroes save New York from exploding?), it is also in perfect harmony with the rest of the episodes and is in fact, the best one. Incredible power uses, plot twists and surprises at every turn, high dramatic stakes-- I remember I felt as if I were watching a 4-hour cinematic saga rather than a 2-hour tv show pilot, I was so engrossed. If you're living under a rock and still haven't seen this show yet, shame on you. Go to NBC.com right now. Seriously. Right now.
2. Arrested Development - Season 3, Episode 3 -- "Forget Me Now"
Having watched this one again for the 20th or so time last night, I was once again reminded of how freakin funny this episode of Arrested is. There isn't a single wasted moment- every line, every costume, every camera angle, every sound effect-- everything is funny. Also, this episode has about 10 "callbacks" in it, inside jokes that only people who've been watching all along will notice and get, such as when GOB calls George Michael a "pothead" (a reference to the Season 1 Emmy-winning episode "Pier Pressure"), or when George Sr. tries to escape and is tackled and then delivered one hard blow by the third policeman (something that happens every time he tries to escape). When I watched this episode live about 14 months ago, I loved it so much I kept it on my Tivo for months, always finding something new to laugh about in this particularly funny episode of television's funniest show. Many of my favorite Arrested lines of all time appear in this episode ("Look at banner, Michael!", "Take this and love us again!", and "You made a mistake. You're human...except for the hand," among them). If you watch only one episode of this incredible series (which you shouldn't do-- you should rent and watch all 3 seasons in order. Trust me.), this would be the one because in my opinion, it's the single best episode of the entire series.
1. 24 - Season 3, Episode 18 -- "Day 3- 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M."
The mother of all television episodes. Good God, just thinking about this episode makes my heart race. First of all, this is one of 24's best seasons overall. Remember when they had more than plot going on at the same time, and we cared? Unlike this season which has been about the nuclear bombs (until recently when it became about Audrey, who must've been in hiding since her ABC show The Nine got canceled this fall-- ooo, speaking of Audrey, did anyone catch Paul Reins on The Tudors last night? Nice.), season three had Jack dealing with the terrorist on one front, and Tony, Michelle and Gael (remember him?!) working to save people in a hotel that had been infected with a chemical agent. AWESOME. But what really makes this episode the best episode of tv ever is the final five minutes, in which Jack must shoot his own boss, Ryan Chapelle, in the head. First Chapelle tries to kill himself, but can't do it. Jack says, "It's alright," and has Chapelle kneel in front of him. Jack utters, "God forgive me," and then bam! Bullet to the brain and Chapelle's body falls limp to the ground. The best part? The silent clock countdown to end the episode. I remember watching this with my mom and not being able to speak because we just couldn't believe what we had seen. I can never remember feeling so speechless and emotionally moved from an episode of tv before. And for that reason, this is my #1 tv episode of all time.
Honorable mentions: Family Guy - "PTV" & "E. Peterbus Unum", Lost - "Pilot", Entourage - "Sorry, Ari", The Office - "Diversity Day", Arrested Development - "The Righteous Brothers"
1. I suck. This post has taken me forever to write and I'm sorry I haven't been posting more. BUT- its about to be May sweeps and I promise I will be more diligent for this final month of the tv season.
2. I'm having major HTML issues, so please ignore any font/style changes below...
In the interest of encouraging you faithful readers to share your opinions more, I've decided to list here my 10 top favorite episodes of tv ever. PLEASE-- leave some comments! Tell me if you agree/disagree, what your favs are-- I don't care what you say, as long as you say it!
Before I show you this illustrious list, I must explain my criteria.
1. I only considered shows that I watched live, later that night on Tivo, or on-demand shortly after they aired. Thus, you will not find any of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy or Battlestar Galactica or Deadwood here, because I watched them too late after they aired to consider them eligible here.
2. These are not necessarily the best episodes ever (though in most cases, they are)-- these are the ones that elicited the most powerful emotional responses from me, so much so that I can vividly recall what it felt like to watch each and every one of these.
Here we go, folks. Enjoy!
10. Friends - Season 3, Episode 24-- "The One At The Beach"
This Season 3 finale was one of the first television shows I watched that really felt like "event tv." I can remember the bellow of frustration that issued forth from my mouth as the season ended with the horrible cliffhanger of Ross choosing between Rachel and Bonnie (Christine Taylor). For those of you who don't remember, the whole gang has gone to stay at the beach. Phoebe meets her birth mother, the gang plays "strip Happy Days Game," and Rachel convinces Ross's girlfriend Bonnie to shave her beautiful blonde hair, rendering her completely bald. Upon learning that Rachel still loves him, Ross must decide which girl to pursue. Bonnie and Rachel are staying across the hall from one another, but we don't know which room belongs to which girl. At the end of the episode, Ross walks into one of the rooms, BUT WHOSE IS IT?! Ross and Rachel were always the romantic and emotional focal point of the show, and this episode provided the most emotional punch of them all.
9. Entourage - Season 3, Episode 6 -- "Three's Company"
I defy you to name another television show that features a threesome with an averagely cool dude (read: your textual surrogate), a smoking hot blonde and a scorchingly hot brunette, complete with girl on girl making out. That alone is enough to vault this episode into my top ten, but there are certainly other factors that make this episode so fantastic. While Eric is off doing Sloan and Tori, Vince is playing hardball with Warner Bros., refusing to do Aquaman 2 for the studio that lied to his face. The only way he'll take the job is if Ari can find an audition for Johnny Drama. Drama gets the audition (and then the part and then a billboard), Vince agrees to film, but he refuses to show up to breakfast with the studio head the next morning. The feeling in my stomach as studio head Alan Grey (a hybrid of real life Warner Bros. studio head Alan Horn and Paramount head Brad Grey), tells Ari to fuck off and announces that Vince won't be in the film is as palpable now as it was when I watched it. The drama is great, the stakes are high, the girls are hot-- it doesn't get better than this.
8. Rome - Season 1, Episode 11 -- "The Spoils"
For those of you who haven't yet watched an episode of Rome, you are missing out big time. Where do you think Showtime got the balls to do The Tudors? Because they noticed how, with the right talent, effort and money, HBO created the best historical fiction television show of all time. With enormous authentic sets, beautifully detailed authentic costumes, and the usual fantastic writing/directing/acting and production value we've come to expect from HBO, Rome is a sensational show and "The Spoils" was one of its most sensational episodes (I say "was" because the series finale was a few weeks ago). This episode not only features intense moments of building tension between Caesar and Brutus (remember, the next episode is the season finale!), but the highlight of this episode is the ridiculously amazing scene at the gladiator arena. Titus Pullo has been condemned to die in the arena, but if you know Pullo, you know he isn't going out without a fight. What follows is one of the best action sequences I've ever seen, on tv or otherwise; its a scene that makes Ridley Scott's Gladiator seem like a high school play. If you haven't watched this show, you should because its fantastic-- but if you watch for this scene alone, it will be enough.
7. Lost - Season 2, Episode 1 - "Man of Science, Man of Faith"
If I were doing a top 10 most memorable tv scenes ever, the opening scene of this episode would hands down be number 1. From the iconic Mama Cass "Make Your Own Kind of Music" record to Desmond's odd morning routine to the shocking revelation of where the hell this scene actually takes place, these few minutes represent television at its very finest. This episode features everything that makes Lost great: important information is revealed (for once), crazy freaky weirdness occurs (Walt dripping wet in the jungle whispering things to Shannon springs to mind ) the flashback is one of the best ever (we learn how Jack met his ex-wife, but more importantly, we see how Jack meets Desmond at the track), and the ending is jaw-dropping (Desmond and Jack come face to face). This is also a pivotal episode in the Jack vs. Locke saga, as they really begin to disagree and move apart here. This is my personal favorite episode of the entire series and one of the only ones where I can recall exactly how I felt while watching it because it was so damn powerful (last week's buried alive moment was pretty damn powerful, by the way!). Pure awesomeness.
6. Late Night with Conan O'Brien - Ep. 1956, air date: 9/23/04
I'm not usually one to channel surf or watch television spontaneously because I can't stand most of what's on television and I hate commercials. But when I'm out of town, lounging at a relative's house or at a hotel, I almost always watch late night talk shows. In Fall of 04, I went to my grandparents house in Baltimore for the Jewish High Holy Days with my sister and, unsurprisingly, we found ourselves watching Conan in our room before we went to sleep. Little did I know that the very first segment that aired would turn out to be 8 of the funniest minutes I've ever spent watching television. Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you: Andy Blitz's Pop Up Problem.
