Last Week in Review (contains spoilers)
Oct. 1st, 2012 06:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alliecat8Disclaimer: I've decided to write reviews of my previous week's shows on the following Monday. This gives me the weekend to rewatch and assimilate. I am staying unspoiled this year. I try to stay upbeat and encouraging about my shows, following the adage "if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all." That doesn't mean I won't add some CONCRIT occasionally! I try to avoid negative reviews - although I absolutely respect everyone's opinions and the analysis that goes into them - simply because I don't want to become discouraged. I will rate my shows each week on an A - F scale so you'll know what you're getting into before you click!
Before I do my reviews, I first want to give giant KUDOS to the writers this year for including tough, strong, smart women almost across the board. THANK YOU.
Last Resort
They Are On An Island. And they have nukes. (deja vu, my Lostie friends?)
I am SO impressed, and NOT for the unavoidable Lost comparisons. Although I see similarities, I do not think they are deliberately trying to be the new Lost - the parallels are likely unintentional or unavoidable or figments of my Lost-obsessed imagination. Regardless, this might be my New Show!!!
Character Impressions:
Commander Chaplain - he worries me. First he came across as honorable, calm, cool, and collected; very professional; yet intelligent enough to question suspicious orders. He also cares deeply for his crew, and I thought he was a perfect leader until the very end. Then...well, he became Locke. He "looked into the eye of the island, and what he saw was beautiful." By declaring a takeover and a 200 mile No Man's Land around the island he essentially seceded from the world. I fear for his mental health, I fear mutiny, and I fear that they cannot "do better" than the rest of the world, as Chaplain proclaims, because there will be war with the Others (whoops, another Lost flashback) the cartel that appears to run the island, and possibly amongst his own people. Creating a new society is never a smooth transition, and that's an understatement.
XO Sam Kendal - he is a man who is learning to be a leader; learning quickly and well. He is also not bad to look at. ;) His former flawless working relationship with Chaplain (oh dear, Chaplain = Christian = Lost...is there going to be a Christian-Jack-type betrayal conflict here?) is in danger now that Chaplain has declared their island their possibly-permanent home, since Sam's loyalty to his wife back in "the world," I suspect, trumps his allegiance to his Commander. He's a man of intelligence as well as humor, and I loved his "just crazy enough" response to Chaplain's declaration to the world to leave him, his crew, and "his" island alone. Sam will be one of my favorite characters, I predict.
Lt. Grace Shepard - remind me to spell her name without an "h," heh. Interesting that we have a Chaplain (Christian) and a Shepard here. (I love the underlying subtleties of this show; that's what makes it easy for me to write fic.) At this point I have enormous respect for her character. She's flawlessly enduring scrutiny and jealousy from members of her crew due to her father being an Admiral serving at the Pentagon who is also a friend of Chaplain's. She is beautiful as well as ballsy, and HOW MUCH DO I LOVE IT THAT THE GIRL GOT TO MAKE THE FIRST RIGHTEOUS KILL???!!!
Navy Seal James King - AAAAAAAAAAAND, we have a James! (sorry, this Lostie can't help herself) And he is a tortured soul! With arms to die for! And he's a rebel! He can make me laugh (his drunken and diffident declaration when he saw the nuke launch, "Thaaaat's not good") and he can break my heart (he believes "This was my fault. I made it happen"...although I don't know why he blames himself), and I've had a thing for Navy Seals ever since 1) my son joined the Navy and I - an Air Force wife - started paying attention to the USAF's de facto rivals, and 2) in RL they badassed Bin Laden straight to hell where he belongs! So far everything about Navy Seal James is perfect, in my book! Any questions, girls, about who MY BOY is going to be on THIS show?!
Everything else - 1) I am intrigued. There is obviously a conspiracy at work here, involving Kylie and apparently NOT involving the Admiral, who I thought at first was evil but now I think that he truly believed that Pakistan made the first strike. 2) I am amused. The enlisted crew's snarky jealousy of Grace and Grace's reaction (that's TWO weeks' latrine duty, and it's LIEUTENANT Bitch); their exuberant "La Bamba" when they crossed the equator; the fabulously understated quip that "we're leaving this party" - all tell me that the writers are capable of having fun as well as telling an intriguing story. That was the Lost writers' strength as well, and one of the reasons I loved that show so much. Humor in the face of adversity is the only thing that can save your sanity, sometimes. Believe me, I know. 3) I am relieved. There is a LOGICAL reason why things are the way they are. Although I adore mystical, magical elements in my shows, I also like for them to make sense. This one does - everything from the intricate mayhem going on in the outside world, to the burgeoning power conflicts on the island, to the characters' thought processes.
