31 posts tagged “doctor who”
Doctor Who 4.11
Ever since I was little, I never liked the what-if episodes that show a very different path and life. I don't really know why, but they just leave me feeling very, very sad. So this episode essentially had several strikes against it before it began. But props to me for realizing it was a "what-if" ep from the promo.
So while I may not love the episode like many other people do, I liked it a lot, all things considered. Reasons: Rose and Donna. Donna and Rose. I love those two together! They just played so well off of each other. And Rose! Good to see Pete's World Torchwood taught her well. I was so proud watching her be all expository and technobabbling. She was still Rose, but she had bits of the Doctor worked in with her. The way she strutted around, knowing everything. The way she looked at the trouble and adventure. She had this smile on her face when she explained things to Donna when she ended up at U.N.I.T. Not to mention she did the whole saluting thing that the Doctor did. I love that they had that connection, even though they didn't know it. I think the most Doctory Rose moment was when she told Donna she was "the most important woman in the whole of creation". If that didn't come straight from the Doctor's playbook... I smiled with that line and the way Rose said it. Again, so much like the Doctor. I'm not going to lie, I love that she's adopted much of his personality, not that I blame her, the dude's kind of infectious with his clever words and strutting. Oh the strutting.
Oh lord, I missed Rose. I missed the way she took things on, I missed the way she talked, I missed chavtastic Rose! And what I love even more if that Billie loves being Rose. I watched the Confidential episode, which means this episode was pretty damn important to me, and she just seemed to happy to be back. David was giddy as can be about it, but Billie was so adorable. So this return was planned when she left, I thought RTD had just BSed that, but apparently Billie said the arrangements were made right as she decided to leave, which kind of makes me love Billie even more. Too bad I can't get through an episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl without getting really skeeved out. I'd like to watch her every week, maybe I'll try to watch it more. But back to the cast, David is as adorable as ever. He kept pestering RTD to explain 'Bad Wolf', and the way that he talks about the show is like a fan. Actually, all the actors talk about it like fans, I love that. They just have this keen insight into the story and the characters, it's really impressive.
Oh Doctor Who, I love that you are a family friendly program that isn't afraid to nuke cities and imply genocide! That's what makes this show so brilliant, it doesn't dumb down reality to fit the younger demographic. It really is a show for everyone, adults and children. But not going to lie, this is the kind of episode that would have turned me off of a show for a long time if I saw it when I was 10. I think I had similar experiences when I watched shows that did this, I just got so sketched out that I had to walk away from the show. So... good thing more kids aren't nutty like me, right?
I see a few people wanting to rewatch "The Runaway Bride", because they can't remember why they hated Donna so. I'm more than a little curious myself, I hated her. I just could not stand the sight of her. But watching that little bit included in the episode, and eventually the scene that led to the Doctor's death, that sounded like the Donna we knew. And to be frank, the Donna we saw this week was the angry, shouty, kind of funny Donna that seemed straight out of "Runaway Bride". This week's Donna was very different from the compassionate and caring that makes her a great companion. I'm debating watching it again, maybe I hated that Donna because she was snippy with the Doctor, and nobody does that to our pretty boy. Back to Donna, I was dying seeing her go off on her boss after she got fired. That was so amazing, and stealing the stapler? Perfect.
So... is Donna special? She's got her own unique time signal thingy. Sorry, I didn't pay enough attention during the exposition to really get what that means. So, was Donna teleported to the parallel world? Was she physically in that tent, but her mind went elsewhere? To another Donna in another world? I'm still shakey on the details of how this worked, might just chalk this up to timey-wimey stuff. But back to Donna and her parallel worlds. What role will she play in the big finale? Maybe she's like they key to keeping the universes safe. I'm not going to lie, I wished that Davies seeded this in throughout the series. I understand that not everything is planned in advanced, but this felt distinctly tacked on in this episode. Lets see how this plays out. I'm still worried about Donna, I don't think she's still in the clear, safety wise. Remember, River Song acted like Donna had died when she met the Doctor.
4.12 Preview
OK, I just need to take a moment to flip the fuck out: Sarah Jane - Check. Martha Jones - Check. Jack Harkness - Check. Ianto and Gwen - Fuck Yes! How did I NOT KNOW GWEN AND IANTO WOULD BE IN THE SHOW? Like, that is just so incredible, having those two meet the Doctor (I hope anyway). After all the vagueness Jack gives them, they deserve some info straight from the horse's or Time Lord's mouth. And Martha! And Jack! OK, I am so pumped for Rose to see Jack again. I wonder if she knows she brought him back forever? The Rose we have now is very different from the Rose who absorbed the Time Vortex and saved Jack. I wonder how she'll react, I don't even think she remembers. And Jack's always had a little something for Rose, well to be fair Jack's got a little something for everyone, but Jack will be so thrilled to see her. I keep replaying this moment in my head from "Bad Wolf" when Jack realizes Rose hasn't been vaporized. "Rose could still be alive!" He's going to be happy to see her again.
I know this is a really big longshot, but Gwen/Gwyneth from "The Unquiet Dead"... Maybe it'll come up. Like a line that she looks familiar, or maybe the Doctor will see something very odd about her. Or... you know... it could just be let go.
Rose and Martha! I've been looking forward to this for some time. Mainly because Martha got sick of hearing about Rose. In "Utopia" she had this line when Jack mentioned Rose. "OH! She's blond!" We'll see if Martha's really over the Doctor when his old companion comes back.
Donna and Rose already met, sort of. Now that she knows, or will know, that it's Rose, I wonder if she'll react differently to her. I don't see why, Donna just knew that Rose was gone, so she'll probably be happy for her.
And Rose and the Doctor. Well, we've already seen him be terrified by her warning (loved it!), but I don't doubt that we'll see some incredible hugging. Oh there will be hugging. And tears. Lots and lots of tears, mostly mine. I've only been waiting two years for this, that's all. I wonder if Rose will notice a change in the Doctor. I wonder if the Doctor notices how much Rose has changed? All I know is I can't wait. Is it Saturday yet?
Thought I'd do an update on the Transformers 2 filming. I saw them setting up, and tomorrow and Tuesday will be the shooting days. There was a helicopter with a big round thing attached to its nose, which I'm guessing is the camera, and they were doing aerial shots. It was so cool, the helicopter was flying almost sideways so the camera was facing the college campus. It's looking like my sister, her friend, and I will be getting up super early and spending the day stalking the set. Rainn Wilson will be there, so I'm going to try to get him to sign my second season Office DVD set. Shia is apparently kind of a douche, the PA's described him as "inaccessible", I hope Rainn is much nicer, he seems nice. Check out my Twitter or Plurk pages for updates, I'll be checking in there.
I am so not used to seeing Billie Piper on a major US network. OK, so Showtime isn't your ABC, NBC, CBS, or Fox, but it's still bigger than Sci-fi or BBC America. All these commercials for Secret Diary of a Call Girl are making me feel both awkward and happy. I mean, awk because it's Rose Tyler in her skivvies, but excited because it's ROSE FUCKING TYLER. Oh I hate the fangirl in me.
