Smallville 5.1: "Arrival"

Written by Todd Slavkin and Darrin Swimmer
Directed by James Marshall

In which Clark discovers his Fortress of Solitude, but when his loved ones are threatened by the arrival of enemies from Krypton, he must choose between his humanity and his legacy…


I wasn’t initially interested in “Smallville”. As a kid, I wasn’t really into DC Comics, and while I saw all of the films in the theatre, I didn’t find Superman to be the most interesting character in the world. I was a fan of “Roswell”, and saw a lot of the same elements. It wasn’t until the second season finale that someone convinced me to take another look, and I was strongly intrigued. Once the third season came along, I was hooked. Now, I have all the DVDs and I’ve seen everything I missed in the beginning.

I was quite impressed when the fourth season arc led directly into the creation of the Fortress of Solitude. So I was equally impressed when the design was very close to the design used in the films, yet appropriate for “Smallville”. I also liked the update to the Negative Zone, though in some other respects, that didn’t work as well as I would have hoped.

The fact that Chloe revealed her knowledge to Clark, and that her survival began the process of Clark turning his back on Jor-El and the legacy of his homeworld, was one of the better moments in the episode. I like the fact that this barrier has been dropped, and now that Chloe knows something about Clark that Lana doesn’t know, she may not feel so unwanted. (Though how a gorgeous young woman like Allison Mack could ever feel unwanted, I don’t know!)

Less effective is Lana and her gambit with the Followers of Zod. In fact, that entire plot element didn’t work for me. Lana should have been toast more than a few times in the episode, just as it didn’t make sense for Lois or Jonathan to survive their encounters with the FoZ throughout the episode. Needless to say, the resolution of the whole problem of the FoZ seemed way too quick and easy, given the buildup. That was a real disappointment, since the arrival of two people with Clark’s power should have been more substantial.

Lex acts exactly as one would expect, tracking down just enough information to know that Clark is lying to him, yet little enough to jeopardize Clark and his secret directly. The writers have been walking that fine line for so long that it will be interesting to see this latest overt deception take him further over the edge. I like this aspect of the series best of all, and it still doesn’t disappoint: Clark’s own need to keep the truth from Lex actually contributes a great deal to Lex’s descent into evil. Clark helps create his own most famous nemesis, and this season is likely to pay some of that off.

One thing I wasn’t expecting, though I should have seen it coming, was the loss of Clark’s abilities. How that works is going to be interesting to explore, if the writers bother with explanations at all, because it may not be what Clark thinks it is. Could Jor-El really do something like that so indirectly? And what would be the point? Regardless, Clark is foolish to jump right into the assumption that the condition is permanent and that his relationship with Lana won’t hit serious problems in the near future.

Despite my dislike of the Followers of Zod element, I look forward to this season. I find James Marsters to be a strong genre actor, and I’m intrigued by the possibilities presented in the premiere. And even more than last season, the three young women at the center of Clark’s life have truly blossomed into adulthood, and that additional maturity really shines through. If this is the final season, as is widely rumored, then this is a fine enough start.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Alias 5.1: "Prophet 5"

Written by Alison Schapker and Monica Breen
Directed by Ken Olin

In which the truth about Michael Vaughn’s true identity is revealed, but when Sydney and Vaughn try to hunt down a document tied to his father and his past, Vaughn pays the ultimate price…


Status Report

Change is never an easy thing, and this is particularly true with the fandom of any given genre television series. There are tales of bitterness and hatred whenever a beloved character is removed from the board for whatever reason. Even when the actor or actress leaves of their own accord, accusations are leveled at those still staying behind and marching on, as if the world must stop when an actor gets bored or seeks new frontiers.

The situation is even worse when there are accusations that on-set relationships (and the subsequent break-ups) are behind the ouster of a beloved actor or character. In this case, there are thousands of rather vocal and rabid Michael Vartan fans who accuse Jennifer Garner of forcing him to be written off the series. This flies in the face of logic, given where the fourth season went and the likelihood that the writers wouldn’t intentionally back themselves into a corner, but logic seldom matters when dealing with such things.

What’s interesting here is how the premiere didn’t necessarily end with Vaughn’s death. In fact, there’s plenty of reason to think that Vaughn isn’t dead. For instance, on this series, when someone is dying after an attempt to fake his death already, and the window blinds are shut, what are the chances that things are so clear cut? There was no autopsy scene, it was a closed casket…wasn’t there a character a couple years ago that was assumed dead with plenty of evidence to support it?

So from a number of perspectives, this is not necessarily what it seems to be. In fact, there’s good reason to doubt that Vaughn is really dead. But even if he is, this still remains a viable plot development, in terms of unlocking yet another aspect of Sydney’s life that was assumed to be constant and relatively simple. That’s been the mantra for “Alias” since the very first season, and though some aspects of the premise are becoming overly strained at this point, it is what it is.

Moving on from what will no doubt be an endless controversy all season long, what about the rest of the episode? Two things make this episode somewhat hard to characterize. On the one hand, Jennifer is quite obviously pregnant throughout, and while a number of things are done to overcome this problem, it’s not perfect and it gets distracting. The other thing is the obvious network mandate not to refer to Rambaldi.

The problem is that the series, as a whole, cannot have some other prophet from the same time period with devotees connected to Vaughn’s father, so anyone already a fan knows that this is another piece of the overall Rambaldi puzzle. It’s just galling that the writers can’t come out and say it, especially when Sydney and Vaughn ought to come to that conclusion instantly. For fans of the series mythology, it’s another sign of how the producers had to accommodate network demands to stay on the air.

As far as the whole “Prophet 5” scenario goes, this seems like a way to explore how Vaughn’s father was connected to the Magnific Order of Rambaldi. The text in question, and its translation, fits perfectly into the Rambaldi mythos, so as a fan, it’s not hard to see how it all progresses from the fourth season. Though some mistook Elena’s plot as Rambaldi’s goal, that wasn’t the case at all; Rambaldi’s plot was all about the pacification of humanity so that an elite few could keep things in line. These genetic references are probably related to Rambaldi’s immortality quest and the whole question of the Rambaldi legacy for Sydney, Nadia, and nearly everyone else on the show.

So in effect, despite Vaughn’s apparent exit, his family history and its connection to Rambaldi are at the center of everything Sydney and APO will be doing this season. The real question is how Sloane will be interacting with all of this, since the writers will have to dance around the Rambaldi references even more whenever he’s involved. And if this is the final season, as so many people believe, why not just refer to Rambaldi and be done with it?

There’s also the small problem of yet another timeline for the death of Vaughn’s father. It’s bad enough that the fourth season played all kinds of games with Bill Vaughn and his involvement with Nightingale, but now there’s yet another iteration of the Vaughn family tragedy. Why can’t the writers stick to one timeline and make the story work within the established continuity? It shouldn’t be that hard!

With so many outside influences and issues impacting the creation and interpretation of this episode, it’s hard to know if this is a solid premiere and a sign of good things to come. Baby plots are usually the kiss of death for genre series, and in this case, the writers need to establish a stronger sense of direction in the next few episodes. As it stands, this is probably the weakest season premiere since the third season, and quite possibly, the weakest of the entire series. Bringing the series back in the fall, instead of taking the time to address the various issues for another January start, might have been a critical error.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode was arguably the weakest season premiere of the series to date. Too many outside influences and issues impacted the creation of the story, and it was almost impossible to stay within the story itself and not consider the other implications. In particular, Garner’s pregnancy is a visible complication, and the network demands force the writers to eliminate natural connections to the series mythology, to the detriment of the concept.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 5/10

Serenity: The Reviews

Despite two very long days dealing with work and personal obligations, I've finally had the chance to put together my thoughts on "Serenity" and my "Firefly" experience. I've designed the site in four main sections:

http://www.entil2001.com/series/firefly/serenity.html

1) "Serenity: The Screening": My comments from the night of the screening

2) "Acheiving Serenity": A short recounting of my personal journey as a Browncoat, which is probably going to be a work in progress

3) "Serenity: A Non-Spoiler Review": An objective look at the film with no spoilers and thoughts on how the film will be received

4) "Serenity: The Browncoats Review": An in-depth analysis of the film, with tons of spoilers and commentary on the film in context with the series

The first three sections are complete, and the final section should be done within the next few days. I hope everyone gets a chance to see the movie this weekend or soon thereafter, and hopefully I'll see some of you in the theatre in the weeks to come!

Lost 2.2: "Adrift"

Written by Steven Maeda and Leonard Dick
Directed by Stephen Williams

In which Michael and Sawyer struggle to survive on the open sea following the raid by the Others, while the Kate and Locke discover more information about the contents of the hatch…


Status Report

After a strong season premiere, introducing another layer of mystery beyond the hatch, a number of questions from the first season finale were still on the table. Perhaps the biggest question involved the fate of those previously on the raft. This episode centers on their experience, but there’s also an odd bit of backtracking in terms of the hatch itself. As such, there’s a sense of little or no forward momentum in the narrative.

The scenes between Michael and Sawyer involve some important character development, but they also highlight the limitations of Michael’s character. Michael is more or less defined by his relationship with Walt. Walt is completely absent, and so this episode covers Michael’s realization that his decision to bring Walt on the raft may not have been a banner moment in parenting.

This is an important enough moment for Michael, and with Sawyer there to give him a convenient scapegoat, one would think that the stage is set for plenty of interesting psychological angst. The problem is that very little ground is covered. If the idea is for Michael to realize that his old life is over and trying to get it back might have cost him Walt, then that concept is not clearly communicated. Michael doesn’t really come out and say that embracing the island and its possibilities is the only way through the crisis.