In sum, I'm IN, people; probably for the long haul.
H5-0
Even though it was beyond awesome to see my OTP back, looking rested and healthy and adorable as ever; even though Adam's chest and arms as he rescued Kono had me melting into a puddle of fangirl goo; even though of course my heart was breaking for Jin (oops) Chin; the S3 premiere was all about the women for me. I think that the addition of Christine Lahti was brilliant. (The addition of Catherine as a regular cast memeber not so much, but we're trying to be positive here. I liked her when she was Steve's long-distance love interest. I am not interested in being forced to watch their romance unfold; it messes with my OTP and this fangirl feels pouty and flouncy and not-very-positive about that.) But it was Kono who ruled.
WHEN SHE JUMPED ON THE CAR AND SHOT THAT BAD GUY DEAD, I LOST MY HETEROSEXUALITY. Comments around my tv: Hubby and me (at the same time), "She's hot." Me, "Her balls are as big as Steve's!" Hubby, "She's a badass." Me, "She's a BADASS. I am in love with her."
Then she was rewarded at the end, by Adam's dimples, of course! ('k, my heterosexuality is re-established for now, but we'll see what happens after tonight's ep!)
Poor Steve is going to have Mommy Issues to add to his Daddy Issues now, and I worry for him and especially for Mary. At least Steve is still enough in love with focused enough to care about Danny and his issues with his divorce from Rachel and the custody war over Grace. But he's always believed that he is the son of an honorable family, and I think that's a large part of WHY he's who he is, so the fact that he's now questioning the honor of the woman who gave birth to him and raised him could change him. Maybe it'll humble him a little, make him a little less crazy-confident, and maybe that'll be good for him. (But he won't be as entertaining then; I loves my Mr. Superman!)
Most priceless moments: 1) the 3-way cargument between Danny, Doris, and Steve. Steve is definitely his mama's son - that woman can hold her own!; and 2) Danno's ringtone for Rachel, "Evil Woman." I guess THAT residual romance is dead and gone forever, thank God.
Sad things: I miss Laurie. I think they brought her on as a potential love interest for Steve, but I had visions of a goofy, klutzy, adorable romance between her and Danny. (At least she'll be back soon in Chicago Fire, which I plan on checking out when it airs a week from Wed.) And of course I'm heartbroken for Chin, although I knew right from the start that Malia was a redshirt. He needs Sun to comfort him. *cough*shutting up about Lost now*cough*probably notreally*cough*
As for the rest, the ongoing Wo Fat story, the revelation of exactly what Adam's role in that will be, the Delano connection, and whether or not Locke (I mean Joe, JEEZ ALLIE!) will be back, I'm content to just watch the plot unfold. This might not be my Deep Thoughts show, but for eye candy and entertainment and of course slash, it's my happy place. :)
Revolution
Yes, this show is trying too hard to be the next Lost. Yes, there are elements of it that stretch credibility to the breaking point, some of which I will discuss below. And yes, I'm still holding a grudge against JJ Abrams over certain Lost issues. But I'm an apocalypse junkie, what can I say? I'm enjoying the hell out of it, for now.
I was concerned that they were putting all of the meat of the show into the two teenagers, Charlie and Danny. I was happy to see more emphasis put on the grown-ups in the second episode, especially through the bits and pieces we learned from the flashbacks. Oh, and I also like pretty colors and hair, and JJ always comes through for me on those so thanks for that, dude. :)
Also, the title shot is very JJ: "Evolution" evolves into "Revolution." Shades of the revolving black 'n white Lost logo.
Brief - and subject to change - Character Impressions:
Charlie - I think she's the Kate that Darlton envisioned Lost's Kate to be but they missed the mark by making Kate a sleazebag. Charlie is too young and innocent to be a sleazebag, but there's a (necessarily) rising toughness in her and I love watching it develop. I also love watching her be a pest with the incessant "I wanna go with you" thing. ;) But I think she will emerge as a Strong Woman, and I have no worries about her turning evil.
Miles - does it surprise anyone that he's MY GUY for this show? 'Nuff said.
Danny - I haven't gotten much of an impression of him yet, but maybe that's intentional on the writers' part because he's the youngest and is still being shaped by his circumstances. I just want to know where he got the blow dryer he uses on that pretty hair of his (and where Charlie got her hot rollers!).