In other news: new Doctor Who this week. I have some hope for "Midnight", and then... ROSE! Hurray! So here's what I'm wondering: We know that there will be those specials next year, so who will be the companion? Martha's got her own life, but she could pop up when the Doctor visits Earth. Donna may or may not be around for it. Billie's got her own show, though I don't know what's going to happen past the second series. I think she's filming it now, so ostensibly she could come back for a special, but don't hold your breath. So... new mini companions? Jack? I guess maybe it'll be more obvious after the finale, where I'm sure Davies will tack on a completely unnecessary "cliffhanger" which will interrupt the emotional end and my post-Rose crying.
Ugh, Sci-Fi: please stop putting BSG on giant hiatuses: No new BSG until 2009. OK, to be a little more fair, it seems this is because of the post production needed for each episodes, which are kind of CGI-heavy.
So, I think I'm going to get the iPhone. I just need to jump, get it over with, you know? Stop thinking, stop ruminating, just do it!
I love plurk! It's like twitter, but with more interacting with users. It's hard to meet people via Twitter, but with Plurk it's really easy.
I finished up Life on Mars and I had lots and lots of thoughts. Good thoughts! I also have, for the first time in decades, thoughts on Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who.
Life on Mars
I. Just. Had. A. Thought. Period. The end of Life on Mars reminded me of the end of the fourth season of Farscape when John decides to leave Earth forever, despite spending so much time trying to get back. Very reminiscent.
And a little like the fourth season of Lost, how the Six get off the island, but Jack needs to get back. In fact, I dare say this is a fairly common theme on second thought, but I bloody loved the way Life on Mars pulled it off. It's just blowing my mind right now.
When I described the Life on Mars finale, my sister immediately thought about the Sopranos and the letdown many people felt. I was one of those viewers, but the ending of Life on Mars seemed to have some sort of conclusion, Sam was happy.
Now, did he or didn't he? Die, I mean. He jumped off the roof, he's back in 1973, and kisses Annie, jumps into Hunt's car, then the radio catches onto the real world where we hear the doctor say he's losing Sam. The car drives away and the creepy girl walks by, looks at the camera, and turns off the "tv". I kinda see that as Sam dying, she represented the balance between reality and the coma world, and by shutting off the link, it means that world ends. That or Sam's in a permanent coma and we, the viewer and the outside world, are cut off forever. Doesn't mean that Sam's dead, which is interesting.
The whole concept of what's real and what isn't really blows my mind. We saw the "real" world and how it wasn't as exciting or fun or meaningful for Sam as the coma one, and he chose to live a "lie" rather than walk through 2006. Any show that promotes delusions over reality is OK with me!
And I know there's a spin off in the 80's, I'm not sure how that fits into my plot. Maybe somehow Sam did travel back in time, parallel universe? and someone else ends up there in similar circumstances. Doesn't matter, I'm not going to watch it. The whole premise seems kind of shoddy, I don't buy it.
Battlestar Galctica 4.11
I actually have thoughts. Last week I thought that episode was a complete crap fest full of dumb decisions and obnoxious characters (Lamkin's insane? Lee's President? Tigh's in charge? There's a Cylon-Cylon baby?) A number of people assumed these things would play out during the next few episodes, but it looks like nothing from 4.10 will actually matter at all based on this episode. I'm guessing next week will pick up with Roslin and Adama coming back, so everything will return to pre-4.10 status... What a waste of an episode.
I mean, why couldn't this episode have been last week. This is the second time something's happened and the show's taken us away from the action for a week. Last time it was the big Cylon-Cylon showdown, this time it was the Cylon jump. But that aside, the episode still had some weak elements, but much better than last week. Still not up to BSG standards.
Anyways, my favorite moment from the episode, easily: Three to Roslin on the final five:
Three: You mean you don't know you're one of them? *music crescendos, then stops abruptly*
*Three laughs*
*my heart races, I laugh*
Well, there goes my Roslin is a Cylon theory. Bugger, it would have been a terrific surprise and plot twist. But now that they've gone with the fake out, it's not going to happen.
I kept wanting Billy to show up in Roslin's visions. I kind of want him to be the final Cylon. But I'm thinking it may be Cally, since we've seen that maybe Cylon-Cylon babies can happen, no one is ruled out. Hell, Helo could be a toaster. Maybe Dualla, they really haven't given her anything to do.
Doctor Who 4.09
Well, this is one of the rare instances where I liked the second part more than the first part of the multi-parter. It's like a theme with me that I fall head over heels with the first episode, but by the second I'm somewhat let down. In this case, I was a little disappointed by the first episode, but this was back to great.
For a Steven Moffat episode, it was not his strongest. But hey, the man's written some of the best episodes of the entire run of the show, so I'll cut him some slack.
This was a really sucky episode for the Doctor and Donna. The Doctor had to deal with River Song, who was someone ridiculously special to future him, and Donna had to deal with getting married, falling in love, and ending up missing the real him by *this much*. Ugh, why do you do this Mr. Moffat? I know it would be redic to have a random tagalong for Donna, but can't someone be happy? Especially since I'm pretty sure she's going to die... Boo, why did Donna have to bring up the River Song's awkwardness upon meeting Donna... At least she's not dumb.
I can say the only moment when I jumped was when Miss Evangelista removed her veil to her mangled face. I wish I had more moments, maybe if the Vashta Nerada were not this invisible swarm, maybe if they were somewhat corporeal, that would have flipped me out. I dunno, I could have used some visual fear.
Thoughts on River, so there was no altering of timelines occurred, so does that mean we'll see River again? Maybe in one of the specials next year, or maybe in the first series Steven Moffat runs, maybe he had the idea for her as a companion... Nevertheless, he's definitely set River up in the timeline before Ten regenerates, and after some period of time in which he ages. Now someone argued with me that River referred to the Doctor looking young purely in his eyes, but I also think she referred to his physical aging as well. It was a little ambiguous, maybe in case Steven needed to pull out this little trick earlier than he planned. Or he could just dump the River plots, and whenever Ten regenerates, it'll be assumed the River thing occurred off camera.
Spoilers! How noble of the Doctor and Donna not to look. I half expected someone to come at the end and just take it, all creepy like. But nope, the end just led into a trailer for "Midnight", which makes sense. The Doctor and Donna deserve a vacation planet after the badness of this episode. And after next week, "Turn Left" and ROSE!! ZOMG YES! Hopefully Rose will show up at the end of "Midnight", which will be nice.
Tomorrow's the WWDC, World Wide Developers Conference, and the rumor mill is saying there will be a new iPhone. I've been looking into new phones with Verizon, but I can't do it. Every phone I just compare to the iPhone, and I think it's time I just accept that there is no iPhone killer, any touch screen device won't hold a candle to the standard set by Apple. Since I've got my job, I'll be paying for the service and everything, no more phones from Mommy and Daddy... It'll be expensive, and I might chicken out...
Today was the last day of April, and there were flurries. Yup. SNOW. Gah. I'm trying to get this stupid research paper started, but the words just aren't happening. Grr.
Grey's Anatomy 4.12
You know what, I didn't hate this episode. It had all the hallmarks of a shitty ep, doctors acting like children, stupid subplots, overt metaphors... But... it worked? I would hate to think that my doctors have running contests involving my health, I mean, really? But what kept that plot grounded was Izzie and her patient, who reminded us how ridiculous and insensitive the entire concept is. I mean, Meredith shouted with glee upon discovering her patient had a brain tumor! That was just so hilarious, that I could imagine a young doctor getting caught up in the excitement of the game. That's the key to doing an absurd subplot, just include a few characters to ground the entire concept in reality. Side note: if this happened irl, the hospitals would be so liable, because having a context in live and death scenarios? That's a law suit waiting to happen.