Maybe it’s just that he’s not there yet. Maybe he needs to get Walt back first before he can understand what he really needs to do to protect himself and Walt from harm. Since he doesn’t really come to any conclusion that he couldn’t have come to in about five minutes, it’s not all that interesting.

Oddly, Sawyer seems to be the one who has changed his spots, at least to a certain degree. He’s the one who realizes that the Others were coming for Walt the whole time, and that they were never going to get rescued. Sawyer also says it best when they drift back towards the island (as predicted by Arzt in “Exodus”): returning to the island is like coming home. It should be interesting to see if this experience with the Others (at least, it is assumed they are the Others) takes Sawyer further along the path to personal redemption.

Turning for a moment to the hatch, some interesting information is provided, even if it didn’t advance the plot very far. For one thing, the power and provisions for the hatch were all provided by the same company (the name was very hard to read…”Dharma”?). That company could be Asian in origin, given the design of the logo. The power cord from “Solitary” was more than likely going into the hatch itself. How Desmond is connected to that company and its goals is another mystery.

A lot of Desmond’s comments were very interesting in light of Danielle’s comments during the first season. Desmond was rather shocked to discover that the rest of the world was still around, which again suggests that the inoculation in the previous episode was all about protecting himself from some contagion. It makes sense that the “security system” was put in place to stop anyone from getting into the hatch and exposing those inside.

If that supposition is correct, then it would appear that the computer system in the hatch can deactivate the “security system”. That’s pure speculation, but it makes a certain amount of sense. The “numbers” were a deactivation code, and it’s rather interesting that the “timer” starts from 108, which is the sum of the “numbers”. It’s all very suggestive, but it’s still not coming together yet. Even so, the “security system” appears to be outside of Desmond’s direct control; it seems as though he worked out how to deactivate it, not that he knew how in the first place.

Desmond seemed to be waiting for someone to come and get him. He assumed that was Locke. Was he supposed to ride out some apocalypse inside the hatch and await a representative from that company? And what set off the “security system” in the first place? Was it Kate, or someone on the outside?

Speaking of Kate, her role in the exploration of the hatch is still not clear. Her motivations were hard to fathom in the previous episode, and while her desire is escape and survival in this case, her overall motivations remain unspoken. She provides Locke with someone else to bounce off of, but beyond that, she’s there to get thrown in the pantry so the common source of the provisions can be revealed.

Even though some of the items are more modern, the majority of the items in the hatch (including the provisions themselves) appear to be much older. There are two ways to interpret this. Either the design is relatively modern but trapped in the 1970s conceptual space, or there’s some strange temporal displacement taking place. (OK, there are other explanations, but those are the more obvious ones.)

In terms of the other characters, just like the previous episode, there’s not much. Many of the other characters don’t even show up. There’s the short scene between Charlie and Claire, where he lies to protect his newfound heroin, but it’s not much. This is basically an episode devoted to four characters, and everyone else is tangential to that story. That lack of depth and subplot is another reason why this episode missed the mark.

Ultimately, though, the problem is the focus. One gets the feeling that Sawyer was supposed to be the one with the flashbacks, which would have made sense. Three of the more popular characters are Jack, Sawyer, and Locke. Focusing on those three at the beginning of the season would have kept interest alive. But the story may not have had enough of a connection to Sawyer, which forced the focus on Michael. It may not mean much to the ratings in the long run, but in terms of the storytelling effectiveness, it just didn’t seem to be as strong as is typical for the series thus far.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode was something of a disappointment. By focusing on Michael, arguably one of the weakest characters on the series, a lot of the depth in the current drama was sapped away. Also, there was little advancement in terms of the hatch; even if more information was provided, context is still lacking. It simply felt as though the writers weren’t sure how to get through this part of the story.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 5/10

Supernatural 1.3: "Dead in the Water"

Written by Raelle Tucker and Sera Gamble
Directed by Kim Manners

In which Dean and Sam discover a connection between mysterious drowning deaths at a remote lake, and Dean’s connection with a traumatized boy reveals an old family secret…


I’ve been impressed with this series so far, but the real test of any series will come after the first couple of episodes. The pilot is all about establishing premise, and the second episode is typically taking the ideas from the pilot and reshaping them into an ongoing format. After that, it’s all up in the air. Take “Threshold” as a good example: the first two hours were promising, but the third hour didn’t meet the same standard.

I’m happy to say that “Supernatural” hasn’t had the same problem yet. I think this is because it’s not trying to be something more than it is. Whatever opinions I had about the format before haven’t changed after this episode; if anything, those opinions were solidified. The continuity remains at the character development level, and if the characters themselves still feel like mysteries themselves, that’s all the better.

This episode says a lot about Dean, and I love the way that Jason gets to play with his range. He’s been criticized in the past, and while I certainly understand those criticisms, I can’t help but feel a certain something from the character and Jason’s portrayal. It’s not anything extraordinary, but there’s a sincerity there. I mentioned before that there’s a lot happening in Dean’s head, and that his scars drive his choices, and that’s definitely the case here.

Dean throws off a lot of charm, and it works for the ladies. Then again, it’s hard not to want to charm and woo Amy Acker! But his cool exterior and faux-James Dean attitude betray a number of psychological hang-ups and self-recrimination. It’s clear that Dean feels like he let his parents down, and he’s trying to make up for it. It’s probably a lot more complex than that, and perhaps that’s why I like the character so much. The writers could have just made him cool and confident; instead, he’s still, in many respects, the child he was when his mother died.

Sam is mostly kept to the background in this episode, serving the purpose of pushing Dean’s buttons when necessary to reveal what’s hidden. That works well enough in this case, but it does expose some of the weaknesses in the actor’s range. After reading some comments about Jared in several reviews and such, I took a moment to review some of his scenes in this episode. He was rather wooden at times. Hopefully the next episode will focus on him and his character can be defined by something other than a desire to find Daddy and be done with it all.

As for the actual “case” in this episode, I liked it. It was unusual, especially since it broke slightly from the pattern established in the first two episodes. This was closer to something out of the “X-Files” in its early days, when Mulder would be chasing something hinted at in newspaper clippings. This makes sense, given that not every incident will be traced back to some legendary source. To be honest, I would have preferred if the ghostly form of the original victim hadn’t shown up, but I understand why they did it.

It’s still early, but I find that this is ranking rather high on my list of new shows, which is ironic, since many other reviewers forgot it was also in the running. I still can’t tell if “Invasion” will live up to its potential, and “Threshold” still has time to settle out, but this is three solid episodes in a row with minor complaints. I only hope the ratings are good enough for the network!

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Serenity: The Screening

My wife and I literally got home from our evening in NYC, where we attending a press screening of "Serenity". I still need to get my thoughts together on the film itself. I can say this much: as a "Firefly" and Joss devotee, this was something very special and meaningful. I am even happier to report that my wife, a casual fan at best, was gushing over the film the entire way home. Browncoats...we have a winner!

Anyway, I just wanted to share in how cool an experience it was. This was a free screening, so it took some time to consider how much we wanted to pay to get into the city. In the end, we hired a driver, which turned out to be worth the irony. After all, with the kids and time being what it is, we rarely get to go out on the town. This doesn't quite qualify as a "night on the town", but it was well beyond anything we've ever done before.

So we get there really early, mainly to beat traffic coming in, and see a short (but growing) line of Browncoats outside the theatre. We knew our breathren because they were wearing "Serenity" gear and playing "Firefly" DVDs on their laptops. But we quickly realized that none of them were the Universal reps that I had to report in with. These were fans who signed up for passes, and were lining up just in case there were open seats.

Instead of standing in line, we got to roam around town for a while. About 6PM, as the line outside grew much longer, we simply walked up to the Universal table, gave our name, and we were handed our tickets. Simple as that. It was incredibly cool. Even if everyone wound up sitting together, we got the pick of our seats (and yeah, we sat in the sweet spot), and after hearing about how some bloggers were mistreated by other promotional groups, I was gratified at how smoothly it went.

But I don't see myself as any better than any other Browncoat, and it was great to have so many fans in the theatre at the same time. It was something I missed with the LotR films, despite going on opening day, or even Episode III. This was a crowd of fans. We all laughed at the same places, cringed at the same moments, and applauded as one. Considering how annoying it is to go out to the movies these days, this was quite a treat. Nearly everyone stayed to the very last frame of the end credits. (And may I say how cool it is that screenings don't have commercials and previews?)

So now I have to get my thoughts together on this film and everything that happened. It's going to be tough. It could take a couple of days, because there's a lot to say. But I can say this much. I want to see it again. My wife wants to see it again.

And I can't wait to see what comes next.

Prison Break 1.6: "Riots, Drills, and the Devil"

Written by Nick Santora
Directed by Robert Mandel

In which Michael needs Sucre to help him with the next step in the escape plan, but when their diversion turns into a riot, things get tense as Lincoln, Sara, and the plan are all compromised…


In the previous episode, a number of plot contrivances were required for the story to work. As it turns out, the writers were probably just trying to get to this part of the story on schedule. Since this two-part story brings the season about a third of the way, this is typically when the arc begins to complicate in a more serious fashion. Everything to this point was introduction of the situation and the main characters, such as they are. Now, one would expect, everyone likely to know about the escape plan does know.

Events require a lot less contrivance this time around, because the previous episode took that hit. Sure, it shouldn’t be so easy for Michael to come and go, but if his scheme in the previous episode didn’t screw that up, nothing will. So when it comes down to shutting down the air handling system, I buy it. Just as I accept the consequences.