Maggie - interestingly (possible future spoiler alert, or maybe just an oversight), she isn't listed in the character bios. She seems cold to me, even though they tried to soften her personality with the dead Blackberry she carries around that holds the lost photos of her kids. Still, I won't cry if she dies.
Monroe - am I the only one who harbors a small suspicion that he could be redeemed? There's just something intangible there, maybe having to do with his former friendship with Miles. Or maybe I'm just hoping I can slash the two of 'em, who knows? ;)
Nate - speaking of slash. Personally I think he's not really militia but a spy for the resistance like Nora, or maybe I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt because he's hot. And his and Charlie's developing love/hate relationship is adorable and fun to watch. I'm curious to see if Danny ever develops a personality and if he has any chemistry with Nate. Potential slashiness, perhaps?
Grace - I have no real feel for her yet, but I liked how she mothered Danny. That boy needs a mother.
Rachel - speaking of which. Anyhow, I refuse to call her Rachel, she will always be Juliet to me. And ooh, just like Steve's (H5-0) mom, she's not just a soft mommy. And she's not really dead. She's got a past that's been hidden from us so far. Perhaps relating to the fact that she married Mile's brother, and Miles and Monroe were best buddies and in the Army together? I'm wondering if she was an intelligence officer of some sort, because her balls are bigger than any stay-at-home mom's I know (except perhaps for me, LOL!). I love Elizabeth Mitchell and I might stick with the show forever if only for her.
Aaron - continues to amuse me. I adore his character. He's my new, smarter, nerdier Hurley.
Nora - another Strong Woman, yay! So far I like her. But I wouldn't trust her with my gun. If I had one.
Neville - hate him. Understand where he's coming from, I guess, but I still hate him. I agree with Danny, I don't think he's doing his job for his country; he's doing it because he's a psychopath. And good for Danny for being perceptive enough to see it, and brave enough to say it.
I know a lot of people either never gave this show a chance, or have given up on it already. And I agree with a lot of the criticism. Also the swordfighting bores me (sorry, pirate fangirls - I'm writing pirate fic so I kinda need to get over that, huh?). ALSO, I could go on all night about my love for Miles and bore you so much you stop watching just to spite me. So I'll shut up now. Hell, it's almost airtime and I'm still babbling about last week!
TBC. I wanted to get my reviews for the Monday shows (H5-0 and Revolution) done before the next ep airs, and I came in just under the wire! I've still got three more to discuss, but I've forgotten to fix dinner and my cat wants to play, so....
More later!
Before I do my reviews, I first want to give giant KUDOS to the writers this year for including tough, strong, smart women almost across the board. THANK YOU.
Last Resort
They Are On An Island. And they have nukes. (deja vu, my Lostie friends?)
I am SO impressed, and NOT for the unavoidable Lost comparisons. Although I see similarities, I do not think they are deliberately trying to be the new Lost - the parallels are likely unintentional or unavoidable or figments of my Lost-obsessed imagination. Regardless, this might be my New Show!!!
Character Impressions:
Commander Chaplain - he worries me. First he came across as honorable, calm, cool, and collected; very professional; yet intelligent enough to question suspicious orders. He also cares deeply for his crew, and I thought he was a perfect leader until the very end. Then...well, he became Locke. He "looked into the eye of the island, and what he saw was beautiful." By declaring a takeover and a 200 mile No Man's Land around the island he essentially seceded from the world. I fear for his mental health, I fear mutiny, and I fear that they cannot "do better" than the rest of the world, as Chaplain proclaims, because there will be war with the Others (whoops, another Lost flashback) the cartel that appears to run the island, and possibly amongst his own people. Creating a new society is never a smooth transition, and that's an understatement.
XO Sam Kendal - he is a man who is learning to be a leader; learning quickly and well. He is also not bad to look at. ;) His former flawless working relationship with Chaplain (oh dear, Chaplain = Christian = Lost...is there going to be a Christian-Jack-type betrayal conflict here?) is in danger now that Chaplain has declared their island their possibly-permanent home, since Sam's loyalty to his wife back in "the world," I suspect, trumps his allegiance to his Commander. He's a man of intelligence as well as humor, and I loved his "just crazy enough" response to Chaplain's declaration to the world to leave him, his crew, and "his" island alone. Sam will be one of my favorite characters, I predict.