5. The Wonder Years - Season 6, Episode 20 -- "Independence Day"
Yes, I can actually recall, quite vividly in fact, the experience of watching this series finale in May of 1993 as a 7-year-old, though to be fair, the full weight of this episode was lost on me until I re-watched the entire series on Nick at Night about 6 years ago. For my money, there has never been a better show about adolescence, family or the 50's than The Wonder Years. This show succeeded where series like American Dreams or Freaks and Geeks failed, for Kevin Arnold and his family consistently delivered poignant moments of what it was truly like to be a child of the 1950's in suburban America. The series finale, when we see Kevin and Winnie's final moments together and learn through voice-over the fates of each of the individual characters (Papa Arnold dying a few years later of a heart attack? Heart breaking). This episode will make you cry, it will make you smile and most of all, it will bowl you over with its overwhelming sense of nostalgia, for your own adolescent days, as well as for the days when our world seemed so much simpler. Ah, Kevin Arnold...
>4. South Park - Season 1, Episode 9 -- "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo"
While the entire first season (and let's be honest, the entire series) of South Park is hysterical, this episode stands out as one of the best, as well as one of the indicators of how far Trey Parker (and sort of Matt Stone, who doesn't really do anything) could take this show creatively. I recall watching this episode when it first aired in 1997 with my friend Gabe and laughing non-stop for several minutes as Cartman sang the defining anthem of my formative years, "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch." Remember folks, this was back in the days when saying "bitch" on tv was right up with their high treason on the list of American no-nos. For a show to have a bunch of cartoon 9th graders singing "bitch" over and over again (in several different languages to boot), was revolutionary and for me at least, unforgettable. The rest of the episode is pretty damn hilarious as well, with the other fantastic musical numbers (Kyle's "I'm a Lonely Jew on Christmas," the Mr. Hankey song, and several others among them), South Park's usual satirical bite, and a talking/dancing/singing deuce. To be quite frank,there's really nothing quite like a dancing deuce.
3. Heroes - Season 1, Episode 1 -- "Genesis"
As most of you who have been following this blog probably know by now, my favorite show currently on the air is Heroes. And let me tell you, this love affair began the moment the pilot began, with the unexplained shot of Peter Petrelli standing on a rooftop as Mohinder's voice-over narration poetically discusses what it means to be different, special. In New York this past summer, every movie I went to had an "Inside Look" into Heroes before the previews and so I was eagerly anticipating the show's debut. I did not expect the two hour pilot to be so freaking incredible to the point where it now probably ranks as my favorite tv pilot of all time. As I have often said before, I usually hate pilots. Pilots tend to be completely different then all the other episodes of the series because so much of the pilot must be devoted to narrative exposition that sets up the series' main thrust. While this episode does set up the narrative arc for the rest of the series (can the Heroes save New York from exploding?), it is also in perfect harmony with the rest of the episodes and is in fact, the best one. Incredible power uses, plot twists and surprises at every turn, high dramatic stakes-- I remember I felt as if I were watching a 4-hour cinematic saga rather than a 2-hour tv show pilot, I was so engrossed. If you're living under a rock and still haven't seen this show yet, shame on you. Go to NBC.com right now. Seriously. Right now.
2. Arrested Development - Season 3, Episode 3 -- "Forget Me Now"
Having watched this one again for the 20th or so time last night, I was once again reminded of how freakin funny this episode of Arrested is. There isn't a single wasted moment- every line, every costume, every camera angle, every sound effect-- everything is funny. Also, this episode has about 10 "callbacks" in it, inside jokes that only people who've been watching all along will notice and get, such as when GOB calls George Michael a "pothead" (a reference to the Season 1 Emmy-winning episode "Pier Pressure"), or when George Sr. tries to escape and is tackled and then delivered one hard blow by the third policeman (something that happens every time he tries to escape). When I watched this episode live about 14 months ago, I loved it so much I kept it on my Tivo for months, always finding something new to laugh about in this particularly funny episode of television's funniest show. Many of my favorite Arrested lines of all time appear in this episode ("Look at banner, Michael!", "Take this and love us again!", and "You made a mistake. You're human...except for the hand," among them). If you watch only one episode of this incredible series (which you shouldn't do-- you should rent and watch all 3 seasons in order. Trust me.), this would be the one because in my opinion, it's the single best episode of the entire series.
1. 24 - Season 3, Episode 18 -- "Day 3- 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M."
The mother of all television episodes. Good God, just thinking about this episode makes my heart race. First of all, this is one of 24's best seasons overall. Remember when they had more than plot going on at the same time, and we cared? Unlike this season which has been about the nuclear bombs (until recently when it became about Audrey, who must've been in hiding since her ABC show The Nine got canceled this fall-- ooo, speaking of Audrey, did anyone catch Paul Reins on The Tudors last night? Nice.), season three had Jack dealing with the terrorist on one front, and Tony, Michelle and Gael (remember him?!) working to save people in a hotel that had been infected with a chemical agent. AWESOME. But what really makes this episode the best episode of tv ever is the final five minutes, in which Jack must shoot his own boss, Ryan Chapelle, in the head. First Chapelle tries to kill himself, but can't do it. Jack says, "It's alright," and has Chapelle kneel in front of him. Jack utters, "God forgive me," and then bam! Bullet to the brain and Chapelle's body falls limp to the ground. The best part? The silent clock countdown to end the episode. I remember watching this with my mom and not being able to speak because we just couldn't believe what we had seen. I can never remember feeling so speechless and emotionally moved from an episode of tv before. And for that reason, this is my #1 tv episode of all time.
Honorable mentions: Family Guy - "PTV" & "E. Peterbus Unum", Lost - "Pilot", Entourage - "Sorry, Ari", The Office - "Diversity Day", Arrested Development - "The Righteous Brothers"
4.06.2007
The Showbiz Show with David Spade
So seeing as how I've been horribly inconsistent with my posts the past several weeks, I've decided to add a new, shorter type of post to the mix. They will be less critical and focus more on an idea than on a specific film or television episode. The following is one such post:
If you aren't watching The Showbiz Show With David Spade (which, let's face it, you most certainly aren't), you should be. This hilarious Daily Show meets Entertainment Tonight hybrid is on Thursday nights at 10:30 pm on Comedy Central and if you're like me, you'll find it to be the perfect dessert after NBC's "Comedy Night Done Right". (If you don't know what that means, shame on you.)
I know most of you probably aren't David Spade fans (is there such a thing?), but his sarcastic, throwaway monotone is perfect for the snide jokes he makes about the Hollywood elite. Each episode features a tv show parody (this season has already featured ones about Heroes and Battlestar Galactica, a.k.a. my two fav shows), some Weekend Update-esque jokes, a featured female comic (Edi Patterson, a great improv comic who I've had the pleasure to meet out at The Groundlings theater in L.A. was hilarious two weeks ago), and an assortment of rants and raves.
My favorite segment is one called "There I Said It," which is basically a 3 minute rant that is, in my opinion, the show's centerpiece and funniest bit. Check out this hilarious rant about Ugly Betty that aired two weeks ago. And believe me, it gets even funnier than this.
It's short, sweet, snippy and sarcastic-- a perfect comedic cherry on top of your comedy Thursday sundae.
Seen the show? Watched the Betty clip? Let me know what you think!
If you aren't watching The Showbiz Show With David Spade (which, let's face it, you most certainly aren't), you should be. This hilarious Daily Show meets Entertainment Tonight hybrid is on Thursday nights at 10:30 pm on Comedy Central and if you're like me, you'll find it to be the perfect dessert after NBC's "Comedy Night Done Right". (If you don't know what that means, shame on you.)
I know most of you probably aren't David Spade fans (is there such a thing?), but his sarcastic, throwaway monotone is perfect for the snide jokes he makes about the Hollywood elite. Each episode features a tv show parody (this season has already featured ones about Heroes and Battlestar Galactica, a.k.a. my two fav shows), some Weekend Update-esque jokes, a featured female comic (Edi Patterson, a great improv comic who I've had the pleasure to meet out at The Groundlings theater in L.A. was hilarious two weeks ago), and an assortment of rants and raves.
My favorite segment is one called "There I Said It," which is basically a 3 minute rant that is, in my opinion, the show's centerpiece and funniest bit. Check out this hilarious rant about Ugly Betty that aired two weeks ago. And believe me, it gets even funnier than this.
It's short, sweet, snippy and sarcastic-- a perfect comedic cherry on top of your comedy Thursday sundae.
Seen the show? Watched the Betty clip? Let me know what you think!
3.13.2007
24 - Season 6, Episode 13 - 6:00PM to 7:00PM
This week's episode of 24 was a very typical episode, featuring a variety of stunts and plot points that have become extremely familiar to loyal viewers of the show. It almost makes me wonder if the writers have some sort of template that they just fill in each week like Mad Libs. It might look something like this:
1. Jack gets trapped in a (insert foreign country) government building and must (escape/kill someone/steal something) before the (insert type of nuclear device) is detonated by (insert Russian/Arab last name).