The riot itself evolves slowly but surely, and it escalates in ways that are consistent with the characters and their previous development. Bellick takes a bad situation and makes it worse, and from where I’m sitting, he’s the one responsible for the situation getting out of hand. He waits far too long to take his men seriously. When dealing with a maniac like T-Bag, getting him even more worked up is a huge mistake.

The rookie guard Bob weaves in and out of the most important moments in the riot. Lincoln gets to show his true colors by trying to save Bob’s life. Granted, he gets beat down rather nicely for it, but he tries. If there’s a questionable moment, it’s when T-Bag conveniently tosses Bob into Michael’s cell, thus revealing the hole in the wall. The fact that Bob knows about this is a problem; the fact that T-Bag knows is an even bigger problem.

Of course, the timetable is such that the escape attempt can’t be too long coming. I’d be shocked if it took longer than mid-season to happen. At least, the first attempt, since I doubt it will go smoothly. I don’t think the series can go the entire season within the prison walls, if only because Michael’s plan is relatively simple, based on what he mentioned. As long as Lincoln and Michael are in the prison, it’s too easy for the conspiracy.

What I really like about this episode is the intensity level. It’s through the roof, to say the least. Sara’s situation is horrific, and while the promos gave quite a bit away, it’s still not going to be easy for her to get out unscathed. Nor will Lincoln have an easy time of it. The riot has literally thrown everything wide open, and the chaotic nature of the story allows the audience to feel the anxiety over how it will all play out. More than even the race riot, this two-parter takes advantage of the setting.

As usual, the one weakness is the conspiracy angle. It shouldn’t have been that easy for someone to track the source of that phone call to Washington, DC. For one thing, the conspiracy shouldn’t have been stupid enough to make that call, let alone leave a trail behind. I still think Mr. Helpful is a conspiracy mole, because at this point, the conspiracy is looking stupid otherwise. That side of the story was not properly conceived.

Still, that’s a minor point in comparison to the intensity of the rest of the episode. I was quite surprised at how engaging this episode was, especially after being disappointed last time around. Hopefully the second half of the two-parter will be equally as strong, especially since the series needs to go into its MLB hiatus on a high note.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

Battlestar Galactica 2.10: "Pegasus"

Written by Anne Cofell Saunders
Directed by Michael Rymer

In which the Battlestar: Pegasus arrives on the scene, along with Admiral Cain, who immediately assumes authority over the fleet, which is not good when her methods prove draconian…


I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I truly despise this “summer finale” business that the SFC consistently shoves down our collective throats. It forces the producers and writers to segment their season arcs in a way that doesn’t always fit the traditional three-act story structure that those arcs are built around. When the writers force it, it doesn’t work very well; “Stargate: Atlantis” is a good example. This series, however, took the opportunity to touch on the original series (thematically, anyway) while taking advantage of the fact that the first season arcs came to a relative conclusion.

Adama and his crew have gone through some trying times over the past 20+ episodes, and as many detractors have pointed out, some decisions by the command staff have been questionable at best. In particular, Adama has allowed a number of things that would never be overlooked in a traditional military structure. He tries to make the crew a family, and he treats them as such. In the face of extreme adversity, Adama’s flaw is often his compassion.

As I mentioned in my comments for the previous episode, one criticism against the series is the deeply flawed nature of every character. None of them are sterling officers with a sense of protocol; they all have agendas and concerns of their own, and those often get in the way of true unity. But that begs the question: would a strict enforcement of martial authority be any better?

In keeping with the concept of the series in terms of its characterizations, the crew of the Pegasus may be following the chain of command, performing as one would expect during a war, but they are hardly pristine and perfect officers. If anything, that strict and regimented lifestyle, when sustained over time with no prospect of an end in sight, must inevitably have an outlet for the negative energy.

As the episode marched on and the depravity of the Pegasus crew was revealed, I was struck by reports of what ordinary soldiers during the Vietnam conflict had done under vaguely similar circumstances: rape of “enemy” prisoners, for one thing. One could argue that Boomer is treated a bit too well, and that Tyrol and Helo are being played, but simply from the point of view of Boomer’s pregnancy and the opportunity to understand the Cylon agenda, it makes sense for them to keep her in good condition. The treatment of Six on Pegasus only reinforces what the Cylons think of humans.

As Ron Moore says on his podcast for the episode, the worst part is that Admiral Cain (played by the very hot Michelle Forbes) is right about Adama’s shortcomings. Of course, that doesn’t make her own methods any better, and it doesn’t give her the right to execute people without a fair hearing. Cain also fails to take into consideration all the things that Adama accomplished; first and foremost, he kept the majority of survivors alive despite issues with the civilian president and an assassination attempt. Cain has actually killed survivors to keep others in line. It’s a question of keeping the goal in sight, even under extreme circumstances. (Perhaps those justifying the gang rape of prisoners in their reviews might stop to consider what they are championing.)

Were Tyrol and Helo right to defend Boomer as they did? Hard to say, but it’s a testimony to the writers that the audience actually has sympathy for Boomer and Pegasus’ version of Six. At the very least, they were provoked. I can’t imagine what the female crew members on Pegasus thought of the men happily celebrating gang rape. I did note that Cain was dismissive of the President, who is technically in authority over her as well. That ought to be fun to watch in the second half of the story. Whatever the case, this is going to be one hell of a ball of string to unravel come January!

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

West Wing 7.1: "The Ticket"

Written by Debora Cahn
Directed by Christopher Misiano

In which the campaign for Santos/McGarry is launched on the heels of the primary, but concerns over Leo’s past and a situation at the White House throw Josh a few curves…


First, a little background. I didn’t watch the show in first run until the third season, and then because of other commitments, I didn’t watch again until the fifth season began. I’ll admit that I was wary of Sorkin’s typical desire to soapbox through his characters, and coming in late, I didn’t have a feel for why the characters were doing what they were doing. Since then, I’ve seen all the episodes several times over with my wife, who is also a new fan. The DVDs get plenty of mileage in our household!

The point is that I don’t look at this series from the same perspective as someone who was there from the very beginning. I recognize that the show had a very different tone, but I don’t subscribe to the notion that it’s horrible now without Sorkin and his firm handle on where he wanted things to go. If anything, I find it very appropriate that the first term was overseen by one showrunner, and now the second term is under another. Each term has had its general theme, and the second term is darker overall than the first, given that Bartlet’s time in the sun is nearly over.

That’s why I really liked how this episode began. It makes one thing very clear, right from the beginning: this season is about the end of the Bartlet administration. That was clear last season, but this drives it home. (I’m inclined to think that this is also in preparation for this being the final season.) So the emphasis is on the struggle between the old and the new, even more than it was last season. Since the election plot thread was the one I enjoyed the most last season, this is a big plus for me.

One thing I really like about this series is its density. So much is happening, and it’s easy to get caught up in the plot and character details. This episode is no exception. I spent most of the time delving into the interplay between Josh, Santos, and Leo. Everyone is spot on, and it promises to be quite interesting in the episodes to come, especially in terms of Leo’s past history. Leo’s character is getting the “fish out of water” treatment that CJ received last season, and it ought to be equally precarious.

Speaking of CJ, I don’t read spoilers, so I have no idea how this mess with the security leak is going to hash itself out. I have a feeling it’s going to play into some cast restructuring again. I’m glad that the White House is still a vital part of the story, however, because I’m not ready to let go of Bartlet just yet!

Other good things: Josh and Donna’s incredibly awkward conversation, CJ and Danny finally getting together (and spawning, apparently), the hint at where the characters will end up (will this flash forward be a running thing, touching on all the characters over the years?), and Annabeth’s new role as Leo’s hot campaign manager. I love that both Smits and Alda in the credits (on opposite ends of the list, no less!).

Perhaps the most telling thing I can say is this. I forgot to tell my wife that it was starting again, and she only realized it when she saw it come up as “recording” on our TiVo. We were all set to watch something else, but she insisted that we watch this instead. Few shows are that high on her priority list. “Lost” and “BSG” perhaps, but compared to this, well…she preferred to wait on “Desperate Housewives” for another day. A solid opening was all we could have asked for, and that’s what we got.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Stargate: Atlantis 2.10: "Lost Boys"

Written by Martin Gero
Directed by Brad Turner

In which Sheppard’s team is captured by Lt. Ford, who has pulled together a strike force of his own and wants to prove to Sheppard and Weir that he’s sane by striking a Wraith hiveship…


Let me just say that I hate the way that SFC promotes the mid-season break. Half the time, they call it a “season finale”, and other times, the more correct “summer finale”. Whatever the case, it’s just plain confusing to the casual viewer, and with so many SFC shows hitting the mid-season break, there are tons of people posting all over the ‘net about how it sucks that this is a short season. Thanks, SFC…for every positive, you manage to pull out a dozen negatives.

I say this because if I was only half-aware of how SFC does their scheduling, I’d be damned unhappy too. Not because the season would be half as long as it should be (which would be bad enough), but because this is not the best episode to end a season with. It’s definitely mid-season arc progression in scope, not the punctuation on the season itself.

I’ve been waiting for Lt. Ford to factor into the episodes again, and I suppose this is a case of being careful what I wish for. Actually, that may be overstating the case. This is not a horrible episode, and I think this is some of the best work Franks has done in the role. Giving the character this twist has been a real plus. I just didn’t feel the level of excitement that I had been anticipating.

I find the concept itself intriguing. Ford gathers a group of fellow enzyme-addicts into a berserker strike force and decides that the best way to prove his sanity and worth to Weir and Sheppard is to press gang Teyla, Ronon, and McKay into the club. All things being equal, if Ford were sane and rational, letting his old friends see his team in action wouldn’t be a bad call. Forcing Teyla and Ronon into the addiction steps over a rather obvious line.

