Monsters of Television

“Do you have a problem with you?”

And so we continue with a “Hasn’t this been done before?” approach to narrative on Green Lantern. I’m not saying this as a knock since this approach, like I said last week, can work just fine and help us think through our characters. Like the crime procedural and its formula, using tired-and-true story formats (in this episode an isolated planet with a group of not what they seem survivors), the pleasure comes from both knowing the narrative arc (though your mileage may vary on this point) and seeing how our characters interact in and with it. Read more »

“I was going to invest in IBM in 1952, but life is full of disappointments.”

This two-parter was a messy, not great thing.

Unsurprisingly at this point, I found “Digital Exploration of Interior Design” to be the stronger of the two episodes, and even that wasn’t a particularly strong episode of the series. “Pillows and Blankets” suffers from its homage to Ken Burns documentaries, not that it is poorly executed (it isn’t), but that it distances the audiences from what should be a very important episode in the story of Troy and Abed. Instead, it’s just a high-concept episode that undercuts the emotional impact of two people who are maturing and growing up and how this affects their relationship. Read more »

“Artemis to Arrow: Look out.”

Thanks again to Nick for covering for me last week. I was sad not to get write about the episode, as I rather liked it and would’ve liked to dig into a bit. That said, Nick did a really nice job considering he hadn’t seen the show before that episode, so I think it all works out.

But now that I’m back in the saddle, let’s see how the show’s recent trend of good episodes holds up with “Insecurity.” For the past few episodes now, arguably even with the Wally-centric episode, we’ve gotten gestures to, it not outright, character development in a show that very much needed it.

Similar to “Coldhearted” (the Wally-centric episode), “Insecurity” doesn’t offer a lot of new stuff (aside from a couple of reveals), and instead serves as a refresher on Artemis’ anxieties about being on the team, and whether or not she belongs in the first place. But there’s some stuff to like in the episode, particularly a really strong performance from Stephanie Lemelin, despite the lack of new ground covered. Read more »

“Yes, we’ll have a nice clear plummet into the pinhole.”

“For future reference, when in my physical form, I prefer not to be pushed into the dirt.”

Apologies for no review last week. Nick didn’t have time to get to it, but I’m glad he managed to tackle last week’s Young Justice for me. As a result, this will be a 2-for-1 post, with thoughts on both “Into the Abyss” and “Heir Apparent.” (Sadly, I have nothing to offer about the DC Nation Short that aired with “Into the Abyss” since I cannot seem to find them online.)

Of the two, “Into the Abyss” is a snappier, more engaging episode than the paint-by-numbers predictability (and lousy action beats) of “Heir Apparent.” Both trade in space opera plots — ship stuck in a black hole and engaging in gladiatorial/knightly combat for the sake of a princess — and that makes it difficult to keep those ideas fresh and interesting for a season viewer.

But seasoned viewer doesn’t necessarily mean me. How often have these two plots been recycled in other shows? Ben 10 or Star Wars: The Clone Wars, for instance? Those are two other space-based shows that I imagine have (or will at some point) do plots rather similar to both of these here with Green Lantern. Did a kid, while watching either of these episodes, say, “Man. They totally copied Ben 10!”

I wonder. Read more »

“When is everything going to get back to normal?”

"Don't worry. I know there's no pulse. It's on account of how I'm dead inside."

If there’s anything you can take from Mad Men, from life within the lower parts of the office to the world at large, it’s that the younger generation is a collection of jackasses.

But in this episode, it’s not just a reckless generation shattering the comfortable, widespread social repression but we also see that the olds are getting older and, occasionally, are threatened by the new class or just by age/experience itself. Heck, Bert Cooper isn’t even in this episode. But you don’t have to be Roger Sterling to feel that pinch. Peggy’s right there with them.

Obviously, this is one of the reasons for setting the series in the 1960s, to showcase this time of tumult when youth became praised above all others and elders were brought behind the proverbial shed, all from the perspective of the industry that handed society the shotgun shells. This isn’t the first time the topic has come up, and it isn’t the last, but who it affects has expanded.

Oh, and Betty’s faaaaaaaat.

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“Well, well, well. There’s my baby. Move that brat out of the way so I can see her.”

"You're going to get it later."

Maybe it was the artifact of this show that I created in its absence. Maybe it’s the pacing of my other favorite shows going full seasons in the vacuum of this one. Maybe I should’ve watched the fourth season leading up to the fifth season premiere.

But something felt — off.