Um, I thought there was more I had to say about this episode, but I guess not. Derek and his lady? Eh. Shonda already said MerDer 4 eva, so this is just unnecessary "drama". And the obnoxious animal theme... I just let the themes go. I mean, face it, Grey's is a guilty pleasure. There was a time when it was a great drama, probably around the second season, but ever since it never really got its groove back. So with my new standards for the show, this one wasn't half-bad. Shockingly, I liked it...
The Office 4.11
I know I've been pretty hard on The Office (US) lately, but I'm going to say it. I. LOVED. THIS. EPISODE! Maybe it was Ryan spending the entire episode high, or maybe it was Dwight getting it on with a college basketball player, or maybe it was Jim showing he would make a terrible leader, or maybe it was that the entire office hates Pam and Jim...
I'll start with the boys in the city! Ryan shows up to Scranton to tell the grunts they have to work Saturday because the Dunder Mifflin Infinity wasn't working and they need to enter stuff. Basically, the whole online thing is failing miserably. Ryan lets it slip that NY clubs have all the babes, so obvs Michael and Dwight drop in on him in NYC. Well, I should have known it would take more than alcohol to get Ryan hugging Michael. Ryan and his half-beard were enjoying the Columbian nose candy a little too much. The big bad city ate our boy up. I kind of miss old Ryan the temp, but I hope he bounces back (maybe he needs to get fired or demoted).
Dwight! I. LOVE. YOU. The ladies were throwing themselves at you, bro! I always loved Dwight, even if he is the most out there of the US character incarnations, but Rainn makes it work. I was dying when Michael snapped the picture and sent it to EVERYONE! Such a Michael thing (and a David Brent thing). And when Dwight was all, "I'm not calling her", oh you are so awesome. Only Dwight wouldn't appreciate a tall, leggy blond.
Back in Scranton, is was nice to see the minor characters. Lately it seems most of the action occurred outside the office, so I was happy to see everyone. Kelly, I wish you had more to do (but props to Mindy Kaling for writing this boss episode). Her few lines were so amazing. "I have a lot of questions. Number one, how dare you?" - Kelly to Ryan. But the real focus was Pam and Jim. Obviously. But this time, everyone hated both of them. I think the majority of the office hate them together, and that showed. Jim was portrayed in a much harsher light, making racial gaffes a la Michael (awkwardly asking the security guard if he was the African American, assuming the cleaning people only spoke Spanish). Jim really isn't all that slick, and I think this episode was from more of the coworkers perspective, showing the viewer that our hero is just another grunt.
Toby. Aw, poor fella. Side note: The dude has intense fence-hopping skills. I loved the awkward moment with his hand on Pam's knee. I mean, what were you trying to do there, Tobes? But I could totally see that happening, and if you think about it, Jim did similar things when Pam was with Roy. The difference is Toby doesn't have that kind of friendship with Pam to begin with. See you in Costa Rica, Toby.
So, yeah, Best. Night. Ever. I was legitimately concerned that I was losing touch with this show. I was indifferent to displeased with episodes everyone loved, and I couldn't help but utter the B-word, British. But this episode was simply delightful, and I'll be looking forward to next week and a continuation of some of the plots from this week.
30 Rock 2.13
I hate when this show has hilarious moments, and then it includes a kind of lame subplot. The whole porn-video game? Wasn't my cup of tea. Sure there were funny jokes involved, but some moments just didn't work, like Frank having his "NOOOOOO!!" moment. Fell flat for me, personally.
BUT! Dr. Spaceman! Yes! I love that continuity! Also? Will Arnett. He == awesome.
Like any 30 Rock episode, this one shined with its one liners
Liz - "Suck it monkeys! I'm going corporate!"
Liz to Frank - "You look like Gene Simmons had sex with a basset hound!"
Jack - "Hugging is so ethnic"
I will officially start calling flutes "music sticks"
Business drunk, which is clearly more dignified than drunk. Duh.
Um plot-wise... Geiss is in a diabetic coma (way to go Liz), and Jack doesn't get the promotion. Way to go Banks. I'm hoping awesomeness will ensue and maybe a confrontation when Geiss wakes up.
Battlestar Galactica 4.06
Baltar isn't really Jesus, right? I mean, BSG wouldn't turn Jesus into the insanely fucked up Baltar from this show, right? Because his whole, love yourself thing sounded vaguely biblical. I'm no theologian, so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there this whole "love thyself" bit? But... nah, RDM wouldn't make Baltar Jesus.
I like evil Tory. I mean, she straight up went off the deep end after last week's Cally-killing. Going from crying during sex with Baltar to initiating the sex with Baltar... She even fed him some of her gospel. We're all perfect, so no guilt! I wonder if Roslin's noticed a difference. We haven't seen much of them together since the premiere, have we? I wonder if Tory's going to even try to hide it anymore.
Clearly Tigh became interested in turning off the pain. He's been pretty disturbed lately, and I think he actually wondered if it could be done. So enter Caprica Six/Ellen to really mess with Tigh's mind. It was probably more like Tigh's mind messing with him, but I digress. Yay Ellen! I wouldn't be shocked if she were the final Cylon, but it wouldn't be Ellen, because I doubt there was a Final 5 resurrection ship near New Caprica. But oh the drama that would bring. I can't imagine things would end well for Tigh if that happened.
I wonder what's going on with the Cylon fleet. Interesting there wasn't any sort of resolution. And barely a peep from Starbuck and her motley crew. Hopefully we get some development next week.
Tyrol's a mess. I think he's the most aware of how crappy it is that he's a Cylon. I don't think it's such a terrible idea to get away from Galactica. I mean, how sure are these 4 Cylons that they're not going to be triggered. They can't know. No matter how many times they repeat who they are, it wouldn't help them if some greater purpose turned them into killing machines. But then again, if the four were planted in the fleet to further the human cause, then Tyrol leaving is a bad thing. But as of now, he's just screwing up and putting lives in danger.
Interesting theory of the week. So I was in my comp sci lab, and one of my TA's said, "Cally's a Cylon." And I was like, "No. Cally and Tyrol have a child." His thought is that the Cylon - Cylon fertility problem is psychological (love), and since Cally and Tyrol had no clue what they were, they conceived and have a spawn. Now, I think this is highly unlikely, but it would be an amazing twist, and it would make that child the single most important thing for the Cylons. Think about the fertility problems, we've seen both a male and female Cylon become parents, so we know it isn't that one gender is deficient. Six went on and on about love and how that is why Cylons can't have babies... Or genetically, the Cylons' genes are too powerful and won't let them reproduce (like mules, but they're sterile). Just thought it was interesting.
Doctor Who 4.04
I was worried about this episode, I mean, it was a two part Martha story written by the woman who wrote "Daleks in Manhattan"... But it seems I didn't need to fear, the story and Martha got the proper treatment they deserved! I'll start with Martha. I was glad her call to the Doctor was business, I was worried it would come off as Martha being needy and just wanting to travel. It seems our gal's gotten settled! Engaged and working, I'm glad. I'm not sure if she's over the Doctor, but I'm glad she's moved past the pining, because with Rose returning, that could get ugly. Speaking of Rose, glad there were no Rose returning mentions, this episode needed to have a solid Martha focus, and to have another Rose reminder would have been unnecessary.
