Monsters of Television

“Get out while you can. Just don’t go into retail.”

Every now and then, The Good Wife is a little one the nose, and “The Penalty Box” is one of those episodes. Even the quote above neatly sums up everything about the episode, which is concerned with people who need to get out of things and into other things before it just ruins their lives. Or, in Eli’s case, just kind of ruins a couple days of his life listening to why the firm should institute a slush fund to help clients get laid.

That being said, this episode was pretty tame, right (Kalinda’s steamy scene with Lana aside)? Especially for the penultimate episode of the season, not a whole lot of stuff, well, mattered, it seemed. I figured Peter’s run for governor would hit the backburner a touch, but I wasn’t expecting it to be reduced to a bickering married couple scene in the elevator (a great visual, by the way) (even more worrying: Matthew Perry’s pilot for NBC was picked up).

But let’s dive in and discuss the meat of the episode. Read more »

“Ah! Stop! I want! To be! On! Your back!”

I was talking with sava earlier this week about the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, specifically Ozai’s fate. It wasn’t something I was particularly happy with it as I felt like it was something of a deus ex machina, while admitting that the show had very few options open to it in dealing with Ozai.

And now that deus ex machina is back, and I’m forced to determine what, exactly, its role is here. After the jump, there’s going to be a discussion of it, and what it means, so spoilers for TLA‘s last episode are going to figure heavily into that, just as warning.

The episode, as a whole, however, is fairly solid as we see more of the seedy underside of Republic City, and there are a couple of interesting question going forward about where bending fits into this society. Read more »

“Cold-hard science, and a little misdirection, and now you champions of stagnation have become our agents of change.”

I’m letting the first season finale of Young Justice (don’t worry, the season 2 premiere is next week, in a prime example of the silly programming practices that mark kids program scheduling) off the hook a bit since the episode that preceded it have been good. This episode, on the other hand, is kind of a lacking, and feels more like an epilogue than a finale to the season.

And it’s not only the kind of “Meh” approach to the season’s previous events that the episode attempts to conclude, but that that the major throwdown between heroes and their sidekicks isn’t as exciting as it may have been (though, understandably so from a narrative standpoint since the team is outnumbered and outgunned (BUT THEY’VE ALSO TAKEN DOWN AMAZO).

Oh, and there’s more Roy silliness. Read more »

“You look like a Norm.”

If there’s one thing to like about Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and there is more than one, it’s the gradual unrolling of the yellow power rings. The fear-inducing, power draining properties of the yellow minerals are being developed across episodes, as opposed to just appearing with Sinestro (who hasn’t been seen or mentioned). I like this slow build about a very important aspect of the Green Lantern universe.

But that’s about all the good I have to say about “Fear Itself,” which I think is a remarkably dull and predictable episode. While I’ve been talking about how Green Lantern recycles tired and true plots of broader science fiction stories (and this one is no different), “Fear Itself” does little to alter the general scope of the “partners on different sides of misunderstood rival factions”, leaving it dead in the water. Read more »

“Is this a social cue?”

The cast, writers, and producers of Community were pretty concerned about “Virtual Systems Analysis” at PaleyFest, with Dan Harmon in particularly fretting about whether this episode was going to be the best or worst thing to happen to television ever.

Ego-stroking aside about being able to be the best or worst on television, “Virtual Systems Analysis” is really neither of those things. Like “Critical Film Studies” before it (but nowhere near as…I don’t even know…elegant, I think is the word I want), the episode seeks to offer some insight into Abed’s behavior, and this time adds in Annie to the mix. Running through scenarios in the Dreamatorium during a 3-hour lunch, the two come to grips with a number of things about their behaviors and their positions within in the group.

It’s not a terribly funny episode (though it does have funny elements) and I do appreciate the character work they do in the episode, but it was just like a bit…too much, maybe? Not in a bad way, but just in a way that I can see how the episode would’ve worked in less gimmicky way. Like “Critical Film Studies.” Read more »

“It’s the big leagues You foul a few off.”

Oh, it is on.

I talked with Cory Barker over at his blog about the season so far a couple of weeks or so ago, and one of the things we discussed was how it seemed like the show didn’t have much to tie up as it moved into its final three hours. Yeah, there’s the Kalinda/FBI/financial thing, but does anyone really really care about it? (No.) There was only the result of the infighting of Lochart /Gardner & Associates hanging over the show, and whether or not Peter would run for governor.

I don’t know about Cory, but I’m feeling really stupid for not seeing this coming a mile away. And, really, I don’t think I’ve been happier to feel this sandbagged by, well, everything. Read more »

“Ah, a lost son has returned to me.”

When I read the episode description, I was a bit worried it was too early for this particular story to play out. No one’s really been recruited (meaning no one’s officially joined the team before our original members), we haven’t checked in with the Guardians at all, and there hasn’t been much in the way of headway in the investigation in locating the Red Lanterns’ base.

That being said, the episode still works really well as a sort of conclusion for this section of the story, particularly for Razer. And it also supplies the next big concern in regards to this massive fleet that Atrocitus has waiting in the wings. A really massive fleet. Read more »

“I am shrubbery, I am not grass. What am I?”
“I am bush.”

Well damn.

Perhaps its the generally low expectations I’ve had of the show, but “Usual Suspects” really snuck up on me and gave me a nice wallop of an episode. It wasn’t only the narrative fake-out they did for the final act (which was really well-executed) or even the mole reveal (which I do have problems with, but at least that plot is over), but just the general brisk confidence of the episode, even as it introduced Rocket to the team (the show often stumbles when introducing a new team member).

For once I’m quite optimistic about the show’s future. Read more »

“This girl is crazy.”

I caught up on Avatar: The Last Airbender in a matter of weeks before the series finale. I had caught Toph’s first episode randomly a year or so before, was interested, but never pursued the show until I heard it was ending. I was working at a Blockbuster at the time and used my free rentals to watch the show in 4 episode chunks.

It was a  great experience, though sadly one I wasn’t able to share with people (no Twitter or TV blog at the time). So when folks I follow on Twitter asked for shows to catch up on, I pointed them to Avatar (depending on if they were willing to watch not only animation, but an animated show that was aimed at children). It’s a rich show with strong characters, gorgeous animation, and excellent writing that balances comedy and pathos in equal measure. It’s a show that anyone can watch and enjoy.

So, needless to say, a follow-up series to that show was pretty much the best news possible for me and a lot of other people. As news about the series started to leak out, particularly the first trailer, questions arose about what the show would be as it introduced things like cars, radios, electricity, and more blimps/airships. What role does this technology play in a world with bending? How does it affect the tone of a series that previously used technology sparingly (or in conjunction with bending)?

And those are just questions of setting. What about the characters? What’s Korra like? Who are the supporting characters? Who’s the villain (though, as we know, that’s can be a complicated question for this series)? Was it worth the wait?

The short answer, so far anyway, is an enthusiastic yes.

Read more »

“Or are you a human mirror?”

Hello types of Community episodes that just give me warm fuzzy feelings.

And I don’t just mean that it’s a Britta-centric episode. Though that does factor in. Rather, it’s a wonderful episode, as Kelly noted, about broken people that find strength in one another.

“Origins of Vampire Mythology” provides the type of emotional moments that “Pillows & Blankets” should have provided, but failed to do so because it was too wrapped in parodying Ken Burns. Instead the episode provides nice insights into a few of our characters (insights we already knew in some capacity), and it sets up what could be some really beautiful payoffs down the road. Read more »