The problem I have with this (beyond seeing so many characters becoming addicts against their will) is the principle of consequences. It goes something like this: if you’re going to have characters undergo terrible personal circumstances, there should be equally serious consequences. The way I see it, everything suggests that the enzyme is highly addictive, to the point that Ford and his gang see nothing wrong with “feeding” off the Wraith in ways not unlike the Wraith feed off humans.

Teyla and Ronon are quickly falling into the same addiction. As much as that’s becoming more and more obvious, I can’t help but think that there’s little to no chance of it being a long-term problem. Similarly, there’s the whole situation on the Wraith hiveship. All things being equal, none of them should survive, least of all Sheppard. But the fact is that we all know the regulars will survive, so the tension of the moment is somewhat mitigated.

The tone and pacing didn’t quite do it for me, either, but it’s mostly the fact that there are many issues that are likely to come up that, for many reasons, probably won’t. This season on “SG-1”, consequences are being delivered on a regular basis. I’m still waiting for McKay’s bad judgment in “Trinity” to have a long-term effect. I know that there’s still a second half and things could change dramatically in that hour, but right now, I have my doubts.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

Threshold 1.3: "Blood of the Children"

Written by Anne McGrail
Directed by Bill Eagles

In which an incident in Virginia reveals that more people were affected by the alien signal than previously thought, and the trail leads to a military academy with young children…


This is the first episode after the pilot and follow-up aired on the same night, so of everything that has aired so far, this is probably the most indicative of the series’ formula. It left me a little concerned. I freely admit that the setting of the episode did nothing for me, since I don’t like most episodes that focus on young children, given their highly variable talent. I thought that it was a little too easy to have children in jeopardy.

But more to the point, I had a few issues with the concept as a whole. OK, so Caffrey’s reaction to the minor exposure to the alien signal is an indirect connection to those who are fully affected. This provides clues to the current threatening activity, which in turn provides the link to the case and an unconventional way to explore the case, which would otherwise be difficult. Meanwhile, the team continues to work out how the signal is spreading across the world.

What bothers me is that the team needed something like this to make them look into the possibility of exposure beyond the naval vessel in the pilot. They have an enormous amount of information at their disposal (as mentioned in the episode itself as a possible future problem), and yet something so obvious as a plane diverted into the area at the wrong time takes an incident like this to be discovered.

Surprisingly, the support personnel that were completely missing in the second hour of the premiere suddenly appear when it comes down to searching through the military academy. And yet when the time comes, Caffrey is on her own. This is one sequence that really bugs me. Caffrey’s on the run, so she picks a room (seemingly at random), and who just happens to be hiding down there? The main suspect, who comes up with the world’s lamest excuse for being there. And then, for some unknown reason, Caffrey sets off a sprinkler, which doesn’t set off an alarm, which would have been the only reason for doing so!

I suspect it was more about getting the lovely Carla in a skintight shirt, but that’s beside the point. The culmination of the situation doesn’t give me hope for the Threshold team. Shooting the screen shouldn’t have done a thing, if the signal was already being sent. The processor and modem would have been in the bottom portion of the laptop, which wasn’t hit. What I don’t get is why someone didn’t just shut down the connection node. It’s not like the academy could have that many, being in a relatively remote part of Virginia and having only one room with internet access!

So, back to my worry. I’m concerned that the scope of the episodes will be this narrow every week. Or perhaps not every week, but enough to become annoying. The responsibilities of Caffrey and her team are so broad, especially given the growing number of affected humans, that this “on point” approach is not the best use of resources. If Caffrey were to go down in the field, what would they be able to do?

It’s telling when the point of the episode is laid out so clearly (using a silly-looking display) in the final scenes. OK, so they now know that the signal doesn’t affect pre-pubescent members of any species, and that the affected want to propagate the signal by any possible means. This seems to ignore the fact that parts of the signal in the second episode were already affecting people for no apparent reason. There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed before I’ll feel as though this series is reaching its potential.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Reunion 1.2: "1987"

Written by Jon Harmon Feldman
Directed by Michael Katleman

In which Sam struggles with her decision to give up her baby, especially when complications threaten to expose her affair, while Aaron finds out what Jenna really thinks of him…


After the first episode, which left me less than impressed, I was willing to see if the difference between the pilot and the actual series would be positive. After all, there’s usually a difference, because the pilot needs to cover a lot of exposition and character introduction. So I had some hope that the simplistic writing and stilted acting would repair themselves once the series actually got moving forward.

The gimmick remains the most interesting aspect of the series, because not much else has been offered. I noticed an incremental improvement in the writing, but there were still lines that the actors could barely pull off, because they were an unnatural as it gets. George Lucas writes better dialogue! I truly worry that this is a concept that will die because of poor execution.

The cast, for the most part, steps up to the plate and tries to make the whole thing work. Like the pilot episode, the most impressive member of the cast in this episode is Chyler Leigh. She pulls off the age difference rather well, and she looks hot in both eras. The rest of the cast hasn’t been able to showcase their talents in the same way, so perhaps they also have more to offer.

I still find Will to be the worst offender in terms of the bad acting. The writing has a lot to do with it, but I still feel like he’s auditioning for an Afterschool Special. It’s really quite bad. He has his fans, of course, who will deny it, but he can’t emote to save his life. Even the Tom Cruise clone (far less interesting this time around) shows more talent.

Among the writing woes: having teens less than a year out of high school, looking very young, getting served without question at bars. There are people I knew in college that were still being carded until they were 30! There’s no way Will and Craig would be getting served in 1987 at the age of 18. The sheer amount of alcohol freely available was a bit hard to believe. And did anyone else notice that Carla grabbed the murder weapon with her bare hand? Thanks for leaving your prints!

Speaking of Afterschool Specials, Sam’s story is beginning to get ridiculous. How much more is this young woman supposed to endure, all while trying to keep secrets? For that matter, how could Craig not know what happened between Sam and Will? They have it written all over their faces. Jenna was better at hiding her feelings (or lack thereof) for Aaron (who’s still trying to do his best Alan Ruck impression.)

Lest I allow my preference for arc-driven SF series get the best of me, I asked my wife if she’d like to watch this episode. It didn’t take her long to figure out what was going on. But like me, by the third act, she was not impressed. She saw a lot of the same flaws that I saw. The point is: the writing staff needs to get their act together soon and add some depth to the story. If they don’t, this just won’t be my first casualty of the new season, but it could very well be off the air against much stronger competition.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 4/10

Stargate: Atlantis 2.9: "Aurora"

Written by Carl Binder
Directed by Martin Wood

In which an Ancient vessel called the Aurora is discovered in deep space, and when both Atlantis and the Wraith determine that it holds something of value, a struggle for control emerges…


Compared to its parent series, “Atlantis” has been struggling to find its direction this season. Some plot threads have been introduced that will continue to play out over the course of the season, but the strength of the first season arc has given way to something less well defined. The result has been a hit-or-miss season thus far, and this episode is another example.

Like with the “SG-1” summer finale, I’m speaking only of the first hour; episode 2.10 will be covered in another review. In particular, this episode felt very small-scale. While there were some stakes introduced into the story, and the presence of the Wraith in the virtual world was clever, the end result was the preservation of the status quo.

Those kinds of episodes have never been satisfying for me, though I recognize the general necessity. My real concern with this episode is that the majority of the plot elements could have been present even if this were a first season episode. In fact, it was the inclusion of second season elements that kept this from being a sub-par episode.

I like the fact that Caldwell was in the position to demonstrate his priorities and further define his point of view. Just as the SG-1 team always had strife with groups like the NID, seeking to use the gate system for a questionable agenda, it’s better to have someone like Caldwell who can push for a more military approach without being a villain or necessarily negative in his impact.

For all that, Ronon’s presence was something of a waste. He didn’t contribute much to the episode, other than as someone for Teyla to flirt with on occasion. I’m sure he was included on the team just in case there was trouble on the Aurora, but since the trouble was largely left to McKay to resolve, he didn’t have much to contribute.

Teyla wasn’t all that useful either. This is becoming more and more of a concern. It makes sense for Sheppard and McKay to be prominent, given their popularity, but there are other characters to focus on and the first season was a lot better at spreading the joy. I also find it a little predictable for Teyla to be so interested in Ronon, especially since he’s not exactly the most sensitive person on the planet.

The tension over keeping the secret of Atlantis from the Wraith was nice touch, though the writers had to make the actual Ancients within the virtual world rather bland so that Hot!WraithGirl stuck out like a sore thumb. I didn’t figure that she was a Wraith, but it did seem odd that she was the only one with a real attitude about Sheppard.

Other than that, I’m just annoyed that there was nothing for the team to gain from the situation. Sure, they took out two more cruisers, but the Wraith have a ton of ships out there. It’s not hard to believe that the Wraith are trying to overcome the hyperdrive problem, since they are rapidly starving, if earlier episodes are to be believed. But couldn’t Sheppard have gotten a hint about the nature of the Wraiths’ weakness?

Whatever the case, this episode just didn’t do it for me. McKay found some ways to manipulate the virtual world that felt more like plot convenience than something he actually could have accomplished. That sort of thing is normal for this series, but it seemed excessive this time around. Hopefully the second hour of the “summer finale” was a bit more substantial.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Invasion 1.1: "Pilot"

Written by Shaun Cassidy
Directed by Thomas Schlamme

In which Hurricane Eve hits southern Florida, affecting the members of an extended and complicated family, and when the storm is over, not everyone is still the same…


Pilots are a tricky business. “Lost” delivered one of the finest pilots in recent memory last season. This season, “Supernatural” made more widely acclaimed series like “Threshold” and “Surface” look like amateur hour. And then there’s a series like “Reunion”, which had a pilot that simply relied on a gimmick to overcome horrible writing and acting.