2. The president is undermined by the despicable, morally bankrupt (insert name of vice president/chief of staff) who wishes to unseat the morally gold president in hopes of instituting some horribly immoral policy.
3. (insert name of past 24 star) returns, only to be "shockingly" killed off.
4. Chloe makes some semi-humorous sarcastic comment. Morris does too. What a pair.
5. The new Head of (insert CTU/Field Ops/Homeland Security) is hard-ass who is tough to work with, but usually does the right thing and gets the job done.
Had enough? I certainly have. Sure, I love watching Jean Smart babble like a crazy person, and of course I love to watch Gregory Itzin's neck fat flap around like a rooster's wattle, but really folks, what do the creators of 24 think they're pulling here? Is anyone riveted by this season's events? If you are, I'd love to read your comments because personally, I'm just bored to tears. I love a good Aaron appearance as much as the next guy, but has it really come to this? The idea well is so dry that each episode seems to just blend into the next?
If this is case, then I urge Fox to holster their guns, shut off their satellite imagery and throw in the towel. It's remarkable that the show has had such continued success for almost six years now, but I think it's pretty clear that the writers are simply out of gas. There's just no more mileage left in this show. Who could Jack possibly fight that he hasn't already? Mer-men? How many more presidents can be undermined by their ludicrously untrustworthy running mates?
In my opinion, the show is lacking three crucial elements that have made previous season's so much more intriguing than the current. The first is women. No woman has lasted this season for more than 2 or 3 episodes before disappearing off the face of the Earth (besides Chloe, who I wish would just die already). Where's Audrey? Where's Kim? Where are Nina, Sherry and Michelle? These female characters add a great level of depth to the show, a depth that is sorely missing at the moment.
Second, and very much connected to my first point, is the absence of a good American villain. Gredenko and Fayed blend right in with Bierko, Sayid Ali, Victor Drazen, etc. etc. etc. But what about Nina Meyers and Sherry Palmer? What about Alan Miliken and Peter Kingsley? Hell, what about Charles Logan? Facing real, 3-dimensional villains who have jobs and families and live on our own soil is much scarier than following faceless Arab and Russian terrorists around (who we know will be killed by the end of the season anyways).
Third, and this one is a more general comment that both my first suggestions sort of fall under, is a total lack of interesting supporting characters. This season, all the supporting characters have either disappeared after a small 2-3 episode arc or have been totally marginalized and are basically playing caricatures of themselves. The list of vanishing supporting roles this season is stunning: President Palmer, Walid and Palmer's sister, Jack's father/brother/nephew/sister-in-law, that blonde chick and the guy she was with who were both killed trying to get money from Fayed, etc. etc. etc. Just reading this list makes me want to die from boredom these characters suck so much. And those small characters who remain are incredibly boring and stupid as well: Buchanan is basically a phone operator and Chloe/Morris/that pretty girl with brown hair/Milo contribute absolutely nothing to the plot. Where are Curtis, Tony, David Palmer, George Mason, Chase, Secretary Heller, Paul Raines, Behrooz, and all of the other fun characters I mentioned above? What the hell is going on here?!
Sadly, it seems as if 24 is going to go out with much more of a whimper than a bang. This week's episode was a cookie cutter plot that created no suspense and blended right in with every other boring episode from this boring, boring season. For this reason, (though I do appreciate a nice guest star turn from Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin) I sadly and dejectedly give this episode a C+
Favorite Scene: When Martha stabs Charles in the neck! How do you like them apples, Mr. President?
Favorite Line: "Is Martha capable of having a coherent conversation with Anya Suberov?"
"Honestly, I don't know." -Bill Buchanan and Aaron Pierce
1. Jack gets trapped in a (insert foreign country) government building and must (escape/kill someone/steal something) before the (insert type of nuclear device) is detonated by (insert Russian/Arab last name).
2. The president is undermined by the despicable, morally bankrupt (insert name of vice president/chief of staff) who wishes to unseat the morally gold president in hopes of instituting some horribly immoral policy.
3. (insert name of past 24 star) returns, only to be "shockingly" killed off.
4. Chloe makes some semi-humorous sarcastic comment. Morris does too. What a pair.
5. The new Head of (insert CTU/Field Ops/Homeland Security) is hard-ass who is tough to work with, but usually does the right thing and gets the job done.
Had enough? I certainly have. Sure, I love watching Jean Smart babble like a crazy person, and of course I love to watch Gregory Itzin's neck fat flap around like a rooster's wattle, but really folks, what do the creators of 24 think they're pulling here? Is anyone riveted by this season's events? If you are, I'd love to read your comments because personally, I'm just bored to tears. I love a good Aaron appearance as much as the next guy, but has it really come to this? The idea well is so dry that each episode seems to just blend into the next?
If this is case, then I urge Fox to holster their guns, shut off their satellite imagery and throw in the towel. It's remarkable that the show has had such continued success for almost six years now, but I think it's pretty clear that the writers are simply out of gas. There's just no more mileage left in this show. Who could Jack possibly fight that he hasn't already? Mer-men? How many more presidents can be undermined by their ludicrously untrustworthy running mates?
In my opinion, the show is lacking three crucial elements that have made previous season's so much more intriguing than the current. The first is women. No woman has lasted this season for more than 2 or 3 episodes before disappearing off the face of the Earth (besides Chloe, who I wish would just die already). Where's Audrey? Where's Kim? Where are Nina, Sherry and Michelle? These female characters add a great level of depth to the show, a depth that is sorely missing at the moment.
Second, and very much connected to my first point, is the absence of a good American villain. Gredenko and Fayed blend right in with Bierko, Sayid Ali, Victor Drazen, etc. etc. etc. But what about Nina Meyers and Sherry Palmer? What about Alan Miliken and Peter Kingsley? Hell, what about Charles Logan? Facing real, 3-dimensional villains who have jobs and families and live on our own soil is much scarier than following faceless Arab and Russian terrorists around (who we know will be killed by the end of the season anyways).
Third, and this one is a more general comment that both my first suggestions sort of fall under, is a total lack of interesting supporting characters. This season, all the supporting characters have either disappeared after a small 2-3 episode arc or have been totally marginalized and are basically playing caricatures of themselves. The list of vanishing supporting roles this season is stunning: President Palmer, Walid and Palmer's sister, Jack's father/brother/nephew/sister-in-law, that blonde chick and the guy she was with who were both killed trying to get money from Fayed, etc. etc. etc. Just reading this list makes me want to die from boredom these characters suck so much. And those small characters who remain are incredibly boring and stupid as well: Buchanan is basically a phone operator and Chloe/Morris/that pretty girl with brown hair/Milo contribute absolutely nothing to the plot. Where are Curtis, Tony, David Palmer, George Mason, Chase, Secretary Heller, Paul Raines, Behrooz, and all of the other fun characters I mentioned above? What the hell is going on here?!
Sadly, it seems as if 24 is going to go out with much more of a whimper than a bang. This week's episode was a cookie cutter plot that created no suspense and blended right in with every other boring episode from this boring, boring season. For this reason, (though I do appreciate a nice guest star turn from Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin) I sadly and dejectedly give this episode a C+
Favorite Scene: When Martha stabs Charles in the neck! How do you like them apples, Mr. President?
Favorite Line: "Is Martha capable of having a coherent conversation with Anya Suberov?"
"Honestly, I don't know." -Bill Buchanan and Aaron Pierce
2.28.2007
Day Break - Yet Another Great Show You Aren't Watching
For true television-lovers of our generation, there is a perpetually growing list of shows that like James Dean or John Lennon, have had their auspicious lives cut short. Shows like Freaks and Greeks, Wonderfalls, and the granddaddy of them all, Arrested Development, are just a few of the gone, but not forgotten bunch that have found new life off the network and on DVD.
Well my friends, I'd like to introduce you to a show that may the potential to join this illustrious clan of enshrined entertainment. I promised myself when I began this blog that I would only talk about current media (hence no posts on any of the aforementioned shows), but the show in question right now was only cut from the air about 2 months ago, and the entire season can found on ABC.com. That's right, friends. I'm talking about Day Break.
Day Break stars Taye Diggs as L.A. narcotics detective Brett Hopper, a smart (if sometimes rash) cop with a knockout girlfriend (played by the intoxicating Moon Bloodgood-- how sexy of a name is that?), a knockout partner (played by Maxim cover girl Victoria Pratt), and a knockout sister (played by tv vet Meta Golding). Everything seems to be going well in Brett's life until one day, when it all falls apart.
In the pilot, we see this horrible day take place. Hopper wakes up to find out that he has been framed for the murder of Assistant D.A. Alberto Garza. There is a manhunt for Brett, based on the insurmountable evidence found against him (all of which has been planted, but by whom?), and so Hopper is on the run. At the end of the day, he is captured and knocked unconscious. He wakes up in restraints, lying on the ground in a rock quarry, surrounding by a circle of dark faces. He is given a DVD player on which he watches his girlfriend Rita be murdered. He is told by the men in the dark that if he doesn't confess to the murder, his sister Jen and her husband and two kids will be murdered as well. He is administered a shot in the neck and slips back into consciousness.