Mad Men returned with a two hour premiere and I hoped that by the end of the episode I could say, “Yeah! Mad Men. Is. Back!” About half-way through, though, I wasn’t sure if this was what left me a year and a half ago. I felt slightly lost in time, characters weren’t acting like I expected them to, and the episode overall felt slower than usual. And slower for Mad Men is like going from a passeggiata with your grandparents to being a pallbearer. With a limp. Following other grandparents. Who have rickets.

But it was nice to see the band back together again. Don is still withholding. Roger is still snarky. Pete still has a bitchface. And Lane is still toeing that line between gentleman and pervert. So let’s get into this. Finally: season five is here.

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“You thought I was Kryptonian? Cool.”

Noel is still in Boston for SCMS so, in his stead, I’ll cover Young Justice this week. So, I guess what I’m saying is — I’m sorry?

Not as sorry as the grown-up Justice League, though. I understand that the Justice League is no joke, that there needs to be a governing body of an ever-expanding universe of terrestrial and comparatively near-terrestrial superhumans that Earth’s nations can contact in case of emergency (partially for the convenience of contacting all the greats at once and partially because Wonder Woman’s costume doesn’t really lend to pockets for a mobile). I mean, they have to protect the planet from things like the INjustice League. But does the induction of new members have to look like a bunch of catty country club moms considering the new single-mom in the cul-de-sac? Even Diana seemed like a baby.

Meanwhile, Superboy is on earth dealing with big boy problems like existential worth, raging against the machine, and tangling with Lex Luthor. ALL ON THANKSGIVING. So much for truth, justice, and the American way. Can’t Lex take a break and eat a turkey leg or something?

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“Guys, I don’t trust Melissa as far as I can throw her and Ian’s fetus.”

Spencer is appalled by the content but loves the organization.

This episode is everything that is wrong with Pretty Little Liars and possibly everything that is wrong with America.

I don’t expect much from this show. I like it. I wouldn’t admit that to my dude friends (except this is on the internet — hi, dude friends) but I do watch this every week instead of catching up on Justified. It exists within a bubble of camp and camp is something that can only be enjoyed experientially. Have you ever tried to describe the plot of a B-movie to someone that doesn’t enjoy camp? It’s like explaining how to pierce your knuckles. Why would you do that to yourself? You watch a show about high school drama that’s already annoying then heightened to a hyperbolic level by a phantom, omniscient villain who always wears black gloves, even when eating, and terrorizes through text and shadowy secret-telling? Forget it, bring on the knuckle-piercers.

And, somehow, I’ve continued to watch, even enjoy, Pretty Little Liars because it knows what it is and even pokes fun at itself. Within this melodrama that moonlights as a thriller, there’s a thread of intelligence (not from the characters — they’re all nearly simple) in the storytelling.

Except for this season finale. But, lucky for them (and us), they padded their crappy tale-spinning with actual advancement and real information. By the end of the episode, you really feel like you got somewhere.

Let me warn you now before you move on that there will be spoilers. Because how can we talk about how foolish this all is if we don’t discuss the actual events we had to suffer through?

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“We must have missed the memo. Apparently, we’re now Stalin and associates.”

No time, I’m afraid, for a full review this week. Just too much going on, so I’ll do kind of a highlight reel of the episode, blatantly stealing the idea from Todd VanDerWerff’s most recent Archer review.

The struggles at Lockhart & Associates: Really great stuff here as the in-fighting amongst the equity partners is reaching a boiling point, and the battle involved in keeping everyone not only under control, but also from totally rearranging the firm. People shouting and talking over each other is always fun, and it’s even more fun on The Good Wife because of Alan Cumming, Michael Boatman, and Zach Grenier going whole hog in the scenes. Which leads us to…

Diane (and, by extension, Christine Baranski) being pretty much the bestest: Diane’s character has struggled a bit to stay in mix on the show sometimes, but with Will unable to directly help (“Consulting.”) she’s been pushed to the forefront in all sorts of wonderful ways. The calm center of the raging boardroom fights has to be let out in places, whether it be her exasperated sigh as Alicia grabs her before the elevator (I loved that face!) or the decision that she needs a booty call with long-missing Kurt after getting stood up.

I loved all of this because Diane is rich character for the show to mine portrayed by a very talented actress, and the episode delivers a really strong episode for her (it has “Emmy submission” written all over it right now). And I like how it gets Diane a little into the muck here as well, unilaterally approving a bonus (not a full raise) for Alicia over the objections of (at the very least) David Lee. She’s going on a limb to keep Alicia around (even if Julius and Eli agree), using some political capital on a 3rd year associate, and it may not help Alicia’s standing at the firm to be seen as getting help from the managing partners. Read more »