“Invasion” leans more towards the “Lost” end of the spectrum. There are still a few hiccups here and there, but given that this is a drama about a complicated family dealing with extraordinary circumstances, the pilot only had to establish the key relationships and the beginning of the central mystery. In that sense, while I don’t think the characters are as vivid as those in “Lost” or “Threshold”, the pilot served its purpose well.

I didn’t catch all the names of the characters (my brain was all but filled after the “Lost” premiere, after all), but I certainly picked up on the relationships and the various conflicts. The series is based on the sense of isolation and threat to family that any human being can empathize with, so the details can take their time to unfold.

Shaun Cassidy seems to have taken a number of thematic undertones from his cult classic “American Gothic” and updated them for this series. There’s the sinister sheriff, apparently already possessed/subsumed by the unknown creatures in the Everglades, who seems to be a relative of Sheriff Buck. There’s the young child who knows more about what’s happening than anyone else (I have to admit, though, that the girl bugs me). And then there’s the almost incestuous nature of the extended family, where everyone is way too familiar with everyone else.

What I like are the “everyday” natures of the characters. None of them are too damn pretty to be real, and when they do stray towards the photogenic, there’s a reasonable explanation for it. The best looking woman is the reporter, and in that field, it makes sense. Certainly the cast isn’t ugly, but the realistic casting makes the whole situation much easier to believe.

As far as the mystery goes, there were things I liked and things I didn’t. I personally think that the “evil alien invasion” thing has been done to death, and it might be interesting to do something more complex. For instance, “Threshold” seems to be presenting their aliens as pure invaders. This series has more potential to develop these apparent aliens as something other than an invasive force.

In terms of Merrill’s slow response to these changes, the process is certainly one that modifies the individual affected. But does it need to be a bad thing? Or at least, couldn’t the cost/benefit dynamic be explored and taken into intriguing and even disturbing directions? Apparently not, if the aliens are attacking people and driving spikes into them. Of course, there’s still time for that to be self-defense or protection of whatever it is that they need to take people over for.

Time will tell, and it seems as if the story will center more on the mystery’s effects on the family than the mystery itself, in keeping with the direction that “Lost” has taken. That character dynamic should be fun, but I hope that the mystery is more than what it seems now. It is does become a lot more complex, then this could be the perfect companion to “Lost”.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Ghost Hunters 2.9: "21 Sep 2005"

Case #1: TAPS Trainee
Case #2: Rolling Hills Asylum

This is another episode where not a lot happens. Oddly, this is also an episode where the team fools around a lot more than usual, even Jason and Grant. I imagine this will feed the naysayers with all kinds of grist for the mill, but at this rate, certain critics are unwilling to give them any benefit of the doubt.

I don’t enjoy the episodes with excessive personal drama, and similarly, I felt that the antics in this episode grew tiresome rather quickly. I will say this for “Most Haunted”…while most of what they do is complete fakery, they spend the entire hour immersing the audience in that experience. I understand that this series is meant to be about the people just as much as it’s about the cases, but sometimes the balance isn’t there.

I like Dave as a new member of the team (home state, represent!), and as usual, my love for Paula grows with every new appearance. As much as it annoyed me by the end, it was good to see Jason and Grant let loose a little. Jason often looks like he’s one night away from a coronary, and his less acerbic side is hardly ever in evidence.

Case #1:

The big things here were the “moving snare drum” and the “womanly cough”. I dismiss the cough just as easily as Jason and Grant dismissed the “EVP”…it could have been the homeowner in some other part of the house. That’s the danger of not vacating the premises for the night, even when you want to draw out typical behavior by keeping the residents in play.

The snare drum is a little harder to dismiss, because I don’t think that Grant would lie about it. Here’s an example of something the naysayers will harp on: it didn’t happen on camera. Inevitably Grant will be accused of faking it, and the team will be accused of not properly debunking it.

Case #2:

There was way too much fooling around in this case, and it got on my nerves. Two things happened here as well: the issue with “Dustin’s ear”, and the “Basement Door of Evil”. Dustin’s ear is not all that compelling because it’s not something you can quantify. Plus, I still don’t have a sense of Dustin and his integrity. I want to believe him, but it’s not enough to overcome my skepticism.

When it comes to the Basement Door of Evil, though, I’m really torn. They show the door moving, but Jason is out of sight. I really don’t see Jason and Grant as people who would fake something like that, but when I can instantly predict how the naysayers will cry fraud, it doesn’t sit well. Had it happened when Jason and Grant weren’t standing out of view, I would have been more inclined to accept it.

More than ever, this episode highlights the fact that if one takes this series as a documentation of TAPS and the kind of people working the operation, then one big component is accepting their integrity as presented. I’ve not had reason to doubt them before (can’t say the same for SFC crew), and I’m not changing my mind now. But I don’t want to see them present anything in a way that undermines their credibility, and I think that the second case did not serve them well.

Chill Factor: 5/10

Medium 2.1: "When Push Comes to Shove: Part II"

Written by Glenn Gordon Caron
Directed by Aaron Lipstadt

In which Allison struggles with the fact that her ability doesn’t seem to be working when the killing from the spring resume, while Joe deals with the fact that he resents her priorities…


This series surprised me in the first season by focusing so strongly on the key relationship between Joe and Allison. Whenever events or gimmicks threatened to undermine the credibility of the show, that key relationship was always more than capable of carrying the weight. That’s still true of this season, because the resolution of the case itself was rather predictable.

I don’t know about anyone else, but it took me about five seconds after Allison’s first dream to figure out who the killer was. After that, it was just a matter of sitting through the process of Allison working it out. Much like “Dead Zone” episodes of late, it’s more a question of how inventively this process plays out, rather than the originality of the situation.

Here’s where things were interesting. Allison wasn’t having visions or psychic dreams for three months because her personal issues were supposedly getting in the way. And that sets the stage for Joe to be even less happy about her divided loyalties. Some people seem to think that Joe is being unreasonable, and that he should simply accept that fact that Allison’s ability tasks her with unusual responsibilities.

Of course, for Joe, it’s a matter of cost vs. benefit. Allison likes the fact that her ability is actually helping people and serving a function. But the cost is rather high, especially since it puts an enormous strain on her husband and his own responsibilities. It’s only a matter of time before Joe’s career is impacted by the bizarre hours, and that will begin straining the finances even more. Allison can’t simply push off her responsibility to her family based on a “higher calling”.

Or can she? I think that’s the question that could be explored this season. Certainly the dead have few qualms about making demands on her, and they are less reasonable than her family, even under the current circumstances. Can Allison simply ignore the voices and her ability to stop crimes from being committed?

Joe’s reactions wouldn’t be nearly so interesting or meaningful if he wasn’t trying to be so patient about it all. That’s why I don’t understand why he’s seen in such a negative light by some fans. Any other husband would have exploded a long time ago. I’m personally shocked by his patience, considering how much he’s fuming.

Anyway, I think the challenge this season is to avoid some of the pitfalls that similar shows have encountered. For instance, this past season of “Dead Zone” was considered by many to be its worst, because many of the episodes were too predictable and pedestrian. A lot of the unique situations had been covered in previous seasons. Similarly, the writers for this series need to keep things fresh. The first season spent a lot of time on peculiar perspectives, and that should continue. Perhaps because of the need to resolve the cliffhanger, this premiere wasn’t able to do that, and as a result, it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Lost 2.1: "Man of Science, Man of Faith"

Written by Damon Lindelof
Directed by Jack Bender

In which Jack and Locke come to conflict over the decision to explore the hatch, and when Locke and Kate choose to act on their own, Jack finds his leadership under question…


Status Report

Since the first season finale, a lot has been said about “Lost” and reactions to the approach taken by the producers. In general, there are two schools of thought on this topic. One school sees this as a long-term mystery that focuses more on character development/arcs than an emphasis on answering questions. The theory is that the various questions pose challenges that reveal aspects of the characters that would otherwise be hidden.

The second school of thought is that the producers have no idea what they’re doing, because they didn’t answer all the questions in the season finale. The thought here is that questions should be answered on a short timetable, because otherwise, the writers must be making it all up as they go along. From this point of view, many of the character development moments are just examples of the writers “going nowhere”.

To be fair, there’s merit in each argument. The producers seemed to change direction once the series was popular enough to assure a second season, stretching out the story a bit more than they had originally intended. And they are fairly open in admitting that some elements of the mythology evolved over time, so the answers to some questions have changed. That’s not so surprising, of course, but it does suggest some element of truth hidden within the “no direction” criticism.

Statements from the producers during the interim were somewhat more reassuring. They speak of a season arc structure for the plot and characters, broken into the typical three-act format over roughly 23 episodes, with the progression over the course of the season more or less locked down. Assuming that ample room was left for tinkering if necessary, the question is this: does the second season begin with any indication of such a plan?

Arguably, the end of the first season set the stage: Jack and Locke at odds over how to respond to the challenges posed by the island. Jack wants to take a pragmatic, rationalized approach to survival, which gets things done but doesn’t necessarily satisfy the human need for meaning and context. Locke, on the other hand, has faith that there is a purpose to everything happening on the island, which gives some of the survivors a sense of direction, but also leads him to take unnecessary risk.

If this episode is any indication, then this is a logical extension of what Locke faced during the end of the first season. Locke was forced to consider that his assumptions about the island were incorrect; for better or worse, events eventually fell into his worldview rather neatly. Now it seems to be Jack’s turn. Jack finds it very hard to step beyond the cold, hard facts of a situation, and that affects his relationships. He can’t simply have faith that things will happen as they must; he needs to have that control.