The following morning, Brett wakes up to find that it is not in fact the following morning, but the same morning of the same day he has already lived. Rita isn't dead; she's lying in bed next to him, just as she was yesterday. The same garbage truck outside their window hits the same garbage bin accidentally as did the previous morning. It's the same day. So Brett tries to do things differently this time, hoping to learn who is behind this conspriacy against him. Only it ends up the same way, with him in the quarry and Rita dead. All is lost...
Until he wakes up the next day and it's the same day again! Get the picture? Brett must use this miraculous circumstance to find new answers each day that bring him one step closer to discovering the truth behind the elaborate conspiracy that results in not merely his arrest, but the death of those he loves this most.
This is the premise of Day Break, and let me tell you, it's as interesting and risky an action drama as ABC has ever had. Think about it-- what would you do if every day was a do-over? The acting is superb, the plot intricate and unpredictable without being confusing or far-fetched (aside from the whole "each day is the same day" thing), and overall, the show is extremely suspenseful and compelling. Once Hopper makes a mistake or learns new information, it's just fascinating to watch how he avoids that mistake or uses the information in a new way the next day. For those of you who enjoy a good onion-esque narrative, with each episode revealing new layers of information, this is the show for you.
You might be asking yourself, "If this show is so great, why was it canceled mid-season, only to be replaced with double episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?" I have a few theories to answer this question:
1) Complexity-- it's near impossible to join this show mid-season. They do a great recap at the beginning of each episode, but the show just isn't as effective if you aren't on Hopper's journey from beginning to end. Each different repetition of the day sees another of Hopper's closest friends or family members killed-- there just isn't as much emotional gravity if you can't feel compassion for Hopper for having witnessed his love ones die in front of him day after day. Also, it's just tough to catch up on all the individual pieces you might have missed if you don't watch from the beginning.
2) Suspension of disbelief-- Perhaps some people simply can't deal with the fact that to buy into the show is to buy into the notion that someone can actually be stuck living the same day over and over. It works for a light 90 minute comedy like Groundhog's Day, but maybe it just doesn't work for some people when its a weekly hour-long drama.
3) Casting-- I hope this is not the case, but I fear the show may have been doomed by the casting of Taye Diggs, a black actor, as the leading man. Think about it- Can you name a single show on ABC that stars a black man? Aside from Isiah Washington on Grey's Anatomy, can you even think of a prominent black male character on the network (and no, we aren't counting Extreme Makeover: Home Edition...or Dancing with the Stars. Ugh. Just typing that title makes me want to throw up.) Mainstream America just isn't ready to let a black person be the lead of a show. End of story. If you want black leads in this country, watch the CW because you aren't going to find one anywhere else
(I was thinking about this yesterday in terms of the show Battlestar Galactica, another one of the best shows on tv that you aren't watching. Basically, there are less than 50,000 humans left in the universe and according to this show, one of them is black. The show is still awesome though. I'll post about it once I catch up to current episodes.)
4) Lack of subplots-- While there are certainly a handful of other characters, none are important enough to have their own subplot. There is just the one main mystery to be solved centered around Taye Diggs' character. It's very difficult to think of a show with literally no subplots (to be fair, a few early episodes feature a small subplot about Andrea's illegal activities while on duty), and perhaps this lack of texture is another factor that lead to Day Break's demise.
My advice? Watch the first 2-3 episodes. It's certainly worth your while. If you aren't hooked, this show isn't for you. If you're hooked, you can thank me later.
Well my friends, I'd like to introduce you to a show that may the potential to join this illustrious clan of enshrined entertainment. I promised myself when I began this blog that I would only talk about current media (hence no posts on any of the aforementioned shows), but the show in question right now was only cut from the air about 2 months ago, and the entire season can found on ABC.com. That's right, friends. I'm talking about Day Break.
Day Break stars Taye Diggs as L.A. narcotics detective Brett Hopper, a smart (if sometimes rash) cop with a knockout girlfriend (played by the intoxicating Moon Bloodgood-- how sexy of a name is that?), a knockout partner (played by Maxim cover girl Victoria Pratt), and a knockout sister (played by tv vet Meta Golding). Everything seems to be going well in Brett's life until one day, when it all falls apart.
In the pilot, we see this horrible day take place. Hopper wakes up to find out that he has been framed for the murder of Assistant D.A. Alberto Garza. There is a manhunt for Brett, based on the insurmountable evidence found against him (all of which has been planted, but by whom?), and so Hopper is on the run. At the end of the day, he is captured and knocked unconscious. He wakes up in restraints, lying on the ground in a rock quarry, surrounding by a circle of dark faces. He is given a DVD player on which he watches his girlfriend Rita be murdered. He is told by the men in the dark that if he doesn't confess to the murder, his sister Jen and her husband and two kids will be murdered as well. He is administered a shot in the neck and slips back into consciousness.
The following morning, Brett wakes up to find that it is not in fact the following morning, but the same morning of the same day he has already lived. Rita isn't dead; she's lying in bed next to him, just as she was yesterday. The same garbage truck outside their window hits the same garbage bin accidentally as did the previous morning. It's the same day. So Brett tries to do things differently this time, hoping to learn who is behind this conspriacy against him. Only it ends up the same way, with him in the quarry and Rita dead. All is lost...
Until he wakes up the next day and it's the same day again! Get the picture? Brett must use this miraculous circumstance to find new answers each day that bring him one step closer to discovering the truth behind the elaborate conspiracy that results in not merely his arrest, but the death of those he loves this most.
This is the premise of Day Break, and let me tell you, it's as interesting and risky an action drama as ABC has ever had. Think about it-- what would you do if every day was a do-over? The acting is superb, the plot intricate and unpredictable without being confusing or far-fetched (aside from the whole "each day is the same day" thing), and overall, the show is extremely suspenseful and compelling. Once Hopper makes a mistake or learns new information, it's just fascinating to watch how he avoids that mistake or uses the information in a new way the next day. For those of you who enjoy a good onion-esque narrative, with each episode revealing new layers of information, this is the show for you.
You might be asking yourself, "If this show is so great, why was it canceled mid-season, only to be replaced with double episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?" I have a few theories to answer this question:
1) Complexity-- it's near impossible to join this show mid-season. They do a great recap at the beginning of each episode, but the show just isn't as effective if you aren't on Hopper's journey from beginning to end. Each different repetition of the day sees another of Hopper's closest friends or family members killed-- there just isn't as much emotional gravity if you can't feel compassion for Hopper for having witnessed his love ones die in front of him day after day. Also, it's just tough to catch up on all the individual pieces you might have missed if you don't watch from the beginning.
2) Suspension of disbelief-- Perhaps some people simply can't deal with the fact that to buy into the show is to buy into the notion that someone can actually be stuck living the same day over and over. It works for a light 90 minute comedy like Groundhog's Day, but maybe it just doesn't work for some people when its a weekly hour-long drama.
3) Casting-- I hope this is not the case, but I fear the show may have been doomed by the casting of Taye Diggs, a black actor, as the leading man. Think about it- Can you name a single show on ABC that stars a black man? Aside from Isiah Washington on Grey's Anatomy, can you even think of a prominent black male character on the network (and no, we aren't counting Extreme Makeover: Home Edition...or Dancing with the Stars. Ugh. Just typing that title makes me want to throw up.) Mainstream America just isn't ready to let a black person be the lead of a show. End of story. If you want black leads in this country, watch the CW because you aren't going to find one anywhere else
(I was thinking about this yesterday in terms of the show Battlestar Galactica, another one of the best shows on tv that you aren't watching. Basically, there are less than 50,000 humans left in the universe and according to this show, one of them is black. The show is still awesome though. I'll post about it once I catch up to current episodes.)
4) Lack of subplots-- While there are certainly a handful of other characters, none are important enough to have their own subplot. There is just the one main mystery to be solved centered around Taye Diggs' character. It's very difficult to think of a show with literally no subplots (to be fair, a few early episodes feature a small subplot about Andrea's illegal activities while on duty), and perhaps this lack of texture is another factor that lead to Day Break's demise.
My advice? Watch the first 2-3 episodes. It's certainly worth your while. If you aren't hooked, this show isn't for you. If you're hooked, you can thank me later.
2.17.2007
Lost - Season 3, Episode 8 - "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
Bravo, Lost. After weeks of disappointment, last Wednesday's episode marked a stellar return to form for tv's most mysterious drama. In fact, I thought this episode was so fantastic that for my money, I would call it the third best episode of Lost EVER (behind, of course, the pilot and the season two premiere-- that opening bit with Desmond in the hatch and the Mama Cass song was the best 5 minutes of Lost. Period.) Two Desmond episodes in the top three? Maybe they oughta stick with the Scotsman more.