Oh Doctor, I loved that beat when he stepped out of the TARDIS and just looked at Martha. He just looked so conflicted, but then it was right back to fun Ten. But that moment was amazing, like acknowledging how badly he felt, if only for a second. But then there was that happy reunion hug, and then Donna. Ten was so funny with his, "please don't fight" and how he held his breath as Donna told Martha how much Ten said about her. I don't think he's ready for Martha to know how badly he feels. It wouldn't be in his character to acknowledge that to her. But Donna and Martha got along quite well, it wasn't like the Rose/Sarah Jane mini-bitchfest, which was good. The more Martha is separated from Rose the better, I think if the two will meet, the writers need to send her down her own path, with her own ideas and actions. I'm not suggesting she suddenly stops loving the Doctor, but she's matured enough to realize how much Rose meant to him, and how she's not Rose, so she can move on and be at peace with her choices. She made that clear to Jack on Torchwood when talking about her decision to leave the Doctor. Martha's really come into her own, I loved seeing her with her walkie-talkie giving commands and whatnot. Sure Donna was all "you turned her into a soldier!", but it was brilliant. That's the kind of take charge attitude I wanted from her last series.
So not only was Martha awesome, but Donna was lighter, too. After a few weeks of heavy moral conflict, we got some light moral conflict. Sure she had her piece about the rights of the workers and the raid on the factory, but it was a brief bit. Overall she was quite snippy, but to the point. I loved her she pwned the UNIT folks with the non-existent sick days. Donna's going to be the kind of companion to look for things no one else would think to check. Awesome. Of course, Martha warned her about putting her family in danger, so Donna took some time. I loved how the Doctor was all sad and upset, trying to keep her on board. Of course it took him longer to realize it was a temporary thing, to which Donna had a really funny bit about how dense he can be. So true, and hilarious. I love when she talks back, it really adds to their relationship.
I love Ten's problem with authority. His extreme dislike of UNIT was so amusing, like the Doctor doesn't do some of the thins they do. He may not use guns, but his weapons are so much deadlier. Nevertheless, he had funny moments about giving orders and saluting. Then he got his own UNIT boy (Ross!). Ten had some great lines concerning Ross, "we like Ross!" Hee!
OK, plot. Sure it's completely unreasonable that EVERY SINGLE CAR has this ATMOS thing. Do you realize how long it takes for technology to become this widespread? Years. But letting that go, the Sontarans were cool. I thought they were going to be cheesy and lame, but they were pretty badass. Little badass warriors who clone people. Yikes. So looks like the Doctor's got quite a bit to deal with next week: Donna's grandad, poison gas, cloned Martha, and an entire race bred for war. Let the Deus ex Machina commence!
OK, the following is speculation for the rest of the series, including spoilers for future episode titles. You've been warned.
So it looks like Davies has gone all out when it comes to seeding in references. We've got lost planets, Rose mentions, missing bees, the Shadow Proclamation (maybe?), and the Medusa Cascade. I'm going to bring up the Medusa Cascade. Apparently there was a rift there that the Doctor closed some time ago. It came up in "The Last of the Time Lords", but I didn't really pay attention (thanks Doctor Who Wiki!) Anyways, RD said that "[the Medusa Cascade] come back to haunt us." Hm... Well that sounds ominous, doesn't it? I wonder what he means. But I don't think it's a coincidence that the Medusa Cascade, with it's former rift, keeps coming up in the series that Rose returns. I wonder if the Cascade is the reason behind Rose's world hopping and the missing planets/bees. Following this trend, the Cascade is the only one of the recurring phrases that has a proper name. Think back, we've had Bad Wolf, Torchwood, and Mr. Saxon. There's really nothing that directly compares. Why bring it up? Well, the second to last episode this series is titleless as of now. The finale has a name ("Journey's End". which probably means I'll be bawling like a baby when it airs), as do all the episodes before the second to last. Interesting. I recall that back in the first series, the episode "Bad Wolf" was left unnamed and was the last of the titles to be revealed that series. Well, if there were an arc word, I would say that this episode would be named that. But there isn't, so all I have to go on is the mysterious Medusa Cascade. But then again, I could be completely wrong, for all I know the episode could be called "Bees" and Rose is coming back because there is a massive Bee infestation. Heh.
House 4.13
Oh House and Amber. Doesn't Wilson get a say in anything? I can't be the only person who kept thinking, "Why can't Wilson just choose when to hang out with House? Why does Amber get to choose?" The dude's a grown man, after all. I get the writers wanted to have a cute, funny subplot, but that's all they could do? Don't get me wrong, it was funny, just... poor Wilson.
HEY! DID YOU GUYS GET IT? THE NURSES WERE ON STRIKE! THAT'S LIKE SO REFERRING TO THE WRITER'S STRIKE! AHAHAH WOW! THAT WAS SO SLICK! I BET NO ONE GOT IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO SUBTLE! *eyeroll*
How much would it have sucked if House was angry and bitter because of syphilis? That's like throwing four seasons out the window. Of course, I remember how much less angry he was after that ketamine coma... I love how much of an asshole House can be, like why go through the trouble to put a fake blood sample and trick people into thinking you're mean because of an STD? I guess House is just that kind of douchebag, a very calculating one. Heh.
So how did everyone know 13 was bisexual? Am I the only one who doesn't get a bisexual vibe? Because apparently everyone else does. And she hasn't confirmed or denied it, so I guess House will just try to annoy it out of her. I wonder how many sly mentions he can get, I really liked his "31". Oh Greg.
Kutner (I'm tempted to start calling him Kumar again) wins my award for random diagnostic epiphany of the week. I mean, the dude jumped from point a to point z. It made me think of that time when Chase realized House was wrong and ended up getting punched. Kutner just got a "that should have been my epiphany". I could have used a good House smack down, too.
Oh and Chase? He's apparently House's bowling buddy. Bowling isn't one of the two things men do alone. Hee, awesome one liner. I wonder if their bowling relationship will be shortlived now that Chase is now convinced Cameron slept with House. I'm not sure if she did, but it's odd she didn't just deny it. Like no one would judge her if she said no, actually, I think that's what everyone expected. But she just pulls one of those "none of your business" things, which scream 'guilty'. Maybe she's embarrassed because part of her wanted to sleep with him, so she's keeping mum. As a result, everyone thinks she's knocked boots with House, which, let's be honest, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
My sleep schedule is all weird thanks to afternoon naps and late nights. After this post, I'm heading off to bed. But first... Oh and spoilers for tonights episode of Lost below.
Lost 4.09
Wow. Oh Lost, I have soooooo missed you. I'm glad we had a Ben episode. I didn't know whose episode this was or what kind of flash it was, and I liked it. I like guessing. When Ben woke up in the desert, my mind kept jumping, like it could have been a flash back, but alas, October 2005. It's been so long since the last episode, I didn't react to 2005. It didn't even register as a flashforward until Sayid showed up.