Lt. Grace Shepard - remind me to spell her name without an "h," heh. Interesting that we have a Chaplain (Christian) and a Shepard here. (I love the underlying subtleties of this show; that's what makes it easy for me to write fic.) At this point I have enormous respect for her character. She's flawlessly enduring scrutiny and jealousy from members of her crew due to her father being an Admiral serving at the Pentagon who is also a friend of Chaplain's. She is beautiful as well as ballsy, and HOW MUCH DO I LOVE IT THAT THE GIRL GOT TO MAKE THE FIRST RIGHTEOUS KILL???!!!
Navy Seal James King - AAAAAAAAAAAND, we have a James! (sorry, this Lostie can't help herself) And he is a tortured soul! With arms to die for! And he's a rebel! He can make me laugh (his drunken and diffident declaration when he saw the nuke launch, "Thaaaat's not good") and he can break my heart (he believes "This was my fault. I made it happen"...although I don't know why he blames himself), and I've had a thing for Navy Seals ever since 1) my son joined the Navy and I - an Air Force wife - started paying attention to the USAF's de facto rivals, and 2) in RL they badassed Bin Laden straight to hell where he belongs! So far everything about Navy Seal James is perfect, in my book! Any questions, girls, about who MY BOY is going to be on THIS show?!
Everything else - 1) I am intrigued. There is obviously a conspiracy at work here, involving Kylie and apparently NOT involving the Admiral, who I thought at first was evil but now I think that he truly believed that Pakistan made the first strike. 2) I am amused. The enlisted crew's snarky jealousy of Grace and Grace's reaction (that's TWO weeks' latrine duty, and it's LIEUTENANT Bitch); their exuberant "La Bamba" when they crossed the equator; the fabulously understated quip that "we're leaving this party" - all tell me that the writers are capable of having fun as well as telling an intriguing story. That was the Lost writers' strength as well, and one of the reasons I loved that show so much. Humor in the face of adversity is the only thing that can save your sanity, sometimes. Believe me, I know. 3) I am relieved. There is a LOGICAL reason why things are the way they are. Although I adore mystical, magical elements in my shows, I also like for them to make sense. This one does - everything from the intricate mayhem going on in the outside world, to the burgeoning power conflicts on the island, to the characters' thought processes.
In sum, I'm IN, people; probably for the long haul.
H5-0
Even though it was beyond awesome to see my OTP back, looking rested and healthy and adorable as ever; even though Adam's chest and arms as he rescued Kono had me melting into a puddle of fangirl goo; even though of course my heart was breaking for Jin (oops) Chin; the S3 premiere was all about the women for me. I think that the addition of Christine Lahti was brilliant. (The addition of Catherine as a regular cast memeber not so much, but we're trying to be positive here. I liked her when she was Steve's long-distance love interest. I am not interested in being forced to watch their romance unfold; it messes with my OTP and this fangirl feels pouty and flouncy and not-very-positive about that.) But it was Kono who ruled.
WHEN SHE JUMPED ON THE CAR AND SHOT THAT BAD GUY DEAD, I LOST MY HETEROSEXUALITY. Comments around my tv: Hubby and me (at the same time), "She's hot." Me, "Her balls are as big as Steve's!" Hubby, "She's a badass." Me, "She's a BADASS. I am in love with her."
Then she was rewarded at the end, by Adam's dimples, of course! ('k, my heterosexuality is re-established for now, but we'll see what happens after tonight's ep!)
Poor Steve is going to have Mommy Issues to add to his Daddy Issues now, and I worry for him and especially for Mary. At least Steve is still enough in love with focused enough to care about Danny and his issues with his divorce from Rachel and the custody war over Grace. But he's always believed that he is the son of an honorable family, and I think that's a large part of WHY he's who he is, so the fact that he's now questioning the honor of the woman who gave birth to him and raised him could change him. Maybe it'll humble him a little, make him a little less crazy-confident, and maybe that'll be good for him. (But he won't be as entertaining then; I loves my Mr. Superman!)
Most priceless moments: 1) the 3-way cargument between Danny, Doris, and Steve. Steve is definitely his mama's son - that woman can hold her own!; and 2) Danno's ringtone for Rachel, "Evil Woman." I guess THAT residual romance is dead and gone forever, thank God.