This episode had everything the past half-dozen episodes lacked: characters besides Jack, Sawyer and Kate (thank God!), relevant backstory, and clever, meaningful, unanticipated plot twists. In fact, as a whole, the episode was 99% flawless (I'll get to the 1% in a bit).
First, we've got the provocative opening, with Desmond suddenly bolting into the ocean to save a drowning Claire. Scary stuff, right? We get some long-needed Hurley chillness, some patented Charlie jealousy/overbearingness, and most importantly, a whole lot of Desmond.
Most important to the success of this episode, in my opinion, is the structure. For only the second time (the first being the Season 2 episode, "The Other 48 Days", where we see what happened to all the Tailies), we get an episode that aside from the beginning and end, is one uninterrupted flashback. I love that we didn't have to get the annoying switch back and forth with that now-irritating swooshing noise that accompanies every single transition.
Also, the content of the flashback was awesome. Not only is Desmond's flashback interesting in terms of finally knowing what went down with Penelope, but for once, the flashback is critical to life on the Island, for it explains why Desmond is so wacky and why he can see the future. This is so much more fulfilling than a flashback like, for example, Jack's, which merely serve to fill in some blanks about Jack's personality rather than to inform his current life on the Island.
Moreover, we get some cool playing with death, a la 2000's Final Destination-- you can keep trying to stop fate, but no matter what you try to do, the outcome is inevitable.
My one gripe about the episode was the atrocious guest appearance by The O.C.'s Caleb Moneybags, a.k.a. Alan Dale. His British accent was perhaps the worst attempt at an accent since my little brother and his drama school did Oliver when he was 7. Atrocious. How could they let this get on tv? If I were British, I would never watch this show again.
I like how the writers, as they did with Locke, use Desmond's last name (Hume), to reflect the similarities between his own philosophies and those of Scottish philosopher David Hume, who had a lot to say about the nature of causation (wikipedia that shit).
The best part of the whole episode, by FAR, was the twist at the end-- that it was Charlie, not Claire, that Desmond had been trying to save. It was a brilliant stroke to have Desmond save Claire from drowning as a way of actually saving Charlie. This is what a plot twist should be-- totally unanticipated, but organically developed in a rational way from the story. Awesome. My stomach totally dropped when Desmond revealed the truth-- it's this visceral reaction that distinguished truly engrossing tv from plain entertainment.
All in all, this was really a fantastic episode and a high mark of what we should be able to expect from Lost when it's at its best. It's going to take more episodes like this to bring Lost to its former glory. For being one of the best episodes ever, I happily give this one an A
Favorite Scene: The final confrontation between Charlie and Desmond on the beach, when Desmond reveals the truth about his precognitive abilities.
Favorite line: "You may not like your path, Desmond, but pushing that button is the only truly great thing that you will ever do." -Ms. Hawking (a.k.a. Judi Dench look-alike)
This episode had everything the past half-dozen episodes lacked: characters besides Jack, Sawyer and Kate (thank God!), relevant backstory, and clever, meaningful, unanticipated plot twists. In fact, as a whole, the episode was 99% flawless (I'll get to the 1% in a bit).
First, we've got the provocative opening, with Desmond suddenly bolting into the ocean to save a drowning Claire. Scary stuff, right? We get some long-needed Hurley chillness, some patented Charlie jealousy/overbearingness, and most importantly, a whole lot of Desmond.
Most important to the success of this episode, in my opinion, is the structure. For only the second time (the first being the Season 2 episode, "The Other 48 Days", where we see what happened to all the Tailies), we get an episode that aside from the beginning and end, is one uninterrupted flashback. I love that we didn't have to get the annoying switch back and forth with that now-irritating swooshing noise that accompanies every single transition.
Also, the content of the flashback was awesome. Not only is Desmond's flashback interesting in terms of finally knowing what went down with Penelope, but for once, the flashback is critical to life on the Island, for it explains why Desmond is so wacky and why he can see the future. This is so much more fulfilling than a flashback like, for example, Jack's, which merely serve to fill in some blanks about Jack's personality rather than to inform his current life on the Island.
Moreover, we get some cool playing with death, a la 2000's Final Destination-- you can keep trying to stop fate, but no matter what you try to do, the outcome is inevitable.
My one gripe about the episode was the atrocious guest appearance by The O.C.'s Caleb Moneybags, a.k.a. Alan Dale. His British accent was perhaps the worst attempt at an accent since my little brother and his drama school did Oliver when he was 7. Atrocious. How could they let this get on tv? If I were British, I would never watch this show again.
I like how the writers, as they did with Locke, use Desmond's last name (Hume), to reflect the similarities between his own philosophies and those of Scottish philosopher David Hume, who had a lot to say about the nature of causation (wikipedia that shit).
The best part of the whole episode, by FAR, was the twist at the end-- that it was Charlie, not Claire, that Desmond had been trying to save. It was a brilliant stroke to have Desmond save Claire from drowning as a way of actually saving Charlie. This is what a plot twist should be-- totally unanticipated, but organically developed in a rational way from the story. Awesome. My stomach totally dropped when Desmond revealed the truth-- it's this visceral reaction that distinguished truly engrossing tv from plain entertainment.
All in all, this was really a fantastic episode and a high mark of what we should be able to expect from Lost when it's at its best. It's going to take more episodes like this to bring Lost to its former glory. For being one of the best episodes ever, I happily give this one an A
Favorite Scene: The final confrontation between Charlie and Desmond on the beach, when Desmond reveals the truth about his precognitive abilities.
Favorite line: "You may not like your path, Desmond, but pushing that button is the only truly great thing that you will ever do." -Ms. Hawking (a.k.a. Judi Dench look-alike)
Heroes - The Online Graphic Novels
Go ahead. Call me a geek. I don't care. So what if I derive a great deal of satisfaction from reading supplementary online-only graphic novels featuring backstories on the characters from NBC's runaway hit (and my #1 favorite show currently on tv) Heroes? Each week, a new 5-6 page graphic novel appears on NBC's Heroes page, written and illustrated by different popular comic book authors.
The short stories, each from a different character's point of view, provide some extra insight into specific characters or moments from the television. Also, each comic has a hidden link embedded somewhere that takes you to see some other Heroes-related content from the NBC website. For instance, in Novel #1, by clicking on the first page, you shown a black and white drawing of Hiro's jump into the future, which you can see here.
Since I'm such a nice guy (and since I'm clearly too obsessed with Heroes), I've decided to read all the online graphic novels that have been published thus far and provide you all with a quick summary of each. Hopefully, this will save you the time it takes to read the novels (they're very short, but it takes almost 10 seconds for each new page to load, which is a very annoying way to read), and also give you some important info as to the next story arc's crucial query: Are you on the list?
To save you further time, I've grouped the stories into 3 categories for you, so you can read only what you're interested in.
1) Additional Character Info - 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 19
2) Character Back Story- 5, 6, 8, 9, 13
3) Cool Narrative Info You Otherwise Wouldn't Have- 2, 11, (14, 15, 16), 17, 18, 20
Note - If you don't already watch Heroes, don't waste your time with these
Novel #1 - "Monsters" -- Mohinder Suresh investigates the cab in which his father was murdered. He becomes employed at the same taxi company and vows to pursue his father's scientific work, not wanting his father to have died in vain.
- Secret link: Black & white comic page
Novel #2 - "Hiro" -- Hiro Nakamura, after jumping five weeks into the future and seeing the atomic bomb-like explosion, returns to present time and vows to stop the impending disaster. He reveals that his parents named him after Hiroshima, a similar disaster that claimed the life of his grandfather. He visits his grandfather's grave, which is littered with origami cranes on strings-- (Connection alert! -- On the show, Hiro strings origami cranes around Charlie's diner to prove to her that he can bend space and time. She is later killed by Sylar. Coincidence? I think not!)
-Secret Link: Black & white comic page of Nathan Petrelli
Novel #3 - "Nathan" --Nathan passes by a burning building and against his better judgment, uses his powers to fly up to the fourth floor and carries a young girl to safety. He leaves a "Vote for Petrelli" pin in her pocket.
-Secret Link: Nathan Petrelli Political Commerical
Novel #4 - "Aftermath" --After purposely crashing her car while that rapist kid is in it, Claire begrudgingly pulls him from the car before it explodes, saving his life.
-Secret Link: Claire's MySpace page
Novel #5 - "Snapshots" --While being interrogated for his part in the armed robbery of a bookie in Primm, Nevada, from which he supposedly stole 2 million dollars, D.L. Hawkins discovers his power for the first time when he slips out of his handcuffs to punch a guard who makes a rude comment about Nikki. Later that night, D.L. decides that his family needs his protection from whoever framed him for the robbery, so he uses his powers for the second time to pass through the wall of his cell, climb down a drain pipe and escape from prison.