As seen in the first season, a lot of that was due to his “daddy issues”, but from this episode’s perspective, it seems to go deeper than that. Jack may simply need that sense of a rational, predictable universe. This episode is all about defying that desire and Jack’s reaction to it. Needless to say, it should be interesting to see him struggle with the possibility that there might be more at work than simple coincidence. Locke must be terribly pleased.

One thing that’s sure to annoy the naysayers is the tone of the episode. This didn’t feel like a season premiere, so much as just another episode. In a way, that’s exactly what it needed to be, but expectations were rather high and it’s likely that some will react badly to something so small in scope. This episode really was all about Jack and Locke, and it’s clear that the events at the end of the first season will take some time to resolve themselves. (In this respect, “Lost” is very similar to “Battlestar: Galactica”, which has a similar pacing.)

Some minor questions were answered regarding the hatch. Desmond, a supposed world traveler and apparent risk taker, is somehow living in what appears to be some kind of quarantine bunker. Those injections could be some kind of booster or treatment against an unknown pathogen (in keeping with Danielle’s comments). Based on the technology and furnishings, one could guess that the bunker was established more than 16 years earlier, and therefore it predates the transmission. It looked as though repairs were constantly being made and that in some cases, magnetic materials were involved for some unknown reason. The presence of the tunnels was predicted by many, but how or why that would relate to the “security system” is not even mentioned.

Beyond that, not much happens. So much time is spent on Jack and Locke that there’s not much room for anything else. Kate is central to the episode, of course, but her motivations are typically hard to work out. As usual, it seems as though Jack falls short of whatever criteria Kate is setting for him, probably based on her relationship to Tom.

Sayid and Shannon still seem to be connected, though Shannon has certainly seen better days. The real question is why she saw Walt in that fashion. Was Walt casting out for help, and bringing that form into existence? Or was it some other phenomenon of the island? It’s too early to tell, but it does serve to remind the audience that Walt is not safe. It gives the survivors on the island a lot more tension over the fate of those on the raft.

Charlie and Hurley react in interesting ways to the struggle between Jack and Locke. Both Charlie and Hurley are searching for some meaning behind their circumstances. In Hurley’s case, he looked to Jack for some common ground, and Jack turned him away with his rationalist approach. Hurley could be tempted to sway support towards Locke. Similarly, Charlie seems to be questioning his allegiances. The question is: do they represent an isolated shift in power, or just the beginning of a process of eroding Jack’s leadership over the camp?

There are still a lot of questions to be answered; even the producers admitted that it would be three episodes into the season before any answers gained context. The question is whether or not the audience will be patient. Some will inevitably turn away, not wanting to invest the time, and others will simply assume the worst and claim that it’s a terrible show with no direction. Others will have been intrigued by the summer reruns and DVDs. Whatever the case, there’s plenty of fertile ground to cover, and this is an appropriate beginning.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode was a surprisingly small-scale approach to a season premiere, focusing almost entirely upon setting the stage for conflict between Jack and Locke. While this certainly does much to establish the direction that will be taken in the second season, it may not have been expansive enough to satisfy the expectations of the mass audience. Some answers were provided, but ultimately, there’s little to satisfy those unwilling to trust the creators.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Supernatural 1.2: "Wendigo"

Written by Eric Kripke, Terri Hughes Burton, and Ron Milbauer
Directed by David Nutter

In which the brothers search for their father in the woods of Colorado, only to discover that their father intended them to help the locals deal with a mysterious killer…


So I think I get the formula for this series. Two relatively hot brothers run around hunting down paranormal legends, running into hot young women of various natures in the process, while doing everything possible to maintain a certain sense of style. I have to say, as impressed as I was with the pilot episode, I was wary of the actual series itself. I wasn’t sure how well the writers would be able to pull it off.

Surprisingly, I think I liked this episode even more than the pilot. Granted, there were a lot of elements lifted from the “X-Files” episodes “Detour” and “Darkness Falls”, but within the framework of this series, it worked rather well. If Mulder or Scully had expressed such a cocky sense of experience when dealing with the experts, it would have come across as disingenuous. In this case, I expected nothing less.

I’m a guy, and so the characters of Sam and Dean needed to be more than hot actors posturing for the camera. While there’s an awful lot of posturing going on, I’m getting the sense that a lot of that is intentional. Dean, for instance, could come across as simply arrogant. Instead, there’s an undertone of desperation in how he must constantly put forward this “cool” image. It’s those scars that work for me, just like the ones that are fresh behind Sam’s eyes.

In a lot of ways, this is the second half of the pilot, because this is where the character motivations take shape. I hope the characters continue to mention their parents and Jess regularly, if only to maintain that these brothers are more than just badass outlaws. It may be contrary to the mission statement, but I want a sense of the psychological baggage that would drive someone to consider this a legitimate career path.

This is where the series is giving me something “Prison Break” currently lacks. While I can get into the deep psychological issues of the main character of “Prison Break”, that series is set in the “real world”, so plot contrivances are a lot harder to forgive. This series is firmly entrenched in a fantasy world where one must, before an episode starts, accept that all these paranormal legends are real. A lot is forgiven when the typical rules are immediately set aside.

In terms of the central concept of the episode itself, I remember the Wendigo more from Marvel Comics of the 1980s than folklore, but I enjoyed seeing this take on it. I wasn’t particularly frightened at any point, and if I wanted to quibble, I might mention that getting into the Wendigo’s lair was just a bit too easy. If the Wendigo was as clever and powerful as the brothers suggest, none of them would have survived very long once they were revealed as a possible threat. In fact, if the Wendigo was intelligent, it would have made damn sure that anything capable of lighting it up was out of commission.

Of course, this is “monster of the week” in its purest form, and it wouldn’t be much fun if the brothers were eviscerated in the second episode. Doubtless, they will survive under far more questionable circumstances in the future. But this second episode was even more enjoyable mindless entertainment than the pilot, and unlike a lot of mindless television, there’s an effort to present the material with true style and confidence. This may be my pick for sleeper hit of the season.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Stargate SG-1 9.10: "The Fourth Horseman: Part I"

Written by Damian Kindler
Directed by Andy Mikita

In which things go from bad to worse when a team brings the Prior’s plague to Earth and it cannot be contained, while a converted Garek begins swaying Jaffa to the side of the Ori…


After finally watching the “summer finale”, I understand why the producers had little issue with airing the previous episode immediately before this one. That episode was largely a prologue to this episode, especially in terms of giving the SGC a possible direction in the hunt for a weapon against the Priors. That’s a good thing, because they’re going to need it.

The writers are clearly shooting for a massive escalation of stakes in the growing war against the Ori, and since this is a two-part story, that means a lot of exposition. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work to anyone’s advantage, especially when a boring child actor is the one delivering the exposition. Of course, the writers were also trying to get past the background and get the story moving, so perhaps it’s all forgivable in the end.

So the Ori are basically like something out of Celtic folklore: evil faerie who gain their power from the directed belief of those who believe in their power. In turn, the Ori take the power and keep the evolved humans from advancing far enough to ascend on their own. Since the only other way to ascend is through the help of another ascended being, the followers of the Ori are basically screwed.

What I like about this is that we learn more about the Ancients themselves through the filter of what they didn’t become. The Ancients and their non-interference position are a lot more reasonable within this context. It’s not that they don’t want to help, so much as they know all too well what they could become if they are tempted. Anubis, it seems, is just a minor glitch when compared to what might have been.

The Priors are humans who appear to have been evolved as far as they can go without being ascended, and then kept in that artificially evolved state with no hope of true free will. I’m rather convinced that some kind of mind control is involved as well, though when someone is that fanatical already, just getting that sudden rush of power must be more than enough.

I always knew Garek would be trouble, but this is a twist I didn’t see coming at all. I give the writers credit for coming up with a twist in the arc that I didn’t anticipate. In fact, that’s something I can say about the season as a whole. It’s done a great job of taking me places that I would never have expected the series to go at this stage of the game.

Certainly I didn’t see the plague striking Earth! In my book, that’s a great bit of foreshadowing. Nearly every episode of the season to this point has now become a part of the overall context of the dire situation here. If the International Committee wanted proof that the Priors were a danger, then I think this fits that description.

While the Orlin scenes were annoying because of the actor involved (why not just use a different character and eliminate the queasiness of the situation?), they did help give scope to the situation and how far out of their depth the Tau’ri are. Against the Goa’uld, they had allies. Now they have enemies among the Jaffa, and there’s precious little that anyone seems to be willing to do. Certainly the Asgard and Tok’ra aren’t directly involved.

Whatever the case, despite the pitfalls of some awkward scenes and bad exposition, this was a good episode, if only because we’ve rarely seen the worst-case scenario play itself out so completely. Earth has been struck with a plague, the Jaffa are led by a murderous Prior, and there’s no assurance that the anti-Prior field is going to solve the problem. Like I said about the Ori all along…it’s been a long time since I’ve actually been this intrigued at how it will all play out in January.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Prison Break 1.5: "English, Fitz or Percy"

Written by Zack Estrin
Directed by Randall Zisk

In which Michael stages a dry run of part of his escape plan, but things get complicated when the conspiracy tries to blackmail the warden into transferring Michael to another facility…


Michael’s plan takes a major step forward in this episode, as he determines which route to take once he and his allies are past the fences. From a certain point of view, this element of his plan is entirely logical; he must find a means and vantage point from which to observe response time to possible escape. Unfortunately, where the episode breaks down is in his alibi.