Speaking of Sayid, poor him. He gets off the island, marries Nadia (which means he found her!), only to have her murdered. You know, the Widmore folks had no reason to kill her. But Ben did, or Ben's people did. Sayid did exactly what Ben wanted him to do, and Ben's mind tricks worked. Interesting, I never thought in a million years Sayid would willingly sign up to be Ben's assassin. I mean...Dude.
Just to say, this post is moving very fluidly. Speaking of Ben's mind fucks, it totally backfired this week. I must give the writers immense amounts of credit, because as Ben watched his daughter, gun to her head on the ground, my mind was racing, because what would you have done? I totally believe that the Widmore crew will kill everyone, so Ben couldn't give himself up. And then I didn't think that Alex would die, and then, boom. Or rather, a quiet shot and she's dead. I wasn't the biggest fan of Alex, well I didn't really have much of an opinion either way, but this was a way to go! And BEN! Just standing there, in shock. Imagine his guilt, his last words to his daughter were how much she DIDN'T mean to her. I mean... OUCH. Then things got interesting.
Ben's the monster whisper. DUDE YOU CAN CALL SMOKEY? Actually, I call it Cerberus, that Hatch map name was awesome. So there's this secret cave or cavern under the Barracks... is that where it lives? Or is it not alive, just some hyper advanced technology that Ben set to Revenge and let it loose on the Widmore peeps. Interesting...
Locke and Ben are getting creepy, with their synced pointed guns and shared looks. Poor Hurley, I wonder why he saw Jacob's cabin, maybe Jacob isn't approving of what Ben and Locke are up to, so turned to sweet Hurley as his messenger. Maybe.
One downside of the whole future thing is we know who's going to survive. Not that I was thinking Jack would die on the island, but this whole appendix thing is just random, unnecessary drama. I guess the writers are looking to put someone else in the spotlight for a while. I don't blame them, Jack as the leader can get boring.
I'm beginning to think that Widmore and Ben are like a warped version of frenemies. Kind of like the Doctor and the Master. One should totally vanquish the other, but it never really seems to do much. I was very interested in these rules, are the special island conquest rules of engagement? And whose island was it first? Widmore seems to be connected to the Hanso foundation somehow, and they seemed intent on exploiting the bizarre features. Or maybe there are like three fighting factions, maybe Widmore and Hanso aren't as connected. I'm not sure if I could handle so much fighting though.
Oh and Ben's going to kill Penny. Did you get it? Ben and Widmore are... like parallels! They love the Island! They have daughters! They kill people! GASP! But seriously, killing Penny is so uncool. But why is she in hiding and where? Maybe she dropped off the map and is living with Desmond. If she is with Des, maybe they've gone into hiding to get away from Papa Widmore. So this was a check in the Ben is evil, box, as opposed to in the Ben is sneaky box. While obvs, killing Penny == bad, I'm kind of glad we have these two enemies who are both evil, but in the case of the survivors, it's choosing the lesser of two evils.
I am so loving spring right now. I'm walking around outside without a coat, I'm seeing the sky and sun, and there's no snow! So... win!
In not-so-win news, I'm sick. Fuck. And I did pretty shitty on my last Chemistry test, but it's OK, because I can make up the points on the final. Just need to study instead of watching Skins. Yeah, I was talking to my friend the night before my Chem exam, and she was randomly commenting about Skins. So naturally I downloaded the first episode and stayed up until 4am watching the show. I finished the first series in 2 days, and I only have the finale left to watch. Sure there were some eye-rolling moments, and sure it felt like the adults were written by what 10th graders thing adults are like, but damn, that show's addictive. It's definitely an English Degrassi, but with sex and drugs and nudity. Love it.
30 Rock 2.12
I didn't really love this episode so much. I mean, it was good to see Dennis back, that whole To Catch A Predator thing was just a misunderstanding, but I didn't feel much love. I liked the Tracy Jordan message "Don't Vote!" to Blackmericans, and I did like Bucky Bright's lines, about how being with a man in the old days wasn't gay, and how the writer's room used to be called "the Jew room". I did laugh a lot at that line. I did enjoy the parrot who died 9-1-1 and said fire, because he didn't know the word 'rape'. Hee!
That Nixon bit, as much as I love Alec Baldwain dressing up as an ex-president, fell a little flat to me. I was just sort of... OK... about the whole thing. I tried watching it again, but I still didn't feel love. So, w/e's, there's always next week.
The Office 4.10
I think I'm becoming disillusioned with the American version. I can't help but compare the US and the UK shows, and I'm becoming more and more let down by the US. I know I keep doing it, and I wish I could just let it go. I feel if I could just get past the fact that the US relies more on gimmicks rather than pure awkwardness, I'd really love it. In the past I have! But I find the times I love The Office are when Michael is toned down and is made kind of pathetic. OK, I like it when the US writers make Michael more like David Brent.
Take this week, I couldn't help but think about something Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant said about their show. They said if they wrote a joke, and it sounded too gimmicky, they just scrapped it, even if it was funny. That is something the US writers obviously don't do. The blind date could have been so much more awkward. In fact, the UK show put David Brent on a blind date, and it was ripe with the awk. I felt when the barista called out Michael's name, I believe it was his full name, it just broke the realism. Sure something like that could happen, minus the last name, but in this instance it felt forced and contrived. I know my sister said she was dying of the awkward, and I suppose if I had ignored my misgivings, I would have loved it too.
What I did love was Pam and Jim. I said last week they were too amicable, just friends, except they were dating. This week, we finally got back to the awesomeness of Jim being more interested in Pam than Pam is in Jim. In the UK version, it was Tim's constant desire to Dawn that drove the show and brought it to the end. Obviously the US version didn't head in that direction, and put Pam and Jim together officially. I really missed that tension and that adorable Jim joking-but-secretly-in-love with Pam. For the first time this season, we totally had that, this time with an engagement ring. I did swoon when Jim said, in his talking head "I was not joking... I bought it a week after we starting dating". NOW THAT IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Why didn't we see this sooner! I sincerely hope we have Jim playing down his feelings in that charmingly adorable manner like in the previous 3 seasons. Maybe throw Karen in the mix for some drama, and boom, we're back at square one, but without a Ross/Rachel will they won't they. It's just Jim biding his time, and hoping Pam is starting to feel the same way. I just hope the writers can balance keeping Jim and Pam together while making sure Jim wants something more, without dragging this engagement thing for eternity. I'm not exactly sure when it should pay off, I mean, if he proposes in the final, I feel like we've just relived "Casino Night" and are destined to wash, rinse, repeat until Pam and Jim get engaged. Rational people can see that this is not the way to go. But we're talking about television writers and network executives...
One thing I loved this episode was Andy. Andy had this brilliant moment, emerging from their meeting, parking spaces recouped, and Andy said "I did it", just as Kevin said, "We did it." You know what Andy did right there? He pulled a David Brent. That is something David Brent would totally do. WWDBD, I'm going to popularize that. Hey Office writers, when penning Michael's line, think, "What would David Brent do?" and move from there. Perhaps they are focusing all their Brent-ness on Andy. When Andy said that line, I suddenly saw him in a spin-off. So, let's set clarify some things. I will not watch the Office spin-off, unless
- The spin-off takes place at the Utica branch and we get Karen.