-Secret Link: None that I could find
Novel #6 - "Stolen Time" --Six months ago, Nikki/Jessica accompanies D.L.'s crew on a heist, where she uses her super-strength to rip open the safe and steal 2 million dollars. After framing D.L. for the crime, Nikki and her three cohorts cruise through Nevada discussing their plans for the money. The three idiots turn their gun on "the new girl," and are dead before they know it. Nikki gives the money to some guy to "clean" for her so it can't be traced (a process that will take six months), and then drives to bury her three dead pals in the desert.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of locker doors flying at Peter during his confrontation with Sylar at Claire's homecoming
Novel #7 - "Control" --After punching his best friend in the face for sleeping with his wife, Matt Parkman goes for a drive in his cop car to clear his head. He happens to be in the area when a robbery suspect in a white sports car zooms by, and so Matt pursues him. Able to hear the criminal's thoughts, Matt chases his through a crowded shopping promenade and is able to stop the car and arrest the con.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of Sylar with the unfinished corner (that Peter later fills in).
Novel #8 - "Isaac's First Time" --Isaac tells Eden about the first time he painted the future. With the help of Simone, Isaac had opened a big art show a few months back. One of the paintings on display was of a young blonde woman getting hit by a bus. At the show, the blonde woman from the picture punches and then berates Isaac for painting her like that, though Isaac tries to explain that he doesn't even know who she is. Furious, she bolts from the gallery with Isaac in tow. As Isaac chases after, she dashes into the street and is hit by a bus, the exact image from Isaac's painting.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of Hiro and Ando under the bloody "Homecoming" banner
Novel #9 - "Life Before Eden" --The story of how Eden discovered her powers. As a child, Eden's father walked out on his always quiet daughter and her abusive stepmother. With daddy gone, Eden's stepmother put her to work doing chores all day around the house and treating her like garbage. Eden still kept her mouth shut, hoping that one day her father might return. One night, when her stepmother was in a particularly terrible mood, she screamed at Eden, demanding she stop wishing for her dad to come because he would never come home to a worthless child like her. Enraged, Eden yelled to her stepmom to drop dead. And so she did, dropping her cigarette to the ground and setting their house ablaze. Eden, newly aware of her incredible persuasive powers, hitchhikes out of town, leaving her old life behind and starting her new one with her new name, Eden.
-Secret Link: Photo of Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettierre from the set of Heroes
Novel #10 - "Turning Point" --FBI Agent Audrey Hanson arrives at a murder scene, and she instantly knows that the serial killer she's been tracking, Sylar, is responsible. In fact, Sylar is standing right behind her, enjoying his handiwork. Somehow, Audrey knows it's him and as they make eye contact, Sylar bolts down the street. He leaps onto the roof of a moving train and Audrey follows after. At the next station, she spots Sylar running ahead of her and unloads several bullets into his back. She runs to the body, only to find an old man in Sylar's coat and hat. Sylar grins and slips away.
-Secret Link: Photo of Greg Grunberg and Clea Duvall shooting a scene on the set of Heroes
Novel #11 - "Fathers & Daughters" -- Horn Rimmed Glasses (Mr. Bennet) goes to Eden's drunk father to tell him of her death at the hands of Sylar. The drunken hick says he doesn't care because his daughter was nothing but a whore. HRG punches him, explaining that she was a hero for taking her own life rather than give Sylar her powers. We see how HRG and the Haitian busted in on Sylar as he stood over Eden's body, and plugged him full of projectile tranquilizers (so THAT'S how he got re-captured! He never even left!) As HRG walks away from Eden's father, he tells the Haitian to erase his memory, but to leave the guilt.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of "Energyman" (dude exploding)
Novel #12 - "Super-Heroics" --In a coma, Peter Petrelli has a vision of himself not as the Exploding Man, but as a true super hero, with cape, tights and all. In the vision, he flies after The Rocket, a criminal with a jetpack and impenetrable armor. Grabbing The Rocket, Peter shoots up into the clouds, using the height to disable the jetpack. Peter then flies straight down, using the hard ground below to shatter The Rocket's armor and causing a huge explosion. The Rocket removes his mask, revealing that he too is Peter. Is Peter the villain or the hero?
-Secret Link: Photo of Milo Ventimiglia filming a scene on the set of Heroes
Novel #13 - "Wireless: Part One" --A glimpse of future hero Hana Gitelman, a.k.a. Wireless, before she even appears on the tv show! We see a flashback of Hana's grandmother Tanta, a resistance fighter against the Nazis in 1944 Berlin. Tanta is captured and put in a death camp, but she survives. Then, another flashback of Hana's mother Zahava, one of the IDF's first female fighter pilots, taking out enemy planes in Jerusalem during the Six Days War in 1967. Another flashback, Jerusalem 1989. Hana, Tanta and Zahava are aboard a bus as a suicide terrorist drives it off a cliff. Hana survives; her mother and grandmother do not. Another flashback, Beer Sheva 1997. Hana is an Israeli soldier who requests combat duty, but her superior tells her she can only be an Intelligence Officer because her thirst for vengeance will get her into trouble as soldier. Hana moves higher and higher in the Mossad Intelligence ranks, but still yearns for combat, to avenge her family. On patrol one night, Hana is attacked from the shadows and thrown to the ground. She pulls out her weapon, but her assailant is HRG, and he has come to change her future...
-Secret Link: Another photo of Milo and Hayden on the set of Heroes
Novel #14 - "Wireless: Part Two" --**Spoiler Alert** The second part of Hana's saga. It begins with a flashback- Tel Aviv, 1992. Hana is at an all-girls school where she has no friends, due to trust issues stemming from the day her mother and grandmother were killed. In the present, HRG takes Hana to a secret facility in the Alaskan tundra. He says he is with the C.I.A. and that Hana has been handpicked to fight evil. He puts her through a series of grueling physical tests, all of which she passes with ease. She then undergoes a series of medical tests, constantly being injected with "vitamins" and being poked and prodded by various doctors. She feels like she's wasting her time when she could be out carrying on her family's legacy. During one testing session, out of nowhere, she screams at a doctor to explain a text message about her she just read. The doctor tells her he's received no such message. A moment later, his phone rings, and the very message Hana described appears on-screen. Instantly, Hana's brain is flooded with every e-mail, satellite transmission and text message floating around the world. She freezes, unable to control the flood, until a swift punch from HRG knocks her out cold. Back in her room, Hana uses her mind to send an e-mail to everyone in the facility with the word "Kadima" ("attack" in Hebrew). She then uses her mind to send a text message to HRG, proving her control over her powers. He tells her she's ready for her first mission...
-Secret Link: A photo of Milo Ventimiglia and Adrian Pasdar shooting a scene on the set of Heroes
Novel #15 - "Wireless: Part Three" --Hana is on a mission in Tanzania, Africa. Using her mind, she intercepts an e-mail from an evil scientist, (which details his plans to genetically alter bacteria into a deadly virus), and forwards it to HRG, who is at home with his daughter Claire in Odessa, Texas. Hana is captured outside the enemy compound in Tanzania and thrown into a cell. Using her army training, she fights her way out and leaps over the compound gate, only to find herself standing face to face with a tank...
-Secret Link: None
Novel #16 - "Wireless: Part Four" --Hana surrenders in Tanzania, announcing she is a C.I.A. operative. She is transferred to Dar Es Salaam where she is informed that there is no record of her being in the C.I.A., no special operatives, no Alaskan compound, and all of the phone numbers she gives them have been disconnected. Using her abilities, Hana sets off the building's sprinkler system and uses the momentary distraction to grab a weapon, take her interviewer hostage, shoot out a window, and escape. She changes her name, relocates to Montana, and spends her time honing her powers and scouring wireless transmissions for information on HRG, the man who manipulate and lied to her. She intercepts an e-mail from "Teddyboy" and learns that she's not the only one who HRG has lied to. She hops on her bike and heads to the desert...
-Secret Link: None...but want to know what happens next? Click here.
Novel #17 - "How Do You Stop An Exploding Man?: Part One" --**Spoiler Alert!** Ted Sprague has the power to emit radioactive energy. After being captured by the FBI for this ability, Ted uses his power to blow up his transport and everyone in it. He runs away to the New Mexico desert, stocks up on weapons, and lives in a small shack. Periodically, he must go further into the desert and release a huge blast of nuclear energy as it builds up inside him. One day, Hana Gitelman appears in his cabin, and explains their connection: they've both been abused and lied to by HRG and together, they want revenge. She shows Ted a schematic for the needle with which they were both injected (both share the same mark on their neck, as do Matt and Nikki, among others). Hana intercepts some wireless transmissions and warns Ted they must run away immediately. Hana escapes on her motorcycle, but Ted is suddenly surrounded by a whole battalion of army personnel...