I mentioned in my review of the pilot that the most ludicrous element of the series thus far must be the relationship between Michael and Warden Pope. I don’t care how interested Pope might be in rehabilitation; there’s no way he’d let an inmate have that much free access to his office. I can only assume that the writing staff realized that there would be a huge plot hole in the story, and they somehow came to the conclusion that this Taj Mahal model was the way to solve it. (And this element is critical, because Michael’s tattoo plainly demonstrates that the Warden’s office was key to his plan.)

I’m just not buying it. At the very least, Michael’s activities would be scrutinized like crazy for weeks, if not months. As it is, his escape plan is too dependent on luck and random chance. But even if one takes Michael’s relationship with Pope at face value, there’s one other major sticking point. The removal of those concrete blocks, just behind his cell, should have been rather obvious to the guards running through the bowels of the prison, and since they knew they were looking for Michael Scofield, that alone should have been enough to implicate him in an escape plan.

Another thing that troubles me is the fact that Michael clearly has three street names incorporated into his tattoos, and yet not one official made the connection. It’s one thing when there’s a certain code involved; the “Cute Poison” thing was just obscure enough. But those street names are a huge tip-off to anyone suspicious of Michael and his motivations…which brings me to my final issue with this episode.

Even if I were to accept that the relationship between Michael and Pope was logical and that his activities were accepted to be as presented, then one thing is now on the table which should throw his presence into complete suspicion: his relationship to Lincoln is now public knowledge. Even if everything else were taken as coincidence and misunderstanding, that connection should be viewed with intense suspicion, especially since they interact so often.

Granted, this episode was filled with tension, especially during Michael’s initial recon of the escape route and Pope’s crisis of conscience. And I recognize that this is not “Lost”, where deep consideration of every plot and character arc is rewarded; this is all about suspending disbelief to the extreme and having fun in the process. I just worry that the writers are going to overcome my ability to do so.

Oddly enough, this time around, Veronica wasn’t a complete annoyance. Her scenes were actually rather interesting, touching on the current fascination for forensics and my desire for that plot thread to become as intricate as the main thread. Of course, it took her way too long to realize that her advocate was working for the wrong side, and unless there’s some kind of surveillance that we haven’t seen, he’s way too calm about her reaction.

Supposedly the next few episodes are going to make a few plot elements connect a bit more strongly, and all I can say is that I certainly hope so. It’s not as if I’m giving up on the series, or that this was a bad episode. It’s just that it relied way too much on contrived reactions to information and events, even for a series built on such entertaining ground.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Stargate SG-1 9.9: "Prototype"

Written by Alan McCullough
Directed by Peter DeLuise

In which the team uncovers an Ancient laboratory where genetic experiments were conducted on an apparent prisoner, but when the man is revived, his true identity becomes a threat…


Since this “summer finale” was really just two episodes aired back to back, I thought I’d tackle each hour separately. In fact, I didn’t watch the second hour yet, just to maintain some degree of objectivity in terms of this hour.

I was never particularly taken with Anubis as a villain, largely because he was very impersonal opponent. Apophis was right there, flaws and all, and Ba’al has a distinct personality that is enjoyable to watch. Anubis was more of a concept than a presence, and that detracted from his power as a force of despairing evil. Note how the Ori are all the more disturbing because of the Priors and their personal involvement in the subjugation of worlds.

This episode revisited Anubis as a concept and gave him a personal focus, and for that, I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. This was actually an interesting commentary and expansion on the concepts of “ascension”, which is something that the series needs to address. The treatment of “ascension” has been far too vague and indistinct over the past several seasons, but now that the Ori are around, that concept needs definition.

What this proto-Anubis represents is not unlike a proto-Ori, as the characters openly mention. (Indeed, much of the episode is spent considering how such a being presents the perfect lab rat, objectively speaking.) In this particular instance, this proto-Anubis also had the “benefit” of the genetic memory of a Goa’uld.

Khalek is a particularly good adversary because he gets to build on the relationship between Daniel and Anubis with relatively little difficulty, and since he gets to speak with Daniel a bit more freely (without the cowl), it gets wonderfully tense. We also get to see Daniel in his archetypical role as scholar of all things Ancient, which reminds the audience of where his strengths lie.

A lot of time is spent with the SGC personnel believing they are in control, when Khalek is really toying with them, waiting for the moment when he can determine the response most aligned with his self-interest. It’s a good thing that Daniel and the others took so long to identify the source of his limitations, because if it had been a bit earlier in the story, Khalek would have caught them completely off guard. (As it is, I think that little trick at the end was a little suspicious.)

One interesting aspect of the episode is the prominence of the International Committee, in terms of their leverage and clout. Woolsey is a particularly annoying bureaucrat, and he gets a good look at why the word “threat” has a different scale in the SGC. The whole question of funding the SGC and thereby controlling its activities finally comes back into play here, and quite a few casualties can be laid at the feet of such interlopers.

In many scenes, this felt like the old “SG-1”, especially since Mitchell is mostly in the background, making a few snide comments and playing the heavy when necessary. Much of the episode is spent with the characters in their typical roles. Even Dr. Lam plays a capable enough stand-in for Fraser this time around. While this isn’t the most exciting or stirring episode of the season, it does add a few connections between the old and new aspects of the mythology, and in this case, that’s a good thing.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

Battlestar: Galactica 2.9: "Flight of the Phoenix"

Written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
Directed by Michael Nankin

In which tempers are frayed as the crew deals with the lingering effects of the Cylon computer virus, which forces Adama to consider using Boomer as a potential countermeasure…


After so many episodes with a podcast from Ron Moore, I’m sorry to see this episode not get one. I think it would have been interesting to hear Ron’s comments on the truth behind the events; certainly, it seems as though a few very important things happened, both obvious and subtle. In particular, the motivations of the Cylons are becoming more and more suggestive of herding and masterful manipulation.

This question has been bugging me ever since the series premiere, and certainly ever since Boomer became the center of the Cylon/Human question. Looking back, there are several points at which Boomer had the opportunity to “save” the humans, on Caprica and otherwise, and she did so with remarkable efficiency and apparent personal risk. But how much of that risk is genuine?

In this episode, for instance, the entire plot seems designed to allow Boomer to gain some degree of trust among influential humans. The Cylons need her to be kept alive and well, after all, to ensure that their most successful breeding experiment remains viable. In keeping with the first season, it’s entirely possible that Boomer is truly in love with Helo and even Tyrol; that doesn’t mean that she’s not playing humanity in the process.

If that’s not the case, then the Cylons are making some rather convenient decisions. And that kind of contrivance is usually not evident on “Galactica”. A lot of effort goes into long-term cohesion. Hence the morale low after the apparent high of the broadcast in the previous episode; the crew psychology is following a clear and consistent pattern. So should the logic of the Cylon gambit.

From where I’m sitting, it certain seems that the humans in the Colonial Fleet are being purposefully herded and kept at a level of stress and anxiety that keeps them from considering the big picture. Lately the Cylons haven’t been attacking: why would that be the case? Because the fleet was busy distracting itself. The Cylons kept just enough pressure on to keep the ruse going, but they never delivered the killing blow that they are clearly capable of implementing.

The way I see it, the Cylons could have wiped out the fleet at any time. They haven’t, and therefore, there must be a reason. It’s still unclear what that rationale might be, and thus, it is difficult to imagine how the hapless humans without a clue can hope to win. I get the feeling that this is going to be another “Babylon 5” scenario: the conflict and warfare will ultimately set the stage for a philosophical transformation, with victory as a convenient late-minute side effect.

The crew might think that using Boomer to plant a virus in the Cylon network is the prize in this episode, but since that looks like a complete ruse, that’s not the case. The real prize is the Blackbird. Not the single fighter itself, though that’s likely to be meaningful in the long run, but rather what it represents: the ability of the personnel to build new fighters. This is something that the fleet needs to recognize: long-term survival means more than maintenance. Training pilots is one thing, but equally important, they should be training artisans and engineers to make the components for new equipment.

All that, and I’ve only scratched the surface. Tyrol’s personal low point was hard to watch, as was his fight with Helo. (Though clearly, Grace Park is someone to fight over.) Dee’s growing attraction to Apollo, which threatens to create an Excruciating Polygon of Lust within the crew. And there’s the news that Roslyn is on even less borrowed time than expected. Like I said…the Cylons don’t need to do much, since the humans are more than capable of undermining their strengths while under so much pressure.

But this is another example of where I disagree with the notion that this series is massively divergent from the “Up With Humans” message of the Trek franchise. Some Trek fans bash this series for its darkness and the deep flaws of its human characters. But this series highlights something that the recent Trek installments couldn’t truly communicate: when push comes to shove, despite its flaws, humanity will rise above.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Threshold 1.1/1.2: "Trees Made of Glass"

Written by Bragi Schut, David Goyer, and Brannon Braga
Directed by David Goyer and John Showalter

In which an incident involving an alien intelligence and its effects on members of a naval crew forces the creation of a response team, which has a few encounters of its own…


As I’ve said quite a few times before, one of the most difficult things about a pilot episode is the sheer amount of exposition that must be included. This must be balanced against the need to tell a complete and engaging story, because without that to gain the attention and interest of the intrigued audience, the series would be short-lived at best and DOA at worst.

It’s a very good thing that “Threshold” began its run with a two-hour premiere, which essentially took two episodes and merged it into one pilot. If that hadn’t been done, then the first hour alone would have been the kiss of death for the series. There’s so much heavy-handed exposition that it feels like the writers took the series bible and just gave characters dialogue. It wasn’t until the second hour that the story finally began coming together for me, once the mystery began to reveal its true depth.