- Andy transfers from Scranton and heads another branch
- Andy transfers to Utica and we get both Utica and Karen. (Win)
- Andy transfers to the sister company, Wernham Hogg, and joins the Slough branch, headed by Gareth. (no Tim and Dawn and David, those character's are happily retired)
One last thing, maybe I'm overestimating humanity with my opinion on Michael's buffoonery. Last fall, I made the following note about "Dunder Mifflin Infinity" - " [Michael]'s absurd rambling about technology telling him to drive into the lake. Honestly, that's just dumb, like no one would do that." Well, I came across the following article about British drivers relying too much on their GPS systems. In one British village, a local bridge had been closed,
This isn't something I would expect from Americans, let alone the Brits. So... erm... society, get your shit together."Despite warning signs on both sides of the road, and nothing but water straight ahead, local villagers have found themselves pulling an average of two cars a day out of the river for the past week"
Battlestar Galactica 4.04
Erm... OK. I don't have very much to say. Starbuck doesn't really know what she's doing and unless she starts figuring things out, fast. Cylons are going to destroy themselves, though the Centurions are on the Six's side, and are present on all the basestars... Things won't end well, not at all.
It was nice to see Roslin holding a grudge against Lee, verbally bitchslapping him when he tried to support her. I knew that whole thing wasn't over with, and I'm glad the writers realized that. Thank. You.
So last week, when I saw the teaser for this episode, I felt that shit was going down. I didn't fully believe that Cally would actually find out about Tyrol, I thought maybe she would have a dream or it would be shrugged off or something lame. Well... No. Cally got her ass chucked out the airlock... by Tory! She seemed to have embraced her inner Cylon, taking it as a new way to live, albeit a slightly more homicidal outlook. I wonder if Tory was instructed to do this by Tigh or was taking matters into her own hand. I feel that this sort of bud-nipping is right up Tigh's alley. He is more of a "violence is the answer" kind of man. Quick thing about Tory, I was checking out wikipedia's page on the episode, and the description says Tory knocked Cally down with "seemingly-superhuman force". I rewatched that scene, and I don't know if it's superhuman force. Sure Tory backslaps Cally, and she does fall a little ways away, but it wasn't a Six-like across the room hit. I feel if the writers wanted to show Tory with incredible strength, they would have made the force a little more apparent, or maybe I'm just dense.
Doctor Who 4.03
Here's the thing, this episode itself wasn't bad, but I'm afraid it's setting a rather bleak outlook for the rest of Donna's time. The first episode was nice and light and cute, then last week we had the heavy Pompeii, killing 20,000 people downer with moral ambiguity, and this week... more down. Donna was all, "the universe is a terrible, horrid place, take me home", which isn't how most people would look at adventure and other worlds. Also, slavery is a bit of a heavy story, but it's not like similar things weren't dealt with before. "New Earth" had people used as guinea pigs, and that wasn't so down and depressing. To be fair, Rose had already been around with the Doctor to realize death happens when he's there... I don't know, but Donna's sure got a mind for the moral, not that that's bad. It just doesn't make the adventures quite as fun. I would have liked to see Donna have a moment, like "Oh, saving the Ood... I understand how wonderful the world can be..." But we really didn't. So it felt heavy, and after last week, I needed a bit of levity. Rabid Ood don't scream hilarity.
Another thing, I love Rose probably more than the next girl, but are we going to get allusions to her returning and to her being trapped all series leading up to her appearance? If so, that's going to get really old. It's actually getting old, now. I know you can't talk about the Ood without talking about "Satan's Pit"/"Impossible Planet", so that would lead to Rose speak, but it doesn't have to be all sad. I mean, seriously, Rose isn't trapped in a hell dimension. She's in London, with Mickey, and her family, and a sibling... She's not exactly lost, though I get the set up. Worlds are lost, Rose is lost... the worlds are going to Rose's world... Right. This episode wasn't too heavy on the Rose, but I can't imagine these references continuing all series. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be a pattern. If only they could pace it out.
This week's reference was a little different. "I think your song must end soon." Well that sounds a little ominous, doesn't it? Then the Doomsday song plays in the background, which led me to the eventual conclusion that it was a Rose reference. Elyssa had the brilliant connection that the Doomsday song represents the barrier between the Doctor and Rose and that is going to end. I had another, much lamer, but something Davies would do, interpretation, that the Doctor's song is sad and mopey, and when Rose comes back it will end.
OR: there could be a surprise regeneration coming up. OK, the likelyhood of that happening is really slim, I mean the upcoming series of Doctor Who is basically molded around David's schedule with the Royal Shakespeare Company, so it's not likely he'll be dumped. But how amazing would a surprise regeneration be, I mean, I adore Ten, I really do. And there would be tears and moping, but the utter shock of change would rock my world. But then again, how would I have reacted if Billie's departure was never announced. I probably would have assumed she would be back for the third series, and been devastated when I actually found out. I remember when Martha left at the end of last series, I totally assumed she was coming back, just not for the Christmas special. I totally didn't see Donna coming, at all. So maybe a surprise regeneration would be sucky...
So three episodes in, and Martha's back! Unfortunately the episode is written by the same woman who wrote last series' "Daleks in Manhattan"/"Evolution of the Daleks", which was pretty suck. So I have low expectations. Like, Donna is the new companion - low. So things could look up.
BSG, Doctor Who, and Torchwood all in one weekend? I must be dreaming.
Battlestar Galactica 4.01
Best show ever? It's up there, for sure. So let's start with the basics: Starbuck is back and alive. Too bad Roslin's gone all Cylon trick on us and won't believe her. I noticed something interesting about Roslin's attitude towards Starbuck. Way back in the first season, Roslin turned to Kara to fly in the Raider and jump back to Caprica and get the Arrow of Apollo. Kara risked everything based on Roslin's visions and religious beliefs. So what happens when Kara shows up under similarly shady circumstances: Roslin wants to throw Kara in the brig. Classy. Maybe she's still reeling from the trial, when Lee threw her under the bus.
So Starbuck's been gone "6 hours" and has a brand new ship. You think we'll get a decent explanation or will this be one of those things we'll never learn? I hope we'll get some closure on this bit. As for what she is, I'm not guessing. There are so many things out there, I mean Starbuck basically emptied that reserve during her conversation with Anders. I think she's the real deal but as to how she's gotten here, I'm not sure. I guess it should be noted that in "Maelstrom" Leoben was something of a spirit guide, so she could be a Cylon device? For the record, I don't think that, but anything's possible.
Speak of trail, how JesusBaltar doing? I'd like to state for the record that I called the Baltar is Jesus thing for a very long time. Like since I watched "Hand of God", I was on this. So good to see other nutters are joining the club. I'd like to state for the record that Baltar is the worst savior ever? Seriously, his scenes in that brothelsecret compartment were among the funniest in BSG. I mean, Baltar "feeling" God's presence as he's feeling his follower's breasts? Priceless! Also? Baltar blessing that boy right after the sex, naked in bed? Amazing! Clearly Baltar is the best. Oh! and HAIRCUT!
Lee? I think Lee was made to be a civilian, I mean he knows how to work those everyday clothes. It's interesting that he's not rejoining the military. Personally, I think it's more important to protect the fleet rather than work in the government. Especially with the last attack, you'd think Lee would at least help out, temporarily. Hmm, what ever. Oh, and Lee is the best hugger ever. Hug me plz!