-Secret Link: None
Novel #18 - "How Do You Stop An Exploding Man?: Part Two" --**Spoiler Alert!** The army men that have surrounded Ted hose him with liquid concrete that prevents him from emitting any nuclear energy. They leave Ted's head exposed (big mistake) and load him into a truck. With his face exposed, Ted emits a huge blast of nuclear energy from his eyes and mouth, blowing everyone and everything to smithereens, except for the man who authored his capture. Ted searches the area for this man, but he is nowhere to be found. Using Hana's schematic, Ted tracks down the facility in which the needle they were injected with was made (it's in Billings, Montana). Inside the facility, he corners a scientist and learns that the hypodermic needle is shot from a gun, and that the gun is used to inject a special isotope into wild animals that allows the animals to be tracked. Furious, Ted uses his powers to blow up the building and storms off to seek his revenge...
-Secret Link: None
Novel #19 - "Bully" --Young Micah Sanders can talk to machines. After a schoolmate sends out a photo of Micah's mom with the word "killer" plastered all over it, Micah uses his power to learn who sent the photo (a kid named Frank). When he approaches Frank and threatens to tell the principal about what he's done, Frank punches him in the face. As Frank and his sidekick taunt Micah, Micah kicks Frank in the junk and speeds away from the schoolyard. Frank and his buddy follow Micah into a junkyard (that seemingly houses only defunct electronic billboards from Vegas). Frank and pal (let's call him beans) come across a brightly lit sign of a devil, and then of a billboard that reads "Beware Frank." Frank and Beans run away terrified.
-Secret Link: A photo of Masi Oka goofing off on the set of Heroes
Novel #20 - "Road Kill" --After being shot by HRG, Sylar escapes into a small Texas town to tend to his wounds. Wanting to escape North, Sylar hitches a ride with a beer transport truck. After learning the truck is actually heading west, Sylar uses his telekinesis to stick a six-pack of beer bottles into the driver's back. Having no clue how to operate a truck, Sylar uses the ability he took when he killed Charlie to quickly read and memorize the entire manual on truck operation. He drives through Virginia until a swarm of cop cars appears in his rear view mirror. He opens the door to the truck and uses another of his abilities to freeze the road as he drives over it, slipping up all the cop cars behind him. A few hundred yards down the road, an enormous roadblock of police wait for him. Using yet another power (flight? incredible leaping?), he jumps from the truck just as it drives over a cliff and hangs from a very high tree branch way above the freeway. As the cops investigate the crash, Sylar slips away to continue his "evolutionary imperative": acquisition. He remembers only one more name from Chandra Suresh's map, Zane Taylor. He arrives at Zane's with no clue how to proceed from here: how will he find all the other people will abilities? If you saw last week's episode, you know exactly what happens next...
-Secret Link: A photo of Jack Coleman shooting a scene on the set of Heroes.
Once more of these come out, I'll do a second batch to catch you up on the rest. Aren't I great?
The short stories, each from a different character's point of view, provide some extra insight into specific characters or moments from the television. Also, each comic has a hidden link embedded somewhere that takes you to see some other Heroes-related content from the NBC website. For instance, in Novel #1, by clicking on the first page, you shown a black and white drawing of Hiro's jump into the future, which you can see here.
Since I'm such a nice guy (and since I'm clearly too obsessed with Heroes), I've decided to read all the online graphic novels that have been published thus far and provide you all with a quick summary of each. Hopefully, this will save you the time it takes to read the novels (they're very short, but it takes almost 10 seconds for each new page to load, which is a very annoying way to read), and also give you some important info as to the next story arc's crucial query: Are you on the list?
To save you further time, I've grouped the stories into 3 categories for you, so you can read only what you're interested in.
1) Additional Character Info - 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 19
2) Character Back Story- 5, 6, 8, 9, 13
3) Cool Narrative Info You Otherwise Wouldn't Have- 2, 11, (14, 15, 16), 17, 18, 20
Note - If you don't already watch Heroes, don't waste your time with these
Novel #1 - "Monsters" -- Mohinder Suresh investigates the cab in which his father was murdered. He becomes employed at the same taxi company and vows to pursue his father's scientific work, not wanting his father to have died in vain.
- Secret link: Black & white comic page
Novel #2 - "Hiro" -- Hiro Nakamura, after jumping five weeks into the future and seeing the atomic bomb-like explosion, returns to present time and vows to stop the impending disaster. He reveals that his parents named him after Hiroshima, a similar disaster that claimed the life of his grandfather. He visits his grandfather's grave, which is littered with origami cranes on strings-- (Connection alert! -- On the show, Hiro strings origami cranes around Charlie's diner to prove to her that he can bend space and time. She is later killed by Sylar. Coincidence? I think not!)
-Secret Link: Black & white comic page of Nathan Petrelli
Novel #3 - "Nathan" --Nathan passes by a burning building and against his better judgment, uses his powers to fly up to the fourth floor and carries a young girl to safety. He leaves a "Vote for Petrelli" pin in her pocket.
-Secret Link: Nathan Petrelli Political Commerical
Novel #4 - "Aftermath" --After purposely crashing her car while that rapist kid is in it, Claire begrudgingly pulls him from the car before it explodes, saving his life.
-Secret Link: Claire's MySpace page
Novel #5 - "Snapshots" --While being interrogated for his part in the armed robbery of a bookie in Primm, Nevada, from which he supposedly stole 2 million dollars, D.L. Hawkins discovers his power for the first time when he slips out of his handcuffs to punch a guard who makes a rude comment about Nikki. Later that night, D.L. decides that his family needs his protection from whoever framed him for the robbery, so he uses his powers for the second time to pass through the wall of his cell, climb down a drain pipe and escape from prison.
-Secret Link: None that I could find
Novel #6 - "Stolen Time" --Six months ago, Nikki/Jessica accompanies D.L.'s crew on a heist, where she uses her super-strength to rip open the safe and steal 2 million dollars. After framing D.L. for the crime, Nikki and her three cohorts cruise through Nevada discussing their plans for the money. The three idiots turn their gun on "the new girl," and are dead before they know it. Nikki gives the money to some guy to "clean" for her so it can't be traced (a process that will take six months), and then drives to bury her three dead pals in the desert.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of locker doors flying at Peter during his confrontation with Sylar at Claire's homecoming
Novel #7 - "Control" --After punching his best friend in the face for sleeping with his wife, Matt Parkman goes for a drive in his cop car to clear his head. He happens to be in the area when a robbery suspect in a white sports car zooms by, and so Matt pursues him. Able to hear the criminal's thoughts, Matt chases his through a crowded shopping promenade and is able to stop the car and arrest the con.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of Sylar with the unfinished corner (that Peter later fills in).
Novel #8 - "Isaac's First Time" --Isaac tells Eden about the first time he painted the future. With the help of Simone, Isaac had opened a big art show a few months back. One of the paintings on display was of a young blonde woman getting hit by a bus. At the show, the blonde woman from the picture punches and then berates Isaac for painting her like that, though Isaac tries to explain that he doesn't even know who she is. Furious, she bolts from the gallery with Isaac in tow. As Isaac chases after, she dashes into the street and is hit by a bus, the exact image from Isaac's painting.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of Hiro and Ando under the bloody "Homecoming" banner
Novel #9 - "Life Before Eden" --The story of how Eden discovered her powers. As a child, Eden's father walked out on his always quiet daughter and her abusive stepmother. With daddy gone, Eden's stepmother put her to work doing chores all day around the house and treating her like garbage. Eden still kept her mouth shut, hoping that one day her father might return. One night, when her stepmother was in a particularly terrible mood, she screamed at Eden, demanding she stop wishing for her dad to come because he would never come home to a worthless child like her. Enraged, Eden yelled to her stepmom to drop dead. And so she did, dropping her cigarette to the ground and setting their house ablaze. Eden, newly aware of her incredible persuasive powers, hitchhikes out of town, leaving her old life behind and starting her new one with her new name, Eden.
-Secret Link: Photo of Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettierre from the set of Heroes
Novel #10 - "Turning Point" --FBI Agent Audrey Hanson arrives at a murder scene, and she instantly knows that the serial killer she's been tracking, Sylar, is responsible. In fact, Sylar is standing right behind her, enjoying his handiwork. Somehow, Audrey knows it's him and as they make eye contact, Sylar bolts down the street. He leaps onto the roof of a moving train and Audrey follows after. At the next station, she spots Sylar running ahead of her and unloads several bullets into his back. She runs to the body, only to find an old man in Sylar's coat and hat. Sylar grins and slips away.