The characters were at least strong enough to keep my interest from waning. Carla Gugino is someone I find intensely attractive, and she doesn’t disappoint in this role. She draws you into her character’s very lonely and terrifying world, and for someone with a lot of experience drawing up contingencies, she seems rather ill-prepared for seeing one through. That, and her team must have sounded good on paper, but in practice, there are a lot of issues.

Seeing these characters outside of their introductions, working in the field and dealing with the realities of being caught in the middle of an escalating government black project, is something I look forward to in the weeks to come. Just the fact that a “little person” is on the cast, with the biggest personality, speaks volumes. I think these are great characters with a lot of depth, and they’ve barely scratched the surface.

Of course, while I certainly focus on the characters and what they bring to the table, the aspect of the pilot that really caught my attention is the depth of the mystery itself. In terms of concept, I’ve read science fiction literature with similar themes, and while there are considerations inserted to make this a viable series for television, the concept has credibility. I love the idea of some unknown extra-dimensional race intersecting with Earth’s population for some unknown, possibly invasive, purpose.

While it certainly looks as if the purpose is invasive, that may not be the case. It’s just as possible that contact is highly dangerous for humans, and that this effort is meant to be a selective creation of a hybrid (or something similar) to attempt communication. It’s simply too early to tell. But just in the first two hours, elements of the mystery have been introduced that truly intrigue me. A lot of that “science” is pure nonsense, but it’s very well done and feels like it was designed with an answer in mind. (Braga, don’t screw this one up!)

A lot of my enjoyment of this series is going to be predicated on my ability to enjoy the characters, the ongoing issue of the rights of the team members, and the various pieces of the puzzle that are introduced. I say this because there are elements that trouble me. The basic situations in the two episodes merged into this single pilot are somewhat hard to swallow. For instance, after getting all of those soldiers involved in the investigation on the naval vessel, why was there a complete lack of support at the water treatment plant?

For that matter, Caffrey is in danger just long enough to establish that Gunneson is trying to communicate, so the audience can see that there’s a connection. As soon as that purpose is served, the backup troops rush in. It’s all a bit too obviously structured. The story could have flowed a bit better; after all, the character scenes, while still very expository at times, felt more genuine.

One other thing concerns me. For all the intelligent science fiction elements, there are far too many scenes that fell like scenes from the latest “Resident Evil” game. Alien zombies? That’s going to get old fast. I rather prefer the idea that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of related signals affecting disparate populations, any number of which can be used as the focus of an episode. If this “alien zombie” thing becomes too common, it could be the death of the show.

For now, however, I’m letting my appreciation of the good things overcome my annoyance towards the bad. If nothing else, Gugino is likely to keep me interested enough to see where things progress, and if the writers can get past clunky exposition and illogical action set pieces, then the mystery will be fun to watch unfold. So far, for me, this is another guardedly good start to a new series.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 7/10

Buffy 4.19: "New Moon Rising"

Written by Marti Noxon
Directed by James A. Contner

In which Oz returns to Sunnydale with a supposed cure for his werewolf condition, but his arrival sparks trouble when Willow is less than ecstatic and Oz’s cure proves less than perfect…


Status Report

With the season rapidly drawing to a close, this episode attempts to pull all of the various character arcs together while advancing the main arc. This more or less works, but in the process, it becomes clear that the writers were trying very hard to get the Adam plot thread to make sense. With the Big Bad of the season somewhat undermined by a lack of real forethought, the character arcs are the only saving grace of the fourth season.

The title certainly points to the return of Oz, but more so to Willow’s new direction in life. This completes the process that began with Oz’s departure in the first place, and thus gives this episode an immediate connection to the season’s theme of self-discovery. Willow realizes just how important Tara has become to her, and while that’s been growing all along, it takes Oz coming back to force her into taking the last step.

Of course, Willow’s not the only one discovering her true self in this episode. Riley more or less completes his journey from Mr. Initiative to Slayer-Junkie, something that changes his life forever. Clearly, like Willow, he realizes that his love is stronger than past loyalties that no longer hold the same meaning they once did. Buffy, at least for the rest of the season, responds to Riley’s gesture with apparent love of her own.

That’s what makes this an interesting point in the narrative. This is effectively where Willow’s character grows, adding to the long-term arc that began when she discovered that Tara could expand her understanding of magic. From a certain perspective, this apparently simple and lovely decision is actually rather complex, in terms of Willow’s psychology. She loves Tara, without a doubt, but her desire to wield more powerful magic is also a strong motivator.

Riley’s motivations are somewhat more pure (again, from a certain point of view), and yet it doesn’t turn out nearly as well. Where this is an important next step in Willow’s character evolution, Riley’s character arc is all but over shortly after his decision to go rogue. This is an example of something that the writers in the later seasons could rarely do effectively. Characters created to fit into a season/character arc for a very specific purpose were simply not viable once that arc was complete.

Tara and Riley are both examples of this, though Riley is the more obvious one. Riley was a strong character until the fifth season. At that point, his character is aimless. He’s there just long enough to serve a minor purpose in the fifth season’s theme. Tara, on the other hand, was created to fill in the space created by Oz’s departure, with the eventual intention to trigger Willow’s descent into darkness upon her death. When Tara’s death was postponed for a season (it was originally meant to happen at the end of the fifth, not the sixth), her character went nowhere for a very long time. (Similar issues would emerge for Dawn.)

The point is that this episode marks an important stage in the beginning of Tara’s purpose in the narrative, but the beginning of the end of Riley’s purpose. Both are important in the evolution of the main characters involved with them. Buffy, for instance, comes to the conclusion that Riley deserves to be told the truth about her past, and that’s an indication of her choice. It’s also another sign of her growing isolation, since she’s investing more of herself in Riley (or rather, what Riley represents in her life).

Joss made an interesting comment about Willow at this stage in her character evolution. In essence, as much as Willow later states that she’s gay and demonstrably so, that may not be the most accurate way of looking at it. Willow doesn’t come to some sudden awareness of her true lesbian persona. Rather, she becomes attracted to Tara independent of the gender issue. (That’s why the magic question comes up so clearly; without the magic connection, would Willow have found Tara so compelling?)

Tara’s character is still a work in progress, and in a lot of ways, she would never be more than a subset of Willow. But there’s an evolution of the character that’s evident in this episode. In her earliest appearances, Tara was entrenched in the pseudo-goth look, as if trying very hard to look frumpy and unattractive. As her relationship with Willow has grown, her look has softened. This process continues throughout her time on the series.

In terms of an exit, Oz left well before he was meant to go. There’s a lot of reason to believe that this plot element of the season would have played out regardless of when Oz left. That version of the story might have been a little more satisfying. As it stands, Oz is more of a plot device than a character with a particular purpose. His appearance is more about Willow than any personal growth of his own.

There’s some movement on the Adam front, but it’s largely confined to vague pronouncements of a plan and the preparations thereof. The intentional seeding of the Initiative with lots and lots of demons is a clever move, but Adam’s plan seems borne more of the need to give him a reason to stage the big battle in “Primeval” than a logical concept (and the rest of the season bears this out).

The real purpose of Adam and the end of the season is to evolve Buffy’s search for self-identity (what it means to be “Buffy”) into a search for the origins of her Chosen legacy (what it means to be “The Slayer”). This two-season arc builds on the basics established in the second and third seasons, where Buffy came to understand what it is about her world that is a strength and a weakness, all in one. But knowing that isn’t the same as coming to terms with it, and just as this season demonstrated that Buffy has a hard time defining herself, it all comes back to how much of her psychology is passed down by her Chosen destiny.

Putting that aside for the actual final episodes, this is more about the relationships and how they are ripe for manipulation. Buffy may be trying not to wig, but she is, and it’s not hard to figure out. More to the point, Willow is obviously worried about being ostracized by her friends. Xander has been on the outside looking in since the beginning of the season, his pains and fears largely unrecognized. Giles feels less like a mentor than the guy with the convenient apartment.

At least, that’s where the writers are clearly going, since all of that (and more) comes into play in the next episode. But watching this episode brings up a recurring point. When Willow needs support, everyone is there for her, even if they don’t know all the reasons why she’s upset. The whole gang is involved in the process of helping Oz and Riley. The gang might be together less than before, but there’s hardly the degree of isolation within the group that the writers want to claim.

So does the return of Oz work? In terms of pushing Buffy and Willow into decisions about their relationships, certainly. In terms of Oz and giving him a proper sendoff…not so much. There’s also a running commentary on “bigotry” against demons in general, which seems rather ironic, given how clearly defined those differences were for Buffy and the others during the earlier seasons. Whatever the case, this is a good episode that helps to pull together a number of plot threads important to the resolution of the fourth season.


Memorable Quotes

OZ: “All about keeping your inner cool.”
WILLOW: “Good…’cause you were such a spaz before…”

WILLOW: “I was with him all night.”
BUFFY: “All night? Oh my god! Wait…last night was a wolf moon, right?”
WILLOW: “Yup.”
BUFFY: “Either you’re about to tell me something incredibly kinky, or…”

ADAM : “Scout’s honor.”
SPIKE: “You were a Boy Scout?”
ADAM: “Parts of me.”

ANYA: “Slap my hand now!”

COLONEL: “You’re a dead man, Finn!”
RILEY: “No…I’m an anarchist.”

WILLOW: “It was my fault. I upset you.”
OZ: “Well, so we’re safe then…’cause you’ll never do that again.”

TARA: “You mean?”
WILLOW: “I mean. OK?”
TARA: “Oh, yes!”


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode has strong character development, particularly for Buffy, Riley, and Willow, but the return of Oz is more of a plot device than a fitting final appearance for a beloved cast member. The plot elements related to the season arc are as vague as usual, but there’s at least some movement. As with many fourth season episodes, it’s the ongoing theme that shines through.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10