Hey! Did you guys know that Tigh, Tory, Chief, and Anders and Cylons? Because there weren't any clues, like ominous looks or repeated references to identifying Cylons... Right? If there was one weakness in this amazing episode, it was that. The biggest offender was when Kara flat out told Anders she'd "put a bullet between your eyes" if she found out he was a Cylon... Um... k? But back to our gang of 4: Tigh's having some curious side-effects, nothing special, just your standard well shot day dream about killing your best friend... Anders had the best Cylon side-effect. I call it the Red-eye Raider Retreat. Is there some sort of hidden programming that was triggered upon finding any of the final 5? Why are the other 7 models programmed not to think about them? What are the final 5 trying to hide?
So who's the last Cylon? Well, according to RDM, it's not a major character. But that's not stopping me from preaching that Roslin is the last Cylon. At the end of "Crossroads. Part 2", As soon as they jumped into the nebula, she had a moment. Now, she didn't hear music or anything, but the fifth one didn't show up for the major pow wow in that episode, either. It's possible that the fifth Cylon isn't activated yet. So besides the fact that RDM all but debunked this theory, it'd be awesome. I mean, Roslin is leading the people to Earth, why can't she be a Cylon? A good Cylon with good intentions!
Now, because Torchwood and Doctor Who have yet to air in the US, I'm not going to be posting my reactions here. I don't want anybody to be spoiled, but if you're curious to see what I thought of Torchwood's finale and Doctor Who's return, check out my LJ post. Erm, beware of spoilers for both shows.
Today it finally warmed up enough for me to wear just a fleece, not my big ass parka. I had my hopes up for an end to this fucking winter. Of course it's getting cold again and it's supposed to snow towards the end of the week. Yay.
Torchwood 2.12
Wow! Torchwood kinda pulled a Lost with this one, not that there's anything wrong with that. Actually, it worked wonderfully! For me, the biggest disappoint last series was the "mystery" of Jack. And by mystery, I mean things we knew from Doctor Who but were teased with for 12 episodes. So, FINALLY we get some backstory. Sure it was brief, but we had some awesome drunken Jack. "First I'm going to kiss him[the Doctor], then I'm going to kill him", which kinda made my life.
And as with any allusion to Doctor Who, my heart jumped when that tarot card girl (wasn't she in "Dead Man Walking") told Jack he wouldn't find the Doctor until the world turned to ice. Anybody catch that awesome reference to "Utopia", as in the end of the universe? As in everything turning to ice? As in the best episode ever? *breathes*
So Jack was involved with Torchwood when they were out for the Doctor and when they were still sketchy and evil. Interesting. Nice to see him making a stand against Torchwood London, I mean they were pretty evil, too bad they were destroyed and all. Could have been a nice Frenemy for the Doctor/Jack.
Oh Toshiko... Loved the British Gitmo. So her back story was pretty boring, we know she's hard working, quiet, shy, impressionable... Didn't really say much, except Jack rescued her, seeing her genius and all. It's been a few days since I saw this episode, and her story was the one I remembered the least.
IANTO! I'm not imagining he wasn't always as awesome as he is this series. I mean, coffee boy? So first series, loved the callback. And he was funny, which was nice. Funny and persistent! Puppy!Ianto amused me to no end. I was a little irked by the awkward Jack falling on Ianto moment, because back in the beginning of the first series, there wasn't any of the sexual tension (that I remember). So that moment felt retconned. But other than that, loved his past.
Owen :-( As if I needed another reason to completely adore his character, he had a sad love story. Nice how everything about his character is falling into place... It's as if they're preparing to end this zombie arc... To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready for Owen to leave, but maybe that's what Davies is getting at. He's lulling everyone into thinking things are getting back to normal, and then Owen will just cease to be. And I'll be a sad mess, because it'll be a shock and, if I know Davies, tragic.
And we're left with the return of John Hart, which I've been waiting for! After Marsters' first episode, I kept looking for when he was coming back, I mean we had this whole Grey bit to tidy up. Then we're at the second to last episode, and I was getting confused... Of course he would show up in the last few minutes... with Jack's hermano! Looks like next week's going to be fucking awesome: lots of things going boom!
So it's almost April, and my nerd-sense is telling me that Doctor Who should be starting up soon. So I went online, and Wikipedia has a start date of April 5th! That's the Saturday after next! It's the day after the Torchwood finale! And since Torchwood has been fucking incredible, I have a glimmer of hope for this Donna-infested series...
And then Battlestar Galatica is starting up April 4th, so my little lull in TV activity is finally ending, which is good? I don't know, I've managed to get a bunch of homework done during this blackout. But then again, I've also started watching reality shows, which is evil.
Finally, on the Joss Whedon return to TV front, Dollhouse is starting to cast, and DUDE, Helo (Tahmoh Penikett) from BSG's been cast! Yay!
OK, here's the deal, I stumbled upon some Twilight set pictures, and I think I'm going to have to actually read this series, at least the first book. Those hilarious Canon Wikipedia descriptions are too hysterical to overlook, plus Robert Pattinson is so adorable in those pictures, even if his hair is slightly orange and his pancake makeup is a little intense. I promise I won't talk about it with you if I detest it.
For all those celebrating Bunnies and Peeps, happy Easter!
Lost 4.08
Wow, that Kevin Johnson dude is pretty intense. He was so intense we got an entire episode flashback, give or take a bit of roughing up by Sayid and some Ben trickery and a reminder that Michael was kind of an asshole for killing Libby and Ana Lucia for virtually no reason (other than to rescue Ben, but that plan wasn't the best). Boy, that was all so long ago, I mean, when was the last time ANYBODY on the show mentioned Libby? I mean, Hurley was involved with that chick, you'd think it would come up. Same goes for Charlie, I mean, Claire's done NOTHING, can we at least get a breakdown, plz?
On to the plot! Michael and "WAAAALLLTTT!" made if off the island, Michael told his 10 going on 15 year old son that he killed two people. Let's just stop there. WTF Michael? Like that would EVER be a good idea? EVER! Any-who, Michael, due to his estrangement, tries to kill himself, and totally fails. Here's a questions, M? If you want to die so badly, why not just drive that car into the fucking water? You were by a harbor. Of course, the production costs would have been higher, and the island won't let you truly kill yourself, so I get it. So yeah, the island apparently puts your name down on an Anti-Suicide pact. Go island, promoting mental stability since 1980! What with your apparitions of dead people, time-looping, and fucking smoke monsters, you are the picture of sanity.
So Michael's a little down, and is so not helped by Libby coming in and checking up on him. Ah, man I really wanted a meaningful Libby appearance, like a Widmore-inspired, Desmond boat giving one. But alas, she's just either a dream or an island manifestation. That's my running assumption, the island takes the form of dead people. OMG THE ISLAND IS THE FIRST! *goes to post it on every forum possible* Then Tom comes along. Oh Tommy, my favorite LGBT Other! But I know you're into dudes and all, but you said Kate wasn't your type? She's everyone's type, dude. I'm straight and she's my type! Well, it was good to see him back, anyways. He enlists Michael to sabotage the evil Widmore freighter of doom. And he had proof! Or not! This screencap shows that Widmore only paid $450,000 for the Boeing 777, despite it going for a nice $200 million. Now the order form says it was decommissioned, but that's some heavy depreciation right there. You'd think it would still break $10 mill. This sounds like another of Ben's lovely tricks, because I doubt Michael's gonna know that. But freighter people bad! I hate that I'm still flip flopping. The Captain is a total douche who shoots things with machine guns, but then there's Ben. Enough said.