-Secret Link: Photo of Greg Grunberg and Clea Duvall shooting a scene on the set of Heroes
Novel #11 - "Fathers & Daughters" -- Horn Rimmed Glasses (Mr. Bennet) goes to Eden's drunk father to tell him of her death at the hands of Sylar. The drunken hick says he doesn't care because his daughter was nothing but a whore. HRG punches him, explaining that she was a hero for taking her own life rather than give Sylar her powers. We see how HRG and the Haitian busted in on Sylar as he stood over Eden's body, and plugged him full of projectile tranquilizers (so THAT'S how he got re-captured! He never even left!) As HRG walks away from Eden's father, he tells the Haitian to erase his memory, but to leave the guilt.
-Secret Link: Isaac's painting of "Energyman" (dude exploding)
Novel #12 - "Super-Heroics" --In a coma, Peter Petrelli has a vision of himself not as the Exploding Man, but as a true super hero, with cape, tights and all. In the vision, he flies after The Rocket, a criminal with a jetpack and impenetrable armor. Grabbing The Rocket, Peter shoots up into the clouds, using the height to disable the jetpack. Peter then flies straight down, using the hard ground below to shatter The Rocket's armor and causing a huge explosion. The Rocket removes his mask, revealing that he too is Peter. Is Peter the villain or the hero?
-Secret Link: Photo of Milo Ventimiglia filming a scene on the set of Heroes
Novel #13 - "Wireless: Part One" --A glimpse of future hero Hana Gitelman, a.k.a. Wireless, before she even appears on the tv show! We see a flashback of Hana's grandmother Tanta, a resistance fighter against the Nazis in 1944 Berlin. Tanta is captured and put in a death camp, but she survives. Then, another flashback of Hana's mother Zahava, one of the IDF's first female fighter pilots, taking out enemy planes in Jerusalem during the Six Days War in 1967. Another flashback, Jerusalem 1989. Hana, Tanta and Zahava are aboard a bus as a suicide terrorist drives it off a cliff. Hana survives; her mother and grandmother do not. Another flashback, Beer Sheva 1997. Hana is an Israeli soldier who requests combat duty, but her superior tells her she can only be an Intelligence Officer because her thirst for vengeance will get her into trouble as soldier. Hana moves higher and higher in the Mossad Intelligence ranks, but still yearns for combat, to avenge her family. On patrol one night, Hana is attacked from the shadows and thrown to the ground. She pulls out her weapon, but her assailant is HRG, and he has come to change her future...
-Secret Link: Another photo of Milo and Hayden on the set of Heroes
Novel #14 - "Wireless: Part Two" --**Spoiler Alert** The second part of Hana's saga. It begins with a flashback- Tel Aviv, 1992. Hana is at an all-girls school where she has no friends, due to trust issues stemming from the day her mother and grandmother were killed. In the present, HRG takes Hana to a secret facility in the Alaskan tundra. He says he is with the C.I.A. and that Hana has been handpicked to fight evil. He puts her through a series of grueling physical tests, all of which she passes with ease. She then undergoes a series of medical tests, constantly being injected with "vitamins" and being poked and prodded by various doctors. She feels like she's wasting her time when she could be out carrying on her family's legacy. During one testing session, out of nowhere, she screams at a doctor to explain a text message about her she just read. The doctor tells her he's received no such message. A moment later, his phone rings, and the very message Hana described appears on-screen. Instantly, Hana's brain is flooded with every e-mail, satellite transmission and text message floating around the world. She freezes, unable to control the flood, until a swift punch from HRG knocks her out cold. Back in her room, Hana uses her mind to send an e-mail to everyone in the facility with the word "Kadima" ("attack" in Hebrew). She then uses her mind to send a text message to HRG, proving her control over her powers. He tells her she's ready for her first mission...
-Secret Link: A photo of Milo Ventimiglia and Adrian Pasdar shooting a scene on the set of Heroes
Novel #15 - "Wireless: Part Three" --Hana is on a mission in Tanzania, Africa. Using her mind, she intercepts an e-mail from an evil scientist, (which details his plans to genetically alter bacteria into a deadly virus), and forwards it to HRG, who is at home with his daughter Claire in Odessa, Texas. Hana is captured outside the enemy compound in Tanzania and thrown into a cell. Using her army training, she fights her way out and leaps over the compound gate, only to find herself standing face to face with a tank...
-Secret Link: None
Novel #16 - "Wireless: Part Four" --Hana surrenders in Tanzania, announcing she is a C.I.A. operative. She is transferred to Dar Es Salaam where she is informed that there is no record of her being in the C.I.A., no special operatives, no Alaskan compound, and all of the phone numbers she gives them have been disconnected. Using her abilities, Hana sets off the building's sprinkler system and uses the momentary distraction to grab a weapon, take her interviewer hostage, shoot out a window, and escape. She changes her name, relocates to Montana, and spends her time honing her powers and scouring wireless transmissions for information on HRG, the man who manipulate and lied to her. She intercepts an e-mail from "Teddyboy" and learns that she's not the only one who HRG has lied to. She hops on her bike and heads to the desert...
-Secret Link: None...but want to know what happens next? Click here.
Novel #17 - "How Do You Stop An Exploding Man?: Part One" --**Spoiler Alert!** Ted Sprague has the power to emit radioactive energy. After being captured by the FBI for this ability, Ted uses his power to blow up his transport and everyone in it. He runs away to the New Mexico desert, stocks up on weapons, and lives in a small shack. Periodically, he must go further into the desert and release a huge blast of nuclear energy as it builds up inside him. One day, Hana Gitelman appears in his cabin, and explains their connection: they've both been abused and lied to by HRG and together, they want revenge. She shows Ted a schematic for the needle with which they were both injected (both share the same mark on their neck, as do Matt and Nikki, among others). Hana intercepts some wireless transmissions and warns Ted they must run away immediately. Hana escapes on her motorcycle, but Ted is suddenly surrounded by a whole battalion of army personnel...
-Secret Link: None
Novel #18 - "How Do You Stop An Exploding Man?: Part Two" --**Spoiler Alert!** The army men that have surrounded Ted hose him with liquid concrete that prevents him from emitting any nuclear energy. They leave Ted's head exposed (big mistake) and load him into a truck. With his face exposed, Ted emits a huge blast of nuclear energy from his eyes and mouth, blowing everyone and everything to smithereens, except for the man who authored his capture. Ted searches the area for this man, but he is nowhere to be found. Using Hana's schematic, Ted tracks down the facility in which the needle they were injected with was made (it's in Billings, Montana). Inside the facility, he corners a scientist and learns that the hypodermic needle is shot from a gun, and that the gun is used to inject a special isotope into wild animals that allows the animals to be tracked. Furious, Ted uses his powers to blow up the building and storms off to seek his revenge...
-Secret Link: None
Novel #19 - "Bully" --Young Micah Sanders can talk to machines. After a schoolmate sends out a photo of Micah's mom with the word "killer" plastered all over it, Micah uses his power to learn who sent the photo (a kid named Frank). When he approaches Frank and threatens to tell the principal about what he's done, Frank punches him in the face. As Frank and his sidekick taunt Micah, Micah kicks Frank in the junk and speeds away from the schoolyard. Frank and his buddy follow Micah into a junkyard (that seemingly houses only defunct electronic billboards from Vegas). Frank and pal (let's call him beans) come across a brightly lit sign of a devil, and then of a billboard that reads "Beware Frank." Frank and Beans run away terrified.
-Secret Link: A photo of Masi Oka goofing off on the set of Heroes
Novel #20 - "Road Kill" --After being shot by HRG, Sylar escapes into a small Texas town to tend to his wounds. Wanting to escape North, Sylar hitches a ride with a beer transport truck. After learning the truck is actually heading west, Sylar uses his telekinesis to stick a six-pack of beer bottles into the driver's back. Having no clue how to operate a truck, Sylar uses the ability he took when he killed Charlie to quickly read and memorize the entire manual on truck operation. He drives through Virginia until a swarm of cop cars appears in his rear view mirror. He opens the door to the truck and uses another of his abilities to freeze the road as he drives over it, slipping up all the cop cars behind him. A few hundred yards down the road, an enormous roadblock of police wait for him. Using yet another power (flight? incredible leaping?), he jumps from the truck just as it drives over a cliff and hangs from a very high tree branch way above the freeway. As the cops investigate the crash, Sylar slips away to continue his "evolutionary imperative": acquisition. He remembers only one more name from Chandra Suresh's map, Zane Taylor. He arrives at Zane's with no clue how to proceed from here: how will he find all the other people will abilities? If you saw last week's episode, you know exactly what happens next...
-Secret Link: A photo of Jack Coleman shooting a scene on the set of Heroes.
Once more of these come out, I'll do a second batch to catch you up on the rest. Aren't I great?
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