Sad things: I miss Laurie. I think they brought her on as a potential love interest for Steve, but I had visions of a goofy, klutzy, adorable romance between her and Danny. (At least she'll be back soon in Chicago Fire, which I plan on checking out when it airs a week from Wed.) And of course I'm heartbroken for Chin, although I knew right from the start that Malia was a redshirt. He needs Sun to comfort him. *cough*shutting up about Lost now*cough*probably notreally*cough*
As for the rest, the ongoing Wo Fat story, the revelation of exactly what Adam's role in that will be, the Delano connection, and whether or not Locke (I mean Joe, JEEZ ALLIE!) will be back, I'm content to just watch the plot unfold. This might not be my Deep Thoughts show, but for eye candy and entertainment and of course slash, it's my happy place. :)
Revolution
Yes, this show is trying too hard to be the next Lost. Yes, there are elements of it that stretch credibility to the breaking point, some of which I will discuss below. And yes, I'm still holding a grudge against JJ Abrams over certain Lost issues. But I'm an apocalypse junkie, what can I say? I'm enjoying the hell out of it, for now.
I was concerned that they were putting all of the meat of the show into the two teenagers, Charlie and Danny. I was happy to see more emphasis put on the grown-ups in the second episode, especially through the bits and pieces we learned from the flashbacks. Oh, and I also like pretty colors and hair, and JJ always comes through for me on those so thanks for that, dude. :)
Also, the title shot is very JJ: "Evolution" evolves into "Revolution." Shades of the revolving black 'n white Lost logo.
Brief - and subject to change - Character Impressions:
Charlie - I think she's the Kate that Darlton envisioned Lost's Kate to be but they missed the mark by making Kate a sleazebag. Charlie is too young and innocent to be a sleazebag, but there's a (necessarily) rising toughness in her and I love watching it develop. I also love watching her be a pest with the incessant "I wanna go with you" thing. ;) But I think she will emerge as a Strong Woman, and I have no worries about her turning evil.
Miles - does it surprise anyone that he's MY GUY for this show? 'Nuff said.
Danny - I haven't gotten much of an impression of him yet, but maybe that's intentional on the writers' part because he's the youngest and is still being shaped by his circumstances. I just want to know where he got the blow dryer he uses on that pretty hair of his (and where Charlie got her hot rollers!).
Maggie - interestingly (possible future spoiler alert, or maybe just an oversight), she isn't listed in the character bios. She seems cold to me, even though they tried to soften her personality with the dead Blackberry she carries around that holds the lost photos of her kids. Still, I won't cry if she dies.
Monroe - am I the only one who harbors a small suspicion that he could be redeemed? There's just something intangible there, maybe having to do with his former friendship with Miles. Or maybe I'm just hoping I can slash the two of 'em, who knows? ;)
Nate - speaking of slash. Personally I think he's not really militia but a spy for the resistance like Nora, or maybe I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt because he's hot. And his and Charlie's developing love/hate relationship is adorable and fun to watch. I'm curious to see if Danny ever develops a personality and if he has any chemistry with Nate. Potential slashiness, perhaps?
Grace - I have no real feel for her yet, but I liked how she mothered Danny. That boy needs a mother.
Rachel - speaking of which. Anyhow, I refuse to call her Rachel, she will always be Juliet to me. And ooh, just like Steve's (H5-0) mom, she's not just a soft mommy. And she's not really dead. She's got a past that's been hidden from us so far. Perhaps relating to the fact that she married Mile's brother, and Miles and Monroe were best buddies and in the Army together? I'm wondering if she was an intelligence officer of some sort, because her balls are bigger than any stay-at-home mom's I know (except perhaps for me, LOL!). I love Elizabeth Mitchell and I might stick with the show forever if only for her.
Aaron - continues to amuse me. I adore his character. He's my new, smarter, nerdier Hurley.
Nora - another Strong Woman, yay! So far I like her. But I wouldn't trust her with my gun. If I had one.
Neville - hate him. Understand where he's coming from, I guess, but I still hate him. I agree with Danny, I don't think he's doing his job for his country; he's doing it because he's a psychopath. And good for Danny for being perceptive enough to see it, and brave enough to say it.
I know a lot of people either never gave this show a chance, or have given up on it already. And I agree with a lot of the criticism. Also the swordfighting bores me (sorry, pirate fangirls - I'm writing pirate fic so I kinda need to get over that, huh?). ALSO, I could go on all night about my love for Miles and bore you so much you stop watching just to spite me. So I'll shut up now. Hell, it's almost airtime and I'm still babbling about last week!
TBC. I wanted to get my reviews for the Monday shows (H5-0 and Revolution) done before the next ep airs, and I came in just under the wire! I've still got three more to discuss, but I've forgotten to fix dinner and my cat wants to play, so....
More later!