So Michael embarks on this suicide mission on the boat. Miles shows up for 30 seconds, which is enough time to call Michael out on the Kevin Johnson bullshit and to tell us that most of the people aren't who they claim to be. Hm... Why that sounds EXACTLY like Lost and the Losties! Why, does that mean we'll get some shady character flashbacks! *gasp* Michael tries to blow up the ship, gets a Looney Tunes inspired pop-up flag, telling him Not-Yet. Oh, and before, Libby, aka the First, aka the island tells Michael not to do it. Did I mention I wanted more Libby?
Anyways, Michael gets a call from Walt, and by Walt I mean Ben. I loved that (mock) surprise Ben displayed upon learning that Michael activated the bomb. It's such a Ben thing to beat Michael down with why he's such a terrible person. Love it. So Ben admits there are innocent people on that boat, something Michael probably didn't realize, paving the way for Charlotte and Daniel to join the good guys. Come on, you know it's going to happen, right? I'm not insane, right? Well, I am, but my theory's not, right? They're displaying the same kind of awesomeness that Juliet (I know you disagree ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
anythingbutgrey) displayed when she was Othering it), and she went over to the good side, well sorta. She was playing both sides and still is kinda taking Ben's orders. So Sayid, not capable of seeing his Ben-puppet future, turns Michael in to Captain Douchebag, who didn't seem too shocked. Honestly, I wanted Michael to be killed, right then and there. I could have used some awesome Regular status for one episode killing. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. And it would have been mean: I heard Harold Perrineau was really hurt when he wasn't asked to return for season 3. So maybe Michael wouldn't have been the best choice for that.
So who was that "big" death? Well, I had low expectations when I read that Damon Lindelof made a snide reference to that ABC promo. If it were a big death, I figured it: a. Wouldn't have been revealed, like Libby and Ana Lucia's offings, or b. Wouldn't have been mocked by the producers. But Karl? Really? Him? I kept a close look at the clock, which told me after Michael's outing to the Captain that there were 5 minutes left for a death. Then Karl, Rousseau, and Alex went off to this "Temple", so I knew it was so Karl. Eh, no big. Then Danielle gave her little heartfelt bit to Alex, then boom, she's gone. So poor little Alex. I'm aboard with the peeps who think this was a Ben set up. But it could be the freighter people, Ben did say that the Widmore lemmings might try to use her. By coming out with her hands up, proclaiming "I'm Ben's daughter!" that could be the perfect thing for them. And Lapidus has been off on mysterious helicopter demanding missions. Could they be dropping off more and more weapons and people? But it makes more sense for it to be Ben's hombres, I mean, how convenient is it that Karl, whom Ben dislikes, gets offed first. Danielle, I'm not sure, maybe Ben is having parenting jealousy.
Random notes:
- Desmond sure has been quiet, am I the only one who wants him to say something to make clear that he's not past!Desmond or that he's re-stuck in time?
- It seems unusual that Michael would be put on the Kahana so easily, wouldn't Widmore be on the lookout for spies. And dude, Michael's face is probably online somewhere as a victim! I feel like background checks are part of the process to get onto not-Penny's-Boat.
- Love how Ben paints himself as the picture of moral supremacy, I mean, it's not like he partook in any sort of mass murder or Dharma genocide, right?
I'll see you in 33 days Lost!
Eli Stone 1.08
Whee! I really, really liked this episode. I know I've been a little irked by the unquestioning acceptance by Stone of his visions, so I'm very pleased by this plot development. He's finally telling some people, and realizing just how insane all this sounds. I mean, the only reason he jumped on this prophet bandwagon was because of the guru. I hope this leads to a more reluctant Eli, who maybe sees some purpose, but isn't immune to aggravation.
Music! I'm not going to lie, I was a little let down in the beginning by the lack of music. I was pretty pumped by the idea of George Michael singing in his living room, but after that the music took a backseat, and Eli had less catchy visions. Well, I loved this week's musical number, probably because the two people singing weren't really all that great singers. Don't get me wrong, I love the Victor Garber numbers, because he's extremely talented and awesome, but it's nice to have some variety in the mix. Plus, it just sounds so much fun, to basically break into song week after week. Next episode seems to be George Michael inspired (the dude's guesting in it!) and I'm expecting music fun. I think if the producers move in a more lyrical direction, they can make it their staple. "It's like Boston Legal, but with a prophet... and musical numbers!" Now that's a show I can watch.
Torchwood 2.09, 10, and 11
I briefly want to talk about how ridiculous 2.09 was. I mean, REALLY? Gwen, pregnant with alien spawn, HAS to get married? AND JACK LETS HER? I mean REALLY! HELLO WRITERS! Wake up and smell reality (I know it's hard when you're working on Sci Fi), that WOULD NEVER WORK. And John, stop phoning it in. Your shape shifting Alien was pathetic. I was laughing hysterically, because you looked like you just wanted to go home to your husband that day. Heh. I put off watching this episode because I was still in love with 2.08 and I knew this would suck. And it did. I ended up watching it because I wanted to see the previews for the next episode, hoping that was better. Erm... it was better, but still not good.
2.10. Here's my problem with some Sci Fi shows. I get you've got a rift and aliens and altogether really crazy shit going on, but CARDIFF ISN'T A HELLMOUTH. OK? The rift doesn't give you the excuse to make circus people turn themselves into movies and steal people's "last breaths". That's more of a supernatural thing and not so much a rift thing. I mean, I guess we can assume these circus folk were aliens, but I'm guessing not. They did pull out the 'ole "rift activity" gag at the theatre, but it didn't fly for me.
This episode felt like Torchwood's pathetic attempt to do Doctor Who's "Blink". The end with that film canister was eye-rolling at best. Again, this isn't "Blink". Another forgettable installment. The main reason I watched this episode was to see the preview for the next episode...
2.11 aka FINALLY A GOOD EPISODE! Don't get me wrong, I had my small problems: like I always assumed the rift was a two-way street, but maybe that was me. And the rift is correcting its mistakes? Really? Do you know how cosmically improbably that sentiment is? Very. But it was nice to see Andy, who is kind of awesome, calling Gwen out on her lack of Gwen-ness and she went into what made her part of Torchwood to begin with, her humanness. I hadn't really noticed if she's been colder, but I certainly didn't feel her reaching out on a human level like she did during the first series.
Jack was nice, albeit a little too quick to let Gwen bring over the victim's mother. The just was a bad idea. Bad. Bad, and shame on Jack for not stopping it. Thought Gwen phrased it well, making Jack think about Grey. Why does everyone who comes back through the rift go mad? I mean, they could end up somewhere nice, maybe in the past, on Earth. Not everyone is going to be scarred and insane... right?
Oh, and Jack/Ianto naked hide and seek. Yes plz! Ianto's "He always cheats" was both amazing and hysterical. Loved the invite for Gwen to join, welcome back Man-Whore Jack. I kinda missed you. And Ianto, always amazing.
I totally didn't realize that there was a Torchwood episode last night, so now I'm off to download that and watch. Judging from the preview after "Adrift", it looked kinda awesome, and maybe like we'll get a Jack backstory! Hurray!
